UnicyclePeon

I would consider Illusion/Empathy. Its a great support character. You have the non-aggro-causing single target confusion power (deceive) which is great for a followbot to have on auto at times when you dont need the heal on auto. You get a hold and extra damage if you need it (reaching over to an adjacent keyboard isnt so bad). You also get Phantom Army at level 18, and thats just the bees knees. Plus you get all the empathy goodness. Also, the Illusion primary gives you superior invisibility so you can have full stealth on your empath.

Good times!

Lewis

I question a couple of other things about that build. I dont like the use of the proc instead of the dam/end in spectral wounds. You'll be eating through endurance like mad. I feel the same way about the Blind slotting. With that much recharge, you'll want the end reduction over the proc. Or maybe I'm wrong, but that seriously bothers me.

Also, the Phantasm could be better. You could take the first 4 items of the Expedient set (basically, do as the poster did but take Dam/End instead of Dam/End/Rech) and then put a level 50 acc/dam in there and you'll max acc/dam on Phanty.

I also agree 100% with Local Man's comments about build/slot order and epics. Especially the epics. Do you want to spend 5 billion and look like poo?

Anyway, that's an expensive build.

Lewis

Is it possible for a Fire/Rad to get perma-IW?

I tend to be finicky about IW. Yes, when its up, and it can be up often, you dont get stunned, but if there is even a 10 second gap, and I get stunned in that gap, then I still have to restart CC and HF. So, I always found IW insufficient on my Fire/Rad, since if I have to restart once an hour or 10 times an hour, I'm equally pissed either way.

So, can you get perma-IW?

Otherwise, I'm gonna be pissed if I have to restart at all. All or nothing, otherwise, I'd personally take an epic that is more fun (YMMV). I took Fire. *shrug*

Lewis

My only problem with farming with scrappers is that the BM foes like to run away a lot, especially if you hammer them with Lightning Rod/Shield Charge and kill all the minions instantly. The LTs and bosses run all over the place in fear. Its tedious to chase them down. With the fire/kin, they get rooted, so there is no chasing, and the imps clean up for you.

Basically, Fire/Kin is just more relaxing for me.

YMMV.

Lewis

It looks good. I would never be able to afford it.

Lewis

I totally agree with the /Trick Arrow suggestions. The kill zone of doom you guys can make (and port foes into) will be truly sick, and nothing much will be able to escape it thanks to your controls, slows, knockdowns, and his Caltrops. Good times. Plus, as Tired Angel said, Flash Arrow -tohit or whatever stacks with the FFG defense. Having a real good reason to take Flash Arrow is kinda unique.

Using placement of singularity to knock guys into your killzone could be amusing. Anyway. Sounds fun.

Lewis

Your build looks pretty good, if expensive. You put a lot of effort into getting your defenses up, but you don't cap anything. Still, I'm sure that with all your other controls, that would really take the edge off and let you be more aggressive. The main issue with your build might be endurance. Your endurance reduction is kinda low in your toggles. Still, 24% isn't much worse than running generics with a single SO. But then again you didn't 3-slot stamina. It could be an issue, but considering your goals, I don't see anywhere to save slots without impacting your other goals.

That Stalagmites slotting always makes me nervous. I mean, I see that you wanted the blend of recharge and defense, and with the defenses you've got, losing 3 seconds of stun time isn't terrible. Still that kind of thing irks me. But, I know its livable. My Fire/Kin lives with a 5-slotted stupefy (and a recharge in the 6th). Just typing as I think. Its fine really.

Your Benumb is unslotted. i find that irritating. Still, if you really acquire that much global accuracy (74%) and that much global recharge (97.5%) then I can see how that would be adequate. It might suck until you really achieve those numbers.

I don't like the fact that Stone Cages is missing from your build. You miss out on regular containment damage potential. You might consider replacing Stone Prison with Stone cages once you hit level 50. A full Trap of the Hunter set gives you 3.13 ranged defense, so you'd only lose 0.62% ranged defense. You'd also drop 2.19% energy/negative defense, but still, you'd have 18%. I think it would be worth considering, just to be able to get more frequent area containment. Maybe. It is something to think about.

I can see skipping Frostwork. I have it on my Fire/Cold, and its kinda "meh." I'm sure some people love getting extra hit points, but its pretty unsatisfying for me. Snow Storm is nice for the -recharge and the -slow, but you already have a lot of control, and you have -slow in Quicksand. Therefore, I can totally understand skipping these.

As for Hover, it would irritate me greatly to only have 68% fly speed in Hover. Why not switch this with Super Speed? Your universal set bonuses would still work in Super Speed. You've got Hasten already, and it'd give you a real (actually fast) travel power. You could buy a raptor pack for vertical travel, and in missions, you will be staying on the ground anyway, since Stalagmites and Fissure require that you be ground-bound.

I'm not sure if I overlooked anything, but these are my feeble thoughts. Maybe they will help, maybe not. You may have already discarded these ideas as uninteresting.

Lewis

Woof. Gravity/Traps would be sick. I think Ice/Traps would be sick too. Imagine the whole "capped defenses" in conjunction with actually having resist debuffs, bonus damage, and a point blank kill zone. It would make my capped Ice/FF seem pointless.

Anyway, I have played Gravity/Storm to 50 and Gravity/Radiation to 40. Both are great. Gravity/Storm takes a bit longer to bloom, but it does have some nice low level aspects (Crushing Field doesn't stop Freezing Rain's knockdown). Gravity/Rad has more mitigation sooner (Crushing Field + Radiation Infection) but it isnt as satisfying visually in the upper levels. Gravity/Storm is a hilarious combo at high levels, with all the Pets and Pseudo-pets and the knockbacks and knock-ups, and whatnot.

Anyway, Gravity is a good primary if you want to solo from level 1 without having to dip into pool powers for damage. Its main downside (as Local Man mentioned) is that the control blooms late. Grav/Rad mitigates this sooner. Grav/Storm is more fun later. These 2 combos are IMO the absolute best pairings with Gravity.

As for Ice Control, its OK. You won't solo well before you get your pet, unless you take Air Superiority or Chilblain or both. Its a good set, but sometimes the lack of a regular hard control (like the AoE stun of Fire, Earth, etc) is irritating. Ice Slick is a regular soft control, and thats cool, but sometimes it can be unsatisfying. But sometimes it can be *more* satisfying. AOE knockdown can really screw the bad guys. So, I have mixed feelings about Ice Control sometimes.

Still, Ice/Rad and Ice/Storm are both great combos for Ice. Ice/Storm has a lot of mitigation in the form of slows, knockdown, knockback, debuffs, and controlled chaos. It can be flashy. Its nice and thematic. The damage is pretty decent at high level. As for Ice/Rad, its a really interesting melee Arctic Air + Choking Cloud build, and you could slot up procs for damage. I guess you could play it as a ranged controller too, and it'd be effective, but that'd make Local Man cry.

Either way, both of those Ice Control choices are among the more interesting ones, and perhaps the best ones. I think Ice/FF and Ice/TA are also pretty interesting for very different reasons, but you didn't ask about that.

As for the /Cold secondary, I've played one (Fire/Cold) to level 50, just to try it, and I'm plinking around a bit with an Earth/Cold, but I can't say its my favorite secondary.

I certainly would think twice about combining it with Gravity, just because it offers little control (mainly just Snow Storm and Sleet), and Gravity also lacks area control in the low levels. So, it'd be tough going. Later it could be nice, kinda like a Grav/Storm with less Chaos, but with a more team-friendly demeanor. I do wonder if there are any hidden interesting things with Grav/Cold, tho. Maybe Singularity could tank harder foes if you hit them with benumb, infrigidate, snow storm, sleet, and even occasionally heat loss, all while buffing Singularity's defense. It could maybe be a very formidable single target screw-job controller. And hey, being able to Wormhole dudes somewhere into a corner and Sleet them is nice (as I said, it'd be a more team-friendly chaos-absent version of a Grav/Storm in this sense).

I think Ice/Cold might be more palatable at low levels, just because Ice Slick is a pretty serious "WIN" button at low levels, and careful use of AA and Shiver (and Snow Storm from /Cold) could make you feel safer and even more team friendly. Its also a theme-match, and that is always good. Still, in a way, Gravity/Cold seems like it'd be more interesting than Ice/Cold, but I think Ice/Cold hits the ground running a bit better if you want a team character.

Anyway, just rambling a bit. Not sure if these additional comments help, but they are fun to think about.

Lewis

Your build seems a bit awkward. I'm not going to dig in and diagnose it. Instead, I'll just post the build I'm using. I'm only level 27 or so, but the build is relatively cheap, it soft caps all the positional stuff, and it is more or less built in a way that lets you play/slot as you go.

The only wonky things with my build:

1) I didnt take Trip Mine until 32
2) I skipped Siren's song. After all, with caltrops and trip mine and a bunch of other stuff going on, the sleep will get broken a lot.

Anyway, its just an example build.

Lewis

Hero Plan by Mids' Hero Designer 1.601
http://www.cohplanner.com/

Click this DataLink to open the build!

Gadget Gal: Level 50 Technology Defender
Primary Power Set: Traps
Secondary Power Set: Sonic Attack
Power Pool: Flight
Power Pool: Fitness
Power Pool: Fighting
Power Pool: Leaping
Ancillary Pool: Power Mastery

Hero Profile:
Level 1: Caltrops -- Slow-I(A)
Level 1: Shriek -- Acc/Dmg(A), Acc/Dmg/Rchg(3), Acc/Dmg/EndRdx(3), Dmg/EndRdx/Rchg(19), Acc/Dmg/EndRdx/Rchg(31)
Level 2: Scream -- Acc/Dmg(A), Acc/Dmg/Rchg(5), Acc/Dmg/EndRdx(5), Dmg/EndRdx/Rchg(17), Acc/Dmg/EndRdx/Rchg(31)
Level 4: Howl -- Acc/Dmg(A), Dmg/EndRdx(7), Dmg/Rchg(7), Acc/Dmg/EndRdx(17), Acc/Dmg/EndRdx(31), RechRdx-I(48)
Level 6: Acid Mortar -- DefDeb(A), Acc/DefDeb(11), Acc/Rchg(15), DefDeb/EndRdx/Rchg(19), Acc/Rchg/EndRdx(40), RechRdx-I(46)
Level 8: Force Field Generator -- Def/EndRdx(A), Def(9), DefBuff-I(9)
Level 10: Hover -- Fly(A), EndRdx/Fly(11), Flight-I(34), ResKB(34)
Level 12: Poison Trap -- Acc/Hold(A), Acc/Rchg(13), Rchg/Hold(13), EndRdx/Rchg/Hold(40), Acc/EndRdx/Rchg/Hold(40), %Hold(43)
Level 14: Fly -- Flight-I(A), Flight-I(15)
Level 16: Swift -- Flight-I(A)
Level 18: Health -- Rcvry+(A), Regen/Rcvry+(50)
Level 20: Stamina -- EndMod(A), EndMod/Acc(21), EndMod-I(21)
Level 22: Seeker Drones -- ToHitDeb(A), Acc/ToHitDeb(23), Acc/Rchg(23), ToHitDeb/EndRdx/Rchg(29), Acc/EndRdx/Rchg(29), ToHitDeb/Rchg(43)
Level 24: Shout -- Acc/Dmg(A), Acc/Dmg/Rchg(25), Acc/Dmg/EndRdx(25), Dmg/EndRdx/Rchg(27), Acc/Dmg/EndRdx/Rchg(27)
Level 26: Amplify -- EndRdx/Rchg(A), Rchg(37), RechRdx-I(37)
Level 28: Boxing -- Acc-I(A)
Level 30: Tough -- ResDam/Def+(A)
Level 32: Trip Mine -- Acc/Dmg(A), Dmg/EndRdx(33), Dmg/Rchg(33), Acc/Rchg(33), Acc/Dmg/EndRdx(34), RechRdx-I(48)
Level 35: Screech -- Acc/Rchg(A), EndRdx/Stun(36), Acc/EndRdx(36), Stun/Rng(36), Acc/Stun/Rchg(37), Immob%(43)
Level 38: Triage Beacon -- Heal/Rchg(A), Heal/EndRdx/Rchg(39), Heal/Rchg(39), Heal/EndRdx/Rchg(39)
Level 41: Weave -- Def/EndRdx(A), Def/EndRdx(42), Def/EndRdx(42), Def/EndRdx(42)
Level 44: Web Grenade -- Acc/Rchg(A), EndRdx/Immob(45), Acc/EndRdx(45), Immob/Rng(45), Acc/Immob/Rchg(46), Acc/Immob(46)
Level 47: Combat Jumping -- DefBuff-I(A), DefBuff-I(48)
Level 49: Power Build Up -- EndRdx/Rchg(A), Rchg(50), RechRdx-I(50)
------------
Level 1: Brawl -- Acc-I(A)
Level 1: Sprint -- Stlth(A)
Level 2: Rest -- RechRdx-I(A)
Level 1: Vigilance
------------
Set Bonus Totals:

• 10% DamageBuff(Smashing)
• 10% DamageBuff(Lethal)
• 10% DamageBuff(Fire)
• 10% DamageBuff(Cold)
• 10% DamageBuff(Energy)
• 10% DamageBuff(Negative)
• 10% DamageBuff(Toxic)
• 10% DamageBuff(Psionic)
• 12.1% Defense(Smashing)
• 12.1% Defense(Lethal)
• 7.06% Defense(Fire)
• 7.06% Defense(Cold)
• 12.4% Defense(Energy)
• 12.4% Defense(Negative)
• 3% Defense(Psionic)
• 11.8% Defense(Melee)
• 10.5% Defense(Ranged)
• 11.1% Defense(AoE)
• 2.5% Enhancement(Held)
• 59% Enhancement(Accuracy)
• 3% Enhancement(Immobilize)
• 2% Enhancement(Stun)
• 3.75% Enhancement(RechargeTime)
• 9% FlySpeed
• 15.3 HP (1.5%) HitPoints
• 9% JumpHeight
• 9% JumpSpeed
• Knockback (Mag -4)
• Knockup (Mag -4)
• MezResist(Held) 2.2%
• MezResist(Immobilize) 2.2%
• MezResist(Stun) 2.2%
• MezResist(Terrorized) 2.2%
• 11.5% (0.19 End/sec) Recovery
• 32% (1.36 HP/sec) Regeneration
• 1.58% Resistance(Fire)
• 1.58% Resistance(Cold)
• 5% Resistance(Negative)
• 9% RunSpeed
• 2% XPDebtProtection

Chaos String,

I'm not entirely sure what purpose I prefer. I do know that I wasnt really able to get the scrapper defense numbers as high as I'd like. It was much easier to do it with the tanker. I would like to be able to farm tho. I dunno.

I'm thinking I will stick with the Tanker version, then maybe later I'll play a scrapper version up. Might as well.

Lewis

I'm just curious whether I should go with an Elec/SD scrapper, or a SD/Elec Tanker? I just made a Shield/Electric tanker last night, but after teaming with an Elec/SR scrapper, I can't help but think the scrapper version must be massive!

What would you do?

Lewis

Maybe you should try Gravity/Radiation. Your primary comes with single target attacks for soloing, and the secondary covers the fact that Gravity blooms late in terms of control. As for Singularity, he hangs back and does his own thing. No worries.

You could try Illusion/Radiation for similar reasons (it is a smooth soloing ride from 1-50).

Between the two, I think Illusion/Radiation is more effective, but both could be nice first-time controllers where you can solo well, have a pet, and the pet is secondary or complimentary to doing the other stuff all on your own.

Lewis

I made a traps/psi. She is level 26. Her name is Martian Machine. Since she is a martian, she is green and has mind blasts, of course. The traps are just some of the lesser martian tech she brought with her. Good times.

Lewis

Sure, I knew about the Brute option. I will become more excited about my Fire Tankers when THEY can do their own AoE immob, or when Burn no longer makes enemies flee. Either one.

In the mean time, I'll still play them, but only on occasion. No biggie.

Lewis

I just wish Burn didn't make enemies flee. Then, the set would be worth it. Don't get me wrong, I occasionally get out my Fire Tankers, and I have some fun, but they sure are frustrating at times.

Lewis

I have a Necro/Thermal that I'm going to bring fully over to being a hero. My feeling is that he is mis-understood. He hasn't done ANY villainous stuff. Everything he has done has been in the AE. His undead minions are actually all of his own brothers, who were killed by the Family. Their desire for justice has keep their spirits loosely bound to the earth and to their brother, who summons them.

Basically, all my character's undead are willing family members who want to do good in the world. They are willing undead and they will only do heroic things.

So, yes, Necromancers CAN be good.

Lewis

All,

Thanks for the continued replies. I dont know much about the market or rolls, so I'm kinda shy about all this.

RagManX,

Hey thanks man, I appreciate it. You don't have to bend over backwards on my account!

Lewis

I'm terribly unlucky, so all this rolling stuff makes me nervous. The other week, I had some characters with 9999 tickets (3 of them) so I made like 6 rolls, and got zip. I had a different character with about 8200 and rolled all bronze and got zip, except for 1 Touch of Death that maybe sold for a few million (I always check every item I'm unsure of in terms of value).

So rolling has not been kind to me, not at all.

Ah well. Bummer.

Lewis

It looks like you already got your answer. I think /AR is the best theme match, but both /Sonic and /Electric both fit as being powered by gadgets quite well. /Sonic is probably more effective, but /Elec would have 2 AOEs, a floating tech/gadget pet (VSentinel) and a hold. Not terrible.

Here are some builds I happened to be screwing around with. I'm sure people could make better ones, they are just builds I happened to have. I think the Sonic one was made at a time you could click FFG and have it add the totals in, but a newer build may have broken it again. So, for the Elec and AR ones, add 20.9 to the totals to see the actual cap.

Lewis






Click this DataLink to open the build!

Whoops, I see now that all of those are direct buy prices. I need 525 to buy the ones I want, so I'd need 1575 to buy 3x the partial sets I need.

The only random roll I see is "rare recipe" ... I assume I roll on the 35-59 or 30-34 at 20 Mission Merits a pop? I wonder if 78 or so rolls on the "Rare" recipe would be likely to net me the cash to buy them (480 Million total)?

Hmm.

Lewis

Thanks. I'm getting the terms mixed up some. All of the info you posted is about Mission Merits, right, and not AE tickets?

I ask because none of those numbers mention level ranges, and none of the costs to roll match the AE stuff.

Can you not get Kinetic Combats from the AE rolls?

If these are Mission Merits, its looking the cost to roll once hoping to get each of the 4 items costs almost as much as simply buying the set outright. So I should probably just earn 650 x 3 Mission Merits and just buy them? Woof.

Ah well, there ya go.

Thanks!

Lewis

All,

I want some Kinetic Combat IOs for my Tanker, but they are pricey. It looks like 160 million for a set, and I need 3 sets. However, I can't rub 10 million together across all my hero characters combined, much less 480 million (I'm broke). So, I'm wondering how best to get them other than cash.

I assume you can buy them with merits. I haven't checked the Merit Vendor. Can you also roll them (random) at the Merit Vendor? If so, what categories and level ranges do you roll on?

What about the AE Ticket Rolls? Can you get any or all of them there? If so, what reward levels (Bronze, Silver, Gold) do they appear in, and at what roll-levels? 30-35? 35-39?

Thanks for any help!

Lewis