Re-evaluating my old pet build

kittenofpixels

So I recently got back into the game after a few years away and i'm wondering if this extremely pet-heavy build I was using for my main person is still up to snuff. I had to respec so this is just me remembering it as best as i can while faffing around in the powerhouse. The goal of this was to have as many pets as feasible and still be able to do all the content, so i'm no worried about theme or any of that, just trying to get it to work the best that it can.

PowerHouse   (Link to this build)

Name: Cosmica Starburn

Archetype: Freeform

Super Stats:
Level 6: Presence (Primary)
Level 10: Intelligence (Secondary)
Level 15: Dexterity (Secondary)

Talents:
Level 1: Divinity
Level 6: Shrug It Off
Level 9: Healthy Mind
Level 12: Acrobat
Level 15: Quick Recovery
Level 18: Lasting Impression
Level 21: Negotiator

Powers:
Level 1: Shadow Bolt (Despondency)
Level 1: Spirit Reverberation
Level 6: Ebon Void
Level 8: Lifedrain (Vampiric Sympathy)
Level 11: Void Horror
Level 14: Summon Shadows (Devouring Darkness)
Level 17: Munitions Bots (Rank 2, Rank 3)
Level 20: Support Drones (Rank 2, Rank 3)
Level 23: Attack Toys (Rank 2, Rank 3)
Level 26: Command Animals (Rank 2, Rank 3)
Level 29: Arctic Beast (Rank 2, Rank 3)
Level 32: Ritual of Primal Summoning (Rank 2, Unbound Ritual)
Level 35: Inertial Dampening Field (Rank 2)
Level 38: Aura of Ebon Destruction (Rank 2, Rank 3)

Travel Powers:
Level 6: Mystic Flight
Level 35:

Specializations:
Presence: Selfless Ally (2/2)
Presence: Grandeur (3/3)
Presence: Moment of Glory (3/3)
Presence: Force of Will (2/2)
Commander: Evasive Action (2/2)
Commander: Create An Opening (2/2)
Commander: Multitasker (1/3)
Commander: Well Trained (2/2)
Commander: Savage (3/3)
Sentinel: Eternal Spring (2/2)
Sentinel: Sentinel Aura (3/3)
Sentinel: Moment of Need (3/3)
Sentinel: Genesis (2/2)
Mastery: Commander Mastery (1/1)

flowcyto

Trying to keep all/most of the ept pwoers in, here's how I'd prob tweak the build:

PowerHouse (Link to this build)

Archetype: Freeform

Super Stats:
Level 6: Presence (Primary)
Level 10: Constitution (Secondary)
Level 15: Dexterity (Secondary)

Talents:
Level 1: Divinity
Level 6: Shrug It Off
Level 9: Healthy Mind
Level 12: Acrobat
Level 15: Quick Recovery
Level 18: Lasting Impression
Level 21: Impresario

Powers:
Level 1: Shadow Bolt
Level 1: Shadow Blast (Rank 2, Rank 3)
Level 6: Spirit Reverberation
Level 8: Aura of Ebon Destruction (Rank 2, Rank 3)
Level 11: Lifedrain (Rank 2, Vampiric Sympathy)
Level 14: Compassion
Level 17: Support Drones (Rank 2, Rank 3)
Level 20: Void Horror
Level 23: Attack Toys (Rank 2, Rank 3)
Level 26: Command Animals (Rank 2, Rank 3)
Level 29: Arctic Beast
Level 32: Ritual of Primal Summoning (Unbound Ritual)
Level 35: Munitions Bots
Level 38: Summon Shadows (Rank 2, Devouring Darkness)

Travel Powers:
Level 6: Mystic Flight
Level 35:

Specializations:
Presence: Selfless Ally (2/2)
Presence: Grandeur (3/3)
Presence: Moment of Glory (3/3)
Presence: Force of Will (2/2)
Sentinel: Eternal Spring (2/2)
Sentinel: Sentinel Aura (3/3)
Sentinel: Moment of Need (3/3)
Sentinel: Genesis (2/2)
Commander: Evasive Action (2/2)
Commander: Rapid Response (2/2)
Commander: Create An Opening (2/2)
Commander: Multitasker (2/3)
Commander: Durable (1/3)
Commander: Savage (1/3)
Mastery: Commander Mastery (1/1)

May not be a bad idea to axe one of the lower ranked pets for Shadow Embrace to have some AoE, and/or to get another heal power, and/or Rebirth, and/or a good block enhancer. Gave ya 2/2 Rapid Response cause much high-end content isn't very pet-friendly, and being able to re-summon pets faster can save ya some headaches. Shadow Blast is used here to put up Fear for Lifedrain and Spirit Reverb, and also to debuff.

kittenofpixels

Hey, thanks for taking a look, a few questions, though:

I thought despondency would take care of the fear stuff?
Are the actual pet powers involved good or would i be better served by swapping some of those pets for other pets i didn't take (for example, throwing out muni bots for arcane summoning or stuff like that), also would swapping summon shadows for another controlled pet be a smart choice?
Is the brain-melting damage from AoED a better choice than Med nanites?
And finally, What gear bonuses should i be looking for?

flowcyto

I wouldn't rely on ur end builder for Fear- if you have ample energy (which you should usually) then you have better pwoers to use. Granted, if ya wanted to consolidate a bit ya could replace the Blast w/ Shadow Embrace and get ur AoE and Fear apply covered, though fully charging blast is more reliable for Fear and also gives a debuff.

AoED vs. any other aura passive is up to your priorities. AoED is the best pure dps option for pet builds by a good margin, though it doesn't do anything defensively. AoRP and Med Nanites are pure defensive options that don't directly contribute to dmg. Seraphim is a combo of bonus heal and dps (Paranormal dmg boost), but doesn't boost defense directly. AoRP is the all-rounder option, though it'd be better to take for buffing ally heroes instead of for ur pets.

The Shadows are the highest dps pet by a pretty good margin. They are temporary, but also don't add an energy penalty. Disregarding theme, ur pets array looks alright atm- mix of minor dps/debuffs, CC, buffs (Howl), and healing.

For gear, focus mostly on the 3 SS's here- namely Pres and Con. Get crit rating and crit severity (or more bonus heal) in offensive slots, maxHP and Defense in defensive slots, and a mix of cd reduction and cost discount in utility slots.