Thought on speedster characters

[diefree]

So a thought occurred to me. In most media speedster characters hit opponents before they can react or see the attack coming. So in my opinion the AT that fits speedster the most accurately is stalker. Thoughts?

[cranebump]

My lone attempt at a speedster is a (perpetually parked) Elec/Elec scrapper with super speed, and all the slaphappy melees I can get (sands of mu, flurry). I feel like a stalker would mimic moving too fast to be seen if you always left speed toggled on, or used appropriate auras and slotted sets that give you movement bonuses (while dropping in run enhances in your variously movement powers). Might also consider that a speedster moves too fast to be hit, so super reflexes eyed toward maximum wiffage from opponents should do it. 

Edited August 16, 2020 by cranebump

[diefree]

2 minutes ago, cranebump said:

My lone attempt at a speedster is a (perpetually parked) Elec/Elec scrapper with super speed, and all the slaphappy melees I can get (sands of mu, flurry). I feel like a stalker would mimic moving too fast to be seen if you always left speed toggled on, or used appropriate auras and slotted sets that give you movement bonuses (while dropping in run enhances in your variously movement powers). Might also consider that a speedster moves too fast to be hit, so super reflexes eyed toward maximum wiffage from opponents should do it. 

Exactly the what I was thinking for super reflexes. Thinking of doing a stj/sr stalker for this.

[MTeague]

My Assault Rifle/Martial Kombat blaster is not a "Flash" style speedster conceptually.

But she is a human-looking-cyborg that, for short bursts of time, can move faster most things can see.

• Experimentation / "Speed of Sound", I leave toggled on her always, in part so I have "Jaunt" on tap for a repositioning teleport in combat.
• Martial Combat / "Burst of Speed" as a Teleport Attack gives her the ability to unload on enemies a few times in rapid succession as if she'd moved too fast to follow. Between this and Jaunt she can pretty much be anywhere on the battlefield at will. 
• Martial Combat / "Reaction Time" slows movement and attack speed of all nearby enemies, simulating her being THAT much faster than they.
• Martial Combat / "Ki Push", with it's slow-fade repel-hold on target gives her 4 seconds of free hits on target, again, as if she was attacking so fast she was attacking them while they were still flying back in the air from her punch.
• Experimentation / "Adrenal Boost", can be thought of as activating all her cybernetic resources and reactions to give her the 20+% defense, as well as increased Hit and Damage.  Sure it's a 10 minute cooldown for 1 minute of power, but it's up a couple times on a map-clear, and if I add even one small "Luck" at the same time, it's SUPER high defenses for a blaster of her level.  (still only mid-level)
• Ki Push / Storm Kick / Dragon Tail / Reaction Time can apply so much chained repel / knockdown / slow that even if Adrenal Booster is down / low on Lucks, she can often kill certain nasty bosses before they can even fire off a single attack on her. Though that is a bit of a gamble. 
• Panacea / Power Transfer / Entropic Chaos procs mimic her cybernetic self-repairs and make her more quite a bit more durable than she'd otherwise be.

She is however, still a glass cannon.

Later, that may change, but at lvl 25, she just don't have the slotting yet to really stack good defenses / resists.

[Llewellyn Blackwell]

Considering we have our top speed well defined within the game verse, at for super speedsters around 90ish mph, I myself have never felt the need to have my speedster characters be described as something akin to the Flash. Keep in mind the MCU movies have horribly overblown the more sane speedsters like Quicksilver who in the comics speed ranged only between 200 and 500 mph if I recall right. This is part of why in the marvel vs DC cross over event people felt like Flash vs Quick Silver was such a BS pairing, Everyone I knew back then felt it should of been Flash vs The Silver Surfer, who at the time was typically seen as marvel's fastest mover.

 

So here in CoH our speedsters are fast, but not even faster then super fast jets etc.  I mean you can say your character is, but wont ever be able to back it up so it would be pure RP fluff with no substance.

 

That being said I am leveling a speedster concept this very moment, an energ/elec sentinel called Mr. Energy. I went with the super speed variant from the experimentation pool, IMO its bursts of teleport help to better portray being able to move faster then the eye can follow.

 

 

[Lines]

My speedster is an Electric/Martial Combat Blaster, with a big emphasis on Martial.

 

It's very much a conceptual rather than a highly effective build, but I think it's doing a decent job. I try to keep my builds to just rare IOs and ATOs, but I included a Winter set here.

 

Spoiler

Hero Plan by Mids' Reborn : Hero Designer 2.7.2.10
https://github.com/Crytilis/mids-reborn-hero-designer

Click this DataLink to open the build!

Tachyonette: Level 50 Science Blaster
Primary Power Set: Electrical Blast
Secondary Power Set: Martial Combat
Power Pool: zn_Experimentation
Power Pool: Fighting
Power Pool: Leaping
Power Pool: Speed
Ancillary Pool: Mace Mastery

Hero Profile:
Level 1: Lightning Bolt -- OvrFrc-Dam/KB(A)
Level 1: Ki Push -- OvrFrc-Acc/Dmg(A), OvrFrc-End/Rech(3), OvrFrc-Acc/Dmg/End(3), OvrFrc-Dmg/End/Rech(5), OvrFrc-Acc/Dmg/End/Rech(5), FrcFdb-Rechg%(7)
Level 2: Storm Kick -- SprDfnBrr-Acc/Dmg(A), SprDfnBrr-Dmg/Rchg(7), SprDfnBrr-Acc/Dmg/Rchg(9), SprDfnBrr-Acc/Dmg/EndRdx(9), SprDfnBrr-Acc/Dmg/EndRdx/Rchg(11), SprDfnBrr-Rchg/+Status Protect(11)
Level 4: Speed of Sound -- BlsoftheZ-ResKB(A)
Level 6: Reach for the Limit 
Level 8: Aim -- GssSynFr--Build%(A)
Level 10: Burst of Speed -- SprAvl-Acc/Dmg(A), SprAvl-Dmg/EndRdx(15), SprAvl-Acc/Dmg/EndRdx(15), SprAvl-Acc/Dmg/Rchg(17), SprAvl-Rchg/KDProc(17)
Level 12: Boxing -- KntCmb-Acc/Dmg(A), KntCmb-Dmg/EndRdx(19), KntCmb-Dmg/Rchg(19), KntCmb-Dmg/EndRdx/Rchg(21)
Level 14: Combat Jumping -- LucoftheG-Def(A), LucoftheG-Def/Rchg+(21), ShlWal-ResDam/Re TP(23)
Level 16: Dragon's Tail -- Erd-Dmg(A), Erd-Dmg/Rchg(23), Erd-Acc/Dmg/Rchg(25), Erd-%Dam(25), FrcFdb-Rechg%(27)
Level 18: Tough -- GldArm-3defTpProc(A), StdPrt-ResDam/Def+(27)
Level 20: Reaction Time -- NmnCnv-Heal/EndRdx(A), NmnCnv-EndRdx/Rchg(29), NmnCnv-Heal/EndRdx/Rchg(29), NmnCnv-Heal/Rchg(31), NmnCnv-Heal(31), NmnCnv-Regen/Rcvry+(31)
Level 22: Weave -- LucoftheG-Def/Rchg+(A), LucoftheG-Def/EndRdx(33), LucoftheG-Def(33)
Level 24: Hasten -- RechRdx-I(A), RechRdx-I(33)
Level 26: Short Circuit -- Erd-Dmg(A), Erd-Acc/Rchg(34), Erd-Dmg/Rchg(34), Erd-%Dam(34), Erd-Acc/Dmg/Rchg(36), Erd-Acc/Dmg/EndRdx/Rchg(36)
Level 28: Inner Will -- Prv-Absorb%(A), Prv-Heal(36), Prv-Heal/EndRdx(37), Prv-EndRdx/Rchg(37), Prv-Heal/Rchg(37), Prv-Heal/Rchg/EndRdx(39)
Level 30: Flurry -- KntCmb-Acc/Dmg(A), KntCmb-Dmg/EndRdx(50), KntCmb-Dmg/Rchg(50), KntCmb-Dmg/EndRdx/Rchg(50)
Level 32: Thunderous Blast -- SprBlsWrt-Acc/Dmg(A), SprBlsWrt-Dmg/Rchg(39), SprBlsWrt-Acc/Dmg/Rchg(39), SprBlsWrt-Acc/Dmg/EndRdx(40), SprBlsWrt-Acc/Dmg/EndRdx/Rchg(40), SprBlsWrt-Rchg/Dmg%(40)
Level 35: Scorpion Shield -- LucoftheG-Def/Rchg+(A), LucoftheG-Def/EndRdx(42), LucoftheG-Def(42)
Level 38: Eagles Claw -- Mk'Bit-Acc/Dmg(A), Mk'Bit-Dmg/EndRdx(42), Mk'Bit-Dmg/Rchg(43), Mk'Bit-Acc/EndRdx/Rchg(43), Mk'Bit-Acc/Dmg/EndRdx/Rchg(43), Mk'Bit-Dam%(45)
Level 41: Whirlwind -- SuddAcc--KB/+KD(A)
Level 44: Cross Punch -- Obl-Dmg(A), Obl-Acc/Rchg(45), Obl-Dmg/Rchg(45), Obl-Acc/Dmg/Rchg(46), Obl-Acc/Dmg/EndRdx/Rchg(46), Obl-%Dam(46)
Level 47: Kick -- KntCmb-Acc/Dmg(A), KntCmb-Dmg/EndRdx(48), KntCmb-Dmg/Rchg(48), KntCmb-Dmg/EndRdx/Rchg(48)
Level 49: Super Speed -- BlsoftheZ-ResKB(A)
Level 1: Brawl -- Empty(A)
Level 1: Defiance 
Level 1: Quick Form 
Level 1: Prestige Power Dash -- Empty(A)
Level 1: Prestige Power Slide -- Empty(A)
Level 1: Prestige Power Quick -- Empty(A)
Level 1: Prestige Power Rush -- Empty(A)
Level 1: Prestige Power Surge -- Empty(A)
Level 1: Sprint -- Clr-Stlth(A)
Level 2: Rest -- Empty(A)
Level 4: Ninja Run 
Level 2: Swift -- Run-I(A)
Level 2: Health -- Pnc-Heal/+End(A), Mrc-Rcvry+(13)
Level 2: Hurdle -- Jump-I(A)
Level 2: Stamina -- PrfShf-EndMod(A), PrfShf-End%(13)
Level 50: Agility Radial Paragon 
------------

 

[Heraclea]

I went with Kinetic Melee/Radiation Armor scrapper for my speedster concept, and loaded her with slow resist and movement speed IOs.  Any of the armor sets that have +speed and +recharge (rad, ninjery, reflexes, electric, probably forgetting some) will work.  Shields and   Kinetic Melee's busy animations are also helpful; Dark Melee might also work. 

 

Problem is, run speed is not all that helpful in ordinary game play.  Mostly what it does is gets you hung up on a pipe or torch, or falling off railingless catwalks.  Combat Jumping is much more helpful. 

[Fire Chief]

I have Kid Kobolt an ice/elec scrapper with lots of slows in the ice powers to make hasten/ss look even faster 😄 plus lightning reflexes in the elec armor is an added bonus and whirlwind for giggles and theme stuff and of course the electric auras flowing through and around my bod 😄 

[KC4800]

I have used jaunt for my SS characters in combat, it works well.

 

[Biff Pow]

For a nice inherent speed bonus, this slotting with two Performance Shifter and two Synapse's Shock (one End Mod and one +Bonus each) gives +30% run speed. It's good for Recovery too.

 

[IllayKonon]

That's the build I made with a help of my friend. Marathoner feels as quick as possible to what we could do in game. Elec/Martial Blapper with only quick-cast attacks, nuke aside, that has a recovery high enough to be able and have SS + Sprint on at all times.

 

For combat I keep Speed of Sound + Sprint Quick (my sprint of choice because of the trails it leaves while running and porting) for overall maneuvers and travel. When I need to be "too fast to see" I use Superspeed + Sprint w/ Stealth IO, which would allow me to skip through the enemies straight to the objective. Also using Whirlwind w/ Recharge proc to hit even more frequently when swarmed.

 

Overall the build is not the strongest or toughest one, but it's still strong and tough enough and also feels like speedster in the most true way possible. You can zip around, clear crowds and look cool while doing it (some people joked about me being a local tornado because of how fast I was dealing with the next crowd of enemies before they were done with the current one)

 

Edited August 16, 2020 by IllayKonon

[IllayKonon]

Posting the build separately

 

| Copy & Paste this data into Mids' Reborn : Hero Designer to view the build |
|-------------------------------------------------------------------|
|MxDz;1592;753;1506;HEX;|
|78DA6594CB4F135114C6EF3C2A52A8146879BFFAE0556869C118171A121550A049A|
|5893B43C6328149EA74528604972EDCB950D4982868DC093E563EFF1237EEDC885A|
|345117C6987A3ADFA16DD2493ABF73CF3DDF3DF79CB9B7C9CD738D2FE7AE4F0BC97|
|336ABADAF2F9FA1B7ADE7EBD219433733BAA0C79DD4F29ABD9633C94DC37E0E595E|
|D2CC557D253693D53376DEC8685988C387F3E90DCBCAE5ED18C96D8366939A69581|
|B59CD3672A6F0A572B96C6C66D3D2F3C655DDB41D6FA3E35CD435CB30573DCE60D6|
|585DB369E47646694BD7573A672C23133BCC92D4323ABD4AF6B50EDADE04FD62E2F|
|029BAC4535588842AE45DD0B707469E319F83E32F406FB8AC55448A105445CB45E6|
|12184D83CD142B711EE916F4EA6DF0C816387C071CBDCB79EE81A988108A232E0AE|
|5A3ECF8DAA8BF2EF824975FC23AFF68D8AB8A38A18E73D5BDC21A475F33DF80EEB7|
|CC779CF33DD842FBAC87B63845EF065EA74160BE5162CA605861AA5C838B7B47EB7|
|858EBF9223BFB3AF68D590003DB880DEC80434F403F699BB8AF4DACF5B2D6CBDAA1|
|53A53ED48B498A6A46AC68DEE5DE90BE15BD515BEFC3E7DB427C5B4141CC67C5192|
|7F641891AE6E775FC457A84429E765EA5BD6450D68E49A83BFE807DBF98BF419534|
|9DD0B83AF9AB74CD2343D72CD87301EC3B0F8EFE84B69D76DD8D1D48DD6302B1CC9|
|B83949EBBD9CB1D897247A2DC918993A870E2342A4E4C63DD13A58BC8DAFE07F00D|
|3C646E3377C0C02370F831F8D74B87977B10E47A425C4F88EB09713DE1056882D48|
|3413E9983BCFF216688E646B8CB237C92C3E41BE3F8B11BF08D7FC24948946F6851|
|8EED739D5FC1C40128933ECE6BC69D2FD7A396EF65E918932750F220477121529E2|
|D466A22E3359E44B527803AA66AA28ED778162B39E94AA1AE945AFE1710D280707C|
|F5D46385F75370D33C6BA428E6BF577CB2344FC630D57C09DF420DA0E707D5BA11E|
|87E547C92C4B720C2B720E57676E5E4BC5C656B55F6952A7BB19564DCBFBD92CDFE|
|DD60C5FE501533E7ABD8FF01BFA107EF|
|-------------------------------------------------------------------|

 

Edited August 16, 2020 by IllayKonon

[Haijinx]

why not use a /nin scrapper?

 

It has a power that adds a lot of runspeed and jump that stacks with combat jumping and sprint. 

 

It has a stealth power.   

[RikOz]

My speedster is a kin scrapper. Stupid-long animations aside, my rationale is that she's not hitting with her fists, she's using her speed to super-compress air and hitting with what are effectively shockwaves.

[merrypessimist]

On 8/16/2020 at 4:17 PM, RikOz said:

My speedster is a kin scrapper. Stupid-long animations aside, my rationale is that she's not hitting with her fists, she's using her speed to super-compress air and hitting with what are effectively shockwaves.

And spending approximately a year per attack to build up that shock wave? 

Edited August 18, 2020 by merrypessimist

[RikOz]

48 minutes ago, merrypessimist said:

And spending approximately a year per attack to build up that shock wave? 

Cinematic slow motion 😄

[cranebump]

On 8/16/2020 at 2:38 PM, Supertanker said:

For a nice inherent speed bonus, this slotting with two Performance Shifter and two Synapse's Shock (one End Mod and one +Bonus each) gives +30% run speed. It's good for Recovery too.

 

Do you get the Slow resistance with the second SS slot, or is it later on? 

[Biff Pow]

10 hours ago, cranebump said:

Do you get the Slow resistance with the second SS slot, or is it later on? 

No, you'd need a third SS for the slow resistance. Just the +7.5% movement speed for both pairs.

[Mopery]

A true speedster needs racing stripes. It's a scientific fact that racing stripes make everything go faster, ZOOM!

[Solarverse]

On 8/15/2020 at 11:14 PM, diefree said:

So a thought occurred to me. In most media speedster characters hit opponents before they can react or see the attack coming. So in my opinion the AT that fits speedster the most accurately is stalker. Thoughts?

I went with Dark/Elec Scrapper and then built for Defense to Melee and high Resist to all. Dark is great because it activates quickly and then Shadow Maul is a Speedster like power. Great concept character and great survival/DPS.

[diefree]

13 hours ago, Solarverse said:

I went with Dark/Elec Scrapper and then built for Defense to Melee and high Resist to all. Dark is great because it activates quickly and then Shadow Maul is a Speedster like power. Great concept character and great survival/DPS.

I went with street justice and super reflexes stalker myself.

[Frunobulax]

my favourite character to speed with lately is a time/fire blaster

 

He has pff and then whenever he gets where he's going, he can shed his agro cap really quickly to the point that I really miss being a blaster when speeding on any other character

 

or forget to toggle pff off and stand there looking at stuff wondering why the nuke button didn't put them down

 

He was built as a concept though, I didn't build him specifically to speed, he's just really good at it.

 

I speed through mobs just fine on any character with leap and a stealth io with jp temp for course correction, although I prefer leap+ss for fun when I can fit it.

 

Arriving at my destination is what I really care about when deliberately speeding. If I was going to build something specifically to speed I'd probably go fire blaster and then /TA for Gymnastics just for safety or plant because plant...or possibly atomic manipulation. My only /AM blaster so far is my only flying char so he's slow as hell at the best of times but Radioactive Cloud could potentially be super helpful for speeding, for me anyways because like I said, arriving at the objective is what I'd concern myself with.