Post by nintova on May 9, 2011 14:53:36 GMT -5
This is a build that has evolved from an attempt at a denial build. If you're interested you can find that thread here --->
champions-online.proboards.com/index.cgi?board=gameguides&action=display&thread=692
Warning! This build is dynamic at this point and subject to change. Where applicable I'll note the change and why. Since I am a new player I thought this would be a good way to see the evolution of a build. I've started with a good rough draft, and now, through game play, it's evolving into what I, personally, want it to do. At the end of the day it needs to be fun, and this has certainly been that.
Chief Stormcrow - Pointy Sticks bring all the Chicks!
www.champions-online.com/character_profiles/5462061/view
Superstats:
Level 6: Super Dexterity
Level 13: Super Intelligence
Powers:
Level 1: Strafe -- Aversion
Level 1: Straight Shot
Level 6: Evasive Maneuvers -- Sleight Of Mind
Level 6: Swinging -- Flippin', Rank 2
Level 8: Quarry -- Rank 3, Rank 2
Level 11: Storm Of Arrows -- Achilles' Heel
Level 14: Form of the Tempest -- Rank 2
Level 17: Dragon's Claws -- Rank 3, Rank 2
Level 20: Bountiful Chi Resurgence -- Resurgent Reiki, Rank 2
Level 23: Masterful Dodge -- Rank 2
Level 26: Dragon Kick -- Lashing Dragon's Tail
Best guess at this point: 5/16/2011 -- See below however...
Level 29: Parry -- The Elusive Monk
Level 32: Explosive Arrow -- Where's The Kaboom?, Rank 2
Level 35: Lock N Load -- Two Smoking Barrels
Level 35: Teleport
Level 38: Molecular Self-Assembly
Talents:
Level 1: Quick Trigger
Level 6: Accurate
Level 9: Coordinated
Level 12: Shooter
Level 15: Martial Training
Level 18: Covert Ops Training
Level 21: Worldly
The Skinny:
Strafe : With Aversion it gives my energy builder a chance to layer defense. It scales off of my SS intelligence.
Straight Shot : This a a good ranged pull skill that hits reasonably hard at low levels. It will remain useful throughout the builds life as it is also a tap debuff as well because of Crippling Challenge. This ability can be charged while on the move making it a great kiting tool at low levels. Crippling Challenge has been removed to allow for advantages that will get more mileage.
Evasive Maneuvers : This is another way to layer defense as well as a way to create distance when I need to. With Sleight of Mind (can somebody please tell me what the hell happened to I before E except after C here?? Anyone??Anyone?? Ferris?) it gives a 50% chance to wipe all threat and gives 3 seconds of stealth. Keep in mind that this is a linear egress ability. When you use it, you have no control of it, you flip backwards 40'. If you are near a ledge, I hope you have time to stop the fall. Also, be aware of your surroundings. Accidentally pulling aggro from another nearby group is a real possibility. I am considering taking Sleight of Mind out and putting Split the Arrow in Straight Shot. Having two debuffs on a skill I will use often makes sense. This would be the first debuff as Critical Challenge has been removed.
Swinging : This power can be left on while fighting. I love it now that I can use it reasonably well. Being able to create vertical distance and still attack is loads of fun. It has exceptional air control while free falling from a swing. With Flippin' it is another layer of defense. Remember, tap Jump then hold the jump button to initiate the swing. Use long swings to build height, releasing at the top of the swing and letting your Hero "drift" upwards. At the top of the "drift" you'll just hit and hold jump again. Rinse and repeat. Shorter swings will make you move with speed from place to place. Finally use rapid short "jumps" in a tight circle to descend rapidly over a location or use the same style in a straight line to gradually lose altitude faster. It took me a while to figure that out so giving my experience here.
Quarry : This does several things for this build. First it increases physical damage by a fair amount. It gives a small resistance to non physical damage types. It improves Dodge chance that scales off Chief Stormcrows super stats. Finally, it gives a short term buff called Audacity that boosts avoidance slightly and also gives a slight bump to Intelligence as well as ego by a % of my Intelligence every time I attack with a non energy building attack. It can build up to 3 stacks. This will boost Chief Stormcrows critical severity slightly which fits in quite nicely.
Storm of Arrows : The beauty of this is it's a maintain, meaning it doesn't charge up, it charges down. You can tap it for the root effect given by Achilles' Heel , but may need to do it several times to get everyone. At this point I use it for it's full length while closing into energy builder range, then finish off stragglers ( if there are only 1 or 2 ) with quick bursts ( minimally charged ) of Straight Shot. If there are several ( think undead in Canada ) then I let a full burst go again when my energy is full. From my experience so far the root is reliable and works more often than not on a quick pulse. This can also be used while moving, jumping ( including swinging! ) and crits a fair bit. It's a low level root however and mobs that have a closing attack ignore the root if they use that ability. Something to think about. Still a staple of my build though, to this point ( level 18 )
Form of the Tempest : This form gives a stack of Focus every time you score a critical hit. There is a 20% chance an additional stack will be applied. It also gives a small amount of energy back every 4 seconds. The amount of energy returned scales off of Dex which happens to be a SS for Chief Stormcrow. It gets to 8 stacks rather quickly with Storm of Arrows
Dragon's Claws : This is Chief Stormcrows melee attack, and it is a doozy. It does more than one thing. It gives a boost to critical severity. It can apply stacks of Rush ( up to 8 ) that reduce the cost of all powers for a short time and gives a boost to energy regen per stack of Focus Chief Stormcrow has. This works hand in hand with Quarry and Lock N Load. This could be exchanged for something else if you wanted, but I like to get down and dirty sometimes and this one fills that bill spectacularly. I wouldn't trade this for the world. WOW! It hits like a freight train and the energy return is significant. One shots anything below a boss level and so far it takes 3 shots for the toughest bosses I've encountered. The energy returns are so good I may push Molecular Self-Assembly further back in the build to get my self heal sooner. Ranks into Dragon's Claws should keep the damage improving for a bit. This power satisfies my "Oooo big numbers!!" Itch. Last night at level 22 I smacked someone for a shade over 3k damage. Daddy like!
Molecular Self-Assembly | Bountiful Chi Resurgence : This gives an immediate small heal over time. With Resurgent Reiki it adds a heal over time every time you dodge an incoming attack. Coupled with Masterful Dodge this is a wonderful thing. You will do slightly less damage for the 16 seconds this is active. It has a 15 second cool down. Molecular Self-Assembly has been pushed back. I took Bountiful Chi Resurgence at 20 and honestly it was the right choice. My ability to take on minion rushes while fighting a boss became guaranteed as opposed to one bad break equals "the walk of shame". At first, I had put in Dragon Kick with Lashing Dragon Tail. My thought was that having only one melee attack doesn't serve Parry very well, as it only triggers off of MELEE attacks (At least in my testing) I really enjoyed opening with Dragon Kick to get some good damage on the crowd in front of me and stun them for a sec (good interrupt ability if fully charged) Tap Storm of Arrows (which is like a stun as well since the mobs look at their feet for a sec forgetting to attack you even when you're in melee range). This pins the irritating run n shoot mobs (VIPER weenies, I'm looking at you!) I then rapidly use Dragon's Claw to reduce the crowd to a bunch of beaten and bruised losers. I'm thinking about putting Dragon Kick back in, more than likely at the expense of Smoke Grenade. Time will tell.
Masterful Dodge : This is a beautiful skill that increases Chief Stormcrows survivability significantly. It gives a 15 second damage reduction, HUGE dodge boost and a sizable avoidance boost. This has a 90 second cool down. As advertised, this is really an "I win" button if you have Bountiful Chi Resurgence with Resurgent Reiki. My play style changed a bit when I took this. I did get too cocky and paid the price a few times before I started understanding what was a reasonable pull for me at this gear level (which is pretty poor truth be told)
There is a shake up from this point on. As a dynamic, learn as I go build, this has been fun so far. I have solo'd every mission in each area up to and including the Bosses. I've only had one tough go of it and it was more to do with my tactics in the situation than the builds ability to handle it all. To this point it has been a blast, and has handled everything I've asked it to do. I changed zones when the bread crumb quests have led me away which has been a nice change of scenery. Chief Stormcrow in the wild west desert has been thematically too much fun.
Since I've upped the survivability of the build the last few levels I think I'm going to put either Explosive Arrow in or take Dragon Kick @ 26. I should hit that tonight.
Dragon Kick : This is a cone attack that is another source of the Rush buff. It's a fast charging attack that will stun mobs on a full charge. With Lashing Dragon Tail it adds another layer of defense providing a +50% avoidance buff for 12 seconds.
So I've been able to play this weekend and made 27 in short order. I took Dragon Kick and I love it. It is a smooth, fast charging skill that works flawless within the confines of my build. Having a melee aoe feels right and with it's ability to give Rush and stun for a shot time, it is everything I had remembered at the lower levels. I could not be happier. I've continued running solo and have been doing so on Elite. I've died once since doing that and it was from a cat in the lap not a flaw in the build ( I WISH I was kidding . . . )
I have been thinking about what is working in my build so far and how I've been playing it. Lost in the shuffle is Straight Shot. I don't think I've used it in 3 levels now. It was integral in Stormcrows early levels but was replaced fairly quickly. I play this build at a very very fast pace and with the aoe/root and the aoe/stun plus the single target nuke and the energy builder I'm just not certain I can ( or want ) to fit in another attack. At this point I am seriously thinking of taking Retaliation, as suggested and dropping Explosive Arrow in favor of Pounce ( or something similar ) The extra points would go into Dragon Kick since it's damage is nearly as good as Dragon's Claws (without the crits of course) and sees a lot of use.
Maybe something like this:
Chief Stormcrow: Level 40 Champion
Superstats:
Level 6: Super Dexterity
Level 13: Super Intelligence
Powers:
Level 1: Strafe -- Aversion
Level 1: Straight Shot
Level 6: Evasive Maneuvers -- Sleight Of Mind
Level 6: Swinging -- Flippin'
Level 8: Quarry -- Rank 2, Rank 3
Level 11: Storm Of Arrows -- Achilles' Heel
Level 14: Form of the Tempest -- Rank 2
Level 17: Dragon's Claws -- Rank 2, Rank 3
Level 20: Bountiful Chi Resurgence -- Resurgent Reiki, Rank 2
Level 23: Masterful Dodge -- Rank 2, Unfettered Strikes
Level 26: Dragon Kick -- Lashing Dragon Tail, Rank 2
Level 29: Retaliation -- Rank 2
Level 32: Lock N Load -- Two Smoking Barrels, Rank 2
Level 35: Pounce
Level 35: Teleport
Level 38: Molecular Self-Assembly
Talents:
Level 1: Quick Trigger
Level 6: Accurate
Level 9: Coordinated
Level 12: Shooter
Level 15: Martial Training
Level 18: Covert Ops Training
Level 21: Worldly
Best guess at this point: 5/16/2011
Parry : This is a block power that is a bit different than the normal block powers you may have encountered. For 2 seconds after you activate this power you can reflect damage back to the attacker ( up to a set amount ). Once you have reflected any damage it wont happen again for 6 seconds. With The Elusive Monk advantage, things are a bit different, however. Now, when you make an attack it increases your Dodge, Avoidance and Knock resistance for a few seconds at the expense of slightly lower damage. This is a passive advantage.
Explosive Arrow : Lets face it, we all like things that go boom. In the case of L' Trimm, Tigra and Bunny like the Cars that go Boom www.youtube.com/watch?v=BaeNelsAOGo.
Well, who can blame them.
I took the advantage Where's the Kaboom? with the thought it would be like a delayed blast fireball ( yes, I played D&D ... my geek-a-tude knows NO bounds ) If I don't care for it I'll swap it for the 3rd rank. It's an AOE with a DoT. Two of my favorite things in the MMO world.
Lock N Load : This is a damage builder that is like mana from the gods .. or a coke bottle from an airplane. To each their own. For 12 seconds it makes everything about this build better. It reduces the cost of all powers by a slight amount (-27%), increases the critical chance of all powers by a slight amount (+8.3%) and it makes all of the archery attacks more damaging (+47%). If that wasn't good enough the 90 second cooldown is reduces by 2 seconds for every melee attack that hits.
Teleport : This is a way to stealth in missions or a way to evac if the poo hits the rotating device.
Smoke Grenade | Molecular Self-Assembly : This is a passive energy builder that gives an energy rush when abilities ( except travel powers ) come off of recharge. This scales with intelligence and recovery. Smoke Grenade, you are the weakest link. Goodbye.
champions-online.proboards.com/index.cgi?board=gameguides&action=display&thread=692
Warning! This build is dynamic at this point and subject to change. Where applicable I'll note the change and why. Since I am a new player I thought this would be a good way to see the evolution of a build. I've started with a good rough draft, and now, through game play, it's evolving into what I, personally, want it to do. At the end of the day it needs to be fun, and this has certainly been that.
Chief Stormcrow - Pointy Sticks bring all the Chicks!
www.champions-online.com/character_profiles/5462061/view
Superstats:
Level 6: Super Dexterity
Level 13: Super Intelligence
Powers:
Level 1: Strafe -- Aversion
Level 1: Straight Shot
Level 6: Evasive Maneuvers -- Sleight Of Mind
Level 6: Swinging -- Flippin', Rank 2
Level 8: Quarry -- Rank 3, Rank 2
Level 11: Storm Of Arrows -- Achilles' Heel
Level 14: Form of the Tempest -- Rank 2
Level 17: Dragon's Claws -- Rank 3, Rank 2
Level 20: Bountiful Chi Resurgence -- Resurgent Reiki, Rank 2
Level 23: Masterful Dodge -- Rank 2
Level 26: Dragon Kick -- Lashing Dragon's Tail
Best guess at this point: 5/16/2011 -- See below however...
Level 29: Parry -- The Elusive Monk
Level 32: Explosive Arrow -- Where's The Kaboom?, Rank 2
Level 35: Lock N Load -- Two Smoking Barrels
Level 35: Teleport
Level 38: Molecular Self-Assembly
Talents:
Level 1: Quick Trigger
Level 6: Accurate
Level 9: Coordinated
Level 12: Shooter
Level 15: Martial Training
Level 18: Covert Ops Training
Level 21: Worldly
The Skinny:
Strafe : With Aversion it gives my energy builder a chance to layer defense. It scales off of my SS intelligence.
Straight Shot : This a a good ranged pull skill that hits reasonably hard at low levels. It will remain useful throughout the builds life as it is also a tap debuff as well because of Crippling Challenge. This ability can be charged while on the move making it a great kiting tool at low levels. Crippling Challenge has been removed to allow for advantages that will get more mileage.
Evasive Maneuvers : This is another way to layer defense as well as a way to create distance when I need to. With Sleight of Mind (can somebody please tell me what the hell happened to I before E except after C here?? Anyone??Anyone?? Ferris?) it gives a 50% chance to wipe all threat and gives 3 seconds of stealth. Keep in mind that this is a linear egress ability. When you use it, you have no control of it, you flip backwards 40'. If you are near a ledge, I hope you have time to stop the fall. Also, be aware of your surroundings. Accidentally pulling aggro from another nearby group is a real possibility. I am considering taking Sleight of Mind out and putting Split the Arrow in Straight Shot. Having two debuffs on a skill I will use often makes sense. This would be the first debuff as Critical Challenge has been removed.
Swinging : This power can be left on while fighting. I love it now that I can use it reasonably well. Being able to create vertical distance and still attack is loads of fun. It has exceptional air control while free falling from a swing. With Flippin' it is another layer of defense. Remember, tap Jump then hold the jump button to initiate the swing. Use long swings to build height, releasing at the top of the swing and letting your Hero "drift" upwards. At the top of the "drift" you'll just hit and hold jump again. Rinse and repeat. Shorter swings will make you move with speed from place to place. Finally use rapid short "jumps" in a tight circle to descend rapidly over a location or use the same style in a straight line to gradually lose altitude faster. It took me a while to figure that out so giving my experience here.
Quarry : This does several things for this build. First it increases physical damage by a fair amount. It gives a small resistance to non physical damage types. It improves Dodge chance that scales off Chief Stormcrows super stats. Finally, it gives a short term buff called Audacity that boosts avoidance slightly and also gives a slight bump to Intelligence as well as ego by a % of my Intelligence every time I attack with a non energy building attack. It can build up to 3 stacks. This will boost Chief Stormcrows critical severity slightly which fits in quite nicely.
Storm of Arrows : The beauty of this is it's a maintain, meaning it doesn't charge up, it charges down. You can tap it for the root effect given by Achilles' Heel , but may need to do it several times to get everyone. At this point I use it for it's full length while closing into energy builder range, then finish off stragglers ( if there are only 1 or 2 ) with quick bursts ( minimally charged ) of Straight Shot. If there are several ( think undead in Canada ) then I let a full burst go again when my energy is full. From my experience so far the root is reliable and works more often than not on a quick pulse. This can also be used while moving, jumping ( including swinging! ) and crits a fair bit. It's a low level root however and mobs that have a closing attack ignore the root if they use that ability. Something to think about. Still a staple of my build though, to this point ( level 18 )
Form of the Tempest : This form gives a stack of Focus every time you score a critical hit. There is a 20% chance an additional stack will be applied. It also gives a small amount of energy back every 4 seconds. The amount of energy returned scales off of Dex which happens to be a SS for Chief Stormcrow. It gets to 8 stacks rather quickly with Storm of Arrows
Dragon's Claws : This is Chief Stormcrows melee attack, and it is a doozy. It does more than one thing. It gives a boost to critical severity. It can apply stacks of Rush ( up to 8 ) that reduce the cost of all powers for a short time and gives a boost to energy regen per stack of Focus Chief Stormcrow has. This works hand in hand with Quarry and Lock N Load. This could be exchanged for something else if you wanted, but I like to get down and dirty sometimes and this one fills that bill spectacularly. I wouldn't trade this for the world. WOW! It hits like a freight train and the energy return is significant. One shots anything below a boss level and so far it takes 3 shots for the toughest bosses I've encountered. The energy returns are so good I may push Molecular Self-Assembly further back in the build to get my self heal sooner. Ranks into Dragon's Claws should keep the damage improving for a bit. This power satisfies my "Oooo big numbers!!" Itch. Last night at level 22 I smacked someone for a shade over 3k damage. Daddy like!
Molecular Self-Assembly | Bountiful Chi Resurgence : This gives an immediate small heal over time. With Resurgent Reiki it adds a heal over time every time you dodge an incoming attack. Coupled with Masterful Dodge this is a wonderful thing. You will do slightly less damage for the 16 seconds this is active. It has a 15 second cool down. Molecular Self-Assembly has been pushed back. I took Bountiful Chi Resurgence at 20 and honestly it was the right choice. My ability to take on minion rushes while fighting a boss became guaranteed as opposed to one bad break equals "the walk of shame". At first, I had put in Dragon Kick with Lashing Dragon Tail. My thought was that having only one melee attack doesn't serve Parry very well, as it only triggers off of MELEE attacks (At least in my testing) I really enjoyed opening with Dragon Kick to get some good damage on the crowd in front of me and stun them for a sec (good interrupt ability if fully charged) Tap Storm of Arrows (which is like a stun as well since the mobs look at their feet for a sec forgetting to attack you even when you're in melee range). This pins the irritating run n shoot mobs (VIPER weenies, I'm looking at you!) I then rapidly use Dragon's Claw to reduce the crowd to a bunch of beaten and bruised losers. I'm thinking about putting Dragon Kick back in, more than likely at the expense of Smoke Grenade. Time will tell.
Masterful Dodge : This is a beautiful skill that increases Chief Stormcrows survivability significantly. It gives a 15 second damage reduction, HUGE dodge boost and a sizable avoidance boost. This has a 90 second cool down. As advertised, this is really an "I win" button if you have Bountiful Chi Resurgence with Resurgent Reiki. My play style changed a bit when I took this. I did get too cocky and paid the price a few times before I started understanding what was a reasonable pull for me at this gear level (which is pretty poor truth be told)
There is a shake up from this point on. As a dynamic, learn as I go build, this has been fun so far. I have solo'd every mission in each area up to and including the Bosses. I've only had one tough go of it and it was more to do with my tactics in the situation than the builds ability to handle it all. To this point it has been a blast, and has handled everything I've asked it to do. I changed zones when the bread crumb quests have led me away which has been a nice change of scenery. Chief Stormcrow in the wild west desert has been thematically too much fun.
Since I've upped the survivability of the build the last few levels I think I'm going to put either Explosive Arrow in or take Dragon Kick @ 26. I should hit that tonight.
Dragon Kick : This is a cone attack that is another source of the Rush buff. It's a fast charging attack that will stun mobs on a full charge. With Lashing Dragon Tail it adds another layer of defense providing a +50% avoidance buff for 12 seconds.
So I've been able to play this weekend and made 27 in short order. I took Dragon Kick and I love it. It is a smooth, fast charging skill that works flawless within the confines of my build. Having a melee aoe feels right and with it's ability to give Rush and stun for a shot time, it is everything I had remembered at the lower levels. I could not be happier. I've continued running solo and have been doing so on Elite. I've died once since doing that and it was from a cat in the lap not a flaw in the build ( I WISH I was kidding . . . )
I have been thinking about what is working in my build so far and how I've been playing it. Lost in the shuffle is Straight Shot. I don't think I've used it in 3 levels now. It was integral in Stormcrows early levels but was replaced fairly quickly. I play this build at a very very fast pace and with the aoe/root and the aoe/stun plus the single target nuke and the energy builder I'm just not certain I can ( or want ) to fit in another attack. At this point I am seriously thinking of taking Retaliation, as suggested and dropping Explosive Arrow in favor of Pounce ( or something similar ) The extra points would go into Dragon Kick since it's damage is nearly as good as Dragon's Claws (without the crits of course) and sees a lot of use.
Maybe something like this:
Chief Stormcrow: Level 40 Champion
Superstats:
Level 6: Super Dexterity
Level 13: Super Intelligence
Powers:
Level 1: Strafe -- Aversion
Level 1: Straight Shot
Level 6: Evasive Maneuvers -- Sleight Of Mind
Level 6: Swinging -- Flippin'
Level 8: Quarry -- Rank 2, Rank 3
Level 11: Storm Of Arrows -- Achilles' Heel
Level 14: Form of the Tempest -- Rank 2
Level 17: Dragon's Claws -- Rank 2, Rank 3
Level 20: Bountiful Chi Resurgence -- Resurgent Reiki, Rank 2
Level 23: Masterful Dodge -- Rank 2, Unfettered Strikes
Level 26: Dragon Kick -- Lashing Dragon Tail, Rank 2
Level 29: Retaliation -- Rank 2
Level 32: Lock N Load -- Two Smoking Barrels, Rank 2
Level 35: Pounce
Level 35: Teleport
Level 38: Molecular Self-Assembly
Talents:
Level 1: Quick Trigger
Level 6: Accurate
Level 9: Coordinated
Level 12: Shooter
Level 15: Martial Training
Level 18: Covert Ops Training
Level 21: Worldly
Best guess at this point: 5/16/2011
Parry : This is a block power that is a bit different than the normal block powers you may have encountered. For 2 seconds after you activate this power you can reflect damage back to the attacker ( up to a set amount ). Once you have reflected any damage it wont happen again for 6 seconds. With The Elusive Monk advantage, things are a bit different, however. Now, when you make an attack it increases your Dodge, Avoidance and Knock resistance for a few seconds at the expense of slightly lower damage. This is a passive advantage.
Explosive Arrow : Lets face it, we all like things that go boom. In the case of L' Trimm, Tigra and Bunny like the Cars that go Boom www.youtube.com/watch?v=BaeNelsAOGo.
Well, who can blame them.
I took the advantage Where's the Kaboom? with the thought it would be like a delayed blast fireball ( yes, I played D&D ... my geek-a-tude knows NO bounds ) If I don't care for it I'll swap it for the 3rd rank. It's an AOE with a DoT. Two of my favorite things in the MMO world.
Lock N Load : This is a damage builder that is like mana from the gods .. or a coke bottle from an airplane. To each their own. For 12 seconds it makes everything about this build better. It reduces the cost of all powers by a slight amount (-27%), increases the critical chance of all powers by a slight amount (+8.3%) and it makes all of the archery attacks more damaging (+47%). If that wasn't good enough the 90 second cooldown is reduces by 2 seconds for every melee attack that hits.
Teleport : This is a way to stealth in missions or a way to evac if the poo hits the rotating device.
Smoke Grenade | Molecular Self-Assembly : This is a passive energy builder that gives an energy rush when abilities ( except travel powers ) come off of recharge. This scales with intelligence and recovery. Smoke Grenade, you are the weakest link. Goodbye.