Mercs/Marine

[Player-1]

Hello @Meknomancer,

 

@Wavicle is correct, Shoal Rush on its own does not do any knockdown/knockback, but can cause Tide Pool to Frenzy which can inflict knockdown. This effect should not stack from a single Tide Pool, though if other knock effects happen at the same time as a knockdown from Frenzy they will stack and potentially throw targets around. 

 

If you are able to confirm that only Frenzy, or specifically Shoal Rush's Frenzy trigger are causing knockback without the enemies being weak to knock (like Clockwork) or being lower level than you then that would be a bug!

[Meknomancer]

3 hours ago, Player-1 said:

Hello @Meknomancer,

 

@Wavicle is correct, Shoal Rush on its own does not do any knockdown/knockback, but can cause Tide Pool to Frenzy which can inflict knockdown. This effect should not stack from a single Tide Pool, though if other knock effects happen at the same time as a knockdown from Frenzy they will stack and potentially throw targets around. 

 

If you are able to confirm that only Frenzy, or specifically Shoal Rush's Frenzy trigger are causing knockback without the enemies being weak to knock (like Clockwork) or being lower level than you then that would be a bug!

 

Its hard to tell at the moment as i haven't been soloing, i'm running it with necro and thugs but skipped shoal rush on the necro. I have seen a lot of kb on the thugs but again that maybe a team mate or the bruiser. So i'm pretty sure i've seen it when i ran into a council mob that was only 1 level below me, i open with tide pool and hit shoal rush to start the frenzy and watch enemies fly back out of the pool before pets even arrive but that may just have been the level difference. 

[Deadlymantis]

On 7/28/2024 at 6:37 PM, Meknomancer said:

but without group fly i've had to wait for over 40+ seconds on itf towers after rommy dropped for the pets to get there,

 

Just to point out you can dismiss them and resummon/buff in under 20 seconds.

[Meknomancer]

8 hours ago, Deadlymantis said:

 

Just to point out you can dismiss them and resummon/buff in under 20 seconds.

 

Drop commando (because you want to be able to target him first for shifting tides)

Drop Spec Ops

Drop Soldiers

Equip Mercs

Tactical Upgrade

Drop Barrier Reef

Apply Shifting Tides to Commando

Click Toroidal

Click Power of the Depths

Drop lore pets (usually the Neuron / Bobcat fight where you had to dismiss pets so they didn't bug out, but there's plenty of other maps where you need to do this)

Use a t4 Barrier if its up or apply serum if needed.

 

Now you ready to whitecap/drop tide pool/shoal rush/judgement if there's any mobs left to fight.

 

Time that.

 

Even my mercs/nature doesn't take this long.

[srmalloy]

On 8/2/2024 at 6:11 PM, Wavicle said:

But Shoal Rush itself does not do knock down, so far as I know. I don't THINK Tide Pool can stack with itself. So I suspect you're either seeing it from Commando or Whitecap stacking with Tide Pool.

I don't know whether it will stack with another Tide Pool from a different character, but I've verified experimentally that when you drop a new Tide Pool, the old one vanishes. This means that we're not leaving warehouses and office buildings a meter deep in water, but it limits the utility of being able to put a Tide Pool behind you to slow ambushes while using it offensively.

[Light Petting]

Decided to give this a spin based on the build in the first post and loving it.  Mercs clearly got good while I was away.  /Marine seems tailor made for MMs.  
I've thrown out assault/veng and travel power and swapped in tp other/tp/fold space for leisurely soloing and no need to worry about positioning.  I'm sure i'm losing out from a min/max perspective but it's a load of fun.

 

Also: every time my commando comes out with "Time for a little wet work" ... that'll never get old.

 

[merrypessimist]

On 7/28/2024 at 9:52 AM, Crysis said:

I found using Tide Pool and WhiteCap in any clockwork missions to be nothing but scatter city.  I think those critters have just low knockback resistance.  Otherwise, I just get the normal (and desired) flopping up and down.  Lots of fun with carnies...they so colorful when flopping.

 

Clockworks (the normal ones, not the praetorian ones) have knockback susceptibility.  They're MORE vulnerable to it than a regular mob. 

[Meknomancer]

On 8/7/2024 at 11:33 PM, srmalloy said:

I don't know whether it will stack with another Tide Pool from a different character, but I've verified experimentally that when you drop a new Tide Pool, the old one vanishes. This means that we're not leaving warehouses and office buildings a meter deep in water, but it limits the utility of being able to put a Tide Pool behind you to slow ambushes while using it offensively.

 

I'm assuming its the buffs from tide pool as the reason you can't stack multiple ones from yourself. All the other patch type powers like sleet/freezing rain/tar patch are all debuffs. Tide pool is only patch power applying +dmg to the team. And it says special. Which it definitely is, there seems to be at least 4 different types of effects being applied to mobs. Maybe 5.

 

But it does appear to stack with team mates. At least graphically.

[WindDemon21]

On 7/28/2024 at 8:52 AM, Meknomancer said:

Imagine you took all the best stuff from all the other secondaries and rolled them into one. Thats /marine.

 

 

MERCS MARINE - Mastermind (Mercenaries - Marine Affinity).mbd 40.91 kB · 88 downloads

Mercs/Marine is a really decent combo. Avoid the naysayers here, the key is that you use tide pool, then jump in with whitecap to take most of the aggro and knock them down first, then use shoal rush, that way the mob stays where they are while the mercs attack from range to get the most out of their cones. (yes they don't get shifting tides that way but it's still the most effective strategy, then they move in when it's mostly just bosses left as the fight progresses.

 

The other super key thing about this combo why it works so well together is that you can alternate every 30 seconds serum, and then 30 seconds later power of the depths, then 30s later serum, etc. That way, they both scale down over time, but you keep most of at least one of those buffs on the mercs at all times so they'll be pretty unkillable.

 

Plus you can throw in FF procs in slug and m30 grenade to help recharge power of the depths faster and whitecap also with a FF proc to help chain those to keep the enemies knocked down. Don't forget to put kb-kd in m30 grenade. I'll usually put the OF proc for more KD chances, but the boss merc pet kinda needs it too for his m30 and buckshot.

[WindDemon21]

On 8/12/2024 at 8:18 AM, Meknomancer said:

 

I'm assuming its the buffs from tide pool as the reason you can't stack multiple ones from yourself. All the other patch type powers like sleet/freezing rain/tar patch are all debuffs. Tide pool is only patch power applying +dmg to the team. And it says special. Which it definitely is, there seems to be at least 4 different types of effects being applied to mobs. Maybe 5.

 

But it does appear to stack with team mates. At least graphically.

Yeah it should stack with teammates, it just won't with yourself cause, especially with that recharge you could get out like 20 of them otherwise in a fight and be at max damage every mob, not to mention the enemies would be at max -damage too then, it would get nutty if it would stack. Though I'm glad unlike other slow field powers it has that faster recharge, wish others like glue arrow would follow more suit. Tar patch too but given the more need to stack it i feel like that should be at a 60s recharge as it is anyway (and just be set to a max double stack)

This does mean however that you can't stack the slows, but with more slow in shoal rush, and it being at the high -speed as it is it's not much of an issue.