Particle-based PA build -- something wrong

jonandre1

First, I'd like to thank everyone, especially flowcyto, for their help.

I created this character based off of Pulseweave's Power Armor posts, but I'm doing something seriously wrong. I've gone from the character who constantly faceplants during alerts, to the guy who can't contribute at all. By the time I get into position and open up with attacks, the party's over, except with the boss. And I don't do squat to the boss.

Millennial Knight is supposed to be highly survivable DPS -- and because his main power is a PA build, he's PA. But I'm having horrendous problems. No energy. No threat. No damage. Well, I guess I'm not having problems with healing, since I don't attract any threat, therefore don't take damage.

What I want is a tankmage. Good defense and frickin' invulnerable. What I don't want is to use any of the usual "must-haves" for power armor; I don't like them. That means no mini-gun and no micro-munitions. This guy's theme is all energy weapons. BEAM-based energy weapons. (This may also mean that he's never going to be efficient in Alerts. Fair enough. Not breaking concept for efficiency, sorry.)

Here's the build at 25th level.

PowerHouse (Link to this build)

Name: Millennial Knight

Archetype: Freeform

Super Stats:
Level 6: Intelligence (Primary)
Level 10: Constitution (Secondary)
Level 15: Endurance (Secondary)

Talents:
Level 1: The Invincible
Level 6: Healthy Mind
Level 9: Boundless Reserves
Level 12: Investigator
Level 15: Negotiator
Level 18: Amazing Stamina
Level 21: Field Ops Training

Powers:
Level 1: Power Bolts
Level 1: Concussor Beam (Rank 2, Rank 3) *
Level 6: Invulnerability (Rank 2)
Level 8: Concentration (Rank 2, Rank 3)
Level 11: Plasma Beam (Rank 2)
Level 14: Overdrive
Level 17: Energy Wave (Rank 2, Rank 3)
Level 20: Force Detonation
Level 23: Laser Sword
Level 26:
Level 29:
Level 32:
Level 35:
Level 38:

Travel Powers:
Level 6: Power Flight (Rank 2)
Level 35:

Specializations:
Intelligence: Preparation (2/2)
Intelligence: Enlightened (2/3)
Intelligence: Tactician (2/2)
Intelligence: Tinkering (2/2)
Intelligence: Expertise (2/2)
Guardian: Fortified Gear (3/3)
Guardian: Ruthless (2/2)
Guardian: The Best Defense (1/3)

* This power is the basis for the concept and will NOT be changed.

Okay, right from the start I know I made some mistakes. Ranked up Concentration. Didn't rank up Invulnerability. Took a PB AoE and a ranged AoE. Took a useless hand-to-hand attack. Took plasma beam, fer gosh sakes. And Force Detonation??? That's not in the PA set! (It was an AoE attack that matched the concept.)

I guess what I'm looking for is a ranged tank build using the particle weapons. Failing that, DPS. If I have to take wrist bolters, mini-gun or micro-munitions, the build fails concept and falls apart. I'll delete the character entirely before I do that.

Please help!

flowcyto

Problem is, all the 'beam' based PA powers lack the ability to have CripC or CS advs, so it'll be harder to hold aggro w/ them to make a proper group-tank. Power Gauntlet can have CripC, but that clashes w/ Concussor Beam for the Hand slot.

Ya can make a sturdy hybrid DPS if ya want, though. AoPM would be really good for such a build since the higher energy pool and returns means ya can use both toggles and cast Chest Beam more often, whereas w/ something like Invuln you'll have less energy for Chest Beams (and quite less dps overall).

PowerHouse (Link to this build)

Super Stats:
Level 6: Intelligence (Primary)
Level 10: Recovery (Secondary)
Level 15: Constitution (Secondary)

Talents:
Level 1: The Invincible
Level 6: Field Ops Training
Level 9: Healthy Mind
Level 12: Boundless Reserves
Level 15: Investigator
Level 18: Quick Recovery
Level 21: Negotiator

Powers:
Level 1: Power Bolts
Level 1: Concussor Beam (Rank 2, Rank 3)
Level 6: Concentration
Level 8: Aura of Primal Majesty (Rank 2, Rank 3)
Level 11: Overdrive
Level 14: Eye Beam (Rank 2, Rank 3)
Level 17: Resurgence (Rank 2)
Level 20: Reconstruction Circuits (Rank 2, Rank 3)
Level 23: Chest Beam (Rank 2, Rank 3)
Level 26: Masterful Dodge
Level 29: Energy Shield (Phalanx Defense System)
Level 32: Ego Surge (Nimble Mind)
Level 35:
Level 38:

Travel Powers:
Level 6:
Level 35:

Specializations:
Intelligence: Preparation (2/2)
Intelligence: Enlightened (3/3)
Intelligence: Detect Vulnerability (3/3)
Intelligence: Expertise (2/2)
Guardian: Fortified Gear (3/3)
Guardian: Ruthless (2/2)
Guardian: Find the Mark (2/3)
Guardian: The Best Defense (3/3)
Vindicator: Aggressive Stance (2/2)
Vindicator: Merciless (3/3)
Vindicator: Focused Strikes (3/3)
Vindicator: Mass Destruction (2/3)
Mastery: Intelligence Mastery (1/1)

If ya do want the tankiness of Invuln then feel free to sub that in- ya just may need to gear more Rec/End for energy. Gearing otherwise is mostly for Con & Int, w/ a bit of Dex/crit.

Only main thing not covered here is the AoE you'll want to use (outside of Chest Beam). Plasma Beam and/or Energy Wave w/ rev polarity are both good to use here and would be nice picks from PA, but if ya don't want to use them then ya dun have many options left. Ya could look at other powersets like Electricity, Muni, Infernal SN, or Gadgeteering for AoE, though.

aiqa

For a tank build you could do something like this

PowerHouse (Link to this build)

Super Stats:
Level 6: Constitution (Primary)
Level 10: Endurance (Secondary)
Level 15: Intelligence (Secondary)

Powers:
Level 1: Power Bolts
Level 1: Concussor Beam (Rank 2, Rank 3)
Level 6: Invulnerability (Rank 2, Rank 3)
Level 8: Overdrive
Level 11: Concentration
Level 14: Eye Beam (Rank 2, Rank 3)
Level 17: Plasma Beam (Rank 2, Rank 3, Challenging Strikes)
Level 20: Chest Beam (Rank 2, Rank 3)
Level 23: Reconstruction Circuits (Rank 2, Rank 3)
Level 26: Bionic Shielding (Rank 2, Rank 3)
Level 29: Energy Shield (Phalanx Defense System)
Level 32: Resurgence
Level 35: Masterful Dodge
Level 38: Ego Surge (Nimble Mind)

Travel Powers:
Level 6:
Level 35:

Specializations:
Constitution: Unyielding (2/2)
Constitution: Fuel My Fire (3/3)
Constitution: Resilient (2/2)
Constitution: Adrenaline Rush (2/2)
Constitution: Armored (1/2)
Guardian: Fortified Gear (3/3)
Guardian: Ruthless (2/2)
Guardian: Find the Mark (2/3)
Guardian: The Best Defense (3/3)
Vindicator: Aggressive Stance (2/2)
Vindicator: Merciless (3/3)
Vindicator: Focused Strikes (3/3)
Vindicator: Mass Destruction (2/3)
Mastery: Constitution Mastery (1/1)

Unknown

This content has been removed.

jonandre1

I'd like to thank everyone again for their contributions.

Actually, "Hybrid DPS" is exactly what I wanted in the first place... but I was told that the "tankmage" concept isn't do-able in the Champions Online build system. Shows what I know, even after three years of playing this game. (I'm learning. Slowly. Give me a break, I'm old, no more new brain cells, ya know.)

pantagruel01

jonandre1 wrote: »

but I was told that the "tankmage" concept isn't do-able in the Champions Online build system.

Right, whoever told you that clearly knows nothing about CO. Yes, you do pay a dps penalty for using a defensive passive, and a survivability penalty for an offensive, but hybrid builds are most certainly viable in CO.