Soloing baby AVs

[Coyote]

So, there has been a lot of discussion about Controllers soloing Pylons and AVs at the top levels (50, and 50+), with most of the discussion being: "how fast?". It's pretty much true that any Controller set combo can solo most AVs with the appropriate IO sets and temporary powers (not to mention Lore).

 

But I find it interesting as a question to see how AV soloing works at lower levels, when we have fewer slots and powers (and thus a much bigger Endurance problem), but AVs are less resistant to debuffs (generally suffering from 30 to 40% of a debuff's effects).

 

So far the lowest I've done is at 14 against the Skull AVs (looking at the powers and slots, a build solely for this purpose should have been able to do it at Level 10 or 11). It used Envenomed Dagger since it's the best End-efficient source of damage/-regen, but a purely focused build would probably be able to sustain the End drain of spamming a -Regen Heal and make up for the loss of the daggers, if you want to avoid Temp Powers.

 

The character was a Plant/Kin, though a /Dark would probably do better. For primaries, any with an Immob would work since you need to keep the AVs at a distance and get Containment. You can easily tank their ranged damage with either Transfusion or Twilight Grasp, especially since TwiG has a -Damage debuff, and with Kinetics you have Siphon Power for a different damage debuff. Fire, Ice, and Earth primaries would all probably work better... Fire does more damage, Ice adds -Recharge (not sure this matters... lowering the AV's DPS is not a major issue, it's beating their Regen without running out of Endurance that matters), and Earth adds -Def which makes it reasonable to use the Blackstaff/Nemesis Staff, which do better damage than the lightly slotted attacks at low levels.

 

Slotting considerations: I had Seeds of Confusion heavily slotted, and also Strangler... an AV-focused build would lower the slots on them, and invest more slots in the Immob and Heal, so you can put more Damage and End Reduction in them. Also, I didn't spend for the Panacea IO, which is the only +Recovery or +Endurance IO that you can slot at this level. Taking slots from SoC and Strangler, adding them to the Immob and Heal,and another to Endurance, and putting Panacea in Health, may allow a character to spam Immob, Heal, Blackstaff/Nemesis Staff and maintain Endurance.

 

Power considerations: I had Hasten and Siphon Speed, and only used Hasten once or twice when I made a mistake, let the AV out of Immob, and they came up and did melee damage, so I needed a burst of Immob/Heal. Siphon Speed was too much End drain when I was already not activating powers at max rate in order to maintain Endurance. This is why I feel it's possible to drop the levels down, since I have superfluous powers.

 

AV considerations: at low levels, the only AVs I think are available are the Lords of Death, the Clockwork King, Doctor V, and a pair in a Faultline arc... one Lost AV, and Nocturne the "run all over the map" Widow (I did her on an Ill/Storm, without an Immob... ugh!). That's blueside, and I think redside doesn't have nearly as many.

[Coyote]

Continuing, to consider sets... what sets could solo AVs at low levels? Controller only, though I can see it being done on a Defender/Corruptor also, and maybe a small amount of MMs.

 

At low levels, healing through the damage is a reasonable mitigation strategy. In fact, as strong as the Kinetics and Dark heals are, they have no problems. I think Pain, Empathy, and Thermal may have more difficulties. There aren't too many other options at this level: you can't set up IO sets for Ranged Defense, you have no Epic shields, and while there are a few sets that can combine Defense and -ToHit to tank an AV (Dark/Storm with Hurricane and Steamy Mist plus the -ToHit from attacking with Dark Control powers can probably manage it), running this many toggles would probably make the End burn unsustainable. So... sets with a good Heal. Could it be possible to combine +Regen from a Plant/Traps (Spirit Tree & Triage Beacon) to get the same effect?

 

Illusion can also do it with Phantom Army, though you need a plan for the inevitable drop, which could be 30-50 seconds at this level depending on Hasten (which will also not be perma). My plan was Hurricane, Steamy Mist, Combat Jumping, a Luck, and the temporary power from the Wheel of Devastation arc, which is a melee-range lifedrain. Well, that plan worked well enough defensively, but when PA's Taunt effect dropped, Nocturne ran from the Freezing Rain. Boy, did she run. Chasing down an AV to drop PA on her head is either no fun, or loads of fun, depending on how you view a challenge. Fortunately, I view it as a challenge ;).

 

Since the AV suffers a decent amount of debuffing, using Dark Control to help with defensive gaps should be quite useful to help tank.

 

So, I see Dark/Dark as the best option... best -ToHit, and heal that combines -Regen and -Dam means that you have no tanking issues. Maintain Endurance and it should be simple. Generally /Dark will work best at low levels. Kinetics works the same way, except that having no -ToHit, and having to use an additional power (Siphon Speed) for the same debuffs will mean taking more damage. Fire, Earth and Cold as primaries, though at levels 18+ Illusion and Dark also gain a temporary pet to boost damage.

[Frosticus]

For low level AV's? grav/dark

Has a full attack chain that deals way damage than other trollers by lvl 6

By lvl 8 a grav/dark has all the tools needed to hunt baby AV's:

immob, 2 direct attacks and a hold that adds additional damage to your direct attacks (if you so deem necessary).

solid heal with minor -regen and a -resistance power

[Zep]

Low to mid level mission AV's? Not Task Force AV's?

 

Fire/Storm -- have done it particularly the Skull ones in Kings Row.

 

No temp powers or pets.

[Coyote]

Grav/Dark is a good thought, I forgot about Grav for some reason.

 

I'm surprised a Fire/Storm can do it, though... without a self-heal, and with Hurricane coming after the Skulls AVs are done, what are you using for survival?

[Brutal Justice]

Just took down the first skulls AV, chernobog?, at lvl 12 with a necro/nature without losing a zombie.  No enhancements slotted. The debuff toggle in nature also has a small amount of -regen.

[Guffnat]

Mind/Poison or Mind/Rad might also be pretty good.

[Coyote]

Mind can use Confuse to add an ally for more damage (Veres summons a Grave Knight who would make an excellent conscript), but it can't set up Containment dependably. If you're thinking of using Confuse, I would go with Dark Control, which has both an Immob and Possess.

 

/Poison should work better as a MM, so that you get to use Alkaloid to heal whichever Henchman is being targeted. Its debuffs would matter more at this level than at higher levels, but without a self-heal, I don't think the -ToHit/-Dam is strong enough to tank the AV. Of course, seeing that a /Storm can do it, perhaps I'm mistaken... but I'm sure it'll be easier as a MM than as a Controller with /Poison.

[Maxzero]

 

Envenomed dagger helps with -regen. 30 use temp power from P2W vendor.

 

Unfortunately the Bollas Immobilize from the Utility belt power pool has some missing animations that might cause some issues. Would be so good with Illusion.

[justicebeliever]

I am super mad about this thread...I came here expecting see what happens when Col Duray and the Countess really get that special connection, and later their child starts his own crime organization by age 5 and you have to defeat him, but can't use powers (because he's a kid, man), so you use parenting techniques like taking away things, and counting to 3, and see if you can finally get him to a temper tantrum that you have to use 8 purples to survive, but then he's tired and falls asleep - you win!

 

This thread is just a letdown (/end sarcasm)

 

 

[EmperorSteele]

...Thanks for the AE arc idea, JB =P

[Coyote]

I am super mad about this thread...I came here expecting see what happens when Col Duray and the Countess really get that special connection, and later their child starts his own crime organization by age 5 and you have to defeat him, but can't use powers (because he's a kid, man), so you use parenting techniques like taking away things, and counting to 3, and see if you can finally get him to a temper tantrum that you have to use 8 purples to survive, but then he's tired and falls asleep - you win!

 

This thread is just a letdown (/end sarcasm)

 

That would be AWESOME!!!

[Dr Causality]

...so you use parenting techniques like taking away things, and counting to 3, and see if you can finally get him to a temper tantrum that you have to use 8 purples to survive, but then he's tired and falls asleep - you win!

 

This thread is just a letdown (/end sarcasm)

 

That's exactly what we're doing.  We're just taking away limbs like arms and legs, until he's old enough to know not to hit people and gets a job, so he has his own money for the medical costs of having the limbs reattached. 

[justicebeliever]

...so you use parenting techniques like taking away things, and counting to 3, and see if you can finally get him to a temper tantrum that you have to use 8 purples to survive, but then he's tired and falls asleep - you win!

 

This thread is just a letdown (/end sarcasm)

 

That's exactly what we're doing.  We're just taking away limbs like arms and legs, until he's old enough to know not to hit people and gets a job, so he has his own money for the medical costs of having the limbs reattached.

 

That's what I did with my oldest kid...just had the Dr. remove his vocal cords, and I sold them back to him when he was 18..+1 Doc...