Good survivable builds

[graeberguinn]

In your opinion, as topic states, what are good survivable builds? I like to play both solo/teams. Don't care about ranged vs melee. I'd prefer a bit of both. As well as ST vs AOE.

 

Always heard Ice/ice but not sure I want to go that route. Was looking at /time and /rad. They seemed to have good utility. Also was looking at /mental.

 

Any combos or builds you recommend.

[Banana Man]

Ice primary is really good. Ice primary is probably not great unless you're talking about pre-level 50 stuff or just want to be ice/ice for thematic purposes.

 

I'm not a big fan of temporal. It's nice in that it's pretty sturdy and gives you some extra recharge, but (if we're talking max level/IOd out gameplay) outside of the pbaoe attack, it sometimes feels like you don't have a secondary, as the melees are pretty terrible.

 

/Martial isn't like a min/max set, but it has a bunch of AoE, and Ki Pushing someone into Eagle's Claw is absolutely hilarious and never gets old to me.

 

I really enjoy /fire for a secondary. It's a strong mix of insane AoE (which means you can play basically any primary you want and not worry about it not having enough AoE) and has some powers like Burn which do pretty good single target damage when proc'd out, and make your single target moves do more damage (pretty much always procs the glad fury chance for -20% resist. I have and ice/fire and it's one of the blasters I enjoy most in PvE. Really good single target, unparalleled aoe... you know, the things blasters like. Fire (does everything) and psi (good single target, nice for certain AVs) are also really good primaries, but keep in mind that psi is taking a nerf because its snipe animation is being "fixed" with the new snipe changes.

 

For sheer survivabiliy, I'd assume mental is the best by far for the regen, but it doesn't bring much damage to the table.

 

I feel like dark is kinda slept on for a secondary, because soul drain is kinda nuts with the right primary. /Elec has some pretty strong single target potential too.

 

@Ghost Logic might be a really good one to ask, because that dude plays nothing but blasters, and while he does care about sets being strong, I think fun is also his primary goal.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

[oedipus_tex]

Temporal is very, very good, mainly on account of the level 35 power, Time Shift. It's a Ranged AoE Mag 3 Stun with a 20ft radius. In other words, it's the Controller power Flashfire with a shorter duration but sightly faster cast time.

 

If you take the Fire pool you also get Bonfire which you can slot with a kb to kd IO. At that point, with some differences, you've got Control capability that steps on Controller's toes, but with the damage of Blaster.

 

Also, note that casting the Temporal Immobilize power and then hitting the Hold, the Hold becomes Mag 4 and will hold Bosses.

 

Temporal's level 35 power also gives you mag 3 protection from Stuns which is extremely handy.

 

 

Signed, an Energy Blast/Temporal Blaster who recently made this character his main.

 

 

[Marshal_General]

I like the pairing so far of fire's single target and AoE with the safety that /ice gives me.

[Novacat]

Beam/Tacarrow has worked quite well for me, but it's more of a control/debuff source in regards to survivability.

Beam offers several Knocks (Charged shot, Penetrating Ray though while the latter says down I think it's 'back') and two Stuns (Lancer Shot's Mag 3 and Overcharge's 60% of Mag 3 or guaranteed for same duration as Lancer if target's disintegrated).

 

Tactical Arrow offers an area slow/-recharge/DoT (Glue Arrow), two holds (Ice and the AoE ESD Arrow), a very powerful Drain (ESD Arrow's base is 55%, higher than short circuit, can be slotted to just a bit over 120% with Musculature Alphas), a smoke grenade equivalent (Flash Arrow) to fire pre-battle, and very slight defense from Gymnastics. Plenty of recharge and +perception to go around as well of course.

Easy to fill in for yet more controls to round it out or stack further using your Epic choice

Admittedly, Ice would be an even stronger primary to go with it.

[GetRidOfWires]

BR/Time is my first 50 and my first Incarnate this time around. The Disintegrate mechanic is great and allows you to do massive damage. As mentioned above, Time has Stun abilities and so does BR. I’m currently working on getting him to the Defense cap with Hover, Weave, Maneuvers, Def IOs in Tough, and the Nerve Alpha slot. I picked up LRM and of course Judgement so he’s now never missing a big AoE. In the ITF, more than once he’s been the only one to survive and finish off the Robot computer in the next to last mission.

[FUBARczar]

BR/Time is my first 50 and my first Incarnate this time around. The Disintegrate mechanic is great and allows you to do massive damage. As mentioned above, Time has Stun abilities and so does BR. I’m currently working on getting him to the Defense cap with Hover, Weave, Maneuvers, Def IOs in Tough, and the Nerve Alpha slot. I picked up LRM and of course Judgement so he’s now never missing a big AoE. In the ITF, more than once he’s been the only one to survive and finish off the Robot computer in the next to last mission.

 

BR/Time is pretty awesome, damage, lots of debuff, and some control.  Perhaps there are builds better for pure survivability, but not better all around or as a force mulitplier for the team.

[FUBARczar]

Another strong one is

 

Water Blast / Ice

 

 

 

[Frostweaver]

I will second water/ice. Probably the most survivable blaster build of all IN COMBAT (No, /ninja stealthing isn't really survivability) while still retaining a reasonable DPS for 'death mitigation'.

 

Of course, it pays a price for that survivability in not being top tier dps, but if you solo, team, or farm, it adds survivability for both you and your team....something most blaster sets simply aren't designed to do.