alright we have had a few threads on rad toons already, so I'll try not to ramble on too much.
A few basics that need to be covered ahead of time:
1) decide if you want to play at range or up close and personal. This decision has a big effect on power choice and play style. Personally I lean towards the melee, due to Choking Cloud and Irradiate.
2) Are you going to be a support toon, or out there dishing blasting things in the face. Despite the lower base damage of Defenders (and Rads), it is entirely possible to play one like a scrapper, and only be slightly* less effective.
* how slight depends on how much time you want to end up polishing your build
3) Learn how to pull, if you are soloing in the low levels (I think I saw she was level 17, so it still kinda applies) you will run into groups that are too large for you too run up to and defeat. Use your snipe (or nemi staff, or something else) to pull them apart into smaller groups that can be safely dealt with.
4) Your toggles are your life. Properly debuffed a mob is close to harmless. Learn the order they should be applied to mobs in (Radiation Infection, Enervating Field, Lingering Radiation). If you are soloing (or in a group that doesn't have an uber-tank) Radiation Infection should be the first thing. Yes the long cast time sucks, but you don't draw agro until your done casting. And if you managed to anchor on someone in the middle of the mob, 75% - 90% of the alpha strike will miss you. Follow up with Enervating Field and possibly Lingering Radiation if it's recharged/needed.
4a) Also, keep an eye on your anchor and make sure they aren't going to run off and drag more groups back to play with you. Anything that loves to run (war wolves) makes horrible anchors.
Onto the powers:
Radiation Emission
Radiant Aura: Not the best heal in the game, but nothing to laugh at. Give it three slots early in the game (2 heal, 1 rechage or endurance reduction). Later in the game when you can spare more it's worth 5 or 6 slotting.
Radiation Infection: The first power of the Rad Trifecta. Take it, slot it, love it. It reduces enemy accuracy and defense, meaning they can't hit your and you can hit them. Slot for to-hit debuff. All your secondary powers will already be reducing their defense, and you need them to be unable to hit you. This is the first power you should drop on a group, and if you are running out of end, it should be last toggle you turn off.
Accelerate Metabolism: Another power to take and love. I'm sure I don't need to espouse it's virtues here. Get it, slot it for recharge and end-mod.
Enervating Field: The second of the Rad Trifecta. Take it, slot it, love it. This makes the shots that do hit you hurt less, and you hurt them more. This is the second toggle I drop on a group, right after Radiation Infection. Put 2 Endurance Reduction IOs in it and call it done.
Mutation: A nice combat Rez. A single Recharge IO should take care of it. You don't need to take this right away (or ever if you are just going to solo), but most people end up taking it by the mid-late 20s since fitness became inherent.
Lingering Radiation: The Third of the Rad Trifecta. Take it, slot it, love it. This is the power that makes you a GM/AV killer. I absolutely bottoms out their regen and rechage. And to add insult to injury it slows them down, so they can't run away.
Choking Cloud: Personally I love this power, but it sucks end like no tomorrow. If you are going to be in the middle of things surrounded by mobs, you will want this power. If you are going to be blasting things from a far, avoid it like the plauge. If you take it, it NEEDS 6 slots (holds and end-reduction). Doubling the hold duration will mean that minions are perma-held, and lieutenants spend 80-90% of their time choking on fumes. Leaving the bosses as the only real threats in a group.
Fallout: A massively damaging power, better than some nukes and without the crash. The drawback is that you need a dead blaster (or any other ally) to fire it off. This is definitely something that can be postponed to late-game if you are not sure what to take.
EM Pulse: The second best aoe hold in the game (EMP Arrow is slightly better because it can be targeted). You will love this power. It starts off as a panic button, but can quickly become a big fuck-you to a group. It starts off as a 23 second hold (mag 3 or 4), but can easily get slotted for 45 seconds (or 90 with power build up). No end crash, you just don't recover end for a while. Carry some blues and you can tear through a mob while they stand around in a daze.
Radiation Blast
Neutrino Bolt:: Gotta take it, but it's not that bad. A very fast low power blast, you can slot it for damage, defense debuffs, or procs (late game) depending on your need.
X-Ray Beam: This is the first power to skip if you are going tank-fender. But if your doing a blaster-fender it is a vital part of your attach chain. If you end up taking it, slot for damage and accuracy.
Irradiate: And this is the opposite of X-Ray beam. If you are a tank-fender you will hit this button as much as possible. If you are a blaster-fender, skip it. It does X-ray Beam damage to everyone surrounding you over 10 seconds, as well as a large defense debuff. I know that the little tics of 3.5 damage don't seem like much, but late game you will be doing 200+ damage every ten seconds to everyone surrounding you (hence the mash as much as possible).
Electron Haze: The first of your meat and potato attacks. Doesn't matter if you are going Tank or blaster, take this. It works in a 30 degree cone and has knockback, so with a little positioning you can lay the hurt in to a decent chunk of your foes. Slot for damage and Accuracy.
Proton Volley: It's a snipe with a very cool sound effect (Fire Photon Torpedoes!). Take it or leave it depending on your playstyle. It is useful to pull guys out of mobs with, but you don't need to pick it up at level 16.
Aim: A nice bonus to damage and accuracy, take it and slot it with 2 recharge reduction IOs and call it done.
Cosmic Burst: Massive damage and a mag 3 stun, what's not to love. Take it, slot it, love it. You can lay down the hurt on anything that is foolish enough to get close to you. I would slot for recharge and accuracy, so you can double stack the stun. There is very little that can shake of mag 6 stun. And nothing says 'pwn-inate' like perma-stunning the only threat in a mob.
Neutron Bomb: A targeted aoe with decent damage, and good range. Properly slotted this will fill you attack chain with pain and death, Slot for damage and recharge. By the time you get this power, you should be putting a decent dent in your enemies defense. That in addition to the powers innate to-hit bonus, and you should only need 1 accuracy IO, if that.
Atomic Blast: This is your nuke, and like all nukes it dishes out some very nice damage. In addition to that it will hold, cut in half the defense of anything left standing. I haven't taken it on Gamma or Decay because I can't afford that endurance crash that comes with it. But if you are not toggle dependent like I am, it can be a very nice power. Just be sure to have some blues on hand. It will do horrible unmentionable things to mobs if you can chain it with Fallout.
Ancillary power pools
My preference is power mastery, you get something that lets you ignore the penalties from EM Pulse (Conserve Power), something that makes all your holds/stuns/debuffs twice as good (Power Build Up), and some other goodies.
From what I can remember of your build, you only had neutrino bolt and proton volly from Rad Blast. I would drop the snipe in favor of x-ray beam or irradiate, depending on which route you want to take. Respecing to get inherent fitness should also free up some slots to fill out your attack chain with electron haze.
If you have any questions bug me in game, or post 'em here. Between myself, Spud and Acyl we should be able to answer any questions you have.
-Terry
-----
"so listen up boy, or pornography starring your mother will be the second worst thing to happen to you today"
TF2: Spy
A few basics that need to be covered ahead of time:
1) decide if you want to play at range or up close and personal. This decision has a big effect on power choice and play style. Personally I lean towards the melee, due to Choking Cloud and Irradiate.
2) Are you going to be a support toon, or out there dishing blasting things in the face. Despite the lower base damage of Defenders (and Rads), it is entirely possible to play one like a scrapper, and only be slightly* less effective.
* how slight depends on how much time you want to end up polishing your build
3) Learn how to pull, if you are soloing in the low levels (I think I saw she was level 17, so it still kinda applies) you will run into groups that are too large for you too run up to and defeat. Use your snipe (or nemi staff, or something else) to pull them apart into smaller groups that can be safely dealt with.
4) Your toggles are your life. Properly debuffed a mob is close to harmless. Learn the order they should be applied to mobs in (Radiation Infection, Enervating Field, Lingering Radiation). If you are soloing (or in a group that doesn't have an uber-tank) Radiation Infection should be the first thing. Yes the long cast time sucks, but you don't draw agro until your done casting. And if you managed to anchor on someone in the middle of the mob, 75% - 90% of the alpha strike will miss you. Follow up with Enervating Field and possibly Lingering Radiation if it's recharged/needed.
4a) Also, keep an eye on your anchor and make sure they aren't going to run off and drag more groups back to play with you. Anything that loves to run (war wolves) makes horrible anchors.
Onto the powers:
Radiation Emission
Radiant Aura: Not the best heal in the game, but nothing to laugh at. Give it three slots early in the game (2 heal, 1 rechage or endurance reduction). Later in the game when you can spare more it's worth 5 or 6 slotting.
Radiation Infection: The first power of the Rad Trifecta. Take it, slot it, love it. It reduces enemy accuracy and defense, meaning they can't hit your and you can hit them. Slot for to-hit debuff. All your secondary powers will already be reducing their defense, and you need them to be unable to hit you. This is the first power you should drop on a group, and if you are running out of end, it should be last toggle you turn off.
Accelerate Metabolism: Another power to take and love. I'm sure I don't need to espouse it's virtues here. Get it, slot it for recharge and end-mod.
Enervating Field: The second of the Rad Trifecta. Take it, slot it, love it. This makes the shots that do hit you hurt less, and you hurt them more. This is the second toggle I drop on a group, right after Radiation Infection. Put 2 Endurance Reduction IOs in it and call it done.
Mutation: A nice combat Rez. A single Recharge IO should take care of it. You don't need to take this right away (or ever if you are just going to solo), but most people end up taking it by the mid-late 20s since fitness became inherent.
Lingering Radiation: The Third of the Rad Trifecta. Take it, slot it, love it. This is the power that makes you a GM/AV killer. I absolutely bottoms out their regen and rechage. And to add insult to injury it slows them down, so they can't run away.
Choking Cloud: Personally I love this power, but it sucks end like no tomorrow. If you are going to be in the middle of things surrounded by mobs, you will want this power. If you are going to be blasting things from a far, avoid it like the plauge. If you take it, it NEEDS 6 slots (holds and end-reduction). Doubling the hold duration will mean that minions are perma-held, and lieutenants spend 80-90% of their time choking on fumes. Leaving the bosses as the only real threats in a group.
Fallout: A massively damaging power, better than some nukes and without the crash. The drawback is that you need a dead blaster (or any other ally) to fire it off. This is definitely something that can be postponed to late-game if you are not sure what to take.
EM Pulse: The second best aoe hold in the game (EMP Arrow is slightly better because it can be targeted). You will love this power. It starts off as a panic button, but can quickly become a big fuck-you to a group. It starts off as a 23 second hold (mag 3 or 4), but can easily get slotted for 45 seconds (or 90 with power build up). No end crash, you just don't recover end for a while. Carry some blues and you can tear through a mob while they stand around in a daze.
Radiation Blast
Neutrino Bolt:: Gotta take it, but it's not that bad. A very fast low power blast, you can slot it for damage, defense debuffs, or procs (late game) depending on your need.
X-Ray Beam: This is the first power to skip if you are going tank-fender. But if your doing a blaster-fender it is a vital part of your attach chain. If you end up taking it, slot for damage and accuracy.
Irradiate: And this is the opposite of X-Ray beam. If you are a tank-fender you will hit this button as much as possible. If you are a blaster-fender, skip it. It does X-ray Beam damage to everyone surrounding you over 10 seconds, as well as a large defense debuff. I know that the little tics of 3.5 damage don't seem like much, but late game you will be doing 200+ damage every ten seconds to everyone surrounding you (hence the mash as much as possible).
Electron Haze: The first of your meat and potato attacks. Doesn't matter if you are going Tank or blaster, take this. It works in a 30 degree cone and has knockback, so with a little positioning you can lay the hurt in to a decent chunk of your foes. Slot for damage and Accuracy.
Proton Volley: It's a snipe with a very cool sound effect (Fire Photon Torpedoes!). Take it or leave it depending on your playstyle. It is useful to pull guys out of mobs with, but you don't need to pick it up at level 16.
Aim: A nice bonus to damage and accuracy, take it and slot it with 2 recharge reduction IOs and call it done.
Cosmic Burst: Massive damage and a mag 3 stun, what's not to love. Take it, slot it, love it. You can lay down the hurt on anything that is foolish enough to get close to you. I would slot for recharge and accuracy, so you can double stack the stun. There is very little that can shake of mag 6 stun. And nothing says 'pwn-inate' like perma-stunning the only threat in a mob.
Neutron Bomb: A targeted aoe with decent damage, and good range. Properly slotted this will fill you attack chain with pain and death, Slot for damage and recharge. By the time you get this power, you should be putting a decent dent in your enemies defense. That in addition to the powers innate to-hit bonus, and you should only need 1 accuracy IO, if that.
Atomic Blast: This is your nuke, and like all nukes it dishes out some very nice damage. In addition to that it will hold, cut in half the defense of anything left standing. I haven't taken it on Gamma or Decay because I can't afford that endurance crash that comes with it. But if you are not toggle dependent like I am, it can be a very nice power. Just be sure to have some blues on hand. It will do horrible unmentionable things to mobs if you can chain it with Fallout.
Ancillary power pools
My preference is power mastery, you get something that lets you ignore the penalties from EM Pulse (Conserve Power), something that makes all your holds/stuns/debuffs twice as good (Power Build Up), and some other goodies.
From what I can remember of your build, you only had neutrino bolt and proton volly from Rad Blast. I would drop the snipe in favor of x-ray beam or irradiate, depending on which route you want to take. Respecing to get inherent fitness should also free up some slots to fill out your attack chain with electron haze.
If you have any questions bug me in game, or post 'em here. Between myself, Spud and Acyl we should be able to answer any questions you have.
-Terry
-----
"so listen up boy, or pornography starring your mother will be the second worst thing to happen to you today"
TF2: Spy
