The Unleashed: Spinning Blades All Day (Archetype Review)
Feb 28, 2023 1:45:18 GMT -5
shamble likes this
Post by Shapey on Feb 28, 2023 1:45:18 GMT -5
Hello Champions! In recent times I've come across a lot of talk of archetypes being rather dysfunctional. There is some merit to that, truth be told, but is that the case of all of them? Not at all! It's been a thought of mine for a while to look into archetypes and give my own two cents of how to work with them, starting with the free ones available to all players. So, who's first? The Unleashed!
The Unleashed comes as follows;
Super Stats
○ Dexterity (Primary, Level 6)○ Recovery (Level 10)
○ Strength (Level 15)
○ The Unleashed Innate Trait (+10 Dex/Rec/Str, +8 Int)
Powers
Energy Builder: Rain of Steel (Innate)
Power 2: Blade Tempest (Innate)
Power 3: Form of the Tempest (Level 6)
Power 4: Way of the Warrior (Level 8)
Power 5: Force Snap or Strike Down (Level 11)
Power 6: Force Eruption or Eye of the Storm (Level 14)
Power 7: Bountiful Chi Resurgence or Mind Wipe (Level 17)
Power 8: Dragon's Wrath (Level 21)
Power 9: Force Shield (Level 25)
Power 10: Relentless (Level 30)
Power 11: Intensity or Field Surge (Level 35)
Power 12: Containment Field or Force Geyser (Level 40)
Specializations
○ Dexterity (Level 10)
○ Warden (Level 20)
○ Vindicator (Level 30)
One may look at this setup and think, alright, dual blades and force powers. But how much of what is really necessary? How do you do well with this AT? The answer lies in your role: Melee damage. Lets take a look at the optional power selections and see how they compare to each other.
Force Snap vs Strike Down
This is the first choice you get and the game asking how you'd like to engage your target; pulling them to you, or lunging at them yourself? One might leave this up to taste, but there is a very important distinction between the two: Force Snap has access to more advantages than Strike Down. Strike Down is incredibly simplistic in function; you charge the target, you hit the target, power goes on its very short cooldown. Advantages don't capitalize this in meaningful ways, as it has no unique advantages, only ones found on several other powers. Meanwhile, Force Snap has access to a vital sustain tool: Restoration. The Recharge advantage on it is the only place that The Unleashed can get restoration (For reference, Restoration is a short buff that heals you over time, more so if you're low on HP). On top of this, the Entropic Collapse advantage can briefly stun up to 5 targets around whoever you use it on, should you take it.
Force Eruption vs Eye of the Storm
The second choice is asking how you want to perform your AoE (Or, an extra way, as Blade Tempest itself is an AoE). To put it simply, Force Eruption is for the sake of utility, Eye of the Storm would prove far better for both damage and survival. Force Eruption is classified as Ranged Damage and will knock foes away from you, making it on effective as a "back off" tool, with the Gravitational Polarity advantage being only a minor benefit, as the rest of the kit makes energy management easier already. Eye of the Storm, meanwhile, is classified as Melee Damage and thus will scale far better with the setup, on top of the fact it generates a barrier on you while maintained. This barrier accounts for your defenses, so it can be a serious boon if you need to sponge up damage.
Bountiful Chi Resurgence vs Mind Wipe
Unfortunately, the third choice pits you against being more comfortable in content alone and having more viability in endgame situations. Bountiful Chi Resurgence will heal you over time, a longer time though perhaps less than Restoration, not to mention it reduces your damage during said duration, but being able to heal as archetypes can always make things easier. Mind Wipe, meanwhile, wipes all threat from your target and makes you invisible for 3 seconds, allowing you to run if you need to. This tool gets extremely important in endgame content, specifically Cosmics, so it can be a tough choice on which you should choose.
Intensity vs Field Surge
The fourth choice asks you if you want an offensive or defensive cooldown. This one mostly goes to preference, but Field Surge does not account for Defense, so it isn't a very good defensive cooldown.
Containment Field vs Force Geyser
The fifth and final choice is a very easy one. Containment Field is broadly considered a bad power, and the use of it here is discouraged by the role itself (Damage roles have a -20% Hold Strength Penalty). Force Geyser may not provide much to the kit, but it can be more useful than Containment Field.
Bearing all this in mind, how would I build it? How would I play The Unleashed? Allow me to fill in the gaps:
Talents
○ +8 Dexterity
○ +8 Recovery
○ +8 Strength
○ +5/5 Dex/Rec
○ +5/5 Str/Rec
○ +5/5 Dex/Str
Powers
Energy Builder: Rain of Steel
Power 2: Blade Tempest (Rank 2, Rank 3, Accelerated Metabolism)
Power 3: Form of the Tempest
Power 4: Way of the Warrior (Rank 2, Rank 3)
Power 5: Force Snap (Recharge, Entropic Collapse)
Power 6: Eye of the Storm (Rank 2, Rank 3)
Power 7: Mind Wipe
Power 8: Dragon's Wrath (Rank 2, Tiger's Courage)
Power 9: Force Shield (Rank 2, Rank 3)
Power 10: Relentless
Power 11: Intensity (Rank 2, Rage of the Beast)
Power 12: Force Geyser (Entropy Field, Nailed to the Ground)
Specializations
Dexterity
○ Gear Utilization (3/3)
○ Power Swell (2/2)
○ Deadly Aim (3/3)
○ Expose Weakness (2/2)
Warden
○ Fortified Gear (3/3)
○ Slaughter (3/3)
○ Ruthless (2/2)
○ Elusive (2/2)
Vindicator
○ Aggressive Stance (2/2)
○ Merciless (3/3)
○ The Rush of Battle (2/3)
○ Mass Destruction (3/3)
Warden Mastery
Travel Powers
Take some sort of speed (Super Speed or Athletics) to make up for the lack of a lunge. Rank to 3, as usual.
○ +8 Dexterity
○ +8 Recovery
○ +8 Strength
○ +5/5 Dex/Rec
○ +5/5 Str/Rec
○ +5/5 Dex/Str
Powers
Energy Builder: Rain of Steel
Power 2: Blade Tempest (Rank 2, Rank 3, Accelerated Metabolism)
Power 3: Form of the Tempest
Power 4: Way of the Warrior (Rank 2, Rank 3)
Power 5: Force Snap (Recharge, Entropic Collapse)
Power 6: Eye of the Storm (Rank 2, Rank 3)
Power 7: Mind Wipe
Power 8: Dragon's Wrath (Rank 2, Tiger's Courage)
Power 9: Force Shield (Rank 2, Rank 3)
Power 10: Relentless
Power 11: Intensity (Rank 2, Rage of the Beast)
Power 12: Force Geyser (Entropy Field, Nailed to the Ground)
Specializations
Dexterity
○ Gear Utilization (3/3)
○ Power Swell (2/2)
○ Deadly Aim (3/3)
○ Expose Weakness (2/2)
Warden
○ Fortified Gear (3/3)
○ Slaughter (3/3)
○ Ruthless (2/2)
○ Elusive (2/2)
Vindicator
○ Aggressive Stance (2/2)
○ Merciless (3/3)
○ The Rush of Battle (2/3)
○ Mass Destruction (3/3)
Warden Mastery
Travel Powers
Take some sort of speed (Super Speed or Athletics) to make up for the lack of a lunge. Rank to 3, as usual.
Gear
Starting:
○ Critical Severity Primary Offense with Dexterity mods and a Gambler's Lucky Gem
○ Greater Health Primary Defense with Dexterity mods and a Growth Amulet
○ Efficiency Primary Utility with Dexterity mods and a Gambler's Lucky Gem
○ +20 Rec/+47 Crit Secondary Offense (Transgression Belt), +20/20 Rec/Str Secondary Defense/Utility (Warlord's)
Ending:
○ Distinguished Offense Gloves with Dexterity mods and Soviet Guard's Resolution mods.
○ Distinguished Freedom Armor with Dexterity mods and Growth Amulets
○ Distinguished Efficiency Helm with Dexterity mods, Dragon's Fangs, and a Gambler's Lucky Gem
○ Onslaught Gloves of the Slicer with a Dex/Rec mod (Critical Determination Belt if not applicable)
○ Onslaught Tights of Fitness with a Dex/Rec mod (Armored Heart of Determination if not applicable)
○ Onslaught Efficiency Helm with a Dex/Rec mod (Bolstering Eyepiece of Determination if not applicable)
Gameplan
As many options as the Unleashed has, the way it does damage best is rather... simple. Blade Tempest spamming is the best means of damage for this archetype, which is why the specializations favor combos as much as possible. In both single target and AoE, keep hammering away at your combo, but if you end up in trouble, a quick Force Snap into Eye of the Storm barrier should provide you with some breathing room. Similarly, if you plan on engaging a group alone, you can Force Snap something to trip everything then jump in to hold Eye of the Storm wear down the health of the group while keeping a good amount of your own before swapping into Blade Tempest. When fighting particularly sturdy enemies, peppering in a Dragon's Wrath now and then could prove useful, but for the most part, you'll want to stick to the combo. Spamming Dragon's Wrath will quickly drain your energy if you aren't getting critical hits. Use Intensity as fit to ramp up your damage a bit or to get out of a hold in a hurry.
Starting:
○ Critical Severity Primary Offense with Dexterity mods and a Gambler's Lucky Gem
○ Greater Health Primary Defense with Dexterity mods and a Growth Amulet
○ Efficiency Primary Utility with Dexterity mods and a Gambler's Lucky Gem
○ +20 Rec/+47 Crit Secondary Offense (Transgression Belt), +20/20 Rec/Str Secondary Defense/Utility (Warlord's)
Ending:
○ Distinguished Offense Gloves with Dexterity mods and Soviet Guard's Resolution mods.
○ Distinguished Freedom Armor with Dexterity mods and Growth Amulets
○ Distinguished Efficiency Helm with Dexterity mods, Dragon's Fangs, and a Gambler's Lucky Gem
○ Onslaught Gloves of the Slicer with a Dex/Rec mod (Critical Determination Belt if not applicable)
○ Onslaught Tights of Fitness with a Dex/Rec mod (Armored Heart of Determination if not applicable)
○ Onslaught Efficiency Helm with a Dex/Rec mod (Bolstering Eyepiece of Determination if not applicable)
Gameplan
As many options as the Unleashed has, the way it does damage best is rather... simple. Blade Tempest spamming is the best means of damage for this archetype, which is why the specializations favor combos as much as possible. In both single target and AoE, keep hammering away at your combo, but if you end up in trouble, a quick Force Snap into Eye of the Storm barrier should provide you with some breathing room. Similarly, if you plan on engaging a group alone, you can Force Snap something to trip everything then jump in to hold Eye of the Storm wear down the health of the group while keeping a good amount of your own before swapping into Blade Tempest. When fighting particularly sturdy enemies, peppering in a Dragon's Wrath now and then could prove useful, but for the most part, you'll want to stick to the combo. Spamming Dragon's Wrath will quickly drain your energy if you aren't getting critical hits. Use Intensity as fit to ramp up your damage a bit or to get out of a hold in a hurry.
Other notes
You'll have 2 free advantage points with how I built this, I couldn't think of any practical use for them, so you could very well rank 3 your other travel power, or take the advantage on one. The Unleashed, being tied to Dexterity primary while having no Constitution, is not going to be a very sturdy, so using your means of recovery are important to survival without a healer. It might be worth carrying healing devices as well.
You'll have 2 free advantage points with how I built this, I couldn't think of any practical use for them, so you could very well rank 3 your other travel power, or take the advantage on one. The Unleashed, being tied to Dexterity primary while having no Constitution, is not going to be a very sturdy, so using your means of recovery are important to survival without a healer. It might be worth carrying healing devices as well.
Overall, my opinion of the Unleashed is that it isn't as glamorous as other archetypes, after a few different setups I found that the best way it does damage is just pressing 1 button until the thing dies, but considering it can at least perform its role decently, it's a useful AT. Give it a shot if you'd like, it's free to all players and it can do a lot of mob mowing.
As before and always, thank you for reading.