Force Redux

Cool! I'll post today in a new thread, to avoid having the old builds mixed in with the final build.

Well, I've gotten my defender to Incarnate, with T3s in all but Hybrid, which should unlock soon. I've enjoyed this enough it's my first Incarnate to win out over altitis! Thanks to all those who have provided feedback, the build is much stronger as a result. 🙂 Thoughts: Definitely feels like a Sonic/SR Sentinel but with team buffs added: Strong defense, mezz protection, ranged attacks. Turn on toggles, go blast away, apply Shields to buddies if teamed. I'm happy with my current ST attack chain of: Shriek, Scream, Shriek, Shout. Pretty seamless. Damage is solid. My two AoE cones, Howl and Shockwave do well on teams. Even better when they are immobilized, usually with my Web Cocoon. Damage is 'meh' but the KD and debuffs are useful. ((AoEs became more acceptable once I added Dreadful Wail and Ion Judgement)) Got rid of Summon Disruptor. Found it less than useful, and I prefer pets I can control. Plus I often didn't want it to linger and grab aggro when solo if I was speeding through mission points, so I often didn't summon it as often as I'd have liked. Replaced it with Dreadful Wail. It's up every 30+ seconds with Hasten, globals and Agility Alpha, and is VERY useful for when cones no longer capture those mobs who get too close or are diffused in a team environment. Cone, cone, cone...too close...Wail. Dead. Also a great opener to stun and debuff for teams. The build is very tough, I often lead in if we're moving along at a good place. Absorb proc, resist IO, scaling resist IO add to survivability nicely. No END issues. Sappers usually miss as well. Replaced Force Bubble with Repulsion Field (with the recommended KD proc) and it's much more useful. Reduces incoming melee attacks frequently, and I can use it to protect Squishies by parking myself next to them. I will post a Pine's build later if anyone is interested. Again, ty for the help. FF is my favorite set!

Has anyone noticed if the missing katana bug in Ninja Tool Mastery has been fixed?

Big Bot's attacks can stack to -1000 Regen. They have a long duration as well, so it's easy to do.

I went Primal for power boost.

Sounds like Washington D.C

I've been leveling a Plant/Dark myself, lots of tools at hand, great team support, capable soloer, lots of fun! Where would be the best place for the Preventative Medicine Chance for +Absorb proc? Twilight Grasp? Spirit Tree? Soul Absorption?

It's a damage debuff too. Don't leave home without it.

Gonna post my 02 Inf for a Water/Bio. Great AoE, nice damage types that avoid being heavily resisted, layered protection, damage boost, and fun visuals.

Far better to slot it out with aura procs and put damage procs in the thugs.

for the most part yes. Obviously you'd have gang war to slot the special pet aura IOsin. But overall thugs are a defense based set like robots. I think the build woodport over very nicely

I'm on Everlasting, Wintervoid. My backup name was Cold Hard Steel. Perhaps it might work for you? I like Bots/Cold. Has a few more goodies to keep me busier than FF did. Not sure I could ever play Bots/TA....but it sounds like it would be very interesting. Hedgefund: thanks for the build. When I get around to leveling this char, I'll use it for my reference.

Yes, they receive buffs like other players do.

Personally I'd slot both. There's room because you have Soul Extraction as a slot mule for the pet IOs. The -Res is even better when teaming. On sets that have a mule (Gang War), can you slot all 6 of the pet aura IOs or do some of them need to be on an active pet to reap the benefit? In particular, some of them are described as "bonus aura". Does this aura live on the player or on the pet? If so does the benefit only show up when Gang War is active? Aura IOs are always active. As to slotting then all in gang war, I'd recommend against it, as gang war is actually useful when slotted to hit, damage, and Recharge. Perhaps 3 aura IOs then framkenslot the remaining three slots for accd/dam in Gang War. Distribute other three aura UOs in your other pets. There might be a better way to do it, I'm not a thugs guy.

Congratulations!

And I shall! Always interested in making IOs work in new ways...ty!

This is awesome, and lol, very detailed! Once I can make up the lost Defense in Incarnated, and afford purple and ATO sets, I can begin to delve into this. I think I have enough recharge at this point.

When I can swap Screech for Scream I will. Probably after I can afford to give up the Ranged defense of Thunderstrike, and proc it out. So... When I'm Incarnated.

Also was is your slotting for Screech?

Interesting. What's your global recharge Bopper?

Hmm. Food for thought, PK. I may play with it on Justin! Ty.

I think I'd go one or the other. I use only one build at this time, so it has to be good for both teaming and solo. I don't have room for an extra power. Does Repulsion take the KD proc from either Sudden Acceleration or Overwhelming Force?

Heresy, perhaps, but I find Repulsion to be too taxing on End for what it does. I prefer tactical application of force bubble. I don't keep it on at all times. But I'm open to having my mind changed. I'd only take one or the other though.

Hyperstrike - how would you end up capping those? On my current built, with Agility Core (and we can turn on Hybrid Support Radial, too), I'd sit at (rounding for clean numbers): Smashing/Lethal 70% Energy: 67% Negative 50% Fire: 36% Cold: 36% Psi 34% Ranged 54% Melee 34% AoE 38% Normally on teams I get a bit more defense from other support types. Especially on trials. Because its not just me, its about the team. In regular play, unless I'm on a Fire Farm, I don't really see an issue with Fire. And Cold is just a very rare damage type in general. For Fire and Cold, most of the ranged stuff I can avoid, but the AoE, yeah, its a bit lower than I'd like. I don't **think** its possible to get everything in one build, but I'm open to hear suggestions?

Update: I ended up going back to Siren Song, especially for solo. Screech was less useful in most teams, and Siren's more useful solo. I've got my build up in another post with thoughts on the matter. All are useful, so ultimately I don't think there are any wrong choices here...