Critique/Help with AR/Inv build

[Tonio]

This is the first time I've actually managed to sorta come up with a build in Mids, and I'm sure it's nowhere near "good".  I'll gladly take any criticism and/or help!

I'm trying to go for decent ST and AoE (as in I'm not looking for really good ST or AoE, especially not if it means sacrificing the other), good enough survival for soloing content (I'd love +4/x8, but it doesn't have to be that).  I'd rather not do fly/hover.  I'm not married to psi mastery as epic, mostly picked it cuz I saw it recommended somewhere (to fill the psi defense hole, and as a LotG mule?), totally open to suggestions there.

If anything seems off, it probably is, feel free to point it out.  😄

 

Here goes:

Spoiler

Hero Plan by Mids' Reborn : Hero Designer 2.6.0.7
https://github.com/ImaginaryDevelopment/imaginary-hero-designer

Click this DataLink to open the build!

Morc: Level 50 Mutation Sentinel
Primary Power Set: Assault Rifle
Secondary Power Set: Invulnerability
Power Pool: Leaping
Power Pool: Leadership
Power Pool: Speed
Ancillary Pool: Psionic Mastery

Hero Profile:
Level 1: Burst

• (A) Achilles' Heel - Chance for Res Debuff
• (3) Touch of Lady Grey - Chance for Negative Damage
• (3) Shield Breaker - Chance for Lethal Damage
• (15) Devastation - Damage/Recharge
• (15) Devastation - Damage/Endurance
  

Level 1: Temp Invulnerability

• (A) Unbreakable Guard - Resistance
• (17) Unbreakable Guard - Endurance/RechargeTime
• (39) Unbreakable Guard - Resistance/Endurance
• (48) Unbreakable Guard - RechargeTime/Resistance
• (50) Unbreakable Guard - Resistance/Endurance/RechargeTime
  

Level 2: Disorienting Shot

• (A) Apocalypse - Damage
• (5) Apocalypse - Damage/Recharge
• (5) Apocalypse - Accuracy/Damage/Recharge
• (7) Apocalypse - Accuracy/Recharge
• (9) Apocalypse - Damage/Endurance
• (9) Apocalypse - Chance of Damage(Negative)
  

Level 4: Super Jump

• (A) Blessing of the Zephyr - Knockback Reduction (4 points)
  

Level 6: Slug

• (A) Force Feedback - Chance for +Recharge
• (7) Explosive Strike - Chance for Smashing Damage
• (11) Devastation - Damage/Recharge
• (11) Devastation - Damage/Endurance
• (13) Devastation - Accuracy/Damage/Recharge
• (13) Devastation - Accuracy/Damage
  

Level 8: Resist Physical Damage

• (A) Steadfast Protection - Resistance/+Def 3%
  

Level 10: Aim

• (A) Gaussian's Synchronized Fire-Control - Chance for Build Up
  

Level 12: Dull Pain

• (A) Panacea - Heal/Endurance
• (17) Panacea - Endurance/Recharge
• (37) Panacea - Hea/Recharge
• (37) Panacea - Heal/Endurance/Recharge
• (39) Panacea - Heal
• (39) Panacea - +Hit Points/Endurance
  

Level 14: Durability

• (A) Performance Shifter - EndMod
• (40) Endurance Modification IO
• (46) Performance Shifter - Chance for +End
• (46) Healing IO
  

Level 16: Unyielding

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

Level 18: M30 Grenade

• (A) Overwhelming Force - Accuracy/Damage
• (19) Overwhelming Force - Endurance/Recharge
• (19) Overwhelming Force - Accuracy/Damage/Endurance
• (21) Overwhelming Force - Damage/Endurance/Recharge
• (21) Overwhelming Force - Accuracy/Damage/Endurance/Recharge
• (23) Overwhelming Force - Damage/Chance for Knockdown/Knockback to Knockdown
  

Level 20: Flamethrower

• (A) Superior Sentinel's Ward - Accuracy/Damage
• (23) Superior Sentinel's Ward - Damage/RechargeTime
• (25) Superior Sentinel's Ward - Accuracy/Damage/RechargeTime
• (25) Superior Sentinel's Ward - Accuracy/Damage/Endurance
• (31) Superior Sentinel's Ward - Accuracy/Damage/Endurance/RechargeTime
• (31) Superior Sentinel's Ward - RechargeTime/Chance for +Absorb
  

Level 22: Buckshot

• (A) Ragnarok - Damage
• (33) Ragnarok - Damage/Recharge
• (33) Ragnarok - Accuracy/Damage/Recharge
• (33) Ragnarok - Accuracy/Recharge
• (34) Ragnarok - Damage/Endurance
• (34) Sudden Acceleration - Knockback to Knockdown
  

Level 24: Environmental Resistance

• (A) Reactive Armor - Resistance
• (50) Reactive Armor - Resistance/Endurance
  

Level 26: Incinerator

• (A) Superior Opportunity Strikes - Accuracy/Damage
• (27) Superior Opportunity Strikes - Damage/RechargeTime
• (27) Superior Opportunity Strikes - Accuracy/Damage/RechargeTime
• (29) Superior Opportunity Strikes - Accuracy/Damage/Endurance
• (29) Superior Opportunity Strikes - Accuracy/Damage/Endurance/RechargeTime
• (31) Superior Opportunity Strikes - RechargeTime/Chance for Opportunity
  

Level 28: Invincible

• (A) Luck of the Gambler - Defense/Increased Global Recharge Speed
• (42) Luck of the Gambler - Defense/Endurance
• (43) Luck of the Gambler - Defense
  

Level 30: Combat Jumping

• (A) Luck of the Gambler - Defense/Increased Global Recharge Speed
• (40) Luck of the Gambler - Defense/Endurance
• (42) Luck of the Gambler - Defense
  

Level 32: Full Auto

• (A) Positron's Blast - Accuracy/Damage
• (34) Positron's Blast - Damage/Endurance
• (36) Positron's Blast - Damage/Recharge
• (36) Positron's Blast - Damage/Range
• (36) Positron's Blast - Accuracy/Damage/Endurance
• (37) Positron's Blast - Chance of Damage(Energy)
  

Level 35: Tough Hide

• (A) Luck of the Gambler - Defense/Increased Global Recharge Speed
• (42) Luck of the Gambler - Defense
• (46) Reactive Defenses - Scaling Resist Damage
  

Level 38: Mind Probe

• (A) Hecatomb - Chance of Damage(Negative)
  

Level 41: Psychic Shockwave

• (A) Fury of the Gladiator - Chance for Res Debuff
  

Level 44: Link Minds

• (A) Luck of the Gambler - Defense/Increased Global Recharge Speed
  

Level 47: Maneuvers

• (A) Luck of the Gambler - Defense/Increased Global Recharge Speed
• (48) Luck of the Gambler - Defense/Endurance
• (48) Luck of the Gambler - Defense
  

Level 49: Hasten

• (A) Recharge Reduction IO
• (50) Recharge Reduction IO
  

Level 1: Brawl

• (A) Empty
  

Level 1: Opportunity 

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) Celerity - +Stealth
  

Level 2: Rest

• (A) Empty
  

Level 4: Ninja Run 

Level 2: Swift

• (A) Run Speed IO
  

Level 2: Health

• (A) Numina's Convalesence - +Regeneration/+Recovery
• (40) Numina's Convalesence - Heal
  

Level 2: Hurdle

• (A) Jumping IO
  

Level 2: Stamina

• (A) Performance Shifter - Chance for +End
  

Level 50: Musculature Core Paragon 

Level 50: Vorpal Radial Final Judgement 
Level 50: Reactive Core Flawless Interface 
Level 50: Ageless Core Epiphany 
Level 50: Assault Core Embodiment 
------------

 

[oldskool]

I think the build, as it is, will do what you want it to do.  That said, you've gone into a realm of overkill.  There is no kill like overkill, but still... I don't think you needed to stack defense as high as you did with the expectations you have.  

 

Furthermore, taking but not slotting Mind Probe and Shockwave is largely a waste of time.  As they are, you could totally drop them from your build and not miss their existence at all.  You could drop Link Minds and not notice.  

 

You're far more paranoid about being hit by powers flagged "psionic" than you really need to be.  Powers that are psionic only are often times crowd control.  Like Dominate.  Dominate from enemies isn't some procced out micro nuke.  Your hit points can handle the stray hit.  Honestly enemies like Widows are more lethal with their melee attacks than they are with their mind bullets.  

 

Offense wise, Assault Rifle is what it is.  You can only push it so far and it does happen to have a bit lower of a ceiling than I would care for.  Though don't let that make you think your character can't handle +4/x8.  Invulnerability absolutely can take that beating.  You can dish it out too, but again you've made some choices that just aren't necessary.  

 

Burst has the most likely chance to miss against +4 enemies which is going to deny you the Achilles' Heel effect more often than it will benefit you.  Slug will miss too.  The Dam/Rech in Burst is completely unnecessary too.  It also actively lowers your chance for every one of those procs to go off.  Your other attacks have enough accuracy to hit +4 enemies.  Obviously Mind Probe will miss even more often than Burst (same goes for Psi Shockwave) lowering their value even further.  Against +3's Burst still has a slight chance to miss beyond the basic 5% floor you could hope for.  Slug's at 95% though so there's that.  Against +2's Burst is getting to be ok there.  +1's and +0's you'll hit with whatever you want, even Mind Probe with only the default 5% miss chance to really worry about.  Still for everything you included I'm not sure its worth it. 

 

You have a room for improvement, but it isn't for any of the reasons you may have originally thought.  The improvement you can work on is balance because everything you want to do is already there.  Its just the decisions to get there are perhaps a little on the extreme side. 😉

 

I'm switching to make a Assault Rifle/Super Reflexes from my older AR/Bio myself.  So that new concept is just all in on procs in every power within some reason.  I'll see if I can replicate that with Invulnerability.  I need to re-work my Sonic/Invul anyway so this is a good time to play with those.  I'll shoot you a PM sometime whenever I come up with something. 

Edited February 25, 2020 by oldskool

[Tonio]

Hey thanks!

 

I'm sure the build is not well balanced.  I started looking at your and @Sunsette's posts in the Sentinel Powerset thread, starting with AR, and then moving onto Invuln, all without really having a very good idea of which sets are best where (apart from the info on the aforementioned posts), so I ended up: a) kinda short on Invuln slots, b) having very little idea of whether I needed more recovery or not, c) not really sure at all whether my attacks were slotted usefully, and d) having no slots for psi mastery, hehe.

 

I'm honestly not used to using/slotting procs (beyond Gaussian's for Build Up, really), but your post mentioned Burst and Slug could make good use of them, so I started with those.

 

Regarding going overboard with Defense... 🤦‍♂️ Must be a bug on my Mids at work (I run it on Linux via wine, there), or something I forgot to toggle.  I just opened the build here at home and am seeing the (correct, I assume) overcapped (softcap) defenses.  At work I was seeing mid-20's for most defenses.  I did not mean to go for such high defenses, haha!

 

Regarding Burst and Slug missing, I actively avoided Acc enhancements when I didn't have slots for full sets, because I mixed up the "basic" and "advanced" slotting sections in your post, plus I misremembered/misunderstood and just assumed I didn't have to worry about accuracy. Don't shoot me, it's my first attempt at a build. 😄

 

So... with that in mind, I'm looking to move some slots/enhancements to reduce the overcapped defense, probably raise resistance a bit (?), improve accuracy, and make psi mastery powers useful (or get rid of them? replace them with what, tho?).  So I'm switching over Devastation on Burst and Slug from Recharge to Accuracy, Got rid of Maneuvers (didn't need the Defense, not sure if I'll miss the LotG, tho) -- well, here's what I came up with: http://www.cohplanner.com/mids/download.php?uc=1530&c=735&a=1470&f=HEX&dc=78DA65944B4F135114C7EFD029EF477916A42DA5026D29F421E8C20D22AF18694220EAB21961C0319369D32946962EFC026EF8001A1F1B63E273EBCE072F5712051FD1E8CA4722082E4C3DCCFF501A3B69F3BBF77FEE39F79C3BE74EFCF270E5DDB12B0342AA1ED215D34C4CA946463354BD343E9F51325AD210F4C8F1647ABA8406EE7D73625231E6D499F0A0692AF37A2631A9CDEAAA37671D566755C354C3A78C4BF3BAA1A695F39AAE651644E54432A987C75525A5197335FB9319356D5ED052E5D67C2AA5AA3375D67094765513C9D9C4394DD75B4652DA7438B7C384A925E28A9951D30BCD945837FD9FF9053F59593C2D12A25E1645CBC418B1D846D9CB42BE2EACB97C133C11204AECB3456BFCB228FE6DB36CC5DB9897EE3077C1E77E761159BBD483F8E5BDCC3058196146C1EA18E8A453B4C157D836A0BDA47876E460B75F85E65840FE8E5BC8B3EE0693F36EE03A0629FF12F816956CA1C6866DE4DFB4032E51FC32DEB3EC0EE20F915F05EF59E1E2F56EB0D9C36C030F7999EDE049F2AD82AFADEA1AE2B9BCC8C7B588B9A703F37B41216A789F9A2DF87B383F0F9FB397F3F4EE32FF80CB94772D9F73ED06B4F64DE63BE67BF0F007E64770857CEBD9B77E49866D19EC5861AE32D7C0AE57E00BF26D64DFC623A8A7AB8FD90FFA8F328F313FC17784CEC6C9EFC3C9FD13E4FA82DC5FAB14BF85FBB4651D7EC13760F75BE60673131CA5B8AD882BB5364A96D6E3009BA8A7DC6C73FF675BA3BDDAB896B6FB78273D0FC0DE87CC47CCC760E40938467BFAB8161FC78DFC15568F457EA1A6CFF47E3B115FEA0CE12C6241F00BD9026C0B0C607DEC38F8956C21EEC910C7AEA33AC2D84F84DB91838FB428C78886A0C5982E3977DFE9478FB818DCBBCDF63D25DB5D608D1628B102A5AF40E92F50C6E5DC37832E166A9D9073DF042159ABCA1CB99B9EFD564E56F6907A91FD8F034D92CE4A5667549F01BFE7AF0F60FDCF7C8D6FD9696AF118B4ACE93C18BFCED317F3C6B77D07E37FF92C026F

 

Better? I'm sure there's still lots of room for improvement (still doesn't feel balanced, way too much defense, but not sure how to lower it w/o losing out on global recharge!). 😃

[oldskool]

6 minutes ago, Tonio said:

Better? 

For my tastes? Gettin' there (lol).  What's more important though, is do you think you'd be happy with it?  

I sent you a direct message with a totally different take.  That take is also food for thought along with other commentary intended to get you thinking a bit differently on approach.  

 

If I'm not slotting any of the Epic powers, then I don't bother taking them at all.  I don't think Psychic Shockwave is all that necessary for you, and if I did take it I would drop one of the AR powers.  I personally do not care weapon swapping at all.  So I avoid the melee powers with sets like Beam Rifle, Assault Rifle, Archery, and Dual Pistols like the plague.  Style > than adding a little bit more DPS.  

 

I can be harsh on Sentinel AR, but do note that it does have enough core damage to get the job done.  If you really like Mind Probe, then try to shuffle some slots around to get 5pc Hecatomb in it.  

[Tonio]

2 minutes ago, oldskool said:

For my tastes? Gettin' there (lol).  What's more important though, is do you think you'd be happy with it?  

I sent you a direct message with a totally different take.  That take is also food for thought along with other commentary intended to get you thinking a bit differently on approach.  

 

If I'm not slotting any of the Epic powers, then I don't bother taking them at all.  I don't think Psychic Shockwave is all that necessary for you, and if I did take it I would drop one of the AR powers.  I personally do not care weapon swapping at all.  So I avoid the melee powers with sets like Beam Rifle, Assault Rifle, Archery, and Dual Pistols like the plague.  Style > than adding a little bit more DPS.  

 

I can be harsh on Sentinel AR, but do note that it does have enough core damage to get the job done.  If you really like Mind Probe, then try to shuffle some slots around to get 5pc Hecatomb in it.  

I JUST saw your DM, was looking it over.  Posted before seeing it, tho.

 

I'm really not particularly interested in psi mastery (or any specific epic power pool, to be honest), just looking to fill in powers/holes.  I noticed you got Fighting, instead, which I never considered, since I'm used to Fighting as a way to get to Weave for def/lotg.  I like your take on it much better, tho! I'll switch psi mastery to fighting; lemme see what I come up with, thank you so much! 😄

[oldskool]

Happy to help!  Glad I could share something you might enjoy! 

 

Tip... If you're not in the habit of going on to the Beta server to tinker, then I highly recommend it.  A few hours there can save you a lot of headache later on.