The Master Guide

[Deleted]

Introduction: The Master is a very capable self sustaining Tank that can generate and hold threat for team ups. If you enjoy playing tank roles with up close melee style combat, this it the archetype for you.


(All stats are rank 5 mods)

Superstats:
Primary: Constitution
Secondary: Strength/Dexterity

Powers:
Level 1: Vicious Strikes
Level 1: Thundering Kicks (Floating Lotus Blossom, Crippling Challenge**)
Level 6: Thunderbolt Lunge (Nailed to the Ground)
Level 8: Lightning Reflexes (Rank 2, Rank 3)
Level 11: Inexorable Tides
Level 14: Form of the Master (Storm's Eye Prana)
Level 17: Shuriken Storm (Rank 2, Floating Butterfly, Challenging Strikes)
Level 21: Parry (Rank 2*)
Level 25: Masterful Dodge
Level 30: Bountiful Chi Resurgence (Rank 2, Resurgent Reiki)
Level 35: Dragon Kick (Rank 2, Rank 3)
Level 40: Burning Chi Fist (Rank 2, Rank 3, Accelerated Metabolism*)

*Notes: Rank 3 Burning Chi Fist and Rank 2 Parry are more optimal while soloing/tanking, take Fists of Righteous Flame for extra DPS using Thundering Kicks, and Elusive Monk for a more tanking focused build.
**Notes for PVP: Take Crippling Challenge on Thunderbolt Lunge instead, and drop Rank 2 on Parry for Instep Crush on Inexorable Tides.

Talents:
Strength/Endurance
Strength/Dexterity
Strength/Constitution
Endurance/Dexterity
Endurance/Constitution
Dexterity/Constitution

Powers Explanation:
Vicious Strikes: Energy builder, pointless to waste advantage points here.

Thundering Kicks: Floating Lotus Blossom is a means to achieve 8 full stacks of focus very quickly as it can bring your dodge over 100%. Crippling Challenge taken here not only keeps boss aggression on you, but allows you to continuously stack dodge on yourself.

Travel power: Choice of Teleport as an escape power prior to getting Bountiful Chi Resurgence. Substitute with Acrobatics for those that find Teleport annoying or don't PVP.

Thunderbolt Lunge: Nailed to the Ground for flying enemies and PVP. Take Crippling Challenge here instead of Thundering Kicks if you PVP.

Lightning Reflexes: Increases Dodge, Avoidance and resistance to Damage Over Time (DoT). Take Rank 3.

Inexorable Tides: Your melee crowd control attack with fall damage from knock ups. Take Instep Crush for it's root if you PVP.

Parry: Elusive Monk provides an extra ~6% dodge chance at a cost of -10% damage on melee powers, extra dodge is always good to have for a LR tank. Or rank up to turtle up and heal yourself with Bountiful Chi Resurgence.

Shuriken Storm: Range attack for maintaining aggression over a larger group of enemies. Challenging Strikes useful for tanking and keeps enemies on you to process Resurgent Reiki. Floating Butterfly provides an additional 10% dodge while you generate threat on surrounding enemies.

Form of the Master: Storm's Eye Prana reduces the cooldown of Bountiful Chi Resurgence on a successful dodge.

Masterful Dodge: Very useful Active Defense that lowers all incoming damage via dodge and allows you to heal more via BCR's advantage. Unnecessary to rank up.

Bountiful Chi Resurgence: Resurgent Reiki is a self processing tick of healing on a successful dodge, well suited for a dodge tank. Rank 2 for better healing.

Dragon Kick: Rank 3 for optimal damage.

Travel Power: Acrobatics is useful for getting around and moving fast in combat.

Burning Chi Fist: Rank 3 for optimal damage, or take Fists of Righteous Flame for extra DPS using Thundering Kicks while tanking.

Specialisation:
Constitution: Unyielding (1/2)
Constitution: Fuel My Fire (3/3)
Constitution: Resilient (2/2)
Constitution: Adrenaline Rush (2/2)
Constitution: Armored (2/2)
Warden: Fortified Gear (3/3)
Warden: Slaughter (3/3)
Warden: Ruthless (2/2) (optimal) or Elusive (2/2) (playing the Gravitar rampage...)
Warden: The Best Defense (2/3)
Protector: Fortified Gear (3/3)
Protector: Bulwark (2/2)
Protector: Exhausting Strikes (2/2) (optimal) or Debilitating Challenge (2/2) (more tanking focus)
Protector: Resolute (3/3)
Mastery: Protector Mastery (1/1)

Note: Optimal simply means more balanced for soloing as well as tanking.

Gear:
Primary Offense: [Heroic Gloves of Precision] + Gambler's Lucky Gem, Dex x2
Primary Defense: [Heroic Breastplate of Elusiveness] + Gambler's Lucky Gem, Con x2
Primary Utility: [Heroic Helmet of Efficiency] + Gambler's Lucky Gem, End x1, Con x1
Secondary Offense: [Armadillo's Ring]
Secondary Defense: [Armadillo's Boots]
Secondary Utility: [Armadillo's Glasses]

[Kieran]

Ooh, very nice guide - thank you for taking care of it! Very easy to read and full of great info! Awesome job!

[Deleted]

Nov 25, 2011 21:35:24 GMT -5 Kieran said:

Ooh, very nice guide - thank you for taking care of it! Very easy to read and full of great info! Awesome job!

Thanks cradock! Simply doing my part for the Silver community. ;D

[Malchiel]

Couple of questions, it's easier to understand your build with a little more explanation.

1. Without Str as a SS, is inexorable tides still worth it? You're not gonna be able to knock as much. The lack of instep crush means that this is PvE build right? Also, is it necessary to have double challenging strikes? Unless you have someone with really powerful AoE dps, they're probably not gonna pull threat off you just with one CS power.

2. Have you tested the Elusive Monk on parry? I've heard that it does nothing for a LR toon, but just confirming.

3. I feel that you don't need to rank up your form, you're not gonna be doing that much more running around with an extra stack of focus. You're gonna be able to build it easily with LR anyway as long as you hold threat.

4. Wouldn't lashing dragon tail be helpful on Dragon kick? You're gonna be using that attack a lot for the rush buff anyway.

5. The only stats that might be harder to gear for would be CON and PRE. You can get a little bit of STR on your primary offense and some END on your primary utility. Dodge gear takes up your primary defense which mostly just has CON and PRE. Secondaries are much more random and you can find at least +15 of any stat on any secondary if you're lucky enough.

With dodge gear, I can still manage almost 800 overall stats with general AP + Comic gear. In case of noobs, you should probably mention that you need 70 STR to get a chunk more damage, and gear for PRE for tanking and heals or EGO for a bit more DPS.

[Deleted]

Nov 26, 2011 5:34:37 GMT -5 Malchiel said:

1. Without Str as a SS, is inexorable tides still worth it? You're not gonna be able to knock as much. The lack of instep crush means that this is PvE build right? Also, is it necessary to have double challenging strikes? Unless you have someone with really powerful AoE dps, they're probably not gonna pull threat off you just with one CS power.

My decision lies with fast weak mob culling. It has excellent mob control meaning they cant attack you when they are knocked. The alternative is simply yet another single target attack.

I decided Challenging Strikes on both provides a choice for tackling melee and drawing a dispersed mob as per situation demands.

And yes, the Master loses threat more easily than dedicated tanks when around higher than average DPS builds. Even possible to some ATs that aren't Avenger or Brawler roles at times.

Yes, it would be better to add Instep Crush as a choice for PVP/PVE. I'll be sure to do that.

Nov 26, 2011 5:34:37 GMT -5 Malchiel said:

2. Have you tested the Elusive Monk on parry? I've heard that it does nothing for a LR toon, but just confirming.

Tried it 3% dodge/avoidance but a 10% damage debuff. Uneven trade.

Nov 26, 2011 5:34:37 GMT -5 Malchiel said:

3. I feel that you don't need to rank up your form, you're not gonna be doing that much more running around with an extra stack of focus. You're gonna be able to build it easily with LR anyway as long as you hold threat.

But at rank one it's a measly 10% to process focus stacks. Not so effective when you're not getting the aggression you need. It can be left to discretion.

Nov 26, 2011 5:34:37 GMT -5 Malchiel said:

4. Wouldn't lashing dragon tail be helpful on Dragon kick? You're gonna be using that attack a lot for the rush buff anyway.

3% avoidance.

Nov 26, 2011 5:34:37 GMT -5 Malchiel said:

5. The only stats that might be harder to gear for would be CON and PRE. You can get a little bit of STR on your primary offense and some END on your primary utility. Dodge gear takes up your primary defense which mostly just has CON and PRE. Secondaries are much more random and you can find at least +15 of any stat on any secondary if you're lucky enough. With dodge gear, I can still manage almost 800 overall stats with general AP + Comic gear. In case of noobs, you should probably mention that you need 70 STR to get a chunk more damage, and gear for PRE for tanking and heals or EGO for a bit more DPS.

PRE is more of the problem. The protector role gives +25% hit points which makes it possible to go above 8k health regardles of lower CON. Though you lost CON but you can stack it off Secondary Offense and Secondary Utility, leaving Secondary Defense for more PRE. This is not possible if you need to stack too much STR from gear. Hence my talents choice leaves you to stack DEX freely and even REC in Offense gear and a high END with good EGO Primary Utility, for a better spread of stats.

EGO is less important for the Master's role. I have just +27 EGO from gear and an overall 53% Critical Severity is decent enough, considering my near 300 DEX already beefs it up considerably.

Furthermore if take STR on Talents like I suggested, you merely need to take two +20 STR on secondaries for 68 STR. The game rounds it to 69 which is the minimum needed for +20% melee damage bonus.

I'd put the most thought into Talent choices.

[PoochieHellhound]

Nov 26, 2011 6:41:28 GMT -5 @wimpazoid said:

Nov 26, 2011 5:34:37 GMT -5 Malchiel said:

But at rank one it's a measly 10% to process focus stacks. Not so effective when you're not getting the aggression you need. It can be left to discretion.

The only thing Form ranks do is increase your minimum amount of stacks and increase the chance you get another stack when you dodge. You will always get a minimum of one stack.

[Deleted]

Nov 26, 2011 7:34:31 GMT -5 PoochieHellhound said:

The only thing Form ranks do is increase your minimum amount of stacks and increase the chance you get another stack when you dodge. You will always get a minimum of one stack.

Wait... isn't that my point?

[Deleted]

Updated my guide to rephrase. It should be clear that I'm not recommending to have dodge gear but the choice of talents allows better stat spread working with or without dodge gear.

[ruesteur]

Love the Master and thanks so much for the guide! I rely a lot on these things. I know you suggested two Travel Powers, but I was curious what your thoughts on Swinging and its advantage " Flippin' " are. I don't really understand what it does. Please and thank you =0)

[darkforces]

Hey guys, I am new to the forums and I have based all of my chars that I currently have in CO around the amazing guides on this site. ;D I hadn’t seen a Master Guide as of when I made my char so I created my own.
Powers:
Level 1: Vicious Strikes
Level 1: Thundering Kicks (R3) – Thematic
Level 6: Thunderbolt Lunge (Nailed to the Ground, Crippling Challenge) – Good for PvP and PvE
Level 8: Lightning Reflexes (R3)- a must IMO
Level 11: Inexorable Tides (Instep Crush)- Nice rooting power nothing more
Level 14: Parry (R2) - Nice to have some defence
Level 17: Shuriken Storm – I hardly ever use this power unless I am surrounded by 6+ enemies and low on hp
Level 22: Form of the Master (Storm's Eye Prana)- essential to reduce BCR’s recharge time each time u dodge
Level 27: Bountiful Chi Resurgence (R2, Resurgent Reiki)- RR is quite cewl and works well with LR
Level 32: Dragon Kick (R2 +Lashing Dragons Tail) - Good damage at Rank 2 plus a nice dodge buff
Level 40: Burning Chi Fist (R2 + FoRF (fists of righteous fury)) – extra dimensional damage
Travel Powers: (Both of them may not be ideal but they fit thematically with my char)
Flight (R3)
Acrobatics (R3)
Talents:
CON/DEX
CON/PRE
CON/STR
DEX/STR
PRE/DEX
STR/PRE
I chose the above talents as I try to spend talent points on my SS mainly and other stats which I can benefit from. I am planning to get gear which will increase my REC, END and PRE, possibly also STR if it not high enough.
Tell me what you think

[darkforces]

Oh and BTW sorry about it being jumbled up

Um, I reread what was said about Thundering Kicks, I don't at all agree that it gets neglected once you get Inexorable Tides. I still use it as a major form of combat I knock' em down then kick away. I don't think that I will neglect Thundering Kicks ever, then again thats just me.

Also I was wondering the same thing as ruesteur, as to flipping, I know from the wiki that it gives some kind of dodge buff:

While Swinging is active, you gain a bonus to your ability to dodge attacks.
+ 4.2% dodge
+ 21% avoidance

but it doesnt have any advantage points next to it... is this to say it is 0 advantage points? Clarification pls

[Deleted]

darkforces: A guide is what it is, you can't go very wrong if your build already suits you.

Can you recheck your build with and without Lashing Dragon's Tail? I don't think it adds a dodge buff. A +50% avoidance translate to ~3% avoidance only. You may be able to get better use of 2 APs elsewhere.

Yes Instep Crush is very handy and you'll be surprised how many players you can knock and root since there are not as many with SS STR. I have taken down many freeforms in Zombie apocalypse with a combo of Lunge (CC+NTTG) > I Tides (IC) > Dragon Kick spam (only because it activates faster than BCF). It also seems that once you knock on the 1st hit, the 2nd and 3rd is a guarantee, so you can juggle to increased height and greater fall damage. So having a high REC stat to allow this turns this into a devastating AOE attack with an interrupt.

I essentially replaced Thundering kicks with a mix of Inexorable Tides and Dragon Kick. I have enough energy to execute 1 full Dragon kick for Rush on the get go then I spam it for tap AOE kicks, instead of tapping Thundering Kicks.

I did not take Fists of Righteous Flame, because it acts as an opportunity buff, for a maximum of 3 attacks that follow a fully charged Burning Chi Fist (unless combined with Shuriken Storm). Meaning You have a 50% chance for it to add base damage 55 dimensional to any melee attack x3. Halve that chance equates to about 1 full chance to get 55 dmg. Since you need to do a full charge on BCF to process the buff anyway, why not simply get R3 for a guaranteed ~20% more damage from BCF? 20% on a fully charged BCF is significant dmg and R3 applies to even tap dmg for BCR. Since you hardly use Shuriken Storm, the advantage may not be as useful to you. And since a full charge BCF takes a chunk out of your energy, following up with a full maintain Shuriken Storm is not always possible, rendering the advantage less useful. Fists of Righteous Flame is basically an advantage for The Fist AT with One Hundred Hands attack that does 2 attacks per 0.5s. That combo Full charge BCF + One Hundred Hands can plow through master and super villians in the blink of an eye.

By the description, it seems you'll likely get +4.2% dodge and ~1% avoidance on Flippin.

Edit:
I took the liberty to show what stacking 3 Inexorable knocks can do. Basically 1917 damage to the test dummy is more than a R3 Dragon Kick (sans crits) does to it on a full charge, plus you get the 3x ~400 damage hit from normal damage. Added bonus is fall damage has no dodge mitigation (ie for PVP). And executing 3x Inexorable Tides isn't much longer than a full charge Dragon Kick.

[darkforces]

oh no! >.< I wasnt attacking your build it was just my opinion ^^. TBH my Master is only lvl 30 so I dnt even have some of the advantage points/ powers yet. That was just my build that I was working on. I will check, once I get DK if I get avoidance which is necessary. From the picture, you have shown of Tammy, I can clearly see that u cld probs pwn all of my lvl 40's lol . Also I am currently using my sisters chars and account, coz I cldnt make strong heroes properly. I was just wondering how on earth you managed to have ur stats that high (especially ur SS) without getting talents for them !!.

I think what I will do is to continue to lvl her to lvl 40, with my build then retcon to something similar to ur talents and ranks, to see if I am more awesome . I will however change the R2+ advantage on BCF and DK to R3, as after reading ur explanation I understand it better.

Thanks ;D

[Deleted]

No offence taken, since I wasn't under the impression. What I simply meant is a guide is merely a reference, one can for example move around quite a few APs if not going for a tanking build and still be the better for it.

You may notice my secondaries are all duplicates, they are from farming the Serpent Lantern adventure pack. And I have one piece of PVP gear from my time playing Tammy in ZA and UTC cage Hero games.

As I explained earlier, my talent choices allows me to stack gear that focuses on getting particular stats high.

Enjoy playing your Master, it is very good AT.

[Deleted]

Made a change from R2 Shuriken Storm to R2 Parry since Shuriken Storm as a tanking tool is essentially covered by Challenging Strikes and Floating Butterfly. Added closing suggestion for non-tanking build on where to redistribute points.