PyroBeetle

When I came back to Homecoming from some time away, I was struck by the thread the unloved SR/Claws tank, and tried the build and found it quite enjoyable to play. It was very smooth leveling, and well nigh immortal. However, there was just something missing. Having played tanks of various stripes over the years both live and on homecoming, I really missed having a damage aura. Lo and behold, Radiation Melee had a damage aura, and I had some familiarity with the set, having created a Rad/Fire Farming Brute in 2019, before the double inf nerf. Having done some research here on the forums, I decided to throw one together, and viola, a fun and playable build. By way of comment, there is very little low level AoE on this build, so while you are effective in team play at low levels, I have done Posi 1, Posi 2 and Synapse with teams and no AoE so far. You can do an effective job of gathering, if your team will let you, and I think I saw my HP bar move once during those TF. I did level up the build on IOs and the procs in IG, so doing things the old fashioned way works just fine. Think I threw in the LotGs as I leveled too. The damage powers are sufficiently spread apart to allow you to focus on one, then the next and fill in your defenses between. Once IG and then Atom Smasher come, you will be happily chewing away at x8, though I do not suggest going that high before Atom Smasher. A brief comment on Devastating Blow - I tried it, and did not love it. Even solo, things were dying to my procs in IG oftentimes while the animation for DB was still powering up. The attack chain is seemless, just replacing Radiation Siphon with Char every third cycle. The heal from Radiation Siphon ends up being superfluous in most regular content, but can be useful in incarnate content. I am always open to suggestions on improvements, but the build has been playing very well so far. I am aware that going with the Gloom and Dark Obliteration route would objectively be better, but didn't fit for thematic reasons. If going that route, I would add in either taunt or Super Jump to replace Melt Armor.

SR is basic and boring and...damn effective. Pairs extremely well with claws, but does very well with most primaries. The lack of an end management tool and the late AoE defense are cons, but small ones. I have never felt the need for a heal on my SR toons.

I seem to have gone in a different direction than the rest of you. I was hoping to finish playtesting the build before posting it, as I do not have the Incarnate abilities yet, but it works just fine without them. As has been stated, the lack of DDR can become an issue if things go sideways, but I have built in a little cushion with the choice of Barrier. Ageless is always a possibility. Geode can be used between fights as needed to buff up the end, especially against drainers, but the build runs well for minutes at a time without. Evasive Maneuvers is there only for fighting anti flyers and as a LotG mule, and for long distance travel. Focused Accuracy is there for the emergency situations if you get swarmed by accuracy debuffers, and the frankenslotting takes care of the debuff of slow and recharge, things that I find horribly annoying. This is designed to be a universal build, and the ideal Claws attack chain runs with hasten, which is perma with a single proc of FF +Recharge (both Shockwave and Focus carry it). Comments are welcome, as this is my first scrapper in a long time

The answer to all of this would be to have Burn do overriding fear again, which made me drop from live CoH back in the day when they did it. The fact that Burn is so overpowered, and that sets basically allow you to create an unkillable, in fire farms at least, character, is the issue. However, if people want to play the game that way, let them play the game that way. It is what they enjoy.

Realize this is a thread necro, but the suggestion is there already. I would like to modify the suggestion to this. Update the SR set to the standard for Sentinels. They already have the choice to keep Practiced Brawler or move the status protection to existing toggles and gain a click heal in Master Brawler. Promulgating this option to all SR sets incorporates the original solution while giving those that prefer the click able status protection the option to keep it. And with multiple builds it gives players an expanded option to tailor their build to the situation.

Indont mean to thread necro, but I recently put one of these together. I attempted to use the Teleportation pool in place of the Leadership pool, but found that to be largely superfluous, so moved it back to enjoy the status protection on Assault and Tactics (only toggled on when needed, helps with the end). Recovery Serum is more than sufficient to keep up with the endurance on the build even with the additional toggles, so the only reason to go ageless would be for the convenience or no temp runs. I have been detoggled but never died to it, thanks to the sound of my toggles crashing. Always tough enough to get out, rebuff, and re-engage. Saw another thread for smoothest tank, and this is certainly the smoothest playing build that I have run 1 to 50 and beyond without problems or even thinking in most instances, just muscle memory mashing keys and eating mobs. I'd tend to pop up to use my Shockwave, though not always needed, habit from Scrapper days on live, you really wanted the KB to be KD.

Just like to say that after try Earth with Earth, Temporal, and Ice, I settled on Martial. Martial just works, Upthrust into Burst of Speed into Dragons Tail, jump back into Upthrust into Rock Shards is fun, active and a lot of KD for safety. Also the slow on the toggle is large and helps line up the stragglers crawling after you nicely.

I was going for S/L/E defense with this build to take advantage of the melee attacks. I do get what you are saying about the other slotting and it makes a lot of sense.

It is, sorry was scribbling on a sheet of paper and hurrying to copy into a post... Also can try an alternate slotting for more S/L defense by doing 4 Kinetic Combat in Heavy Mallet and the FF, then moving the Winter's set into Seismic Smash...the build runs a bit hot, so this frees up am additional End Mod IO for Stamina or Mud Bath, the 10% Haste loss from the slotting change isn't a big deal due to all the FF procs.

I have found the damage to be on the low end for a blaster, however the powerset flows well, the noted problems with Meteor aside. On the plus side, the powers in both sets grant that visceral feel, and the knock up on Upthrust is appreciated. The mechanic on the set is also seemless, and the red ring is up by the time Stalagmite is recharged most times...if it is not, my attack chain doesn't suffer as the other ST blasts cycle quickly. I skipped the T1 and the cone in my final build, but have played with them both when leveling and they are useful, especially the cone if you play with the mechanic. It is not Fire Blast, nor Ice Blast, it is its own animal and fun to play.

Did mine the old school way with pen and paper From Primary, all as soon as they come up: Shatter-six slot Superior Defensive Barrage Entomb-five slot Winters Bite and Achilles Heel proc Seismic Force-Recharge (boosted) Upthrust-five slot Ragnarok and Force Feedback proc Tombstone-five slot Sting of the Manticore and either Entropy Chaos proc or Decimation proc Stalagmite-six slot Superior Blasters Wrath Meteor-Artillery(A/D, D/R, A/D/R), Overwhelming Force (Dam/KB, E/R), and FF proc From Secondary, all as soon as they become available Stone Prison-Acc Heavy Mallet-five slot Superior Blustering Cold, FF proc Build Up-Rchg Tremor-five slot Superior Avalanche, Fury of the Gladiator Proc Mud Bath-two slot Performance Shifter, End mod and proc, two slot Power Transfer End mod and Proc Beryl Crystal Seismic Smash-5 slot Hetacomb Odds and ends Combat Jumping-LotG, WG unique, Shield Wall unique, Reactive Defenses Unique Super Jump-two slot BotZ with -KB being one Acrobatics- Boxing-four slot Kinetic Combat Tough-defense uniques, 2 slot Weave-LotG, 2 slot Red Fortune Scorpion Shield-as Weave Stealth-as Weave Infiltration-LotG Hasten-two slot boosted recharge Brawl-as Boxing Health-end unique Stamina -two slot performance shifter

I don't know about better, it is different. I found Energy to be excellent on a Sent, probably tied with SR for the best secondary set.

I have seen a lot of posts mentioning using Cross Punch for earlier AoE when building a Super Strength Character. I have not seen many primary builds. I believe the framework for this comes from Captain Infinitum, but it should be a viable build. Interesting choices: Tough is not really needed for the resists, and because I took both Kick and Boxing to pump up Cross Punch, it is not needed in the final build to open up Weave. I am going for as natural of a character as possible, while still enjoying a travel power. I took Super Jump, (hello Hulk), but Super Speed would have worked as well without the graphics. I am old so tend to run into walls when speeding through a cave. Sprint and Athletic Run are more than enough for me inside. Without Fly, this means that Infiltration serves to slot my 5th LotG, although one could make a serious case for Maneuvers, but I had no slots for it. Comments are welcome regarding the build. I don't normally post with incarnate choices, but for this one I am planning Agility to flesh out the defense and Ageless Radial Epiphany to pump up the DDR.

This...100% this. Build for recharge, forget the combos.

I had stepped away from the game for a while, but everything that @oldskool says applies, but the primary consideration was the AoE Immobilize. It fills a hole that is inherent to the Sentinel.

If I were to make another change beyond fixing the Harrison Bergeron like target cap handicap, I would also add an inherent taunt to the AoE, both ranged and PBAoE powers. This would allow the Sentinel to also focus as a "ranged tank". Please note that I am also in the Sentinels are awesome camp. I find them playable as is, but hope that they will be balanced out in regards to the other ATs. Personally I think the target cap would accomplish this, and would only look at minor tweaks after that...maybe limit the taunt to the epic PBAoE as an extra incentive to take them, even if you make it a short duration and lesser magnitude than a Tank's. Adjust taunt to put Sentinel and Brute a step behind Tanks in agro management.

I honestly do think that lifting the target cap would go a long way towards fixing the AT. It is not unplayable in any way in its current state, I have a handful of sents that are my favorite tools including one that has become my main. All that being said it is okay that they are lower damage than blasters due to the uptime of the nuke. Fixing the target cap would remove what is otherwise just an additional penalty. As has been pointed out the inherent is a take it or leave it proposition, it has its uses now, however limited they are, but the target cap just seems like an artificial handicap, kinda like Harrison Bergeron.

I use an Electric/Energy/Electric Sentinel for the same reason...it might not be the fastest around but it is one of the most reliable characters I have played. Relaxing is a good word for the playstyle. My alpha combo is available every 25 seconds, and if I havent killed all of the first spawn I will move onto the next, the helpless end drained bosses might follow me into the next group, they die shortly thereafter. I did the wolf world mission from Unai Kamen, notoriously cannot be snared, and routinely had 3 or 4 groups running off at slivers of health only to return and die. Something to remember with Sentinel, the nuke can be a regular AoE in your chain.

That is a very good description.. I tend to not worry about the mechanic beyond the 20% resist ring which is useful on hard targets in a group. The defensive opportunity an be helpful while leveling on an end heavy build, but for the most part whichever of your T1 and T2 attacks has the better DPA is the one you should be taking.

I used ageless for the debuff resistance and the haste, seemed to work well. I also used this on my SR sent. I use barrier on my Energy Sentinel, which also works well.

This is what I do with my Sentinels, I place the Sentinel's Ward set in the nuke, start every fight off with about a 30% Absorb Shield. As far as the runners go, that is why I hit them with Electric Fences after the nuke 🙂

I played this combo for a while with a build quite similar to what you have posted. Runners were a problem because Thunderous Blast drains way more than expected, especially when running the damage alpha. I swear after a while it felt that bosses would start running when they saw me coming. I changed to running Elec/Energy/Elec, though I suppose it would work replacing Psi with Elec as well. Personal taste. I do continue to run Psi on another sent and must say that it does do more damage, both ST and AoE.

I was asked to post this by request. I am not seeking expert advice. As built it is softcaped to S/L/E/N/F/C without running Barrier, with permanent Hasten and Energize, and at least 25% resistance to all. When I have the ability to run Barrier, I remove the Recharge/+effect Winter IO from Charged Bolts and replace it with a damage proc, I remove the Acc/Dam IO from Zapping Bolt and replace it with a Decimation chance to build-up, and I replace all but the Acc/Immob from Chain Fences with procs (Trap of the Hunter, three ranged AoE damage procs and the Annihilation -res proc). Sentinel's Ward is used in the nuke because it will proc multiple times starting every fight with about 30% absorb shield. As they didn't post, I use Musculature Radial Paragon, Barrier Core Epiphany, Assault Core Embodiment, Degenerative Radial Flawless and Ion Radial Final Judgement. Also something to note, while leveling I used the analogous regular versions of the Superiors, I also flopped Power Shield for Super Speed for exemplar purposes, and pre-purples I used Positron's Blast in Ball Lightning, Decimation in Tesla Cage and Obliteration in Lightning Field. It may be handy to flip Chain Fences and Power Drain as well, so that drained enemies stand there helpless instead of running away. Build-up, Thunderous Blast, Chain Fences, Ball Lightning, Chain Fences, Power Drain, Short Circuit, Ball Lightning is how I open most fights, then pick off stragglers with Tesla Cage, Charged Bolts, Zapping Bolt, Charged Bolts. Hero Plan by Mids' Reborn : Hero Designer 3.0.0.0 https://github.com/Reborn-Team/Hero-Designer Click this DataLink to open the build! Short.Circuit: Level 50 Technology Sentinel Primary Power Set: Electrical Blast Secondary Power Set: Energy Aura Power Pool: Speed Power Pool: zc_Leadership Power Pool: Fighting Ancillary Pool: Electricity Mastery Hero Profile: Level 1: Charged Bolts (A) Superior Winter's Bite - Accuracy/Damage (3) Superior Winter's Bite - Damage/RechargeTime (3) Superior Winter's Bite - Accuracy/Damage/Endurance (5) Superior Winter's Bite - Accuracy/Damage/Recharge (5) Superior Winter's Bite - Damage/Endurance/Accuracy/RechargeTime (7) Superior Winter's Bite - Recharge/Chance for -Speed & -Recharge Level 1: Kinetic Shield (A) Luck of the Gambler - Defense/Increased Global Recharge Speed (7) Reactive Defenses - Scaling Resist Damage (9) Reactive Defenses - Defense/Endurance (9) Shield Wall - +Res (Teleportation), +5% Res (All) (11) Shield Wall - Defense/Endurance Level 2: Ball Lightning (A) Ragnarok - Chance for Knockdown (11) Ragnarok - Damage/Endurance (13) Ragnarok - Damage/Recharge (13) Ragnarok - Accuracy/Damage/Recharge (15) Ragnarok - Accuracy/Recharge (15) Bombardment - Chance for Fire Damage Level 4: Power Shield (A) Luck of the Gambler - Defense/Increased Global Recharge Speed (19) Red Fortune - Defense (21) Red Fortune - Defense/Endurance (21) Red Fortune - Endurance Level 6: Zapping Bolt (A) Superior Opportunity Strikes - Accuracy/Damage (23) Superior Opportunity Strikes - Damage/RechargeTime (23) Superior Opportunity Strikes - Accuracy/Damage/RechargeTime (25) Superior Opportunity Strikes - Accuracy/Damage/Endurance (25) Superior Opportunity Strikes - Accuracy/Damage/Endurance/RechargeTime (27) Superior Opportunity Strikes - RechargeTime/Chance for Opportunity Level 8: Aim (A) Recharge Reduction IO (27) Gaussian's Synchronized Fire-Control - Chance for Build Up Level 10: Energize (A) Preventive Medicine - Heal/RechargeTime (29) Numina's Convalesence - Heal/Recharge (29) Doctored Wounds - Heal/Recharge Level 12: Tesla Cage (A) Apocalypse - Chance of Damage(Negative) (31) Apocalypse - Damage/Endurance (31) Apocalypse - Damage/Recharge (31) Apocalypse - Accuracy/Damage/Recharge (33) Apocalypse - Accuracy/Recharge (33) Unbreakable Constraint - Chance for Smashing Damage Level 14: Kinetic Dampening (A) Aegis - Psionic/Status Resistance (33) Aegis - Resistance (34) Steadfast Protection - Resistance/+Def 3% Level 16: Entropy Shield (A) Endurance Reduction IO Level 18: Super Speed (A) Winter's Gift - Slow Resistance (20%) Level 20: Power Armor (A) Gladiator's Armor - TP Protection +3% Def (All) (34) Gladiator's Armor - Resistance (34) Impervium Armor - Psionic Resistance Level 22: Hasten (A) Recharge Reduction IO (36) Recharge Reduction IO Level 24: Maneuvers (A) Luck of the Gambler - Defense/Increased Global Recharge Speed (36) Red Fortune - Defense/Endurance (36) Red Fortune - Defense/Endurance/Recharge Level 26: Short Circuit (A) Superior Avalanche - Recharge/Chance for Knockdown (37) Superior Avalanche - Accuracy/Damage/Endurance/Recharge (37) Superior Avalanche - Damage/Endurance (37) Superior Avalanche - Accuracy/Damage/Endurance (39) Superior Avalanche - Accuracy/Damage/Recharge (39) Eradication - Chance for Energy Damage Level 28: Repelling Force (A) Luck of the Gambler - Defense/Increased Global Recharge Speed (39) Luck of the Gambler - Defense Level 30: Tactics (A) Endurance Reduction IO Level 32: Thunderous Blast (A) Superior Sentinel's Ward - Accuracy/Damage (40) Superior Sentinel's Ward - Damage/RechargeTime (40) Superior Sentinel's Ward - Accuracy/Damage/RechargeTime (40) Superior Sentinel's Ward - Accuracy/Damage/Endurance (42) Superior Sentinel's Ward - Accuracy/Damage/Endurance/RechargeTime (42) Superior Sentinel's Ward - RechargeTime/Chance for +Absorb Level 35: Power Drain (A) Performance Shifter - EndMod/Recharge (42) Preemptive Optimization - EndMod/Recharge (43) Synapse's Shock - EndMod/Recharge Level 38: Chain Fences (A) Enfeebled Operation - Accuracy/Immobilize (43) Enfeebled Operation - Endurance/Immobilize (43) Enfeebled Operation - Accuracy/Endurance (45) Enfeebled Operation - Immobilize/Range (45) Enfeebled Operation - Accuracy/Immobilize/Recharge (45) Enfeebled Operation - Accuracy/Recharge Level 41: Lightning Field (A) Armageddon - Chance for Fire Damage (46) Armageddon - Damage/Endurance (46) Armageddon - Damage/Recharge (46) Armageddon - Accuracy/Damage/Recharge (47) Armageddon - Accuracy/Recharge (47) Fury of the Gladiator - Chance for Res Debuff Level 44: Boxing (A) Accuracy IO Level 47: Tough (A) Impervium Armor - Psionic Resistance (48) Unbreakable Guard - Resistance/Endurance (48) Unbreakable Guard - +Max HP Level 49: Weave (A) Luck of the Gambler - Defense/Increased Global Recharge Speed (49) Red Fortune - Defense/Endurance (49) Red Fortune - Defense/Endurance/Recharge Level 1: Brawl (A) Empty Level 1: Opportunity Level 1: Sprint

As has been stated multiple times it really is pointless to compare blasters to sentinels, their roles are different from each other. A ranged only blaster, as has been stated, is going to be quite limited because they ignored a large portion of their secondary, and this is not the purpose of my statement. By dint of having their resistances and or defenses baked into their secondary, a sentinel has a greater range of builds and sets available to them. My Psy/SR is procced to the gills to achieve respectable results, which he does just fine. My Elec sentinel less so, or the procs are differently purposed because he does exactly what I want to do, drain and survive then delete the enemies. He does so efficiently and effectively if not so fast, but it is a universally effective playstyle. Just because people enjoy the sentinel doesn't mean they are threatening the blaster, which is unfortunately the way that blaster fans seem to be taking it. To the original point though, yes sentinels are underused, mostly because if you read the forums and redit etc most of what you will read are from the extreme high end of playtime, and to most of that damage is the one and only thing that is viable.

I love Dominators with a particular affinity for Mind on a dom...however Illusion Control would be unbalanced on a dom, or would have to be changed so much it would be a different set entirely. The problem, as others have stated is Phantom Army. Obviously PA is unbalanced even on a controller, but giving it to a dominator would just be wrong. Gang War or a similar as a replacement would also be unbalanced. I vote to keep Illusion on controllers as their speciality.