Doomguide2005

Long time ago on live, pre sets, I had Hover on my Claws/SR. Never encountered any issues using it with my powers. If anything it helped with mitigating the KB in Shockwave as the kb got limited by the ground. I'd definitely get the kb to kd IO for the obvious reason of not sending your defenses flying. One of the best things about fighting +4 and +5 as a not yet 50 without those slotted in my Shockwave is they dont go flying 🤪

On my phone, can't look at the build atm, but I'm quite sure that can be a potent build that'll help teams dismantle anything up to and including AVs and GMs

Absolutely!

Only part of illusions damage goes away. The debuffs of the secondary plus the safety of having indestructible pets to take and hold the aggro more than make up for the loss of that damage. It's in part why perma PA is so important. Aggro shifts rapidly back to the controller when the pets despawn, not just the loss of damage output from the pets. It's also why illusion/Rad has been an AV killer long before sets became a thing.

In some ways I find it isn't even defense that makes you sqishy splatty, midgame in particular, it's PB running out or end running dry while still fighting and getting mezzed or toggles dropping (oops). Unlike some sets /SR is a late bloomer. In part because Evasion comes on board at 35th to get AoE defense but also to get the DDR up so defense cascade failure is less likely. When DDR matures that's when those damage spikes from lucky hits gets less scary

Thematically Devices fits well, but either will work. I haven't yet played /Devices (or AR) since live so not sure how the changes will effect it. I know I did enjoy the static group with friends, all AR/Devices was a blast. First time we got to use Full Auto was a large outdoor Council map we surrounded them and opened up . Not quite the chaos of pulling entire multi-tiered rooms into literal mine fields but very satisfying.

Cloud Song with help from GreenAx and Irresponsible Creeper got her Invite to the SG and spent some time checking the base. Very Impressed. No idea when my schedule will allow me to team up but looking forward to when it does happen. 😁

I think Illusion is generally a better choice when considering solo vs team play and in general defenders offer stronger buffs and debuffs when compared to controllers. However, pretty much ANY controller or defender can be built to take on AV's and help teams. Some just do it more easily. My own top choices would be a RadEm/Sonic or Cold/Sonic defender. The Cold is probably a stronger AV killer but for Incarnate content the shields are less useful.

I wouldn't say squish as much as splat. As in "fine, fine, fine, splat". Learning how to deal with large damage spikes that can take you deep red in your health is part of being /SR. That includes learning or getting a feel for why you took a big hit. Did the Boss/EB/AV get lucky and no real worries or did the DE drop a quartz or the Nemesis fire off Vengeance after which your soft cap is no more and doing 'nothing' will rapidly get you dead. IO set bonuses should not, in general, be used for defense. For me there are two overall routes with sets. Add health and regen OR add recharge to the build

The only time I've seen such powers be useful was with Sonic Resonance's version when used in the STF. The character had it perma and used it to "cage" one of Lord Recluses towers effectively removing its buffs from him.

And I am guilty of not asking in team or private chat for them to use that CM. Truthfully until they made the comment in team chat late mission I wasn't too bothered by it. I was enjoying the team, they seemed to be having fun as was the team so I just kept an extra break free or two and went with the challenge of being up against 54's on my lvl 39 (sk'd to 49). Even after the comment it was more of a "really?" moment than true annoyance.

Rad for the -regen debuff toggles, AM and self effecting healing aura

I would generally not skip Assault. But then in general I would not skip Tactics either. Memories are old and foggy but I seem to recall that Assault is even yummier around -resist powers. Check what your power accuracy is with a base To Hit of 39 (set in Mids). If it's over 95 without Tactics for that power you should be okay for hitting the target

.... and while the above concept is "oh my" my own Emp/Fire probably wouldn't have gotten mezzed and died a gazillion times against lvl 54 Arachnos if the much more conventional other Emp on the team had bothered to use the CM I had to check info to find they did have. They had and used the heals, Fort, AB, Auras, leadership toggles. Guess I needed to step up my staggering about to clue them in that's why "we got totally owned" when trying to mop up some stragglers Best build in the game is still limited by its player and the worst will exceed expectations when run by a skilled player

As I mentioned in the Corrupter thread having Recall Friend for positioning the Fallout target is very useful to include in a build planning on using Fallout, Vengeance and +/- Mutate.

The "Faithful Fans of Fallout" of the RO Network sg's used this combo with deadly effect. I'd recommend having Recall Friend in the mix to position the corpse/ally for Fallout usage.

One thing about Rad blast is while the defdebuff isn't terribly useful in the late game (folks build to hit stuff) nearly every blast will accept an Achilles proc as a result and Neutino Bolt will hold 5 procs (iirc) that cycles silly fast on a high recharge build to the point where it is the attack chain.

One thing you can do is build and use the Recovery buff you can build with empowerment station (SG base item). Shy on blues or in a long fight and it will definitely help. I'll try to get a look at the build but my computer time is tight might take a few days to respond

Didn't end up with either plant/storm or plant/thermal and created Cloud Song, a Plant/ Cold (even if her name now makes me think she's Storm) ... she's more a winter storm. 🤪 Now just need to catch an invite.

And also with that debuffing the option to move in and really neuter them with multiple stuns is not as dangerous as one might think.

I'll edit later if need be but in Mids' there's an option to change the base to hit. Use it to change your base to 39% (rather than 75%) and now if your accuracy is 95 or better you should be maxed for that power vs +4's

Unless things have changed I wouldn't put Miracle (or Numina's) in Hibernate. I believe they will only proc when you activate Hibernate. Though with the proc changes (+7yrs since Live) I could be wrong.

I personally wouldn't skip Screech, while the stun is perhaps unneeded in a team setting Screech is also the longest -resist duration blast in typical attack chains. Not to mention hammering that stray problematic minion that gets in your face or a teammates where that stun would be useful.

What server? There's an all Defender and Corrupter SG Psylenz has started up on Everlasting. SG is called Everlasting Defenders with a channel called Buffed Up

Created Neurostatic for the SG. Currently an 11th level Emp/Electric and looking for an invite, hopefully the next time I can get online.