No enhancements build challenge?

[SunSetSam]

I had a weird idea, which archetype and primary and secondary powersets would it be possible (best) to go to 50 without being power leveled, that uses no enhancements at all. It would be a challenge to play but would it be possible and if so, which would be best? Solo of course. 

Edited March 30, 2022 by SunSetSam

[Without_Pause]

Are we to assume solo because on a team it would be nearly any although a ranged character would better? I still think a blaster is best since you at least have the high damage to start with. You lack mitigation as a default so that's less impacted. Maybe a Scrapper or Stalker since those are also high damage but with mez protection although melee. Sents would also work as well. Damage output wouldn't be great though.

Edited March 30, 2022 by Without_Pause

[SunSetSam]

Perhaps a fire/regen sentinel.

[Shred Monkey]

My first thought was Mastermind, because I don't know that they benefit as much from enhancements (maybe?).  Since no build is going to be particularly strong, I think its really easy to point out flaws with any choice, so this is hard.

 

Maybe a brute so you at least get some damage going.   I have some experience with katana/willpower brute as being very solid at low levels before using enhancements due to having endurance boosts, divine avalanche to boost defense, and fury filled attacks.

[aethereal]

It's very easy for me to build without enchantments.  In fact, I'd go so far as to say I've never used enchantments in CoH at all.

 

Enhancements are a different story.

[PLVRIZR]

Without Endurance Reduction and Endurance Modification enhancements, anything with toggles would be (practically) untenable, barring inherent powers that aid endurance.  So...what Arch/Pri/Sec has the fewest toggles and/or has built-in endurance management?

[PLVRIZR]

1 minute ago, aethereal said:

It's very easy for me to build without enchantments.  In fact, I'd go so far as to say I've never used enchantments in CoH at all.

 

Enhancements are a different story.

 

Magical response.

[Jiro Ito]

I'd recommend something with a -def component to it such as radiation blast as it's going to be hard to hit anything without some accuracy boost.

 

[SunSetSam]

Trying a rad/regen sent.

[Doomguide2005]

Earth/Storm would be my choice

• -defense debuff auto hit patches (QS)
• Those patches can be used from behind/around cover.
• Storm has more -def and -resist patches (FR)
• Auto hitting Tornado
• Pet

I wouldn't care to try it at +4/×8, but thinking +0/×8 would be relatively fast even when compared to an IO'd build (though obviously slower) and the real obstacle to speed would be endurance usage for which there's base empowerment buffs and p2w solutions, Accolades and Day Job buffs for additional support in both Endurance and Recharge.

 

Another solid choice would involve Traps I'm thinking.  Illusion/Traps perhaps.  Wouldn't set any speed records but Traps can lend itself to be a very patient set up and ambush playstyle.

Edited March 30, 2022 by Doomguide2005
Add Ill/Traps thoughts

[Luminara]

2 hours ago, SunSetSam said:

I had a weird idea, which archetype and primary and secondary powersets would it be possible (best) to go to 50 without being power leveled, that uses no enhancements at all. It would be a challenge to play but would it be possible and if so, which would be best? Solo of course. 

 

Anything with Kinetics.  Kinetics will buff your damage and recharge, it has an endurance refill power and a heal, so all you'd need is Tactics to bring your hit chance up to snuff.  Stick to default difficulty and Kinetics can carry you through the entire game with no enhancements of any kind.

[Yomo Kimyata]

Radiation Emission would be nice too, with no accuracy issues.

 

[Doomguide2005]

3 minutes ago, Luminara said:

 

Anything with Kinetics.  Kinetics will buff your damage and recharge, it has an endurance refill power and a heal, so all you'd need is Tactics to bring your hit chance up to snuff.  Stick to default difficulty and Kinetics can carry you through the entire game with no enhancements of any kind.

Agreed

Earth/Kinetics should wreck.  One soft spot is your Kin wants to be in close and that's where mez protection comes into play.  Amplifier, Sorcery pool helps there as well as Rocky's strong taunt.

[Luminara]

4 minutes ago, Doomguide2005 said:

Agreed

Earth/Kinetics should wreck.  One soft spot is your Kin wants to be in close and that's where mez protection comes into play.  Amplifier, Sorcery pool helps there as well as Rocky's strong taunt.

 

I'd go with Gravity.  Wormhole brings the spawns to you and Stuns everything below bosses, so you can take full advantage of Kinetics' tool kit without (much) hazard of being mezzed.  Top it off with Stone Mastery for Fissure (stack those Stuns and get some AoE damage in the bargain) and Seismic Smash (instant boss disabler).  And at low levels, with Kinetics buffing your recharge, you can machine gun Propel.

[The_Warpact]

I already did this on live when I was broke all the time. Now that I have 3 farmers, never will I go back to those days NEVER!!!!!😁

[DougGraves]

I would avoid kinetics.  I needs to hit for everything.  A low accuracy is terrible for kinetics.

 

I would go with stalker.  Hide works without enhancements and can be their main defense.  They have a power-up power that boosts accuracy and damage.  So with assassin's strike you can take out a spawn the way stalkers were intended to work.

 

I would take ninja blade for the -def on foes and the +def on self.  

 

Willpower for the +rec and rise to the challenge gives foes -def

 

----

 

Then I remembered VEATS.  A widow or soldier using stealth, with multiple options to get +to hit with training.

[Snarky]

I think the main issue you will face, particularly after level 10 is ..... you won't hit nothing.  Or not reliably.  So some random Lt becomes harder to kill than a Boss currently because it effectively has +Bazinga levels of Defense (your unenhanced powers and no accuracy)

 

Take you favorite characters and run a few Oroboros missions with "No enhancements"  It will not be pretty.

[oedipus_tex]

Trick Arrow can function with minimal slotting, although passing up that sweet proc damage on Ice Arrow and Acid Arrow pains me. Still, it can be done:

• Flash Arrow, Glue Arrow, and Disruption Arrow are all autohit
• -Damage in PG Arrow is also autohit
• The debuffs in Oil Slick Arrow are autohit (not the damage from lit slicks though)

 

Most of these powers don't  have demanding Recharges and are reasonably perma out of the box.

 

 

It's hard to pick a second set with these requirements. If I was for some reason really committed to this I'd probably pick something with good damage numbers out of the gate, like Ice or Fire Blast.

Edited March 31, 2022 by oedipus_tex

[SunSetSam]

 Trying out 6 different chars. all are between 6-10 now, all doing ok, btw I am doing hard core, if they die I start over with that char, so far no deaths. Most of the ideas come from this topic but a couple are my own ideas. So far so good albeit, a bit slow.

[ZorkNemesis]

No enhancements leads to some frustrsting gameplay.  Low accuracy is a pain, end runs dry fast, and all sorts of other problems.

 

To cover the main problems of accuracy and endurance, I suggest a Blaster.  Particurally either /Devices, /Tac or /Earth.  Blaster secondaries can help cover the endurance troubles in general, but these three also offer toggle ToHit buffs (Targeting Drone, Eagle Eye, and Beryl Crystals) to help cover the lower accuracy.  But then you need a hard hitting primary that won't suffer as much with half damage or slower recharge.  Maybe Fire, Ice, or Water.

 

Thinking about it, a Water/TA Blaster might be one of the better choices for a no enhancement play.  It will still suck but ot can be managable with TA's support.

[Pyriold]

Btw. it should be pretty easy to check if *your* toon can survive no enhancements. Just make a second build.

[Snarky]

8 minutes ago, Pyriold said:

Btw. it should be pretty easy to check if *your* toon can survive no enhancements. Just make a second build.

or run an orou arc using "no enhancements"

[srmalloy]

17 hours ago, aethereal said:

It's very easy for me to build without enchantments.  In fact, I'd go so far as to say I've never used enchantments in CoH at all.

So... no Magic origin characters, then?    😁

[archgemini24]

17 hours ago, PLVRIZR said:

Without Endurance Reduction and Endurance Modification enhancements, anything with toggles would be (practically) untenable, barring inherent powers that aid endurance.  So...what Arch/Pri/Sec has the fewest toggles and/or has built-in endurance management?

 

Katana/Regen Scrapper or Brute? Only 1 toggle (Integration, and it helps boost Regen), Quick Recovery and Moment of Glory. Defense Debuffing in Katana to help keep hitting things, then the Defense in Divine Avalance and knocks in Soaring Dragon and Golden Dragonfly the help with slowing down incoming damage?

[Without_Pause]

16 hours ago, Doomguide2005 said:

Earth/Storm would be my choice

• -defense debuff auto hit patches (QS)
• Those patches can be used from behind/around cover.
• Storm has more -def and -resist patches (FR)
• Auto hitting Tornado
• Pet

I wouldn't care to try it at +4/×8, but thinking +0/×8 would be relatively fast even when compared to an IO'd build (though obviously slower) and the real obstacle to speed would be endurance usage for which there's base empowerment buffs and p2w solutions, Accolades and Day Job buffs for additional support in both Endurance and Recharge.

 

Another solid choice would involve Traps I'm thinking.  Illusion/Traps perhaps.  Wouldn't set any speed records but Traps can lend itself to be a very patient set up and ambush playstyle.

One of the happiest to hit 50 characters I have done was a Plant/storm since I knew I could use the alpha to fix end issues, and that's with at least common IO slotting. I would absolutely avoid Storm for something like this.