Story Archer

Alright, so I've exhaustively researched more threads than I care to admit on the various Incarnate topics, but so much of it is from different time periods and many have conflicting information. I'm going to link the build at the bottom of this post, but I'm trying to nail down how I'm going to use these final couple hundred Empyrean Merits and I'm hoping this discussion will help to solidify my (and hopefully others) understanding of the actual benefits of various Incarnates, particularly for Scrappers. The build is Dual Blades/Ninjitsu, but the discussion will probably apply to most primaries and at least the defense-based secondaries. I tend to play her 80-90% solo, but she's my badger and, as I begin to really top out, I think I'm going to end up engaging in more and more group play, if only to mentor others a bit. Won't ever be more than 50/50 though. These are the base defensive stats after IO's but before any Incarnates or temporary buffs: Alpha: I can't imagine why I'd go with anything other than Musculature Core Paragon for the +45% damage buff. If anyone has a case why I should consider something else I'd love to hear it. Judgement: I know that the Ion Core is very popular and I have that on most of my other 50's, but I went Void here because the Negative Energy better fits the character concept and the PBAoE better fits the playstyle. I went Void Core Final Judgement because I'm pretty happy with where my defenses are going to be at. Again, I'm open to any alternate thoughts if someone has them to offer. Interface: Okay, easy stuff over with. The way I'm looking at this Incarnate is pretty much that it only really matters when I'm going up against hard targets like EB's, AV's, GM's, etc. With that in mind I boiled down to either the -HP de-buff from Degenerative, the -Regen de-buff from Diamagnetic or the -Res de-buff from Reactive. I'm still not 100% how strong the actual effect of the various debuffs are (a lot of confusing or contradictory stuff has been posted on them) but as far as I know, the big guys frequently resist -Regen and -Res debuffs, but I don't know that they resist -HP, so I have settled on Degenerative Core Flawless Interface. I would LOVE to hear any opinions on why this wasn't the right call, though. Lore: I don't taunt and I don't have any support abilities, so I can't do anything to keep my Lore pets alive apart from other Incarnate abilities, and I don't want that to play a role in deciding which Incarnates I take. I also don't think I need any particular buffs though I'm certainly open to them. Similar to Interface, I really only pop these guys before fights against hard targets, though I could see calling them if I'm expecting an excessively large numbers of foes as well (which, again, tends to draw more peripheral aggro on them than they can handle). What I think I'm looking for are either pets that all deal ranged damage, hopefully keeping them out of the line of fire or a pair that features an unkillable buffer who grants a buff that might really make a difference. I've played around with Knives/Talons of Vengeance solely due to character concept, but I'm open to any suggestions that might meet the criteria listed above. Destiny: With high defenses and resistances (which look to only get higher), it seemed to make sense to round her out with healing & regeneration by going the rebirth route, specifically the Rebirth Radial Epiphany. I don't fully understand the differences in effectiveness between +HP vs. +healing/regen (are the additional HP ablative, or do you drop HP when the power reduces?). This is another one which, considering the other choices made here, I'm very open to considering other options. I know Barrier is the most popular, and I understand why, but I just don't think I'll get as much out of that as others might. Hybrid: Saved the best/hardest choice for last. I originally defaulted to Assault Radial Embodiment because it seemed like the simplest, most straightforward option, but I've seen a lot of debate over whether Core or Radial is the better choice for Scrappers. I was going back and forth on it for a while before I decided to look into Melee as another option. While I might not be completely optimized for damage, I'm pretty happy with the damage I put out and I love my attack chain so maybe I should round out my defenses instead, really make solo'ing at the highest level viable? With that in mind, I'm currently leaning most strongly towards Melee Core Embodiment to bump most of my resistances up to the hard cap (complimenting my defenses already past the soft cap) and kicking my regeneration up a notch as well. I don't really know how much you get at base or per additional foe, but it collectively seems like more than enough to get me where I want to be, especially when rotating with Rebirth Radial Epiphany from Destiny and Rune of Protection. If someone sees any flaw with that logic please let me know. Anyway, those are my thoughts. While I suffer from horrible bouts of altitis, this chica is definitely what I'd consider my main and I'd really like to get her as well off as she can possibly be. ANY advice, recommendations or additional explanation of the way various abilities work will be very much appreciated. Questions about the build itself are also welcome. Build: [Veil of Blades] Current.mbd

Having said all that above, I decided to redesign my current build and I've been really pleased with the results. It gets away from the combos entirely, but I feel as if the offensive output has actually increased. Not sure if using a snipe is considered cheating or not, but the soul mastery powers suit the character concept perfectly (raised among the witches in Croatoa, recruited into the Knives of Artemis). [Veil of Blades] Current.mbd

Just for an alternative take, this is the Kat/Will who became my first L50. Regen/HP is a bit lower but the damage curve is up a fair bit, especially when it comes to AoE damage. Remember, the best defense is a bunch of dead enemies. Scrapper (Katana - Willpower) L50.mbd FWIW, I definitely rec the Barrier Core Incarnate over still more healing.

Power Slice and Vengeful Slice are far and away my two favorite animations, which is a shame because I end up not taking either of them. 😞

I'm going to have to respectfully disagree on that last statement, at least to a degree. The Attack Vitals and Sweep combos are certainly not worth bothering with, for reasons already mentioned, but the following two attack chains are easily achievable even at low levels (so no need for them to be 'chased') and once they get slotted up they make for a very smooth attack chain all on their own - the fact that you also get to benefit from the combos is almost icing on the cake. Attack chain when fighting single targets: NS -> AS -> BF -> SS (gives you the Empower combo) Attack chain when fighting large groups: SS -> NS -> AS -> TE (gives you the Weaken combo) Honestly, these are more or less the attack chains I'd probably use if the combos didn't exist at all, so why not take advantage of them while you do? The Weaken combo is VERY effective, especially at low and mid levels while the Empower combo is just non-stop accuracy and damage buffs and who doesn't like that? Taken together they're also close to optimized damage as you can realistically get in either circumstance, so I strongly recommend them.

Never tried it on a Scrapper, but for my money, it's the most tankiest-feeling melee set I've played and I absolutely love it on my Rad/Stone tanker. And FF procs are a must with Stone Melee. Just wish Tremor's animation wasn't so dorky.

I have had tremendous success with this particular power set combination - it's the most fun, most effective and most versatile character I've played in the game. This is the build, for comparison: [Veil of Blades] NEW.mbd Keep in mind, all those defenses are the baseline, before you ever use things like Rune of Protection, Kuji-In Retsu, any of your Incarnate abilities or Accolade powers like Eye of the Magus. There's both an ultra smooth attack chain when fighting single targets (NS -> AS -> BF -> SS) and when fighting large groups (SS -> NS -> AS -> TE) each of which allow you to take advantage of the best combos in the DB system while still maintaining maximum attack efficiency. The Celerity Stealth IO combined with Shinobi-Iri gives you all the stealth you need to bypass any troublesome or tedious missions. Arcane Bolt is there to finish off annoying runners. Focused Accuracy is there for when you're being heavily de-buffed or dealing with stealth effects yourself. Blinding Powder is fun to play around with but I don't even have it in my tray any more, it's just there to mule the set bonuses. Click bumps to both Healing and Endurance every 30 seconds or so are just icing on the cake. EDIT: Reading through your post, one thought I wanted to interject - while it's tempting to always open with Blinding Feint, it took some discipline to force myself to open with Sweeping Strike instead. I do this because when you're first entering a combat you'll often have Shinobi-Iri active, which gives your first attack a better chance at critting. Sweeping Strike deals much more damage and is an AoE attack besides, so it makes a better opener. Also, it's a matter of playstyle, but I find 1,000 Cuts to just be counter-productive. It disrupts the smooth attack chains, it's animation time is frustratingly long (equal to Sweeping Strike and Typhoon's Edge combined), and can sometimes root you in a poor position. I feel much better now that I've freed myself of it.

It's not that it's not a nice power by any means, but the build already has Rune of Protection and then there are accolade powers like Eye of the Magus and Incarnate abilities, all of which can be used effectively as 'oh crap' buttons, and all without a crash. I just never need it.

You're not going to beat this for solo play. What you want is 1) the ability to deal substantial damage on your own, 2) defenses high enough to be able to survive on your own and 3) the ability to effectively Stealth any mission you want. Here you go - Dual Blade/Ninjitsu/Energy: [Veil of Blades] NEW.mbd Keep in mind, all those defenses are your baseline, before you ever use things like Rune of Protection, Kuji-In Retsu, any of your Incarnate abilities or Accolade powers like Eye of the Magus. You have an ultra smooth attack chain when fighting single targets (NS -> AS -> BF -> SS) and when fighting large groups (SS -> NS -> AS -> TE) which allow you to take advantage of the best combos in the DB system while still maintaining maximum attack efficiency. The Celerity Stealth IO combined with Shinobi-Iri gives you all the stealth you need to bypass any troublesome or tedious missions. Arcane Bolt is there to finish off annoying runners. Focused Accuracy is there for when you're being heavily de-buffed or dealing with stealth effects yourself. Blinding Powder is fun to play around with but I don't even have it in my tray any more, it's just there to mule the set bonuses. Click bumps to both Healing and Endurance every 30 seconds or so are just icing on the cake. Happy Hunting!

My Dual Blades/Ninjitsu Scrapper is the strongest, most versatile and most fun character I've ever played. Definitely the best choice for solo play since she can lay waste in combat and has incredibly high stealth when she wants to bypass entire missions. The bonus criticals are just icing on the cake.

If you want a Scrapper who can do Farming-level damage, I'd recommend something with proc'ed out Rad armor because of the phenomenal AoE that comes with it. I have a Brute made that way who does very well, and he doesn't have capped Resistances, so he's probably pretty close to a Scrapper defensively. The absorb shield is a big help with that, and, of course, you have a nice built-in Ranged attack for runners. I haven't built/played that as a Scrapper, but this is the Claws/Rad Brute that absolutely owns +4 x8 farms running solo. I also have Incarnates and Accolades to help out, but rarely use them. [Smudge].mbd On the flip side, my main Scrapper is by far my most durable - Dual Blades/Ninjitsu - and while she lacks the AoE I would prefer to farm with, she's a fantastic solo'er. These are her defenses, not counting any of the 'extras' like the Epiphany Incarnate, Rune of Protection, the secondary T9, Eye of the Magus, etc.: Melee Defense: 50.4% Ranged Defense: 46.6% AoE Defense: 46.6% S/L Res: 58.5% E/N Res: 28.8% F/C Res: 61.1% Tox Res: 61.8% Psi Res: 74.3% [Veil of Blades].mbd Hope this helps!

I tend to go against the grain when it comes to Scrapper farming - skip the aura and go with Rad Armor. Properly slotted, those mini-nukes get it DONE. Pair it with Claws which gives you a very strong complimentary AoE attack and an inherent ranged attack for runners. Still, Tankers and Brutes tend to farm better - any reason why you're dodging those two as options?

I've got two L50 Blasters, and Energy/Energy (role-play) and a Fire/Atomic (min/maxed), and I've enjoyed them both immensely. I usually max out my ranged/AoE defense and stay at range as much as possible. Now I've got what I think is a fun concept for a Rad/Temporal character and I'm trying to get a handle on how Temporal Manipulation works. The Rad is negotiable at the moment, and I'm open to other primaries (though anything with props like guns or rifles). Reading through the power descriptions, it looks like the set is at its most effective when comboing its powers (I usually take a minimum number of powers from my secondary) and I might have to get in there and mix it up a little more than I usually do. All good. Browsing the numbers listed, I can't quite tell how to make the best use of them, what powers are 'skippable' or any crucial slotting. I'd love to find a a guide or at least a couple of tested builds that I could draw from, but anecdotal advice is very welcome as well. What I'm trying to avoid is spending a lot of time leveling up a character that plays more like a Corrupter - if I want that, I'll just make a Corrupter. TIA for anything you might be willing to offer. 🙂

So it probably doesn't get any better, then? I figured Defenders might be the way to go, since - of the AT's that use DP - they're the only ones not expected to add a great deal to direct damage. I made up for it somewhat by leaning into damage procs pretty heavily. Maybe this is the excuse I need to finally get into Time Manipulation.

I've tried a couple of different versions of DP - I've got a great concept and a costume I really want to use - but each one has felt underwhelming. Is there an AT or power combination synergy that I'm overlooking? What have been your best experiences with Dual Pistols? Blaster, Corrupter, Defender or Sentinel?