Doomguide2005

In many ways that's kind of my point about the versatility of CoX. But 3 Empath's is a very strong force as a foundation for a team. Neither Pain or Thermal is going to put the team at 1600%+ Regeneration (trying killing the Tanker (or Thermal) while their regeneration is +2400% on top of their norms, that's well over Instant Healing levels -> the word hardcap enters the equation) or buff someone with +100% recharge plus . They do other things Empathy doesn't do ... but in a static team they (the Empaths) don't need to do that either, that can be the focus of other teammates. But you could build a very potent team around Thermal or Pain as well (Ask any team hit by stacked Melt Armor right?). I believe you're thinking as an individual within the team rather than as the whole of the team, what do I bring to the party not knowing make-up of the team rather than the composition of the whole that will be there each time.

🙂 Enlightening overall in the difference i feel between PuG and picked static team. @Ceejerposted a team of 8 in a thread in the Archtypes forums about pick your dream team for Hardmode content. Interestingly it uses neither ElecAff nor NAff (or Traps 🤪). I think this speaks to both the wondrous versatility of the ATs in CoX and the differences between a select static team and PuG (even if those folks are in the same SG, familiar with each other etc.). That team for reference (and because I suck linking anything, like a different thread, on this phone): 3 Empathy/** (Sonic, Dark and Fire) 2 Ill/Dark Affinity Controllers 2 Fire/Kinetics Corruptors 1 SR/DM Tanker I'd probably tweak it to Empathy Corruptors for the damage hardcap everyone will be enjoying. Tanker could likely be one of several as well. Which begs the question of what would a team of selected T3 sets look like and function by comparison to that of top tier.?

Perhaps. Then again some teams probably still insist on needing a Healer before starting anecdotally speaking.

Guessing no it would not be typically. No change in proc rate no change in damage output.

I believe it was the same on the Live forums. CoH was shortly after I started using it as a forum and internet name (outside of work and other 'official' stuff). I joined right at the tail end of i3 and kept hearing all about the new issue about to drop. Total internet newb I had no clue about what the hell an issue was and hadn't yet discovered the forums. I just know I somehow managed totally different global, log-in, first character and forum names ... then eventually added a 2nd account with, of course, another name. 8 slots wasn't nearly enough for my raging altitis. And I have a long and storied history of in-game sound bugs, computer deaths, that had/has me living vicariously through the forums. Edit: heh, no my forum and global names still aren't quite synched up. It's just @Doomguide.

It's been a long time since I fought the Clockwork King and I don't recall him being a big runner but for fighting any AV It's very useful to have an immobilize. First it'll set up containment, second nothing cuts into your damage output like an AV acting like a track star. Being Illusion makes that problematic, it'll have to come from your Epic powers. It also will keep them from getting closer allowing you to stay at range where damage is typically less than at melee distances.

So ... Fire/Kin always 🙄

Yes indeed. Of course the answer to that is 1) Look for someone advertising a small team or B) Be that someone

Another potential solution is smaller teams (against **/×8).

With a caveat of the new 3 and 4 star Hard Modes, 801, etc.. Very useful in those cases when you get more heat than desired.

I'm in the I've got 1000 slots and altitis so I'd make both and have fun either way. Probably the only time I'd worry is exemping low I'd favor a Defender, while teaming with either a Kinetics or on a Kin I'd favor a Corruptor cause damage cap and who doesn't love big orange numbers. And probably only 'worry' on something other than a PuG.

You have 2 sets I've pretty much never played but from the thread and looking at Time in CoD while awesome support for a team it doesn't appear to have the tools to make soloing AVs on SO's without using inspires and other available tools doable. So most folks in thread are using as few as possible and then noting it in their post. So use as little as possible until success. How few inspires will it take to survive?

So I gather **/Time, but what's that primary?

Frankly it's even better than that. Flash Arrow totally blinds the foes. Even Snipers are totally blind, perception reduced to zero. In turn that means Ill/TA can blind all their targets allowing even an ally with zero stealth to move about freely in close proximity including vs foes that otherwise ignore stealth. I'd still be wary around Hard Mode Tactics. While FAs perception debuff is flagged to ignore resistance Tactics itself is a huge buff to perception and may simply leave a positive value especially if they stack it (or it buffs a Sniper).

Yes. Numbers wise this is born out. Super Speed. 35ft Stealth IO. 30ft That's 65ft Almost everything you encounter outside of Snipers, those that ignore stealth and the occasional Turret is at best 54ft. 54ft - 65ft is safely less than zero. They will not see you at all. New Hard Mode boosted perception is 66ft They'll see you at 66ft - 65ft At 1ft they'll see you. So shy of rubbing noses still pretty good to go. The problem comes around with their increased use of some version of Tactics. Frankly don't know what value, if any, it boosts their perception. But that would be where a Power Analyzer might clue you into the gritty details. That and most stealth (but not all) becomes suppressed when you're hit or interact with an object/glowie or you attack. 66ft perception makes it easier for the next mob over to see you when you engage the first.

Basically you take the foes perception and subtract your stealth. That is the distance at which they will see you. At 0 or less you can make funny faces while nose to nose and they won't see you. Minions 45ft Lts. 50ft Boss, EB, AV 54ft Full listing in the HCwiki article Stealth and Perception. There are some foes which ignore Stealth. Snipers have a Perception of 149ft i.e. unless you're a Stalker in Hidden status or Illusionist using Superior Invisibility its very difficult if not impossible to stack enough stealth to approach closely without being seen (149 - current stealth). PS: Superior Invisibility is the single highest stealth in a single power or ability at 200ft. Hidden/Hide is 150ft.

I think many Tankers would work well here. Strong Taunt ability is probably the priority. Defense should be through the roof, backed by high DDR (capped on SR), stacked RegenAuras (recharge on the Emps is capped meaning the Auras have a 10 second cooldown on top of regen provided by DAff). Buffed Resists is a weakpoint but countered heavily by capped near capped Regen i.e. +2500% well above IH values). Then of course there are 3 Empaths close by. Tanker might blink but be back to full health faster than you can type 'now at full health'. I'd be tempted to make the Empaths GM adapted Corruptors, they'll be living at the damage cap i suspect and it's endgame so the levels you get stuff is less important. Edit: And this is all largely prior to Incarnate abilities. Edit 2: More I look at this team the more impressed I get. There's far more resistance packed in here than I realized at first glance. As in near capped for support ATs when it comes to Smash, Lethal, Energy, Negative Energy (between Shadow Fall, Fade, Increased Density). Add in Epic Shields and you could be talking 100% ... and immune to resistance debuffs. Very well put together @Ceejer 👍👍👍

Really depends on what you're intending to do. Right now most of my support characters don't really worry about defense, they are usually focused on recharge and most defense they do carry tends to be incidental and often +def (all) from maybe the 3% def specials and or Maneuvers. That said they rarely solo, particularly at higher difficulties, and are almost exclusively teamed. Any meant to solo usually has second build with more defense and resistance usually ranged defense. Owing to life/computer issues i haven't dealt with P4 changes but I'd likely add AoE defense first (after Ranged) because anything in melee range is mezzed/knocked or otherwise 'handled' OR the build uses Hover or movement to eliminate or generally prevent melee attacks from occurring. After that for HM then higher defenses will be aimed for to make it easier to buff all defenses above the needed amounts for the setting (especially 3 and 4-star Hard Mode).

Real simple bite off more ... If you truly think it's overpowered aggro more than one spawn. And when your softcap starts nearing or exceeding the AT's defense hardcap get back to us. You'll be either wiped rapidly, wish you had a Clarion+PB+Force Field, masses defense support and or Barriers to cycle.

@Sir Myshkin Are you assuming stacked Leadership (i.e. ~32% from Maneuvers)?

Don't give up on it too fast. Nature is a very potent set. Even Ill/Rad has several buffs, isn't all debuffs and is well known as a solid solo combo. And it (Nature) does have both resist and regen debuffs as well as self buffs, versatility in what it can do.

That is a very sweet team @Ceejer. Only thing 'missing' is Trick Arrow for its special debuff to debuff resistance (among other things) ... . But team size is 8 so what you going to do 😁.

Well that's part of weakness of Illusion Control (if you want to go there) is PA and Phantasm's duplicates can not be buffed, only Phantasm itself can be buffed. Only Nature's debuffs will help defeat their foes faster outside of effecting Phanty.

Like the way you're thinking. Had the same thought about doing multiple Ill/Traps against some of @Linea's harder 801 content.

I'm no coder but that may simply be the difference between your values updating from stuff you do and values changing do to what the server (foes) are doing if it's tracked on your computer. *shrug* how's that for a wild ass guess 🙄