Snarky

On Excelsior (and probably in most games in one form or another) there is a near constant stream of requests: "Looking for a farm (trying to get to 50) (want to open incarnates) (need cash) (etc, etc, etc) I have played this old game a long time. There has literally been a monumental shift since I set up an alt acct about a year ago. I want a new 50? Okay, I create a new toon on main acct. Log in my alt acct farmer. 3 hours later. 50. with incarnates opened up. I do not enjoy farming. I craft and convert for cash. This is slightly less boring for me than farming. But I do appreciate a 50 in a few hours! The benefits: I earn quite a bit of INF on the farmer while I PL the new toon. Between the two toons in the farm I generally get about 80 or so recipes. Craft/convert/sell or store (purples and pvps get stored) Did I mention I go from concept to 50 with incarnates open in a few hours. All with never sending a single tell asking for anything from anybody. On my time. Relaxed. Want a snack break. I am running the farm, why not? Life is easy with an alt account farmer. I use an older comp to run the second instance. That way I have two screens up. But almost every comp can run two instances of CoH with no problems. Please spread the word in game whenever you can. Help people help themselves. As my Fire Farmer says; "If you give a man a fire he is warm for the night. If you light him on fire he is warm for the rest of his life."

i parked my Dark/Dark Blaster. i love Dark..... but it is meh. Whereas Dark/Dark Brute (or Tank/Scrapper) meshes every power perfectly into a whole that is greater than the sum of it's part.....Dark/Dark Blaster fights against itself nearly every step of the way. Meanwhile other Blaster powersets synergize so much easier. Love Dark. Hate getting played for liking a theme.

Entrances to caves are office buildings in the city. You get on a submarine and come out if a truck. Welcome to the door ti adventure

Phase Shift from the Concealment Pool is a "Only Self" power. now i have not tested it but this may put you back in phase with anyone you shift. Since you are building to that theme it is something to keep in mind. It is normally used as an "oh crap" button to get out of trouble. Maximum duration is 30 seconds

By 50 but before incarnates the end recovery power Dark Consumption “should” be an “oh crap” power if end drains etc happen. It should not be something desperately needed and planned around

Almost any Endurance issues can be solved. Dark/Dark is an End Hog and I run that + Fighting + Leadership pre incarnate But it does take a sharp eye on enhancers and a commitment to maximizing recovery

The Dark/Dark Brute, built correctly and with ALL toggles is an eye opening experience. Those two stun/fear toggles do heavy lifting in even incarnate mobs to reduce incoming damage. It is a truly unstoppable ball of hate I have never tried a Controller Defender or Mastermind beyond rolling them and 30 min at low level

I still think (and i may be wrong) that chasing arc bonuses is faster than mass murder. But since i know what farming can do…..I could be wrong. In which case you just want a good armor Brute with a damage aura and crank difficulty In that case I would go with a Dark/Dark Brute. Best at soloing every damage type. Super defenses are not needed due to two auras stun/fear and non suppressed stealth in combat

I can easily do content on a Brute true…but I can do kill alls WAY faster on Blaster. Or a Stalker Scrapper etc. Maybe that is just me. But the AoE sure helps too

Mez is not an issue once you know the game. Between break frees and various powers that mitigate mez and just knowing how many to carry against what mobs.... I am not a great Blaster player, but even I can fumble through things with little trouble as long as I maintain situational awareness

Puts on best hillbilly accent “I dont know nuthin bout numbahs but this heah thang kills awfal fast” Seriously though I have been running a few Blasters in the last year and a half and this one kills very fast. Part of that may be I built for zero defense all offense. Still, Fire is the least resisted damage in the game and Fire’s secondary effect is more damage

I did not read the OP as fastest vet levels but fastest 1-50

It is the kill alls which tip the balance to the Blasters

I went with a Dark/Invul Sentinel. I have 50d and slotted it, slapped the build in. I opened Alpha but so far no incarnates. The only thing I have run is the Ghost Widow Patron arc on a PUG team. It was 35 level, so I was exemped. THe first mission was a kill all LB and the leader was....unaware...what that was going to look like with his +level settings lol. There were quite a few deaths, partial team wipes. My Sentinel? WoW! I hope it holds up that well for its intended purposes. It was seriously easy to rotate through my attacks. Pop a purple once in a while. Not even all the time and doubt I needed it. Here is the build. Almost all the origin enhancers are +5d and the HAMIs in Dull Pain are standing in for the actual D Sync Reconstruction (Rech/Heal/Absorb) that are in it. This Hero build was built using Mids Reborn 3.0.5.7 https://github.com/Reborn-Team/MidsReborn Click this DataLink to open the build! Level 50 Magic Sentinel Primary Power Set: Dark Blast Secondary Power Set: Invulnerability Power Pool: Fighting Power Pool: Leaping Power Pool: Speed Power Pool: Leadership Hero Profile: Level 1: Gloom -- Thn-Acc/Dmg(A), Thn-Dmg/EndRdx(3), Thn-Dmg/Rchg(3), Thn-Acc/Dmg/Rchg(5), Thn-Acc/Dmg/EndRdx(5), Thn-Dmg/EndRdx/Rchg(7) Level 1: Temp Invulnerability -- UnbGrd-ResDam(A), UnbGrd-ResDam/EndRdx(7), UnbGrd-Rchg/ResDam(9), UnbGrd-ResDam/EndRdx/Rchg(9), GldArm-3defTpProc(11), StdPrt-ResDam/Def+(11) Level 2: Umbral Torrent -- Bmbdmt-Dam(A), Bmbdmt-Acc/Rech/End(17), Bmbdmt-Dam/Rech(17), Bmbdmt-Acc/Dam/Rech(19), Bmbdmt-Acc/Dam/Rech/End(19), Bmbdmt-+FireDmg(21) Level 4: Resist Physical Damage -- ResDam-I(A), ResDam-I(21) Level 6: Abyssal Gaze -- Thn-Acc/Dmg(A), Thn-Dmg/EndRdx(23), Thn-Dmg/Rchg(25), Thn-Acc/Dmg/Rchg(25), Thn-Acc/Dmg/EndRdx(27), Thn-Dmg/EndRdx/Rchg(27) Level 8: Durability -- EndMod-I(A) Level 10: Aim -- RechRdx-I(A) Level 12: Dull Pain -- HO:Membr(A), HO:Membr(23) Level 14: Dark Obliteration -- SprSntWar-Acc/Dmg(A), SprSntWar-Dmg/Rchg(29), SprSntWar-Acc/Dmg/Rchg(31), SprSntWar-Acc/Dmg/EndRdx(31), SprSntWar-Acc/Dmg/EndRdx/Rchg(31), SprSntWar-Rchg/+Absorb(33) Level 16: Unyielding -- UnbGrd-ResDam(A), UnbGrd-ResDam/EndRdx(33), UnbGrd-Rchg/ResDam(33), UnbGrd-ResDam/EndRdx/Rchg(34) Level 18: Dark Blast -- SphIns-ToHitDeb(A), SphIns-Acc/ToHitDeb(34), SphIns-Acc/Rchg(34), SphIns-ToHitDeb/EndRdx/Rchg(36), SphIns-Acc/EndRdx/Rchg(36), SphIns-%ToHit(36) Level 20: Environmental Resistance -- RctArm-ResDam/EndRdx(A), RctArm-ResDam/Rchg(37), RctArm-ResDam/EndRdx/Rchg(37), RctArm-ResDam(37) Level 22: Kick -- FrcFdb-Rechg%(A) Level 24: Tough -- UnbGrd-ResDam(A), UnbGrd-ResDam/EndRdx(39), UnbGrd-Rchg/ResDam(39), UnbGrd-Max HP%(39) Level 26: Weave -- LucoftheG-Def/Rchg+(A), Ksm-ToHit+(29), LucoftheG-Def(40), ShlWal-ResDam/Re TP(40), Rct-ResDam%(40) Level 28: Invincible -- LucoftheG-Def/Rchg+(A), LucoftheG-Def(42), LucoftheG-Def/EndRdx(42) Level 30: Combat Jumping -- LucoftheG-Def/Rchg+(A) Level 32: Blackstar -- SprAvl-Acc/Dmg(A), SprAvl-Dmg/EndRdx(42), SprAvl-Acc/Dmg/EndRdx(43), SprAvl-Acc/Dmg/Rchg(43), SprAvl-Acc/Dmg/EndRdx/Rchg(43), SprAvl-Rchg/KDProc(45) Level 35: Tough Hide -- LucoftheG-Def/Rchg+(A) Level 38: Hasten -- RechRdx-I(A), RechRdx-I(45) Level 41: Maneuvers -- LucoftheG-Def/Rchg+(A) Level 44: Antumbral Beam -- SprOppStr-Acc/Dmg(A), SprOppStr-Dmg/Rchg(45), SprOppStr-Acc/Dmg/Rchg(46), SprOppStr-Acc/Dmg/EndRdx(46), SprOppStr-Acc/Dmg/EndRdx/Rchg(46), SprOppStr-Rchg/+Opportunity(48) Level 47: Life Drain -- SprWntBit-Acc/Dmg(A), SprWntBit-Dmg/Rchg(48), SprWntBit-Acc/Dmg/EndRdx(48), SprWntBit-Acc/Dmg/Rchg(50), SprWntBit-Dmg/EndRdx/Acc/Rchg(50), SprWntBit-Rchg/SlowProc(50) Level 49: Tactics -- RctRtc-Pcptn(A) Level 1: Opportunity Level 1: Brawl -- Empty(A) Level 1: Sprint -- Clr-Stlth(A) Level 2: Rest -- Empty(A) Level 1: Swift -- Flight-I(A) Level 1: Hurdle -- Jump-I(A) Level 1: Health -- Pnc-Heal/+End(A), NmnCnv-Regen/Rcvry+(13), Mrc-Rcvry+(13) Level 1: Stamina -- PrfShf-End%(A), PrfShf-EndMod(15), EndMod-I(15) ------------ | Copy & Paste this data into Mids Reborn : Hero Designer to view the build | |-------------------------------------------------------------------| |MxDz;1354;653;1306;HEX;| |78DA4D93596F125114C7EFC020652B455AA0B494A59645105B1F7D515BDA462D492| |389AF04CB4847270381D6D8471FFC02BEF8225D7C728F1FC4AD6E69AB7E0497448D| |FA50F1CC9C7F914926BFDC73FF67BDF716AF17DC4FE66F9C1252FF8C5669B5CA254| |55F517545B3152B357549189F9DFEF081BD7CA1A2D7946ABE50695E2D4F93CB4AAC| |BB55502E2B7A4BC99FD5AFAD6ABAD2AC5C523575654D7816EB752D3FA7D69649577| |39BAB05A5D2A085D35C941A8A52F51ED8AB4AB3B5AC36C2B30D7529DF0D5EAAAF6A| |E522E5539A6B21AA284AFFEB94C0D7B18936614A1696757083296F825BCC437799A| |7D34409BE3FACBCF793D9F70BFCCD749E0083E41091C51BCA2BC157DA97CDBD81BF| |60877958D8981273D0C23C4379ADEC2B59738414ED816F29AE0DFDD8D04F00FD84D| |04F08FD84D14F18FD4CA7F9A4C857D8636C7B47F11CB039B26C9B219D8B6D92EB24| |41B68A00F89EF41EF4E579C67D8C3E678EBD005F82AF98B16DE6D38C105EF6B57A3| |1CF18E619C33CE398E736E5F1218FCF8EBD3ED0C11C77822ED0CD9CA5FAFDC8E31F| |93CCB91D89827130C1B4D04086582B866E5A4C7F2BD982F00FA2CE24EA4CA2CEE41| |FA64CDA61D6CAC34620631EFBC2BC03A9415EA7CEB336F59D3947F58DB08F65043E| |19683303CC00C58DA0AE08347B3493286612BDC333CDB49947D7C10D709399DB62C| |E53CE04E225102F41392670CE1338FB1CE8A3BD34F469E877287F16772FBB83F8BB| |CC637BE007F023F3F827E62EF9E6517BFE1EF6EE830F98530FC147E063A69F6A99C| |41D9D6CD319F965712563BC4DE325743AA372F78D1BCB4E472CC8DD974BD79B4F75| |5186896C92A9FAECEC518D73DF5F7A6D69B67DFD6FB388389FA1FB22CFC47D8EEFD| |1B75ECD6DCED87F0BC45BFB075ED6CA99| |-------------------------------------------------------------------|

I would vote Blaster, built right. At standard setting +0/x1 you are looking for mission complete and story arc bonuses. A good Blaster (get invisibility) will be cruising through these like a hot knife through butter.

I probably should have led with this. Vampires, always trying to hide things... This is for a mini-game Cosmic Council does every couple weeks. Form an Incarnate League.....and outlive everyone. "Last Man Standing" There are quite a few rules to keep everyone near the madness and engaged. No Tanks/Brutes/Dwarfs. No Phase shift, etc. No running from the combats. Focus on objectives. Incan the League into hotspots is a game EVERYONE plays....

There are quite a few restrictions, No Brute, No Tank, No Dwarf Form if Kheld, No using "Phase Shift" or "Personal Force Field" or similar powers that defend you AND make it so you cannot attack... there are various "surprise!" restrictions that are temporary. Oh...no flying (people were going for the ceiling...I might have been one....) I am leaning towards a Dark/Invul Sentinel. Great ideas in the thread. Oh, Tired...(and distracted, was forming a speed Aeon) Worked, worked out, music practice, argued with half planet, etc etc today

....You shoot down the first example, and somehow expect me to keep posting more. Lucy, Charlie Brown, and a football this ain't... It was posted that Tanks are rated above Brutes. My specific point is that is not ALWAYS true. and it simply is not. this conversation is sadbly boring. you can continue on with it but i am out. Back to why i posted the thread....getting a very survivable non tank non Brute, non flying....sigh, so many restrictions....character

maybe....but the game is to outlive them.....

So.... no matter how many examples I show of this Brute can do better than that Tank you will state that as a fringe case. Interesting. Still sticking by my rebuttal point. Tanks are not always better than Brutes.

My Brute can Tank Lord Recluse. You just said some Tanks cannot. Is that enough data. I can do this all night long.

You made a broad statement ranking each archetype. Then you responded that a Inv/Dark Tank is better than a Dark/Invul Brute. and I truly thank you for pointing that out (eye roll) My point was (and is) your broad statement ranking archetypes is, at it's core, indefensible. It is not true. Pointing out the Tank version of my example is tougher than the Brute DOES NOT NEGATE the fact that the Dark/Invul Brute is tougher than many Tanks. Which (please stay with me here) proves that your original statement is incorrect.

As a long time Dark/ Invul Brute player I can tell you for a fact I can out tank a good third of the Tank armor powersets. Thats based on game mechanics, invulnerability, and specific build I do believe rating “Archetypes” without consideration of powersets is about as useful as the description “Ranged” in the character creation screen for Blasters (who almost always perform better at Point Blank based on powers targeting….unless you choose one of the few truly ranged primaries and ….very very carefully cherry ppock a secondary and build for fully ranged)

Yeah…..but my goal is to outlive my …..erm “teammates”

Ooooooh. Lol. I am not trying to “Tank”. I am just trying to survive. Substitute “Tanky” with “Most Survivable”. Unfortunately I cannot use powers like Phase Shift or anything that interferes with attacking. Invulnerability Unstoppable and Rune of Protection are allowed