Borked Munitions DPS build

jonandre1

First, let's get the build out of the way:
PowerHouse   (Link to this build)

Name: Silver Avenger Jon Andreivich

Archetype: Freeform

Super Stats:
Level 6: Ego (Primary)
Level 10: Intelligence (Secondary)
Level 15: Constitution (Secondary)

Talents:
Level 1: The Invincible
Level 6: Field Ops Training
Level 9: Ascetic
Level 12: Healthy Mind
Level 15: Academics
Level 18: Negotiator
Level 21: Quick Recovery

Powers:
Level 1: Gunslinger
Level 1: Burst Shot* (Rank 2, Rank 3)
Level 6: Holdout Shot (Rank 2, Stim Pack)
Level 8: Killer Instinct
Level 11: Quarry (Rank 2, Rank 3)
Level 14: Concentration
Level 17: Lock N Load (Rank 2, Rank 3)
Level 20: Two-Gun Mojo (Rank 2, Rank 3)
Level 23: Lead Tempest (Rank 2, Rank 3)
Level 26: Bountiful Chi Resurgence (Resurgent Reiki)
Level 29: Masterful Dodge
Level 32: Evasive Maneuvers (Sleight of Mind)
Level 35: Orbital Cannon (Rank 2, Anvil of Dawn)
Level 38: Resurrection Serum

Travel Powers:
Level 6: Athletics (Rank 2, Rank 3)
Level 35: Jet Boots (Rank 2, Rank 3)

Specializations:
Ego: Force of Will (2/2)
Ego: Insight (3/3)
Ego: Follow Through (3/3)
Ego: Sixth Sense (2/3)
Guardian: Fortified Gear (3/3)
Guardian: Ruthless (2/2)
Guardian: Find the Mark (2/3)
Guardian: The Best Defense (3/3)
Vindicator: Aggressive Stance (2/2)
Vindicator: Merciless (3/3)
Vindicator: Focused Strikes (3/3)
Vindicator: Offensive Expertise (2/2)
Mastery: Ego Mastery (1/1)

*No, this isn't in Powerhouse. But it's in my character's build.

(If you're wondering, the toon has Resurrection Serum so he's not totally useless on the field, plus it helps when people fall down after fighting OVs, or after being an OV.)

Flowcyto might recognize this as his build, but the problem I'm running into is that it just doesn't do enough DPS. Right now, my 2GM does 347-751 damage every 0.5 seconds. Talking to a guildy, I'm doing about a third of her character's DPS. Now, some of this might be attributable to gear -- I'm using Mercenary gear with Level 5 and 6 mods, which is the best I can afford. But getting into groups is kind of hard when I can't do squat for DPS.

Basically, how do I improve this toon's DPS, or is there a point to doing so? I'll respec if I have to, but regearing will be flat-out impossible. I just don't have the money -- resources, Zen or Q.

flowcyto

I wouldn't normally put Orbital Cannon into a build for dps (I assume its there just as an opener), though Strafing Run is still alright. TGM does fine on its own, and already eats enough energy w/o throwing in an expensive power from another set, imo.

What are ur stats for the character? You can maybe do more dps w/ Targeting Comp and a EGO/Dex/Con setup (Ego focus). BCR/RR is also lowering ur dmg by 10% when its up, and the build lacks a good AO (Ego Surge w/ NM, ofc).

347-751 dmg range (I assume those are tooltip values at 1x Concentration?) is a bit low for TGM ticks in a dps FF build. Are you also using the Ranged dps role? Are you having to end build often due to TGM's cost? Ya should be able to get TGM ticks to crit above 2-2.2k pretty easily w/ max Conc stacks and Burst Shot's debuff vs. one target.

Also, TGM is now fully flagged as an AoE, so you'll want Mass Destruction for it.

I'm not sure how ur friend can do 300% more dps than that build- unless ur not geared at all and/or spending much more time energy building (or dead). I assume ur both comparing TGM builds as well.

jonandre1

Health 8,176 Energy 64/134
STR 10
DEX 10
CON 225
INT 246
EGO 240
PRE 10
REC 43
END 17

Offense 288.3
Critical 9.8%
Severity 112.6%

Defense 201.3
Dodge 30.3%
Avoid 20%

Primary Offense Slot: Mercenary's Gloves of Piercing
-Impact Prism 5 (+62 Offense)
-Ego Enhancement 5 (+55 EGO)
-Intelligence Enhancement 5 (+55 INT)
Secondary Offense Slot: Vital Belt (Purple, Lv 40)
+20 CON, +6.5 DEF, +25 OFF
Primary Defense Slot: Mercenary's Breastplate of Freedom
-Ego Armoring 6 (+57 EGO)
-Constitution Armoring 5 (+55 CON)
-Gambler's Lucky Gem 5 (+127 Dodge Chance)
Secondary Defense Slot: Reformation Bracers (Purple, Lv 40)
+20 INT, +20 REC, +9.7 DEF
Primary Utility Slot: Mercenary's Helmet of Energy
-Constitution Enhancement 5 (+55 CON)
-Intelligence Armoring 5 (+55 INT)
-Gambler's Lucky Gem 5 (+85 Cost Discount)
Secondary Utility Slot: Diplomatic Eyepiece (Purple, Lv 40)
+20 INT, +20 EGO, +6.5 DEF, +46 Cooldown Reduction, +46 Cost Discount

Orbital Cannon is there for lead-in strikes... and also because I hate Black Talon. ("Let's see how YOU like it for a change!!") Strafing Run probably would make more sense, thematically. (A PRIMUS agent with access to UNTIL's orbital weapons platforms?)

I rely on Holdout Shot for self-healing. BCR/RR and MD are there for when I've attracted a leetle too much aggro. I think I used to run with Conviction, but it wasn't doing the job that just relying on Holdout Shot was.

As it turns out, this is all based on Hybrid role, not Ranged DPS. Tooltip values haven't changed, though. I'll have to hit Powerhouse to check values. My guildy says she hits 1.5k-2.2k per second with her TGM, on a DEX/INT/CON build. (Yeah, I know tooltip values are per half second. Again, I'll have to hit Powerhouse later and check.)

jonandre1

Okay, with some testing in Powerhouse, with 8 stacks of Concentration, I'm pulling 876-965 damage per tick, double that for DPS -- so 1750 to 1930 DPS. That still seems low. But then again, I can maintain TGM for a long time -- I don't have the kind of energy costs my guildy says she does. (She says she's pulling 52 energy per second. I'm pulling 18 per second, and I can usually do three or four full maintains on TGM without having to fall back to Gunslinger. So while I'm doing LESS DPS than she is, I can maintain that DPS LONGER.

flowcyto

Yeah I'm a bit confused what these dmg ranges are referring to for you and ur guildie: the tooltip ones or the final dmg ticks you see on dummies? Ya mentioned ur guildie getting upto 2.2k per second, but did she mean per tick, and on crits? Cause I can get 2.5k crits pretty easily w/ TGM on the regen dummies w/ a full dps setup- using Burst Shot, ranged dps role, and not using Dex PSS (which is best for ideal dps, but can cause more energy issues when applied vs. Int PSS's extra Int or Ego PSS's Insight). Changing to the Ranged (not melee) dps role should also have upped the dmg listed on the tooltip, so something seems fishy there.

I also doubt you are only spending 18 energy per second w/ TGM now. I think ya meant per tick? So you'd have to double that for the per sec number (technically more on avg if you add activation cost). Its good to hear you aren't really having energy issues, though. Energy building will lower one's overall dps, so by what ur saying she has higher burst dps, but not necc as high sustained dps.

Ur crit rate is pretty low if its just 9.8% on the char sheet, though (before buffs like Audacity and specs, ofc). I prob would have geared out w/ extra crit rating over extra Offense, esp since ur already pretty heavy into Offense's DR w/ Guardicator. W/ 6th Sense and Audacity helping out, crit rating on primary and 2ndary offensive gear should get you above the 25% resting char sheet range for crit, and possibly close to 30% (which isn't too far off from Dex-heavy dps builds).

If ya change to gearing for crit, I dun actually think you'd be much behind ur friend for sustained, final dps (at least, def not to the magnitude of them doing 300% more ). Dex PSS will still give them a leg up even if you both had the same build and gear/stats otherwise, but that doesn't account for too much in of itself.

jonandre1

The numbers I reported were base numbers before damage resistance, without crits, to establish a baseline for comparison. Didn't know you wanted me to include crits, too. The ranged DPS mode did make some difference, but not a really big one.

I did do some regearing with the secondary slots, trying to get out of stacking my SSes with the secondaries and going for stats I could use more of, like END, REC and DEX. Well, that only halfway worked, as I couldn't find stuff on the AH in the kind of mix I needed (even going with blues, not purples). But I picked up 40 extra DEX -- and my Crit Chance jumped from 8.9% to 19.8%. With a Gambler's in my Primary Offense slot, that should improve even more.

Still, it seems low. I wish I could afford better gems -- and better gear. Heroics would help push me up higher in damage... but I don't think I can do the kind of grind that heroic gear requires these days.

flowcyto

Its not that I wanted you to include crits as I was just confused what source you were getting ur number ranges from. I guess its just the base tooltip values, though that dmg range is only cause TGM does less dmg on >1 target (so its not really a 'dmg range' as much as telling you the base dmg depending on #targets). The dps role should have been a 20-25% final dmg boost, which is pretty good.

Otherwise, yeah- just get better gear, up ur crit, and ya can't really do much more aside from some of the build tweaks I mentioned (switching to the ranged dps role, switching to ES/NM as the AO or adding it as a 2nd AO, Mass Destruction in Vind, etc). Ur build is mostly fine for a dps TGM build, and its perhaps as important that ur not having stark energy issues w/ it atm.