tidge

Sounds hypothetical at this point. What content are you basing this set of arguments on?

Here is where I would roughly start. I even included Hasten! Caveat: I got down to the last few powers so I just dropped in some Flight pool powers. Mileage varies, I rather like having Group Fly for some of the the Hard Mode stuff. I tried to indicate which enhancements I would boost, and which ones would be attuned. there is a a little bit of a game-of-inches aspect here. I don't value +Regen on low HP characters, so I almost never go for 2x (or more) LotG set bonuses. Annihilation is used all over the place because I want to stand a good chance at extending the duration of -Resistance, especially against spawn areas. I also like the other set bonuses it brings. The MM ATOs are already providing four times the 10% +Global Recharge, so only one Very rare set could be added to benefit for that bonus. I've experimented with Web Envelope with Robotics; I have found it to be an inferior choice to Mace Beam Volley (with %-Resistance) for all content. Some self-critical comments follow: Specially for Hard Mode, I would want Frostwork in the build to help some ally. I was going to explicitly drop Hasten, but as that is a non-starter for some folks, that was a compromise. I find that better-crafted Allies don't need it, but you can't predict what others will bring to a play session. I'd probably swap it in at level 49. I full recognize that there ought to be a noticable effect on the recharge times of some of the very long powers... so *I* would start with Hasten 2x slotted and then see if I really needed it (and if it really needed 2 slots). MMs tend to burn Endurance hard, so I tried to get MaxEnd, Endurance Discount, and Recovery bonuses. One EndMod in Stamina may not be needed ...or not providing that much extra Recovery... I would use an unslotter to test performance and maybe free up a slot. The +Perception in Tactics is a Quality-of-Life decision I make for Robotics, because I personally value more perception when looking for specific enemies. That slot could be moved elsewhere. I tried to leverage the ally shields to provide benefits for hard-mode teammates, but I haven't tested these... except using a cold Corruptor... so the slotting on them could be tweaked. The Robotic Henchmen are probably fine with just the auras and Supremacy effects, and may not need much extra (resists) from the shields... I absolutely would test using unslotters to find what works best here. as I wrote, I am mostly imagining a teammate bringing a somewhat lacking build to the hard mode that I would need to help. I'm flexible about knockback, but with the AoE area stuff going on, it probably makes sense to keep the Knockdown choice in mace Beam Volley. I don't sweat the little remaining knockback in the henchmen attacks.

I don't. Are you suggesting that there is some specific content that takes a Brute 24 minutes longer than a Scrapper or Tanker?

I'm not buying the argument that this is especially fine-tuned build for 4-star content, simply because: Dark Embrace isn't slotted to help the MM take hits Protector Bots aren't slotted with Defense Also, if this was tuned for 4-star, As I wrote: I would expect that instead of all the %damage in the MM attacks, that there would be more emphasis on set bonuses. As written above Infrigidate is a great power for %damage... but this is a Robotics Mastermind, with 6 henchmen all making ranged attacks. The MM doesn't need a %damage single-target attack to improve performance. Keep the slotting for %-Resistance, because that can be a force multiplier.... but those extra slots are IMO wasted. There is another subtle point about %proc (wherever it is slotted): Code review had shown that in addition to an attack (on a target) requiring a ToHit check, that in addition to the %proc chance itself (based on inherent attributes of the power, and the power's recharge time) that each %proc that fired required it's own ToHit check based on the accuracy of the power. Global Accuracy and ToHit bonuses don't factor into this. This ToHit check belongs to the %proc; I believe it is set up this way in the code so that the %damage procs don't "autohit" in certain powers (for example, Taunts). I mention this because if a player is trying to leverage %damage, they ought to make sure that the powers also have accuracy slotted in them, especially if fighting higher-level enemies. EDIT: I want to add that I think that the @Videra build (using similar philosophy of powers to what @AmrasNotHere seems to want) strikes me as being a more effective one. It doesn't quite have the build as I would, but it has kept the powers as asked. It appears to be more effective across more content, including "hard mode" teaming.

I'll bluntly admit my own defects: I see a LOT of comparison between Brutes, Scrappers and Tankers for specific content... but I don't see similar comparisons for other ATs in the same content... with the exception of one or two players trying to take certain other ATs through Trapdoor tests. A further personal defect of mine: when map clear times for things like Hard Mode or +4x8 shows consistent differences for a few ATs that complete whatever challenge in under three minutes... I don't think it is worth claiming that any of those ATs require improvement. YMMV.

This feels like the truest thing written in the thread. Before CoV was launched: Scrappers were favored over Tankers because it wasn't that hard to get Resistance/Defenses on a Scrapper to the point where the much faster defeat/map clear times of a Scrapper. There were of course numerous Fire tankers that existed primarily to mindlessly collect XP and inf due to the original critter AI, but for most content of that era, Scrappers were the melee class. When CoV introduced Brutes, they basically were Scrappers with an easier time of hitting the Defense/Resistance of Tankers, but with a mechanic to make it easier for them to get to/exceed Scrapper levels of damage. [Let's sidestep all PVP talking points, as I don't think there is a clear argument to be made about PVP regarding balance among melee types for that or any other era, except that boy did the devs misread PVP Stun!] When sides could mix: Now there are multiple ATs that can compete with Tankers for survivability, all of which do more damage, also faster, across almost all game content. It remains pretty easy to make (solo) characters more survivable, but there are precious few ways to give characters more damage. At HC launch, there were months of players discussing (on a spectrum ranging from cold calculations of DPS to "neener-neener") in-game talking down Tankers and explicitly promoting Brutes as superior. It is impossible to know what specific content was the basis for these arguments, as from my PoV except for +4 AV fights, AFK farms, and some specific enemy types, Scrappers and Stalkers were never slackers... but I digress. The Tanker AoE buff (plus aggro management changes) was well-motivated, smart, and happened to have a side effect that for some types of play, and certain builds (power and slotting choices) a solo Tanker can clear a map faster than a solo Brute. From my PoV this is 100% due to a Tanker simply being able to hit more minions in large spawns. the number of hits required to defeat a single minion hasn't changed it's just that now Tankers don't have throw as many attacks at multiple critters. The inherent way spawns are constructed and scale up, for most content the large number of minions used to be a HUGE delay for Tankers... Writing for myself: before the AoE increase I found it easier to clear x8 spawns with Controllers than with Tankers! I find Tankers still go somewhat slow against large spawns of enemies that resist grouping up (even when using Taunt)... Praetorian clocks come to mind... because those larger AoE simply aren't reaching as many critters in a spawn. As an aside: I understand the potential team-effects of how to increase both damage and survivability of each different type of AT... but the game clearly is not balanced around the assumption that each AT has a a specific ally boosting Damage/resistance/Defense/whatever. I appreciate the OP being open to find a new niche for Brutes... but I'm not convinced that many of the vocal advocates for change (some in this thread) would accept the AT moving to a different niche. It's clear that there are some people that just want the Brute AT to be better... I don't know if there is even agreement that the Brute should simply be better than it currently is, or that Brutes need to be better than some other specific AT (hence the arguments and datamining in specific content). I think it is more productive to focus on the former, if there are specific defects with the AT.

I'm not the person you were asking, but I'll point out what I immediately don't like about the screenshot you posted above: 1) 6-sloting stamina with Power Transfer (or anything really). The bonuses from the set can be had in other ways, using fewer slots. 3 slots in Stamina, max. 2) %damage all-over-the-place. MMs need their henchmen to do damage; MMs should not try to be damage dealers with their powers... especially not on single-target attacks. I see what I consider to be wastes of slots and/or missed opportunities to get more/better enhancement set bonuses. 3) Provoke... and also the way it is slotted. Provoke requires a ToHit check, and it has a maximum target cap IIRC of 5 critters. I is better to lob an AoE attack (that hits) at a group to try to grab aggro. Slotting it with only (what I am guessing is) a %Psi damage is an especially bad choice. 4) I don't like Hasten on MMs on the principle of "Endurance burn", but I could accept it *IF* the build has (aside from the henchmen powers) ONLY powers that take longer than 45 seconds to recharge after slotting. 5) The Miracle piece in Upgrade Robot is not a good spot for it. It will only give the MM the benefits, and only for 120 seconds after casting it. A Health IO is all that is needed here. Some subtle points that I'd investigate, but I think indicate some incomplete thinking A) Using the Kismet +ToHit piece. It only benefits the MM, and generally I feel that alternate slotting of attacks that would include accuracy is better (see 2, above) ... so maybe this is trying to overcome the accuracy problem with the %damage approach. Even if so... this feels like "throwing good enhancements after bad slotting". B) I'm not a fan of the Defense slotting. Equip Robot can Mule Resistance pieces, Arctic Fog is (IMO, YMMV) a good place for 6xReactive Defenses, Shield Walls can be boosted and can go in another power. C) When using Unbreakable Guard, I try to use 2-, 4-, and sometimes 5-pieces (if worried about Toxic/Psi damage). One piece in something Dark Embrace shows me that power isn't being treated seriously because it isn't enhancing the power and also getting a 2-piece set bonus D) I am not crazy about the henchmen slotting... but that is easy to test with unslotters.

I find that MMs are the AT that require me to change my play style and attitude the most depending on if I am on a mission team or running solo. No surprise, it's not because the henchmen don't "keep up" with a fast moving team. "Fast moving teams" have been blamed for a wide variety of player grief from all sorts of ATs.

This may be an experience problem, as experience demonstrates this is not the case.

Those who want it have won the Internet today, as we already have this in the game: Temporary powers, START powers, Teleport Pool powers, and Incarnate powers.

I always (in the level 50 respec) use the Soulbound Allegiance %Buildup piece in the T1 Henchmen (for Masterminds). I will often use it in non-Mastermind pets, especially if there are more than one of them summoned. It triggers very frequently. Specific to MM henchmen, I use almost always use the T1 for these reasons: There are three of them, each one can have the proc fire. I often see it on more than one; occasionally I see it multiple times on the same hench. The T1 are level shifted (for most content), so the boost to ToHit and Damage is "most needed" (modulo whatever else is going on in the build) Because of the nature of the Global pieces that affect henchmen/pets (the Defense/Resistance/Etc. Auras), my slotting choices for the T1 generally don't have as much Accuracy/Damage as I would like Here is a typical slotting for my T1s (T2, T3 not shown) (A) Superior Mark of Supremacy - Damage: Level 50 (*) Superior Mark of Supremacy - Accuracy/Damage/Endurance: Level 50 (*) Soulbound Allegiance - Chance for Build Up: Level 50 (*) Expedient Reinforcement - Resist Bonus Aura for Pets (*) Sovereign Right – Accuracy/Damage (*) Sovereign Right - Resistance Bonus I quite like putting the Overwhelming Force %Knockdown piece in the T1 as well, but sometimes that doesn't 'fit' in them. One final comment, because sometimes I put it in pet (not henchmen) powers. The pet that gets this piece has to have enough damaging attacks, and make them frequently enough, to make a 10 second BuildUp worth it. If a pet only has two attacks, and doesn't have a decent attack chain... it isn't usually worth giving them a BuildUp. Similarly, if the pet damage is inherently small, the fractional boost from BuildUp won't add much to it.

You guys can infer all you want. I didn't call anyone a newb, but I (who have been playing Homecoming MM since day one, and MM on Live for significantly longer, don't see this "ask" as necessary. I'm sure the bloke who thought the 20 seconds between Lusca submerging and resurfacing actually believed thought that was terribly inconvenient, but I didn't see that as a being a big deal. What are the actual circumstances that this thread's suggestion are a necessary change for every MM? Everybody can get summon teammates (and if they work the safeguard mission, they can use it even more frequently), and every MM player can leverage the Teleport pool if they truly find this (waves hands, hoping to summon an actual problem in need of the proposed solution) to bother them individually.

There are folks in this very thread asking if commenters play MMs. So sorry for you that I chose to baseline my reasoning with a comment about my own experience that you find objectionable. I made no implications, unless of course there is a version of me living in your head.

MM Henchmen will benefit from Supremacy. I tend to value hitting, so I don't try to cut Accuracy and ToHit to finely. That is, if I end up with "more than necessary" for the first tier of henchmen because of Tactics, I don't sweat it. As I wrote above, the extra perception is a bigger deal for me.

I play Masterminds. I'm not in favor of the suggestion. I can see why players would want this, but it isn't necessary... even though we already have this if the map is large enough. Why do I feel this way? 0) My disapproval of the suggestion is not theoretical. I've played enough content with MMs that this is unnecessary and doesn't feel far from asking for "easy mode for me" request. 1) Re-summoning the henchmen is PDQ. This was a HUGE MM quality-of-life improvement that I am not 100% certain everyone appreciates.An MM can always dismiss them and resummon them if you literally cannot wait for them to travel to you. I'll do exactly this if any of the henchmen AI decides they don't want to join the rest of us. 2) As buggy as the henchmen (not pets, because now Controllers and Crabs want it too) AI can be about pathing, and just stopping... having the henchmen travel between where they are and where the MM is can be used as a strategic option. 3) We already have open world multi-box MMs, we don't need to encourage those players any more. Right now those players have to choose which of their level 50 MMs will use Incandescence and which ones will use other buffs. Sometimes seeing the henchmen run across the zone is the only indication that the multi-boxer is about to wipe a Giant Monster in the next 60 seconds. 4) Waiting for henchmen is literally one of the last things I'd worry about for Masterminds. There have certainly been times when my MM did not wait and ended up getting one-shot by something... but such an outcome is on me not playing the AT smartly in the moment.

Tactics raises the perception radius for the henchmen. Mileage may vary, but I rather like the henchmen noticing enemies slightly further out. As the robots are ranged attacker, I feel like this makes a big difference. As for the +ToHit features ¯\_(ツ)_/¯ . I try to make sure that the henchmen have decent enough ToHit chances via their own slotting of course.

Annihilation is AoE of course. I never slot Artillery, just because I like the Annihilation set bonuses 🙂

I don't have this type of Tanker, so rather than make focused recommendations I'll make comments about what would inform my personal build thinking for this type of Tanker. I also would not go heavy into S/L resistances, for a couple of reasons. Let me just say that advice from long ago about how extreme S/L resistances used to improve performance in a certain way don't quite hold true against all enemies. It is better, IMO to try to balance resistances. I might take Hardened Carapace down to only 5 slots of Unbreakable Guard, but that slotting is otherwise what I would do. Inexhaustible is probably where I would slot Panacea. I might gamble on only 5-slots of it, but I understand the thinking for 6. I definitely like having 6 slots for Preventive Medicine somewhere. I'd start with that set in Ablative Carapace. DNA Siphon requires Accuracy, and is an excellent %damage power. My initial thoughts are: (A) Touch of the Nictus - Accuracy/Endurance/Recharge (*) Touch of the Nictus - Accuracy/Healing (*) Touch of the Nictus - Chance for Negative Energy Damage (*) Eradication - Chance for Energy Damage (*) Obliteration - Chance for Smashing Damage (*) Scirocco's Dervish - Chance of Lethal Damage I didn't see the Power Transfer %Heal piece in the build. This is pretty important for Tankers (it should be better than more +Regeneration, because of HP), and should be in an Auto power. It is entirely possible that you don't need the Health slotting with all those particular Globals, especially if they aren't giving set bonuses. M starting point for Health slotting for Tankers is (because Panacea is multi-slotted somewhere else): (A) Miracle - +Recovery (*) Numina's Convalesence - +Regeneration/+Recovery (*) Numina's Convalesence - Heal I find that this is usually "enough". I understand the appeal of more slots for Numina's Convalesense, but I never use more than two myself. Another important piece to fit into (most, but especially) Tanker builds is the Scaling Damage Resistance piece from the Reactive Defenses set. It is worth IMO 6-slotting that set before multi-slotting Luck of the Gambler. I'd even give up Hasten, although I recommend players experiment without using Hasten before taking it out of a build. The fact that it is so early in the build (level 10) makes me think that maybe including Hasten was a gut instinct more than "this is when it fits, this is when I need it". I definitely WOULD NOT delay taking Taunt. I understand why players devalue Taunt, but it is a key piece of Tanker Life. Almost all of my Takers have Taunt 6-slotted with Mocking Beratement. If you are going to only put one slot in Taunt, the piece should probably be a boosted 50+5 Threat/Recharge, and not the %damage piece.

I'll repeat a comment that I have made elsewhere: The next "Universal" set (similar to Overwhelming Force) should be a Universal Control set or a Universal Debuff/Threat set. For Universal Control: The primary reasoning is that many powers offer different types of "control", e.g. both a Hold and a Immobilize, or there are pet powers which have multiple different attacks that use different enhancements. I will grant that some of the Hami-O/D-Syncs which exist to work on all controls are among the least sought after: Endoplasm, Binding is Accuracy/Mezz, Peroxisome, Containment is Damage/Mezz... yet I still feel like there is an opportunity to go other than franken-slotting. Maybe pieces like: Accuracy/Mezz/Endurance Reduction Accuracy/Mezz/Recharge Endurance/Recharge <- Few "attack" sets offer this type of piece, but Overwheling Force does! Mezz/Endurance Reduction Mezz/Recharge Accuracy/Damage <- I'm flexible here, but many controls do some damage. My personal bias is to have Accuracy, Mezz, Endurance and Recharge, roughly in that order... I don't quite have teh balance right, but I didn't want to precisely duplicate other sets available at 50. For Universal Debuff/Threat: My primary reasoning is that Threat sets are missing some key types of enhancements. Also, Accuracy is needed for some powers that don't have (m)any options to add accuracy. I am imagining Threat/-Defense/-ToHit, but I would be open to having this set work on other enhanceable powers. Accuracy/Threat/Debuff <- This is a key missing choice for non-auto-hit Threat powers Endurance/Threat/Debuff <- This is a missing piece for "aggro toggles" Recharge/Threat/Debuff <- this sort of option is missing at higher levels Accuracy/Endurance Endurance/Recharge Accuracy/Endurance/Threat/Debuff

I wish I could offer a more specific set of recommendations for improving defenses on a Seismic/Plant blaster. I don't have that specific build, but I want to note that my Seismic/ and /Plant Blasters also have pretty bad positional defenses (solo). Here are some of the tricks I use: The 2x Globals that give +3% Defense 6x Reactive Defenses in Maneuvers (especially for the Scaling Damage Resistance) Builds don't need all 6, but I like the balance of Defense and Endurance Reduction with set bonus 3 slots of Blessing of the Zephyr in a travel power. Zone Travel is a quality-of-life issue, An Epic power that allows me to slot 4x Unbreakable Guard (including the +MaxHP piece) I almost always 6-slot one of the ATO (typically Defiant Barrage) and then two 3-slot the other ATO. 6-Slotting both is better for positional defenses; I typically split Blaster's Wrath for global Accuracy and Range bonuses. I tune up (i.e. power selection, slot allocation, enhancement choices) different blasters differently, but I keep an eye on weighing the trade-offs between the potential 5- and 6-slot bonuses between Winter, ATO, PVP and Verr Rare enhancements. It is often the 6th piece in one of these "top tier" enhancement sets that brings a noticeable improvement in Defense values. Two of the more budget-friendly sets that fit with most Blaster builds are Annihilation (Ranged AoE) and Thunderstrike (Single-target Range), I find each of them offers a useful suite of good global bonuses for most characters.

I admit: I found the range of the Sentinel attacks to be annoying, up until I got the secondary set to the point at which I felt I could stand toe-to-toe with most critters. Similarly, the target cap is really annoying until I can turn up the spawn sizes. I find it a somewhat jarring play experience to start with a tougher, but inferior ranged attacker and then end up with (via powers and slotting) a very tough, but still inferior ranged attacker... especially considering the melee damage that a well-built Blaster can do. I find the trade off to be that Sentinels are less likely to have things go pear-shaped than Blasters. In addition to the Sentinel secondary, I find it to be almost impossible to get/hold aggro in team play. I can easily see how Sentinels can be a frustrating play experience, since it is generally enemy defeats that trigger the endorphins. I generally find Sentinels are in a pretty good place vis-a-vis Blasters; they certainly offer more of a difference (in play) than what might be seen between the assorted melee classes (Scrapper, Stalker, Brute, tanker).

I agree that a Gaussian's %BuildUp isn't doing that much for a MM. As I wrote, my attitude is that the MM should act more as a force multiplier (so, debuffs) and less as a damage dealer. I ended up with this slotting for Tactics, to help with target finding, but if +Perception is less important one slot could go elsewhere. Similarly, The Kismet +ToHit piece isn't necessary if the MM is slotting powers for Accuracy (while getting set bonuses). Level 30: Tactics (A) HamiO:Cytoskeleton (Endurance / ToHit / Defense Buff): Level 53 (*) Gaussian's Synchronized Fire-Control - Chance for Build Up Rectified Reticle - Increased Perception Re: AoE, Range is IMO less important than trying to pile on %-Resistance for the Robotic Henchmen. My Robotics slotting is, I believe:

Let's add some commensurate dislike for casual accusations of stubbornness and/or irrationality when folks don't change their opinions or attitudes after they've been presented with (self-assessed) completely rational arguments.

Luckily the MS Server event allowed so many of those camped names to become level 50!