Water/Martial build - could use some guidance

[TyrantLlama]

I'm trying to work on a water/martial blaster build. It seems like my defense is garbage, and my damage seems a little low too. Also I'm way over on my endurance cap. And for some reason I can't add any more slots to Steam Spray even though I'm only at 61/67 slots. How would you all change this up a little bit to make it more efficient?

 

 

 

Blaster (Water Blast - Martial Combat).mbd

 

 

Edited June 21 by TyrantLlama

[Frozen Burn]

1 hour ago, TyrantLlama said:

I'm trying to work on a water/martial blaster build. It seems like my defense is garbage, and my damage seems a little low too. Also I'm way over on my endurance cap. And for some reason I can't add any more slots to Steam Spray even though I'm only at 61/67 slots. How would you all change this up a little bit to make it more efficient?

 

 

 

Hi and welcome to the forums!  

 

This can be a fun combo to play.  🙂  However, some key things about your build....

• Your endurance is actually quite low.  You have Hibernate turned ON which shows your increased recovery while untouchable and unable to do anything (it' like a protected rest power).  Click the green button on the power and then look at your End Recov... you're going to be hurting for endurance with all these toggles running.
  • Reaction Time - your End sustain power - take it as soon as it is available (lvl 20).  And either turn those Ice Mistrals into Performance Shifters or put more slots in Stamina.  The Damage proc in it will not work like you might hope.  It's pretty useless and will not proc as much as you might like.  And the damage enhances component with Ice Mistral will not do anything since Reaction Time does no damage at all.  So, if you want to enhance the slow component of the power, I would suggest Pacing of the Turtle or Tempered Readiness instead.
• Steam Spray - you have it at lvl 49, so only lvl 50 slots can go there.  You'll only get max 4 slots there.  So you'll have to take that last slot out of Geyser (lvl 47) to put in it.  If you want more slots than that in Steam Spray, you'll have to put it earlier in your build.
• Geyser - your nuke.  WAY too late in your build.  Take it at as soon as it's available (lvl 26) and 5 or 6 slot it.  I like to put full set of Superior Blaster's Wrath in it, personally.
• Overall placement of your power selections:
  • Too many of your good powers are coming way too late in your build.  
  • Put your Fighting later in your 30s/40s - that's when you need it the most and take more attacks early on to help you level up and/or when you exemp down.  Also, you won't have the endurance to run the fighting pool until after you get Reaction Time - that's why it's also important to take RT as soon as it's available.  
• Defense is garbage because you're not slotting for it. 
  • If you want more defense, get rid of your frankenslotting and slot more 5-6 piece sets to get those defense bonuses.  All those procs in your low tier powers are not going to proc as much as you might like due to the inherent low base recharge of the powers.  You're better off slotting with a set (can include 1 proc, if you want), and get the defense bonuses from the set + the max damage for the power (with any proc being bonus damage).  
  • Additionally, slot up Weave and Frozen Armor for max Defense - you're skimping there.  
  • Blessing of the Zephyrs in Combat Jumping - put those in Fly for a 3pc set bonus and little more AOE def.  Then you can put some Defense Enhs in CJ to boost your defense, if you wanted/needed.

I hope this helps!

 

 

Edited June 21 by Frozen Burn
filthy typos!

[Sanguinesun]

 What is your end game play goals for this post 50 build? Your expectations from how you've built seem to indicate you're trying to do multiple goals/do it all and that is of course affecting the results of the build.

 

1. Your build still has many slots not done yet as you acknowledged of course.

2. You've not added your choices for incarnates. That plays a big end game factor to your results in terms of both damage and defense/resistance depending on choices made.

3. Your procs in hibernation will only benefit you when you click and go into hibernation which limits their helping your toon as you fight in general (since you'd be stopping what you're doing to freeze yourself to reup) .... think on it like a bigger numbers rest.

4. Don't judge your defenses by having evasive maneuvers enabled.   The second you do any combat its defense benefits are lost. 

5. Don't forget how water's combo's play out. 

6.  Your endurance "cap" point you made is because you had hibernation enabled.   Again, it's not what you're running with at all times. 

 

 

Your build with this blaster has you needing to be in melee plenty. If you're going to actually prioritize being in and out of melee, not only did you skip some powers that may benefit your being in melee more but you also would need to make more considerations for melee range positional defense(and general defense) and better resistances, perhaps.  If your intent is to instead remain at range though, then you need to make other power choice considerations that could include not even choosing martial as your secondary as martial is a very melee focused secondary.

 

 

Edited June 21 by Sanguinesun

[TyrantLlama]

15 minutes ago, Frozen Burn said:

 

Hi and welcome to the forums!  

 

This can be a fun combo to play.  🙂  However, some key things about your build....

• Your endurance is actually quite low.  You have Hibernate turned ON which shows your increased recovery while untouchable and unable to do anything (it' like a protected rest power).  Click the green button on the power and then look at your End Recov... you're going to be hurting for endurance with all these toggles running.
  • Reaction Time - your End sustain power - take it as soon as it is available (lvl 20).  And either turn those Ice Mistrals into Performance Shifters or put more slots in Stamina.  The Damage proc in it will not work like you might hope.  It's pretty useless and will not proc as much as you might like.  And the damage enhances component with Ice Mistral will not do anything since Reaction Time does no damage at all.  So, if you want to enhance the slow component of the power, I would suggest Pacing of the Turtle or Tempered Readiness instead.
• Steam Spray - you have it at lvl 49, so only lvl 50 slots can go there.  You'll only get max 4 slots there.  So you'll have to take that last slot out of Geyser (lvl 47) to put in it.  If you want more slots than that in Steam Spray, you'll have to put it earlier in your build.
• Geyser - your nuke.  WAY too late in your build.  Take it at as soon as it's available (lvl 26) and 5 or 6 slot it.  I like to put full set of Superior Blaster's Wrath in it, personally.
• Overall placement of your power selections:
  • Too many of your good powers are coming way too late in your build.  
  • Put your Fighting later in your 30s/40s - that's when you need it the most and take more attacks early on to help you level up and/or when you exemp down.  Also, you won't have the endurance to run the fighting pool until after you get Reaction Time - that's why it's also important to take RT as soon as it's available.  
• Defense is garbage because you're not slotting for it. 
  • If you want more defense, get rid of your frankenslotting and slot more 5-6 piece sets to get those defense bonuses.  All those procs in your low tier powers are not going to proc as much as you might like due to the inherent low base recharge of the powers.  You're better off slotting with a set (can include 1 proc, if you want), and get the defense bonuses from the set + the max damage for the power (with any proc being bonus damage).  
  • Additionally, slot up Weave and Frozen Armor for max Defense - you're skimping there.  
  • Blessing of the Zephyrs in Combat Jumping - put those in Fly for a 3pc set bonus and little more AOE def.  Then you can put some Defense Enhs in CJ to boost your defense, if you wanted/needed.

I hope this helps!

 

 

Ahh okay! I was wondering why my endurance was sitting at 600+%. I'll have to remember to turn off toggles when looking at stats. 

So I made a few adjustments based off what you and @Sanguinesun suggested. As @Sanguinesun mentioned, this build does kind of seem like I'm trying to "do it all" which is why it probably isn't turning out too well. I'd like to stay mostly ranged if I could, but I see how martial is a very CC focused secondary. Does this build make any more sense? My resistance is still kind of lacking, even with full sets. I'm not new to the game but very new to mids lol, so bare with my ignorance here. Also the reason that the powers are selected at seemingly random levels is because I'm kind of treating mids as a post-50 respec tool rather than a lvl 1-50 tool. I'm starting to think that's not the right approach though...

Blaster (Water Blast - Martial Combat).mbd

[Sanguinesun]

21 minutes ago, TyrantLlama said:

Ahh okay! I was wondering why my endurance was sitting at 600+%. I'll have to remember to turn off toggles when looking at stats. 

So I made a few adjustments based off what you and @Sanguinesun suggested. As @Sanguinesun mentioned, this build does kind of seem like I'm trying to "do it all" which is why it probably isn't turning out too well. I'd like to stay mostly ranged if I could, but I see how martial is a very CC focused secondary. Does this build make any more sense? My resistance is still kind of lacking, even with full sets. I'm not new to the game but very new to mids lol, so bare with my ignorance here. Also the reason that the powers are selected at seemingly random levels is because I'm kind of treating mids as a post-50 respec tool rather than a lvl 1-50 tool. I'm starting to think that's not the right approach though...

Blaster (Water Blast - Martial Combat).mbd 40.67 kB · 0 downloads

 

 

I'll message you some build suggestions later today when I get the chance so check your DM's later.

[Frozen Burn]

2 hours ago, TyrantLlama said:

Ahh okay! I was wondering why my endurance was sitting at 600+%. I'll have to remember to turn off toggles when looking at stats. 

So I made a few adjustments based off what you and @Sanguinesun suggested. As @Sanguinesun mentioned, this build does kind of seem like I'm trying to "do it all" which is why it probably isn't turning out too well. I'd like to stay mostly ranged if I could, but I see how martial is a very CC focused secondary. Does this build make any more sense? My resistance is still kind of lacking, even with full sets. I'm not new to the game but very new to mids lol, so bare with my ignorance here. Also the reason that the powers are selected at seemingly random levels is because I'm kind of treating mids as a post-50 respec tool rather than a lvl 1-50 tool. I'm starting to think that's not the right approach though...

Blaster (Water Blast - Martial Combat).mbd 40.67 kB · 2 downloads

 

No worries -  and it's not really mids... it's just toon building.  🙂  Mids is a great tool for looking at what you're building and planning for what you want.

 

Resistances don't really matter unless you have an epic shield that grants some.  Sure, ideally ANY toon wants a combo of Def and Resists, but blasters don't generally get much of either and it takes certain power selection, set selection, and etc to get a good level of one or the other - and trying to do both can sacrifice both.  

 

But primarily, a blaster's survivability lies within playstyle, and how you leverage the available powers at your disposal.  As @Sanguinesun stated, you left out some of the core powers that make /Martial so good and survivable as a blaster.  /Martial is a melee / blapper secondary.  If you want to stay at range, there are better secondaries for staying at range.  You're almost gimping yourself by not leaning into the melee aspect of /Martial and fully utilizing it.  But... you do you and play what what makes you happy - that's all any of can or should do.  🙂  

 

Also, even as an endgame build, you can still reorganize your powers so that you have more attacks up front and your pools later - this helps when you exemp down for task/strike forces and trials.  But if you plan to never exemp, then I guess it it really doesn't matter.  

 

I am still not a fan of all the frankenslotting and all the procs - especially in your lower tier powers.  You'll do less damage overall.  And even in Eagles Claw, you'll do less overall damage since your enhanced damage is so low - not all the procs will proc at the same time - which means your total output overall will be lower.  Additionally, the long animation makes it not worth it.  Most people skip Eagle's Claw because of the lower DPS.  Yes, it's a heavy hitter, but the animation is long and therefore low DPS.  I am still a fan of the power and always take it - but I would slot for full damage instead of gambling and hoping for total proc damage for that long animation time.

 

What you have is viable.  You solved the key issue of endurance.  So, that's the big thing.  

 

Here's a sample of what I would do with your sets and some of the pools choices you made.  This is not exactly what i would make.  What I would do... I would drop Ice Mastery (i am sure you have it for concept reasons which i am ALL for - but for total concept... I'd personally go for Leviathan Mastery instead)... but I would take Scorpion Shield from Mace Mastery (1 power pick to get shield), and then add in Combat Jumping and Maneuvers for more Defense.  

 

Blaster (Water Blast - Martial Combat).mbd

 

Edited June 21 by Frozen Burn

[tidge]

I think Burst of Speed is a necessity for /Martial.

 

I dislike Water Jet, Dehydrate is IMO a more reliable ST-attack.

 

You should not need Hasten, especially with this combo able to switch between range/melee ST/AoE.

 

EDIT: I would not put the Ice Mistral pieces in Reaction Time, two of those should probably be 50+5 Healing IOs.

Edited June 21 by tidge

[Uun]

On 6/20/2024 at 9:37 PM, TyrantLlama said:

Ahh okay! I was wondering why my endurance was sitting at 600+%. I'll have to remember to turn off toggles when looking at stats. 

So I made a few adjustments based off what you and @Sanguinesun suggested. As @Sanguinesun mentioned, this build does kind of seem like I'm trying to "do it all" which is why it probably isn't turning out too well. I'd like to stay mostly ranged if I could, but I see how martial is a very CC focused secondary. Does this build make any more sense? My resistance is still kind of lacking, even with full sets. I'm not new to the game but very new to mids lol, so bare with my ignorance here. Also the reason that the powers are selected at seemingly random levels is because I'm kind of treating mids as a post-50 respec tool rather than a lvl 1-50 tool. I'm starting to think that's not the right approach though...

• Similar to Hibernate, you've got Tidal Forces turned on. This is vastly inflating your damage and accuracy. 
• If you intend to use Tough as a mule, the Gladiator's Armor +def unique should be slotted here instead of the Unbreakable Guard resist. If you intend to run Tough, it requires end reduction.
• The Miracle +recovery shouldn't be slotted in Inner Will. It needs to be slotted in a toggle or auto power (otherwise it will only work for 2 minutes after you use the power). Panacea is also a poor choice in Inner Will, as the heal is pretty small. I would slot Inner Will with 2x recharge IOs and move the Panacea set to Reaction Time.
• Water Jet has insufficient accuracy.
• Eagle's Claw has insufficient accuracy slotted, plus all the recharge slotted is screwing up your proc chances. You would be better served to drop some of the procs and enhance the damage.
• Frozen Armor should be slotted with a Defense set, not a Resist Damage set. You want to enhance the S/L defense, not the F/C resistance.
• Steam Spray should be taken much earlier and also requires accuracy. Also, you can add more than 3 slots to your lvl 49 power if you respec.
• I wouldn't skip Dehydrate or Burst of Speed.

For reference, I'm attaching my current Water/Martial build.

Uunfit - Blaster (Water Blast).mbd