Damage build: Ninja/Storm, Ninja/Kin or Thug/Time

[You]

Really want to make a "YOLO" heavy damage build.  I know Ninja/Storm used to be strong enough to take down a Pylon back in live (actually, I think most /Storm can do anyway).  How about Ninja/Kin and Thug/Time?  Which one of the three does more damage? 

 

Thanks!

[Redlynne]

4 hours ago, You said:

Ninja/Kin

The only way Ninja/Kin can DO damage is if the Ninjas TAKE no damage.

Ninjas have the damage absorbing ability of a waterlogged roll of toilet paper dissolving in a fast running stream.  Without support from your secondary THEY WILL ALL DIE ... horribly fast.  Kinetics will do next to nothing to keep Ninjas alive.  They'll deliver a couple of big hits and ... you'll spend the rest of your time resummoning.

 

Not a recommended combination.

Although, to be fair, Kinetics is a remarkably bad secondary for almost every Mastermind primary because most of the synergies you'd want to be reaching for are simply NOT ALLOWED (Pets gain nothing from recharge enhancement, for example).  It's great for Defenders and Controllers, but Masterminds get very little return on investment out of Kinetics.  It works ... but not as well as you'd want it to, for ... REASONS™.

[Riverdusk]

I'd probably go with thugs/storm, but any of the top damaging pets with storm should do the trick.  Liking my thugs/time and it does great damage while being very safe, but thugs/storm would generally outdamage it no doubt.

[Force Redux]

Thugs/Time.  Great damage, some soft controls, good buffs for your and the pets, some debuffs. Toss Temporal Selection on the Brute to make him even more awesome. That's my vote. 

 

Ninja/Time could work, but they are more fragile than Thugs. 

Edited September 9, 2019 by Force Redux

[William Valence]

My prevailing theory is that Thugs/Storm can output the most damage, both ST and AoE at the moment. If you're looking for RotFLStomp damage I'd go with that. It should also be really survivable.

[Elthenar]

On 9/8/2019 at 9:01 AM, Redlynne said:

The only way Ninja/Kin can DO damage is if the Ninjas TAKE no damage.

Ninjas have the damage absorbing ability of a waterlogged roll of toilet paper dissolving in a fast running stream.  Without support from your secondary THEY WILL ALL DIE ... horribly fast.  Kinetics will do next to nothing to keep Ninjas alive.  They'll deliver a couple of big hits and ... you'll spend the rest of your time resummoning.

 

Not a recommended combination.

Although, to be fair, Kinetics is a remarkably bad secondary for almost every Mastermind primary because most of the synergies you'd want to be reaching for are simply NOT ALLOWED (Pets gain nothing from recharge enhancement, for example).  It's great for Defenders and Controllers, but Masterminds get very little return on investment out of Kinetics.  It works ... but not as well as you'd want it to, for ... REASONS™.

I agree to a certain degree but it's not quite as cut and dried as you make it seem.  Kinetics can be a very strong secondary for a MM.  Take Oppressive Gloom from Soul Mastery and play a bit like a tankermind. Gloom slows down minions, you just need to make sure bosses don't AOE blap all your pets. it's definitely better in a group but that's always true of Kinetics regardless of AT.

 

Yes, your pets don't get the benefit of recharge from Speed Boost but that's hardly a deal breaker. Time suffers from that even moreso and Time is just fine. The recovery from Speed Boost works just fine, as does the CC protection and resists from Increase Density and the heals from Transfusion.  Then of course Fulcrum Shift is so strong that it can make your personal attacks scary.

 

I came to this board to make post requesting help with my Necro/Kin but I clicked on this thread first. In the case of my Necro/Kin, I do everything I said above. Instead of going max damage like the OP is requesting, I am built around the CC and selfheal of Necro combined with Opressive Gloom and Bodyguard mode to hold down mobs so I can Fulcrum safely and effectively. It works solo but it's amazing in groups.

[Redlynne]

1 hour ago, Elthenar said:

In the case of my Necro/Kin, I do everything I said above. Instead of going max damage like the OP is requesting, I am built around the CC and selfheal of Necro combined with Opressive Gloom and Bodyguard mode to hold down mobs so I can Fulcrum safely and effectively. It works solo but it's amazing in groups.

Ah, but Necro allows you to get away with that because you and your Pets have (on balance) much better crowd control options available to you.  Those options really aren't available to Ninjas (as such) in a Ninja/Kin combo.

[Elthenar]

50 minutes ago, Redlynne said:

Ah, but Necro allows you to get away with that because you and your Pets have (on balance) much better crowd control options available to you.  Those options really aren't available to Ninjas (as such) in a Ninja/Kin combo.

 

 

When I led with "I agree to a certain degree" that's exactly the part I agreed with.  I forgot to follow up on that statement in the post. I could probably make it work to a certain degree but it wouldn't be worthwhile, I'd lose all three genin to every AOE.