Two Dollar Bill

On the subject of Force Field being obsolete at high levels... If you're a Force Field Defender and your whole team already has soft-capped defenses, you are not much of an asset. However, the Force Field Mastermind does have an additional set of constituents: your pets. Your robot minions may really benefit from those defense buffs even if your teammates don't.

When you're doing high-level missions you will encounter an increasing number of teammates who have already soft-capped their defenses and they will gain nothing from your bubbles. But I can also say that a lot of my 50s are quite squishy and would never say no to a defense buff. I wouldn't change secondaries over that, but if you find Force Field too passive and boring, you might consider changing to something more active. You can always roll up an alt and run a few rounds of Death From Below and see how the other power sets play.

Support can take a lot of forms. A Soldier of Archnos can give everyone on the team +20% defense and +30% damage just by staying close to them while fighting. It doesn't feel like you're playing a support character, but those buffs make a difference. I've played a few Corruptors and I have to say that Scourge is kinda trash. If you actively try to seek out near-dead targets, some DPS character will kill them before you can unload, or you overkill them and waste your damage. The only time it really feels useful is against giant monsters, arch-villains and things that can spend a lot of time in that almost-dead health range. I much prefer Defenders. I do like support characters that can use targeted heals because you really get the feeling that you're making a difference when you see a teammate's health bar refill. Even my mostly-Human Peacebringer has 6-slotted Glowing Touch so he can be the team empath in a pinch. On the other hand, a lot of teams just don't need healing these days, so you definitely need to have other powers that are fun. My favorite support character is an Illusion/Pain Controller with Sorcery. This setup provides you with a comprehensive toolbox of varied support powers to fine-tune the performance of your team, even if your own DPS is... not so good. You throw out Phantom Army and/or Spectral Terror and let them do their thing, then you look at what the team needs. You can magnify the damage of DPS characters with your buffs, neutralize specific targets with Confuse or Hold, and your multiple heals mean that you can keep multiple damage-prone teammates in the fight. If the situation is especially dire you can play this character with zero aggro by staying invisible, attacking with confuse, and just healing and buffing non-stop. The freedom from aggro allows you to use Share Pain as much as you have to for truly epic feats of healing. This character isn't amazing solo, but you can stealth right to the end of many missions and those damage buffs can make your Phantasm pretty mean.

Your pets are your real weapons, but you don't have to just sit and watch them fight. You can increase your damage by micro-managing your pets using macros. Make sure they're attacking the most critical targets. Give them targets in the middle of groups where their AoE will do the most damage. Make sure they don't run off and aggro additional groups. Fine tune how many are on bodyguard duty. Because beam rifle attacks inflict such puny damage, they're a good candidate for delivering procs. The Annihilation IO set has a Resist Debuff proc which you can slot in Photon Grenade or some pool powers, and it can actually make your robots inflict more damage, if you soften up their target for them.

I don't think you really need two filler attacks, especially with Hasten and lots of +Recharge. I'd ditch Longfang. Suppression is really an iconic attack and it's a huge AoE, which you can make even more huge by slotting it for range.

As long as you're running lots of Leadership toggles and blasting everything with debuffs, you're doing your part for the team. It's actually a pretty low bar in design terms and you can accomplish it many different ways. I'd just experiment and see what's fun. You may find that Omega Maneuver is quite difficult to use on teams because people will just steamroll right through while you're patiently waiting for it to work. The only thing I would suggest you change is... Crabs can soft-cap all their positional defenses without breaking a sweat, and it's definitely worth doing, even if you have to choose some set bonuses with less recharge. My own Crab here is a substantially different take on the team-friendly build.

My favorite VEAT is my Crab Spider. I think the secret to what makes him fun is that he's tough without being boring. Great survivability and status protection without the need to chase down mobs and punch them. A Crab can jump in to melee along-side the Tanker or blast from long range as the situation demands. Although he can't taunt, his crowd control (mostly knockdown) is actually not too bad. A VEAT's Leadership buffs may not be fun, but they definitely contribute to what makes them great.

Thanks for responding. I seem to like to play unpopular power set combos that nobody wants to discuss! I guess the Thermal version of Rise of the Phoenix probably is the worst resurrect in the game, since you're always dealing with the long recharge and high endurance cost of the nuke, even if you can't enjoy the benefits of it. I slotted it heavily to deal with those costs, and also to get some set bonuses. Though, it probably would be better to put those slots elsewhere and keep a day job resurrect charged up for rescues when there's no benefit to the nuke, or when I don't have 60% of my endurance bar to burn. People definitely don't send "zzz" in chat when they get mezzed like they used to, but since "buff dispenser" is in the job description for Thermal, I don't mind using it proactively every 90 seconds on whatever fraction of the party needs it (looking at you, Kheldians). Considering how powerful it can be with zero extra slots, I feel a bit guilty leaving it until 30th. I am taking the pets late because if I exemplar really low I think buffing and healing are more critical skills. When I was actually leveling up I did take the pets early and the shields later. I admit my slotting of Melt Armor doesn't really accomplish anything with the IO set. I had a vague notion of giving it some procs and then didn't do it. I could move it later in the build order, though I suspect I may need some help from incarnate powers to help with the endurance cost of all those leadership toggles, which is why I left them all bunched up at the end. If Melt Armor is lackluster, maybe I should consider losing Crack Whip. It's just about impossible to get a decent AoE with it and it rarely knocks anyone down.

I chose this power set combination for thematic reasons and never had any clear plan what his build would look like at 50. Currently 32nd level and in need of a respec, maybe it's time to figure it out. This is a team character and definitely an alt. It may take some time to get the ATOs, and I'm never planning to get any purple sets. I don't generally do any complicated pet wrangling; I just leave most of my pets in bodyguard mode and go smack the nearest target with whip attacks until I get some aggro. If I suddenly need to switch to healing mode, I'd rather not have them running around chasing things. I didn't really see any Primary or Secondary powers that I thought I could skip, so I got them all! This limited my ability to get things like Tough and Weave. Villain Plan by Mids' Reborn : Hero Designer 2.7.2.10 https://github.com/Crytilis/mids-reborn-hero-designer Click this DataLink to open the build! Bernael 210329: Level 50 Magic Mastermind Primary Power Set: Demon Summoning Secondary Power Set: Thermal Radiation Power Pool: Teleportation Power Pool: Leadership Ancillary Pool: Field Mastery Villain Profile: Level 1: Corruption -- Dcm-Acc/Dmg:40(A), Dcm-Dmg/EndRdx:40(3), Dcm-Dmg/Rchg:40(3), Dcm-Acc/EndRdx/Rchg:40(40), Dcm-Acc/Dmg/Rchg:40(43), Dcm-Build%:40(46) Level 1: Warmth -- DctWnd-Heal/EndRdx:50(A), DctWnd-EndRdx/Rchg:50(5), DctWnd-Heal/Rchg:50(5), DctWnd-Heal/EndRdx/Rchg:50(39), DctWnd-Heal:50(39) Level 2: Lash -- FrcFdb-Acc/KB:50(A), FrcFdb-Rchg/KB:50(7), FrcFdb-Rchg/EndRdx:50(7), FrcFdb-Dmg/EndRdx/KB:50(48), FrcFdb-Rechg%:50(48) Level 4: Cauterize -- Prv-Heal:50(A), Prv-Heal/EndRdx:50(9), Prv-EndRdx/Rchg:50(9), Prv-Heal/Rchg:50(23), Prv-Heal/Rchg/EndRdx:50(23), Prv-Absorb%:50(33) Level 6: Teleport -- WntGif-RunSpd/Jump/Fly/Rng:50(A), WntGif-RunSpd/Jump/Fly/Rng/EndRdx:50(11), WntGif-ResSlow:50(11), BlsoftheZ-Travel:50(40), BlsoftheZ-Travel/EndRdx:50(43) Level 8: Crack Whip -- PstBls-Acc/Dmg:50(A), PstBls-Dmg/EndRdx:50(13), PstBls-Dmg/Rchg:50(13), PstBls-Acc/Dmg/EndRdx:50(43), PstBls-Dam%:50(48) Level 10: Plasma Shield -- ResDam-I:50(A), ResDam-I:50(15) Level 12: Fire Shield -- ResDam-I:50(A), ResDam-I:50(17) Level 14: Recall Friend -- BlsoftheZ-ResKB:50(A) Level 16: Power of the Phoenix -- DctWnd-Heal/EndRdx:50(A), DctWnd-EndRdx/Rchg:50(31), DctWnd-Heal/Rchg:50(40), DctWnd-Heal/EndRdx/Rchg:50(46), DctWnd-Rchg:50(50) Level 18: Summon Demonlings -- SprCmmoft-Acc/Dmg:50(A), SprCmmoft-Dmg/EndRdx:50(19), SprCmmoft-Acc/Dmg/Rchg:50(19), SprCmmoft-Dmg/EndRdx/Rchg:50(33), SprCmmoft-Acc/Dmg/EndRdx/Rchg:50(33), SprCmmoft-Rchg/PetAoEDef:50(34) Level 20: Summon Demons -- SprMarofS-Dmg:50(A), SprMarofS-Dmg/EndRdx:50(21), SprMarofS-Acc/Dmg:50(21), SprMarofS-Acc/EndRdx:50(34), SprMarofS-Acc/Dmg/EndRdx:50(34), SprMarofS-EndRdx/+Resist/+Regen:50(36) Level 22: Enchant Demon -- EndRdx-I:50(A) Level 24: Hell on Earth -- ExpRnf-Acc/Rchg:50(A), ExpRnf-Acc/Dmg:50(25), ExpRnf-Acc/Dmg/Rchg:50(25), ExpRnf-EndRdx/Dmg/Rchg:50(29), ExpRnf-+Res(Pets):50(31), CaltoArm-+Def(Pets):30(31) Level 26: Summon Demon Prince -- SvrRgh-Acc/Dmg:50(A), SvrRgh-Dmg/EndRdx:50(27), SvrRgh-Acc/EndRdx:50(27), SvrRgh-Acc/Dmg/EndRdx:50(37), SvrRgh-Acc:50(37), SvrRgh-PetResDam:50(37) Level 28: Forge -- GssSynFr--ToHit/Rchg:50(A), GssSynFr--ToHit/Rchg/EndRdx:50(29) Level 30: Thaw -- Range-I:50(A) Level 32: Abyssal Empowerment -- EndRdx-I:50(A) Level 35: Heat Exhaustion -- Acc-I:50(A), RechRdx-I:50(36), EndRdx-I:50(36) Level 38: Melt Armor -- AnlWkn-Acc/Rchg:50(A), AnlWkn-DefDeb/EndRdx/Rchg:50(39), AnlWkn-Acc/Rchg/EndRdx:50(45), AnlWkn-%ToHit:50(46) Level 41: Temp Invulnerability -- Ags-ResDam/EndRdx:50(A), Ags-ResDam/EndRdx/Rchg:50(42), Ags-ResDam:50(42), Ags-Psi/Status:50(42) Level 44: Maneuvers -- LucoftheG-Def/EndRdx:50(A), LucoftheG-Def:50(45), LucoftheG-Def/Rchg+:50(45) Level 47: Assault -- EndRdx-I:50(A) Level 49: Tactics -- GssSynFr--ToHit:50(A), GssSynFr--ToHit/EndRdx:50(50), GssSynFr--Build%:50(50) Level 1: Brawl -- Empty(A) Level 1: Prestige Power Dash -- Empty(A) Level 1: Prestige Power Slide -- Empty(A) Level 1: Prestige Power Quick -- Empty(A) Level 1: Prestige Power Rush -- Empty(A) Level 1: Prestige Power Surge -- Empty(A) Level 1: Sprint -- Clr-Stlth:50(A) Level 1: Supremacy Level 2: Rest -- Empty(A) Level 4: Ninja Run Level 2: Swift -- Run-I:50(A) Level 2: Health -- Mrc-Rcvry+:40(A), NmnCnv-Regen/Rcvry+:50(17) Level 2: Hurdle -- Jump-I:50(A) Level 2: Stamina -- PrfShf-EndMod:50(A), PrfShf-End%:50(15) Level 18: Cold Demonling Level 18: Fiery Demonling Level 18: Hellfire Demonling Level 20: Ember Demon Level 20: Hellfire Gargoyle Level 26: Demon Prince ------------

What do you want your character to do? My build hangs back and has a heavier focus on buffs and heals. Mickmick's build can play more offensively and would be better soloing. A few random thoughts on Plant/Nature: - Spirit Tree is really weak and teams don't stand in one place long enough to enjoy the effect anyway. - Lifegiving Spores is better, but still has the same problem. Even if your team knows what that grassy patch does, they're not going to take a break and bask in its rejuvenating glow, they're just going to steamroll forward and gain no benefits. - Rebirth, on the other hand, makes a good single-target heal even if nobody needs a resurrect. It's slow to recharge but it does deliver the instant healing punch that your other healing powers lack. - If you want a power that works great without any added slots (say, to replace Spirit Tree) take Spore Cloud. You might go through most missions without using it, but it will really prove its worth in those tough AV fights. - I'm tempted to respec out of Entangling Aura since it costs a lot of endurance just to hold minions, but if you prefer a more aggressive melee style, it may be useful for delivering procs, and every bit of hold you can stack on a boss may help.

This is my own Plant/Nature Controller, and he's been running around with this build that has basically zero defense for a long time. Regrowth with a range IO in it creates a huge healing cone and that pretty-much dictates where my character stands during combat... in the back, with the rest of the team in that healing cone. If I were to make one major change in my next respec, it would be to 6-slot Seeds of Confusion for better performance and a bigger cone. I find that I rely on it a lot more than I expected when I originally build the character. Hero Plan by Mids' Reborn : Hero Designer 2.7.2.10 https://github.com/Crytilis/mids-reborn-hero-designer Click this DataLink to open the build! Green Revolutionary 201121: Level 50 Mutation Controller Primary Power Set: Plant Control Secondary Power Set: Nature Affinity Power Pool: Leaping Power Pool: Teleportation Power Pool: Speed Power Pool: Fighting Ancillary Pool: Psionic Mastery Hero Profile: Level 1: Entangle -- SprWiloft-Acc/Conf/Hold/Immob/Sleep/Stun/Fear:50(A), SprWiloft-EndRdx/Rchg:50(3), SprWiloft-Acc/Conf/Hold/Immob/Sleep/Stun/Fear/EndRdx:50(25), SprWiloft-Acc/Conf/Hold/Immob/Sleep/Stun/Fear/EndRdx/Rchg:50(31), SprWiloft-Rchg/Dmg%:50(33) Level 1: Corrosive Enzymes -- Acc-I:50(A) Level 2: Regrowth -- DctWnd-Heal/EndRdx:50(A), DctWnd-EndRdx/Rchg:50(3), DctWnd-Heal/Rchg:50(5), DctWnd-Heal/EndRdx/Rchg:50(5), DctWnd-Rchg:50(34), Range-I:50(34) Level 4: Strangler -- GhsWdwEmb-Acc/Rchg:50(A), GhsWdwEmb-EndRdx/Hold:50(7), GhsWdwEmb-Acc/EndRdx:50(7), GhsWdwEmb-Acc/Hold/Rchg:50(36), GhsWdwEmb-Dam%:50(37) Level 6: Roots -- SprOvrPrs-Acc/Conf/Hold/Immob/Sleep/Stun/Fear:50(A), SprOvrPrs-EndRdx/Rchg:50(9), SprOvrPrs-Acc/Conf/Hold/Immob/Sleep/Stun/Fear/EndRdx:50(9), SprOvrPrs-Acc/Conf/Hold/Immob/Sleep/Stun/Fear/EndRdx/Rchg:50(37), SprOvrPrs-Rchg/Energy Font:50(39) Level 8: Seeds of Confusion -- MlsIll-Acc/Rchg:50(A), MlsIll-Conf/Rng:50(11), MlsIll-Acc/Conf/Rchg:50(11) Level 10: Super Jump -- WntGif-RunSpd/Jump/Fly/Rng:50(A), WntGif-RunSpd/Jump/Fly/Rng/EndRdx:50(13), WntGif-ResSlow:50(13), EndRdx-I:50(43) Level 12: Wild Growth -- ImpArm-ResDam/Rchg:40(A), ImpArm-ResDam/EndRdx/Rchg:40(15), ImpArm-ResDam:40(15), ImpArm-ResPsi:40(37), UnbGrd-Max HP%:50(43), Ags-Psi/Status:50(45) Level 14: Recall Friend -- BlsoftheZ-ResKB:50(A) Level 16: Hasten -- RechRdx-I:50(A), RechRdx-I:50(17) Level 18: Vines -- GhsWdwEmb-Acc/Rchg:50(A), GhsWdwEmb-EndRdx/Hold:50(19), GhsWdwEmb-Acc/EndRdx:50(19), GhsWdwEmb-Acc/Hold/Rchg:50(40), GhsWdwEmb-Dam%:50(40) Level 20: Wild Bastion -- Prv-Heal:50(A), Prv-Heal/EndRdx:50(21), Prv-EndRdx/Rchg:50(21), Prv-Heal/Rchg:50(34), Prv-Heal/Rchg/EndRdx:50(40), Prv-Absorb%:50(50) Level 22: Spore Cloud -- EndRdx-I:50(A) Level 24: Boxing -- Acc-I:50(A) Level 26: Carrion Creepers -- PstBls-Acc/Dmg:50(A), PstBls-Dmg/EndRdx:50(27), PstBls-Dmg/Rchg:50(27), PstBls-Acc/Dmg/EndRdx:50(43), PstBls-Dam%:50(46), Bmbdmt-+FireDmg:50(50) Level 28: Rebirth -- DctWnd-Heal/EndRdx:50(A), DctWnd-EndRdx/Rchg:50(29), DctWnd-Heal/Rchg:50(29), DctWnd-Heal/EndRdx/Rchg:50(45), DctWnd-Rchg:50(45) Level 30: Tough -- ImpArm-ResDam/EndRdx:40(A), ImpArm-ResDam/EndRdx/Rchg:40(31), ImpArm-ResDam:40(31), ImpArm-ResPsi:40(42) Level 32: Fly Trap -- ExpRnf-Acc/Dmg:50(A), ExpRnf-Dmg/EndRdx:50(33), ExpRnf-Acc/Dmg/Rchg:50(33), ExpRnf-EndRdx/Dmg/Rchg:50(46) Level 35: Entangling Aura -- GhsWdwEmb-Acc/Rchg:50(A), GhsWdwEmb-EndRdx/Hold:50(36), GhsWdwEmb-Acc/EndRdx:50(36), GhsWdwEmb-Acc/Hold/Rchg:50(46), EndRdx-I:50(50) Level 38: Overgrowth -- AdjTrg-ToHit/Rchg:50(A), AdjTrg-ToHit/EndRdx/Rchg:50(39), AdjTrg-EndRdx/Rchg:50(39), AdjTrg-ToHit/EndRdx:50(48), AdjTrg-Rchg:50(48) Level 41: Weave -- LucoftheG-Def/EndRdx:50(A), LucoftheG-Def/Rchg+:50(42), LucoftheG-Def/EndRdx/Rchg:50(42), ShlWal-ResDam/Re TP:50(48) Level 44: Indomitable Will -- LucoftheG-Def/Rchg+:50(A) Level 47: Mind Over Body -- EndRdx-I:50(A) Level 49: Teleport -- BlsoftheZ-ResKB:50(A) Level 1: Brawl -- Empty(A) Level 1: Containment Level 1: Prestige Power Dash -- Empty(A) Level 1: Prestige Power Slide -- Empty(A) Level 1: Prestige Power Quick -- Empty(A) Level 1: Prestige Power Rush -- Empty(A) Level 1: Prestige Power Surge -- Empty(A) Level 1: Sprint -- Clr-Stlth:50(A) Level 2: Rest -- Empty(A) Level 4: Ninja Run Level 2: Swift -- Run-I:50(A) Level 2: Health -- Mrc-Rcvry+:40(A), NmnCnv-Regen/Rcvry+:50(17), Pnc-Heal/+End:50(23) Level 2: Hurdle -- Jump-I:50(A) Level 2: Stamina -- PrfShf-EndMod:50(A), PrfShf-End%:50(23), EndMod-I:50(25) ------------

I know everyone was anxiously awaiting more discussion of Robot/Sonic builds! Okay, fine, nobody plays this combo but me. So what makes this version new and improved? Well, instead of just doubling down on damage resistance, this version tries to avoid getting hit by soft-capping smashing/lethal defense. It also gives up some recharge and handles endurance better. Villain Plan by Mids' Reborn : Hero Designer 2.7.2.10 https://github.com/Crytilis/mids-reborn-hero-designer Click this DataLink to open the build! Doctor Legion 210309: Level 50 Technology Mastermind Primary Power Set: Robotics Secondary Power Set: Sonic Resonance Power Pool: Flight Power Pool: Teleportation Power Pool: Leadership Ancillary Pool: Mace Mastery Villain Profile: Level 1: Pulse Rifle Blast -- Dcm-Dmg/EndRdx:40(A), Dcm-Dmg/Rchg:40(3), Dcm-Acc/EndRdx/Rchg:40(3), Dcm-Acc/Dmg/Rchg:40(5) Level 1: Sonic Siphon -- Acc-I:50(A) Level 2: Pulse Rifle Burst -- KntCrs-Acc/KB:50(A), KntCrs-Dmg/EndRdx/KB:50(19), KntCrs-Acc/Dmg/KB:50(19), KntCrs-Rechg/EndRdx:50(29) Level 4: Fly -- WntGif-RunSpd/Jump/Fly/Rng:50(A), WntGif-RunSpd/Jump/Fly/Rng/EndRdx:50(7), WntGif-ResSlow:50(7), EndRdx-I:50(37) Level 6: Sonic Barrier -- ImpArm-ResDam/EndRdx:40(A), ImpArm-ResDam/Rchg:40(9), ImpArm-ResDam:40(9), ImpArm-ResPsi:40(36), StdPrt-ResDam/Def+:30(45) Level 8: Sonic Haven -- ImpArm-ResDam/EndRdx:40(A), ImpArm-ResDam/Rchg:40(11), ImpArm-ResDam:40(11), ImpArm-ResPsi:40(36), GldArm-3defTpProc:50(45) Level 10: Battle Drones -- SprCmmoft-Acc/Dmg:50(A), SprCmmoft-Dmg/EndRdx:50(13), SprCmmoft-Acc/Dmg/Rchg:50(13), SprCmmoft-Dmg/EndRdx/Rchg:50(33), SprCmmoft-Acc/Dmg/EndRdx/Rchg:50(33), SprCmmoft-Rchg/PetAoEDef:50(33) Level 12: Protector Bots -- SvrRgh-Acc/Dmg:50(A), SvrRgh-Acc/Dmg/EndRdx:50(15), SvrRgh-Acc:50(15), SvrRgh-PetResDam:50(34), ExpRnf-+Res(Pets):50(34), DefBuff-I:50(34) Level 14: Equip Robot -- EndRdx-I:50(A) Level 16: Photon Grenade -- Stp-Acc/Rchg:50(A), Stp-EndRdx/Stun:50(17), Stp-Acc/EndRdx:50(17), Stp-Stun/Rng:50(39), Stp-Acc/Stun/Rchg:50(42), Stp-KB%:50(43) Level 18: Repair -- RechRdx-I:50(A) Level 20: Sonic Dispersion -- UnbGrd-ResDam:50(A), UnbGrd-ResDam/EndRdx:50(21), UnbGrd-EndRdx/Rchg:50(21), UnbGrd-Rchg/ResDam:50(23), UnbGrd-ResDam/EndRdx/Rchg:50(25), UnbGrd-Max HP%:50(25) Level 22: Disruption Field -- EndRdx-I:50(A), EndRdx-I:50(23) Level 24: Recall Friend -- BlsoftheZ-ResKB:50(A) Level 26: Assault Bot -- SprMarofS-Dmg:50(A), SprMarofS-Dmg/EndRdx:50(27), SprMarofS-Acc/Dmg:50(27), SprMarofS-Acc/EndRdx:50(31), SprMarofS-Acc/Dmg/EndRdx:50(31), SprMarofS-EndRdx/+Resist/+Regen:50(31) Level 28: Sonic Repulsion -- EndRdx-I:50(A), EndRdx-I:50(29) Level 30: Air Superiority -- Acc-I:50(A) Level 32: Upgrade Robot -- EndRdx-I:50(A) Level 35: Scorpion Shield -- Rct-Def:50(A), Rct-Def/EndRdx:50(40), Rct-EndRdx/Rchg:50(40), Rct-Def/Rchg:50(40), Rct-Def/EndRdx/Rchg:50(42), Rct-ResDam%:50(50) Level 38: Liquefy -- Lck-Acc/Hold:50(A), Lck-Acc/Rchg:50(39), Lck-%Hold:50(39), Lck-Rchg/Hold:50(42), Lck-EndRdx/Rchg/Hold:50(43), Lck-Acc/EndRdx/Rchg/Hold:50(43) Level 41: Clarity -- RechRdx-I:50(A) Level 44: Maneuvers -- LucoftheG-Def/EndRdx:50(A), LucoftheG-Def/EndRdx/Rchg:50(45), LucoftheG-Def/Rchg+:50(46), ShlWal-ResDam/Re TP:50(46), EndRdx-I:50(46) Level 47: Tactics -- GssSynFr--ToHit:50(A), GssSynFr--ToHit/Rchg:50(48), GssSynFr--ToHit/Rchg/EndRdx:50(48), GssSynFr--Rchg/EndRdx:50(48), GssSynFr--ToHit/EndRdx:50(50), GssSynFr--Build%:50(50) Level 49: Afterburner -- LucoftheG-Def/Rchg+:50(A) Level 1: Brawl -- Empty(A) Level 1: Prestige Power Dash -- Empty(A) Level 1: Prestige Power Slide -- Empty(A) Level 1: Prestige Power Quick -- Empty(A) Level 1: Prestige Power Rush -- Empty(A) Level 1: Prestige Power Surge -- Empty(A) Level 1: Sprint -- Clr-Stlth:50(A) Level 1: Supremacy Level 2: Rest -- Empty(A) Level 4: Ninja Run Level 2: Swift -- Empty(A) Level 2: Health -- Mrc-Rcvry+:40(A), NmnCnv-Regen/Rcvry+:50(5), Pnc-Heal/+End:50(37) Level 2: Hurdle -- Empty(A) Level 2: Stamina -- PrfShf-EndMod:50(A), PrfShf-End%:50(36), EndMod-I:50(37) Level 26: Assault Bot Level 10: Battle Drone Level 12: Protector Bot ------------

I do have a Pain Domination Corruptor, but he doesn't get much play. I actually prefer my Illusion/Pain Controller. I also like Pain (or Thermal) as a Mastermind secondary because you can use the buffs and heals to solo, and if you're in a situation where pets just don't work, you can hang back and play healer. I never skip Share Pain. When I take Pain Domination, even as a secondary, I'm playing a healer and I want to be good at it. Share Pain lets you heal two different teammates faster than Soothe can recharge, or you can pump one teammate with so much health that they can survive almost anything. Share Pain can get you killed, but it can be used from a safe distance in most cases, and if I'm spamming heals that fast, I'm probably making very few attacks and not creating much aggro. Share Pain also works just fine with minimal slotting. Actually, the amount of healing it can do with no extra slots is remarkable. I normally skip the healing aura, Suppress Pain, because the heal is very weak.

Since you have all the other components of the ninja alpha-striker, have you tried Placate? It lets you get more bang for your sneak attack buck, and can even be used as a defensive power for when you really wish Bane Spiders had a self-heal. Of course I'm not sure where you would put it on your hotbar... you've already got 8 attacks plus Surveillance! Do you really use all of those in a typical fight?

I normally do slot the Controller ATOs in core powers, even if the powers can inflict damage. Since my Controllers basically never solo, I slot for control, or for set bonuses, and not so much for DPS.

Since you don't need Weave to soft-cap your positional defenses, I did have a hypothetical build that ditched Fighting. However, I really like my Crab to be as durable as possible and I didn't like the loss of Tough, so I kept the Fighting pool.

I normally slot Suppression with a Range IO, making the AoE quite large. If the team has a tank who's controlling aggro, I will use Supression only when the grenades are recharging. But on a team with a more chaotic "blast em where they stand" style, I may use Suppression as fast as it can recharge because it will hit a lot more targets than a grenade attack. My traditional slotting for Suppression was 5 of the Positron's Blast IOs (including the Damage/Range) and one Range IO. At the moment I do not have it slotted for range and I find it a lot less useful. I'm going to figure out how to get the range IO back in there the next time I revise my build. I don't really expect my Crab to be killing everything in sight like a Blaster. The assorted buffs I provide to the team actually make those DPS characters even better at out-damaging me and getting the kills for themselves. As long as I'm providing those buffs, and hitting everything in sight with debuffs, I'm doing my job. What makes my Crab Spider feel powerful is when something goes wrong and all those squishy characters start faceplanting or running away, my Crab Spider can stand his ground, surrounded by foes, and blasting away like mad. I have been experimenting with Sentinels recently since they have that "tough but shooty" aspect to them. But I find that they don't have the combination of ranged and melee attacks that I enjoy with my Crab, and they also do not provide the team support buffs that my Crab does.

My Corruptors mostly avoid status effects by hiding in the back of the group, but this thread has got me wondering about something. IO set bonuses which improve your damage resistance also typically carry a set bonus which reduces the duration of status effects on you. Can you make a build focused on damage resistance set bonuses that reduces the duration of status effects so much that you can mostly ignore them by just waiting a moment for them to pass? Or, would your lack of defense actually make the problem worse as more status effects will hit you?

I've played multiple variations of every archetype except Stalker, and my favorite character is my Crab Spider. So, in that regard, I think the Archetype is great and it doesn't need buffing to make it fun or playable. Maybe every ability isn't amazing, but I don't think any are trash and we have a good variety of viable builds. I have a bad habit of examining the build of every Crab Spider I encounter and taking a screenshot of it, so I would like to offer this unscientific sample for whatever it's worth and just say that my own observations do not match those of the OP. I find that Crab Spider builds are actually quite varied and people have fun with pretty-much all the powers, even if they are not all perfect. This was an all-VEAT Operative Renault Strike Force from a couple weeks ago. We had 2 Night Widows, 1 Fortunata, 2 Bane Spiders and 3 Crab Spiders. - Operative McStevens has every pet power including Omega Maneuver (though we did tend to steamroll over it). - Dread-Hunter has all three of the regular spider pet powers, as well as Slice and Arm Lash. Level 50/76 with excellent IO sets, so seems happy with this build. - Operative Borelli (me) has Call Reinforcements, Slice and Arm Lash and I can attest that the melee attacks are in my normal attack chain and many a foolish mook has been slain by those spidery cyborg appendages.

My own Crab doesn't have Hasten, and no purple sets either. I can see the benefits of high global recharge for a pet-oriented build, but as long as I have enough attacks to stay busy, I see no reason to have Hasten at all.

This build is five-slotting Manuevers, TT:Maneuvers and Weave to squeeze out very trivial defense bonuses due to Enhancement Diversification. If you dropped some of these purple sets in favor of sets with defense bonuses you could reclaim some of those slots and still have higher defenses. Right now your AoE defense is slightly below soft-cap and that's if you're drifting around slowly using Hover all the time.... Right now, Winter IO sets are comparatively cheap and many of them have great defense bonuses. For example, Superior Frozen Blast (Ranged AoE Damage) will give you 5% AoE defense for just 5 slots.

I too am curious how your Crab usually plays. No pets + provoke says teams. Frenzy is more of a solo attack, since teams tend to steal your aggro and prevent you from getting surrounded. At least with regards to Single Shot, I'd get rid of it. With Channelgun and Longfang (both heavily slotted) you should never be sitting around waiting for something to recharge. I notice that you have Ragnarok including the knockdown proc in Suppression. Suppression is your wide area attack and if its delivering knockdown it just prevents your victims from gathering together for more devastating AoE attacks like grenades and Frenzy. I think Ragnarok works better in Venom Grenade, at least if you want the knockdown proc. You have two sets of Impervium Armor four-slotted to get the 2.25% Max End bonus, but you only 5-slotted Superior Spider's Bite, missing out on the 3.6% Max End bonus from that set. That's the biggest Max End set bonus you can get... roughly 70% as good as the Atlas Medallion accolade.

My old Crab had Shatter Armor from Mace Mastery. The resist debuff and superior damage worked "okay" on hard targets. Today I just swat feebly at the bosses until some DPS character finishes them off. I just try to play the the Crab's strengths and accept my poor single-target damage as the cost of being awesome at AoE.

It sounds like the build is doing what you want it to do, and if you spend most of your time playing as a duo, maybe it doesn't matter as much that your AoE defense isn't soft-capped. I do not share your love of procs and would probably convert one of your multi-proc attacks to an actual IO set which could plug that AoE hole. You could also slot Maneuvers and Combat Jumping for better defense if you got rid of, say, Channelgun. Now, if I were making a Crab who was usually playing as a duo and if I were in charge of pulling and aggro management, I would definitely want that often-overlooked pet power: Omega Maneuver! Admittedly, I like it because it's fun, but it's really quite a strong opener as long as you don't have a bunch of impatient teammates messing it up, and with your high global recharge you could use it every fight. Hitting everything with a Mag 3 stun would also help keep the squishy teammate safe. I used to have Frenzy on my Crab in the old days but I decided that Venom Grenade and Frag Grenade can make perfectly serviceable melee attacks, and just have greater utility. I do wonder why you went with Bayonet for a melee attack rather than Arm Lash. Just different procs?

I do understand that your heavy focus on +Recharge is to maximize the uptime of your pets. Though, to my mind, this would present a perfect excuse to have fewer attacks since your favorites will have very little downtime. In my case, I always want one more set bonus out of my IO sets, so I tend to have fewer abilities, more completely slotted. I also don't have enough fingers or hotbar slots to comfortably manage 8 attacks, Serum, Aim and incarnate click powers. I commend your dexterity! I would just see where you can trim a few slots off of your powers to make room for those procs/uniques. For example, if you removed the Soulbound Allegiance: Damage from your Spiderlings they would barely notice, since most of that damage is being wasted by enhancement diversification. The set bonus you lose (5% Psionic Defense) won't be missed. Likewise if Channelgun and/or Longfang were 5-slotted instead of 6, you could get some bonuses that more than compensate. Incarnate powers.... I'm not the best resource since my own Crab mostly exemplars and he's designed to operate without them. When I do play at 50 it's usually on a task force or trial and I want to buff the team. I use the Support Hybrid and the healing Destiny (Rebirth). Interface is Diamagnetic (To-Hit Debuff) so that my AoEs can protect my squishier by more aggro-generating teammates, and I think it synergizes well with having high defense. Since my defenses are already soft-capped, I use the Resilient Alpha to improve damage resistance.