Some Build Advice Please?

rtma

Okay, I'm coming here for help since I'm tired of the despairity of being the weakest link for so long with certain builds, compared to nigh invulnerable builds and I want some advice on how to improve survivability for the most part without breaking theme, so I'm going to give some templates on my most struggling, I assume the top responses are Get CON, Better Gear and Active Defense, You can help me in-game but I doubt it, but here, the order of powers is irrelevant, but what I picked is relevant.

Volt - Dragon God of Electricity (Ranged Role in-game)

Cryo - Dragon God of Ice (Ranged Role in-game)

Pyre - Dragon God of Fire (Ranged Role in-game)

Gear - Pyre - Heroic Gloves of Precision, Lvl 5 Gambler Gem, Lvl 5 End/Rec Mod.
Heroic Breastplate of Agility - Lvl 5 Gambler Gem, 2 x lvl 5 Ego Mods.
Heroic Helmet of Efficiency - Lvl 5 Impact Prism, lvl 6 End, lvl 5 End.
Secondaries - Egotists Belt, Feedback Bracers, Salvagers Eye Peice (All lvl 40 Purples)

Gear - Cryo - Heroic Gloves of Offense, lvl 5 Impact Prism, lvl 5 Ego/Dex Mod.
Heroic Breastplate of Agility - lvl 5 Gamber Gem, lvl 5 Dex/Ego Mod.
Heroic Helmet of Efficiency - lvl 5 Impact Prism, lvl 5 End/Ego Mod.
Secondaries - Cunning Eye Piece, Cunning Belt, Myrmidons Bracers. (All Lvl 40 Purples)

Gear - Volt - Heroic Gloves of Precision, lvl 5 Gambler Gem, 2 x lvl 6 End Mods.
Heroic Breastplate of Agility - lvl 5 gambler Gem, 2 x lvl 5 Rec Mods.
Heroic Helmet of Efficiency - lvl 5 Impact Prism, 2 x lvl 5 Ego Mods.
Secondaries - Transgression Belt, Mastermind Bracers, Brave Eye Peice. (All lvl 40 Purples)

Keep in mind I'm not rich nor do I have the luxury of Solo farming.

selphea

It's hard to tell whether we're breaking theme if you don't tell us what the theme is for each of them

rtma

selphea wrote: »

It's hard to tell whether we're breaking theme if you don't tell us what the theme is for each of them

Theme revolves around their distinguishing powers that define them, their Element. (Framework for In-game terms and representation)

flowcyto

Since I dunno quite what is and is not out-of-bounds for each of these builds, I'll just go w/ some alterations that I'd make in general - and in the name of practicality over anything else (so you know my intent going in):

Volt: Drop R1 Chain Lightning to free a power slot (CL is weak dps). Fully rank up Conviction. Consider Evasive Maneuvers w/ SoM or Palliate w/ Absolve for a threat wipe. Choose between Thunderstrike or Ball of Lightning for Negative Ions (no need for both, unless its for theme). Get Offensive Expertise instead of Anguish or Round Em Up in Avenger. Trade Locus or points in Fortified Gear for Find the Mark in Guardian. Consider Guardicator or Avenger+Vindicator for the spec trees. Add at least one AD or other heal (or Rebirth).

Con-less SS setups: EGO/Rec/End, DEX/Int/End, EGO/Dex/End, INT/End/Dex
W/ Con: EGO/End/Con, INT/End/Con


Cryo: Drop Shatter to free a power slot, and add MSA. Fully rank up Conviction. Consider exchanging Snowstorm for a another power like Ice Cage w/ adv, Wall of Ice, or Rimefire. Get Trailblazer on Firesnake. Consider swapping Accel Metab on the end builder for another rank of a travel power (prob snowball roll, if ur using it more). Trade Avenger for Guardian w/ Find the Mark, Ruthless, and The Best Defense (Avenger doesn't do much for Hard Frost builds). Also consider adding a threat wipe. Add at least one AD or other heal (or Rebirth).

Con-less SS setups: DEX/Int/Rec, INT/Dex/Rec, EGO/Dex/Rec, EGO/Int/Rec, STR/Int/Rec, STR/Int/Dex
W/ Con: INT/Dex/Con, EGO/Int/Con, EGO/Dex/Con, DEX/Int/Con, STR/Int/Con


Pyre: Drop Firestrike for a free power slot. Get Unstable Accelerant on Fireball (<- important). Trade Burning Rain for R3 on Conflag and make it ur main dps spell. Consider Backdraft n Pyre for CC. Get Trailblazer on Firesnake. Rank up the block and/or get more defenses or heals. Trade points in locus and/or Fort Gear for Find the Mark in Guardian; consider using Guardicator. Also consider adding a threat wipe.

SS setups: see Volt's suggestions, since Thermal and Ionic Reverb both scale w/ End.


Some repeated motifs: Threat wipes can be nice for glass cannons, dropping low-dps or redundant powers frees up power slots, getting more defenses or heals counteracts being squishy, and making the SS setup more efficient for dps is also good (I would avoid END PSS in w/e case).

Also, what are your attack rotations or plans when ur playing each of them? Reviewing the build can only go so far as to helping you.

flowcyto

Oh, and I didn't consider the role to be a variable, but if ur open to that, then ya can also address survivability issues pretty easily just by taking Hybrid role w/ a Defensive passive. Ofc, this will hamper ur dps a good deal, but if you really care about being sturdy, then that's an easy way out.

General suggestions for gear, assuming all are for pure DPS:

+crit & severity ratings for Offense slot (unless using Dex Mastery, then +crit rating & bonus heal%)
+Defense and/or maxHP for Defense slot
Impact (cd reduction) mods in the Utility slot (since ur using 'of Efficiency' already)
+crit rating on 2ndary Offense gear

Suggestion for stats (again, generalized): Ego or Int stats (whichever is the focus, depending on the SS setup chosen) at around 200-275 (possibly more), End at around 125-175 for Volt and Pyre, at least one Dex mod or Dex 2ndary gear for each (can be more for Cryo), at most one Rec mod or Rec 2ndary gear for each, at least one Con mod for each (preferably more, but that's up to you).

rtma

Okay so far I've tested these Builds on PTS and I'm quite happy with how they turned out, I'll be considering it on Live in the interim.

Volt

Cryo

Pyre

So far for Volt, Damage is just better, Gotten 10K crits with Giga Bolt.
With Cryo, Crits galore, haven't used a non Ego build for damage before but those Crits add up nicely, managed to get ~11k for Full Ice Blast Crit and ~3k additional for Hard Frost Crit, and Pyre, that Unstable Accelerent helps to melt everything.

Now I'm gonna add a few more out of Curiosity and hear what you have to say.

Corrosion - Elemental God of Poison (Ranged Role In-game)

Gale - Elemental God of Air (Ranged Role In-game)

Shadow - Elemental God of Darkness (Ranged Role In-game)

flowcyto

Corrosion: Get 6th Sense instead of Aggression in Ego PSS. Bite isn't really adding much to the build, unless its for theme. I'd drop one of either Condemn or Venomous Breath to free up a power slot, and pick up Resurgence instead (fitting cause its in the same tree and the build has Con SS).

Gale: Again, take 6th Sense over Aggression. R1 Gust isn't adding much to the build, and ya have many redundant AoE attacks- if ur having trouble surviving then dropping one or two of them gives ya room for more defensive stuff.

Shadow: Mostly looks okay, though I would drop CoEW- it's dmg bonus is in the earliest (passive) layer and is thus very weak, and def not worth the heal penalty. Planar Fracture isn't strong, but if ya want it just for theme then that's fine. I'm not sure you'll need Dark Transfusion, but its up to you if ur willing to imperil ur survival a bit for more energy. Alternative is using CoAP and dropping DT (since ya had a circle in there anyways) and not needing to worry about energy as much.

Ur using Avenger+Guardian often. A more well-rounded choice is Guardicator, and that would also boost ur survival a bit.

rtma

flowcyto wrote: »

Snip.

Alright I'll have a look into that, Bite is for the Bleeds to stack poison from certain attacks, Shame about the CoEW, really, the Fearing plus Shadow's attacks give Energy since Spirit Reverb, as for Gale, well, I can look into replacement, otherwise he's alright atm (Rebuilt him recently with Con as a SS from Ego/Rec/End) Yeah, Been meaning to give Shadow some heals, can't rely on Life Drain/Passive to much...

Got another Build to look at, squishy as F**K.

Enigma - Demi God of Magic (Hybrid Role In-game)

flowcyto

For Enigma: I'd drop Binding of Ataron and/or Arcane Ritual and pick up a defensive_heal cd or two, and fully rank up Conviction. Ya could trade Arcane Runes for Ebon or Radiant Sigils. I'd also make the SS setup INT/Con/Dex or INT/Con/Pres. Pres SS boosts the ally benefit of AoPM a bit, and also gives ya some more bonus healing, since ya dun need Ego 2ndary w/ Int PSS (esp w/ AoPM builds). Dex SS is better for higher crit on both damage and healing spells.

Would also pickup the Lethargy adv on Hex of Suffering, since ur using Trapped, and trade Overseer Aura (again, passive/lowest layer 5% dmg is very weak of a boost) for Administer (boost to heals and the blast).

Also, def trade Tinkering for Expertise; 20% more health from Con SS will be quite nice (as can the extra crit or healing from Dex_Pres). When gearing, ya can just get more Con and have considerably higher health to work with.

rtma

How's this?

flowcyto

Looks pretty good for a Bestial SN + Might setup. Though I'd prob get Shred w/ PS adv- Shredded is very nice for Massacre spam, and Massacre refreshes bleeds that Shred can build up. It can replace Bite, since Bite isn't really adding anything to the build in terms of practicality (ya already have plenty fo knocks for CC, and Shred bleeds stuff for you).

I'd consider trading R3 Unbreakable for its Enrage granting adv, though that's not as big of a priority if ya want to keep R3's mitigation.

I'd also trade Modified Gear for Offensive Expertise in Vind. Upper Hand in Warden isn't working properly- I'd trade it for Tenacious or Elusive.

If ya want a more dps-oriented version, ya can get Unstoppable or WotW as the passive (play in melee or hybrid role). Defiance is good for defense + energy, but ya need to be getting hit for it to work out. You'd be squishier usually, but Juggernaut + TBD/AS gives ya good innate Defense as is.