TA/A or A/TA?

[SolarFlash]

I’m thinking of rolling either an A/TA corruptor or a TA/A defender - is there any strong advantage either AT has for these sets?

 

Does Scourge work on all powers, or are the pet nature of rain of arrows / oil slick arrow excluded from scourge?

 

It seems to me that since TA doesn’t have the strongest debuffs & no real help in hitting the softcap, the defender version is not as appealing as for other sets - which pushes me towards the higher damage potential of the corruptor.

 

I read some of Sir Myshkin’s awesome work on a TA/A Proc monster - but it appeared to me this would work nearly as well on a corruptor counterpart.

[oldskool]

I think the advantages are kinda obvious.  Scourge is helpful for doing damage in groups and Defenders have better debuff numbers. 

Defenders really don't need TA to hit a softcap on Smashing/Lethal defense or Ranged defense.  You can do that with IO sets and supplemental powers.  Corruptors can too but methods aren't identical.

If TA doesn't have the strongest debuffs, then this set should be no more appealing on a Defender than it should be on the Corruptor.  Unless you're basing the entire build decision around Scourge and Oil Slick? 

I'm a little confused about bringing up the value of the debuffs.  If damage is the fundamental deciding factor here, then have you looked at what an Archery/Tactical Arrow brings to the table?

[Rathulfr]

46 minutes ago, oldskool said:

If damage is the fundamental deciding factor here, then have you looked at what an Archery/Tactical Arrow brings to the table?

I was just about to suggest the Archery/Tactical Arrow Blaster.

[SolarFlash]

I suppose the value of the debuffs is perhaps beside the point. I’m pretty set on trick arrow over tactical arrow because oil slick arrow seems like a fun mechanic that is fairly unique in the game, which left me with corruptor or defender (or controller). I suppose at the end of the day both are perfectly viable (as pretty much every build is) - I was mostly looking for (for example) pseudo pet weirdness that sometimes shows up in admittedly only some very special cases; or other weird things I just wasn’t thinking about that might bias these powersets to either AT (have not really touched defenders or corruptors since live, and even then rarely).

 

Thanks for the answers to my perhaps vague questions!

 

 

[Trickshooter]

8 hours ago, SolarFlash said:

I’m thinking of rolling either an A/TA corruptor or a TA/A defender - is there any strong advantage either AT has for these sets?

 

Does Scourge work on all powers, or are the pet nature of rain of arrows / oil slick arrow excluded from scourge?

 

It seems to me that since TA doesn’t have the strongest debuffs & no real help in hitting the softcap, the defender version is not as appealing as for other sets - which pushes me towards the higher damage potential of the corruptor.

 

I read some of Sir Myshkin’s awesome work on a TA/A Proc monster - but it appeared to me this would work nearly as well on a corruptor counterpart.

Trick Arrow is more potent for a Defender; the Corruptor version is a bit worse as a secondary than other sets due to a few issues. Its two Resistance debuffs stack to get you a whopping -30% to 10 foes in an 8 foot radius, whereas shared pseudopets in other sets allow them to hit -30% against 16 foes in 15+ foot radii with just a single power. Also, more than other sets, the effects in Trick Arrow use modifiers that are the same between Corruptors and Masterminds (Mezzes, Slows and Resistance debuffs), which makes much of Corruptor TA perform no better than a Mastermind using it.

 

On the Archery side, the Corruptor version is definitely better, but it's a pretty good AoE set for either archetype.

 

Scourge works on all of Archery, including Rain of Arrows, but only works on Acid Arrow's tiny Toxic Dot for Trick Arrow, I think.

 

Trick Arrow itself might not necessarily help hitting the defense softcap or resistance caps, but the Defender itself does. Defender's share mods for self +Defense/+Resistance powers with Tankers, which means powers like Tough, Weave, Combat Jumping, Hover and the Epic/Patron armors function at Tanker values.

[Sir Myshkin]

On 9/11/2019 at 6:30 AM, SolarFlash said:

It seems to me that since TA doesn’t have the strongest debuffs & no real help in hitting the softcap, the defender version is not as appealing as for other sets - which pushes me towards the higher damage potential of the corruptor.

You would be incredibly incorrect in this statement. Disruption Arrow does -20% Resistance, as does Acid Arrow. Acid Arrow can also take the Achilles Heel and Annihilation -Res procs meaning you can have a full debuff of -72.5% Resistance which is incredibly potent. There's also the -Def component of Acid Arrow as well, plus if you're inclined to take it the -31.25% -Dam in Poison Gas Arrow and -Rech/Slow in Glue Arrow. The one thing Trick Arrow doesn't do is buff, but does debuffs incredibly well.

 

Whether you do Defender or Corruptor is really up to as the offset of the debuff values in Acid/Disruption Arrows will be compensated in the damage the Corruptor build can do. If you solo, however, the Defender will get an inherent +30% Damage that offsets their performance. Even if you team, I'd still probably suggest doing the Defender version just because the better debuff value will support your entire team doing more damage, and you can fire those debuffs off very quickly. I've been on high-impact level 50 teams with TA/A and have had absolutely no issue being at the front of the bus when it comes to entering combat and dropping debuffs/damage down.

 

You'll also want to look at getting Procs into your attacks as it will greatly improve your performance.

 

This is my build:

Spoiler

Hero Plan by Hero Hero Designer 2.23
https://github.com/ImaginaryDevelopment/imaginary-hero-designer

Click this DataLink to open the build!

Level 50 Magic Defender
Primary Power Set: Trick Arrow
Secondary Power Set: Archery
Power Pool: Fighting
Power Pool: Speed
Power Pool: Leadership
Power Pool: Leaping
Ancillary Pool: Mace Mastery

Hero Profile:
Level 1: Flash Arrow -- Acc-I(A)
Level 1: Snap Shot -- SprVglAss-Rchg/+Absorb(A), SprVglAss-Dmg/Rchg(42), SprVglAss-Acc/Dmg/EndRdx/Rchg(43)
Level 2: Aimed Shot -- SprDfnBst-Acc/Dmg(A), SprDfnBst-Dmg/Rchg(5), SprDfnBst-Dmg/EndRdx/Rchg(11), SprDfnBst-Acc/Dmg/EndRdx(13), SprDfnBst-Acc/Dmg/EndRdx/Rchg(13), SprDfnBst-Rchg/Heal%(19)
Level 4: Fistful of Arrows -- PstBls-Acc/Dmg/EndRdx(A), PstBls-Acc/Dmg(46), PstBls-Dmg/EndRdx(48), PstBls-Dmg/Rng(48), PstBls-Dam%(48), Rgn-Knock%(50)
Level 6: Ice Arrow -- GldNet-Dam%(A), UnbCns-Dam%(7), GhsWdwEmb-Dam%(7), NrnSht-Dam%(9), ImpSwf-Dam%(9), GhsWdwEmb-Acc/EndRdx(11)
Level 8: Kick -- Acc-I(A)
Level 10: Blazing Arrow -- Apc-Dmg/EndRdx(A), Apc-Dmg(19), Apc-Dmg/Rchg(34), Apc-Acc/Dmg/Rchg(34), Apc-Dam%(37), GldJvl-Dam%(37)
Level 12: Acid Arrow -- Ann-ResDeb%(A), AchHee-ResDeb%(37), TchofLadG-%Dam(40), PstBls-Dam%(42), Ann-Acc/Dmg/EndRdx(50), PstBls-Acc/Dmg(50)
Level 14: Tough -- GldArm-ResDam(A), GldArm-Res/Rech/End(15), GldArm-End/Res(15), GldArm-3defTpProc(17), StdPrt-ResDam/Def+(31)
Level 16: Aim -- RechRdx-I(A), GssSynFr--Build%(17)
Level 18: Disruption Arrow -- EndRdx-I(A), RechRdx-I(42)
Level 20: Explosive Arrow -- PstBls-Acc/Dmg/EndRdx(A), PstBls-Dmg/EndRdx(21), PstBls-Dam%(21), JvlVll-Dam%(27), OvrFrc-Dam/KB(27), FrcFdb-Rechg%(34)
Level 22: Weave -- LucoftheG-Rchg+(A), ShlWal-Def/EndRdx/Rchg(23), ShlWal-Def/EndRdx(23), ShlWal-Def(25)
Level 24: Hasten -- RechRdx-I(A), RechRdx-I(25)
Level 26: Oil Slick Arrow -- PstBls-Dam%(A), RechRdx-I(45), TchofLadG-%Dam(46), Dmg-I(46)
Level 28: Ranged Shot -- SprVglAss-Acc/Dmg(A), SprVglAss-Dmg/EndRdx/Rchg(29), SprVglAss-Acc/Dmg/EndRdx(29), StnoftheM-Dam%(33), GldJvl-Dam%(33), Dvs-Dmg/EndRdx(33)
Level 30: Maneuvers -- LucoftheG-Rchg+(A), ShlWal-Def/EndRdx(31), ShlWal-Def/EndRdx/Rchg(31), ShlWal-ResDam/Re TP(43)
Level 32: EMP Arrow -- BslGaz-Acc/EndRdx/Rchg/Hold(A), BslGaz-Acc/Rchg(43), BslGaz-EndRdx/Rchg/Hold(45), BslGaz-Rchg/Hold(45)
Level 35: Scorpion Shield -- LucoftheG-Rchg+(A), ShlWal-Def/EndRdx(36), ShlWal-Def/EndRdx/Rchg(36), ShlWal-Def(36)
Level 38: Rain of Arrows -- Rgn-Dmg/EndRdx(A), Rgn-Dmg(39), Rgn-Dmg/Rchg(39), Rgn-Acc/Dmg/Rchg(39), Rgn-Acc/Rchg(40), PstBls-Dam%(40)
Level 41: Assault -- EndRdx-I(A)
Level 44: Tactics -- GssSynFr--ToHit/EndRdx(A)
Level 47: Super Speed -- BlsoftheZ-ResKB(A)
Level 49: Combat Jumping -- LucoftheG-Rchg+(A)
Level 1: Brawl -- Empty(A)
Level 1: Prestige Power Dash -- Empty(A)
Level 1: Prestige Power Slide -- Empty(A)
Level 1: Prestige Power Quick -- Empty(A)
Level 1: Prestige Power Rush -- Empty(A)
Level 1: Prestige Power Surge -- Empty(A)
Level 1: Sprint -- Empty(A)
Level 1: Vigilance
Level 2: Rest -- Empty(A)
Level 4: Ninja Run
Level 2: Swift -- Run-I(A)
Level 2: Health -- Pnc-Heal/+End(A), NmnCnv-Regen/Rcvry+(3), Mrc-Rcvry+(3)
Level 2: Hurdle -- Jump-I(A)
Level 2: Stamina -- PrfShf-EndMod(A), PrfShf-End%(5)
Level 50: Intuition Radial Paragon
------------

 

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[SolarFlash]

Thanks! Greatly enjoyed your Proc monster work & have personally really enjoyed squeezing out a bit more of a warshade with damage procs.

 

I noticed the corruptor ATO provides an extra purple damage Proc (...eventually); I’m guessing you decided this didn’t make a tremendous difference?

 

I do team almost exclusively; I’ll take a closer look at how I like the defender setup