/Rad for Mastermind

[Czerno Alpha]

What is the general opinion on Radiation emission for Masterminds?  I slapped together a bots/rad today and power leveled up to 26, and it seems to work, but is very heavy on the endurance.  I think i might see better results when I have better IOs to play with and a fully upgraded team of minions.  

 

Thoughts on powers selection?  Which powers are must-haves vs. works, but not necessary vs. don't take this it's a waste of a slot.

 

Ways to make Radiation Infection and Enervating field more effective?  I found these two debuffs (which seem to be the core of the power set) are very powerful, but with the speed that everything dies around me, they don't see much uptime.  Also, mobs tend to run away from the source of the debuff, so I end up with one debuff enemy on one side of the room and the rest of the mob elsewhere.

 

Accelerate Metabolism is still one hell of a team buff when I can manage to hit the whole team with it.  Most seem like they want to run off and murder everything before the rest of the team shows up.

 

Is fallout worth taking in the modern era of super rare defeats?

 

Is Mutation worth using instead of some other rez that doesn't have negative effects?

 

I know this set wasn't available to masterminds during live, so there's not much out there on it's usefulness for Masterminds.  Hopefully our group mind can figure out ways to make it shine...

[Gulbasaur]

It's a one of the stronger "old" sets and suits masterminds well. Its downsides are that it's quite heavy on endurance (as you noticed) and has a slow setup with the toggles as you noticed). As long as you don't assume perfect play, you'll be fine. It's a late pick, but there's at least one AoE immobilise in the patron pools. 

 

Accelerate Metabolism is great - if people don't gather, that's their decision. You can't win 'em all. My method has always been just to fire buffs like that off in the middle of combat where everyone's clustered up rather than wait for people to gather around me.

 

Fallout - well, defeats do happen and you can't assume you'll spend the whole game at end game where everyone is a tank. It's a low priority power for sure. If you're going down the leadership toggles route, take Vengeance instead if you want a fun-with-corpses power as the defence boost is pretty significant. 

 

Mutation - there are other rezzes, so it's really whether you can find room for it as a one-slot wonder. 

 

 

[shrikefire]

I know you didn't ask about this, but one unexpected game changer for me with my Thugs/Rad was taking Choking Cloud and slotting the lockdown +2 mag hold proc in it. The debuffs are powerful but you definitely will hit a wall sometimes I find where you need a little more something, maybe moreso with thugs than bots? 

 

I only mention it because I was not thinking of taking Choking Cloud otherwise. The end cost is high but just walking around holding mobs while your pets wreck them is gratifying and a good way of dealing with special mobs that might otherwise wreck your day, like Longbow Nulls or sappers.

[Force Redux]

I mention this for most mastermind builds:

 

Slot Overwhelming Force % for KD in your T1 pets. With every attack all three make there is a 20% to KD a foe. This will help prevent runners as well as disrupt their attach cycle. It's nice to watch a boss flop around.

 

If you want even more control, you can go Heat Mastery and get Bonfire, slotted with Sudden Acceleration KB to KD. More flopping and some damage, too.

Edited May 18, 2020 by Force Redux

[JayboH]

On 5/17/2020 at 9:57 AM, Force Redux said:

I mention this for most mastermind builds:

 

Slot Overwhelming Force % for KD in your T3 pets. With every attack all three make there is a 20% to KD a foe.

You mean the T1 pets?

[Force Redux]

1 hour ago, JayboH said:

You mean the T1 pets?

I do... Thanks JayboH. Lesson not to post too quickly. I'll edit.

Edited May 18, 2020 by Force Redux

[pyrocumulus]

I currently have a thugs/rad at 32. I've been enjoying /rad a lot more on a MM than on defenders or corruptors, personally; I find I have more time to devote to decently effective management of the rad toggles as I can cast/move them while the pets attack, instead of trying to mix them into the attack chain. I don't have any personal attacks, so all my end goes to running the toggles, Choking Cloud, and Leadership.

 

I've themed the character as a post-apocalyptic cult leader preaching a gospel of salvation through mutation, and the thugs are my loyal cultists!

 

I use AM just after the start of combat, standing between the melee spawn and the back line; this tends to most reliably hit the majority of the team. If other players want it, they'll keep in close. If they run off, they clearly believe they can do without. No need to macro "gather for AM!"

 

I always like the idea of tp friend-fallout-vengeance-mutation, but in practice it takes too long and other players won't wait. I do, however, always take the rez when playing a set that has one, I don't feel like a good team player if I deliberately skip it. I find Vengeance a great one-slot wonder on TFs; if the end fight is too difficult for the team comp, someone will go down, and a opportune Vengeance can turn the tide.

[Dr Causality]

/Rad is a great debuff set,  but the best MM 2ndaries buff the survival of the pets, in additon to debuffing.   For survival buffs /Rad has just it's relatively small power aoe heal.  AM the main /Rad buff doesn't do anything for pet survival. Further Pets don't benefit from it's +Rech.  It does help out with a +Dmg and +Recovery buff.    But a MM ideally needs their 2ndary to do more survival buffing.    The -Tohit, -Dmg debuff will help with survivability, but it's just not enough.   You'd ideally also want to some +Res or +Def, etc.       

 

But that said /Rad is a strong enough debuff set that's it's definitely playable on MM's.   If you're set on it for aesthetic or character concept,  theme etc.   It will do just fine.      It's just that other sets that also include buffs for pets will outperform it.   

 

 

On the other hand, if you're not set on /Rad but like some of these about it consider this:

• If you like the -Tohit/-Dmg toggle consider /Dark.  Darkest Night gives the -Tohit and -Dmg in a single toggle.  You get +Res and +Def buffs from Shadow Fall. A more powerful aoe heal.   The -Res and Slow from Tar Patch.    Plus a cone fear, ranged single target Hold mezzes.    And you get a 7th pet that heals and debuffs.    The long cooldown means you won't have it on perma, but for short burst you can get the  -500% Regen from Howling Twight. 
• If you like the /Rad's big -Regen and good -Res, then consider either /Cold or /Thermal.    /Cold has great -Regen and -Res debuffs, plus good Defensive shield buffs (but no heal).    /Thermal has heals,  +Resistance shields for pets, and a great -Dmg, -Regen debuff.  It also has a long cooldown high power -Res.   Or you could get even more -Regen, some -Res, with +Def and Mezz protection from /Traps.
• If you like the pbaoe Choking Cloud toggle, and the toggle -Tohit debuff, then look at /Nature.  You get a +Resistance shield.    You get 'Entangling Aura' pbaoe hold toggle that's a close analog of Chocking Cloud   More heals and Regen buffs than /Rad gets.   A -Tohit, -Dmg toggle, that also does a small -150% Regen.   Long cooldown +Absorb Shield.   And an aoe buff power, that boosts +Tohit,  +Dmg, and +End Reduction.   Plus a single target rezz that can be used as a big heal on living teammates or pets.