Six-Six

there are SFX mods for bots that make them tolerable, as well as a bunch of other powers. BR is another ear-grinding one. Do a search for @Solarverse. He's done some fantastic work with SFX. And, believe you me, some of his SFX mods make your powers stronger 😃

Martial is a fun one. kick a creep (mutter "pull" to yourself) then shoot him while he's in the air. 😃 May I ask which shard is this KB SG in?

First time I played FF on a Fender, I slotted KB-KD into Repulsion field... and it broke it. I agree with Hyperstike. KB and Repel while solo is very useful. On teams, I often switch a sudden acc IO (because the set bonuses aren't bad) with the KB-KD. Then I learned to use Repel (and Hurricane) to herd effectively by running around the perimeter like a sheep dog rounding the flock.

A big fan of Energy/ on most range, as well as /Energy on Blasters and Doms as well as FF and Storm on Fenders and Corrs. I do have another toon that hinges on KB, Storm/Beam Rifle Fender. He's a bird guy, so the gust of his wings makes thematic sense. quite fun to play solo (I couldn't care less about teammates' request to slot KB-KD... they shouldn't have invited a bird guy with massive wings). Another place you can get KB is the Fighting Pool. Kick and Cross Punch as well as Spring Attack from Leaping also deals KB (now that I think about it Savage Melee has some as well).

/energy manipulation is one of my faves when it comes to blappers. 😃

Awesome ideas! and well written. Or what if Kaiju-Caleb looked like a dozen Calebs mish-mashed into one, with 12 heads, 24 arms, 10 times the attacks? 😃 Kronos Titan is now an attack fortress that spawns hoverbots and turrets that fly around in multitudes (like the carrier in star craft), while jet-packed sappers constantly flow from his chest while Zeus and Herc class mechs scurry from his boots. Eochai is as tall as a Redwood or Sequoia with entangling roots and spore clouds... and Venus Fly Traps. I like the idea that GMs will have to be league-class threats and not be easily taken down by a 4-man team. ...and they cause damage to the city. maybe not animation-wise, but the longer you take him down, the more inf will be deducted from you after you defeat him (if you defeat them at all). 😃 Just leave Sally alone.

I think you have to get past the awesomeness of epic ATs (cough... spiders...) and just focus on the fun aspect of various animations. Yes, the VEATs are hard to top with a butt-load of really good powers and a tonne of armour to boot. But, widows are just claws stalkers, forts are just mind/psi, SoA are mace or Ass Rifle, and crabs are... MMs(?). Meanwhile PBs and WSs are pretty much energy, rad, dark. That leaves a whole lot of other powers with distinct animations (ice, fire, elec, DP, Beam, etc..). In the grand scheme of things, you will only end up with so many power choices by the time you're 50. so even if EATs have a large variety to choose from, you will still pretty much be at par with the other ATs. I suppose the thing you'd be missing is the choice of powers so you can create a toon that plays your way. I'm in the same boat. I love my Spiders to death, and beyond them, I can't imagine playing another AT. My SoAs are pure bane (mace), huntsman (AR+nades), and a tankermind Crab; then I have a pure night widow (claws) and a hybrid widow fort (claws+psi). But here I am with a bajillion alts that are not spiders. What I've found is that I like mixing melee and range with a touch of control (holds/immob). And some ATs can still give me that, especially with a wide range of Epic Pools to choose from. I'm now partial to Blasters and Doms which fit the bill. They're not as tough as VEATs in the armour department, but they hit harder or provide more control. Then there are the Corrs and Fenders. These two offer powers that benefit the team which runs circles around the VEAT's double leadership buffs. Incidentally, I love the fire blast animation, Rad eye beams, earth grumbling shakes, Total Focus' look-at-my-pompoms-look-at-my-pompoms-look-at-mBAM!!!, and DP/AR/Beam shots.

I think it's still kosher. I've experienced many uniformed conversations where the superior was a female and subordinates addressed her as "sir".

Hey Ghost, I'm just slightly ahead of you... But not by much. I tried my first PB some time ago, and what was mentioned above seems fairly accurate. They're pretty much like Sentinels with a few extra talents. The tri form is a bit daunting, but from what I hear, your PB won't reach its full potential without it. Mine was only human form. I am learning tri form now with a L20 WS. And it's not that complicated. The trick is to have keybinds and macros that bring up a specific tray of powers for each particular form. Once you get used to the switching aspect (timing when to use which form) each form becomes simpler as they only have about 3 or 4 attacks. There are a few very helpful guides to walk you through it. (Can't link them right now since I'm on my phone). Enjoy your Kheld. 😊

Mez has been known to detoggle certain powers. Usually tertiary pool powers are unaffected, but orimaries, secondaries and epics are. And not just fire. I've seennit with dark, nature, bubbles and rad. I haven't noticed it with ice.

Ya, I saw these the other day for the first time. Looks awesome, donut? I do hope we get access to it some time in the future. Same with Odysseus' Fists of Vulcan. 😃

True. I just rationalise it in my head (concept-wise) that the crab armour and backpack is so dang heavy that it prevents him from jumping about like a nimble little bugger. On my WS (which I'm still learning how to tri-form properly), I took someone's advice to get Hover so you don't end up TP-ing in mid air or misclicking into human/dwarf form, only to fall and break a tentacle. 😃

I usually take CJ on almost all of my toons not due to the defence it gives, but because of the end it doesn't suck out of you... that and your agility when jumping around during a fight is increased noticeably. Control of how your toon moves is often overlooked and unaccounted for in most stats, but it is equally important. I couldn't take CJ on my Crabbermind, and while I've learned to adjust, it is still a regret of mine. And I just purchase Jet Packs from P2W lady for travel. I do take Hover+Flight or Sorcery Flight on certain toons that allow for their character to fly (I'm kinda strict like that with concept) and the same goes for Hover: it's good to be able to control your toon instead of banking/coasting around or just staying just out of reach while your aura chews at the mobs. Hover costs a little more end (19/s IIRC, the description lies) so you might want to address that with a slot or two.

sometimes they're on top of one another in the list. Try the search at the bottom left of character list.

@decomposey Haha. Well put! I couldn't have said it better myself... wait, I could have... I just didn't want to. :-P

All of us start out weak, and every level makes you stronger. Don't let this get to you. As long as you're having fun developing your toon, then all is good.

Blasters are quite tough, despite not having inherent def/res powers. With the tertiary pool (like Fighting and Leadership) and a few smart set bonuses, they are very survivable. Mez protection is the only worry I have with my blasters. Some mitigate it with Sorcery's Rune of Protection and building up range def (so the mez doesn't hit you in the first place). Others just learned to live with it. They get mezzed but it doesn't last long. Just annoying how it turns off some toggles every now and then. But then even mezzed, they can still attack with T1 and T2 primaries. Exemplaring down isn't usually a problem. pre 20, everyone's at a pretty level playing field, but you already have IOs, so your stronger than you were on the way up. 20-30 IO sets come into play, so you're never really that gimped. Of course, you're still more of a god of destruction at 50 with your incarnates. 😃

Same with the SFX, until I discovered @Solarverse SFX Mods. Now my Beam Rifles are much more playable, along with other powers. I swear the SFX mods make the powers stronger! trust me. 😃 I have a Rad/Energy Blaster that is just a joy to play melee (Energy) and range (Rad). No doubt one of my favouritest toons EVER (maybe even more than spiders, and that's saying a lot). The thing with Sentinels is, if you always compare them to corruptors and blasters, they will always fall short. I believe they have a different purpose. So the "lacking" doesn't bother me. They're still fun and useful. I just now prefer Spiders and the Blaster/Dom ability to be melee range.

Currently working on another widow. She's earning her incarnates now, but I just switched her from a pure range Fort to a hybrid fortunata to see how that feels. The problem I have with forts is that they have so many useful and un-meh powers that it's easy to lose yourself and end up taking a lot of them while being a master of none. I don't have MIDs so I have to do the whole guess and check thing to see if the build I have in mind works. Tends to become expensive, but a whole lot of fun trying it out. I suppose you need to have a fairly clear idea in which direction you want to take your spider. If not, they are so versatile in their power sets that it's easy to get lost and start taking powers you don't really need or won't really get you what you want. I remember times running my pure fort with a dozen powers having to stop and think in the middle of a fight, which power do I click next, do I want to stun them, hold them, confuse them, etc. There were just too many choices to make her attack(s) fluid and second nature. Then again, another explanation is I can be a total newb as well. 😃 I have 10 sentinels, and I don't care what people say about them and their lacking damage. I enjoy sents and often play them as ranged tanks. Some, like Dual Pistols and Elec are ranged, but play like melee in the sense that you're always up close and in the middle of the fray. Sent armour is awesome. That plus Fighting and Leadership pool usually results in a very tough bugger, if you manage the end of all those toggles. Incidentally, I think Leadership Maneuvers is over rated. yes it provides a decent chunk of def, but at a great cost in end. I usually take Leadership for Assault and Tactics so I can 6-so Gaussian for one of the best bonuses there is. When I do take Maneuvers, I usually just put an end redux in it to keep end at bay. Weave, I think, is superior to Maneuvers if it came down to choosing one or the other, even at the cost of a power pick (Kick or Box).

I have a Huntsman-Mu that's pretty much AoE crowd control as I didn't take any mace powers. While I enjoy him to death, I don't think it's fair to compare him to my melee-range Tankermind Crab nor both of them to the Pure Bane. The Crab has 4 (but uses mostly 3 including the Mace from Black Scorpion PPP) melee attacks and 3 range attacks. either chain is fast enough for me to choose just melee or range; but the ability to switch it up is what makes it fun. His attacks damage is not the highest, but they are supplemented by 6 pets (again, one courtesy of Black Scorpion) plus his Lore which is rarely needed to be summoned. Defences and resistances are through the roof. One thing I've noticed with the Crab is that while his attack chain is fast, it feels janky compared to the more fluid AR+nades of the Huntsman. Both are more AoE but I like how the Crab can go melee when the situation needs it, or whenever I feel like it. I like toons that can switch attacks. On my Pure bane and pure widow, I simply cycle through the same melee attacks, so I get how you feel that it becomes routine. But on both of them, I like the rhythm of the attacks. The bane's are slow to animate, but they hit like a freight train, and she's just as tanky as the crab. the widow is fast and nimble, but his damage comes at the cost of some of his def/res... until I figure out a fix.

If you like and enjoy spiders, why not try a crab build. crabs can go almost 50/50 melee-range with some pets to sweeten the deal. Other ATs that let you switch from range to melee to "keep things interesting" are Blasters, Dominators, and Widows (Blood Widow-Fort hybrid). I too prefer mixing things in the attack department. So far, my crab and a few blasters (not every power set lends itself well to melee) have proven quite enjoyable and stronk. I tried it on one Dom, but couldn't get him to the same caliber as the blaster (I'll probably have to work on his build some more). I just respec-ed my widow to the hybrid I mentioned, and am currently testing her out.

I'm just bustin yer balls. don't sweat it 😃 is all good.

A slightly larger violin? 😃

Hi all, semi-newbie here. I've played the game a fair bit but never at level 50, so I understand how the game works, but not how it works, if that makes sense. I'm trying to figure out how I want the Crab Spider I'm leveling to look in the end, which I really have no idea on. With most toons I have more intuition but with this one, I'm not sure. Aha! Fresh meat... I mean... recruit. Welcome to the brotherhood. If you've just rolled a spanking new spider, be warned: they are unlike most ATs, but are also very similar to most ATs (or more of combination of certain ATs), which makes them quite versatile and fun. They do have a wee bit of learning curve, but not too steep. One thing I'll mention is be flexible. You will have a "path choosing" at level 24. this means, don't be married to your build from day 1. build to get to 24, then once you've chosen your path, (Crab, I believe), that's the time you start investing in the build. Do I want attacks from the base Soldier list? I'll back up a bit: As an SoA, you have 3 main choices: A huntsman (AR + Nades), Bane (Mace) or Crab (backpack). You can combine huntsman + bane or huntsman + crab, but you can't have a bane + crab. (incidentally, if you choose an alternative build as a crab in either build 1, 2 or 3, all your builds will have the backpack whether it is used or not.) As a crab, you can still use minimal mace through Patron Pool powers (Black Scorpion). But that's totally up to you. Now, more towards your question. You can, but you don't have to. Some powers in the crab attacks are redundant with the huntsman (wolf) attacks like the toxic grenade and frag grenade--which you can only choose either the crab or the huntsman's, not both. Somebody mentioned an issue with animation and redraw. I've found that the trick to minimising redraw between attacks, is to chain up all similar weapon attacks (like venom nade-burst-frag from AR or venom nade-frag-suppression from the backpack). doing so will result in a more fluid attack uninterrupted by redraw. I suggest going full crab first. then when you have a respec available, try switching some powers. The slotting for them are basically the same and will accept the same IOs, so it's pretty much just choosing a flavour of how you want to kill the enemy. Do I want to stack Crab and Wolf Armours (I read somewhere that their resistance bonus is negligible?)? Yes. Crab and Wolf armours are auto powers that cost no end. So use that to your advantage. It's arguable that the res is negligible, but what you want there is the status protection stack. every point counts. (e.g. you know the last bit of ITF when you have to kill Romy 3 times, each time he rezzes, people get mezzed? my crab doesn't). Is Combat Training: Defensive worth it? pre 24 yes; post 24, no. It's ranged defence. You only want to build up range def if you're getting mezzed a lot, which you won't be. I deem it skippable, and in its place have taken Weave and double dipped in Leadership Maneuvers. Those two will have CT:Def benefits eclipsed. How do the Grenades, Suppression, and Heavy Burst compare? There are so many abilities I want and nowhere near enough slots. I'm not overly concerned with my build being the best, just viable and fun, and perhaps not too squishy. I'm also not asking for anyone to make the build for me, just some tips to help push me in the right direction. This I think, is a personal preference. both are "fun" if you're not too much into the stats (like me). My only advice is if you're going to get an AR power, go with 3 or 4-to minimise the jarring effect of redraw. So if you take burst, take both nades from Wolf as well, this will give you an opportunity to take other backback powers. Also, a spider will NEVER be too squishy. 😃 What I know I'm after is stacking AS Tactics with the Tactics pool. I don't think double dipping in tactics is smart. The tactics from the tertiary Leadership pool is an end guzzler. Consider that vs the benefit you'll get from it, and I personally do not think it's a good trade off. Maneuvres and Assault are a different case. get both, if you can. (I strongly advice to 6-slot Gaussian in tactics, the set bonuses are AWESOME, and doing so will take care fo the end consumption). but in the end, it's your choice, and that itself makes it valid. is Vengeance good? Some people use it really well, others like me are too slow to react when a teammate dies. Same with Victory Rush. I'm afraid I am in no position to comment on its effectiveness. ...getting all the Summons. Spiderlings, Reinforcements, Blaster (Black Scorpion PPP), Arachnos Lore Pet, Arachnos Heavy from Recluse's Victory. Spiders are cute and helpful, get as many as you can! Sounds like you're planning a crabbermind build. Be warned that these pets don't like to be ordered around like MM pets. but the are still effective, and most of your damage (and some control) will be provided by them. With a Tankermind Crab, I can solo a +3x8 ITF (only because +4 takes too long) with little trouble. and by solo, I mean all 7 of us--me and my spiders. 😃 I've been using the Sorcery pool for Flight/Teleportation, and used the Knockdown spell before the level 24 Respec, but I honestly don't know if there's space for a travel power. If not I can get by on Ninja Run but I would like it. Idk if it's practical or not but I want Omega Maneuver just because the concept of warping in a Doomsday Bomb makes me giggle. I think the problem with SoAs and Widows is that they have so many good powers that it becomes hard to choose. You have to practise a bit of restraint and focus on the type of play style and build you want. prioritise those powers, and things should be fine. I built my crab to be a melee + range tankermind. the 4 melee attacks and 3 range attacks cycle fast enough that the chain is ready before the last one ended. On my huntsman, I got AR+Nades and Mu, and also have a very fast and fluid chain. On my bane, I only have 5 melee attacks that are quite slow, but effective. On all three of them, I just purchase the jetpack from P2W lady for travel. The point is, only you can say what's right for you. If you get your jollies from warping in OM, then go with what floats your goat, my man. I was also planning on taking Soul Mastery unless there's a good reason not to. The only reason that I can think of is that she won't give you another pet spider... that and the fact that Ernesto Rodriguez is so insecure that he'll flip when he finds out. Other than that, holds and -to hit are nice. Besides, Ghost Widow rocks! The other thing is slotting. Oh gods, slotting. When my Warshade got AE Powerleveled into the 40s I started reading guides so I understand the basics, but I don't know what I need outside of "I will need so many End Reduction Enhancements for my toggles" and I really don't know about set bonuses. Any advice in that regard would be very much appreciated. Take some time to browse the AH and get familiar with set bonuses. Having +max end or x% recovery can really help with end consumption instead of slotting for end redux. Also, some sets that are quite cheap will give you awesome bonuses. and you can start learning frankenslotting to maximise bonuses. Also, if you choose your set bonuses right you can build up ...say def and res... WHILE getting more damage/utility. In a way, they help you save on slots so you can then assign your slots for more value. Enjoy your crab. I'm sure you'll do Lord Recluse proud. For the Glory of Arachnos!

I love how Blasters (and Doms and Spiders) have the range and melee option. I prefer toons that can shoot at range AND pummel their enemies. It just seems more realistic that way (for me at least). Like you're shooting/blasting at a guy that's coming at you. blast, blast, blast, he's still not dead, he's still coming at you. I'd rather hit him with the butt of my rifle, a taser, or my fists when he gets close enough instead of jumping back and firing from range again. My two inf. But at the same time, a ranged nuke sounds like awesome sauce. It may prove itself too easy, but sure sounds fun.