CaptTastic

I think that's the absolute joy of this game - the journey. Start off fighting street crime, get powerful enough to take on organised villain groups, graduate to AVs, then hit the endgame and get to join the fight against inter-dimensional threats to mankind. It is for me, anyway. Right now, I am tootling along soloing the Crimson arc on my incarnate archer on just +1/x1. Zeus Titans are kicking my ass. It's a fight, and I'm loving it. To those who love to solo at +4/x8, what I am doing is probably madness, especially since I have access to any number of characters who could do just that. This archer is great though. If he was powerful enough to solo at max difficulty settings, I'd not love him because he'd not be the plucky underdog. He'd be the Galactic Empire, not the Rebel Alliance. This is about his level to be honest. Fighting highly organised crime, teaming to take down bigger threats, and joining an armada of heroes for the big Avengers End Game style stuff, where he will be a minor player at best. And I guess that is why CoH still works so many years after it was created. Some people want to play a Thor, some people want to play a Hawkeye, and everyone can do it.

I mean, don't get me wrong here. I really do prefer ranged characters and ply them 90% of the time. I have no specific love for Regen if truth be told. Just really commenting on the philosophy behind comparatively judging Regen, or any other set, to be honest. As far as I can ascertain, there is an assumed basis that soloing specific content on +4/x8 is a crucial benchmark for any given build's quality. I find that odd in a Massively multiplayer online game. I agree completely that 'fun' is a highly subjective concept, but surely so is 'playable'? I know I lot of people love to run x4/+8 content solo, and that is the buzz they crave. Fair enough. I have characters who can do that, but they one I play most is an Archery/TA blaster, who probably can't solo an ITF on maximum settings. I have on a fire/SR sentinel and a fire/NRG blaster, but that can't be a key metric for playability as I prefer playing the one who can't. Why is the ITF the benchmark too? That feels a bit odd to me too. All sets will perform against different foes in different ways. They all have their strengths and weaknesses. Put a fire-farmer in an ITF and they will not perform well in that test. Put them against fire damage and they will excel while sets with strong S/L resists burn. I am not criticising you or anyone else here, just want to stress that. All opinions are good and valid as far as I am concerned. I just can't help but think the original question has been lost. Is Regen worth playing? Yes. Definitively, comprehensively, inarguably the answer is yes. It's not universally playable across the entire player base, and the degree to which it is playable is dependant upon the individual player and what they want to get out of the game, but that just makes Regan the same as literally every single other powerset in CoX.

I’m just still trying to get my head around the supposed fact that being able to solo an ITF on maximum difficulty settings, the ease with which it’s possible, and the consistency with the theoretical data, is the new criteria for ‘playable’. I feel like we may have, somewhere along the line, lost sight of the soul of this game among an ever-thickening fog of spreadsheets.

I’ve got a SR/War Mace tank myself and they are absolutely glorious.

Must admit, I don’t see the need for Scorpion Shield on an archer. It’s the very definition of overkill. You don’t really have any need at all to be in melee range, so just cap ranged defence and pick up something more useful in epic power pools. Any other blaster and I swear by it, but not an A/TA.

Cimerorans are tough for many powersets though. Doesn't mean the powerset is weak, it means they are strong. I mean, I am not saying Regen is suddenly brilliant. That wasn't the question. Just saying that it is definitely worth playing. It's never going to be a top choice of someone who likes a more click-friendly toggle-up-and-play character, but I guess it would be boring if we all liked the same stuff. I can't stand Willpower, I find it mind-numbingly dull, but others love it. I dunno, maybe I am just old school but I still believe that while a good powerset can make a player, a good player can also make a powerset. For anyone who wants to make Regen work for them, it can and it's a powerset worth playing. For those who don't want to make Regan work, well it ever was worth playing, just like Willpower has never been worth playing for me.

It's a blaster thing. 🤣

Was +4/x8, although really that was +3 due to Alpha T3. One each against Carnies, Council, and CoT. Two AVs. Couldn't handle Inferno solo (due to the spike fire damage), but could take down Chimera (could handle his s/l attacks) Although, I guess being able to routinely take down AVs solo is not really that important to me in whether or not a set is worth playing. Admittedly, I know it's important to some though.

Well, just built a Mace/Regan Brute on test server and I don't know what there is not to love about it. Went with Force of Will power pool, got passive S/L defence to around 33%, and perma hastened, and a passive regen of around 95hp/sec. Pretty much ALWAYS have either Instant Healing, Unleash potential, or MoG up at all times (maybe around 10-15 seconds between cycles) When MoG was up: 15 secs of basically being untouchable, plus the 95hp/sec and 33% s/l defence When Instant Healing was up: 90 secs of 200+ hp/sec, plus 33% s/l defence When Unleash Potential was up: 60 secs of 45%+ s/l defence, 30% or so to everything else, 120hp/sec regen Also got passive healing all the time from Power Transfer and Panacea procs firing to boost regen even more. Reconstruction up every 15 secs if needed (I rarely did), and the option to go with Rebirth destiny and Melee hybrid to turbo charge regen even more, and a self-rez to pop bac up if you die (which I'm sure he would, but so does everything). Got to say, to answer the original question - YES, Regen is still worth playing. It won't be for everyone as it's very busy and high maintenance, but it feels no less survivable than any other set I've played to be perfectly honest.

Great minds! Every time I see a powerset trashed, I'm like... Literally can't help myself.

Same. Although I am thinking War Mace/Regen with Force of Will so stomp and crowd control can buy time for the regen to work.

Think conceptually it would be great if the Regen Self-Rez was on an almost instant recharge. That, for me, would give the set a much more concept-friendly hook. Yes, Regen isn’t the strongest set available, but that’s not really the point. CoH is joyous in its variation and the freedom it affords players in terms of imagination. Neither Deadpool nor Wolverine are the most powerful and regularly get their asses handed to them in fights. They die, it hurts, they get up again and go again. Know he’s not Regen but look at Captain America in the end of End Game. Taken a beating, his arm practically hanging off, yet gets up again to go another round with a Titan. Spider-Man probably literally loses more fights than he wins. He gets up. To many players, better doesn’t mean best. Strongest doesn’t mean only. Regen, and other sets like them that are in the lower half of the tiers in terms of strength, serve an important need for players to play, and be, the hero they want; to encapsulate the qualities they admire and honour the characters from superhero lore who have inspired them.

Pretty much! I actually find myself deliberately gimping him sometimes just to keep him on the underdog theme. 30% S/L resist from Dark Embrace in epic pool? Forget it. You’re getting 8.75% from body armour and you’ll be grateful for it! 😂

I actually asked this question because I was struggling with a dilemma myself, so big thanks for the answers. I’m not short on 50s, but there’s only one I love - my Archery/TA blaster Agincourt Prime. But for all I love him, he’s not my most powerful character. In fact he’s not even my most powerful blaster, for that matter. So there always has been a bit of guilt attached to playing him as it’s a self-indulgence. I can bring much more to a team than him, MUCH more, so feel like I’m not pulling enough weight if I play him instead. But actually, this thread has helped me realise I kind of love him BECAUSE he’s not the most powerful. He’s the smallest guy in the fight, the one trying to save the world from super powered maniacs with literally nothing more than a bow, a few arrows, and a plucky attitude. More to the point though, answers here have helped me realise it’s actually ok to love him for that.

Think it depends on how you intend to play your Sentinel. I mean, there is no NEED to go for the resistance caps on Sentinels because no one is relying on you for their own survival. In teams you won’t have enough aggro if you’re with a half decent tank or brute to need topped outlet resistances. Then again, if you’re planning on running ahead of a team, trying to be a pseudo tank, or cracking difficulty up to +4/x8 and soloing, then yes, resistances matter then. Generally Sentinels just need to be able to look after themselves. That said, it’s much easier to build for extra resistance than extra damage, so you’ll likely get more bang for your buck in terms of measurable difference if you build for resistance. Speaking personally, I’d be building for recharge and resistance (and a little defence too) but I’d not be obsessing over hitting the resistance soft cap.

Why the hell have I never tried a Fortunata? This is part of my struggle tbh. I think I love a character, then I read the forums and my head gets turned 😂🙈

The struggle with altitis is real, yet the love for a main never dies. Just wondering how many among us have found that forever character that will always be special for you above all others and played considerably more? And, if so, what was it that made it special? Power set combos? Play style? Costume/looks? Sentimentality? Very curious to learn.

Don't think you need the second hold and the chain heal tbh. The heal will only heal for around 10-12% tops. Think if you are trying to build more of a higher damage controller rather than Sentinel, it could fit thematically, but don't think that heal is ever going to change the course of a bad situation. In truth, think Elec3 does enough AoE control out of the box to be described as a hybrid AT of sorts, without needing to build for extra. Stacking holds are great for trollers/doms/blasters, but a Sentinel can easily stand toe-to-toe with a boss without needing to worry about him. As an Elec3 that boss will likely not have any endurance to able to attack you anyway. Chain Fences is a great power, though. Quick recharge, does a little damage, and works great with Lightning Field as it keeps them in the end drain (Chain Fences does end drain in its own right too)

Think a lot of it depends on playstyle tbh. I always find that in CoX one person’s perfect combination is another’s terrible. That’s the true genius of the game I think. I have/have had all three fire blast combinations mentioned by the OP, and they are all superb but they play very differently. FIRE/KIN: The fast and frantic ‘seat of your pants’ self-buffing damage monster. It is a wrecking ball of pure damage, but it takes a lot of work to operate it well. FIRE/RAD: I mained a Fire/Rad corruptor on live and it’s amazing when facing a tough foe like an AV or GM. That’s when you’ll really feel your value. It’s okay in general play too, but mobs tend to be dead before they’re debuffed, so it can feel quite slow and one-dimensional in teams. FIRE/DARK: It’s probably the sweet spot between the two extremes. It brings good utility to teams in general play and can make a difference against stronger foes too. Neither frantic nor slow, just steady. For me personally and my playstyle, it has the best variation so was the most fun to play.

Practiced Brawler: Clicky power and, I believe, stackable with enough recharge, but you have to actively maintain it. Master Brawler: Same mezz protection (minus the potential stacking) with it simply being ported over to your existing toggles, meaning you no longer have to maintain it. You also get a clickable absorb shield. It's a no-brainer really. As @Bill Z Bubbasaid, Master Brawler is the version all SR sets should have really.

Yup, Sentinel Tesla Cage is just another gravy entirely to the blaster version. Good base damage and it can take as many procs as you want to put into it.

Elec Blast is definitely a better set on Sentinels than it is on Blasters. If you properly proc out Tesla Cage and Dominate (Psi Mastery) you will not be lacking for ST damage at all on a Sentinel. In fact it would probably be at least comparable recycling them with Zapping Bolt. While Thunderous Blast won't hit the spike damage of blaster, it is up twice as often, albeit affecting fewer targets. Sentinels are always a trade-off on spike damage and number targets in terms of AoE. That said, a blaster recycling Lightning Bolt, Zapp, and their version on Tesla Cage (procced) would probably be outdone by a Sentinel with advanced slotting who takes Psi Mastery. I have both an Elec3 Sentinel and an Elec3 Blaster and far far FAR prefer the Sentinel. It's a much more complete build.

Been a while since this thread was updated and figured more people have a lot more experience now (I know I have) so was worth reviving. Elec/Elec/Elec: Superb resist, reasonable defence with clever investment, good single target damage and a good level of soft control. A real Swiss Army knife of a Sentinel. Psy/Invul/Psi: Invul is brilliant with anything, but Psy Blast has good proc potential, a good nuke, and scramble thoughts is a delight. Rad/NRG/Psi: A bit of a surprise star this one. NRG secondary is a lovely set and quick animating rotation of irradiate —> psychic shockwave —> nuke —> irradiate —> psychic shockwave is delicious.

Well AVs don’t, in my experience at least, require anything more than enough recharge to cycle your biggest attacks and enough survivability to last the fight. They’ll resist just about all the -tohit from dark. Opportunity becomes an underrated asset against an AV. I’ve successfully solo’d, for example, an ITF on a fire/sr Sentinel which are probably the two most basic click-and-go sets around. Others have done similar far more impressively than me too. But yes, I’d say dark/rad would be a good combo generally. A good PBAOE punch, good survivability, and a lot of proc potential. I must confess though that I’ve never played on so my opinion is based solely on the theory.

I’d recommend Resist sets for Dark Blast synergy. On defence sets you’re likely going to be shooting for the def cap anyway, so resist sets make the most of the -tohit. I think a secondary with a strong PBAOE also works great with Dark Blast as you can fire off a good one-two punch with the nuke. So /fire and /Rad would be great choices. As for Elec Blast, it’s hard to look past /Elec and /NRG. I have a Elec/Elec/Elec and he’s a beast, but the sapping + defence of Elec/NRG sounds brilliant. No endurance means fewer attacks, and that’s really maximises a defence set. It depends what you want out of your Sentinel though. If you’re looking to show off a bit and run ahead like the guy you mentioned in the ITF, you’ll need a sturdy old Sentinel. Invul would be a great choice then, and /fire wouldn’t be.