Author Topic: REQ: Empathy/Psychic Blast  (Read 12640 times)

Derek Icelord

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REQ: Empathy/Psychic Blast
« on: December 31, 2009, 12:32:05 PM »
I'd like to know if anyone has a better Empathy/Psi build than what I currently use.

My current build is this:
Code: [Select]
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The only thing that I MUST have is Fly for the travel power, and Psychic Mastery for the Ancillary pool (if one is used). Thanks in advance for the input.
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Harlequin565

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Re: REQ: Empathy/Psychic Blast
« Reply #1 on: February 05, 2010, 03:14:43 PM »
Not sure what you're trying to achieve with this build so it's difficult to advise to be honest.

You haven't taken any attacks so I'm guessing you don't plan to do much but work on a team?

If you're planning a team only build, then I'd forget about delf-defence (no need for an armour) and the AoE sleep as a team will wake them all up anyway. You don't have any attacks, so you won't generate agro, therefore you won't be attacked.

Clear mind doesn't need a recharge IO. It takes 3 seconds to cast so it'll have recharged before you've finished the cast cycle.

Fortitude would do better with +Def (Red Fortune) rather than +ToHit. most folks have +Acc in their attacks somehow already. The +Def goes further to be honest.

Actually, thinking about it, this looks like a PvP team build? Is that the case? If it is, then I can't really advise much as that's a whole different kettle of fish. An Empath in team PvP is (in my experience) a walking corpse...

Give me a bit more info and I'll see if I can help. Or have a look at my guide on the official forums and PM me with any questions.

-H

Steiner

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Re: REQ: Empathy/Psychic Blast
« Reply #2 on: February 05, 2010, 06:03:08 PM »
My first character was an Empathy defender so I can understand the "fun" that goes into making a multi-faceted empath.

Some things to keep in mind when building this:
  • You're a defender, your endurance is awesome out of the gate. There is little need to boost that via IOs
  • There is almost NEVER a time where you need to six slot powers without good reason (as of the IO era)
  • When building an empath, it's almost always intelligent to increase your recharge to your heals as well as having decent heal IO bonuses... Put it this way, my emp had 6 slot "Heal Other". 5 numi's and 1 recharge IO. Coupled with 4 other LoTG 7.5s floating around the build and damn-near perma-hasten; my heal was obviously lower than it could be... however I could easily pop off 3 target heals in the same time it takes your build here to throw one and recharge. (Obviously an over exaggeration) The point is, it's better to get off 5 moderate heals in 10 seconds than 2 big heals in 10 seconds.
  • CM should only have 1 slot max and it should be a range, you'll need it since you don't have much to fight with.
  • Treat Absorb Pain like a real heal, not just a backup heal, because tanks and well build scraps will need this when their HP is in the red. You'll find yourself relying on it more than you think.
  • Nice Use of hover, fly isn't bad, both my empaths have it, and it makes it much easier to avoid knockback and to get out of dodge.
  • You're best possible setup for Fort is 3 Cyto HOs and 3 Recharge.
  • RA should get three End Mods and 3 recharge, and HA the same sans End Mods with Heals. This should produce optimal auras and you should be able to throw them every other 3 mobs.
  • You should really look into combining HOs with IOs, you'll be a lot more effective.

Food for thought from running around with my emp for 5 years... not the standards.... but should give you some direction.
~Steinerd

chuckv3

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Re: REQ: Empathy/Psychic Blast
« Reply #3 on: June 02, 2014, 09:34:30 PM »
IMHO, the single best thing you can do for an Empathy defender is maximize recharge. If you'd like to push in that direction here's what I suggest you change:

- get rid of swift, health and stamina (those are inherent now)
- pick up 3 more attacks instead, one being the snipe
- you probably don't need additional slots in Clear Mind or Resurrect (use 1 recharge and one endRdx respectively)
- put 1 fly enh into fly (drop 2 slots for use elsewhere)
- personally, I would drop all the slots from Tactics and Maneuvers and just put one endRdx in each
- put 5-slotted Panacea I/Os in all heals
- leave only 5 slots in everything that now has 6, and you'll be able to have 5 in your new attacks
- get rid of the Apocalypse purple, as that will probably cost more than the rest of the build (you'll probably make it up by doing all these other things)
- put 5-slotted Decimation into your ranged attacks
- put 5-slotted Postron's Blast into your ranged AoEs
- put 5-slotted Sting of the Manticore into your snipe
- put 5-slotted Red Fortune into Fortitude
- skip the procs on those 5-slottings
- You can probably drop the LOTG global use the slot to be able to 5-slot something else (for way less money)
- You might have enough slots to put 5 into Mind Over Body, so use Impervious Armor there for more recharge
- Keep the purple sets in Dominate and Mass Hypnosis.

That might get you to 100% recharge, or really close to it, with no LOTG global and no expensive purple sets.

chuckv3

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Re: REQ: Empathy/Psychic Blast
« Reply #4 on: June 03, 2014, 06:30:37 PM »
{COMPLETELY EDITED}

Okay, my maths was off. You need 108.75% recharge for perma-hasten. Luckily, the Psychic Blast Set combined with the Psychic Mastery ancillary actually provides you with opportunities to get 5 purple sets (not of the high-demand variety). So that'll get you 50% right there. If you take all the heals and Regen Aura, that's 5 powers that can be 5-slotted with Panacea, bringing your total to 87.2. Put 5-slotted Positron's Blast or Decimation in 4 attacks, and you're perma-hastened. Actually, if you put one of those 6.25% recharge sets into 5 of your attacks instead of 4, you can drop one of the purple sets:

40% (4 x 10%) + 37.5% (5 x 7.5) + 31.25% (5 x 6.25) = 108.75

or another way is

50% (5 x 10) + 37.5% (5 x 7.5) + 15% (2 LotG global) + 6.25 = 108.75

Here's a mid's template of the third idea, with each power taken as soon as possible and with all other powers stripped out.

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

Click this DataLink to open the build!

Level 49 Magic Defender
Primary Power Set: Empathy
Secondary Power Set: Psychic Blast
Power Pool: Speed
Power Pool: Flight
Power Pool: Leaping
Ancillary Pool: Psychic Mastery

Hero Profile:
Level 1: Healing Aura -- Panac-Heal/EndRedux(A), Panac-EndRdx/Rchg(3), Panac-Heal/Rchg(3), Panac-Heal/EndRedux/Rchg(5), Panac-Heal(5)
Level 1: Mental Blast -- Empty(A)
Level 2: Heal Other -- Panac-Heal/EndRedux(A), Panac-EndRdx/Rchg(7), Panac-Heal/Rchg(7), Panac-Heal/EndRedux/Rchg(9), Panac-Heal(9)
Level 4: Super Speed -- Clrty-Stlth(A)
Level 6: Hover -- LkGmblr-Rchg+(A)
Level 8: Combat Jumping -- LkGmblr-Rchg+(A)
Level 10: Subdue -- GravAnch-Immob(A), GravAnch-Immob/Rchg(11), GravAnch-Acc/Immob/Rchg(11), GravAnch-Acc/Rchg(13), GravAnch-Immob/EndRdx(13)
Level 12: Hasten -- RechRdx-I(A), RechRdx-I(15), RechRdx-I(15)
Level 14: [Empty] -- Empty(A)
Level 16: [Empty] -- Empty(A)
Level 18: Recovery Aura -- RechRdx-I(A), RechRdx-I(19), P'Shift-EndMod/Rchg(19)
Level 20: Will Domination -- CSndmn-Acc/Rchg(A), CSndmn-EndRdx/Sleep(21), CSndmn-Acc/EndRdx(21), CSndmn-Sleep/Rng(23), CSndmn-Acc/Sleep/Rchg(23)
Level 22: [Empty] -- Empty(A)
Level 24: [Empty] -- Empty(A)
Level 26: Regeneration Aura -- Panac-Heal/EndRedux(A), Panac-EndRdx/Rchg(27), Panac-Heal/Rchg(27), Panac-Heal/EndRedux/Rchg(29), Panac-Heal(29)
Level 28: Absorb Pain -- Panac-Heal/EndRedux(A), Panac-EndRdx/Rchg(31), Panac-Heal/Rchg(31), Panac-Heal/EndRedux/Rchg(31), Panac-Heal(33)
Level 30: [Empty] -- Empty(A)
Level 32: Adrenalin Boost -- Panac-Heal/EndRedux(A), Panac-EndRdx/Rchg(33), Panac-Heal/Rchg(33), Panac-Heal/EndRedux/Rchg(34), Panac-Heal(34)
Level 35: Scramble Thoughts -- Amaze-Stun(A), Amaze-Stun/Rchg(36), Amaze-Acc/Stun/Rchg(36), Amaze-Acc/Rchg(36), Amaze-EndRdx/Stun(37)
Level 38: Dominate -- UbrkCons-Hold(A), UbrkCons-Hold/Rchg(39), UbrkCons-Acc/Hold/Rchg(39), UbrkCons-Acc/Rchg(39), UbrkCons-EndRdx/Hold(40)
Level 41: Mass Hypnosis -- FtnHyp-Sleep(A), FtnHyp-Sleep/Rchg(42), FtnHyp-Acc/Sleep/Rchg(42), FtnHyp-Acc/Rchg(42), FtnHyp-Sleep/EndRdx(43)
Level 44: World of Confusion -- CoPers-Conf(A), CoPers-Conf/Rchg(45), CoPers-Acc/Conf/Rchg(45), CoPers-Acc/Rchg(45), CoPers-Conf/EndRdx(46)
Level 47: [Empty]
Level 49: Resurrect -- RechRdx-I(A)
Level 1: Brawl -- Acc-I(A)
Level 1: Prestige Power Dash -- Empty(A)
Level 1: Prestige Power Slide -- Empty(A)
Level 1: Prestige Power Quick -- Empty(A)
Level 1: Prestige Power Rush -- Empty(A)
Level 1: Prestige Power Surge -- Empty(A)
Level 1: Sprint -- Run-I(A)
Level 1: Vigilance
Level 2: Rest -- RechRdx-I(A)
Level 4: Ninja Run
Level 2: Swift -- Run-I(A)
Level 2: Health -- Heal-I(A)
Level 2: Hurdle -- Jump-I(A)
Level 2: Stamina -- EndMod-I(A)
------------
------------
Set Bonus Totals:
  • 4% DamageBuff(Smashing)
  • 4% DamageBuff(Lethal)
  • 4% DamageBuff(Fire)
  • 4% DamageBuff(Cold)
  • 4% DamageBuff(Energy)
  • 4% DamageBuff(Negative)
  • 4% DamageBuff(Toxic)
  • 4% DamageBuff(Psionic)
  • 2.25% Max End
  • 60% Enhancement(Accuracy)
  • 4% Enhancement(Confused)
  • 5% Enhancement(Sleep)
  • 108.8% Enhancement(RechargeTime)
  • 95.38 HP (9.38%) HitPoints
  • 32.5% (0.54 End/sec) Recovery
  • 50% (2.12 HP/sec) Regeneration
  • 10.08% Resistance(Fire)
  • 10.08% Resistance(Cold)

« Last Edit: June 06, 2014, 09:02:02 PM by chuckv3 »

Felderburg

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Re: REQ: Empathy/Psychic Blast
« Reply #5 on: June 04, 2014, 09:10:07 PM »
I'm going to have to find my build - I had an Emp / Psy that got to 50, and I really enjoyed playing her. I had an ideal build planned out, but not all my Mids' files made it alive to today, it looks like :/
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blacksly

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Re: REQ: Empathy/Psychic Blast
« Reply #6 on: June 05, 2014, 02:11:32 AM »
I had an Emp/Psy Defender... what I noticed was that because the Psy blast attacks are fast animating, it was easy to target a teammate with a heal, then immediately throw a blast out. If they needed healing, odds were great that they were targeting the mob hitting them, so adding extra damage/knockback/sleep to the guy beating up on them, was a lot more important than eking out a last 0.4 second of recharge into the heals.

What I'm saying is... if you're going to be a very active healing Defender, pick a blast set with good fast blasts (Psy, Ice, Fire), make sure you have at least two of the blasts properly slotted, and follow every heal with a blast. Or with Freeze Ray if you really want to be just defensive. IMO, it's both more fun and more efficient for the team.

Aggro issues are a non-issue. You should not pull aggro to you with single-target blasts interspersed with heals (single-target or AoE). If you DO pull a mob to you, by targeting through a damaged teammate... then that teammate probably stopped attacking because they WANT someone to pull the mob off them, and you're doing your job. Or they're mezzed (which shouldn't happen if you're on the ball), and in that case they still want you to pull the mob off them.

Lastly... if you do get onto a team where heals are just unnecessary (and, frankly, a good Tank with Fortitude and Andrenaline Boost up can probably pull an entire team's aggro and survive it), then by slotting the blasts you have something to do other than make sure the tank has Fort and AB up all the time.

And here I am, giving advice in a style as if the game were actually live. Heh. Sigh. :(

chuckv3

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Re: REQ: Empathy/Psychic Blast
« Reply #7 on: June 05, 2014, 04:05:39 PM »
I had an Emp/Psy Defender... what I noticed was that because the Psy blast attacks are fast animating, it was easy to target a teammate with a heal, then immediately throw a blast out. If they needed healing, odds were great that they were targeting the mob hitting them, so adding extra damage/knockback/sleep to the guy beating up on them, was a lot more important than eking out a last 0.4 second of recharge into the heals.

What I'm saying is... if you're going to be a very active healing Defender, pick a blast set with good fast blasts (Psy, Ice, Fire), make sure you have at least two of the blasts properly slotted, and follow every heal with a blast. Or with Freeze Ray if you really want to be just defensive. IMO, it's both more fun and more efficient for the team.

Aggro issues are a non-issue. You should not pull aggro to you with single-target blasts interspersed with heals (single-target or AoE). If you DO pull a mob to you, by targeting through a damaged teammate... then that teammate probably stopped attacking because they WANT someone to pull the mob off them, and you're doing your job. Or they're mezzed (which shouldn't happen if you're on the ball), and in that case they still want you to pull the mob off them.

Lastly... if you do get onto a team where heals are just unnecessary (and, frankly, a good Tank with Fortitude and Andrenaline Boost up can probably pull an entire team's aggro and survive it), then by slotting the blasts you have something to do other than make sure the tank has Fort and AB up all the time.

And here I am, giving advice in a style as if the game were actually live. Heh. Sigh. :(

Yeah. SIGH.

I might re-check my Empathy/Energy build to see if I can trade some damage for more knockback on one of the quick blasts. It would be a nice touch to knock a mob off  a squishy if you're already targeting the squishy for a heal. And if the mob aggroes on me because of it I can throw the same blast to knock them off me.

chuckv3

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Re: REQ: Empathy/Psychic Blast
« Reply #8 on: June 06, 2014, 09:07:34 PM »
Data block for the template I posted above:

Code: [Select]
| Copy & Paste this data into Mids' Hero Designer to view the build |
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|-------------------------------------------------------------------|

blacksly

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Re: REQ: Empathy/Psychic Blast
« Reply #9 on: June 07, 2014, 12:07:46 AM »
Wow, that is a seriously expensive build so far. Though you won't lose much by starting with Doctored Wounds and swapping into the more expensive sets as you get the influence.

That aside, drop Subdue and pick up TK Blast. It a far better set, it doesn't lock you into a shooting animation for as long, and an Immobilize is quite often unnecessary if you're going to fire through a teammate. If they're being healed, odds are that they're being hit in melee or by a Boss... Lts and Minions rarely do that much damage at range. At that point, an Immob is not as useful as a Knockback, to say nothing of the higher damage and faster animation.

Slot that and Will Domination up for damage, and you won't find your healing affected much, while doing far more damage. Heal other, Blast, Heal Other, Blast, etc... you barely lose any time on Heal Other, and you're no longer the dreaded "Heal-only Empath". Especially since those are two of the better blasts available to Defender, and it's a shame to not use them.

Another idea that I used (but I didn't mind aggro) was that if I'm not healing much, I'd throw out the AoEs, Scream and Psynado. They'll help your Recharge with Positron's, and help with damage on teams when the team doesn't need that much healing. As I said, if you have some other defensive characters on the team.. Tanks or Trollers... and you keep AB up on the Trollers, and Fort up on the Tank, they should do a very good job defending the team, and you would be a lot more free to blast freely. If that happens, you'll be happy to have some AoE attacks, and clearly your heals are already fully taken and slotted, so it's not like taking them would be making the healing aspect of the build weaker.

As a side note, if you really want to be a DEFENSIVE Healer, I find Dark Blast the best option. Between an AoE Immob, a -ToHit cone, and an AoE minion Stun, it really reduces incoming damage for the team. And the blasts are as quick as those of Psy Blast (though not as strong as TK Blast and Will Domination).

chuckv3

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Re: REQ: Empathy/Psychic Blast
« Reply #10 on: June 07, 2014, 09:54:43 PM »
Well, it was just a template meant to make a point. Also, I played around in mid's long enough to figure out that 107.5% recharge is the exact point you hit perma-hasten (assuming 3 recharge I/Os in hasten itself). So one of those LotG can be dumped as long as Decimate or Postron's Blast is 5-slotted in one of the ranged or AoE attacks.

Hopefully the OP got some ideas from us here, although I kind of thread-jacked it into a discussion about maxing recharge. Sorry!