Not sure of what to due with the FF changes on my Bots/FF need some advice

[Heatstroke]

Hi just recently looking at my Bots/FF and Im not sure what to do with this character with all the FF changes. Maybe its just mental but it doesnt feel like my character anymore. 

 

Any advice on how to handle these new FF changes? 

 

Also I was considering re-rolling into a Bots/Elec, Do the powers that work on Allies also empower your bots ? 

[brasilgringo]

I built a Necro/Bubble recently if it gives any ideas.  attached.

 

NecrobubbleMM.mxd

[WumpusRat]

8 hours ago, Heatstroke said:

Hi just recently looking at my Bots/FF and Im not sure what to do with this character with all the FF changes. Maybe its just mental but it doesnt feel like my character anymore. 

 

Any advice on how to handle these new FF changes? 

 

Also I was considering re-rolling into a Bots/Elec, Do the powers that work on Allies also empower your bots ? 

The new FF set is much more interesting to play with, though it's still a fairly passive one. The new force bolt is far better though, as it comes with a -res debuff. On my Bot/FF character I use it to juggle enemies, with a KB->KD proc in it, so I can just keep bouncing them onto the ground and debuffed. The damping bubble makes for some decent "fortress play" style, where you can drop it down and fight from within it, and have defense against a lot of debuffs. Best part of the page-5 change for Bots, to me, was that I was able to drop aid other/self/field medic from my build, due to the repair drone. Allowed me a lot more flexibility.

 

For Bot/Elec, the circuit powers affect your pets as well, yes. It's a solid combo, though you need to be a lot more active with it, due to the need to often hit 4-5 targets at a bare minimum, and 6-7 (if you include yourself) often, so you need to keep your static stacks up. Faraday cage is an awesome power, though there's always the need to deploy it rather than just having it always on like dispersion bubble.

 

But both are solid combos, and I enjoy playing them.

[Heatstroke]

 Thanks for the advice much appreciated. Good catch on dropping the Aid Pool..  I need to look at that. Thanks

 

[Neiska]

On 1/19/2023 at 11:25 AM, Heatstroke said:

Also I was considering re-rolling into a Bots/Elec, Do the powers that work on Allies also empower your bots ? 

 

My build is a little out of date, or I would post. But my Bots/Electric wasn't my strongest MM, but it was the most versatile, which in itself is a kind of outstanding feature. I could farm with it, solo with it, play healer with it, be on +END and status duty with it, go GM hunting with it, and more.

 

This was all pre-change to the robots, however. And I doubt I could do the same things I could before, at least not without rebuilding. But I suspect it is still quite a good pairing. It won't stand out damage-wise, but it will stand out in nearly every other way.

[biostem]

On 1/19/2023 at 11:25 AM, Heatstroke said:

Any advice on how to handle these new FF changes?

Maybe try the free "instant-50 PvP character" option to try different power picks, then fighting some NPC enemies in those zones, to see what types of build work well with your preferred playstyle, before using up any respecs on your actual character.  You can then try all sorts of weird or "out-there" builds to see what's effective and what's not...

[kelika2]

I just took the big 3.

the t9 sounds nice but the numbers are kinda low on everything.  autohit def debuff is ok tho

But I would probably reroll.  bot/ff is extreme overkill on defense and the lack of a snare pit will start eating away at you when your assault bot creates 10 burn patches at a time

[biostem]

5 minutes ago, kelika2 said:

the lack of a snare pit will start eating away at you when your assault bot creates 10 burn patches at a time

The patron pools all have cone or AoE immobilizes that can alleviate that.

[kelika2]

1 hour ago, biostem said:

The patron pools all have cone or AoE immobilizes that can alleviate that.

While true I couldnt get past it.  misses, cant get bosses in one go i just flat out prefer a commandable snare pit of some sort

ended up going bot/cold, bot/trap, bot/dark and bot/ta

[josewales]

I decided to try both KB aoes w/ KD  slotted that goes with temp inv. Wow! Mobs are mostly on their ass for the pet aoe. 200% recharge rate helps. Repel from FF helps also keeps them back and together. Even positioning to bump the loners into the rest of the mob before KDing them. The changes are more fun now.

Edited January 21, 2023 by josewales

[00Troy00]

Does anyone have an updated Bots/FF build? I need to update mine, and am not really sure how to make the most of it.

[lemming]

This is a serviceable Bots/FF build, it needs some work, but for the most part I just direct the bots and things die.

metalpostcard.txt

[Ashford]

Honestly, there's not much incentive to play a MM these days if the players plan is to solo content as the class doesn't really do it that well. If anything a reason to play a MM is that they can be a buffer for the tank and group so trash are more likely to nuke the minions (that will die quickly) while providing support provided the class is not rolling weird builds.

[Nyghtmaire]

51 minutes ago, Ashford said:

Honestly, there's not much incentive to play a MM these days if the players plan is to solo content as the class doesn't really do it that well.

Wut?!?

 

MMs are the ultimate solo class. Nothing has changed with leveling since Live to change that calculus (except more easily accessible inventions - which only improves all ATs’ abilities experience across the board). And the recent issue has brought greater functionality, survivability, and damage to four of the primaries. Two (demons and thugs) were already baller level before the issue. There are plenty of challenges with the AT, but soloing has never been one of them. 
 

What *are* you talking about?!?!

[Ashford]

Ultimate? ya sure ""Ultimate"" that's why they are more widely used for a fire farm then, just let me spread that sarcasm on some toast.

 

Any class can ""solo"" with the right AT's the same way a person can say "anyone can cook". Sure anyone can, doesn't mean it's a good idea for some.

 

MM would need very heavy investment to ""solo"" in the influence count of billions. There is a reason the biggest highlight a MM build can do is exploit group fly to cheese a boss.

Edited April 24, 2023 by Ashford

[Nyghtmaire]

1 hour ago, Ashford said:

that's why they are more widely used for a fire farm

Troll? Or serious? Can’t tell. If your definition is a fire farm, the perspective is a joke. Try again.

Edited April 24, 2023 by Nyghtmaire

[tidge]

MMs are among the most versatile of solo builds, especially one at level 50+. It's solo MMs that I always see sweeping zones for GM hunts (except in Peregrine Island, I never see other MMs hunting here). A Robotics build is perfectly fine for Smashing/Lethal farms if AE farming is your jam. If there is 'one stupid trick' to quickly finish a S/L farm, it is to funnel the enemy spawns towards the henchmen while keeping the 'bots buffed (and stationary) and the enemy in the kill zone. It's definitely not AFK farming. MMs can grind low level Oroborous missions quickly if players want quick Merits instead of Inf/drops.

 

The only type of content I've found that MMs are not good at are missions that (for some reason) the player wants to move quickly through a map to get to objectives... and this is because of henchmen AI for travel routing. MMs builds can be made for Stealth and easier group travel (I've used the Concealment, Flight and/or Teleport pools on MMs that don't have a primary/secondary that could help with these, so this approach isn't forbidden to any MM). I'd casually estimate that 99% of content where a player goes a long way on a map very quickly is due to player choice and not because of a game mechanic. My exemplared MMs can complete the first SSA1 arc in very short times (especially now with powers available at lower levels) and the first two-thirds of that arc have timed/travel components. The main example I can think of where a fast-moving solo MM that doesn't want to fight every group would be likely to take longer would be something like the Dark Astoria arcs. For example, in the first arc there are objectives scattered through the maps with occasional necessary fights, A MM will need the henchmen for those fights even if they've stealthed to them. Honestly... the DA arcs make great farms, so I wouldn't even bother trying to stealth them as a MM.

 

For the @Heatstroke: I don't have experience with Bots/FF, I would worry that Force Field doesn't bring enough debuffs for the hardest targets (AV, GM). Robotics is a pretty easy primary to make very strong, a lot of this is due to the ranged attacks of the fully upgraded henchmen. The MM attacks from Robotics can include %debuffs; I wouldn't take more than 2 (plus a Patron AoE of some sort). I run a Robotics/Traps, with the FFG, Supremacy, the Protector Bot bubble, Maneuvers and some Enhancement uniques I know that the MM is above the Defense softcap, and it feels like even the T1 henchmen aren't getting hit at much.