Mastermind Newbie!

[StriderIV]

Hi all!

Thinking of taking the first dive into Mastermind life, since there doesn't seem to be any other class quite like it. MM's have always come off a bit... intimidating however. Does anyone have any tips/advice for a newbie? I was looking at Demon's/Elect Affinity, but I am open on suggestions.

 

Some questions I had:

• Are there any MM powerset suggestions that you'd recommend? Some strong pairings, or maybe ones that are easier to pilot than others?
• I've never set up key bindings. Is it something that is necessary for playing a MM and, if so, what bindings should I look into?
• Any general tips or tricks you'd give a new MM starting out.
  
  Thanks in advance all!

[Apparition]

• Mercenaries are bad.  Terribad.  Just don't do it.  As far as I am concerned, they don't exist as a primary, more as a cautionary tale.
• Unless you go with Robots, you want a secondary that can heal.  There's nothing worse than waiting around for several minutes for your pets to heal back up.
• The five best secondaries for Masterminds (IMO), are Dark, Electrical Affinity, Nature, Thermal, and Time.
• Radiation and Kinetics are both considered subpar on Masterminds because their +recharge powers don't work on your pets.  It'll make them run fast, but that's about it.
• If you go with Beasts, just be aware that they are almost entirely melee so you want a secondary that can support them in melee.
• Key bindings are not necessary (I use macros instead), but they are very helpful.  You can find them here.
• The only Hybrid Incarnate you should take is Support Core.  The rest are either broken or barely functional on Masterminds.

Edited January 31, 2022 by Apparition

[pblue]

These two threads will give you a good rundown of all the primaries and two of the strongest secondaries (Time and Dark). Taken together, they are a execellent introduction.

 

 

 

Beyond that, it's a matter of playstyle preferences.  Demons are among the strongest pets, but the way they block the entire screen annoys me.  Some people dislike zombies because they are so slow, but they are among my favourite pets. (I have five different Necro combinations at level 50).  And, despite all the bad press they get, I enjoy playing my Mercs/Force Field so much I've taken that character passed Vet level 100 without even trying.  I undestand why people might the combination underwhelming, but it works for me.

[StriderIV]

38 minutes ago, Apparition said:

• Mercenaries are bad.  Terribad.  Just don't do it.  As far as I am concerned, they don't exist as a primary, more as a cautionary tale.
• Unless you go with Robots, you want a secondary that can heal.  There's nothing worse than waiting around for several minutes for your pets to heal back up.
• The five best secondaries for Masterminds (IMO), are Dark, Electrical Affinity, Nature, Thermal, and Time.
• Radiation and Kinetics are both considered subpar on Masterminds because their +recharge powers don't work on your pets.  It'll make them run fast, but that's about it.
• If you go with Beasts, just be aware that they are almost entirely melee so you want a secondary that can support them in melee.
• Key bindings are not necessary (I use macros instead), but they are very helpful.  You can find them here.
• The only Hybrid Incarnate you should take is Support Core.  The rest are either broken or barely functional on Masterminds.

This is SUPER helpful App, thanks so much!!! Appreciate the insight on the Hybrid incarnate.  What macros do you use, if you don't mind me asking? Seems like that could be very helpful.

[PeregrineFalcon]

By the way, and I mention this because it isn't said anywhere in game, there's a thing that the retail devs called "Bodyguard Mode."

 

When your pets are set to Defensive Follow, and they're within Supremacy range, they'll take most of the incoming damage for the Mastermind.

 

When you first order your pets to attack is when you're at your most vulnerable. The MM is a low HP squishy. So a common tactic is to always travel (in the mission at least) in Bodyguard Mode and aggro the enemies or order your pets to attack and then order them right back in to Defensive Follow. Another is to create a keybind or macro that orders just 1 of your pets to Aggressive Attack and the rest all stay in Defensive Follow.

 

For obvious reasons you should almost never do anything to draw aggro if you're not in Bodyguard Mode.

[StriderIV]

3 minutes ago, PeregrineFalcon said:

By the way, and I mention this because it isn't said anywhere in game, there's a thing that the retail devs called "Bodyguard Mode."

 

When your pets are set to Defensive Follow, and they're within Supremacy range, they'll take most of the incoming damage for the Mastermind.

 

When you first order your pets to attack is when you're at your most vulnerable. The MM is a low HP squishy. So a common tactic is to always travel (in the mission at least) in Bodyguard Mode and aggro the enemies or order your pets to attack and then order them right back in to Defensive Follow. Another is to create a keybind or macro that orders just 1 of your pets to Aggressive Attack and the rest all stay in Defensive Follow.

 

For obvious reasons you should almost never do anything to draw aggro if you're not in Bodyguard Mode.

This sounds extremely helpful, and you probably just saved me from many future faceplants 😂

[TheZag]

1 hour ago, Apparition said:

The only Hybrid Incarnate you should take is Support Core.  The rest are either broken or barely functional on Masterminds

 

The chance for double hit works for the pets if you click the hybrid first and then summon the pets.  If the pets survive then the next time you click the double hit hybrid you dont have to resummon.  But changing zones or exiting a mission means you need to start the procedure from the beginning again.  Its high maintenance but good for long missions. 

[The_Warpact]

I have a demon/elec and he's a beast. This is info I sent another newbie asking the same questions.

 

Its sorta clicky, the demons are strong hands down in both dealing and taking damage.

EA compliments it with a heal, an absorb, and a +rech +end buff.

Coupled with Amp Up which boosts your Demon Prince secondary effects.

 

Faraday Cage is a fantastic +res and protects against -rech, -end, and -rec, something that the demons need because the demons run a little end heavy especially Demon Prince. Which Energizing circuit greatly boosts that hole.

 

A single target debuff in shock, and a targeted aoe debuff in discharge both of which are -regen amongst other things.

Finally, Empowering Circuit which is a +to hit and +dmg which boosts your demons already formidable arsenal. 

I have a necro/EA, demon/EA, and a thug/EA, the secondary greatly boosts these pets. 

 

I've tried /thermal on an a MM and its a great set buffs/heals/debuffs but, I prefer it on a troller. /Nature I prefer on a defender just better numbers. I've never been to terribly impressed with /beasts, I'd rather go /necro for single target/debuff/heal pets.

Well thats basically my two cents lol.

 

I always played melee and I had 1 MM on live who was my main a Bots/FF, I used to base raid and pvp with him too. I remade him on HC but I barely play him anymore. I have more MM's and troller pet heavy builds than other AT's, and only recently started to get into tankers something I would have never done on Live, but, with the recent changes to them, it makes them more viable. Well before I start writing a novel, here is my build. I am sure there are tweaks the build could use, but, it works for me. Cheers!

 

 

 

This Villain build was built using Mids Reborn 3.1.1.2
https://github.com/LoadedCamel/MidsReborn

Click this DataLink to open the build!

Duke Farad Sanguinus: Level 50 Magic Mastermind
Primary Power Set: Demon Summoning
Secondary Power Set: Electrical Affinity
Power Pool: Teleportation
Power Pool: Fighting
Power Pool: Leadership
Ancillary Pool: Mace Mastery

Villain Profile:
Level 1: Summon Demonlings -- SprMarofS-Dmg(A), SprMarofS-Dmg/EndRdx(3), SprMarofS-Acc/EndRdx(3), SlbAll-Dmg(5), SlbAll-Acc/Dmg/Rchg(5), SlbAll-Dmg/EndRdx(7)
Level 1: Shock -- PreOptmz-EndMod/Acc/Rech(A), PreOptmz-EndMod/End(7), PreOptmz-EndMod/Acc/End(9), PreOptmz-EndMod/End/Rech(29)
Level 2: Rejuvenating Circuit -- Prv-Heal(A), Prv-Heal/EndRdx(9), Prv-Heal/Rchg(11), Prv-Heal/Rchg/EndRdx(11)
Level 4: Teleport -- Jnt-EndRdx/Rng(A), Jnt-Rng(50)
Level 6: Enchant Demon -- EndRdx-I(A)
Level 8: Discharge -- PreOptmz-EndMod/End(A), PreOptmz-EndMod/Acc/End(15), PreOptmz-EndMod/Acc/Rech(17), PreOptmz-EndMod/End/Rech(17), PreOptmz-Acc/Rech(29), PreOptmz-EndMod/Rech(50)
Level 10: Energizing Circuit -- PreOptmz-EndMod/End(A), PreOptmz-EndMod/Acc/End(19), PreOptmz-EndMod/Acc/Rech(19), PreOptmz-EndMod/End/Rech(21)
Level 12: Summon Demons -- SprCmmoft-Dmg/EndRdx/Rchg(A), SprCmmoft-Acc/Dmg/Rchg(21), SprCmmoft-Acc/Dmg(23), SprCmmoft-Dmg/EndRdx(23), HO:Golgi(25), SprCmmoft-Rchg/PetAoEDef(25)
Level 14: Teleport Target -- BlsoftheZ-Travel/EndRdx(A), BlsoftheZ-ResKB(27)
Level 16: Faraday Cage -- UnbGrd-ResDam(A), UnbGrd-ResDam/EndRdx(31), UnbGrd-ResDam/EndRdx/Rchg(31), UnbGrd-Rchg/ResDam(31)
Level 18: Hell on Earth -- ExpRnf-+Res(Pets)(A), EdcoftheM-PetDef(33), CaltoArm-+Def(Pets)(33), SlbAll-Acc/Rchg(33), SvrRgh-PetResDam(34), SlbAll-Build%(34)
Level 20: Empowering Circuit -- RctRtc-ToHit/Rchg(A), RctRtc-ToHit(34)
Level 22: Boxing -- Empty(A)
Level 24: Tough -- UnbGrd-ResDam(A), UnbGrd-ResDam/EndRdx/Rchg(36), UnbGrd-ResDam/EndRdx(36), UnbGrd-Max HP%(36), GldArm-3defTpProc(37), StdPrt-ResDam/Def+(37)
Level 26: Summon Demon Prince -- SprEnt-Acc/Hold(A), SprEnt-Acc/Hold/End(37), SprEnt-Acc/Hold/End/Rchg(39), SprMarofS-Acc/Dmg/EndRdx(39), SprMarofS-Acc/Dmg(39), SprMarofS-EndRdx/+Resist/+Regen(40)
Level 28: Weave -- Rct-Def(A), Rct-Def/EndRdx/Rchg(40), Rct-Def/EndRdx(40), Rct-Def/Rchg(42), LucoftheG-Def/Rchg+(42)
Level 30: Maneuvers -- Rct-Def(A), Rct-Def/EndRdx/Rchg(42), Rct-Def/EndRdx(43), Rct-Def/Rchg(43), ShlWal-ResDam/Re TP(43)
Level 32: Abyssal Empowerment -- EndRdx-I(A)
Level 35: Insulating Circuit -- Prv-Heal(A), Prv-Heal/Rchg/EndRdx(45), Prv-Heal/EndRdx(45), Prv-Heal/Rchg(45)
Level 38: Scorpion Shield -- Rct-Def(A), Rct-Def/EndRdx(46), Rct-Def/EndRdx/Rchg(46), Rct-ResDam%(46), LucoftheG-Def/Rchg+(48)
Level 41: Amp Up -- RechRdx-I(A), RechRdx-I(48)
Level 44: Fold Space -- EndRdx-I(A), Acc-I(48)
Level 47: Team Teleport -- Tim&SpcMn-EndRdx(A), Tim&SpcMn-Rng(50)
Level 49: Assault -- EndRdx-I(A)
Level 1: Supremacy
Level 1: Brawl -- Empty(A)
Level 1: Sprint -- Empty(A)
Level 2: Rest -- Empty(A)
Level 2: Swift -- Run-I(A)
Level 2: Hurdle -- Jump-I(A)
Level 2: Health -- Pnc-Heal/+End(A), NmnCnv-Regen/Rcvry+(13), Mrc-Rcvry+(13)
Level 2: Stamina -- PrfShf-End%(A), PwrTrns-EndMod(15), PwrTrns-+Heal(27)
Level 50: Support Core Embodiment
Level 50: Agility Core Paragon
Level 1: Cold Demonling
Level 26: Demon Prince
Level 12: Ember Demon
Level 1: Fiery Demonling
Level 1: Hellfire Demonling
Level 12: Hellfire Gargoyle
------------
------------
Set Bonus Totals:

• 4% DamageBuff(Smashing)
• 4% DamageBuff(Lethal)
• 4% DamageBuff(Fire)
• 4% DamageBuff(Cold)
• 4% DamageBuff(Energy)
• 4% DamageBuff(Negative)
• 4% DamageBuff(Toxic)
• 4% DamageBuff(Psionic)
• 10% Defense
• 11% Defense(Smashing)
• 11% Defense(Lethal)
• 6% Defense(Fire)
• 6% Defense(Cold)
• 8.5% Defense(Energy)
• 8.5% Defense(Negative)
• 6% Defense(Psionic)
• 13.19% Defense(Melee)
• 11% Defense(Ranged)
• 21% Defense(AoE)
• 5.4% Max End
• 5% Enhancement(Max EnduranceDiscount)
• +48.75% Enhancement(RechargeTime)
• +30% Enhancement(Accuracy)
• 219.9 HP (27.38%) HitPoints
• Knockback (Mag -4)
• Knockup (Mag -4)
• MezResist(Confused) 82.5%
• MezResist(Held) 82.5%
• MezResist(Immobilized) 82.5%
• MezResist(Sleep) 82.5%
• MezResist(Stunned) 82.5%
• MezResist(Terrorized) 82.5%
• MezResist(Teleport) 100% (20% chance)
• 200% (6.69 HP/sec) Regeneration
• 15% ResEffect(SpeedFlying)
• 15% ResEffect(RechargeTime)
• 15% ResEffect(SpeedRunning)
• 52% Resistance(Smashing)
• 52% Resistance(Lethal)
• 64% Resistance(Fire)
• 64% Resistance(Cold)
• 47.5% Resistance(Energy)
• 47.5% Resistance(Negative)
• 58% Resistance(Toxic)
• 58% Resistance(Psionic)

 

There are 2 ways to dismiss pets.

/macro BYE petcomall dismiss

/macro REL releasepets

 

Have some fun complaining about teammates. 

/Macro wht "team WHAT DO WE WANT?$$petsay_all <em protest>

/macro dmg "petsay_all MORE DAMAGE!$$emote drat"

/macro tnk "petsay_all BETTER TANKS!$$emote frustrated"

/macro sup "petsay_all COMPETENT SUPPORT!$$emote grief"

 

Magic Trick

/macro ALK "emote alakazamreact$$petsay_all <em alakazamreact>

 

Dance time!

/macro getfunky "petsay all <em dance>"

 

 

I use variations of these for summoning my pets without having to click a location. This plops them out 15 feet in front of me.

/macro T1 powexec_location me:15 Summon Demonlings

/macro T2 powexec_location me:15 Summon Demons

/macro T3 powexec_location me:15 Summon Demon Prince

You just change the "Summon Demonlings" to what ever tier ACTUAL spell name is for the pet. for example Mercs t1 /macro T1 powexec_location me:15 Soldiers

For rerouting my pets to a particuliar location to make it easy.

/bind CTRL+LBUTTON petcom_all goto

 

Goto specific spot and attack.

/macro ATK "petcom_all aggressive$$petcom_all goto"

 

Goto specific spot and defend.
/macro DEF "petcom_all defensive$$petcom_all goto"

 

Body Guard Mode (Pets will take a portion of your damage when you.
/macro GRD "petcom_all defensive$$petcom_all follow"

 

 

Hope this helps.

 

 

 

[Apparition]

6 minutes ago, TheZag said:

 

The chance for double hit works for the pets if you click the hybrid first and then summon the pets.  If the pets survive then the next time you click the double hit hybrid you dont have to resummon.  But changing zones or exiting a mission means you need to start the procedure from the beginning again.  Its high maintenance but good for long missions. 

 

Yeah, Assault is what I meant by “barely functional.”  It’s annoying and requires frequently dismissing and resummoning pets.  Meanwhile, the Melee Hybrids don’t work on pets at all as far as I could tell.

[Neiska]

Hello @StriderIV and welcome to Masterminding! Above are all excellent posts but there are a few important things I don't think have been mentioned yet.

 

1. Personal attacks/end cost - Masterminds have infamously bad attacks, both in terms of damage and END cost. A few stand out for loading up with procs, but even the best of them are pretty blah for damage when compared to high damage ATs. Also we have higher END costs as well.

 

2. From the "build philosophy" perspective, MMs are in a unique spot. A tanker is always going to tank, a blaster is always going to blast, but MMs can be built in all sorts of ways. Perhaps more than any other AT, your Primary + Secondary powers will greatly affect your playstyle, even with the same pet types. Here's an example of what I mean -

 

A Robots/Forcefield build would be pretty durable, but also very passive/hands free.

But a Robots/Time build would also be pretty durable, but be more active.

A Robots/Traps is still one of the kings of solo play, able to take down the biggest things possible to solo.

You could even do something off the wall like a Robots/Trick Arrow, combined with Group fly, for an entirely flying/ranged build setup, as robots are all ranged, they will hover back and pewpewpew their lazers.

 

This is just an example of how its more than what pet types you pick. You really can build a MM to do just about anything, from Tankerminding, to Full Support, to a Debuffer, so something like /storm thats really its own category.

 

3. You can make almost any pet and power pick work, but here are a few noteworthys that stand out as good pairings from the sets I have played so far -

 

Robots - Robots are a ranged, defense pet set. They pair well with Electrical, Time, Traps, Cold, and Forcefield. The upside to them is they have the strongest AoE damage out of all the pets, and since they are one of the only all ranged attacks, you can abuse group fly with them. They also come with some self repair/healing,  and come with -500 regen built into the T3 robot. The downside to robots is they sort of put all their eggs in one basket, meaning they are fairly weak until level 32. Almost 80% of a robot MMs damage comes from their T3 pet missile attack, which leaves large fire patches. I main Robot MMs, and my advice is you will get much more mileage out of them if you stand in your own robots patches of fire and make things come to you, or use fold space to pull them into it. Also keep in mind out of the "top 3" pet types, Robots have the best AoE, but the worst ST. My favorite Robot MM is Robotics/Electric.

 

Demons - Demons are a mixed bag, in terms of attack and damage types. They have a bit of everything - slashing, fire, cold, a few cones, and an aura. They have strong single target damage, but a bit blah AoE damage. They are a resist pet set and have good resists buffs for themselves, you, and team members. They also have Hell on Earth which is a big +hit/damage buff that can also spawn temporary little pets that help. Demons pair well with Electrical, Dark, Time, Thermal, Nature, and Storm. The downsides of demons is they are very noisy that some people dislike. Another downside is they have almost entire melee attacks. A few ranged abilities are there, but they aren't much to write home about. They also have no self healing, so its a good idea to pick a secondary with some healing. Lastly out of the "top 3" pet types, they have the best ST, but the worst AoE. Of note is Demon Resist buffs do stack on everything. My best Demon was my Demon/Electric, as it just stacks so much healing/absorb/resists/status immunities, reaching near tanker levels of durability.

 

Thugs - Thugs are an overall "balanced" pet type, that come with 2 sets of their own leadership toggles. These only affect themselves, not you, other team mates, or even other pet types. But it will affect other Thug MM pets. They are a mix of ranged and melee, with a good all around feel to them. They have Gang War which is very similar to Hell on Earth, but it summons Pose and doesn't have the +to hit/damage buff that the latter has. The downside to Thugs is I found them the most awkward to control, because they are so varied. Some stay in close range to you, and others will run off. Your thug whose your main source of damage attracks huge amounts of aggro, and can and will die, often. Still, they have the middle road of DPS, being good in both ST and AoE, while being bad at neither. My favorite Thugs MM is Thugs/Time.

 

4. Tips, tricks, and tools. Here's a quick list of tips and tricks that is good for every mastermind to Know.

 

Bonfire - Bonfire from Blaze Mastery Epic Pool, is fantastic to use as a CC ability, especially with a set like Robots. You just drop your bonfire atop of your T3's fire patches and watch things flop around and be trapped in it. You can also slot it for damage procs too.

 

Damage procs - Some pets can slot damage procs, and yes it does benefit them! This varies from pet to pet, but a pet with a +chance to proc damage will do noticably more damage.

 

Soulbound Buildup - I consider this enhancement a must have, but "where" to slot it varies pet type to pet type. On my Robots I put it into my T3, since hes 80% of your damage anyway. But on Demons it might be better off to slot it into your T2 pets, namely the hellfire gargoyle.

 

Enflame - In case you were unaware, Enflame is a semi-toggle now, and its FANTASTIC on a set like Demons. It acts sort as a quasi damage aura, that you have to click once every 30 seconds. So you can put this on your pet of choice and it will do AoE damage. This is fantastic if you select that same Demon for your Hell on Earth Buff, becuase Enflame's tics have chances to make the little hellspawns. If you go with demons, I strongly urge you to consider adding Enflame into your build.

 

Fold Space - A great tool for Robot masterminds as you can pull entire spawns right where you need them to be. Its also fun to use with group fly as you more or less yank things to you and drop them from the sky right into stacked fire patches.

 

Power Boost - It is highly recommended to go Mace Mastery if you make a /Time Mastermind, because Powerboost affects both Farsight (your defense buff) as well as Chrono (your big regen/recharge buff.) I don't have numbers in front of me this second but its something like a 80% boost in effectiveness.

 

Burnout - If you take Thugs or Demons, I recommend fitting burnout into your build. This is because you can pop Hell on Earth/Gangwar, then use Burnout, and use them again immediately. Burnout has a very long cooldown, but its fantastic to use with those two pet sets.

 

Inspirations - not everyone knows but you can use inspirations on your pets! You just drag and drop them onto your pets heath bar in the pet window, and so long as you are in range your pet will benefit. You can give them green healing, or red candy to boost their damage, even +defense/resist ones. You just have to be in close range to do so.

 

Dance emotes - for the humanoid pets - Robots, Demons, Thugs, Undead, Mercs, etc you can use the /em petsayall_dance command and make them all dance, do backflips, hold torches, so on. Not all of the pets can do all emotes, but a good many of them will. You can even make macros for them and put on a little show if you wanted to.

 

Aggro - one VERY important thing to know about MMs is your pets have their own aggro tables. This is both a blessing, and a curse. Each pet can fight up to 6 (I think?) mobs on their own. Unlike other ATs where the mobs will just walk by and ignore you if you are at the aggro cap, a MM will have to be fighting much much more in order for that to happen. Heres the math -

 

12 mobs (the mastermind themselves) + 18 (the 3 t1 pets) + 12 (the t2 pets) + 6 (the t3 pet) = 48 mobs at a time, in theory. It's actually hard to tell exactly how much a pet can aggro at once, and there is no hard data on it as far as I know. (and I've looked.)

 

So what does this all mean? Well, it means you can get over whelmed easily and wiped out if you engage in too many spawns at a time. Though if you are farming this is a boon later on, for solo play the majority of builds cant handle that. So if you are new to masterminding, just be aware of this increased target capacity.

 

Sorry for the long post! Just wanted to cover some things that hasn't been mentioned yet. And Welcome to Masterminding!

Edited January 31, 2022 by Neiska
Spelling!

[Apparition]

FWIW, IIRC the developers are itching to kill the Farsight + Power Boost combination with fire at some point, so I wouldn't make that the sole decision to go with Mace Mastery although Scorpion Shield is very worthwhile.

 

Also, I forgot to mention and it hasn't been brought up yet: If you go Robots, you probably want to slot the tier one and tier three pets with KB to KD IO enhancements, unless you like seeing your Robots blast mobs out of your fire patches.

[StriderIV]

2 hours ago, The_Warpact said:

I have a demon/elec and he's a beast. This is info I sent another newbie asking the same questions.

 

Its sorta clicky, the demons are strong hands down in both dealing and taking damage.

EA compliments it with a heal, an absorb, and a +rech +end buff.

Coupled with Amp Up which boosts your Demon Prince secondary effects.

 

Faraday Cage is a fantastic +res and protects against -rech, -end, and -rec, something that the demons need because the demons run a little end heavy especially Demon Prince. Which Energizing circuit greatly boosts that hole.

 

A single target debuff in shock, and a targeted aoe debuff in discharge both of which are -regen amongst other things.

Finally, Empowering Circuit which is a +to hit and +dmg which boosts your demons already formidable arsenal. 

I have a necro/EA, demon/EA, and a thug/EA, the secondary greatly boosts these pets. 

 

I've tried /thermal on an a MM and its a great set buffs/heals/debuffs but, I prefer it on a troller. /Nature I prefer on a defender just better numbers. I've never been to terribly impressed with /beasts, I'd rather go /necro for single target/debuff/heal pets.

Well thats basically my two cents lol.

 

I always played melee and I had 1 MM on live who was my main a Bots/FF, I used to base raid and pvp with him too. I remade him on HC but I barely play him anymore. I have more MM's and troller pet heavy builds than other AT's, and only recently started to get into tankers something I would have never done on Live, but, with the recent changes to them, it makes them more viable. Well before I start writing a novel, here is my build. I am sure there are tweaks the build could use, but, it works for me. Cheers!

 

 

 

This Villain build was built using Mids Reborn 3.1.1.2
https://github.com/LoadedCamel/MidsReborn

Click this DataLink to open the build!

Duke Farad Sanguinus: Level 50 Magic Mastermind
Primary Power Set: Demon Summoning
Secondary Power Set: Electrical Affinity
Power Pool: Teleportation
Power Pool: Fighting
Power Pool: Leadership
Ancillary Pool: Mace Mastery

Villain Profile:
Level 1: Summon Demonlings -- SprMarofS-Dmg(A), SprMarofS-Dmg/EndRdx(3), SprMarofS-Acc/EndRdx(3), SlbAll-Dmg(5), SlbAll-Acc/Dmg/Rchg(5), SlbAll-Dmg/EndRdx(7)
Level 1: Shock -- PreOptmz-EndMod/Acc/Rech(A), PreOptmz-EndMod/End(7), PreOptmz-EndMod/Acc/End(9), PreOptmz-EndMod/End/Rech(29)
Level 2: Rejuvenating Circuit -- Prv-Heal(A), Prv-Heal/EndRdx(9), Prv-Heal/Rchg(11), Prv-Heal/Rchg/EndRdx(11)
Level 4: Teleport -- Jnt-EndRdx/Rng(A), Jnt-Rng(50)
Level 6: Enchant Demon -- EndRdx-I(A)
Level 8: Discharge -- PreOptmz-EndMod/End(A), PreOptmz-EndMod/Acc/End(15), PreOptmz-EndMod/Acc/Rech(17), PreOptmz-EndMod/End/Rech(17), PreOptmz-Acc/Rech(29), PreOptmz-EndMod/Rech(50)
Level 10: Energizing Circuit -- PreOptmz-EndMod/End(A), PreOptmz-EndMod/Acc/End(19), PreOptmz-EndMod/Acc/Rech(19), PreOptmz-EndMod/End/Rech(21)
Level 12: Summon Demons -- SprCmmoft-Dmg/EndRdx/Rchg(A), SprCmmoft-Acc/Dmg/Rchg(21), SprCmmoft-Acc/Dmg(23), SprCmmoft-Dmg/EndRdx(23), HO:Golgi(25), SprCmmoft-Rchg/PetAoEDef(25)
Level 14: Teleport Target -- BlsoftheZ-Travel/EndRdx(A), BlsoftheZ-ResKB(27)
Level 16: Faraday Cage -- UnbGrd-ResDam(A), UnbGrd-ResDam/EndRdx(31), UnbGrd-ResDam/EndRdx/Rchg(31), UnbGrd-Rchg/ResDam(31)
Level 18: Hell on Earth -- ExpRnf-+Res(Pets)(A), EdcoftheM-PetDef(33), CaltoArm-+Def(Pets)(33), SlbAll-Acc/Rchg(33), SvrRgh-PetResDam(34), SlbAll-Build%(34)
Level 20: Empowering Circuit -- RctRtc-ToHit/Rchg(A), RctRtc-ToHit(34)
Level 22: Boxing -- Empty(A)
Level 24: Tough -- UnbGrd-ResDam(A), UnbGrd-ResDam/EndRdx/Rchg(36), UnbGrd-ResDam/EndRdx(36), UnbGrd-Max HP%(36), GldArm-3defTpProc(37), StdPrt-ResDam/Def+(37)
Level 26: Summon Demon Prince -- SprEnt-Acc/Hold(A), SprEnt-Acc/Hold/End(37), SprEnt-Acc/Hold/End/Rchg(39), SprMarofS-Acc/Dmg/EndRdx(39), SprMarofS-Acc/Dmg(39), SprMarofS-EndRdx/+Resist/+Regen(40)
Level 28: Weave -- Rct-Def(A), Rct-Def/EndRdx/Rchg(40), Rct-Def/EndRdx(40), Rct-Def/Rchg(42), LucoftheG-Def/Rchg+(42)
Level 30: Maneuvers -- Rct-Def(A), Rct-Def/EndRdx/Rchg(42), Rct-Def/EndRdx(43), Rct-Def/Rchg(43), ShlWal-ResDam/Re TP(43)
Level 32: Abyssal Empowerment -- EndRdx-I(A)
Level 35: Insulating Circuit -- Prv-Heal(A), Prv-Heal/Rchg/EndRdx(45), Prv-Heal/EndRdx(45), Prv-Heal/Rchg(45)
Level 38: Scorpion Shield -- Rct-Def(A), Rct-Def/EndRdx(46), Rct-Def/EndRdx/Rchg(46), Rct-ResDam%(46), LucoftheG-Def/Rchg+(48)
Level 41: Amp Up -- RechRdx-I(A), RechRdx-I(48)
Level 44: Fold Space -- EndRdx-I(A), Acc-I(48)
Level 47: Team Teleport -- Tim&SpcMn-EndRdx(A), Tim&SpcMn-Rng(50)
Level 49: Assault -- EndRdx-I(A)
Level 1: Supremacy
Level 1: Brawl -- Empty(A)
Level 1: Sprint -- Empty(A)
Level 2: Rest -- Empty(A)
Level 2: Swift -- Run-I(A)
Level 2: Hurdle -- Jump-I(A)
Level 2: Health -- Pnc-Heal/+End(A), NmnCnv-Regen/Rcvry+(13), Mrc-Rcvry+(13)
Level 2: Stamina -- PrfShf-End%(A), PwrTrns-EndMod(15), PwrTrns-+Heal(27)
Level 50: Support Core Embodiment
Level 50: Agility Core Paragon
Level 1: Cold Demonling
Level 26: Demon Prince
Level 12: Ember Demon
Level 1: Fiery Demonling
Level 1: Hellfire Demonling
Level 12: Hellfire Gargoyle
------------
------------
Set Bonus Totals:

• 4% DamageBuff(Smashing)
• 4% DamageBuff(Lethal)
• 4% DamageBuff(Fire)
• 4% DamageBuff(Cold)
• 4% DamageBuff(Energy)
• 4% DamageBuff(Negative)
• 4% DamageBuff(Toxic)
• 4% DamageBuff(Psionic)
• 10% Defense
• 11% Defense(Smashing)
• 11% Defense(Lethal)
• 6% Defense(Fire)
• 6% Defense(Cold)
• 8.5% Defense(Energy)
• 8.5% Defense(Negative)
• 6% Defense(Psionic)
• 13.19% Defense(Melee)
• 11% Defense(Ranged)
• 21% Defense(AoE)
• 5.4% Max End
• 5% Enhancement(Max EnduranceDiscount)
• +48.75% Enhancement(RechargeTime)
• +30% Enhancement(Accuracy)
• 219.9 HP (27.38%) HitPoints
• Knockback (Mag -4)
• Knockup (Mag -4)
• MezResist(Confused) 82.5%
• MezResist(Held) 82.5%
• MezResist(Immobilized) 82.5%
• MezResist(Sleep) 82.5%
• MezResist(Stunned) 82.5%
• MezResist(Terrorized) 82.5%
• MezResist(Teleport) 100% (20% chance)
• 200% (6.69 HP/sec) Regeneration
• 15% ResEffect(SpeedFlying)
• 15% ResEffect(RechargeTime)
• 15% ResEffect(SpeedRunning)
• 52% Resistance(Smashing)
• 52% Resistance(Lethal)
• 64% Resistance(Fire)
• 64% Resistance(Cold)
• 47.5% Resistance(Energy)
• 47.5% Resistance(Negative)
• 58% Resistance(Toxic)
• 58% Resistance(Psionic)

 

There are 2 ways to dismiss pets.

/macro BYE petcomall dismiss

/macro REL releasepets

 

Have some fun complaining about teammates. 

/Macro wht "team WHAT DO WE WANT?$$petsay_all <em protest>

/macro dmg "petsay_all MORE DAMAGE!$$emote drat"

/macro tnk "petsay_all BETTER TANKS!$$emote frustrated"

/macro sup "petsay_all COMPETENT SUPPORT!$$emote grief"

 

Magic Trick

/macro ALK "emote alakazamreact$$petsay_all <em alakazamreact>

 

Dance time!

/macro getfunky "petsay all <em dance>"

 

 

I use variations of these for summoning my pets without having to click a location. This plops them out 15 feet in front of me.

/macro T1 powexec_location me:15 Summon Demonlings

/macro T2 powexec_location me:15 Summon Demons

/macro T3 powexec_location me:15 Summon Demon Prince

You just change the "Summon Demonlings" to what ever tier ACTUAL spell name is for the pet. for example Mercs t1 /macro T1 powexec_location me:15 Soldiers

For rerouting my pets to a particuliar location to make it easy.

/bind CTRL+LBUTTON petcom_all goto

 

Goto specific spot and attack.

/macro ATK "petcom_all aggressive$$petcom_all goto"

 

Goto specific spot and defend.
/macro DEF "petcom_all defensive$$petcom_all goto"

 

Body Guard Mode (Pets will take a portion of your damage when you.
/macro GRD "petcom_all defensive$$petcom_all follow"

 

 

Hope this helps.

 

 

 

You’re a champion War, I appreciate this! /Elec stood out to me for the status protection it provides. Necro, Demons and Ninjas were the primaries I was most interested in.

[The_Warpact]

17 minutes ago, StriderIV said:

You’re a champion War, I appreciate this! /Elec stood out to me for the status protection it provides. Necro, Demons and Ninjas were the primaries I was most interested in.

I also have a Necro/Electric, its my Dr. Frankenstein build. Just could never get into ninjas, although I do have a Merc/Traps MM which I think makes a solid team toon.

GL in your endeavors. 

[StriderIV]

1 hour ago, Neiska said:

Hello @StriderIV and welcome to Masterminding! Above are all excellent posts but there are a few important things I don't think have been mentioned yet.

 

1. Personal attacks/end cost - Masterminds have infamously bad attacks, both in terms of damage and END cost. A few stand out for loading up with procs, but even the best of them are pretty blah for damage when compared to high damage ATs. Also we have higher END costs as well.

 

2. From the "build philosophy" perspective, MMs are in a unique spot. A tanker is always going to tank, a blaster is always going to blast, but MMs can be built in all sorts of ways. Perhaps more than any other AT, your Primary + Secondary powers will greatly affect your playstyle, even with the same pet types. Here's an example of what I mean -

 

A Robots/Forcefield build would be pretty durable, but also very passive/hands free.

But a Robots/Time build would also be pretty durable, but be more active.

A Robots/Traps is still one of the kings of solo play, able to take down the biggest things possible to solo.

You could even do something off the wall like a Robots/Trick Arrow, combined with Group fly, for an entirely flying/ranged build setup, as robots are all ranged, they will hover back and pewpewpew their lazers.

 

This is just an example of how its more than what pet types you pick. You really can build a MM to do just about anything, from Tankerminding, to Full Support, to a Debuffer, so something like /storm thats really its own category.

 

3. You can make almost any pet and power pick work, but here are a few noteworthys that stand out as good pairings from the sets I have played so far -

 

Robots - Robots are a ranged, defense pet set. They pair well with Electrical, Time, Traps, Cold, and Forcefield. The upside to them is they have the strongest AoE damage out of all the pets, and since they are one of the only all ranged attacks, you can abuse group fly with them. They also come with some self repair/healing,  and come with -500 regen built into the T3 robot. The downside to robots is they sort of put all their eggs in one basket, meaning they are fairly weak until level 32. Almost 80% of a robot MMs damage comes from their T3 pet missile attack, which leaves large fire patches. I main Robot MMs, and my advice is you will get much more mileage out of them if you stand in your own robots patches of fire and make things come to you, or use fold space to pull them into it. Also keep in mind out of the "top 3" pet types, Robots have the best AoE, but the worst ST. My favorite Robot MM is Robotics/Electric.

 

Demons - Demons are a mixed bag, in terms of attack and damage types. They have a bit of everything - slashing, fire, cold, a few cones, and an aura. They have strong single target damage, but a bit blah AoE damage. They are a resist pet set and have good resists buffs for themselves, you, and team members. They also have Hell on Earth which is a big +hit/damage buff that can also spawn temporary little pets that help. Demons pair well with Electrical, Dark, Time, Thermal, Nature, and Storm. The downsides of demons is they are very noisy that some people dislike. Another downside is they have almost entire melee attacks. A few ranged abilities are there, but they aren't much to write home about. They also have no self healing, so its a good idea to pick a secondary with some healing. Lastly out of the "top 3" pet types, they have the best ST, but the worst AoE. Of note is Demon Resist buffs do stack on everything. My best Demon was my Demon/Electric, as it just stacks so much healing/absorb/resists/status immunities, reaching near tanker levels of durability.

 

Thugs - Thugs are an overall "balanced" pet type, that come with 2 sets of their own leadership toggles. These only affect themselves, not you, other team mates, or even other pet types. But it will affect other Thug MM pets. They are a mix of ranged and melee, with a good all around feel to them. They have Gang War which is very similar to Hell on Earth, but it summons Pose and doesn't have the +to hit/damage buff that the latter has. The downside to Thugs is I found them the most awkward to control, because they are so varied. Some stay in close range to you, and others will run off. Your thug whose your main source of damage attracks huge amounts of aggro, and can and will die, often. Still, they have the middle road of DPS, being good in both ST and AoE, while being bad at neither. My favorite Thugs MM is Thugs/Time.

 

4. Tips, tricks, and tools. Here's a quick list of tips and tricks that is good for every mastermind to Know.

 

Bonfire - Bonfire from Blaze Mastery Epic Pool, is fantastic to use as a CC ability, especially with a set like Robots. You just drop your bonfire atop of your T3's fire patches and watch things flop around and be trapped in it. You can also slot it for damage procs too.

 

Damage procs - Some pets can slot damage procs, and yes it does benefit them! This varies from pet to pet, but a pet with a +chance to proc damage will do noticably more damage.

 

Soulbound Buildup - I consider this enhancement a must have, but "where" to slot it varies pet type to pet type. On my Robots I put it into my T3, since hes 80% of your damage anyway. But on Demons it might be better off to slot it into your T2 pets, namely the hellfire gargoyle.

 

Enflame - In case you were unaware, Enflame is a semi-toggle now, and its FANTASTIC on a set like Demons. It acts sort as a quasi damage aura, that you have to click once every 30 seconds. So you can put this on your pet of choice and it will do AoE damage. This is fantastic if you select that same Demon for your Hell on Earth Buff, becuase Enflame's tics have chances to make the little hellspawns. If you go with demons, I strongly urge you to consider adding Enflame into your build.

 

Fold Space - A great tool for Robot masterminds as you can pull entire spawns right where you need them to be. Its also fun to use with group fly as you more or less yank things to you and drop them from the sky right into stacked fire patches.

 

Power Boost - It is highly recommended to go Mace Mastery if you make a /Time Mastermind, because Powerboost affects both Farsight (your defense buff) as well as Chrono (your big regen/recharge buff.) I don't have numbers in front of me this second but its something like a 80% boost in effectiveness.

 

Burnout - If you take Thugs or Demons, I recommend fitting burnout into your build. This is because you can pop Hell on Earth/Gangwar, then use Burnout, and use them again immediately. Burnout has a very long cooldown, but its fantastic to use with those two pet sets.

 

Inspirations - not everyone knows but you can use inspirations on your pets! You just drag and drop them onto your pets heath bar in the pet window, and so long as you are in range your pet will benefit. You can give them green healing, or red candy to boost their damage, even +defense/resist ones. You just have to be in close range to do so.

 

Dance emotes - for the humanoid pets - Robots, Demons, Thugs, Undead, Mercs, etc you can use the /em petsayall_dance command and make them all dance, do backflips, hold torches, so on. Not all of the pets can do all emotes, but a good many of them will. You can even make macros for them and put on a little show if you wanted to.

 

Aggro - one VERY important thing to know about MMs is your pets have their own aggro tables. This is both a blessing, and a curse. Each pet can fight up to 6 (I think?) mobs on their own. Unlike other ATs where the mobs will just walk by and ignore you if you are at the aggro cap, a MM will have to be fighting much much more in order for that to happen. Heres the math -

 

12 mobs (the mastermind themselves) + 18 (the 3 t1 pets) + 12 (the t2 pets) + 6 (the t3 pet) = 48 mobs at a time, in theory. It's actually hard to tell exactly how much a pet can aggro at once, and there is no hard data on it as far as I know. (and I've looked.)

 

So what does this all mean? Well, it means you can get over whelmed easily and wiped out if you engage in too many spawns at a time. Though if you are farming this is a boon later on, for solo play the majority of builds cant handle that. So if you are new to masterminding, just be aware of this increased target capacity.

 

Sorry for the long post! Just wanted to cover some things that hasn't been mentioned yet. And Welcome to Masterminding!

This is a WEALTH of info and I appreciate it so much. You got me even more excited!!!

[StriderIV]

9 minutes ago, The_Warpact said:

I also have a Necro/Electric, its my Dr. Frankenstein build. Just could never get into ninjas, although I do have a Merc/Traps MM which I think makes a solid team toon.

GL in your endeavors. 

Haha wow that is an awesome thematic toon 😂😂😂

[Neiska]

46 minutes ago, StriderIV said:

This is a WEALTH of info and I appreciate it so much. You got me even more excited!!!

 

No problem, but here are a few more things that I forgot to mention -

 

Pet commands - Here's what I recommend for the easiest pet commands, with no macros involved. First on your pets window, swap to "advanced widow", if done correctly you should see your buttons change. Then have 3 rows of trays, which you can then drag your pet commands to, just like they were powers. Personally I go like this -

Tray 1 (bottom tray) - My t1 pet commands, then tray 2 (middle) my t2 commands, then t3 commands for tray 3. Its fairly simple. Here's a picture so you can see how I have it setup.

 

 

So on the far right of all my trays, you can see they all have defend and follow commands. Then along the bottom I have "all follow", "all defend", and "all attack target". So its really just a few mouse clicks to control your pets, individually if you wanted to. I know some Masterminds like the numberpad macros, but I use my numberpad for other things, and I just found the tray commands to be easier for me.

 

Another thing I forgot to mention is Incarnates -

 

First off, when unlocking your first Incarnate power, get your t3 power level shift ASAP, because it does affect pets, making them all effectively +1 level. This is very important for your pets combat roles. For example, your t1 pets are your level -3, so if you are fighting enemies at +4/8, then to your T1 pets they are effectively at a 7 level disadvantage. Suffice to say, this level shift is a massive powerup to MMs just because how the level interactions work out.

 

Alpha slot - nearly every MM I know uses Muscled alpha, for the 45% damage boost that does affect pets. Some MMs might use other alphas, if you are focused on support or debuff roles perhaps, but for 9/10 builds I would say muscled is your best bet. 

 

Destiny - this is largely personal choice, but if you are having end issues I suggest ageless, as not all secondaries have END tools. If END isn't a concern, I would go barrier.

 

Interface - yes, your pets can proc this. You can pretty much assume whichever interface you select will be stacked. Some go for -max hps, others go for -resists. I tend to opt for -max hps myself as its not an effect to get elsewhere. But a special mention goes out to the incarnate with -tohit, because it does stack if you are playing a /dark MM, making your -tohit debuffs even more potent, and 90% of builds take one of the other two.

 

Judgement - your choice here! I usually go Ion, or go for theme. Though the mighty with knockup can buy your pets breathing room too if you need another way to help your pets out.

 

Lore - Personal choice, but I perfer Longbow or Banished. Banished is the most DPS, technically, but I also like longbow for theme with my robotics MM, and they benefit from group fly as well, being an all ranged lore pet, which Banished isn't.

 

Hybrid - Support with the bonus to pets option is my suggestion. Its almost as good as Assualt but much easier to use. But as mentioned before you can Use Assualt, then pop pets, and they will benifit from further uses of assualt, at least until they die or you move maps. Personally I found that method a bit clunky to make worthwhile, especially if you move fast and change maps often. Support is fire and forget, with no clonky mechanics to fuss about.

 

I'll add more if I think of anything!

 

 

[Apparition]

19 hours ago, StriderIV said:

This is SUPER helpful App, thanks so much!!! Appreciate the insight on the Hybrid incarnate.  What macros do you use, if you don't mind me asking? Seems like that could be very helpful.

 

 

 

 

I keep that power tray vertical on the right hand side of my screen.  In addition to the three standard Mastermind macros -

 

/macro AD "petcom_all Attack Defensive"
/macro FD "petcom_all Follow Defensive"
/macro GA "petcom_all GoTo Aggressive"
/macro GD "petcom_all GoTo Defensive"
/macro SA "petcom_all Stay Aggressive"
/macro SD "petcom_all Stay Defensive"
/macro Bye "petcom_all Dismiss"

 

The ones you'll use most are AD, FD, and the Heel macros.  If you want to pull, use GA to send your pets somewhere, wait a few seconds and let them aggro everything in the area, and then use Heel to bring your pets and the mobs back to you.  When your pets come back to you, use AD.  GD can do the same thing as GA, just not as well IMO.  SA is great for mothership raids.  Park your pets in the mothership bowl, use SA, and let them go to town on Rikti.  There's so many buffs flying all over that bodyguard mode isn't really needed.

[Black_Assassin]

If you have a keyboard with a numpad, you can also just bind everything to the numpad instead of having clickable macros.

 

I only have the 1 MM which is a necro/dark. Necro isnt the best DPS since the T3 Lich is more a control vs a damage pet, but it is a very safe inevitable steamroll combo. 

 

Its also pretty darn cool from a thematic sense as you can live out the full Mannimarco fantasy of an army of darkness. 

 

This is my build

 

Spoiler

This Villain build was built using Mids Reborn 3.1.0.10
https://github.com/LoadedCamel/MidsReborn

Click this DataLink to open the build!

Level 50 Natural Mastermind
Primary Power Set: Necromancy
Secondary Power Set: Dark Miasma
Power Pool: Speed
Power Pool: Leaping
Power Pool: Leadership
Power Pool: Presence
Ancillary Pool: Soul Mastery

Villain Profile:
Level 1: Zombie Horde -- SprMarofS-Dmg/EndRdx(A), SprMarofS-Acc/EndRdx(3), ExpRnf-+Res(Pets)(3), SvrRgh-PetResDam(5), EdcoftheM-PetDef(5), OvrFrc-Dam/KB(7)
Level 1: Twilight Grasp -- TchoftheN-Acc/Heal(A), TchoftheN-%Dam(7), ThfofEss-+End%(9), HO:Golgi(9), HO:Golgi(11)
Level 2: Tar Patch -- EndRdx-I(A)
Level 4: Darkest Night -- DarWtcDsp-ToHitDeb/EndRdx(A), DmpSpr-ToHitDeb/EndRdx(13)
Level 6: Enchant Undead -- EndRdx-I(A)
Level 8: Hasten -- RechRdx-I(A), RechRdx-I(15)
Level 10: Howling Twilight -- RechRdx-I(A), RechRdx-I(15)
Level 12: Grave Knight -- SlbAll-Build%(A), AchHee-ResDeb%(17), TchofLadG-%Dam(17), ShlBrk-%Dam(19), SprMarofS-Acc/Dmg/EndRdx(19), SprMarofS-Acc/Dmg(21)
Level 14: Super Speed -- BlsoftheZ-ResKB(A)
Level 16: Shadow Fall -- LucoftheG-Def/Rchg+(A), LucoftheG-Def(21), LucoftheG-Def/EndRdx(23), ShlWal-ResDam/Re TP(23), StdPrt-ResDam/Def+(25), GldArm-3defTpProc(25)
Level 18: Soul Extraction -- SprMarofS-Dmg(A), SprMarofS-EndRdx/+Resist/+Regen(27), SlbAll-Dmg/Rchg(27), SprCmmoft-Rchg/PetAoEDef(29), CaltoArm-+Def(Pets)(29), RechRdx-I(31)
Level 20: Fearsome Stare -- CldSns-Acc/ToHitDeb(A), CldSns-Acc/EndRdx/Rchg(31), CldSns-Acc/Rchg(31), CldSns-ToHitDeb/EndRdx/Rchg(33)
Level 22: Life Drain -- HO:Golgi(A), HO:Golgi(33), ThfofEss-+End%(33), TchoftheN-%Dam(34), EntChs-Heal%(34), GldJvl-Dam%(34)
Level 24: Combat Jumping -- LucoftheG-Def/Rchg+(A), Ksm-ToHit+(36)
Level 26: Lich -- SprCmmoft-Acc/Dmg(A), SprCmmoft-Dmg/EndRdx(36), SprCmmoft-Acc/Dmg/Rchg(36), SprCmmoft-Acc/Dmg/EndRdx/Rchg(37), CldSns-%Dam(37)
Level 28: Petrifying Gaze -- GhsWdwEmb-Acc/EndRdx(A), GldNet-Dam%(37), EssofCrr-Acc/EndRdx(39), GhsWdwEmb-Dam%(39), NrnSht-Dam%(39), UnbCns-Dam%(40)
Level 30: Maneuvers -- LucoftheG-Def/Rchg+(A), LucoftheG-Def(40), LucoftheG-Def/EndRdx(40)
Level 32: Dark Empowerment -- EndRdx-I(A)
Level 35: Dark Embrace -- UnbGrd-ResDam(A), UnbGrd-ResDam/EndRdx(42), UnbGrd-EndRdx/Rchg(42), UnbGrd-Max HP%(42)
Level 38: Dark Servant -- CldSns-Acc/ToHitDeb(A), CldSns-ToHitDeb(43), CldSns-ToHitDeb/EndRdx/Rchg(43), CldSns-%Dam(43), TchoftheN-Acc/Heal(45), TchoftheN-Heal(45)
Level 41: Gloom -- Apc-Dmg/Rchg(A), Apc-Dam%(45), Apc-Acc/Dmg/Rchg(46), Apc-Acc/Rchg(46), Apc-Dmg/EndRdx(46)
Level 44: Provoke -- PrfZng-Taunt/Rchg(A), PrfZng-Taunt/Rng(48), PrfZng-Taunt/Rchg/Rng(48), PrfZng-Acc/Rchg(48)
Level 47: Tactics -- AdjTrg-ToHit/EndRdx(A), GssSynFr--ToHit/EndRdx(50), GssSynFr--Build%(50)
Level 49: Assault -- EndRdx-I(A)
Level 1: Supremacy 
Level 1: Brawl -- Empty(A)
Level 1: Sprint -- UnbLea-Stlth(A)
Level 2: Rest -- Empty(A)
Level 2: Swift -- Run-I(A)
Level 2: Hurdle -- Jump-I(A)
Level 2: Health -- Pnc-Heal/+End(A), Mrc-Rcvry+(11), NmnCnv-Regen/Rcvry+(50)
Level 2: Stamina -- PrfShf-End%(A), PrfShf-EndMod(13)
Level 50: Intuition Radial Paragon 
Level 1: Zombie 
Level 26: Grave Knight 
Level 12: Lich 
Level 14: Speed Phase 
------------

 

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		|-------------------------------------------------------------------|

 

[FlammeFatale]

On 2/1/2022 at 3:36 AM, Neiska said:

nterface - yes, your pets can proc this. You can pretty much assume whichever interface you select will be stacked. Some go for -max hps, others go for -resists. I tend to opt for -max hps myself as its not an effect to get elsewhere. But a special mention goes out to the incarnate with -tohit, because it does stack if you are playing a /dark MM, making your -tohit debuffs even more potent, and 90% of builds take one of the other two.

 

This is excellent general advice. But I would like to mention the spectral interface, which does wonders for some builds like my Beast/Dark/Soul MM.

The immob proc helps to keep mobs in one place and avoid runners:

 

- beast are melee, when they chase they lose dps. Immob = more dps.

- less runners = less aggroing other groups.

- tar patch, darkest night, oppressive gloom but also most other powers benefit from tightly clustered mobs

 

I like immobs so much on my MM that in addition to Spectral, I also use soul tentacles a lot and am I happy when fluffy adds its own.

 

 

[PLVRIZR]

Mastermind was the first "new" AT I did, when CoV debuted.  I remade my Necro/Dark Miasma (Lich-ilicious) on HC, and he's still a blast, even with basic IOs and a few targeted uniques.  I will say, my Thugs/Dark (THUGSRUS), with the same basic slotting, does more damage (and less debuffing), so as many have said before, it's all what you want to contribute....

[Redletter]

On 1/31/2022 at 11:41 AM, StriderIV said:

Hi all!

Thinking of taking the first dive into Mastermind life, since there doesn't seem to be any other class quite like it. MM's have always come off a bit... intimidating however. Does anyone have any tips/advice for a newbie? I was looking at Demon's/Elect Affinity, but I am open on suggestions.

 

Before we begin, please understand. The people who made the Mastermind class weren't... they weren't well. They made a class that plays the game for you, and that's wonderful, a truly blessed class that lets you really engage with the game by teaching you how to play a support without needing other players to suffer your growing pains. It's an inspired class, that has some of the best gameplay in the game despite YOU not really being as much an active participant in the same way a Tanker or a Blaster is.

 

However... this invited a plague on their minds, a stain on their souls. They... the Mastermind... it has a dark secret. A curse, really. It lives, like a tumor, in the character creation. I will proceed to answer your questions as best I can, and will address this at the end. But. Please. For the love of yourself. Heed my final words, for they may be your only chance at avoiding certain doom...

 

On 1/31/2022 at 11:41 AM, StriderIV said:

Some questions I had:

• Are there any MM powerset suggestions that you'd recommend? Some strong pairings, or maybe ones that are easier to pilot than others?

 

• Beasts

I would say Beasts are the most fun to play, since the pets do a good job of keeping baddies occupied with THEM. They have respectible AoEs, they do ok damage, they have a fun mechanic, and you get     S U M M O N     B I R D S which is nice. The MAIN problem is that the Pet enhancement enhancements almost unilaterally have a "passive" in them, rather than most IO sets that have a proc. These passives only effect YOUR pets, and the AoE passive effect is 40ft. That means, for beasts, you WILL be roleplaying an overworked dog walker, chasing after dogs that chase after mailmen. The models for them are fun though, they are indeed puppers and kitties aplenty. The main problem is finding a concept that works. Many suggest Beasts/Nature, and it's hard not to agree. I also recommend Beasts/Sonic, if you dont want to be a healer, but still want to help your pets in a meaningful way.

 

• Demons

Demons are, to me, the most stylish of the sets. Demon MMs are the *ONLY* player class in the game that gets access to the fire whip. This, initself, is reason enough to play them (and why this MM is often played 'petless'. Apparently, from what I learned, it was made as a preorder bonus to Going Rogue. CoX's "pay to be super fucking cool" shines through her, as Demons are no better or worse mechanically than any other primary... But... you do get the whip, which is the only way to get the whip, so if you want to whip out the whip, you gotta get the whip, which means you gotta play Demons. One of the benefits I'd say they have over other sets though is they tend to deal fire, ice, or energy damage. This means they dont deal more heavily resisted damages like Smashing or Lethal. My problem with them is that theyre hard to work with from an aesthetic perspective. Zombies, Thugs, Mercs, Robots, and even the cursed one have a multitude of ways to play into your character, but demons are... demons. It's very hard to work any non-magic ideas into them. If that's important to you, you may have difficulties. For Demons, I recommend Radiation for the healthy mix of damage buffs, enemy debuffs, and healing.

 

• Necromancy

 

Zombies are my soft spot. My first MM on live was a necromind, because I survived a zombie apocolypse and said "I wanna DO that" then was quite sad to learn your zombie summoning isnt even a fraction of that. Personal feelings aside, zombies have a healthy mix of melee and ranged attacks. What's nice about Zombies is that the FIRST pets you get, are pets that remain fairly powerful and useful for the lifetime of your character, like, they're actually pets youll notice putting in work from level 1 to level 50, for me most tier 1 pets fade into the background of "ok yeah theyre here, I guess". I have a Necro/Sonic MM, but, I'd say Necro/Dark or Necro/Poison is a much better way to go. Go for Necro/Dark if you want to double up on your control with your Lich, go for poison if you dont mind the Lich doing all the CC work.

 

• Ninja

 

Ninjas are in a weird spot. I tried to play them as not a naruto gameplay fantasy... but it wasnt fun... and I fucking HATE Naruto. So I was shocked when I was like 'ok but what if I try a dumb ninja wizard or whatever' and wouldnt you know it, I had a blast. I digress though. Ninjas can crit... which is nice, but, also sometimes their A.I is very challenged. Giving them BOTH a ranged and a melee attack means that sometimes your ninjas will JUST hang out, throwing shurikens, or running away to throw shurikens, when you'd REALLY like them to run up and kick somebody... and viceversa. They also arent the most durable bunch, so your secondary set needs to find a way around that. Popular consensus is Ninja/Dark or Ninja/Time. I personally did Ninja/Trick Arrow my first time through, since the *NOT* archery arrow sets are some of my favorites. That wasnt as fun for me though, despite loving Trick Arrow. What was fun though, was Ninja/Storm. I don't know why, but playing the fucking Hokage was way more fun than playing Shredder for me.

 

• Robots

 

What can really be said about robots that hasnt been said already? Theyre many peoples first MM, theyve got the best AoE DPS for their class in the game, and theyre really tanky. They work with just about anything, and everything you'd think would be fun on them, is. Trick Arrow, Force Field, Traps, Elec. Affinity... it all works, it's all great. I have a Robots/Trap guy and he's great. The ONE thing I'd recomend though is setting up a custom powers for putting your bots into agro mode, defense mode, or to wait passively at a targeted location, since traps kinda require you to play MUCH differently? And having the ability on demand to say "go here and dont attack anybody until they attack you or me", "go here and attack people the second they come into range", and "go there and dont do a damn thing", can be the difference between life and death.

 

• Thugs

 

Last but certainly not least is the humble thug. Thugs do a lot, and they do it well. They have a lot single target damage, and the fact the tier 3 goon is TOTALLY different from the rest of your gang in terms of what role he fills makes for a good introduction to giving different commands to your pets. Like, the Bruiser is a baby brute you can call in to knock heads, while your other goons drown the enemy in gun fire. I find they REALLY like control secondaries. Time, Storm, Trap and Trick Arrow come to mind. For me, I have a Thugs/Traps and a Thugs/Trick Arrow who I love equally, but for different reasons. Trick Arrow is a lot of fun, and synergizes really well with thugs due to the pyro's tendency to ignite your oil slick arrows, which means YOU dont need to ignite them yourself. Traps however, is a lot of fun, especially for me. Roleplaying as a magnificient bastard is a lot of fun, and having the big red button is also really nice...

 

On 1/31/2022 at 11:41 AM, StriderIV said:

• I've never set up key bindings. Is it something that is necessary for playing a MM and, if so, what bindings should I look into?

It depends really. I mentioned a couple instance above where you may want them, and they ones I mentioned are generally the only ones I'd say make your life easier, but no - you'd never need them. Although, setting things up so you can talk and emote through your pets is imperative, and if you fail to do so, GM Impervium will steal, quite literally, all of your jelly beans. Don't test him, I've seen him do it.

On 1/31/2022 at 11:41 AM, StriderIV said:

• Any general tips or tricks you'd give a new MM starting out

It's a very different, very freeing character. Early levels are nice, since your pets are remarkably tough customers who can handle most things within a few levels of yourself. Like, DONT be scared to turn up your difficulty for more XP. Normally I wouldnt suggest that, sincw that has mixed results based purely on builds and people's disposition. However, pets are tough enough that I can handle +1x3 and still have fun.

 

Also! This is important and I'm not sure if it's mentioned anywhere, but you can use inspirations on your pets. Just drag the inspiration onto a pet's name. This is normally meaningless outside of reds or greens, but you should know that you can do this - and you should do this. If you play your cards right, you'll never need much MORE than reds and greens.

On 1/31/2022 at 11:41 AM, StriderIV said:

• Thanks in advance all!

 

Dont thank me yet, there's still... The Curse...

 

You see... I mentioned six primaries when I broke them down. However... there is a seventh. A cursed thing, a wretched, disatrous blight upon the class. It is a thing all masterminds fear, a visceral, heart wrenching dread and disgust overwhelms them when it is mentioned, and knowledge of this seventh primary alone is thought to drive men mad, littleown it's inner workings. To my knowledge, I am one of the few who has gazed into this fetid abyss, of the two I know of? One is a GM to this wonderful game, and the other a foolish seeker of wisdom, not unlike yourself...

 

Be warned. What follows is classified as a cognito hazard in 8 countries. Now is the time to turn back, if sanity is something you value, or, even possess...

 

Spoiler

Mercenaries

 

Mercs are, perhaps, the single worst powerset in this entire game. While most people agree that ultimately, any powerset is viable and that you should prioritize your personal enjoyent over any ideas of "metas" or "viability" from a mechanical benefit, they due so in ignorance, as they will never mention, nor defend, Mercs...

 

Mercs are so bad, the game they were made in died, was resurrected, and brand-new content has been made for this resurrected iteration of the dead game, before they've seen any improvement.

 

Mercs are so bad, that you'll struggle to see success at -1/0

 

Mercs are so bad, every person who so desperately wants the game to be more difficult, refuses to play them. They say 'I just want the game to be a little harder, but I don't hate myself.'

 

At this point, Mercs are bad because they need to be bad. The game won't function if mercs are good. I have this on good authority; God.

 

I will break them down, since you have already damned yourself by exposing yourself to this knowledge.

 

Mercs, on the surface, seem to excel at Single Target damage, AoE control, and Debuffs. Theyre a ranged group, like robots, and enjoy (prefer) to keep as far away from combat as possible. Like several other Mastermind primaries, the third member of the tier 1 summons is a slightly different summon, this time it's a Medic. He gets a heal, and later he gets a CC heal, and he gets a frag grenade. The other tier 1s get lots of gunfire, and they even get a cone. Spec Ops get various control grenades, the first of which is Web which helps keep enemies locked down, which seems to be the focus of the powerset, to give you a taste of what Malta and more aptly, Nemesis squads tend to do. If the Bruiser from Thugs is a brute on-demand, then the Commando is an assault rifle sentinel, who gets the rocket launcher from the blaster epic power pool.

 

That's all nice... theoretically. But this doesnt get past the theory stage, because even on paper the entire enterprise falls apart. The medic's heal? Maxes out at 157, on a 20 second cooldown. Those grenades te spec ops get? 30 second minimum on web grenade, and it only gets worse for the ones they get from your equipment powers. The soldiers get a cone, and that's a 5ft cone. It's functionally a single target attack, the size is so small. That rocket launcher? Despite dealing only 76 damge per cast, it's got a 4minute cooldown, and a whopping 15ft radius.

 

There is quite literally nothing redeeming about this powerset, besides the aesthetics of having minions that appear to be armed professionals. There is no secondary, in the entire game, that could make them any better. Most MMs who have walked this cursed path unironically wisely choose Time, in an attempt to use the most powerful support toolbox an MM has to somehow salvage a primary that the character may actually, genuinely, be better without.

 

Please understand. There is no exaggeration, no hyperbole, when people talk about how bad the powerset is. Its existence is antithetical to good design. Only choose this set if you, for some god forsaken reason, want to experience phenomenal suffering and/or want to make a mercenary commander of some kind and dont actually care if you can, or cant, complete content on your own.

[kiramon]

6 hours ago, Redletter said:

• Necromancy

, because I survived a zombie apocolypse and said "I wanna DO that"

 

 

How much cooler would a Zombie-swarm power have been than Gang War T__________T

 

[Nyghtmaire]

19 minutes ago, kiramon said:

 

How much cooler would a Zombie-swarm power have been than Gang War T__________T

 

THIS, a million times. I daydream that the Carrion Creepers mechanic could be used (grasping zombies rising out of the ground).

[kiramon]

1 hour ago, Nyghtmaire said:

THIS, a million times. I daydream that the Carrion Creepers mechanic could be used (grasping zombies rising out of the ground).

And just think it fits so perfectly with the control-ness of necro/ 

[StriderIV]

13 hours ago, Redletter said:

 

Before we begin, please understand. The people who made the Mastermind class weren't... they weren't well. They made a class that plays the game for you, and that's wonderful, a truly blessed class that lets you really engage with the game by teaching you how to play a support without needing other players to suffer your growing pains. It's an inspired class, that has some of the best gameplay in the game despite YOU not really being as much an active participant in the same way a Tanker or a Blaster is.

 

However... this invited a plague on their minds, a stain on their souls. They... the Mastermind... it has a dark secret. A curse, really. It lives, like a tumor, in the character creation. I will proceed to answer your questions as best I can, and will address this at the end. But. Please. For the love of yourself. Heed my final words, for they may be your only chance at avoiding certain doom...

 

 

• Beasts

I would say Beasts are the most fun to play, since the pets do a good job of keeping baddies occupied with THEM. They have respectible AoEs, they do ok damage, they have a fun mechanic, and you get     S U M M O N     B I R D S which is nice. The MAIN problem is that the Pet enhancement enhancements almost unilaterally have a "passive" in them, rather than most IO sets that have a proc. These passives only effect YOUR pets, and the AoE passive effect is 40ft. That means, for beasts, you WILL be roleplaying an overworked dog walker, chasing after dogs that chase after mailmen. The models for them are fun though, they are indeed puppers and kitties aplenty. The main problem is finding a concept that works. Many suggest Beasts/Nature, and it's hard not to agree. I also recommend Beasts/Sonic, if you dont want to be a healer, but still want to help your pets in a meaningful way.

 

• Demons

Demons are, to me, the most stylish of the sets. Demon MMs are the *ONLY* player class in the game that gets access to the fire whip. This, initself, is reason enough to play them (and why this MM is often played 'petless'. Apparently, from what I learned, it was made as a preorder bonus to Going Rogue. CoX's "pay to be super fucking cool" shines through her, as Demons are no better or worse mechanically than any other primary... But... you do get the whip, which is the only way to get the whip, so if you want to whip out the whip, you gotta get the whip, which means you gotta play Demons. One of the benefits I'd say they have over other sets though is they tend to deal fire, ice, or energy damage. This means they dont deal more heavily resisted damages like Smashing or Lethal. My problem with them is that theyre hard to work with from an aesthetic perspective. Zombies, Thugs, Mercs, Robots, and even the cursed one have a multitude of ways to play into your character, but demons are... demons. It's very hard to work any non-magic ideas into them. If that's important to you, you may have difficulties. For Demons, I recommend Radiation for the healthy mix of damage buffs, enemy debuffs, and healing.

 

• Necromancy

 

Zombies are my soft spot. My first MM on live was a necromind, because I survived a zombie apocolypse and said "I wanna DO that" then was quite sad to learn your zombie summoning isnt even a fraction of that. Personal feelings aside, zombies have a healthy mix of melee and ranged attacks. What's nice about Zombies is that the FIRST pets you get, are pets that remain fairly powerful and useful for the lifetime of your character, like, they're actually pets youll notice putting in work from level 1 to level 50, for me most tier 1 pets fade into the background of "ok yeah theyre here, I guess". I have a Necro/Sonic MM, but, I'd say Necro/Dark or Necro/Poison is a much better way to go. Go for Necro/Dark if you want to double up on your control with your Lich, go for poison if you dont mind the Lich doing all the CC work.

 

• Ninja

 

Ninjas are in a weird spot. I tried to play them as not a naruto gameplay fantasy... but it wasnt fun... and I fucking HATE Naruto. So I was shocked when I was like 'ok but what if I try a dumb ninja wizard or whatever' and wouldnt you know it, I had a blast. I digress though. Ninjas can crit... which is nice, but, also sometimes their A.I is very challenged. Giving them BOTH a ranged and a melee attack means that sometimes your ninjas will JUST hang out, throwing shurikens, or running away to throw shurikens, when you'd REALLY like them to run up and kick somebody... and viceversa. They also arent the most durable bunch, so your secondary set needs to find a way around that. Popular consensus is Ninja/Dark or Ninja/Time. I personally did Ninja/Trick Arrow my first time through, since the *NOT* archery arrow sets are some of my favorites. That wasnt as fun for me though, despite loving Trick Arrow. What was fun though, was Ninja/Storm. I don't know why, but playing the fucking Hokage was way more fun than playing Shredder for me.

 

• Robots

 

What can really be said about robots that hasnt been said already? Theyre many peoples first MM, theyve got the best AoE DPS for their class in the game, and theyre really tanky. They work with just about anything, and everything you'd think would be fun on them, is. Trick Arrow, Force Field, Traps, Elec. Affinity... it all works, it's all great. I have a Robots/Trap guy and he's great. The ONE thing I'd recomend though is setting up a custom powers for putting your bots into agro mode, defense mode, or to wait passively at a targeted location, since traps kinda require you to play MUCH differently? And having the ability on demand to say "go here and dont attack anybody until they attack you or me", "go here and attack people the second they come into range", and "go there and dont do a damn thing", can be the difference between life and death.

 

• Thugs

 

Last but certainly not least is the humble thug. Thugs do a lot, and they do it well. They have a lot single target damage, and the fact the tier 3 goon is TOTALLY different from the rest of your gang in terms of what role he fills makes for a good introduction to giving different commands to your pets. Like, the Bruiser is a baby brute you can call in to knock heads, while your other goons drown the enemy in gun fire. I find they REALLY like control secondaries. Time, Storm, Trap and Trick Arrow come to mind. For me, I have a Thugs/Traps and a Thugs/Trick Arrow who I love equally, but for different reasons. Trick Arrow is a lot of fun, and synergizes really well with thugs due to the pyro's tendency to ignite your oil slick arrows, which means YOU dont need to ignite them yourself. Traps however, is a lot of fun, especially for me. Roleplaying as a magnificient bastard is a lot of fun, and having the big red button is also really nice...

 

It depends really. I mentioned a couple instance above where you may want them, and they ones I mentioned are generally the only ones I'd say make your life easier, but no - you'd never need them. Although, setting things up so you can talk and emote through your pets is imperative, and if you fail to do so, GM Impervium will steal, quite literally, all of your jelly beans. Don't test him, I've seen him do it.

It's a very different, very freeing character. Early levels are nice, since your pets are remarkably tough customers who can handle most things within a few levels of yourself. Like, DONT be scared to turn up your difficulty for more XP. Normally I wouldnt suggest that, sincw that has mixed results based purely on builds and people's disposition. However, pets are tough enough that I can handle +1x3 and still have fun.

 

Also! This is important and I'm not sure if it's mentioned anywhere, but you can use inspirations on your pets. Just drag the inspiration onto a pet's name. This is normally meaningless outside of reds or greens, but you should know that you can do this - and you should do this. If you play your cards right, you'll never need much MORE than reds and greens.

 

Dont thank me yet, there's still... The Curse...

 

You see... I mentioned six primaries when I broke them down. However... there is a seventh. A cursed thing, a wretched, disatrous blight upon the class. It is a thing all masterminds fear, a visceral, heart wrenching dread and disgust overwhelms them when it is mentioned, and knowledge of this seventh primary alone is thought to drive men mad, littleown it's inner workings. To my knowledge, I am one of the few who has gazed into this fetid abyss, of the two I know of? One is a GM to this wonderful game, and the other a foolish seeker of wisdom, not unlike yourself...

 

Be warned. What follows is classified as a cognito hazard in 8 countries. Now is the time to turn back, if sanity is something you value, or, even possess...

 

  Reveal hidden contents

Mercenaries

 

Mercs are, perhaps, the single worst powerset in this entire game. While most people agree that ultimately, any powerset is viable and that you should prioritize your personal enjoyent over any ideas of "metas" or "viability" from a mechanical benefit, they due so in ignorance, as they will never mention, nor defend, Mercs...

 

Mercs are so bad, the game they were made in died, was resurrected, and brand-new content has been made for this resurrected iteration of the dead game, before they've seen any improvement.

 

Mercs are so bad, that you'll struggle to see success at -1/0

 

Mercs are so bad, every person who so desperately wants the game to be more difficult, refuses to play them. They say 'I just want the game to be a little harder, but I don't hate myself.'

 

At this point, Mercs are bad because they need to be bad. The game won't function if mercs are good. I have this on good authority; God.

 

I will break them down, since you have already damned yourself by exposing yourself to this knowledge.

 

Mercs, on the surface, seem to excel at Single Target damage, AoE control, and Debuffs. Theyre a ranged group, like robots, and enjoy (prefer) to keep as far away from combat as possible. Like several other Mastermind primaries, the third member of the tier 1 summons is a slightly different summon, this time it's a Medic. He gets a heal, and later he gets a CC heal, and he gets a frag grenade. The other tier 1s get lots of gunfire, and they even get a cone. Spec Ops get various control grenades, the first of which is Web which helps keep enemies locked down, which seems to be the focus of the powerset, to give you a taste of what Malta and more aptly, Nemesis squads tend to do. If the Bruiser from Thugs is a brute on-demand, then the Commando is an assault rifle sentinel, who gets the rocket launcher from the blaster epic power pool.

 

That's all nice... theoretically. But this doesnt get past the theory stage, because even on paper the entire enterprise falls apart. The medic's heal? Maxes out at 157, on a 20 second cooldown. Those grenades te spec ops get? 30 second minimum on web grenade, and it only gets worse for the ones they get from your equipment powers. The soldiers get a cone, and that's a 5ft cone. It's functionally a single target attack, the size is so small. That rocket launcher? Despite dealing only 76 damge per cast, it's got a 4minute cooldown, and a whopping 15ft radius.

 

There is quite literally nothing redeeming about this powerset, besides the aesthetics of having minions that appear to be armed professionals. There is no secondary, in the entire game, that could make them any better. Most MMs who have walked this cursed path unironically wisely choose Time, in an attempt to use the most powerful support toolbox an MM has to somehow salvage a primary that the character may actually, genuinely, be better without.

 

Please understand. There is no exaggeration, no hyperbole, when people talk about how bad the powerset is. Its existence is antithetical to good design. Only choose this set if you, for some god forsaken reason, want to experience phenomenal suffering and/or want to make a mercenary commander of some kind and dont actually care if you can, or cant, complete content on your own.

*IMMEDIATELY ROLES A MERC MASTERMIND*
 

😂😂😂 just playing my friend! It is hard for me to express how much I enjoyed this post, thank you! Very helpful.