Knockback and the new Sudden Acceleration IO set?

[PrinceTycho]

I was reading the I25 patch notes, and had a questions about the new Sudden Acceleration IO set. For reference:

 

Set: Sudden Acceleration

Enhancements Set Category: Knockback

Sudden Acceleration: Knockback/Accuracy (Pool A)

Sudden Acceleration: Knockback/Recharge (Pool A)

Sudden Acceleration: Knockback/Damage/Endurance (Pool A)

Sudden Acceleration: Knockback/Damage/Recharge (Pool B)

Sudden Acceleration: Knockback/Accuracy/Damage (Pool B)

Sudden Acceleration: Knockback to Knockdown (Pool C)

Set Bonus:

(2) Improves all of your Movement speeds by 7.5%.

(3) Increases maximum Endurance by 2.25%.

(4) Increases damage by 2.5%.

(5) Increases maximum health by 2.25%.

(6) Improves the Recharge Time of all of your powers by 7.5%.

 

My questions is about the Knockback to Knockdown enhancement in the set. Does this mean that it will turn powers that it's slotted into with Knockback into Knockdown instead? The description in the patch notes implies such, but I was wondering if anyone had any first hand experience with it. From the patch notes:

 

Knockback to Knockdown enhancements apply a -1000% KB on the power, instead of -99%. This allows you to slot KB enhancements or use KB enhancing temporary powers without turning the KD back into KB.

 

[Panache]

You are correct, that is what it does. It's pretty much the same IO that we had from the summer event back in...2011? 2012? Something like that.

 

Its "best" (read: overpowered) use was in Fire Control's Bonfire, but they balanced it.

[PrinceTycho]

I was actually thinking about using it to help mitigate some of the KB in the Storm Summoning secondary, so that I could actually run a Elec/Storm build, and not have to worry so much about the lack of Roots in the Elec set.

[Trickshooter]

I was actually thinking about using it to help mitigate some of the KB in the Storm Summoning secondary, so that I could actually run a Elec/Storm build, and not have to worry so much about the lack of Roots in the Elec set.

 

It's Unique so you can only use 1 in your build, unless you can also get the Overwhelming Force version. Best place to put it in Storm would probably be Tornado. If it functions like the Overwhelming Force proc, slotting it in Tornado will also reduce the chance to knockdown per tick by 60% so that it's not completely overpowered.

[PrinceTycho]

That was the main power that I was considering it for, actually. Back in the day, Tornado was actually a pretty good source of DPS if slotted up properly. The only issue was making sure you coupled it with a root of some kind in case your target didn't have built in KB protection.

[_NOPE_]

Oh MAN I hadn't read about this IO. I'd be super excited to apply it to Repulsion Field, but.... that endurance hit per enemy hit would be MASSIVE if the enemies weren't flying away from you... ugh! And I won't be sticking it in Force Bolt, because I LIKE the pinpoint ability to knock something where I want it to be... man, I wish I could find a place to use this IO...

[Trickshooter]

Actually, correction to my own post, I remembered reading something about knockback toggles in those "Issue 25 patch notes", so I went to look them up. Don't know if they're completely accurate, but it says this:

 

The following powers have their chance to Knockback reduced to 10% every 0.5s (unless otherwise noted) if slotted with Sudden Acceleration: Knockback to Knockdown:

·        Controller Buff / Force Field / Repulsion Field

·        Controller Buff / Kinetics / Repel

·        Controller Buff / Sonic Debuff / Sonic Repulsion

·        Corruptor Buff / Force Field / Repulsion Field

·        Corruptor Buff / Kinetics / Repel

·        Corruptor Buff / Sonic Resonance / Sonic Repulsion

·        Defender Buff / Force Field / Repulsion Field

·        Defender Buff / Kinetics / Repel

·        Defender Buff / Sonic Debuff / Sonic Repulsion

·        Epic / Force Mastery / Repulsion Field

·        Mastermind Buff / Force Field / Repulsion Field

·        Mastermind Buff / Sonic Resonance / Sonic Repulsion

·        Pets / Bonfire / Bonfire (40% every 2s)

·        Pets / Tornado / Tornado

·        Pets / Singularity / Repel (0% chance)

·        Pool / Speed / Whirlwind

 

Whirlwind, Repel, Repulsion Field and Sonic Repulsion (all versions) will no longer use endurance if they tick on an entity but don't apply the knockback due to the Sudden Acceleration proc. It will still consume endurance if the knockback is applied, but resisted by the entity.

 

Lowered the endurance cost per hit of Sonic Repulsion for Controller and Defender from 2.5 to 1; Repulsion Field for Mastermind from 1.25 to 1; Repulsion Field for Blaster (Epic) from 2.5 to 1.25.

[PrinceTycho]

Still something I think I'm going to experiment with. :)

[_NOPE_]

Actually, correction to my own post, I remembered reading something about knockback toggles in those "Issue 25 patch notes", so I went to look them up. Don't know if they're completely accurate, but it says this:

 

The following powers have their chance to Knockback reduced to 10% every 0.5s (unless otherwise noted) if slotted with Sudden Acceleration: Knockback to Knockdown:

·        Controller Buff / Force Field / Repulsion Field

·        Controller Buff / Kinetics / Repel

·        Controller Buff / Sonic Debuff / Sonic Repulsion

·        Corruptor Buff / Force Field / Repulsion Field

·        Corruptor Buff / Kinetics / Repel

·        Corruptor Buff / Sonic Resonance / Sonic Repulsion

·        Defender Buff / Force Field / Repulsion Field

·        Defender Buff / Kinetics / Repel

·        Defender Buff / Sonic Debuff / Sonic Repulsion

·        Epic / Force Mastery / Repulsion Field

·        Mastermind Buff / Force Field / Repulsion Field

·        Mastermind Buff / Sonic Resonance / Sonic Repulsion

·        Pets / Bonfire / Bonfire (40% every 2s)

·        Pets / Tornado / Tornado

·        Pets / Singularity / Repel (0% chance)

·        Pool / Speed / Whirlwind

 

Whirlwind, Repel, Repulsion Field and Sonic Repulsion (all versions) will no longer use endurance if they tick on an entity but don't apply the knockback due to the Sudden Acceleration proc. It will still consume endurance if the knockback is applied, but resisted by the entity.

 

Lowered the endurance cost per hit of Sonic Repulsion for Controller and Defender from 2.5 to 1; Repulsion Field for Mastermind from 1.25 to 1; Repulsion Field for Blaster (Epic) from 2.5 to 1.25.

NICE! Thanks Trick, also nice to see another old name on here!

[Generator]

Hmm, Bonfire becomes a 40% chance every 2s.  Do you think that IO is still worth considering for that? I'm leaning toward yes.

[Elj237]

I have it slotted on my fire Kin build. It’s absolutely hillarious. There doesn’t seem to be any diminishing return on it, because equal level minions/LTs/and some bosses will just keep flipping in the air. Plus it’s a 45 sec circle on a 30sec cooldown with IOs. AVs will occasionally flip consistently, because by the time the knockdown animation is over, there’s been 2-3 ticks to proc the knockdown again. 5/7, would recommend.

[Tamorand]

Hi,

I have a personal COH server that I run and Admin - I am on the CoH discord as Tamorand, and have discussed this there, with pics and vids.

To confirm what a lot of people above and below are speculating about, regarding Sudden Acceleration, and the KB conversion to KD.

I boosted a Fire / Storm Controller to 50 - and filled up the following with a full set of Sudden Acceleration.

Gale

Tornado

Lightning Storm

Bonfire

Hurricane

 

The results were as you would expect, all KB was changed to KD

Gale knocked the crap out of anyone in it's path.

 

Tornado was like a bully on a playground running every kid to ground, tripping them and giving them a wedgie as they hunted down the next one. Glorious!

No more flying around, steady solid KD and damage.

 

Lightning Storm is the goalie that can be placed on one side of the battlefield - you get on the other and as they run away from you, LS face melts them back into play.

 

Bonfire - KD makes this power act like a MAG 6 Freezing Rain with OK damage.

 

Hurricane - now this bad boy. You do NOT lose repel - it doesn't change at all.

But when the dice rolls that a KB would throw them into the wall, they simply fall over and continue to move slowly toward where ever you happen to be pushing them. This is straight broken - it is so easy to herd with this now that it feels like cheating.

 

If you don't know, Immobilize is not immune to repel.

Cast Fire cages, or whatever AOE Immob your control set is sporting.

Turn on hurricane and move them, ever so gently, into the nearest corner, refresh your AOE Immob until they are snugly smushed into the corner.

 

Drop Freezing Rain, Lightning storm, tornado, and finally bonfire.

Watch the Bad Guys dance.

It's not an AV killer, or a GM knocker-downer - But it will handle 4x8 on a Plant/Storm, and Illusion/ Storm, Gravity/Storm and 0/1x8 on everything else/Storm(i have not tested all the storm combos so YMMV)

mostly due to surviving the alpha - I'm sure some of you will happily point out that their Stormy is the best stormy ever and can solo all the things. I'm happy for you. No seriously. I am. Can we just move on? God Karen....

 

Hope this helps.

As to the other elephant in the room, having a personal server is AMAZING.

It's easy to setup, you can run it on a crappy laptop or the same machine you play COH "Live" on.

Once you do, you now have MID's Hero Designer, but it's LIVE, you can try out every single IO in the game, test it at it's highest potential and decide if you want to spend the time and effort to roll it on "Live".

 

Head over to the Discord servers - I think there's 4 or 5 of them now, and all have links to setup your own server.

 

I love this community, and I'm happy you are all getting to play our game again.

I missed each and every one of you, and I hope to see you in there.

 

Look for a giant Ronald McDonald with a Railroad Crossing sign or a Normal Sized Ronald McDonald with a McPhantom Army in red/yellow spandex.  :D

[srmalloy]

Just the few missions I spent testing after I slotted a Sudden Acceleration: KB to KD in Hurricane had me grinning with the herding possibilities. Always assuming that the tank in the group knows how to pull into a location I can pin mobs into.

[Jazra]

Does all of this also apply to the Overwhelming Force Proc? Do they work exactly the same?