Difference between revisions of "User:Rigel Kent/Defenders Demystified"

Latest revision as of 19:21, 9 September 2010

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	The perception: Defenders are good at healing, and bad at dealing damage, so can only fill one team role: healer.
	The reality: Defenders are the jacks-of-all-trades of the five core hero archetypes, and can usually fill any desired team role.

Defenders, as an archetype, suffer from two harsh metagame realities. First, they're an unpopular archetype, with few online on any given server at any given time, relative to the other four core hero archetypes. Because archetype popularity correlates with perceptions of damage output, many players seem to consider Defenders to be poor damage dealers. Second, a single primary power set, Empathy, is about as popular as all the other primary power sets combined, with some Empaths going so far as to avoid taking secondary powers as well. This feeds into distorted gameplay perceptions, among many players, such as the dreaded "are you a healer?" types of recruitment messages, which, in turn, drive up the popularity of Empathy.

This guide is intended to look past the popular notions about specific Defender powers that are often misunderstood, and to suggest alternative uses for those powers based on the hard numbers. In this way, the Defender archetype can be seen to be a versatile jack-of-all-trades, usually capable of filling any needed team role, either by themselves, or indirectly, by assisting other team members to take on multiple roles.

Inherent Power (Vigilance)

	The perception: Vigilance boosts powers that heal and resurrect other players, so reinforces the Defender's role as healer.
	The reality: It's easy to build for plenty of endurance, so Vigilance's situational endurance relief isn't important in planning a build.

Vigilance offers teamed Defenders an endurance discount on all powers, if used while a nearby teammate is low on HP. The only powers guaranteed to be used with a hurt teammate nearby are powers that heal or resurrect other players. Thus, Vigilance is a de facto endurance discount for powers that heal or resurrect other players, and may or may not benefit other powers, depending on the situation.

In particular, Vigilance doesn't work well with powers and play styles that prevent teammates from getting (and staying) hurt in the first place: defense buffing, regeneration buffing, crowd control status effects, to-hit debuffing, taunting and tanking, etc. If teammates never get (and stay) hurt, a Defender gives up Vigilance's solo damage boost for absolutely no benefit at all.

That said, builds need not rely on situational endurance relief when plenty of always-available endurance relief is built into the game. Endurance inspirations can be bought at any contact, or combined from other inspirations. Invented enhancements often combine endurance discounts with other enhancement types. Stamina greatly increases any Defender's endurance recovery speed. Cold Domination, Kinetics, Radiation Emission, Dark Mastery, Electricity Mastery, and (ironically) Empathy have additional endurance recovery powers available. With so many non-situational ways to stay in the blue, there's no need to tailor your build or play style around Vigilance's highly situational endurance discount.

Primary Power Sets

Cold Domination

	The perception: Frostwork is a defensive buff, so should only be used on the Tanker.
	The reality: Tankers rarely need more help surviving; use Frostwork to protect Controllers, Defenders, and Kheldians instead.
	The perception: Slow recharging single-target debuffs like Benumb are only useful in PvP.
	The reality: Benumb applies a -62.5% damage debuff, valuable against archvillains and giant monsters, and its -500% regeneration debuff makes it nearly required to defeat some archvillains.
	The perception: Sleet is just a no-damage version of Ice Storm.
	The reality: Sleet renders enemies defenseless from a safe distance, applying long lasting recharge speed and damage resistance debuffs, and knocking them down continuously.

Dark Miasma

	The perception: Twilight Grasp is a slow casting PBAoE heal that requires an enemy target.
	The reality: Combined with Tar Patch and Darkest Night, Twilight Grasp can stack to cripple a target's damage, even an archvillain or giant monster.
	The perception: Darkest Night's debuffs don't do much, and anchored debuffs don't last long anyway.
	The reality: Darkest Night's debuffs are modest, but they stack well with other Dark Miasma powers, cover a wide radius, and it's not hard to anchor a target that's likely to survive a while.
	The perception: Howling Twilight is a slow casting PBAoE resurrect that requires an enemy target.
	The reality: Howling Twilight does not require a defeated teammate to use. It autohits targets in an AoE, applying a considerable slow debuff and stun.
	The perception: Fearsome Stare is just a fear effect, and enemies can still attack back if any teammate damages them.
	The reality: Fearsome Stare lacks a to-hit debuff graphic, but does debuff to-hit considerably for 20 seconds.

Empathy

	The perception: Healing Aura should be set to auto-fire to maximize healing per second.
	The reality: Damage comes in chunks, not trickles; Healing Aura is a fast recharging self-heal that makes a Defender significantly less squishy, but the radius makes it less useful for healing teammates.
	The perception: You can use Clear Mind after a teammate is mezzed to free them.
	The reality: You can also use Clear Mind before a teammate is mezzed to prevent them from getting mezzed.
	The perception: Fortitude is a defense buff, so should only be used on the Tanker.
	The reality: Tankers rarely need more help surviving; use Fortitude to buff AoE damage dealers instead.
	The perception: Recovery Aura is "too awesome to waste," so stop the team and make sure everyone gathers when you want to use this.
	The reality: Most teammates will be self-sufficient; you just need the one or two teammates who are running dry within the radius.
	The perception: Regeneration Aura means you'll have to heal your teammates a little less over time.
	The reality: Regeneration Aura is a large regeneration buff comparable to Instant Healing; with a little defense and mez protection, anyone in your team, including yourself, can tank.
	The perception: Adrenalin Boost is "too awesome to use," so may only get used on the tank, once per mission.
	The reality: Tankers don't need more survivability, and their toggles don't need to be faster; Adrenalin Boost's recharge speed buff is best for click-intensive teammates -- like other Empaths.

Force Field

	The perception: Dispersion Bubble is weaker than the single-target Force Field buffs, so the Defender will be squishier than the rest of his team.
	The reality: Dispersion Bubble plus Maneuvers plus Weave plus Combat Jumping (or Hover) gives a Defender a respectable 33% defense to all types at the ED softcap; other teammates will often leave the bubble and become vulnerable to mez.

Kinetics

	The perception: Siphon Power is just a weak single-target version of Fulcrum Shift.
	The reality: Siphon Power can stack to cripple a target's damage, even an archvillain or giant monster.
	The perception: No point playing a Kinetic Defender; Kinetic Controllers hit the damage cap with Fulcrum Shift just as well.
	The reality: There aren't always enough enemies to hit the damage cap with Fulcrum Shift; especially in situations against an archvillain or giant monster, the Defender has an edge.

Radiation Emission

	The perception: Radiant Aura should be set to auto-fire to maximize healing per second.
	The reality: Damage comes in chunks, not trickles; Radiant Aura is a fast recharging self-heal that makes a Defender significantly less squishy, but the radius makes it less useful for healing teammates.
	The perception: Radiation Infection's debuffs don't do much, and anchored debuffs don't last long anyway.
	The reality: Radiation Infection applies a -49% to-hit debuff at the ED softcap (relative to a 50% to-hit base), and it's not hard to anchor a target that's likely to survive a while.
	The perception: Lingering Radiation just slows enemies so won't protect the team as well as a heal.
	The reality: Lingering Radiation applies a -75% recharge speed debuff in a large AoE, and its -500% regeneration debuff makes it nearly required to defeat some archvillains.

Sonic Resonance

	The perception: Sonic Dispersion is weaker than the single-target Sonic shields, so the Defender will be squishier than the rest of his team.
	The reality: Sonic Dispersion plus an ancillary pool resistance toggle gives a Defender 66% or more smashing/lethal damage at the ED softcap; other teammates will often leave the bubble and become vulnerable to mez.
	The perception: You can use Clarity after a teammate is mezzed to free them.
	The reality: You can also use Clarity before a teammate is mezzed to prevent them from getting mezzed.

Storm Summoning

	The perception: Gale scatters enemies apart, making further AoE attacks useless.
	The reality: Properly aimed, Gale moves enemies a predictable distance in a predictable direction, and can be used as a positioning tool.
	The perception: Freezing Rain is just a no-damage version of Ice Storm.
	The reality: Freezing Rain renders enemies defenseless from a safe distance, applying long lasting recharge speed and damage resistance debuffs, and knocking them down continuously.
	The perception: Hurricane is a stationary safety zone for squishies.
	The reality: Hurricane can be used aggressively; it applies a lasting -60% range debuff and -58.5% to-hit debuff at the ED softcap (more than the 50% to-hit base!), even if it only touches an enemy for an instant.
	The perception: Tornado scatters enemies apart, making further AoE attacks useless.
	The reality: Tornado deals big autohitting damage over time against knockback immune targets, such as archvillains and giant monsters.
	The perception: Lightning Storm scatters enemies apart, making further AoE attacks useless.
	The reality: Lightning Storm deals big damage over time against knockback immune targets, such as archvillains and giant monsters.

Traps

	The perception: You can drop Caltrops in front of you as a barrier, but enemies will run right over it, because its area of effect is so small.
	The reality: Slot Caltrops for slow movement enhancement and drop it right under enemies' feet to ensure the debuff sticks; enemies will take a long time to escape.

Trick Arrow

	The perception: Poison Gas Arrow's damage debuff is weak, it doesn't reliably mez enemies, and Oil Slick Arrow and Acid Arrow keep enemies awake anyway.
	The reality: Poison Gas Arrow's damage debuff synergizes with Acid Arrow and Disruption Arrow's damage resistance debuffs.

Secondary Power Sets

Archery

	The perception: Defender nukes drain their endurance, leaving them unable to heal the team.
	The reality: Rain of Arrows recharges faster than most nukes, and does not drain extra endurance or penalize endurance recovery.

Assault Rifle

	The perception: Defenders can't do much damage with an AoE DoT like Ignite.
	The reality: Defenders summon the same Flames entity as Blasters, so the damage is comparable to Blasters.
	The perception: Defender nukes drain their endurance, leaving them unable to heal the team.
	The reality: Full Auto recharges faster than most nukes, and does not drain extra endurance or penalize endurance recovery.

Dark Blast

	The perception: Torrent scatters enemies apart, making further AoE attacks useless.
	The reality: Properly aimed, Torrent moves enemies a predictable distance in a predictable direction, and the to-hit debuff is nice, too.
	The perception: Blackstar doesn't mez or knock back targets like other nukes, so puts the Defender at risk.
	The reality: Blackstar debuffs to-hit by -62.5% (beyond the 50% to-hit base) for 20 seconds, even with no slotting, making it safer than other nukes, since other nukes lack the magnitude to mez bosses.

Dual Pistols

	The perception: Defender nukes drain their endurance, leaving them unable to heal the team.
	The reality: Hail of Bullets recharges faster than most nukes, and does not drain extra endurance or penalize endurance recovery.

Electrical Blast

	The perception: Short Circuit needs Power Build Up or Power Sink to fully drain endurance from targets.
	The reality: Short Circuit inflicts -100% endurance recovery for 10 seconds in addition to its initial drain; if you're soloing or in a low damage team, targets will eventually drain themselves dry.
	The perception: Tesla Cage is just a short-duration, no-damage version of a Controller's hold.
	The reality: Tesla Cage inflicts -100% endurance recovery for 10 seconds in addition to its hold effect.

Energy Blast

	The perception: Fire off Nova in the middle of the pack to make sure you hit everything.
	The reality: Nova has a decent radius. Firing it off at the edge of a pack will still hit everything, and will send the targets flying in roughly the same direction, reducing scatter.

Ice Blast

	The perception: Defenders can't do much damage with an AoE DoT like Ice Storm.
	The reality: Defenders summon the same Ice Storm entity as Blasters, so the damage is comparable to Blasters.
	The perception: Defenders can't do much damage with an AoE DoT like Blizzard.
	The reality: Defenders summon the same Blizzard entity as Blasters, so the damage is comparable to Blasters.

Psychic Blast

	The perception: Delete Mental Blast from your power tray; you're forced to take it and the damage is awful.
	The reality: Mental Blast can stack -37.5% recharge speed debuffs on a target, great for slowing down bosses' attack chains.
	The perception: Psychic Scream is a slow casting AoE with a bad damage type.
	The reality: Psychic Scream applies a -62.5% recharge speed debuff over an extended range of effect.

Radiation Blast

	The perception: Irradiate is a melee range power, so is risky for squishy Defenders.
	The reality: Irradiate animates extremely fast, so a Defender can get in and get out; it also deals its damage over time, so aggro against the Defender may be delayed.

Sonic Attack

	The perception: Shockwave scatters enemies apart, making further AoE attacks useless.
	The reality: Properly aimed, Shockwave moves enemies a predictable distance in a predictable direction, and the damage isn't shabby.
	The perception: Siren's Song is a slow casting, slow recharging AoE blast.
	The reality: Siren's Song area of effect is wide, and it reliably puts targets to sleep for a long time; the damage is secondary.

Ancillary Power Pools

Dark Mastery

	The perception: Oppressive Gloom only works if you're in melee and taking self-damage all the time.
	The reality: Oppressive Gloom applies a 17 second stun at the ED softcap, so you can touch an enemy then move away.
	The perception: Defenders are too squishy to benefit from resistance toggles like Dark Embrace.
	The reality: Dark Embrace plus Tough gives a Defender 66% smashing/lethal and 23% toxic/negative energy damage resistance at the ED softcap.

Electricity Mastery

	The perception: Defenders are too squishy to benefit from resistance toggles like Charged Armor.
	The reality: Charged Armor plus Tough gives a Defender 66% smashing/lethal and 31% energy damage resistance at the ED softcap.

Power Mastery

	The perception: Defenders are too squishy to benefit from resistance toggles like Temp Invulnerability.
	The reality: Temp Invulnerability plus Tough gives a Defender 70% smashing/lethal damage resistance at the ED softcap.

Psychic Mastery

	The perception: Mass Hypnosis is a sleep attack, so is useless if teammates are doing AoE damage that'll wake them up.
	The reality: Mass Hypnosis does not alert (aggro) enemies, so can be used to set up debuffs safely before the team charges.
	The perception: Defenders are too squishy to benefit from resistance toggles like Mind Over Body.
	The reality: Mind Over Body plus Tough gives a Defender 66% smashing/lethal and 31% psionic damage resistance at the ED softcap.
	The perception: Enemies fall out of Telekinesis' radius, and it costs too much endurance for a single target hold.
	The reality: Telekinesis can be used in a short burst to cluster enemies closer together for maximum AoE effect.