brasilgringo

This is what I'm testing. Once it is incarnated out, I'll see how pylon times line up vs my Mercs/FF. Mastermind (Robotics - Cold Domination) v3.mbd

Thanks for the tips! I think the MM +15% AOE Def IO was left out because (i) it wasn't in the Merc/FF slotting I used for pets, and (ii) I wondered if I could get to >45% Melee / Ranged / AOE def on the pets without it, between Ice Shields, Protector Bot shields, and the 2 x 5% all-defense Pet IOs slotted. I will have to check in-game after building this. I could pull the Gaussians out of tactics and slot it as Miracle into Health, as you suggested. I figured Gaussians wouldn't help much and kind of just parked the slot there for now. On Static Discharge, good point and I can give up the slow-resist set bonus from Superior Frozen Blast and slot instead a +3 Acc/Dmg Nucleous and a +3 Dam/Range D-Sync. I'll move the slow-resist into SS and the stealth into a sprint. I didn't take incarnates on this build because IMHO my MMs generally all take the same for Alpha (Musc) and either Degen or Reactive for Interface. Is there an alpha you think is particularly more effective for Bots/Cold? Mastermind (Robotics - Cold Domination) v2.mbd

Thanks for feedback. MIDS build-export seems bugged or I'd export it in text. With Heatloss up most of the time, I don't expect Endurance to be an issue post level 30. I'll carry blues and purples for exemp'd TFs etc. I think I need one extra PPP power after charged armor to get electrifying fences, so that's why I went with Static Discharge vs. using an MM attack. I think cold has so much -Regen already in Benumb I didn't think the MM attacks would make much of a difference? I always found Snow Storm too slow to activate and burdensome to use - never took it on any of my /Cold corrs or Defenders. YMMV.

How would something like this work? Didn't see a point in the MM attacks even for the -Regen considering /Cold Dom (Benumb, etc.). Static Discharge is probably not needed to be slotted but I figured I'd try to proc it out for some AOE. Mastermind (Robotics - Cold Domination).mbd

Thanks, I will try to test next couple of days, work/life permitting. Will report back. Running Assault is likely part of it. No time to respec yet so here are tests w/o Leadership pool buffs. Degen Radial Core Support Core slotted not used all dmg proc --with Serum 1:32 1:30 --without Serum 1:47 - running out of end 1:48 with Serum and Support Core active and MM attacks/2ndary (FF) no Pyronic 0:53 0:53 With Support Core no Serum or MM attacks/Secondary (+12% dmg to approx. assault) 1:39 1:54 1:39 If you believe support core is a proxy for Assault, the times line up with yours. I'll try to test leadership next day or two after respec, and i'll try to see what impact puttting the pet uniques for res back in have (fewer dmg procs).

Thanks @StrikerFox. Yes I followed your slotting above for Soldiers (with the Soulbound BU) and other procs; the Soulbound in Comando is a +5'd Soulbound DAMAGE IO which I think is even higher than the standard IO +5'd. I actually replicated your slotting above for testing (all the damage procs) and still couldn't really break <2mins (though I only tested a few times). So 2:07 with the 2 def IOs seemed a good trade-off vs. 2mins all procs. Maybe you can test again on the test pylons if you get a chance. I got better results with Degen than Reactive. I'll try Lady Gray in the commando for now. Does using Power Boost do anything for Serum? (Spamming my MM attacks and FF buffs/debuffs, could get the Pylon down in 57 seconds, I guess that's pretty good)

(using MM attacks and damping field I could get down to 1:14-1:18).

Hm, tested with all the damage procs in as well as switching from Degen Radial to Reactive Radial, and doesn't seem to make much of a difference on kill time. Degen seems 10+ secs better than Reactive. Snugging up the Mercs right next to the pylon so the melee it between ranged attacks doesn't seem to make much of a difference. Shrug. Still like 2:08ish, maybe 2:01 if lucky, even with all the damage procs in place of the res/def procs. I even tried PowerBoosting Serum which doesn't seem to do much/anything. (Maybe someone knows if PowerBoost affects Serum?) @StrikerFox any thoughts? you were getting like 106 secs just with Mercs proc'd out weren't you? Apparently w/o Serum *boggle*. Were you running Assault or something as well? If I only keep 1 damage proc in Commando, should it make a difference if it's the Lady Gray Negative Dmg or Smashing or Lethal damage, in terms of what attacks he uses that could trigger the proc? That is, does he use one attack type more than another that has a better chance of triggering the damage proc if it's negative vs. smashing vs. lethal procs?

Pets summoned w/o any FF buffs: Pets with boosted (PowerBoost) FF bubbles and Disp Bubble active (post fall-off of PB): With PB & Clarion inside Disp. Bubble: Toxic & Psionic def are only 22% though and that includes 10% from the 2 def unique pet IOs. So the question is, remove the Edict of the Master Pet IO (Def bonus 5%) from Spec Ops for another proc (Shield Breaker Lethal)? And/or remove the Call to Arms def proc (5%) from commando, or remove one or both of the Res procs in Commando? Putting in the explosive strike / shield breaker / lady gray damage procs? With current slotting, only using Pets (no MM powers), it's taking around 2:07 to defeat a Pylon (using Serum as up). That's a lot longer than @StrikerFox got. I think he used all procs. Thoughts? The res buff IOs are 10% each so i'd likely take out the def buff IOs and try to get by with 10% lower def on the pets, which should still have them just above the softcap (when standing in Disp Bubble) for M/R/A though I imagine they have poor DDR.

FWIW i ended up going Mercs/FF as I've never played /Pain and I couldn't convince myself it would be better than stacking PB'd/Clarioned FF shields on top of Mercs. I also am not sure if PB affects Serum. Here's the build. I did some pylon tests w/o using MM attacks or anything besides the Pets and I'm coming in several seconds longer than @StrikerFox tests. so maybe the pets aren't slotted in the optimal way.mercs-ff.mbd (I also don't love web envelope, i was just chasing +rchrg from the purple sets but I could give it up. I non-proc'd M30 Grenade for a purple set for the same reason (the procs are in Force Bomb which seems to have a higher proc chance)

@Maelwys Do you happen to have a up-to-date Mercs/Thermal or /Thermal build?

Thanks for the feedback. I could try /elec but I've always been put off by it not having a -res power (I think)? Is thermal good still? Felt old school. Thanks again for tips. Would welcome any build examples (will go search).

Toying with a Mercs/Pain build, never played either. Have Necro/FF, Demons/Dark, Beast/Kin, Thugs/Time. Using I think @StrikerFox Mercs shell but don't really know how to slot /Pain (except to go for a lot of recharge to keep WoP perma etc) and what else to take, esp. post Epic-pool changes. Anyone got advice? Not a ton of /Pain builds recently on here nor pairings that looked meta with Mercs. Mercs Pain new build.mbd

improved Fire App with Char (proc'd) / Fireball / improved Melt Armor not better? any tips on /invuln slotting these days?

@Frosticus or anyone have an updated Savage build inc the updates to Leap? Anyone have an updated /Invuln build?