Very Powerful Archetype Sets/Combos

[Snarky]

I tried for years to find a certain type of character.  Never succeeded.  Until I stumbled onto Ice/Cold corruptor last week.  Wow!  I have tried Ice/Ice and cold/ice ice/cold on what I thought was everything.  Evidently I missed or did not look close enough at Ice/Cold Corruptor.  Cold in particular on a Corruptor is such a powerful set and the combo of Ice and scourge puts it in a "sweet spot"

 

we all know that Kins are extremely powerful and always welcomed on teams.  Are certain Archetype Kins better than others?

 

I find Dark Melee/Invulnerability Brutes to be in a very sweet spot of incredible survivability and good damage. The changes to Dark Melee even slightly improved that.

 

Are there other standout archetype primary/secondary synergies that a stuck in their ways long time player or new player might benefit from knowing about?  

 

 

Edited February 14, 2021 by Snarky

[JnEricsonx]

I like Dark Melee/Fire Armor.  I joked it was my "Regen Brute" back in the day. Two heals, two end recovery powers, Bit more aoe now with the Touch of Fear changes, etc.

[Galaxy Brain]

A few classics:

 

Dark/Shield 

Elec/Shield

Demon/Elec MM

[DougGraves]

Illusion/rad controllers.  Illusion has phantom army which is literally invulernable and tanks for you.  Rad gives you accelerate metabolism making it so you can make phantom army permanent.  Then rad has great debuffs as well.

[Infinitum]

EM / Energy Aura Stalker - Such a single target monster it doesn't need AOE but still has a good one in Power Crash.

 

Elec / Shield Stalker - perfect mix of ST AOE and Survivability

 

Electric Armor for Brutes peaks in all the right places

 

Fire / EM tanker - crazy AOE, beyond bursting ST dmg - decent survivability

 

Elec / Storm Controller - if you want to feel like a vengeful unstoppable storm god this is your guy or gal.

 

Shield / Elec Tanker - has insane AOE burst barrage 3 Huge attacks - Lightning Rod, Shield charge, thunderstrike that rotates in sync with buildup to deliver massive mob devastation every 20 - 30 sec.

 

Dark Dark Tanker - effortless survivability and mob destruction

 

Invul / EM tanker - IMO it feels more like what superman types should look and feel like - if only it had foot stomp.

[Rokkeb]

If massive single target damage at 50 is your jam, energy melee scrapper is where you want to go atm. For highest dmg take bio or shield but you can make it work with any secondary. 

 

Also Claws always has been and always will be amazing on scrappers. 

[arcane]

Time/*/Power and Time/*/Soul Defenders get so much mitigation so easily. You can survive +4x8 with zero issues and go straight to building for proc damage. Mine is Time/Water though and Time/Ice or Time/Rad or something would be better for mopping up bosses. Other AT’s can be OP with Time too but my Fire/Time corr still needs fighting pool for the easy soft cap.

[Sakura Tenshi]

20 hours ago, Galaxy Brain said:

Elec/Shield

That's a strong combo? I've played a tank with it and it never exactly felt strong. Fun as hell but not strong.

[DougGraves]

3 minutes ago, Sakura Tenshi said:

That's a strong combo? I've played a tank with it and it never exactly felt strong. Fun as hell but not strong.

 

It has a large number of AoEs.  The assumption is you are using IO set bonuses to make your character nearly invulnerable so all that really matters is how much damage you do.

[brasilgringo]

20 hours ago, Infinitum said:

EM / Energy Aura Stalker - Such a single target monster it doesn't need AOE but still has a good one in Power Crash.

 

Elec / Shield Stalker - perfect mix of ST AOE and Survivability

 

Electric Armor for Brutes peaks in all the right places

 

Fire / EM tanker - crazy AOE, beyond bursting ST dmg - decent survivability

 

Elec / Storm Controller - if you want to feel like a vengeful unstoppable storm god this is your guy or gal.

 

Shield / Elec Tanker - has insane AOE burst barrage 3 Huge attacks - Lightning Rod, Shield charge, thunderstrike that rotates in sync with buildup to deliver massive mob devastation every 20 - 30 sec.

 

Dark Dark Tanker - effortless survivability and mob destruction

 

Invul / EM tanker - IMO it feels more like what superman types should look and feel like - if only it had foot stomp.

 

Wondering if /Rad amor would be a good idea to pair with EM on Scrappers (even though it's a resist set) to get some AOE in (proc'd) Rad Therapy and Ground Zero, plus the other benefits of Rad in +dmg and +recharge.  Figure Shadow Meld epic fills some of the resist set issues?   

 

Is Power Crash worth taking as a cone?  Do you take or skip Whirling Hands?  Which of Barrage or Energy Punch is the one to take?

Edited February 15, 2021 by brasilgringo

[cranebump]

I'm just now running a Dark Melee/Ice Scrapper. With prestige Sands of Mu, you have a pair of cones early on. Later, you have a pair of END draining powers, one of which also drains opponent HP's. I found it to be surprisingly hardy so far, for a scrapper.

Edited February 15, 2021 by cranebump

[Col. Kernel]

I've tanked a 50+4 x 8 ITF with a Storm/Energy Def.  Used wisely, KB is incredible for both mitigation and damage (e.g. knock the mobs away from you back into a damage or debuff patch).

[Infinitum]

3 hours ago, brasilgringo said:

 

Wondering if /Rad amor would be a good idea to pair with EM on Scrappers (even though it's a resist set) to get some AOE in (proc'd) Rad Therapy and Ground Zero, plus the other benefits of Rad in +dmg and +recharge.  Figure Shadow Meld epic fills some of the resist set issues?   

 

Is Power Crash worth taking as a cone?  Do you take or skip Whirling Hands?  Which of Barrage or Energy Punch is the one to take?

Rad armor is always a worthy choice.

 

Shadow meld isn't bad but you would be better off building for high melee defense then pairing that with ageless radial for the ddr - or going with barrier or even rebirth radial to add one extra layer of protection over time - with rad armor that's only necessary with maybe 10 percent of content - any debuffers.

 

Scrapper I would skip power crash because Fast ET is your mule and the goal is to get TF to crit to get two Fast ET.  Utilize bone smasher with critical strikes - always preceding TF to maximise crit chance.

 

Energy punch over barrage also.

[Techwright]

I keep coming back to the ill/storm controller.  I like to call him my "Swiss Army Knife".  Toss in the Incarnate powers and a good third set layout, and practically any situation that comes up, he's got an answer for.  The crazy thing is that, although I'm quite happy with his setup, I'm not one to tweak every last percentage point of power and ability from him, but others must be out there who do that. I can only imagine just how amazing are the ill/storms 'trollers of players who do work to that level.

[brasilgringo]

3 hours ago, Infinitum said:

Rad armor is always a worthy choice.

 

Shadow meld isn't bad but you would be better off building for high melee defense then pairing that with ageless radial for the ddr - or going with barrier or even rebirth radial to add one extra layer of protection over time - with rad armor that's only necessary with maybe 10 percent of content - any debuffers.

 

Scrapper I would skip power crash because Fast ET is your mule and the goal is to get TF to crit to get two Fast ET.  Utilize bone smasher with critical strikes - always preceding TF to maximise crit chance.

 

Energy punch over barrage also.

This is what I came up with so far.  Thanks for the tip on Bone Smasher.

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[Heraclea]

Invuln/Dark Melee tanker.  Invuln is quite solid out of the box; its major weakness is the slowness of the self heal.  Dark Melee fixes that with a quick firing self heal that also does damage.  And the -tohit that Dark Melee is doing adds an extra layer of defense.  Tough as Granite with none of the drawbacks. 

 

Now, for a first or DPS tanker, I suggest Radiation/Spines or Bio/Spines.   Either of these are aggro holding machines.  I prefer Radiation; on paper it isn't the toughest set but it protects you against stuff like spikes of Toxic damage that catch other armors with their pants down. 

 

War Mace/Radiation Armor brute.  Debuff everything before you kill it.  Your AoE rotation will be at least as smooth as your single target. 

 

Poison/Dark defender.  You won't get the kills.  You will just trivialize just about anything for your teammates.  And you will do so without the fussiness of Radiation and its anchors.  And it plays like a 'normal' character since just about everything is aimed at enemies.   The best utility/support character I have found. 

 

 

[Braddack]

i have 2 unstoppable Heroes who can do it all,

 

my Dark meele / Super Reflexes Brute and my Ilusion / Poison Controller.

[Frosticus]

I'm partial to ill/cold. 

[StriderIV]

On 2/14/2021 at 4:31 PM, Infinitum said:

EM / Energy Aura Stalker - Such a single target monster it doesn't need AOE but still has a good one in Power Crash.

 

Elec / Shield Stalker - perfect mix of ST AOE and Survivability

 

Electric Armor for Brutes peaks in all the right places

 

Fire / EM tanker - crazy AOE, beyond bursting ST dmg - decent survivability

 

Elec / Storm Controller - if you want to feel like a vengeful unstoppable storm god this is your guy or gal.

 

Shield / Elec Tanker - has insane AOE burst barrage 3 Huge attacks - Lightning Rod, Shield charge, thunderstrike that rotates in sync with buildup to deliver massive mob devastation every 20 - 30 sec.

 

Dark Dark Tanker - effortless survivability and mob destruction

 

Invul / EM tanker - IMO it feels more like what superman types should look and feel like - if only it had foot stomp.

I guess you can KIND of fill the Footstomp on the Invuln/EM with Mighty Radial? 😂

[StriderIV]

3 hours ago, Heraclea said:

Invuln/Dark Melee tanker.  Invuln is quite solid out of the box; its major weakness is the slowness of the self heal.  Dark Melee fixes that with a quick firing self heal that also does damage.  And the -tohit that Dark Melee is doing adds an extra layer of defense.  Tough as Granite with none of the drawbacks. 

 

Now, for a first or DPS tanker, I suggest Radiation/Spines or Bio/Spines.   Either of these are aggro holding machines.  I prefer Radiation; on paper it isn't the toughest set but it protects you against stuff like spikes of Toxic damage that catch other armors with their pants down. 

 

War Mace/Radiation Armor brute.  Debuff everything before you kill it.  Your AoE rotation will be at least as smooth as your single target. 

 

Poison/Dark defender.  You won't get the kills.  You will just trivialize just about anything for your teammates.  And you will do so without the fussiness of Radiation and its anchors.  And it plays like a 'normal' character since just about everything is aimed at enemies.   The best utility/support character I have found. 

 

 

You’ve been an advocate of DM and Invuln pairing for some time, and it DOES make total sense. How do you feel the combo works on Brutes? Is it just a superior pairing to run on tankers?

[Heraclea]

3 hours ago, StriderIV said:

You’ve been an advocate of DM and Invuln pairing for some time, and it DOES make total sense. How do you feel the combo works on Brutes? Is it just a superior pairing to run on tankers?

It certainly will make a very tough Brute if that's what you are building for.  For the Brute I would go with /Willpower.  This too is a very sturdy build.  I played this combo on old live; have not yet made one here.  Willpower, of course, has no self heal, so having one in Dark Melee helps a lot.  Brutes benefit from the sustain in Willpower.  And Willpower also is a mixed resistance and defense armor that starts out of the box at a level just under Invuln generally.  

[Infinitum]

5 hours ago, StriderIV said:

I guess you can KIND of fill the Footstomp on the Invuln/EM with Mighty Radial? 😂

Sounds familiar.  lol

[Erratic1]

I have not rebuilt the character on Homecoming, but I was very impressed back on live with DM/Electric Armor on a Brute. I was wanting to do something along the lines of my DM/Inv Scrapper but different and lucked into it.

 

I once encountered another guy playing the same and asked why there were so few of us. He didn't know but was inclined to keep it our little secret.

[Snarky]

7 hours ago, StriderIV said:

You’ve been an advocate of DM and Invuln pairing for some time, and it DOES make total sense. How do you feel the combo works on Brutes? Is it just a superior pairing to run on tankers?

I have run a Dark/Invul 50 Brute on live for a long time.  I have one here I ran for a month or two.  I have a Invul/Dark Tank i ran here for a month or two.  I almost never run Tanks for that long before moving on.  I feel Invul/Dark Tank is the strongest Tank in the game.  effortless melee control of all opponents.  however, a very high recharge Dark/Invul Brute is just sick strong.  I would still be on one as my main if I did not find the three aura toggles on my Dark/Dark Brute so satisfying.  Damage/Fear/Stun.  You do have to pump the heal more though lol.

[arcane]

A lot of people posting some pretty basic combos that don’t stand out from hundreds of others imo 🙂