Nyghtmaire

Also, check out Mids Reborn (posted here on the forums). More up-to-date builder. Think of it as “Conifer Plus!” 🌲

Regarding Dunbar’s Number, is there a negative correlation between one’s level of social anxiety and the number of people one would share a drink with at a bar? Or is there a positive correlation, suggesting great concern for others with no desire to actually interact? My questions are only a third serious. What is serious is my thanks for posting. Great food for thought!

Stay safe. The Year of the Apocalypse has a couple more months left. 😞 🧟‍♀️

Same issues and same fix, fwiw. Although, I merely logged into a different character to run a mission, then back to the purchasing character. 20 minutes-ish?

Skipping Gamma Boost or the Tier 9 depends on the primary and APP/PPP choices and build pressure those choices inflict. Usually I find that I’m hurting for slots rather than power choices though, so having an extra power in which to slot a unique is very helpful. YMMV. Can’t say I’ve ever thought on a brute, “damn my recovery is too high.” 😆

Yep, run and gun, err... sword/punch/kick is the way. What else will one do with an itchy pinky chasing the next spawn trying to keep fury up?

Alternately, you can set base values to 48 for +3, which will account for the Alpha slot's +1 level shift - @kiramon's line of thinking. Building for +4 is usually overkill when you have access to the level shift since if you're under 45, you won't have access to the slotting enhancement when exempted. Functionally, the power is really only useful on EB/AV targets when at max level. While leveling, you may wish to pick up Heal Other as that will be a big help in keeping your pets topped off until you get to the Level 32 upgrade and the pets can start healing themselves. and until you can slot the unique resistance pet IOs. For the build, Power Boost does very little for your character. There are only a couple of powers that it helps (mainly Liquefy). As a throw-away power, something other than that might be more useful (like Clarity if you intend to team often). As for the force feedback proc, I never found it useful in Liquifey as the recharge being too long to have any appreciable impact. Here is a tweak/suggestion to your build. It swaps out the Winter set in Brawl while still maintaining its S/L softcap numbers. It also removes some of the range defense bonuses while still keeping Energy defense above 32.5 (within a small purple of softcapping). S/L resistances are raised a hair to over 60%, and psi resistance is almost doubled (I saw that you had a couple bonuses to that effect, so figured "why not"). Since you had 8 pts. of KB protection, this adds a little more to provide protection to almost everything in game; however, 4 pts. with Hover is usually sufficient. For Pet slotting, finding a way to get the Soulbound Allegience build-up proc in the Grave Knight is a big boost (and well worth losing the small damage bonus from Expedient Reinforcement since those bonuses don't have any impact on pet damage, only the MM's), as well as moving slots to max out the Lich's damage (every little bit helps). It looked like the Mark of Supremacy slotting was to mule 10% recharge, so the specific IOs are merely shifted around. Alternate thought: you could lower the values of S/L to 40% and raise E to the same level and build Barrier Core as your destiny. That will give you softcapped numbers for those three damage types if you cast on cooldown. Overall, fun build and a great pairing. I ran one on retail (based on Amy Winehouse -- don't judge!) and have started to rebuild that character with the new IO goodies here on Homecoming.

❤️ Necro/Sonic as well. Stupid good fun. Looking forward to the post!

Good call. I think I have a S/L soft capped version laying around (based on a retail build I ran). It’s just cool that you put up a one-stop-shop for this secondary. Epic! Edit - And added for misery's sake! Time to listen to some Tones on Tail and play this character...

This is an excellent bit of advice, here. The cost-benefit analysis for /dark comes down to my mind recharge/ToHit debuffs vs. defense buffs. And defense is an “always on” layer of protection while ToHit debuffs need to be applied (and not resisted to be effective). Identifying the low 30 range is likely ideal from a protection standpoint, as that way even the player is effectively sodtcapped against an AV (when factoring in all the debuffs). But for debuffs to land, you need to actually hit. Meaningful choices! And thanks!

Comfortable if it’s with people I know in meatspace, but otherwise no thanks. Like @Eva Destructionusually listening to music. Also, I find it breaks the fantasy of the game — getting the settings and the characters.

With what secondaries are you pairing your beasts? The pet unique IOs come from the pet sets, recharge intensive pet sets, and mastermind archetype sets. Mastermind ATOs 1. Command of the Mastermind - AOE defense (15% for Superior version) 2. Mark of Supremacy - resistance and regen (15% resists for Superior version) Pet Sets 1. Edict of the Master- +5% defense 2. Sovereign Right- +10% resistance Recharge Intensive Pet Sets 1. Call to Arms - +5% defense 2. Expedient Reinforcement - +10% resistance See here for a list of enhancements. Did someone say game over?!?!

Fire/claws is amazing. See @Sovera’s thread a couple posts down. For Dark/, still a fan of MA. Pretty beefy combination with capped resists and soft capped defenses. Can be expensive though. But ALL primaries are *almost always* unkillable with enough investment between Tanker ATOs, Incarnates, and throwing IOs/sets at the problem.

Beautiful write-up! Throwing my current build up, mainly for anyone that wants a base from which to start tinkering. This is my “played” build - no theorycrafted handwavium imaginarium in the COH aquarium. Also not a claim that this is the “best” or most efficient approach. I’m sure there are many “better” builds out there. This build calls for an active playstyle, starting from mid-range to leverage cones, then jumping in for PBoA healing of the pets and to give Oppressive Gloom an opportunity to stun minions. Aims to to be in the scrum most of the time to ensure Supremacy and Shadow Fall coverage for the pets (as well as OG impact). Including damage procs in PPP abilities, Fearsome Stare, and Twilight Grasp goes a long way to upping damage on what @Force Redux rightly calls a very controller-like pairing. On the subject of personal attacks, this build includes Gloom. I still feel ridiculous about it as that was unthinkable back in Retail. That said, I'm slowly coming around to an appreciation. Goals for the build: 1. Maximize recharge to get key powers up faster; while, 2. Ensuring -ToHit from all sources (self, Lich, and Dark Servant) are robust; to go with, 3. A moderate base of defense and resistance; while, 4. Accentuating pet damage with procs in attacks and oft-used debuffs (essentially making powers like Fearsome Stare and Twilight’s Grasp have multiple functions). Recall that -tohit debuffs can moonlight as defense. Basically, -tohit debuffs are very solid versus everything except AVs. Against an AV (most of the time), approximately every 16% -tohit debuff = 1% defense. Just checking in-game for comparison's sake and hanging out with a Pylon (and friendly Power Analyzer), this build was reducing the Pylon's ToHit to approximately 32%. Links discussing PPM procs, mastermind personal attacks, and AV/purple patch mechanics for debuff calculations. The Build S/L/E/ Softcap "tankermind" variant Necro Pets' Base values Zombies: • 25% Smash/Cold/Negative/Toxic/Psionic Resist • 100% Recharge Time Resist • -33.33% Sleep/Terrorize Duration • +4.0 Sleep/Terrorize Protection • +1.0 Stun Protection Grave Knights: • 26% Cold/Negative/Toxic • 100% Recharge Time Resist • -33.33% Sleep/Terrorize Duration • +4.0 Sleep/Terrorize Protection • +1.0 Stun Protection Lich: • 26% Cold/Negative/Toxic • +4.0 Sleep/Terrorize For swapping out other primaries, here is the post with a list of each primary’s def/res values.

Wire - Culture Vultures

Interesting to read others’ perspectives and practices. I basically solo level “old school” but will sometimes join groups IF it’s very late at night and everyone in my house is asleep so I won’t be interrupted. IRL has been so crazy these last few months that I just don’t have the time to be able to commit to a group (and I don’t want to bail on a team once I’ve made a commitment). On the rare times (very, very rare) I’ve formed a group, I never found it difficult to get a response or participant. Mind you, I prefer 3-4 person teams to keep everyone on their toes. And no objections to other play styles, preferences, farming, power leveling, what have you. It has literally no impact on my enjoyment.

I’m not quite sure what you’re referring to with the “arcane” reference. While each character has an origin (tech, natural, magic, mutant, or science), almost all powers have a damage type (or delivery) tag (e.g. smashing, lethal, fire, etc.). Here’s a discussion of it on the wiki.

And this is ALWAYS a great idea! Building off of the tech from Illusion Control’s Phantom Army design, a play on Multiple Man/Jamie Madrox. For when you *really* want to see you costume all the time...

I had to use a similar resource in a recent case. That was a pain but, from a certain distance, hilariously entertaining.

Great thread! And pretty much corresponds to the age ranges whenever this comes up at at Everlasting’s MSRs (for which, thank you Chaos United and @Helena Handbasketfor leading). PS... 45. Apparently one of the youngsters here.

X - Beyond and Back

Yep, as @kiramon says, everything is alright in this set.

1. Power Pools; 2. Level 35+ powers, a. Ancillary power pools, or b. Patron Power pools. The Patron Power pool page gives a good overview of the process.

That’s mainly to taste and character theme. Team Teleport (requiring 2 prior power picks) can be useful to position melee pets all together close to the action, but that a big investment in power choices. The new travel powers are nice with their added twists. Mystic Flight (sorcery) offers teleportation; Mighty Leap (Force of Will) offers a clickable KD; and Speed of Sound (experimentation) has Jaunt - a short teleport.

Just to be sure, you can select up to four additional power pools (in addition to one patron pool/APP starting at level 35). So, you can have leadership, speed (for hasten), and two additional pools from which to pick. Apologies if you’re aware of that. I may have misread your post.