Suggestions of a Mastermind

[Archmage1000]

Which would be a better performer at level 50:

 

Deamons / Thermal

 

Bots / FF

 

Thugs / Dark

 

Those are the 3 I am working on and wanted some suggestions on which of them would be better for solo and duoing with a friend.

[PaxArcana]

Partly, it depends on the friend's powersets and AT - moreso than level 50, or level 10, or whatever.

 

Demons/Thermal

This setup provides team-mates with Resistance and Healing.  If your friend will already be well supplied with either or both, it's utility in a duo will be somewhat reduced.  However, anyone with a Defense set that is weak on self-healing( e.g. Super Reflexes) will appreciate some resistance for the few "lucky hits" that inevitably get through.

 

Bots/FF

This setup provides a lot of Defense, and very little else.  If your friend will be building with a Defense set, like Super Reflexes, and soft-cap themselves without help, then you won't be able to directly benefit them very much.  If they play a "squishy" (Controller, another MM, Blaster, Dominator, or non-defense Defender), they may very much love the +Defense you and the Protector Bots will give them.

 

Also, both powersets in this combination have a lot of Knockback and Repel.  If your friend plays a ranced character - Blaster, for example - they may like this.  If they play Melee - Scrapper, Brute, etc - not so much.

 

Thugs/Dark

/Dark is all about debuffs, and this helps anyone - defense sets, resistance sets, squishies, everyone.  This one is a good jack-of-all-trades choice.

 

ANOTHER CONSIDERATION

Consider mixing things up a bit.  Why not Bots/Dark...?  Or maybe Demon/Ice ("a cold night in hell", hehehe)...?  Thugs/Thermal (and a Hellions theme)...?

[fireawayx]

Out of the options you've presented, I'd seriously consider Thugs/Dark. Thugs are known to have some of the most well rounded pets, and the addition of Gang War gives them very high burst potential. Dark is similarly robust - a potent heal, a massive slow and res debuff, a stun, defense, and an additional pet - all while dropping enemy ToHit massively.

 

All of the options are fine though. Bots/FF is very passive in itself, unless you decide to be bold and make more use of the set's KB - which can be fun :) Arguably the latest bloomer out of the three as well.

[SmalltalkJava]

I don’t think the primary would really make that much of a difference besides bots knockback if the friend uses melee or location Debuff a skills.  That can be fixed though with a kB to Kd io

 

Secondary though...

 

Thermal.  Brings shields for resistances and heals

FF. No heals but brings defense

Dark has heals and Debuffs

 

If your partner does not have self heals or group heals then go with thermal or dark.  Generally I’d pick thermal or dark over FF.  -Just plain utility wise and multiple tool availability.

 

Personally I’d rank them in this order

1. Thermal

2. Dark

3. FF