tidge

You have to put them back on the market, I sense a great unmet need for 53+5 pieces!

How invested are you in all those travel pool powers? If most of them are mules for LotG, you might want to look into the Concealment pool (that pool offers plenty of Defense set mules), and delay those picks until later. I can see the advantages to having a power with Kismet slotted on all the time, but whatever that power is would be one I slotted for Endurance cost as well.

"If you think I am talking about you, just remember I am talking about myself."

Some minor observations. On my Blasters, I have found myself replacing a 5-piece slotting of Sting of the Manticore with a (boosted) PVP Experienced Marksman set on the snipes that are available at low levels. I am aware of the different set bonuses, but because SotM is a 35-50 level set, I feel like the PVP set is generally a better one across more content (I always skip the "Fast Snipe" piece, as it costs too much in terms of power flexibility IMO). YMMV if you want to try to toss a %damage proc in it, Blasters don't really need %proc damage and the %proc rate will be pretty low anyway. I have not played with Atomic Manipulation as a set, but it looks to me like Beta Decay ought to be taken much earlier in the build. I can understand why Hasten is taken relatively early (although given the slotting of enhancement sets in the offensive powers, it looks like there is no problem with a smooth attack chain without Hasten) , but with Beta Decay at a (much) lower level you may not miss Hasten for the lower level content. I'd multi-slot it to reduce the Endurance cost. The sets it can take offer some useful buffs for Blasters (Damage, Endurance). I'm not sure how efficient the %proc will be in it as an aura, If I was single-slotting it I would use a level 53 Hami-O Enzyme in it... I appreciate %-res, but if it isn't reducing the number of power clicks I need to defeat spawns then I feel like it is wasted. Similarly, I see Ionize as the Build Up power that I would want available across more content, with more up-time. I can't offer a specific recommendation as I'm unsure of your attack chain and play style. Personally, I usually delay the Fighting pool power picks until late in the build, but even that is a rule I don't always follow. I won't argue against the benefits of Weave, but (especially with changes to damage typing) I rarely even toggle on Tough for most characters.

I have a StJ/SR scrapper and I wanted to see how the combo would play as a StJ/SR Stalker. Each is very satisfying, but I felt like the Stalker was a smoother leveling experience, This was all before the shift in the level of available powers. They were not radically different with complete builds. Each was satisfying to play.

Were they level 53 LotG, or Hami-Os?

Sorceress of the Winds: Remember our casuse. (sic)

I have been using Call to Justice for my "true blue" MM when fighting zone GMs. By the time I have found the next GM, it has usually recharged. It does slightly speed things up. Echo Dark Astoria's Adamastor can be knocked back to the grave in well under a minute when I use it. One word of caution, at least with Robots (who will stay at range) is to make sure the henchmen are close by when trigerring it.

I took the Crabbermind (+3 Incarnate Shift) to the Streets of Dark Astoria. each of the pet powers had a +3 Incarnate Shift. Summon Spiderlings, Call Reinforcements, Summon Blaster.

The AI was slightly different, recall the Fire Tankers who would level by simply walking around zones with DE Swarms. and of course the Invulnerability who couldn't move at all.

Part of why I ask: The collective mind-set of "give Tankers more %damage procs" to lean into larger AoE target caps will likely imply that those same AoE attacks won't be slotted near the 500% damage cap for level 50 Tankers (even with Build Up in play). Assault Radial is essentially "another %damage" that bypasses damage (buff) caps, but I'm starting to wonder if the larger AoE are offering more opportunities to keep the Hybrid Core stacked at +5. I consider %Energy to still be a pretty nice %damage proc, for many Tanker secondaries.

When will the nerfing of Brutes end??!?!?!!

I agree with everything in the quoted post, and offer my congratulations on it, yet I think the OP has a wee bit of wiggle room to offer a very specific complaint about Issue 27 page 5 and "power creep". I don't think the OP specifically identifies the single straw that has caused his pro-fun(?) back injury, but I do think it is fair to identify the Quality-of-Life changes specific to level ability of powers as a form of 'power creep'. Personally: I don't know what would motivate this as a complaint (assuming the complainer isn't an in-game NPC enemy). Nor do I think this is a bad change at all... as a player from Live (from the era when you had to take the Fitness pool, yeesh!), even when the level cap was raised I never like the waiting, then cramming, of marquee powers into a relatively tight span of levels. Of course, like much in Homecoming: no one is obligated to take powers per the new availability structure.

I have a question about the Hybrid recommendation: Assault Radial is the %double hit (Energy), which is a more obvious recommendation when the Tanker Damage Scales were Melee=0.8 and Range=0.5. Is it still the obvious choice when the Tanker Damage Scales were increased to Melee=0.95 and Range=0.8 in Issue 26 page 4?

Homecoming offers me plenty of options on a variety of axes, ranging from slow solo to rapid promotions, and gentle pummeling to "hard mode". I don't think I'd want to go back to the "live" environment.

I went Shield Defense/Battle Axe to do "pretty much" what you ask. I did not want to sacrifice completely on survivability, but there are slots that could be pulled (some Impervium Armor Psi Resists, possibly a Healing IO from True Grit, I know others don't mind skimping on Taunt slotting) without compromising too much on Endurance or Recharge bonuses (necessary to keep up the AoE attacks, including Shield Charge). For MAXIMUM DAMAGE, those slots should go into Build Up (to improve recharge... I don't think anything boosts a solo Tanker's Damage output as much as always using Build Up) This build does not include Hasten, nor does it include Epic/Patron pools. If the intent is only to play end-game content, I suppose some compromises (alternative choices) could be made on low-level attack slotting, but I think it would be necessary to sacrifice multiple powers and slots to leverage into more AoE attacks (such as from Leviathan Mastery). I briefly looked into Epic resistance debuffs but I didn't see anything that I felt would be up quickly enough to increase damage dealt. For me, I like having almost all my offense available for the the Penny Yin TF My current build: EDIT: I should remark, my attempts to "do as much damage as possible" should be interpreted (for this Tanker) as "fewest button mashes to defeat as many mobs as possible".

I suppose I can offer my own approaches (for level 50+ builds, not considering Incarnates). I will admit that I am not specifically min-maxing the total numbers (Accuracy in a power considering both slotting of that power, global Accuracy/ToHit boosts, toggle effects from other powers (Tactics, Invincibility, Link Minds, Mind Link, etc.). I mention this caveat because (1) My approach will lead to mathematically greater than 95% final ToHit for a lot of content, (2) I try to approach each "attack" in isolation mostly because I enjoy running low-level content with PUGmates at increased enemy difficulties. I should note: Some specific builds for some AT can make compromises on Accuracy slotting depending on playstyle and power choices. Thinking about my own roster: an Invulnerability/Energy Melee Tanker with ToHit slotting in Invincibility (e.g. a boosted 53 Hami-O: Cytoskeleton) who can keep itself surrounded with enemies may not have to worry too much about accuracy slotting for melee AoE. I do recommend having Build Up for those solo fights! I typically try to have a minimum of 125% 'accuracy' in the "%proctastic attacks". Most of this is typically coming from 50+ enhancement set slotting bonuses, most enhancement sets I slot include accuracy components, so they will typically have much higher than 125% at 50%. The purple sets I like often include a 15% global accuracy boost with 4 pieces. I will (almost) always have (boosted) Accuracy as the first choice of enhancement in a %damage proctastic AoE "attack", what I combine it with afterwards, "depends"... For melee, if the AT has a damage scale 1 or above, I generally use (boosted) Accuracy/Damage For melee, if the AT has a damage scale below 1, I generally use (boosted) Accuracy/Endurance (all praise to Rularuu for Multi-Strike Accuracy/Endurance existing!) For ranged cones, I start with (boosted) Accuracy/Range... unless the range of the cone would be wildly longer than other ranged powers. Special Note: many of my characters get a boosted Hami-O Accuracy/Range and a boosted D-Sync Damage/Range in their cones. If it is an AoE absorb type power, I try to use the Accuracy/Absorb... but those stay attuned because of set bonuses. If it otherwise doesn't matter and there is no benefit from Accuracy/recharge, I just use a common Invention Accuracy piece. In proctastic AoE "attacks" (quotes used because of powers like DNA Siphon) I generally find myself using a PVP set to get a secondary enhancement, as Purple sets generally don't offer Accuracy/Endurance combination. High-damage scale AT just lean into strait (not %proc) Damage Enhancement via Purple sets, except for ranged cones on Stalkers/Scrappers. Also there is an option to monitor ToHit bonus; i am usually monitoring that stat for debuffs.

I was going to use the Kismet piece as an example of misbranding/false (in-game) advertising in a recent "copyright infringement" thread, but because that Enhancement's title had been fixed it had to go onto the pile of never-to-be-used (counter) examples. I guess I'm stuck complaining that Icon won't outfit my characters with a "clanket". Seriously, can the city hall rep give me a clanket mission?

Ah, I was thinking of Mace Beam Volley. I should mention: I have KB->KD (via Overwhelming Force or Sudden Acceleration) in Pulse Rifle Blast, Photon Grenade, and Mace Beam Volley. My particular pre-page 5 build had (and used) each of these attacks to support the henchmen, the only change I made with those three powers (for Page 5) is to take them earlier in the build. They are still supporting the henchmen, just now the support is more necessary against AVs and GMs.

I can't speak to the /time portion, but a big part of the current Homecoming Robotics primary changes is that the -regen is now in the MM attacks and not in the Robots. If a Robotics MM isn't using their attacks, the fights will last longer. IIRC, each of the MM attacks can be slotted with some sort of %-res as well, which will also speed up (most) fights. EDIT: Fights against enemies with LOTS of HP will go on longer. You may not notice with scrubs.

@Troo Perhaps I imagined it (or more likely misremembered), but I am currently under the impression that the %damage (and %mezz) procs have some sort of reliance on Accuracy independent of base ToHit chance of the power cast at them (in addition to the %proc chance)... this is (from my memory) part of the reason was so a %damage proc in an "autohit power" would not be guaranteed to "hit" (beside factoring in the %proc rate). My Whirling Hands (tanker) slotting is much like your second choice. I like your choice of %-Restance, but I actually have the Superior Gauntleted Fist %Absorb in place of the %-Res (Invuln Tanker)

This just dropped, thanks WotC!

Interface is probably the Incarnate Slot that I craft the most different abilities for (on any given character), but I have to admit I don't really pay enough attention to what I'm doing. Even though I am a fan of adding -Res whenever possible, the "Resistance resists resistable resistance debuffs" always confuses me. I usually have Reactive on characters with AoE that don't have (easily) boostable damage, just to try to speed up defeats of scrubs. For characters that I take against GMs and AVs, I usually have Degenerative slotted for the MaxHP debuff. I could be wrong, but I have a vague memory that the -MaxHP is better (solo) against big sacks of HP than the -Regen from Diamagnetic. Maybe I leaned into it because teammates were typically using the other? After those, I usually just fool around with the other ones. Since interface is "always on", I usually craft more of those.

I appreciate the confirmation that the logical fallacy this current line of argument rests on is tu quoque.

I think folks ignore the analysis offered by @Krimson at their peril. I am generally seeing people back into comfortable(?) corners that are, from my PoV, indistinguishable from "somebody is doing something better than me, something needs to be done about that!" Even ignoring the variability from choices of primaries and secondaries, and the variability of power picks from those, and the variability of enhancement slotting options, the game offers beaucoup different types of "pummel AI-controlled spawns into pixels". I get the sense that folks are focused on some specific types of content while not considering all the other types of content the game offers, across a wide-variety of player levels. I appreciate that @Krimson explicitly called out fighting GMs with a Tanker, and all the extra effort that has to go into such an activity for a Tanker. Folks complaining about Tanker AoEs are essentially complaining about Tankers defeating minion-level scrubs. Is there more to the complaints than this?