Wanna make Rad/atomic suggestion build

[LegionAlpha]

I have made a character of every element on my own, however now it is time for Rad and it all looks useful and wonder which ones to take.

[tidge]

I don't have any Radiation Blast blasters, but it is a set I use on other AT. I do have an /Atomic Manipulation Blaster, so perhaps these nuggets of experience will help:

 

For Atomic Manipulation, I took every power in the secondary except Electron Shackles (I don't like single-target Immobilization, except in corner cases) and Positron Cell (same reasoning, but for single-target Holds on a DPS character).

 

My picks/slotting for /Atomic. The melee attacks offer the chance to lean into a wider variety of Enhancement sets/bonuses. YMMV.

 

Spoiler

Level 1:        Negatron Slam    
 (A) Superior Blaster's Wrath - Accuracy/Damage: Level 50
 (*) Superior Blaster's Wrath - Damage/Recharge: Level 50
 (*) Superior Blaster's Wrath - Accuracy/Damage/Recharge: Level 50
 (*) Superior Blaster's Wrath - Accuracy/Damage/Endurance: Level 50
 (*) Superior Blaster's Wrath - Accuracy/Damage/Endurance/Recharge: Level 50
 (*) Superior Blaster's Wrath - Recharge/Chance for Fire Damage: Level 50

 

Level 10:              Ionize   

(A) Gaussian's Synchronized Fire-Control - Chance for Build Up

 (*) Recharge Reduction IO: Level 50+5

 

Level 16:    Beta Decay    
(A) HamiO:Enzyme Exposure: Level 53

 

Level 20:    Metabolic Acceleration    
 (A) Preventive Medicine - Heal
 (*) Preventive Medicine - Heal/Endurance
 (*) Preventive Medicine - Endurance/RechargeTime
 (*) Preventive Medicine - Heal/RechargeTime
 (*) Preventive Medicine - Heal/RechargeTime/Endurance
 (*) Preventive Medicine - Chance for +Absorb

 

Level 24:    Atom Smasher    
 (A) Superior Avalanche - Accuracy/Damage: Level 50
 (*) Superior Avalanche - Damage/Endurance: Level 50
 (*) Superior Avalanche - Accuracy/Damage/Endurance: Level 50
 (*) Superior Avalanche - Accuracy/Damage/Recharge: Level 50
 (*) Superior Avalanche - Accuracy/Damage/Endurance/Recharge: Level 50
 (*) Superior Avalanche - Recharge/Chance for Knockdown: Level 50

 

Level 28:    Radioactive Cloud    
 (A) Unbreakable Constraint - Accuracy/Recharge: Level 50
 (*) Unbreakable Constraint - Chance for Smashing Damage: Level 50
 (*) Gladiator's Net - Accuracy/Recharge: Level 50
 (*) Gladiator's Net - Chance of Damage(Lethal)
 (*) Ghost Widow's Embrace - Chance of Damage(Psionic)

 

Level 30:    Positronic Fist    
 (A) Hecatomb - Damage/Recharge: Level 50
 (*) Hecatomb - Accuracy/Damage/Recharge: Level 50
 (*) Hecatomb - Accuracy/Recharge: Level 50
 (*) Hecatomb - Damage/Endurance: Level 50+5
 (*) Hecatomb - Chance of Damage(Negative): Level 50
 (*) Hecatomb - Damage: Level 50+5

 

 

Atomic Manipulation is a solid Melee set. Some caveats:

• It may not pair very well with Radiation Blast across all levels.

I work the melee attacks into my attack chain, using Combat Teleport to position/reposition myself between range & melee.

• Melee/PBAoE means you have to make the character able to 'hang' in melee.

Atomic Manipulation isn't for a "Range/Hover" type of play style.... unless perhaps the powers I skipped were taken instead of the melee powers.

• You are (more-or-less) going all-in on Energy damage.

I don't recommend trying to build only for %damage on DPS characters, except for the no/low-damage AoE powers. %damage as part of a Enhancement set is fine by me.

• It is necessary to one-two (negatrons/positrons) with Atomic Manipulation powers to get the Gamma Burst effect.

IIRC the only way my choices can get the Gamma Burst are via the Negatron Slam and Positronic Fist combination... so I don't see it at lower levels. I can't say that I miss not having it across all content. If you want it earlier, you have to take Positron Cell.

 

Ionize is IMO a GREAT build-up power. I typically prefer the secondary "Build Ups" to those in the Primaries, although I often add the Primary ones to the builds at much later levels. I wasn't originally sold on Radioactive Cloud, but once I found myself in melee combat (at least half of the time) I saw how useful it was, especially on x8 content.

 

With Radiation Burst in the primary, the Atom Smasher attack from the secondary may not be necessary... or the two powers could be tag-teamed. The animation time on Atom Smasher is painfully long IMO. On my build Atom Smasher is the attack I use the least; I use it primarily when I am dog-piled and haven't yet selected the specific target I want to focus on.

 

[LegionAlpha]

Thanks, any tips help. 

[Zect]

A general framework for a blaster, any blaster is:

• 3 single target blasts (generally, pick the 3 highest DPA ones. Open mids, windows > power graphs > sort by damage / animation)
• Nuke (T9 from the primary)
• at least 2 aoe's, can be from primary or 2ndary
• aim and build up for sets that have them, take both if available
• sustain power from the 2ndary (the one that gives endurance and some form of HP restoration or absorb)
• dps support power from the 2ndary. This can be a damage aura, self-buff (eg +rech, +tohit) or foe debuff (-res, -regen) depending on set

Not 'mandatory', but nearly always a good idea to have:

• 1 melee attack - allows you to risk melee to gain DPS by replacing lower-DPA ranged attacks in your attack chain, and provides access to melee sets for set bonuses
• Your ranged immob if the 2ndary has one - prevents AV's from running. Also a 2nd attack usable when mezzed, it typically has DPA close to a T1 blast

Obviously, individual preferences and build goals vary, so you will find builds that do not follow the above yet are successful; but you cannot go far wrong with this setup, and it will go almost anywhere and do almost anything.

Edited August 26, 2023 by Zect