How do I not choose Duel Pistols or; How I Tried to Play a Defender but S T Y L E Kept Distracting Me

[Redletter]

It's just so stylish, guys. Is it even worth it as a defender though? Im sitting here, looking at Sonic Resonance, and duelies and everytime I pick Sonic Blast, I go "wait. this isnt nearly as stylish as jumping around like a fool, shooting peas everywhere" and I navigate back to Duel Pistols.

 

So, as a person who's only ever played Elec/Elec and Sonic/Sonic, is Duelies like, good? I used them on a /time blaster, and the set was fun but lacking something, ya know? Like, I was really squishy (at least going through Gold Side content solo) but the animations are so cool and the modeling on the pistols arent bad, and it's just like, such a dumb cool set. 

 

I digress though. I guess what Im getting at is what're duel pistols like on a defender, and what's a complimentary primary for them? 

Edited January 3, 2022 by Redletter
Sorry! Wrong forum!

[kelika2]

Just make sure the secondary has a buildup power

pistol/fire

pistol/ice

/psitol/aoamt

[Parabola]

On a defender time/dp/dark with a heavily procced build can do amazing things. I actually had a dp/temp blaster myself who I rerolled into the defender version and I'm happier with her in every way.

[Linea]

I have more Dual Pistols and Katanas each, than all other power sets combined.

 

The orginal Kiski build 10+ years ago was Dual Pistols/Time, and she can solo a +4x8 ITF, toe to toe tank a 4 tower buffed Lord Recluse, solo up to 801.6, and makes 801.7 work for it even if it does eventually kill her.

 

If you prefer to go more offensive, then DP/Time/Dark with Procs is probably he way to go.

Edited January 3, 2022 by Linea

[StriderIV]

26 minutes ago, Linea said:

I have more Dual Pistols and Katanas each, than all other power sets combined.

 

The orginal Kiski build 10+ years ago was Dual Pistols/Time, and she can solo a +4x8 ITF, toe to toe tank a 4 tower buffed Lord Recluse, solo up to 801.6, and makes 801.7 work for it even if it does eventually kill her.

 

If you prefer to go more offensive, then DP/Time/Dark with Procs is probably he way to go.

Hi Linea!

Love your Time/DP build, and used it as a base for my own. I'm thinking of Time on a Defender.... are there any other blast sets you'd recommend with Time, or that can match DP? I was looking at Rad Blast for their PBAOE goodness, seems like good synergy there. Time/DP might just be a very synergistic/optimal pairing.

[Linea]

Any really, particularly if you go high recharge near-perma souldrain.  As a general rule I recommend Fire, Ice, Water ... but paired with time, you get a lot more options, particularly if you want to proc out the build too.  Bopper and others have some really nice proc builds built on /Time.

[StriderIV]

51 minutes ago, Linea said:

Any really, particularly if you go high recharge near-perma souldrain.  As a general rule I recommend Fire, Ice, Water ... but paired with time, you get a lot more options, particularly if you want to proc out the build too.  Bopper and others have some really nice proc builds built on /Time.

I’ve run a Fire Blaster and a Water Corruptor, but I’ve never touched Ice. That could be pretty interesting to pair with time. Do you feel DP works so well with time due to the flexibility it provides with ammo swapping?

[Psyonico]

I've got a couple of Dual Pistol Defenders, it's a great set.  Most of the time I stay in incendiary ammo, but if you want extra debuffs, then the -dam in Chemical is really nice.  I'd think it would work well paired with Sonic Resonance for extra damage mitigation.

[BrandX]

Honestly, I find Dual Pistols better on Defenders, Corruptors and Sentinels, than I do Blasters.  It may just be a feeling thing, but as someone who loves Dual Pistols, I haven't found I combo I've liked with it on a Blaster.

[Drop Zone]

20 hours ago, BrandX said:

Honestly, I find Dual Pistols better on Defenders, Corruptors and Sentinels, than I do Blasters.  It may just be a feeling thing, but as someone who loves Dual Pistols, I haven't found I combo I've liked with it on a Blaster.

Dual Pistols / Martial Combat with TP Target, Combat Teleport, and Fold Space feels like the most speedster speedster I've ever played. Quick repositions for the cone, and there's something really great about Ki Push > Burst of Speed to where they're landing > Ki Push again.

[UltraAlt]

On 1/3/2022 at 1:10 AM, Redletter said:

is what're duel pistols like on a defender, and what's a complimentary primary for them? 

 

I'm a character conception player.

Dual pistols are fine on a defender.

 

If you are going to solo, I would suggest a primary set that allows you to heal yourself.

You can do that with Dark Miasma with your first power pick. The heal has a - to hit to enemy it targets.  You can take stealth powers with defense, and fear powers.

You can heal yourself Radiation Emission, and it has good defensive debuffs. They are target AoE fields that cost END to keep active.

You can heal yourself with Empathy from the get go as well, but most of the powers are related to buffing team mates. These can greatly augment the power of teams as they increase in size.

If  you feel like a Challenge from the get-go that won't have a heal, go with  Storm Summon and use knockback liberally. They can't attack when they are flying around. Snow Storm, Steamy Mist, Freezing Rain, and Hurricane. But make sure to carry a couple of breakfrees and a bunch of Respites.

 

If you just want to have fun, just make a character based on conception and just enjoy playing what that character is.

Any combination is going to work well when you understand what a set does and how to use it to augment a team.

City of Heroes was based the idea of teaming and not soloing. Group synergy can be very powerful.

 

 

[KaizenSoze]

Trick Arrow/Dual Pistols is a very strong combo. There are plenty of builds in the forum.

 

My standard warning it's a very busy build to play.

[Mezmera]

5 minutes ago, KaizenSoze said:

Trick Arrow/Dual Pistols is a very strong combo. There are plenty of builds in the forum.

 

My standard warning it's a very busy build to play.

 

I'll have to agree on this one. 

 

I was running a relentless Aeon for the special Vanguard fight like normal and it went really well for the whole team in general.  We had most of the usual things for it but it felt different and I never had the pleasure of having a TA/DP defender on the run.  The next day I went and created one and looked at all of the possible stats it brings to a fight and man no wonder the team did so well that thing is a debuffing machine.  Between my tanks capped resists/defense and that TA/DP's -dmg my tank hardly felt a tickle in this fight.  

 

I went ahead and made this my first defender and I am not disappointed.  It is a very busy set but really powerful and quite a blast to play.

[BrandX]

On 1/2/2022 at 11:10 PM, Redletter said:

It's just so stylish, guys. Is it even worth it as a defender though? Im sitting here, looking at Sonic Resonance, and duelies and everytime I pick Sonic Blast, I go "wait. this isnt nearly as stylish as jumping around like a fool, shooting peas everywhere" and I navigate back to Duel Pistols.

 

So, as a person who's only ever played Elec/Elec and Sonic/Sonic, is Duelies like, good? I used them on a /time blaster, and the set was fun but lacking something, ya know? Like, I was really squishy (at least going through Gold Side content solo) but the animations are so cool and the modeling on the pistols arent bad, and it's just like, such a dumb cool set. 

 

I digress though. I guess what Im getting at is what're duel pistols like on a defender, and what's a complimentary primary for them? 

 

The builds will be about the same, as I've done Dual Pistols/Support and Support/Dual Pistols...

 

I built for defense, so I didn't need to rely on Darkest Night when on a team.  Teams are fast moving, even when teams aren't all soft capped, but it becomes good to have in certain cases/emergencies.  Tar Patch and Twilight Grasp were my main two abilities (that wasn't  Shadow Fall/Pet) as I personally, just hated the cone of Fearsome Stare, but I'm also the type who's in the middle of the group and not at range, so that could be a difference.

 

Radiation/Dual Pistols, fun on teams where I expect to hit some hard targets.  I didn't care for it as much solo.

 

Time/Dual Pistols and Dual Pistols/Time.  Loved everything about it, but the feeling I wasn't doing enough damage.  And really, it's likely on the same level as Dark Miasma (not sure) in terms of damage (maybe not on hard targets where Dark has better -Regen).  But I love the combo, love the concept, it just doesn't do the damage I REALLY want it to do 😞

[Redletter]

10 hours ago, BrandX said:

 

Time/Dual Pistols and Dual Pistols/Time.  Loved everything about it, but the feeling I wasn't doing enough damage.  And really, it's likely on the same level as Dark Miasma (not sure) in terms of damage (maybe not on hard targets where Dark has better -Regen).  But I love the combo, love the concept, it just doesn't do the damage I REALLY want it to do 😞

That's literally the position Im in. I find that the extra damage from incendiary doesnt help abate that feeling wither, so I've gone to chem almost singularly, which is what sorta brought on my trying to see if it was worth rebuilding the character as a defender, as the bigger debuff sounds more my speed? But like, I just couldnt figure out what set to drop into the primary - I figured Sound since the -res should, in theory, make up for the difference in damage between blaster and defender. I still have time (ha) to figure things out, but this has all been pretty helpful. With Time/DP gving me actual heals and yet more debuffs. 

[Ankhammon]

On 1/3/2022 at 1:11 PM, Psyonico said:

I've got a couple of Dual Pistol Defenders, it's a great set.  Most of the time I stay in incendiary ammo, but if you want extra debuffs, then the -dam in Chemical is really nice.  I'd think it would work well paired with Sonic Resonance for extra damage mitigation.

I'm a fan of the chem rounds. the -dam is really very strong when keeping yourself or your team alive. I coupled it with Nat. Aff. for even more -dam fun and i can tell you that as long as you don't get mezzed you feel like a tank with that combo.

 

It is playing the long game, but proc's for most damage and an alternate source of +Dam (Like the tier 9 from Naff and/or soul drain) and you are near the damage cap for defenders so you feel pretty strong in battle all the way around.  You are near enough that one Damage IO will get you within like 10-25% short.

With that setup HoB fires off like a proper nuke doing like 600-650 damage (solo vs. team damage ish). Yeah, incendiary will go off for like 700 or so but I prefer the 25% -Dam.

 

Honestly, there are other setups like Time/ that can probably do more DP, but I was in the mood to see what I could do with -Dam.

[Onlyasandwich]

47 minutes ago, Ankhammon said:

It is playing the long game, but proc's for most damage and an alternate source of +Dam (Like the tier 9 from Naff and/or soul drain) and you are near the damage cap for defenders so you feel pretty strong in battle all the way around.  You are near enough that one Damage IO will get you within like 10-25% short.

With that setup HoB fires off like a proper nuke doing like 600-650 damage (solo vs. team damage ish). Yeah, incendiary will go off for like 700 or so but I prefer the 25% -Dam.

Soul Drain + heavy proc usage is indeed a joy with Dual Pistols. : D 

 

I have a Poison/DP that just dances around and has a great time. /DP has better than average procability, as the potential effects from different ammo influence what sets a power can take, yet the procs from those sets apply no matter what ammo is active.

[plainguy]

On 1/4/2022 at 2:08 PM, KaizenSoze said:

Trick Arrow/Dual Pistols is a very strong combo. There are plenty of builds in the forum.

 

My standard warning it's a very busy build to play.

I have to say anything Trick Arrow is great.. Trick Arrow is just that good and some people don't realize it. 
I have several Petless masterminds that are Trick Arrow and they are great fun to play doing 3/8 setting.  I had to create a secondary build with full pets and as you can imagine really massive. 

 

[KaizenSoze]

On 1/4/2022 at 2:30 PM, Mezmera said:

 

I'll have to agree on this one. 

 

I was running a relentless Aeon for the special Vanguard fight like normal and it went really well for the whole team in general.  We had most of the usual things for it but it felt different and I never had the pleasure of having a TA/DP defender on the run.  The next day I went and created one and looked at all of the possible stats it brings to a fight and man no wonder the team did so well that thing is a debuffing machine.  Between my tanks capped resists/defense and that TA/DP's -dmg my tank hardly felt a tickle in this fight.  

 

I went ahead and made this my first defender and I am not disappointed.  It is a very busy set but really powerful and quite a blast to play.

Just to give you more alt-ist. I have made a earth/ta controller. Lower damage, massive debuff and control. Much less busy to play.

[Mezmera]

1 hour ago, KaizenSoze said:

Just to give you more alt-ist. I have made a earth/ta controller. Lower damage, massive debuff and control. Much less busy to play.

 

Nah that's okay I found my forever debuffer toon.  

 

All those target location powers made me learn binds.  I have a blast on this one and it made me better on my easier to play characters like my permadoms...