An Empath Warrior

[Peacemoon]

Hi all, I have been working on my main's build for quite sometime now and thought I'd give it a share. 

 

Peacemoon is Empathy/Psychic Blast Defender - a concept character who's main powers are to empower those around him (at some considerable cost to his own psyche).
 

The main focus of the build was:

*To be bring great buffs to a team setting.

*Able to solo well and deal as much damage as I can squeeze out - for when there is no one to buff or heal. 

*To be as tough as I can make a Defender (45% ranged defence and as much resist as I can manage)

*High recharge and good endurance recovery (the latter achieved via a mixture of Recovery Aura and Victory Rush).

*To stay true to the concept of a psychic hero without any other powers (Psychic Mastery was a must).

 

The initial build had Force of Will instead of Concealment and Victory Rush - however I found I wasn't able to cap my ranged defence without Unleath Potential switched on, and the  uptime was only 1 minute out of every 3, so it was a bit up and down (plus overcapped when on). Hard to gauge weaken resolve as an all purpose debuff - it is only noticeable when Achilles Heel -res procs, but the cast time is quite long to make it worth it.

 

Concealment however will allow me to open with Psychic Wail without getting aggro beforehand, gives a more permanent boost to my ranged defence (at the cost of some endurance efficiency), and allows me to grab Victory Rush, which is always lovely in teams for quality of life. Particularly at lower level. Plus it can be used to bridge the gap of recovery auras. The big negative is Infiltration unfortunately is not as speedy as Mightly Leap, however works nicely for the concept as jump felt out of character. 

 

Recovery Aura and Regeneration Aura probably slotted more than people like - but these powers are great while solo and in a team, and the set bonuses are ❤️! When only slotted for recharge, they are also very costly to cast and has caused me problems mid-fight trying to reapply. 

 

No Clear Mind will probably trigger a lot of people - but very rarely do I find a use for it, has no impact when solo, and at later levels you can rely on Clarion. I tend to use Fortitude on people without Mezz Protection and this helps a lot. 

 

This is an expensive build that I've been working towards while playing him - he wasn't just born with it! 

Some enhancements are deliberately set to +5 - don't attune these!

 

Overall I'm really happy with the build and have great fun on my Empath, whether teaming or solo. I love the big +numbers he brings to his teammates, the great blasting capabilities he has, and the all the procs that fire while you're doing the job and just the general awesomeness of being a Defender. He might not be the best for debuffing and weakening mobs, but he is a solid performer and any team he joins feels solid and durable. 

 

I just wish I had half a dozen more slots...!!

[Peacemoon]

Struggling to export my build, so for now you just get a photo of it! I'll try tinker with it tomorrow and post the real thing!
(Bear in mind the defence rating is taking into account stealth's out of combat 7.5% bonus. The real ranged defence is 45% almost exactly). 
 

 

 

[Nemu]

For all the anti-healer rhetoric that everyone seems to dogpile and weigh their expert opinion on, when I see a build like this I wonder if I chose the right side....

 

Lack of clear mind does trigger me. You are the unsung hero, keeping squishies protected from mezzes so that they can do their jobs. Players will not sing you praises for this seemingly mundane action (the more astute players will appreciate you for this though), but the impact of this one single power outweighs everything else that you bring to the table for seasoned players who like you (or what you are attempting here) built their characters for high defense already. Some like me have their squishies defensively mature by level 30, but you know what I don't have access to even with all the defenses in the world at that level? - a reliable anti-mez. And when I see an emp the ONLY thing I want from them is CM, and most of them disappoint.

 

Have you considered that mezzed squishies aren't really contributing? Sure a fort on them helps them dodge some mezzes but when they do get mezzed and they will, far more than you or anyone that espouse the "blast more support less" mindset would care to admit, they can't contribute. For all the talk about defenders being able to contribute to the team with their damage (and buffs/debuffs), I find this thought process and execution rather selfish. You would rather get on with your own pew pews than help the blaster maximize their potential, or the toggle dependent support AT to get shut down and deprive the team of their force multiplying buffs/debuffs? It doesn't take a lot to CM someone, at the end of an engagement during the clean up phase, then those guys are good to go for the next engagement.

 

But it's your build, you choice. You wouldn't be the first to not use CM, and it only perpetuates people's perception of empathy's relevance today,

 

As for the rest of the build:

 

Instead of victory rush have you considered the P2W serum? They are cheap and you can save a power pick for world of confusion. You invested 15 slots into these 2.5% range defense bonuses when 5 additional slots in WOC with coercive can give you 10% recharge AND 5% range defense. In general 6 slots for 2.5% defense is terrible ROI. With those saved slots you can put some LOTG 7.5s in the defensive powers for more recharge, and toss in a kismet +acc in maneuvers as well. If you are going to go proc-heavy you need to make sure you have enough to-hit and ACC to hit, and the to hit helps with snipe damage.

 

Skipping the snipe is also questionable. At worst its a hard hitting attack in your arsenal, at best it's 2.5% range defense AND 7.5% global recharge with 5 piece sting of the manticore.

 

Also what settings do you solo at? Do you just shoot for 45 and 75 because that's how you play your armored ATs? What's a realistic expectation for what this build "should" handle and do you need those numbers with those expectations in mind? I can tell you if you plan to play this as a derpy lol melee AT that stands their ground, you are going to fail, miserably. The lack of combat mobility and immobilization protection already puts you at a disadvantage as a squishy AT light on other forms of mitigation. Standing your ground and relying on 45 and 75 will just put the nail in the coffin.

 

[Troo]

14 hours ago, Peacemoon said:

'm really happy with the build and have great fun on my Empath, whether teaming or solo.

 

Thanks for sharing

[Peacemoon]

43 minutes ago, Nemu said:

Lack of clear mind does trigger me. You are the unsung hero, keeping squishies protected from mezzes so that they can do their jobs. Players will not sing you praises for this seemingly mundane action (the more astute players will appreciate you for this though), but the impact of this one single power outweighs everything else that you bring to the table for seasoned players who like you (or what you are attempting here) built their characters for high defense already. Some like me have their squishies defensively mature by level 30, but you know what I don't have access to even with all the defenses in the world at that level? - a reliable anti-mez. And when I see an emp the ONLY thing I want from them is CM, and most of them disappoint.

 

Have you considered that mezzed squishies aren't really contributing? Sure a fort on them helps them dodge some mezzes but when they do get mezzed and they will, far more than you or anyone that espouse the "blast more support less" mindset would care to admit, they can't contribute. For all the talk about defenders being able to contribute to the team with their damage (and buffs/debuffs), I find this thought process and execution rather selfish. You would rather get on with your own pew pews than help the blaster maximize their potential, or the toggle dependent support AT to get shut down and deprive the team of their force multiplying buffs/debuffs? It doesn't take a lot to CM someone, at the end of an engagement during the clean up phase, then those guys are good to go for the next engagement.

 

But it's your build, you choice. You wouldn't be the first to not use CM, and it only perpetuates people's perception of empathy's relevance today,

Thanks Nemu for your feedback - I think the issue with CM is something we are going to have disagree over! I've played in lots of different teams across all levels and while I would consider it 'handy to have' (pretty much all powers are), I just don't see it as important as you do. 

 

Firstly I find that with the amount of +defence I bring most 'squishies' (I hate this term) are actually pretty tough and don't get hit a lot in the first place. 25% Defence from Fortitude and 6% from Maneuvers means even the weakest builds are pretty hard to hit when they're with me. If you're not getting hit you're not getting mezzed, and even if you are getting mezzed you aren't getting killed since these buffs don't drop.

Most people have quite a lot of mezz resist these days due to IO set bonuses, so mezzes don't last as long as they used to, which means they are less dangerous and cause less inconvenience. So it reduces the impact of CM.

 

People who don't have mezz protection are usally well aware of it and make use of their own abilities to counter them. The odd mezz that gets through is what Break Frees are for. 

I just rarely find a situation where CM would actually make an impact, I think you're overstating your argument a bit. Even the +perception is gifted with Tactics. 

I looked at all the powers I have and can't see anything I would give up for CM. I don't think that's me being 'selfish', I just think the team is supported better with my power picks going elsewhere. Its a bit ironic to call an Empath Defender selfish! 😄 I think spending a lot of my time casting CM would be a waste of time, and rather than CM my allies I would rather protect them with defence and focus my blasts/dominate on the mobs that dangerous. Thats just my opinion.

 

Now if I could pick one more Empathy power it would actually be Resurrect not CM - now there is a power that would actually help more, because wakies are rubbish, and when people die that can really slow a group down. 

 

1 hour ago, Nemu said:

Instead of victory rush have you considered the P2W serum? They are cheap and you can save a power pick for world of confusion. You invested 15 slots into these 2.5% range defense bonuses when 5 additional slots in WOC with coercive can give you 10% recharge AND 5% range defense. In general 6 slots for 2.5% defense is terrible ROI. With those saved slots you can put some LOTG 7.5s in the defensive powers for more recharge, and toss in a kismet +acc in maneuvers as well. If you are going to go proc-heavy you need to make sure you have enough to-hit and ACC to hit, and the to hit helps with snipe damage.

 

Changing Victory Rush for Serum, now who is being selfish? 😄 I actually really love the impact Victory Rush has on a team, but its not something I *have* to have.
I will take a look at World of Confusion - it wasn't picked because I've never been a huge fan of the power and its another toggle to drain my endurance. I forgot about the epic set giving 5% ranged defence - will check it out! I do like Red Fortune, not just because of the 2.5% ranged defence, but it also gives 5% recharge and a bit of resist. Plus the high endurance reduction is great on Maneuvers. Since LotG only gives 2.5% extra recharge, I'm never that bothered about dropping them from certain powers that I intend to slot heavily.

 

1 hour ago, Nemu said:

Skipping the snipe is also questionable. At worst its a hard hitting attack in your arsenal, at best it's 2.5% range defense AND 7.5% global recharge with 5 piece sting of the manticore.

 

I could be tempted to change Will Domination for Psionic Lance, but from experience on my other Defenders the endurance cost of it can make it a bit of a pain to use constantly in an attack chain. Having said that it would be getting 6x Superior Defender's Bastion which has a hefty end redux. I'll run the numbers though... will Domination unfortunately does take a long time to activate! 

 

1 hour ago, Nemu said:

Also what settings do you solo at? Do you just shoot for 45 and 75 because that's how you play your armored ATs? What's a realistic expectation for what this build "should" handle and do you need those numbers with those expectations in mind? I can tell you if you plan to play this as a derpy lol melee AT that stands their ground, you are going to fail, miserably. The lack of combat mobility and immobilization protection already puts you at a disadvantage as a squishy AT light on other forms of mitigation. Standing your ground and relying on 45 and 75 will just put the nail in the coffin.

This is a bit rude! I fight now at x8 and still finding the sweet spot at what +level is best. It really depends on the villain group. Psionic Tornado and Telekinetic Blast are good knockdowns which keep mobs at bay, and Dominate is great for holding anything being tricky. With Regeneration Aura on and the defences posted above you can take quite a hit and keep going. Although as they say, prevention is better than cure 😉

Psyhic Wail is also an incredible opener - not only does it do massive damage with 2 damage procs, but it comes with a nice stun that gives you a bit of time to capitalise on the mayhem you create. 

 

1 hour ago, Troo said:

Thanks for sharing

 

Cheers! 🙂

 

[plainguy]

 

Quote

You invested 15 slots into these 2.5% range defense bonuses when 5 additional slots in WOC with coercive can give you 10% recharge AND 5% range defense. In general 6 slots for 2.5% defense is terrible ROI. With those saved slots you can put some LOTG 7.5s in the defensive powers for more recharge, and toss in a kismet +acc in maneuvers as well. If you are going to go proc-heavy you need to make sure you have enough to-hit and ACC to hit, and the to hit helps with snipe damage.

 

Skipping the snipe is also questionable. At worst its a hard hitting attack in your arsenal, at best it's 2.5% range defense AND 7.5% global recharge with 5 piece sting of the manticore.

Didn't quote the poster because I didn't want to deal with the complaints on how to play your build. But the poster made some sense here.

I would try to get if possible (some builds based on primary and secondary are just not possible) S/L Defense capped, Range capped and S/L resistance cap if you can.  That will allow you to play at a 3/8 setting solo if that is your thing. 

I am looking at your endurance use vs recovery.. That is close.. if your pic up WOC those endurance numbers might not cover it.  But WOC with the proc on top would help mitigate the melee range damage as well. Similar to Oppressive Gloom. 



 

[plainguy]

8 minutes ago, Peacemoon said:

Thanks Nemu for your feedback - I think the issue with CM is something we are going to have disagree over! I've played in lots of different teams across all levels and while I would consider it 'handy to have' (pretty much all powers are), I just don't see it as important as you do. 

 

Firstly I find that with the amount of +defence I bring most 'squishies' (I hate this term) are actually pretty tough and don't get hit a lot in the first place. 25% Defence from Fortitude and 6% from Maneuvers means even the weakest builds are pretty hard to hit when they're with me. If you're not getting hit you're not getting mezzed, and even if you are getting mezzed you aren't getting killed since these buffs don't drop.

Most people have quite a lot of mezz resist these days due to IO set bonuses, so mezzes don't last as long as they used to, which means they are less dangerous and cause less inconvenience. So it reduces the impact of CM.

 

People who don't have mezz protection are usally well aware of it and make use of their own abilities to counter them. The odd mezz that gets through is what Break Frees are for. 

I just rarely find a situation where CM would actually make an impact, I think you're overstating your argument a bit. Even the +perception is gifted with Tactics. 

I looked at all the powers I have and can't see anything I would give up for CM. I don't think that's me being 'selfish', I just think the team is supported better with my power picks going elsewhere. Its a bit ironic to call an Empath Defender selfish! 😄 I think spending a lot of my time casting CM would be a waste of time, and rather than CM my allies I would rather protect them with defence and focus my blasts/dominate on the mobs that dangerous. Thats just my opinion.

 

Now if I could pick one more Empathy power it would actually be Resurrect not CM - now there is a power that would actually help more, because wakies are rubbish, and when people die that can really slow a group down. 

 

 

Changing Victory Rush for Serum, now who is being selfish? 😄 I actually really love the impact Victory Rush has on a team, but its not something I *have* to have.
I will take a look at World of Confusion - it wasn't picked because I've never been a huge fan of the power and its another toggle to drain my endurance. I forgot about the epic set giving 5% ranged defence - will check it out! I do like Red Fortune, not just because of the 2.5% ranged defence, but it also gives 5% recharge and a bit of resist. Plus the high endurance reduction is great on Maneuvers. Since LotG only gives 2.5% extra recharge, I'm never that bothered about dropping them from certain powers that I intend to slot heavily.

 

 

I could be tempted to change Will Domination for Psionic Lance, but from experience on my other Defenders the endurance cost of it can make it a bit of a pain to use constantly in an attack chain. Having said that it would be getting 6x Superior Defender's Bastion which has a hefty end redux. I'll run the numbers though... will Domination unfortunately does take a long time to activate! 

 

This is a bit rude! I fight now at x8 and still finding the sweet spot at what +level is best. It really depends on the villain group. Psionic Tornado and Telekinetic Blast are good knockdowns which keep mobs at bay, and Dominate is great for holding anything being tricky. With Regeneration Aura on and the defences posted above you can take quite a hit and keep going. Although as they say, prevention is better than cure 😉

Psyhic Wail is also an incredible opener - not only does it do massive damage with 2 damage procs, but it comes with a nice stun that gives you a bit of time to capitalise on the mayhem you create. 

 

 

Cheers! 🙂

 

I have petless masterminds doing 3/8.. So everything is a moot point.

[Peacemoon]

5 minutes ago, plainguy said:

 

Didn't quote the poster because I didn't want to deal with the complaints on how to play your build. But the poster made some sense here.

I would try to get if possible (some builds based on primary and secondary are just not possible) S/L Defense capped, Range capped and S/L resistance cap if you can.  That will allow you to play at a 3/8 setting solo if that is your thing. 

I am looking at your endurance use vs recovery.. That is close.. if your pic up WOC those endurance numbers might not cover it.  But WOC with the proc on top would help mitigate the melee range damage as well. Similar to Oppressive Gloom. 



 

I don’t think getting soft capped S/L defence is going to be doable without really mutilating the build too much. 
Having said that, WOC with the proc and the interface confusion proc does sound fun! But yes, I would be worrying about endurance a bit. There is 45s downtime without recovery aura and victory rush was there to help against that while also offering some good team support.

[Doomguide2005]

     We should all keep in mind when speaking of endurance usage vs recovery that, at least for a post 50 endgame build,  Recovery Aura is probably making end issues non-existent while running and hopefully its downtime is under 40 sec perhaps well under.  Unless consumption can burn through the end bar in less time the build should be solid from that perspective especially while fully enhanced with a endmod set.

[Peacemoon]

Psionic Lane with 3x Superior Vigilant Assault and 3x Sting of the Manticore gives me 2.5% extra ranged defence - enough to bring me up to 44.18% without Stealth switched on..

[Nemu]

29 minutes ago, Peacemoon said:

This is a bit rude!

I don't mean to be. I'm simply stating a truth that applying a tanker mindset to how you engage mobs on a squishy AT is going to get you killed. You might be fine going up against +2/8 lol council sitting there with your 45/75 but arachnos, banished pantheon, IDF, and a whole host of other factions will rip you apart. Obviously some factions are more difficult than others so what I am asking is "what is your benchmark?"

 

33 minutes ago, plainguy said:

I would try to get if possible (some builds based on primary and secondary are just not possible) S/L Defense capped, Range capped and S/L resistance cap if you can.  That will allow you to play at a 3/8 setting solo if that is your thing. 

I disagree. Not all builds need to follow that guideline.

[Troo]

I find it very interesting to see builds tuned for the player and refined over time to their play style rather than simply min/maxing.

 

As this is @Peacemoon's namesake and one of their main characters it is a somewhat unique look into what someone is actually playing and enjoying.

 

No glimpses at my build for Troo.. trade secrets and all. (actually not so much anymore with changes to energy melee, stealth, teleportation, and speed)

 

 

[Peacemoon]

So here is my build from the original post for anyone who would like to see it. I am playing around with reconfiguring it based on some feedback, but as ever, its always a trade off!

 

Spoiler

This Hero build was built using Mids Reborn 3.0.6.0
https://github.com/LoadedCamel/MidsReborn

Click this DataLink to open the build!

Peacemoon: Level 50 Mutation Defender
Primary Power Set: Empathy
Secondary Power Set: Psychic Blast
Power Pool: Concealment
Power Pool: Leadership
Power Pool: Speed
Power Pool: Fighting
Ancillary Pool: Psychic Mastery

Hero Profile:
Level 1: Healing Aura

• (A) Numina's Convalesence - Heal/Endurance
• (3) Numina's Convalesence - Endurance/Recharge
• (3) Numina's Convalesence - Heal/Recharge
• (5) Numina's Convalesence - Heal/Endurance/Recharge
• (5) Numina's Convalesence - Heal
• (7) Numina's Convalesence - +Regeneration/+Recovery
  

Level 1: Mental Blast

• (A) Damage Increase IO
  

Level 2: Heal Other

• (A) Healing IO
  

Level 4: Infiltration

• (A) Blessing of the Zephyr - Run Speed, Jump, Flight Speed, Range
• (7) Blessing of the Zephyr - Knockback Reduction (4 points)
  

Level 6: Assault

• (A) Endurance Reduction IO
  

Level 8: Stealth

• (A) Luck of the Gambler - Defense/Increased Global Recharge Speed
• (9) Shield Wall - +Res (Teleportation), +5% Res (All)
• (9) Reactive Defenses - Scaling Resist Damage
  

Level 10: Psychic Scream

• (A) Superior Vigilant Assault - Damage/RechargeTime
• (11) Superior Vigilant Assault - Accuracy/Damage/Endurance
• (11) Superior Vigilant Assault - Accuracy/Damage/Endurance/RechargeTime
• (13) Positron's Blast - Damage/Range
• (13) Positron's Blast - Chance of Damage(Energy)
• (15) Bombardment - Chance for Fire Damage
  

Level 12: Fortitude

• (A) Red Fortune - Endurance
• (15) Red Fortune - Defense/Endurance
• (19) Red Fortune - Endurance/Recharge
• (21) Red Fortune - Defense
• (21) Red Fortune - Defense/Endurance/Recharge
• (34) Red Fortune - Defense/Recharge
  

Level 14: Tactics

• (A) Gaussian's Synchronized Fire-Control - To Hit Buff
• (29) Gaussian's Synchronized Fire-Control - To Hit Buff/Recharge
• (29) Gaussian's Synchronized Fire-Control - To Hit Buff/Recharge/Endurance
• (31) Gaussian's Synchronized Fire-Control - Recharge/Endurance
• (34) Gaussian's Synchronized Fire-Control - To Hit Buff/Endurance
• (36) Gaussian's Synchronized Fire-Control - Chance for Build Up
  

Level 16: Telekinetic Blast

• (A) Overwhelming Force - Damage/Chance for Knockdown/Knockback to Knockdown
• (17) Superior Vigilant Assault - Accuracy/Damage
• (17) Superior Vigilant Assault - Damage/Endurance/RechargeTime
• (23) Superior Vigilant Assault - RechargeTime/PBAoE +Absorb
• (25) Gladiator's Javelin - Chance of Damage(Toxic)
• (25) Explosive Strike - Chance for Smashing Damage
  

Level 18: Recovery Aura

• (A) Preemptive Optimization - Accuracy/Recharge
• (19) Preemptive Optimization - EndMod/Endurance
• (23) Preemptive Optimization - EndMod/Recharge
• (37) Preemptive Optimization - EndMod/Accuracy/Endurance
• (42) Preemptive Optimization - EndMod/Accuracy/Recharge
• (43) Preemptive Optimization - EndMod/Endurance/Recharge
  

Level 20: Will Domination

• (A) Superior Defender's Bastion - Accuracy/Damage
• (31) Superior Defender's Bastion - Damage/Recharge
• (31) Superior Defender's Bastion - Damage/Endurance/Recharge
• (33) Superior Defender's Bastion - Accuracy/Damage/Endurance
• (33) Superior Defender's Bastion - Accuracy/Damage/Endurance/Recharge
• (34) Superior Defender's Bastion - Recharge/Chance for Minor PBAoE Heal
  

Level 22: Maneuvers

• (A) Red Fortune - Defense/Endurance
• (33) Red Fortune - Defense/Recharge
• (36) Red Fortune - Endurance/Recharge
• (36) Red Fortune - Defense/Endurance/Recharge
• (37) Red Fortune - Defense
• (37) Red Fortune - Endurance
  

Level 24: Victory Rush

• (A) Endurance Modification IO
  

Level 26: Regeneration Aura

• (A) Preventive Medicine - Heal
• (27) Preventive Medicine - Heal/Endurance
• (42) Preventive Medicine - Heal/RechargeTime
• (43) Preventive Medicine - Endurance/RechargeTime
• (45) Preventive Medicine - Heal/RechargeTime/Endurance
• (45) Preventive Medicine - Chance for +Absorb
  

Level 28: Psionic Tornado

• (A) Bombardment - Accuracy/Damage/Recharge
• (43) Bombardment - Accuracy/Damage/Recharge/Endurance
• (45) Bombardment - Damage
• (47) Force Feedback - Chance for +Recharge
• (47) Bombardment - Chance for Fire Damage
• (49) Positron's Blast - Chance of Damage(Energy)
  

Level 30: Hasten

• (A) Recharge Reduction IO
• (49) Recharge Reduction IO
  

Level 32: Adrenalin Boost

• (A) Recharge Reduction IO
  

Level 35: Dominate

• (A) Apocalypse - Damage/Endurance
• (40) Unbreakable Constraint - Hold
• (42) Apocalypse - Chance of Damage(Negative)
• (46) Apocalypse - Damage
• (48) Unbreakable Constraint - Endurance/Hold
• (50) Unbreakable Constraint - Chance for Smashing Damage
  

Level 38: Psychic Wail

• (A) Armageddon - Damage
• (39) Armageddon - Damage/Recharge
• (39) Armageddon - Accuracy/Damage/Recharge
• (39) Obliteration - Chance for Smashing Damage
• (40) Armageddon - Damage/Endurance
• (40) Armageddon - Chance for Fire Damage
  

Level 41: Mind Over Body

• (A) Unbreakable Guard - Resistance
• (48) Unbreakable Guard - +Max HP
  

Level 44: Boxing

• (A) Absolute Amazement - Chance for ToHit Debuff
  

Level 47: Tough

• (A) Gladiator's Armor - TP Protection +3% Def (All)
• (50) Steadfast Protection - Resistance/+Def 3%
  

Level 49: Weave

• (A) Luck of the Gambler - Defense/Increased Global Recharge Speed
• (50) Luck of the Gambler - Defense
  

Level 1: Vigilance 

Level 1: Brawl

• (A) Empty
  

Level 1: Sprint

• (A) Run Speed IO
  

Level 2: Rest

• (A) Healing IO
  

Level 1: Swift

• (A) Run Speed IO
  

Level 1: Hurdle

• (A) Jumping IO
  

Level 1: Health

• (A) Miracle - +Recovery
  

Level 1: Stamina

• (A) Endurance Modification IO
  

Level 50: Assault Radial Embodiment 

Level 50: Agility Core Paragon 
Level 50: Cognitive Radial Flawless Interface 
Level 50: The Atlas Medallion 
Level 50: Task Force Commander 
Level 50: Portal Jockey 
Level 50: Freedom Phalanx Reserve 
------------

 

 

[plainguy]

22 hours ago, Nemu said:

I don't mean to be. I'm simply stating a truth that applying a tanker mindset to how you engage mobs on a squishy AT is going to get you killed. You might be fine going up against +2/8 lol council sitting there with your 45/75 but arachnos, banished pantheon, IDF, and a whole host of other factions will rip you apart. Obviously some factions are more difficult than others so what I am asking is "what is your benchmark?"

 

I disagree. Not all builds need to follow that guideline.

you do understand you are literally 3 points away from Softcap.  So instead of what 13 in 1 chance to be hit by a mob you have 11 in 1 chance ?  I would take those odds as well if I had some healing component in my build or at resistance cap with S/L since most attacks have that component it in as well.
My countless petless masterminds doing 3/8 and 4/8 disagree.

[plainguy]

23 hours ago, Troo said:

I find it very interesting to see builds tuned for the player and refined over time to their play style rather than simply min/maxing.

 

As this is @Peacemoon's namesake and one of their main characters it is a somewhat unique look into what someone is actually playing and enjoying.

 

No glimpses at my build for Troo.. trade secrets and all. (actually not so much anymore with changes to energy melee, stealth, teleportation, and speed)

 

 

I agree with what you are saying.
Maybe my next build will be less min max.. Hard to get out of my comfort zone.  Plus I play a lot of petless mastermind builds.. So I need to Max.

 

[Nemu]

2 hours ago, plainguy said:

you do understand you are literally 3 points away from Softcap. 

Tsk... Tsk... Tsk...

 

You saw 42% and you assumed that was MY build. My build is quite different.

 

I don't disagree on the value of softcap and the benefits of having that backed up by capped resists. But I also believe that it is getting to a point where people just blindly follow those numbers without considering any other tools available to them, and worse, they make great sacrifices or poor slotting choices in their builds to get there.

 

I misread the original post as one that invited feedback and hence I provided feedback. My mistake. I'll see myself out.

Edited November 25, 2021 by Nemu

[Troo]

49 minutes ago, Nemu said:

But I also believe that it is getting to a point where people just blindly follow those numbers without considering any other tools available to them, and worse, they make great sacrifices or poor slotting choices in their builds to get there.

 

I totally agree this can be very much the case.

 

<<begin rant (not directed at @Nemu)>>

 

Seeing what a player is using that doesn't fit some predetermined mold, that's the good stuff.

 

I would hope that new folks go with what they can find, or are pointed to, just as a starting point, not the destination.

We have multiple builds and respecs available for a reason.

 

Experiment, refine and make what is available in-game fit our play style.

 

That's where blappers, proc monsters, and petless masterminds come from.

It's also where some of the crazy bases come from.. friggin water slides, what?!!

If folks haven't checked out some of the player created content, might be missing out.

 

That fire/fire/fire build found on the internet, that's just the beginning..

 

<<end rant>>

[Peacemoon]

6 hours ago, Nemu said:

Tsk... Tsk... Tsk...

 

You saw 42% and you assumed that was MY build. My build is quite different.

 

I don't disagree on the value of softcap and the benefits of having that backed up by capped resists. But I also believe that it is getting to a point where people just blindly follow those numbers without considering any other tools available to them, and worse, they make great sacrifices or poor slotting choices in their builds to get there.

 

I misread the original post as one that invited feedback and hence I provided feedback. My mistake. I'll see myself out.

Even though I disagree with some of your feedback, I did consider all of it and have made a few changes already based on it (such as replacing Will Domination with Psionic Lance, plus reducing slots in Fortitude), and I’m enjoying it even more. So thank you for the feedback you gave, and I’ll be posting my revised build tomorrow! 😀

[Peacemoon]

6 hours ago, Troo said:

 

I totally agree this can be very much the case.

 

<<begin rant (not directed at @Nemu)>>

 

Seeing what a player is using that doesn't fit some predetermined mold, that's the good stuff.

 

I would hope that new folks go with what they can find, or are pointed to, just as a starting point, not the destination.

We have multiple builds and respecs available for a reason.

 

Experiment, refine and make what is available in-game fit our play style.

 

That's where blappers, proc monsters, and petless masterminds come from.

It's also where some of the crazy bases come from.. friggin water slides, what?!!

If folks haven't checked out some of the player created content, might be missing out.

 

That fire/fire/fire build found on the internet, that's just the beginning..

 

<<end rant>>

Agree completely, and this is one of the reasons I made my ‘Empath Warrior’ build! The Empathy powerset just suited my character too much to skip, but at the same time I spend a lot of time solo as well as teamed and needed something that work in both. 
 

Speaking of different builds I’m toying with coming up with using build 2 and build 3 for more specialised roles. One for a primarily team focused build, and maybe one for below lvl 30 task forces.

 

My ‘warrior’ build will continue to be more general purpose one though! It’s very flexible 😀

[Peacemoon]

So here is my refined build, taking into account feedback: 

 

 

Changes from last build:

• Psionic Lance instead of Will Domination
  • Moved my sets around so the 6 piece set Superior Defender's Bastion is now in Psychic Scream. 
  • Psionic Lance now has 3 pieces of Superior Vigilant Assault and 3 pieces of Sting of the Manticore , this gives 10% recharge and 2.5% ranged defence, plus a nice damage proc.
• Reduced slotting of Fort as advised, now just LotG +2x Hami-Os (Rech/Defence/To-Hit) - loving the numbers it gives!
• Telekinetic Blast I changed the Damage+Knockdown slot to Accuracy+Damage from Gladiator's Javelin. Seeing if the knockback helps when soloing, plus a nice recovery bonus (2.5)
• Stealth I've slotted 6x Reactive Defenses - I upped it to 5 slots of this set for the endurance discount bonus which really helps the build, and then realised the 6th slot gives 8.75% recharge, so switched out the LotG for the full set bonus.
• Psionic Tornado I removed the damage procs as they weren't very reliable. I've put the slots in Stealth as above for the end redux, which I think will help the playstyle more. Switched in Ragnarok for the 4% recovery and 6% fire/cold resist. 
• Psychic Wail - changed the proc to Eradication set as Energy is less resisted than smashing. 
• Mind over Body - the 3rd Unbreakable Guard socket caps of Smash/Lethal res, adds some nice endurance reduction and offers a bit of Energy/Neg res.
• Mass Hypnosis - this was my free slot. Peacemoon was originally a Mind Control controller and Mass Hypnosis was one of my favourite powers - especially as you can do it from stealth undetected! You could pick anything here, and if you wanted the power earlier you could switch around Boxing and Hasten as desired, and even Leadership.

Incarnates:

• Going to try Support hybrid for the -10% end redux. As this is passive and always on, this will hopefully really help. Plus the other bonuses are nicely rounded, like 12% defence. So I can use it when situations are a bit sticky.
• Stuck with Diamagnetic for interface, the 100% chance for -5% to-hit per stack helps a lot with my survivability. Especially since AoE's are great at applying it. It's like it makes all your blasts Dark Blasts 🙂
• Banished Pantheon Lore - might feel out of character but actually, he is a psychic character and because of the effects around them, they look like he is summoning nightmares to torment his enemies. A bit evil but he's just trying to Defend!..!!
• Agility Core - essential for the Endurance Mod buff, the super Recharge, and the +Defence. Other Alpha slots look fun but unfortunately I'm kind of locked into this one. 
• Void Judgement - Of all the judgement's this felt the best thematically - plus it works quite nice with Psychic Wail, which is also a PBAoE.

With all these endurance changes it makes my consumption 1.62/s and recovery 3.8/s. Recovery is helped a lot by the fact Peacemoon has 119 max endurance from sets and accolades! This includes 20% blanket endurance redux from set bonus and hybrid support.

Psionic Lance is suiting me a lot better than Will Domination - so thanks for those suggestions. Not only does it activate quicker and deal more damage, but it really helps as a SNIPE opener on something evil. Due to stealth, I can move into PBAoE range, start with a close range snipe and immediately go into my PBAoEs and AoEs.
 

[Peacemoon]

Spoiler

This Hero build was built using Mids Reborn 3.0.6.0
https://github.com/LoadedCamel/MidsReborn

Click this DataLink to open the build!

Peacemoon: Level 50 Mutation Defender
Primary Power Set: Empathy
Secondary Power Set: Psychic Blast
Power Pool: Concealment
Power Pool: Leadership
Power Pool: Speed
Power Pool: Fighting
Ancillary Pool: Psychic Mastery

Hero Profile:
Level 1: Healing Aura

• (A) Numina's Convalesence - Heal/Endurance
• (3) Numina's Convalesence - Endurance/Recharge
• (3) Numina's Convalesence - Heal/Recharge
• (5) Numina's Convalesence - Heal/Endurance/Recharge
• (5) Numina's Convalesence - Heal
• (7) Numina's Convalesence - +Regeneration/+Recovery
  

Level 1: Mental Blast

• (A) Damage Increase IO
  

Level 2: Heal Other

• (A) Healing IO
  

Level 4: Infiltration

• (A) Blessing of the Zephyr - Run Speed, Jump, Flight Speed, Range
• (7) Blessing of the Zephyr - Knockback Reduction (4 points)
• (9) Shield Wall - +Res (Teleportation), +5% Res (All)
  

Level 6: Psionic Lance

• (A) Superior Vigilant Assault - Damage/RechargeTime
• (31) Superior Vigilant Assault - Accuracy/Damage/Endurance
• (31) Superior Vigilant Assault - Accuracy/Damage/Endurance/RechargeTime
• (33) Sting of the Manticore - Damage/Endurance
• (33) Sting of the Manticore - Damage/Endurance/Recharge
• (34) Sting of the Manticore - Chance of Damage(Toxic)
  

Level 8: Assault

• (A) Endurance Reduction IO
  

Level 10: Psychic Scream

• (A) Superior Defender's Bastion - Accuracy/Damage
• (11) Superior Defender's Bastion - Damage/Recharge
• (11) Superior Defender's Bastion - Damage/Endurance/Recharge
• (13) Superior Defender's Bastion - Accuracy/Damage/Endurance
• (13) Superior Defender's Bastion - Accuracy/Damage/Endurance/Recharge
• (15) Superior Defender's Bastion - Recharge/Chance for Minor PBAoE Heal
  

Level 12: Fortitude

• (A) Luck of the Gambler - Defense/Increased Global Recharge Speed
• (15) HamiO:Membrane Exposure
• (19) HamiO:Membrane Exposure
  

Level 14: Tactics

• (A) Gaussian's Synchronized Fire-Control - To Hit Buff
• (29) Gaussian's Synchronized Fire-Control - To Hit Buff/Recharge
• (29) Gaussian's Synchronized Fire-Control - To Hit Buff/Recharge/Endurance
• (31) Gaussian's Synchronized Fire-Control - Recharge/Endurance
• (34) Gaussian's Synchronized Fire-Control - To Hit Buff/Endurance
• (36) Gaussian's Synchronized Fire-Control - Chance for Build Up
  

Level 16: Telekinetic Blast

• (A) Gladiator's Javelin - Chance of Damage(Toxic)
• (17) Superior Vigilant Assault - Accuracy/Damage
• (17) Superior Vigilant Assault - Damage/Endurance/RechargeTime
• (23) Superior Vigilant Assault - RechargeTime/PBAoE +Absorb
• (25) Explosive Strike - Chance for Smashing Damage
• (25) Gladiator's Javelin - Accuracy/Damage
  

Level 18: Recovery Aura

• (A) Preemptive Optimization - Accuracy/Recharge
• (19) Preemptive Optimization - EndMod/Endurance
• (23) Preemptive Optimization - EndMod/Recharge
• (37) Preemptive Optimization - EndMod/Accuracy/Endurance
• (42) Preemptive Optimization - EndMod/Accuracy/Recharge
• (43) Preemptive Optimization - EndMod/Endurance/Recharge
  

Level 20: Stealth

• (A) Reactive Defenses - Scaling Resist Damage
• (21) Reactive Defenses - Defense
• (21) Reactive Defenses - Defense/Endurance
• (34) Reactive Defenses - Defense/RechargeTime
• (46) Reactive Defenses - Defense/Endurance/RechargeTime
• (46) Reactive Defenses - Endurance/RechargeTime
  

Level 22: Hasten

• (A) Recharge Reduction IO
• (27) Recharge Reduction IO
  

Level 24: Maneuvers

• (A) Red Fortune - Defense/Endurance
• (33) Red Fortune - Defense/Endurance/Recharge
• (36) Red Fortune - Endurance
• (36) Red Fortune - Defense
• (37) Red Fortune - Defense/Recharge
• (37) Red Fortune - Endurance/Recharge
  

Level 26: Regeneration Aura

• (A) Preventive Medicine - Heal
• (27) Preventive Medicine - Heal/Endurance
• (42) Preventive Medicine - Heal/RechargeTime
• (43) Preventive Medicine - Endurance/RechargeTime
• (45) Preventive Medicine - Heal/RechargeTime/Endurance
• (45) Preventive Medicine - Chance for +Absorb
  

Level 28: Psionic Tornado

• (A) Ragnarok - Damage
• (43) Ragnarok - Damage/Endurance
• (45) Ragnarok - Accuracy/Recharge
• (47) Force Feedback - Chance for +Recharge
  

Level 30: Boxing

• (A) Kinetic Combat - Knockdown Bonus
  

Level 32: Adrenalin Boost

• (A) Recharge Reduction IO
  

Level 35: Dominate

• (A) Apocalypse - Damage/Endurance
• (40) Unbreakable Constraint - Hold
• (42) Apocalypse - Chance of Damage(Negative)
• (46) Apocalypse - Damage
• (48) Unbreakable Constraint - Endurance/Hold
• (50) Unbreakable Constraint - Chance for Smashing Damage
  

Level 38: Psychic Wail

• (A) Armageddon - Damage
• (39) Armageddon - Damage/Recharge
• (39) Armageddon - Accuracy/Damage/Recharge
• (39) Eradication - Chance for Energy Damage
• (40) Armageddon - Damage/Endurance
• (40) Armageddon - Chance for Fire Damage
  

Level 41: Mind Over Body

• (A) Unbreakable Guard - Resistance
• (48) Unbreakable Guard - +Max HP
• (48) Unbreakable Guard - Resistance/Endurance
  

Level 44: Mass Hypnosis

• (A) Fortunata Hypnosis - Sleep/Endurance
  

Level 47: Tough

• (A) Gladiator's Armor - TP Protection +3% Def (All)
• (50) Steadfast Protection - Resistance/+Def 3%
  

Level 49: Weave

• (A) Luck of the Gambler - Defense/Increased Global Recharge Speed
• (50) Luck of the Gambler - Defense
  

Level 1: Vigilance 

Level 1: Brawl

• (A) Empty
  

Level 1: Sprint

• (A) Run Speed IO
  

Level 2: Rest

• (A) Healing IO
  

Level 1: Swift

• (A) Run Speed IO
  

Level 1: Hurdle

• (A) Jumping IO
  

Level 1: Health

• (A) Miracle - +Recovery
  

Level 1: Stamina

• (A) Endurance Modification IO
  

Level 49: Quick Form 

Level 50: Support Core Embodiment 
Level 50: The Atlas Medallion 
Level 50: Task Force Commander 
Level 50: Portal Jockey 
Level 50: Freedom Phalanx Reserve 
Level 50: Diamagnetic Core Flawless Interface 
Level 50: Void Core Final Judgement 
Level 50: Agility Core Paragon 
Level 50: Banished Pantheon Core Superior Ally 
Level 50: Clarion Core Epiphany 
------------

 

My Mid's build details.