Is Assault Rifles weak on Blasters?

[Haijinx]

Even with all the Aoe attacks its clear times in Galaxy Brains testing were pitiful.  

[Nemu]

4 hours ago, dangeraaron10 said:

I asked the same question on Discord but got mixed reception on whether or not you skip Ignite.  

Ignite does a lot of damage, but the animation turns some people off. You can start moving after about 2 seconds but you can't use another power for another 2 seconds due to it's 4 second animation time. It causes scatter/fear and makes mobs run.

 

But if you have an immob you can root a hard target and let it burn while you stack other attacks on it. It's not a power used on fodder, it's a power used on bosses/AV if you can keep them immobilized, on teams that happens relatively often and solo you have web nade or other T1 immobs.

 

There's a lot more synergy with AR/TA than there is with /Dev. /TA has glue arrow and OSA which allows you more time to fire off your cones and both can be used offensively as opposed to caltrops which is mostly used as a setup tool. OSA also serves as a second "nuke" because as other posters mentioned, Full auto doesn't get the job done alone, and neither time bomb nor trip mine can compare to the immediacy and utility you can get out of OSA. /TA also gets build up.

 

I also recommend proc monstering a hold either from the secondary or from epics/patrons to bring ST damage up. AR has a poor ST damage rotation otherwise. My favorites are munition mastery or electrical mastery. The holds are 16s and in the sweet spot for proc monsters, and both pools have additional offensive options. Those proc monster holds will make a very noticeable difference in your ST DPS.

 

Scorpion shield is a trap and a poor pick if you are planning a pure range build. Better to sick to softcap range defense and pair it up with a resist shield instead.

 

AR is not the splashiest, most damaging, or fastest blast set, but that doesn't mean you can't make the most of it, pair it up with a secondary/patron/epic that helps optimize it, and have fun with it. I enjoy my AR/TA/Munitions with ignite and LRM immensely and use those tools to great effect, but based on forum min/max/powergaming wisdom you'd think it's the worst and most unplayable combo ever.

[dangeraaron10]

1 hour ago, Nemu said:

Ignite does a lot of damage, but the animation turns some people off. You can start moving after about 2 seconds but you can't use another power for another 2 seconds due to it's 4 second animation time. It causes scatter/fear and makes mobs run.

 

But if you have an immob you can root a hard target and let it burn while you stack other attacks on it. It's not a power used on fodder, it's a power used on bosses/AV if you can keep them immobilized, on teams that happens relatively often and solo you have web nade or other T1 immobs.

 

There's a lot more synergy with AR/TA than there is with /Dev. /TA has glue arrow and OSA which allows you more time to fire off your cones and both can be used offensively as opposed to caltrops which is mostly used as a setup tool. OSA also serves as a second "nuke" because as other posters mentioned, Full auto doesn't get the job done alone, and neither time bomb nor trip mine can compare to the immediacy and utility you can get out of OSA. /TA also gets build up.

 

I also recommend proc monstering a hold either from the secondary or from epics/patrons to bring ST damage up. AR has a poor ST damage rotation otherwise. My favorites are munition mastery or electrical mastery. The holds are 16s and in the sweet spot for proc monsters, and both pools have additional offensive options. Those proc monster holds will make a very noticeable difference in your ST DPS.

 

Scorpion shield is a trap and a poor pick if you are planning a pure range build. Better to sick to softcap range defense and pair it up with a resist shield instead.

 

AR is not the splashiest, most damaging, or fastest blast set, but that doesn't mean you can't make the most of it, pair it up with a secondary/patron/epic that helps optimize it, and have fun with it. I enjoy my AR/TA/Munitions with ignite and LRM immensely and use those tools to great effect, but based on forum min/max/powergaming wisdom you'd think it's the worst and most unplayable combo ever.

 

Thanks for this.  I've thought I seen people mention proccing out Cryo Freeze Ray before (though it's generally followed up by recommendations to proc out a hold that has higher base damage than Cryo) but that's something to keep in mind.  Using a combo of Ignite and LRM Rocket while hoverblasting sounds very Star Wars Bounty Hunter to me and that's a good thing.  

[Nemu]

Regarding the hold I'm speaking strictly in the context of AR/Dev or AR/TA which tend to be the typical thematic builds. /Dev lacks a proc monster hold and ice arrow from /TA is a 12 second recharge hold which lowers proc chance.

 

Cryo uses the gun and you get LRM from the same pool. The majority of the damage from proc monster holds come from the procs, you'd lose about 25 points of enhance-able damage picking Cryo over shocking bolt which is also a 16 second recharge hold. That's a small price to pay if you are into theme.

[Onlyasandwich]

7 hours ago, Nemu said:

I enjoy my AR/TA/Munitions

I've been playing your Rambo build and having a blast!

 

Cryo has a rather unique and satisfying animation - very chunky, quick, and impactful. I do believe that LRM deserves about half the animation time, or maybe a shorter recharge at least, but it's great fun to throw out when it's up.

 

As you say, sometimes it's more about embracing the theme and making the most of it with the tools available. I hope AR gets a little love some day, but this build is at the very least a very fun iteration of what is possible currently.

 

 

[Hopestar]

On 1/27/2021 at 6:28 AM, Chelsea Rorec said:

I love it when people say this stuff.

It's not like AR has, i dunno, fire aswell as lethal.

And cones are just that..cones. Have you considered like standing further back to catch the mob in the cone.

Cones will seem narrow if you are face to face with a mob

Flamethrower and Full Auto are quite a wide cone when used properly.

 

With any luck all the AR bashing will get it buffed then my overpowered AR/Dev will be horrificaly overpowered. 🙂

Carry on.

Sure it does fire damage too, but the nuke is the worst nuke of all, the cones are extremely narrow, and sure this can be overcome with /Energy as a secondary, but that only means relying on 1 secondary powerset to make your primary viable. Of the highest DPA cones on a fully IO'd AR, it goes Ignite > Flamethrower / Buckshot > Full Auto in which your best aoe combo is just using Ignite > Buckshot > Flamethrower > Buckshot provided you can get your recharge high enough. That's completely removing your nuke power from the equation and even then you're locked into 2.33 - 4 second attacks that won't hit anything if they all charge into melee range on you. Then you have to include some form of crowd control to keep them in the cone, but what's this? The only means of CC you have is knockdown which doesn't even last as long as Flamethrower, nevermind Ignite. Oh and did I mention that this entire time, your Ignite (your real nuke, lets face it) is a teeny tiny radius?

Before you say anything more detrimental, please be advised that my first 50 on the original servers was a AR/Devices and I have a AR/Energy on Indom that is 50. I have plenty of experience with the primary and I'd like it to be good, but it is currently the worst primary aside from Sonic.

Why am I writing this when I know people that will completely disregard facts and numbers and spreadsheets will completely disregard anything I wrote and only listen to their own echo chamber of "I like it do lots pretty numbers" as gospel? I don't know.

Edited January 30, 2021 by Hopestar
specified "aoe combo" before someone says "uh you forgot sniper rifle stupid"

[Haijinx]

Sonic at least has a killer secondary effect

[Haijinx]

The cones should be wider, and animations faster.  

 

How much wider? Depends on how much faster.

[plainguy]

I have a AR Device and a AR TA both can solo 8/3 and even 8/4 as well dependent on the mobs just like many other toons and builds.

AR Device is good if you are a hover blaster with Range defense and good recharge.. You can have up 2 Gun Drones up.  You can be around 13 seconds on Full Auto.  Before the Recent Aggro changes to Gun Drone it was still good and NOT getting TONS of Aggro, I am guessing due to the height thing. Far enough to shoot but not within aggro range so much. 
 

I do also have a DP Device and discovered again BEFORE the recent Gun Drone aggro changes that Gun Drone was useless because I wasn't a hover blaster on my DP Device.. The amount of aggro generated by Gun Drone before the current changes only gave Gun Drone a few second life cycle..  The Aggro was IMMENSE.. There was no amount of aggro I could build up before using Gun Drone that Gun Drone would not simply take the mobs away from me.

 

With the current changes to Gun Drone though Gun Drone on my DP Device is a million times better. 

My AR Device was build before the Trip mine changes.. 

 

Now that you can place Trip Mine at will without interrupt I would probably still go range cap with some SL Defense via Scorpion shield and Trip mine even if not six slotted..  You have enough AOE that its pretty cool. You could use jet pack to get you out of danger if needed and hover blast with Jet pack on..

 

Again I just have not been that anal that I am going to look at AR Device VS some other build and complain that AR device took 5 minutes to clear out a mission and it took this other build 4 minutes or even 3..  It just picking fly sh1t out of the pepper I think at that point.. 

 

 

 

 

Edited January 31, 2021 by plainguy
changed time bomb to trip mine

[Tantricsecrets]

Does full auto hit new targets like blizzard? I've been thinking about making my first AR blaster soon. 

[Marshal_General]

What was the deal with Targeting Drone doing something with the AR snipe that it did not with other snipes?

I seem to remember something like that.,

[Max Firepower]

12 minutes ago, Marshal_General said:

What was the deal with Targeting Drone doing something with the AR snipe that it did not with other snipes?

I seem to remember something like that.,

Adds like 20% dog all the time, but when you are out of combat a glowing ring appears around your icon.  That offers extra damage (80%) for one shot.  I used it for Sniper but I didn’t check to see if it affected other attacks.

[Doomguide2005]

And then there's the fun of running with friends, all AR/Devices, and the insanity of pulling entire rooms down into hallways.  Hallways with enough tripmines to legitimately be called "minefields" or surrounding a foe on a large outdoor map and unloading Full Auto from all 4 cardinal directions ... take that Council scum!

Edited February 20, 2021 by Doomguide2005
Typos

[arkieboy72472]

I have an AR/DEV blaster and I have found that the trick to it is Range. Lots and lots of range plus Recharge. It all lends to a play style of "Stay away from me" with a dash of "by the time you make it to me, you will be dead. Things you will want:

 

Intuition T4 Right side (gives damage AND 20% Range)

Bombardment (at least 2 slots) x5 for 25% Range

ATO Blasters Wrath (Either 3 slotted twice for 20% range or single slotted once for 10%)

 

That is a lot of range!

 

But wait, there is more! Every power once you hit 50 that is 6 slotted gets a Dam/Range HO at the end.

 

The best kill is overkill. And let me tell you.....

 

Being able to kill the next spawn from last spawns distance via Full Auto...Nice. Being able to snipe at almost 300 feet (or whatever draw distance is on my pc) also nice.

 

If I can see it, I can shoot it. Usually I can snipe most any one thing regardless of power (short of purple EBs) before it gets to me. If you see it, you can shoot it. 

 

Now, what IFFFF they make it to you? You have your pals Gun Drone, Caltrops, and Bonfire (with or without the KB to KD proc....) Now, bonfire itself is awesome for flopping with the proc, but it is also a great "stay the F away from me" power without it.

 

Here is a quick run down of how I slot things because I don't use mids:

 

Burst: Either decimation or entropic chaos 5 slot. Also a -res Ach Heel proc can fit this. 

Slug: Either decimation or entropic chaos 5 slot. I also keep the KB because it is mitigation and fun.

NOTE: if you put a DAM/Range HO in all of your cones, one of these can be six slotted for the other Blaster ATO. 

Buckshot: Bombardment 5 slot and an HO dam/range. KB is mitigation.

M30 Grenade: Bombardment 5 slot and an HO dam/range. KB is mitigation.

Beanbag: Skip. I think it sucks. you do you.

Snipe: either sting of the manticore 5 slot and dam/range HO or VR purple ranged 5 slot plus dam/range. If you see it, you can just about shoot it 🙂

Flamethrower: Bombardment 5 slot and an HO dam/range. See a pattern? 

 

Ignite: Tricky, but let me explain. It has so much fear it really only works on held or immobed stuff. It also does a shit ton of damage. Its built in range is crap. You can do a few things...Bombardment 5 slot and an HO dam/range OR Half of Blaster Wrath and 2 positron (dam/range plus dam/Recharge) plus another dam/range HO. I like the extra range in this so I Can ignite a thing way away from me or stick it in a doorway to make things run. I also spray this around my feet to make doods fear run off. It works and is a good EB/AV killer. Some like it, most hate it.

 

Full Auto: I used to run Posi and then I tried a full ATO set and then I tried the above frankenslot, but in the end I fall back to Bombardment 5 slot and an HO dam/range. You need to max out that damage and recharge, then hit it with a range HO. I like having it on 15 second repeat. Cones from across the room!

 

Now all that leaves us with still the other half of your ATO to slot if you split it, and another place I need to find 2 slots for bombardment! I wonder where it can go?

 

Caltrops! 6 slot this power. It is too good not to. Pairs well with Bonfire (5 slot ragnarok or positrons blast or whatever plus KB to KD proc, or not if you are a sadist)

 

As for DEV, here are my only advices:

 

Trip Mine is a great place for a +recharge proc for a free 100% recharge boost for 5 seconds. It almost always fires. Also a good 5 obliteration slot.

 

CJ or hover is great for a stealth proc and LotG. Layered stealth stacks with cloaking device.

 

If you grab a patron pool for some odd reason, +res and +def procs in it also effect gun drone, making it more tough OR just drop both +res in it anyways.

 

don't put procs in smoke grenade. or in any power that doesn't get noticed. They notice it.

 

DEV is good and you can slack on a lot of the set for slots. Time Bomb goes against build and is crap currently. First power doesn't need another slot. The few gems you have are worth loading up on with slots (gun drone, cloak, caltrops, trip mine, targeting drone) I have never used taser. I hear it is good. I find things are dead before they get to me. Why tase what I can kill instead? Wake up and choose death to your enemies.

 

As for epics, fire is an easy choice.

 

Tough and weave are fine also. You have lots of options. Build for recharge when you can with LotG and set bonuses. Aim for at least 170 with hasten. You can easily get much much more but you will have to skimp on range some maybe. Between the shield in the epic and tough and weave and CJ and/or hover and stealth and set bonuses, you should be well rounded with Res and Def. You want ranged def primarily. You want S/L resistance mainly.

 

To get the most out of your new found range, stay back and aim for the MOST MIDDLE YET FARTHEST BACK dude. Drop a caltrops and bonfire at your feet, pop the gun drone (or 2 if your fast enough), and flipping blast away. Snipe dudes a group or two away. If they all come at you, full auto and drop the rest of them and KB whatever gets danger close. It never gets old. If they punch you, you messed up somewhere.

 

You will be getting lots of 5% and 6.25% recharges. maybe even a few 10% with ATOs and VR sets. Remember the rule of 5. P.S. I have found that global range in all powers works as good or better than running an IO set full of range. The best kill is overkill. 

Edited March 13, 2021 by arkieboy72472

[Snarky]

anyone seen the data on the changes to AR in Beta?

[Doomguide2005]

4 hours ago, Snarky said:

anyone seen the data on the changes to AR in Beta?

O.o  No but that got my attention.

 

@arkieboy72472Used to sit up on the ledge of the War Wall in Crey's Folly on my Empathy/Dark.  She had Moonbeam and would target a Freakshow waaay out there, then fire off her Moonbeam.  She'd fire, they take off running and disappear from view outside my rendering ability ... and then I'd know they weren't coming back as I'd see the hit register in my combat log.  That was years before IOs and Moonbeam had the longest base range for a snipe.

[Marshal_General]

On 3/13/2021 at 4:37 PM, Snarky said:

anyone seen the data on the changes to AR in Beta?

The one thing that comes to mind is the reduction of the cast time of ignite to 2 seconds from 4.

[Jeneki]

There's one thing I'm curious about Assault Rifle, well, ranged cones in general which Assault Rifle has a lot of: Why do ranged cones have 10 max targets, while ranged AoEs have 16?

 

For example, Buckshot, Flamethrower, and Full Auto cap at 10 targets.  But M30 Grenade can hit 16.  I'm using in-game descriptions, but I recall them always being this way.  This seems to be the case with cones in other blast sets as well (with some exceptions from more specialized powers like Piercing Rounds).

 

Was there ever a reason given for this back in the day?

 

Edited March 18, 2021 by Jeneki

[srmalloy]

On 3/13/2021 at 7:26 PM, Doomguide2005 said:

She'd fire, they take off running and disappear from view outside my rendering ability ... and then I'd know they weren't coming back as I'd see the hit register in my combat log.

I had one incident back on Live that I've never been able able to reproduce. My AR/EM Blaster was in IP fighting Tsoo and she was attacking a Red Ink Man. She'd fired M30 Grenade, and it had reached the top of its arc and was headed down when the Red Ink Man hit her with his Siphon Speed and took off running. The grenade made a sharp turn in mid-air, going back up again as it followed the fleeing Tsoo, and about five seconds later, I saw the defeat message.

[kelika2]

Dragonsbreath replaces Buckshot.  Buckshot but with a fire DoT

Fragmentation grenade replaced M30.  M30 but with a lethal DoT

 

[Decaying Rose]

arkieboy72472 speaks the truth when it comes to making Assault Rifle work.

 

Slot for range and range bonuses.  Hami-Os, Bombardment sets, Intuition Radial, Blaster ATOs, even the kitchen sink.

 

If you get enough of it, Buckshot and Flamethrower will handily reach out to 75-80', at which point they are huuuuuuuge cones.  Suddenly, you don't have to dash back and forth to apply damage to the whole spawn.  You can just park and nail everything, and while Assault Rifle's AoEs are not as individually strong as the AoEs in other sets, Assault Rifle gets four of them.  If your secondary gives you Build-Up, it's entirely possible to fit all four into the window, and four AoEs in quick succession will really do the job.  I like finishing up with Full Auto just for the "camspin" fun.

 

I've also got to second the Rambo-build idea linked above.  AR/TacArrow is a lot of fun to play.  There's always some useful power ready to go, and most of them are AoE.  It's a wonderful "mow down everything from the back lines" kind of set-combo, with plenty of utility and a nice mix of hard and soft controls that let you be useful no matter what's going on.

[Doomguide2005]

On 1/26/2021 at 8:08 PM, Gordoth said:

OK, so the agreement is that AR is week.

Okay is there something wrong with me that I find this typo ("week") amusing in relation to the topic.

 

[Coyote]

On 3/21/2021 at 1:16 AM, Doomguide2005 said:

Okay is there something wrong with me that I find this typo ("week") amusing in relation to the topic.

 

 

It think it qualifies as the typo of the week. 😉

[Doomguide2005]

On 3/19/2021 at 1:22 PM, srmalloy said:

I had one incident back on Live that I've never been able able to reproduce. My AR/EM Blaster was in IP fighting Tsoo and she was attacking a Red Ink Man. She'd fired M30 Grenade, and it had reached the top of its arc and was headed down when the Red Ink Man hit her with his Siphon Speed and took off running. The grenade made a sharp turn in mid-air, going back up again as it followed the fleeing Tsoo, and about five seconds later, I saw the defeat message.

Introducing the latest in weaponry Crey Technologies Smartnades Projectiles "They'll follow your foes home"

[Marshal_General]

On 3/23/2021 at 1:32 PM, Coyote said:

 

It think it qualifies as the typo of the week. 😉

Shouldn't that be the typo of the weak? 😛