(Mostly) Canon Night Widow Build -- Be the baddie!

[Golden Azrael]

4 minutes ago, Dispari said:

You pick at 24, when the game forces a respec on you. Picking any NW or Fortunata specific power will lock you into that path. But you can have an alt build later and build the other one if you wish.

 

Ah.  🙂  The mystery revealed.  Ty.  7 levels off that currently.

 

I guess I could always try the Fortunata on an alt build later as you say.

 

Azrael.

[Golden Azrael]

On 5/30/2019 at 7:03 AM, Stealthrider said:

Minor but important update.

 

I made some small adjustments to the build. Left out purples, still, to keep it relatively cheap, but I swapped Follow Up for Build Up in this Hastenless version, and slotted the other VEAT set, Spider's Bite, in there. That makes this version somewhat more expensive, while still being cheaper than a purpled-out version. Again I'm going to leave the build here and the original in the OP.

 

The big, important reason for this update post, despite the minor changes, is that I discovered something. While in a PUG doing the LRSF, I discovered the interesting fact that, with t3 Incarnate abilities slotted, I could actually solo the level 53 AVs, and even tank multiple at once while my team was off elsewhere killing the others. So that was pretty cool, and it means I'm happy to call this build no longer experimental or theoretical, but complete and--surprisingly--capable of some of the hardest content in the game solo! The caveat is that with Musculature boost instead of Agility or Cardiac, I needed to pop several blues between Ageless Destiny uses, but in terms of DPS I was able to easily outdamage the AVs' regen while surviving all but a single attack that one-shot me...because I ran out of end stupidly. Now the next challenge is to solo the whole LRSF...

 

Also, less impressively, the build has been through the entire Night Ward and RWZ Incarnate arcs solo at +4/x3 (can likely do a higher player count, but I like the speed of x3) and is halfway through the Dark Astoria arc, soloing all but one of the badge challenges thus far (the first one, 2 minutes is rough!). The three Avatars of Hamidon went down surprisingly quickly and without any difficulty, even. I might turn on solo AVs for the rest of the missions and turn them down a bit, but not sure yet. Incarnate AVs might be too much--but who knows!

 

Anyway, here's the build as it currently exists, sans Purples as mentioned.

 

Villain Plan by Mids' Villain Designer 1.962

http://www.cohplanner.com/

 

Click this DataLink to open the build!

 

Level 50 Natural Arachnos Widow

Primary Power Set: Night Widow Training

Secondary Power Set: Widow Teamwork

Power Pool: Sorcery

Power Pool: Medicine

Power Pool: Leaping

Power Pool: Fighting

 

Villain Profile:

Level 1: Mental Blast -- Dcm-Acc/Dmg(A), Dcm-Dmg/EndRdx(40), Dcm-Dmg/Rchg(42), Dcm-Acc/Dmg/Rchg(42), Dcm-Build%(43)

Level 1: Combat Training: Defensive -- LucoftheG-Rchg+(A)

Level 2: Strike -- CrsImp-Acc/Dmg(A), CrsImp-Dmg/EndRdx(36), CrsImp-Dmg/Rchg(36), CrsImp-Acc/Dmg/Rchg(36), CrsImp-Dmg/EndRdx/Rchg(37), CrsImp-Acc/Dmg/EndRdx(50)

Level 4: Tactical Training: Maneuvers -- RedFrt-Def(A), RedFrt-EndRdx(5), RedFrt-Def/EndRdx(5), RedFrt-Def/Rchg(7), RedFrt-Def/EndRdx/Rchg(7), LucoftheG-Rchg+(11)

Level 6: Mystic Flight -- BlsoftheZ-Travel(A)

Level 8: Follow Up -- SprSpdBit-Acc/Dmg(A), SprSpdBit-Acc/Dmg/EndRdx/Rchg(9), SprSpdBit-Acc/Dmg/Rchg(42), SprSpdBit-Dmg/EndRdx/Rchg(43), SprSpdBit-Rchg/Global Toxic(46), GssSynFr--Build%(48)

Level 10: Indomitable Will -- EndRdx-I(A), StdPrt-ResDam/Def+(11)

Level 12: Spin -- Obl-Dmg(A), Obl-Acc/Rchg(13), Obl-Acc/Dmg/EndRdx/Rchg(13), Obl-Dmg/Rchg(15), Obl-Acc/Dmg/Rchg(15), EndRdx-I(43)

Level 14: Lunge -- Mk'Bit-Acc/Dmg(A), Mk'Bit-Dmg/EndRdx(17), Mk'Bit-Dmg/Rchg(17), Mk'Bit-Acc/EndRdx/Rchg(23), Mk'Bit-Acc/Dmg/EndRdx/Rchg(34), Mk'Bit-Dam%(37)

Level 16: Tactical Training: Assault -- EndRdx-I(A)

Level 18: Slash -- SprDmnofA-Acc/Dmg(A), SprDmnofA-Dmg/Rchg(19), SprDmnofA-Acc/Dmg/Rchg(19), SprDmnofA-Dmg/EndRdx/Rchg(21), SprDmnofA-Acc/Dmg/EndRdx/Rchg(21), SprDmnofA-Rchg/DmgFear%(23)

Level 20: Tactical Training: Leadership -- EndRdx-I(A)

Level 22: Mask Presence -- LucoftheG-Rchg+(A), Rct-ResDam%(46)

Level 24: Foresight -- RedFrt-Def(A), RedFrt-Def/EndRdx(25), RedFrt-Def/Rchg(25), RedFrt-EndRdx(27), RedFrt-Def/EndRdx/Rchg(27), ShlWal-ResDam/Re TP(37)

Level 26: Eviscerate -- Obl-Dmg(A), Obl-Acc/Dmg/EndRdx/Rchg(29), Obl-Acc/Rchg(29), Obl-Dmg/Rchg(33), Obl-Acc/Dmg/Rchg(34), EndRdx-I(34)

Level 28: Mental Training -- Run-I(A)

Level 30: Mind Link -- LucoftheG-Def(A), LucoftheG-Def/EndRdx(31), LucoftheG-Def/Rchg(31), LucoftheG-EndRdx/Rchg(31), LucoftheG-Def/EndRdx/Rchg(33), LucoftheG-Rchg+(33)

Level 32: Psychic Scream -- Dtn-Acc/Dmg(A), Dtn-Dmg/EndRdx(45), Dtn-Dmg/Rchg(45), Dtn-Dmg/EndRdx/Rng(45), Dtn-Acc/Dmg/EndRdx(46), Dtn-Dmg/Rng(50)

Level 35: Aid Other -- Pnc-Heal/+End(A)

Level 38: Aid Self -- Prv-Heal(A), Prv-Heal/EndRdx(39), Prv-EndRdx/Rchg(39), Prv-Heal/Rchg/EndRdx(39), Prv-Heal/Rchg(40), Prv-Absorb%(40)

Level 41: Combat Jumping -- LucoftheG-Rchg+(A)

Level 44: Boxing -- Empty(A)

Level 47: Tough -- TtnCtn-ResDam(A), TtnCtn-ResDam/EndRdx(48), TtnCtn-ResDam/Rchg(48), TtnCtn-ResDam/EndRdx/Rchg(50)

Level 49: Placate -- RechRdx-I(A)

Level 1: Brawl -- Empty(A)

Level 1: Prestige Power Dash -- Empty(A)

Level 1: Prestige Power Slide -- Empty(A)

Level 1: Prestige Power Quick -- Empty(A)

Level 1: Prestige Power Rush -- Empty(A)

Level 1: Prestige Power Surge -- Empty(A)

Level 1: Sprint -- Clr-RunSpd(A)

Level 1: Conditioning

Level 2: Rest -- Empty(A)

Level 4: Ninja Run

Level 2: Swift -- Empty(A)

Level 2: Health -- NmnCnv-Regen/Rcvry+(A), Mrc-Rcvry+(9)

Level 2: Hurdle -- Empty(A)

Level 2: Stamina -- EndMod-I(A), EndMod-I(3), PrfShf-End%(3)

Level 50: Musculature Core Paragon

------------

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So, it looks like you've sacrificed some overall defence to boost resistance numbers, Tough comes in, Hasten goes out.  Having resistance to back up defence is good.  But you did get your Melee Defence ever higher.  And lost a couple more heal powers.  But can still heal yourself.  Probably more balanced overall.

 

And that's the build you're going with bar the swap out of Follow vs BU.

 

Interesting choices.

 

Azrael.

[Golden Azrael]

Update.

 

L50.

 

No deaths.  

 

If you haven't made a Widow.  Do.

 

Interesting journey.

 

All the claws.  With Gas Cloud.  2 Psi powers.  Plenty of AoE.  Some biggish hitters.  Plenty of box of tricks.  Mind Link for the next level defensive lift.  Placate.

 

HPs need work from the build out and TF 'Health Bar' Accolades.  

 

Great for hit and run.  Surprise attacks and double surprise attacks.

 

Azrael.

[KaizenSoze]

1 hour ago, Golden Azrael said:

Update.

 

L50.

 

No deaths.  

 

If you haven't made a Widow.  Do.

 

Interesting journey.

 

All the claws.  With Gas Cloud.  2 Psi powers.  Plenty of AoE.  Some biggish hitters.  Plenty of box of tricks.  Mind Link for the next level defensive lift.  Placate.

 

HPs need work from the build out and TF 'Health Bar' Accolades.  

 

Great for hit and run.  Surprise attacks and double surprise attacks.

 

Azrael.

Glad to here it's going well.

Gas Cloud? I guess you mean Smoke Grenade.

[Golden Azrael]

'Smoke Grenade.'  Yes. 😉

 

I like how it compliments and stacks with the defence of the Night Widow.  2 stacks of 'Grenade' and I don't seem to take as much damage.  (I guess they can't see me too well?)

 

Incarnate wise. 

 

Alpha.  Thought I'd take Cardiac for end reasons.  Even with a build out.  It doesn't stop the end going down over longer fights.  I have 3 stamina uniques fitted in health.  Plus Perf' Shifter unique in Stamina.  I use stamina inspires at the moment to maintain my equilibrium higher.  Plenty of end.  But it keeps going down and without Stealth attacks, the damage is more 'scratchy' which means you have rinse some of the heavier attacks until eg. Placate comes around for another critical attack.  The -dam resist component of Cardiac is what I'd be after to limit and blunt incoming damage that does get through defence.

 

Ageless.  Might go for the heal as it's the one thing I don't have outside of using inspires.

 

The Radial Assault may stack with the DoT nature of some of the attacks I the bigger attacks and the criticals you can score from stealth mode.   Though other roads for extra defence, to hit, end red' and damage base increase may overall complement the nature of the Widow to make it 'even more so' against even tougher opponents.  I could try both and see how they compare.

 

Interface.  The poison dripper. Would complement the DoT poison dart DoTs I have.

 

Judgement.  Ion and colour it pink for a huge 'Psi' attack?  Or the multi-me cone?

 

I'm Inc' capped for Melee.  My Psi Resists means that I won't be getting many head aches.

 

Some of the build has given me extra HPs.  (Needed.)  Though Accolades HP+ rewards may help here.

 

90+ Global recharge (no Hasten in the build.)  Everything happens quick enough.  And big attacks come around quick.  Inherent 'swift' means I get around fast enough.  I wonder about putting in a force feedback in the claw spin attack rather than proc to BU?

 

Azrael.

 

Update:

 

I've gone Cardiac.  Completely cures the oscillating end bar.  The incoming damaging is squeezed even against Nemesis and Long Bow.

 

Tactics.  Hit and Run.  I alpha strike the apex mob.  Placate and alpha him again.  Hit them with Psi AoE and Poison Dart AoE.  They chase after me, somewhat enraged.  Hit them with 'Smoke Bomb'.  Then I placate the mob.  Then rinse them with Psi AoE and moAR Poison Dart AoE, hit them with Smoke Bomb some moAR and what's left get the Spin AoE.  Leaving my heavy hitters to beat on what's left.

 

Interface will be the Poison dripper DoT.  Judgement Nuke.  It's Ion or Multi-Me Cone.  (Probably the latter in keeping with my Claw Widow emphasis.)

 

I could take the Ageless stamina which would allow me to take Musc' for moAR damage.  But I'd lose the squeeze on incoming damage.  Better to take the interface and radial assault to boost DoT and stack / burst damage.  (I could take the heal.  But I wonder if I'll only need that if I plan on standing toe-to-toe with the enemy eg. Carnie pitched battle.)

 

I took powers like the Poison Dart and the AoE version along with the Placate as I wanted to be a Widow Scrapper.  And they allow close quarter and far quarter attacks.  The amount of runners and flyers I've taken down with Poison Dart is *bean counter high.  Very RPG power too.  In keeping.   (Good thing about Poison/Toxic and Psi?  It's quite a double punch which not many mobs have defence/resist to.  Even high end mobs, struggle with it.  I've tried Long bow and Nemesis and they seem to really stretch with the Widow's hit and run, Psi, Toxic strategy and attacks.  Surprise!  Stealth...  SURPRISE!  😛  )

 

Rather than an alpha nuke AT, it's an engrossing guerilla warfare AT with subterfuge.  Where you take apart the mobs on your playing field.

 

Azrael.

Edited February 14, 2022 by Golden Azrael

[Stealthrider]

Been a while, but I'm back at it.

 

Soloed the ATF at +1/x4. Only AVs I didn't kill were Emperor Requiem (ran out of time because I didn't start fighting the other AVs 'til like 25 minutes left. I was too busy taking in the deep lore), Hero One, and Incandescent. If Hero One would have actually stayed placated, I probably could've taken out Incandescent, though.

 

Speaking of Placate, Rodney and Zoe took almost three hours, simply because I couldn't get Rodney to stay placated enough. That, plus a few badly time unlucky hit streaks, made that pair the toughest part of the ordeal.

 

Or rather, the second toughest part. See, the first time I tried it, I had it on 1 Star difficulty. Made it all the way to Zoe without too much issue, though the Smelters and Boomers on that difficulty felt like they completely ignored my defenses. Still managed to make it, though with more deaths than I'd have liked. Was doing alright on 1 Star Zoe, too, though that run ended tragically after a handful of Boomers and Smelters started camping the mediporter, killing me over and over again as soon as I rezzed. After 20 minutes of that, I gave up and restarted on +1/x4 normal difficulty.

 

Unfortunately, I don't have screenshots of the big fights, because I'm dumb and forgot. But I did catch the last bit of the fight against Midas on video. Figured you wouldn't want to see the entire half-hour long battle, anyway. https://imgur.com/a/ol35h6j

 

 

But that's not all!

 

Before trying the ATF, I attempted the ITF. This time it was on +3/x4. It was largely a piece of cake, right up until the second Romulus, where i realized that auto-hit negative energy damage was actually a problem. A problem I unfortunately couldn't solve. Will attempt it again at some point, when I solve that problem, but for now let it be known that yes, you can solo TFs on a Night Widow, even difficult ones.

[Voltak]

On 9/14/2022 at 8:39 PM, Stealthrider said:

 

 

 

But that's not all!

 

Before trying the ATF, I attempted the ITF. This time it was on +3/x4. It was largely a piece of cake, right up until the second Romulus, where i realized that auto-hit negative energy damage was actually a problem. A problem I unfortunately couldn't solve. Will attempt it again at some point, when I solve that problem, but for now let it be known that yes, you can solo TFs on a Night Widow, even difficult ones.

Cool posts and all, really, kudos. 

But... you did not solo "even the difficult ones". 

You said, let it be known that they can but you did not. 

Nothing negative here from me.  
But to cheer you on, don't give up. 
Try to finish them, try to not use temp powers, since those can dramatically shift the burden from the build to the temp powers. 

Keep us posted. 

[Stealthrider]

2 hours ago, Voltak said:

Cool posts and all, really, kudos. 

But... you did not solo "even the difficult ones". 

You said, let it be known that they can but you did not. 

Nothing negative here from me.  
But to cheer you on, don't give up. 
Try to finish them, try to not use temp powers, since those can dramatically shift the burden from the build to the temp powers. 

Keep us posted. 

I never use temp powers to solo anything. Or Lore pets. I only use Insps when absolutely necessary.

[Stealthrider]

Post page-7 update: +4/x8 LRSF still not quite doable without insps. Kronos is still potentially a multi-hour fight, though there was a noticeable increase in damage against him. Crimson, too, was faster. The crit buffs and Placate cooldown buff are huge.

 

Not convinced Pain Tolerance is worth dropping any other power for just yet.

 

Psy Scream is actually useful, yay! Still not amazing, but significantly better.

 

Things I'd like to see from a future Widow update:

 

-Endurance cost reductions. Still too end-heavy to drop Ageless when soloing hard content. Please devs, give Widows' blue bars a break!

 

-Irresistable -regen debuff on Poison Dart. Its current debuff is a joke. Now that Mental Blast is at least somewhat of an option for a ranged set mule power that isn't totally worthless for damage (mostly due to being Psi), it'd be nice if Poison Dart had its own niche. Irresistable -regen would, selfishly, make soloing AVs much more pleasant, but would also provide an actual reason to take the power more than just as a set mule. Which would be nice.

 

-Some more defense debuff resist somewhere. Would go a long way toward preventing feel-bad moments when -def heavy mobs cascade into making your defense worthless. Doesn't have too be much, just a bit more than what we currently have.

 

-Some health regen somewhere. Max HP is nice, but Widows are already pretty solid at mitigating incoming damage. Recovering from that damage is another story. I take Aid Self for a reason. Boosting regen would make playing without it more pleasant.

 

Overall, a solid update. Build's still strong, still fun.

[KaizenSoze]

On 9/14/2022 at 7:39 PM, Stealthrider said:

Before trying the ATF, I attempted the ITF. This time it was on +3/x4. It was largely a piece of cake, right up until the second Romulus, where i realized that auto-hit negative energy damage was actually a problem. A problem I unfortunately couldn't solve. Will attempt it again at some point, when I solve that problem, but for now let it be known that yes, you can solo TFs on a Night Widow, even difficult ones.

I know this is an old post, but I was able to solo the ITF 4x8 with my Night Tank build.

 

The trick with the 2nd Romulus is to use placate to split each nitcus AV from Romulus and kill them one at a time. Then finish Romulus. I bet there is a faster method, but I have not solo'ed it enough times to figure it out.
 

 

[Stealthrider]

7 hours ago, KaizenSoze said:

I know this is an old post, but I was able to solo the ITF 4x8 with my Night Tank build.

 

The trick with the 2nd Romulus is to use placate to split each nitcus AV from Romulus and kill them one at a time. Then finish Romulus. I bet there is a faster method, but I have not solo'ed it enough times to figure it out.
 

 

Yeah it's pretty old, lol. I've since soloed it with insps without much issue, literally just popping resist insps to deal with the autohit nictus. Pulling one proved too annoying to do.

 

I've been trying to play without insps though so I've considered ITF to be undoable for now. Also have done ATF (without optionals) on +4 with insps and Lore (Arachnos) pets, only using the latter for the twins fight. LRSF, as I detailed in the thread, is still *almost* doable with insps/no lores. Possibly with the new Placate cooldown, it could be doable under those conditions.

 

Still messing around with the new patch options though, so who knows what'll be in the future?

 

Doubt I'll update the thread with a new build until it's worked out fully and put through its paces, but for now the pre-page 7 version still works just as well as previously. Better, even, but with the same limitations.

 

Edit: Actually realized I never did post the current version of the build. NW6.5.mxd

Edited February 21 by Stealthrider