Invuln/DM Build Discussion

[marcussmythe]

Build, and discussion request, below:

 

Opening Notes:

Invulnerability is chosen as it is (to my perception) overall the 'toughest' Tank Set, barring stone (whose drawbacks I cannot abide).  Notable holes in Psionic and lesser ones in Energy are addressed by IOs, and the lack of a regular self heal is addressed by choice of secondary.  IO sets and defense focus covers the invuln 'hole' in debuff resistance to a degree.

 

Dark Melee is chosen for its self heal, the -acc debuff, and its high single target damage potential due to good animation speeds compared to damage.  Lack of AOE is a known issue.  In team situations this is resolved by the teams likely high AOE damage output, and in solo situations where high AOE damage is sought, an alternate build can allow for some AOE (though a second, AOE centric character with spines/fire/etc. may be a better choice)

 

IO sets are focused on +DEF and +RECHG, as that seems to be their area of greatest contribution.  Incarnate slots are chosen (Muscle, Assault) for increased damage.  It is possible that a more innately offensive character (Scrapper or Brute, perhaps) with its Incarnates chosen for defense (Agility, Support) would be superior, but that is outside this analysis.

 

 

 

Budget:

Price No Object - this is purely aspirational, and unless I stop logging out of COH every day at my day job location for 10 hours, it wont be done this year.  But mans reach must exceed his grasp, no?

 

Goals, Defensive:

Softcap Defense:  Achieved for S/L, very near F/C, 6% off for Energy/Negative - but debuff in DM will get us there for all but psionic

High Resistance:  90% S/L, 74% F/C/T, 54% E/N, 43% Psionic

High Innate Regen and Self Heal:  285% (40 HP/S)

Self Heal:  DP ever 115 Seconds for 85%, Siphon Life every 5 seconds for ~450 HP or so

 

I expect this build will be tough enough to face-off with pretty much anything it will meet.  Things that it is not softcapped against it quickly will be due to the debuff from Dark Melee, and it self heals very well for an invuln - especially given the high hit points.

 

 

Goals, Offensive:

Good Single Target Attack Chain:  Basic Dark Melee buzzsaw with extra damage buffs.

Use of Incarnate Slots for offense rather than defense - Musculature/Assault rather than Agility/Support.  Its an open question whether a much more fragile, but higher base damage character with the defensive incarnates would generate a better overall outcome - but that is outside this discussion.

High Recharge - Partial fail.  Hasten downtime is 20 seconds

AOE:  Failure.  Only AOE is Soul Drain, which is not a great damage AOE.  Im considering a rebuild that drops flight for leaping and puts spring attack in in place of afterburner. 

 

Goals, Fun:

Every build should have at least a tiny sprinkling of character-specific funsies, chosen over absolute efficiency.  Here, that is Hover/Flight/Afterburner, chosen for concept over Combat Jumping/Superleap/Spring Attack

 

Closing Notes:

The build above is intended to be able to tank anything with as little support as possible, while producing solid single-target damage to reduce uptime on boss+ enemies.  You could go even tougher with support and agility incarnates, but I dont think there is much 'left to get' as far as defense goes.

-Its possible that IOing for offense and Incarnating for Defense would be a better choice, but my gut sensibilities say otherwise.

 

Im contemplating a 'Build 2 Build' that also moves its IO focus to Even More Damage, keeps its incarnates in damage, and juggles its powers to focus more on AOE - Spring Attack, pick Shadow Maul back up, go find Cross-Punch.  Spines/Fire it will never be, but something capable of decent AOE is always useful in CoH.

 

 

Hero Plan by Mids' Hero Designer 1.962

http://www.cohplanner.com/

 

Click this DataLink to open the build!

 

hero: Level 50 Magic Tanker

Primary Power Set: Invulnerability

Secondary Power Set: Dark Melee

Power Pool: Speed

Power Pool: Flight

Power Pool: Fighting

Ancillary Pool: Energy Mastery

 

Hero Profile:

Level 1: Resist Physical Damage

• (A) Unbreakable Guard - +Max HP
  
• (5) Unbreakable Guard - Resistance
  
• (37) Unbreakable Guard - Resistance/Endurance
  
• (43) Unbreakable Guard - RechargeTime/Resistance
  

Level 1: Shadow Punch

• (A) Superior Blistering Cold - Accuracy/Damage
  
• (5) Superior Blistering Cold - Damage/Endurance
  
• (7) Superior Blistering Cold - Accuracy/Damage/Endurance
  
• (7) Superior Blistering Cold - Accuracy/Damage/Recharge
  
• (9) Superior Blistering Cold - Damage/Endurance/Accuracy/RechargeTime
  
• (9) Superior Blistering Cold - Recharge/Chance for Hold
  

Level 2: Temp Invulnerability

• (A) Gladiator's Armor - End/Resist
  
• (11) Gladiator's Armor - TP Protection +3% Def (All)
  
• (11) Gladiator's Armor - Resistance
  

Level 4: Dull Pain

• (A) Panacea - Heal/Endurance
  
• (33) Panacea - Endurance/Recharge
  
• (34) Panacea - Hea/Recharge
  
• (34) Panacea - Heal/Endurance/Recharge
  
• (34) Panacea - Heal
  
• (45) Panacea - +Hit Points/Endurance
  

Level 6: Resist Elements

• (A) Steadfast Protection - Resistance/+Def 3%
  
• (13) Gladiator's Armor - Resistance
  
• (45) Gladiator's Armor - End/Resist
  

Level 8: Unyielding

• (A) Unbreakable Guard - Resistance
  
• (15) Unbreakable Guard - Resistance/Endurance
  
• (15) Unbreakable Guard - Endurance/RechargeTime
  
• (45) Unbreakable Guard - RechargeTime/Resistance
  
• (46) Unbreakable Guard - Resistance/Endurance/RechargeTime
  

Level 10: Smite

• (A) Hecatomb - Damage
  
• (17) Hecatomb - Damage/Recharge
  
• (17) Hecatomb - Accuracy/Damage/Recharge
  
• (19) Hecatomb - Accuracy/Recharge
  
• (19) Hecatomb - Damage/Endurance
  
• (21) Hecatomb - Chance of Damage(Negative)
  

Level 12: Resist Energies

• (A) Gladiator's Armor - Resistance
  
• (13) Gladiator's Armor - End/Resist
  

Level 14: Hasten

• (A) Recharge Reduction IO
  
• (21) Recharge Reduction IO
  

Level 16: Siphon Life

• (A) Panacea - Heal/Endurance/Recharge
  
• (23) Panacea - Hea/Recharge
  
• (23) Mako's Bite - Accuracy/Damage/Endurance/Recharge
  
• (25) Mako's Bite - Damage/Endurance
  
• (25) Mako's Bite - Accuracy/Damage
  
• (27) Mako's Bite - Damage/Recharge
  

Level 18: Invincibility

• (A) Reactive Defenses - Defense/Endurance
  
• (27) Reactive Defenses - Defense
  
• (29) Reactive Defenses - Scaling Resist Damage
  
• (40) Luck of the Gambler - Recharge Speed
  

Level 20: Hover

• (A) Luck of the Gambler - Recharge Speed
  
• (29) Luck of the Gambler - Defense
  
• (31) Luck of the Gambler - Defense/Endurance
  

Level 22: Fly

• (A) Flight Speed IO
  

Level 24: Boxing

• (A) Kinetic Combat - Knockdown Bonus
  
• (40) Kinetic Combat - Accuracy/Damage
  
• (42) Kinetic Combat - Damage/Recharge
  
• (42) Kinetic Combat - Damage/Endurance/Recharge
  

Level 26: Tough Hide

• (A) Shield Wall - +Res (Teleportation), +5% Res (All)
  
• (31) Shield Wall - Defense
  
• (43) Luck of the Gambler - Recharge Speed
  

Level 28: Soul Drain

• (A) Armageddon - Damage
  
• (33) Armageddon - Chance for Fire Damage
  
• (36) Armageddon - Damage/Recharge
  
• (36) Armageddon - Accuracy/Damage/Recharge
  
• (36) Armageddon - Damage/Endurance
  
• (37) Armageddon - Accuracy/Recharge
  

Level 30: Tough

• (A) Unbreakable Guard - Resistance/Endurance
  
• (31) Unbreakable Guard - Resistance
  
• (50) Unbreakable Guard - RechargeTime/Resistance
  

Level 32: Weave

• (A) Luck of the Gambler - Defense
  
• (33) Luck of the Gambler - Defense/Endurance
  
• (43) Luck of the Gambler - Recharge Speed
  

Level 35: Taunt

• (A) Perfect Zinger - Taunt/Recharge/Range
  
• (46) Perfect Zinger - Taunt/Recharge
  

Level 38: Midnight Grasp

• (A) Superior Might of the Tanker - Damage/Endurance/Recharge
  
• (39) Superior Might of the Tanker - Damage/Recharge
  
• (39) Superior Might of the Tanker - Accuracy/Damage/Recharge
  
• (39) Superior Might of the Tanker - Accuracy/Damage
  
• (40) Superior Might of the Tanker - Accuracy/Damage/Endurance/Recharge
  
• (42) Superior Might of the Tanker - Recharge/Chance for +Res(All)
  

Level 41: Focused Accuracy

• (A) Empty
  

Level 44: Laser Beam Eyes

• (A) Superior Winter's Bite - Accuracy/Damage
  
• (46) Superior Winter's Bite - Damage/RechargeTime
  
• (48) Superior Winter's Bite - Accuracy/Damage/Endurance
  
• (48) Superior Winter's Bite - Accuracy/Damage/Recharge
  
• (50) Superior Winter's Bite - Damage/Endurance/Accuracy/RechargeTime
  
• (50) Superior Winter's Bite - Recharge/Chance for -Speed & -Recharge
  

Level 47: Physical Perfection

• (A) Regenerative Tissue - +Regeneration
  
• (48) Miracle - +Recovery
  

Level 49: Afterburner

• (A) Flight Speed IO
  

Level 1: Brawl

• (A) Empty
  

Level 1: Gauntlet

Level 1: Prestige Power Dash

• (A) Empty
  

Level 1: Prestige Power Slide

• (A) Empty
  

Level 1: Prestige Power Quick

• (A) Empty
  

Level 1: Prestige Power Rush

• (A) Empty
  

Level 1: Prestige Power Surge

• (A) Empty
  

Level 1: Sprint

• (A) Empty
  

Level 2: Rest

• (A) Empty
  

Level 4: Ninja Run

Level 2: Swift

• (A) Empty
  

Level 2: Health

• (A) Numina's Convalesence - +Regeneration/+Recovery
  
• (3) Numina's Convalesence - Heal
  
• (37) Numina's Convalesence - Heal/Endurance
  

Level 2: Hurdle

• (A) Empty
  

Level 2: Stamina

• (A) Endurance Modification IO
  
• (3) Endurance Modification IO
  

Level 50: Ion Radial Final Judgement

Level 50: Reactive Core Flawless Interface

Level 50: Polar Lights Core Superior Ally

Level 50: Barrier Radial Epiphany

Level 50: Assault Radial Embodiment

Level 50: Musculature Core Paragon

------------

 

 

[marcussmythe]

Build has below due to character limits:

http://www.cohplanner.com/mids/download.php?uc=1517&c=702&a=1404&f=HEX&dc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

 

[Heraclea]

I am a great fan of this combination, so much so that when I remade Heraclea I made her Dark Melee rather than Super Strength.

 

My chief comment is that your build is much more expensive and ambitious than mine.  This would have given me eyerolls back in 2012, given the hyperinflation in the market; but it's probably a lot more doable now if you run a lot of Task Forces.  Curious about how you fit Hover into your play style. 

[marcussmythe]

I am a great fan of this combination, so much so that when I remade Heraclea I made her Dark Melee rather than Super Strength.

 

My chief comment is that your build is much more expensive and ambitious than mine.  This would have given me eyerolls back in 2012, given the hyperinflation in the market; but it's probably a lot more doable now if you run a lot of Task Forces.  Curious about how you fit Hover into your play style.

 

Thank you for your feedback!

 

If you can see any way to get closer to the outlined goals, or to maintain its current performance at a cost savings, I would really appreciate it!

[Gigajoule]

Hecatomb and Armageddon were a tad pricey back in the day, as I recall. People didn't usually put them up on the Auction House either because the cut WW would take for putting up a multi-billion inf recipe was prohibitive. Sales had to be arranged privately, complicated by the fact that the asking price for some of the Hecatomb pieces was higher than the game's inf cap haha.

 

The purple Disorient set Absolute Amazement has mostly the same set bonuses as Hecatomb, but if I had to guess (pure speculation), there isn't nearly as much demand for it. You could probably shave a few billion influence off the cost of the set by having Absolute Amazement x 6 in Boxing, Touch of Death x 6 in Smite, generic DefBuff IO x 2 in Hover (dropping a slot), and drop another slot in Stamina. That still puts you at 43.8% Defense to S/L/F/C. Could probably tweak it further to get back to the soft-cap, but I am losing my patience with Mid's/Pine's fiddliness when it comes to moving around enh slots.

[Adeon Hawkwood]

Hecatomb and Armageddon were a tad pricey back in the day, as I recall. People didn't usually put them up on the Auction House either because the cut WW would take for putting up a multi-billion inf recipe was prohibitive. Sales had to be arranged privately, complicated by the fact that the asking price for some of the Hecatomb pieces was higher than the game's inf cap haha.

You're thinking of the Gladiator's Armor global. Hecatomb and Armageddon were on the higher end of the purple sets but even so they were more like 200million inf per piece. The Gladiator's Armor global was the one that hovered around 2billion inf although it had dropped to more like 1.7billion by the time the game shut down due to the increased supply from alignment merits (the Shield Wall global was the second highest but that was close to 1billion inf IIRC).

[marcussmythe]

Hecatomb and Armageddon were a tad pricey back in the day, as I recall. People didn't usually put them up on the Auction House either because the cut WW would take for putting up a multi-billion inf recipe was prohibitive. Sales had to be arranged privately, complicated by the fact that the asking price for some of the Hecatomb pieces was higher than the game's inf cap haha.

You're thinking of the Gladiator's Armor global. Hecatomb and Armageddon were on the higher end of the purple sets but even so they were more like 200million inf per piece. The Gladiator's Armor global was the one that hovered around 2billion inf although it had dropped to more like 1.7billion by the time the game shut down due to the increased supply from alignment merits (the Shield Wall global was the second highest but that was close to 1billion inf IIRC).

 

 

Thanks for the clarification - and thanks to Troy for the advice as well.  Even if not ‘billions and billions’, a cheaper setup with indistiguishable performance is still all to the good.

 

Its worth noting that the whole thing is hilariously over-defended, despite using the offensive Alpha and Hybrid Incarnates.  Though that begs a question:

 

Does anyone have enough experience with the offesive hybrid incarnate slots, either the +DAM Buff or Doubke-Strike flavor, to comment on their value in play?  The Support Hybrid with its massive DEF buff is a lot to give up, but if the ROI on the double-strike is really high, it may still be worthwhile.  If its not, Ill likely reinginner with the Hybrid Support slot, and use the headroom to put in more recharge, damage, and damage buff proc slotting...

[Gromm]

I know there is a little necromancy going on here, but I think it fits in well with the Dark Melee theme.

 

 

I just started one of these myself and looking for some tips on power picks and such and curious if you have an new link with the Pines Planner at all?

 

Since it is a bit of an older post I was wondering any progress was made

[Flyingdark]

This is a great build, i am working towards it right now. I am thinking about doing  gloom, and dark obliteration, from patron power set, instead of the energy mastery ones. Thoughts on this? I will play with it. I'm sure the draw backs here would be less end recovery, but that could be slotted. Just looking for a few more attacks and possible aoe attack.

[Snarky]

I am currently soloing all Redside on a Invul/Dark Tank. I have run a fully i/o’d expensive Dark/Invul Brute back on live. Most of my melee run Invul and at keast 25% use Dark.  Those are my bonafides lol

 

soooo. Think about this.  Before Incarnate powers i ran a Dark/Invul Brute. Heavily I/O’d. Lots if purple sets LOTG and Hasten. Thats right. Not built for res/def. built for permahasten or very close to it. It took Unstoppable the hated tier 9. It was nearly unkillable. The Haste on the build brought up all the needed long recharge powers in a reasonable time. If speedboosted Unstoppable stacked. This will not avert the ceash but will let you ignore it. Think Paragon Protector on very low health. Diesnt matter because you still cannot kill it. If no speed boost just have a green and a blue ready to pop at the crash. People make too much of the drop. Or a purple a green then use Darks End recovery PBAoE and then Siphon Life.  High recharge Dark takes Unstoppables crash in stride. 
 

so that is on a Brute built not for Def or Res but Speed.  This is the meanest combi in the game imo. A brute DM/Invul tanks better than almost any other Tank if it bothers to take taunt

 

The build i am currently going with for my Invul/Dark Tank is just a super relaxed story arc toon and badger. So will be S/L Def capped and Heavy resists. Better Tanking than Stone due to the versatility and giving up practically nothing when comparing survivability

 

if you want to do damage with the build i seriously recommend Brute. My main is a Ss/Invul Brute build for defand res and the only thing that puts it down are Hami and incarnate patches of death. I dont even bother looking at health or end bars. They never move below 90% unless a lot of psychic is hitting. Placing Dark over SS just makes the build more durable. The Invul Brute walks through the +4/x8 Comic con farm like another day in a park

 

whatwver you choose gl and have fun

[Heraclea]

Brute or Scrapper will definitely do more damage than a Tanker will.   You will have a somewhat harder time reaching the several softcaps if that's what you're looking for.  But the Tanker will be a much more leisurely ride.  If this is a solo character I would build for some recharge and mostly recovery.  This is how I built Heraclea as a tanker then and now; then again, as a tanker the several softcaps are much easier to reach.  Practical immunity to the endurance mechanic is what I aimed for.  Tanker defenses are overkill except in the most extreme situations, even on redside. 

 

The brute that clicked with me is radiation melee/electric armor.  I skipped the electric t9, like I always do with such powers; they get 'saved for special cases' and as such never used anyways, unless the trays swap on me unnoticed and I click it by mistake.  Radiation melee is like the red-headed stepchild of Dark Melee.  It has a self-heal that doesn't always work, and much better AoE; this combination has two PBAoE damage auras, and just standing there builds fury and mobs die as the damage ratchets up.  The character resists endurance drain at 95%, which is adequate, and has a recovery AoE that's much faster than the one in Dark Melee.  I did stuff like World Wide Red as the character's finishing lap.  The thing is, while leveling the character really struggled with endurance, so I fitted her with all the recovery uniques very early on: at level 50 the combo is golden.