Hover Blaster: AR/Devices vs BR/Devices

[DrCereal]

Hi all! Pretty new to Homecoming. I want to make a Hover Blaster. Narrowed it down to either Assault Rifle, or Beam Rifle, either which would be paired with Devices. I've read plenty of threads here and on Reddit, but many are pretty old, and I know that Homecoming has continued to updated ATs and powers. In 2024, what are the states of AR and BR? How do they compare to each other? I know AR is more AOE focused vs BR being more single target. But does BR have decent AOE? What if I go BR/Devices/Munitions? Will have give me enough AOE?

 

Interested in doing all endgame (PvE) content available, and being as useful to the team as possible when teaming, and soloing efficiently at endgame (less concerned about the levelling experience).

 

Thanks!

 

[arcane]

Your assessment is pretty much correct. Assault Rifle wins this at AoE and Beam wins it at ST. I give the overall edge to AR now because it’s better at ST than BR is at AoE. BR pretty much only has its nuke and some meager disintegration spreading because Cutting Beam is just bad no matter how you slot it. However, you’re correct that Munitions Mastery (the superior version on Beta, at least) will improve BR’s AoE. So go with your gut, I guess. I play both sets, and they’re both fun and capable.

 

I would also like to suggest you consider a different secondary if you’re going to be flying out of danger. Energy Manipulation would give you Boost Range, and Tactical Arrow is probably the second flying blaster’s choice because it’s all ranged.

Edited January 29, 2024 by arcane

[Frozen Burn]

Yes, AR has the most AOEs of the two sets.  But BR has some decent AOEs as well - a cone, a targeted AOE, and the Nuke.  Plus, you get disintegration which can spread and add DoT to others as a "mini" AOE effect.  

 

And /Devices is fine as a hover blaster.  On teams, you'll mostly be using gun drones anyway. and it's less likely you'll be using trip mines.  With the new patch, you may want to get in close to place your detonation bomb.  But still, /Devices is totally doable as a hover blaster.  One of my fav blasters is Archery/Devices who hovers almost exclusively, except when setting up ambushes with the mines and caltrops.

 

  

[Snarky]

I have an AR/Dev (mostly what I currently run.  Very good AoE.  devices is more of a strategy set, imo.  I picked it a LOT for theme, but I do like it.

 

I have a Beam/Temporal that I used to use weekly in the hardest Incarnate Trials.  It is a long range ST monster, designed to keep up ST damage on hard targets while the League does its thing.  I did not 'neglect' AoE, just Beam does not have great AoE.

 

 

Blaster - AR Dev Range Dam 3.02.mxd Blaster Beam Temporal Munitions w ach.mxd

[DrCereal]

Thank you tons for the input and help everyone! I've built a new AR/Dev blaster, and taking her out for a spin now...

 

What epic pool do you all recommend, with the new upcoming changes?

[Snarky]

11 minutes ago, DrCereal said:

Thank you tons for the input and help everyone! I've built a new AR/Dev blaster, and taking her out for a spin now...

 

What epic pool do you all recommend, with the new upcoming changes?

With AR devices I always go munitions and I have always taken LRM, even before the new change.  Because….it is just too funny.  

[Octogoat]

On 1/30/2024 at 2:13 PM, Snarky said:

I have an AR/Dev (mostly what I currently run.  Very good AoE.  devices is more of a strategy set, imo.  I picked it a LOT for theme, but I do like it.

 

I have a Beam/Temporal that I used to use weekly in the hardest Incarnate Trials.  It is a long range ST monster, designed to keep up ST damage on hard targets while the League does its thing.  I did not 'neglect' AoE, just Beam does not have great AoE.

 

 

Blaster - AR Dev Range Dam 3.02.mxd 4.81 kB · 612 downloads Blaster Beam Temporal Munitions w ach.mxd 4.8 kB · 362 downloads

Bumping this for no obvious reason 

[FFTMime]

Well since this is necro'd anyway...

What pairs well with AR then? As I'm growing quite fond of the set, but I'll agree with the observation that devices is a strategy set. Targeting drone is nice, but a lot of what devices is doing isn't necessarily helping how I'm playing. 

[Hatchet_Manners]

On 4/20/2025 at 7:15 PM, FFTMime said:

Well since this is necro'd anyway...

What pairs well with AR then? As I'm growing quite fond of the set, but I'll agree with the observation that devices is a strategy set. Targeting drone is nice, but a lot of what devices is doing isn't necessarily helping how I'm playing. 

I have an ar/dev that I like, but for me dev doesn't pair well for one reason: targeting drone. 

 

You lose build up for this. TD buffs your first attack out of combat by 60% which forces you to lead with full auto. But, I would always prefer to lead with m30 or flamethrower then FA, or maybe lead with snipe. For that one reason I prefer other secondaries. Tactics + kismet gives you the full quick snipe damage bonus so that's not a consideration. 

 

I have an ar/elec that's fun but I migrated my main from /dev to /ice. A lot of people like /energy or /ta. I think they all go well with AR just don't use /mental or /dark and /fire might be annoying too (anything that forces you to use pbaoes). AR is a complete blaster in just the primary so any secondary just needs a usable sustain and damage buff, the rest is bonus. 

[Adeon Hawkwood]

On 4/20/2025 at 5:15 PM, FFTMime said:

Well since this is necro'd anyway...

What pairs well with AR then? As I'm growing quite fond of the set, but I'll agree with the observation that devices is a strategy set. Targeting drone is nice, but a lot of what devices is doing isn't necessarily helping how I'm playing. 

Energy is probably the strongest secondary for AR due to the way that Boost Range improves the cones in the set. Mental can work since Psychic Scream adds an extra cone to your arsenal, although Drain Psyche isn't great with AR. Tactical Arrow has plenty of self buffs and some area slows to keep enemies lined up for cones. Ice is ok since Shiver is nice for setting up your cones.

 

I still like Devices though.

[plainguy]

19 hours ago, Adeon Hawkwood said:

Energy is probably the strongest secondary for AR due to the way that Boost Range improves the cones in the set. Mental can work since Psychic Scream adds an extra cone to your arsenal, although Drain Psyche isn't great with AR. Tactical Arrow has plenty of self buffs and some area slows to keep enemies lined up for cones. Ice is ok since Shiver is nice for setting up your cones.

 

I still like Devices though.

Nice to see a post from the person who educated me on Defense and Defense cap 20+ years ago! 

 

[Snarky]

22 hours ago, Adeon Hawkwood said:

Energy is probably the strongest secondary for AR due to the way that Boost Range improves the cones in the set. Mental can work since Psychic Scream adds an extra cone to your arsenal, although Drain Psyche isn't great with AR. Tactical Arrow has plenty of self buffs and some area slows to keep enemies lined up for cones. Ice is ok since Shiver is nice for setting up your cones.

 

I still like Devices though.

I split the difference.  I go devices (which is great). Then i build massive +range bonuses with sets.   It is GLORIOUS 

[Adeon Hawkwood]

1 minute ago, Snarky said:

I split the difference.  I go devices (which is great). Then i build massive +range bonuses with sets.   It is GLORIOUS 

I do that as well. Also Intuition Alpha is nice since the Radial line boosts both damage and range (plus it has slow and to hit debuff to boost caltrops and smoke nade).

[Jacke]

On Blasters, the Sniper attack (if the Primary Powerset has a Sniper attack) provides a +50% Range enhancement for 10s.  As the Snipes can easily have a cycle time under 10s, this Range buff can be perma'ed easily.

 

Also, I have to stand up for my loved Blaster Secondary, Devices.  Awesome Powers like:

• Toxic Web Grenade (slot with Immob enhancement, +3 SO or L50+5 Purple Immob, take at L1
• Caltrops (Tempered Readiness Attuned or L50+ Range/Slow, take at L8 or so, as early as possible, great +50 Afraid mez that makes most mobs run away from the Toon)
• Targeting Drone (ToHit +3 SO or L50+5 IO, must take at L10)
• Smoke Grenade (early Recharge Reduction +3 SO, later ToHit debuff +3 SO or L50+5 IO, take at some place in the build to handle those mobs that ignore stealth)

Which with the awesome +ToHit of Targeting Drone on a single ToHit +3 SO or a L50+5 IO enhancement, can all be single-slotted, leaving more Extra  Slots for other Powers.

 

Also, Targeting Drone always gives +20% Damage enhancement.  When out-of-combat, the first attack will also get another +60% Damage enhancement.

 

Also also, that big +ToHit from Targeting Drone, over +22%, means even when Snipes are fast, they have maximum Damage.  That Damage buff is outside of the Enhancement of Damage and always gives more damage.

 

Also take these 2 amazing Pet Powers, which should be 6-slotted with a combination of IOs that gives ED-capped Accuracy, to get near final 95% ToHit against the usual end-game extreme of +3L mobs (+4 mobs with the Toon having +1 Level due to a T3 or T4 Alpha Boost; the Pet doesn't get any Global buffs from the Castor, but has attacks with Base Accuracy 1.2).

• Trip Mine (6 slots with ED-capped Acc; don't worry about the KB; also Blaster Devices Trip Mine has no interrupt time)
• Gun Drone (6 slots with ED-capped Acc; must also slot the Expedient Reinforment special as that boosts the Drone's resistances from 80% to all to 90% to all, a mini-Tanker for the Blaster)

And of course, the Blaster sustain Power:

• Field Operative (must take at L20: I slot with 4 eventually: LotG special, Synapse Shock +EndMod/+Runspeed, and Preventive Medicine duo, Attune Health and a L20 special, which is a Global that gives a Proc, so it works even when Field Operative isn't running, as long as the Toon isn't Exemplared below L15)

Don't worry about the stealth (in fact combine it with a stealth proc to have Boss-level stealth).  When you hit mobs, that stealth drops to 15ft (from Field Operative), they will pursue you until their aggro on the Toon goes away.

 

 

Edited Friday at 11:37 PM by Jacke