I'm going to make an admission here. I actually agree Fortunatas specifically are overpowered. Actually, possibly
Night Widows as well.
I was simply taking the opposite tack for the devil's advocate point of view. =)
However, I think my complaint is different. I have an issue with Fortunatas and Night Widows only.
Banes and Crabs (ie. the Soldier branch) can't reach the same defense numbers that a Night Widow and Fortunata can. They just can't. While the Soldier
version of TT: Manuevers is more powerful than the Widow version, Widows also get Foresight, an additional passive defense power that makes up the difference.
So everything's equal there.
Right. Until we factor in Mind Link. Mind Link is an additional 15.6% defense fully slotted with SOs. It's a click power and doesn't itself take normal
recharge enhancements, but you can get some recharge crammed in there with Hami's and set IOs - ie. it will accept a Def/Rech enhancement. The devs are
aware of this - Castle himself explained how this trick works. At no point did he suggest it was an oversight.
Most powergamer Fortunatas (and Widows) also take Hasten and slot some recharge set bonuses, to perma or near-perma Mind Link. That is 15.6% defense above and
beyond anything that a Soldier can achieve.
Consider that for a moment.
...
On a different note, there are way more def debuff powers than just Rad Infection.
Let's take a look.
Defense Debuff Powers in Support Powersets
(All numbers base, unslotted, data according to Mids)
Cold - Infrigidate (Defender: -31.3%)
Rad - Radiation Infection (Def: -31.3%, Cont: -25%)
Sonic - Liquify (Def: -35.7%, Cont: -25%)
Storm - Freezing Rain (Def: -30%, Cont: -30%)
Trick Arrow - Acid Arrow (Def: -25%, Cont: -20%), Oil Slick Arrow (Def: -25%, Cont: -25%)
Thermal - Melt Armor (Cont: -20%)
Most control powers in the Earth Control powerset also have a -def component (-20%)
Also def debuff in attack sets like Broadsword/Katana (-7.5%) and Rad Blast (varies per attack between -12.5%, -25%, -37.5%, up to -50% for the nuke)
To be entirely fair, many of these powers do require an accuracy/tohit check to land on the target in the first place. But if you do, you can probably
keep hitting them subsequently.
Caveat: My comparison table here does not, however, take into account the duration of each defense debuff, nor the
ease of application. It may well be that Rad Infection is still the best tool for def debuff, as it is autohit, and it's a toggle, so it just stays up
indefinitely provided the user isn't mezzed, dead, etc. I do not have time currently to investigate this.
-- Acyl
Night Widows as well.
I was simply taking the opposite tack for the devil's advocate point of view. =)
However, I think my complaint is different. I have an issue with Fortunatas and Night Widows only.
Banes and Crabs (ie. the Soldier branch) can't reach the same defense numbers that a Night Widow and Fortunata can. They just can't. While the Soldier
version of TT: Manuevers is more powerful than the Widow version, Widows also get Foresight, an additional passive defense power that makes up the difference.
So everything's equal there.
Right. Until we factor in Mind Link. Mind Link is an additional 15.6% defense fully slotted with SOs. It's a click power and doesn't itself take normal
recharge enhancements, but you can get some recharge crammed in there with Hami's and set IOs - ie. it will accept a Def/Rech enhancement. The devs are
aware of this - Castle himself explained how this trick works. At no point did he suggest it was an oversight.
Most powergamer Fortunatas (and Widows) also take Hasten and slot some recharge set bonuses, to perma or near-perma Mind Link. That is 15.6% defense above and
beyond anything that a Soldier can achieve.
Consider that for a moment.
...
On a different note, there are way more def debuff powers than just Rad Infection.
Let's take a look.
Defense Debuff Powers in Support Powersets
(All numbers base, unslotted, data according to Mids)
Cold - Infrigidate (Defender: -31.3%)
Rad - Radiation Infection (Def: -31.3%, Cont: -25%)
Sonic - Liquify (Def: -35.7%, Cont: -25%)
Storm - Freezing Rain (Def: -30%, Cont: -30%)
Trick Arrow - Acid Arrow (Def: -25%, Cont: -20%), Oil Slick Arrow (Def: -25%, Cont: -25%)
Thermal - Melt Armor (Cont: -20%)
Most control powers in the Earth Control powerset also have a -def component (-20%)
Also def debuff in attack sets like Broadsword/Katana (-7.5%) and Rad Blast (varies per attack between -12.5%, -25%, -37.5%, up to -50% for the nuke)
To be entirely fair, many of these powers do require an accuracy/tohit check to land on the target in the first place. But if you do, you can probably
keep hitting them subsequently.
Caveat: My comparison table here does not, however, take into account the duration of each defense debuff, nor the
ease of application. It may well be that Rad Infection is still the best tool for def debuff, as it is autohit, and it's a toggle, so it just stays up
indefinitely provided the user isn't mezzed, dead, etc. I do not have time currently to investigate this.
-- Acyl