Best AT for a soloist starting with nothing?

[Dao Jones]

Hello Homecoming people! I only recently found out that CoH has been alive and well for ~5 years now, and am excited to dip my toes back into a game I don't think I've played since... Issue 10?

 

As a fresh newbie I'll be starting with a completely blank account, and while I'm not opposed to opportunistic grouping at heart I just enjoy the solo journey. I've been researching builds and ATs for the last few days and... so much of what I'm finding is either 3+ years old, or assumes you're building a new character with millions of Influence laying around to kit them out.

 

So I'm hoping you experts and vets might advise an old dog on some new tricks? Specifically, I'm looking for advice on an AT that provides:

 

1. The tools needed to solo most/all of the game's 1-50 content. (Obviously the end game assumes extensive farming for the right gear, but by then I'll remember everything I've forgotten over the past ~17 years.)
2. A reasonably smooth leveling curve without excessive need for sugar daddy slotting.

 

At a guess I suspect the answer is probably either the new Sentinel AT, or a Brute, but I'm curious to hear if there's an edge case out there worth exploring. (I recall Ill/Rad or Ill/Kin Controllers being sneakily one of the most powerful and easy ATs in the game if you didn't mind the slower pace, but not sure if that's still true anymore.) I can experiment with the powersets to find the one that feels right for me, but would like to at least narrow my search within an AT(s) that aren't going to leave me hanging on my way to 50.

 

(And just to be clear: I'm definitely not looking for Influence handouts. Weirdly enough I genuinely enjoy the "starting with nothing" experience.)

 

Thanks in advance! Also - if my Google-fu was weak and this has been answered elsewhere please feel free to point me wherever.

Edited February 14 by Dao Jones

[WuTang]

42 minutes ago, Dao Jones said:

Hello Homecoming people! I only recently found out that CoH has been alive and well for ~5 years now, and am excited to dip my toes back into a game I don't think I've played since... Issue 10?

 

As a fresh newbie I'll be starting with a completely blank account, and while I'm not opposed to opportunistic grouping at heart I just enjoy the solo journey. I've been researching builds and ATs for the last few days and... so much of what I'm finding is either 3+ years old, or assumes you're building a new character with millions of Influence laying around to kit them out.

 

So I'm hoping you experts and vets might advise an old dog on some new tricks? Specifically, I'm looking for advice on an AT that provides:

 

1. The tools needed to solo most/all of the game's 1-50 content. (Obviously the end game assumes extensive farming for the right gear, but by then I'll remember everything I've forgotten over the past ~17 years.)
2. A reasonably smooth leveling curve without excessive need for sugar daddy slotting.

 

At a guess I suspect the answer is probably either the new Sentinel AT, or a Brute, but I'm curious to hear if there's an edge case out there worth exploring. (I recall Ill/Rad or Ill/Kin Controllers being sneakily one of the most powerful and easy ATs in the game if you didn't mind the slower pace, but not sure if that's still true anymore.) I can experiment with the powersets to find the one that feels right for me, but would like to at least narrow my search within an AT(s) that aren't going to leave my hanging on my way to 50.

 

(And just to be clear: I'm definitely not looking for Influence handouts. Weirdly enough I genuinely enjoy the "starting with nothing" experience.)

 

Thanks in advance! Also - if my Google-fu was weak and this has been answered elsewhere please feel free to point me wherever.

I am not a vet, just a month in, but I can tell you, every vet has an opinion on which AT is this or that. And then there are the vets that will tell you the best is the one you play the best, but they all have great advice and are extremely helpful.

I can tell you this much.

 1. Don't buy store bought enhancements. Just use what drops for you and maybe craft one here and there until 22. Then start looking at recipes for IOs with stat bonuses. Craft level 25s and I'm told they are good til 50.

 2. Brute all the way. I steamroll with them, but that's what I'm good at.

 3. The AH is a mysterious beast that'll reward you as quick as it'll break ya.

 4. Welcome! It's an absolute blast.

 

Now maybe someone with some actual useful info will jump in here....

 

Have fun.

Go hunt.

Kill Skuls.

Edited February 14 by WuTang

[Akisan]

Tanks can do well also - they have great AoE potential now.

 

My go-to's always been a Blaster, though (assuming you don't mind the occassional faceplant).  Acrobatics makes a great bridge power for anti-CC until you can get IOs for that.

 

And keep in mind certain arcs (Praetoria & Shauna Stockwell come to mind) are more difficult than others (designed for more exerienced players), and can be a lot rougher on less powerful builds

[MoonSheep]

scrapper or tank will be the easiest, brutes are often not as damaging thesedays

 

any strong damage AT will be fine though - blaster, dominator, sentinel, corrupter

 

you won’t need to farm much at the end game, things are very cheap compared to live

[Etched]

My 2  cents. I've been extremely  partial to Senttinals. Blaster meets Scrapper. Slightly less damage then a Blaster and less def/resist then a Scrapper but great to solo with.

 

Fire/Rad is a great starter toon.

 

Also, welcome back. Post your global and I'll email so starter funds.

 

@Etched

[drbuzzard]

If you're talking dirt poor, a super reflexes tank is pretty hard to beat. Combine it with dark melee and you'll have a heal and endurance recovery. Nice thing about an SR tank when you're dirt poor is you can softcap defense for all positions with just SO or common IOs if you take weave from fighting pool. 

 

To also stick up for sentinels, electric/regeneration is a very nice combo, and regeneration doesn't really demand set bonuses to be pretty sturdy. 

[Go0gleplex]

Best for solo is Sentinel if you like staying at range.  Brute if you like to get in close simple due to the rage aspect. IMO they can take a bit more damage than a Scrapper though the Scrap can shred mobs pretty fast.  Blaster can do decently solo as well, but if forced into melee range will get flattened fast if not careful.  Those are the easy mode ATs.   

 

Depending on your tactics and play style, pretty much any AT can solo fairly decently though Controllers and Defenders are gonna have a lot more difficulty due to the nature of their power sets not being geared towards the damage side of things. 

[Verfall]

The answer is brute. It's always brute. There is no other AT that is so easy to play and is newbie friendly. Other ATs have sets that are newbie friendly, but pretty much every brute combo is straightforward and simple to figure out.

 

Simple playstyle. Go punch things, damage takes care of itself. You get survivability, good damage and less complexity to ease yourself into learning, or in this case, re-learning the game.

You can solo most "solo" content. You can do some tanking in teams. Fury makes the early levels a bit easier, when damage is harder to find. 

 

In the overall "meta" brutes are kinda being left behind, but for a new player a brute gives the most honest City of Heroes experience imho. The intricacies of the other sets can be a bit of a learning curve, but most people can understand "SMASH!" 

[Captain Fabulous]

I vote for Stalker. They are incredibly strong and flexible, especially at lower levels. And the built in stealth is super useful for traversing thru zones without getting ganked and speeding thru missions if you don't want to clear them.

[Gunnarr]

I'm going to suggest a Stalker - it's a melee only AT (so if you would rather hover-blast things, disregard and go with a Sentinel). Top level stealth at level 1, same choices for secondary/tanking as a Brute (including Ninjitsu, which is a touch better than Super Reflexes because it includes a heal, and there are 3-4 powers in Ninjitsu that are completely optional). Stalkers are designed to bypass trash fights you don't want to bother with, go straight to the target/boss, and assassinate it. Triple damage critical hits when attacking from stealth, but can stand in the open and melee like a scrapper. Pretty much the definition of "I work alone, and the mobs should fear me". With the free psuedo travel powers everyone can get at the P2W vendor, you don't even need to waste a slot on a travel power if you want something else in its place. Dark melee/Ninjitsu offers great utility and survivability, but there are plenty of good primaries to pick from.

Edited February 14 by Gunnarr
spelling

[Snarky]

2 hours ago, Dao Jones said:

Hello Homecoming people! I only recently found out that CoH has been alive and well for ~5 years now, and am excited to dip my toes back into a game I don't think I've played since... Issue 10?

 

As a fresh newbie I'll be starting with a completely blank account, and while I'm not opposed to opportunistic grouping at heart I just enjoy the solo journey. I've been researching builds and ATs for the last few days and... so much of what I'm finding is either 3+ years old, or assumes you're building a new character with millions of Influence laying around to kit them out.

 

So I'm hoping you experts and vets might advise an old dog on some new tricks? Specifically, I'm looking for advice on an AT that provides:

 

1. The tools needed to solo most/all of the game's 1-50 content. (Obviously the end game assumes extensive farming for the right gear, but by then I'll remember everything I've forgotten over the past ~17 years.)
2. A reasonably smooth leveling curve without excessive need for sugar daddy slotting.

 

At a guess I suspect the answer is probably either the new Sentinel AT, or a Brute, but I'm curious to hear if there's an edge case out there worth exploring. (I recall Ill/Rad or Ill/Kin Controllers being sneakily one of the most powerful and easy ATs in the game if you didn't mind the slower pace, but not sure if that's still true anymore.) I can experiment with the powersets to find the one that feels right for me, but would like to at least narrow my search within an AT(s) that aren't going to leave me hanging on my way to 50.

 

(And just to be clear: I'm definitely not looking for Influence handouts. Weirdly enough I genuinely enjoy the "starting with nothing" experience.)

 

Thanks in advance! Also - if my Google-fu was weak and this has been answered elsewhere please feel free to point me wherever.

If you truly are one that enjoys easy soloing I would suggest Sentinel.  Not one of my favorite archetypes as I am a min/maxer.  These are a mid/mid.  And they are well balanced.  One of the smoothest runs i had 1-50 was on a Sentinel Beam Rifle Willpower.  Just cake walk. This is at standard mission setting of +0 level x1 hero.  
 

At 50 some still like Sentinels but I think they are light weight for Incarnate work.  But with standard Single Origin Enhancers this can be a fun run. 
 

There is a post at the top of Sentinel boards that details (in great detail) all the powersets for Sentinels if you choose to look at that

[MHertz]

Brute: easiest to play, most expensive to equip, least likely to learn about the game’s enemies. Brutes have good survivability, and with all of their status protection and built-in damage bonuses, they can fly through content. The flip side of that is that Defense and Resist enhancements tend to be among the most expensive (Damage and Healing are tops), and with your lovely status protection shielding you, you won’t even notice that certain enemies have stuns, holds, confuses or immobilizes until the late game bad guys roll around.

 

Sentinels: on par with Brutes from an expense and learning standpoint, and not as powerful.

 

The least expensive to equip are probably Controllers, but they aren’t easy to solo. However, as with playing any squishy type (Blaster, Defender, Corruptor, Dominator) you do learn a lot about what the enemies can do.

 

Any archetype can make money on the auction house if you do a small amount of research.

[FFFF]

I also vote Brute. At low levels, fury will enable you to 1 shot most minions and almost kill lieutenants. This makes leveling smooth. 
 

You won’t need enhancements until level 10 or so, because the early missions are really easy and inspirations can get you past anything remotely hard. 

[Dao Jones]

56 minutes ago, drbuzzard said:

If you're talking dirt poor, a super reflexes tank is pretty hard to beat. Combine it with dark melee and you'll have a heal and endurance recovery.

Definitely was one of the builds I was considering. I had a DM/SR Scrapper back in the day, and while he wasn’t my favorite character I appreciated how well the various powers worked together.

 

36 minutes ago, Captain Fabulous said:

I vote for Stalker. They are incredibly strong and flexible, especially at lower levels. And the built in stealth is super useful for traversing thru zones without getting ganked and speeding thru missions if you don't want to clear them.

Interesting! One of the only ATs I never really explored back in Live. I always felt like stealth was too gimmicky (I had a Fire/Dev Blaster and I swear everything could see through my stealth field), but I’ll definitely skim through the Stalker forum to see what’s what.

 

20 minutes ago, Snarky said:

There is a post at the top of Sentinel boards that details (in great detail) all the powersets for Sentinels if you choose to look at that

Good tip. I was eyeing Beam Rifle as it didn’t exist back when I was playing, but it’ll help to get the Sentinel-eye view on all of them. (Especially since it seems the Sentinel version can vary slightly from other ATs.)

[Captain Fabulous]

6 minutes ago, Dao Jones said:

Interesting! One of the only ATs I never really explored back in Live. I always felt like stealth was too gimmicky (I had a Fire/Dev Blaster and I swear everything could see through my stealth field), but I’ll definitely skim through the Stalker forum to see what’s what.

They've been significantly upgraded since live, so yeah, give them a try. The stealth in Stalker Hide is very strong, much stronger than most other forms of stealth/invis. Until recently on Homecoming the Stealth power was not true invisibility. With the old version you'd definitely be seen if you got too close to critters. Not an issue with Hide, or even the current version of Stealth.

[dtjunkie]

If you are going to primarily solo stuff, you will have plenty of influence if you just follow these steps:

 

1.) Do content like story arcs that provide reward merits

2.) Go to a merit vendor and use those reward merits to buy enhancement converters

3.) Sell the enhancement converters on the auction house. Right now you can get about 70K per converter without much of a wait.

 

This is the simplest way to make enough money to fund your toon all the way to 50.

 

With that said, for soloing I think Brutes and Scrappers are the best bet based on your criteria, with brutes having a smoother go in the early levels and scrappers outperforming brutes later on.

 

[Cyrickain13]

IMHO - The easiest AT to play when you have nothing is:

 

Mastermind. Very easy to play. Your pets do almost all the work. Your great solo your great in a team. 

 

Bots and Devices is good. Really everything but Ninja/Trick Arrow. 

 

Thugs + Time or Kinetics is amazingly easy. 

 

 

[Erratic1]

1 hour ago, MoonSheep said:

scrapper or tank will be the easiest, brutes are often not as damaging thesedays

 

This had -=BEST NOT BE TRUE=- given the assertions made over the last few years about how balance between Brutes, Scrappers, and Tankers is fine.

 

Scrappers/Stalkers are top damage and lowest survivability (very survivable if built right, but should fold first).

Tankers are best AoE damage and best survivability by far.

Brutes are better solo damage than Tankers, better survivability than Scrapers/Stalkers.

 

Any of the melee classes are fine choices, choose the flavor which appeals.

Edited February 14 by Erratic1

[Erratic1]

1 hour ago, Verfall said:

The answer is brute. It's always brute. There is no other AT that is so easy to play and is newbie friendly. Other ATs have sets that are newbie friendly, but pretty much every brute combo is straightforward and simple to figure out.

 

Radiation Melee/Dark Armor will quickly teach you what being out of endurance feels like. 

[Cyrickain13]

Second best AT to play when you have nothing. (This going to be very unpopular)

 

You can play this but it will be slow but reliable - Defender - Dark Miasma - Force Field Bubbler.

 

You can survive anything and with the - to hit Debuffs and - To Hit Buffs from bubbles you can nigh untouchable. 

Edited February 14 by Cyrickain13

[MoonSheep]

20 minutes ago, Erratic1 said:

 

This had -=BEST NOT BE TRUE=- given the assertions made over the last few years about how balance between Brutes, Scrappers, and Tankers is fine.

 

Scrappers/Stalkers are top damage and lowest survivability (very survivable if built right, but should fold first).

Tankers are best AoE damage and best survivability by far.

Brutes are better solo damage than Tankers, better survivability than Scrapers/Stalkers.

 

Any of the melee classes are fine choices, choose the flavor which appeals.

 

tanks tend to have higher damage than brutes from this indepth testing - often higher than scrappers too, which just feels wrong and my brain can’t accept it

 

i can’t really see a reason to choose brutes 

 

[Erratic1]

17 minutes ago, MoonSheep said:

 

tanks tend to have higher damage than brutes from this indepth testing - often higher than scrappers too, which just feels wrong and my brain can’t accept it

 

i can’t really see a reason to choose brutes 

 

 

Trust that whenever Ston's posts come up there are invariably a ton of explanation from Tanker fans about how artificial and circumstantial the results are. To be fair, Trapdoor does have a fair amount of group combat where Tankers are going to fare well.

[Neogumbercules]

I'm going to echo the Stalker suggestion. They're pretty much the premier solo AT and the mechanics are incredibly straightforward. Just attack stuff. Stealth missions to make them go faster. End of story. I prefer sets with toggles for Mez protection, and defense based armors tend to fare better for Stalkers.

 

If you don't want to play a melee AT, play a Mastermind. Ignore all the macros and keybinding guides and just use the 3 buttons they give you to command your minions. It's very easy. If you keep your guys in "defensive follow" mode, any damage dealt directly to you will be divided amongst all your minions, so it's really easy to stay alive. I suggest Bots/Time. Once you get . more familiar with the AT and the game in general you can start doing the deep dive on advanced MM controls.

[ZemX]

1 hour ago, MoonSheep said:

tanks tend to have higher damage than brutes from this indepth testing - often higher than scrappers too, which just feels wrong and my brain can’t accept it

 

I think you're paying too much attention to the height of the bars in the chart.  Look at the actual times.  The main thing I get from his testing is that all three ATs clear Trapdoor at very close to the same average times.  Scrappers and Tankers are the same average and Brutes are all of 7 seconds behind (on his newer post in the AT forum) out of 5 minute runs.  That's like 2.5% difference.  It's in the noise.  Yeah, there are outliers showing more differentiation but if you want to speak about the AT as a whole... there's apparently little difference in clearing a map like that once you have tricked out an IO build with procs and Incarnates.  Whatever built-in differences there are to begin with between Brutes, Scrappers, and Tankers get sanded down to just about nothing by that. 

 

The Pylon times show much more what you'd expect from the four melee ATs clearly indicating Tankers are dead last in ST damage and Scrappers/Stalkers are top.  No surprise there.

 

In any case, nobody rolling up a new Brute, Tanker, or Scrapper is going to see anything close to what's shown in these charts for Trapdoor.  Not for a long time and possibly never depending on how they are playing.

 

[Ironblade]

5 hours ago, Dao Jones said:

At a guess I suspect the answer is probably either the new Sentinel AT, or a Brute, but I'm curious to hear if there's an edge case out there worth exploring.

Those are definitely sound choices.  I would say any AT that gets a defensive set secondary, so: sentinel, brute, scrapper, stalker would my top suggestions.

 

After that, I would ask about your play style.  Do you prefer ranged combat?  Is maximum damage output your goal?  In this game, you can easily solo with a defender; it's just slower.