Best for Solo?

[ceto555]

Hi I was wondering what would be best for just solo leveling missions, then puttering around on my own at end game, Energy/Energy blaster or Grav/Energy Dominator?

[Shoulung]

I’d say that in most cases doms handle large groups of mobs better, but I’m not sure that grav has much in the way of aoe controls. Both of them would do fine with small groups, while not providing much utility versus EB/AVs. Then again, I don’t know if you can stack enough KB to push an AV around.

[Wintercat]

I'd say I have tried pretty much every variation of blaster save for water, beam rifle and dark, and every single one is easily soloable as longas you don't expect to solo on the mythic +4/8. 

This is without IOs and bonuses and such, I never got into crafting. If course, EBs can cause difficulty and faceplants, but plan your inspiration tray carefully and you'll win.

[ZorkNemesis]

I feel like, in this scenario, the Blaster would solo better simply because Blasters strength lies in crowd damage.  With energy blast you'll be dealing damage and keeping most mobs flat on their asses the entire time, preventing most retaliation unless you miss or the mobs resist KB/KD effects.  A gravity dom certainly can keep groups under control to prevent retaliation as well, especially with Wormhole and Dimension Shift and the extra control support from the Singularitu, but dom assault sets typically lack in crowd damage and control powersets don't usually offer much damage without building for it.  Crowd fights on the dom will take longer with less AoE damage and if you can't knock out the group before your controls drop you may have some trouble.

[Tahliah]

On 10/5/2019 at 11:13 AM, ceto555 said:

Hi I was wondering what would be best for just solo leveling missions, then puttering around on my own at end game, Energy/Energy blaster or Grav/Energy Dominator?

YMMV, but the best blaster for soloing in my own experience is ice/ice.  Superior dps, great holds/slows/mitigation.  Pick your powers carefully, and there is no content you can't solo (excluding obvious stuff like GMs and trials).  My ice/ice/ice blaster on live soloed every mish available via the Ouro ice crystal, and I'm working my way through them now on Homecoming.  No problems so far. 

[Rathulfr]

On 10/5/2019 at 11:13 AM, ceto555 said:

Hi I was wondering what would be best for just solo leveling missions, then puttering around on my own at end game, Energy/Energy blaster or Grav/Energy Dominator?

I recommend Energy/Temporal or Archery/Tactical for solo Blasters, if you want to stick with ranged damage.  Both secondaries offer good damage and mitigation, and are low maintenance.

Edited October 10, 2019 by Rathulfr

[Radiaria]

I second Archery/Tactical, it's solid, syngerizes very well. So does Ice/Tactical.

 

Honorable mention as well: Dark/Tactical, you get a sniper, a good way to put on Clouded Senses procs, you're hardly ever resisted, you get an immobolize, heal, and your enemies have less of a chance to beat you as time goes on with your to hit debuff stacking.

[Golden Azrael]

All of them, to a degree of difficulty.

 

Sonic.  You can sleep them.  Used with an energy manipulation 2ndary?  You'll do just fine.  -res.  What's not to like?

 

Fire, you can incinerate them.  It's frustrating as you don't get any mitigation (you have to build in Def', hover and tough to get your to your mitigation tools) until much later on with 'Hot Feed' etc to make the mob flex with Rain of Fire.  0 x 8?  You're going to have to burn inspires in the L20s range.  Unless you're set up with lots of def', hover and tough?  Kill or be killed.  Who is faster on the draw.

 

Energy?  You can send them flying.  Since the self buff end reduction, you can pick on mobs of 3-4 np and not worry that lack of end is going to be the end for you.  That and insta-snipe have been transformation.  You're never out the fight.  I now just use fly and attack from a flying around position.   BLAP heaven.  Nova Snipe.  Torrent Snipe.  Snipe TF.  So many variants.

 

Elec?  You can drain them.  Could do with the T4 short circuit swapping out for the high damage attack from Sentinel elec.  Less bast friendly due to that momentum killing T4 attack.  It doesn't rock and roll like energy.  Missing something.  Maybe an elec sentinel is what you roll there with elec 2ndary.

 

Ice?  Is closer to what you're asking.  You can hold them.  Ultimate mitigation.  Then it's over.  With the slow self buff aura you can take on mobs with ease.  It's lethal.  Part controller, part blaster. You are Captain of your own destiny.  Single Target killer?  Tick.  Ice Nova?  Ice Storm?  AoE covered.

 

The latter is the solo king out of the blasters I've tried above.  With potent AoE capability.  The slow and hold mitigation?  You are the ice assassin.  Not quite as much fun as energy or water?  But highly satisfying and engaging game play.

 

For AoE.  Water blast has mitigation.  Slow them.  AoE them.  Knock them down.  Steam them.  Heal off the corkscrew attack.  And that Water Nova.  Good night vienna.  Great fun.

 

What you pick as your secondaries also counts.  I tend to go for matching sets.  eg.  Ice/Ice.  But Sonic blaster and Water don't have matching sets.

 

You don't have to pay for subs or slots any more.  Roll them.  Try them.

 

Azrael.

[Radiaria]

3 hours ago, Golden Azrael said:

All of them, to a degree of difficulty.

 

Sonic.  You can sleep them.  Used with an energy manipulation 2ndary?  You'll do just fine.  -res.  What's not to like?

 

Fire, you can incinerate them.  It's frustrating as you don't get any mitigation (you have to build in Def', hover and tough to get your to your mitigation tools) until much later on with 'Hot Feed' etc to make the mob flex with Rain of Fire.  0 x 8?  You're going to have to burn inspires in the L20s range.  Unless you're set up with lots of def', hover and tough?  Kill or be killed.  Who is faster on the draw.

 

Energy?  You can send them flying.  Since the self buff end reduction, you can pick on mobs of 3-4 np and not worry that lack of end is going to be the end for you.  That and insta-snipe have been transformation.  You're never out the fight.  I now just use fly and attack from a flying around position.   BLAP heaven.  Nova Snipe.  Torrent Snipe.  Snipe TF.  So many variants.

 

Elec?  You can drain them.  Could do with the T4 short circuit swapping out for the high damage attack from Sentinel elec.  Less bast friendly due to that momentum killing T4 attack.  It doesn't rock and roll like energy.  Missing something.  Maybe an elec sentinel is what you roll there with elec 2ndary.

 

Ice?  Is closer to what you're asking.  You can hold them.  Ultimate mitigation.  Then it's over.  With the slow self buff aura you can take on mobs with ease.  It's lethal.  Part controller, part blaster. You are Captain of your own destiny.  Single Target killer?  Tick.  Ice Nova?  Ice Storm?  AoE covered.

 

The latter is the solo king out of the blasters I've tried above.  With potent AoE capability.  The slow and hold mitigation?  You are the ice assassin.  Not quite as much fun as energy or water?  But highly satisfying and engaging game play.

 

For AoE.  Water blast has mitigation.  Slow them.  AoE them.  Knock them down.  Steam them.  Heal off the corkscrew attack.  And that Water Nova.  Good night vienna.  Great fun.

 

What you pick as your secondaries also counts.  I tend to go for matching sets.  eg.  Ice/Ice.  But Sonic blaster and Water don't have matching sets.

 

You don't have to pay for subs or slots any more.  Roll them.  Try them.

 

Azrael.

Where is the highlight about Dark?

[ceto555]

Thanks for the replies, I think i'll give Archery/Tactical a shot.

[Display Name]

On 10/9/2019 at 8:47 PM, Rathulfr said:

I recommend Energy/Temporal or Archery/Tactical for solo Blasters, if you want to stick with ranged damage.  Both secondaries offer good damage and mitigation, and are low maintenance.

 

On 10/9/2019 at 10:01 PM, 3333053222 said:

I second Archery/Tactical, it's solid, syngerizes very well. So does Ice/Tactical.

 

Based on these statements and my slight familiarity with Ice Blast/, I decided to go with Ice Blast/Tactical Arrow.

[Shred Monkey]

Also, hover/flight gives a huge reduction in incoming damage by staying out of melee range.   Most mob groups are very limited in ranged attacks.  This can be a big benefit when soloing.  There are temp powers for flight as well. 

 

Or you can do the "blaster dance"   ...attack-attack-retreat.... attack-attack-retreat... (repeat) 

[Golden Azrael]

20 hours ago, 3333053222 said:

Where is the highlight about Dark?

Never played a Dark blaster. 😛

 

Played it on Defender upto about L10.  A slow, debuffing set.  The 1st three attacks are ok.  You get Moonbeam, a snipe, nice and early.  No BU, though?  The 1st two attacks have enough punch about them in the early levels.  My Duo partner played a Dark Def' and the blast set held it's own.  With no BU it didn't have the kick bottom or zip of energy or seem as fun.  But he managed to get through 50 levels of it.  There's a decent group hold in it...and a heal aspect attack.

 

I never found it that compelling to roll a blaster with it.

 

If you like being 'dark' and  debuffing it may be for you.

 

Azrael.

 

PS.  As for giving Archery a go.  Good luck.  I have an Archery/Trick Arrows Defender.  Love the debuff set (Which must be amongst the best in the game....) but he Archery feels limp lettuce.  Piddly.  But if you find it fun, more power to your bow arm.  The Red Hats do ok on it....but they usually hit you in packs.

 

PPS.  Re-forged my fire/fire blaster as a hover blaster.  It's really helped survivability.  Taken Man' and Hover for the def'.   With Tough and Weave on the horizon to buy time to fry the mobs.  Using tanker pulling tactics of blasting and pulling to a corner to narrow the incoming damage.  Though you can blast in the open with a couple of inspires if you get your attacks in quickly.  It seems to be 'how' you deploy your fire attacks.  A set I never mastered on live.  But this time....I hope to through build choice and tactics.

Edited October 11, 2019 by Golden Azrael

[Snakebit]

There's some blaster builds floating around that are pretty amazing. More than one forum member has solo'd the ITF with a blaster. I've seen some builds with capped resists and softcapped defenses that still had enough AOE and ST DPS to make Brutes cry. I know one of them was /nin, and one of them was ice/. 

[Tater Todd]

Dark Blast is a lot like Rad Blast.  On paper both Blast sets look underwhelming compared to most but when you consider Dark and Rad's Proc potential the sets really shine. 

Dark Blast with proc hits hard and is bursty. The set also offers Immobs and -To Hit debuffing and holds for days. It's like having a mini controller.

Radiation Blast with procs helps melt faces by reducing the enemies defense and resistance which is something that's welcomed no matter what level your team is. 

[Chuckers]

I used Water/Atomic for mine.. and got him up to 50. He's a lot of fun, especially if you want to blapper! Atomic has some good holds and melee powers. 

[HelenCarnate]

18 minutes ago, Chuckers said:

I used Water/Atomic for mine.. and got him up to 50. He's a lot of fun, especially if you want to blapper! Atomic has some good holds and melee powers. 

I would second this combo. Yes water is a full ranged set but it does decent damage, has plenty of CC available with KB and holds. Also getting -to hit and +recharge when you venture into melee range. Endgame with IO sets and scorpion shield it is easy mode.

[MunkiLord]

7 hours ago, Shred Monkey said:

Also, hover/flight gives a huge reduction in incoming damage by staying out of melee range.   Most mob groups are very limited in ranged attacks.  This can be a big benefit when soloing.  There are temp powers for flight as well. 

 

Or you can do the "blaster dance"   ...attack-attack-retreat.... attack-attack-retreat... (repeat) 

I prefer attack-attack-useallmyinspirations attack-attack-faceplant. Debt builds character.

[Chuckers]

1 hour ago, MunkiLord said:

I prefer attack-attack-useallmyinspirations attack-attack-faceplant. Debt builds character.

You're not a true blaster until you've waited in a team fight to level-rez.

 

[Frostweaver]

11 hours ago, cejmp said:

I've seen some builds with capped resists and softcapped defenses that still had enough AOE and ST DPS to make Brutes cry.

 

I wish that statement were something other than exaggeration.

Edited October 12, 2019 by Frostweaver

[Tahliah]

On hover and blasters: get it.  Keep it. Slot it. Love it.

 

If you are soloing content, hover is your best friend in EB and AV fights.  It's also pretty good to have when you are overwhelmed by baddies in melee range (and you will be). 

 

Stick an LOTG recharge in there along with whatever def IOs you want, and this is a golden power for blasters.  You are ABOVE the fray both literally and figuratively), and you have juicy def / recharge bonuses.

 

If you happen to be on an ice/ice blaster, you have the added bonus of a slow aura . . . just by being in the air.  Additionally, drop your aoes, and the fliying baddies will sink to the ground (and if proc'd flop around in a funny funny way).  If you want to be extra wily, drop your ice patch, hover above it, and then pick off the flopping baddies like fish in a barrel.

 

There are a million uses for hover, and they are all good. 

[Frostweaver]

dual pistols/Temporal is turning out to be a heck of an AE farmer? That's the only kinda 'soloing' I am into, knocking out those vet levels for threads and Empyriuans.

[Golden Azrael]

On 10/11/2019 at 4:01 PM, cejmp said:

There's some blaster builds floating around that are pretty amazing. More than one forum member has solo'd the ITF with a blaster. I've seen some builds with capped resists and softcapped defenses that still had enough AOE and ST DPS to make Brutes cry. I know one of them was /nin, and one of them was ice/. 

If you can link to any....  Def or res capped builds...?

 

Quote

On hover and blasters: get it.  Keep it. Slot it. Love it.

 

If you are soloing content, hover is your best friend in EB and AV fights.  It's also pretty good to have when you are overwhelmed by baddies in melee range (and you will be). 

 

Stick an LOTG recharge in there along with whatever def IOs you want, and this is a golden power for blasters.  You are ABOVE the fray both literally and figuratively), and you have juicy def / recharge bonuses.

 

If you happen to be on an ice/ice blaster, you have the added bonus of a slow aura . . . just by being in the air.  Additionally, drop your aoes, and the fliying baddies will sink to the ground (and if proc'd flop around in a funny funny way).  If you want to be extra wily, drop your ice patch, hover above it, and then pick off the flopping baddies like fish in a barrel.

 

There are a million uses for hover, and they are all good. 

 

Hover tanking for 50 levels taught me a new appreciation for Hovering.  I'd never mastered Hover play on live.  This time I have.  And applying it to a Fire/Fire blaster has been a revelation as that was another attack set I'd never mastered on live.  Attack.  Dead.  Attack.  Dead.  It's very much how you deploy your attacks.  And still using 'tanking' tactics to stay alive.  And?  I swapped out Fire Breath (slow inaccurate AoE) and Flares and Man's for Kick, Tough, Weave.  Had to drop Hasten temporarily.  Not that you need it.  Fire is so damaging.  Inferno is vaporising even on 2 slots of dam.

 

Now I've got Burn.  Another power I never got on live or the point of the immob'.  But I think the penny has finally dropped on that one.  More combat testing coming up.

 

Your tips on ice hover blasting, noted.  I had a hover ice blaster on live.  Used to to get 3 levels just hunting snipers in Founders.  The new ice aura makes many more things possible.  What proc' in AoEs are you referring to?  (Proc, not something I was into on live.  Now I have 'some' of them in 'some' of my builds.)

 

Azrael.

[Shred Monkey]

2 hours ago, Frostweaver said:

dual pistols/Temporal is turning out to be a heck of an AE farmer? That's the only kinda 'soloing' I am into, knocking out those vet levels for threads and Empyriuans.

Have you tried farming in DA to take advantage of those +level bonuses?  You don't get custom enemies, but unloading your AoEs into a 4x8 spawn of 54s when you're an effective level 53 feels like cheating.

[Frostweaver]

17 minutes ago, Shred Monkey said:

Have you tried farming in DA to take advantage of those +level bonuses?  You don't get custom enemies, but unloading your AoEs into a 4x8 spawn of 54s when you're an effective level 53 feels like cheating.

Yeah, but soloing every once in a while a triple spawn is hidden in a hole or something, and I get overwhelmed by 12+enemies nuking and 4 bosses hitting with TW simultaneously. Instant faceplant, just add Blaster. Don't even have time to pop my incarnate and they are JUST out of melee buff range.

Remember, they start at 70% accuracy instead of 50%. and when you are still loading your incarnates, that 20%+Purple Patch REALLY counts.

Edited October 14, 2019 by Frostweaver