Uun

The devs shot themselves in the foot on this, as you can't use DNA Siphon to heal in Efficient Adaptation in the current beta build.

The biggest buff is Strength of Will. The live version is skippable or used as a mule. They massively increased the resist buff, basically allowing you to cap all your resists for 30s (less useful for tanks, but quite good for brutes), and added a damage buff. The biggest nerf is Parasitic Aura. They reduced the duration, increased the recharge and massively reduced the absorb, regen and recovery buffs after the first target. Note, this patch guts Bio in general. Meltdown's duration was cut in half and up-time was slightly reduced but added nothing. The crash they eliminated was minor to begin with. Net nerf. Unstoppable had its duration and recharge cut massively (slightly reducing up-time), added some debuff resistance and eliminated a suicidal crash. Net buff. OWTS had its duration and recharge cut by about 2/3 (slightly reducing up-time), added some debuff resistance and an absorb buff. The crash they eliminated was pretty manageable. Net buff. On live Overload (non-tank) had a use to cover Energy's psi/toxic hole (the other defense buffs weren't really needed). The crash was easily overcome with Energy Drain. With the psi/toxic defense cut by 55%, I don't think this use case still exists, especially with the duration cut to 30s (just pop an inspiration). The only thing of value remaining is the additional DDR and HP buff. Nerf. I still see little use for Elude or Kuji-In Retsu despite the addition of regen/absorb buffs and elimination of the crash. Net buff.

If that’s the case then this change is a massive nerf. I could live with an always on 30% crit chance, but one that only works when stealthed is garbage. This should work like blaster Shinobi.

I'm undecided on this, as it simply puts /Nin on equal footing with most other secondaries. Even without the 40% damage buff, I found my nuke was killing most everything except the boss.

Ran a tips mission vs. Arachnos and a radio mission vs. CoT on my WM/WP brute, both at +3/x6 (+1 lvl shift). Changes to Resurgence are good. This was previously a skippable power. Having an emergency heal is useful, as is the auto-rez. The resistance buff is largely unnecessary due to its small size. This power was only 1-slotted for testing and probably deserves more slots. Changes to Strength of Will are very good. Although the live version of the power has a 120s duration, the resistance buffs are too small to be useful. I primarily use it to mule the Gladiator's Armor unique and in a pinch if my toggles get dropped and I lose my mezz protection. The test version increases the resistance buff significantly, allowing me to cap my resistance to just about everything (except toxic) for 30s. This gives regeneration an opportunity to refill my health bar. The 120s recharge provides a lot of up time, although I didn't need to use it often, just once or twice when things went sideways. This power was 2-slotted for testing (one of which was the Gladiator's Armor unique). Don't know if it needs more slots or if I just need to tweak my build a little.

Does the 5%-40% Opportunity critical chance stack with the 30% Shinobi-Iri critical chance? I was testing on my Psi/Nin sentinel but it's impossible to determine the source of the criticals.

Tested on my Psi/Nin sentinel. +3/x6 tips missions vs. Longbow and CoT (+1 lvl shift). Don't have Blinding Powder or Kuji-In Retsu in my build and see little reason to respec to add these. Defense is already soft-capped to all vectors (and is now higher due to change to sentinel res/def modifiers). Changes to Seishinteki Kyoyo are fine. I use the power pretty infrequently and the end drain protection is a nice add. [Can we get end drain added to the Debuff Resistance panel in Combat Attributes? Recovery Resistance is listed, but it doesn't include end drain resistance.] Undecided on the change to Shinobi-Iri. 40% damage buff while stealthed was good for T9s, but the 30% critical chance applies to all combat (you don't have to be stealthed to get a critical). Not sure if the 30% critical chance is coded to ignore T9s, but I tried it numerous times and never saw the T9 crit. [Patch note for Opportunity states that nukes aren't intended to crit.] Otherwise, I saw "Critical" messages flying all over the place in combat. Also, I feel like my nuke was killing just about everything except bosses even without the extra 40% dmg buff. EDIT: Just noticed that in addition to the 30% critical chance from Shinobi-Iri, there's now a 5%-40% critical chance from Opportunity (depending on meter). Are these additive? If I've got a full Opportunity meter do I have a 70% critical chance?

Changes to Insight are a big improvement, especially the elimination of the lockout. Damage output is much smoother. Changes to Greater Psi Blade are good. I like the highlight ring. I never really focused on the hold, so am indifferent to the change. The changes to Boggle are fine, but it's still a power I don't use frequently. I primarily use it on foes like Menders so they stop healing my targets. (Absolutely best use is on Singularities summoned by Longbow Wardens and Family Consiglieres.) One item that wasn't addressed is the width of Psi Blade Sweep's cone. At 70 degrees it's one of the narrowest melee cones in the game, making it difficult to hit more than 2 targets. Increasing it to 90 degrees wouldn't be game breaking and would provide Psi Melee with some additional AoE beyond Mass Levitate. A 90 degree arc would be comparable to many other melee cones, and I'm not suggesting that it get the 120/130 degree arcs that quite a few sets get.

I feel like the change to Head Splitter is a nerf not a buff. While the existing cone on live is narrow (20 degrees) and long (10 ft), it has a target cap of 5, all of which receive full damage. I can accept reduced damage for the secondary targets in a wider cone, but the target cap should remain at 5, not be reduced to 3. The changes to Slice and Whirling Sword are fine. The in-game displays for Slice and Head Splitter are incorrect (didn't check Whirling Sword). Average Damage figures in the upper section and pop-up screen are wrong. Detailed damage info in the lower section and in combat is correct. Effect Area for Slice has wrong target cap. Was unable to confirm in game whether I was actually hitting more than 5 targets. Effect Area for Head Splitter doesn't show cone info or target cap at all. Can confirm that I was getting correct damage on secondary targets in game.

I'm getting -11.33% res and -5.67% def on my brute. I assume the difference is due to the new brute res/def modifiers. Based on the patch notes it should be -6.375% res / -3.1875% def.

See my post above. Did not go well against Arachnos or the updated Nemesis.

Ran several missions on my BA/Bio brute. Tips mission vs. DE set to +3/x6 (+1 lvl shift) Tips mission vs. Nemesis set to +4/x8 (+1 lvl shift) Radio mission vs. Arachnos set +4/x8 (+1 lvl shfit) Seemed sturdy vs. the DE, but likely due to the higher brute res/def modifiers. Didn't need to heal at all. Decidedly squishier vs. Nemesis (the new Nemesis are really tough) and Arachnos at the higher notoriety, Died several times when I bit off too much (i.e., 5 Nemesis bosses). I like the auto rez from Parasitic Aura, as well as the ability to use it while defeated. Had at least one instance where it failed to work while defeated. It was recharged but power couldn't be clicked. The inability to use DNA Siphon to heal in Efficient Adaptation is terrible, especially since end drain protection now only works while in Efficient. The regen buff is minimal is minimal and won't save you if things go sideways. It's doubly silly because DNA Siphon still heals in Offensive Adaptation. Please revert to the prior mechanic of live targets providing healing and dead targets providing regen. Please revert all the changes to Inexhaustible.

I'm aware, but it only amounts to 4 weeks instead of 2. It took me weeks to test just the MM/Beast/Thugs changes in the last patch or the tank cone/AoE changes in the prior one. In this patch there are changes to at least 8 specific sets I want to test (only 2 of which are on the same character).

Definitely a "flood the zone" kind of patch. So many changes and not enough time to test all of them thoroughly. There are AT-wide changes to brutes, sentinels and masterminds plus significant changes to 8 melee sets, 7 armor sets (plus another 4 T9s), 1 ranged blast set and 1 support set. A lot of suboptimal stuff is going to slip through the cracks.

Your best bet might be Shield/Mace. Some of the Mace customizations are sort of staff-like.

Where are you slotting the Ascendancy of the Dominator +dmg proc? That's much more valuable than Fiery Orb. Char, Fire Cages or Flashfire are the best choices. If you're just looking for proc damage from your ST hold, almost any of the Hold set %dmg procs would be a better choice (Unbreakable Constraint is the best, but can't be slotted until lvl 50).

/TA can also be played with a great deal of safety (due to Flash Arrow) and pairs well with any of the primaries with ranged nukes. Most people don't equate /Kin with safety, but I have an Ice/Kin that I really enjoy. Fulcrum Shift + Blizzard never gets old. If you're looking for something different, try Storm/Storm. Rather than burst damage, it's more about setting up kill zones. Despite not having a self-heal, it's surprisingly safe.

Level 1. As many have said, it's the journey not the destination.

I've got a T4 incarnate SR/Staff that I rolled 6 years ago. It's insanely sturdy. It hits 90% resist cap to all but T/P at 15% health (not including stacking SMoT or Perfection of Body). I rarely need to use inspirations. I do have Rebirth Radial and Melee Core (because why not) but rarely use them. The damage from Staff isn't great, but rotating through the two cones and the PBAoE takes out the trash well enough, then I rotate Precise, Serpent's and Sky Splitter on the bosses. Other than changing to Soul against stuff with autohit end drain, I change forms based on damage types a foe/faction resists. If a foe resists smashing damage I'll switch to Soul or Mind so that the bonus damage from Eye of the Storm and Sky Splitter is energy or psi.

I usually go with Assault, although I'm split between Core and Radial. I frequently craft more than one Hybrid and I've got several scrappers with Melee Core.

See patch notes below, particularly the highlighted bits. While they moved slotting of Healing and Resistance enhancements from the summons to Tame Beasts, they eliminated slotting Defense enhancements entirely because they weren't doing anything. Fortify Pack This power no longer locks out Pack Mentality stack gain Now has a highlight ring when Pack Mentality stacks reach 10 Call Ravens Power can now only grant one stack of Pack Mentality Personal attacks Call Swarm, Call Hawk, Call Ravens Now grant a 30 second +3% accuracy buff to summoned beasts and the caster when used. Now grant a 30 second +32.128 Max HP buff to summoned beasts and the caster when used. Summon Dire Wolf No longer accepts Resistance enhancements or sets No longer accepts Healing enhancements or sets Summon Lions No longer accepts Defense Enhancements or sets (no Lioness power ever accepted Defense enhancements). No longer accepts Healing enhancements or sets Summon Wolves No longer accepts Healing enhancements No longer accepts ToHit enhancements Train Beasts Now Accepts ToHit enhancements and sets No longer has a recharge time No longer grants Lick Wounds to Lioness No longer grants Growl to Alpha Wolf Now grants Ferocious Growl to Lioness Now grants Howl to Howler Wolf Now grants Howl to Alpha Wolf ToHit enhancements in this power should improve ToHit buffs in Howl of Alpha and Howler Wolves Tame Beasts Now Accepts Healing and Resistance enhancements and sets No longer has a recharge time No longer grants Howl to Howler Wolf No longer grants Howl to Alpha Wolf No longer grants Ferocious Growl to Lioness Now grants Lick Wounds to Lioness No longer grants Growl to Alpha Wolf Dire Wolf Will of the Wild now can be enhanced for resistance Healing enhancements in this power should improve Healing of Alpha Wolf and Lioness' Lick Wounds Healing enhancements in this power should improve Healing of Dire Wolf's Will of the Wild Resistance enhancements in this power should improve Resistances of Dire Wolf's Will of the Wild

I tend to hit them both because I'm not consistent about which one I slot the Gaussian's proc in.

Totally missed that when I ran the arc. I assume the dialog changes if your hero is male?

Is this for blaster secondary? Swarm Cloud is overpowered. Can't have stun, fear and hold in one toggle. Pick one. Blinding Swarm is overpowered. Drop the fear or the confuse. Rending Flurry should be t6 or t7. T9 should be Savage Leap or Feral Charge. You need to have Build Up or something similar. Drop Hemorrhage and Blood Craze.

The range bonuses for 2/3 pieces are pretty useful for sentinels. They give you 20% +range with the superior versions if you take both.