Annihilus?

[Ultimo]

Ok, so I'm starting up a new character, based on Annihilus.  The Marvel wiki suggests he's physically strong and durable, almost completely invulnerable in fact.  That suggests a Tanker.  However, he DOES have to Cosmic Control Rod, and I seem to remember him using other tech.

 

My first thought was a Dominator, Electric Control for the blasty stuff and controls, and Savage Melee for the brutal looking attacks, and a few critter summons.  However, it's SO SQUISHY.  I mean, I fight even ONE minion, it takes me to around 20% health.  Taking on three?  I HAVE to chug down inspirations.  Now, I gather Praetoria is harder than other places, so maybe that's part of it... but it sure doesn't feel much like Annihilus.

(there also seems not to be anything like DFB goldside)

 

So... since I'm not all that familiar with Annihilus, how do you all suggest I proceed with the character?  What AT and powers would you suggest captures the dynamic of Annihilus in the comics?

[Triumphant]

Annihilus would probably be a Sentinel, actually (a very durable villain with blasty powers).  But a Tanker or Brute who grabs some ranged attack powers from ancillary/epic pools would model him fine, too.  A dominator would be too squishy to make a good analog, IMO.

[Without_Pause]

On 9/29/2024 at 12:35 AM, Ultimo said:

My first thought was a Dominator, Electric Control for the blasty stuff and controls, and Savage Melee for the brutal looking attacks, and a few critter summons.  However, it's SO SQUISHY.  I mean, I fight even ONE minion, it takes me to around 20% health.

Been a while since I read something so hyperbolic. If a single minion isn't being perma held then I have no idea what you are doing to encounter said minion. Do I find Elec control to be on the rather average or below below average set? Yes. Would I pick it as a set to solo with? No, I would not. But claiming a Dom goes down to 20% health fighting a single minion is just quite the shoveling of B.S.

[Triumphant]

1 hour ago, Without_Pause said:

Been a while since I read something so hyperbolic. If a single minion isn't being perma held then I have no idea what you are doing to encounter said minion. Do I find Elec control to be on the rather average or below below average set? Yes. Would I pick it as a set to solo with? No, I would not. But claiming a Dom goes down to 20% health fighting a single minion is just quite the shoveling of B.S.

 

It might depend on what difficulty the OP is trying to run at and their level of competence/experience at playing the AT.  Regardless, I do think that while you could use a Dom to model Annihilus, it really wouldn't be the best choice (again, just IMO).

[Without_Pause]

2 hours ago, Triumphant said:

 

It might depend on what difficulty the OP is trying to run at and their level of competence/experience at playing the AT.  Regardless, I do think that while you could use a Dom to model Annihilus, it really wouldn't be the best choice (again, just IMO).

They have another recent post about using a Level 4 Dom. I see no reason to be soloing at anything beyond +0/x1 at that point. It is likely the only way to take on a single minion.  

[Triumphant]

2 hours ago, Without_Pause said:

They have another recent post about using a Level 4 Dom. I see no reason to be soloing at anything beyond +0/x1 at that point. It is likely the only way to take on a single minion.  

 

Well, yes.  I agree, certainly.  But people don't always make sensible choices. 😄🤷‍♂️

[Sovera]

I'd say Sentinel. Most comic book adaptations are naturally Sentinels since almost no comic book character is squishy. They may pay lip service to being squishy, but in practice they seldom are. Hits will stun them for a bit and then they get up and keep fighting. Whereas one of our squishies will be... well.. squishy,

 

Level 50, incarnates, and a good expensive build will make a squishy a pretty tanky character fitting comic books though, but not while leveling or even exemplared. But I don't see Annihilus fitting with the CC ATs. Even Corruptors.

 

Regarding your question perhaps a Radiation Blast (Energy Blast might be more fitting but it sucks and Rad Blast has some nice Kirby dots) paired with Bio using the carapace FX. Or Invulnerability if you'd rather not. For funsies throw in the patron pool that has Knock-out Blow for that strength flair since Radiation has PbaoEs anyway and you'll be in semi melee range to use that.

[Ultimo]

12 hours ago, Without_Pause said:

Been a while since I read something so hyperbolic. If a single minion isn't being perma held then I have no idea what you are doing to encounter said minion. Do I find Elec control to be on the rather average or below below average set? Yes. Would I pick it as a set to solo with? No, I would not. But claiming a Dom goes down to 20% health fighting a single minion is just quite the shoveling of B.S.

It's the same character.  He's in Praetoria, and for some reason can't hit ANYTHING.  I went through a whole mission (the one where you rescue the cops and their sergeant) and the ONLY hits I landed were all via streakbreaker.  It was very odd, to say the least.  Even the minions were doing huge damage.  One hit from a minion did 25-30% of my health.  When so many of my own attacks were missing, he was getting in 2-3 hits, taking me to nearly no health... and this happened in nearly every fight.  If not for the cops I rescued and the inspirations I used, I wouldn't have defeated ANYTHING in this mission.  Maybe it's something to do with Praetoria... I have other Dominators who have no troubles like that.

[TygerDarkstorm]

1 hour ago, Ultimo said:

It's the same character.  He's in Praetoria, and for some reason can't hit ANYTHING.  I went through a whole mission (the one where you rescue the cops and their sergeant) and the ONLY hits I landed were all via streakbreaker.  It was very odd, to say the least.  Even the minions were doing huge damage.  One hit from a minion did 25-30% of my health.  When so many of my own attacks were missing, he was getting in 2-3 hits, taking me to nearly no health... and this happened in nearly every fight.  If not for the cops I rescued and the inspirations I used, I wouldn't have defeated ANYTHING in this mission.  Maybe it's something to do with Praetoria... I have other Dominators who have no troubles like that.

Part of your problem is playing in Praetoria on a dominator with a weak control set. Praetoria is notably harder than playing red/blue, and Elec control is fun, but doesn't shine until much later on and is rather weak. Savage's initial attacks are on the weaker side as well, on top of relying on DoT damage against harder mobs.

[lemming]

I just blew thru Praetoria with a Psychic/EA stalker.   I definitely didn't have an ACC issue.

 

I'm tempted to run thru with your setup just to see, but I do suck at playing dominators.

----

Ok, saw you weren't that deep into Praetoria, so did a quick check and ran thru Praetor White's arc from level 1 to 5. (hit five turning in the arc)

Ran a Elec/Savage Dom

Level 1: Dominator_Control Electric_Control Tesla_Cage
Level 1: Dominator_Assault Savage_Assault Call_Swarm
Level 2: Dominator_Assault Savage_Assault Maiming_Slash
Level 4: Dominator_Assault Savage_Assault Vicious_Slash

 

Swapped out Athletic for Beast Run, and had Throwing Knives, but didn't pickup any other START vendor powers.  Also, nothing slotted.

 

I did go thru inspirations, but just as they dropped and only once had some real issues where I thought I would get defeated and that was the Inspect Grav lab missions at the end where you deal with more ambushes with no support.  Even then, may have dropped to 30%.   Just swapped my hold around, and domination came up in that last fight.

 

I did miss, but looking at logs, lowest chance I had to hit was 77%.  (Not counting my helpers, they had lower chances at times)

 

If I do a basic count, 173 hits, 17 misses.  (That should strip out the Officers help that one mission)

[Without_Pause]

All I'm saying is there have been studies about how poorly we recall what actually happened. My guess is this is what is happening with Ultimo. 

[SeraphimKensai]

I'd make him as a SR/SS tanker with Black Scorpion's mace for the cosmic control rod.

[UltraAlt]

On 9/29/2024 at 12:35 AM, Ultimo said:

So... since I'm not all that familiar with Annihilus, how do you all suggest I proceed with the character?

 

A make it as an AV in an AE mission.

[Ultimo]

6 minutes ago, UltraAlt said:

 

A make it as an AV in an AE mission.

He will be... I usually make my characters in both... the idea is to keep them as similar as possible so they're more balanced.

[UltraAlt]

2 hours ago, Ultimo said:

He will be... I usually make my characters in both... the idea is to keep them as similar as possible so they're more balanced.

 

The game isn't built to balance player characters and enemy characters ... especially AVs.

AVs have alway been allowed to do things player characters can't.

[Ultimo]

6 hours ago, UltraAlt said:

 

The game isn't built to balance player characters and enemy characters ... especially AVs.

AVs have alway been allowed to do things player characters can't.

Oh, I agree, and there are some characters who don't translate all THAT well...  But, I like to make the effort, and sometimes they turn out to be a blast to play.

[Saxondale]

On 10/1/2024 at 4:25 AM, Ultimo said:

It's the same character.  He's in Praetoria, and for some reason can't hit ANYTHING.  I went through a whole mission (the one where you rescue the cops and their sergeant) and the ONLY hits I landed were all via streakbreaker.  It was very odd, to say the least.  Even the minions were doing huge damage.  One hit from a minion did 25-30% of my health.  When so many of my own attacks were missing, he was getting in 2-3 hits, taking me to nearly no health... and this happened in nearly every fight.  If not for the cops I rescued and the inspirations I used, I wouldn't have defeated ANYTHING in this mission.  Maybe it's something to do with Praetoria... I have other Dominators who have no troubles like that.

All those resistance fighter ranged attacks do -def so once they land a couple of hits they will tend to hit a lot. As I mentioned in another thread, dominator is one of the trickiest ATs to solo through Praetoria with. But you should be hitting, those enemies don't have any defense.