Non-melee ATs that can afford to have mobs in melee range

[Voltak]

1 hour ago, Doomguide2005 said:

I don't believe they are particularly resistant to Repel (and yes Repel not kb is Hurricane's main effect plus the strong To Hit debuff and range debuff).  My Earth/Storm, on Live anyway, shoved them around regularly in repeatables.  And as I recall a recent video of @Voltakshows his build using Hurricane's Repel to push and debuff Cimerorans.

 

Killing the range of. Kheldians in part 2 of the ITF, particularly the novas, and accomodating the enemy using hurricane 

[Voltak]

1 hour ago, Doomguide2005 said:

I don't believe they are particularly resistant to Repel (and yes Repel not kb is Hurricane's main effect plus the strong To Hit debuff and range debuff).  My Earth/Storm, on Live anyway, shoved them around regularly in repeatables.  And as I recall a recent video of @Voltakshows his build using Hurricane's Repel to push and debuff Cimerorans.

 

There is a certain point when their resist vs repel is turnêd on.

It is not always on and they don't start with that on.

[Doomguide2005]

2 hours ago, Voltak said:

There is a certain point when their resist vs repel is turnêd on.

It is not always on and they don't start with that on.

Agreed.  Not sure which power it is offhand but like the mez protection it isn't by default active.

 

Edit:  looks like Energized Shield has Repel protection (and knock)

Edited June 24, 2022 by Doomguide2005

[tidge]

On 6/21/2022 at 6:58 AM, Icono04 said:

A Fortunata Widow has ranged attacks but is quite survivable in melee range. As a side bonus, you can build it as a hybrid widow-fortunata and have good melee and ranged attacks on the same character, meaning that you can change up your playstyle on the fly.

 

With the ability to softcap (Incarnate!) positional defenses, and with a large number of PBAoE options, Fortunatas are often best played in close quarters with enemies.

 

I've finished leveling up a Dark/Rad Defender that has a significant number of PBAoE and (target focused) AoE attacks/aurae/patches... it isn't quite able to wander into a spawn of +4/x8 and then aggro them, but once some sort of control/debuff has been tossed at them it can Combat Teleport into the spawn and do its thing. That character also has some cone action, so I have a  macros to Combat Teleport into the the spawns and another one to pop backwards to cast the cones.

 

If I have a teammate who is taking the aggro, unless I have a character that is explicitly ranged base (that is, multiple cones or one that needs a wide view of possible targets) I'm generally in the mix.

[Shocktacular]

I would like to suggest anything with the Radiation Emission or Nature Affinity PBAoE hold toggles, especially if they have an additional hold power to stack on bosses and/or a secondary control mechanic.

I've been playing a rad/elec defender and loving it!  The end drain is a nice secondary control for when she gets mezzed and the hold toggle drops,  (although it's mostly all-or-nothing, end drain also increases /elec's damage thanks to the new Shocked mechanic), and Accelerate Metabolism helps keep the mezzes from lasting too long.  She still dies occasionally, but it's been a fun ride so far!

Hmm... now I might have to try a nature/elec...

Edited July 5, 2022 by Shocktacular

[Ironscarlet]

As most people pointed out most if not all AT can be made into a play style of range or melee. Each having there own quarks. 
 

What is overlooked more than anything is aggro or lack there of and runners. If you do not have a punch-voke, Aggro Aura, debuff and or crowd control. That mob you can easily kill will run and run and that sick DPS build you made will be ineffective. 
 

Basic 411  on stopping runners soloist

Stalker have ways to loose aggro not hold

 

Most other melee will have aggro covered but not all. Meaning they will stay close. Tanker having the higher melee aoe radius and target cap that hold mobs like glue.

 

Corruptors an Defenders will have groups slows or knockdowns more debuffs than CC. Mastermind will be similar but have pets to catch runners.

 

Blaster normally have weaker debuffs but will have nukes up every other group. They can’t  run if there dead before they blink kind of action.

 

Dominators and Controller are overkill debuffs with lockdown control if it doesn’t get lockdown it will be slowed or debuffed as a side effect. Methodical deaths of mobs.

 

Sentinel can hover tank and are very hard to kill but have one of the worst aggro management with the hit capped at 6. It has the hardest time holding aggro. It also has very bad controlling debuffs and might even be worse than stalkers in holding aggro.

 

BUT WAIT there’s more

Incarnate can change aggro management with melee hybrid giving any AT really good aggro management. So at the ends of the day you can play any and every AT similar or different because at the end of the day Incarnates blur the line and play styles.  Does this mean you can turn a controller into a blaster no. But you can turn a water/fire sent ( really pretty) with no aggro burn and fear enducing whirlpools  causing runners into a Brutish fire farmer with  good aggro and nukes at the end of the day it all ties into each other with incarnates (melee hybrid aggro.) Is it the best no but can you do it yes. That’s  what makes COH still fun to this day. Weird builds for SCIENCE.

 

 

ps 45% Def allows any AT to fight in melee. How to achieve this is set bonuses. 
 

Expert level riddle; How do I prevent def debuffs on all AT? You can find the answer In Nates Car.

 

 

 

 

Edited July 6, 2022 by Ironscarlet

[Doomguide2005]

The aggro cap is no different on a Tanker than a Blaster or a Defender -> 17.   Tankers, however, generate relatively huge amounts of Threat comparatively.   Threat value determines who gets aggro.

Edited July 6, 2022 by Doomguide2005
Clarity

[Ironscarlet]

4 hours ago, Doomguide2005 said:

The aggro cap is no different on a Tanker than a Blaster or a Defender -> 17.   Tankers, however, generate relatively huge amounts of Threat comparatively.   Threat value determines who gets aggro.

 This  is true.  What I was trying  to say was target cap  compared to other melee AT.   Specifically homecomings changes to melee aoe and cone being double in size and increased cap. Thanks for catching it.  
 

 Sometimes truth is just a box to be broken for another truth to take its place. Players can aggro 51  with incarnate pets. Practically 34 with the right pet. There is one build that can aggro 493 and practically hold half that. Surviving that is another story.  
 

These statements are for more solo or farm content holding aggro against another player is a different story holding mobs to your location to effectively get more xp is what I am trying to depict.

 

Edited July 6, 2022 by Ironscarlet

[Doomguide2005]

     Truth, the real aggro puller might be a Mastermind as that cap applies per pet and the character, afaik.  Each will have its own list for about 119 foes ... with a lot of work and not including anymore for Lore pets.

 

Edit: whoa!  493. Missed that bit.

Edited July 6, 2022 by Doomguide2005

[Ironscarlet]

16 hours ago, Doomguide2005 said:

     Truth, the real aggro puller might be a Mastermind as that cap applies per pet and the character, afaik.  Each will have its own list for about 119 foes ... with a lot of work and not including anymore for Lore pets.

 

Edit: whoa!  493. Missed that bit.

Thug/Elec with perma gang war and double every third gang war. 493 isn’t really practical you can’t herd maps but  in farms you can hold well over 100. With your hp shield from elec and a well time incarnate bubble after gang war cast you can keep most of them alive. The issues you run into are usually caused by yourself and bad commands. For example standing in a bad chain an so forth but if you play it good you can usually cut a cave farm time by 1/3 solo. It’s no brute in a fire farm where you can go watch tv. You actually have to click and place yourself to receive the chain but once the chain starts it perpetual and you feel like Juggernaut kinda. When the momentum starts it’s a unstoppable force or bad chains and bad calls it can all fall apart . Really fun and teams are sometimes so confused by all the pets.  Leads to some funny reactions.

Edited July 7, 2022 by Ironscarlet

[Bill Z Bubba]

5 hours ago, Ironscarlet said:

Thug/Elec with perma gang war and double every third gang war. 493 isn’t really practical you can’t herd maps but  in farms you can hold well over 100. With your hp shield from elec and a well time incarnate bubble after gang war cast you can keep most of them alive. The issues you run into are usually caused by yourself and bad commands. For example standing in a bad chain an so forth but if you play it good you can usually cut a cave farm time by 1/3 solo. It’s no brute in a fire farm where you can go watch tv. You actually have to click and place yourself to receive the chain but once the chain starts it perpetual and you feel like Juggernaut kinda. When the momentum starts it’s a unstoppable force or bad chains and bad calls it can all fall apart . Really fun and teams are sometimes so confused by all the pets.  Leads to some funny reactions.

 

I will never enjoy masterminds but reading things like this makes me jealous of those that get it goin in cool ways.

[Maxzero]

5 hours ago, Bill Z Bubba said:

 

I will never enjoy masterminds but reading things like this makes me jealous of those that get it goin in cool ways.

 

That's the life of a MM. When you can get the fight on your terms your output tops everything. But when you don't (such as constant movement, damage patches, narrow spaces, etc) you can feel useless.

 

Probably the AT with the greatest variability in performance due to factors outside your control.

[tidge]

On 7/6/2022 at 7:29 PM, Doomguide2005 said:

     Truth, the real aggro puller might be a Mastermind as that cap applies per pet and the character, afaik.  Each will have its own list for about 119 foes ... with a lot of work and not including anymore for Lore pets.

 

Edit: whoa!  493. Missed that bit.

 

While I have never tried (nor am I inclined) to try to count the number of enemy mobs I've had aggroed with my Robotics/Traps MM, using the secondary (Caltrops, Acid Mortars) does appear to have allowed the MM to drag more enemies to the henchmen's kill zone. This is one of the reasons that MM has AoE attacks (primary, epic)... those attacks aren't slotted for damage (or %damage), but for getting the attention of as many enemies as possible (ok,,, so I have most of those AoE also slotted for Knockdown and %-Resistance!).

 

I found the MM AoE attacks to be so much more efficient at grabbing MOAR AGGRO than trying to rely on Provoke from the Presence pool, being able to add %-Resistance to them is simply icing on the cake.

 

[Gulbasaur]

On 6/24/2022 at 12:45 PM, Marshal_General said:

The problem with storm  and fortunata is the you have less staying power than a 16 year boy on his first data.

1 - That's a beautiful turn of phrase. 

2 - My fortunata can solo AVs. They can hit defence and resist cap without even trying, which more than makes up for the middling hit point pool.