I can't figure out if Forcefield is lackluster or I just don't know what to do with it

[MrSnottyPants]

I created a beam / forcefield corruptor to help a friend's kid play - she's a bit reckless.  I tossed in the medicine pool for heals.  Levelling up casually, and I just hit 30.  I have the shields, the repulsion field, the knockback/downs.

 

It kind of stinks 😑.  I'm strangely fragile and don't add much offensively.  When I solo (to level up a bit) it's just sad - even a mid-sized group of council minions can be a struggle.

 

I'm open to the idea it's just me.  So, before I toss this character, is there something I'm missing?

[BassAckwards]

It sounds to me like you may enjoy a different build more. Forcefields is really good at 1 thing, boosting defense of your allies, while adding in a little crowd control with KD, repel, and some minor-ish resistance debuffs. 

 

It won't add much offensively as you have found, it is purely survival buffs, but that is a trade-off in my opinion for the forcefield player also benefiting from some of these defensive buffs + PFF. Most sets only get very minor buffs that can apply to themselves. I keep trying to convince myself to make one but every time I draw one up on mids I just get a "meh" feeling.

 

Some people love bubbles! It's good for shooting some quick bubble buffs on allies and then you are free to start blasting enemies. Very low maintenance in that regard.

 

You might enjoy Cold Domination if you are wanting a defensive set. It will still give your teammates great defense buffs while giving you a more active role offensively with something other than your blast set.

Edited April 10 by BassAckwards

[Octogoat]

Beam/time is also good

[kelika2]

i have no experience with corrs and ff

but if you want to be useful and do damage as FF consider masterminds

beasts and ninjas are nice pairs since they stack defense

bots and thugs are OK but the lack of a snare pit will frustrate you eventually

 

another thing is it sounds like you are over thinking it, most of my force field masterminds just has the big 3 bubbles and that new tier9 thats just a mule

ya got personal attacks, you can squeeze in maneuvers early on

 

and depending on how much inf you have you can start working on Cold Domination masterminds.  between pet IOs, slotting maneuvers and arctic fog for defense your pets can get rather durable

[Troo]

  On 4/10/2025 at 6:35 PM, MrSnottyPants said:

It kind of stinks

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You are not alone. I do not get the current Force Fields.

[MrSnottyPants]

So most folks are saying play something else - guess that is an answer 😁

[Captain Fabulous]

It's not a particularly solo-friendly set.

Now with that being said, it has two -resistance powers that stack, which will increase the amount of damage you do. PFF is a great "oh shit" power. Damping Bubble debuffs damage and tohit, both of which reduce your incoming damage (and also provides resistance to defense debuffs, something Council has in abundance). And all the knockback/down should also help keep you alive longer. I'm not a fan of Detention Field and similar powers, but it can be useful solo or in small groups to take critters out of the battle temporarily.

Edited April 10 by Captain Fabulous

[twozerofoxtrot]

  On 4/10/2025 at 6:35 PM, MrSnottyPants said:

even a mid-sized group of council minions can be a struggle.

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Hot take but it's not FF that's the problem, it's BR. Your TTK is suffering because you're using a slow, single-target focused set at low and mid levels.

 

Go Fire/FF, Water/FF, or Elec/FF and report back.

[Thraxen]

My ar/ff is fine. He is a mapserve baby though so didn’t level him up. And don’t solo. 

[MonteCarla]

My quick 2c:

I hear you.

Force Fields on a Corruptor isn't going to add much to your survivability - Dispersion Bubble adds about 12% Def to you and that's it. Dellects 1 out of 4 attacks that would land.

If you play on a Defender that goes up to 16%, and throw in the two uniques, P2W buffs, Fighting pool and so on you can become pretty sturdy like a Sentinel. +Defence becomes more valuable the more you already have.

It got better with the introduction of -Res in Force Bolt and Force Bomb.

It shines when protecting a levelling team of 8 while still having time to Blast, where you're the keystone who hangs back and avoid the alpha strike.

The level of protection you offer would be wasted even on a reckless lone Scrapper.

 

So yeah, Force Fields isn't really great for your mission statement.

 

My fuller thoughts on FF are here:

 

[BurnTheWitch]

So i'll also toss in my 2 inf although my experience is with my wife's ff/ice defender.  I don't play it, but I play with it all the time.

 

It becomes more and more powerful as more people join the party.  People notice how little damage they are taking.  Sometimes this makes people ask agressive and other times it makes people foolishly agressive, but the fields mixed with her added dps are very strong.  

 

Solo, yeah, no.  Deflection and insulation don't help you, so two of your core powers don't help you there.  In a pair, it affects half of the group.  In a group of 8, it affects 87% of the party.  Your not getting great utility out of your signature powers.

 

This is a great summation of your problem as I see it.

  On 4/11/2025 at 9:17 AM, MonteCarla said:

So yeah, Force Fields isn't really great for your mission statement.

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TL;DR

If you are interested in leveling and running TFs like it's a hobby, the FF is great.  Some tanks become next to impenatrable (I'm guessing SR tankers care less about it than resist tanks).  If you want to level solo or as a pair, there are likely better options.

 

[BZRKR]

Don't toss the character, you have plenty of slots to save it for a rainy day.

 

What's the kiddo playing? That should influence what you build to duo.

 

Based on no other info, I'd say try a Fire/Nature. That way you'd have a heal, a rez, buffs, debuffs, a hold toggle, and some fast animating damage powers.

 

 

[Frozen Burn]

  On 4/10/2025 at 6:35 PM, MrSnottyPants said:

I created a beam / forcefield corruptor to help a friend's kid play - she's a bit reckless.  I tossed in the medicine pool for heals.  Levelling up casually, and I just hit 30.  I have the shields, the repulsion field, the knockback/downs.

 

It kind of stinks 😑.  I'm strangely fragile and don't add much offensively.  When I solo (to level up a bit) it's just sad - even a mid-sized group of council minions can be a struggle.

 

I'm open to the idea it's just me.  So, before I toss this character, is there something I'm missing?

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As people stated, FF is just buff and go.  You cast your shields, and then blast away.  That is beauty of FF - it doesn't take constant management leaving you to blast and fight too.  Given this, it's sort of ideal for a Corruptor vs a Defender, although Defender buff values are higher.  But in your case of casual gameplay to keep your friend's kid alive - a Corruptor is perfect.

 

As a Corruptor, you'll also do more damage than a Defender.  Just lean into your attacks. 

 

As for fragility, focus on getting yourself more defense set bonuses since you cannot give yourself shields, but you do get some from your big bubble.  Picking up a def shield from your epic, Combat Jumping, Maneuvers, and even if you want to go Fighting with tough and weave, will all help your survivability, but for casual gameplay, that may be overkill.  But these are some things you can do to help.

 

And yeah, it's probably just you not being used to a powerset that's cast and leave it alone for a little while.  I wouldn't toss your character at all, but lean into.  🙂  

[Hatchet_Manners]

It depends what the other person is playing, but I'd go empathy for a duo. Fort+Adrenalin Boost for her, RAs for you.

 

Blaster + Empath would be nice. 

 

Edit: I quickly checked, FF gives 18.75% def whereas Empath Fort gives 11.25% def. I don't know the FF set well but if you look at all the potent buffs that empathy offers then you start feeling bad for Forcefield. Larger team is a different dynamic because keeping fortitude up and rotating AB, along with constant healing of 8 people seems like a PITA vs FF fire-and-forget shields. 

Edited April 11 by Hatchet_Manners

[MrSnottyPants]

Thanks for the input everyone.

 

The kid plays a peace bringer and mostly sits in squid form.  If her mom's brute goes down she'll sometimes switch to dwarf.  Dad is a sentinel.

 

I only tried solo to catch up a bit - this was an old concept character.  I've got plenty of other alts, so at worse I'd set this one aside again. 

 

I figure I'll try to add some more levels to the FF alt (maybe mapserver a bit) and shove in some defense boosts to see if it gets better.

 

 

[Auroxis]

Force Fields' highlights to me are the defense+CC protection you get from Dispersion Bubble and the damage you get from a procced-out Force Bomb.

 

Beam Rifle actually has decent synergy with FF here, as you can fix your lackluster AoE with Force Bomb. You can go further by adding Fold Space+procced Thunder Strike to it. This means having a Fold Space->Force Bomb->Thunder Strike opener that deals more damage than your nuke (which you can add for even more damage), huddles the pack, boosts your recharge, and applies three resistance debuffs (one from force bomb, two from procs).

 

Here is an example of a Beam/FF build that focuses a lot around offensive output while still keeping the Medicine pool you wanted OP. Just keep in mind that slotting procs means you aren't slotting endurance reductions and accuracy, so while leveling up you do want some accuracy slotted and to just be aware that endurance is gonna be your growing pain (recovery boost temp power helps here).

 

 

Corruptor (Beam Rifle - Force Field).mbdFetching info...

Edited April 12 by Auroxis

[biostem]

Forcefields is a set that doesn't provide an obvious and clear "green number" when it's working, like heals do;  The benefits come from every attack that doesn't hit you or your teammates, and people tend to remember the times something doesn't work, rather than when it does.  You're also playing at a level range where the enemies are getting quite a bit tougher, but your powers may not be slotted to achieve a level of protection that's in-line with what you're running up against.  The 2 biggest advantages to FF, as others may have mentioned already, are the relative simplicity of the set, (just apply some buffs and move on to the next thing), plus you have a reliable way of providing status protection to yourself and your teammates.  I mean, all you really need is 3 defense enhancements in each of deflection shield, insulation shield, and dispersion bubble, and then you're pretty much set, and that's before discussing what you can achieve if you also include leadership, maybe grant invisibility, your APP/PPP shield, (if you take one), and so on...

[Snarky]

I main a Dark Dark Corr.  Which is a totally different animal.  
 

Force Field was one of THE great ones in the OG.  Think Barriers in Incarnate content.   But this services the TEAM more than the SELF.  Almost all Dark secondary Corr is at least partially self serving or just enemy debuffs.  Force Fields is a team support set.  
 

I have ran a Beam Blaster.  I still have one built up and ran it a lot in Incarnate content.  The pure range allows DPS to continue nonstop even with massive AoE and huge damage patches.  I built for range.  It is entirely ranged including the nuke.  Of course, Corruptors get stronger as the enemy falls below 50% health.  But the idea is the same. Stay back, keep shooting.  Adding knockdown and immob thru sets (winter, over force, anyplace else?) can help to keep enemies “out there” and unable to do as much to you. 
 

If you did not want to be a “team buffer” Force Fields may not work for you.  Also, after 50 they are not as necessary or useful due to incarnate powers like barrier.  Likewise, if palinking from range was not your goal Beam may not suit you.  UNLESS, like me, you are a slave to concept.  Dark Dark Corr is not my “optimal” CoH/V choice.  But it fits my concept so well I MUST run it as my main.  And just get good on it.  Accept what it can do, what it cannot, and get out there and be Corrupt!

[roleki]

FF on a Corruptor is a little clunky because FF doesn't really work towards setting up Scourge when soloing, and it doesn't have a lot of clickables to occupy your time while the rest of the team is whittling the bad guys to half health.  If you're looking to do damage with FF, roll a Fire/FF Controller - I farm the walls of Cimerora with mine, and my Imps are nearly immortal.  

 

If you're looking to keep teammates alive as a Corruptor, I would recommend Anything/Electrical Affinity.  EA doesn't take a lot of slots, and you can heal scads of people from very far away, if you have to.

[FFTMime]

I honestly fail to remember FF ever having favorable impressions at any point from live. Even for defenders, it just kind of exists. It doesn't help you much, and if something truly goes wrong with your teammates you can't do anything. Giving them melee tier protection was already your contribution. So, in practice it can feel pretty bad even if it's doing what it should very well. The rare FF I experienced on live was always appreciated, though. Particularly as a regen scrapper who's major issue is being hit in the first place. 

Might be a bit of a feedback issue. Though that you can't bubble yourself effectively also kind of bites. 

Edited April 21 by FFTMime

[tidge]

  On 4/10/2025 at 10:55 PM, MrSnottyPants said:

So most folks are saying play something else - guess that is an answer 😁

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I enjoyed my FF/Beam Rifle Defender a LOT. When I was on my BR kick, Corruptor was the only AT I didn't try. Part of the reason was I had just played a bunch of different Corruptors up to 50, and part was that the Defender worked out really well.

 

From my PoV, the advantages of this combo on the Defender was:

• I could delay taking primary powers in favor of more beam attack early
• I could leverage %damage to slightly more overall benefit in terms of DPS
• When I did take the buffs (and debuffs), they had Defender base values

I feel obligated to write (again): I'm still not a fan of Force Bomb. Yes I know people swear by it, but the animation takes me out of almost every character concept. In the case of the BR, having an 'extra' Beam Rifle attack was more appealing than Force Bomb (because realistically, it would probably make most 'math sense' to have taken one fewer to have room for Force Bomb). I don't care that "it is a good %damage attack with a debuff"!

[arcane]

Force Field is not lackluster.

[smnolimits41]

I solo a Force Field / Dual Pistols.  I take Dispersion Bubble and Personal Force Field.  I just wish Dual Pistols had more single target attacks.  

[Jacke]

I have 2 FF Toons, a FF/Rad Blast Defender and a FF/Beam Defender, both idling at under L10.  I recently changed my slotting of T1 attacks for Assault Rifle and Radiation Blast in my Toon's builds, to improve their DPA and utility.  Doesn't affect them now, but as I Level them.

 

I like the new build for the FF/Rad Defender.  The FF/Beam Defender doesn't feel right.  Force Field has 2 Powers with -Res, Single-Target Repulsion Bolt and Targeted AoE Force Bomb.  The Rad Blast Defender takes both, the FF/Beam Defender only has Force Bomb.  Beam also has a -Res Power.

 

I've decided to reroll the FF/Beam Defender as a Sonic Resonance/Beam Defender.  Made a build for it and it just feels a lot better, moreso that the new FF/Beam build.  I'll be doing the reroll in the next few days.

 

So here's all 3 builds, submitting for your examination.

 

Defender FF-RadB.20250424.MuM Stealth TT Weave Tactics GI [i28p1] @Jacke - Jacke Radforce.mbdFetching info... Defender FF-BR.20250414.MuM Stealth TT Weave Tactics GI [i28p1] @Jacke - Jacke Smyth.mbdFetching info... Defender SonicR-BR.20250424.MaceM Stealth CJ TT Weave GI [i28p1] @Jacke - Jacke Smyth.mbdFetching info...

 

 

[UltraAlt]

  On 4/10/2025 at 6:35 PM, MrSnottyPants said:

I'm open to the idea it's just me.  So, before I toss this character, is there something I'm missing?

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Sorry to jump into this late.

 

  On 4/10/2025 at 6:35 PM, MrSnottyPants said:

When I solo (to level up a bit) it's just sad - even a mid-sized group of council minions can be a struggle.

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Bubbling is a teaming power set.

The game was created for teaming and not soloing. Things have been done by the DEVs to make the game more solo-friendly over the years. Forcefield was one of the original power sets, so the intent is to use it on a team.

 

And I agree that forcefield is not a good choice for soloing. 

 

Bubbles stack so a team with multiple bubbler/force fielders (force field isn't the only set that has "force fields") can bubble each other. A Repeat Offenders group known as the Pinball Wizards was (and probably is) very successful with an all forcefield team.

 

So, yes, a force fielder really needs to team up to be successful, but I do not feel that teaming is a bad thing.

 

If people aren't recruiting, you can recruit for a team. Most people are scared of recruiting for some reason. Don't worry about being scared about recruiting; most people seem to be for some reason, but you can tell from /LFG that if you start recruiting for something, people will most likely send tells to join. Just make sure to list what level the team will be and what you are doing. If you are doing door missions, don't worry about filling. Get a couple of the team and start running, and send more /lfg messages in between messages or when someone sends a tell to join. This is a good practice as players will join and fall out of PUGs (pick up groups) and constantly recruiting helps keep the team number high throughout your play session.

 

  On 5/2/2025 at 6:49 AM, smnolimits41 said:

I solo a Force Field / Dual Pistols.  I take Dispersion Bubble and Personal Force Field.  I just wish Dual Pistols had more single target attacks.  

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And here we see where part of the trick is.

 

If you are a bubbler, you want to avoid using multiple target attacks and you want target through the most resilient member of your team. If that player is a tanker - even if they don't have taunt - they will tend to keep the agro. Also, if you are a bubbler, you are going to do less damage than the archetypes that do not have bubbles; if you are targeting through a character that does more damage than your character - the character you are targeting through will keep the agro.

 

So this is why you want to avoid the multi-target powers. That is to say, if you do damage to targets that aren't being taunted or are aggroed by someone doing more damage than you do, you will agro those targets.

 

I hope that makes sense.