Elevens Big Tweaking Project - The Masterminds

So recently I got a fair few toons of mine to Level 50. Over the week of doing that though there were plenty of times playing were I thought that the toon I was on with at the time could be performing a lot better or in some cases was crashing and burning a lot, meaning that I had obviously screwed up the build.

So since most of my toons are at 50 now, or at least close to 50 I felt like spending some time now reviewing them all and getting advice off much better character builders out there than clearly I am capable of. Hey, I hold my hands up and admit that I am just not a numbers person and get agitated when trying to squeeze numbers out of Mids’ Designer and end up hashing the job up. Guess that’s just my mind set. I save my logic and intelligence for work. At home on the game, like a typical Scrapper, I just want to dive in and hit stuff, really hard!

Another problem I seem to have is making toons based on time consuming, deep thought out RP concepts that while look good for said concept, are horribly inefficient for PvE action.

Thus I am making a number of posts in the relevant sections of the board to get as much advice on all my toons as people are willing to give so I can learn from any obvious mistakes I have made in my builds as well as getting help from moving on from generic IO’s to IO sets which I still can’t seem to get my head around as far as to which ones to get for perks I might be after.

With all my builds, keep in mind that as I have allured to I only tend to PvE although I can’t rule out the odd bit of PvP should an RP situation call for it but otherwise not really that important to think about. I tend to want to team as equally as I sometimes want to solo so I tend to try to build toons that are suited for both. Finally imagine that Inf and Merits are no object to me. At the time of writing that is not the case for most of my toons, but I reckon I can get involved in enough stuff over a time period to earn what’s needed for a potentially expensive build.

Anyway, onto the current builds!

Eric Bridgeland – Merc/Traps Mastermind

It started off so well. I was able to get through and was enjoying soloing through the levels with only a few hiccups with EB’s. Teaming was great and was able to provide valuable support to other members. Then I hit Level 40 and he’s been stuck there ever since. I can’t solo with him at all despite change in tactics and different trail and error and no teams seem to want him around. Probably because they are right when people say Mercs are the weakest MM henchmen by a clear margin. Ok so the Traps are useful but it does not seem to be enough for teams.

Fairly straight forward. Check out the build and as well as IO set advice, see where I am going wrong that is making him unworkable solo and unwanted in teams.

Villain Plan by Mids' Villain Designer 1.401
http://www.cohplanner.com/

[u]Click this DataLink to open the build![u]

Eric Bridgeland: Level 50 Natural Mastermind
Primary Power Set: Mercenaries
Secondary Power Set: Traps
Power Pool: Flight
Power Pool: Leadership
Power Pool: Medicine

Villain Profile:
Level 1: Soldiers <ul type="square">[*] (A) Accuracy IO[*] (3) Damage Increase IO[*] (3) Damage Increase IO[*] (7) Damage Increase IO[*] (7) Accuracy IO[*] (9) Defense Debuff IO[/list]Level 1: Web Grenade <ul type="square">[*] (A) Accuracy IO[/list]Level 2: Slug <ul type="square">[*] (A) Damage Increase IO[*] (42) Endurance Reduction IO[*] (43) Accuracy IO[*] (46) Damage Increase IO[/list]Level 4: Triage Beacon <ul type="square">[*] (A) Recharge Reduction IO[*] (5) Healing IO[*] (5) Healing IO[*] (9) Healing IO[/list]Level 6: Equip Mercenary <ul type="square">[*] (A) Endurance Reduction IO[*] (11) Endurance Reduction IO[/list]Level 8: Hover <ul type="square">[*] (A) Endurance Reduction IO[/list]Level 10: Caltrops <ul type="square">[*] (A) Endurance Reduction IO[*] (11) Slow IO[/list]Level 12: Spec Ops <ul type="square">[*] (A) Accuracy IO[*] (13) Damage Increase IO[*] (13) To Hit Debuff IO[*] (15) Damage Increase IO[*] (15) Defense Debuff IO[*] (17) Damage Increase IO[/list]Level 14: Fly <ul type="square">[*] (A) Flight Speed IO[/list]Level 16: Assault <ul type="square">[*] (A) Endurance Reduction IO[*] (17) Endurance Reduction IO[/list]Level 18: Serum <ul type="square">[*] (A) Recharge Reduction IO[*] (19) Recharge Reduction IO[*] (19) Recharge Reduction IO[*] (21) Resist Damage IO[*] (21) Resist Damage IO[*] (23) To Hit Buff IO[/list]Level 20: Aid Other <ul type="square">[*] (A) Healing IO[*] (40) Healing IO[*] (43) Healing IO[/list]Level 22: Tactics <ul type="square">[*] (A) Endurance Reduction IO[*] (23) To Hit Buff IO[*] (25) To Hit Buff IO[*] (25) To Hit Buff IO[/list]Level 24: Stimulant <ul type="square">[*] (A) Endurance Reduction IO[*] (43) Interrupt Reduction IO[/list]Level 26: Commando <ul type="square">[*] (A) Accuracy IO[*] (27) Damage Increase IO[*] (27) Damage Increase IO[*] (29) Damage Increase IO[*] (29) Accuracy IO[*] (34) Defense Debuff IO[/list]Level 28: Acid Mortar <ul type="square">[*] (A) Endurance Reduction IO[*] (31) Damage Increase IO[*] (31) Defense Debuff IO[*] (34) Recharge Reduction IO[*] (37) Accuracy IO[/list]Level 30: Poison Trap <ul type="square">[*] (A) Endurance Reduction IO[*] (31) Hold Duration IO[*] (33) Hold Duration IO[*] (34) Recharge Reduction IO[/list]Level 32: Tactical Upgrade <ul type="square">[*] (A) Endurance Reduction IO[*] (33) Endurance Reduction IO[*] (33) Endurance Reduction IO[/list]Level 35: Seeker Drones <ul type="square">[*] (A) Endurance Reduction IO[*] (36) Damage Increase IO[*] (36) Accuracy IO[*] (36) Damage Increase IO[*] (37) Accuracy IO[*] (37) Disorient Duration IO[/list]Level 38: Trip Mine <ul type="square">[*] (A) Endurance Reduction IO[*] (39) Damage Increase IO[*] (39) Damage Increase IO[*] (39) Accuracy IO[*] (40) Damage Increase IO[*] (40) Accuracy IO[/list]Level 41: Burst <ul type="square">[*] (A) Endurance Reduction IO[*] (42) Damage Increase IO[*] (42) Accuracy IO[/list]Level 44: M30 Grenade <ul type="square">[*] (A) Endurance Reduction IO[*] (45) Endurance Reduction IO[*] (45) Damage Increase IO[*] (45) Accuracy IO[*] (46) Damage Increase IO[*] (46) Accuracy IO[/list]Level 47: Aid Self <ul type="square">[*] (A) Endurance Reduction IO[*] (48) Healing IO[*] (48) Healing IO[*] (48) Healing IO[/list]Level 49: Maneuvers <ul type="square">[*] (A) Endurance Reduction IO[*] (50) Defense Buff IO[*] (50) Defense Buff IO[*] (50) Defense Buff IO[/list]------------
Level 1: Brawl <ul type="square">[*] (A) Damage Increase IO[/list]Level 1: Sprint <ul type="square">[*] (A) Run Speed IO[/list]Level 2: Rest <ul type="square">[*] (A) Recharge Reduction IO[/list]Level 1: Supremacy

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Credit goes to FrankyT49 for animated avatar

List of toons on Union Handbook

Leon Tasker: "Dunelm Group! What is your profession?"

Dunelm Group: "OOOOORRRAAAAH!"

Template – Thugs/Poison Mastermind.

Unlike Eric Bridgelnd, Template was fun going through the levels soling and in teams, hit a bump at Level 40 but reworkd some Thug controls and changed some tactics and I was away again ripping the hell out of everything in sight.

Much fun and again another build where I spent some time planning and has not needed any reworking at all as a result. Suggestions still welcome on the build in general otherwise it’s a case of unsure on IO sets again.

Here is the current build.

Villain Plan by Mids' Villain Designer 1.401
http://www.cohplanner.com/

[u]Click this DataLink to open the build![u]

Template: Level 50 Mutation Mastermind
Primary Power Set: Thugs
Secondary Power Set: Poison
Power Pool: Flight
Power Pool: Fitness
Power Pool: Leadership

Villain Profile:
Level 1: Call Thugs <ul type="square">[*] (A) Accuracy IO[*] (3) Damage Increase IO[*] (3) Damage Increase IO[*] (7) Damage Increase IO[*] (17) Accuracy IO[*] (37) Accuracy IO[/list]Level 1: Alkaloid <ul type="square">[*] (A) Healing IO[*] (7) Endurance Reduction IO[*] (15) Healing IO[*] (17) Recharge Reduction IO[*] (31) Healing IO[*] (36) Recharge Reduction IO[/list]Level 2: Envenom <ul type="square">[*] (A) Accuracy IO[*] (5) Defense Debuff IO[*] (9) Defense Debuff IO[*] (11) Endurance Reduction IO[*] (33) Defense Debuff IO[*] (34) Recharge Reduction IO[/list]Level 4: Weaken <ul type="square">[*] (A) Accuracy IO[*] (5) To Hit Debuff IO[*] (9) To Hit Debuff IO[*] (11) Endurance Reduction IO[*] (33) To Hit Debuff IO[*] (34) Recharge Reduction IO[/list]Level 6: Hover <ul type="square">[*] (A) Endurance Reduction IO[/list]Level 8: Equip Thugs <ul type="square">[*] (A) Endurance Reduction IO[/list]Level 10: Neurotoxic Breath <ul type="square">[*] (A) Accuracy IO[*] (19) Slow IO[*] (31) Slow IO[*] (36) Slow IO[*] (37) Endurance Reduction IO[*] (39) Recharge Reduction IO[/list]Level 12: Call Enforcer <ul type="square">[*] (A) Accuracy IO[*] (13) Damage Increase IO[*] (13) Damage Increase IO[*] (15) Damage Increase IO[*] (23) Defense Buff IO[*] (23) Defense Buff IO[/list]Level 14: Fly <ul type="square">[*] (A) Flight Speed IO[/list]Level 16: Swift <ul type="square">[*] (A) Run Speed IO[/list]Level 18: Health <ul type="square">[*] (A) Healing IO[*] (19) Healing IO[*] (36) Healing IO[/list]Level 20: Stamina <ul type="square">[*] (A) Endurance Modification IO[*] (21) Endurance Modification IO[*] (21) Endurance Modification IO[/list]Level 22: Assault <ul type="square">[*] (A) Endurance Reduction IO[/list]Level 24: Tactics <ul type="square">[*] (A) Endurance Reduction IO[*] (25) To Hit Buff IO[*] (25) To Hit Buff IO[*] (29) To Hit Buff IO[/list]Level 26: Call Bruiser <ul type="square">[*] (A) Accuracy IO[*] (27) Damage Increase IO[*] (27) Damage Increase IO[*] (29) Damage Increase IO[*] (40) Hold Duration IO[*] (43) Endurance Reduction IO[/list]Level 28: Gang War <ul type="square">[*] (A) Accuracy IO[*] (43) Accuracy IO[*] (43) Recharge Reduction IO[*] (46) Damage Increase IO[/list]Level 30: Paralytic Poison <ul type="square">[*] (A) Accuracy IO[*] (31) Hold Duration IO[*] (33) Hold Duration IO[*] (34) Hold Duration IO[*] (37) Recharge Reduction IO[*] (40) Recharge Reduction IO[/list]Level 32: Upgrade Equipment <ul type="square">[*] (A) Recharge Reduction IO[*] (40) Endurance Reduction IO[*] (46) Endurance Reduction IO[/list]Level 35: Elixir of Life <ul type="square">[*] (A) Recharge Reduction IO[/list]Level 38: Noxious Gas <ul type="square">[*] (A) Recharge Reduction IO[*] (39) Recharge Reduction IO[*] (39) Recharge Reduction IO[/list]Level 41: Pistols <ul type="square">[*] (A) Endurance Reduction IO[*] (42) Damage Increase IO[*] (42) Damage Increase IO[*] (42) Accuracy IO[/list]Level 44: Dual Wield <ul type="square">[*] (A) Endurance Reduction IO[*] (45) Damage Increase IO[*] (45) Damage Increase IO[*] (45) Accuracy IO[*] (46) Damage Increase IO[/list]Level 47: Empty Clips <ul type="square">[*] (A) Endurance Reduction IO[*] (48) Damage Increase IO[*] (48) Damage Increase IO[*] (48) Accuracy IO[*] (50) Damage Increase IO[/list]Level 49: Maneuvers <ul type="square">[*] (A) Endurance Reduction IO[*] (50) Defense Buff IO[*] (50) Defense Buff IO[/list]------------
Level 1: Brawl <ul type="square">[*] (A) Damage Increase IO[/list]Level 1: Sprint <ul type="square">[*] (A) Run Speed IO[/list]Level 2: Rest <ul type="square">[*] (A) Recharge Reduction IO[/list]Level 1: Supremacy

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Credit goes to FrankyT49 for animated avatar

List of toons on Union Handbook

Leon Tasker: "Dunelm Group! What is your profession?"

Dunelm Group: "OOOOORRRAAAAH!"

On Thugs:

My Call Thugs slotting:
Blood Mandate Acc/Dam
Blood Mandate Acc/Dam/End
Sovereign Right Acc/Dam
Sovereign Right Acc/Dam/End
Explosive Strike Chance for Smashing Damage

My Call Enforcers slotting:
Blood Mandate Acc/Dam
Blood Mandate Acc/Dam/End
Sovereign Right Acc/Dam
Sovereign Right Acc/Dam/End
Touch of Lady Grey Chance for Negative Damage
Achilles Heel Chance for Resistance Debuff

My Call Bruiser slotting:
Blood Mandate Acc/Dam
Blood Mandate Acc/Dam/End
Sovereign Right Acc/Dam
Sovereign Right Acc/Dam/End
Force Feedback Chance for Recharge Buff
Explosive Strike Chance for Smashing Damage

My Gang War slotting:
Sovereign Right Resistance Bonus
Edict of the Master Defense Bonus
Call to Arms Defense Bonus
Expedient Reinforcement Resistance Bonus

I honestly would drop the pistol attacks and look up a more productive use of your endurance, such as Antidote, Patron powers and/or Vengeance (to use before Elixir of Life, since you're gonna click someone's corpse to use that anyway). The personal pistol attacks cost a ton of endurance (and Poison is already endurance-hungry) while providing ignoreable amounts of damage compared to what your pets put out; you're more efficient spending time spamming debuffs around.




On Mercs:

Put a Lady Grey damage proc in your Soldiers and Spec Ops (I'm not sure how useful it'd be in the Commando since a lot of his attacks don't even do defense debuffs). Give the Soldiers an Achilles Heel proc too; actually, copy my Enforcer slotting for them.

Get the Force Field Generator.
Drop the personal attacks and pick up the shield from Mace Mastery.
Having done the previous two, should you choose to do so, consider picking up Provoke.

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What Col said, get FF gen. It affects teams, for heavens sake, its good.
Doing a personal re-work of Eric's build now, pending...

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This is what I came up with, Vanilla IO'd and slots allowing for setting if wished for. Just my personal take, hope some of it is of use =]


Villain Plan by Mids' Villain Designer 1.401
http://www.cohplanner.com/

[u]Click this DataLink to open the build![u]

Eric Bridgeland: Level 50 Natural Mastermind
Primary Power Set: Mercenaries
Secondary Power Set: Traps
Power Pool: Flight
Power Pool: Fitness
Power Pool: Leadership
Power Pool: Medicine
Ancillary Pool: Mace Mastery

Villain Profile:
Level 1: Soldiers <ul type="square">[*] (A) Damage Increase IO[*] (3) Damage Increase IO[*] (3) Accuracy IO[*] (9) Accuracy IO[*] (37) Defense Debuff IO[*] (40) Defense Debuff IO[/list]Level 1: Web Grenade <ul type="square">[*] (A) Immobilisation Duration IO[*] (7) Accuracy IO[/list]Level 2: Slug <ul type="square">[*] (A) Damage Increase IO[*] (7) Damage Increase IO[*] (46) Accuracy IO[/list]Level 4: Triage Beacon <ul type="square">[*] (A) Healing IO[*] (5) Healing IO[*] (5) Recharge Reduction IO[*] (9) Recharge Reduction IO[/list]Level 6: Equip Mercenary <ul type="square">[*] (A) Endurance Reduction IO[/list]Level 8: Hover <ul type="square">[*] (A) Flight Speed IO[/list]Level 10: Acid Mortar <ul type="square">[*] (A) Defense Debuff IO[*] (11) Defense Debuff IO[*] (11) Accuracy IO[*] (15) Accuracy IO[*] (34) Recharge Reduction IO[*] (34) Recharge Reduction IO[/list]Level 12: Spec Ops <ul type="square">[*] (A) Damage Increase IO[*] (13) Damage Increase IO[*] (13) Accuracy IO[*] (15) Accuracy IO[*] (17) Hold Duration IO[*] (34) Disorient Duration IO[/list]Level 14: Fly <ul type="square">[*] (A) Flight Speed IO[/list]Level 16: Force Field Generator <ul type="square">[*] (A) Defense Buff IO[*] (17) Defense Buff IO[*] (43) Endurance Reduction IO[/list]Level 18: Serum <ul type="square">[*] (A) Recharge Reduction IO[*] (19) Recharge Reduction IO[*] (19) Resist Damage IO[*] (21) Resist Damage IO[*] (21) To Hit Buff IO[*] (33) To Hit Buff IO[/list]Level 20: Swift <ul type="square">[*] (A) Run Speed IO[/list]Level 22: Health <ul type="square">[*] (A) Healing IO[*] (23) Healing IO[*] (23) Healing IO[/list]Level 24: Stamina <ul type="square">[*] (A) Endurance Modification IO[*] (25) Endurance Modification IO[*] (25) Endurance Modification IO[/list]Level 26: Commando <ul type="square">[*] (A) Damage Increase IO[*] (27) Damage Increase IO[*] (27) Damage Increase IO[*] (31) Accuracy IO[*] (31) Accuracy IO[*] (33) Defense Debuff IO[/list]Level 28: Poison Trap <ul type="square">[*] (A) Recharge Reduction IO[*] (29) Recharge Reduction IO[*] (29) Hold Duration IO[*] (33) Hold Duration IO[/list]Level 30: Assault <ul type="square">[*] (A) Endurance Reduction IO[*] (31) Endurance Reduction IO[/list]Level 32: Tactical Upgrade <ul type="square">[*] (A) Endurance Reduction IO[/list]Level 35: Trip Mine <ul type="square">[*] (A) Damage Increase IO[*] (36) Damage Increase IO[*] (36) Damage Increase IO[*] (36) Accuracy IO[*] (37) Accuracy IO[*] (37) Recharge Reduction IO[/list]Level 38: Tactics <ul type="square">[*] (A) To Hit Buff IO[*] (39) To Hit Buff IO[*] (39) To Hit Buff IO[*] (39) Endurance Reduction IO[*] (40) Endurance Reduction IO[*] (40) Endurance Reduction IO[/list]Level 41: Scorpion Shield <ul type="square">[*] (A) Defense Buff IO[*] (42) Defense Buff IO[*] (42) Defense Buff IO[*] (42) Endurance Reduction IO[*] (43) Endurance Reduction IO[*] (43) Endurance Reduction IO[/list]Level 44: M30 Grenade <ul type="square">[*] (A) Damage Increase IO[*] (45) Damage Increase IO[*] (45) Accuracy IO[*] (45) Accuracy IO[*] (46) Endurance Reduction IO[*] (46) Endurance Reduction IO[/list]Level 47: Aid Other <ul type="square">[*] (A) Healing IO[*] (48) Healing IO[*] (48) Healing IO[*] (48) Recharge Reduction IO[*] (50) Recharge Reduction IO[*] (50) Endurance Reduction IO[/list]Level 49: Stimulant <ul type="square">[*] (A) Recharge Reduction IO[*] (50) Endurance Reduction IO[/list]------------
Level 1: Brawl <ul type="square">[*] (A) Accuracy IO[/list]Level 1: Sprint <ul type="square">[*] (A) Run Speed IO[/list]Level 2: Rest <ul type="square">[*] (A) Recharge Reduction IO[/list]Level 1: Supremacy

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