Beasts/Traps or Beasts/Trick Arrow???

[SmokinIndo]

I currently have a level 50 incarnate Beast Mastery/Trick Arrow mastermind who's fully IO'd. For most enemy groups, I can solo mobs at a x8/+2 notoriety. Anything harder than that, and my pets get sucker-punched with one hit. I rely on all the unique henchmen IOs, along with a power boosted flash arrow to mitigate incoming damage. I don't think she will last very long in a 2* or greater TF. The pets take way too much damage, and there's simply not enough defense or -ToHit to absorb the initial alpha strike.

Lately, I've been looking at /traps as a possible alternative to trick arrow for my mastermind. It fits thematically, but I'm too lazy to create a build and test it on beta. But just from eye-balling Mid's, the force field generator would add some much-needed defense for my pets. The -tohit from seeker drones stacks with the defense from my force field, making my pets even harder to hit in a fight. Even the flash arrow's -tohit can't compete with FFG+Seekers. Triage beacon, while not the greatest heal, provides some regeneration for my pets in a fight. And the fact that two Acid Mortars can drop means double the -res on an enemy. 

Trick Arrow, on the other hand, has poison gas arrow, which does some awesome damage debuffs. Oil Slick Arrow is one of the most damaging nukes in the game, as well as providing a knock-down field. And the EMP arrow is a powerful resistance buff. But the recharge on it is sloooooow.

Just from looking at Mid's I feel like Traps is the more viable option, particularly from increasing my pets survivability. Somebody prove me wrong!

[Uun]

I've got a Beast/Traps and find it quite enjoyable. I've run it through all the Incarnate Trials but I haven't done any HM content with it. It's a very different play style, since there isn't much you can do to heal or buff the henchmen.

 

FFG definitely helps the henchmen, but sometimes it's tricky to keep them under it. I don't use Fortify Pack often, but it is handy when things go sideways. I primarily use Seekers to pull and rely upon Poison Trap as my main debuff. As long as you're not getting interrupted by AoE damage (depends on the faction), you can usually lay Trip Mines right in the middle of combat.

Uunsafari - Mastermind (Beast Mastery).mbd