So I just realized . . .

[golstat2003]

That Kinetics and Emp are a thing now for MMs on HC?

 

For some strange reason I never noticed that. For those who have played them on MM, how are they?

 

Back on live folks said Kin and Emp for MMs would suck. Were they right? 😛 

[The_Warpact]

1 hour ago, golstat2003 said:

That Kinetics and Emp are a thing now for MMs on HC?

 

For some strange reason I never noticed that. For those who have played them on MM, how are they?

 

Back on live folks said Kin and Emp for MMs would suck. Were they right? 😛 

Meh...like most things its either like it or hate it.

I tried a bots/emp...sorta boring constant healing. Thugs/Kin was fun but the constant respawn thugs sucked.

Probably be better on a semi or pet less MM.

[Tanooda]

I tried Zombies/Kinetic and it was fun making them zoom around at amazing speeds!

[Peacemoon]

19 hours ago, golstat2003 said:

That Kinetics and Emp are a thing now for MMs on HC?

 

For some strange reason I never noticed that. For those who have played them on MM, how are they?

 

Back on live folks said Kin and Emp for MMs would suck. Were they right? 😛 

I mean I really enjoyed my Thugs/Empathy MM. You sort of get to play as a team support character even while solo, by buffing and healing your henchmen. If that sort of thing appeals, then yes you will love it!

Edited March 5, 2022 by Peacemoon

[ZorkNemesis]

Empathy and Pain are very similar that you probably won't notice too much difference.  The later buffs are different, but the general healing components are mostly the same, without Empathy buffing your own damage when healing people/pets of course.  Fortitude and Regeneration Aura on pets is nice though, but maybe not worth dropping World of Pain?  Not really sure to be honest.

 

As for Kinetics, it's ok.  Overbuffing the pets' damage is cool and might be worth it for the higher damaging pets, but they are still pets and don't have the best numbers.  Also the big benefit of Speed Boost (the recharge) is lost on your pets since non-players cannot have their recharge boosted whatsoever.  Pets also tend to not need endurance as much as players so that and Transference tend to be less useful overall.  Kinetics has a lot more impact when you buff players instead of pets.  Probably the most helpful thing /Kin does for a MM is give your pets KB protection with Increase Density.

[KC4800]

4 hours ago, Peacemoon said:

I mean I really enjoyed my Thugs/Empathy MM. You sort of get to play as a team support character even while solo, by buffing and healing your henchmen. If that sort of thing appeals, then yes you will love it!

Same exact feeling for me with my Thugs/Emp, currently lvl 48. I took no gun attacks, but do use sands of mu occasionally or a brawl for flair. Also took taunt to get runners when they want to flee.

[Peacemoon]

26 minutes ago, KC4800 said:

Same exact feeling for me with my Thugs/Emp, currently lvl 48. I took no gun attacks, but do use sands of mu occasionally or a brawl for flair. Also took taunt to get runners when they want to flee.

 

I have one pistol attack, Dual Pistols, just because I like taking pot shots occasionally 😄

If you load it up with super enhancements and procs, then it can be quite a nice little poke attack. Especially if you remove the withdraw! 

[kelika2]

If you have other people to protect your pets, kinetics isnt a bad idea

As for empathy i personally never would.  even with perma hasten you can only keep 4 targets fortituded and thats just not enough and pets tend to die in one or two hits meaning your chances to heal them are not great

[Peacemoon]

5 hours ago, kelika2 said:

If you have other people to protect your pets, kinetics isnt a bad idea

As for empathy i personally never would.  even with perma hasten you can only keep 4 targets fortituded and thats just not enough and pets tend to die in one or two hits meaning your chances to heal them are not great

Not sure I agree with this assessment. True sometimes your tier 1 pets will get slapped dead, but healing them is very viable and rewarding. Speaking for Thugs, they did well for me, and Fortitude on Arsonist is great.

 

Plus you can mule Gang War for extra defences and resistances for your pets, and of course stack leadership with the Enforcers.

 

Of course it depends what enemy levels you’re fighting (as ever), but I found it fun. 
 

When you’re on a team you can focus more on your secondary and just let your pets protect you, as your personal bodyguards. 

[Redletter]

Hello there, I play Mercs/Emp.

 

Dont play Mercs/Emp.

 

Maybe instead, play Bots/Emp! It's not great, but it's not Mercs/Emp, so you'll be fine!

 

Emp's best features arent stellar on pets, since Pain gives many of the same things, without wasting time on things that pets dont really benefit from. For instance, World of Pain is functionally more useful than Fortitude for a MM. Anguishing Cry, and Painbringer are wonderful tools.

 

Kinetics is something I've only used on Demons so far. I definitely could have picked a better secondary, that's for sure, but I chose it for succubus flavor? And honestly, Siphon Power gets a goldstar all by itself. It's a wonderful power, and anyone that's like "ohhhhh huuurrrr u dont git no +rech speeeed 4 ur pets hurrr" aren't WRONG... but theyre also kinda neglecting both it AND the aboslutely legendary F U L C R U M    S H I F T

Like... sure, it's probably not as good as Thermal, since Forge is just Fulcrum Shift, but better, but! More damage is nice for your pets, since they love damage buffs, because uhhh... I mean... theyre already a level lower than YOU, and YOU could be a level lower (or more) than the enemies your goons are expected to scrap with? So they're at like... -2 on average. They need all the DPS they can get.

[Clave Dark 5]

I often play support, so Bots/Emp was a natural for me.  I found it easy going as I generally hate having to resummon all the time; with Emp, I didn't have to so much at all.  I've played I think four MMs to 50 now, and this felt like the least struggle build I've run.  I don't feel it's a bad choice at all.

[MTeague]

Very happy with my Beasts / Empath. 

 

When solo, I'm in Bodyguard mode 100%.  I use Crosspunch a lot, both because it's better than many MM direct attacks, and it keeps me right in melee range with my pets for Supremacy, Pet Aura IO's, Healing Aura, Leadership buffs, etc. The T1 wolves survive okay enough, the T2 lions and T3 dire wolf are my Fortitude targets when soloing. 

 

That said, this character is still levelling. I'm not doing x4+8, and probably wouldn't even try. +2x6 is a plenty good enough goal for me to shoot for once I get the character fully kitted out. Just shy of lvl 30 now, and +2x3 is challenging enough. 

 

EDIT:  I think it's the usual CoH-ism's.  I hear lots of people say "Assault Rifle sucks". Maybe so, but my blaster still dishes out tons of pain with it. Is it the most optimized blast set out there vs "endgame" content?  No.  But "it's not god-tier" does not equal "sucks", unless you embrace a completely black-and-white view of the game that I reject.

Edited March 13, 2022 by MTeague