Story Archer

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G'day, all. 🙂 I'm like to play lots of different types of character sand powers and I'm always trying to decide 'what's next' - a dilemma I'm sure others can sympathize with. With some damage types obviously resisted more than others, when I'm looking at melee characters in particular, I'm trying to figure out how much of a factor the damage type actually is - would the various S/L weapon options (katana, claws, staff-fighting, super strength) be generally considered sub-par damage-wise vs. the more exotic damage types like ice, fire or energy? I know that the secondary effects of damage types play a role in their overall effectiveness, and that some sets have combos or various other utilities (like Rage) that can make up for the more resisted damage type but for the moment let's put those case-by-case instances aside. I know that we can look at the numbers in a vacuum to compare dps and whatnot, but out in the 'real world' where we have to deal in terms of the damage we actually did vs. the damage we were supposedly able to do, how big of a factor does it play? I'm sure this is unrealistic to expect anyone to have done, but considering the staggering degree that some of our local number-crunchers have dove into the system, do we have any sort of quantifiable data on how commonly resisted overall each damage type is? Like, if I fought one of everything, at the end of the day what percentage of each damage type would have been resisted? Seems like a relevant factor to me, but certainly it would be interesting to know.

Update: Alright, I wanted to give you guys an expanded update on the build as well as a little bit of a guide for exactly what to do with it on the way to 50. I've made some changes to the initial build shown above, and I've changed the slotting around to show the best way (in my opinion, of course) to slot as you advance. Also included are the base IO's that you should buy while working your way up, more or less in the order that they're slotted, before you start focusing on putting together all of your full sets. First, the initial build: 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 (is there a better way to do this than just a massive chunk of text?) So, if you look at that, you'll see that this build incorporates Melt Armor and is much more specific in its slotting progression. Initially I lean pretty hard on Seeds and Strangler for my control, with Vines only being used to stack with Strangler on Boss groups when necessary. The Lockdown +2 Mag procs are a help with the latter. You're going to be providing a fair amount of protection and healing to your allies, but for your own defenses you're pretty much going to be relying on the kindness of strangers. Keep in mind how relatively fragile you are at this point and be patient. Teammates may come to depend on your heals and they can't have you faceplanting because you drew unwanted aggro. This build is a little Recovery-tight for most of its pre-50 career, so try and be judicious with your heals rather than simply auto-firing Warmth. Sometimes its fun to take a break from manically mashing buttons like a spider monkey on meth, so enjoy a more measured pace in combat, keeping an eye on the battlefield and your allies to see where your heals or your control might be most judiciously applied. I tend to use Hasten situationally since eventually everything that I need has pretty good recharge on its own. Later on I'll try to pop Hasten when I drop Creepers, just to get it back faster (EDIT: Hasten and Super Speed should be swapped, as the Stealth provided by Super Speed can make it a little easier to position yourself for Seeds, at least until you get the Celerity unique in Sprint). To conserve Endurance, I generally don't run Tough, I just use it as a mule for the IO uniques. The empty slots are placeholders for the sets you will eventually be inserting, which is why they're placed last. By the time you drop them, you might already have some of the pieces to fill them, but for convenience sake, I made sure to use all of the exact same slots on the post-50 build. The final build: 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 So you can see that we've got our Ranged & AoE defenses up right where we want them, so close to soft-cap that literally any buff from a teammate will put it over the top. Ditto with the S/L Resistance, though the rest of your resistances aren't really worth writing home about. A few comments about the build: Seeds of Confusion, slotted with Contagious Confusion just might be the most powerful ability in the game. Your sets get you to Hasten-like recharge without Hasten. Again, I usually only pop it in big boss fights or as a follow-up to Carrion Creepers. You'll notice that I ditch the procs in Carrion Creepers for a full set of Superior Will of the Controller. Some people live and die by the procs, but I find it to be the perfect option as it already has a pretty potent damage proc of its own and the fact that it buffs ALL aspects of control means that it improves all of the things your Creepers do, instead of just one element of them. I take Vengeance in the 49 slot, but you could just as easily slot Thaw in there and take the Unbreakable Guard unique for a nice bump in Hit Points instead. Ditto Power Boost, but that's a pretty strong button to lose. That's pretty much all I got right now. I'd love to hear any thoughts or comments from Plant/Thermal experts or questions from those interested in giving it a shot. Thanks for taking the time to read. 🙂

[EDIT: Updated build in the post below this one] Morning, all! I was working on a Plant/Fire Dominator when I realized that I couldn't remember the last time I had played a controller. I tend to be of the more Blastery/Defendery sort and I hadn't found any Controller sets that I really liked, except Plants on the Red side (it had never been a Controller option when I played back in the day). I looked and sure enough it was available for Controllers so I immediately went to work. The reason I'm making this post is twofold: to get input and advice from the more experienced players on the board (whom are always so knowledgeable and helpful), and to create a guide of sorts for less experienced players who might be interested in one or both of these power sets, as well as how to build a well-rounded and effective Controller. Play style/concept: This toon is obviously intended for group play - almost exclusively - so it'll need to be effective against tougher mobs with the understanding that it's primarily a support character and I'll be looking to the others for damage. I just want to make sure nobody has to worry about me and that the game feels like it's on easy mode for my teammates. I also want a 'clean' build that feels smooth to run, with clear options for each situation, one that allows me to focus on the group between fights and our enemies during fights. Goals/parameters: I generally try to plan my character builds with as few purps as possible (assume I'm probably not going to get into Incarnates), usually just 1 or 2 of the class-specific purple sets. Within that framework, I want to get my Ranged and AoE defenses as high as possible because I generally try to stay back so that I can keep an eye on everything going on, capping S/L Resistance would be a bonus. Result: Between shields/maneuvers and both area and targeted heals, the group feels like it's in good hands, but they probably won't need them very often them as Carrion Creepers and Seeds of Confusion should keep most mobs preoccupied and then some. Strangler and Vines are primarily for stacking on hard targets supported by Heat Exhaustion and Power Boost. My defenses are all precisely where I wanted them, so hopefully the group won't have to worry about keeping me alive (not that they would anyway). So this is the build: 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 As you can see, I've managed to get the character's defenses above the soft-cap for both Ranged and AoE and hit the Resistance cap for S/L (though the remaining resistances are certainly nothing to write home about). For most experienced players, what's above is all they need to break it down and tear it apart (and thank you for getting through the text wall to this point), but I wanted to comment a little bit on my power selections and thoughts on slotting. Hopefully if I've misunderstood something, everyone can point out my errors. Plant Control: Strangler + Vines: I absolutely love the Lockdown IO set for these powers, due largely for their defensive buffs but also for the potential to stack higher-mag holds on targets. In most fights, once I've dropped Seeds of Confusion and made sure Carrion Creepers is up and running, casting selective Stranglers, spamming Warmth and monitoring the group's health bar in case a timely Cauterize is needed will pretty much be my focus. I took Vines primarily to slot if with a second Lockdown set and so that I had two Mag 3 Holds I could drop back to back on a particularly hard target. Roots: Didn't take - I didn't feel like I had room, though I've heard it can have some nice uses. I just don't rely on this guy for damage and I like the clumping effect caused by seeds of Confusion. Spore Burst: Didn't take - Sleeps always seem so situational and this one doesn't even deal damage. Seeds of Confusion: One of the main reasons to play Plant Control imo, if not THE reason, especially so early in the build, letting you have a highly effective control mechanism for group play almost from the start. In addition to basically shutting down entire groups of mobs it tends to group them up for my allies AoE attacks (assuming Creepers lets them). Cones can be tricky but you get the hang of it pretty quick and slotting a Celerity +Stealth in Sprint can make it easy to position yourself if the group lacks a Tank. Much less simple is the Overwhelming Presence IO set. This is something I'm struggling to get my mind around. I've thought about going with four slots in Seeds along with a couple of Range IO's and then sticking the other two into Carrion Creepers to double up on the Mez bonus. That would wreck my carefully cultivated Ranged/AoE defenses, so I'm not sure if it'd be worth it. I also have absolutely no clue how useful the Energy Font actually is - at this point I'm basically treating it like lagniappe, but am I missing an opportunity there? Spirit Tree: Didn't take - Could theoretically be useful for long fights, but with the healing offered by the Secondary it seemed pointless. Carrion Creepers: I'm just getting the hang of how this power works. I've read a lot of advice about slotting this power for damage procs, but I love everything that a full set of Superior Will of the Controller brings to the table too much (including its own damage proc) and, again, this character isn't being built to be a damage dealer. Whatever meager damage I managed would undoubtedly be dwarfed by anything a half-way decent group would be putting out, so better that it compliments all the disruption and control that I bring to the table instead. I'd also rather have it up more often and with Hasten up its almost perma. With all of that in mind, am I totally wrong here? Fly Trap: The way I see it, literally anything he brings to the table is just bonus. More chaos and control, a little damage, maybe draws some fire away from an ally - mostly he lets me 6-slot Blood Mandate for some excellent defensive bonuses. Thermal Radiation: Warmth + Cauterize: I'm not 100% sure exactly how the Preventive Medicine +Absorb works - I could just as easily 4-slot Panacea in there and move the Preventive Medicine into Health instead, if that would be better. Likewise, I should get the full benefit of the Unique in Numina's Convalescence where it is currently slotted in Warmth, correct? Thermal / Plasma Shield: Not much to say here. Reapply between fights or as needed and they serve as nice mules for the Aegis IO sets to boost AoE defense. Honestly if all Thermal Radiation did was the shields and the heals, it'd be a solid support set, but there's more! Power of the Phoenix: Somebody should be able to Rez in the group, especially if the Rez happens to also be their highest damaging power. Popping Vengeance after an ally bites it and then following up with this bad boy can turn a tough fight into a cakewalk. I think I can stick the Miracle Unique in this power, but I'd just as soon not have allies having to wait any longer than they have to in case more than one goes down. Thaw: Didn't take - I chose Power of the Phoenix here and Vengeance later on, and those are really the only places in the build where it could go. It would make for a nice Unique mule, but I don't know what I would drop for it. Besides, by the middling levels, most players have already attended to their own Mez protections, one way or another. Forge: If you pay attention, you can usually have this up and active on all of your team's damage dealers, which is amazing. It's basically like having a second Tactics AND another 2-3 Assaults up at once. Did I say this cat didn't deal damage? Your teammates will thank you for this more often than for their shields, I can promise you. Heat Exhaustion: This is explicitly for going after hard targets like Elite Bosses, Arch Villains and Giant Monsters. Personally I think that single-target powers with long recharge times and don't take IO sets should have a higher base accuracy, but whatever. With Hasten up I've got this more or less perma and it makes most of those tough fights a hell of a lot easier. Melt Armor: Didn't Take - honestly, most other players don't need me lowering defenses for them in order to hit (especially not already loaded up with Tactics and Forge) and minions tend to get mowed down too fast for this to do much good anyway. I thought this would be a nice compliment to Heat Exhaustion - which it's clearly intended to be - but I don't know what I would take out for it. Maybe I'll drop Vengeance and take a slot each out of Maneuvers and Weave to make room for it at 49. I just worry about my Accuracy as it is and those fourth slots in LotG help a lot. My biggest concerns regarding the build are: Relatively low non S/L resistances, though ideally I shouldn't be attacked very often, much less actually hit. Relatively low Recovery, though life has got to be a lot easier when you're not spamming attacks like a frenzied spider monkey. Relatively low Accuracy (+33% global ACC, +21.75% ToHit), especially vs. high-level mobs. This worsens if I go the Melt Armor route, but then I suppose if I opened with Melt Armor every other fight... Well, that's what I got. I'd appreciate any thoughts or comments on specific aspects of the build - particularly if I'm completely backwards on something - and I hope that what was posted is useful to someone out there. Thanks for reading!

This is exactly what I was looking for, clearly and concisely - thank you so much. And thank you everyone for taking the time to answer on this thread. I love how helpful and knowledgeable this community is.

What enemies tend to feature Regen DeBuff? I get that Regen is a big part of what Willpower does, but I wouldn't call soft-capped Defenses and 90% S/L Resistance exactly neutered...

Thanks - that's what I was trying to figure out. So straight up, without worrying about Defense DeBuffs, when fighting higher level foes you benefit directly by exceeding the soft-cap.

I can appreciate that perspective, I'm just trying to find out how the mechanic actually works, more than the best way to build various power sets. Too many subjective factors come into that. FWIW, I can't technically call this a 'defense-focused' build. It's definitely as mutli-layered as it comes... Defense: S/L - 44.8% E/N - 45.0% F/C - 45.0% PSI - 43.9% TX - 21.1% Resistance: S/L - 90% (91.8%) E/N - 20.6% F/C - 36.4% PSI - 67.4% TX - 34.1% Max HP: 2919 Healing: 1 Foe in melee range: 542% 2 Foes in melee range: 589% 3 Foes in melee range: 636% 10 Foes in melee range: 965% Darkest Night + Rise to the Challenge (AoE toggles): All foes suffer in area suffer -18.5% ToHit DeBuff and -30% Damage DeBuff

Gotcha. I didn't know if 45% was 45% against even-level foes but was maybe 42.5% against +1's, 40% against +2's , etc., so I would need to go over the soft-cap to ensure that +4's continued to only have a 5% chance to hit me.

For the purposes of this discussion, let's exclude Incarnate abilities. So, discounting Defense De-Buffs, if I've got 45% Defense it doesn't really make a difference if I'm being attacked by an even-level foe or a +4 level foe, I've gotten the full defensive benefit I can?

I understand that most power sets do not provide a great deal of resistance to Defense De-Buffs, and going above the soft-cap of 45% can be beneficial in that case. What I don't understand is what benefit it provides apart from that, which is to say that I don't fully understand all the nuances of how Accuracy / ToHit works, especially with regards to relative level between the attacker and the defender. If you are regularly battling foes who are 3 or 4 levels higher than you, does the level difference affect the calculations in such a way that you're really not at the Defense soft-cap, you're actually much lower? At the moment I'm working on a Tanker build (Willpower/) that puts me right at the defense soft-cap for S/L, E/NE, F/C and Psy, but I'm only just there. I'm trying to decide between a final set that will either grant +5 Def to E/NE, F/C and Psy bringing them from 45% to 50% OR a set that will grant a host of other useful benefits that I'd much rather gain if it turns out that I've reached the point of diminishing returns when it comes to buffing my defense (Apocalypse vs. Superior Winter's Bite). It's not just that scenario though, otherwise I'd be on the Tanker forum - the question is applicable to a broader understanding of how defense works and any future builds I might try to put together.

lol - I tend towards high defense builds for my ranged types and I love that AoE & Ranged defense you get from Lockdown, plus potentially stacking higher Mag Holds for hard targets. It's just habit though - first time with an Ice/Cold Corruptor.

Go to the effects tab for..? I've got them both six-slotted with Lockdown. On the Info tab FR still shows an unaugmented 8s and BFR shows an unaugmented 18s. On the Effects tab it shows them both at 18.59s.

Looking at Mids, slotting them for Hold Duration, they don't seem to be ffecting these powers at all. Is this the way it works (for some reason) or is it an issue with Mids?

Thanks for the response - out of curiosity, why skip Hurricane? It seems so powerful...

This is a very new power set for me and I've only seen it used a handful of times. Reading through the boards I've come across some conflicting information regarding powers and how to best slot them and I'm trying to figure out what my playstyle might be in this controlled chaos of a power set. I want to present my thoughts and some questions in the hope that some of you vets can properly educate me. FWIW, I'll probably be going Electrical Blast or possibly Storm Blast for my Primary. One of my concerns is how it will play out on teams. At mid-to-higher levels, it seems like I'd spend my time setting things up and by the time I do everything will already be dead and the group moving on. Is that a realistic concern? Gale: Seems like a decent early power, but the only long-term value I see in it would be if it were slotted with two Accuracy, a KB/KD and a Force Feedback proc. Even then, with everything I expect to be doing at higher levels, it just doesn't seem like I'd get around to using it very often. Still a decent way to soften up a potential alpha, though. O2 Boost: Feels like a relatively weak Heal and mez protection. At higher levels I'd expect everybody to be taking care of their own mez protection and the last thing I want to spend my time doing in combat is healing. Snow Storm: Another power that feels like it would be useful at lower levels but there wouldn't really be time for at the higher ones. Honestly, all three of the initial powers seem like options I'd choose initially but respec out of later. Steamy Mist: Now this power seems great, group +Def and +Res and a little Stealth over a really wide radius. Plus is seems like a potentially useful place to mule a host of Uniques. Freezing Rain: Also seems like a must take, it should probably be used to open most combats, yes? Maybe toss in an Achilles Heel proc, or should it get proc'ed out completely? Hurricane: Now this is one of the powers I have the most questions about. It seems wildly powerful and like it would be one of the foundational powers of the entire set. A couple of -Hit DeBuff IO's and you're burying their chance to hit. I'd expect to slot it with a KB/KD and a Force Feedback proc as well. Seems like it'd offer good protection for other players who want to stay back with me, and let me focus my defensive build almost exclusively on range? Is this right? I ask because I honestly can't remember the last time I saw anyone running Hurricane in-game and it makes me wonder if my evaluation of it is accurate. Between Steamy Mist and Hurricane, I'd think set it and forget it. Thunderclap: PBAoE with low accuracy, long recharge, Mag 2 effect - this power seems imminently skippable to me. Tornado & Lightning Storm: I'm including these together because they seem to be so related, pretty much my one-two drop in every group of enemies, moreso than even my primary attacks. The question becomes how best to slot them? Do they both need to be six-slotted? I'd think KB/KD and a Force Feedback procs in both - but how would FF procs work with these, would they proc off of the time that I cast them or continually while they were in effect? Do these two powers have the self-negating result of chasing all the mobs out of their area of effect? Lightning Storm takes ranged damage sets, so I'm not really sure how to read that. From a playstyle perspective, my initial expectation is that it basically consists of running around with Hurricane and Steamy Mist up, opening each combat with Freezing Rain, Tornado and Lightning Storm - possibly popping of my primary T9 - and then picking off stragglers with the rest of my primary powers. Does that sound right? Finally, not to be sacrilegious on the Corruptor forum, but is this a power set better suited towards Defenders, because we seem to focus so much more on it than on the ranged attacks? TIA for any responses, I'm really curious as to how this set plays out.

Well, FWIW, I rebuilt the pair as Fire/Kin and the results look just fine - the damage is indeed more and I actually managed to get the defenses higher (46% Ranged/AoE, 40% Melee with paired Maneuvers, slightly better overall Resistances). It's not as safe since it pretty much lacks any mitigation other than damage, but with defenses so high and the damage coming so fast, that might not actually be as much of an issue as I feared. Only one way to find out. 😉 It may well be that one of each ultimately proves to be the best option - one to provide the mitigation and one to pour on the damage. Messes up the theme, but if it leads to a more enjoyable experience, well - we'll see.

Yeah, it's primarily thematic - also, the other player is newer and has less interest in building than in playing, so the more similar we are in how we do things the better. Also, like I said, with all the damage flying around from a couple Kins, it seems like we'd get a lot more value from the mitigation provided by Shockwave and Siren's Song. I haven't played these builds up to that level though, which is why I posted on here for the input. Is that a bad take? I know Fire is a damage king - I have a Fire/Atomic Blaster, and when it comes to AoE, I rely on spamming a 5-second Fireball whenever I'm not popping Inferno and that's more than enough. At least all of Sonic's AoE's have a sub-2 second activation time.

I can understand that mindset under normal circumstances, but single-target we'll usually be piling on 3-5 -Res buffs at least, so including that should far outstrip what Fire or Ice would do. I think you're correct on the AoE front, but then having those stackable built-in mezzes will probably pay much bigger dividends than a bit more damage would.

Interesting. Since this is intended to be exclusively for duoing, I'm curious what you would suggest? We figure the -Res is the only way to get past the damage cap restriction and with three AoE's - two of which also offer mitigation through KB and Sleep, it seems to cover all of our bases.

I'm trying to figure out exactly how to build them - the only stipulation is that they be identical with the plan being that one of us is usually targeting through the other. We're thinking that more or less staying at the damage cap + the -Res from Sonic + Scourge should melt mobs pretty effectively. Thoughts/Questions: With FC up pretty much perpetually, I'm trying to figure out how much value other damage boosts will actually have; we're not planning on taking specifically Assault/Aim (not planning on taking either) and we were planning on respec'ing out of Siphon Power once FC came online. Is Siphon Speed worth taking for the debuff benefit against hard targets, considering that we'll be keeping Speed Boost up on one another? Without it we're at about +160% Recharge with Hasten. Or would Transference be better, to try and drain down tough targets? That extra final slot is still up in the air. Mobs will get Shockwave -> Howl -> Siren's Song from each of us (Shockwave will have the KB to KD IO). Single targets will get Screech -> Shriek -> Scream-> Shriek, with the thought that Screech's stackable Disorients should help with hard targets. Preliminary slotting (3 purple sets) has us over the Defensive soft-cap for Ranged & AoE, a little over 33% for Melee. We're also at the cap for S/L Resistance with everything else hovering around 25%. Planning right now on going Soul Mastery for Epic - Power Boost is nice, Dark Embrace gives some exotic damage resistance and I was thinking it might actually be worthwhile summoning a pet, given double Tactics/Maneuvers and Fulcrum Shift - plus, I like the set bonuses from Blood Mandate. Numbers are a little harder to work out in Mids because we're reliant on each other's boosts, but from a cursory glance, does this sound like the best plan for the duo? We were on the fence between this and Sonic/Rad, since we figured paired Choking Clouds would be pretty strong once everyone had been hit with Siren's Song, but this way we can keep everything out in front of us. Not accounted for in the numbers shown below are +4.15% Defense, +15.75% ToHit, +50% Recharge, +71% Recovery, +18.75% S/L Resist from my partners Maneuvers, Tactics, Speed Boost and Increased Density, respectively.

The thing is, I'm not a Blapper at all, I'm not taking any of the melee attacks from either set. Positronic Cell does pretty decent damage too and it is a ranged attack, which gives me something to pair with Char for stackable fun. Since my newest build also six-slots Radioactive Cloud, I'll definitely take Beta Decay.

But only if one or more foes are within 15', right? I work hard at staying at range... still, my newest build features a six-slotted Radioactive Cloud, so I imagine Beta Decay would start to come in useful then. I'll definitely look at it, since I'm not happy with Bonfire in the build. What do you think, just single-slot it with a -RES proc?

This mostly theory for me at this point, as I haven't played a Blaster to L50 yet. It may well be that with proper positioning and team buffs I wouldn't need a fraction of the defense I'm building here. If it plays out like that then I'll definitely reconsider and look at going proc-heavy, but I end up playing solo so often that I can't help but skew towards self-reliance a bit more.

Where would you suggest I put them? Honestly, I don't have a lot of experience with procs. The build seems pretty tight - almost every set requires 6 slots or the defenses start collapsing...