Bill Z Bubba

Oh boy. I got into a huge todo with someone else on this topic. I would have to argue that any build on any AT that doesn't utilize the IOs available at any given level is self-gimping. I do it with my concept characters, I do it with characters that I want to get a "natural" feel for... but if it's something that I know I'm gonna play all the way? It's gonna get built properly. It's the exact same mindset used by the folks that tell me blasters are great because you can buy the defensive buff from the P2W vendor that grants mez protection. Fine. If that's the case, then any argument that sides on the "the game is balanced around SOs" BS is just that.... BS. You have options to correct inefficiencies of any given AT. If it's true for blasters or defenders or anything else, it's true for sentinels.

Probably objectively true and a problem that should be corrected... like TW.

I get it. I hear ya. But you do admit that this is an awfully subjective viewpoint, right?

Ummm... did you notice that my build has no APP/PPP and soloed a max diff ITF? Granted... I took forever but "need" is probably not the right word there.

As it *should* be. Sentinels can 100% avoid incoming melee damage which we all know is vastly higher than incoming ranged damage. They *should* be dishing out less damage than a scrapper. But let's go back to the rest of the argument... are they bringing to a team enough to rationalize their existence as is? Yes. In exactly the same way that every other AT does. I can run a max diff ITF with NOTHING but blasters... or tanks... or veats.. or khels and get the job done. NO AT is necessary, no AT is needed. If 8 folks playing even remotely well built characters can't get through the content, then sure, something is amiss. But that doesn't happen. When failure happens, it's because of improperly built characters or a chosen difficulty too high for the builds/skill available.

Total side note: I like yall and have enjoyed this conversation.

There's two different options IF you take both T1 and T2 attacks. Something I've stopped doing on my sents. I take whichever one is the higher DPA and ignore the other. Agreed.

You can get both on occasion with fire if you use fire blast right after flares. It's a bug.

As for this, sure! Go run 5 repeatables at max diff in DA with your best scrapper and your best sent, 100% clear all. Notate the time. Whichever has the best time wins.

Here's my current fire/bio sent build. Please note that fly is taken at lvl 8. Hero Plan by Mids' Reborn : Hero Designer 2.6.0.7 https://github.com/ImaginaryDevelopment/imaginary-hero-designer Click this DataLink to open the build! David Merlinson: Level 50 Magic Sentinel Primary Power Set: Fire Blast Secondary Power Set: Bio Armor Power Pool: Flight Power Pool: Speed Power Pool: Fighting Power Pool: Leaping Hero Profile: Level 1: Flares -- SprSntWar-Acc/Dmg(A), SprSntWar-Dmg/Rchg(3), SprSntWar-Acc/Dmg/Rchg(9), SprSntWar-Acc/Dmg/EndRdx(21), SprSntWar-Acc/Dmg/EndRdx/Rchg(25), SprSntWar-Rchg/+Absorb(29) Level 1: Hardened Carapace -- TtnCtn-ResDam/EndRdx(A), TtnCtn-ResDam/EndRdx/Rchg(11), TtnCtn-ResDam(11), TtnCtn-EndRdx(27), StdPrt-ResDam/Def+(27), UnbGrd-Max HP%(43) Level 2: Fire Ball -- Rgn-Dmg(A), Rgn-Dmg/Rchg(3), Rgn-Acc/Dmg/Rchg(9), Rgn-Acc/Rchg(23), Rgn-Dmg/EndRdx(34), Rgn-Knock%(43) Level 4: Inexhaustible -- NmnCnv-Heal/EndRdx(A), NmnCnv-Heal/Rchg(5), NmnCnv-Heal(5), NmnCnv-Regen/Rcvry+(13), PrfShf-EndMod(15), PrfShf-End%(15) Level 6: Blaze -- SprOppStr-Acc/Dmg(A), SprOppStr-Dmg/Rchg(7), SprOppStr-Acc/Dmg/Rchg(7), SprOppStr-Acc/Dmg/EndRdx(21), SprOppStr-Acc/Dmg/EndRdx/Rchg(25), SprOppStr-Rchg/+Opportunity(29) Level 8: Fly -- Flight-I(A) Level 10: Environmental Adaptation -- LucoftheG-Def/EndRdx(A), LucoftheG-Def/EndRdx/Rchg(37), LucoftheG-Def(37), LucoftheG-Def/Rchg+(43) Level 12: Hasten -- RechRdx-I(A), RechRdx-I(13) Level 14: Hover -- Rct-ResDam%(A), ShlWal-ResDam/Re TP(45), LucoftheG-Def/Rchg+(46) Level 16: Ablative Carapace -- Mrc-Heal/Rchg(A), DctWnd-Heal/Rchg(17), NmnCnv-Heal/Rchg(17) Level 18: Blazing Blast -- Apc-Dmg/Rchg(A), Apc-Acc/Dmg/Rchg(19), Apc-Acc/Rchg(19), Apc-Dmg/EndRdx(23), Apc-Dam%(31), OvrFrc-Dam/KB(31) Level 20: Aim -- RechRdx-I(A), RechRdx-I(39), GssSynFr--Build%(48) Level 22: Adaptation Level 24: Rebuild DNA -- Mrc-Heal/Rchg(A), DctWnd-Heal/Rchg(31), NmnCnv-Heal/Rchg(33) Level 26: Rain of Fire -- SprFrzBls-Acc/Dmg(A), SprFrzBls-Dmg/EndRdx(34), SprFrzBls-Acc/Dmg/EndRdx(34), SprFrzBls-Acc/Dmg/Rchg(46), SprFrzBls-Dmg/EndRdx/Acc/Rchg(46), SprFrzBls-Rchg/ImmobProc(50) Level 28: Boxing -- Empty(A) Level 30: Tough -- TtnCtn-ResDam/EndRdx(A), TtnCtn-ResDam/EndRdx/Rchg(33), TtnCtn-ResDam(45), TtnCtn-EndRdx(48) Level 32: Weave -- LucoftheG-Def/EndRdx(A), LucoftheG-Def/EndRdx/Rchg(33), LucoftheG-Def(37), LucoftheG-Def/Rchg+(48) Level 35: Genomic Evolution -- UnbGrd-ResDam(A), UnbGrd-ResDam/EndRdx(36), UnbGrd-ResDam/EndRdx/Rchg(36), GldArm-3defTpProc(36) Level 38: Parasitic Leech -- ThfofEss-Heal/Rchg(A), ThfofEss-Acc/Heal(39) Level 41: Inferno -- Arm-Dmg/Rchg(A), Arm-Acc/Dmg/Rchg(42), Arm-Acc/Rchg(42), Arm-Dmg/EndRdx(42), Arm-Dam%(50), SprAvl-Rchg/KDProc(50) Level 44: Athletic Regulation -- HO:Micro(A) Level 47: Combat Jumping -- LucoftheG-Def/Rchg+(A) Level 49: Afterburner -- LucoftheG-Def/Rchg+(A) Level 1: Brawl -- Empty(A) Level 1: Opportunity Level 1: Prestige Power Dash -- Empty(A) Level 1: Prestige Power Slide -- Empty(A) Level 1: Prestige Power Quick -- Empty(A) Level 1: Prestige Power Rush -- Empty(A) Level 1: Prestige Power Surge -- Empty(A) Level 1: Sprint -- Empty(A) Level 2: Rest -- Empty(A) Level 4: Ninja Run Level 2: Swift -- Empty(A) Level 2: Health -- Prv-Absorb%(A), Pnc-Heal/+End(39), Mrc-Rcvry+(40) Level 2: Hurdle -- Empty(A) Level 2: Stamina -- PrfShf-EndMod(A), PrfShf-EndMod/Rchg(40), PrfShf-EndMod/Acc(40), PrfShf-End%(45) Level 22: Defensive Adaptation Level 22: Efficient Adaptation Level 22: Offensive Adaptation ------------

I am not in agreement. I ignore it just as I do critical hits. Or fury. Or defiance. I click buttons and stuff falls down.

I play claws. My aoe attack chain on the scrapper is FU/Spin/Shockwave w/KD/repeat. His aoe damage ain't hurtin.

If they're just on par then they don't need a buff, do they?

For the record, I used ultimate insps when I soloed a max diff ITF with my scrapper. Had to. That autohit fluffy is NOT nice to a defense based character. Sure was easy taking it out on the sent though. Just hovered and blasted away. It'd come in, I'd move. No biggie. No worries. Take longer? Sure. Who TF cares? I don't.

And over a minute faster than the tank. Hmmm. I remember a time when anyone taking down a pylon under 5 mins was considered a god. Sents don't need a buff. Tankmages don't need a buff. They're overpowered as it is.

When properly built, yes. My sent is on par with my brute on ST damage output. Right around the 4 min pylon time. Where the scrapper is around 3min. And the claws/bio scrapper around 2 mins. Soooo way way way faster? Meh.

Maybe that's a problem with the SETS and NOT the AT. Hmmmmmmmmm. Maybe Fire and DP and BR are just flat out better across ALL ATs. Hmmmmmmm.

What the hell do scrappers add to a team that sentinels don't? More damage? Scrappers don't have a built in damres debuff and when improperly built also spend a whole lotta time eatin dirt. A sent, being the tankmage that it is, speeds up hard target kills AND does so with 100% mitigation from melee attacks. I'm not saying sents > scrappers. But they bring the same shit to the team. Killin baddies.

I laughed my ass off at this sentence. THANK YOU! Also, agreed.

That which can solo can team. That which doesn't die while teaming does more DPS than the players wasting time eating dirt.

Just a side note: I just soloed a max diff ITF with my fire/bio sent. Two faceplants from Requiem. Taking him down took about as long as the entire 4th mission. No ultimate insps. Just used what I showed up with and what dropped. Just one point of data. Granted.... it did take 3:22 including a lunch break and some smoke breaks.

The end cost on using SW in the attack chain is huge. Ageless is covering that just fine? My average time with fu/focus/slash/repeat is around 3 mins. I have to wonder how much Icicles is helping you out.

And after seeing the joy of /ah go ahead and add a base code to your base (which costs nothing to build as crazy as you like) and then create a macro button for it using /macro BASE enterbasefrompasscode <whatever your base code is here>

Croatoa and Dark Astoria are my main hangs. Love 'em both.

The other three weren't. And he still wouldn't have been without the video.