Which is "Better" -- RAD/Dark or Dark/Rad?

[deltaco1023]

Title says it all. 🙂

[Hew]

For what? Smelling like daisies on a warm summer afternoon? Shoveling snow in the deep of winter? Pairing with Pretty?

[Justaris]

Too open-ended a question to really answer.    A lot will depend on what you want to do with the build (main tank vs off tank vs solo) and how much you're willing to invest.   

 

In broad overview, the Dark/Rad has good resistances, the most powerful self-heal in the game and above-average Defense for a largely Resistance-based set and so has the foundations for a very powerful IO build.    Rad offers a lot of Defense Debuffs which will help you to hit your targets more easily.   You'll have an extra self-heal in Radiation Siphon but you won't really need it.   There's no direct synergy here but the pairing should be fairly strong especially if you invest in a strong IO build.

 

Rad/Dark will be stronger out of the box before IOs as Radiation Armor has some generous base values on many of its powers.    Also a Resistance set like Dark Armor, Radiatino offers absorb, recovery and recharge in place of Defense.    Radiation Therapy is a good self-heal, not as good as Dark Regeneration but strong.    Dark Melee does offer some small synergy here in that -ToHit in the dark attacks will give you a bit more survivability, but the endurance management from Dark Consumption won't really be needed with all the recovery tools already in Radiation Armor.    Soul Drain will boost your damage so if you're looking to solo frequently this may be the stronger choice just based on the powersets alone.   

 

These are both very good primary powersets, but these particular pairings probably aren't the ideal in either case.   They can both work, especially with strong use of Inventions, but if you're purely looking for the optimal choices then there are better primary/secondary matchups for both primaries.

 

[theDarkeOne]

On 11/24/2020 at 11:35 AM, deltaco1023 said:

Title says it all. 🙂

Rad/Dark/Soul for the win. . . This is the girl that inspired the Tank Gods in this forum and with the issue 27 changes to DM she is an ABSOLUTE BEAST.

Hero Plan by Mids' Reborn : Hero Designer 2.6.0.7
https://github.com/ImaginaryDevelopment/imaginary-hero-designer

Click this DataLink to open the build!

Level 50 Magic Tanker
Primary Power Set: Radiation Armor
Secondary Power Set: Dark Melee
Power Pool: Speed
Power Pool: Fighting
Power Pool: Leadership
Power Pool: Leaping
Ancillary Pool: Soul Mastery

Hero Profile:
Level 1: Alpha Barrier -- HO:Ribo(A), HO:Ribo(3), StdPrt-ResDam/Def+(3)
Level 1: Shadow Punch -- SprBlsCol-Dmg/EndRdx/Acc/Rchg(A), SprBlsCol-Acc/Dmg(5), SprBlsCol-Dmg/EndRdx(5), SprBlsCol-Acc/Dmg/Rchg(7), SprBlsCol-Rchg/HoldProc(7)
Level 2: Gamma Boost -- PrfShf-End%(A), Mrc-Rcvry+(11)
Level 4: Shadow Maul -- SprMghoft-Rchg/Res%(A), SprMghoft-Acc/Dmg(15), ScrDrv-Acc/Dmg/EndRdx(15), Obl-%Dam(17), Arm-Dam%(17), Erd-%Dam(19)
Level 6: Proton Armor -- HO:Ribo(A)
Level 8: Radiation Therapy -- SprGntFis-Acc/Dmg/EndRdx/Rchg(A), SprGntFis-Acc/Dmg/Rchg(19), SprMghoft-Acc/Dmg/EndRdx/Rchg(21), SprMghoft-Dmg/EndRdx/Rchg(21), FuroftheG-ResDeb%(23)
Level 10: Fallout Shelter -- HO:Ribo(A)
Level 12: Beta Decay -- SphIns-%ToHit(A), SphIns-Acc/EndRdx/Rchg(23), SphIns-ToHitDeb/EndRdx/Rchg(25), SphIns-ToHitDeb(25), SphIns-Acc/ToHitDeb(27), AchHee-ResDeb%(27)
Level 14: Hasten -- RechRdx-I(A), RechRdx-I(29)
Level 16: Siphon Life -- ThfofEss-+End%(A), Heal-I(29), CrsImp-Acc/Dmg/EndRdx(31), SprBlsCol-Acc/Dmg/EndRdx(31), Hct-Dam%(31), TchofDth-Dam%(33)
Level 18: Kick -- KntCmb-Acc/Dmg(A), KntCmb-Dmg/EndRdx(33), KntCmb-Knock%(33), KntCmb-Dmg/EndRdx/Rchg(34)
Level 20: Tough -- HO:Ribo(A), GldArm-3defTpProc(34), UnbGrd-Max HP%(34)
Level 22: Weave -- LucoftheG-Def/Rchg+(A), ShlWal-ResDam/Re TP(36), HO:Cyto(36), DefBuff-I(36)
Level 24: Particle Shielding -- Prv-Absorb%(A), Prv-Heal/Rchg(37)
Level 26: Touch of Fear -- Empty(A), Empty(37), Empty(37), Empty(39), Empty(39), Empty(50)
Level 28: Soul Drain -- RechRdx-I(A), AdjTrg-ToHit/Rchg(39), AdjTrg-ToHit/EndRdx/Rchg(40)
Level 30: Ground Zero -- SprAvl-Acc/Dmg/EndRdx/Rchg(A), SprAvl-Acc/Dmg(40), SprAvl-Dmg/EndRdx(40), SprAvl-Acc/Dmg/EndRdx(42), SprAvl-Acc/Dmg/Rchg(42)
Level 32: Maneuvers -- LucoftheG-Def/Rchg+(A), Rct-ResDam%(42), HO:Cyto(43), DefBuff-I(43)
Level 35: Assault -- EndRdx-I(A)
Level 38: Midnight Grasp -- SprGntFis-Acc/Dmg(A), SprGntFis-Rchg/+Absorb(43), SprMghoft-Dmg/Rchg(45), SprMghoft-Acc/Dmg/Rchg(45), TchofDth-Dam%(45), CldSns-%Dam(46)
Level 41: Tactics -- GssSynFr--Build%(A), GssSynFr--ToHit/EndRdx(46)
Level 44: Gloom -- SprWntBit-Acc/Dmg(A), SprWntBit-Acc/Dmg/EndRdx(46), Thn-Acc/Dmg/EndRdx(48), Dcm-Build%(48), Apc-Dam%(48), GldJvl-Dam%(50)
Level 47: Combat Jumping -- LucoftheG-Def/Rchg+(A), LucoftheG-Def(50)
Level 49: Dark Obliteration -- Empty(A)
Level 1: Brawl -- KntCmb-Acc/Dmg(A), KntCmb-Dmg/EndRdx(9), KntCmb-Dmg/Rchg(9), KntCmb-Dmg/EndRdx/Rchg(11)
Level 1: Gauntlet 
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 -- Empty(A)
Level 2: Rest -- Empty(A)
Level 4: Ninja Run 
Level 2: Swift -- Empty(A)
Level 2: Health -- Pnc-Heal/+End(A), NmnCnv-Regen/Rcvry+(13)
Level 2: Hurdle -- Empty(A)
Level 2: Stamina -- PrfShf-End%(A), PrfShf-EndMod(13)
Level 50: Musculature Core Paragon 
Level 50: Clarion Radial Epiphany 
Level 50: Carnival Core Superior Ally 
Level 50: Reactive Core Flawless Interface 
Level 50: Void Core Final Judgement 
Level 50: Melee Core Embodiment 
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[Jelly]

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