Would anyone be interested in playing an SO only build with SO only teammates?

[oedipus_tex]

I outfit at level 22 with level 25 IOs, so all of my characters are effectively SO builds til the 40s. Sometimes I throw them a bone with a Miracle if they are really struggling for endurance, or some KB to KDs if they are Stormers. There's also often a mercy Knockback protection IO. I don't usually bother upgrading the IOs as I level up and just leave them at level 25. I do tend to slot 30s and sometimes 35s in the new slots, rarely bother with 40s, 45s, or 50s.

 

[Marine X]

Have AC Volt ( Electric Affinity / Electric Blast Defender ) to Level 10, just cashed in 8 Reward Merits for 9 Enhancement Converters and 1 Booster, Sold them and ended up with 1,500,000 influence. Totally kitted out in level 10 SOs and still have 1,250,000 influence and 13 reward merits left. Decided to go to Kings Row (Shawna Stockwell. Eagle Eye). Have created a Supergroup, " SO? ", and set up a base with TP, Rez to Base, ICON Rep, Field Analyst, Quartermaster, Pillar of Ice and Flame, Merit Vendor Terminal, Storage and an AutoDoc on Excelsior. Send a tell to @Marine X if you wish to join.

 

If you just wish to use the base Passcode is SO-17966.

Edited July 11, 2021 by Marine X

[Rainhall]

I'll join you!  I hope more people see this and pile in.

 

Which server?

 

Edited July 11, 2021 by Rainhall

[Bionic_Flea]

I've been running on Excelsior.  Just got to level 34 and got 50 million banked from selling low level crafted IOs.  So far I've only played with ZemX, who has an Ice/Rad stalker.  We've been running at +0/x6 and were doing quite well until we ran into a crazy ambush of Talons in First Ward that just kept coming with no break.  Not bad for no IOs.

 

Marine X made an SG, but Excelsior is my home server and I already have an SG, but I'm happy to coalition with "SO" SG. 

 

Comedic Flea is on my alt account, @Draconic Flea.  Hit me up if you're in game!

[AboveTheChemist]

I am still planning to make a character for this, I just need to find a little inspiration for the AT and powers. I haven't played much in the past several days, either, which hasn't helped!

[ZemX]

23 hours ago, Bionic_Flea said:

We've been running at +0/x6 and were doing quite well until we ran into a crazy ambush of Talons in First Ward that just kept coming with no break.  Not bad for no IOs.

 

I should admit, for the record, that Karma was clearly listening when I laughed at @Bionic_Flea for not being able to kill my SO Stalker with his egregious room-pulling techniques on earlier missions.  But Karma was also patient and waited for it to be a mission *I* owned and chose to run at +0/x6 in First Ward so that getting us both killed several times over with Talon ambushes would be entirely MY fault. 🤪

 

Lesson learned.

 

...

 

Maybe. 😈

[Bionic_Flea]

What could go wrong?

 

[Marine X]

Moved one of my Reunion level 50 Tanks, Hard Knoxx, to Excelsior and into the SO? Supergroup. That way I can Exem down to play with @Bionic_Flea and @ZemX.. if I can ever catch up with them. You guys are so far ahead of my Defender it would be laughable ( He's Level 10 ). Switched Hard Knoxx to his 2nd build which I will populate tonight with SOs, I had only just started installing IO Sets, but didn't want to waste them. He has all his Incarnate Slots open but no abilities installed. Any abilities he has from P2W i will not be putting in his tray, except perhaps Reveal, since most of the Maps are already "revealed" but I want to get some more exploration badges on him.

[ZemX]

52 minutes ago, Marine X said:

Moved one of my Reunion level 50 Tanks, Hard Knoxx, to Excelsior and into the SO? Supergroup.

 

Great minds....  I was last night considering the same  sort of thing.   I'm getting a little burned out on the Ice/Rad Stalker.  It's okay.  It's just slow at level 35.  Decent leveling when I duoed with Flea, but nothing like a full team.  If I want to push to 50 with her, I'll probably start joining teams.  

 

But I got to thinking about a couple other 50s Stalkers I have on Everlasting right now.  They could use a vacation.  I made the original Critical Missy an Ice/Shield Stalker and it's been great on IOs but now I'm curious just how much that holds up on SOs.   The thing you immediately notice making a SO build is that you're looking at the actual intended balance.   Shield Defense is so highly regarded mostly because of the extras it offers while giving nothing up on defense thanks to IO set bonuses still allowing you to reach the soft-cap.   Best I have managed after creating a secondary SO build and even adding Maneuvers on top of the already present Weave is about 31ish % to all positions.  Not shabby, but a far cry from the soft-cap.   So I added back the T9 power, One with the Shield.  Something I never had much use for on IOs.

 

Similarly, I have a Staff/Ninjitsu Stalker who might be even more interesting.  Slightly better defense and a big heal.  Some psi resist too.

 

Plus I can switch builds and team for other stuff.  See how the Excelsior scene is.  Maybe I'll like it.  I might still level the Ice/Rad but under a different alias.  We'll see.

[Bionic_Flea]

So, I've made it to 50 and still on SOs only.  I discovered that the "UPGRADE" button only works up to 50 so I have to buy any extra ones or get them as drops.  A few ITFs and BAFs netted me quite a few 52s and 53s.

 

I made it to 50 running a few +4 Kill most ITFs with others.  Even as a tank Cims were punishing and I died numerous times.  On the BAF, however, with the larger teams and so many sources of buffs I felt sufficiently tanky and only died once when I got distracted and didn't heal in time.

 

I have opened up and slotted all but Hybrid and am currently +2 in incarnate stuff and +1 in 45+ content.  I went with Cardiac Radial, Degenerative Radial, Banished Pantheon Core, Ageless Radial, and Ionic Core.  I'll take Assault radial when available.

 

I've been soloing Maria Jenkins arc at +1/x8 and doing OK.  I'm not unkillable, but if I'm careful, use powers and inspirations wisely, and occasionally run away I can do it.  That said, it's still embarrassing to die, even alone, and especially on a tank.

 

I thought about upgrading to level 50 IOs, but I went in to Mids and changed all the 53 SOs to level 50 IOs and the difference in defense, damage, and resistance was pretty negligible.  ED eats most of the additional enhancement values.  However, if I +5d everything I could get away with 2 slotting instead of 3 and that would open up a lot of changes, but would also require a respec and I don't want to buy all the boosters necessary.  Not that I couldn't afford it, but I just don't think it's worth the hassle.  I'd rather have a full set IO build on the second allowable build and keep the SO one for testing and comparison.  If there would have been a bigger difference between 53 SOs and 50 generic IOs I might have made that a third build.

 

I did breakdown and bought some P2W stuff.  I've grown too accustomed to the bonus vet attacks and the convenient transportation options.  But I did it all by self financing.  It's amazing how much you can make just crafting and selling your drops and supplemented with buying, crafting, converting and selling low level set recipes.  Last I looked, I had about 204 million.

 

I'm happy to join lower level SO players, or invite folks to join me.  I'm on most days but the time can vary day to day anywhere from 7am to 11pm eastern time depending on what's going on at work and home.  It's very rare that I would be on before or after those times.

Edited July 16, 2021 by Bionic_Flea

[ZemX]

I'm not sure when/if I'll finish leveling the Ice/Rad Stalker since I've brought the Ice/Shield over from Everlasting now and given her an SO alt build.   But maybe I will off and on just to see how the run from 35 to 50 is on SOs.  I still think the Ice/Rad is probably going to end up more fun to play on SOs just because of the added healing and recovery.  And because Shield is a whole lot less impressive when you can't reach the soft-cap for defense.

[Bionic_Flea]

Comedic Flea:

 

 

It's a joke!