Talk Me Out of Bio Armor

[Saikochoro]

I have a strange request. I need some help in getting more variety in my builds. Ironic given that I just posted about having too much altitis haha.

 

A BIG part of the problem is Bio Armor.  Particularly offensive adaptations damage bonus + toxic damage.  I also have always historically liked healing secondaries.  I’m posting this in general because it affects a lot of archetypes and figured I may get more advice on this board. 
 

I have realized that on basically any archetype that can take bio I end up taking it pretty much every time. Mainly because I like the damage bonus and damage has always been my focus.  Each time I start trying a different secondary I get the “But I’m missing out on so much bonus damage!” thought.  I’ve started to really enjoy blasters lately due to not even having the option to choose bio. I feel like this is limiting me and that my mindset needs to change. 
 

I know that it’s supposed to be a good secondary, possibly even the best. But, I need to branch out. I’ve managed some success with going shield, but that locks out some primaries so it only works some of the time.
 

I’d also like to start going after defense as a primary mitigation due to all the guides I’ve been reading always seeming to go after defense soft caps. I know I can get there with IOs, but having a better base I’m sure reduces the cost. So, I’ve been looking into ninjitsu, super reflexes, energy aura, etc.  But, I end up turning back to bio armor. 
 

I’m sure at end game a lot of sets can put out great damage. Bio just has that up front bonus from level 10 that draws me and I need to branch out.  I might be the only one who has this problem, if you can call it a problem, but perhaps there are others who have the same issue. Can you talk me out of using bio armor?

[Troo]

Have you tried the Epic Archetypes? 

Arachnos Soldiers / Arachnos Widows

[Saikochoro]

I’ve tried the Arachnos soldier up through crab and it wasn’t clicking with me for whatever reason. I can certainly give it another whirl at some point.  I was more thinking of trying to branch away from it on stalkers, scrappers, brutes, sentinels, etc.

 

But yeah, I agree the problem goes away when I play an archetype that doesn’t have that option 😉 

[Snarky]

it sucks.

[Sovera]

You're always going to be weak against debuffs. Cimemora will historically be your weakness, and Banished Pantheon too, and some of the Crey fights.

 

 

....

 

Done my best 😄

[SwitchFade]

19 minutes ago, Snarky said:

it sucks.

It's also ugly as fork.

[VileTerror]

Gonna echo the ugliness factor.
Maybe  try Willpower for a relaxing set where you don't need to think too much?

[Replacement]

30 minutes ago, Sovera said:

You're always going to be weak against debuffs. Cimemora will historically be your weakness, and Banished Pantheon too, and some of the Crey fights.

 

 

....

 

Done my best 😄

Ah... Hmm.

[Fan Mail]

I'm an advocate for Super Reflexes.  Easy to softcap your defense.  Easy to pay for a couple of IOs to address any endurance issues.  Once you get those things taken care of, it's recharge mule time with LotGs.  Which means you pick 3 or 4 of your offensive powers that hit the hardest for your attack chain.

 

FWIW, I like Bio Armor too though.

Edited February 12, 2020 by tafilr

[Leogunner]

Only try-hard, unoriginal, can't-cope-on-the-fly-so-give-me-a-secondary-that-does-it-all-for-me n00bs run Bio main.  

 

If you want bragging rights, roll Regen or Dark Armor without power leveling.  

[biostem]

The best defense is a good offense;  Roll up an archery/tactical arrow blaster and never look back!

[Saikochoro]

31 minutes ago, Leogunner said:

Only try-hard, unoriginal, can't-cope-on-the-fly-so-give-me-a-secondary-that-does-it-all-for-me n00bs run Bio main.  

 

If you want bragging rights, roll Regen or Dark Armor without power leveling.  

Don’t care about bragging rights. I just liked the damage bonus and healing of bio armor. I chose it before I saw all the pylon testing stuff. 
 

I originally made a MA / Regen scrapper. But as I was looking at making an alt I came across bio armor and thought, that seems kinda like Regen but with a damage buff. So I went for it. 

[Saikochoro]

12 minutes ago, biostem said:

The best defense is a good offense;  Roll up an archery/tactical arrow blaster and never look back!

Very true. I made a fire / atomic blaster that I’ve been having fun with. I have a level 3 archery / tactical arrow blaster waiting for some play time as well. 

[Heraclea]

There really isn't a minimal FX option.  It says there is, but you'll still look like Pig Pen. 

[Zenex]

Make a great costume, so good you won't want bio armor to hide it.

Edit: Bio is too ugly for me 

Edited February 12, 2020 by Zenex

[Bill Z Bubba]

4 hours ago, Leogunner said:

Only try-hard, unoriginal, can't-cope-on-the-fly-so-give-me-a-secondary-that-does-it-all-for-me n00bs run Bio main.  

 

If you want bragging rights, roll Regen or Dark Armor without power leveling.  

 

But... I kinda like myself and see no reason to fully self-gimp.

 

Side note: You all do know you can go min FX on bio armor to get rid of the poop completely, right?

Edited February 12, 2020 by Bill Z Bubba

[Lines]

It makes you smell funny.

 

We've all been thinking it, but someone had to say it.

 

 

Oh, Bio armour! Thought we were talking about BO armour

[Sovera]

4 hours ago, Heraclea said:

There really isn't a minimal FX option.  It says there is, but you'll still look like Pig Pen. 

I've fought against the so called minimal FX with Bio for months now. I would LOVE to have a dye channel that is called 'invisible' since it would solve EVERY problem most people have with cluttered FX sets.

 

For example, I rather love the 'veins of power' part of the Bio FX and think it looks really cool. But what the frick is it with the glowy hands that can't be tinted appropriately and the drippy FX? To the invisible bin with you!!

[Dreamboat]

Bio Armor looks awesome.

[EmmySky]

I have a tiny little kin/bio brute named CoffeeBean.  The bio armor works perfectly for her to look kinda like a coffee bean.  But otherwise, yeah it obliterates a costume, even minFX can be seen as ugly to some. 

 

Therefore, ergo, so....clearly you must make a costume you love above all other costumes and not be willing to obliterate it!

 

Happy hunting!

[nihilii]

I feel you, OP. Oh, I feel you.

 

To add insult to injury, /bio has a taunt aura (always a prized possession on scrappers). I'm not even sure I have any scrapper that isn't /bio anymore.

Titan Weapons I find easy not to overplay, because Momentum is annoying enough to urge you to branch out.

 

But /bio? It's a secondary, these tend to be in the background anyway compared to our more flashy attacks. And it does everything (important). And then some.

It's almost painful to roll a new alt and know the best answer is /bio. I'll pick something else perhaps 50% of the time, for flavor. Telling myself "oh I'm still shooting for performance, but going for a different sort of performance with capped DDR and defense", and so on. But in truth it is just flavor.

 

At least it's ugly. If /bio gets a proper minimal FX option, it'll be tough to justify any kind of diversity in my roster.

[Llewellyn Blackwell]

While I myself do have a dark/bio scrapper I enjoy playing an aweful lot and who ended up being more powerful then Id expected, I dont see that as being mainly due to bio. Bio like say regen or SR can really use some help from its offensive power partner to be the powerful set it can be.

 

Dark Melee is really a far bigger power boost to choose not to use, very few offensive sets come anywhere near the sustainable DPS a dark scrapper or brute can have. Since you want to branch out of bio, Id suggest a dark SR, or dark/regen. both have plenty of variation in what pools you will add to compliment it, and even what powers you will take from the 2 sets. Some dark melee like myself use only 4 attack powers from dark melee, some take most or all of them. Same with SR, some forsake elude and go toggle heavy, some ignore the toggles and push their recharge so high elude is practically perma like in the very old days.

 

There are other things to ponder as well, a scrapper with a self revive who also builds in the healing pool to revive allies, can basically always prevent a party wipe, because a good regen scrapper can solo anything and everything, so even if the team is down you will win and get em all back up being all around team mvp.

[loyalreader]

10 hours ago, biostem said:

The best defense is a good offense;  Roll up an archery/tactical arrow blaster and never look back!

@biostem my archery/tactical arrow blaster just hit 37 and it's probably the most fun I've had on any character. It doesn't feeel like a 'gimme' - I have to use strategy or I faceplant - but it's a blast to play.

[Lazarus]

IF your looking for an alternative to bio, YOU might look at RADIATION ARMOR.

the tier 9 has a 33% damage boost, combine that with the ability to slot SEVERAL -res proc.s can make a very damage intensive secondary.

 

[Bopper]

If you're looking Melee ATs, Shield is pretty offensive while also tough as nails