Thanks, I'm pretty happy with the Mark XIII as well. It's way better defensively than I expected. I've been able to survive solo against Warlord for several minutes with it.
My favorite Mastery choice so far has been Avenger Mastery for Power Armor. Guardian is nice stats-wise with the 10% boost to dodge and blasts, but Avenger Mastery makes a much more notable difference. It's really, really cool for Power Armor as long as you can get to 20% critical chance or more and you have a blast attack.
Can you please post what you chose in Avenger Mastery? Same as the other build? I would guess running my build with 3 active defenses and no heal wouldn't make Avenger Mastery an option for me tho.
Can you please post what you chose in Avenger Mastery? Same as the other build? I would guess running my build with 3 active defenses and no heal wouldn't make Avenger Mastery an option for me tho.
I'll look into switching out Vindicator for Avenger, Guardian is too good to swap imo.
I'd be worried about losing defense (I can expect to "tank" most of the Alerts my luck throws me in due to no one showing up with a defensive passive), and I tend to already do more than enough damage to get myself into trouble.
Have you tried Guardian Mastery? I'm a little hesitant about it as it mentions no duration on the buff. 9% charge time reduction seems laughable, but for this build 30 more Dodge Rating might not be too bad of a deal. I'm currently using Int Mastery and am extremely underwhelmed, so I'll definitely try some experimenting.
I also strongly recommend Evasive Maneuvers to anyone who can stomach the animation on their character. It is pretty easy to get ~55% Dodge and Avoidance bedfore Evasive Maneuvers and Quarry bonuses. Add in BCR and the build becomes very solid and is becoming even more so as I get better gear at 40.
I swapped out Sonic Device for Evasive, but at this point it is so sturdy I might swap out Unbreakable to bring Sonic back in.
I'll look into switching out Vindicator for Avenger, Guardian is too good to swap imo.
I'd be worried about losing defense (I can expect to "tank" most of the Alerts my luck throws me in due to no one showing up with a defensive passive), and I tend to already do more than enough damage to get myself into trouble.
Have you tried Guardian Mastery? I'm a little hesitant about it as it mentions no duration on the buff. 9% charge time reduction seems laughable, but for this build 30 more Dodge Rating might not be too bad of a deal. I'm currently using Int Mastery and am extremely underwhelmed, so I'll definitely try some experimenting.
I also strongly recommend Evasive Maneuvers to anyone who can stomach the animation on their character. It is pretty easy to get ~55% Dodge and Avoidance bedfore Evasive Maneuvers and Quarry bonuses. Add in BCR and the build becomes very solid and is becoming even more so as I get better gear at 40.
I swapped out Sonic Device for Evasive, but at this point it is so sturdy I might swap out Unbreakable to bring Sonic back in.
Guardian Mastery is very simple and helps significantly. Think of it as a 9% dodge bonus plus a 9% blast bonus. That's handy, if not something you notice all the time. Its better than Intelligence Mastery for that build.
Avenger Mastery is way more noticeable since it's up to 50% blast damage bonus. But you need critical hits to make it work. Take your crits to at least 20% and you should see it work fine. The main reason I don't have it in the build is because I skimped on crit gear for raw offense and defense. My crits are around 10% now. Plus Vindicator Mastery gives the best raw offense numbers. Still, I like Avenger so much It's something I think about switching back to.
If you want to focus on Defense you would be better off dropping Warden for Vindicator and take Aggressive Stance, which adds 20% of your Offense to Defense. This would put you into the low to mid 300's in Defense which would give you damage resistance in the mid 70%'s. Then you could take The Rush of Battle, which would give you a substantial HoT after each kill.
Interesting idea, though. I didn't know you could stack The Best Defense's. With Offense in the mid 500's you are WAY into diminishing returns. I'd be surprised if you got much more than 47-48% from that. I get 41% with only 411.
Thanks for the heads up on the diminishing returns, I wasn't aware Offense was being hit by that so hard.
I tried out Vindicator in the PTS, and saw a noticeable improvement. Offense stays in the mid 40% range, and defense climbs up to about 80% when locus is up. Very nice. However, I'm nowhere near hurting in the heals department, so I decided to put the talent points into crit severity, since I'm somewhere around 27% crit chance. Make that Minigun shine!
You really should try out endurance->kickback+wrist bolter->automated assault. I can run my toggles indefinitely and still throw in a lot of taps or charges of tactical missiles (more than before while running int as primary superstat).
You really should try out endurance->kickback+wrist bolter->automated assault. I can run my toggles indefinitely and still throw in a lot of taps or charges of tactical missiles (more than before while running int as primary superstat).
I've tried it and compared the damage against other builds. After testing I consider Automated Assault + Kickback a major build mistake. As I wrote in the guide, you are much better off with primary super Recovery with Efficient . Using secondary super INT or END and Overdrive you'll get over 60 energy per tick, which is more than Automated Assault and Kickback anyway. And then you can use your hand slot too.
Why would you want to hamstring yourself with Kickback when there's a much better way to do things?
I've tried it and compared the damage against other builds. After testing I consider Automated Assault + Kickback a major build mistake. As I wrote in the guide, you are much better off with primary super Recovery with Efficient . Using secondary super INT or END and Overdrive you'll get over 60 energy per tick, which is more than Automated Assault and Kickback anyway. And then you can use your hand slot too.
Why would you want to hamstring yourself with Kickback when there's a much better way to do things?
My bad then, sounded to me like you hadn't tried it yet . I tried super rec on another char and was underwhelmed...might have to give it another try with more toggles/maintains.
My bad then, sounded to me like you hadn't tried it yet . I tried super rec on another char and was underwhelmed...might have to give it another try with more toggles/maintains.
Was that before or after Overdrive was added? It wouldnt have made a significant difference using Molecular Self Assembly. But Overdrive scales up much differently.
I'd probably update the Eye Beam description to mention the 20/20 Vision advantage. Since you one of its disadvantages is that it takes so long to burn through that the ability doesn't get a chance to do anything. I THINK with 20/20 the effect is very quick.
While I agree that Minigun is the better damage power (damage + debuff)... Eye Beam isn't too horrible with the advantage. And combined with Electric Form does quite well.
Also, and this is just a personal preference, while Plasma Beam's targetting IS completely borked... I THOUGHT the damage (on paper) was better than Concussor Beam. 10x per second and an AoE means decent damage out... even for single-target.
Yeah, just tested in the PH. I only got the skull over the main target. I had the taunt buff, but nothing was noticeable on the other two targets. Sad really. Maybe it has some effect, but nothing that showed.
Was that before or after Overdrive was added? It wouldnt have made a significant difference using Molecular Self Assembly. But Overdrive scales up much differently.
It was after Overdrive, but since the build is a particle tank build the only trigger I have so far is eye beams.
I've tried it and compared the damage against other builds. After testing I consider Automated Assault + Kickback a major build mistake. As I wrote in the guide, you are much better off with primary super Recovery with Efficient . Using secondary super INT or END and Overdrive you'll get over 60 energy per tick, which is more than Automated Assault and Kickback anyway. And then you can use your hand slot too.
Why would you want to hamstring yourself with Kickback when there's a much better way to do things?
I tried this out and for some reason I get the same amount of energy back no matter how many stacks of overdrive I have up. Needless to say, that is nowhere near the amount of energy I was getting from primary endurance, kickback, wrist bolters, and automated assault.
I tried this out and for some reason I get the same amount of energy back no matter how many stacks of overdrive I have up. Needless to say, that is nowhere near the amount of energy I was getting from primary endurance, kickback, wrist bolters, and automated assault.
I don't have access to check right now. The character is only level 32 and not in very good gear. In my combat log it says I get back 18 energy per tick when overdrive is up. Should that number change depending on how many stacks of overdrive I have going? Right now it doesn't though I suppose the rate of ticks may be different. That's hard to tell without time stamps on the log messages.
I don't have access to check right now. The character is only level 32 and not in very good gear. In my combat log it says I get back 18 energy per tick when overdrive is up. Should that number change depending on how many stacks of overdrive I have going? Right now it doesn't though I suppose the rate of ticks may be different. That's hard to tell without time stamps on the log messages.
I'm sure Pulse will correct me, but I believe the more stacks you get... the more energy TICKS there are. And that the tick-size remains the same.
But I may be thinking of another energy-return mechanic/power.
I don't have access to check right now. The character is only level 32 and not in very good gear. In my combat log it says I get back 18 energy per tick when overdrive is up. Should that number change depending on how many stacks of overdrive I have going? Right now it doesn't though I suppose the rate of ticks may be different. That's hard to tell without time stamps on the log messages.
The exact stats dont matter so much as does what you chose for superstats. The most energy/tick should come from primary REC with super INT or END as well. Plus you should have maxed out Efficient from the Recovery specializations for another +15% to Overdrive. That will produce a ridiculous amount of free energy and it will run constantly, for up to 15 seconds.
I'm sure Pulse will correct me, but I believe the more stacks you get... the more energy TICKS there are. And that the tick-size remains the same.
But I may be thinking of another energy-return mechanic/power.
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It looks like you are correct here. Looking at my log more closely, the "Your Overdrive gives X energy to you." messages come in groups of one, two, or three depending on how many stacks of overdrive I have.
I do have recovery (with efficient) as a primary stat and intelligence as a super stat but I can barely keep mini-gun and micro munitions going and starting up concussor beam runs me to zero energy in 2-3 seconds.
I assume I must need significantly higher recovery, intelligence, and / or power cost reduction items to get to the point where I can maintain three powers at once for even one full cycle.
It looks like you are correct here. Looking at my log more closely, the "Your Overdrive gives X energy to you." messages come in groups of one, two, or three depending on how many stacks of overdrive I have.
I do have recovery (with efficient) as a primary stat and intelligence as a super stat but I can barely keep mini-gun and micro munitions going and starting up concussor beam runs me to zero energy in 2-3 seconds.
I assume I must need significantly higher recovery, intelligence, and / or power cost reduction items to get to the point where I can maintain three powers at once for even one full cycle.
So I am trying to build a Support/Ranged Power Armor Hero, Rhodium Knight. Not a dedicated healer, more of an Hybrid build. He is currently Level 16.
I made it with the idea of using the wrist bolters with automated assault combined with 3 Spec Trees that boost the energy builder.
I like Intelligence as a primary SS for cost reduction and would like to have all three power armor slots on. Plus the revitalize advantage is in line with the Automated assault build. Since AoPrimalMajesty works so well with Int I took it and with it I plan to take the various talents with a rather flat stat distribution. The AoPM also suggests a Support Role to optimize its bonus in Alerts/open missions.
Thereby I am asking for suggestions:
-Do I need an energy unlock given the Int+AoPM combo granting me good cost reduction and good energy?
-Primary SS, Int. SSS Ego and then? I choose Dex for Crits, but I am not so sure...
-I want to be in a sort of dps/support role but without too much healing. Should I go with Concentration or Compassion?
-As a self/group heal/shield I want an efficient clickable so that I can go back top the PA toggles quickly without having a maintain: what should I use? I plan on going Conviction+Advantage and Protection Field but are there better options?
-I really like the Sentry tree for damage mitigation and the Twist Fate perk. I am unsure of the third tree, however. I currently plan to take the Vindicator tree for additional DPS with the Initiative perk (for automated assault) and the additional crit severity, but I could also use Protector for survivability, better HP and the Exhausting Strikes perk. Suggestions?
Below the currently planned build using Powerhouse:
Talents:
Level 1: The Hero
Level 6: Field Ops Training
Level 9: Jack of All Trades
Level 12: Academics
Level 15: Coordinated
Level 18: Command Training
Level 21: Sniper Training
The issue you are going to have to deal with is that the Power armor slotted powers are going to shut off any active powers and prevent you from using other powers while they are in use.
Indeed. That's why I am searching for clickables heals/bubbles and do not want to be a full healer.
As an update I have seen that in support role I have very little energy problems, however the energy unlock is probably still needed for longer fights. I feel that the power armor one is probably better since with AoPM I have all the stats for a good energy return and my main energy consumption will be the full toggle assault.
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Indeed. That's why I am searching for clickables heals/bubbles and do not want to be a full healer.
As an update I have seen that in support role I have very little energy problems, however the energy unlock is probably still needed for longer fights. I feel that the power armor one is probably better since with AoPM I have all the stats for a good energy return and my main energy consumption will be the full toggle assault.
I wouldnt try to do a semi-support build using Power Armor. It takes more work than most other sets to queue up your 3 'slots' for attack and to manage your energy use. And you don't have a spare stat to use for Presence. You can get around the energy issues and stat issues somewhat by taking Primal Majesty as a passive and running in Support, but the Power Armor attacks will always kill your support powers.
This game really doesnt need much of a support role as much as it needs tanks and DPS. If you just take a resurrection power at the end of your build you'll be able to help your teammates when needed and then get back into either tanking or DPS.
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This game really doesnt need much of a support role as much as it needs tanks and DPS.
Mmh, you are right. I noticed it is definitely true in Alerts, but also in Single player... I think I might revise the build along the lines of your more DPS oriented build!
Ty.
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Mmh, you are right. I noticed it is definitely true in Alerts, but also in Single player... I think I might revise the build along the lines of your more DPS oriented build!
Ty.
I have to concur with the "Support not really needed" comment
The only time I really see it needed is for something hard, like Gravitar. Between her strong attacks and temporarily standing behind the tank and getting hit by the cascade... having one of your team mates with support can help nicely. But usually you're usually pretty solid with Tanks and DPS in the game.
ESPECIALLY for Free Forms as we have plenty of options for heals+mitigation. Archetypes are a little more limited.
I have to concur with the "Support not really needed" comment
The only time I really see it needed is for something hard, like Gravitar. Between her strong attacks and temporarily standing behind the tank and getting hit by the cascade... having one of your team mates with support can help nicely. But usually you're usually pretty solid with Tanks and DPS in the game.
ESPECIALLY for Free Forms as we have plenty of options for heals+mitigation. Archetypes are a little more limited.
Yeah, Gravitar is about it, and even that is questionable. I really havent noticed any help from anyone while Beating Gravitar except for the times that I've been ressed. I would have noticed if someone was healing me. And everyone can carry a res without doing anything special to your build.
Personally I like it this way. If more players start slotting a res power then everything is pretty good. Healing doesnt really belong in comic-style combat anyway. Support is good, but that comes inherently through the passive Auras of Majesty, Destruction, and Protection anyway. All of those allow you to offer a nice bonus to your teammates without turning you into a 'support' build per-se. You'll deal less DPS than a DPS-er, but you're still attacking all the time and your teammates just get a cool passive bonus. Everyone wins.
Most of the healy heals in this game suck (See: almost every power in Celestial short of Inquity and Conviction), so anyone running a 'healer' is mostly just running bubbles, a rez and some other stuff.
Bubbles can help lots.
Must be remembered that there are an awful lot of F2P in the game and ATs don't have self heals unless they're a "healer" AT.
Okay, PA affecionado's! Below is my Tank/DPS build. Please feel free to break it down. It did well in the PH. But I'm wondering if Defiance might do a better job than Invulnerable? It's set up to tank when it needs to, otherwise it's all about the range damaged. I have some slotted gear standing by, but right now I'm using 3 of the Armadillo set and 3 of the Cybersuit (though I do have all 6). Thoughts?
Super Stats: Level 6:Recovery(Primary) Level 10:Constitution(Secondary) Level 15:Intelligence(Secondary)
Talents: Level 1:The Invincible Level 6:Field Ops Training Level 9:Healthy Mind Level 12:Jack of All Trades Level 15:Covert Ops Training Level 18:Command Training Level 21:Survival Training
Hey, whadda ya all think about using a Depleted Uranium Core ("This core causes you to ignore 15% of a targets [sic] resistance. This core cannot be ranked up.") as an Offensive Core Mod for a Power Armor build. Is it worth it for a PvE character, or is it better to go with one of the more classic mods?
Hey, whadda ya all think about using a Depleted Uranium Core ("This core causes you to ignore 15% of a targets [sic] resistance. This core cannot be ranked up.") as an Offensive Core Mod for a Power Armor build. Is it worth it for a PvE character, or is it better to go with one of the more classic mods?
Any core that can't be ranked up is generally a PvP use core.
Take that for what you will
Hmm. I figured the "cannot be ranked up" line was because the mod is already Rank IX.
And isn't the "ignore 15% of a targets resistance" similar to, say, Initiative from the Avenger Specialization power tree ("...reduce your primary targets damage resistance to your attacks by 2% for 12 sec.")? Or the U-238 Rounds Advantage to Mini Gun ("-7.5% resist to all damage to target")?
Or is my understanding of damage resistance in PvE all messed up?
I finally gave up on trying to make my own PA build because I either ended up with too little energy generation or it just plain felt clunky, like things just didn't feel right together. So I respecced to Pulsewave XIII/Gyrojet, and it's just so good.
Pulsewave, is there a reason to have secondary stat end over rec? The build doesn't seem to need lots of energy all at once, and overdrive seems to give me more energy with rec instead of end. Could be wrong.
Also, when I get it to 40, I'm thinking of respeccing to swap out vindicator for avenger because that mastery sounds sweet. I wonder if I'll feel too squishy, but I'm thinking the nice dodge/avoidance gear at 40 can compensate enough that I'll want mighty tac missile power over the defense boost of the vindicator specialization.
I finally gave up on trying to make my own PA build because I either ended up with too little energy generation or it just plain felt clunky, like things just didn't feel right together. So I respecced to Pulsewave XIII/Gyrojet, and it's just so good.
Pulsewave, is there a reason to have secondary stat end over rec? The build doesn't seem to need lots of energy all at once, and overdrive seems to give me more energy with rec instead of end. Could be wrong.
Also, when I get it to 40, I'm thinking of respeccing to swap out vindicator for avenger because that mastery sounds sweet. I wonder if I'll feel too squishy, but I'm thinking the nice dodge/avoidance gear at 40 can compensate enough that I'll want mighty tac missile power over the defense boost of the vindicator specialization.
You're not wrong; Overdrive gives you more energy if you superstat Recovery instead of Endurance. My experience has been that unless you go primary REC it shouldnt be a big enough difference to worry about though. This may be because I did all my testing at level 40. You may find that REC is better than END for leveling up.
I like primary INT with second END because it gives you the longest possible sustains in the end. I also choose the INT tree specialization that allows endurance to increase equilibrium, so it's a slightly better combination. I usually have enough energy to sustain two of Micro Munition, Mini Gun, and Tactical Missiles indefinitely, and all three when Lock and Load is running. After that a few energy builder shots and I have more than enough energy to last until my next active offense is ready. Rinse and repeat. I get a lot of energy from Concentration too, so what comes from Overdrive is only part of the equation.
And again, thanks for the build. I've been wanting to make PA work for me for months since I went gold, and it always felt 'not quite there' until I tried this (mostly because balancing energy management, damage and toughness are easier to optimize with infernal or dual blade, which were my main characters). This is enough fun that I'm blazing through the levels and it is just feels plain better than my other characters--tough enough, and way more damage.
I'm probably not going to swap out vindicator for avenger after all... I don't really need the extra damage, and that little bit of extra toughness from the higher defense gives me more of a margin for error with bcr and dodge (noticeable when I try the 5-man lairs or get aggro in alerts).
I have another question regarding SS, wouldn't primary INT with END and REC as secondaries give better sustained DPS over END/EGO? I think it's hard to judge because dummies just don't have the health to take a sustained beating but with REC as a secondary, Overdrive ticks jump up from 10 to 16, add the fact that it will be easier to keep a stack of 3 since you use your energy builder alot less (takes 1-2 hits to get back to near full end for a full maintain of 3 attacks as opposed to 4-5). You still get 20+% from EGO if you take it from talents and once you have quarry going.
You probably lose about 10% direct damage or so but the gain from cutting down energy builder use from about 3 secs to 1 per maintain might make up for it.
EDIT: Tried it on Mega D, took about 11 minutes to solo, a bit faster than my average using INT/END/EGO but probably not big enough to waste resources over. Still I love that I barely have to use my energy builder, it's just so energy efficient that I don't want to go back to EGO. It probably also has slightly better survivability because with less EB use, Locus, Alacrity and Phalanx Defense all have better up time.
Also is there any math to prove that tapping Tactical Missiles is better DPS than a charge with 3 stacks of Alacrity?
I have another question regarding SS, wouldn't primary INT with END and REC as secondaries give better sustained DPS over END/EGO? I think it's hard to judge because dummies just don't have the health to take a sustained beating but with REC as a secondary, Overdrive ticks jump up from 10 to 16, add the fact that it will be easier to keep a stack of 3 since you use your energy builder alot less (takes 1-2 hits to get back to near full end for a full maintain of 3 attacks as opposed to 4-5). You still get 20+% from EGO if you take it from talents and once you have quarry going.
You probably lose about 10% direct damage or so but the gain from cutting down energy builder use from about 3 secs to 1 per maintain might make up for it.
EDIT: Tried it on Mega D, took about 11 minutes to solo, a bit faster than my average using INT/END/EGO but probably not big enough to waste resources over. Still I love that I barely have to use my energy builder, it's just so energy efficient that I don't want to go back to EGO. It probably also has slightly better survivability because with less EB use, Locus, Alacrity and Phalanx Defense all have better up time.
Also is there any math to prove that tapping Tactical Missiles is better DPS than a charge with 3 stacks of Alacrity?
If you skip Ego, You lose the basic ranged damage from Ego, plus the extra superstat damage you get from Quarry. When I tested it, that seemed significant.
The way I see it, Intelligence, Ego, Endurance has a better high end max damage output. Any kind if teaming where you get stat bonuses or extra energy elevated that build more. But Intelligence, Recovery, Endurance is still good, and much easier for solo play. Both are effective, and the difference isn't too huge unless you choose a different primary stat. If you want mad energy you should look at primary Recovery too, since it scales up Overdrive so much.
If you skip Ego, You lose the basic ranged damage from Ego, plus the extra superstat damage you get from Quarry. When I tested it, that seemed significant.
The way I see it, Intelligence, Ego, Endurance has a better high end max damage output. Any kind if teaming where you get stat bonuses or extra energy elevated that build more. But Intelligence, Recovery, Endurance is still good, and much easier for solo play. Both are effective, and the difference isn't too huge unless you choose a different primary stat. If you want mad energy you should look at primary Recovery too, since it scales up Overdrive so much.
Thanks. When you tried INT/END/REC, did you switch the specialization to 3/3 Enlightened to boost EGO's ranged bonus? I agree that the difference doesn't feel significant, and without a proper damage meter, I don't think it's possible to really know how much better is one over the other. I do still have my EGO gear if they ever decide to change it so Overdrive scales properly with INT rather than REC. At the moment, a 60% or so boost in energy generation is just too convenient for me to give up and I don't feel heroic wasting about a third of my time attacking using an energy builder instead of spamming bullets and missiles.
Comments
Can you please post what you chose in Avenger Mastery? Same as the other build? I would guess running my build with 3 active defenses and no heal wouldn't make Avenger Mastery an option for me tho.
Look at the Mark XII.
I'd be worried about losing defense (I can expect to "tank" most of the Alerts my luck throws me in due to no one showing up with a defensive passive), and I tend to already do more than enough damage to get myself into trouble.
Have you tried Guardian Mastery? I'm a little hesitant about it as it mentions no duration on the buff. 9% charge time reduction seems laughable, but for this build 30 more Dodge Rating might not be too bad of a deal. I'm currently using Int Mastery and am extremely underwhelmed, so I'll definitely try some experimenting.
I also strongly recommend Evasive Maneuvers to anyone who can stomach the animation on their character. It is pretty easy to get ~55% Dodge and Avoidance bedfore Evasive Maneuvers and Quarry bonuses. Add in BCR and the build becomes very solid and is becoming even more so as I get better gear at 40.
I swapped out Sonic Device for Evasive, but at this point it is so sturdy I might swap out Unbreakable to bring Sonic back in.
Guardian Mastery is very simple and helps significantly. Think of it as a 9% dodge bonus plus a 9% blast bonus. That's handy, if not something you notice all the time. Its better than Intelligence Mastery for that build.
Avenger Mastery is way more noticeable since it's up to 50% blast damage bonus. But you need critical hits to make it work. Take your crits to at least 20% and you should see it work fine. The main reason I don't have it in the build is because I skimped on crit gear for raw offense and defense. My crits are around 10% now. Plus Vindicator Mastery gives the best raw offense numbers. Still, I like Avenger so much It's something I think about switching back to.
Thanks for the heads up on the diminishing returns, I wasn't aware Offense was being hit by that so hard.
I tried out Vindicator in the PTS, and saw a noticeable improvement. Offense stays in the mid 40% range, and defense climbs up to about 80% when locus is up. Very nice. However, I'm nowhere near hurting in the heals department, so I decided to put the talent points into crit severity, since I'm somewhere around 27% crit chance. Make that Minigun shine!
Thanks. Updated the blurb.
The 'target' always takes normal damage. Eye Beams also damages other enemies in line with the 'target' when pierce-through damage occurs.
I've tried it and compared the damage against other builds. After testing I consider Automated Assault + Kickback a major build mistake. As I wrote in the guide, you are much better off with primary super Recovery with Efficient . Using secondary super INT or END and Overdrive you'll get over 60 energy per tick, which is more than Automated Assault and Kickback anyway. And then you can use your hand slot too.
Why would you want to hamstring yourself with Kickback when there's a much better way to do things?
My bad then, sounded to me like you hadn't tried it yet
Was that before or after Overdrive was added? It wouldnt have made a significant difference using Molecular Self Assembly. But Overdrive scales up much differently.
While I agree that Minigun is the better damage power (damage + debuff)... Eye Beam isn't too horrible with the advantage. And combined with Electric Form does quite well.
Also, and this is just a personal preference, while Plasma Beam's targetting IS completely borked... I THOUGHT the damage (on paper) was better than Concussor Beam. 10x per second and an AoE means decent damage out... even for single-target.
But I may be wrong.
That's a good question. The only other power that has that combo of advantages is Hurl from Might (I think.) They should work the same way.
It was after Overdrive, but since the build is a particle tank build the only trigger I have so far is eye beams.
I tried this out and for some reason I get the same amount of energy back no matter how many stacks of overdrive I have up. Needless to say, that is nowhere near the amount of energy I was getting from primary endurance, kickback, wrist bolters, and automated assault.
What am I missing?
What are your stats?
I had that thought, but Crippling Challenge only applied to the original target of Tac Missiles when I tried it on the PTS.
I don't have access to check right now. The character is only level 32 and not in very good gear. In my combat log it says I get back 18 energy per tick when overdrive is up. Should that number change depending on how many stacks of overdrive I have going? Right now it doesn't though I suppose the rate of ticks may be different. That's hard to tell without time stamps on the log messages.
I'm sure Pulse will correct me, but I believe the more stacks you get... the more energy TICKS there are. And that the tick-size remains the same.
But I may be thinking of another energy-return mechanic/power.
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The exact stats dont matter so much as does what you chose for superstats. The most energy/tick should come from primary REC with super INT or END as well. Plus you should have maxed out Efficient from the Recovery specializations for another +15% to Overdrive. That will produce a ridiculous amount of free energy and it will run constantly, for up to 15 seconds.
It looks like you are correct here. Looking at my log more closely, the "Your Overdrive gives X energy to you." messages come in groups of one, two, or three depending on how many stacks of overdrive I have.
I do have recovery (with efficient) as a primary stat and intelligence as a super stat but I can barely keep mini-gun and micro munitions going and starting up concussor beam runs me to zero energy in 2-3 seconds.
I assume I must need significantly higher recovery, intelligence, and / or power cost reduction items to get to the point where I can maintain three powers at once for even one full cycle.
FYI: Here's the chart on Overdrive energy returns: http://i.imgur.com/TyvUY.png
This isn't my chart but it seemed accurate last time I tested.
Looks like the cyber ninja, if you mean the costume.
I made it with the idea of using the wrist bolters with automated assault combined with 3 Spec Trees that boost the energy builder.
I like Intelligence as a primary SS for cost reduction and would like to have all three power armor slots on. Plus the revitalize advantage is in line with the Automated assault build. Since AoPrimalMajesty works so well with Int I took it and with it I plan to take the various talents with a rather flat stat distribution. The AoPM also suggests a Support Role to optimize its bonus in Alerts/open missions.
Thereby I am asking for suggestions:
-Do I need an energy unlock given the Int+AoPM combo granting me good cost reduction and good energy?
-Primary SS, Int. SSS Ego and then? I choose Dex for Crits, but I am not so sure...
-I want to be in a sort of dps/support role but without too much healing. Should I go with Concentration or Compassion?
-As a self/group heal/shield I want an efficient clickable so that I can go back top the PA toggles quickly without having a maintain: what should I use? I plan on going Conviction+Advantage and Protection Field but are there better options?
-I really like the Sentry tree for damage mitigation and the Twist Fate perk. I am unsure of the third tree, however. I currently plan to take the Vindicator tree for additional DPS with the Initiative perk (for automated assault) and the additional crit severity, but I could also use Protector for survivability, better HP and the Exhausting Strikes perk. Suggestions?
Below the currently planned build using Powerhouse:
Super Stats:
Level 6: Intelligence (Primary)
Level 10: Dexterity (Secondary)
Level 15: Ego (Secondary)
Talents:
Level 1: The Hero
Level 6: Field Ops Training
Level 9: Jack of All Trades
Level 12: Academics
Level 15: Coordinated
Level 18: Command Training
Level 21: Sniper Training
Powers:
Level 1: Wrist Bolter (Rank 2, Rank 3, Automated Assault)
Level 1: Power Gauntlet (Crippling Challenge)
Level 6: Energy Shield (Rank 2, Phalanx Defense System)
Level 8: Aura of Primal Majesty (Rank 2, Rank 3)
Level 11: Mini Gun (Rank 2, U-238 Rounds, Challenging Strikes)
Level 14: Micro Munitions (Rank 2)
Level 17: Conviction (Reverence)
Level 20: Protection Field (Rank 2)
Level 23: Masterful Dodge
Level 26: Compassion
Level 29: Unbreakable
Level 32: Lock N Load
Level 35: Resurrection Serum
Level 38: Implosion Engine
Travel Powers:
Level 6: Athletics (Rank 2, Rank 3, Versatility)
Level 35: Mach Speed
Specializations:
Intelligence: Enlightened (3/3)
Intelligence: Tactician (2/2)
Intelligence: Revitalize (3/3)
Intelligence: Expertise (2/2)
Sentry: Fortified Gear (3/3)
Sentry: Twist Fate (2/2)
Sentry: Sentry Aura (3/3)
Sentry: Persevere (2/2)
Vindicator: Aggressive Stance (2/2)
Vindicator: Merciless (3/3)
Vindicator: Initiative (2/2)
Vindicator: Modified Gear (2/2)
Vindicator: Mass Destruction (1/3)
Mastery: Intelligence Mastery (1/1)
As an update I have seen that in support role I have very little energy problems, however the energy unlock is probably still needed for longer fights. I feel that the power armor one is probably better since with AoPM I have all the stats for a good energy return and my main energy consumption will be the full toggle assault.
My Characters
I wouldnt try to do a semi-support build using Power Armor. It takes more work than most other sets to queue up your 3 'slots' for attack and to manage your energy use. And you don't have a spare stat to use for Presence. You can get around the energy issues and stat issues somewhat by taking Primal Majesty as a passive and running in Support, but the Power Armor attacks will always kill your support powers.
This game really doesnt need much of a support role as much as it needs tanks and DPS. If you just take a resurrection power at the end of your build you'll be able to help your teammates when needed and then get back into either tanking or DPS.
Mmh, you are right. I noticed it is definitely true in Alerts, but also in Single player... I think I might revise the build along the lines of your more DPS oriented build!
Ty.
My Characters
I have to concur with the "Support not really needed" comment
The only time I really see it needed is for something hard, like Gravitar. Between her strong attacks and temporarily standing behind the tank and getting hit by the cascade... having one of your team mates with support can help nicely. But usually you're usually pretty solid with Tanks and DPS in the game.
ESPECIALLY for Free Forms as we have plenty of options for heals+mitigation. Archetypes are a little more limited.
Yeah, Gravitar is about it, and even that is questionable. I really havent noticed any help from anyone while Beating Gravitar except for the times that I've been ressed. I would have noticed if someone was healing me. And everyone can carry a res without doing anything special to your build.
Personally I like it this way. If more players start slotting a res power then everything is pretty good. Healing doesnt really belong in comic-style combat anyway. Support is good, but that comes inherently through the passive Auras of Majesty, Destruction, and Protection anyway. All of those allow you to offer a nice bonus to your teammates without turning you into a 'support' build per-se. You'll deal less DPS than a DPS-er, but you're still attacking all the time and your teammates just get a cool passive bonus. Everyone wins.
Bubbles can help lots.
Must be remembered that there are an awful lot of F2P in the game and ATs don't have self heals unless they're a "healer" AT.
PowerHouse (Link to this build)
Name:
Archetype: Freeform
Super Stats:
Level 6: Recovery (Primary)
Level 10: Constitution (Secondary)
Level 15: Intelligence (Secondary)
Talents:
Level 1: The Invincible
Level 6: Field Ops Training
Level 9: Healthy Mind
Level 12: Jack of All Trades
Level 15: Covert Ops Training
Level 18: Command Training
Level 21: Survival Training
Powers:
Level 1: Force Bolts
Level 1: Tactical Missiles (Blast Radius, Crippling Challenge)
Level 6: Mini Gun (Rank 2, U-238 Rounds, Challenging Strikes)
Level 8: Energy Shield (Phalanx Defense System)
Level 11: Overdrive
Level 14: Micro Munitions (Rank 2, Alpha Strike, Challenging Strikes)
Level 17: Chest Beam (Rank 2, Rank 3)
Level 20: Invulnerability (Rank 2, Rank 3)
Level 23: Concentration
Level 26: Quarry (Rank 2, Rank 3)
Level 29: Unbreakable
Level 32: Masterful Dodge
Level 35: Rebirth
Level 38: Concussor Beam (Rank 2, Rank 3)
Travel Powers:
Level 6: Jet Pack (Rank 2, Rank 3)
Level 35: Athletics
Specializations:
Recovery: Gear Utilization (3/3)
Recovery: Rapid Recovery (2/3)
Recovery: Staying Power (2/2)
Recovery: Efficient (2/3)
Recovery: Second Wind (1/2)
Guardian: Fortified Gear (3/3)
Guardian: Locus (2/2)
Guardian: Tenacious (2/2)
Guardian: The Best Defense (3/3)
Protector: Fortified Gear (3/3)
Protector: Bulwark (2/2)
Protector: Debilitating Challenge (2/2)
Protector: Defensive Expertise (3/3)
Mastery: Protector Mastery (1/1)
[SIGPIC][/SIGPIC]
Take that for what you will
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And isn't the "ignore 15% of a targets resistance" similar to, say, Initiative from the Avenger Specialization power tree ("...reduce your primary targets damage resistance to your attacks by 2% for 12 sec.")? Or the U-238 Rounds Advantage to Mini Gun ("-7.5% resist to all damage to target")?
Or is my understanding of damage resistance in PvE all messed up?
S
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Pulsewave, is there a reason to have secondary stat end over rec? The build doesn't seem to need lots of energy all at once, and overdrive seems to give me more energy with rec instead of end. Could be wrong.
Also, when I get it to 40, I'm thinking of respeccing to swap out vindicator for avenger because that mastery sounds sweet. I wonder if I'll feel too squishy, but I'm thinking the nice dodge/avoidance gear at 40 can compensate enough that I'll want mighty tac missile power over the defense boost of the vindicator specialization.
You're not wrong; Overdrive gives you more energy if you superstat Recovery instead of Endurance. My experience has been that unless you go primary REC it shouldnt be a big enough difference to worry about though. This may be because I did all my testing at level 40. You may find that REC is better than END for leveling up.
I like primary INT with second END because it gives you the longest possible sustains in the end. I also choose the INT tree specialization that allows endurance to increase equilibrium, so it's a slightly better combination. I usually have enough energy to sustain two of Micro Munition, Mini Gun, and Tactical Missiles indefinitely, and all three when Lock and Load is running. After that a few energy builder shots and I have more than enough energy to last until my next active offense is ready. Rinse and repeat. I get a lot of energy from Concentration too, so what comes from Overdrive is only part of the equation.
And again, thanks for the build. I've been wanting to make PA work for me for months since I went gold, and it always felt 'not quite there' until I tried this (mostly because balancing energy management, damage and toughness are easier to optimize with infernal or dual blade, which were my main characters). This is enough fun that I'm blazing through the levels and it is just feels plain better than my other characters--tough enough, and way more damage.
I'm probably not going to swap out vindicator for avenger after all... I don't really need the extra damage, and that little bit of extra toughness from the higher defense gives me more of a margin for error with bcr and dodge (noticeable when I try the 5-man lairs or get aggro in alerts).
You probably lose about 10% direct damage or so but the gain from cutting down energy builder use from about 3 secs to 1 per maintain might make up for it.
EDIT: Tried it on Mega D, took about 11 minutes to solo, a bit faster than my average using INT/END/EGO but probably not big enough to waste resources over. Still I love that I barely have to use my energy builder, it's just so energy efficient that I don't want to go back to EGO. It probably also has slightly better survivability because with less EB use, Locus, Alacrity and Phalanx Defense all have better up time.
Also is there any math to prove that tapping Tactical Missiles is better DPS than a charge with 3 stacks of Alacrity?
If you skip Ego, You lose the basic ranged damage from Ego, plus the extra superstat damage you get from Quarry. When I tested it, that seemed significant.
The way I see it, Intelligence, Ego, Endurance has a better high end max damage output. Any kind if teaming where you get stat bonuses or extra energy elevated that build more. But Intelligence, Recovery, Endurance is still good, and much easier for solo play. Both are effective, and the difference isn't too huge unless you choose a different primary stat. If you want mad energy you should look at primary Recovery too, since it scales up Overdrive so much.
:mad:
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Thanks. When you tried INT/END/REC, did you switch the specialization to 3/3 Enlightened to boost EGO's ranged bonus? I agree that the difference doesn't feel significant, and without a proper damage meter, I don't think it's possible to really know how much better is one over the other. I do still have my EGO gear if they ever decide to change it so Overdrive scales properly with INT rather than REC. At the moment, a 60% or so boost in energy generation is just too convenient for me to give up and I don't feel heroic wasting about a third of my time attacking using an energy builder instead of spamming bullets and missiles.