Soldier and Widow Patrons

[DeltaPangaea]

So aside from the fact that Soldiers and Widows don't get Ancillary stuff (Which I can deal with) it honestly feels like the powers they can get from Patrons just... don't do a whole lot. Which is ironic given that they're from Arachnos.

 

With every other archetype, Epic pools are meant to cover holes, like Blasters getting defensive powers and such. But Soldiers and Widows get the same Patron power options as Tankers and Brutes for some reason, providing mostly ranged damage and summons which they already have and have had access to for a while.

 

TL;DR of it is that all the other archetypes, their epic pools give them something they lack, something to patch their holes. These ones are just... more of what Soldiers and Widows already got, mostly. I know they're weird jack-of-many-trades archetypes who could end up as a number of different things, but their pools being consistently 'ranged damage' feels redundant. There's nothing in there I can get excited for really.

[Vanden]

You'll take my Shatter Armor from me when you pry it from my cold dead hands.

[Player2]

The problem is that the Arachnos VEATs don't really have holes to fill.  They're advanced ATs with a little bit of everything.

[DeltaPangaea]

The problem is that the Arachnos VEATs don't really have holes to fill.  They're advanced ATs with a little bit of everything.

 

Then logically shouldn't their pools also have a little bit of everything? Rather than just 'Hey here's more ranged damage.'

 

You'll take my Shatter Armor from me when you pry it from my cold dead hands.

 

Actually looking at it again, Mace Mastery is the only Patron pool where VEATS get something different to Tankers and Brutes. They get Shatter Armor instead of Focused Accuracy. Honestly I'm cool with that being there, it's mostly the overabundance of ranged damage powers, and with them being obligatory to take as a tax if you want anything later.

 

Leviathan is

Ranged damage

Ranged Damage Cone +Immobilize

Ranged Damage Cone

Ranged Damage Cone +debuff

Summon.

 

Mu is

Ranged Damage

Ranged TAoE Immobilize

Ranged TAoE Damage

Ranged Damage Cone

Summon

 

Mace is

Ranged Damage

Ranged TAoE Immobilize

Ranged TAoE Damage

Melee Damage and -res

Summon

 

Soul is

Ranged Damage

Ranged Cone Damage + Immobilize

Ranged TAoE Damage

Darkest Night which I couldn't be bothered trying to parse into regular text

Summon

 

Y'see the trend, right? I'm cool with them doubling up on things they already have, but it'd be nice if it was anything other than just 90% Ranged Damage.

 

Like y'know what I think'd be cool? If each of the Patrons had an Armor Upgrade as one of their two initially available powers. An Auto Power that does something nice based off that Patron. Ditching the first 'ranged damage and little/nothing else' power from each for that would fix things up nicely I think.

 

Or hell, scrap NOTHING and just increase the number of powers that they get to pick from. Up it from 5 to say, 7. They ARE Arachnos people, it's kinda silly that they get the least from their epic pools, y'know? Especially since they can't get at Ancillaries.

[Solvernia]

are you kidding me, mace and mu mastery are comically OP on soldiers

 

not sure about widows but everything but mace mastery thematically works great for them

[Solvernia]

Then logically shouldn't their pools also have a little bit of everything? Rather than just 'Hey here's more ranged damage.'

 

hey here's more ST damage

 

hey here's more mez+debuffs

 

hey here's more AoE damage

 

hey here's more debuffs

 

hey here's more pets

[Crux Reincarnate]

Mace Mastery and Mu Mastery are pretty good and have super defined roles. Mu is for (mostly AoE) damage and locking enemies down, Mace is for utility and cool bane spider bonuses.

 

Widow is a little more iffy, but works well with widows. Dark Obliteration rocks. Gloom is... okay. Strong, but y'know, single target ranged damage. Darkest Night is also okay. I do feel like it and Mako, in particular, could use some tweaking.

 

Mako could even have some claw-based effects. Kind've like to Night Widows what Scorpion is to Banes. That would leave Ghost Widow available to tweak a little bit more towards the interest of Fortunatas. Maybe.

 

It's tricky, because even if every powerset sucks, it'll still havei ts thematic fanbase.