Melee TK Tank

maatmons

So, I haven't played in a few months. I see They've redone Telekinesis.

I had a sort of melee TK tank character before. I never quite got her working the way I wanted though. Anyway, now seems like a good time to redo her.

Ego Weaponry: I'm interested in Siphoning Strikes, since it gives survivability, and the healing should still generate threat, which is what the lost damage would have been doing for me anyway. Also, Challenge looks good because, you know, tank. That would be all my advantages for that power then, right?

Challenge: So, do the primary-target and secondary-target versions still stack with each other? And Ego Weaponry hits an area now, but does it still have a primary target?

Ego Infusion: What exactly is this? Ego Weaponry is modified if I'm under the effects of it, but I don't see what might apply the effect to me.

Invulnerability/Defiance: I'm leaning towards Invulnerability, just because I like consistency.

Mental Discipline/Form of the Tempest: These look pretty much the same now.

Strength/Ego: As primary super stats, these both give extra defense. Strength gives more, but only scales off of Constitution, though that's certainly a useful stat for a tank. Ego gives less defense, but the bonus scales with any secondary super stat, so I could pump up Dexterity for crit chance and my form damage boost.

Wardicator: I'm guessing this is the best option? It gives extra defense, which is always nice. And it gives extra crit chance, which works well with Siphoning Strikes.

pantagruel01

Ego Infusion is applied when TK Annihilate consumes ego leech (or TK lance, but that's not melee).

flowcyto

Ofc, the issue w/ taking Siphoning and Challenge advs is that ur stuck at r1 dmg (and thus also the healing from Siphoning, since that's tied to crit dmg). You can forgo Challenge on the combo, and instead use TK Eruption taps and EBA for rolling Challenge on bosses, and that allows you to get r2 or the Stress adv on the combo. Similar issue w/ EBFrenzy- the shield avd can be nice for tanking, but it + Challenge means ur left at r1 dmg. Ultimately up to you how much you value the defense and/or ease of applying Challenge w/ better dps (and healing from siphoning).

Here's one example that goes for a more defensive route, but you could prob trade some challenge advs for a proper rank somewhere:

(Unnamed Build) - Freeform
v2.2.3-24

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

Talents
Level 1: The Master (Con: 10, Str: 10, Dex: 10, Rec: 8)
Level 6: Covert Ops Training (Str: 3, Dex: 3, Con: 3, Int: 3)
Level 9: Acrobat (Dex: 5, Con: 5)
Level 12: Physical Conditioning (Str: 5, Con: 5)
Level 15: Martial Focus (Str: 5, Dex: 5)
Level 18: Quick Recovery (Con: 5, Rec: 5)
Level 21: Impresario (Dex: 5, Rec: 5)

Powers
Level 1: Kinetic Darts
Level 1: Ego Weaponry (Siphoning Strikes, Challenge!)
Level 6: Mental Discipline
Level 8: Telekinetic Reverberation
Level 11: Invulnerability (Rank 2, Rank 3)
Level 14: Ego Blade Frenzy (Mental Block, Challenge!)
Level 17: Conviction (Rank 2, Rank 3)
Level 20: Ego Blade Annihilation (Rank 2, Mental Acuity, Challenge!)
Level 23: Telekinetic Eruption (Enhanced Form, Inner Peace, Challenge!)
Level 26: Resurgence (Rank 2)
Level 29: Masterful Dodge
Level 32: Telekinetic Shield (Rank 2, Rank 3, Telekinetic Reinforcement)
Level 35: Imbue
Level 38: Ego Blade Dash
Adv. Points: 33/36

Travel Powers
Level 6:
Level 35:

Specializations
Strength: Swole (2/3)
Strength: Physical Peak (3/3)
Strength: Brutality (2/2)
Strength: Juggernaut (3/3)
Warden: Fortified Gear (2/3)
Warden: Slaughter (3/3)
Warden: Ruthless (2/2)
Warden: The Best Defense (3/3)
Vindicator: Aggressive Stance (2/2)
Vindicator: Merciless (3/3)
Vindicator: Focused Strikes (2/3)
Vindicator: Mass Destruction (3/3)
Mastery: Warden Mastery (1/1)

CON/Dex/Rec can also work for the SS setup.

On the combo and its AoE properties: Afaik, yes, the main target you have selected still receives the ST version of Challenge w/ the combo.

And yea, FotT could prob be subbed here w/o much diff.

maatmons

I'm afraid I can't take Kinetic Darts or Telekinetic Shield for thematic reasons. My character's not actually a telekinetic. She just has a cybernetic right arm that can produce energy fields. Will Ego Blade and Retaliation be fine?

Telekinetic Eruption should work fine, since it doesn't have any clear origin point. The body-enveloping field of Conviction seems a tad odd for the cybernetic arm theme, but should also be fine. All the other stuff seems perfectly in-theme.

I'm kind of interested in an area pull, and I might be willing to stretch my theme a little to work it in. How's Telekinetic Wave? I think I can swing the head origin in-theme, since she has a glowing cybernetic eye. Of course, to avoid strain on her neck, the eye beam will only apply a charged field to enemies. The actual pulling will be done with an oppositely-charged field located in her arm (or leg).

Also, for that build, what's my priority going to be for stats from gear? Mostly, Dex/Con? In what ratio?

flowcyto

Yea, those two changes are fine. The end builder choice shouldn't matter much.

TK Wave is alright now that it has a pull-in adv. You can add w/e ya like, you'll likely just not have enough power slots for everything good in one build. Perhaps save some attacks for a diff TK hero that's a dps unit or something.

For a tank, the primary stat is still Con in most cases. However, I'd prob get Dex in the 200+ range or so for the toggle (and for crit). Can also add a touch of End and Rec in there for energy reserves (and the EU).

maatmons

Swole vs. Aggression: Okay, so Swole gives extra hit points. Aggression gives extra offense, which becomes extra defense via Aggressive Stance. So are the extra hit points from Swole going to give me more survivability than the extra defense from Aggression?

Conviction: So, I'm actually pretty confused by Conviction. Specifically, the fact that the extra hit points disappear when I get hit. So, it kind of works out like subtracting some number from the damage of the next attack that hits me, or what?

What to Drop: So, if I'm going to drop one of the powers for Telekinetic Wave, which one should I choose? I plan on using Acrobatics, and I find lunges usually don't get me to targets much faster than just running with that travel power. On the other hand, jumping and lunging can let me hit targets that are too high to reach by jumping alone, and it would let me apply Nailed to the Ground. Alternately, do I need two different knock effects? If not, I could get rid of Telekinetic Eruption.

flowcyto

I'd get Aggression if you have a gear set bonus that gives you a large bonus to offense, else I'd prob just get Swole.

afaik, how you described it is generally how Conviction works. In practice the extra HP part isn't too useful since it goes away on hit; you mainly get it for the upfront heal (which can crit).

TK Eruption gives you other nice bonuses (a HoT and a dmgRes buff that you can roll, just by tapping it), so I may not get rid of that, but its not strictly needed either. Its ur call, but as long as its not one of the main foundations for an efficient tank (EU, toggle, passive, heal + AD, basic filler ST/AoE attacks, block, etc) you can consider it expendable.