Water/Dark Build Challenge...

[TheBlackBat]

I've searched through every build on here for Sentinels, and I haven't seen a WB/Dark build mentioned much (Possibly for a good reason), but I've got a concept stuck in my head and I'm dying to play one. I don't really care how much the build costs, but I'd like to see if something so unlikely could be made to kick some serious butt.

Unfortunately, I've yet to stumble on the correct formula to do so... So I ask the experts out there to take a  stab at putting together what they think might be the optimal build for this combo.  

My only stipulation, is that I would like to use fly as the travel power if at all possible.

Show me what you come up with!!!!

 

Edited December 10, 2020 by TheBlackBat

[TheBlackBat]

To start off, here's what I've been tinkering with... TBH it's a  bit of a mess IMO.

| Copy & Paste this data into Mids' Reborn : Hero Designer to view the build |
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|-------------------------------------------------------------------|

[Underfyre]

You can't trick me. I know that trick.

[TheBlackBat]

Then you've got me beaten, because I don't know it. 🤷‍♂️

[Underfyre]

30%ish defenses, 60%ish resists. Everything else is damage output. Rotation is Water Jet x 2, Dominate, Aqua Bolt, Dehydrate.

 

http://www.cohplanner.com/mids/download.php?uc=1454&c=697&a=1394&f=HEX&dc=78DA65944B4F135114C7CF74A6605BDEAF82F441CBA3A52D430BE8CAC4A8084125A9606439696028D5A143DA2E64E937F01937AE8D80BA76EB0770EF8B8DC1B0128C7E807A66CEDF4AD2499B5FEFB9F79CFF79F4CEF283F9B6778B0F2F93D271CD2A54ABC6AA59AE95CAA6E5BF63AE6F956DCB2EEE92F3B4F277F8DFA6B1522817CD0D7DAD50332BC65576ACFDDF9B3737CD72D5D4E70B95FBC695CAB65DA1F6BC6D5BFA42A9B8C5478A7E77B5BA639A1B01D9B09C9D1EF96D57D64DC3DE34D64A9635747DA7B4AE3722E7AB256399B5CCCAEE20A733CEDF5092F0D4BDF45A23CA69E4D903F785DA01F846D8F25638EEF82AAEAF4A11FE91F0514B54782E06C68591248EB28EF25D657F1FF98FC063D58DD7E6F10ADF93CB8E57EC11D6687F9248151D52C7C8F589723C2FE2792F3134953A3212A70B7E5D1F3DEEBA6750EC3D1F78DDABD14852C6E1C46BDD933309B6F9508B0FB5F4A1963ED432805A627C3600EDC027E9C5C067E1E017F0ABF0FC37F0509864DF76E8B44327049D107422D039E0BA3B916727EA8EB37F37B4BB331ED716990275E14816CC496D23E8C721C7EB156DADB75F91BA1764068925F0863075537AE6E146F58B9EDA9F67C4359A5E016F0B73AB4295CF0625BE271814CDD88CC4C985653DCAF90F21FF21CC2D8679C730FF51CC6DB445151FCC4DE3F8C3E8DD30F29F3A957CA7FF40E7B7ACE37C362C6795705A7A37018E710E51E4109D915E8DCD8273E005E1C44510B9F9386E1C3389238740ABDC25C7361E138D23EE75121AC94732FBC9C7E013F0A930F50C7C2EFCC1BE69F8A617453FB3243DC914A48F996DD4EFFCE713CC97E4F2987D75DC151DF9D1005116F965610B698D7BCF1F7EE8DEA4739B9D3B55AFA79A76B34D965C9365B6C932D764B9A535DE197CE1A4A6BCD6783790E29EF275F18D174BFDA79F7795B3BBA7672D77A59E93A653BFCE5A5E88D25F8DBBDEB5

[TheBlackBat]

Underfyre, gah! That kicks mine's butt! I knew I wasn't great at builds like 10 years ago, and have forgotten almost everything since then... but why must you make me look SO BAD! 😂 

So, the LotG's in hover & afterburner for the recharge is a better idea than the fear/imm w/ chance of psi that I had. That makes sense. I guess using all these procs are throwing me & what little understanding I have of putting a build together. Was I building for too much regen/recov?

[oldskool]

I play Water/Dark.  My power loudout is similar but my slotting is vastly different.  

 

I happen to lean on primary attack powers over the epic ones.  This is a matter of preference, but I am also fully aware of just how much damage Mind Probe + Dominate does.  I only use that combo on exactly 1 character.  I have a tendency to exemplar quite a bit so I don't find a high value in having my offensive capacity backloaded to level 35+.  On the character that I do this I don't exemplar.  It breaks their functionality.  
 

I'm going to walk through your build and toss ideas around in no structured order because that is how my brain works.  

 

Cloak of Fear.  This power has 0 synergy on Sentinels when it comes to stacking the Fear effect.  Fear is OK but since it only targets minions the value is a bit diminished.  The to-hit debuff is a nice feature, but it also requires that the power hits first.  You have no accuracy in that power and its base accuracy is absolutely terrible.  This works by design though because the pulses come out rather fast.  So it will do what it needs to do eventually.  That said, it isn't nearly as reliable for mitigation as it seems especially given the high endurance cost it comes with.  That damage proc won't be contributing much either.  

 

Oppressive Gloom, Water Blast, and Psychic Shockwave do have synergy.  You have a number of stun powers that stack with each other.  This does work.  I run this.  Fun fact, Whirlpool slows enemy speed.  Stun forces them to walk vs run.  Enemies try to run out of Whirlpool.  When enemies are stunned and in Whirlpool they try to walk out... slowly.  Water Blast has enough AoE options with large enough range that the stunned "drunk" walk doesn't save them from Steam Spray, Water Burst, or Geyser.  I don't use an AoE immobilize in my build and I've never felt a need for it.  

 

Link Minds has a long animation but otherwise it is a great power to layer more defense.  If you use 5x LotG in that power you can drive down the recharge while also getting a 3.75% S/L resistance bonus.  This is one of the set bonuses that helps me hit 68% S/L resist without considering Cardiac or other resistance Alpha slot in the Incarnates (which would get me closer to 75%).  Since I have the 3% scaling resistance not being right at 75% isn't a big deal.  As my health goes down that resistance value goes up.  

 

I skipped a travel power to use Maneuvers and Combat Jumping.  Ninja Run works for the character.  You could skip Cloak of Fear and pick up Maneuvers.  You could even build for flight speed and just run Hover.  You have loads of options.  

 

Cloak of Darkness is worth more than the slots you gave it.  It is the same value as Weave.  Speaking of Weave, I use the exact same slotting strategy in Cloak of Darkness, Weave, and Maneuvers.  You could use Red Fortune if it is cheaper than Reactive Defense.  The set bonus at 2 pieces is identical. 

 

I tend to use 3pc Aegis in several of my resistance toggles for Aoe/Fire/Cold defense.  I do use 3x Steadfast +Gladiator unique in Obsidian Shield.  This is because I was going to use the KB IO and 3% defense *anyway* and I opted for the extra slot for full Steadfast to get the Resist/End IO.  That also happens to net me small hit point bonus.  Why not right?

 

Speaking of hit points... If you have to ask if you were building for too much regen then the answer is almost always yes (I always like to build in more recovery to a point though).  That answer also holds true for Regeneration, Willpower, and Bio Armor all of which are heavily invested in passive regeneration.  Regeneration is the worst form of damage mitigation but it also scales with hit points.  Stack your hit points higher and you start to regenerate more health per tick.  There is an argument to be made about striking a balance, but in general stack hit points first.  Your passive healing will fall in line naturally.  

You have a right idea about Obscure Sustenance and recharge.  I see that Heal/Rch IO there.  However, there things you may not know about how this works.  First off, that power has tremendously high accuracy.  The base accuracy is enough all by itself.  I run some Preventative Medicine in that power (S/L resist bonus in the low set range).  That Theft of Essence proc will hardly ever go off.  This power isn't Dark Regeneration.  It is unnecessarily penalized as an AoE since it has a sphere it works in but only hits one enemy.  Procs in that power suck pretty bad.  This is the opposite of Dark Regeneration in the melee version where procs can be a great idea.  The direct heal on Obscure Sustenance is pretty much garbage.  However, this power spikes your health regeneration for a minute.  That spike starts really high (which Mids shows, mind you) and it goes down a sliding scale 2 more times over 60 seconds.  Your endurance recovery spikes too but only for 30 seconds.  The strongest endurance benefit lasts 10 seconds.  Having this power recharge within 20 seconds allows for you to have high uptime on the stronger aspects of the effect.  That final endurance recovery scale isn't that great.  

Tenebrous Regeneration can be fine with just 1 level 50 health IO.  It can be nice with sets too.  What you do is totally up to you.  It is a good power but it may drop in priority.  

 

Attack wise I don't disagree with the powers in either build.  However, you may want to take some ideas on slotting from Underfyre.  I personally do not bother with proccing out all attacks.  I value some damage % increase in my AoEs and focus procs into select single target attacks once I get the base damage improvement I want.  Either path is a viable one.   

Edited December 10, 2020 by oldskool
Always typos

[TheBlackBat]

A LOT to think about from both of you! Thank you both VERY much! When I get back to my PC I'm going to take another stab at improving what I've got going on in that build. It's a shame there's no "mobile MIDS", but I likely would never get anything else done. 😄

 

TBH, I'm pretty excited about playing a Sentinel, as it looks like the type of balance that I always wanted out of Corruptors back on live. I never could get the hang of the "glass canon" dynamic that some people thrive on with their Blasters.

 

Once I hammer on it some more, I'll drop it back in for further feedback. 👍

Edited December 10, 2020 by TheBlackBat