Arsenal Mastery Proliferation

[Adeon Hawkwood]

Defender/Corruptor

T1: Body Armor

T2: Cryo Freeze Ray

T3: Elbow Strike

T4: Targeting Drone (Weapon Mastery version)

T5: Sleep Grenade (Arsenal Control version)

 

Dominator

T1: Caltrops Physical Perfection (from Weapon Mastery)

T2: Body Armor

T3: M30 Grenade

T4: Surveillance

T5: Flamethrower

 

Controller

T1: Slug

T2: Body Armor

T3: M30 Grenade

T4: Targeting Drone (Weapon Mastery version)

T5: Flamethrower

 

Sentinel

T1: Caltrops

T2: Buttstroke

T3: Cryo Freeze Ray

T4: Trip Mine (Arsenal Assault version)

T5: Seeker Drones

 

Mastermind

T1: Wide Area Web Grenade

T2: Body Armor

T3: Buckshot

T4: Cryo Freeze Ray

T5: Ignite (Assault Rifle version)

 

As a side note I specified the Weapon Mastery version of Targeting Drone for consistency but in all honesty I think that the versions of Targeting Drone and Focused Accuracy used in Epic Pools could really stand to be buffed with a higher To Hit bonus since especially for support ATs it has worse bonuses than just taking Tactics from the Leadership pool.

 

EDIT: I forgot about Masterminds, can't leave them out.

Edited Sunday at 12:53 AM by Adeon Hawkwood
Removing Caltrops from Dominator

[merrypessimist]

I really like the look of that Dominator version.

[arcane]

Reasonable choices I can see being appealing but not overpowered. Good job.

[TheMoneyMaker]

I could see an argument being made for melee ATs getting their own versions too

[Adeon Hawkwood]

2 minutes ago, TheMoneyMaker said:

I could see an argument being made for melee ATs getting their own versions too

Well Scrappers and Stalkers already have Weapon Mastery which is a similar from a thematic viewpoint since it pulls Web Grenade, Caltrops and Targeting Drone from Devices. Although obviously the use of Shuriken rather than an assault rifle for the ranged attacks does give it a more martial arts feel. So I would say maybe proliferate that to Brutes and Tankers.

 

I also just realized that I forgot Masterminds.

[Skyhawke]

2 hours ago, Adeon Hawkwood said:

 

 

Sentinel

T1: Caltrops

T2: Buttstroke

T3: Cryo Freeze Ray

T4: Trip Mine (Arsenal Assault version)

T5: Seeker Drones

 

 

 

[Rudra]

7 minutes ago, Skyhawke said:

2 hours ago, Adeon Hawkwood said:

 

 

Sentinel

T1: Caltrops

T2: Buttstroke

T3: Cryo Freeze Ray

T4: Trip Mine (Arsenal Assault version)

T5: Seeker Drones

 

Expand  

 

 

🙄

[Adeon Hawkwood]

13 minutes ago, Skyhawke said:

 

 

Hey now, don't blame that on me, it's copied from Arsenal Assault.

 

I'm not going to comment on the idea of a Dom having an ability called Buttstroke.

[Psyonico]

I don’t know if dominators would get caltrops, since one of their secondaries has an almost identical power (thorntrops)

[Adeon Hawkwood]

17 minutes ago, Psyonico said:

I don’t know if dominators would get caltrops, since one of their secondaries has an almost identical power (thorntrops)

That's fair, I was just struggling to find anything else to go there. I do agree that a slow patch does have a lot of overlap with other Dominator powers in both their primaries and secondaries which isn't great for an Epic pool. The problem is that I'm trying to pull from Traps, Devices and Assault Rifle for the powers to go into the set and Traps has a lot of what are essentially control powers which don't really work for Dominator Epic pools. I did consider Acid Mortar since Dominators do sometimes get -Res powers in their epic pools, but that didn't really feel right and if I was going to include a -Res power I'd rather replace M30 Grenade with a Venom Grenade clone instead.

 

That being said and thinking about it a bit more, what about Physical Perfection instead? Stalkers get it in Weapon Mastery so it's already in a thematically similar set and Dominators do get some Endurance related powers in other sets so it's not completely out of left field.

[Vanden]

2 hours ago, Adeon Hawkwood said:

That's fair, I was just struggling to find anything else to go there. I do agree that a slow patch does have a lot of overlap with other Dominator powers in both their primaries and secondaries which isn't great for an Epic pool. The problem is that I'm trying to pull from Traps, Devices and Assault Rifle for the powers to go into the set and Traps has a lot of what are essentially control powers which don't really work for Dominator Epic pools. I did consider Acid Mortar since Dominators do sometimes get -Res powers in their epic pools, but that didn't really feel right and if I was going to include a -Res power I'd rather replace M30 Grenade with a Venom Grenade clone instead.

 

That being said and thinking about it a bit more, what about Physical Perfection instead? Stalkers get it in Weapon Mastery so it's already in a thematically similar set and Dominators do get some Endurance related powers in other sets so it's not completely out of left field.

 

I gave them LRM Rocket in my treatment

[Adeon Hawkwood]

2 hours ago, Vanden said:

 

I gave them LRM Rocket in my treatment

Yeah I considered that, it mostly came down to the fact that I wanted Flamethrower and felt it shouldn't have both.

[gameboy1234]

19 hours ago, Adeon Hawkwood said:

Dominator

T1: Caltrops

 

I'm pretty sure my Arse/Arse dom has caltrops already.  Otherwise a good list.  Some of these ideas would be good for a Utility Belt pool too.

 

 

[Uun]

17 hours ago, Psyonico said:

I don’t know if dominators would get caltrops, since one of their secondaries has an almost identical power (thorntrops)

Dominators get Caltrops in Martial Assault and Thorntrops in Thorny Assault.

 

1 hour ago, gameboy1234 said:

I'm pretty sure my Arse/Arse dom has caltrops already.

Nope

[gameboy1234]

6 hours ago, Uun said:

Nope

 

Right, sorry, that was my Arse/Traps controller.  I haven't played either in a while, I forgot which was which.

 

[BrandX]

Something I'd like for an Arsenal Set for Controller...

 

Double Shot (Single Target Range) Rifle and Dual Pistol Options

Physical Perfection (like the Scrapper version)

Mind Over Body (S/L/P Resist)

Spray and Pray (Targeted AOE Range) Rifle and Dual Pistol Options

Targeting Drone (Like Weapon Mastery)

[Uun]

2 hours ago, BrandX said:

Something I'd like for an Arsenal Set for Controller...

 

Double Shot (Single Target Range) Rifle and Dual Pistol Options

Physical Perfection (like the Scrapper version)

Mind Over Body (S/L/P Resist)

Spray and Pray (Targeted AOE Range) Rifle and Dual Pistol Options

Targeting Drone (Like Weapon Mastery)

You're mixing sets. Physical Perfection is in Energy Mastery and doesn't belong in an Arsenal set. Mind Over Body is in Psi Mastery and is already available to controllers. Arsenal gets Body Armor (see blasters).

[Adeon Hawkwood]

23 minutes ago, Uun said:

You're mixing sets. Physical Perfection is in Energy Mastery and doesn't belong in an Arsenal set. Mind Over Body is in Psi Mastery and is already available to controllers. Arsenal gets Body Armor (see blasters).

While Physical Perfection is originally an Energy power it was used in the Stalker version of Weapon Mastery so there is precedent for including it in a Devices themed Epic pool (since Weapon Mastery also has Caltrops and Targeting Drone). I actually suggested it for the Dominator version when it was pointed out to me that Caltrops aren't really appropriate for a Dominator epic pool.

 

I agree with you on Mind over Body.

[BrandX]

11 hours ago, Uun said:

You're mixing sets. Physical Perfection is in Energy Mastery and doesn't belong in an Arsenal set. Mind Over Body is in Psi Mastery and is already available to controllers. Arsenal gets Body Armor (see blasters).

 

Mind Over Body was first in WP, which was CoH's way of doing a natural hero, not a psychic hero, so it would work here.  Physical Perfection works as it still goes with the idea of natural hero, which Arsenal seems to go along with.

 

However, you can always change the names.  Dermal Plating and Tactical Shooter.

 

Could also do a passive +ACC/+TOHIT (maybe +Perception) power called "Smartgun Link"

 

 

[Rudra]

44 minutes ago, BrandX said:

Could also do a passive +ACC/+TOHIT (maybe +Perception) power called "Smartgun Link"

If the intent is for a natural, then why include a tech/cyborg traited power?

[BrandX]

8 hours ago, Rudra said:

If the intent is for a natural, then why include a tech/cyborg traited power?

 

A little implant *shrug*  We have a Drone in there and that's tech?   Call it "Trained Operative"  if that's an issue?

[Chance Jackson]

On 5/9/2025 at 3:35 PM, TheMoneyMaker said:

I could see an argument being made for melee ATs getting their own versions too

I think i got something that will fit that bill

 

These powers are either from Assault Rifle, Soldiers of Arachnos or Mercenaries 

 

Machine-gun Mastery

 

-Burst

-Venom Grenade

-Wide Area Web Grenade (AOE Immob with -kb)

-Heavy Burst

-Seasoned Veteran

a rifleman pet equivalent to a PPP pet, same powers as the Commando henchmen but with the the Spec Ops henchmen's rifle, outfit & snipe power

 

Seasoned Veteran flavor text: This rifleman has survived many armed conflicts, doing unsavory things at the behest of nation states & self-serving power brokers for chump change, now this soldier will only contract his services out to those he respects, for causes he believes in (or for top dollar)

[Rudra]

4 hours ago, BrandX said:

 

A little implant *shrug*  We have a Drone in there and that's tech?   Call it "Trained Operative"  if that's an issue?

*shrug* Guns are tech too, but very much in line with a natural character. The difference being if it is something anyone can simply pick up and use, like a hovering drone to assist with targeting. I'm staying out of the discussion for the most part. Prefer to see how the discussion goes. However, it felt like that question was needed given what was already stated in the thread about the intent. There is a way to make any mechanic fit any theme, but if the intent is a specific theme, then the names for the desired mechanics should probably at least peripherally fit.

[Uun]

14 hours ago, BrandX said:

Mind Over Body was first in WP, which was CoH's way of doing a natural hero, not a psychic hero, so it would work here. 

Mind Over Body was introduced as part of Psychic/Psionic Mastery for defenders and controllers in Issue 3. Willpower wasn't introduced until Issue 11.

[BrandX]

5 hours ago, Uun said:

Mind Over Body was introduced as part of Psychic/Psionic Mastery for defenders and controllers in Issue 3. Willpower wasn't introduced until Issue 11.

 

Well, still goes to say, they put it in a set that was made for the idea of a natural hero and people can use it other wise.  So the same could be said here.  

 

However, you can always, as I've shown, just change the name.