tidge

The "lazy cruel" comment is directed at Live development, not at Homecoming. I'd of course be thrilled to see new sets for those under-served power types.

I like this thinking... but... "Summer Blockbuster" exists and has Overwhelming Force. I have always thought that it was lazy cruel that our "seasonal event" of Halloween never got a Fear set. The costumes are a very nice touch, but I want a PVP/Superior set that offers a little more (something boost-able!) OOMPH (plus another %damage!) for slotting Fear powers. I can almost believe that because of questions of balance (PvP?) and dev-tweaking that Fear and Threat never got more than their four sets. IIRC, except for %procs, the options in the Fear sets are all the same, and (again IIRC) it's only through DSyncs and IOs that Endurance reduction can be (meaningfully) slotted in Threat powers. I 99.99% believe we'd get another Hold set before we got either a Fear or Threat set.

I appreciate the Homecoming modifications of the Incarnate system, but it was such a clumsy addition to the original game that I wouldn't miss Incarnates if they went away entirely. There are some arcs/missions that I'd miss, and I deeply appreciate that the near-triviality of Incarnate powers make rewards (HO, DSyncs) much easier to accumulate. I know how I come by my dislike of the Incarnate system: I miss Dark Astoria as it used to be, in non-echo form. The Incarnate replacement's story-focus on depression and rage just rubs me the wrong way. I hated the Live mechanism of accumulating assorted "Incarnate XP", so much that it left a terrible taste in my mouth. The HC team's implementations (especially with how easy it is to equip characters, with and without using the Auction House, including catalysts and boosters) has already raised the ceiling on individual characters' ability to handle very difficult content. I don't know why we'd want more player buffs instead of more variety in the rest of the game.

IMO, Fear and Threat would benefit more from a PVP/Superior set than another look at Healing (accurate or vanilla). With a PVP set, many excellent other choices (including Hami-Os) I think that Healing is in a good spot. My healing slotting choices for sets tend to be: 6x Preventive Medicine 3x Touch of the Nictus (for the "life-stealers") 2x Numina (good for Tankers in Health, because of large base HP) 5x Panacea (not common in my build, but I think I have at least one Tanker Build with this in a +HP power since I can boost these to 50+5) After those, the global singletons show up as expected. There are also reasonable Hami-O options for powers with fewer slots.

I'm not a fan of PFF, although I've pretty much only resorted to Force Mastery as an Epic pool choice for Enhancement Mules(*1). I did take, slot and use Repulsion Bomb for quite a lot of content, but I also grew disenchanted with it no matter how I tried to leverage it. I learned first-hand the weaknesses of Personal Force Field when trying to use it to get through a TF mission and enough of the enemies were rolling well enough to murder me. (*1) on Blasters, I always consider Force Mastery only because I know it's an Epic/Patron set that I don't have to invest any slots in, and I may have already burned my four non-Epic power pool choices.

I 100% agree with the looks & feel of Whirlwind. I don't think I've used it in a build since the early (IO only) days of Live, as I found it... disappointing.

Snipes (Fast) get a damage buff from +ToHit.

Two things: (in addition to +ToHit obviously increases the ToHit Chance): +ToHit increases the damage of (fast) snipes, up to 22% IIRC A slotted Gaussian's %Build Up typically has a 90% (ceiling) chance to ALSO fire in Blaster's Aim-like powers. This buff lasts 10 seconds I've tested extra ToHit on normal (long) snipes and have not seen a difference. An easy way to test this is to put a Kismet +ToHit piece in a defense toggle. Try both Fast and Slow Snipes with and without the Kismet piece toggled on/slotted (monitor ToHit bonus).

The talk about "wasting" a cast of Aim for a snipe doesn't make sense to me... AFAIK, The extra damage from +ToHit is only on Fast snipes and does nothing for normal (slow) snipes. I can get behind everything here, except that %proc is not supposed to be factored into set balance; "the game is balanced around IOs".

The tide pods don't go away on a miss, they go away via elapsed time. I simply find it weird that the T7 plays out like this: On a hit, and you had 3x tide power, and it isn't locked out: cast it again to defeat an even-level opponent. On a hit, and it is locked out: cast the T2 to defeat an even-level opponent. On a hit, and you don't have the 3 tide power: cast the T2 to defeat an even-level opponent. On a miss: cast the T2 (twice) to defeat an even-level opponent. Maybe there are almost as bad other Blaster primary T7 attackss, but I think there are better T5 and T6 attacks.

I think the argument equating Aim with Tidal power fails, because you can almost always get a couple of attacks in with the Aim/Build Up boost, and that boost is the same for all attacks (unlike tide pods). The effect of ToHit for Snipes is capped at 22%; on most build with Snipe it is rather trivial to be sitting at a perma +6% anyway (thanks Kismet!)

You have to hit with the first cast of Water Jet in order to get a second cast; it isn't automatic. EDIT: IIRC, you also have to hit with a cast in order to get a tidal counter.

I've played a Water Blast Blaster, so I understand that role that Water Jet (a T7 primary attack power) plays in Tidal Power... but in practice, I find that I was incredibly disappointed with: Damage was lackluster, roughly on par with the T2 attack Hydro Blast... not to mention Arcane Bolt from the Sorcery pool, It took me (YMMV) a LOT of effort to try to work it into an attack chain (because of the Tidal Power effect), partially because of what happens with tidal power after a miss (nothing, so no "fast Water Jet") or elapsed time (buh-bye Tidal Power) I will disclose: I like the fast animation of Water Jet, but ultimately that was not enough reason for me to keep it. My opinion: Water Blast is an otherwise solid set. I can almost see why things were mixed up for it... e.g. I find the lack of a Snipe to be disappointing, but it's not the end of the world... but I really can't get my head around why this power has a T7 with such meager damage compared to a Pool power ranged attack and T5 or T6 Snipes from other Blaster sets. I don't have a specific suggestion, but I feel like this subforum has often been a good place to have discussions of balance (within sets for a specific AT).

I don't consider Incarnates to be in the same category as respecs... I certainly have made the decision to grind towards a different T4, but usually if it is a character I've previously put any time into getting new T3s is not an issue, mileage varies on T4s. I tend to spend a lot of time leveling up characters, so I don't approach Incarnate powers as "covering a hole" in the build... except in the case of Cardiac for Endurance Reduction at high-end play, YMMV. As for "mistakes"... I can only think of a couple of instances where I felt that I had totally misunderstood some power, gave it a fair amount of testing and ended up think of the original choice as a "mistake". More often fro me: a respec specifically to change power choices on an already 'finished' build is usually because: I've used unslotters to determine that some enhancement (usually a global, sometimes a %proc) is having no observable effect, and I can think of another power that could use the slot(s). Generally this personal behavior has meant that I downplay Regeneration (outside of the large HP ATs) and certain resistances. I've experimented with NOT using a power during regular play, and I've determined that the power can come out of the build. This is a major reason why I almost never plan to put Hasten in anything other than a Dominator, or something with 5-minute recharge powers. Very rarely the HC team has modified a power set such that a character needs a respec. The only times this happened (so far!) was for an Energy Melee character and also for a Robotics MM.

One of my Controllers (who went through Redside) has a bio that explicitly identifies him as a former hench that got "cut" because he was always making people fall down, or otherwise getting in each others' way.

My experience with running only alongside a single T3 henchman is that the (lack of) damage output hurts more than anything else. Fewer "bodyguards" is also something that needs to be factored in. Eventually the Endurance tax catches up, because the MM will need to be much more active. It is possible to use Grant Invisibility to stealth some missions with a single henchman already summoned, but at the final objective you will still be a MM with but a single henchman.

I feel that if Tar Patch isn't giving set bonuses, I'd want to slot it first with Recharge, and possible Endurance Reduction (depending on style, and the Endurance budget). I wouldn't put %procs in it without also having accuracy Similarly, I feel that Howling Twilight is a power that is best used as often as possible (for the Stun). If you don't have accuracy slotted in it, the %procs are IMO not nearly as good a choice as recharge. My favorite slotting for it is (when slots are available... I'd drop the %procs first, don't exceed 5 of same Purple set bonuses): (A) Positron's Blast - Chance of Damage(Energy): Level 50 (*) Javelin Volley - Chance of Damage(Lethal): Level 50 (*) Absolute Amazement - Stun/Recharge: Level 50+5 (*) Absolute Amazement - Accuracy/Stun/Recharge: Level 50+5 (*) Ragnarok - Accuracy/Recharge: Level 50+5 (*) Ragnarok - Damage/Endurance: Level 50+5 As I've written in a bajillion other threads, I feel that Hasten is a trap for a LOT of builds, and for Masterminds (with their Endurance tax) it can be especially problematic... in my experience, there are very few powers (and none of them are attacks) that really need the recharge coming from Hasten in a MM build. Obviously if Hasten is saving slots in powers that would otherwise need to go for Recharge, that's a thing, but my experience has been that Hasten is really only paying off for powers that have 5 minute recharges, or in marginal cases where I'm right on the edge of "perma" (e.g. Domination, Mind Link, Link Minds) without Hasten. There are a lot of ways to slot the bots; I did find that putting an IO Defense 50+5 piece in Protector Bots is a huge help as I think the base defense from their Force Field is something like 13%, so the returns are on the order of 4% more Defense. Here is what I did with my henchmen (albeit with a different secondary): Level 1: Battle Drones (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: Level 50 (*) Sovereign Right – Accuracy/Damage: Level 50 (*) Sovereign Right - Resistance Bonus: Level 50 Level 12: Protector Bots (A) Superior Mark of Supremacy - Damage/Endurance: Level 50 (*) Superior Mark of Supremacy - Accuracy/Endurance: Level 50 (*) Defense Buff IO: Level 50+5 (*) Edict of the Master: Defense Bonus: Level 40 (*) Call to Arms: Defense Aura for Pets: Level 30 (*) Call to Arms: - Accuracy/Damage: Level 30 Level 22: Assault Bot (A) Superior Command of the Mastermind - Accuracy/Damage: Level 50 (*) Superior Command of the Mastermind - Damage/Endurance: Level 50 (*) Superior Command of the Mastermind - Damage/Endurance/Recharge: Level 50 (*) Superior Command of the Mastermind - Recharge/Pet +AoE Defense Aura: Level 50 (*) Superior Mark of Supremacy: Accuracy/Damage: Level 50 (*) Superior Mark of Supremacy: Endurance, +Resist (All) +Regen(Pets): Level 50 I put the %Build Up piece in the Tier 1 henchmen, my thinking is that they are the ones that will generally need better +ToHit. Obviously there is a tradeoff against using it in the T3 Assault Bot. I get a kick out of seeing multiple instances of it on the three Battle Drones. Note that if you get the extra Defense from the Protector Bot, I think you can make alternate choices for slotting the Dark Servant; you can save 2 slots, pick up +MaxEnd, MOAR Global Recharge and slide a %damage proc into Dark Fluffy. Level 38: Dark Servant (A) Cloud Senses - Chance for Negative Energy Damage: Level 30 (*) Cloud Senses - Accuracy/ToHitDebuff: Level 30 (*) Cloud Senses - ToHit Debuff: Level 30 (*) Cloud Senses - Accuracy/Recharge: Level 30

This is an alternate build I have for my Robots/Traps MM: "A Boy and His Robot". I don't usually run this build, but it is more viable in this (i27p5) era than it was before for a multiple reasons (power changes, level choices for powers). The arc I use to gauge how (in)effective a "petless" (or reduced number of henchmen) MM is the "Lost and Found" from Montague Castanella at level 50... I landed on this one because it used to be absolutely miserable and I see no need to seek out a more miserable one.

Who has time to respec? Crack open that second build and buy all new enhancements!

I have a number of builds where I slot the %-Res pieces in DoT (or delayed damage) with the hopes that the %-Res happens first, increasing damage dealt. I have never studied if it actually helps (in solo).

As I wrote in another thread, I also calculated about 43% for Axe Cyclone (per 3.5 PPM, per mobile) which aligns with my Tanker experience. From memory, I think that for Axe Cyclone the PPM damage occurs on cast (when each hit mob is moved) and not when the regular damage happens... Similar to a power like Levitate where PPM damage occurs when the mob is tossed but the inherent damage occurs after the ragdoll effect resolves.

This has not been my experience, it is an inherent 18 second recharge with 15' radius. When I ran the numbers for a 3.5 PPM piece I was seeing a %proc rate of something like 43%. EDIT: IIRC, this is one of those powers where the %damage will fire at a different time than the standard damage. Perhaps you are just missing it?

Sadly: This is far too frequently just a physical manifestation of the state of the code (and its management plan) for any given software.

I like your approach. I didn't want to go %proc on this Blaster... the appeal to me would be front-loading damage on casts (such as for Whirlpool). Obviously I opted for set bonuses. If this combo was on something like a Defender/Corrupter/Controller I would absolutely be more proc-tastic. I originally had the Force Feedback %+Recharge piece in Geyser. It always (90%) fired, but it was having very little effect on my attack chain. Geyser itself is too long a recharge to get much benefit from it, and while it did help the faster recharging powers (that were being used), I found that the extra oomph from it was to infrequent, so I adjusted my attack chain/play style instead. Maybe it makes a difference with Hasten in the build. Global Recharge is one of those effects I like to test by using unslotters (see also Regeneration).

She's forty-one and her daddy still calls her baby...