Electrical Blast/Manipulation Seems to Be Uncommon

[Bojutsu]

Maybe I'm not looking around enough, not looking closely enough, or I'm soloing too much, but Electrical Blast and Electrical Manipulation do not seem like common or popular choices among players. I am in the process of planning an Electrical Blaster.

 

I like that the nuke (Thunderous Blast) is a ranged nuke. Most nukes are point blank. 

The two power sets offer a good amount of AoE from Thunderous Blast, Ball Lightning, Short Circuit and Thunder Strike. 

There are 2 single target holds with damage. 

Dynamo appears to be a damage toggle and a self buff/enemy debuff all in one.

Voltaic Sentinel appears to be an immobile pet, like the Auto Turret. I don't know yet how useful it can be, but it is definitely interesting and unique. 

Thank you for responses. I appreciate the experienced information and insight. 

 

[Chelsea Rorec]

+1 Elec/Elec/Mu

Love mine, Really Tanky.

[Erratic1]

For years Electric Blast was considered to be relatively weak in terms of damage. It got revamped last year though. Probably some chunk of people like me who have not gotten around to playing it up (go wrapped up in other revamped/new powers like Seismic Blast, Stone Armor).

[Bojutsu]

I'm creating my Electric Blaster right now.

I see that my power sets will not offer me any kind of mez protection.

I think I will take the Sorcery power pool to get some mez protection from Rune of Protection. The damage resistance is nice, too, being a squishy Blaster. 

I also plan to take some powers from Mu Mastery to continue the electrical theme, and to get more resistance from Charged Armor. 

 

I am one of those players who wants to take every power from my primary and secondary power sets. However, in order to fit Mu Mastery into my build, I will have to drop 4 powers.  Can anyone help me decide which powers to drop?

 

Here are the other pool powers I plan on taking -

 

Hasten, Stealth, Hover, Arcane Bolt, Mystic Flight, Rune of Protection

 

 I think I will drop Force of Thunder, Tesla Cage and Zapp.

Force of Thunder is another hand clap power that doesn't do any damage.

Tesla Cage is the same thing as Shocking Grasp but does less damage and has a shorter duration. Also, Electric Shackles from Mu Mastery is the same thing as Tesla Cage. I'm not planning on taking Electric Shackles either, though, for the same reason. Shocking Grasp is the same thing but better. It would be nice to have 2 or 3 holds, though.

Zapp has to be used to begin a battle since it has a long animation that can be interrupted. This probably makes the Mu Mastery powers more effective and useful than Zapp. It's hard to pass up extreme damage, though.

 

I still need to drop one more power. I was thinking Charged Bolts, especially since I have to get Arcane Bolt in order to get Rune of Protection. I don't really want to drop Charged Bolts, but Static Discharge, the cone attack from Mu Mastery, would be more effective and useful.  I still would like to have both. I could take Charged Bolts until Static Discharge is available, then respec out of Charged Bolts and into Static Discharge...

 

Please let me know what you think. Your comments, suggestions, ideas, experience, insight will help me build my character. 

Thank you for responses.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Edited June 3, 2022 by Bojutsu

[Apricitas]

Hi, I play an elec/temporal blaster. The first "rule" of playing City of Heroes is, pick powers you think are worthwhile. Hard stop. 

 

Since you asked, though...

 

The first two power in a blaster's primary and the first power in their secondary can be fired through any mez that is applied to you. This is extremely helpful, and I point it out because you mention skipping Charged Bolts. You should take all three. For Elec/ powers, Tesla Cage and Zapp have more functionality than might be apparent. I believe Tesla Cage is the power that can let your electric powers do additional damage via the "Shocked" mechanic. You don't have to have it active on a target, simply owning it lets you do additional damage with all of your electric attacks. This is the hold to keep, even if the other holds seem more useful. Zapp is a snipe, when used out of combat. Its range is 150 feet, compared to 80 for most of your other attacks. Outside of combat, it takes several seconds to animate. IN combat, however, the animation is halved (if not more), and it functions like a more-powerful Lightning Bolt - i.e., a standard ranged blast with relatively high damage. Lastly, Voltaic Sentinel follows you and adds additional damage; it's not stationary. 

 

A better question, for picking which powers to use, might be: do I want to attack through melee or ranged attacks? Personally, I rarely take the melee attacks on blasters. The Electric secondary has a lot of melee attacks, if that's what you prefer. That might help you self-select a clearer slate of powers. If going more melee-centric, then Zapp might indeed be the right power to skip, maybe in favor of Arcane Bolt. 

[Nemu]

Disregard the build as that was created prior to some blaster power shuffle that took place. Read my comments on Electric manipulation

 

I repeat my sentiment here.

 

2 hours ago, Bojutsu said:

 I think I will drop Force of Thunder, Tesla Cage and Zapp.

 

Snipes have been reworked to behave like normal attacks without an interrupt if you use them during combat. They are not just for openers anymore and skipping them is a huge mistake. Zapp is NEVER the right power to skip unless you are chasing some self imposed restriction/concept like no range attack melee only blaster.

 

If you are pondering on powers to skip, you can usually skip charged bolt and voltaic sentinel. Charged bolt because with a decent build you will be able to cycle lightning bolt fast enough while mezzed and with a decent build you can string together a decent single target attack chain without charged bolts. Voltaic sentinel because unless you have permanent mez protection it's pure garbage. Imaging having to spend 3 seconds retoggling it on every time you get mezzed. It also has a significant endurance cost to run it.

 

You can skip havoc punch from electric manipulation. If you want to maximize your potential as an /elec blaster I recommend you keep everything else.

 

On Mez you can go 3 powers deep into sorcery and pick up a mez breaker that has 50% uptime, or you can build for defense and learn to use insp combine and stock breakfrees, because you'll need to do that anyway during ROP downtime.

 

If you want to venture into the world of melee blasting you should understand what the risks are and how to address them. Builds help, but so does understanding game mechanics and the art of movement. If you believe that you can play a melee blaster by planting yourself in one place and pew pew/punch punch you are going to learn some very painful lessons.

 

 

If however you want to stay out of melee as many players do, then you will not extract the full potential of this combination. There are other combinations more conducive to playing a pure ranged blaster.

[Bojutsu]

This is why I make these posts. So much helpful information. Thank you.

 

I have been playing the game since launch, but just started playing Homecoming. I haven't played in over 10 years before recently.

 

I'm familiar with a lot, such as melee blasting, and how fragile a Blaster is. You have to be careful, only go into melee at the right times, and get out. Taking Hover helps with that a lot. Immobilize/Hold the bigger threats.

Edited June 4, 2022 by Bojutsu

[Bojutsu]

1 hour ago, Apricitas said:

I believe Tesla Cage is the power that can let your electric powers do additional damage via the "Shocked" mechanic. You don't have to have it active on a target, simply owning it lets you do additional damage with all of your electric attacks. This is the hold to keep, even if the other holds seem more useful.

 

I don't see any information about this. I don't know what you mean by Shocked mechanic. Why would a hold boost the damage of all your electric attacks? What is the Shocked mechanic?

Are you saying that if I use electric attacks on an enemy who is in a Tesla Cage I will do more damage?

And that you don't get the same effect when attacking an enemy who is held by Shocking Grasp (or Electric Shackles)?

 

Thank you.

Edited June 4, 2022 by Bojutsu

[Bojutsu]

23 minutes ago, Nemu said:

On Mez you can go 3 powers deep into sorcery and pick up a mez breaker that has 50% uptime,

 

Yeah, I said I plan to get Rune of Protection...

[Nemu]

I'm perfectly aware, and I listed your options. My point is: You sunk 3 picks into a power that works half the time, what do you plan to do while ROP isn't up?

 

There are multiple ways to counter Mez: mez protection is the most obvious, but there's also having high defense, and breakfrees. ROP becomes more valuable at higher levels of difficulty due to the resist, do you plan to play at that level of difficulty such as +4/8 no insp no temp ITFs or relentless Aeon and such?

 

A high defense build can help you avoid some mezzes and also help you avoid attacks even if you get mezzed. Defense set bonuses aren't like defense toggles that shut off their buffs when you get mezzed, set bonuses work all the time as long are you are in the level range that benefits from the set bonuses.

[Bojutsu]

The only power I would have to get that I didn't really want is Arcane Bolt. You say I sunk 3 picks into Rune of Protection, but it's really 2 because one of them is my travel power. 

I'm okay with using a pick on Arcane Bolt if it means I have mez protection 50% of the time. It's easier and more likely for me to have at least one break free available the other 50% of the time, rather than having to worry and plan about needing them all the time.

[Erratic1]

1 hour ago, Bojutsu said:

 

I don't see any information about this. I don't know what you mean by Shocked mechanic.

 

 

[Bojutsu]

Thank you Apricitas & Erratic1 for the extremely helpful and interesting information about the shock mechanic, static charges, and Tesla Cage. 

 

Edited June 4, 2022 by Bojutsu

[Chelsea Rorec]

I did this with mine

Spoiler

This Hero build was built using Mids Reborn 3.1.2.5
https://github.com/LoadedCamel/MidsReborn

Click this DataLink to open the build!

Level 50 Mutation Blaster
Primary Power Set: Electrical Blast
Secondary Power Set: Electricity Manipulation
Power Pool: Flight
Power Pool: Leaping
Power Pool: Speed
Power Pool: Fighting
Ancillary Pool: Mu Mastery

Hero Profile:
Level 1: Lightning Bolt -- SprDfnBrr-Acc/Dmg(A), SprDfnBrr-Dmg/Rchg(5), SprDfnBrr-Acc/Dmg/Rchg(5), SprDfnBrr-Acc/Dmg/EndRdx(7), SprDfnBrr-Acc/Dmg/EndRdx/Rchg(7), SprDfnBrr-Rchg/+Status Protect(9)
Level 1: Electric Fence -- Acc-I(A)
Level 2: Ball Lightning -- Artl-Acc/Dam(A), Artl-Dam/End(9), Artl-Dam/Rech(11), Artl-Acc/Dam/Rech(11), Artl-Acc/Rech/Rng(13), Artl-End/Rech/Rng(13)
Level 4: Charged Brawl -- Mk'Bit-Acc/Dmg(A), Mk'Bit-Dmg/EndRdx(15), Mk'Bit-Dmg/Rchg(15), Mk'Bit-Acc/EndRdx/Rchg(17), Mk'Bit-Acc/Dmg/EndRdx/Rchg(17), Mk'Bit-Dam%(19)
Level 6: Short Circuit -- PreOptmz-Acc/Rech(A), PreOptmz-EndMod/End(19), PreOptmz-EndMod/End/Rech(21), PreOptmz-EndMod/Rech(21), PreOptmz-EndMod/Acc/End(23), PreOptmz-EndMod/Acc/Rech(23)
Level 8: Fly -- HO:Micro(A)
Level 10: Havoc Punch -- Mk'Bit-Dam%(A), Mk'Bit-Acc/Dmg(25), Mk'Bit-Dmg/EndRdx(25), Mk'Bit-Dmg/Rchg(27), Mk'Bit-Acc/EndRdx/Rchg(27), Mk'Bit-Acc/Dmg/EndRdx/Rchg(29)
Level 12: Zapp -- ExcCnt-Acc/Dmg(A), ExcCnt-Dmg/EndRdx(29), ExcCnt-Dmg/ActRdx(31), ExcCnt-Dmg/Rng(31), ExcCnt-Dmg/Rchg(31), ExcCnt-Stun%(33)
Level 14: Charge Up -- GssSynFr--ToHit/Rchg(A)
Level 16: Thunder Strike -- SprBlsWrt-Acc/Dmg(A), SprBlsWrt-Dmg/Rchg(33), SprBlsWrt-Acc/Dmg/Rchg(33), SprBlsWrt-Acc/Dmg/EndRdx(34), SprBlsWrt-Acc/Dmg/EndRdx/Rchg(34), SprBlsWrt-Rchg/Dmg%(34)
Level 18: Build Up -- GssSynFr--ToHit/Rchg(A)
Level 20: Dynamo -- PwrTrns-Dam/Acc/Rech/End(A), PwrTrns-Dam/Acc/End(36), PwrTrns-+Heal(36), NmnCnv-Regen/Rcvry+(36), Prv-Absorb%(50)
Level 22: Combat Jumping -- Krm-ResKB(A)
Level 24: Hasten -- RechRdx-I(A), RechRdx-I(37)
Level 26: Boxing -- Acc-I(A)
Level 28: Power Sink -- RechRdx-I(A)
Level 30: Tough -- StdPrt-ResDam/Def+(A), GldArm-3defTpProc(37), Ags-ResDam/EndRdx(37), Ags-ResDam/Rchg(39), Ags-ResDam/EndRdx/Rchg(39), Ags-ResDam(39)
Level 32: Thunderous Blast -- Artl-End/Rech/Rng(A), Artl-Acc/Dam(40), Artl-Dam/End(40), Artl-Dam/Rech(40), Artl-Acc/Dam/Rech(42), Artl-Acc/Rech/Rng(42)
Level 35: Force of Thunder -- AbsAmz-Acc/Stun/Rchg(A), AbsAmz-Acc/Rchg(42), SuddAcc--KB/+KD(43), FrcFdb-Rechg%(43)
Level 38: Shocking Grasp -- Mk'Bit-Acc/Dmg/EndRdx/Rchg(A), Mk'Bit-Acc/Dmg(43), Mk'Bit-Dmg/EndRdx(45), Mk'Bit-Dmg/Rchg(45), Mk'Bit-Acc/EndRdx/Rchg(45), Mk'Bit-Dam%(46)
Level 41: Weave -- RedFrt-Def/EndRdx(A), RedFrt-Def/Rchg(46), RedFrt-Def/EndRdx/Rchg(46), RedFrt-Def(48), ShlWal-ResDam/Re TP(48)
Level 44: Charged Armor -- Ags-ResDam/EndRdx(A), Ags-ResDam/Rchg(48), Ags-ResDam/EndRdx/Rchg(50), Ags-ResDam(50)
Level 47: Hover -- LucoftheG-Def/Rchg+(A)
Level 49: Evasive Maneuvers -- LucoftheG-Def/Rchg+(A)
Level 1: Defiance
Level 1: Brawl -- Empty(A)
Level 1: Sprint -- Empty(A)
Level 2: Rest -- Empty(A)
Level 2: Swift -- Empty(A)
Level 2: Hurdle -- Empty(A)
Level 2: Health -- Pnc-Heal/+End(A)
Level 2: Stamina -- EndMod-I(A), PwrTrns-EndMod(3), PwrTrns-+Heal(3)
Level 1: Shocked
Level 49: Quick Form
Level 50: Preemptive Core Flawless Interface
Level 50: Assault Radial Embodiment
Level 50: Barrier Core Epiphany
Level 50: Musculature Radial Paragon
Level 8: Afterburner
------------

 

 

I use force of thunder alot as an opener so i can get into mobs and use short circuit.

So don't discount it just because it does no damage.

[TNT]

Electric/Electric with either Mu or Electric as your ancillary is great fun and thematic.  You can play it multiple ways. As a straight-up damage from range blaster.  As a hard/soft control controller; with end drain, kb/kd, holds and a little stun. Or as my favorite, a jump in the middle and blap the hell out of things hybrid.  

 

The shock mechanic is a welcome addition.  You can devote some resources to draining endurance to maximize the effect.  Or you can just ignore it and be happy when you get some extra damage.  You don't need any specific power for shocked to be available. 

 

The static mechanic does require Tesla Cage and the static charge only fires when TC is used, for a semi-chain effect.  I like to have two holds on my elec/elec, but Tesla Cage isn't always one of them.

 

Voltaic Sentinel is no longer an instant skip for me but it also is not a must-have power. It is now a toggle, which fires more often than it had previously, but it will drop if you get mezzed.  

 

Thunderstrike is great if you like to get into the middle of the fray. The same goes for Power Sink.  If you want to mostly stay ranged you could ignore them.

 

Dynamo is your sustain power plus it does damage and drain.  Some might say to skip it and it isn't necessary if you don't enter melee. If you blap and focus on end drain my opinion is to take it.  The regen isn't going to save you in a fight but the damage adds up and the little ticks of end draining helps with keeping the enemy blue bars down. 

 

Basically electric manipulation begs to be in melee and has a lot of tools for making that a tenable situation if you can keep your head on a swivel.  It can be a hectic play style but it can also be rewarding.