Scarlet Shocker

some great input here thankyou. I've been experimenting in Mids and I've come up with this - I think this may be slightly cheaper to build but gives me some good all round flexibility.I may adjust Incarnate stuff depending on how it plays. This Villain build was built using Mids Reborn 3.4.6 https://github.com/LoadedCamel/MidsReborn Click this DataLink to open the build! Level 50 Natural Arachnos Widow Primary Power Set: Night Widow Training Secondary Power Set: Widow Teamwork Power Pool: Speed Power Pool: Leaping Power Pool: Leadership Power Pool: Sorcery Villain Profile: Level 1: Poison Dart (A) Superior Spider's Bite - Accuracy/Damage (3) Superior Spider's Bite - Damage/RechargeTime (3) Superior Spider's Bite - Accuracy/Damage/RechargeTime (5) Superior Spider's Bite - Damage/Endurance/RechargeTime (5) Superior Spider's Bite - Accuracy/Damage/Endurance/RechargeTime (7) Superior Spider's Bite - RechargeTime/Global Toxic Level 1: Combat Training: Defensive (A) Luck of the Gambler - Defense/Increased Global Recharge Speed (7) Luck of the Gambler - Defense/Endurance (9) Luck of the Gambler - Defense/Recharge (9) Luck of the Gambler - Endurance/Recharge (11) Luck of the Gambler - Defense Level 2: Strike (A) Superior Dominion of Arachnos - Accuracy/Damage (19) Superior Dominion of Arachnos - Damage/Recharge (19) Superior Dominion of Arachnos - Accuracy/Damage/Recharge (21) Superior Dominion of Arachnos - Damage/Endurance/Recharge (21) Superior Dominion of Arachnos - Accuracy/Damage/Endurance/Recharge (23) Superior Dominion of Arachnos - Recharge/Chance for -Dmg and Terrorize Level 4: Tactical Training: Maneuvers (A) Luck of the Gambler - Defense/Increased Global Recharge Speed (25) Luck of the Gambler - Defense/Endurance Level 6: Hasten (A) Recharge Reduction IO (25) Recharge Reduction IO Level 8: Combat Jumping (A) Luck of the Gambler - Defense (27) Luck of the Gambler - Defense/Increased Global Recharge Speed Level 10: Indomitable Will (A) Aegis - Resistance/Endurance (29) Aegis - Psionic/Status Resistance Level 12: Follow Up (A) Hecatomb - Damage (29) Hecatomb - Damage/Endurance (31) Hecatomb - Recharge/Accuracy Level 14: Lunge (A) Mako's Bite - Accuracy/Damage (31) Mako's Bite - Damage/Endurance (31) Mako's Bite - Damage/Recharge (33) Mako's Bite - Accuracy/Endurance/Recharge (33) Mako's Bite - Accuracy/Damage/Endurance/Recharge (33) Mako's Bite - Chance of Damage(Lethal) Level 16: Tactical Training: Assault (A) Endurance Reduction IO Level 18: Slash (A) Mako's Bite - Accuracy/Damage (23) Mako's Bite - Damage/Endurance (27) Mako's Bite - Damage/Recharge (34) Mako's Bite - Accuracy/Endurance/Recharge (34) Mako's Bite - Accuracy/Damage/Endurance/Recharge (46) Mako's Bite - Chance of Damage(Lethal) Level 20: Mask Presence (A) Shield Wall - +Res (Teleportation), +5% Res (All) (34) Shield Wall - Defense/Endurance (36) Shield Wall - Defense/Recharge (36) Shield Wall - Endurance/Recharge (36) Luck of the Gambler - Defense/Increased Global Recharge Speed Level 22: Tactical Training: Leadership (A) Adjusted Targeting - To Hit Buff (37) Adjusted Targeting - Endurance/Recharge (37) Adjusted Targeting - To Hit Buff/Endurance (37) Gaussian's Synchronized Fire-Control - Chance for Build Up (39) Rectified Reticle - Increased Perception Level 24: Foresight (A) Luck of the Gambler - Defense (39) Luck of the Gambler - Defense/Increased Global Recharge Speed Level 26: Eviscerate (A) Fury of the Gladiator - Chance for Res Debuff (39) Fury of the Gladiator - Accuracy/Damage (40) Fury of the Gladiator - Damage/Recharge (40) Fury of the Gladiator - Damage/Endurance/Recharge Level 28: Mental Training (A) Run Speed IO Level 30: Mind Link (A) Reactive Defenses - Defense (40) Reactive Defenses - Defense/Endurance (42) Reactive Defenses - Endurance/RechargeTime (42) Reactive Defenses - Defense/RechargeTime (42) Reactive Defenses - Defense/Endurance/RechargeTime (43) Reactive Defenses - Scaling Resist Damage Level 32: Maneuvers (A) Gift of the Ancients - Defense/Endurance (43) Gift of the Ancients - Defense/Increased Run Speed (50) Gift of the Ancients - Endurance/Recharge (50) Gift of the Ancients - Defense/Endurance/Recharge Level 35: Assault (A) Endurance Reduction IO (46) Endurance Reduction IO Level 38: Mystic Flight (A) Winter's Gift - Slow Resistance (20%) Level 41: Spirit Ward (A) Numina's Convalesence - Heal (43) Numina's Convalesence - +Regeneration/+Recovery Level 44: Rune of Protection (A) Steadfast Protection - Resistance/+Def 3% (45) Gladiator's Armor - TP Protection +3% Def (All) (45) Unbreakable Guard - Resistance (45) Unbreakable Guard - +Max HP Level 47: Elude (A) Kismet - Accuracy +6% (48) Gift of the Ancients - Defense/Increased Run Speed (48) Gift of the Ancients - Defense/Endurance (48) Gift of the Ancients - Defense/Recharge Level 49: Smoke Grenade (A) Dark Watcher's Despair - Chance for Recharge Slow (50) Dark Watcher's Despair - To Hit Debuff Level 1: Brawl (A) Empty Level 1: Sprint (A) Unbounded Leap - +Stealth Level 1: Conditioning | Hidden Level 2: Rest | Copy & Paste this data into Mids Reborn : Hero Designer to view the build | |-------------------------------------------------------------------| |MxDz;1706;724;1448;HEX;| |78DA7594594F135114C7FFD319A82D45284B592A22203B146AE28B9A284116A52C0| |988C6976602958E94B64EABE8C75010348A068D0F7E015FFC0AFA3DDC585C5E3431| |F5D033072E25DE64DADFDCF33FEB9D99F1FB977D1F3F442E41AB1A4C98994C74C03| |6E7E2C954267ADD9A4F2DBB27CCEC5DDB4CE8A0E5A6AB25BF1D9DB14D2B69251742| |13D6423C1B3DBC59331333979653F662C8D9776EE19D4AA512A1E9742C36EFCB632| |466A6C9A14C6EE66376266EA5D9389DB2E762F683E050DA9A0BCD0E0DCC4423B17B| |96998D9BC9E8B899C992AD962AEAA4EBA58F7E34C8CA15010903081B70614920C96| |02025906628C61D8641EFE130B45BAD3992728663F00B54307851C5B04945686A11| |1A56F5BCA5028F05D618AAB02EF0842180A70C435484AE84D17429A2568A68A6932| |8522545E8A6FFB087240E0448E256256E29B35EC20D53228F2AF1A09F2D277096E1| |35B554A2ED8F24E72A419BCB9174319C4427C31BD296AAED97E2161CC982409CE11| |42C81DB028B0C2354559912066568E2969E5302BF9AC02F090292A05E1234498226| |49D02B09AE52824AF5902B31A63BDA6186168C088C0A38431BF5F233B1EF5D8D17D| |CFF696C0ABC1278CBD0860D824A0357C8BB461D798D9C4A9B24D8A02EEB7020D1EB| |70517724E718DA715EE002C318C50DAA430B52BFF9A145C8D2A00EAD01DBE2BCC3D| |0895D81EF023F18BAF093C14F8F53A312466F8441B7ED7B120F4318C5026E860A72| |6A56BB6D96A3EC155869055AD5C25B11E48C0FC9D2A13A77E09AE61435CBB046926| |EB5A8EEFC701B0CF4E00C47E9C12F81DF0C933490903ADF10FE22EFD4279DF4496F| |7DF9B78CE0191D4ABFE2A4F5E33D1F6D18EF9C17C280BA727B172D448CC3DF14BA7| |4F6982CB0E4A60CF59EA41A87D8F21E09E19CEE8EF7C877EF93EE7C953E33F8F045| |E02BC3717C13D862D83E9AA08313EC165848BFC2D597635560DDE5BC618F1872FF5| |B7F0264573B3E5837BC05A69B851BFF00402CECB9| |-------------------------------------------------------------------|

Quick update folks: I've been enjoying Invincible Woman immensely She's T3 on most incarnate stuff and I have just three powers un-IO'd - she's tough. I'm yet to try her on x8+4 and I've failed at a fire farm in the AE (but even less imperfectly slotted & IO'd) In most teams she does very well and holds her own in ITrials with only the occasional faceplant. Overall I'm very pleased and this has allowed me to really enjoy tanking!

Some very interesting answers here. I actually like Skyway City - I have a bit of a thing for Brutalist architecture, and Skyway has some great examples of monolithic concrete - some of which seems to serve little to no function other than simply to exist - and parts of the road layouts are simple insane... I mean talk about kids playing games in the street. Scarlet Shocker personally told me that back in the day - when locations were less... accessible than they are now - she would love to fly the cables that run the length of PI. She'd soak the electricity as she went and it would give her a moment to recharge and reflect before throwing herself into the deep end once more at the behest of Portal Corps. But I guess that's Supers for you. But yeah the question arose because I was wondering - after all the years of fighting crime in Paragon City, things seem to be getting worse for the citizens and the zones - even when they're being rebuilt, like in Faultline and Baumton, those places still resemble a war zone. Maybe it's time to sack the "superheroes" and bring in the military, or is Paragon City an entirely lost cause? 🤣🤣🤣🤣😂

One of the questions that frequently comes to my mind is, given the literally hundreds of hours I've spent in this game, if I were to actually live in Paragon City, where would I choose to live? It's not simply where, but why? Assuming you were an ordinary citizen, perhaps median income so you needn't live in the worst slums of the Gish, but can you afford the heights of Founders Falls? Perhaps I'm overthinking it - do you live in the same zone as your characters? For the purposes of this exercise, I'm working on the presumption that while you might have meta powers, you do not have access to a 247 live in SG Base, so must find accommodation within the city and be able to commute relatively easily to your "place of work" (whatever that might be.) I'm presuming you, dear reader, as the person in overall control of your Paragon Gaming Experience(tm) are not synonymous with your character(s) and are largely existing within the city as a private, non-powered, citizen. I have my own thoughts on this question, which I shall gladly share later but I don't wish to elaborate them at this stage. Over to you!

My advice to the OP would be simply "You play your game, let others play theirs" One of the great things about this game is that there are many different ways of skinning the same metaphorical cat. Focus on what you're doing. Don't worry about the others. If you really need to be so in control of others then perhaps you'd be better off forming a supergroup of lackeys who will do your bidding, instantly and without hesitation.

Thankyou Glacier. My appetite is whetted. I will see wht I come up with when I bit the hig one

I took Mighty Leap as a test. I wasn't sure how it works, or what it did etc. It's a very underwhelming power. We do not leap "great distances" - as far as leaping goes it's mediocre at best. But of course, then we get to use Takeoff which increases jump speed. Except it does not. You stop your foot and jump and there is zero difference. You do not seem to jump higher, nor faster. I tested this a bit and I can detect no discernable difference having leapt with or without having triggered Takeoff. Sure, you knock down a couple of mobs when you stomp but if you leap after it makes no apparent difference. It seems the description of the power is either wrong, or it might be broken but it does not seem to work in any way as described. What is actually happening here? How can one justify taking this power?

ok I'm impressed. That's interesting. So why isn't everyone playing Widows?

Thankyou chaps. Traditionally, my playstyle has been either blasters or controllers - but since my recent return I've been having a LOT of fun tanking (I started this game in 2006) and that's a new concept for me. I like the idea of high damage and going toe to toe honestly. When I play blasters I'm an inveterate blapper, start range, close and punch in the face, then fall over. With controllers I'm very much of the "lock 'em down and tickle 'em to death because they can't touch me" mode. (Not a fan of Ill trollers in any form) I do like poison as a power set. Hopefully that gives you some insight in a few paras about what I like?

I'm just at the point of having to respec my widow. I have no clue what to do here. With my Soldier, I went middle path and created a Huntsman, a guy with a gun who lays down devastating fields of orange numbers. But with a widow that seems less doable. So what I want to know from you good people is what kind of widow works for you and why! What are the pros and cons and what do you most love about it?

This looks like a fun combo (on paper - I have no experience of either set in any meaningful sense) but there's something in the back of my mind saying it should be avoided. I have a half-whispered hint of a memory saying don't go there. Am I mistaken? Is it viable? More importantly will it be fun to play. What are the advantages and pitfalls? I've tried to work something out in Mids, but it's giving me grief - I've no clue where to start so any input is welcome. Thanks

I do not want to be Fathim

Alexa, what does CharacterXYZ need today?

A couple of days ago I got my first purple recipe drop. (To the best of my recollection) Certainly if it wasn't the first, it's been a very long gap and is remarkable in itself. I joined in May '19 and although I'm recently returned from an hiatus, I have many game hours and it seems strange that rare is so very rare. I've recently been opening the presents scattered around the zones while doing a little bit of badging - I notice that it's a very low percentage that actually say I've been good, regardless of my actual alignment. By far the majority of presents are Snowbeasts - not a disaster in and of itself - I'd estimate that 5 out of every 6 I open say I've been bad - but I don't want this game I love to reflect my real life so closely 🤣 Not strictly RNG issues - but I've noticed that the Auction House seems to make far less sense than of old. I have tried to sell at close to recent bids - slightly below, slightly above, depending on the number of bidders vs items for sale. None of it seems to have an effect and my offers and bids languish. Perhaps it's the time of year but I doubt that, because the population seems to be very healthy. I've also experimented with just selling expensive items cheaply and that just results in sadness when something that might go for several million goes for 50,000 inf. It seems the logic of the managed market or the free market do not seem to be applied in a meaningful way that I can grasp. I guess I'm not complaining so much as venting frustrations and I'm a little bit in a bubble - I have few friends on from the past so my experience may be exactly as intended but it doesn't feel like it should be that way. Certainly opening presents should have an incentive even for low level characters - and I face planted frequently enough on sub-lvl 5 toons to know to leave presents alone; a disincentive. I do get plenty of recipes, commons, uncommons and rares - so there's clearly no issue with stuff actually dropping. I get good VMerits and I have no issue with Inarnate Shards. Am I alone in my experience or has some RNGod pointed a bony finger at me and said "Scarlet cannot be purple"?

It's sad it may have been difficult for you but clearly the guy leading seemed to know something about the game because ruin mages. Perhaps you might have used your experience and skills to gently mentor some of the less well versed players into improving their effectiveness. Or perhaps it really was just New Years Eve

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I also agree with the OP. I'm really amazed that Longbow were allowed to gain headway in RO. So long as Recluse is at the head of Arachnos that cannot stand - his entire position depends on it politically. If Longbow have taken over Mercy, then he would be deposed by somebody because he's been shown to be too weak to retain charge over his holdings. Fort Darwin is an important strategic Arachnos base. To lose it means his position is untenable, and either Arachnos crumbles from within or is ousted by Longbow, heroes and Mercy becomes just another US imperial outpost. There is a good story arc to be had both before and after - perhaps the new Mercy would be a good midgame arc for villains to reclaim and boot Longbow out and then a late game arc would enable them to repel an incoming Longbow invasion after which the status quo maintains There's also the element of "feel" - Mercy in its original iteration felt right. You're a nobody, sprung from gaol by Arachnos and given the chance to make it in an arena where the winner takes all. You're "special" - one of Recluse's Chosen Ones. That's not even remotely obvious in the new zone content. In the current Mercy you're just one of many, little more than an urban terrorist blowing up random Longbow as a two bit act of revenge. There's also the implausibility of it all. We all know that as the phrase goes "Longbow have some serious funding" - but we also know that in the current Mercy Island setting their resources are stretched thin. Very thin. The world is on a knife edge and it's touch and go whether Primal or Praetorian earth ends in the ascendency. They really wouldn't be taking on Arachnos in their own hood at the same time unless absolutely forced to - and Arachnos have been strengthened by Praetorian tech too! Plus the Snakes would be at Longbow's heel all the time. They have nowhere else to go - but they're not going to let somebody invade their hood just like that. It would be in their interest to form a (somewhat mistrustful) alliance with Arachnos to maintain the status quo than permit Longbow to increase their footfall in Mercy. The enemy of my enemy and all that. While there was a lot of good stuff to come out of Praetorian content, this was mostly a hack job and a few ill-conceived ideas slapped together simply to provide a new "beginner experience" which was arbitrary and unnecessary and frankly provides a poorer starting position than previously. Somebody forgot the old adage "if it ain't broke.."

Vibrating anal beads People will always game the system. No matter what it is they will always seek extra advantage.

Arachnos have some serious funding (to coin a phrase.) While we see some grandiose vanity projects in production - most notably the Web factory in MsLibTF - we don't seem to yet have divined where most of their command and control takes place. Nor do we know where they manufacture their flyers and other Arachnos equipment. It seems to be somewhat specialised to be purchased elsewhere and shipped in (but hold that thought.) A new zone could be further out from Paragon, and could be the main port area and manufactory for Arachnos kit. It would need to be within a cave to prevent Longbow simply bombing it out of existence (because let's face it, they really are that reckless) and it might also have a Vanguard base to provide some cover of "neutrality". It would need docks, at least one dry dock (for fixing all those submarines etc) part storage and assembly lines. In consequence it would have to have a related business centre - probably linked to the main business hub in Cap au Diable (another excuse to spruce up parts of that zone) with plenty of civilians and perhaps an exclusive tourist area for the super-rich to provide an element of legitimate cover. There would also be storage for vehicles (especially flyers which seem to be relatively cheap to make given their surprising fragility.) There may also be one of the last remaining profitable guano mining operations going on. It would provide a useful cover in terms of economic activity and gives a reason for high density shipping. (This provides the perfect environment for a new unique GM (which most likely uses poison with good effect) for repeatable hunts - a la Adamastor/Babbage et al. Most of the activity, action and missions would take place underground - this game does do the James Bond villain underground lair pretty well - and who wouldn't love to see Lord Recluse's private giant undersea aquarium and his unique laboratory complex where he experiments on various forms of crustaceans and arachnids? Given the access to deep water, since it is on the edge of the continental shelf it would be highly likely to have an underwater research station. Obviously Recluse accesses this complex via his secret personal underground monorail connecting him directly to Grandville tower; a potential point of access for heroes in the accompanying missions and TFs. I imagine there would also be missile silos for defence and transportation to other secret areas which Recluse and his Lieutenants have access to that neither Longbow or Hero Corps are yet cognisant of. Note that due to the highly repetitive nature of assembly line work it is highly likely that adapted Praetorian Clockwork would be one of the main villain mobs found in the manufacturing facilities and I would expect to see an entirely new - as yet undiscovered - Arachnos division of Arbiters and personnel. It may also be that Recluse has elevated one of his Chosen Ones to be the overall head of this facility - perhaps causing a degree of friction with his existing four lieutenants. References include Dr No, You Only Live Twice and of course Tracy Island.

Not specifically game related but worthy of a "Things you didn't know you didn't know" tag: If you use the Greek alphabet costume chest pieces it may be worth being aware that in that lexicon there is a very tiny o and a massively huge O Omicron and Omega And if you read it properly you realise it's not even a secret.

I like the idea a lot but it would need to be firewalled - is that technically doable?

Well she got to 50 and that seemed good Did a respec as per my build - but I'm missing a lot of the vital components so filling in with SOs where applicable. I noticed two big issues 1) My Mu cannot stand the pace. I summon him and he flakes on me the moment I get into battle. This was an unanticipated but predictable outcome had I thought it through so I need to change my Patron power to something else. Suggestions welcome. 2) I'm also suffering real End issues when solo. IT seems I'm barely building an excess of End. I know it'll come good when I get her slotted properly but I think I have to endure pain until then. It does however reinforce Hyper's contention that Cardiac is the way to go. All feedback welcome. Thanks for your input so far 🙂

Invincible Woman is now 47, and I'm really enjoying her. She even solos reasonably well (but oh so slowly) As somebody not used to tanks I find her survivability and sustain a very pleasant change but clearly there's a trade off because it's a game. I'm looking forward to getting her to 50 and slotted properly and incarnates. I feel like she might do resonably well.

interesting build Hyper, thanks. One thing I'd not considered was what Incarnate path to go down - I will have to think of that soon thought and I was interested in seeing you had chosen Cardiac. End use doesn't yet seem to be too much of an issue, so why would I choose that? I was thinking more along the lines of boosting damage output or at the very least increasing accuracy.

Excellent call! Yes I see that, thanks