City of Heroes: Live Forum Archive

streetlight

Cohort

  • Posts

    517

  • Joined

  1. streetlight

    Claws/Regen

    POST-ACTION

    Regen loves primaries that offer Defense buffs (e.g. Katana & Broadsword) or ToHit debuffs (e.g. Dark Melee), though the latter can be resisted by more powerful opponents. I'd recommend Katana > Dark > BS, personally. I'd also recommend saving this idea for when Brutes get Regen, because of the extra base HP and higher HP cap.

    I slotted for defense and recharge on my budget-conscious BS/Regen (Spiritual Alpha is a must-have). With accolades and perma-hasten, you fall into perma-Dull Pain, which keeps your HP capped. I didn't seek out any regen bonuses, but still have 684% base regen, which has been plenty so far. I often find myself forgetting to hit DP (Hasten is on auto), because the survivability is so good I don't need it that often.
  2. streetlight

    Scrapper or Brute?

    POST-ACTION

    Without the control toggles, I suspect you'll be right that Dark Armor will perform better than a similarly-spec'd Scrapper. I just see having one or both of the toggles as integral to the set. If I ditched those toggles, then I'd be more tempted to go with Fiery Aura, but there is a lot to be said for getting what you want the way you want it. Enjoy!
  3. streetlight

    Scrapper or Brute?

    POST-ACTION

    I tend to think of the difference in terms of...

    1. Super Strength: If you want SS, there is only one choice.
    2. Base Damage: Scrappers have higher base, so they benefit more from damage buffs and their pseudopets are better.
    3. HP/Regen: Brutes have higher base HP and higher HP caps, so they benefit more from percentage-based HP buffs and Regen.
    4. Taunt Auras: Brutes have them, Scrappers sometimes have them. If you want a particular secondary and demand a taunt aura, then you may have to go Brute.
    5. Hard Targets: Fights against single hard targets (AVs, Pylons, etc.) generate less Fury, which can reduce the effectiveness of Brutes comparatively.
    6. Farming: Brutes have higher resistance caps and benefit more from being at the aggro cap. Plus, taunt auras may come into play here.
    7. Control Auras: Some sets have control auras (e.g. Dark & Ice), both of which can interfere with Fury and make them less viable for Brutes, if used.

    Sets like Shield Defense and Dark Armor are notably better for Scrappers, while Willpower is notably better for Brutes. Regen will be better on Brutes and Ice will be better (and exclusive?) for Scrappers. I like Claws, DB, Elec and KM more on Scrappers due to the way base damage comes into play (and the faster recharge on Spin).
  4. streetlight

    Best Buff's?

    POST-ACTION

    Quote:
    Originally Posted by Mint View Post
    Far as buff's go, who is the best at it? empathy, force fields, thermal, cold. You tell me and why they are better than the other AT's out there far as defenders go.
    Kin. No question. Your teammates will, more often than not, have some degree of competence that won't require you to softcap them or whatever. Emps are wonderful, but a Kin can cap damage, while increasing recharge and recovery.
  5. streetlight
    Billions aren't so easy to come by. Some players have played this game since the start and couldn't afford a purples & PVP build. If you're willing to put in the time marketeering and/or farming with the proper plans, then you might be able to reach those goals quickly enough, but that's not something everyone has the patience, knowledge or desire for. Levelling up from 1-50, you should come out with 50M, depending on drops along the way. That's a long way from 5B+.

    Speaking to the build, some players look at Energy Manip as a blapper secondary, but it's the ultimate ranged secondary in my mind. Single-target melee is WAY overrated for Blasters. I'd stick with ranged defense and go the hover blaster route.

    Why ranged defense? You can cut down on melee and PBAOE attacks just by moving, which limits your opponents to ranged attacks and targeted AOEs. The latter are very rare for most opponents, so you can cut down a lot of potential damage through movement alone, channeling remaining damage through ranged defense, which is easy to build for. A lot of heavy attacks also happen to be melee-ranged and few opponents can fly, so a hover blaster with softcapped ranged defense is in pretty good shape.

    I've set up a build below, which is pretty inexpensive outside of the Gladiator's Armor 3%. You can get it by running 5 tips per day and cashing in reward merits for alignment merits. If you stick to that plan feverishly and run whatever TFs you can, the Glad Armor can be yours in a couple weeks or so.

    Code: 
    | Copy & Paste this data into Mids' Hero Designer to view the build |
|-------------------------------------------------------------------|
|MxDz;1427;678;1356;HEX;|
|78DA6593D972124114867B584420044820FB22908404C224A8F76A62D05889154D9|
|577566A0C238CE280C3A4CA5C199727F042AF5CCBB52CAF5C9F457D0177DF00CF9C|
|BF49C68282FE9AD37DFEFE4F2FABD78E7709B173442891C59AD66C6E2C506BEB56E|
|0B4666F595A4D0484108332B87156332B7A592D19968E8999F6C8FA56A351B76C75|
|C9D4ADCAF6C6AA661A8DAD9A661B7533BE6C56754B376DB5DD09AFD5EB35B554332|
|A553BCAFD155D2BEB56B36A3442FC7FBDA1EBE508A639B30CB3D2B3D43036D552DD|
|DAD449DE59747B80BCE5E87754B43F2DBF784C280ADF7DC6BE07C043C6FE47C013C|
|61577D6450E652A8C6C153018854BC065C602B58ACC52DE72A8FB1D23F61EF8C4E8|
|FBC818C833EAD47A91A578119A0216A9F54B3D3F52C7A03706BDD407007A29641DA|
|33620B3022827838A33A87802154FA0E2096C4A9052826CBEE50B7EF638A1D01720|
|A938E84A0031C6124D0C4BD3E1FF4C8749282247225F59A11B42711A8962094F14A|
|25310CD42B4444371E93C0ECB3DB0DC03CB09584EC0721F8AEB25D95E99D5FB9457|
|9A79C6C83D075E002F19B3AF1809CA4A224B2461264DA17EF853FAF3EE233AE15C7|
|4B9C4208C0DC1D8108C8DC0D8188C1560EC2AB5C372278621340258D48E4ABDD1EB|
|BCF8CC0E7083317B13B8C528DE669CA4F9E3C8F28E7FF3381207BE033F809F0C9B6|
|6A4518748A77841854A9B94D54EB6E8235ED3959B969169D4FF864279793EF91C87|
|E60A80CAF0928A2A374875766A54CC1DF4F293A29179993A8F332D42B488A31DF1E|
|D3E28FA3A0652BEF66B69B5721DA3F31D916247E45047E4704764C51D29F05EACF9|
|765FA950701EC1D8EE136CFD0AD1B0DC3D25C3C37FF6428A728EEBF19D2264C56FF|
|7E4699EFC772FE451EEF15DF3DC05EE30CED0652DCAC2D7428E26FAE75D7DCDD5BF|
|E0EAFF03E069EDC2|
|-------------------------------------------------------------------|
  6. streetlight
    Quote:
    Originally Posted by Marka Ragnos View Post
    After fiddling around with Mids', I have come up with the following build:

    (snip)
    You didn't have Maneuvers toggled, which puts you significantly over the S/L softcap for anything outside of Incarnate content. Since Incarnate content is heavy in non-S/L attacks, I would look to trade some S/L for E/N.

    If you don't plan to use Tough, it's hard to argue for slotting it up past the defense uniques. Four slots can go a long way. I'd put two each in Combat Jumping and Maneuvers (LotG Def & Def/End) to bulk up base defenses and make a little more room to trade S/L for E/N. Also, you'll have more defense going this route than you would by keeping the Reactive Armor set. I like to shoot for 20% to everything and 45% to my preferred defense(s).

    Hot Feet looks great, but I'm not a big fan of it. The endurance cost is terrible, especially with Blazing Aura already running. Plus, it has a fear effect of the "run away" sort that makes PBAOEs less effective pretty quickly - already a problem with a Fire/Fire, unless you want them running away instead of attacking (a potentially valid strategy, even if it does impact your PBAOEs).

    I like Flares more than Fire Blast. They do less damage per activation, but more damage per animation second. You've got enough recharge that you don't need Fire Blast's activation time to create a seamless single-target attack chain. If you do find yourself with a spare second due to slows or exemplaring, I'd recommend using Fire Sword over Fire Blast anyway. It's quicker and hits harder.

    I love the Armageddon set, but I'd rather have it in something that was used more often than Inferno. Either FSC or Burn would work out better there - I'd probably go with FSC since it would benefit more from the extra endurance reduction. I might even go with Blazing Aura. Even though the proc has reduced effect, it'd hit more often than I'd throw FSC or Burn in most fights.

    You can take a slot out of Hasten and still have that perma, allowing you to move one slot... wherever for whatever. Maybe a Celerity: Stealth in Super Speed, if you hadn't planned on putting that in Sprint already. I also like to slot up Super-Speed so I don't have to run Sprint ever.

    I've seen a lot of people refuse to take Rain of Fire lately, which I consider a "must have" attack. The damage is just sick, it covers a huge area, it includes a slow, and it makes things try to run instead of attacking you. I usually place it at the back of a spawn so they run toward me.

    Acrobatics is kind of questionable. A single -KB IO covers all but maybe 1 in 1000 KB attacks? If you need that extra 0.1% covered, then Acro makes sense. If you plan to exemplar a lot and want the hold protection at lower levels, then Acro makes sense. If you don't plan to exemp a lot and can grit your teeth through the occasional knock, then I say drop it and save the endurance.

    Your to-hit levels are fine, so I'd run Spiritual Core instead of Spiritual Radial. That'll give you some more recharge, too.

    Quote:
    A thought occurs. How well does S/L defense protect me from mezzes? If I am held, won't my defenses go down?
    You've got Clarion planned, so it isn't likely that you'll be mezzed much in L50+ content. Outside of that? It depends how your enhancements are set up. I've been a max-level adherent for a while now, but I'm starting to come around to the 28/33/38 school of enhancements. You do give up some enhancement value, but it is nice to have the set bonuses when exemplared. If you go max level, then just keep a column or two of break frees around and use them whenever a mez gets you.
  7. streetlight

    What to build

    POST-ACTION

    I'd start by looking for options that aren't better on Brutes, or that won't be better on Brutes with power proliferation in the next issue. For me, that narrows the list of secondaries down to... Dark Armor & Shield Defense.

    If you go Dark Armor, I'd recommend Dark Melee, Katana or Broadsword (in that order) for primary. All three either have a nice defense buff or to-hit debuff that complements Dark Armor's resists nicely. I recommend Dark Melee first mainly due to lack of redraw and the self-heal, but all three are great options. That said, it'd be tough to argue for Broadsword over Katana, except on aesthetics.

    If you go Shield Defense, I'd recommend Kinetic Melee. There are other options, even some really good options, but stacked +Dmg buffs really shine on Scrappers.
  8. streetlight
    I went for softcapped S/L/E with 5 seconds downtime in Hasten before Ageless Destiny - all without purple or PVP IOs. There are a few moderately expensive bits in there, but nothing too bad.

    Code: 
    | Copy & Paste this data into Mids' Hero Designer to view the build |
|-------------------------------------------------------------------|
|MxDz;1445;689;1378;HEX;|
|78DA6553DB6E1251143DC345848285026DE9552E2D050A96E8BBA6B5A49A36A1ADF|
|1CDD4B14C6012323301AA6DD5C46FF0411FB4DE7EC1EBBFE80F78A9FA5EEDB867AF|
|438B6112CEDAB3EF6B31676DF76A5088479785125A6AAAEDF6D6229D1DAD15B8A16|
|D370CB369D6F77C2B66A7A1A9359F102221C35B1BAA51D76AA58ADED25092EC4636|
|772CCB6C75105A530DDDDA69AA1DDD3422D78C86D6D28C4EA96B04AAA6D92C6D5A9|
|A560BB2B9AAA9966ED407BB2F35ADD56EE85688DF2B7ABDD1A16862D9D2B74BDD71|
|6BEAB633C6B1F74669C33CFDAE88EE63BBC52B82B2F0BC06BC603873C070F734CF2|
|BE03A8BF420D2CFBD6128A2AAFC9261914E4556296FD9157887F4F70CE18F0CB14F|
|0CC349865D3ADDB2CA7DE4E2C81F86F37F01C7009B61DE492E8B25CAF7CA2AEF07E|
|C8E59A318328A21454C2E62568AFE2A1FAF682BBE0278018629E297117F5CE1DD63|
|0CCBE41BC02465E019ED1015C1E70C69AA09C99AD017DE2EFF99619F7C83B266103|
|561D454C817917B47A0EC10941D82B231283B0665A7A0EC7D3AA398E48D7EA34693|
|62EC2B43F207E010B0CFE9E97B0C7B74C6E5AC38944D43D93494CD40D9CC7FCA468|
|8D50866B946A0C42C94980D3344292121C925406EEA80E101F9C6F913B0DDE35873|
|E23B006BCE63CD98CF39B98398C488157A99965FE634A865519A43691EA50F29232|
|539A5B07706D466412D0B6A5950CB8393A3C78CEC3E53E51617D6011B804D86A3B0|
|107392FB1C16CB817B0EDC15DABC20372FD4586537B94AD25572849B141E722DC83|
|60B6853469B32DA4C784EEE9710B7B94DD2D3BD3DB69DEF0DDBF488853E4FB9CF73|
|B1CF73A9CFB3DAEBF1B34455CFC9AD150A2E833F7C7225EDC3008515192E72F8D7A|
|94B516E3221D77582ACF8D99B3CC7C9BF4F5D2EE5094F743D66987ACAB01EA55312|
|AF069C9EB06FF5D86A8F7DA7C7FE07B1F8F6B4|
|-------------------------------------------------------------------|
  9. streetlight
    There are three reasons I use Inferno on my Fire/Fire Blaster: 1) as a last-ditch power; 2) as the final piece of an AOE attack chain against very large/tough spawns; and 3) because I want to. The last is the most compelling. Sometimes I just like to see the big orange numbers fly.
  10. streetlight
    Quote:
    Originally Posted by Blue_Fenix View Post
    So, as I've looked through build options for Corruptors (currently running a Fire/Cold and loving it), I've noticed that Scorpion Shield seems VERY popular for builds that want to softcap defense against Smashing and Lethal.

    As far as I can tell, there's no other Patron or Epic Power Pool shield that provides +Def. All the others are Resist shields. Does this mean Scorpion Shield is the best of the Shields for Corruptors?
    It depends on the build and the budget. Scorpion Shield is an outstanding basis for S/L/E defense, which will cover a large percentage of the game's attacks. If you take it, though, you forego the opportunity to use some really good resistance-based shields. Some people slot for softcapped S/L defense, then take resistance shields. They can take a hit better than Scorpion Shield users, but will get hit more often by damage of the type or position they are weak to. It's a tradeoff that would pay off big against preferred enemies. Others slot for Ranged defense, use a resistance shield and just maneuver to stay out of melee. There is no wrong way to go, just different weaknesses.

    Pushed for an answer, I would make my decision based on the powersets in play. The more melee-oriented your build, the more you should consider a Scorpion Shield or S/L+ Resist build. If your build has no melee-range powers, then I would probably recommend a Ranged defense strategy. A */Kin will benefit more from being in melee range (Fulcrum Shift and other powers). A */Dark might do better with a Ranged defense plan. I'm not saying they'd be significantly better by choosing one over another, just maybe a tiny bit better.

    Quote:
    What about a build that isn't aiming for such high defense scores? Are the other shields just as viable as Scorpion for a build that isn't totally tricked out with the perfect IO sets?
    Scorpion Shield is really incredible for providing cheap defense, which makes it cheaper to put the rest of the build's pieces in place. It's a great way to save inf. If you're looking at one of the other options, you'll likely end up spending more.

    Can you get away without defense? Absolutely, but it'll depend heavily on your powersets. A */Dark has a lot of control to help make up for the missing defense. A */Storm can floor nearly any opponents' to-hit with Hurricane alone. */Traps builds offer both. A */Kin or */Pain will prefer to have defense, though.
  11. streetlight
    I'm not a big fan of Cloak of Fear as it currently stands. It uses a lot of endurance, has appalling accuracy, is somewhat reduced in effect by Dark's damage aura and it can't take a cheap purple set like Oppressive Gloom does. Fear is one of the best mez effects in the game, but I'd rather use Touch of Fear to lock down specific targets and let OG handle the minions.

    Plenty of people swear by it, though, and the wandering effect of OG can be a pain, so go with what you like. I just know that I don't like CoF.
  12. streetlight
    My BS/Regen build is below: pure blueside, no purple/pvp/HO enhancements and pretty good results. It'd definitely be better with Shadow Meld and it can be a little end-heavy in long fights if I leave Super Speed on, but I'm very pleased with the results. Resilience will merit better slotting with the i21 changes, but I haven't decided exactly how to go about that yet.

    Code: 
    | Copy & Paste this data into Mids' Hero Designer to view the build |
|-------------------------------------------------------------------|
|MxDz;1444;701;1402;HEX;|
|78DA6593D972124114867B588210B21020FB82D93708A9E4DE529368128824A8771|
|64EA00363A8196A064CE295CFE08D377AE7FA1856F93A2EF72E78E6FC1D9C2AA8A2|
|BE9ED3FF7FFAF4E9EEFCE54E548897B784D67FB7AE3B4EA958B6F54643DAA123BDD|
|9B2F5FAC86DDB384FE5F5AAD9721CCB4C1D59A942CB6E382121C4F8B5B894977529|
|33776C4BAF948A17965D99EA4CEDC833693A327322ABD294B6DE342C33B66FD6A42|
|DCD66E67A102D58563D93937AC330AB11FE2836A4ACF4F170CFA8D69A343170ADAA|
|48DBA9198DB1DD8651CE149B7AFD9C562A5AAD7A29AF3B4D695F8D52792BF42FB97|
|5F2AF1D143A6153F84E813223500124A3E78B4F88B8D8715D1ABB7C629E67461F69|
|2ED2C78C5D12681004B4071CEA29306EE4802346E490B14772BFCAE77FEDE399578|
|C688AB30F9320A804C1247BA209C6EA84DF459904215EB11D0C611F834F01EC6308|
|FB18C23E36A619F7C815566586516602652650D830AA1D46B5B324EF855CEB5DE30|
|CFDC029CDF4A18DBE3E35F3965B35FE86719F0403B00607D0AA71B46AB2887D3C04|
|4E18EB8F19925C31753AB1E79C76F282317D095C012F18A9AFDC333DE4AE08571CA|
|E145C29B8E6E15A842B0DD71CB992A850247B38B44FA111151A710753E28C42632A|
|F7D839FB6F3E03AAC01963AE06188C03724DC0A54DA03D73801672B36289291C519|
|542336A89995F5CC8E26FE00F63E92F20F8E497DAFCE527D7ACBA21B3DBDCBDF92C|
|B0C5C89160411DD102AED00A6A500890605965585602DCB1F541468C046B4AB096F|
|4CEA4A18B9320A32ACFBCE3B236DE031F189B1F814FC06746825C59D5822CD24E06|
|3AAF52085CE39C3714666321A01E218534EC6126D07998ED4284B53C7EE2199F7AC|
|6E141E17691C7DF229D372BB434A7FBEE0D2D73E8873774408325F1F37F48D3F07A|
|47F17AB3DEA2DBF413AB5D91CDAEC8765764AB2B721C77F3A3F07FCD12E3DF|
|-------------------------------------------------------------------|
  13. streetlight
    The right build often starts with a budget in mind. It's a different world out there if you've got enough inf to do anything. The tighter the purse strings, the more sacrifices get made. Pareto efficiency (e.g., the 80/20 rule) is also something to keep in mind. There are single IOs in the thread Elegost mentioned that cost more than my entire BS/Regen build - and those builds have multiple pieces of those expensive IOs, +3 HOs and other insanely expensive bits.

    Generally speaking, you'll want tons of recharge. Regen is a clicky set, so having those clicks up more often will translate to greater survivability. On the way to "enough" recharge, you'll pick up perma-hasten, perma-dull pain and a nice attack chain. The attack chain is sort of the big target. Headsplitter > Hack > Disembowel > Hack is the preferred chain, but I run Headplitter > Hack > Disembowel > Parry > Hack. For defense, target a minimum of 20% to Ranged & AOE (softcapped with two small purps) with enough Melee defense to softcap on 1-2 stacks of Parry.
  14. streetlight
    You don't really want to worry about S/L defense at all. 100% of incoming damage will be Fire typed in an AE fire ambush farm, so you'll want Fire defense and only 20% in that. Everything else should go toward recharge. You won't need Tough, though it might help a little in some farms where the bosses have maybe on S/L attack. I'd drop the whole Fighting pool for Leadership (Maneuvers, Tactics, Vengeance).

    For example, below is my current build...

    Code: 
    | Copy & Paste this data into Mids' Hero Designer to view the build |
|-------------------------------------------------------------------|
|MxDz;1437;698;1396;HEX;|
|78DA65945B4F134114C76769A1D016DA520AE5262D140A85AE6DE4DDA8D804A50A2|
|151C34B5D60A4AB6BA9DDAD8A4FBEF8AA89D70FA208DE3E929777C5F5ECF90F50D3|
|4D3ABFD9FF99739933B32D3F5E0A0BF1F4BCD042972CC3B62B171B4D4776979B8EE|
|198BBB550C9B4B70C2B55B2A41110428CB0B952969694FA7AB32E1B9575A7216B3B|
|4E3509D392BC236BB6D44BA66CEC552E341B466CB95695B4C6D18F27E1D5DD5D4B5|
|F9146DDACED448E5FB665C3AE9AF520BFAFD7A5DC8EF174B9F6D0B4CD4DD3329DBD|
|C4E5BAB9A5AB229A95B2613B94264995E5E837A909F5B89DA2DA214451844D46DF5|
|DC6C03D46D602EE33F63D07F6743BC4A2E649B902235F644C69CA2E5CBF26852775|
|6C035B8CA4C1C86E323ED2E8433C9FEF014B7E0778C2E87AC438A0B113EBFC9D2B9|
|CA9EB3A237C8DD1779531B8CA98A631A0AA08A08A6E54D18D2A82A822882A0E69EC|
|4174AD678826E3A298640C529490B284121C7BE648789618597A55277A61E91F400|
|D51C6273245D482085A1545ABA2685596C61837CBD562F35C483FF099C6382CFEF8|
|0B9CC673C6C86BC6CC2B46EE0D234EA524B05B9148738449928654F221044D02678|
|119320EABE31FC6F1A771FC191C7F06C79FC7F11771FC5F68FDA8F21AFDC3D2D811|
|F09771C6057E33A650CC40C06B188A1947AB3271F432C698A37142859D40D81422A|
|4103685B069E44A3F637CF56E31BCB449EC6A0AF846E3B46AC87486A5DB3E216655|
|8AD9F72CCD7D00F6810346EE105D42E50679CD2BAF79782DC06B015E0BF0CAFFE7D|
|547FBD5557A1DFB8D9054505201D298FFE403A4FF0A246F955C7A44A14D29B629E7|
|DA94C536A5E429DA86A7B82BADD63C275EF59F7CB542430F7BA2F4654272BF07C9A|
|C29333C7E9E4A9A76833734728590153F5A17CFF2E25FA7924F7B871BF21637E425|
|AE17EEF35AD00B879C375BE6B75AE61B2DF3B53879A9F93FE5DFE85C|
|-------------------------------------------------------------------|
  15. streetlight
    Theoretically, cones will always hit maximum targets without need to maneuver. In practice, even a tiny adjustment to line up a group takes its toll on DPS and tiny adjustments are often required - occasionally you have to jump out of a group to get them all in the cone. Tab to change a target and you lose more time. Ignore these things, use a level of damage buff that negates Rage, and Claws looks pretty good. It is pretty good. In play, though, it does fall a little short.
  16. streetlight
    Quote:
    Originally Posted by Master_Templar View Post
    I just wanted to see what your experiences were in what people ask for when forming teams, any specific powersets that are requested.
    Very few people run TFs or teams at anything higher than +1 difficulty and many builds are good enough that single characters can solo them at +1/x8 or higher. That said, if the team looks weak in some respect (e.g. lots of no-IO sidekicks, AV needs debuffs), then people tend to self-police and switch to something more team-friendly or task-appropriate.

    The thing that makes me giggle is when people worry about DPS. Chances are, if you're worrying about DPS, you've got a team loaded with debuffs, buffs and controls. Any such team has plenty of DPS and isn't likely to have any problems with anything.
  17. streetlight
    Quote:
    Originally Posted by Jibikao View Post
    Out of the last 5-6 posts, Stalker is ranked at the LOWER 3 SPOTS. That is pretty sad. lol

    But Stalker is rated 10/10 Melee Damage! You don't like the supposed highest melee damage in the game? :P

    Seriously, if we add up all "core" ATs (exclude Epics), Stalker is like dead last. Should this be a concern? I guess Stalker's "Assassin" style just doesn't meet people's expectation of assassins?
    Or the devs overestimated the appeal of a single-target focused, melee-ranged AT with minimal HP?
  18. streetlight
    Bill Z Bubba ran a test of Claws/FA against SS/FA not too long ago, convinced Claws would win for many of the same reasons. It didn't, partly due to redraw, and the example data didn't use a pure AOE attack chain for the SS/FA.

    Claws is much better than SS for minimum-level farming, though.
  19. streetlight
    I use the build below, softcapped for Range & AOE (just 3% shy of Melee), without any use of Scorpion Shield. The overall price is VERY cheap, compared to most softcap builds (buy the Numina & Miracle procs with a-merits). I don't usually run Tough, Force Bubble or Repulsion Field, but I keep the rest of the toggles going. With Cardiac Alpha, I don't have endurance problems. I have three AOEs with Force Feedback procs, which means I almost always have +100% recharge in combat (they don't stack, but they do refresh).

    Code: 
    | Copy & Paste this data into Mids' Hero Designer to view the build |
|-------------------------------------------------------------------|
|MxDz;1415;683;1366;HEX;|
|78DA6593DB6F124114C667804A0BA5147A6FA1A5377BB35BB035D1A7265A9BD4504|
|34CE32B217480D575B761176DDF7CF11FF0419FBCC6EB831AFDBFBC3C9A68C5B3E7|
|9B521A48D8DF70CE7CE77C67D8D93DDCEA15E2E1A6907DD7AC92EB16B75445D9FBA|
|A1ED953E59AED584EF5A837DF38CCECD8F7CDB2D770C34288B1934DC5AB8D4AC5D8|
|76EA6555DC3695B59F6A656E95ECAADA37B61A25AB58305DCFB1DCC48E5D5375657|
|BC6C9225A701CCBD8B6CC6ACD8B61ED2F4DBB1AE75F7955A25A6ECD3C48F2EF3D65|
|A903A7EE953CD3B193D70FCCB251701E50B7DD92EBA9FAD128995BA46F2520F4A71|
|9121129444E9C8B3396A3408CB1DAC7C8F5B7B6778997C20F4DBF025E03CF1873CF|
|190B2F18174925B54A4215802A005506AA0C5419A8D649159450053F7128F419F8C|
|2887C65F47D634C3E0AF8A8D1B34B0FD4A507C224DD98A45B4F82297BE85F0AA349|
|207C4C488BC824D75B0636C8450F3634EF50ED28D6C128D2BD1AD3B08286512A1A8|
|3071143E6129589EB238863987E0CD38F610631CC308619C63077E999802A984028|
|B9C41B92283B08284A0DE88603BF790A491E86746828CDBB12141AD1F647E07B540|
|3652661DFA26A63DAEB18BC8EC3EB38BCA6E03575E6E083547D02D5C584DF262D42|
|144AEB8669745AD240C325349CA77D53DAEB143297E9BC66B487197898858759789|
|885873978985B615C21D5BC56CDFF615BE7FF02C7C03FC6421310411F0361DC055F|
|B5F8863317DE02EF80F78CD50FC047C63D7AAE402557607A0D48523D03634BE34C6|
|69032593D681627910AB56E947F64FCE6B5879AF411D98E48AE23B2DE11D9E888E4|
|DB23ABDCECA61FD2EF7721D4BAA742E2447BFC4B8850F37B84D2FA1F9650FF3C0D4|
|9791B17EB066141FC68DFBCC89B7F9D8602F2291FE2DA1346EE3123EBDF35DDCC68|
|5B6FD2BB9DD31EFF032100DFC0|
|-------------------------------------------------------------------|
  20. streetlight
    Quote:
    Originally Posted by Fallen_Hand View Post
    I know that Brutes are supposed to be tougher than Scrappers, so does that make up the difference for most people?
    It depends on the circumstances. For me, Scrappers are the rule and Brutes are the exception. If I want to handle high-level AE ambush farms, I generally go with Brute for their greater HP and resistance hardcaps. SS isn't open to Scrappers and Tanker damage makes me sad, so Brutes are an exception there, too. For everything else, I look to Scrappers.
  21. streetlight
    You can farm with anything, but you'll farm better with the right powersets. There is a reason why SS/FA Brutes are so popular. If you're sold on a non-SS option, then I would recommend Elec, Claws or DB for the primary. They won't be as good, but they'll still be very good.

    Some people are having a lot of fun and good results with minimum-level farming (see the "CEBR" thread) and that tends to preclude SS/* builds. My minimum-level farming preference leans toward Claws/Fire Scrappers, but Claws or DB paired with Fire, Elec or Dark will work great on both Brutes and Scrappers.
  22. streetlight
    1a. Defender: incredible buffs/debuffs and competence all around
    1b. Corruptor: trades some buff/debuff for more damage, often a good trade
    2. Controller: buffs/debuffs and controls make for an active, fun experience
    3. Dominator: great controls and blasts, plus mez protection
    4a. Arachnos Widow/Fortunata: for when you want everything
    4b. Arachnos Soldier/Spider: for when you want everything in a different class
    5. Blaster: pure glass cannon joy
    6. Scrapper: damage and survivability, all in one package
    7. Brute: takes a while to build up damage, but a little more survivability than Scrappers
    8. Mastermind: powerful, but can make a player feel a bit too much like a spectator, petspam clogs hallways/doors
    9. Warshade: effective, but multi-form builds make me feel like I waste too much time shifting and human-form builds make me feel like I wasted my inf
    10. Peacebringer: not quite as effective as Warshades, same problems
    11. Tanker: survivability without damage, painful to level
    12. Stalker: trapped in single-target hell, great damage, token survivability, painful to level
  23. streetlight
    Quote:
    Originally Posted by Jibikao View Post
    Mmmmm,

    You know what, I've never tried high level /Kin. Dark/Kin may be good. I heard that /Kin is a very busy set?
    Kin varies, depending on circumstances and playstyle. The new buff system was great for Kins, because they don't have to buff each teammate individually every 60s (Increased Density) or 120s (Speed Boost). Most of the time, you'll run into the fight, pop Fulcrum Shift and attack away - popping buffs between fights. You have a lot of utility powers for when you need more HP, recharge, damage or recovery, but they're on an "as needed" basis.
  24. streetlight
    Quote:
    Originally Posted by Bionic_Flea View Post
    It's also a good place to stick in a karma -knockback and/or a kismet +accuracy. My ff controller has both of those and an LoTG +7.5
    Fair warning on the Kismet, it'll only work while the power is active and for a little while after you toggle it off. Mids doesn't make the distinction, IIRC. The Karma should work, though.
  25. streetlight
    Quote:
    Originally Posted by Psylenz View Post
    When I look at streetlight's build I see he is boosting the recharge bonus so he doesn't have to slot so much recharge in sleet and heat loss. That looks fine. I just choke a bit on six slotted health. I noodled a bit in mids, if I take two slots from health and put them in arctic fog, I get the cold, fire, and energry resistance up to 34%, 34%, and 30% in an AoE aura which I would prefer on a team. If you moved a third slot over to arctic fog, you could slot for some psi/status resistance with an Aegis unique.
    I 6-slotted health to softcap ranged defense without having to throw another 2B+ inf at the build. With a glad armor proc and a tiny set bonus or slotting bonus from anywhere else, you could achieve the same results. Drop Health down to the Numina & Miracle procs and you could shuffle the remaining three slots around as needed (one of the four would be used for the glad armor). Like so...

    Code:
    | Copy & Paste this data into Mids' Hero Designer to view the build |
|-------------------------------------------------------------------|
|MxDz;1441;708;1416;HEX;|
|78DA6553DB4E1351143D33D35A29B702E54EA1026DA19781AAEF26809A22C582C63|
|753C7F65026A9D3A62D09BCF90D1AF5C9EBBBD7787BF31E3F4051A3FE82973FA8BB|
|7B0D654C9B30EB9C75F65E7B9DBD39E9EDA50E212E1F134AD762D1A856B34B72435|
|A795971A78D8299EB5A97DBC1934523676E5583A994470811D88BC82E6C6D6CE88B|
|A5623EBB54BA645A46CD2C59C3CDD375C32AC8BC9ECAC9EC0229D77A52D6A6AC48A|
|BA6EF2DBC9952A9A89F294B99EFE0E58A34CAA655E8E4CD09B3B059A35D2FEFCECA|
|A22C972A352EE23F5E36737AA6BA93DB3473D93489CBCACE10798BD2DFB22AEC5FD|
|D2D1E29422485FA10F080C1751FF098E1C0138657CEAC7B824FEE321CBC09B8C5E0|
|BD0DB8C3708AB21464A94A3F0B75F8013E86D714A0D9B21AF4FCD0F3436F00B5062|
|03B04D93465B96D59376487203B02D9550AF020407856999AA47D1B7BA92B6D3196|
|19019CA6E0769C68ED50EB829A0F6ABEC35A03A648A1D356E8FCAE36A8F11F0CEFE|
|8DB8D725AF717DA04C4F83786E02EE0334386BE3D765CCF0817EF051C8A39E12DC5|
|F5D9F6FB40BD27AA1F94ABFF1953C117C879CE30F514F012FD22AF83F0EA1AC49DC|
|6FEB33C8D1B4EE3866BC40DDB631886FA3464C3D00B433D8A9289376CF0037D47ED|
|AC510C2F8C714530C308A616C12867313CD5D368052E17A8D34FAC93CE04FF9FD4B|
|5896B6C6FF62AE03A43143DD02873D21EC064E376013115E7938F1416B2BB1382FF|
|281CC7E13F8EDBC4E1FF13CD73C69EC30C4693C0A01298DEDC57865D8A8BA1A01AD|
|3B9537351400C6F841CE976808E3627D1D8241A1BA280795452E6D1F9E44F863157|
|F341097101969D147766BE8549B630475A98A32DCC8A934970B1D50605EBF58CABF|
|94C85825EB7F99A0FB3FECB4BC78A7D8CEC3FFB94A29CC39B59268888DFCEE0190E|
|FEBB4FA9CA15BE7D2F063B768321E365635CECBC637DD1B1361CEBB5BE4616D6FF0|
|01167F3C4|
|-------------------------------------------------------------------|
    Fair warning, if you don't keep Heat Loss rolling (or go with Ageless Destiny), either of these can be endurance-heavy. I generally keep a column of blues around, just in case.