Secondary Empathy power

[Princess Ruby]

Suggestions for the best secondary power for Empahy?

[Adeon Hawkwood]

It depends on what you want to do with your secondary. If you're just looking for damage then Archery or Fire are probably the best (maybe Sonic as well although that's more about team damage). Alternatively if you want some light debuff and control than either Dark or Ice is a good choice with Psionic being an ok choice.

 

To be honest any secondary can work with Empathy, it just depends on what you want from your secondary.

[Vanden]

Defenders have possibly the lowest raw damage in the game, so from a pure effectiveness standpoint it's best to choose your secondary based on its secondary effects, like the -Recharge in Psi and Ice, or the -ToHit in Dark.

[Princess Ruby]

Thanks for the replies! I mainly want to concentrate on heals. So whatever is most beneficial to the team as a secondary, that's what I'm after.

[Adeon Hawkwood]

Dark or Cold is probably a good option then, decent damage good debuffs and some control.

 

That being said, you do NOT want to concentrate on heals. Healing is the weakest form of damage mitigation in the game and even for Empaths healing is less important as you go up in levels. For an Empath good use of Fortitude and Adrenalin Boost is what really makes a difference, learning who to use them on for maximum effect makes a much bigger impact than spamming Healing Aura.

 

Additionally don't neglect your attacks. Especially with sets like Dark and Cold using your attacks to debuff or control enemies will greatly reduce the amount of healing that you need to do.

[Princess Ruby]

Got it! Thank you for the advice!!

[Burnt Toast]

Please don't "focus" on heals - focus on buffs and doing damage. Keeping a team buffed - especially your Tank/Brute/Scrap (whoever is taking alpha) will benefit the team way more than healing. Empathy has some heals, but it really shines in its ability to buff individuals and the team. In other words.. don't be a "healer" be.. a Defender :)

 

My main is an Empathy/Ice - Aside from buffing and the occasional heal I am busy slowing, hurting, and holding enemies.

 

 

Thanks for the replies! I mainly want to concentrate on heals. So whatever is most beneficial to the team as a secondary, that's what I'm after.

[Fatman]

Suggestions for the best secondary power for Empahy?

Can't go wrong with "healing" boolets from Dual Pistols.

[Blastit]

As mentioned, Dark Blast and Ice Blast would be nice for their control options and their defensive debuffs, since both -ToHit and -Recharge decrease incoming damage. Their crowd control should help with any soloing, should you need to, although that's not what people look for when they make an Empath. If you want something that enhances the offensive capabilities of your team instead, Radiation Blast or Sonic Attack fit the bill. I believe the -Resistance debuff for Sonic Attack is 20% or thereabouts, which is quite significant.

[Gorgar]

Emp/sonic works pretty well.  Any time you're not busy buffing or healing, you can either be debuffing resist, which is pretty effective, or using the single-target stun or cone sleep.  I found this to work well because I'd either be shooting at what the team already was fighting and therefore not getting aggro myself, or using crowd control on uncontrolled threats.

[Rylas]

Keeping a team buffed - especially your Tank/Brute/Scrap (whoever is taking alpha) will benefit the team way more than healing.

 

Agreed. Fortitude does way more on your Alpha than it will on your squishies who are dealing damage and control. Additionally, you don't need to worry about handing out Clear Mind to tankers/brutes/scrappers past the very early levels. They have built in powers in their sets for mez resist. Unless confuse is being used on them, it's a waste of your time in which you could be dealing damage or handing out other needed buffs.

[Mikazuki]

One thousand times sonic, stack that -res.

 

Will make your group love you, twice.

[Adeon Hawkwood]

Agreed. Fortitude does way more on your Alpha than it will on your squishies who are dealing damage and control. Additionally, you don't need to worry about handing out Clear Mind to tankers/brutes/scrappers past the very early levels. They have built in powers in their sets for mez resist. Unless confuse is being used on them, it's a waste of your time in which you could be dealing damage or handing out other needed buffs.

Good Fortitude target selection is very dependent on team composition and the enemy group you're fighting. If your tanker or melee characters are struggling then yeah fort them up (for example if you an an Invulnerability Tanker versus a Psionic group then he'll probably want Fortitude). But if they're fine and/or you have other support characters giving them defense (such as a force fielder) then giving Fort to a Blaster so he can go nuts with the AoE is more useful. Heck if you give a Blaster Fortitude and Adrenalin Boost he can probably just solo the map.