Very Powerful Archetype Sets/Combos

[Razorback]

11 hours ago, Bill Z Bubba said:

Shield/EM Tank is the most ridiculous thing I've built so far.

Do you feel this pairing is stronger on Tankers than other melee ATs?

 

If so, could you please elaborate why?

Edited February 28, 2021 by Razorback
Clarification

[Safehouse]

I won't pretend to know the "meta" of what's a powerful combination. BUT, I will say a combo that I haven't seen represented much, if at all, in conversations is Rad/Energy Blaster. Anecdotally (I don't have numbers to back it up tbh), I feel like I hit like an absolute truck and the powerset combination is just incredibly fun. I recommend giving it a shot.

[Bill Z Bubba]

3 hours ago, Razorback said:

Do you feel this pairing is stronger on Tankers than other melee ATs?

 

If so, could you please elaborate why?

Stronger on damage output than other EM users? No. Stronger on mitigation than other SD users? Yes. Cuz of AT modifiers. An EM/SD brute would be "better" for 95% of the content since it would be killing faster and still have "enough" mitigation. Whether it could pull off the sillier stuff at max diff while solo is questionable.

[Razorback]

53 minutes ago, Bill Z Bubba said:

Stronger on damage output than other EM users? No. Stronger on mitigation than other SD users? Yes. Cuz of AT modifiers. An EM/SD brute would be "better" for 95% of the content since it would be killing faster and still have "enough" mitigation. Whether it could pull off the sillier stuff at max diff while solo is questionable.

I've been considering this particular combo for a while, and while I typically play Brutes I feel SD benefits from Tanker modifiers in a uniquely strong way due to its layered design. My suspicion, which I think you've just done the charity of confirming, is that -- in extreme content -- the innate toughness of the Tanker is more valuable than a Brute's Fury, because EM brings enough damage to bring to take down just about any hard target.

Edit: To clarify, my main goal is in building a melee monster capable of feats of extreme soloing.

Edited February 28, 2021 by Razorback

[Crysis]

Thugs/Storm or Demon/Storm MM’s are amazing against stationary targets.  My Thugs/Storm MM can take down a pylon in under a minute.

 

But that’s not really how PVE works.

 

If you’d like to experience OMGWTFBBQ levels of superhero godliness akin to Thor or Superman in any PVE +4/x8 content then you can try:

 

Bots/ or Demon/ and /Time MM

Fire/Kin, Fire/Storm or Ice/Cold Corr...or Beam/Traps Corr if you like a little more planning with your damage.

War Mace/Bio or Axe/Rad Scrapper

DB/Energy Aura Stalker

DP/Ninja or DP/Temporal Blaster

Fire/Energy Blaster

Plant/Fire Dom

Fire/Kin Controller

Ill/Rad or Ill/Storm Controller....the latter is an “expert mode” build as its high damage chaos 

 

There are many other AT’s that are good to very good but the above can solo anything the game can throw at you or do the same with teams....but with an audience.  

 

[StriderIV]

On 2/28/2021 at 6:50 AM, Bill Z Bubba said:

Stronger on damage output than other EM users? No. Stronger on mitigation than other SD users? Yes. Cuz of AT modifiers. An EM/SD brute would be "better" for 95% of the content since it would be killing faster and still have "enough" mitigation. Whether it could pull off the sillier stuff at max diff while solo is questionable.

HIGHLY interested if you ever decide to share this build Bubba. The fact that it is beating your scrapper pylon times is hilarious.

[Justice421]

I'll upvote Invuln/EM tanker. This was my main on Live but I have not rerolled him on HC.  It started to feel like tankers were superfluous with all the capped builds and incarnates. Brutes seemed to be more in favor since they are almost as sturdy but have higher damage output. But it is nice to see tankers getting love again. Back on Live, you could easily soft cap your positional defenses and hard cap your S/L/E resists with Invuln/EM (prob any invuln). Then layer on some incarnates, and carry a few extra greens...and you too can go toe to toe with Lord Recluse the ol fashioned way (no hiding on a flagpole here!). Mind you, you can't solo him. But he can't one shot you. EM is a solid set since it is less resisted by mobs, but it is/was heavy on single target. ET was as a massive ST fist of death, even in PvP where the stun could knock toggles. Whirling hands I would take to do a little AoE damage in PvE, but mostly for aggro management.  The main weakness is having enough end to keep all the toggles going, but again, Incarnates and the right IO sets and Epic pool mitigate that problem. I have no idea if this combo is still viable. But you were nigh indestructible on Live.

 

StJ / SR Stalker 

BS / Shield Scrapper

Both easy to cap on the positional defenses with some good resists to boot. These are both fantastic single target burst damage focused toons. Stalker has really been reworked on HC, and pairing StJ/SR makes you hit so fast you'll feel like that red and yellow lightning bolt guy.  But BS/Shield is such a heavy hitter you can solo some task forces. These are my two goto melee toons on HC.

 

Fire/Kin Controller - This used to be THE DPS gold standard for PvE. Maybe still is?

Ill/Rad Controller - If not the gold, then the silver? It was up there. It was fun.

 

Bots/Dark MM - Bots go pew pew, while you debuff the crap out of stuff. This was my villain of choice. If you are into keybinds, so many things you can do with the bots. And dark synergizes with them very well.

 

Just my 2 cents. YMMV

Edited March 2, 2021 by Justice421

[StriderIV]

2 hours ago, Justice421 said:

I'll upvote Invuln/EM tanker. This was my main on Live but I have not rerolled him on HC.  It started to feel like tankers were superfluous with all the capped builds and incarnates. Brutes seemed to be more in favor since they are almost as sturdy but have higher damage output. But it is nice to see tankers getting love again. Back on Live, you could easily soft cap your positional defenses and hard cap your S/L/E resists with Invuln/EM (prob any invuln). Then layer on some incarnates, and carry a few extra greens...and you too can go toe to toe with Lord Recluse the ol fashioned way (no hiding on a flagpole here!). Mind you, you can't solo him. But he can't one shot you. EM is a solid set since it is less resisted by mobs, but it is/was heavy on single target. ET was as a massive ST fist of death, even in PvP where the stun could knock toggles. Whirling hands I would take to do a little AoE damage in PvE, but mostly for aggro management.  The main weakness is having enough end to keep all the toggles going, but again, Incarnates and the right IO sets and Epic pool mitigate that problem. I have no idea if this combo is still viable. But you were nigh indestructible on Live.

 

StJ / SR Stalker 

BS / Shield Scrapper

Both easy to cap on the positional defenses with some good resists to boot. These are both fantastic single target burst damage focused toons. Stalker has really been reworked on HC, and pairing StJ/SR makes you hit so fast you'll feel like that red and yellow lightning bolt guy.  But BS/Shield is such a heavy hitter you can solo some task forces. These are my two goto melee toons on HC.

 

Fire/Kin Controller - This used to be THE DPS gold standard for PvE. Maybe still is?

Ill/Rad Controller - If not the gold, then the silver? It was up there. It was fun.

 

Bots/Dark MM - Bots go pew pew, while you debuff the crap out of stuff. This was my villain of choice. If you are into keybinds, so many things you can do with the bots. And dark synergizes with them very well.

 

Just my 2 cents. YMMV

Just 50’d an Invuln/EM after @Infinitum’s suggestion and can confirm: it is Uber powerful.

 

Some other suggestions:

 

Dark Melee/Shield Scrapper. These 2 sets seem made for each other. Shield provides some AOE that DM sorely lacks, and DM provides a heal that Shield doesn’t have. With AAO fully saturated + Soul Drain, you hit like a truck.

 

Dark Armor/Staff Tanker. Staff goes a long way in helping solve DA’s endurance issues, as well as helping provide some +def. Dark Armor also feels like one of the most “robust” resist sets out there. It takes some investment, but it’s worth it. Plus, these 2 combined just look cool as heck.

 

 

[Galaxy Brain]

On 2/27/2021 at 11:25 PM, Bill Z Bubba said:

Wit AAO fully saturated, my sd/em tank has a better pylon time than my claws/sr scrapper.

 

/yes, I have a problem with that.

Against a single target that didn't move sure 😛

[Bill Z Bubba]

16 minutes ago, Galaxy Brain said:

Against a single target that didn't move sure 😛

It should also be noted that the claws' aoe output crushes the em's and there's FAR less corpse blasting to deal with.

[Ukase]

Just my .02 inf. 

Playing experiences vary. And a player's opinion of those experiences will vary, too.  I think ice/ice blast is incredible. I think fire/fire is incredible, too. Both are great, but both aren't necessarily great at everything one would encounter as they level up and play through incarnate content. 

Some folks just love their rad/fire brutes in a farm. But outside the farm? I'll take spines/fire. For others, the reverse may be true. 

I like Shield/Mace tank. I recently got one to 1531 badges, simply waiting for a nemesis event and for Luna to open up her shop in May for the anniversary badges. And I don't even like playing a tank, but I like this one. 

I have a fire/rad corruptor that is almost just like playing my fire/fire blaster. Almost. What it lacks in dps, it make up for in debuffs. And a small minor heal, with Accelerated Metabolism. I like it a lot. Other than my farmers, it has more vet levels than any other character I have. 
 

There's a few folks who read these forums - Nemu, Bionic Flea, and a few others - but it doesn't really matter what AT/powersets - they're gonna build them so well that the characters will be fantastic - when they play them. But if I play them...perhaps not so good. 

Ultimately, it's all fairly subjective. 

[arcane]

On 2/27/2021 at 10:25 PM, Bill Z Bubba said:

Wit AAO fully saturated, my sd/em tank has a better pylon time than my claws/sr scrapper.

 

/yes, I have a problem with that.

I don’t see why this is a problem.