Beam/Devices help

[Khan668]

Old player returning. Need help with a Beam/Devices build. What are the must haves? Powers from other sets, Hasten? Assault? Tough, weave etc..? Thanks in advance.

[Novacat]

Maneuvers and Assault won't hurt, and do stick Gaussian's build-up chance in Aim

(take Aim).

NOTE: /Dev is currently being reassessed and buffed on the Beta server as are snipes. This WILL alter the value of several of /Dev's powers.

 

Beam:

Single Shot: I usually take this one over charged shot. -75% Regen on disintegrating target, adds up nice against AVs and Giant Monsters

Charge Shot: Well, like I said... +15% on a disintegrating target is the weakest of the bonuses.

Cutting Beam: Beggars can't be choosers. Your only true AoE until your nuke. Does however get a 3s DoT of 11% ticks on disintegrates

Disintegrate: If you don't take this, you choose a different primary. Okay maybe it doesn't have to be RIGHT away at 6th, maybe wait to 8th if you really must... Heavy DoT but fairly long duration. Adds -150% Regen debuff, and single target attacks can spread some of the DoT to other targets, allowing them to be affected by those bonuses I've been pointing out as well.

Lancer Shot: A rather average T3 shot, but it packs a Mag 3 Stun. Does +20% damage to disintegrating targets.

(LANCER SHOT BETA: 100% SPREAD CHANCE.... if they can fix spreading getting delayed and not working on death)

Penetrating Ray: Snipe. Can knockback a little, and gets a 3s DoT of 11% ticks on disintegrating targets. Worth it.

(BETA: Will have something like 66% spread chance making it an even better fast-snipe once in combat)

Piercing Beam: You get this. TAKE. IT. Am I making myself clear? This is a T3 shot... except it's a 'line' (a 4 degree cone in reality) that can hit up to 3 targets total if you line'em up properly. Each for full proper heavy single target shot damage. And -13% damage res to things it hits. Oh and anyone disintegrating when they eat a shot of this takes an extra tick on the spot of 33% of its damage.

Overcharge: It's your nuke, it's ranged, it has a Stun chance (guaranteed and longer instead if the target's disintegrating, and I do believe you are aware already that nukes are now crash-less.

 

Devices:

Web Grenade: Getting a toxic DoT in beta. You've no choice but to take it, but hey! -Recharge, some damage.

Caltrops: A classic. add just a bit more slow, and some damage. maybe procs.

Taser: Okay this wasn't the greatest thing but at least it was gonna match your Lancer Shot to stun bosses...

(BETA Taser: Well guess what. They're giving it a 20ft range or so and the same damage scaling as Energy Punch. A clear skip just became a clear Include... at least later once the changes go live and you respec)

Targeting Drone: Well obviously. Do put a little bit in there to ensure you clear the +22% to-hit properly, although after beta changes that'll probably just up your fast snipe damage rather than make it a fast one

Smoke Grenade: As useful as it's ever been. Not something to super-slot, but handy handy handy. Just be careful, Procs WILL cause it to aggro things when they trigger, which is nice mid-battle but really ruins it for its noncombat use.

FIELD OPERATIVE: This is your Sustain. You don't not take this. You don't take this at not 20. You'd take it earlier if you could but you can't so it's your level 20 pick. NOTHING ELSE IS YOUR LEVEL 20 PICK. Try to get two Health and two EndMods in there to get some real mileage out of the regen and recovery, but maybe a defense-set global can find its way in a sixth slot maybe...

Trip Mine: You know what to do.

Time Bomb: You know what to skip.... Except the beta's changing the fuse to five seconds making it really bloody usable!

Gun Drone: Floats, helps, may attract a few shots towards it instead of you, happy pet IOs, do something about that recharge when you get there though.

[Khan668]

Thanks! I appreciate it. Beam seems really strong, but kind of lackluster in play. Still love it though.

[FUBARczar]

the low down as it stands for now...

 

BR

Single shot over Charged every day of the week and twice on Sundays.

Cutting beam sucks but as was mentioned it's all you got (Sentinels have a better 2nd 10' targeted AoE that does the same damage with shorter animation, but no snipe)

Your Bread and Butter is Disintegrate + everything else

 

Devices

The only must-haves are...

Web Grenade, because you have no choice

Targeting Drone - It's better than Tactics, higher to-hit buff, less endurance but essentially the same thing

Field Operative - Nothing special, but great none the less, gives you stealth +regen +recovery, and costs no endurance, even better when paired with Super Speed, or Run with Celerity +stealth, the you can actually sneak past just about anything but perhaps a Rikti Drone

 

The rest is truly optional, for instance, I don't use Trip Mine or Time Bomb (that's right no trip mine, because neither my team or I am still long enough to use 'em), and this is great for Beam because then you can take every power in BR (besides Charged of course.)

 

Outside of that the only other must-haves are Assault and Hasten and Flurry (j/k not flurry)

Tier 2: Super Speed, Tough, Maneuvers, Weave, Combat Jump

Tier 3: Recall Friend (but you can just purchase Team TP)

 

 

[Novacat]

Beam seems really strong, but kind of lackluster in play. Still love it though.

Where it's lacking is the AoE - your only beam 'ball' as a Blaster is Overcharge. Superb against low numbers though, and even better in a team since you spread and use one-another's Disintegrates. if you hit two disintegrating targets, Piercing Beam does 210% the total damage of Fire's Blaze (granted it's also about the same increase in animation time) and drops their resistance a smidgen too.

Those missions with two AVs at once, there's your MVP right there.

[Rebel230]

I went electric devices and I do like it alot. I do agree and did not take time bomb or trip mine.

 

They are buffing devices on test?? That's awesome to hear. Any news on what they are doing with it? Thank you

[Novacat]

Well the best way to feel for that is to go try it out yourself, but, basically:

 

1) Web Grenade is becoming Toxic Web Grenade and gaining a DoT roughly equal to a regular T1 blast (over its long duration though). It can also slot accordingly now that it deals damage as well.

 

2) Taser gains a 20ft range and damage around Energy Punch's (oh yes)

 

3) Targeting Drone will be getting a flat damage buff system quite similar to the blaster Ninja set's stealth (Shinobi I think it was?)

 

4) Time Bomb's fuse is getting shortened to 5s

 

5) Apparently Trip Mines themselves might get some very minor love.

 

Still subject to a little bit of change, but overall big buff.