Six-Six

I have a Beast/Dark that is quite stronk and fun. Also a Beast/Storm that is a far second. I've also played /elec and /kin which can hold their own, but it might be hard to wrap a concept around it with Beast/. I honestly have never been attracted to /Trick Arrow, but it might have a nice Hunter thematic to it. I haven't played /Marine yet, but I've heard good things about it. I already have a Necro/Marine in the pipeline waiting for its turn to be played.

I also chose Earth Mastery for Plant/Poison. Seemed to be the most fitting thematically. And I don't mind being in melee range. In fact, it opens up a more dynamic game play for me.

Won't you consider a Shivan Shard instead of summons?

@Clave Dark 5 Haha, yeah. My lions/dark is Savannah, a (South) African -- because she's obviously caucasian -- priestess that commands two lions. I adjusted her dark power colours as much as I can to simulate dust or dirt for the thematic feel. My wolf/storm is a Native American shaman with the power of wind (and weather???) + willpower tertiary pool disguised as auxiliary wind powers. He controls the 3 T1 wolves and only calls on the spirit of the dire wolf in certain instances. Neither could be classified the strongest, but they thematically kick buttocks. Concept is king! Currently levelling up my whips/traps at 25. Some bloke who has his right arm replaced with a mechanical one, and is thus able to generate "energy whips" like that Russian bloke Ivan Vanko/Whiplash from Iron Man 2. Under the hardcore permadeath rules, he's having a tough but incredibly enjoyable time getting through missions.

I have a few in my stable. One is a Psy/Fire Blaster. He's shapeshifter. In human form, he uses Primaries (+ a few utility secondaries). Every now and then he morphs into a griffin -- complete with costume change emote -- that runs like a beast, uses the fire secondaries with Sorcery Flight/TP powers. He's not my strongest, but he can hold his own. I was inspired by the Kheldian changeling gameplay... which I suck at. but this one is fairly entertaining. Another is my Psi/Bio Scrapper. He only uses the 3 psi blade powers and boggle, primarily because I don't like the animation of the other primary powers. I made him before Psi Armor was released. He was tough to level up, so I don't think I'll roll a psi/psi version of him. Then there are my limited MMs: Whip/Traps, pistols/traps Wolf/Storm (no lions) Lions (only)/Dark Bots/Traps with only the Assault Bot (Appleseed homage) Bots/Dark poolboy challenge Last is my Supes/Homelander -- human only PB with eye beams and melee attacks including Cross Punch and Kick

WHAT?!? You can level up toons AFTER the character creation screen?!? Good lord! Croissants are on me!!!

Build up your ranged def. that's how mez gets to you.

Plant/Poison is one of my all-time favourite toons, and arguably my fave troller in terms of powers, concept, and performance. Is it one of the better controllers? I doubt it. It's a fairly late bloomer until you get your pet and creepers. even then, it's rather mid-tier at best. poison is also not too popular with most players. Since you're new to trollers, I'd suggest you park your current toon and try Illusions or Gravity. Once you get the hang of it, you might be more receptive to plant's quirks. Generally, as a troller, your powers of control and support are second to none. While your damage is dismal, it's still there. So on a team, you're golden. Solo, it's still enjoyable as long as you're aware of your limitations... and have a tonne of patience and cunning.

I was able to get Atlas Mayhem at level 8 yesterday

If you prefer solo play, the best advice I can give is to have a browser page constantly open with Homecoming.wiki on it. Gameplay-wise, you can solo any archetype or power set. Of course, some do better than others, and some feel better than others. It all boils down to your preference and the length of your patience bar. Content-wise, you may have to disable XP every now and then because it is easy to out-level contacts, especially on blue side where there are more contacts than Red or Gold. Alternatively, you can go back to missed contacts and missions through Ouroboros crystal. Right after character creation, you'll come across the P2W vendor (even in Outbreak, Breakout, and Gold side beginner's tutorial). She carries a few things that might be to your liking. Finally, keep in mind that the game gives you a wide berth in terms of how you want to play. There is no right or wrong way to do things. What works for you is the best, as long as you're not an ass-hat to others while you do it. Additionally, the game community is one of the nicest among the games I've played... probably because most of us are, ourselves, ancient. Enjoy.

Also, that's an exploration badge location in Kalisti

su era es mi era

GM, your era is showing

Is it cheaper? yes. You'll get by. Or you can swap them out for lvl30s, 35s, etc... 3 levels before (so 30s at level 27, 35s at level 32...) or just keep them while you level and slowly swap them out for IO sets once you have the slots. Is it better? no. Generic IO values will lag behind SOs, especially since you can upgrade SOs to your level +3 every level, thereby giving you a solid 38.6 (I forget the exact value) every level. This value will only be matched and surpassed by both attuned IOs and generic IOs by 35-40. Caveat is, some powers are arguably better with just a single ACC or END SO (or generic IO) and maybe a proc or two. Unless your chasing set bonuses, your toon will be more optimal with just SOs until late 30s to early 40s, and you won't feel as starved for slots as well.

respec recipes are cheap from the AH. Stealth pool's phase shift is also a better option for an oh crap button. that and misdirection to shed some unwanted aggro. You can also grant stealth to your pet so your foes won't know what hit them, especially with pet controls for trollers now. 😃 Meanwhile, I've seen people use Repulsion Field (and Storm's Hurricane) to herd mobs like a sheepdog. Quite impressive. And yes, KB-KD ruins the power. Another recent discovery I've made is to find a minimal damage power that accepts Universal Damage and slot it with +chance to confuse. The entire set also has good set bonuses even if it's not the full set. It's awfully expensive from the AH, though. But you can get it free by running the Summer Blockbuster thing. As for end, I'd advise slot at least 3 end mod SOs until 35, or until you can get some +max end set bonuses. Have a look at your end consumption and recovery. A good rule to follow is to have your recovery at least twice the value of your consumption, and to slot end redux on most powers.

Two words: Patience and Cunning. Patience. You're a troller. don't expect massive damage. your most damaging attack is Propel. You can also augment your other attacks with procs. Or you can go to the tertiary pool for other attacks, but don't expect huge damage. (from my experience Arcane Bolt from Sorcery Pool is the best, unless you're strict with adhering to theme or concept). Also, you're only level 30. while you have enough powers, you don't have enough slots. Hang tough until the late 30s when you have more slots and you have access to Epic/Patron powers. Those tend to be a bit more damage... but not blaster level... heck, not even sentinel level. You got your Singularity pet. Pets are awesome, but don't rely on them so much. You have to work together. Cunning. While you have dismal damage, you have superior control. You can immobilise, hold, and employ other controls so that your foes just sit there while you pound them with your dismal damage. FF shields on your pet makes it tankier and can last longer in a tangle. You can also pick Teleport Pool and TP Target to yeet them to you (and your pet) for selective (dismal) damage-dealing. I personally prefer Fold Space over Wormhole. You may also pick Corrosive Vial or Force of will for some def debuff. I personally always take the leadership pool to get Tactics by level 20. This is because your "beginner's luck" (accuracy) steadily drops until it's all gone by level 20. Tactics gives you +to hit. This plus an acc IO or 2 in each attack power will let you handle tougher foes. No matter how much damage you have, it's useless if it doesn't connect. PS. I'd drop personal force field unless you're using it as a mule. I'd replace it with Repulsion Bolt or Repulsion Field. KB is also a form of control. they can't attack if they're on the floor. Also, it's fun to run through mobs and knock them down like bowling pins.

are you sure it's the game name not the forum name? they're different.

I'll watch your kids. My parole officer said that I am now a model citizen. (although he said that duct-taped to a chair with homemade explosives all over him, it nonetheless holds)

can't wait for the dominator version of ranged + melee attacks.

@Yomo Kimyata Brenda's been asking about you.

A general rule I follow is to slot SOs until 35, unless I'm desperate for specific set bonuses. ACC and End are the most important for attacks. You want your attacks to connect, otherwise you're just fanning your foe with your spanking weapon or fists (I'm looking at you Sands of Mu). I've even come across people who slot 2 ACC over DMG. Don't ignore the End cost of your powers. You don't want to be taking the knee everytime after a tussle. If I have an extra slot, I'd just stick a proc for the lower levels. SO values will be much higher than attuned IOs until that level. Around 35-40, the SO vs IO values start to even out, to be surpassed by IOs after 40. That's when I start slotting sets. Bear in mind that you don't HAVE to slot IOs. You can get through the game with just SOs. But them IO set bonuses and Hami-Os tend to be a must-have for most people. Also, some yellow IOs have better set bonuses (depending on your overall needs or what your power needs) than oranges.

Stay away from Brenda. She'll say that a small penis is non-issue with her, but I'd still prefer she didn't have one.

10 million is usually enough to get you by until 35-40, if you use it wisely. That equates to an ACC SO for each attack, END for most, RECH for some. 3 END MODs on Stamina, and the upgrades for each level. They can "earn" the rest with Merits, Crafting and converting and playing the market or just by selling off boosters, converters, etc. If the recipient wants IO sets early on, then 50m would be more like it. while 100-150 can slot a full build sans ATOs, Winters, PVPs and Purples. I used to give out a PVP + 10m to as much as 100m in one go. I used to also bump into @Yomo Kimyata giving away 10 -50m in Mercy like it's a strip club.

Here's pretty much my journey. Bear in mind that it wasn't a conscious effort, more of a hindsight. I started by frequenting the AT-specific forums and discord. There, I'd pick up not only which powers to take, but also what/how to slot them. Most of the time these would be in bits of info, not a concise guide. Other times, I'd snatch a build from someone, then make little changes as I adjusted it to my play style. I believe that builds are intimate things -- the same exact build may not work as intended or work better depending on how you play. I even have several duplicate toons slotted differently, and so perform and play different (depending on the concept). Along the way, I found that I've familiarised myself with the IO sets--not all, just the ones I liked and tend to slot often. keep in mind that higher rarity is not always better. Some uncommon IOs have arguably better set bonuses than rare ones. Also, sometimes I decide that the power doesn't call for set bonuses, just an ACC and/or End IO + a proc or two. After a while, you'll start to get a feel for it and your own "style" of build. Mine depends on the AT as well as the powers. Also, it's not a finished thing. It keeps evolving. I've recently revisited some of my older toons and respec-ed them to my latest build style.

Search for Solaverse. (S)He's done some really good sound mods and sfx mods. and I recall that he even edited the main theme to be slightly better.