List of References and How-to Build

[Nyghtmaire]

Many posts on these boards ask for a build. That’s understandable given the deep complexity this game offers for those who wish to explore the invention system. A well-considered build can accomplish seemingly impossible tasks, permitting the player to function as if an entire team unto him- or herself.

 

But how does one find a “good” build for a  powerset combination? What is a “good” build”?!?! Many from the original iteration of the game used a build planner to figure out how to manage their enhancements and power selection. If you’re new to the game (or rusty from the break), rejoice! It’s easy! It’s fun! Making  your own build is a much better do-it-yourself project than making your own compost bins or brewing homemade kombucha. Copying another person’s build can be a start, but eventually (like wearing shoes from Goodwill) will never result in a good fit. Instead, start with the following:

 

1. Figure out what you’re trying to accomplish (solo or team focus? Preferred minions, such as AVs or massive groups of mooks? Soloing task forces? PvP? Any information here helps...)

 

2. Do you have a budget? Purples in the equation? SO/IO only because you’re just futzing around? Include access to Incarnates? What’s your interest here?

 

3. Play style? Do you get drunk as a skunk and roll your face along the keyboard to blow off steam or do you have dozens of keybinds to command your pets in every conceivable confrontation?

 

4. Post a build. What direction are you already planning for the character? Share your thoughts! Give a sample, list the builder you used, and give a data chunk. And remember, people look at these forums on their phones (probably on the toilet. Or at work. Or both...) so include the full post list.

 

Builds are, at heart, an individual affair, tempered and personalized to the unique play style of the specific mastermind/player, their skill level, and play goals. For example, the needs of fighting large spawns of level-shifted enemies is wildly different than the needs of the big-game hunter chasing giant monsters and AVs. Furthermore, the primary and secondary interact in sometimes surprising and harmonious ways. For example, /Dark contains a varied and wide toolkit. Combined with Necro/, the player will have access to massive amounts of hit debuffs; combined with Bots/, the player has stacking -Regen through the AssBot and Howling Twilight. No choice is universally better. But depending on your play style goals, one combination may meet your needs more efficiently than another.

 

What is the essential nature of the mastermind? Everything. Depending on your secondary, you might be debuffing, buffing, mezzing, healing, or more damage. For example, /storm debuffs enemies (freezing rain, hurricane, snow storm), heals and counteracts mezzes (02 Boost), damage (Tornado and Lightning Storm), mezzes (Thunderclap), protects you and your pets (Hurricane and Steamy Mist), and repositions enemies (Gale, Hurricane, and - to a lesser less predictable extent - Tornado). That’s a bunch of stuff.

 

But the purpose of your primary is DAMAGE through your pets. If you were a Corruptor/Blaster/Dominator/Brute, these powers would be attacks. Multiple pets (think tiers 1 and 2) are AOE merely by virtue of increased numbers. Slot them as such. Accuracy, damage, and (to a lesser extent, dependent on the specific pet’s needs) endurance. If you will be using invention sets, do not fall in the trap of chasing set bonuses at the expense of Accuracy and Damage slotting.

 

Even first tier pets do significant amounts of damage. Check out the Pylon thread to see the relative levels they perform. If you can keep them alive, they will perform wonders, but only if they have enough accuracy to actually hit. https://forums.homecomingservers.com/index.php/topic,6059.0.html

 

A word on enhancement diversification: “[ED]” is based on a system of diminishing returns on enhancements slotted to raise bonuses to a very high level.” See https://paragonwiki.com/wiki/Enhancement_Diversification . As a rule of thumb, 3 SOs of a given enhancement will max out a power’s enhancement value of a given attribute.

 

The “old” Mastermind forums are here, and other than the new secondaries, there is probably a build that has been vetted a 1000 times, play-tested, and ready to go: https://web.archive.org/web/20120904105639/http://boards.cityofheroes.com/forumdisplay.php?f=593

 

Dechs Kaison (And a dedicated Bots/Traps player) wrote an amazingly extensive guide on the class which still applies to the archetype to this day: https://dechskaison.blogspot.com/2012/01/gd-mastermind.html?m=1

 

Similarly, Master Zaprobo wrote an equally informative guide as well: https://web.archive.org/web/20120904023944/http://boards.cityofheroes.com/showthread.php?t=179053

 

For secondaries, an excellent starter reference is Silas’ “Silas Plays Support and So Can You!”: https://web.archive.org/web/20120904183748/http://boards.cityofheroes.com/showthread.php?t=196722

 

The Homecoming forums (you’re using the search function, yes?) and these linked resources will provide a multitude of possibilities for creating you’re first draft of a build. In short, figure out what you want to do, determine your budget/investment, and craft a build.

 

[Nyghtmaire]

A discussion (and sample builds) for EVERY MASTERMIND PRIMARY (caps intended): https://forums.homecomingservers.com/index.php/topic,1199.0.html

 

(Thanks to StrikerFox for the data chunks and builds)

 

Link and update discussion to Pine’s for build shenanigans: https://forums.homecomingservers.com/index.php/topic,3093.0.html

 

(Thanks to Khy to moving this along for Homecoming)