StratoNexus

Off topic, but this caught my eye and amused me in two ways. One, was at the thought of adding so much KB to Nrg blast. Two was how someone who willingly sacrifices so much damage in his attacks could then look down on Dual Pistols so much. (Of course that build could still have a lot of Kin crashes slotted and still have potent damage powers as well, but my amusement does not have to be based on facts. )

While I agree in general, it is possible (and seems likely) that the future may change that. When fighting lvl 54s the longer duration becomes very nice since the level difference is already cutting the duration down and then it also actually takes longer than 12 seconds to wipe spawns.

The PBAoE output of /Fire Manip is huge. Hot Feet and Fire Sword Circle are fabulous. However, the Fire primary has really great damage output alone, so it could be argued that the secondary is superfluous (although the PBAoEs are slightly better than the breath+ball style, IME).

Really? I mean my Nrg/Devices is noticeably slower at killing stuff than my Fire/Fire. But "incredibly" measurably slower than an Nrg/Nrg? How much faster would my Fire/Fire be than a Fire/Devices? The lack of Build Up is a factor, for sure. Against harder targets than even cons it can become noticeable, but then I usually use a Trip Mine. Not sure how much longer that takes, but I do not think it is incredibly longer.

It is hard for me to say as most of my high level blasters are AoE machines. However, my Nrg/Devices is noticeably more effective than my Sonic/Nrg at killing spawns. For someone who is as addicted to quickly moving from spawn to spawn as I am to enjoy an Nrg/Devices indicates to me that it can't be that bad.

Devices has issues. Traps is ridiculously good. While it is unfair to compare a buff/debuff set to a blaster secondary, taking a step back I can see where concept-wise you could argue they are almost the same. Traps is a top tier set, nigh on OPd and Devices falls in the bottom tier. From that PoV, I can see the other side's thinking.

So here is hoping that one day they buff Devices.

You want to play a buffer but don't really want to push keys that buff all that often. That seems a contradiction.

On the Apex TF I find having one or even two tankers to be quite helpful. However, tanking the AV in these cases means tanking the AV encounter not just the AV (which is not really new, the ITF has this property as well). A good tanker for the Apex will have range aggro gathering on top of good AoEs. I agree that the secondary is important, but the APP may be something to consider as well. Trying to keep the ambushes off the rest of the team is the biggest part of tanking Apex, IME.

The vast majority of holds that NPCs throw at you will be prevented by Acro. The resistance will help prevent them from stacking holds to break through. Is it enough to face multiple Illusionists? No. A Gunslinger Boss? Yes. The Cocoon from a Bane Spider Executioner? Yes.

Saying that Sm/Le resistance is situational is like saying that the need to breathe is situational. You don't need to breathe all the time, but the situation where you do need to happens an awful lot.

That is the same reason why Scorpion Shield is so good. Sm/Le defense will protect you from an extremely large amount of attacks, adding Nrg on top of that makes it even sweeter. If you go for range defense with IO bonuses as well, you will get even more Nrg defense, so getting very high defense to Sm/Le/Nrg/Range is very possible and very strong in gameplay.

That is not to say your build is bad, I am just pointing out that Sm/Le covers a large amount of the game.

Likely not in the way you are thinking. You can do some great stuff solo, but you do not shine on a blaster unless teamed and supported, IMO.

Fun is subjective. I too prefer blasters (and defenders) in the "end game". That said, I know controllers, brutes, scrappers, tankers, and MMs can do things solo I cannot with my blasters and defenders (and I have several of those ATs as well for when I do want to do silly things solo).

Since scrappers start off at a higher level, IOs can take them higher as well. I think it is worth IOing a blaster, but they are still very team reliant to truly shine.

IOs can seriously lessen the fleeing and kiting, but if you start cranking the difficulty up, then the fleeing and kiting will become necessary again. The blaster AT is designed on the premise of not being able to take many hits (without team support). That is the fundamental nature of blasters. IOs do not make it disappear entirely. I do not think I'd call it imbalanced so much as simply different.

Had I made the changes back in I11, I would have made blasters more like VEATs (although with lower mitigation). That being said, I think I kind of like that the devs chose to keep the glass in the glass cannon. If you cannot enjoy the team reliance thing or cannot be happy soloing on +1 / x5 instead of +3 / x8, then the blaster AT may not be for you.

I can see normalizing the cast times a bit, although I am fine with how they currently are. I am actually still disappointed in the CM animation change. Totally happy that it is shorter. Very disappointed that it is the SB animation.

You wouldn't. But I don't really want them to change how AM works, because when I want to play a buffer I can grab my FF, Emp, Kin, or Sonic. I would indeed prefer the AM I proposed, but that does not seem a good enough reason to alter its current methodology.

I support the current setup not because I find it tedious, but because I find it fun. Since you find it tedious, you should play other sets. There are plenty out there that do not require buffing. Do not change the sets I find fun because you want them all to be like Radiation Emission (a set I find tedious).

I wish AM would be changed to a 2 minute duration ally buff with a base 60 seconds recharge like Fortitude. I think Radiation Emission would be better that way.

I have a few characters where I get to a similar point with regards to survivability vs. challenge (although not always due to mezzing, this happens on my armored toons as well). I have a few characters at level 50 like that, and it is most problematic for them, because it isn't likely to change. Normally the problem will go away if you get a level or two. But it is frustrating having those times where on +1 x 4 it is a cakewalk and snoozefest, but +1 x 5 or +2 x 3 are 3 to 5 deaths a mission.

With traps, especially early levels, you want to use one acid mortar on two or three spawns. If grouping, this will often mean you need to aggro the next spawn very early and make sure to pull them back into the first fight area. Its a bit of learning curve to know when you can pull and when you should just go without the Mortar for a spawn or two.

With a blaster, you are slotting attacks early and increasing your damage early. With a trapper, you are slotting buffs and debuffs as well as attacks early, so you will indeed see less damage until mid to late game.

While both of those attacks deal some smashing damage, neither are typed to check for smashing defense, as far as I know.

Your point is still very good though and I also recommend both Frozen Armor and Scorpion Shield as very good choices.

While I love Caltrops, any Martial Arts secondary for blasters that lacks Dragon's Tail is instant fail, IMO.

I do not like weapon redraw. I wish the devs would just remove it. I really have no problem playing weapons sets as they currently are and I end up redrawing fairly often (Arch/Fire, Rifle/Fire, DP/Fire/Ice with medicine, Kin/DP, Traps/Arch, Kat/Regen/Blaze). The fact that I can play them, does not preclude me from wishing the redraw was non-existent. There is really no reason why a Kat/Regen/Blaze scrapper should have more animation time thanks to redraw than a Fire/Regen/Blaze scrapper.

Saying they should not bother changing it just because people will complain anyway is silly. They should not NOT bother changing it because people will complain anyway.

Leap-frogging ftw. If you are on a team that is demolishing spawns that fast, you likely should be engaging multiple spawns. Devices players have a lot of tools they can use on truly fast moving teams, but they cannot be waiting for the tanker to go in first. Honestly, with the exception of /Fire, /Mental and /Devices, no blaster secondary provides much to a steamroller, because AoE damage is what it is all about. But if you try to play /Devices like /Fire, /Devices is gonna suck pretty bad.

I love how people always say that /Devices adds so much safety while solo, but none on teams. The exact same safety it provides solo, it will provide on a team, you just have to engage the next spawn. It is like soloing, but you may have additional buffs and maybe a teammate or two to come along and help mop up at the end.

Does all that mean Time Bomb should be 23 seconds of agony and Gun Drone should take ~7 seconds to cast? No. Things should be changed, IMO. But /Devices can easily add to fast-moving teams fine, as long as you don't play it like other blasters.

This amuses me. Calling 27% defense and 57% resistance with a fast recharging, massive heal a build hole is just too funny.

IMO, /Device is best utilized by occasionally running into the next spawn. If you hold back and just follow the team, than you are not utilizing what /devices can bring to the table. That is a fine choice, but it in no way is indicative of what can be done with /Devices.

You cannot compare a buff/debuff set to a blaster secondary in any kind of fairness. It is ridiculous. The higher blaster damage mod is what is supposed to make up for the fact that buff/debuff brings more to the table. Of course Traps is "better", the sets that get it are supposed to deal lower damage. Compare Traps to ANY blaster secondary and guess which comes out ahead. Radiation Emission vs. Fire Manipulation? Dark Miasma vs. Mental Manipulation? Kinetics vs. Energy Manipulation? Stone Armor vs. Ice Manipulation?

To address the original post, IMO, the best power in /Devices is Caltrops. It is invaluable for keeping an enemy distracted. Trip Mines are addictive, but honestly not very good. Gun Drone is passable.

Blasters do not get mez protection because that is the flavor the devs want for the AT. Blasters with Mez protection would not be OPd in anyway. VEATS have plenty of ranged attacks and mez protection. Warshades do too. My Claws/Elec/Blaze scrapper makes a better ranger than my Fire/Fire/Flame blaster and only the scrapper gets the mez protection.

Do not confuse this flavor choice as a balance issue. Blasters do not get defenses and mez protection because they are supposed to be team reliant and squishy. If you like characters like that, play a blaster. If you like to be able to run off on your own in a LGTF while playing at +2, choose an armored class.