Frozen Burn

Both are great sets. And they both pair well with anything and each other. It's a fun combo to play and yeah, style points are huge. 🙂

It's actually more than 2 mins to get those badges, even at 50, to die, then fight to burn off the dept even with patrol XP. I know you were not being literal, but it is actually about the same time to do all that as it is street sweeping lower lvls for a defeat badge at lvl 50. Again, 2 ways to accomplish the same thing. So, preference of dying for the badge vs. not is a factor, imo - and maybe to others as well. And also, OP did state: "I'd like to put this "arc" together using the lowest levels possible!" Meaning most efficient at lvl and not at lvl 50. Incurring debt at lower levels when you don't have all your powers or are fully slotted can take even longer to burn off than just doing the defeat badges for Freedom Phalanx Reserve. Clearly, getting all the Mayhem mish's explores is the easiest and fastest way to get the TFC accolade (Invader Accolade) - provided you have someone who has the contact unlocked. Some do not. Some , or certain characters in one's list, never go villainside (I have a few like this). I always do the TFC TFs anyway - I want those badges and the merits. So, it's no biggie to get the defeat badges through the TFs as I lvl instead of street sweeping. For me, it's more about overall efficiency on the greater collection badges - and I know that's not what the OP is here and it is only focusing on the efficiency of the 2 accolades. And for the record, I think I've only once ever gotten the Invader accolade through the mayhem mish's (maybe twice). It feels like cheating to me, but clearly it isn't as the Devs put it into the game and know people can get that accolade at lvl 1. 😄 But I figure, on practically all of my toons, I can wait until lvl 35 to get the accolade with Numina TF. But again, Invader is clearly easier and quicker than TFC.

Many ways to skin this cat. Certainly if all you ever want is to only get those two acco's knowing exactly where those specific explores and plaques are in the zones may save a couple mins of your time. But if you don't already know them by rote, you also waste a lot of time copying and pasting or typing up coordinate thumbtacks or navigating popup menus that might them - until you have them memorized. Otherwise, just open up vidiotmaps and go get everything - it only takes a few secs more per zone. And then you're set for other accolades and badges later, if you choose to get them - and then you don't have to try and remember which ones you got or didn't get which is a HUGE waste of time overall. A few extra secs or a min now, saves a ton of time and frustration later. As far as defeats... yes, *IF* you're higher level fighting greys through street sweeping, it is easy. However OP was talking about using lowest levels possible, so that means being lower level and not fighting greys for street sweeping. But if you're going to street sweep Tanks for Tankbuster - Terra Volta is better as they are 10-15 lvls lower than Creys. And Echo: Faultline for Gearsmasher - yes, that's the best place for gears in the wild - it's still a nightmarish tedious task. I've done it. And when you get a lot that only have 1-2 gears per boss defeat... it just makes it that much longer and mind-numbingly boring. But yes, doable. 🙂 I'd still rather run a Synapse and I hate that TF - but it and Posi 1&2 where you will get your Gearsmasher badge goes towards TF Commander. (Yes, there the whole villainside way to get same acco in 10 mins *IF* you have a lvl 50 villain that can upnlock it for you - blah, blah, blah. But that's not an option for all - so collecting defeats in TFs can be very efficient overall too.) And High Pain Threshold is not optimal to get instead of Freedom Phalanx, imo. It's relatively easy other than having to die multiple times and pay off debt. Many (like myself) do not like that one bit. But certainly, your method/pattern works. Great thing about this game - many ways to accomplish the same thing in roughly the same time/effort/etc. 🙂

Cherry picking explores and plaques out of a zone is a waste of time and energy - not efficient at all. Just get them all, collect your 5 merits along the way (and accolade for getting all explores in a zone). The other explores and plaques are useful for other accolades and badges too... so, again, best to just claim them all at once so you don't have to try and cherry pick the others later on. I will go zone by zone as I level up and when I've gotten all explores and plaques in a zone, I hit reveal to get rid of the fog of war - any zone that hasn't been revealed, I know I need explores or plaques. If it is revealed, then I know I've gotten them all later on when hunting other accos or badges. For the others.... Spelunker Badge If via flashback, Teleporting to contact is a waste of time as you have to travel through Steel at level (albeit a short distance), zone into Perez, and then travel to the door. Start the flashback and port into your quick travel base, and then zone into Perez directly. Less travel time, and typically, the door is closer to the base portal rather than the Steel Canyon gate. The defeats Typically faster and easier to get through TFs vs. slogging through street sweeping. It's also more XP, merits, and a badge. Save the street sweeping for afterwards getting the last few that you didn't get in the TF. Freedom Phalanx Tankbuster - Yin TF, or even better, the Sister Psyche TF through Ouro Gearsmasher - Posi 1 and 2 will get you Gearsmasher and if not... Synapse surely will. Unveiler - Pandora's Box last chapter with the yeager contact in Steel Canyon is best source for them. have to be level 40 min, but I wait to lvl 41, set to -1x8 (easier to kill and fakes only spawn at lvl 40+, hence me being lvl 41) and set to no bosses (solo) and you can defeat LT fakes and they still count (even defender and controllers can do this solo). If you have a teammate(s), they will then spawn as bosses, but they're still -1, so not so bad. You can get 25-35 fakes in one run. So reset the first mish 3 or 4 times to get the badge. Atlas Medallion Silver Bullet and Slayer badges - run the first 2 mish's of Moonfire at x8 and you'll be close to getting the badges, then it's a simple hunt 25 (give or take) of each in Striga and you're done. These aren't hard to get accolades and can be gotten at lvl 1 (although xp would level you up as you go) if you have teammates willing to do the defeats (by street sweeping) for you and has the actual non-ouro / non-flashback Spelunker mish. 🙂

Shrouded and Multidimensional badges tend to not give the "Badge Earned" (or whatever it says) yellow text floating across your screen like other badges do when you get them. These badges just silently and quietly add to your list without you knowing, unless you spot it on the "Most Recent" tab as soon as you do whatever it is to get it awarded.

I wanted the set bonuses and not enough extra slots for them.

Well, clearly it is weird to you if you're asking. 😄 But for me, no, it isn't.

You can. Make sure the star is Red (not Yellow) after clicking "Select Mission" and you'll transport to the mission you want. If you hit "Select Mission" and the star remains yellow, then go to a co-op zone or a zone of the same alignment as the mission and re-"Select Mission" to turn the star Red. You'll go tot hat door 100% of the time. Otherwise, using the power with nothing selected or the mission star being "Yellow" - indicated it's highlighted and actually NOT selected - will perhaps send you to another mission on your list. This is not a bug and works as intended. You may disagree, but the power cannot read your mind and will do its job and send you anywhere from your mission list, unless you specifically tell it to go to a particular mission. 🙂

Hiya. Here is my build for my Emp/Dark Defender. It's probably more than what you are looking for, but may give you some ideas. Any sets are better than SOs. So, do what you can until you earn the moolah / reward merits to get what you want. Emerald Touch - Defender (Empathy).mbd

Ah, yeah, mine is a scrapper. Clearly there are differences in ATs. Interesting.

Hi @Ultimo. Read through this entire thread. I'm not sure how you are missing it, but Murky Cloud DOES have a "No Fade or Pulse" setting: So does Obsidian Shield: For me, I like seeing some effects from Dark Armor so that I visually know I've turned my armor on. 🙂 But I too hate the pulsing so I made sure mine doesn't. So, I have my settings as: Dark Armor = No Fade or Pulse Murky Cloud = No Fade or Pulse Obsidian Shield = No Fade or Pulse Cloak of Darkness = Minimal FX And nothing on my toon pulses and I only get a little fade from Cloak of Darkness so that I visually know when I'm stealthed. But even with CoD set to "Minimal FX" there is no pulsing. So, if other "minimal FX" settings make you pulse and fade, then yeah, I agree it should not do that.

Yep, this is what I use too.

I don't know how I missed this thread back in November when you started this, but THANK YOU for this! I have several Hero-only toons that I want to get Sheer Willpower on but will struggle with this due to that arc limitation. 🙂 As for the proposed 2 options... I do like option 1 for the clarity and ease of implementing. But option 2 does have it merits with having the freedom to get any 3 from the list - it allows Heroes to sort of choose their own path to get the badge which is very attractive. Option 2 also kind of breaks from the norm of most accolade badges which have only one way to achieve - so I like that it's different and new. Honestly, I'll be happy with either option. But Manticore with an arrow to my head - I'd lean towards option 2. 🙂

As mentioned above, /Plant is just fine. It's a solid set of melee and control powers like most other Blaster secondaries. I have quite enjoyed my Water/Plant blaster. The only issue I have with it is popping the thorns out of my character's body every time I use the powers. Also mentioned above, it's probably the same reason why most aren't keen on the set. I think an alternate animation for the set would entice more people to play it. ...similar to bio armor - the main look of bio armor is hideous and I avoided the set altogether no matter how good it is - but then I found out there is alternate animations, so I made a character and now quite enjoy the set. Would be nice if they could do the same for /Plant. But despite the visuals, again, the set is very solid and worth playing. I do love the extra toxic damage it does and that you can also add it to all your attacks with Toxins. Then as an incarnate, stacking Degenerative Radial Interface with even more toxic is quite nice.

You can take whatever travel power you want. You don't need the effects of Grounded when you're traveling from mish to mish. And if you want to hover blast, you have to be hovering at the lowest point above the ground to maintain the benefits of Grounded. But then when combat is over, who cares if you get to the next mish or area by running, flying, jumping or teleporting? 🙂