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Mystyx: The Sigil Spammer - A little help?
raighn
Posts: 2,339 Arc User
So, after a resubscribing and being denied the ability to turn Mystyx back into a Freeform I've gone and remade her from scratch... in the process of leveling her back up still, but luckily it's a double XP weekend... well anyway... I figured this would be as good a time as any to ask for a little assistance with her build.
PowerHouse (Link to this build)
Name: Mystyx
Archetype: Freeform
Super Stats:
Level 6: Intelligence (Primary)
Level 10: Endurance (Secondary)
Level 15:
Talents:
Level 1:
Level 6:
Level 9:
Level 12:
Level 15:
Level 18:
Level 21:
Powers:
Level 1: Eldritch Bolts (Wizard's Discretion)
Level 1: Eldritch Blast (Rank 2, Sorcerer's Whim)
Level 6: Sigils of the Primal Storm (Rank 2, Rank 3)
Level 8: Sigils of Ebon Weakness (Rank 2, Rank 3, Mystic Transference)
Level 11: Sigils of Radiant Sanctuary (Rank 2, Rank 3, Mystic Transference)
Level 14: Sigils of Arcane Runes (Rank 2, Rank 3, Mystic Transference)
Level 17: Eldritch Shield
Level 20: Molecular Self-Assembly
Level 23:
Level 26:
Level 29:
Level 32:
Level 35:
Level 38:
Travel Powers:
Level 6: Mystic Flight
Level 35: Teleportation
Specializations:
Intelligence: Preparation (2/2)
Intelligence: Enlightened (3/3)
Intelligence: Detect Vulnerability (3/3)
Intelligence: Expertise (2/2)
Mastery: Intelligence Mastery (1/1)
So... as you've probably already figured out she's built around using Sigils, PSS Int for faster Cast Time and CDs so she can get setup and keep her sigils up while retaining some mobility. Originally I was using AoED as her passive and CoPD as her circle... but I'm considering a change from those this time... I'm thinking about CoRG for the heal and self-rez component... and AoAC for even shorter CDs and Cast Times...
This is one of the only builds that I use MSA on due to it's natural tie-in with her build since nearly everything she does triggers a CD.
Besides deciding on a Passive and Circle, what I need help with is well... finishing the build... Additionally... I'm not sold on my secondary SSs... I was told before that Sigils scale with Pre, which is why I selected it, but I have my doubts on this...
PowerHouse (Link to this build)
Name: Mystyx
Archetype: Freeform
Super Stats:
Level 6: Intelligence (Primary)
Level 10: Endurance (Secondary)
Level 15:
Talents:
Level 1:
Level 6:
Level 9:
Level 12:
Level 15:
Level 18:
Level 21:
Powers:
Level 1: Eldritch Bolts (Wizard's Discretion)
Level 1: Eldritch Blast (Rank 2, Sorcerer's Whim)
Level 6: Sigils of the Primal Storm (Rank 2, Rank 3)
Level 8: Sigils of Ebon Weakness (Rank 2, Rank 3, Mystic Transference)
Level 11: Sigils of Radiant Sanctuary (Rank 2, Rank 3, Mystic Transference)
Level 14: Sigils of Arcane Runes (Rank 2, Rank 3, Mystic Transference)
Level 17: Eldritch Shield
Level 20: Molecular Self-Assembly
Level 23:
Level 26:
Level 29:
Level 32:
Level 35:
Level 38:
Travel Powers:
Level 6: Mystic Flight
Level 35: Teleportation
Specializations:
Intelligence: Preparation (2/2)
Intelligence: Enlightened (3/3)
Intelligence: Detect Vulnerability (3/3)
Intelligence: Expertise (2/2)
Mastery: Intelligence Mastery (1/1)
So... as you've probably already figured out she's built around using Sigils, PSS Int for faster Cast Time and CDs so she can get setup and keep her sigils up while retaining some mobility. Originally I was using AoED as her passive and CoPD as her circle... but I'm considering a change from those this time... I'm thinking about CoRG for the heal and self-rez component... and AoAC for even shorter CDs and Cast Times...
This is one of the only builds that I use MSA on due to it's natural tie-in with her build since nearly everything she does triggers a CD.
Besides deciding on a Passive and Circle, what I need help with is well... finishing the build... Additionally... I'm not sold on my secondary SSs... I was told before that Sigils scale with Pre, which is why I selected it, but I have my doubts on this...
Post edited by raighn on
0
Comments
Pres scales up the effects of Radiant and Ebon sigils. The dmg from Arcane and Primal sigils scales as normal attack powers do, but they cannot crit (Pres has no special interaction w/ them, unlike the other two).
Auras affect sigils just like they do pets, and Pres boosts the ally benefits of Aura passives (and thus boosts ur sigils), so you'll prob want Pres regardless. Spec-gained auras like Sentinel's also affect them. AoPM will up their health & dmg a bit, AoRP will significantly boost their mitigation (sigils draw some area aggro, even if they deal no dmg, so some mitigation can be helpful), and and AoED will boost dmg (but being crit-disabled means no ebon lightning from the dmg sigils- it may have a larger effect on ur own dps).
The role chosen will also matter depending on ur pref for personal dps vs. group/sigil benefits (Hybrid vs. Support). Ofc, going Support may flag you as a 'healer' to other players, so you may have to be careful to avoid that stigma if ya dun want to be a full-on healer.
I'd prob first try out a build using Compassion, Sentinel Aura, and AoPM for the versatility- w/ a Pres focus .. prob PRES/Int/Con, or INT/Pres/Con (though I don't believe Detect Vuln's -resist works for sigils). Overall dps prob won't be great, but I do find the Primal Sigils to be good background dps provided a) the target stays w/in the sigils, and b) sigils don't die to aggro/AoE early. In fact, those sigils are what can make the Grimoire competitive in terms of Hybrid dps- its just not that easy to find fights/groups where ya can fully take advantage of them.
Other misc things.. debuffs help sigils too, for instance: firesnake and heat wave's adv for Arcane, electrocute's adv or storm invocation's debuff for Primal, Wither_Trapped_Vuln from the spec trees, etc. Some of these aren't good dps powers, but could be considered depending on the rest of the attacks you pick up (ex. electrocute's adv would work more efficiently if you were also using LArc). May also want to get some knock resist or extra defenses since most sigils will have you up in melee range to cast them.
I wouldn't expect a sigil-crazy build to be that effective in most areas of the game, due to their misc limitations, but it def could be a fun mix-up as far as gameplay is concerned.
- Be safe and have fun, champs - for science!
Ok, so Pre SS will be kept. Picked up AoPM for now... might change for AoRP or AoED later...
I try to play as Hybrid most of the time...
Will definitely pick up Compassion and Sentinel Aura, maybe Sentry Aura too...
I'm looking at something like this now... still has some gaps though...
PowerHouse (Link to this build)
Name: Mystyx
Archetype: Freeform
Super Stats:
Level 6: Intelligence (Primary)
Level 10: Endurance (Secondary)
Level 15: Presence (Secondary)
Talents:
Level 1: The Inventor
Level 6: Diplomatic
Level 9: Investigator
Level 12: Prodigy
Level 15: Healthy Mind
Level 18: Shrug It Off
Level 21: Boundless Reserves
Powers:
Level 1: Eldritch Bolts
Level 1: Eldritch Blast
Level 6: Sigils of the Primal Storm (Rank 2, Rank 3)
Level 8: Sigils of Radiant Sanctuary (Rank 2, Rank 3, Mystic Transference)
Level 11: Aura of Primal Majesty (Rank 2, Rank 3)
Level 14: Sigils of Ebon Weakness (Rank 2, Rank 3, Mystic Transference)
Level 17: Vala's Light (Light Everlasting) or Arcane Vitality
Level 20: Sigils of Arcane Runes (Rank 2, Rank 3, Mystic Transference)
Level 23: Eldritch Shield
Level 26: Circle of Primal Dominion or Circle of Radiant Glory
Level 29: Compassion
Level 32: Molecular Self-Assembly
Level 35:
Level 38:
Travel Powers:
Level 6: Mystic Flight
Level 35: Teleportation
Specializations:
Intelligence: Preparation (2/2)
Intelligence: Enlightened (3/3)
Intelligence: Expertise (2/2)
Intelligence:
Sentinel: Caregiver (3/3)
Sentinel: Sentinel Aura (3/3)
Sentinel: Rejuvenated (3/3)
Sentinel:
Sentry: Sentry Aura (3/3)
Sentry:
Sentry:
Sentry:
Mastery: Intelligence Mastery (1/1)
I'd like for the build to be entirely Sorcery... some exceptions (MSA) allowed....
Also... I'm not sure if I should have Mystic Transference on SotPS or SoAR... MT on SoAR would allow for a higher rate of burst damage... while MT on SotPS would allow for larger burst damage and more mobile sustained damage... I'm a bit wary of putting MT on either of them though... I remember something about SoAR w/MT spawning the sigils behind you which makes no sense... and SotPS w/MT feels like a large DPS drop to me... I guess if I don't put MT on either of them I could always drop SoAR first for burst damage, then SotPS... and keep up that rotation for minimal down time on SotPS...
The key aspect is commander tree to gain an additional cast time reduction on sigils.
PowerHouse (Link to this build)
Name: Mystyx
Archetype: Freeform
Super Stats:
Level 6: Presence (Primary)
Level 10: Constitution (Secondary)
Level 15: Intelligence (Secondary)
Talents:
Level 1: The Glacier
Level 6: Survival Training
Level 9: Field Ops Training
Level 12: Healthy Mind
Level 15: Shrug It Off
Level 18: Diplomatic
Level 21: Command Training
Powers:
Level 1: Eldritch Bolts (Wizard's Discretion)
Level 1: Eldritch Blast (Rank 2, Sorcerer's Whim)
Level 6: Sigils of the Primal Storm (Rank 2, Rank 3)
Level 8: Sigils of Ebon Weakness (Rank 2, Rank 3, Mystic Transference)
Level 11: Sigils of Radiant Sanctuary (Rank 2, Rank 3, Mystic Transference)
Level 14: Sigils of Arcane Runes (Rank 2, Rank 3, Mystic Transference)
Level 17: Aura of Primal Majesty (Rank 2, Rank 3)
Level 20: Compassion
Level 23: Ego Sleep (Plagued by Nightmares)
Level 26: Circle of Radiant Glory (Rank 2)
Level 29: Molecular Self-Assembly
Level 32: Conviction (Reverence)
Level 35: Ascension
Level 38: Eldritch Shield
Travel Powers:
Level 6: Mystic Flight (Rank 2)
Level 35: Teleportation
Specializations:
Presence: Selfless Ally (2/2)
Presence: Grandeur (3/3)
Presence: Moment of Glory (1/3)
Presence: Force of Will (2/2)
Presence: Vulnerability (2/2)
Sentinel: Torment (2/2)
Sentinel: Sentinel Aura (3/3)
Sentinel: Moment of Need (3/3)
Sentinel: Wither (2/2)
Commander: Evasive Action (2/2)
Commander: Rapid Response (2/2)
Commander: Multitasker (1/3)
Commander: Durable (2/3)
Commander: Savage (3/3)
Mastery: Sentinel Mastery (1/1)
My Characters
However... looking over your build suggestion... thankyou for reminding me about the AoE heal advantage on conviction... I think I might take that instead of Vala's Light...
Also... I fail to see how setting PRE as my primary as opposed to a secondary would affect my sigils and aura any differently. From what I understood when spec tree's were added, your primary only really mattered for determining a spec tree, otherwise it provides the same bonuses it would have as a secondary. The only change to bonuses to my knowledge is the damage bonus from primaries scales at a higher rate than secondaries. Changing from INT to PRE PSS would eliminate the 20% improved effect of PRE from Expertise, and instead give me healer focused specs that would be mostly ineffective with my build.
Yeah, I'd have to test to truly know, but I do doubt that sigils work w/ the Commander specs options that scale from SS's. They don't scale like pets as is (the dmg ones scale ala normal attack powers), so it'd be odd for them to double-dip in their scaling like that.
Yeah, Reverence is nice for any Hybrid or Support build using Compassion and w/ decent Pres gearing. Its not a huge splash heal, but the coverage is nice, and it can crit.
Int vs. Pres PSS is kinda its own separate topic. Just depends on the rest of the build, really.
Pres PSS has good flat crit% boosts that are DR-free, strong +heal boosts for self-heals, and either decent +Defense from Force of Will, or a good team-wide dps debuff w/ Vulnerability. Int PSS mainly has Expertise, Enlightened, and Detect Vuln going for it.
I'd say stick to Int PSS if using AoPM here- there's some nice stat-related synergy there, but it'd be more to benefit ur own performance. Pres PSS can be a good option here, but for dps its only really competitive if ya can take adv of Vuln (the debuff only lasts 5 sec, so ya pretty much need 2 cd CC powers to roll it w/o using a spammable hold, and that could get in the way of sigil management).
Anyways, the build given by superalfgorn is pretty good overall. To note, there's many spec-related debuffs ya could pickup that could apply to help ur sigils (Trapped, Vuln, Wither, Sentinel mastery, Rend/Concussion), but ya can't get all of them, and which ones ya want will somewhat dictate what non-sigil powers you'll have in the build.
- Be safe and have fun, champs - for science!
Just putting that out there...
You could make a ritual + sigil build, sure, since ur already using Pres + a Support aura. Though having to run back in to place or replace sigils (assuming ya won't always want to be in melee range) means ya won't necc be immobile enough for ritual circles. Ya can still take the unbound advs to have the pets follow you anywhere regardless, though, esp since its unlikely you'l have the spare adv points for a buncha R3 ritual pets anyways (and they generally dun offer significant benefits over R2).
The Primal pet uses Howl, its lunge can remove TPs, and it can off-tank. Arcane pet gains extra threat via w/ CS and can offtank. Radiant pet heals and at R2 can stun. Ebon pet can apply Clinging Flames and otherwise is just a bit more dps. In terms of sheer base dps, Primal and Ebon > Radiant and Arcane, though no perm pet individually does much dps.
If ur using the rituals (or a pet build), AoED has the most effect on dps w/ pets since the ebon lightning proc ups their dps a good deal. AoPM and AoRP can still be good, though for diff reasons.
- Be safe and have fun, champs - for science!
Problems I see with what you have now:
1) Sentinel Aura/Spec.
a) AFAIK SA itself DOES NOT SCALE WITH COMPASSION, it works off ONLY Presence and gear +Heal.
b) SA is a passive aoe hot; green number healing = taunt; SA is a passive aoe taunt. Exactly the same problem Med Nanites has. If you want to tank everything in the Alert yourself, with the possible exception of the boss, keep this power. If you want to do things other than hide behind ranked Ebon Void and tank, lose this spec now, and go Guardicator.
2) Pre PSS is what lets you heal/aura, if and when you want to.
Article may not make much sense to you right now, but get the spreadsheet, look at row 18:
https://worldsojourner.wordpress.com/2014/07/08/champions-online-ten-things-i-learned-from-spamming-sniper-rifle/
And most useful, the DPS Chart of Doom(also linked from there)
https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1Gv7Ia6Ctxw-vV7kombo3jNSjUqioMo5oYK3JT0c7uoY/edit#gid=0
8k damage(Pre/Int + AoPM) vs 12k damage(Top DPS) is a bit, but it's still 2k DPS (3k w/ top tier damage power), the actual difference in melting mobs is not noticeable.
Pre Spec also lets you turn gear Off into +Heal, while feeding Guardicator loop. AoPM even in hybrid with nothing but Pre PSS points is still a very helpful +25 or so to everyone's stats w/i 50 feet of you.
If you want to DPS, use a Hybrid build slot with Int gear, if you want to Heal/Support, set up a second Sentinel build slot, with Pre gear; one click lets you go from 2k+ DPS to 150% AoED/AoRP/110 AoPM/Astronomical Heal/Bubbles; one charge from there lets you throw out 150 IDF on top of everything.
Armadillo secondaries, 1 Con primary, 2 Int or Pre primaries, all straight +Off/+Def are the way to go with Guardicator, if you want survivability without nerfing yourself too hard.
First 5 power for any of my builds that might want to heal at some point are Radiance, Conviction, Iniquity, Aura, Ebon Void. Gets you out of the low tier powers with no waste, you never use EBuilder, and gives you everything you need to heal outside Rampages from Hybrid w/ only Pre PSS.
3) Compassion does give energy and +dam, but only half the +dam as Conc, and the only realistic ways of stacking it are Seraphim, SA, MN, all of which are aoe taunts also; virtually requiring block tanking which means no DPS.
Concentration is best fueled by Int, which gives energy/regharge discount(Conviction if nothing else), and stacks while you're melting faces, no taunt drama. At 8 stacks with high Int/Ego, Concentration >= Off Passive, Compassion will simply never reach that level. Pre primary also let Int give crit chance like Dex, the key to face melting in CO 2014; basically, Pre/Concentration lets Int function as Ego/Dex in addition to it's own advantages.
4) Could help with your actual build, but really need to know a few things about how Mystyx intends to fight.
a) Where are you on the field?
-Personal Space Invader (Melee)
-Stuck in the middle with 2GMJ (20' from Melee to cover them with Auras/50' attacks)
-3000 miles from Meleeland (80-120' from Melee, campfire and marshmallows included)
b) Mystyx is at some point inside the triangle, where is she?
http://blog-imgs-61-origin.fc2.com/k/u/l/kultur2/rethinkMMOTrinity.jpg
Keep in mind, in CO, Heal is Team Support, not literal Healing.
Also, just what falvor of Support are we talking about.
c) You mentioned staying in Sorcery, did you mean the powerset, or Magic/Mystic in general?
Is Mystyx Hi Pan; or what Hi Pan would be if he used Gigabolt and LA in addition to his sigils.
Demon Inner Circle are frankly more of a threat, simply because they do the FC move.
Both work as Sorcery in general, but aren't in the Sorcery powerset.
d) Really need specialization to reach effective levels of pwn. This means losing the 2/3 sigils that don't help you/anyone else in your actual fighting situation, gaining 12 points and 3 power slots for ++Uber. Pick one:
-Line/ST of Die Now
-Circle of Meltage
-You and what army? Oh, that one...
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Well, more options to explore are always good but, a few things to consider from the other side of it:
Sentinel Aura not scaling w/ Compassion, even if its true, is a rather moot point imo. SA's scaling was reigned in a long time ago, so I've heard- even if Compassion had an effect, it'd be diminished by design. That's not making SA weak- its just making it not as crazy as it once was.
You seem to assume that all content one is ever going to run are 5-man alerts w/ weak teams or trolls. Sure, ya can't stop all bad play, but if you gear and build right, even getting aggro can be easy to deal with due to high health and having very high healing bonuses and potentially many defensive cds and/or threat wipes. You'll only be squishy if you build to be squishy. Besides, if ur team is so weak that just SA magnets mobs to you, then even w/o SA you'd get aggro the second you went to try to actively heal or dps anyways, cause apparently the team is aggroing things and doing nothing to threat up mobs.
I guess I'll put it this way: Players can build however they want, but I wouldn't be one to damn aspects of a build by taking bad teamplay for granted. You be better off by building to optimize what ya can, and put enough fail-safes in case things do get pear-shaped. If ya focus too much on the negative possibilities, ya could hamper the build's ability to shine when things aren't going south.
Besides, sigils will draw aggro if you or others don't, and this build is all about the sigils; keeping them aggro-free and alive passively isn't a bad thing in itself. Also besides, she mentioned wanting to have ritual pets, some of which are built for off-tanking and distraction. Passive heal auras means less time having to nanny ur pets or sigils.
Now, we're arguing practicality here, when a sigil-focused build itself won't be that practical regardless, but I think raighn has accepted this to an extent. Ofc she can go a more Int focus w/ Conc, but if she's going for both sigils and pets than that's lowering the support aspect for them, as well as lowering her own healing power considerably. Ultimately its up to her just how much pet/sgil/ally/heal support is desired vs. personal dps (ex: a pull between Pres and Int's sep benefits), but I'd rather not make the boogeyman out of passive heal auras just cause of poor teamplay.
also:
"Keep in mind, in CO, Heal is Team Support, not literal Healing."
Speaking in general (I can't ref the image since the link is down- so perhaps I'm missing context here) you can be a devoted healer in CO. You've probably seen some of them floating around Gravi pugs. They like what they do, and its great that they have the freedom to build that way if they want to.
and:
"Article may not make much sense to you right now, but get the spreadsheet, look at row 18:
https://worldsojourner.wordpress.com...-sniper-rifle/
And most useful, the DPS Chart of Doom(also linked from there)
https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets...uoY/edit#gid=0
8k damage(Pre/Int + AoPM) vs 12k damage(Top DPS) is a bit, but it's still 2k DPS (3k w/ top tier damage power), the actual difference in melting mobs is not noticeable."
I'm not quite sure what ur referring to here. Ya mean comparing SR's avg damage using Selphea's AoPM/Conc + Pre/Con/Int default setup (row 18 is actually Rec PSS) vs. the one for KM_Quarry/Conc + Dex/Ego/Con setup?
Why would one compare hybrid role + passive to a dps role + dps passive here anyways? I dun see much relevance to the build at stake here- going full dps role + offensive passive I dun think was ever what raighn wanted from her build. (Also, thanks for plugging my dps sheet :x .. but I dun see the relevance of just linking to it like that)
But, odd reference aside- I guess ur trying to (on one hand) say that Pres PSS isn't a big dps loss (yeah that can be true) but at the same time say that Compassion -> Conc *is* a notable dps loss? That's a confusing message. I mean, on that same sheet that the diff between Conc for Ranged vs. FotT (half the dmg bonus for Ranged) is usually as little as 8-10%- wheras ur just willing to write off the diff between something doing 8k vs. 12k dmg (a 33% diff).
You make some good points to consider (ex: Int and Conc vs. Pres and Compassion, Int PSS vs. Pres PSS, also the dual passives/build swap option- which can be good, but keep in mind he only has so many power slots to spare, and he may not simply want to play this character that way).. but the post comes off as a bit garbled in its message. Perhaps having to re-write is partly to blame, though.
- Be safe and have fun, champs - for science!
1) SA may not scale with Pre but that is not the point in taking it. It is meant to provide some passive support to allies and, most importantly prolong the life of my sigils as well as helping to build up compassion quickly. As for the threat generation, there is an innate high AoE threat generation to my build regardless. Sigils are aggro magnets in their own right.
2)While I understand the advantages of PRE PSS, I personally find INT PSS to be more beneficial to this build and my playstyle on Mystyx. I'm not looking to make her a main support, she is off-support. INT PSS gives me improved stats all around which in turn provides me with a greater benefit from my Pre SSS, in effect I get the same base bonuses to healing, auras, and my pets from INT PSS with Pre SSS as I would with PRE PSS. If I wanted a more support focused build then yes I would likely take PRE PSS for it's benefits, but I'm looking for a DPS focus with healing on the side.
3) Compassion also builds and maintains passively with this build. However, I'm not entirely certain that the form benefits my sigils in any way... I have a similar concern with Concentration. If in fact neither of these forms actually benefit my sigils, then I might be better off taking IDF... however my build is already strapped enough as is for advantage points...
4)a)Mystyx is a sigil spammer... her place in the battlefield is pretty well defined by that as melee ranged... However, I try to put her more mid-ground, running in to drop my Primal & Ebon sigils in melee then falling back to drop Radiant and blasting with Eldritch Blast until my sigils are ready to be dropped again. 90% of the time however I remain in melee range for ease.
b)She is DPS/support. A little note for future reference, I always list primary focus first when doing hybrids, so DPS/support is DPS focused with support on the side whereas Support/DPS would be support focused with DPS on the side. The type of support, general support, mostly passive healing and buffs.
c)Yes, I meant the powersets.
d)NO, just no. I will NOT drop my sigils for other skills. At this point you are asking me to abandon the entire concept of this build. That simply is not going to happen. Mystyx is a sigil spammer, and each sigil provides a very specific function and serves that function well. Primal Sigils are sustained DPS, Ebon Sigils are Debuff, Arcane Sigils are Spike damage, and Radiant Sigils are Support.
And, Flowcyto, i'm a girl... so it's She and Her...
Edit: oh, and I guess I should clarify that toggles will affect the dmg sigils, since those sigils aren't scaled as pets but like normal attack powers- they are just crit disabled and behave like a sep entity that can receive buffs and such indep of the player.
- Be safe and have fun, champs - for science!
So, does the healing bonus from Compassion affect Radiant Sigils too? or are Primal & Arcane the only ones affected? Since to my knowledge there are no forms that improve debuffs, I feel safe assuming that Ebon Sigils won't be affected by any form except IDF.
For Radiant sigils: Pres and/or bonus heal will affect the heal aura, and Pres (but not bonus heal) will up the +resist% buff (the stealth buffs are only boosted via ranks, afaik).
For Ebon sigils, Pres (not bonus heal) scales up the -dmg debuff (but not the move speed one, which is rank-only afaik).
- Be safe and have fun, champs - for science!
So I take that to mean, that Compassion will indeed buff my Radiant Sigils.
- Be safe and have fun, champs - for science!
If you want SA/Comp/Int primary/<30 range/Sigil DPS, that's what you want, I will endeavor to assist.
The only info I could find on SA + Compassion was from way back here from 2012:
http://co-forum.perfectworld.com/showthread.php?t=175641
I don't know, and can't afford to test right now, but circa 2012, Compassion does nothing for SA.
You've already decided you want Compassion, so I won't try to talk you into IDF.
I had a thought about AoED sigil double dipping, but couldn't see significant difference vs ice form same +dam, damage is highly eratic, but I don't think AoED double dips +damage, black lightning abuse is another bag of cats.
I was about to try to address teh squish, but then I had another idea. It means 3 powers from Dark, but if you're gold, at least you can recolor LD.
PowerHouse (Link to this build)
Name: Mystyx
Archetype: Freeform
Super Stats:
Level 6: Intelligence (Primary)
Level 10: Endurance (Secondary)
Level 15: Presence (Secondary)
Talents:
Level 1: The Inventor
Level 6: Diplomatic
Level 9: Investigator
Level 12: Prodigy
Level 15: Healthy Mind
Level 18: Shrug It Off
Level 21: Boundless Reserves
Powers:
Level 1: Eldritch Bolts
Level 1: Sigils of Ebon Weakness (Rank 2, Rank 3, Mystic Transference)
Level 6: Compassion
Level 8: Sigils of the Primal Storm (Rank 2, Rank 3)
Level 11: Sigils of Arcane Runes (Rank 2, Rank 3, Mystic Transference)
Level 14: Circle of Ebon Wrath
Level 17: Lifedrain (Rank 2, Vampiric Sympathy)
Level 20: Aura of Ebon Destruction (Rank 2, Rank 3)
Level 23: Molecular Self-Assembly
Level 26: Ebon Void (Rank 2, Rank 3, Voracious Darkness)
Level 29: Pyromancer's Blades
Level 32: Summon Shadows (Devouring Darkness)
Level 35: Sigils of Radiant Sanctuary (Rank 2, Rank 3, Mystic Transference)
Level 38:
Travel Powers:
Level 6: Mystic Flight (Rank 2, Rank 3)
Level 35: Teleportation
Specializations:
Intelligence: Preparation (2/2)
Intelligence: Enlightened (3/3)
Intelligence: Expertise (2/2)
Sentinel: Caregiver (3/3)
Sentinel: Sentinel Aura (3/3)
Sentinel: Rejuvenated (3/3)
Sentry: Sentry Aura (3/3)
Mastery: Intelligence Mastery (1/1)
Please note that I just threw this together to see if the idea could work, not optimized whatsoever. I have not actually tested this, use at own risk.
Reasoning was that you're already going to be in/around Melee range (possibly dragging untackled adds in via SA), a pbaoe heal is probably the only thing that really makes sense.
Vala's may/not actually proc Rejuv, SA does not; in fact, I've never seen it work at all.
Lifedrain, however, solves the squish, doubles as pbaoe heal, and on paper yields 180 base dps. It also lets you just attack, without really worrying about whether you need to stop and heal somebody all the time.
Primal Sigils yielding 145 base dps per sigil.
Arcane sadly can't seem to do much better than 50 base dps even counting Rapid Response and 50% actual cooldown redux (using Myst Transfer #'s). I won't attempt to talk you out of it, and it could actually be useful for proccing MSA, but 50 dps for a 5 point power is um...expensive. If you just want to keep it for theme, maybe dropping to r1 might work.
CoEW normally would be suicidal for a squishy build in melee range, however, Lifedrain and SA ignore the self-heal debuf. CoAW will also fear everything, -9% inc dam, combined with SoED (I don't have Pre atm, so have no numbers) should yield roughly >= real world AoRP mitigation. Also, LD pbaoe heal is full power if your target is feared, which they are, via CoEW.
Also again, Compassion will be boosting LD; however, the +dam from the form means you're sitting at a lower total bonus damage than Conc/Off Passive; normally this would be bad, but in this case, I'm betting it means the +dam from CoEW actually contributes something significant to LD, and Sigil Damage.
AoED vs AoPM is never clear cut due to Cryptic's voodoo-math. It really comes down to 3 factors:
1. Do you/others need the energy from AoPM?
2. Are your dps teammates running Quarry, or Off Passive?
3. Are there pet armies involved?
I threw in the blades (because they look cool), and shadows (because they do good dps) to add proc points for black lightning. If you are going with AoPM, they may be superflous, though they don't have energy penalty, will further proc MSA, and do very reasonable damage on their own. At one point, I was using Primal Sigils, blades, and shadows by themselves to hit 500 fire&forget dps while hiding behind AoRP/IDF in Support. AoED will may also double dip on those pets, not at all sure on that.
Ebon Void is in there because it simply outperforms Eldritch Shield hands down if you aren't running AoRP. If you don't feel the need for uber-block, you can take it to R1, just keep Dev Dark.
I still just don't see the purpose of radiant sigils here, but I left it alone. You may want to talk to a dedicated tank about using it in range of them, as it might not be the best idea from their perspective.
There's a lot of circular synergy going on, the main attack is outside Sorcery, but most everything else is inside, and it's not that much of a change from your last build really. The pets are entirely replaceable.
There are 2 weakpoints that jump out at me:
1. LD is an energy HOG. Coupled with the Sigils, the base DPS throughput isn't bad on paper, but sufficient energy via MSA via Int is the key to both offense and defense. Problem is Int for energy is competing with Pre for healing&damage, sufficient Int to keep lifedrain up between Sigils is a limiting factor, and unfortunately, you can't cheat with CoAP.
I never ran into this problem with Pre/Int, and I really don't know how to solve it.
2. Micromanagement. Replacing Vala's & Eld Blast simplifies attack/heal to 1 button, but there's even more CD to manage with Sigils and temp Pets. Secondary effect is you need to keep those CD's rolling to keep the energy coming in with MSA, at least until you get something under 6 seconds.
There was a different build I had in mind originally using Stormcalling to buff Primal Sigils, but I'll use another post later.
Almost forgot. There is one other possibility for energy and squish, Spirit Reverb from Dark scales with Con, replacing End SSS, giving you more health buffer, but further complicating stat angst, as Int is also needed for CD redux. That could possibly work out better with AoPM. I'm a little biased toward AoED right now, after parsing the last Clarence takedown I was in; A single person's Ebon Lightning did more damage than any other player combined. Granted they were raptor spamming and probably grouped, but just the lightning proc alone...
Actually did forget, but yes, flowcyto's dps sheet is virtually a requirement for CO. Many thanks for maintaining it.
I've already replaced Vala's Light with Conviction w/Reverance after Superalfgorn's post brought it up, and it's working out quite nicely... granted the AoE is very small but it works... and it proc's MSA...
Honestly, I haven't ever gotten around to using SoAR in her build yet... it's been one of those things that I want to add in, but several things about it keep pushing the skill back... I actually do know it can do some massive damage when used though. One of my old SG mates uses it in a few of his builds and gets around 5-10k damage per use... the 10K is with a fire based build, so he had various buffs and debuffs for fire damage helping it out. The issues I have with it though are the following:
1) In order to get the most damage per use out of SoAR you cannot give it MT. The loss of 3 sigils actually impacts the damage from SoAR quite a bit... sure you can use it more often and the over-all DPS is increased a littlebit, but for a skill that is meant as a Spike damage, DPU is more important than DPS.
2) Without MT, SoAR cannot be used side-by-side with SoPS. which means either MT must be put on SoPS effectively reducing the DPS of SoPS, or rotated in before dropping SoPS creating a period where SoPS is not out while you resummon them.
3) Such a long cooldown for something that is going to explode moments after you use it.
4) With MT, SoAR drops behind you... Why Cryptic? Why do you do this? These are offensive Sigils, they should not be behind me. Not to mention the loss of 3/5 DPU.
SoRP aids with survivability, and it does not impact a tanks aggro or threat much at all. I've had many tanks stand in range of SoRP and hold threat just fine. I've even run across a tank before that used them in his build. TBH, the stealth aspect from them doesn't really help or hurt anyone... What they do, however, do for the party is provide additional healing and resistances. Also, the small amount of aggression stealth they grant, is only really enough to counter the healer aggro generated by using them and the healer aggro from SA. Now... thats with my current stats anyways... perhaps when I reach level 40 on her and get her Pre up there then it might be a bit more problematic to use in range of Tanks, but should that happen then I'll return to placing my offensive sigils then pulling back and dropping radiant and attacking from the mid grounds... Might work in EM and a Lunge to aid with this even... (Possibly Void Shift, the only Darkness Power that I wouldn't have a problem using in her build)
As for Invocation of Storm Calling... don't bother... I tried it out already, the built in repel is counter productive to my build, and the power itself... the power claims to only repel enemies within 12 feet, however, while using it I was seeing enemies repelled at any range within the 25ft radius of the power, often pushing whole groups out of the radius before the damage at the end. And even if the repel worked properly at only 12 ft it would still be pushing everything out of my sigils constantly.
About switching to AoED... It's still a possability that is on the table... I've said it many times before and I'll say it again, I'm not sure what passive I want to use on her final build, for now I'm using AoPM since it's a safe choice a bit of a middle ground between AoED, AoRP, and AoAC... however, I do know that I want her passive to be one of the 4 Sorcery Auras.
First, concentration will absolutely not work for this at all even if you wanted it; it's nearly impossible to stack and maintain. The only time I've ever intentionally been within 30 feet of a mob was running IDF, so I never noticed, but it made initial testing grueling.
Only debuf power I could find that actually affected Arcane Sigs was Firesnake. Didn't test DT+BS though. Spec debufs and weird stuff in Mentalist probably work, but frankly that's way too much hokey pokey for me. Stacking fire gimmicks was bad enough.
Fire snake parsed an actual ~20% dam increase on dummies, but the variance is so high to begin with I can't say for sure.
You already shot it down, but for reference, was getting ~9% increase from Stormcalling.
Minigun/CBeam obviously, never used a gas pistol, if you're going to be really silly.
I could never manage to get more than the 3 front sigils to hit a single dummy, must have forgotten a step, but I'm very tired of dancing with sigils now.
AoED beat AoPM by a hair(or lightning rather) using Dex/Int/Con, 80% of Ranged + Off, as expected. Wouldn't be quite so distressing to me if it weren't for being compounded with the first 20-40% tax on not using the handful of unbalanced attack powers that never get addressed.
I'll try to test out sometime if Compassion affects Sentinel Aura or not, since I'm a bit curious about that now.
However, I know for a fact that the reverse is true. Sentinel Aura affects Compassion. In that if Sentinel Aura heals actual damage on it's tick, it will generate a stack of Compassion. This is extremely useful since you don't have to actively heal to keep up your Compassion stacks. This is the big reason I look at choosing Sentinel Aura and Compassion together.
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But I don't think compassion ever worked on SA, and at this time SA certainly isn't affected by compassion in any way. Of course they do work great together since compassion gains stack from heals done by SA.
And the main reason AoED isn't that far ahead of AoPM for dps is likely cause of the lack of Ebon Lightning procs coming from the dmg sigils.
If one is already using Sentinel Aura for Compassion procs, then ya mine as well pickup and use the Wither debuff. That means a stun, sleep, or hold should be one of the player attack powers that's used at least semi-frequently. Firesnake isn't a bad debuff to add in either, but ideally you'd pair it w/ more Fire/Ice/Toxic attacks.
- Be safe and have fun, champs - for science!
About getting all 5 sigils to hit one target, you really can't on a stationary target dummy. The trick, however, is to drop the sigils and then back up a bit to pull the enemy into the center, or find a location that is too small for all 5 sigils to drop in their normal pattern forcing them into a tighter grouping.
I'm not opposed to adding in some more direct damage abilities btw... My only rule about them is no Knock Backs or Repels... If Invocation of Stormcalling had an advantage that reversed it's repel I would grab it in a heartbeat, but sadly it doesn't. I want to keep enemies inside my sigils as long as possible... so stuns are a good option, and would allow for use of the Sorcerer's Whim advantage on Eldritch Blast
There aren't really a lot of options for AoE stuns are there?
Not that many: TK Maelstrom, Sonic Arrow w/ DD adv, Thunderclap, Dragon Kick, and Venom Breath w/ adv (<- doesn't stack Manip).
If ur just talking keeping enemies preoccupied, ya can also go w/ AoE roots, holds, or snares like Storm of Arrow's w/ adv, Entangling Mesh, Hex w/ adv, rooting adv on EBFrenzy, Ego Storm, Mass Effect on Ego Hold, Flashfire w/ adv, Shockwave, Toxic Nanites w/ adv, Chill or freezes from Ice, maybe some others I'm forgetting.. Or use a clumping AoE (Vortex Cylcones, Energy Wave w/ adv), or something ya can KU or KD enemies w/ like Brimstone, or Fissure, or Lightning Storm w/ adv, Tremor, etc.
- Be safe and have fun, champs - for science!
For powers that have a 100% stun chance, and do not have a secondary requirement, at the top of my head: thunderclap, tk maelstrom, sonic arrow (and rebuke.... more or less).
And out of those Rebuke is the only one remotely close to being in theme... I'll probably just go with Hex & Skarn's both with their respective advantages to fill the AoE stun/hold/root... assuming that the root from Hex of Suffering w/Rune of Lethargy triggers the bonus damage from Sorcerer's Whim of course... if not then, it's still a nice AoE DoT and Root for keeping enemies in my sigils where they will take the most damage.
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- Be safe and have fun, champs - for science!
PowerHouse (Link to this build)
Name: Mystyx
Archetype: Freeform
Super Stats:
Level 6: Presence (Primary)
Level 10: Endurance (Secondary)
Level 15: Intelligence (Secondary)
Talents:
Level 1: The Inventor
Level 6: Diplomatic
Level 9: Investigator
Level 12: Prodigy
Level 15: Healthy Mind
Level 18: Boundless Reserves
Level 21: Shrug It Off
Powers:
Level 1: Eldritch Bolts
Level 1: Eldritch Blast (Sorcerer's Whim)
Level 6: Sigils of the Primal Storm (Rank 2, Rank 3)
Level 8: Sigils of Radiant Sanctuary (Rank 2, Rank 3, Mystic Transference)
Level 11: Sigils of Ebon Weakness (Rank 2, Rank 3, Mystic Transference)
Level 14: Aura of Ebon Destruction (Rank 2, Rank 3)
Level 17: Hex of Suffering (Rune of Lethargy)
Level 20: Conviction (Reverence)
Level 23: Compassion
Level 26: Circle of Ebon Wrath (Rank 2, Rank 3)
Level 29: Telekinetic Maelstrom
Level 32: Ascension
Level 35: Resurgence
Level 38: Sigils of Arcane Runes (Rank 2, Rank 3, Mystic Transference)
Travel Powers:
Level 6: Mystic Flight (Rank 2, Rank 3)
Level 35: Teleportation
Specializations:
Presence: Repurpose (3/3)
Presence: Dominion (2/2)
Presence: Grandeur (3/3)
Presence: Force of Will (2/2)
Sentinel: Torment (2/2)
Sentinel: Sentinel Aura (3/3)
Sentinel: Rejuvenated (3/3)
Sentinel: Wither (2/2)
Overseer: Administer (2/3)
Overseer: Overseer Aura (3/3)
Overseer: Trapped (3/3)
Overseer: Conservation (2/2)
Mastery: Sentinel Mastery (1/1)
I'm a bit on edge about TK Maelstrom as her Stun, however, out of the handful of stuns that don't require an advantage to use, it seems like the only one that won't feel too out of theme.
Ascension for the multipurpose AO, similar reasoning as to Compassion... Damage and Healing bonuses in one.
Aura & Circle are still up in the air, but I've selected Ebon here for the DPS boost...
Hex of Suffering w/adv to keep trapped rolling and provide some additional damage to targets while keeping them in my sigils... Hopefully TK Maelstrom will stun long enough to keep wither & Sentinel Mastery rolling for even more damage and healing. However, I'm concerned that I'll be ineffective in boss fights due to their innate resistance to CC effects...
Thoughts? Suggestions? Concerns? Advice?
CC builds always get a dmg or utility hit vs. bosses- if its a worry ya can always add a higher dps cd spell or filler attack. There's not many of those on Sorcery, though..
Also, Rejuvenated doesn't work for most heals. I'd drop that for Moment of Need, Eternal Spring, or Caregiver.
Also, if ur not using Manip as the toggle, then I'd consider passing on the stun/CC route w/ Sorc's Whim, as the stun duration will be greatly reduced. Using Compassion, however, does also mean ya dun need to worry about stuns that are gained only from advs either (if ya want to roll Wither and Sentinel Mastery).
- Be safe and have fun, champs - for science!
PowerHouse (Link to this build)
Name: Mystyx
Archetype: Freeform
Super Stats:
Level 6: Intelligence (Primary)
Level 10: Endurance (Secondary)
Level 15: Presence (Secondary)
Talents:
Level 1: The Inventor
Level 6: Diplomatic
Level 9: Investigator
Level 12: Prodigy
Level 15: Healthy Mind
Level 18: Boundless Reserves
Level 21: Shrug It Off
Powers:
Level 1: Eldritch Bolts
Level 1: Eldritch Blast
Level 6: Sigils of the Primal Storm (Rank 2, Rank 3)
Level 8: Sigils of Radiant Sanctuary (Rank 2, Rank 3, Mystic Transference)
Level 11: Sigils of Ebon Weakness (Rank 2, Rank 3, Mystic Transference)
Level 14: Compassion
Level 17: Conviction (Reverence)
Level 20: Aura of Ebon Destruction (Rank 2, Rank 3)
Level 23: Molecular Self-Assembly
Level 26: Void Shift (Emerging Nightmares)
Level 29: Hex of Suffering (Rank 2, Rune of Lethargy)
Level 32: Circle of Primal Dominion (Rank 2, Rank 3)
Level 35:
Level 38:
Travel Powers:
Level 6: Mystic Flight (Rank 2, Rank 3)
Level 35: Teleportation
Specializations:
Intelligence: Preparation (2/2)
Intelligence: Enlightened (3/3)
Intelligence: Tactician (2/2)
Intelligence: Tinkering (1/2)
Intelligence: Expertise (2/2)
Sentinel: Eternal Spring (2/2)
Sentinel: Caregiver (3/3)
Sentinel: Sentinel Aura (3/3)
Sentinel: Genesis (2/2)
What I'm thinking here is I'll be rotating between my 3 sigil types the majority of the time (I'm thinking about just dropping Arcane Sigils due to the preparation required to make them worthwhile...) This combined with the occasional need for Conviction (either to heal me, my sigils, or a nearby ally) should keep MSA rolling constantly. Conviction, Sentinel Aura, and Radiant Sigils will keep Compassion up and trigger it's energy return as well so I should never run into energy issues... especially with the cost reduction from Int...
Use Void Shift for the Fear Debuff as well as quick mobility to get into place for dropping sigils or returning to my location should I get knocked... Primal Dominion should help reduce being knocked around, while also providing me with some much needed resistance and additional healing. Ebon Aura for the damage bonus, and the black lightning crit procs from allies (I've recently switched back to Ebon Aura, and am seeing a noticeable increase in my damage output over Primal. Sigils do indeed double dip with Ebon Aura, so for a sigil build this is a better choice of passive for DPS)
And finally, Hex of Suffering w/Lethargy, some minor crowd control to keep enemies inside my sigils longer and a nice little DoT for some added damage.
This leaves me with 2 open power slots and 4 advantage points... some options I see are:
- R3 Eldritch Blast (Boost my own damage so I'm not worthless in fights where my sigils die quickly)
- Pick up R3 Arcane Sigils (Rotate with Primal for the spike damage, and complete my sigil set)
- R2 Conviction (stronger self heal never hurts)
- Pick up an AO/AD
- Pick up a Block (most likely Eldritch Shield to stay in theme, advantage not necessary, unlikely to be ranked)
- Pick up a direct healing power (I'm thinking Arcane Vitality)
- Pick up a R3 Summon (Not going to be moving much during combat anyway, just between fights)
PowerHouse (Link to this build)
Super Stats:
Level 6: Intelligence (Primary)
Level 10: Constitution (Secondary)
Level 15: Presence (Secondary)
Talents:
Level 1: The Grimoire
Level 6: Shrug It Off
Level 9: Healthy Mind
Level 12: Diplomatic
Level 15: Quick Recovery
Level 18: Negotiator
Level 21: Lasting Impression
Powers:
Level 1: Eldritch Bolts
Level 1: Eldritch Blast (Rank 2, Rank 3)
Level 6: Sigils of the Primal Storm (Rank 2, Rank 3)
Level 8: Sigils of Radiant Sanctuary (Rank 2, Rank 3, Mystic Transference)
Level 11: Sigils of Ebon Weakness (Rank 2, Rank 3, Mystic Transference)
Level 14: Compassion
Level 17: Conviction (Rank 2, Reverence)
Level 20: Aura of Ebon Destruction (Rank 2, Rank 3)
Level 23: Molecular Self-Assembly
Level 26: Void Shift (Emerging Nightmares)
Level 29: Hex of Suffering (Rune of Lethargy)
Level 32: Ebon Void (Voracious Darkness)
Level 35: Sigils of Arcane Runes (Rank 2, Mystic Transference)
Level 38: Ascension
Travel Powers:
Level 6: Mystic Flight (Rank 2, Rank 3)
Level 35: Teleportation
Specializations:
Intelligence: Enlightened (3/3)
Intelligence: Tactician (2/2)
Intelligence: Detect Vulnerability (3/3)
Intelligence: Expertise (2/2)
Sentinel: Eternal Spring (2/2)
Sentinel: Caregiver (3/3)
Sentinel: Sentinel Aura (3/3)
Sentinel: Moment of Need (2/3)
Overseer: Administer (3/3)
Overseer: Ruthless (2/2)
Overseer: Overseer Aura (2/3)
Overseer: Trapped (3/3)
Mastery: Intelligence Mastery (1/1)
Ya shouldn't need End as an SS, so I opted for Con SS for the health. Made some other changes to up ur own dps w/ Detect Vuln, and to have better crit heal power. Also added Overseer for Administer and Trapped, since it fits using Eld Blast and Hex w/ adv (+some heals).
I changed CoPD for a block enhancer cause the block already increases ur knock resist when blocking, and ya dun have to stay in the circle (w/ a sigil build I'd imagine you'd be moving around w/ the enemy a bit). It also freed up some adv points.
Added back in Arcane Runes for the theme and to have some more AoE options to the build, and rounded it all out w/ Ascension for the nice group and self-heal (and minor dps increase) that doesn't need ranks to be good.
Ofc, many other options would be fine (most of the ones ya listed- much of it just comes down to personal pref).
- Be safe and have fun, champs - for science!