When a toon stops being fun

[themadman]

I encountered CoH last year when I went to attend my brother's wedding in March. I saw him play this and I was immediately hooked. While I was there, I made a toon using his account (a fire/dark corruptor for what it's worth) and solo'd it to 22

Comments

[staxxy]

blasting is my specialty.

I have 2 energy blasters. One is energy/energy and the other is energy/ice. I took ice for the concept, not because it is super useful or damaging (just to be clear).

My energy/energy blaster is sitting at level 28 or 29 right now. She was a toon I built because the energy knockback of that AT/flavor always pissed me off and I wanted to see if I could work out a good way to play one (plus an SG mate challenged me about it...). I built this one in issue 5, I think.

But the energy/ice is level 43 right now. I made her just a couple of months ago. I stopped playing her for a little while, but more because I wasn't playing much at all than anything to do with the toon. This toon I started to slot with sets around level 12, and I respecified her to pull those early sets out to sell and replace them with the high end sets at level 30. I have mostly soloed her on invincible since level 13 though. Because of the damage she does. I like to team, don't get me wrong, but I don't *need* to really. In the early game I slotted for extra knockback, and then slotted for extra damage in the late game. She drops oranges with a single snipe shot, and reds take a snipe and sometimes an extra hit. I use my build up and aim powers a lot. For those powers that do not require six slots for a set (some sets have fewer and some sets I only wanted a couple of them) I have devoted a slot to accuracy or to damage on the energy powers. She has flight (the extra defense on hover comes in handy, especially when slotted for it), the stealth pool (stealth gets used constantly - 2 end red or more, but I also use invis for glowie grabbing and scary zones, and grant invis for sidekicks), and the fitness pool (the health/stamina combo is still on my 'must have' for blasters). I took the ice epic pool, partially for character concept, and partially for the style I use to play her (solo a lot, dont really die as much as you would expect her to).

I have a fire/ice blaster at 50, who does a mighty amount of damage (more than my katana/invuln scrapper or warshade - both level 50). And the new energy blaster does even more damage than her. A lot of it is slotting.

I recommend you look into some of the really great sets for those powers. Paragon Wiki is your friend (link towards the bottom of the column on the left of this LJ community, if you are not familiar). look up 'invention sets'. I refer to it constantly for which sets can go into which powers, and where I want those slots to be, etc.

I wasn't impressed with the electric epic pool. But you can respec out of it too (use a freespec from the new issue or vet rewards, or run the trial to earn one).

If you want a list of what I have slotted on her energy powers, let me know and I will make a list later today for you. But yeah... she kicks major butt. My smaller one has never been as mighty as the bigger one (which is something I will be changing soon, freespecs will be spent in mighty ways...).

[themadman]

If you want a list of what I have slotted on her energy powers, let me know and I will make a list later today for you. But yeah... she kicks major butt. My smaller one has never been as mighty as the bigger one

If you could, that would really be awesome. I appreciate it. I have a freespec or two left that I can use. Right now, I've got energy bolt, blast, torrent, explosive blast, aim, build-up, nova, and the snipe. Except for torrent, all are 3-slotted for damage, 1 acc, and I put a recharge redux slot in a couple of them. Torrent is slotted only for accuracy and KB. I use it as my "get away from me!" power.

[cmdr_zoom]

Sounds like typical, solid post-ED slotting. You might be able to squeeze a little more out if you look into IO sets and bonuses. Don't kill yourself trying to get/afford purples, but you can get some nice synergies from even the cheaper sets.

[staxxy]

Power Bolt - 5 slotted with Entropic Chaos (right now I have chance to heal self, Acc/Dmg, Dmg/Rech in it)

Power Blast - currently 5 slotted, will be 6, with Devastation (I have all but Acc/Dmg and Acc/Dmg/Rech)

Energy Torrent - 6 slotted with Detonation (I have all 6)

Sniper Blast - 6 slotted with Executioners Contract (I have all 6)

Power Burst - 3 slotted with Salvo (I have all 3)

Aim - 2 slotted (while be 3) with To Hit Buff I/Os

Explosive Blast - 4 slotted with Positron's Blast (I have 2 - Dmg/Rech and Dmg/Rng. I will be picking up Acc/Dmg, Acc/Dmg/End, and eventually Chance for Energy Damage because extra damage sounds fun)

Nova - currently 5 slotted, but will be 6 with Scirocco's Dervish (I have 3 now, Dmg/End, Dmg/Rech, and Acc/Rech)

my secondary I will go by power type instead of name since it will be more useful for translation to other secondaries.

first minor hold - 2 slots, one Acc and one Dmg both I/O

Build Up - 6 slotted with Gaussian's Synchronized Fire Control

Melee Attack - 2 slotted with Pounding Slugfest (Dmg/Rech and Disorient Bonus). This set only goes up to 30, but I wanted it for the regen bonus you get with 2.

Single foe hold - currently 4 slotted, will be 6, with Ghost Widow's Embrace (only missing Acc/Rec and Acc/Hold/Rech now).

She has 3 power pools:

Concealment:

Stealth - 5 slotted, maybe going to 6, with Luck of the Gambler (I have 3 now - Def/End, Def/Rech, and End/Rech)

Grant Invis - 1 Def I/O

Invis - 1 End Red I/O

Flight:

Hover - 2 slots Def I/O, and End Red I/O

Fly - 5 slotted, 3 are Soaring and 2 are End Red I/O

Fitness:

Swift - 3 Fly I/O

Health - 3 slotted now, but may be adding more, with Numina's Convalescence (just End/Rech now but more soon. the others all I/O health for now)

Stamina - 5 slotted with Efficacy Adaptor (End Mod/Rech, End Mod/Rech/Acc, Rech/Acc, I will be getting End Mod, for certain, and which ever of the other 2 I can afford).

and I just started cold mastery, so I havent slotted anything in it yet.

[kyril]

I don't think having six of the same set is generally worth it, compared to what you can do with multiple sets. Look at the enhancement sets that will fit in your powers (especially remembering the "secondary" effects like knockback, fear, slow etc., though with energy you're mostly looking at knockback and maybe stun) and look for "global" bonuses like accuracy or damage or recharge (or even Recovery or Regeneration to get your END or Health back faster).

I might focus on Accuracy and Damage, and perhaps Recovery and Recharge (esp. since Defiance was changed to be based on how much attacking you did recently, not on how hurt you are). I would pick up Assault (another reason to want global Recovery), and make sure you have Hasten and use Build Up and Aim as much as possible.