Gauntlet_Prime

So I have a couple brutes in the upper 40s with minimal IOs in them. One is /Rad the other is /Bio. I think /Rad is the more active one unless you get really min/maxy on the Efficiency/Defensive/Offensive Bio toggles. Bio feels more forgiving to me in terms of play-style because it offers the ability to go Offensive when I am just soloing for badges or arc completion etc while I can go Defensive and feel like a boss whole my Rad just feels like a tanky beast. Don't take this the wrong way, both are monsters. I just wanted to say that Bio feels like a complete tool box for handling everything very well (in terms of play-styles) while Rad feels like a tanky wall of resists that does it's job among the best in the game. Both however are VERY competent. EDIT: I forgot to mention Inv. Inv is like vanilla ice cream. Is it good? Obviously yes. Can it be made into something more delicious? Sure add toppings (IOs) and it only gets better. But in the end it is still vanilla. Sometimes you want something a bit more complex like rocky road.

This is the build I came up with. I think I over chased the recharge bonus dream but it is what it is for now. I figured If I am locking down the field I may not need tons of def bonuses. Any advice is more than welcome. This is my first Dom so I really am at a loss for basic build rules for them.

It isn't /nin but here is a SM/Bio build I threw together a few days ago. Might help ya get an idea.

I just wanna say this makes me smile... every... single... time. Ugh, just so good.

It has been my experience that it takes procs quite well. Grab a cheap proc and give it a test. You might be surprised at its performance.

What I am proposing is if the intent is to add some AoE to the set, adding literally "some AoE" to an attack might be more straight forward than adding multiple layers of variables to a single AoE and changing everything about it. It would take the unmolested damage of dark melee and simply add extra AoE damage too it that could easily be tweaked to the desired numbers. Want to add x amount of damage per mission? See how often you used a power. Devide X by that for Y damage per use. Divide Y by number of targets you expect to be average. Then just mild tweaking to get the number where you want it. Yes that is overly simplified but it is a talking point not a math proof.

Just an odd thought here. Since there is some issue with getting the balance just right on DE why not just change it back to regular DC and try something different. What if another power were made into an AoE with some sorta flavor. Midnight grasp could do 1/3 to 1/2 its damage to mobs around the main target in a tight AoE (the tentacles whipping nearby targets) or Drain life could do half the damage but be a targeted AoE with Melee range and radius. Or the new chain mechanic could be leveraged on an attack. I am just saying, this seems like there are a TON of variables being added to DC. Damage based on current end, unenhancable portions of damage, changing the AoE, gaining/loosing the bonus damage ring, loosing the crit-ability, and now duration of the dot is a discussion point. It just seems like we are trying to make a square peg fit in the round hole.

At lower levels I need spin kick for damage but later on I would like to focus entirely on shuriken attacks both for theme and because they are pretty cool. I do wish the dragon tail was an aoe shuriken attack though...

Wow dark had a good AOE for less than a week... bummer. This new form is not good. It needed to be reigned in but this is too much. The original damage curve was more interesting and frankly more functional. And the removing of the bonus damage ring at very close quarters AND the crit chance just completely gutted it. I was excited for these changes but now I am nothing but disappointed.

Mids doesn't like to open data links for me so I can't look at a build unless someone puts the data chunk at the end. In my head it looks solid.

Here is the data chunk for what I have stewing for when I hit 50. It sports a ton of HP and regen. I don't particularly like perma-hasten so it is not built for that but does have hasten for when you want them clickies as much as possible in a situational sense. For people who prefer the data chunk import method like myself.

Skipping the aoe hold works thematically for me as the cone looks like I am manipulating my shadow to tether multiple enemies. I guess I could use the PBAOE disorient to make the immobilize a hard hold. I assume hasten is a common target to perma for doms?

I have never really played a Dom outside of maybe 7-8 levels back on live and recently made a Dark/Martial (I like the idea of a ninja that controls shadows to hold enemies). What are the must have powers in each set? What set bonuses does a Dom normally build for (or at least what should I build for?)? The damage (at level 8 so far) does not feel that impressive. Is there something I'm missing? (Like the containment crits on controllers making them suddenly do respectable damage.) If there is anything else I should be asking then also lease offer those tender morsels of delicious information as well. Thank you for even bothering to read this far.

I have one around 30ish, very solid. I have always liked dot casters in other MMOs and playing a melee dot caster feels neat. EDIT: I forgot to ask if anyone has any thoughts of a build?

I agree but I think at the very least we should expect the set to be a better performer for AOE as that is the purpose of this pass. I 100% expect the enormous damage of consumption to be cut back but I doubt the recharge will be modified too much. And the maul cone just feels great now so I don't think that would be touched. There isn't much else that happened though. It is just a matter of balancing those 2 changes. It is not nearly as all encompassing as the huge tanker bomb that was dropped.

Well the Derp title does require form 4269 filled out in triplicate... Talk to your union rep he may be able to help you.

The dark buffs on test are pretty gross. Consumption does some RIDICULOUS damage and maul is a very solid cone now.

For some reason the data link doesn't work for me. Any chance you can post the brick-o-text version so I can copy it into mids directly?

It is somewhat shocking how this thread devolved into arguing over the semantics of what you can and cannot call "tankerminding". To the original question Demons/Thermal would be able to tankermind eventually with the right set bonuses and pools but out of the box it would be harder than Time or Traps as they have the tools in the secondary to boost your survive-ability as well. I personally am leveling a psudo-tankermind that is Beast/Kin just to see how functional it is. It can level against regular or x2-3 but that is because I am absorbing the alphas and pumping pet damage super high to offset the lack of obvious def/res buffs. I can only assume something that more actively adds to survival like time or traps would be easier to do this with. Thermal however only really effects the pets similar to speed boost and density in Kin so it will suffer in the same way my build will until later levels with more set and things like scorp shield etc. On a side note beast/nature has worked well for tankerminding for me on another toon.

In my mind i would give up some res for positional def any day. Getting hit less often on a set with an okay heal and then having absorb and mediocre resists sounds better then getting hit for a little bit more often. Feels like a missed heal (seeing as the heal requires the proc) could be iffy. That said it would still be very capable and definitely not squishy. It is just how I prefer to have my own tanks play.

I have been running a new Beast/kin this week and it has been a good time (admittedly only in the 20s). What I lack in survive-ability I make up for with tankerminding a spawn for a few seconds while my roid raged pets SHRED them. It has been pretty interesting and I haven't played kin in ages so it is pretty fresh for me too.

Know what would be great? If when they figure out what they are doing with Rage (as they seem to be pondering a change to it) they went ahead and proliferated SS... Oh to dream.

Shield on scrappers is what would happen if they allowed performance enhancing drugs in Rugby. Just do it and watch the carnage...

Also of note: Even a poorly optimized attack chain in either of those sets with still be 110% playable and do very respectable damage. Sometimes I think the forums may imply that a non-optimal attack chain is somehow bad (not saying you did Munki just seemed a apropos time to bring it up). Even a poorly made character is quite often VERY playable as compared to other MMOs "broken" charactors. There are also some diminishing return on investment on the way to full optimization. Quite often once you get your Def/Res set up and are safe any bonuses to haste/dmg/DPS are just icing on the cake.

Depends on the secondary. Dark melee has a toolbox that is suited for filling gaps in secondaries that are either end intensive or don't have some means of healing (like SR, SD, or DA). Fire is more suited for a self contained secondary that does not need support from it's primary (like WP or Inv).