Smoothest most balanced power combo?

[geicojacob]

Any opinions on the title? By that I mean something that feels like it's well paced while leveling. Never really struggles too badly at any point. Then it can easily transition into late game. The power set combos that are the most above average in the most categories. I basically haven't played in YEARS, so I wanna be able to do everything. Solo TF, farm, the new end game incarnates, etc. Any suggestions? 

[Snarky]

Rad Armor/Energy Melee would be my choice if I was walking into the game fresh right now. Knowing all i know and not locked into concepts and projects with deep history 

 

Rad Armor is very strong and very effective. I have not played it but the people I respect most point straight to it when asked what is the best armor.  Energy Melee, since the change, is no doubt the smoothest and most effective set that I see.  I have played it to 50. It rocks.  The combo would be mad strong and I could make some robot characters with a great look and theme so easy.  
 

personally i am on Dark/Dark and Dark/Invul Brutes right now.  Vampire storyline.  Both those combos are insanely strong and I have them 50d on Tanks as well with the sets flipped.  Dark/Dark instead of Dark/Dark.  Invul/Dark Tank with a high recharge build is a juggernaut that, in my opinion, is less killable than a Granite Tank   Damned light on AoE but tanky as can be and very strong against hard targets.  The -to hit and heals/end recovery in Dark Melee along with (in my opinion) the best melee build up in the game pairs so well with Invul that i cannot resist going back to it. 

Edited November 27, 2021 by Snarky

[Sovera]

Fire/Ice melee is my usual recommendation for a new player. I've spoken it about it too often to re-hash it but it's in my signature with the whys and whatfors.

[Parabola]

Rad/DM would get my vote. Easy to level, good single target, good aoe, built for res and debuff res it can take on all sorts of nonsense.

[mcdoogss]

I haven't played Rad Armor, but it has a reputation as a smooth leveling tanker primary as well as being probably the toughest resistance set (along with DA, but DA is not imo a smooth leveling primary).  

 

Fire/ is squishier than all other armors but once you get Burn you pretty much can start cranking the team size when solo, which means more XP per mission.  

 

SR/ is another very smooth leveler, being soft capped at an early level makes leveling a breeze.  A bit of an eggshell at times though

 

Shield/Invuln are both fantastic hybrid armor sets, both level well and are just about equally top-tier toughness at the end game.  Shield is a bit more active and has more tools to boost damage, invuln is marginally tougher (dont @ me i know thats a controversial opinion). 

 

/Ice is a very good set overall.  Frost on a tanker is easily the best melee cone (it can even take range enhancements weirdly), ice patch is great soft mitigation especially when leveling, frozen aura is a decent pbaoe.  It's only a little light on ST damage because greater ice sword kinda sucks.

 

/DM is a solid all around set with good utility with siphon life and dark consumption and -toHit on every attack.  Kind of the flip side of /Ice in that the AOE is only adequate but the ST is very good.  the new ToF loves dmg procs

 

/Energy after revamp is probably the best ST set for tankers overall, with decent AE.  

 

 

 

 

Edited November 27, 2021 by mcdoogss

[Xandyr]

I'll go against the grain and say WP/Staff. Leveling is a joy and easy. Ultimately you can get extremely high rwgen numbers and max HP, never run out of end, and hit soft capped F/C/E/NE defenses with capped S/L resists. And if you use Sky Splitter with 3 stacks of perfection, that adds another 13% to your resists. Since it's easy to keep perma,  coupled with the tanker ATO +RESIST,  you can have respectable resists.

  It's a great combo. Staff,IMO, is just a fun set. I could also see WP/DM being great as well.

[Khalual]

3 hours ago, Parabola said:

Rad/DM would get my vote. Easy to level, good single target, good aoe, built for res and debuff res it can take on all sorts of nonsense.

Is there a Mids build for this somewhere?

[Parabola]

1 hour ago, Khalual said:

Is there a Mids build for this somewhere?

Sure. This isn't actually my current build but it's what I'm looking to respec into. The current version has ground zero but it takes an age to cast and isn't really necessary. The defence is entirely sacrificial, more important is the solid resists and debuff resists (use ageless radial) and the constant stream of absorb and healing. Siphon life does more damage than mids shows as it's factoring the taunt radius into the proc calculation.

 

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!

Level 50 Magic Tanker
Primary Power Set: Radiation Armor
Secondary Power Set: Dark Melee
Power Pool: Leaping
Power Pool: Speed
Power Pool: Fighting
Power Pool: Concealment
Ancillary Pool: Energy Mastery

Hero Profile:
Level 1: Alpha Barrier -- UnbGrd-ResDam(A), UnbGrd-ResDam/EndRdx(3), UnbGrd-ResDam/EndRdx/Rchg(3), UnbGrd-Max HP%(5), StdPrt-ResDam/Def+(5), ImpArm-ResPsi(7)
Level 1: Shadow Punch -- SprGntFis-Acc/Dmg(A), SprGntFis-Dmg/EndRdx/Rchg(39), SprGntFis-Acc/Dmg/EndRdx/Rchg(39)
Level 2: Gamma Boost -- PrfShf-End%(A)
Level 4: Smite -- SprMghoft-Acc/Dmg(A), SprMghoft-Dmg/Rchg(7), SprMghoft-Acc/Dmg/Rchg(9), SprMghoft-Dmg/EndRdx/Rchg(9), SprMghoft-Acc/Dmg/EndRdx/Rchg(11), SprMghoft-Rchg/Res%(11)
Level 6: Shadow Maul -- Arm-Dmg(A), Arm-Acc/Dmg/Rchg(13), Arm-Acc/Rchg(13), Arm-Dmg/EndRdx(15), Arm-Dam%(15), PrfZng-Dam%(17)
Level 8: Fallout Shelter -- UnbGrd-ResDam(A), UnbGrd-ResDam/EndRdx(17), UnbGrd-ResDam/EndRdx/Rchg(19), UnbGrd-Rchg/ResDam(19), GldArm-3defTpProc(21), ImpArm-ResPsi(21)
Level 10: Radiation Therapy -- Erd-%Dam(A), Obl-%Dam(23), ThfofEss-+End%(23), TchoftheN-%Dam(25), PrfZng-Dam%(25), ScrDrv-Dam%(27)
Level 12: Beta Decay -- AchHee-ResDeb%(A)
Level 14: Proton Armor -- UnbGrd-ResDam(A), UnbGrd-ResDam/EndRdx(27), UnbGrd-ResDam/EndRdx/Rchg(29), UnbGrd-Rchg/ResDam(29), ImpArm-ResPsi(31), Ags-Psi/Status(31)
Level 16: Siphon Life -- SprBlsCol-Acc/Dmg/EndRdx(A), SprBlsCol-Acc/Dmg(31), TchofDth-Dam%(33), Mk'Bit-Dam%(33), TchoftheN-%Dam(33), PrfZng-Dam%(34)
Level 18: Particle Shielding -- Prv-Heal(A), Prv-Heal/EndRdx(34), Prv-EndRdx/Rchg(34), Prv-Heal/Rchg(36), Prv-Heal/Rchg/EndRdx(36), Prv-Absorb%(36)
Level 20: Touch of Fear -- SprAvl-Acc/Dmg(A), SprAvl-Acc/Dmg/EndRdx(37), Erd-%Dam(37), ScrDrv-Dam%(37), Obl-%Dam(48), PrfZng-Dam%(48)
Level 22: Combat Jumping -- LucoftheG-Def/Rchg+(A), Ksm-ToHit+(39), ShlWal-ResDam/Re TP(50), Rct-ResDam%(50)
Level 24: Hasten -- RechRdx-I(A), RechRdx-I(50)
Level 26: Boxing -- SprBlsCol-Dmg/EndRdx/Acc/Rchg(A), SprBlsCol-Rchg/HoldProc(40)
Level 28: Soul Drain -- SprGntFis-Dmg/Rchg(A), SprAvl-Acc/Dmg/EndRdx/Rchg(40), SprAvl-Rchg/KDProc(40), SprGntFis-Acc/Dmg/Rchg(42), SprGntFis-Rchg/+Absorb(42)
Level 30: Tough -- UnbGrd-ResDam(A), UnbGrd-ResDam/EndRdx(42), UnbGrd-Rchg/ResDam(43), UnbGrd-ResDam/EndRdx/Rchg(43), ImpArm-ResPsi(43)
Level 32: Weave -- LucoftheG-Def/Rchg+(A), RedFrt-Def/EndRdx(45), RedFrt-Def(45)
Level 35: Focused Accuracy -- EndRdx-I(A)
Level 38: Midnight Grasp -- Hct-Dmg(A), Hct-Acc/Dmg/Rchg(45), Hct-Acc/Rchg(46), Hct-Dmg/EndRdx(46), Hct-Dam%(46), PrfZng-Dam%(48)
Level 41: Physical Perfection -- PrfShf-End%(A)
Level 44: Taunt -- MckBrt-Taunt/Rng(A)
Level 47: Meltdown -- ImpArm-ResPsi(A)
Level 49: Stealth -- LucoftheG-Def/Rchg+(A)
Level 1: Gauntlet 
Level 1: Brawl -- Empty(A)
Level 1: Sprint -- Clr-Stlth(A)
Level 2: Rest -- Empty(A)
Level 2: Swift -- Flight-I(A)
Level 2: Hurdle -- Empty(A)
Level 2: Health -- Pnc-Heal/+End(A)
Level 2: Stamina -- PrfShf-End%(A)
Level 50: Musculature Core Paragon 
------------

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