New efforts!

[Shibboleth]

...and if Blasters thought they had it rough...

...Defenders...where just a rope a dope punching bag with a costume on...solo.

This is definitely NOT my experience of Defenders. I soloed quite extensively on Defenders.

[HEATSTROKE]

As a person who played Blasters a lot.. I never felt that I was hindered. I played from the beginning of the game to the end...

However I also realize that they had some weaknesses and I was very hopeful for Issue 24

[VashNKnives]

Oh cruel irony that the game was cut down at Issue 24.  The rebirth of the Blaster.  A phoenix like Rebirth.

Could you have imaged that with an IO build? :D

Azrael.

It was fun! I actually played an upcoming blaster quite a lot on the public test server with the i24 changes - my dark/nrg. I didn't care that I would lose all that when i24 went live (ohhh the sadness) because it was just that fun!

BTW, I always tried to have I/O sets with good bonuses working synergistically by 30 and this blaster had effectively soft-capped defenses in her 30s because of power boost and -tohit in I believe just one application of nightfall (soul mastery) and tentacles... add the blaster damage modifier, quick snipe, crashless/debuffing nuke, soft contol with torrent/tentacles, an attack that was a hold, an attack that heals you, and energize .... life was good!

BTW x 2, defenders were just too slow for me (like tankers), I actually remade my kin/electric into an electric/ninjitsu stalker and played it like a blapper  8)

[Teikiatsu]

...and if Blasters thought they had it rough...

...Defenders...where just a rope a dope punching bag with a costume on...solo.

-1x0 anybody?

Azrael.

I solo'd Dark/Ice, Dark/Sonic, Rad/Sonic, Storm/Dark and Sonic/Psi that felt like I was cheating.

[Aggelakis]

...and if Blasters thought they had it rough...

...Defenders...where just a rope a dope punching bag with a costume on...solo.

-1x0 anybody?

Never had trouble soloing on any archetype, least of all Defenders (especially debuffing-oriented like Rad or Dark, or PBAOE-buffing oriented like Kinetics. FFS, my main was emp/arch and had no trouble soloing). And I will be the first to admit that I am terrible at playing video games. Really terrible. So if I can solo this crap, anyone can. I didn't solo them on 4x8, but pancake, I didn't solo anything on 4x8. But I certainly didn't reduce my difficulty. Most of them were on 0x3 or 1x3.

[MM3squints]

...and if Blasters thought they had it rough...

...Defenders...where just a rope a dope punching bag with a costume on...solo.

-1x0 anybody?

Azrael.

Hero Plan by Mids' Hero Designer 1.96
http://www.cohplanner.com/

Click this DataLink to open the build!

Level 50 Magic Defender
Primary Power Set: Kinetics
Secondary Power Set: Dual Pistols
Power Pool: Flight
Power Pool: Leaping
Power Pool: Speed
Power Pool: Leadership
Ancillary Pool: Mace Mastery

Hero Profile:
Level 1: Transfusion

• (A) Touch of the Nictus - Accuracy/Endurance/Recharge
  
• (13) Touch of the Nictus - Accuracy/Healing
  
• (19) Touch of the Nictus - Accuracy/Endurance/Heal/HitPoints/Regeneration
  
• (21) Numina's Convalescence - Heal/Endurance
  
• (21) Numina's Convalescence - Heal/Endurance/Recharge
  
• (25) Numina's Convalescence - Endurance/Recharge
  

Level 1: Pistols

• (A) Thunderstrike - Damage/Endurance/Recharge
  
• (5) Thunderstrike - Damage/Endurance
  
• (5) Thunderstrike - Damage/Recharge
  
• (7) Thunderstrike - Accuracy/Damage/Recharge
  
• (7) Thunderstrike - Accuracy/Damage/Endurance
  
• (9) Thunderstrike - Accuracy/Damage
  

Level 2: Dual Wield

• (A) Devastation - Chance of Hold
  
• (15) Devastation - Accuracy/Damage
  
• (17) Devastation - Damage/Recharge
  

Level 4: Fly

• (A) Blessing of the Zephyr - Run Speed, Jump, Flight Speed, Range
  
• (46) Blessing of the Zephyr - Knockback Reduction (4 points)
  

Level 6: Siphon Speed

• (A) Accuracy IO
  
• (9) Recharge Reduction IO
  

Level 8: Empty Clips

• (A) Positron's Blast - Chance of Damage(Energy)
  
• (11) Positron's Blast - Accuracy/Damage/Endurance
  
• (11) Positron's Blast - Damage/Range
  
• (13) Positron's Blast - Damage/Endurance
  
• (37) Positron's Blast - Damage/Recharge
  

Level 10: Combat Jumping

• (A) Luck of the Gambler - Recharge Speed
  

Level 12: Speed Boost

• (A) Blessing of the Zephyr - Knockback Reduction (4 points)
  
• (15) Blessing of the Zephyr - Run Speed, Jump, Flight Speed, Range/Endurance
  

Level 14: Swap Ammo
Level 16: Hasten

• (A) Recharge Reduction IO
  
• (17) Recharge Reduction IO
  

Level 18: Bullet Rain

• (A) Ragnarok - Accuracy/Recharge
  
• (19) Ragnarok - Accuracy/Damage/Recharge
  
• (27) Ragnarok - Damage/Recharge
  
• (27) Ragnarok - Chance for Knockdown
  
• (50) Ragnarok - Damage/Endurance
  

Level 20: Hover

• (A) Luck of the Gambler - Recharge Speed
  

Level 22: Maneuvers

• (A) Luck of the Gambler - Recharge Speed
  
• (23) Luck of the Gambler - Defense/Endurance
  
• (23) Luck of the Gambler - Defense
  
• (25) Luck of the Gambler - Defense/Endurance/Recharge
  

Level 24: Super Jump

• (A) Blessing of the Zephyr - Run Speed, Jump, Flight Speed, Range
  
• (46) Blessing of the Zephyr - Knockback Reduction (4 points)
  

Level 26: Transference

• (A) Efficacy Adaptor - EndMod/Endurance
  
• (37) Efficacy Adaptor - EndMod/Accuracy
  
• (40) Efficacy Adaptor - EndMod
  
• (43) Efficacy Adaptor - EndMod/Recharge
  
• (43) Efficacy Adaptor - Accuracy/Recharge
  
• (43) Efficacy Adaptor - EndMod/Accuracy/Recharge
  

Level 28: Executioner's Shot

• (A) Apocalypse - Chance of Damage(Negative)
  
• (29) Apocalypse - Damage/Endurance
  
• (29) Apocalypse - Damage/Recharge
  
• (34) Apocalypse - Accuracy/Damage/Recharge
  
• (34) Apocalypse - Accuracy/Recharge
  

Level 30: Spring Attack

• (A) Armageddon - Chance for Fire Damage
  
• (31) Armageddon - Damage/Endurance
  
• (31) Armageddon - Damage/Recharge
  
• (31) Armageddon - Accuracy/Damage/Recharge
  
• (34) Armageddon - Accuracy/Recharge
  

Level 32: Fulcrum Shift

• (A) Recharge Reduction IO
  
• (33) Recharge Reduction IO
  
• (33) Accuracy IO
  
• (33) Accuracy IO
  

Level 35: Piercing Rounds

• (A) Positron's Blast - Accuracy/Damage/Endurance
  
• (36) Positron's Blast - Accuracy/Damage
  
• (36) Positron's Blast - Damage/Endurance
  
• (36) Positron's Blast - Damage/Recharge
  
• (37) Positron's Blast - Damage/Range
  

Level 38: Hail of Bullets

• (A) Superior Defender's Bastion - Recharge/Chance for Minor PBAoE Heal
  
• (39) Superior Defender's Bastion - Accuracy/Damage/Endurance/Recharge
  
• (39) Superior Defender's Bastion - Accuracy/Damage
  
• (39) Superior Defender's Bastion - Damage/Recharge
  
• (40) Superior Defender's Bastion - Damage/Endurance/Recharge
  
• (40) Superior Defender's Bastion - Accuracy/Damage/Endurance
  

Level 41: Scorpion Shield

• (A) Luck of the Gambler - Recharge Speed
  
• (42) Luck of the Gambler - Defense
  
• (42) Luck of the Gambler - Defense/Endurance
  
• (42) Luck of the Gambler - Defense/Endurance/Recharge
  

Level 44: Web Cocoon

• (A) Unbreakable Constraint - Chance for Smashing Damage
  
• (45) Unbreakable Constraint - Endurance/Hold
  
• (45) Unbreakable Constraint - Hold/Recharge
  
• (45) Unbreakable Constraint - Accuracy/Hold/Recharge
  
• (46) Unbreakable Constraint - Accuracy/Recharge
  

Level 47: Focused Accuracy

• (A) Gaussian's Synchronized Fire-Control - Chance for Build Up
  
• (48) Gaussian's Synchronized Fire-Control - To Hit Buff/Endurance
  
• (48) Gaussian's Synchronized Fire-Control - To Hit Buff
  
• (48) Gaussian's Synchronized Fire-Control - To Hit Buff/Recharge
  
• (50) Gaussian's Synchronized Fire-Control - To Hit Buff/Recharge/Endurance
  
• (50) Gaussian's Synchronized Fire-Control - Recharge/Endurance
  

Level 49: Afterburner

• (A) Luck of the Gambler - Recharge Speed
  

Level 1: Brawl

• (A) Empty
  

Level 1: Prestige Power Dash

• (A) Empty
  

Level 1: Prestige Power Slide

• (A) Empty
  

Level 1: Prestige Power Quick

• (A) Empty
  

Level 1: Prestige Power Rush

• (A) Empty
  

Level 1: Prestige Power Surge

• (A) Empty
  

Level 1: Sprint

• (A) Empty
  

Level 1: Vigilance
Level 2: Rest

• (A) Empty
  

Level 4: Ninja Run
Level 2: Swift

• (A) Empty
  

Level 2: Health

• (A) Miracle - +Recovery
  

Level 2: Hurdle

• (A) Empty
  

Level 2: Stamina

• (A) Performance Shifter - EndMod
  
• (3) Performance Shifter - EndMod/Recharge
  
• (3) Performance Shifter - EndMod/Accuracy
  

Level 0: Freedom Phalanx Reserve
Level 0: The Atlas Medallion
Level 0: Task Force Commander
Level 0: Portal Jockey
Level 50: Agility Core Paragon
Level 14: Chemical Ammunition
Level 14: Cryo Ammunition
Level 14: Incendiary Ammunition
------------

Just for fun I made this build to switch out my farmer. This build can do 4x8 faster than my Fire/Psi dom

[pinballdave]

Some defenders solo'd better than others. The most solo capable were my:

Storm/water blast - a latecomer to the configuration but so sweet to play. Geyser - lightning storm is a rugged combo. If they cannot stand up, they cannot shoot you.

Time/rad - another late set, but the control, and the well-rounded buffs/debuffs, mmm. With the single target procs you could load into neutrino bolt, this build was simply amazing.

Traps/dark - I was surprised myself how well this synergized.

I also agree with a previous poster that kinetic/dual pistols was a beast as well.

[Baaleos]

Years ago, was there not talk of a City of Heroes themed movie or tv series?
Perhaps im remembering something else - but for some reason I seem to remember some sort of Movie that 'never was'.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/City_of_Heroes#Movie_and_television


Lately I've been having cravings for Nictus themed story arcs in stuff like Marvel Agents of Shield.
Even have an entire script wrote out, it even integrates well with Asgardians etc.
Nictus were a plague among the stars, Asgardians hunted them to the brink of extinction, the last Nictus (who isnt really guilty of any crimes, other than being nictus) is due to be executed, an asgardian took pity, offered the Nictus survival in a Shadow Cyst
The Shadow Cyst arrived on Earth several thousand years later.
The story revolves much around the Nictus awakening, and stumbling across a dying wounded Human. The Nictus decided to offer him the choice of merging in order to save both of them. (Turning over a new leaf as far as Nictus go)
(Was thinking that the Human could be from an ancient civilization such as Aztec or Egyption, or even Norse)

In any case- the story would revolve around the personality differences between the Nictus and the Host, and over time how they merge into a new personality, neither one dominating the other.
Surviving on remnant energies from the Dead, and from killing as little as possible - the bonded duo survive for thousands of years, off the radar of Asgard.

Fast Forward to modern day New York.
The Battle of New York to be specific.
While the rest of the World was watching the Avengers and the big gaping hole in the sky, there was a large group of Aliens about to execute a crowd of people down an alley.
Surveillance cameras however show that one of the crowd was able to deploy a protective shield against their energy blasts and saved the survivors.

Shield or the US Government never got hold of this footage, but a certain other organization did. (Hydra) and they have been hunting for this individual ever since.


Today :
In a night club somewhere, our Nictus protagonist who still needs a name, is looking over a balcony at the people walking into the Club to see if anyone takes his fancy. He has managed to survive the long years basically by feeding off people during ahem, relations.... They are never the wiser, they usually attribute the passing out to 'one hell of a time'.
Anyway - he is looking over the balcony and being an energy based organism, he is able to sense or feel the auras around the people around him.
Most auras are just run of the mill, a faint glow around a person, strong personalities give different colors etc.
Until he sees a Daisy Johnson and a Joey Gutierrez entering the club.
He had never seen an Inhuman before and here were two aliens that took his interest.
(This story arc was meant to be a potential relationship between Joey and <insert name>.)

Of course - the Suit by Marvel would make such a universe cross over somewhat Ironic and unrealistic.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/City_of_Heroes#Suit_by_Marvel

[Baaleos]

OMG - I think I almost cried when I saw this.
http://paragonwiki.com/wiki/Dwarf_Form_Bug


Thats my Warshade floating in the air. I remember posting the Dwarf Form bug on a wiki, didn't realize the pic was still around.


I miss you Azazeel - :-(

[Ironwolf]

I read all the blaster stories and realize you all never played a Sonic/Ice blaster.

I played mine to level 26 before she died the first time and that includes playing multiple TFs.

[Azrael]

I did play a sonic/energy blaster and my duo partner a sonic/electric blaster.  As a duo we blapper -res the daylights out of yellow and Orange minions.  Two primary blasts -res pretty quick off the draw.  Then close to blapper with bone smasher.  Reds?  A couple of shots and a mash to the face.  Purples not so tough - we would double team them.  Raced to mid-30s was very decisive.

Siren's Call - the sleep?  Great sleep, with an SO of range and boost range can sleep a mob ready for roughing up or for a nova.  The -res or butter melter as I called it allowed the energy blapper to hit harder.

Sonic was a decent blast set.  I never tried it with Ice but I can see it would be I interesting to try...  Sonic butter melter with the mob falling over on the ice mat.  And the slow aura...

Azrael.

[brothermutant]

I solo'd Dark/Ice, Dark/Sonic, Rad/Sonic, Storm/Dark and Sonic/Psi that felt like I was cheating.

I did the Dark/Ice Def and its reverse, the Ice/Dark Corr. I really dug the Corr. While my whole league gawked over the damage of a Fire/Dark using Fire Ball + Rain Of Fire Over a Tar Patch, I just waited till they needed Controller-esque moves. My Ice/Dark had the ability to lock down bosses with three holds, I had debuffs in the rotation because I was not primarily focused on the damage, but had it in spades. You wanna see your teammates be amazed, wait until the tank has max agro cap, drop Tar Patch under him, Power Build Up + Aim + Ice Storm followed by Blizzard (ranged nukes are so sweet). Pop a Blue after to get your togs back up and /e bow as EVERYTHING melts. Pisses off the fire/darks every time ;)

[Joshex]

Blasters, electric blasting.

my first blaster was an electric blaster, mostly because I wanted to do an energy type character and also read that energy was something that most content didn't have much protection against, I decided against energy blasting because of the KB, I had seen KB in other MMOs and observed that it wasn't something that you could always rely on, and it made it rough for melee types who then had to chase enemies and might lose buffs as they do.

my choice turned out to be a bad thing. at first I thought it was great for the end return it would give as I was told endurance was a problem for energy type toons, but then I noticed that even with the end returns I was losing a lot of end. It was probably somewhere around Lv35 when I definitively acknowledged that although blasters were said to have the highest damage of most ranged toons and some of the highest damage in game something was definitely wrong with my blaster as every time I attacked health bars barely moved. I confirmed the case after 6 slot enhancing for damage with IOs and still doing pitiful damage compared to toons that weren't supposed to be heavy damage toons.

it was then that I realized the only way to save the toon was to turn it into a sapper and get the munitions mastery set for the big sniper TAoE gun. After that I could actually fly-tank groups at -1 x8 but then I had to enhance everything else for defense bonuses and get as much armor as possible, making him a blapper was the only real option for survival, after all that I also buffed up my melee damage and could stand up to the clockwork king solo as the only real achievement.

[brothermutant]

I did play a sonic/energy blaster and my duo partner a sonic/electric blaster.  As a duo we blapper -res the daylights out of yellow and Orange minions.  Two primary blasts -res pretty quick off the draw.  Then close to blapper with bone smasher.  Reds?  A couple of shots and a mash to the face.  Purples not so tough - we would double team them.  Raced to mid-30s was very decisive.

Siren's Call - the sleep?  Great sleep, with an SO of range and boost range can sleep a mob ready for roughing up or for a nova.  The -res or butter melter as I called it allowed the energy blapper to hit harder.

Sonic was a decent blast set.  I never tried it with Ice but I can see it would be I interesting to try...  Sonic butter melter with the mob falling over on the ice mat.  And the slow aura...

Azrael.

Don't forget the Slow Aura debuffs dmg too!

[HEATSTROKE]

I kinda stopped making Defenders once Corruptors were available Blue Side. In fact I would have more than likely would have re-rolled all my Defenders into Corruptors..

[Auroxis]

I kinda stopped making Defenders once Corruptors were available Blue Side. In fact I would have more than likely would have re-rolled all my Defenders into Corruptors..

Even Sonic Blast Defenders?

[LadyVamp]

Why? I always liked Energy Blast for the look but I thought it was one of the lowest damage dealing Blaster/defender sets? I liked it for the KB myself, but wished it was more of a guarantee than a "chance of".

NRG better fit the concept of the toon.  An FF/AR would have fit best but by then the game was fighting to survive NCSoft's axe.  Same was true with the fixed wings.  I would loved to have built as my 1st long term toon an FF/AR defender with rocket boots and fixed wings.  She did at least look like a helmetless, anthropomorphic rodent storm trooper.

[Azrael]

Sonic Sonic defenders.  I wish I'd stuck with and IO'd that.  Looked good on a team or with a partner.  Solo?  Meh.  My duo partner and myself rolled dual sonic f.f defenders.  Overlapping defence and -res melting the mobs.   also...our f.f/en and f.f/rad duo...battered mobs even nemesis all the way up to L47 with SOs only...

My duo partner had one sonic sonic def to about L14 and the put the buffs on my tanker and blasters.  Good stuff.

Had a dark dark defender to l38.  Unique powers set.  Like the minus acc and the tentacles.  ...and the tar....  Mob melting in Bricks.  Though the MeZ thing would spoil the party.

Azrael.

[Shibboleth]

Never had trouble soloing on any archetype, least of all Defenders (especially debuffing-oriented like Rad or Dark, or PBAOE-buffing oriented like Kinetics. FFS, my main was emp/arch and had no trouble soloing). And I will be the first to admit that I am terrible at playing video games. Really terrible. So if I can solo this crap, anyone can. I didn't solo them on 4x8, but pancake, I didn't solo anything on 4x8. But I certainly didn't reduce my difficulty. Most of them were on 0x3 or 1x3.

My first post-beta character was a Rad/Elec defender who would walk into the middle of crowds debuted so much they weren't hitting and set off the top end nuke. Heck, it was argued the top end nuke was better used by a defender than a blaster.

[Azrael]

I tried the rad rad defender.  Then I tried it as a Corruptor.

I found it hard work despite all the legendary plaudits attributed to the set.

I did like the cool sound of the snipe and the cosmic burst...and the Corruptor kill ticks.

Azrael.