Looking for some help for support/healer/buffs build

[Lexymew]

Hi I don't know if I am in the right place for this I don't have much experience with forums. I am new to the game my only experience i got is with DC universe which i didn't like much. I am looking to be a support that heals and buffs. I have looked around and compared to DC universe..I was thinking of something maybe with corrupter? it sounds like the most hybrid of all classes. if anyone could help or point me in the right direction by maybe telling me some suggestions? if it helps I am on the torchbearer server if that helps any (PS I am also looking for a guild who would be willing to take in a newbie) thanks for any assistance!

[_NOPE_]

Sounds like you really want a Defender.

 

Welcome Home.

[star_fury_lives]

If you want to focus on support, defender will give you the strongest access to buffs/debuffs (like PK said). Corruptors can access those sets, but their primary is a blast set (so their strongest abilities/main focus are blasts).

[Justaris]

As PK said, Defender is probably your best bet as Defenders get the highest values for the support powersets out of any Archetype.    There's a lot of variety in the support sets in this game, so you may want to try out a few things before settling on what you like best.  Buffs and debuffs are a good deal more powerful in City of Heroes than in most other MMOs, such that they're a good form of support all on their own.    Most sets have a mix of heals, buffs and debuffs but perform a certain role or fill a particular niche better than others.    You really can't go wrong with any of the choices, so don't worry about making the 'wrong' choice and try to find something with an aesthetic or a mechanic that you enjoy.

 

Welcome!

 

[Lexymew]

thank you for all your reply's! I will try a defender do you have a suggestion for a first/secondary power?

[Jon]

The support that comes inherently with control sets is also extremely useful. You may find a Controller, which has control primary and support secondary, fits the bill.

[Oubliette_Red]

thank you for all your reply's! I will try a defender do you have a suggestion for a first/secondary power?

 

My very first character back in the old days was a Defender and I had Kinetics/Archery as her Primary/Secondary. She was also my first 50.

 

I recall that when I'd hit Inertial Reduction and jumped straight up, I'd get a warning message that I was out of range of my sidekick. XD

 

[Zolgar]

thank you for all your reply's! I will try a defender do you have a suggestion for a first/secondary power?

 

You say you're looking to heal and buff?

 

Empathy- a lot of good heal powers, and some great buffs. I do find some of the buffs to be a little hit or miss depending on the team make, but still, an Empath is always a good choice.

Pain- a lot of good heal powers, some great buffs and some nice debuffs. I personally prefer Pain over Empathy for the heal/buff role, as their buffs are a little more versatile.

Thermal- Only a couple heals but still enough, some good buffs, and my favorite rez in the game, as I recall a couple debuffs too but I haven't played a thermal recently.  Thermal provides +resist shields for your team, which many appreciate, even those with resist based sets before they get their builds finished and resits capped.

 

While there are many other great options, these three are the ones that most fit the bill of "heal and buff".

[Erydanus]

I'd also add Nature Affinity for a set that's loaded with heals and some buffs.

 

Time is also buffs with a bit of heal.

 

Dark is a bit of heal and many debuffs and some control.

 

I mean literally just pick what sounds good and go to town here!

[Rylas]

thank you for all your reply's! I will try a defender do you have a suggestion for a first/secondary power?

 

Depends on what you would find more fun in the support role? Healing isn't all that in this game. It helps, but buffing or debuffing will do more for your team's performance and survival.

 

What sounds more fun to you? Buffing the defense/resist/damage/speed of your team (some sets let you excel at one or a mix of things)? Debuffing enemies defense/resist/damage/speed? Using control like abilities to take your enemies out of the fight?

 

As for secondary powers, don't shy away from being able to do damage as well as support. These game EXCELS at making both quite possible. Some secondaries will have more synergy with a primary than others. So if you can be a little more specific on what excites you, you'll get plenty of great suggestions from this community.

 

Welcome to City of Heroes!

[Frostweaver]

Oi, I remember this conversation from a decade ago...

 

 

CoH was balanced specifically around NOT needing a healer in the party. a little healing can speed you up IF the rest of your team doesn't have much self-heal, but in general, pick up groups tend to have at least two people with minor heals of some sort and most of the party can self-heal their way through most encounters... a good defender or controller can slow down the incoming damage or increase the outgoing damage to the point where Healing becomes pretty much superfluous.

 

Carefully put-together groups MIGHT be able to benefit from a healer, but in general if you want to play an empath, play a kinetic instead. That aoe heal/debuff is a delicious feature in an incredibly buff-rich set, and will more than keep a group with a decent tank alive even if they have no healing of their own.

 

IMO, Empathy is not a 'healer' set. Sure, it has several, but late game you will actually spec OUT of 'healzor' stuff because it is unneccessary, and empathy has better late-game buffs. Defenders, especially, have the tools to keep a team with a tanker alive even if they don't have a single healer.

[egoprovince]

One of the crowning achievements CoH had that few others games do is the dynamic quality in a group.  It's less that every character has some heals but that every character has some tricks and abilities that when brought to the table make the team that much better

[Sarkastik Observer]

Thermal Radiation/Sonic

[Call Me Awesome]

Check out the Defender forum, particularly some of the threads on Empathy.  Yes, it's a popular set.  Yes, it's the typical "Healer" set (although its buffs are better).  However among those of us who've played this game for years the term "Healer" is a negative one.  The reason is that Buffs and Debuffs are extremely powerful in this game and FAR more useful than simple healing.  Yes, healing has a place, but it's generally a third choice behind player buffs and enemy debuffs to limit damage in the first place.  Healing is also completely reactive while buffs and debuffs are proactive and drastically lower the amount of damage your team will take in the first place.  If given my choice I'd rather have a Radiation Emission, Dark Miasma, Kinetic (YES!), Cold, Thermal, Nature, etc defender than an Empathy on the team.  Storm can be a fantastic set _in skilled hands_ but I see way more of them that simply create chaos and cause problems with the team, so many of it's powers are too chaotic in most cases.  I've seen some great Storm characters but most are a liability rather than a benefit, this is NOT a set for the beginning or average player.  (Frankly I think it's better as a Controller secondary since they have an AOE immobilize that prevents Storm from scattering the mobs to the 4 corners of the map.)

 

Also remember that a Defender has a secondary set for dealing damage, you're cheating your team if you don't contribute damage in between buffing and debuffing.  Some of the secondaries also have strong debuffs attached to them.. Sonic Blast deals a strong -resistance debuff to the target so everyone does more damage to that target.  Radiation Blast deals a strong -defense debuff so the target is easier for everyone to hit.  Dark Blast has a strong -to hit debuff which causes the target to miss more often.  ALL of these effects STACK as well.  

 

There's some combinations that can absolutely cripple an enemy's ability to hurt your team... for example a Dark/Dark Defender can floor an enemy's ability to hit your team making it nearly unable to attack.  A Rad Blast defender can make your team hit the mob 19 out of 20 attacks by reducing it's defense.  A Sonic Blast Defender can make the enemy take 50% or more damage by reducing it's damage resistance.

 

Even if your secondary Blast set doesn't have any debuffs attached to it (Fire for example) you're still going to be contributing damage and killing the enemies faster.  As the old saying goes, Dead Mobs deal no damage.

[Call Me Awesome]

On 11/16/2019 at 9:57 PM, Sarkastik Observer said:

Thermal Radiation/Sonic

A good choice, some strong resistance buffs for the team with a couple heals, good debuffs and a secondary with a strong -resistance debuff.  Also a fairly forgiving and straightforward to play.

[Sarkastik Observer]

5 hours ago, Call Me Awesome said:

A good choice, some strong resistance buffs for the team with a couple heals, good debuffs and a secondary with a strong -resistance debuff.  Also a fairly forgiving and straightforward to play.

I agree! This would be the "healer" i would want on my team. Can literally do everything as far as buff/heal/debuff, and, boost the teams DPS with all the -res