Water Blast/Marine Affinity

[Snarky]

Possibly starting one of these.  i know nothing, nothing about either set.

 

any tips/tricks/ideas/builds appreciated.

[LocalFixer]

I am working on a fire / marine corr.  I skipped Shoal Rush on it and haven't really missed it.  Tide pool doesn't aggro which makes it nice for setting up on mobs.  Toroidial Bubble I use to mule a bunch of resist procs, 2 unbreakable guards, the status resist procs, and the two defense procs.  I did take stealth in my build, but stealth will not cover barrier reef. Once you put the pet out if it is close enough it will aggro the mobs, but the mobs will target it instead of you so it could be used to take an alpha hit.  The pet can also have Shifting Tides cast on it instead of an enemy.  I really enjoy Whitecap, just that soft control with the knockdown on top of Tide pool helps lessen the incoming damage.  Though with Whitecap weaker mobs get knockback instead of knockdown. 

[Snarky]

i should mention this is for a water / marine affinity theme team rolling 1 to incarnate.  i think i will skip the T1 blast and pick up Energy Mastery epic (all but total focus), flight, hasten, and ... 1 other power lol

Edited August 18 by Snarky

[High_Beam]

I have a MA/WB Defender named Tideway (at 20 right now) but played a WB/Time Blaster (Chronautica) to 50 so I am comfortable with WB.  The thing is, I wouldn't skip taking both T1s from WB even though you don't get the "I can still shoot while held" bit.  That is because Aqua Bolt has a real nice -DEF on it they are quick Tidal power boosters to where you can aqua, Hydro, Aqua and have your Tidal build to drop Water Burst on them for great extra damage in very few seconds..  Instead, don't take Water Jet.  On MA side, skip Shoal Rush.  If you take the rest it leaves you with 8 Pools to play with, you said Flight and Hasten.  With Toroidal Bubble, you aren't going to see the kinds of END issues that would facilitate needing CP from EM.  PBU and TI for sure on EM.  MA will have you jumping in close to the bad guys and likely staying there for maximum effort so Tough at a minimum paired with TI for that RESIST along with RESIST from Bubble you are looking at like 60% S/L without any set bonuses in play (I have not framed up a full build yet).

 

This is just what I see on the surface with what I have, I played with this one on Test before I built her and bumped her to 30 to see what was what and she played quite well.

[Glacier Peak]

10 hours ago, Snarky said:

Possibly starting one of these.  i know nothing, nothing about either set.

 

any tips/tricks/ideas/builds appreciated.

I'm in the process of leveling mine. I'll follow this thread closely and post my feedback/results.

 

Edit: I'm also completely unfamiliar with either powersets. It's been fun learning though!

Edited August 19 by Glacier Peak

[SeraphimKensai]

16 hours ago, Thraxen said:

Skippin shoal rush is something.  It is your team heal and enemy debuff.  Like skipping the heal on nature.  You can do it, but it isn't good for teaming.  

Shoal Rush is not a team heal. It's an AoE defense/movement speed debuff. Since there's a number of attacks in water blast that already can slot an Achilles heel -res proc, it's not really needed as most endgame builds have enough to hit debuff where the -defense isn't that necessary. Now if the character is designed for solo, it becomes more useful.

 

The -speed aspect of it doesn't reduce recharge speed so it's not that useful unless your trying to kite mobs for mitigation. Given the speed mobs die in this game that might not be that useful.

 

So of all marine affinity powers shoal rush is easily the best to skip if you have a tight build.

The healing power that marine affinity gets which also debuffs enemy damage is called Soothing Wave.

[Uncle Shags]

I skipped the T2, as Aqua Bolt is much better for building tidal power.  Aqua Bolt->Dehydrate->Aqua Bolt->Double Water Jet->repeat is seamless and really good dps that also happens to heal.  Double procced out Water Jet is fantastic. 

[Thraxen]

3 hours ago, SeraphimKensai said:

Shoal Rush is not a team heal. It's an AoE defense/movement speed debuff. Since there's a number of attacks in water blast that already can slot an Achilles heel -res proc, it's not really needed as most endgame builds have enough to hit debuff where the -defense isn't that necessary. Now if the character is designed for solo, it becomes more useful.

 

The -speed aspect of it doesn't reduce recharge speed so it's not that useful unless your trying to kite mobs for mitigation. Given the speed mobs die in this game that might not be that useful.

 

So of all marine affinity powers shoal rush is easily the best to skip if you have a tight build.

The healing power that marine affinity gets which also debuffs enemy damage is called Soothing Wave.

 

Yeah I was thinking of wrong name.  I still wouldn't skip it though.  It boosts the -damage and +damage of tidal pool.  I guess if you do have to skip something it is probably it though.  I'd still lose a ST attack or something.  

 

I currently have epic pet but it sucks on defender I think.  

[tidge]

I have a Water Blast (Corruptor, Blaster) and I am working on a Marine Affinity Controller.

 

Water Blast (Corruptor) Slotting

 

Spoiler

Level 1:                 Hydro Blast        

 (A) Superior Malice of the Corruptor - Accuracy/Damage: Level 50

 (*) Superior Malice of the Corruptor - Damage/Recharge: Level 50

 (*) Superior Malice of the Corruptor - Accuracy/Damage/Recharge: Level 50

 (*) Superior Malice of the Corruptor - Damage/Endurance/Recharge: Level 50

 (*) Superior Malice of the Corruptor - Accuracy/Damage/Endurance/Recharge: Level 50

 (*) Superior Malice of the Corruptor - Recharge/Chance for Negative Energy Damage: Level 50

 

Level 2:                 Water Burst       

 (*) Superior Frozen Blast - Accuracy/Damage/Endurance: Level 50

 (*) Javelin Volley - Chance of Damage (Lethal)

 (*) Bombardment - Chance of Damage (Fire)

 (*) Positron's Blast - Chance of Damage(Energy): Level 50

 (*) Impeded Swiftness - Chance of Damage(Smashing): Level 30

 (*) Force Feedback - Chance for +Recharge: Level 50

 

Level 6:                 Whirlpool           

 (A) Undermined Defenses - Defense Debuff/Recharge/Endurance: Level 50+5

 (*) Tempered Readiness - Endurance/Recharge/Slow: Level 50+5

 (*) Ragnarok - Damage/Recharge: Level 50+5

 

Level 12:              Dehydrate         

 (A) Superior Scourging Blast - Damage/RechargeTime: Level 50

 (*) Superior Scourging Blast - Accuracy/Damage/Endurance/RechargeTime: Level 50

 (*) Superior Scourging Blast - Accuracy/Damage/RechargeTime: Level 50

 (*) Touch of the Nictus - Accuracy/Healing: Level 50

 (*) Touch of the Nictus - Healing: Level 50

 (*) Touch of the Nictus - Chance for Negative Energy Damage: Level 50

 

Level 18:              Tidal Forces       

 (A) Gaussian's Synchronized Fire-Control - Chance for Build Up: Level 50

 (*) Recharge Reduction IO: Level 50+5

 

Level 22:              Steam Spray      

 (A) Superior Scourging Blast - Accuracy/Damage: Level 50

 (*) Superior Scourging Blast - Damage/Endurance/RechargeTime: Level 50

 (*) Superior Scourging Blast - RechargeTime/PBAoE +End: Level 50

 (*) Touch of Lady Grey - Chance for Negative Damage: Level 50

 (*) Javelin Volley - Chance for Lethal Damage: Level 30

 (*) Positron's Blast - Chance of Damage(Energy): Level 50

 

Level 26:              Geyser

 (A) Annihilation - Accuracy/Damage: Level 50

 (*) Annihilation - Damage/RechargeTime: Level 50

 (*) Annihilation - Accuracy/Damage/RechargeTime: Level 50

 (*) Annihilation - Accuracy/Damage/Endurance: Level 50

 (*) Annihilation - Accuracy/Damage/Endurance/RechargeTime: Level 50

 (*) Annihilation - Chance for Res Debuff: Level 50

 

 

I skipped Water Jet: it is a PITA to set up (to try to score ENHANCED) and it is only a single-target attack. I tried hella long to make it work, ultimately I found it to be an underwhelming ST attack for its level.

 

My Corruptor ended up including Hasten in the build, which is rare for me.

 

I have not mastered Marine Affinity on my Controller, my plans are:

 

Shoal Rush (The Controller uses this as a single target attack with %damage, and a trigger for Tide Pool)

Toroidal Bubble (as a Resistance mule)

Whitecap (Because I like to BAMF, also %damage for the Controller)

Tide Pool (only Endurance Reduction)

Brine (although I'll end up delaying this pick) slotted with Accuracy and Health

Shifting Tides (current plans are Endurance Reduction only, but I am going to experiment with %damage <- a Corruptor won't need %damage)

Barrier Reef <- will probably 6-slot Reactive Defenses

Power of the Depths <- will either franken-slot or 6-slot Preventive Medicine

 

I have room in the build to take Soothing Wave, but I find heals to be a really mixed bag (especially for Corruptors)... and while the -Damage is nice, I'm not entirely sold on this 10 second debuff. If *I* wanted to have ally healing at a low level, I might replace Whitecap with Soothing Wave... a Water/Marine Corruptor should be able to spend almost all the time at range anyway, so the BAMF is not particularly critical (strategically, IMO).

 

 

[Thraxen]

Setting up water jet is as simple as counting to three.  It even has a circle that shows up on the power when it is ready to roll.  It's super simple setting up.  And it is a great attack, especially on a corrupter when it can scourge twice in a row really quickly.

 

[tidge]

37 minutes ago, Thraxen said:

Setting up water jet is as simple as counting to three.  It even has a circle that shows up on the power when it is ready to roll.  It's super simple setting up.  And it is a great attack, especially on a corrupter when it can scourge twice in a row really quickly.

 

And when the first Water Jet misses, what do you count to?

[Thraxen]

6 minutes ago, tidge said:

 

And when the first Water Jet misses, what do you count to?

Ummm….zero?  This a trick question?

[tidge]

Water Jet is better now that it doesn't consume the tidal power on a miss, but my experience with Water Blast (trying to include Water Jet in the attack chain) was that more than any other "combo" set I played, one missed attack really screwed up the DPS... and when using single-target attacks, screwing up the DPS is not cool. MMV, but I found (on a Blaster) that whatever single-target was being defeated by Water Jet after Geyser and Steam Spray was pretty much also being defeated by Hydro Blast and/or Dehydrate. I had to take Hydro Blast (or Aqua Bolt) and I found the utility of Dehydrate works best if it is a regular part of the ranged attack chain.... that is to say Dehydrate was sitting things out if I also had Water Jet... which left me with "one too many" single target ranged attacks in the build.

 

Trying to "save" tidal power for Water Jet, or trying to slot the attacks that only accumulate Tidal Power with precise amounts of recharge to launch a Water Jet with the hopes of Enhanced! turned out to be way too intense for me... and again, the benefit was for single-target attacks... and if I was lucky, 2 different single-targets.

 

Those were my experiences... once I dropped Water Jet and worked around not having it, I found my solo map clear times improve. Mileage may vary. I am not responsible for damage to keyboards or faces for other players that emulate my face-rolling-across-the-keyboard style of play. That was my experience on a Blaster... and I didn't miss it on my Water Blast Corruptor (which has Nature Affinity as a secondary, so not a great amount of offense from that).

[Uncle Shags]

Skipping Water Burst because it sometimes misses is like not driving your Mom's Porsche because you might hit a turtle. 

[tidge]

7 minutes ago, Uncle Shags said:

Skipping Water Burst because it sometimes misses is like not driving your Mom's Porsche because you might hit a turtle. 

 

My hard-hitting AoE can hit a LOT of turtles.

 

(no turtles were injured in this post)

[Uncle Shags]

15 minutes ago, tidge said:

 

My hard-hitting AoE can hit a LOT of turtles.

 

(no turtles were injured in this post)

I have an amazing stalker that I loved but stopped playing because when the bosses and lts were gone (quickly) the rest of the chaff took forever due to junk aoe.

 

If you like clearing chaff that's great.  Has to happen.  But without Water Burst you're ham-stringing yourself against the big boys that will be standing when your aoe chain is done. 

 

With my stalker, the lack of aoe was an issue of class design.  Not much I could do.  But in this case it's a difference of one power.  Is your build really so tight you can't fit in one power?  Choosing one attack to get really good single target dps for me is a no brainer. 

[Snarky]

48 minutes ago, Uncle Shags said:

Skipping Water Burst because it sometimes misses is like not driving your Mom's Porsche because you might hit a turtle. 

the turtle is going down

[tidge]

3 hours ago, Uncle Shags said:

I have an amazing stalker that I loved but stopped playing because when the bosses and lts were gone (quickly) the rest of the chaff took forever due to junk aoe.

 

If you like clearing chaff that's great.  Has to happen.  But without Water Burst you're ham-stringing yourself against the big boys that will be standing when your aoe chain is done.

 

My experience has been that I'm not making fewer attacks cleaning up spawns when I had Water Jet. It's not about hypothetical "big boys", it's about actual experience. I'm using debuffs, I've got %damage in the AoE that more than make up for all the Water Jets I'm not casting. I shared my slotting choices above.

 

3 hours ago, Uncle Shags said:

  But in this case it's a difference of one power.  Is your build really so tight you can't fit in one power?  Choosing one attack to get really good single target dps for me is a no brainer. 

 

Heck yes! Water Jet comes at level 18, which is an excellent level at which to either add a Pool power (e.g. something like Combat Jumping or Infiltration for a Kismet +ToHit, or a second pool power to be able to take something like Rune of Protection when it is available.) or take a Primary/Secondary power that had been delayed (likely the case for Water/Marine Corruptor, as Marine has so few powers to skip).  More importantly IMO, I'm the sort of player that is highly unlikely to have extra slots for this "one (extra) power".... because the build is "tight" on slots. This is an attack, so it deserves slots! The animation is cool, but it is not cool enough for me to burn both a power pick and slots on it.

[Unifex1]

My water/marine corrupter is at Vet 10. It's a very busy set, but really fun to play.  Great for teaming with the group buffs, heal and de-buffs.  The water blast is just okay for DPS but the visuals are awesome. I went full theme with Leviathan mastery, not optimal but again, I like the visuals.

[Snarky]

Okay. Step two accomplished.  For those keeping track step one is considering. Step two was creating. 
 

Justice SuperTeamers are starting a water/marine run.  I have never ran either set.  So. Both!  
 

The character is a 8 ft tall lanky steampunk robot with a think tank head (evil eye) and a vampire cape.  The name is Snarkpool.  
 

i still know nothing about the sets. But i think nearly all of us are running Marine on a few diff ATs. The debuffs will be epic

Edited August 25 by Snarky

[Glacier Peak]

19 hours ago, Snarky said:

Okay. Step two accomplished.  For those keeping track step one is considering. Step two was creating. 
 

Justice SuperTeamers are starting a water/marine run.  I have never ran either set.  So. Both!  
 

The character is a 8 ft tall lanky steampunk robot with a think tank head (evil eye) and a vampire cape.  The name is Snarkpool.  
 

i still know nothing about the sets. But i think nearly all of us are running Marine on a few diff ATs. The debuffs will be epic

I just got mine to 50 the old fashioned way - by powerleveling it. I did build tests on the beta server, trial and error until I got the right slotting. Now it just needs the accolades and Incarnates. And also getting everything boosted to +5 that needs it. And then I can finally start playing the game 🫠

 

Also, I've never seen as creative character ideas as I have with these Marine Affinity types. It's either a punny name, awesome costume and backstory, or a combination of the three. 

 

Edit: Ignore the level, took that weeks ago. 

Spoiler

 

Edited August 25 by Glacier Peak

[Bionic_Flea]

Here's my build:

Spoiler

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After buffing, I drop a Tide Pool, target boss, Shifting Tides, Tidal Forces, Whitecap, Geyser.   That has you (and team) buffed, enemies debuffed and knocked down, tide frenzy active, and you in melee.  You can stay there or drop back.  Tough bosses or second boss in group can be hit with Brine.  Note that initially starting with Tide Pool and Shifting Tides does NOT alert enemies UNLESS you put procs in them, including ANY Incarnate Interface power. 

 

I also use Torroidal Bubble and Power of the Depths whenever recharged, even if it still shows as active.  The Bubble will refresh the timer on the resist, but you get a big endurance burst and PotD decays over time so you get back to capped.

 

I went with a resist armor but am still debating whether to switch to a defense based one.  Getting mezzed sucks and this has little to prevent that until you get to incarnates.  But with Clarion or Barrier you should be good.

 

Spoiler

 

Edited August 25 by Bionic_Flea

[tidge]

8 hours ago, Bionic_Flea said:

After buffing, I drop a Tide Pool, target boss, Shifting Tides, Tidal Forces, Whitecap, Geyser.   That has you (and team) buffed, enemies debuffed and knocked down, tide frenzy active, and you in melee.  You can stay there or drop back.  Tough bosses or second boss in group can be hit with Brine.  Note that initially starting with Tide Pool and Shifting Tides does NOT alert enemies UNLESS you put procs in them, including ANY Incarnate Interface power.

 

On my Controller, when I'm thinking about a setup, I will typically:

1. Drop a Tide Pool under a Boss
2. Shifting Tides that Boss (I have %damage in Shifting Tides), this is my "anchor"
3. Whitecap into the Boss (I also have %damage in Whitecap)
4. Start applying Brine as necessary/mixing up the debuffs/controls/damage.

[Bionic_Flea]

Stop copying me, Tidge!

 

😜

 

[Seed22]

Shifting on melee always. Less retoggling. 
 

Tide Pool then whitecap. If somehow the team hasn’t disintegrated everything by that point, brine the boss or EB/AV.