Laser Sword offtank

wtbcreativity · April 2018

I'm coming back to the game after a really long break, but so much has changed that I'm kind of lost and it doesn't help that I don't really remember what makes a competent build anymore. I'm trying to make the most of my one freeform slot with a 2-passive build that can offtank or DPS depending on gear, but I don't expect I'll be able to tackle hardcore content with it.

Here is the link. Any advice would be much appreciated, though I would strongly prefer to keep the current theme (including dodging as main defense).

EDIT: I can't read. Swapped Particle Accelerator for Form of the Tempest.

flowcyto · April 2018

Here's an edit of it, keeping the dodge theme (I'd normally take Invuln for an off-tank, but if ur not tackling high-end content to tank, then it prob won't matter too much):

(Unnamed Build) - Freeform
v2.4.2-29

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

Talents
Level 1: The Cybernetic Warrior (Con: 10, Int: 10, Rec: 8, End: 10)
Level 6: Covert Ops Training (Str: 3, Dex: 3, Con: 3, Int: 3)
Level 9: Healthy Mind (Con: 5, Int: 5)
Level 12: Physical Conditioning (Str: 5, Con: 5)
Level 15: Body and Mind (Str: 5, Int: 5)
Level 18: Boundless Reserves (Con: 5, End: 5)
Level 21: Investigator (Int: 5, End: 5)

Powers
Level 1: Power Bolts (advantages)
Level 1: Lightspeed Strike (Rank 2, Particle Acceleration)
Level 6: Unified Theory
Level 8: Lightning Reflexes (Rank 2, Rank 3)
Level 11: Particle Accelerator (advantages)
Level 14: Bountiful Chi Resurgence (Rank 2, Resurgent Reiki)
Level 17: Lightwave Slash (Rank 2, Light Mend, Challenge!)
Level 20: Cybernetic Tether (Recharge, Download)
Level 23: Masterful Dodge (advantages)
Level 26: Luminescent Slash (Rank 2, Rank 3)
Level 29: Energy Shield (Rank 2)
Level 32: Resurgence (Rank 2)
Level 35: Night Warrior (Rank 2, Rank 3, Silent Running)
Level 38: Lightspeed Dash (advantages)
Adv. Points: 36/36

Travel Powers
Level 6: Athletics (Rank 2, Rank 3)
Level 35: Teleport (advantages)

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

I went w/ the Int + PAccel route since Laser Sword is pretty costly overall, and FotT + Dex may be too RNG w/ energy & procs. To help w/ ease-of-use and energy costs, your basic rotation can be alternating between the LS combo and Lume Slash charges, and usng Tether to roll Download and the HoT adv. Warden Mastery means you can still do decent w/ just spamming the combo, if energy is low. Lightwave Slash can pbAoE, CC, and tag w/ Challenge (taking Light Mend or Burn Bright can allow it to proc PAccel and UF when hitting targets- even w/o PBurn or Disintegrate on them).

The powers can be re-ordered, mostly depending on when you want to get the 2nd passive. Regardless, STR PSS + Juggernaut + Con SS and Wardicator gives the build a strong defensive backbone that can still put out decent dps.

Gears mostly for Int and Con, w/ some End for UF energy (and maybe a small bit of Rec for equilibrium).

wtbcreativity · April 2018

Thank you for the detailed breakdown. At this point, I wonder if it might not just be better to drop the "dodge tanking" thing altogether and do something more traditional if Dex doesn't synergise well with the Laser Sword kit. Not that I'm blaming you or anything, since I was the one who insisted on keeping it.

I notice you suggested Rank 3 instead of End of the Line for Luminescent Slash. Is that because it's very hard to keep energy above 70%?

If you're still willing to help, what would you think about a build like this one? Or is Intelligence SS absolutely required for a decent Laser Sword build?

EDIT: Made a few tweaks.

blockwave · April 2018

http://aesica.net/co/herocreator.htm?v=29&n=&d=11230NAFQEPa000000J004AA00A105JA00C800A40aA318NK019D03AE0b9G04ER00AI03JB0310gw3SWh3UbT

Energy might be hard in DPS role, but in tank role, you will have plenty from defiance.

flowcyto · April 2018

Yea, I didn't take Lume Slash's special adv just cause it is kinda hard to keep energy that high, and you can roll Download in other ways.

The dodge approach can work still, esp if you didn't plan on tanking high-end content. BCR/RR does come w/ a dmg penalty, but it is good healing w/ R3 LR and it is cheaper than Conviction. So eh.. tis up to you. Other SS setups can work, depending on the toggle, but I kept STR PSS cause of Juggernaut and the innate knock resistance you'll get from it, and LS is pretty costly so I stuck w/ Int and PAccel.

A Str-based Enrage + LS build can work too (maybe STR/End/Con), though it'll be less dps to get the knock adv on the combo, and Enrage won't proc on Lume Slash (which may not be an issue depending on the rotation).

wtbcreativity · May 2018

I decided to give my END/Str/Con setup a try if only to see how badly put-together my own attempt was, and because rerolling to STR/Con/End would hardly bother me. Here is the level 20 build which is as far as I've gotten as of now.

Things I've noticed:
1. I'd forgotten how inconsistent Knock To powers could be. Some things get pulled right to me while others barely move at all. Cybernetic Tether is janky to use and I'm finding it a really clunky way to keep Download rolling with this set-up. Could I replace it with a lunge instead, or are the pull + HoT essential to a tank? (Also, what does Recharge scale with? Superstats?)

2. I'm not having as many problems as I thought I would with Luminescent Slash + End of the Line. Once I've got my rotation started with [Lightspeed Strike ×3 > Clobber ×1-2 > Lightwave Slash], I can spam [Luminscent Slash > Clobber ×1] until Disintegrate/Unified Theory are about to fall off (and Outburst popping up on my status bar is a good indicator for when I'm above 90%). Kinda surprised, and I don't even have Endurance Mastery yet.

Here's the revised level 40 version.

Since I'm using Lightwave Slash as my main AoE, I didn't want to stick Challenge! on it for when I'm DPSing (and as above, I can keep [Lightwave Slash > Clobber ×1] going for a while), so I thought Havoc Stomp would be a good replacement? It's only a Knock Up chance at 50% charge and it helps keep Enrage rolling.

Of course, I'm just taking a shot in the dark. I'm not on the PTS and I don't know how to run a parse even if I were and it's been ~3 years since I've done level 40 content of any kind, so I'd appreciate any more feedback if you should be willing to share.

flowcyto · May 2018

Recharge scales w/ bonus healing and Pres, like w/ most other heals. Its nice to have, but not essential to tanking either if you have other sources of healing.

The problem with your apparent rotation is having to end build regularly w/ Clobber. Its somewhat counterproductive to go w/ a potentially higher dps option but have to end build more to upkeep it. ideally, you shouldn't be using Clobber at all (at least, not by max level w/ decent gear). Even then, neither Clobber nor Lume Slash can proc Enrage anyways, so you have to work around that in ways that could lower your ideal single-target dps.

If you want to setup a parser for CO then you can start w/ this thread:
https://www.arcgames.com/en/forums/championsonline/#/discussion/1209292/parser-usage-guide

wtbcreativity · May 2018

Thanks for the link. And yeah, I realize it's not ideal to rely on the energy builder. I only mentioned it at all because I was surprised I could pull it off at level 20 with poor gear and literally half a build. Hopefully that means I'm not making too much of a mistake going with End PSS instead of Str, but I guess I'll see once this character is level 40 and geared.

Anyway, thanks for all your help and patience. I think I have a handle on this now.

Laser Sword offtank

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