KaizenSoze

I think GA would be great for cone based secondaries. Or if you wanted to fight all at ranged. Use GA to create a area of denial between the mobs and you. But power and slot starvation will be a serious problem for TA builds now. IMO TA power selection will be driven heavily by the secondaries. As it is now, I have so many powers I keep forgetting to use Entangling Arrow or EMP Arrow. My little brain can only keep track of so many powers. 🙂

This will probably sound counter-intuitive, but I be fine if DA and OSA were targeted, not location, focused. As it is now, I have to create powexec_location binds for those two powers. Most times, I start the fight right in the middle of the spawn. As for ambushes, I could pop one at range and wait for for it to turn the corner before dropping DA and OSA. Slightly less convenient, but in most fights a mob targeted power is more convenient.

I really want to try Acid Arrow on a team, but there are no teams on the beta server. As best as I can tell, Acid Arrow is helping slow the council wolves, so they cannot escape the AOEs as fast. So, it's useful soloing. I like the new Disruption Arrow behavior. Now, that all TA powers are useful, builds are going to be really slot starved. Being able to have your main -res as one power that only needs one slot, recharge, is a benefit. Not being able stack takes the pressure off to slot it more. Especially, now that Flash Arrow should be max slotted for -tohit, 3-4 slots, for the -32%. For me, Glue Arrow is now the odd power out. At least, with a Ice Blast secondary. To combination of flash arrow, which removes the need to softcap def. Acid arrow which removes the need for high accuracy, allowing more procs. And finally, poison gas arrow, which basically gives an effective +25-50 resists against damage. Turns TA from a squishy set, to a very durable set.

Build: TA/Ice defender. Overall better than TA/elec, due much more AOE damage Soloing tally: 4x8 Council melts even faster 3x8 Arachnos are doable now Flash Arrow and Poison Gas Arrow handle the alpha just fine. With only 23% defense. I do have decent 58% s/l resists and clarion. Acid arrow's -def makes sure everything hits. My current attack chain, I have stealth and celerity running. FA->stand in the middle of the pack->AA->PGA->DA->OSA->Consume which ignites OSA->Ice Storm->Blizzard Mobs don't long last under -40 resists, OSA, IS, and Blizz. Everything is so slowed and -recharged, that they barely run or attack before death... er arrest. Come to the beta server. Try it out, TA is doing great now! TA/Ice build:

Yes, but OMG, Flash Arrow is the bomb now. It has 32% -toHit. I can stand in the middle of 4x8 council and take the alpha while layer on the debuffs. This is with max defense of 23%. The only downside is that all the powers are useful. Builds will be tight. I have been running an TA/elec on beta server. I can easily solo 4x8 council, 2x8 anything but maybe carnies, 3x8 CoTs. Arachnos at 3-4x8 are coin flip, depends a lot on the mob variety. That brings up the question, what can people solo with TA now?

More play testing. Carnies are still a no go, between the phasing and the holds. 😞 Soloing score card: 4x8 Council not hard 2x8 Arachnos easy, 3-4x8 not easy 3x8 CoT not a threat I tried out the Control hybrid, since I have three ST holds, AOE hold, and a AOE sleep. Makes me feel like a controller for two mins. I feel like TA paired with any secondary that benefits from Acid Arrows -resists to uhm resists is going to work well. Dark, Ice, Psi, Electric seem like the best candidates, because -toHit, Recharge, End drain. This all hinges on Flash Arrow's -tohit w/o that it would be a ton harder to solo. At low levels FA will be a massive team benefit. My current attack chain, I have stealth and celerity running. FA->stand in the middle of the pack->AA->PGA->DA->OSA->Short Circuit which ignites OSA->EMP A if up. Or I can drawn them into an ambush, at a corner->DA->OSA->Ball Lightning->Wait for the lead mob to around the corner->AA->PGA->Short Circuit->etc Current build. I will try other secondaries as I have time.

I have tried to run TA defenders in the past, but gave up. So, I am not an expert. Also, not sure what TA defenders are capable of in terms of soloing. I figure play experience is the best way to find it if the buffs are effective. But tonight my level 51 TA/Elec defender was easily able to solo 54x8 council. I could solo 53 Arachnos, but that was a lot tougher. But I barely know what I am doing with all the powers. The build below is total kludge. I wanted to see how end drain was with acid arrow. Also, to have an easy way to ignite oil slick. The -32% -tohit from a slotted Flash Arrow is amazing. I could stand in the middle of the spawn and suck all the end up with minimal damage. Just look for Little Shocker on Brainstorm if you want to test things out.

I have been thinking about what a electric or Ice controller could do with acid arrow. Ice's Arctic Air might benefit quite a bit. Electric could become an even monstrous end drainer.

I have trained myself to use Aim right before Wail. Otherwise, I can easily forget it's there.

The changes are significant. Adds a lot of debuffs that weaken the target for other powers. EMP end crash is gone and it adds buffs to players in the effected area.

The fix for the tar patch bug is now on the beta server. The note is at the bottom of the first post.

It's possible it's an illusion. The difference between 7 and 11 is very subtle. I wish melee cones were more intuitive, even practicing on mobs in Perez Park doesn't make me comfortable with them. I have a good feel for ranged cones.

The more I play on the beta server the more I learn. I was never a big fan of eviscerate, because I suck at hitting more than 1-2 mobs per attack. Due to all useful comments from @kiramon about range enhancement. I had an epiphany. If you stick three Hami dam/range pieces in eviscerate, then cone goes from 7 to almost 11. It goes to 11! For me, the effect has been to hit 2-3 mobs consistently. And not uncommonly 3-4 mobs. Note, cardiac as no effect, it does not appear to work on Hami's. Also, I took smoke grenade to solo large group. It makes it easier to thin out the group or avoid aggroing two groups. TT: Offensive was taken for two reason, proc'ed out attack have less accuracy and TT:O gives a 33% -tohit resistance. Very useful when fighting carnies with their -acc debuffs.

Lately, I have been leaning heavily on confuse, which works well on *most* Arachnos. I put the Coercive Persuasion set in my AOE confuse, stealth in, and fire. There are so many extra confuse procs that bosses will often get confused for a long time. If not, then I use the single target version. Let them tear each other up for bit then Aim->Wail and/or Judgement. Clean up what's rest.

I mostly use placate against single targets. I try and time it with my biggest hitter.

I am betting this is it. Now that I have been watching it hasn't been happening. I usually re-bind z to fire my judgement, but that's not always true on the beta server. I bet I am reflexively hitting z from time to time. So, do you what you want with this thread. Thanks all for the input.

You are correct about Banes, there are two threads discussing their issues in the VEAT forum. Night Widows can have such high defense with perma Mind Link and 85% psi resists. That they can duke it out with Arachnos and they have much better AOE than banes. Fortunata builds have a massive burst AOE, AIM->Psychic Wail->Spin most minions are dead and the lts are stunned and going ouch. Plus a bag of controls, claws, and ranged attacks. Also, Widows and Fortunatas get scaling resists based on health. Banes do not, instead they get better -resist powers. The Achilles Heel of Arachnos, except Crab builds with serum, is low points. Low hps plus def debuffs and some bad RND. Spat!

I agree. Especially, since I am usually fighting Arachnos with a Blood Widow build. I get all the same tricks and use them. 🙂

Side note, if Arachnos are not "fun" enough for you. Try any of the AE 801.x missions. I didn't make them, but whoever did know how to make nasty mobs.

Yes, it does! I tried it out on the beta server. Kill rate is a lot slower, but the safety is unmatched. Compared to my Blood Widow. I also tried the build out against CoTs, Carnies, and Council. They went down noticeable faster than Arachnos. Why energy melee? Given it's post nerf performance? The constant stunning is nice though.

Oh, I know about that def debuff. 😞 While I trying to take out TMs, the Mus are picking my end and hps to pieces. And that is on characters with high defense. Arachnos are a tough bunch. I have to take them slowly. I was hoping someone had found a weakness. If they aren't def debuffing you... Then they are sapping your end... Or placating and criting you... My effective chars have high psi resists... so at least that's not a problem

Arachnos are the nemesis of a lot of my theory builds. If the builds look promising in mids, then I make them on the beta server. Test them out on 4x8 council, cots, then.... Arachnos. Spat! I only have only been able to make two builds that can handle, not crush, Arachnos. Do you have any builds make Arachnos look like Council?

I respec'ed my 2nd build slot into this build. Then slotted with IOs and what set pieces I had available. I think this build exemps better than the Blood Widow below level 28. At least in single target damage because slash is a monster. I might tweak to get placate eariler. Dart burst, not slotted out yet, is doing decent damage. Unexpected bonus, is the run speed. Mental Training, Swift, Sprint, plus Synapse Shock set bonus make for a very quick character. I can dart burst, charge into the thickest part of the mobs, spin, then hop back and dart burst again. Very quickly.

That is a good point. I will watch for that, but I think auto fire it off when I first login. Either way, I will watch for it. Thank you.

I had not considered Cardiac or Hamis! Thank you.