Nemu

I do arcs for the merits, But I think it's about time we revamped the rewards system so that team-mates got a cut on arc completion.

If I recall the team has to do at least 10% damage to get credit, and you need to get a hit in on the team (but you don't need to personally contribute 10% of the damage). I've had run into scenarios where I got invited to a GM team and the team killed the GM before I can get to it - no badge. Splitting up the league is a sensible way to make sure everyone gets credit. Some will get fussy that a 50 is not leading a team but GM scales with player levels (a level 50 player is not going to do obscenely more damage vs a level 20 player proportional to the GM's HP) and that extra bit of incarnate boost for level 50s isn't that much of a deal breaker as long as the non-50 team leader is of a reasonable level.

Why acrobatics and spring attack when you can slot a kb protection IO and get frozen aura? Then you can pick up another defense power like hover or anything from the stealth pool and drop another LOTG in there. There are few things that will toss you around when you have a KB protection IO, and Acrobatics is a huge end drain that only allows you to shrug off one minor hold. It doesn't do anything against stuns/sleep. You'll also be on teams, and I'd expect your teammates to can cover those holes if they can do so. If they don't even though they have the powers that can help you, like clear mind/enforce morale, etc... then ask them to. (something along the lines of "if you can buff me with power xyz, then I'll be able to go all out and help us clear faster) Are you ever going to use the melee attacks? Asking because a lot of people that are timid of a blasters squishiness avoid melee. So trying to figure out if the melee stuff is just for set bonuses to get to perma hasten. If that's the case you can drop the 6th proc slot from ice sword. Decimation build up proc doesn't go in ice blast, it'll hardly proc, pick something with a longer recharge. If you are going to proc monster something bitter freeze ray is a good candidate, and go all in on procs in that power. Similarly you are wasting procs in chillblain. Rule of thumb: if it recharges in under 8 seconds don't waste too many procs in it when you have better options with longer recharge times to slot those procs in. Low tier, low recharge powers are best used as mules for set bonuses. Swap out the dam/recharge in frost breath for a posi blast dam/range. It'll increase your proc chances, read the above for more information on how procs work. Why get tough/weave at all when you expect teams to cover up for you? that's 3 powers you sink for only one LOTG 7.5. Instead you can ditch fighting, go stealth for 2 easy +def picks. Having 5 LOTG 7.5s goes a long way to helping you get perma-hasten. Slots are precious, 2 slot hasten and +5 those level 50 recharge IOs is better than wasting another slot in hasten to try to get to perma-hasten. If you really want perma-hasten you can alter your power picks and take powers that are more conducive to you achieving that goal. Finally ask yourself WHY do you need perma-hasten? With perma-hasten Blizzard, which is longest recharge attack recharges in 43 seconds, if you are 13 seconds off perma-hasten it comes back up in 50 seconds. You are using this power every other pack regardless of whether you have perma-hasten or not. With perma-hasten bitter ice blast recharges in 3.5 seconds. If you are 13 seconds off perma-hasten it recharges in 3.97 seconds If you consider the cast time for your single target attack chain, whether you are perma hasten or not you won't be able to just cycle Freeze Ray and Bitter ice blast because those two powers have a combined cast time of 2.5 seconds, so you will need to squeeze either bitter freeze ray with a 2.6 second cast or Ice Blast with a 1.85 second cast. Even if you were to use Ice blast in your ST chain that's still 2.5+1.85 = 4.35 seconds total cast time, which is still more time than it takes for bitter ice blast to recharge. Also, if you team a lot, what are the chances that some teammates will have abilities to boost your recharge? There are valid reasons to get perma-hasten, like on dominators that shoot for perma-dom, or proc-monster builds that rely on high recharge to compensate for the lack of recharge slotting in their proc powers (but those builds also need a lot of other bonuses/tools to offset lack of ACC slotting, lack of end reduction, etc...) However, if you are shooting for perma-hasten just for the sake of perma-hasten, you may want to look at what you are giving up. Here's is a build that proc monsters both holds. It actually takes advantage of all the +Acc bonuses from the sets that give recharge, and the Blaster sustain takes care of endurance management issues. Even if you go the proc monster route you'll normally only be able to proc out maybe 3 attacks max, because you'll need all the other attacks/powers for set bonuses to offset the shortcomings of not slotting those proc powers for ACC/RECH/End Redux. This Hero build was built using Mids Reborn 3.4.6 https://github.com/LoadedCamel/MidsReborn Click this DataLink to open the build! Level 50 Mutation Blaster Primary Power Set: Ice Blast Secondary Power Set: Ice Manipulation Power Pool: Speed Power Pool: Leaping Power Pool: Leadership Power Pool: Concealment Ancillary Pool: Cold Mastery Hero Profile: Level 1: Ice Blast (A) Superior Defiant Barrage - Accuracy/Damage (3) Superior Defiant Barrage - Damage/RechargeTime (3) Superior Defiant Barrage - Accuracy/Damage/RechargeTime (5) Superior Defiant Barrage - Accuracy/Damage/Endurance (5) Superior Defiant Barrage - Accuracy/Damage/Endurance/RechargeTime (7) Superior Defiant Barrage - RechargeTime/+Status Level 1: Chilblain (A) Empty Level 2: Frost Breath (A) Positron's Blast - Accuracy/Damage (9) Positron's Blast - Damage/Endurance (11) Positron's Blast - Damage/Range (11) Positron's Blast - Accuracy/Damage/Endurance (13) Positron's Blast - Chance of Damage(Energy) Level 4: Super Speed (A) Blessing of the Zephyr - Knockback Reduction (4 points) (13) Winter's Gift - Slow Resistance (20%) Level 6: Aim (A) Gaussian's Synchronized Fire-Control - Chance for Build Up Level 8: Freeze Ray (A) Damage Increase IO (15) Gladiator's Net - Chance of Damage(Lethal) (15) Gladiator's Javelin - Chance of Damage(Toxic) (17) Neuronic Shutdown - Chance of Damage(Psionic) (17) Ghost Widow's Embrace - Chance of Damage(Psionic) (19) Unbreakable Constraint - Chance for Smashing Damage Level 10: Frigid Protection (A) Synapse's Shock - EndMod (19) Synapse's Shock - EndMod/Recharge (21) Synapse's Shock - EndMod/Increased Run Speed (21) Synapse's Shock - Damage/Rechage (23) Synapse's Shock - Damage/Accuracy/Endurance (23) Regenerative Tissue - +Regeneration Level 12: Combat Jumping (A) Luck of the Gambler - Defense/Increased Global Recharge Speed (25) Kismet - Accuracy +6% Level 14: Hasten (A) Recharge Reduction IO (25) Recharge Reduction IO Level 16: Build Up (A) Recharge Reduction IO Level 18: Bitter Ice Blast (A) Apocalypse - Damage (27) Apocalypse - Damage/Recharge/Accuracy (27) Apocalypse - Recharge/Accuracy (29) Apocalypse - Damage/Endurance (29) Apocalypse - Chance of Damage(Negative) (31) Gladiator's Javelin - Chance of Damage(Toxic) Level 20: Ice Patch (A) Recharge Reduction IO Level 22: Ice Storm (A) Ice Mistral's Torment - Damage/Recharge (31) Ice Mistral's Torment - Damage/Slow (31) Ice Mistral's Torment - Accuracy/Damage/Endurance (33) Ice Mistral's Torment - Accuracy/Damage/Endurance/Recharge (33) Ice Mistral's Torment - Chance for Cold Damage Level 24: Maneuvers (A) Luck of the Gambler - Defense/Increased Global Recharge Speed (33) Shield Wall - Defense/Endurance (34) Shield Wall - +Res (Teleportation), +5% Res (All) Level 26: Bitter Freeze Ray (A) Damage Increase IO (34) Impeded Swiftness - Chance of Damage(Smashing) (34) Ice Mistral's Torment - Chance for Cold Damage (36) Ghost Widow's Embrace - Chance of Damage(Psionic) (36) Neuronic Shutdown - Chance of Damage(Psionic) (36) Gladiator's Javelin - Chance of Damage(Toxic) Level 28: Ice Sword (A) Ice Mistral's Torment - Damage/Recharge (37) Ice Mistral's Torment - Damage/Slow (37) Ice Mistral's Torment - Accuracy/Damage/Endurance (37) Ice Mistral's Torment - Accuracy/Damage/Endurance/Recharge (48) Ice Mistral's Torment - Chance for Cold Damage Level 30: Stealth (A) Luck of the Gambler - Defense/Increased Global Recharge Speed (39) Reactive Defenses - Defense/Endurance (39) Reactive Defenses - Scaling Resist Damage Level 32: Blizzard (A) Superior Blaster's Wrath - Accuracy/Damage (39) Superior Blaster's Wrath - Damage/Recharge (40) Superior Blaster's Wrath - Accuracy/Damage/Recharge (40) Superior Blaster's Wrath - Accuracy/Damage/Endurance (40) Superior Blaster's Wrath - Accuracy/Damage/Endurance/Recharge (42) Superior Blaster's Wrath - Recharge/Chance for Fire Damage Level 35: Freezing Touch (A) Hecatomb - Damage (42) Hecatomb - Damage/Recharge/Accuracy (42) Hecatomb - Recharge/Accuracy (43) Hecatomb - Damage/Endurance (43) Hecatomb - Chance of Damage(Negative) Level 38: Flash Freeze (A) Fortunata Hypnosis - Chance for Placate Level 41: Frozen Armor (A) Luck of the Gambler - Defense/Increased Global Recharge Speed (43) Gladiator's Armor - TP Protection +3% Def (All) (45) Steadfast Protection - Resistance/+Def 3% (45) Luck of the Gambler - Defense/Endurance Level 44: Hoarfrost (A) Preventive Medicine - Heal (45) Preventive Medicine - Heal/Endurance (46) Preventive Medicine - Endurance/RechargeTime (46) Preventive Medicine - Heal/RechargeTime (46) Preventive Medicine - Heal/RechargeTime/Endurance (47) Preventive Medicine - Chance for +Absorb Level 47: Frozen Aura (A) Armageddon - Damage (47) Armageddon - Damage/Recharge/Accuracy (47) Armageddon - Recharge/Accuracy (48) Armageddon - Damage/Endurance (48) Armageddon - Chance for Fire Damage Level 49: Grant Invisibility (A) Luck of the Gambler - Defense/Increased Global Recharge Speed Level 1: Brawl (A) Empty Level 1: Defiance Level 1: Sprint | Copy & Paste this data into Mids Reborn : Hero Designer to view the build | |-------------------------------------------------------------------| |MxDz;1690;717;1434;HEX;| |78DA6D944B4F535110C7FFF75181D202157909154A0B94160AB832BE62444C8056A| |B246E8C2185DEC04D6ADBD062E41B181FD19D89CF9D896B8DBA77ABDFC0854BE569| |62E2CED4B977EEE8A17892D3FBBB6766FE6766CEEDC9DCBE10F8FC297D0E5A70BA9| |0AB5416CFD36FD55A6BCCAC577355BB5484331A68767B96C5ABB9E28A954FCD2E5B| |EC3C208685F572B9B456752D995CD12EAF1758C29F2D950AA985B265E5032EA6AD5| |CD92EAEB4CA4BDE5AABACDAE590FB3E5BBC6557EC25BB6057374233657B39355D2A| |E449D1D964A39B5289D19C73F2D220A3E6A31F139832A14313D0194C180226C321F| |818EE60DFA8399306E61D7545DED4F0066E4423DE32F8F14EE03D43001F18A2D430| |4389D60C7CD13D975EC38534ADFBFE1550A397D7EC92F11AFEB7B2068459B605338| |607630C6DC89144D8819B9ABB7218B32C738F629AD4063561D3F45CB6198E604F60| |8BA113BB026759B8935269564B694607EFD48DDF705D06C925A8BA049174126E221| |70FEED3A3556D732B5B4C5CA647484D3384312EE0285202130C7D9814986238268D| |7840B1ED8A0CDA65834BF4E850B6363BE0F779C1CD0201860104055A1842545B97A| |2AB7749F903B8C85B4730CF9025871EF5E07AE4E02278C5DD8C886E54CE2B2A2718| |9552EE524CAFFAE9F54AC23149382609C724E109110E52C26135E1B0243C8C3DC38| |39F0C57C8A15FED7D3F9E88CB5386113C13782EF08261142F191E52ECA09AF02086| |75CF252E30CA90404220C9B04A22439AF24718C275B6D864892BBA465C4A49E0386| |F3DE61E4ED88136367D0D0049B5A624BE89EF7786716C0A6C096C33A4B0C3F08862| |536A4D299CD03D979302A774AFF7A705CE30B4D0214CAA5FE3A464DE67FEFFBE899| |8FBAFB35AFAA0A3C1E25953F5248BC6123BFEFD1234C7F9F3DBABB3105EA339E2DC| |8311AE77F760709C837F1C0C7EAC7B37E12FBE2C3E26283925A3DA0D8A9952ABC9D| |52F2CD52F64EB17FE00CDD8C6F1| |-------------------------------------------------------------------|

What makes you think that Elec/Eng is designed for ranged play? I see all the hard hitting melee attacks + powerboost + short circuit and think "this is meant to punch stuff in the face, and it has the tools to supplement that strategy to help survival via end drain." But since we have ranged attacks in our arsenal, we can ALSO shoot stuff from range as well. I think exactly the opposite, blasters does not equate ranged only and to pigeonhole the AT into that playstyle when your toolkit screams otherwise is the real unrewarding part. If you really embrace that thought then /tactical arrow is best suited for pure range play as that secondary offers toys that truly synergize with pure range play. With IO sets it is not difficult to build a tankmage with blasters for normal content, there's absolutely no reason to avoid melee when you can leverage both the art of movement and softcap defenses plus any other tools in your actual toolkit to augment survival. Here are some videos to help you understand the nuances of playing melee blasters. It's a rewarding experience like no other. Once you can play a melee blaster well, you can play just about any other AT save khelds and masterminds well, (both of those have more of a technical learning curve in the form of binds) because you will have picked up all the tricks of the trade in being an absolute badass who not only understands game mechanics but also has the skills to back it up.

Elec/energy is a good combo, voltaic sentinel doesn't break the build if you lean into playing in melee range. Powerboost + short circuit is the premier combo for alpha endurance drain and that can be used to start every fight. Lean into playing in melee range and take advantage of the above and the build will perform just fine even if VS tracking is borked. If you just want to keep at range, this build has a lot less to offer.

Well, taking a look at the Axe changes on beta. Some will no doubt call me a genius and idolize me like they do Elon for sticking with Axe/Ninja. I mean, now we get Axe CYCLONE! Axe 4eva!

Pandas. Everyone else wants to make panda rugs. That makes me a saaaad panda.

Some of this rhetoric belongs in the general section along with the farming AE threads. Be nice, there's no reason to get worked up over a forum post. More importantly, make that hover blasting scrapper. You know you have to now, because you can't unsee it.

Best ranged AT (for you) depends on a lot of factors that you began to cover some of: You personal playstyle (you did mention hover and fly in your other post) Your budget - the difference between SOs, IOs and super pimped out IOs, this was not mentioned The fact that you'll probably never play it to 50, in that case what level do you stop at? Also not mentioned You don't want a glass cannon - If you are just playing with SOs, blasters won't fit your criteria, sentinel is better. You are never going to achieve upper tier performance with SOs anyway so let's drop any pretense that you are going to use it to solo +4/8 ITFs or that top tier builds piloted by top tier players is what people ought to be playing when the subject of best xyz comes up. All the ATs with ranged options come into their own and can far exceed their potential against an SO only build when you start building with sets, purples, catalyzed ATOs/Winters can make a big difference in performance but if you never play to 50 you will never reach those levels of performance. However you can still design a build using attuned IO sets that give you a reasonable amount of survival even on blasters by level 35 without gimping your primary function to do damage. Sentinels just don't get as much of a return on investment with IOs compared to blasters from a damage vs survival standpoint. And other ATs far outstrip sentinels in the additional utility they bring, of course that is not without it's own learning curve and complexities compared to just straight up pew pew pew. For those on a budget or learning the game, or even those looking for a stress free range blasting experience, however, sentinels are a solid choice. I will say though that once you have an understanding of the game and budget to make softcapped blasters and such, it's time to drop sentinels like a bad habit if you really care about performance. So the answer is "it depends on all of your criteria." And as an aside all posts point to the usual ATs but I present to you the ranged hover blasting scrapper. It is better with sets, and it's very endurance intensive, but here it is:

It's a fun combo, I wrote up a build for it a while back. It's a fun/silly theme and all the knockdown/up makes for a very fun and visceral playing experience. If I recall correctly @biostem, I read somewhere that you don't use IO sets. If that's the case you'll need to pick up hasten as a lot of Axe Attacks are on slower timers and recharge also helps with your heal and end recovery power.

The numbers don't lie! Buff Blasters!

Everyone does, that still doesn't give me much to work with. Playstyle is important. I can give you a melee blaster build and if you are timid about going into melee then it's not a good fit, for example. There's also the matter of budget, I don't know how much you have to work with. A lot of people will say budget is not an issue but the reality is that quite a few of those builds are copied/abandoned because it didn't click with the player, especially if they have no idea how the build plays. Based on the evidence I see, here's a moderately budget friendly beginner blaster build that will do well. Game plan with this build is simple. Hover and keep out of range and shoot stuff. It has softcapped range defense, which means mobs have a much harder time hitting you as long as you keep your distance. It also has invisibility through stealth and the stealth IO in sprint so you can keep a low profile and zip to mission objectives if you solo. And late game it also has 2 holds to help you keep 1 boss in check, as well as Bonfire as area control. You will most likely need the newest version of mids to open this build, you can get that here: https://midsreborn.com/ This Hero build was built using Mids Reborn 3.4.5 https://github.com/LoadedCamel/MidsReborn Click this DataLink to open the build! Level 50 Magic Blaster Primary Power Set: Dark Blast Secondary Power Set: Fire Manipulation Power Pool: Flight Power Pool: Concealment Power Pool: Speed Power Pool: Fighting Ancillary Pool: Flame Mastery Hero Profile: Level 1: Gloom -- SprDfnBrr-Acc/Dmg(A), SprDfnBrr-Dmg/Rchg(3), SprDfnBrr-Acc/Dmg/Rchg(3), SprDfnBrr-Acc/Dmg/EndRdx(5), SprDfnBrr-Acc/Dmg/EndRdx/Rchg(5), SprDfnBrr-Rchg/+Status Protect(7) Level 1: Ring of Fire -- Acc-I(A) Level 2: Umbral Torrent -- Artl-Acc/Dam(A), Artl-Dam/End(7), Artl-Acc/Dam/Rech(9), OvrFrc-Dam/KB(9), FrcFdb-Rechg%(11) Level 4: Fly -- BlsoftheZ-Travel/EndRdx(A), BlsoftheZ-ResKB(11) Level 6: Aim -- GssSynFr--Build%(A) Level 8: Moonbeam -- StnoftheM-Acc/Dmg(A), StnoftheM-Dmg/EndRdx(13), StnoftheM-Acc/ActRdx/Rng(13), StnoftheM-Dmg/EndRdx/Rchg(15), StnoftheM-Dam%(15) Level 10: Hover -- LucoftheG-Def/Rchg+(A), Ksm-ToHit+(17), BlsoftheZ-Travel(17), BlsoftheZ-ResKB(19), HypSnc-+Special(19) Level 12: Tenebrous Tentacles -- Artl-Acc/Dam(A), Artl-Dam/End(21), Artl-Dam/Rech(21), Artl-Acc/Dam/Rech(23), Artl-Acc/Rech/Rng(23), Artl-End/Rech/Rng(25) Level 14: Stealth -- LucoftheG-Def/Rchg+(A), Rct-ResDam%(25), Rct-Def/EndRdx(27) Level 16: Build Up -- RechRdx-I(A) Level 18: Abyssal Gaze -- Thn-Dmg/EndRdx(A), Thn-Acc/Dmg/Rchg(27), Thn-Acc/Dmg(29), GhsWdwEmb-Dam%(29), NrnSht-Dam%(31), CldSns-%Dam(31) Level 20: Cauterizing Aura -- NmnCnv-Heal/EndRdx(A), NmnCnv-EndRdx/Rchg(31), NmnCnv-Heal/Rchg(33), NmnCnv-Heal/EndRdx/Rchg(33), NmnCnv-Heal(33), NmnCnv-Regen/Rcvry+(34) Level 22: Hasten -- RechRdx-I(A), RechRdx-I(34) Level 24: Kick -- ExpStr-Dmg/KB(A), ExpStr-Acc/KB(34), ExpStr-Dam%(36) Level 26: Life Drain -- Thn-Acc/Dmg(A), Thn-Acc/Dmg/Rchg(36), Thn-Acc/Dmg/EndRdx(36), Thn-Dmg/Rchg(37), Prv-Heal(37), Prv-Absorb%(37) Level 28: Tough -- GldArm-3defTpProc(A), RctArm-ResDam/EndRdx(39), RctArm-ResDam/EndRdx/Rchg(39), RctArm-ResDam(39), UnbGrd-Max HP%(40) Level 30: Weave -- LucoftheG-Def/Rchg+(A), ShlWal-Def/EndRdx(40), ShlWal-Def(40), ShlWal-ResDam/Re TP(42) Level 32: Blackstar -- SprBlsWrt-Acc/Dmg(A), SprBlsWrt-Dmg/Rchg(42), SprBlsWrt-Acc/Dmg/Rchg(42), SprBlsWrt-Acc/Dmg/EndRdx(43), SprBlsWrt-Acc/Dmg/EndRdx/Rchg(43), SprBlsWrt-Rchg/Dmg%(43) Level 35: Bonfire -- SuddAcc--KB/+KD(A), FrcFdb-Rechg%(45) Level 38: Evasive Maneuvers -- LucoftheG-Def/Rchg+(A), BlsoftheZ-Travel/EndRdx(45), BlsoftheZ-ResKB(45) Level 41: Fire Shield -- StdPrt-ResDam/Def+(A), RctArm-ResDam/EndRdx(46), RctArm-ResDam/EndRdx/Rchg(46), RctArm-ResDam(46) Level 44: Char -- BslGaz-Acc/Hold(A), BslGaz-Acc/Rchg(48), BslGaz-EndRdx/Rchg/Hold(48), BslGaz-Acc/EndRdx/Rchg/Hold(48), GhsWdwEmb-Dam%(50), NrnSht-Dam%(50) Level 47: Rise of the Phoenix -- RechRdx-I(A) Level 49: Grant Invisibility -- LucoftheG-Def/Rchg+(A) Level 1: Brawl -- Empty(A) Level 1: Defiance Level 1: Sprint -- UnbLea-Stlth(A) Level 2: Rest -- Empty(A) Level 1: Swift -- Empty(A) Level 1: Health -- Pnc-Heal/+End(A) Level 1: Hurdle -- Empty(A) Level 1: Stamina -- PrfShf-End%(A), PwrTrns-+Heal(50) Level 4: Afterburner Level 49: Quick Form ------------ | Copy & Paste this data into Mids Reborn : Hero Designer to view the build | |-------------------------------------------------------------------| |MxDz;1634;711;1422;HEX;| |78DA75944B4F135114C7FFF3A2402948296F0A4E11411E15FC044691448104A9BA6| |D4668EA48699B521074ED673051015D297E0CD71A356234EAC6B86183989898B830| |F5CC9C3972B1719299FE7ACFB9E77DEFECFA64C3CB173367A145CEE79C9595F439F| |A9633256BD6C9BA0BF09E10BD9DC1727ADEC967338BC949A7B4C4AAB64852ABC562| |A1544E4EB9A54C7AD6C9BBC5D59C53760B7984E70A855C722AE7666F949B7DBE985| |F7357DCEB6ECE2D6FD4FB2BA96226B31861454FCFCD67A3178AEE026D73963D7B9E| |8F8D0E0AC5A6D78DD147833C158B3E263061428726A0339830044C861A580C6B386| |A86DE2EF8929B314FF0575431351856B0D964A8458DC017C3877ADCD57D0853C90C| |1CDAD50C7CD20395CF0C4BE4C0521CD09F1D96E448125282324378C54135E0B5C01| |B8646BC15D865A823D775EAEE3AB46ABEE4187ED342DC838FEC292AC14411E55496| |C97758AD6B58D28E49DA31580C6D927F1B420C1DA86588501011C58C1E91203AF08| |36BD5850386DBA4D0A4F6A009239C4A9E8269568369C61682CD8F187AB029B0CC0E| |7AE1687E96BDD8D37DB8431A2DAA99165C16DD7986E348095C11B8CA60E31A43827| |26A55CC68AD12A72DA0934ABB76D853BD1DB72886164F659DA11F1B0C054AAE5319| |11AB5352E997E4FAF198E104B605F68C00F6190C72D9ADB6BB1B67587212BDB43EE| |8812D906018C42FD6A1D1425CD96DC4A54F83983202B8C4700AD30C458ABC4FAD67| |1FEE8BCA0381870CC3D814D812D86678423F09A5585A025FF9548ECA317A3E0C0CA| |8633420E18DCA791A9511DE2173436A2A43D40ABFFF6352883129C49814E2296D1A| |515319C12E0FCD69BC13782FF0816142466D4246ED199949AA239C948968A4028FA| |B9271C9A0C784FA78574F851ED8E6D12BA93253AD6870CA73A6AA49128D4DECD757| |DD6AFEFA41F5BACDBDF8F69F1DDFFF5927BCA707B9FFE466D1E93F72D555A6A969E| |3EAC21F1942C7B4| |-------------------------------------------------------------------|

Good covers a lot: Good for teaming? good for solo? good for dying? good for trolling and getting kicked off the team? More context is needed, the devil is in the details. What are your goals? What do you want to accomplish with the build? What's your preferred playstyle? Ranged vs melee? Hover or on the ground? Mostly Team or Solo? Must have powers?/pools? Based on @Meknomancer's feedback it sounds like you missed some must have picks and you have some bad slotting on key powers. His templates are a good starting point. If going off his templates you'll need figure out whether you want to fully take advantage of the melee range attacks from fire manipulation or if you'd rather hang back and use ranged blasts.

That definitely can happen, especially with superspeed where you can zoom into the next mob. There are very few scenarios where I'll joust with super speed on. You can also hop joust with combat jumping. That's more controlled and precise to where you want to land. It's still a great tool for when you want to inferno those 3 mobs on the towers that the tank is grouping together but doesn't have full aggro control, and you don't want to be right in the thick of it for your animation. Definitely agreed on separation from the team, that can start off cascading deaths. But jousting still has it's place when used correctly/wisely.

I took my Fire/Elec as is (40% s/l def 45% Range Def and no notable S/L resistance, no melee core, no rune of prot) to hardmode Aeon and ITF and it does just fine, I even stood next to stuff and punched them in the face. You'll probably die a few or a lot on your first tries but as soon as you learn the mechanics (bricknauts boom, Nictus posession, Rom void judgement, etc...) you can avoid those completely avoidable sources of death if you pay attention. As I noted in another post, most often people die on those TFs because of the following: 1 - Not moving/poor positioning/getting stuck in animation (learn to joust people!) 2 - Lack of awareness 3 - Stubborness (scrapperlock or whatever you want to call it, especially stupid when one dies and resurrects and for whatever reason believes the power of Thor has been bestowed upon him and decides to single-handedly take revenge against the 6 EBs that swatted them) 4 - Poor priorities. A lot of people still tab - closest target and call it a day. And support that doesn't buff Rezzed teammates. 5 - Getting separated from the team. Like the blaster that thinks backing away from the lone EB chasing it and distancing himself farther and farther away from the team, while continuing to shoot the said EB is a good idea. This list is no different than how people die on normal content. It's just more pronounced for HM. Start with how you play and not the build. Playstyle and understanding game mechanics > build. But the build has some impact on your performance too. some observations from dying a few times with my Fire/Elec on these runs. Sustain auras that aggro can be bad for your health, especially after you rez. You are at your most vulnerable after you rez and a sustain aura that aggros is just inviting death. Also not too great if you are speeding because you can't wait 5 seconds for it to suppress and it'll invite extra pokes as you speed by mobs.. Flying, at least for ITF is OP. You can avoid a lot of things with fly. About the only thing that is highly recommended from a loadout perspective is T4 barrier. Strategic cycling of that among you and your teammates is how you power through stuff like the vanguard encounter in Aeon. I also recommend T4 void judgement, the -dmg it does helps you and the team.

I run tactics because I hate blind. It's rather selfish, but it helps the team, so it's not selfish. I don't know what I am, maybe a panda.

Leadership toggles cost a lot of end! Proceeds to take focused accuracy... I don't see leadership as selfish or selfless though. I see people skipping or not using clear mind and the like with the justification that "I am busy doing damage and that's helping too" using that lens, however. Oh here is a power that can help about half of all ATs cover a major hole for the majority of their leveling career. Nope, gonna skip it because everyone has access to clarion... at level 50.

8 Staff/Regen Brutes with Whirlwind. SPIN to WIN!

I see the same things that cause people to die in regular content: 1 - Not moving/poor positioning/getting stuck in animation (learn to joust people!) 2 - Lack of awareness 3 - Stubborness (scrapperlock or whatever you want to call it, especially stupid when one dies and resurrects and for whatever reason believes the power of Thor has been bestowed upon him and decides to single-handedly take revenge against the 6 EBs that swatted them) 4 - Poor priorities. A lot of people still tab - closest target and call it a day. And support that doesn't buff Rezzed teammates. 5 - Getting separated from the team. Like the blaster that thinks backing away from the lone EB chasing it and distancing himself farther and farther away from the team, while continuing to shoot the said EB is a good idea. Player build is a factor, but at the same time you don't need a 45%/75% build to run 4 stars either. Learning the fundamentals of gameplay will do more in the long run than any "maxxed out" build will.

It won't be all that effective. As much as I endorse whirlwind it's only suited for certain sets that can handle the end drain, and when you stuff a KB>KD proc in it the pulse goes down dramatically. I use it on my staff/regen brute because it can handle the end drain and regen can use all the help it can get, but for a nature defender, not so much. Ice blasts slows won't be enough to hinder mobs, you'll need a lot of slow to really mess with mob ai. You might find more success with stacking weak mez auras is if there is another source to stack with it. I have an ice control/earth assault/psi mastery Dominator that stacks arctic air + mud pots + world of confusion. With domination it can help punch through the mez protection that hardmode grants mobs AND the slows give you additional mitigation (ice slick is also very useful). Although even if you have the best luck in the world with that combo surviving melee, if you don't learn to move you'll be sure to get possessed by Nictus from dead EBs on hardmode ITF.

It's not. As a squishy the tankmage playstyle that IOs accords you for easy content reverts back to keeping your distance for hardmode content. That's not to say you can't use melee range powers like PBAOEs but you'll really want to minimize your exposure to melee through jousting/hovering above/staying on the fringe. Standing your ground in the middle of a thick pack of mobs is a sure way to rack up deaths for that type of content and a Mag 1 sporadic hold that needs to hit is laughably inconsequential as a means of mitigation when a lot of hardmode mobs have beefed up mez protection/resistance/defense. Besides, even if you are able to subdue a few minions, it's the bosses/EBs that will happily ignore the hold and kill you. Those are the real threats and the aura does nothing to hinder them. Best case scenario you use it as a set mule and remove it from your tray. It's not worth the end drain. I'd go as far to say it's not all that useful for regular content as well, its useful/uselessness is just masked by how powerful IOs are at augmenting survival. It does look pretty though. I'd take it for theme and aesthetics, but never for it's utility.

Actually it's a bunch of empty longboats (because ninjas), and It's hidden history.

I did a 3 star ITF yesterday on my Staff/Regen Brute with Whirlwind. She SPIN so hard, and kept SPINNING through Nictus possession, and we won. End of story. Forget Brute ATOs, SPINNING is OP.

It's tough to pay the KB tax and fit FF procs in and shoot for high recharge + softcap, AND take the teleport pool for fold space. This took me a few iterations and I had to drop munitions to squeeze more recharge in. This is what I ended up with. This Hero build was built using Mids Reborn 3.2.17 https://github.com/LoadedCamel/MidsReborn Click this DataLink to open the build! Level 50 Natural Blaster Primary Power Set: Assault Rifle Secondary Power Set: Devices Power Pool: Leaping Power Pool: Speed Power Pool: Fighting Power Pool: Teleportation Ancillary Pool: Force Mastery Hero Profile: Level 1: Burst -- SprDfnBrr-Acc/Dmg(A), SprDfnBrr-Dmg/Rchg(3), SprDfnBrr-Acc/Dmg/Rchg(3), SprDfnBrr-Acc/Dmg/EndRdx(5), SprDfnBrr-Acc/Dmg/EndRdx/Rchg(5), SprDfnBrr-Rchg/+Status Protect(7) Level 1: Toxic Web Grenade -- SprWntBit-Acc/Dmg(A), SprWntBit-Acc/Dmg/EndRdx(7), SprWntBit-Acc/Dmg/Rchg(9), SprWntBit-Dmg/EndRdx/Acc/Rchg(9), SprWntBit-Rchg/SlowProc(11) Level 2: Slug -- Apc-Dmg(A), Apc-Acc/Dmg/Rchg(11), Apc-Acc/Rchg(13), Apc-Dmg/EndRdx(13), Apc-Dam%(15) Level 4: Combat Jumping -- LucoftheG-Def/Rchg+(A), Ksm-ToHit+(15), LucoftheG-Def(17), ShlWal-ResDam/Re TP(17) Level 6: M30 Grenade -- SprFrzBls-Acc/Dmg(A), SprFrzBls-Acc/Dmg/EndRdx(19), Bmbdmt-+FireDmg(19), Ann-ResDeb%(21), SuddAcc--KB/+KD(21), FrcFdb-Rechg%(23) Level 8: Super Speed -- WntGif-ResSlow(A), BlsoftheZ-Travel/EndRdx(23), BlsoftheZ-ResKB(25) Level 10: Targeting Drone -- EndRdx-I(A) Level 12: Sniper Rifle -- StnoftheM-Acc/Dmg(A), StnoftheM-Dmg/EndRdx(25), StnoftheM-Acc/ActRdx/Rng(27), StnoftheM-Dmg/EndRdx/Rchg(27), StnoftheM-Dam%(29), FrcFdb-Rechg%(29) Level 14: Hasten -- RechRdx-I(A), RechRdx-I(31) Level 16: Kick -- ExpStr-Dmg/KB(A), ExpStr-Acc/KB(31), ExpStr-Dam%(50) Level 18: Flamethrower -- SprBlsWrt-Acc/Dmg(A), SprBlsWrt-Dmg/Rchg(31), SprBlsWrt-Acc/Dmg/Rchg(33), SprBlsWrt-Acc/Dmg/EndRdx(33), SprBlsWrt-Acc/Dmg/EndRdx/Rchg(33), SprBlsWrt-Rchg/Dmg%(34) Level 20: Field Operative -- LucoftheG-Def/Rchg+(A), Prv-Absorb%(34), PwrTrns-+Heal(34) Level 22: Tough -- GldArm-3defTpProc(A) Level 24: Weave -- LucoftheG-Def/Rchg+(A), Rct-Def/EndRdx(36), Rct-ResDam%(36), Rct-Def(36) Level 26: Ignite -- Artl-Acc/Dam(A), Artl-Dam/End(37), Artl-Dam/Rech(37), Artl-Acc/Dam/Rech(37), Artl-Acc/Rech/Rng(39), Artl-End/Rech/Rng(39) Level 28: Trip Mine -- SprAvl-Acc/Dmg(A), SprAvl-Acc/Dmg/EndRdx(39), Arm-Dam%(40), FuroftheG-ResDeb%(40), OvrFrc-Dam/KB(40), FrcFdb-Rechg%(42) Level 30: Combat Teleport -- BlsoftheZ-Travel/EndRdx(A), BlsoftheZ-ResKB(42) Level 32: Full Auto -- Rgn-Dmg/Rchg(A), Rgn-Acc/Dmg/Rchg(42), Rgn-Acc/Rchg(43), Rgn-Dmg/EndRdx(43), Rgn-Knock%(43) Level 35: Personal Force Field -- LucoftheG-Def/Rchg+(A) Level 38: Gun Drone -- ExpRnf-Acc/Rchg(A), ExpRnf-Acc/Dmg(45), ExpRnf-Dmg/EndRdx(45), ExpRnf-Acc/Dmg/Rchg(45), ExpRnf-EndRdx/Dmg/Rchg(46), ExpRnf-+Res(Pets)(46) Level 41: Caltrops -- Artl-Acc/Dam(A), Artl-Dam/End(46), Artl-Dam/Rech(48), Artl-Acc/Dam/Rech(48), Artl-Acc/Rech/Rng(48), Artl-End/Rech/Rng(50) Level 44: Temp Invulnerability -- StdPrt-ResDam/Def+(A) Level 47: Teleport -- BlsoftheZ-Travel/EndRdx(A), BlsoftheZ-ResKB(50) Level 49: Fold Space -- DS:DSyncThreatAccRech(A) Level 1: Brawl -- Empty(A) Level 1: Defiance Level 1: Sprint -- Clr-Stlth(A) Level 2: Rest -- Empty(A) Level 1: Swift -- Empty(A) Level 1: Health -- Pnc-Heal/+End(A) Level 1: Hurdle -- Empty(A) Level 1: Stamina -- PrfShf-End%(A) Level 8: Speed Phase Level 49: Quick Form Level 50: Musculature Radial Paragon ------------ | Copy & Paste this data into Mids Reborn : Hero Designer to view the build | |-------------------------------------------------------------------| |MxDz;1410;677;1354;HEX;| |78DA65934D4F13511486EFCCDCA114A8400B2D08144B85420BD316BF56C66F5C008| |680FB6602436DD2D0A61D22AC3446E24F3051C4AD11D919FF803F408DEE74635CB8| |E24331EE4C3D33EFB941E2A4D3A7F79CF3DE73EE39BDB36BD7DB9697A72E0B2D74A| |D6CD7EB85ABF4ED3AB5C02DDB5DADD965E13D017AFBD95198B7578ACE9275A55EB7| |57CB6E61BEB45C7662CAB9B05AAD566AAE75D35E2A3A6E5DB4CD552A656BC6B1ABA| |595628BBF58A83ACE52C8FF39552ADE71C911F657B79DB2E3896DB7545909DFA896| |16ADA94A6DD129CCFA7BAFF7501543F40E7B25697E610D530829445E0A5D63EAA03| |498126C32C17BFF88A578C1CE9760F336F315D8B2038E781A25D2C675382DB02DCB| |CC8127F26094BA66B0C830BA3538FFD072408A8E2EAC3BA60D9FA364365157C3345| |F236DF80D53377D767D4770D737D8A31BC8940C60449E580FF42128FA19CE9E2FE0| |03F206B91C114C08DF9826B46A9CB6F51D8C3DEFC1931F981FC1FE4F4C4E3B44394| |3BCA316CA78CEA088337572B6F3CE7AFB5D5244A488AF81F975D08BED5493EC7C82| |C2E34FC1539BCC67CC2D30F11C7C48AA088BF508F737B1CB41BFD12283CAE856A7E| |E9E84539231A626136365721FCEE421730F1CA7A85E5563AF81499C964C93D9048E| |0498CDE006A9FA547FFB36F9DFB405A62EA28FA94BC894FA0A8E717F47A8CC01D5D| |F011EE7188F7382AC833C733978869D67C1F439E679E60570DBC00DF2BB31C4077F| |E45D2975C0E17D448E1F307F307F72DA43E62FF03EA94679477394BB33C1DDC9727| |7B2DC9D2C7727CFDDD9A172326A38196F22743352746A4B9DDAE253E7F9D4465488| |9C52E426BDDB6F887E29D4D3A00F3D22218F6E7963E6983F889DE6A40A20A3E68B7| |65B8E44BCCFFE315302F3D9FB3FEEE098E93152BC4D1F5DCBC6342D726A3113A100| |55DE5F5529C79F| |-------------------------------------------------------------------|

I'm so glad you asked. 1 it's a fairly rare combo mostly on account that Axe is overshadowed by Mace. 2 It's unthematically thematic - a Viking Ninja? A Ninja Firefighter? A Dwarf Ninja? An Axe Wielding Panda Ninja? The possibilities are limitless (as long as they are ninjas)! 3 It's about the feels. All the Knockup/Knockdown feels powerful and fun, much more fun than making drunk mobs stagger out of melee range. 4: Synergies a) Defense sets that are easier to softcap lend better to stuffing more procs into attacks This is not exclusive to Nin but it does help with Axe's damage type b) Procs = heavier endurance usage which Nin can very easily address through it's recovery tool, which is pretty unique in that it's unaffected by -recovery debuffs c) That above recovery tool and the heal both benefit from more recharge and you can slot an FF proc into all Axe attacks (not that you need to) d) With all the FF procs you may not need hasten, which gives you room to experiment with other pools (or just be a hipster and not take hasten) e) The knockdowns can help with keeping stuff in melee range, to somewhat offset the lack of a taunt aura f) Did I mention you are a Ninja?