Speedster?

[Ultimo]

So I'm creating a speedster character, insipred by the Flash or Quicksilver.  My initial instinct is to make him a Scrapper... but I've been reconsidering.  Upon reading some of the comics featuring such characters, I find that they don't spend their time doing damage to enemies very much, but instead distracting and hindering them.  That might suggest the CONTROLLER class, but I was wondering about making him a Tanker.

 

Any thoughts?

 

What class would you make a pure speedster?

[Zepp]

Defender, Corruptor, or Controller with Kinetics would allow you to have cap speed in combat (pick up SS to increase the cap and give you speed-phasing)...  Electric blast / control would pair well if you are looking at a "Flash"-like character.

Sonic (assault animations) can give you sonic-boom type attacks.

Gravity control can give you relativity-like high speed gravitational distortions.

[ZorkNemesis]

While not exactly what you're looking for, I find that rolling a Blaster with Martial Combat as a secondary fits a speedster archetype pretty well, with Burst of Speed giving you a fast teleporting attack (zipping from foe to foe delivering hits) and Reaction Time which is said to demonstrate heightened senses (everything moves slower around you as if you are moving faster than them).  That said, the rest of the set is mostly just hand-to-hand combat (foot-to-face? The three main melee attacks are kicks) which doesn't necessarily lead to speedy effects, especially with Eagle's Claw's long windup.  Still worth checking out if you wanted a more aggressive speedy type rather than the kind that uses their speed to disorient and disrupt.

[Without_Pause]

Stalker/Scrapper with /nin can work. You get added movement speed with your mezz protection. StJ would work with both as it has smooth quick cast times. For Scrappers, I would add in Kat or Claws.

[EmperorSteele]

You could pull off Illusion being a super speed set. Use the hold to "freeze time" while you run around and set things up (like /traps!), Phantom Army could be your after images... and of course Superior Invis because you're so fast no one can see you. Might be tough justifying some of the other powers, though.

[Ultimo]

I had thought about doing Kinetic Melee, but the animations are so SLOW... not a speedster set, if you ask me.  I ended up doing Street Justice, its animations are fairly quick, and he throws lots of combos, which suits the speedster style.  Super Reflexes as his secondary.

 

However, I'd been considering the other option, SR primary, SJ secondary tanker.  I just wasn't sure how well it fit the type.

[roleki]

Thinking an Ice/Kin Controller; with Arctic Air, you'll definitely be moving faster than everything around you, and you can sap even more speed from them with... Siphon Speed.  The confuse from Arctic Air will effectively imitate the hapless flailing around that is often depicted when street level people attempt to confront a speedster, and the Ice Slick will further the sense of exaggerated clumsiness.

Meanwhile, you'll be in melee so you'll get some benefit from Fulcrum Shift, so, that's a benefit, too.

 

And frankly, Ice is just fun if you lean into the slows.  You wouldn't think massive slows would be an effective defense, but it works out really well.

[biostem]

18 hours ago, Ultimo said:

Any thoughts?

The biggest limitation is what your imagination can come up with;  Given the proper background story, you could make almost any AT work...

[Ultimo]

13 minutes ago, biostem said:

The biggest limitation is what your imagination can come up with;  Given the proper background story, you could make almost any AT work...

Oh, I can rationalize almost anything, but I was hoping to make him behave more like the Flash, Quicksilver or other "traditional" speedsters.

 

Too bad there's not a "Driveby" attack power in Super Speed, where you do damage in an area around yourself while moving, relative to your speed (that is, an AOE around the character, in a short line running behind him that would do damage relative to his movement speed).

[biostem]

34 minutes ago, Ultimo said:

Oh, I can rationalize almost anything, but I was hoping to make him behave more like the Flash, Quicksilver or other "traditional" speedsters.

 

Too bad there's not a "Driveby" attack power in Super Speed, where you do damage in an area around yourself while moving, relative to your speed (that is, an AOE around the character, in a short line running behind him that would do damage relative to his movement speed).

Maybe try something like an energy blast/martial combat blaster - focus on the secondary, and treat the energy blasts as punches so fast that they can't see you speed to the target to deliver the blow.  Couple burst of speed with combat teleport, and maybe some fighting attacks or air superiority to fill in the other melee attacks from the secondary...

Edited August 3, 2022 by biostem

[Zepp]

On 8/3/2022 at 8:31 AM, Ultimo said:

Oh, I can rationalize almost anything, but I was hoping to make him behave more like the Flash, Quicksilver or other "traditional" speedsters.

 

Too bad there's not a "Driveby" attack power in Super Speed, where you do damage in an area around yourself while moving, relative to your speed (that is, an AOE around the character, in a short line running behind him that would do damage relative to his movement speed).

If that is what you are looking for, maybe think of a dual Damage Toggle Scrapper (such as Rad/Elec)... that would provide damage that will hit while you run by (depending on the tic). Throw in Whirlwind (procced with Explosive Strike?) to get some KB for effect as well!

[Ultimo]

After evaluating a few builds in Mids, I've decided to make him a Tanker.  Super Reflexes/Street Justice+Super Speed+Teleport (for Combat Teleport)+Power Mastery (I'm defining the Energy Torrent as a shockwave of air or perhaps a sonic boom, or some such).

[Arcadio]

If anyone else is thinking of a speedster, I highly recommend dual pistols. It's an unconventional weapon for a speedster, but you can't beat the complex animations with those after images.