Energy/Energy - A Strange Regen Sentinel?

[ProgmanX]

About a year and a half ago, I started toying with the now classic Murder Bunny Build. Energy/Energy was actually my main on live, and I already built one to 50 on Homecoming, but honestly didn't really have the best handle on how to optimize it. I hadn't played CoX since briefly after IOs were introduced, and I certainly wasn't in any place to actually figure out how to even use them or how they all fit together. Took a long break, came back with a fresh face, and I've been tweaking this one for about a month or so. As of last night, I think I've hit a point of saturation that may necessitate some level of peer review.  

 

Fair warning, this IS an expensive build if you follow it to the letter. You CAN get by with some of the mid-tier sets, but your Hasten won't be Perma unless you play like a Brute or this one clever Dominator I saw that constantly used a PBAOE with a short CD to keep Domination up between mobs. At least, I think that's what they were doing.

 

To get global recharge as high as it is, I had to do A LOT of experimentation and weird balancing acts. At one point, I had SPRINT 2 Slotted for Celerity for extra 2.25% S/L Resistance. This is something I have actually implemented into different builds (an Earth/Kin Controller and a Ninja Blade/Energy Aura Stalker), which I'll likely share here because I'm currently on vacation and theorycrafting is fun! 

 

NOTE: This isn't a leveling build. I'd put Fly much earlier on here if it were. Other than that, the order is actually pretty solid for Exemplaring down. So, just swap something. We all know leveling builds are a bit wonky, anyway. Which is fine, of course. Just how we learn to play the game and get better at our ATs and Powerset Synergies 😄

 

OUTDATED VERSION, FOR POSTERITY:

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http://www.cohplanner.com/mids/download.php?uc=1505&c=681&a=1362&f=HEX&dc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

UPDATED VERSION:

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http://www.cohplanner.com/mids/download.php?uc=1551&c=702&a=1404&f=HEX&dc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

 

Build Highlights:

 

175% Global Recharge (Perma Hasten w/ 3 Slotted 50+5 Recharge Reduction IOs)

Constant 527% Regeneration! 

You literally cannot run out of Endurance! (I've tried. A lot. Barring massive End Drain, it just can't be done!)

Nearly Soft-Capped S/L/E/R Defense! (I tried, but with Incarnates you'll see how this is mitigated)

Two Force Feedback +Rech IO Procs!

~35s Novas! (the timing is super variable here, but it's never higher than 35s! Probably.)

Both "Chance for Build Up" Procs!

Unlikely to annoy anti-KB teammates thanks to strategic KB -> KD Slotting!

Classic Leadership!

 

And, and, and...NONE of the above necessitates the Alpha Slot! At all! That's right, this is all PRE-Incarnate! 

 

Build Cons:

 

I couldn't find a place for Freebird: +Stealth

Do people still need/use Kismet: +ACC? That one didn't fit, either

It's not cheap.

 

The ultimate goal of this build was to be laugh at the concept of CDs and hit everything everywhere for as much kick as I could while also maintaining near extreme levels of survivability...and still be able to take Musculature Core Paragon. I experimented with Charged Armor in Mu Mastery and building to S/L/E/R Defense Softcaps (which are apparently extremely variable depending on the enemy type, maybe? Haven't researched this enough) through set bonuses and what ended up being one of the cornerstones of this and many subsequent builds of mine: Invisibility. Anyway, obviously Charged Armor didn't do the job, so we're back to the ol' standard of Scorpion Shield.

 

But, we already know pretty much everything there is to know about the importance of Scorpion Shield. Let's stalk about some of the weirder aspects of this build: the Flight Power Pool and in the inclusion of Invisibility. This also addresses the absence Leadership, which I was bummed to give up...but the results are quite exceptional without it. In terms of "bang for your buck", on a Blaster, Invisibility gives you significantly more defense than Weave, Hover, Combat Jumping, Stealth, and Maneuvers. Not combined, obviously, but...most of them combined. Some? It doesn't really matter. It's GOOD. It also has the added benefit of lowering your Threat Level, which means you won't be targeted as often...which means you won't be hit as often. Which means you won't die as often. 

 

EDIT: I'm a doofus who can't read. Concealment has been cut from this build because it doesn't work like I thought it did.

 

Naturally, this leads us back to Flight. Hover is a no brainer, as is Fly, and even at times Afterburner as an IO Mule or an "Oh Crap!" Button. But Group Fly? Has anyone seen that being used outside of a Bots/ Mastermind in like, forever? Well, you have know, because Blessing of the Zephyr is a low-slot-cost way of boosting your Ranged Defense quite significantly! For the low-low price of 4 Enhancement Slots (or 5, depending on how you look at the slotting of Hover) you can boost your Ranged Defense by 5%, and your E/N Defense by 2.52%. Now, that looks rather miniscule when typed out, but let's remind ourselves how weirdly difficult it is to get Ranged and AOE Defense IO Set Bonuses as opposed to S/L/M. The alternative was going all in on Mako's Bite, but then you don't hit that magic 177.5% Global Recharge.

 

EDIT: Per the Domino effect, Blessing of the Zephyr is no longer relevant to this build.

 

Now, on to Knockback. The dreaded bane of...Scrapperlock? I kid, I kid. As far as I see it, if what knocked the target back didn't kill it and/or knock it into the wall/the rest of the mob, you're not using KB effectively in a Team. Much has been debated with Knockback. Personally, I adore it. I think it's extremely powerful soft control and damage mitigation...when used correctly. This build assumes that you, as a player, are able to use Knockback responsibly, effectively, and hilariously.

 

Which brings us to Sudden Acceleration: Knockback to Knockdown, one of the craziest, and most useful, procs in the game. I have slotted it exclusively in Explosive Blast and Nova. This is the result of a lot of observation regarding disdain towards Knockback, and what is most likely to actually cause problems in team performance, rather than just assumed difficulties from the existence of Knockback. There isn't a large disconnect, but there is one all the same. Ultimately, and I agree to this wholeheartedly, AOEs and PBAOEs have the biggest potential to screw over a Team's flow. You can and probably will scatter everything all over the place. Unless you're able to confidently one-shot everything in the mob you're targeting every single time, slot KB -> KD with AOEs and PBAOEs.  

 

Thanks to hilariously low CDs brought on by those Force Feedback procs, you'll be using Explosive Blast and Nova very, very often.  But, how is this possible, you may be thinking if you have not had the opportunity to actively play with Energy Manipulation? How can you use so many T9s so quickly, and just hit everything on CD as fast as the game will let you while also maintaining that many toggles? My friend, the answer is Energize. With that 175% Global Recharge, you don't even need to slot Energize with a Recharge Reduction IO to make it perma. 

 

For those unfamiliar, Energize is quite similar to Energy Aura's version of Energize, or the many variations of Conserve Power. However, this variation has one fundamental difference: it's base CD isn't 600s, or even 120s with a Duration of 30s like the Energy Aura variant. Energy Manipulation's Energize has a base CD of 120s, with a duration of 60s. The Endurance Discount? 50%. Half. And this resets, every 35ish seconds. Oh, and also it boosts your Regeneration up to 527%, and since it's perma, well, as long as you keep dodging, your health will go back up. Really, really fast. The only drawback here is that you have to remember to click Hasten every ~110s (thanks to constant Force Feedback procs) but that's like, one click. Perfectly manageable. 

 

So, I mentioned dodging, but I didn't soft cap S/L/E/R Defense! How could I even suggest such a thing if it is, inherently, not possible without the use of a boatload of small purples---oh wait, there is a way and their name is Diamagnetic. I see so very many going after Degenerative for that sweet -Max HP proc, or Reactive for -RES and that awesome Fire DoT. Now, those will increase your performance in pure damage, this is true...but not necessarily your survivability in encounters where the enemy has a chance to strike back if you're playing as a squishier AT. For those who may not be familiar, Diamagnetic Core Flawless has a 100% -To Hit proc and a 50% -Regen proc. In practice, this means that everything you hit has -5% To Hit. These are, of course, solo numbers. Your defense will likely be higher in a team, since Leadership is such a popular power pick, and many support sets offer +DEF powers or auras. 

 

So, that's all the, uh, math as it were. 

 

Power Pick/Slotting Logic

 

I picked both Power Blast and Power Bolt due to how Defiance works with Blasters (remember when you did more damage the lower your health was? Man, that was dumb). Your T1 and T2 can be used while mezzed, so naturally Power Bolt gets the Superior Defiant Barrage set and all of its wonderful bonuses. Thanks to the ridiculously fast CDs of this build, I never actually have to cycle in Power Bolt unless I'm mezzed, at which point it becomes invaluable. 

 

Power Blast is a very solid power, and always has been. It's double proc'd for Force Feedback and Chance for Build Up. Now, many of you are likely thinking that with CDs this fast, this slotting doesn't really make sense and it would be more logical to slot Decimation: Chance for Build Up in something like Sniper Blast. Think of it like the Assassin's Mark ATO proc for Stalkers, with its 4% Chance to instantly recharge Build Up. The more you use the power, the more chances you have for the proc to, well, proc! Thus, why it is in Power Blast. Also because Sting of the Manticore is a great IO set, and it would be silly not to use it.

 

Build Up's slotting is something I borrowed from my Elec/Rad Brute, which then proliferated itself to every character I have that has Build Up. Pretty cut and dry, here. You click Build Up, and it'll most likely double itself. Keep those damage bonuses stacked and coming! 

 

Power Thrust's slotting is identical to the Murder Bunny Build. Can't improve on that. Same goes with Energy Punch. 

 

Power Burst is a powerhouse, and gets the full Superior's Blaster's Wrath and all those wonderful set bonuses. This one isn't really that complicated. It's a staple of any Energy Blast attack chain, especially when paired with Sniper Blast, which I'll get to in a moment.

 

Sniper Blast. Oh, Sniper Blast, my most favorite of opening acts. Proc'd for Force Feedback, and it also has that wonderful inherent +Range buff. One of the most fun things to do here is to open with Sniper Blast, but immediately select Power Burst while the animation is still playing, and then either Power Blast or Explosive Blast once Power Burst fires off. Or even Sniper Blast again, if you're lucky enough! That +Range buff isn't something I've seen talked about a lot, but it is so, so, so, fun to exploit with animation timing. 

 

Energy Punch gets Superior Blistering Cold for that 5% Smashing/Lethal Defense. I tried to find a way around it, but I just couldn't. 

 

Energy Torrent gets one of the newer sets, Artillery, which works more or less the same way that Thunderstrike does for Ranged Damage.

 

Bone Smasher is an even further divergence further from good ol' Murder Bunny. Hecatomb is a Purple Set. It is expensive. However, it is the key to getting that 175% Global Recharge due to its +10% Global Recharge from 5-slotting it. Depending on the enemy you're fighting, going in for a Nova, followed up with an Explosive Blast, you may want to go in and just punch everything that's still standing. It really depends on how close mobs are to you if they're not already dead.  Blaster Melee attacks, if memory serves, have some of the highest damage potential in the AT, so using them as finishers is extremely viable and super fun! 

 

Energize: Slot the entire set of Numina's Convalescence for 3.75% Ranged Defense and hilarious levels of Regeneration.

 

Hover starts an interesting trend here with how defensive powers are slotted in my builds. I normally try to 3-slot them like this: Luck of the Gambler: Increase Global Recharge Speed, Reactive Defenses: Defense, and, Reactive Defenses: Defense/Endurance Reduction. Why? Because the 2-slot bonus from Reactive Defenses is 1.5% S/L Resistance. This can add up significantly when stacked, especially since you're going to want more defense out of your defensive powers anyway.  However, Hover is a variation on that pattern since it offers so little relative Defense as it is, that Reactive Defenses: Defense/Endurance Reduction is swapped with exceptional Reactive Defenses: Scaling Damage Resistance for that +3 to +13% Resistance.  

 

Explosive Blast serves many purposes in your attack chain. If Nova is not up at the start of a mob (which is rare), and you want to hit everything, use Explosive Blast and chuckle as they all fall on their butts thanks to slotting it with KB -> KD. Also, yes, this slotted for Ragnarok. It is expensive, like Hecatomb. However, it is also necessary for that 177.5% Global Recharge. 

 

Kick, Tough, and Weave: It's the Fighting Power Pool's eternal staples. Tough goes for both +3% Defense IO procs (Steadfast Protection and Gladiator's Armor)  Also, Weave follows the same pattern as Hover: Luck of the Gambler: Increase Global Recharge Speed, Reactive Defenses: Defense, and, Reactive Defenses: Defense/Endurance Reduction.

 

Maneuvers: Follows the same slotting as Weave, and Hover.

 

Assault: Just a one-and-done Endurance Reduction IO. Not that you need it, of course.

 

Tactics: To Hit Buff IO. 

 

Vengeance: A classic slot for Luck of the Gambler: Increase Global Recharge Speed. Also, an all around great power!

 

Scorpion Shield is used fundamentally the same way as the Murder Bunny, but again uses the same Defensive Slot Pattern outlined above. 

 

Stamina: This one is...weird. I debated over to swap Tactics or Assault for Victory Rush so I could slot this there, but...how often do people even use that one, right? Anyway, slot for Preemptive Optimzation for that 3.75% Global Recharge and 3.75% Ranged Defense.

 

And finally, Hasten gets three 50+5 Recharge Reduction IOs. Technically, you could take Hasten at any point after you make Energize perma, but I just didn't find that much use for it until very late game play where this whole system comes together. Force Feedback is quite the powerhouse.

 

 

Incarnates

 

Alpha Slot: Musculature Core Paragon. This really needs no explanation.

 

Interface Slot: Diamagnetic Core Flawless, as outlined above.

 

Judgement Slot: Your choice of Void Core Final Judgement, Pyronic Core Final Judgement, Void Core Final Judgement, or Mighty Radial/Core Final Judgement. Personally, I chose Pyronic because its so fast, and I already have a PBAOE Nuke. 

 

Destiny Slot: I chose Clarion Core Epiphany, but honestly whatever you find most useful. Though, I can't imagine that Ageless would provide much benefit to you. 

 

Lore Slot: I chose Longbow Core Superior Ally but, again, this one's up to you. I just think the Giant Robot is cool, and the -Regen is pretty great for iTrials and AVs.

 

Hybrid Slot: Assault Core Embodiment. Boosting your damage by up to 65% for 2 Minutes is pretty awesome, but if you like Doublehit more, then go for it. I've found myself at the damage bonus cap (400% for Blasters) without any outside Damage buffs a few times, but it's rather rare. 

 

And that's all there is! If you made it this far, thanks for reading and let me know if you've noticed some glaring omissions that can be used to improve this build! If you ever see an Energy/Energy Blaster on Excelsior named "Return", that's me using this build 😄

 

 

Edited November 25, 2020 by ProgmanX

[graeberguinn]

Nice build my dude. Can you elaborate on the Stealth/Invis thought. You use Stealth only as Mule and Run Invis for the DEF. So i'm guessing Invis only loses the standard/un slotted DEF in combat? Why is it not better to use Stealth then if it keeps half its DEF value in combat? Is that a personal choice or made due to slotting restraints? 

[ProgmanX]

I used Invisibility because I misread the power description like a doofus. Thank you for pointing this out. Damnit. Gonna need to rework like, 3 other Characters because of this mistake. I'll reply with an update and edit the original post. 

[graeberguinn]

Oh man. Didn't mean to cause trouble with my noob questions.. I actually thought you went Invis so you would also have the better stealth option along with Def. Sounded cool to me. 

 

I like how your thought works on slotting them though. Im a noob who sucks at builds and has severe alt itis. So you've given me some ideas to float around my head about builds. 

Edited November 25, 2020 by graeberguinn

[ProgmanX]

Okay, here's a reworked version. Couldn't softcap S/L/E/R and there's not nearly as much S/L Resistance, but it does have comically high levels of Regeneration, and Leadership. Hasten is still perma, but it requires 3 50+5 IOs, and Blessing of the Zephyr has been basically dropped entirely. It also needs Superior Blistering Cold, unfortunately. 

 

All of that being said...while you lose one Force Feedback proc, it should still recharge everything like crazy. Probably. It's going to be a while until I can even afford this. 

 

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[Renergy]

On 11/25/2020 at 7:09 PM, ProgmanX said:

http://www.cohplanner.com/mids/download.php?uc=1551&c=702&a=1404&f=HEX&dc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

 

Sorry to "necro" this thread, but seemed pointless posting a new with the same build etc.

 

How would you rate this build in 2022?

 

Has the game moved on, enhancement changed or new enhancements been introduced?

 

I've swapped out Hover/Fly for Combat Jumping/Super Speed, as I've found the speed and stealth to be more useful in endgame.

 

Otherwise, I've been using this build unchanged with success.

 

Curious for others opinion, as this post didn't prompt much discussion in 2020. 🙂

[Crowcus Pocus]

It's always refreshing to see someone stick to a classic combo and look for new ways to make it extra fun and efficient. I don't want to mess with your build, since it looks solid and you're already loving it. However, the ONE change I would make could potentially improve your build a lot.

Consider swapping Assault for Power Boost. With your current +recharge, PB would be pretty much permanent). This would bring the following benefits:

 

1) Boost your defenses considerably, meaning you can probably drop at least 5 slots across Maneuvers, Hover, and other sources of +def while still getting soft capped Ranged/S/L/E
2) Make Blistering Cold set skippable. Get something else.
3) Boost the Heal from Energize by 9-10%
4) Boost +ToHit from Tactics
5) Extra knockback, extra fun (for you at least!)

Then use those 5 slots to maybe place more procs and uniques here and there (damage procs and slow resist would be my picks). Hope this helps.

 

Edited February 2, 2022 by Falsey

[Renergy]

Ignore this, build didn't work!

Edited February 9, 2022 by Renergy

[Maestro Mavius]

My main on live for 8 years was an ENG/ENG Blaster, so I learned to love the KB but... I mostly soloed with him as a result.

 

Since coming back to the game I've found that I enjoy teaming more so, despite my main being the 1st toon I recreated, I haven't played him past level 12 as a result. 

 

This thread got me curious though. Can you effectively turn all KB into KD with IO's? Or is the KB effect in Energy so strong that it won't quite work out that way?

[Erratic1]

48 minutes ago, Maestro Mavius said:

My main on live for 8 years was an ENG/ENG Blaster, so I learned to love the KB but... I mostly soloed with him as a result.

 

Since coming back to the game I've found that I enjoy teaming more so, despite my main being the 1st toon I recreated, I haven't played him past level 12 as a result. 

 

This thread got me curious though. Can you effectively turn all KB into KD with IO's? Or is the KB effect in Energy so strong that it won't quite work out that way?

 

I do not believe there is a limit to the number of Sudden Acceleration: Knockback to Knockdown IO.

 

The question that comes to mind is why you would blow slots like that when:

• It consumes precious slots and limits what you can achieve with the IO system
• For control purposes there are better sets
• If you don't want knockback then another powerset other than Energy would seem to be the choice.

 

There are times when playing on a melee character I passionately despise knockback but that comes down to how it is sometimes used, not to its existence. Do -=*NOT*=- prioritize someone else's fun over your own. You enjoy ENG/ENG so play ENG/ENG and build it to work as you want it to.

 

[ThaOGDreamWeaver]

I've had fun rebuilding PowerStar as Energy/Martial/Elec rather than pure Energy/Energy/Energy over the last few weeks.

Some tips from that experience so far:

• Sudden Acc KB>KD is your friend on powers like Explosive Blast...
• ...though I keep Torrent with KB increased as an "argh get away" / corner sweeping power.
• I also use the Devastation Hold proc on single-target attacks which helps keep things tidy. 
• For any power without KD, consider adding the Overwhelming Force set too (they are Unique, useful, and if you've not got billions of Inf sitting around or Merits to blow, the Summer Blockbuster event is a quick and hilarious way to earn them. Plus many shiny badgies, and confusing other players by calling them Hardison.)
• Infiltration has been a fun recent addition - a little bit of speed, a little bit of jump, enough extra Stealth to get you through most missions more or less intact. For getting around I used temp jetpacks until I had a spare power slot for Fly.
• Embrace the chaos.

[Maestro Mavius]

2 hours ago, ThaOGDreamWeaver said:

confusing other players by calling them Hardison.

 

Ha! The very first time I ran SBB I was currently binging Leverage. Needless to say my reaction was along the lines of 'Wait... I know this!'

[Renergy]

Regarding my build above, Mids was lying to me regarding Defence levels and in practice I found Power Boost to not last long enough, so don't try the build I linked...

 

Therefore, I still think the build shared in the first post is currently the best available EN/EN.

 

Regards KB, it has come up once in many, many, many hours of teaming, so I don't think it's a huge issue. Regardless now, enhancement unslotters are so cheap and common, just swap in a KB-KD enhancement if asked to then unslot it again.

 

I am really enjoying the toon and fully recommend it.

 

 

Edited February 9, 2022 by Renergy

[ThaOGDreamWeaver]

22 hours ago, Maestro Mavius said:

 

Ha! The very first time I ran SBB I was currently binging Leverage. Needless to say my reaction was along the lines of 'Wait... I know this!'

..and there was only one choice for me:

 

@Renergy: Not everybody embraces the art of chaos like I do, so I try and keep it tidy: plus stacked AOEs in a small area can be fun.

Edited February 9, 2022 by ThaOGDreamWeaver

[Deathstrik3]

Necro posting, but would anyone be able to look over the updated build and export it as a forum post? Mids will not work for me.

[Dett]

Unable to view build! Won't even download which is a shame as I am really getting in to my em/em!