Incarnates for Mastermind....how do they even work?

[Menelruin]

So I kinda bumbled my way along to level 50 as Mastermind, and it's just now occurring to me I have no clue what incarnate abilities to get, or how they'll even work.  If I get a damaging proc, does it only apply to myself, or my pets?  Will defensive Alphas help them survive, or just me?  For all the other ATs it seems pretty straightforward, but I have no idea what to do on MM.  Anyone have any advice?  I went Bots/FF as "easy mode" for my first MM, if that matters.

[Hopestar]

Alpha, Interface, and Destiny all will work on your pets. Hybrid Assault Radial will work on them if you summon them while it's active and then any time you activate it again if your henchmen are still alive they will benefit from it again so you don't have to resummon every time. Both damaging and non-damaging procs from Interface will work on your henchmen; Having, lets say Nerve Core Alpha, will boost your Protector Bots' defense buff bubbles the same as your /FF ones.

 

As far as advice for Bots/FF, I'd say Musculature alpha, Pyronic judgement, Degenerative interface, Banished Pantheon lore, Clarion destiny, and Assault Radial hybrid.

Edited May 10, 2021 by Hopestar

[Omega Force]

In addition to what Hopestar said, Alpha slot increases anything that could be slotted normally.  Since your pets can be slotted for damage, damage Alphas function.  The defense Alpha would apply to your protector bots, but not tier 1 or 3.  Back on live my Bots/Traps went with... Nerve Alpha, I think, to make up for the pet level shift.  Back in the day Hybrid only worked if you turned it on before summoning, not sure what HC has done.

[Menelruin]

3 hours ago, Hopestar said:

Alpha, Interface, and Destiny all will work on your pets. Hybrid Assault Radial will work on them if you summon them while it's active and then any time you activate it again if your henchmen are still alive they will benefit from it again so you don't have to resummon every time. Both damaging and non-damaging procs from Interface will work on your henchmen; Having, lets say Nerve Core Alpha, will boost your Protector Bots' defense buff bubbles the same as your /FF ones.

 

As far as advice for Bots/FF, I'd say Musculature alpha, Pyronic judgement, Degenerative interface, Banished Pantheon lore, Clarion destiny, and Assault Radial hybrid.

Is there a particular reason for Pyronic?  I was given to understand that, barring choices for flavor, Ionic tended to be the go-to, for ease of aiming.

[Menelruin]

2 hours ago, Omega Force said:

In addition to what Hopestar said, Alpha slot increases anything that could be slotted normally.  Since your pets can be slotted for damage, damage Alphas function.  The defense Alpha would apply to your protector bots, but not tier 1 or 3.  Back on live my Bots/Traps went with... Nerve Alpha, I think, to make up for the pet level shift.  Back in the day Hybrid only worked if you turned it on before summoning, not sure what HC has done.

To be clear, everything that COULD be slotted? Like, Protectors CAN be slotted for Defense, but assuming I didn't, do they still get the benefit from a defensive Alpha?

[Hopestar]

7 hours ago, Menelruin said:

Is there a particular reason for Pyronic?  I was given to understand that, barring choices for flavor, Ionic tended to be the go-to, for ease of aiming.

I just gave ones that I would take, you can choose whatever you want, Pyronic just does the most damage to a single target so it works for both solo bosses and groups of minions/lieutenants.

[Omega Force]

8 hours ago, Menelruin said:

To be clear, everything that COULD be slotted? Like, Protectors CAN be slotted for Defense, but assuming I didn't, do they still get the benefit from a defensive Alpha?

Yes. For instance, my elec3 blaster had Muscular Radial Alpha, which has EndMod.  Every one of her elec attacks increased it's end drain by 33% even without devoting slots for it.  So you'll want to read the entire Alpha and determine which gives you the most useful array.  Muscular has damage, debuffs, and end mod, but Intuition has damage, debuffs, and range.

 

Regarding Judgement, Ionic is good for ease of aiming, but has a four second lockout so it's usefulness can drop on teams if you aren't careful to space it out; Pyronic has the fastest animation.

[Menelruin]

10 hours ago, Hopestar said:

I just gave ones that I would take, you can choose whatever you want, Pyronic just does the most damage to a single target so it works for both solo bosses and groups of minions/lieutenants.

I never knew they did different amounts of damage!  I thought the only differences were aiming, secondary effects, and element!

[Omega Force]

Mids shows they all do 428 w/chance for another 160, except Pyronic (which has a 128 DOT chance instead).  Is that an error?

[Arbegla]

2 hours ago, Menelruin said:

I never knew they did different amounts of damage!  I thought the only differences were aiming, secondary effects, and element!

 

Also Area of Effect (Pyronic is a 'targeted AOE' Ion is a chain power for example)