Top 3?

[Dropwing]

There are so many awesome power sets and combinations for Blasters but I thought it would be fun to start a discussion. What are your favorite or top 3 primaries and secondaries for Blasters? For example, mine:
 

Primaries
1. Fire - awesome damage. Period 

2. Ice - great ST damage and the holds are cool too 

3. Archery - that low cool down nuke is awesome for farming

 

Secondaries
1. Energy - nice boosts and melee attacks

2. Mental - the OG OP secondary - the reason others have a sustain power - that -regen is great for AVs

3. Fire - More damage

 

Feel free to explain what’s good about them. Bonus question: How would you pair them up?

 

example. Probably would pair up - Fire / Mental, Ice / Fire, Archery / Energy 

Edited May 5, 2020 by Dropwing
included examples

[Nemu]

Didn't read the question but here's the answer

 

Fire/Elec

Fire/Elec

Fire/Elec

 

Because you are a MFing tank mage, a MFing Tank Mage, a MFing tank mage.

 

I may be slightly biased.

 

 

[Doomguide2005]

8 hours ago, Nemu said:

Didn't read the question but here's the answer

 

Fire/Elec

Fire/Elec

Fire/Elec

 

Because you are a MFing tank mage, a MFing Tank Mage, a MFing tank mage.

 

I may be slightly biased.

 

 

"Let me rephrase"

As in 

The one I just played

The one I am playing

And the one I will play😁

 

More seriously the first Blaster I stuck with was Fire/Energy and the most recent is an Elec/Fire

 

Edited May 5, 2020 by Doomguide2005

[Saikochoro]

Primary:

1. Dual pistols

2. Fire

3. Ice

 

Secondary

1. Martial combat

2. tactical arrow

3. atomic

 

The true answer though is:

1. Dual pistols martial combat

2. Dual pistols martial combat

3. Dual pistols martial combat

Edited May 5, 2020 by Saikochoro

[Shred Monkey]

/TA should be up there with the secondaries.

[Coyote]

Tactical Arrow looks really good. Plant is really good. Martial Combat is a bit iffy compared to those two, but is a lot more fun.

 

On the blast side, I really like Water, it has a lot of tools. Also Ice. DP is solid and a lot of fun.

 

And I'll add that DP/MC is double goodness doublefun 😉

[Groovy]

Primary:  Fire - Just pure damage and we're blasters.

 

Secondary:  Atomic - It has most of the tools you could want.  It has a single target hold.  It has an AOE hold.  It has some nice ST damage and a decent AOE damage power.  It has an OP power (imho) in Accelerated Metabolism that is a toggle, NOT a click power....+regen, +recovery, +mez protection, +RECHARGE.  It has another toggle that is FOE -DEF, -To Hit with a +recharge to you.  It has the most recharge with the exception of Time Manipulation.  With the extra recovery and extra recharge, it lets you deal non stop damage.  AND if you trick out your build, you could get capped def to SM, LE, EN, FIRE and COLD without incarnates....which leaves Musculature & Assault Cores available for even more damage.   It's a beautiful thing. 

 

For Fun/Cool Factor:  Dual Pistol / Martial Combat.  Gun Fu baby!

For a Nice Surprise:  Try Archery/Tactical Arrow.  Decent Damage and loads of tricks.

For AVs:  Anything Mental Manipulation

 

Dig it!

 

[Novacat]

Primaries:

1) Beam Rifle:  Though lacking a 'standard' Radial, Overcharge makes up in part for that. A fine grab-bag of effects with an excellent T3 for pairs or lines of three in Piercing Beam.

2) Water Blast: Though sans-nuke Water has powerful AoE with plenty of soft control. Pair it with some solid blaps to shore up the ST deficiencies and you've got one hell of a package.

3) Fire Blast: The old, tried tested and true classic. When your friends all have control sets and you're really only there for genocide. Simple, straightforward, effective Fire Blast.

 

Secondaries:

1) Tactical Arrow: A powerful suite of self-buffs (including even a bit of mobility) for anyone who wants to stay away from the action. Packed with goodies and a good T1 to help the lack of blap.

2) Atomic Manipulation: The other end of the spectrum. Brutal in your face abilities with a top-class Sustain and one of them 'screw you' toggles. If you don't know what to pick, try this beast.

3) Devices (new and improved): More of a soloing kit, Devices carries wonderful utilities before and in battle, and hey even a cruddy pet's a decent addition to any arsenal.

 

BR/TA: My main for a long time. No need to get in close so perfect if you want to hover-blast. You've got mobility, you've got recharge, you've got defense and accuracy, and a tool-kit to make all sorts of fun things with. Ice Arrow may be skippable for this combo: you'd need a second hold from epics or you'll have nothing to stack with.

 

Water/Atomic: They're slowed, they're on the floor, and everyone in that whirlpool that's not a held and dying minion suffering from Beta Decay... is getting positron-fisted to death while wondering where that geyser exploded from.

[Sir Myshkin]

5 hours ago, Novacat said:

Ice Arrow may be skippable

Ice Arrow with four damage procs will often average being a better attack than most T2 Blaster Primary attacks, (minus Defiance building). Just throwing that one out there.

[Novacat]

You could... but I don't take T2s for most blast sets in the first place. ENA can slot a bunch of procs too, and ESD as well.

[Sir Myshkin]

20 hours ago, Novacat said:

You could... but I don't take T2s for most blast sets in the first place. ENA can slot a bunch of procs too, and ESD as well.

Well... you... kind of have to take one of them, and on average the T2 is the stronger ability, but I'm guessing maybe you meant the secondary manipulation set and not the "blast" set like you said? But Ice Arrow is T3 so... 🤷‍♂️

 

There is some level of irony in the fact that if someone were to roll an Archery/Tactical Blaster that the T1 and T3 Tactical ability is a stronger attack than the T1 and T2 of Archery, and depending on how either of ENA or IA get proc-slotted they can become better than any slotting option on Archery's T4 or at a minimum close to the same performance value.
 

When your ST arrow-based chain includes an immobilize, a hold, and a fire dot, doing psionic, lethal, smashing, toxic, and negative damage... man now I really want to build one.

[Novacat]

Oh no I'm talking about blast T2s. The primaries. Rarely is the T2 a part of any of my main rotations, and nowhere is this truer than BR.

• Charged Shot has the worst of all on-disintegrate bonuses. May as well get the -regen% from Single Shot
• If Mezzed, Single and ENA both fire faster, cheaper, and come back up faster. Both have better DPA and DPS than Charged Shot (just a little). A fine choice for finishing off health slivers too

Penetrating's basically always better. Piercing Lancer are slightly better options without Disintegrate, and vastly superior with it up.