Scrapper and Blaster What am I doing Wrong?

[WuTang]

Ok I've stated before that I prefer a side of tank with my DPS, but I tried rolling a scrapper and blaster and had to set the missions to -1 or I was toast. Surely it's me...and my in their face fighting style. Or is it just that early days are tougher on pure DPS?

[Snarky]

12 minutes ago, WuTang said:

Ok I've stated before that I prefer a side of tank with my DPS, but I tried rolling a scrapper and blaster and had to set the missions to -1 or I was toast. Surely it's me...and my in their face fighting style. Or is it just that early days are tougher on pure DPS?

It is you.  Hey we have all been there.  I have been studying German an hour a day for 11 months. If you talk German fast to me I can use a baseball bat so you slow down. 
 

The fights, rooms, ambushes, and mob tyoes all have a rhythm and if you are not in the groove it can be punishing.  
 

Likewise each AT has a certain way they approach each situation. Influenced by the powersets and personal playstyle.  
 

You can buy a high end sports car but dont expect to fly around tight comers on rain soaked roads like a NASCAR driver.  End up wrapped around a pole like Paul Walker.  
 

There is hope.  Once you learn how to handle the mobs in a certain situation confidently…slightly…dial it up.  Smart use of inspirations.  These can be sent to your email for in mission retrieval 

[DougGraves]

First - are you slotted?

 

If you put 3 damage SOs in your attacks you do twice as much damage.  Which is a game changer.

 

Scrappers start as pure DPS but you hit a point where you need decent defenses or you cannot take them out fast enough.  But scrapper (and tanker) defense powers have types like lethal or fire.  You may find you are great against some enemies but get slaughtered by others.  Vahzilok is particularly tough at low levels because a lot of defense sets are not good against toxic.

 

Blasters are pure DPS for a long time.  Blasters do more damage with their short range attacks.  You basically want to be able to take out 2 minions from a spawn with your initial attacks without waiting for recharge.  And you may have to wait between fights to heal up and to recharge your powers.  And Council is the secret killer of blasters.  Council ranged damage is better than their melee damage.  So staying at range with council gets you wiped out.

[TheOtherTed]

54 minutes ago, WuTang said:

Ok I've stated before that I prefer a side of tank with my DPS, but I tried rolling a scrapper and blaster and had to set the missions to -1 or I was toast. Surely it's me...and my in their face fighting style. Or is it just that early days are tougher on pure DPS?

Sprint is your best defense, at least early on.  You know, discretion is the better part of blah blah blah.

 

Seriously though - this is the only MMO I know of which allows you to outrun pretty much any mob.

[Snarky]

55 minutes ago, WuTang said:

Ok I've stated before that I prefer a side of tank with my DPS, but I tried rolling a scrapper and blaster and had to set the missions to -1 or I was toast. Surely it's me...and my in their face fighting style. Or is it just that early days are tougher on pure DPS?

I am currently soloing a Blaster through all content Red.  At +0/x1.  Easy mode.  It WILL depend on your sets (and slotting as noted above).  I am using AR devices.  So when i think its going to be a lot I drop caltrops near where i plan to round a corner and hide. Then I snipe the toughest guy sometimes this does not kill them and my second hard ST attack is used. Then i drop an AoE or two.  Then assess.  Am i running?  Am i standing and shooting?

 

I also get all 4 DFB buffs at low level and use all 5 P2W enhancers with procs.  At level 20+ I renew thise DFB buffs with 4 runs through DiB. These last until 30 and I finally get some slot volume.  

[Lines]

So you're trying to take on too many enemies, firing off a few glorious hits and then faceplanting?

 

Sounds like you're doing scrapper right to me.

[Jeneki]

If my self res power is charged and I'm still standing, am I really scrapping / blasting?

[Snarky]

I did die like 3 times in a Virgil Tarikoss SF last night in the final mission.  But I was going off alone (stealth) to get glowies…giant mons near glowies.  And then, out of inspirations, trying to meet up with final team who were busy pulling an entire room WHILE fighting the AV.  I do not “normally” die in a Tarikoss.  But it was 4  Blasters, a Squid, and a Arachnos soldier.  We were just mad-housing it. 

[Doc_Scorpion]

1 hour ago, WuTang said:

Or is it just that early days are tougher on pure DPS?

If anything, the earlier levels are easier on pure DPS - except for the Vaz and their nasty Toxic damage, the incoming is generally lighter.  Sleeps, holds, and immobs are fewer and shorter in duration.  Etc... etc...

What it sounds like is that you're lacking is experience.  It takes time to learn a) what given AT can do, b) what a particular powerset can do, and c) how individual enemy groups behave.  Heck, even today, I still find myself able to do things I couldn't previously.

Start cautious, move slow, apply the rubberband method you mentioned before.

[WuTang]

1 hour ago, Snarky said:

Smart use of inspirations.  These can be sent to your email for in mission retrieval 

While I appreciate the entirety of your post, that last bit is game changing....and a duh moment. 

[Cyrickain13]

Scrapper or Blaster? Let me introduce you to the amazing Arch-Type the Sentinel. Blaster with Defense of a Brute/Scrapper. 

 

Slotted and with incarnates I often get asked - what's my build or what's my secret? This AT is amazing. 

 

of course the other posters do have the right answers as well. 

 

Arcane-Blaze

Fire/Fire/Fire Sentinel 

"I make the world burn."

Edited February 5 by Cyrickain13
spelling

[Snarky]

9 minutes ago, WuTang said:

While I appreciate the entirety of your post, that last bit is game changing....and a duh moment. 

Better yet, once you learn how to REALLy make hundreds of millions fast…..

 

what do you do with the cash?   You buy winter and archetype ATO sets off the market ar a set price.  Store the ones you do. Ot use in the base.  Or sell. You can convert them to what you need if not exactly right.  Then…..

 

those sets randomly include huge amounts of toys and prices.  Including inspirations.  Which just sit i. The email tab, one tab over, and is accessible in missions just like email….

[WuTang]

2 minutes ago, Cyrickain13 said:

Scrapper or Blaster? Let me introduce you to the amazing Arch-Type the Sentinel. Blaster with Defense or a Brute/Scrapper. 

 

Slotted and with incarnates I often get asked - what's my build or what's my secret? This AT is amazing. 

 

of course the other posters do have the right answers as well. 

 

Arcane-Blaze

Fire/Fire/Fire Sentinel 

"I make the world burn."

I grouped with a Sentinel just last night, I was using one of my Brutes, we were an amazing team. Neither of us had to recharge between pulls best runs I've ever had and I think we were +1 x2 with bosses. She had me interested already, now after what you just said, I'm probably making one soon as I get home.

[Snarky]

15 minutes ago, WuTang said:

I grouped with a Sentinel just last night, I was using one of my Brutes, we were an amazing team. Neither of us had to recharge between pulls best runs I've ever had and I think we were +1 x2 with bosses. She had me interested already, now after what you just said, I'm probably making one soon as I get home.

A great AT to learn the game on.  Some people love them in end game too.  Personally I find what they give up in damage to get “protection”??? In incarnate trials is an iffy trade.  I tell you my Willpower Beam Rifle Sentinel run to 50 was one of the most chill runs i ever had 

[ZekeStenzland]

While I accept that you did not have fun on your scrappers and blasters, the idea that they are “weak” does not match my experiences playing those archetypes. 
 

Unfortunately, you didn’t really give us much to go on for what the real issue is. What sets were you using? What level were you at? How were your powers slotted? Was there a specific mission and/or boss that gave you noticeable trouble? What strategies worked or didn’t work for the fights? Without this kind of information, it’s difficult to give advice that’s useful to you. 
 

So, in game, if you type /buildsave, it will save a text file of your character called build.txt. You could post that file here or in one of the AT-specific forums to get more relevant advice. 

[Scarlet Shocker]

a lot depends on your personal play style.

 

I rarely play melee characters. I have no scrappers or stalkers in my array of characters because I just don't like. Which is odd, because when I play blasters I tend to be an inveterate blapper - I start at range then move to melee.

 

It takes time and practice to learn how a particular power set works, both as a stand alone and in synergy with your secondary.

 

I'd also say there is no shame in playing at the lowest difficulty. Learn the game, enjoy it. I never play at +4x8 unless on a substantial team that I'm not leading because I tend to play squishies and don't enjoy endless trips from the hospital. Find out what works for you and enjoy at that level.

 

Once you're more confident in your own abilities you can ramp up the difficulty and then see how that's working for you.

[WuTang]

12 minutes ago, ZekeStenzland said:

While I accept that you did not have fun on your scrappers and blasters, the idea that they are “weak” does not match my experiences playing those archetypes. 
 

Unfortunately, you didn’t really give us much to go on for what the real issue is. What sets were you using? What level were you at? How were your powers slotted? Was there a specific mission and/or boss that gave you noticeable trouble? What strategies worked or didn’t work for the fights? Without this kind of information, it’s difficult to give advice that’s useful to you. 
 

So, in game, if you type /buildsave, it will save a text file of your character called build.txt. You could post that file here or in one of the AT-specific forums to get more relevant advice. 

I wouldn't say I didn't have fun... I mean the dying part sucked a bit, but I learned to keep my speed on and just how much HP would get me away alive fairly quickly.

It's just I've been only really building brutes (my comfort zone) and with them I can run +1/2 with bosses.

My Scrapper is claws/regen. I know, I know but ya know....Wolverine and all.

My Blaster is dark/dark, I was going for the whole dark magi thing.

Both are slotted with (still new don't know the lingo) generic crafted enhancements and both are around level 20. But this is also how my Brutes were at that level and I survived. 

I know it's me. I've never been great at DPS in any game unless someone is there to soak up the damage for me. Just was looking for tips...and I've gotten some. Thanks everyone!

 

[WuTang]

11 minutes ago, Scarlet Shocker said:

It takes time and practice to learn how a particular power set works, both as a stand alone and in synergy with your secondary.

This right here...is a big learning curve for me. I was reading over on the Sentinel forum and learning that secondaries can actually buff primaries and I did not know that. I thought, til now that secondaries were defenses, which is another duh moment cause my Blaster only has melee in his secondary and I was wondering when he'd get some sort of defense. Ha! Love learning by fire....

[Snarky]

3 minutes ago, WuTang said:

I wouldn't say I didn't have fun... I mean the dying part sucked a bit, but I learned to keep my speed on and just how much HP would get me away alive fairly quickly.

It's just I've been only really building brutes (my comfort zone) and with them I can run +1/2 with bosses.

My Scrapper is claws/regen. I know, I know but ya know....Wolverine and all.

My Blaster is dark/dark, I was going for the whole dark magi thing.

Both are slotted with (still new don't know the lingo) generic crafted enhancements and both are around level 20. But this is also how my Brutes were at that level and I survived. 

I know it's me. I've never been great at DPS in any game unless someone is there to soak up the damage for me. Just was looking for tips...and I've gotten some. Thanks everyone!

 

Dark Dark is a tough Blaster to run.  It is very Blapper oriented.  I switched my Dark Blaster to Dark Temporal.  If you Really want to screw with mobs safely?  Ice/Dark Corruptor.  Oh, the simple (and complex) ways it screws with mobs.  The synergy of Ice/Dark/Corruptor. 100% ranged attacks.   Worth a look.  And you will be doing more damage than a Sentinel (do not believe the rabid hype of some pro-Sentinel forum groups).  A Corruptor like this can solo with ease, or join a team and increase everyone’s effectiveness while getting more mileage out of Scourge

[Snarky]

Now I want to drop my solo Redside AR Blaster and start a solo the entire game Ice/Dark Corruptor.   Why did you do this to me???? Aaarrrregghhhhhhhhhh

[MHertz]

Every archetype plays a little differently and you have to get used to its limitations. I'd say you're going about it the right way — by trying them. It's too easy in this game to hop on a team, zoom past 10 levels, and the realize you have no idea to play the archetype or the power set you've chosen against the enemies you're now facing. Being on a team, even a poorly slapped-together one, doesn't teach you much about solo tactics, and being on a good team will cover up a lot of your mistakes.

 

First: different archetypes have different target priorities. As a Tanker you can afford to charge at the boss and let the minions fall by the wayside due to your AOEs. Your high durability and status protection means you're in no danger from the little guys while you whittle down the big guy. Switching from Tanker to anything else, you might say, "Gosh, I didn't know those guys had Stun. Huh. Who knew?" You never felt it. As a Brute, you have similar durability, but you're on this non-stop crusade of smashing everything in your path without rest, to make best use of Fury. Not all archetypes play like those, and wearing your Brute hat on a Blaster will get you crushed.

 

As a Blaster, you might want to cut down the number of minions early, from a safe distance, before taking on the boss. Or maybe you want to focus on a lieutenant with mez powers (like in the Lost) or a summoner (as in the Banished Pantheon) or AOE knockdown (Ruin Mages in the COT), because you can't fight those as easily. You'll also learn which bad guys need 3 hits, and which you can eliminate in 2 or 1, and which ones you want to keep out of melee range. You'll learn when to switch targets. ("Let's see, I'll immobilize that guy, move over here, blast this guy, oops this one's getting too close but I have some punches ready to go. Now back to the immobilized one...") As a Scrapper (as with a Brute) your defenses mature later, but you get critical hits, so you have to figure out the best way to make use of them. Both power sets have some soft control powers in a few things, like -Def or -ToHit or Slow, so figure out where to apply those. You just have to think more, is all.

 

Some of it also comes down to your build. As a Blaster, yes, you could take Boxing/Tough/Weave plus Combat Jumping to give yourself a sliver of defense. But maybe you're better off taking an extra high-damage melee attack for anybody that gets in your face. "Dead" is the best status effect you can bestow on an enemy, and Blasters do it better than anybody.

 

Back in the day, people used to use all kinds of tactics to take on enemies: sniping from far away, pulling a small group of enemies, herding them into a small space with a Tanker ... now the teams just steamroll everything, and you don't learn good tactical approaches for solo in that environment.

Edited February 5 by MHertz

[Ironblade]

3 hours ago, WuTang said:

Surely it's me...and my in their face fighting style.

To be fair, there is actually a word for it: scrapperlock.  That's when you get in the enemy's face and beat them until you or they die.

[WuTang]

12 minutes ago, Snarky said:

Now I want to drop my solo Redside AR Blaster and start a solo the entire game Ice/Dark Corruptor.   Why did you do this to me???? Aaarrrregghhhhhhhhhh

It's not my fault my friend...when our affliction flares up we gotta build another one.

[Scarlet Shocker]

55 minutes ago, WuTang said:

This right here...is a big learning curve for me. I was reading over on the Sentinel forum and learning that secondaries can actually buff primaries and I did not know that. I thought, til now that secondaries were defenses, which is another duh moment cause my Blaster only has melee in his secondary and I was wondering when he'd get some sort of defense. Ha! Love learning by fire....

 

A lot will depend on your AT - and also you have to add Pool powers into the mix alongside APP/PPP; those are powers you get at level 40 (maybe lower?)

 

Then you add slotting into that mix.

 

And the foes you are fighting. Some are more or less vulnerable to different types of damage etc., for example.

 

The game is mature and has many elements that weave together into the cloth of your particular toon.

 

Also, as a rule of thumb, the support ATs tend to have the shields, blasters have very little, given they are a glass cannon, and as you might expect, those ATs that function as tip of the spear have better defences at the cost of damage output.

[Oubliette_Red]

I've always been partial to playing Support/Crowd Control so when I play on the few melee'rs that I do have, it takes me a while to shift out of timid-mode when approaching mobs.

 

Aslo, often is the time a team mate gets tunnel vision and rushes on to the next mob without even noticing the mob that was right around the corner that aggro'd at their passing. Sometimes it's a glorious mess that we manage to overcome, sometimes we're eating floor, fortunately, it's usually the former.  :)