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I think those pre-incarnate Defense values look pretty good. I have a similar sort of pre-incarnate thing going on with my Bots/Traps: FFG is a great source of +Defense, occasionally it wanders off, gets knocked away, and it needs to be renewed. The Henchmen benefit from the Aura pieces, while they are close The Protector Bots are somewhat inconsistent with their Defense buff. The Protector Bots and their Seeker Drones (-ToHit) are somewhat inconsistent. Personally: I'm always running Maneuvers, occasionally Hover, almost never Weave. The end result is sometimes I am way above the Incarnate "soft cap", sometimes not, before Incarnate powers. The regular content I run into that causes me to be thankful for high defenses are: Enemies which debuff defenses. Robots can be slow-ish against single targets, so a cascading defense failure is one of those things to look out for... I suspect that with multiple ways to Heal the Robots you will get a sense when it is time to let them crash and simply resummon them. "auto-hit" powers If the auto-hit powers aren't doing lots of damage, it is less of a big deal if the entire squad gets hit with them when followup attacks aren't hitting them.

I will get around to my Widow half soon, here is the (page 7) slotting for the Fortunata half of my character. This build has some compromises/changes I didn't have previously. I was somewhat disappointed by the (solo) damage output in terms of both type and magnitude. I'm clumsy with attack chains, yet even I could see I had one more attack that was almost never fitting into the cycle... so two big changes: Powers that had some excellent set bonuses became %damage attacks I added Hasten to the build to help slightly with the long recharges... if I had one fewer long-cycling power I would have skipped it. The net result is that Defensively, I think this is slightly inferior to what I had been running previously... but the solo clear times have gotten faster. There was another subtle change I made to improve zone-crossing times. If I decide I can live without Hasten, I will replace it with Evasive Maneuvers, move the Winter's Gift piece to the new power and have two more slots to play with.

I get the sense that Inspirations are ignored (purposefully, or accidentally) when considering certain aspects of "game balance". I can almost put myself in a headspace to see why this might be purposeful, but then I look at how some of the (armor) T9s work... and realize how many Inspiration slots a character will have by the time they can even pick a T9 (especially in the pre-page 5 days) and I shake my head. Yes, inspirations are (nominally, because email) limited "charges", but their use is only limited by whatever power being activated or control (soft or hard or animation) is applied to the character... but otherwise any power with an effect that can be duplicated by an inspiration is subject to reconsideration.

Zone-to-zone travel has become so easy, the only time old-school "visit random zone(s)" bothers me is when I am soloing some of the OG blue content that isn't a TF. One of the arcs that really gets me is Gordon Stacy's: at one point he has you simply traveling between click contacts in Skyway City... and elsewhere. The infodumps are important for the Lore, but in play it is extremely tedious.

I use Power Boost on my /Time Corruptor, it is one of those things where I end up juggling its use. IIRC I think I keep Farsight on auto trigger. Because of the inherent recharge differences between Farsight (240 sec) and Power Boost (120 sec) I don't think you would need more than the base slot in Power Boost. The main (and only) thing I can think of working against the selection of Power Boost at all (for the MM) is comes from this sort of thinking: Power Boost can be chosen at 41 or later The primary, most reliable, use (from my PoV) would be to boost Farsight (for Defense, but that isn't the only thing) It will be possible to have incarnate Barrier, which will work down to level 45, and I'm not sure there will be a "better" choice than Barrier. So if Destiny=Barrier, there is a somewhat narrow range where the Power Boost + Farsight would be bringing the most benefit. Obviously a different Destiny power could be chosen. While leveling of course Destiny slots won't be available! I don't use much from Mace Mastery on my MM, but it is a Traps secondary not Time. I think it would be too hard to try to time the benefits of Power Boost with Traps. The Web Envelope seemed like a good idea but the set bonuses were IMO inferior and it wasn't helping me keep aggro/debuff and the KD in Mace Beam Volley is a reasonable soft control. I have a classic set of powers from the Fighting pool as end-build powers in my MM: Tough is slotted with 4 Globals plus a 2-piece set bonus from Unbreakable guard for Endurance discount. Weave is a LotG Mule.

Level 22: Assault Bot A: Superior Mark of Supremacy: Damage23: Superior Mark of Supremacy: Damage/Endurance23: Superior Command of the Mastermind: Accuracy/Damage/Endurance/Recharge27: Sovereign Right: Accuracy/Endurance27: Soulbound Allegiance: Chance for Build Up33: Overwhelming Force: Damage/Chance for Knockdown/Knockback to Knockdown I'm not crazy about these choices. I'm 50/50 on not liking the %BuildUp in the T3. I can somewhat understand it, but I find it works so much better in the T1. A couple of anecdotes: I see it firing all-the-time on each of the T1s, so I guess it will do similarly on the T3 The combined T3s appear to equal or slightly exceed the damage output of the T1 when I am fighting multiple Giant Monsters. (Paladins, the Grim Vale) I don't like adding the OF piece in any of the Robotic henchmen. There will occasionally still be some knockback, but it is simply not worth fretting about. If you played Robotics before the recent Homecoming updates, slotting for Knockdown was crucial. Now it isn't that important. Level 16: Distortion Field A: Unbreakable Constraint: Chance for Smashing Damage39: Neuronic Shutdown: Chance of Damage(Psionic)40: Ghost Widow's Embrace: Chance of Damage(Psionic)40: Gladiator's Net: Chance of Damage(Lethal)42: Impeded Swiftness: Chance of Damage(Smashing)43: Ice Mistral's Torment: Chance for Cold Damage I think I see what you are trying to do with Distortion Field, but I would not go all-in on %damage. (it is an endurance hog) IIRC it is a pseudo-pet, so the reliable %damage will be on cast, after that I expect the %proc rates to be mediocre, especially without some accuracy slotting... I mean, you can go with your slotting, but I'd also test with something like: (A) Gladiator's Net - Accuracy/Hold: Level 50+5 (*) Gladiator's Net - Accuracy/Endurance/Recharge/Hold: Level 50+5 (*) Gladiator's Net - Chance for Damage (Lethal) (*) Unbreakable Constraint - Chance for Damage (Smashing) I happen to like the 3x bonus from Gladiator's Net, but there are a lot of good set bonuses to be had from Hold sets. On my /Time Corruptor I slotted Distortion Field as (A) Pacing of the Turtle – Endurance/Recharge/Slow: Level 50+5 (*) Superior Entomb - Endurance/Recharge The lack of %damage in my slotting makes me think I must have tested it for %damage and saw it was not worth it. Don't fall into a trap thinking that the MM will be a solid source of damage, that is what the henchmen are for. For MM, I add %-resistance before I add %damage, unless it is part of a set. Here are some of the other /Time powers from my Corruptor, and how I slotted them, maybe they will offer some ideas?

¯\_(ツ)_/¯

Solo: Unstoppable. Team: My choice completely depends on where we are in a mission. After all, it is a free teleport to my base. If the mission is practically done, there is often little reason to stay on the map.

I rather like this idea. I've been wedded to Psychic Scream for so long, but I also get annoyed by the sound.

Some men just want to watch the dogs burn.

Have you explored the "convert" tab under incarnate powers?

The post above by @Ironblade has succinctly identified what I consider to be the true state of affairs for 'aggro play'. It's been almost 20 years since a Tanker could do things like herd all the Rikti monkeys on the PI map. The game has long evolved past the "wait for the Tank to herd them" style of gameplay... for one thing the target caps for damage exist. I occasionally see some other sides to whatever the OP's complaint is: I'll often use non-tank characters to grab aggro from distant groups, simply to speed up clear times It is not at all uncommon that my non-tanks can peel the attention of single enemies that the tank really ought to be holding the attention of In the case of the former, I'm doing it because we can handle it. It's not because the Tanker is inferior. In the case of the latter, I don't think it is that big of a deal... minimally I hope it demonstrates to the Tanker's player that they need to step up their game.

My thoughts keep coming back to: The Council, and before them Crey, were pretty unimaginative enemies that rarely provided a challenge. Neither the Council nor Crey used even a fraction of the sort of powers/game effects that they should have had access to given the game's Lore. Neither the Council nor Crey is particularly out of line with other groups that spawn in the level range 40+ Neither the Council nor Crey are clones of any other groups that spawn Every time an enemy shows up using tricks that players have been using to defeat critters, there is going to be some who feel twinges of "but that's not fair!"... but it doesn't mean it isn't fair. If anything those formerly mediocre groups now play like they ought to, given the Lore. If anyone wasn't here for the Fire attacks having a -Def component added to them, and you feel like seeing how arguments about how somebody doesn't listen to me play out I recommend spending some time with the search bar. Spoilers: The game didn't end in a fiery cataclysm.

Well.... there are Blaster secondaries which don't contain melee attacks... and it isn't like the Epic/Patron pools are brimming with melee attacks.

Also Deep Space 9, IIRC.

I think what I'm reading is that ever since the nerf to Tankers, that Dark/Dark Brutes are now the premium Herders, but only if they run Oppressive Gloom and Cloak of Fear.

^ This is my primary balance issue (with the Medicine pool, not the Sorcery pool)... even without considering the %proc, as a practical matter the %absorb is better than a heal (interruptable or not).

Regular FREEM! was a surprise, but it is not insurmountable problem. Less than 10 points of KB protection isn't going to cut it, and frankly as rare as 12+ KB used to be, sure I can imagine the surprise felt by other players. Have more than 10 points of KB protection but less than 20 points? I suggest crafting a SG temp power for 90 minutes of +10 points of KB protection. I also don't usually have "softcap" defenses... although I do on my main MM... but I don't think that FREEM! is an autohit. My point here is that this issue could seem worse because of the larger spawn sizes and the slightly more resistant enemies sticking around longer. Even Eochai learned a thing or two from players about how to slot Bonfire!

A failure of comprehension on my part: I don't understand the first comment in this thread about Jack E. TBH: I don't remember there being a personal option to increase "team size" in the original game at launch, except of course by teaming up. If the comment was about "times change"... I suppose I agree. If the comment was to make a point about how HC is forcing (or not requiring?) players to team up... particularly in in "High Level Council Missions"... I suppose I disagree. If the comment was some form of side-eye about how Homecoming's management deserves scorn by invoking a commonly used bête noir, I shrug in disbelief.

The Circle has always been debuffing, even if that one simple trick may be newly added to some enemies. I'm <shocked pikachu> that this is a surprise, given the range of content across which CoT appear and the relatively easy ways to tell that a character is being debuffed.

I say Blapper, because so much of the DPS potential from a Water/NRG is in the secondary Melee attacks: Energy Punch (melee, or pick Power Thrust) Power Thrust (melee, or pick Energy Punch) Build Up (More +Damage than Tidal Forces, I'd take both but only one of them early) Bone Smasher (melee) Energize (the sustain) Stun (melee) Power Boost (click self boost, don't overlook that a significant fraction of 'extra effects' are the stuns in the NRG melee attacks) Boost Range (click self boost, I suspect this was the power that made NRG look appealing to "range only") Total Focus (melee) I've played a variety of Blasters as Blappers, and also as Ranged-only. I have a few Ranged-only that went very light into the secondary. My cautious advice comes from a place of my recognition Water Blast is a great Ranged set (although I think Water Jet is still inferior!), but IMO relying only on the primary for ranged damage (with this combo) has issues: A huge amount of potential DPS is being left on the table The options for slotting different types of enhancement sets is going to be quite limited without taking secondary attacks... and if you take and slot them, they should be used! The control (stuns) from the NRG secondary are all melee, as opposed to other secondaries that offer ranged controls The NRG secondary doesn't offer any thing like a PBAoE should the player get surrounded by more than a couple enemy critters This is not me trying to yuck in anyone's yum: I can imagine a circumstance where a player wants to play a Blaster, and also wants to find a secondary where they can skip most of the secondary powers (I've done it!), maybe to focus more on the primary, maybe to slip in a LOT of power pool powers, or whatever. When I made the choice to make a Blaster that avoided (as much as possible) the melee attacks in a secondary, I found that a nearly identical version of the character played as a Sentinel performed 'better' than the Blaster variant. The AoE was worse, but the Sentinel doesn't care what the enemies try to do to him and he can stand his ground.

The post below was not directed at me, and I promise I'll try to steer my reply towards "high level (?) enemy revamps" (from thread title, I was assuming level 45+ content, but I don't know if that is really what the thread is entirely discussing) I don't know what the benchmark is for the average player, but for this (points to self) player: 1. For so much of the content, the "solutions" (i.e. how to complete the task) are both pretty well understood (by a LOT of people). Many of the "solutions" are common to most of the content, e.g. "button mashing" or "MOAR DAMAGE". 2. I am self-convinced of my ability (within CoX) to see that there are multiple different ways to approach content, such that I don't get agitated when I see someone doing something different. To use a classic bit of forum flame-bait: We never go long without someone starting a new thread about how some PUG has done something wrong on a Positron 1, Penny Yin, whatever trials. There are well-tested tactics, but there are different ways to approach those. The page 7 revamps of enemy groups have (obviously, points to existence of multiple instances of this thread) made at least one player feel like their comfortable "solution" to playing content that includes the Council (*1, I want to circle back to this group specifically) is no longer "solving the problem" in a satisfactory way? We can still button mash against the Council and it is IMO still a completely valid approach. This hasn't really changed. (*1) Calling out the Council specifically, along with no other suggestion than "roll them back" has biased me to think that a significant fraction of that feel is not driven by concerns about game balance. From my PoV, the only annoying elements of nuCouncil are (a) FREEM! breaking up my rhythm, (b) more enemies with better resists *sigh* (c) surprise at the Nictus-infused enemies doing Nictus tricks (as they always should have, IMO). As many have written... these are speed bumps, not brick walls. The recent updates to Circle of Thorns ought to be more problematic (ehem, Tar Patch), I believe they are likely not seen as problematic because the old MOAR DAMAGE solution still works fine against the nuCoT. When Crey got its round of updates (MOAR Taunts, Confuses, debuffs) it was a surprise, it made them harder to face, and nobody is calling for them to be "rolled back!" TL;DR. Perhaps I am dismissing concerns about nuCouncil because I believe I have "dug deeper" into the complex problem of nuCouncil and have found that whatever that problem is turns out to be incredibly shallow.

It's a bad (but typical) RNG. I do a fair share of solo Giant Monster hunting in the off-hours... and while I haven't exactly kept stats I can offer some fuzzy numbers since teh salvage went live: I've accumulated well over 1.2K Monstrous Aether ... This is hard to know for sure, as I've had to convert many because of the inventory cap, and while I am relatively certain that character wasn't holding any prismatics at the start, it has 130+ accumulated plus 900+ Monstrous) and 64 recipes from the GMs I've defeated. It isn't possible to say exactly how many Aethers cam from which GM, but if we average it to 2 per defeat, that would be 600+ monsters and 60+ recipes.