Zinnias of Amber, the Mightiest Melitt! (Inv/WM)

[ElBee]

The culmination of all my time at Rebirth lead to the creation of my current main. An Invulnerability/War Mace tanker. Technically a Recreation as I once had them as a Sword/Shield scrapper. A character I liked enough to get a commission of and still use as my PFP to this day.

Zinnias of Amber, the mightiest Melitt and the Devourer's Doom!

Their characterization is currently put to the side as I have dropped my role playing for the time being. Even if I am still oddly proud of having the only post in the Roleplaying section Their build was made for one thing in mind however: Tanking Trials without Support


Date of build is 7/24/2022
This Hero build was built using Mids Reborn 3.4.7
https://github.com/LoadedCamel/MidsReborn

Click this DataLink to open the build!

Zinnias: Level 50 Natural Tanker
Primary Power Set: Invulnerability
Secondary Power Set: War Mace
Power Pool: Gadgetry
Power Pool: Flight
Power Pool: Leadership
Power Pool: Fighting

Hero Profile:
[spoiler]
Level 1: Resist Physical Damage

• (A) Gladiator's Armor - TP Protection +3% Def (All)
  
• (3) Impervium Armor - Psionic Resistance
  

Level 1: Bash

• (A) Superior Blistering Cold - Accuracy/Damage
  
• (3) Superior Blistering Cold - Damage/Endurance
  
• (5) Superior Blistering Cold - Accuracy/Damage/Endurance
  
• (5) Superior Blistering Cold - Damage/Endurance/Accuracy/RechargeTime
  
• (7) Superior Blistering Cold - Recharge/Chance for Hold
  
• (7) Superior Blistering Cold - Accuracy/Damage/Recharge
  

Level 2: Pulverize

• (A) Superior Might of the Tanker - Accuracy/Damage
  
• (9) Superior Might of the Tanker - Damage/Recharge
  
• (9) Superior Might of the Tanker - Accuracy/Damage/Recharge
  
• (11) Superior Might of the Tanker - Recharge/Chance for +Res(All)
  
• (11) Gladiator's Strike - Chance for Smashing Damage
  
• (13) Touch of Death - Chance of Damage(Negative)
  

Level 4: Jawbreaker

• (A) Hecatomb - Accuracy/Recharge
  
• (13) Hecatomb - Damage/Recharge
  
• (15) Hecatomb - Accuracy/Damage/Recharge
  
• (15) Hecatomb - Damage/Endurance
  
• (17) Hecatomb - Chance of Damage(Negative)
  

Level 6: Temp Invulnerability

• (A) Unbreakable Guard - Resistance
  
• (17) Unbreakable Guard - Resistance/Endurance
  
• (19) Unbreakable Guard - RechargeTime/Resistance
  
• (19) Unbreakable Guard - Endurance/RechargeTime
  

Level 8: Unyielding

• (A) Titanium Coating - Resistance
  
• (21) Steadfast Protection - Resistance/+Def 3%
  
• (21) Titanium Coating - Resistance/Endurance
  

Level 10: Dull Pain

• (A) Miracle - Heal/Endurance
  
• (23) Miracle - Endurance/Recharge
  
• (23) Miracle - Heal/Recharge
  
• (25) Miracle - Heal/Endurance/Recharge
  
• (25) Miracle - Heal
  

Level 12: Taunt

• (A) Mocking Beratement - Taunt
  
• (27) Mocking Beratement - Taunt/Recharge
  
• (27) Mocking Beratement - Taunt/Recharge/Range
  
• (29) Mocking Beratement - Taunt/Range
  

Level 14: Jetpack

• (A) Superior Winter's Gift - Slow Resistance (25%)
  

Level 16: Hover

• (A) Flight Speed IO
  
• (29) Flight Speed IO
  

Level 18: Invincibility

• (A) Gift of the Ancients - Defense/Endurance
  
• (31) Gift of the Ancients - Defense/Recharge
  
• (31) Gift of the Ancients - Endurance/Recharge
  
• (31) Gift of the Ancients - Defense/Endurance/Recharge
  
• (33) Gift of the Ancients - Defense
  

Level 20: Clobber

• (A) Superior Gauntleted Fist - Accuracy/Damage/Endurance/RechargeTime
  
• (33) Superior Gauntleted Fist - Damage/Endurance/RechargeTime
  
• (33) Superior Gauntleted Fist - Accuracy/Damage
  
• (34) Gladiator's Strike - Chance for Smashing Damage
  
• (34) Mako's Bite - Chance of Damage(Lethal)
  
• (34) Touch of Death - Chance of Damage(Negative)
  

Level 22: Build Up

• (A) Recharge Reduction IO
  
• (36) Gaussian's Synchronized Fire-Control - Chance for Build Up
  
• (36) Recharge Reduction IO
  

Level 24: Energy Gauntlet

• (A) Superior Winter's Bite - Accuracy/Damage
  
• (36) Superior Winter's Bite - Damage/RechargeTime
  
• (37) Superior Winter's Bite - Accuracy/Damage/Endurance
  
• (37) Superior Winter's Bite - Accuracy/Damage/Recharge
  
• (37) Superior Winter's Bite - Recharge/Chance for -Speed & -Recharge
  

Level 26: Tough Hide

• (A) Defense Buff IO
  
• (39) Luck of the Gambler - Defense/Increased Global Recharge Speed
  
• (39) Kismet - Accuracy +6%
  

Level 28: Whirling Mace

• (A) Obliteration - Chance for Smashing Damage
  
• (39) Scirocco's Dervish - Accuracy/Damage
  
• (40) Scirocco's Dervish - Chance of Damage(Lethal)
  
• (40) Eradication - Chance for Energy Damage
  
• (40) Eradication - Accuracy/Damage/Endurance/Recharge
  
• (42) Eradication - Damage/Recharge
  

Level 30: Resist Energies

• (A) Resist Damage IO
  
• (42) Impervium Armor - Psionic Resistance
  

Level 32: Force Barrier

• (A) Preventive Medicine - Heal
  
• (42) Preventive Medicine - Heal/RechargeTime
  
• (43) Preventive Medicine - Heal/RechargeTime/Endurance
  
• (43) Preventive Medicine - Endurance/RechargeTime
  

Level 35: Maneuvers

• (A) Shield Wall - Defense/Endurance
  
• (43) Shield Wall - +Res (Teleportation), +5% Res (All)
  
• (45) Shield Wall - Defense/Endurance/Recharge
  
• (45) Shield Wall - Endurance/Recharge
  

Level 38: Crowd Control

• (A) Armageddon - Damage
  
• (45) Scirocco's Dervish - Chance of Damage(Lethal)
  
• (46) Armageddon - Accuracy/Damage/Recharge
  
• (46) Armageddon - Accuracy/Recharge
  
• (46) Armageddon - Damage/Endurance
  
• (48) Armageddon - Chance for Fire Damage
  

Level 41: Boxing

• (A) Disorient Duration
  

Level 44: Tough

• (A) Impervium Armor - Psionic Resistance
  

Level 47: Weave

• (A) Luck of the Gambler - Defense/Endurance
  
• (48) Luck of the Gambler - Endurance/Recharge
  
• (48) Luck of the Gambler - Defense/Endurance/Recharge
  
• (50) Luck of the Gambler - Defense
  
• (50) Luck of the Gambler - Defense/Increased Global Recharge Speed
  

Level 49: Resist Elements

• (A) Unbreakable Guard - +Max HP
  
• (50) Impervium Armor - Psionic Resistance
  

Level 1: Gauntlet
Level 1: Brawl

• (A) Accuracy
  

Level 1: Sprint

• (A) Celerity - +Stealth
  

Level 2: Rest

• (A) Interrupt Reduction
  

Level 2: Swift

• (A) Flight Speed IO
  

Level 2: Hurdle

• (A) Jumping IO
  

Level 2: Health

• (A) Miracle - +Recovery
  
• (9) Numina's Convalesence - +Regeneration/+Recovery
  
• (17) Preventive Medicine - Chance for +Absorb
  

Level 2: Stamina

• (A) Performance Shifter - Chance for +End
  
• (13) Performance Shifter - EndMod
  
• (23) Performance Shifter - EndMod/Recharge
  

Level 4: Ninja Run
Level 50: Melee Core Embodiment
Level 50: Rebirth Radial Epiphany
Level 50: Talons of Vengeance Core Superior Ally
Level 50: Nerve Radial Paragon
Level 1: Disintegrating
------------
[/spoiler]


To achieve that I had to make sure I had enough defenses, resistances, and options for a single target engagement in said trials. Even before I kick on Melee Core Hybrid or Rebirth Radial, Zinnias uses Hover, CJ, Temp Invulnerability, Unyielding, Invincibility, Maneuvers, and Weave to achieve:

48.79% S/L Defense
85.14% S/L Res
45.66% Fire/Cold Def
66.67% Fire/Cold Res
47.85% Energy/NE Def
58.61% Energy/NE Res
21.05% Psi Def
35.7% Psi Res

That's right. I'm playing an invulnerability character That doesn't cap S/L Res.
Why you may ask? For starters, that extra 5 percent was too hard to squeeze out and I felt it was unnecessary. Tough is in the build just to be a Mule for more Psi Resistance. There are other ways to mitigate damage other than through raw res however. Force Barrier is an absorb shield buff found in Gadgetry. Its buff scales off Max HP. Combine this with Dull Pain, a Max HP Buff and Heal....

Zinnias's health stands at 3363.52 at max With Dull Pain on. With a 1674 point absorb shield on top of that. Which mids tells me is 89 percent of her Max Health. For a whopping total of 5032 effective health. The base health of a tanker is 1874. Zinnias can have Two and a Half Life bars for 30 seconds. This is not counting Melee Core, Rebirth Radial, the Heal from Dull Pain (1536 point heal), or even any actual support from team members.

This obscene survivability has come at the cost of a major attack in the War Mace Pool however: Shatter. Replaced with Energy Gauntlet. Which has a use in trials and pulling, especially since it has some -regen. Like: Sit outside of a pool and plink with it. Taunt then shoot to generate threat at a range. Put it on auto and sneak away to get a soda. Spam it to keep an AV's Regen debuffed. It's not amazing damage but some damage is better than none!

Another feature of the build is a heavy reliance on Damage Procs. Four attacks feature, at minimum, two damage procs. Pulverize (2), Clobber (3), Whirling Mace (3), and Crowd Control (2). The exceptions are Bash (Blistering Cold set), Jawbreaker (Hecatomb 5 slot with Damage Proc), and Energy Gauntlet (Superior Winter's Bite set and Proc). I am leveraging the lower base damage of a tanker to put out more damage through RNG.

The final features I am proud of is the extra Taunt Duration from Nerve Radial providing an easier time of ripping aggro if needed, Hover that is as fast as Sprinting through Slotting, Set bonuses, and Nerve Radial, and finally the feeling of legacy I have with them. This is a character who represents the absolute pinnacle of my time at rebirth. While I have yet to conclude her current running narrative arc (She must confront The Devourer, aka I need to host a Hamidon Raid) she is at her peak of power through this build.

I still occasionally pop on her Sword/Shield Scrapper set Brass Bulwark, justified through Draconian Superhero Identity Laws requiring different "Power Sets" (Read: Using a different set of weapons) be registered under a different identity. Most of my time in CoH:Rebirth is spent with Zinnias at all levels of play. Above all else I strive to be the ideal of a tanker. The tanker the team needs to get through the roughest pulls and encounters.

If your team is struggling under fire you have two options: Armor up.. Or get behind me.

[Redlynne]

48.79% S/L Defense
45.66% Fire/Cold Def
47.85% Energy/NE Def
21.05% Psi Def

85.14% S/L Res
66.67% Fire/Cold Res
58.61% Energy/NE Res
35.7% Psi Res

Although those 45-48% Defense values are "just fine" for non-incarnate content ... there's going to be a problem dealing with incarnate content.
That's because the soft cap MOVES for incarnate content.

• Defense. +45% is the soft cap on Defense versus an attack. Due to the way the game's Attack Mechanics work, any more Defense past that will not make the character any harder to hit, except in cases where the attackers have ToHit buffs, are six or more levels above him, or can give him -Defense debuffs.
  
  • Note that in the Incarnate Trials, enemies have an equivalent to +14% ToHit, so the Incarnate soft cap is 59% instead of 45%.

This is why with my SR/MA NO GET HITSU!! Tanker build for Redlynne, when it came time to pick an Alpha slot I reached for the Agility Radial Paragon ... partly because it's so thematic to the overall build, but also because with the T4 Agility Radial my "just standing around without external buffing" Defenses all top 59% (the incarnate defense soft cap) ... and Storm Kick in Martial Arts adds +10% more Defense on top of that (when it hits).

I joke that Redlynne's resistances are "pathetic" for a Tanker, but that's because rather than chase after resistance bonuses I instead reached for as much +Regeneration as I could muster (and Melee Hybrid offers +30% more Regeneration on top of set bonuses), including putting the Destiny Rebirth Radial Epiphany on autofire for as much +Regeneration as I can get. The combination of max Defense (59+% baseline), lackluster Resistances but a 500+% Regeneration (with Rebirth it's like 700+%) has stood me in good stead as a main tank during incarnate trials (including two successful attempts at face tanking the Avatar of Hamidon!). Stuff rarely hits me ... unless if it's auto-hit or lacks position parameters like some psionic attacks do ... and even if it does, fast Regeneration counters any damage that leaks past my defenses, but even then I've got Aid Self (and Field Medic, which I almost never use) to help cover any edge cases (and as a combo allows me to "heal END" by using Aid Self for even better selfish sufficiency!).

So if you're over 45% Defense but you're still taking 4x more hits than you would otherwise be expecting in incarnate content relative to non-incarnate content (and thus need more resistances and HP to compensate) ... that's why.
The incarnate soft cap for Defense is 59% ... not 45%.

[ElBee]

That is true. However I ran through a ton of different builds trying to get to that 59 percent cap and found it wasn't possible without major sacrifices (2 slot attacks, anyone?). That and some bosses just straight out cheat and have attacks that will hit you regardless of what your defense is. This is where the search for extra sources of survivability came from. I have the four cooldowns to use if I start taking excessive amounts of damage: Dull Pain, Force Barrier, Rebirth Radial, and Melee Core.

My cooldown rotation is to get Dull Pain up to maximize my HP if I start taking hits. Then judge from there if I should throw Melee Core for extra Res and Regen, Rebirth for a heal and Stupid Regen, or pre-emptively/reactively use Force Barrier for the 1.6k absorb if I anticipate a big hit coming.

Examples of mechanics I try to counter are Disintegrations, Lethal Force if I'm still moving Louie, Lighting from Tyrant, and Puddles in MoM.

I could use Barrier but I prefer to keep Rebirth for further league benefits.

[Redlynne]

trying to get to that 59 percent cap and found it wasn't possible without major sacrifices

GRANTED.
I wasn't expecting it to be possible on a "perma" basis, even with Super Reflexes (which has the best shot at achieving the goal) ... so being able to do it with other powersets is pretty much an absurd level of ask.

I just wanted to point out that there are more strategies for survival than "just" reaching for the soft cap (or hard cap, as the case may be).

+HP
+Regeneration
+Resistance
+Defense

These are the "four basic food groups" of protection schemes that can keep you alive.
In a lot of cases you can only afford to optimize a build for ONE of those items ... and then do everything you can to pile on as much as you can get in the other areas. Depending on the mix and the context, sometimes "2 out of 4" will be sufficient to pull you through what would otherwise faceplant other builds in the same circumstances. The trick lies in knowing your strengths and weaknesses so that you can play to the former while mitigating the latter.

That and some bosses just straight out cheat and have attacks that will hit you regardless of what your defense is.

Trust me.
I KNOW.

Having relied on Defense as my primary protection scheme (both as a Scrapper and a Tanker) from all the way back in Issue 2 ... I am supremely aware of opposition that "cheat codes" their way past all my defenses as if they weren't even there.
Spoiler alert ... there is a LOT more auto-hit stuff in the game than there is un-resistable stuff.

It's the reason why my own SR/MA Tanker build relies on Defense first and Regeneration second ... so that when the auto-hits happen, I'm regenerating out from under that damage taken as quickly as possible.

• Anti-Matter Disintegration
  
• Infected War Walker Lethal Mode on Target(s)
  
• Hamidon Mitochondria
  
• Battle Maiden falling halberds
  
• World of Anguish
  
• Devouring Earth with a Quartz emanator dropped nearby BUFFING THEM ALL (this is among the worst!)

... the list goes on and on and on ...

I could use Barrier but I prefer to keep Rebirth for further league benefits.

Same here. I would like to think that keeping my T4 Rebirth Radial (for massive regeneration) has saved quite a few leaguemates from faceplanting and taken the pressure off healers in groups that I'm a part of (such as Mothership Raids). It's one of the factors that helps Redlynne be as "sturdy" and worthy of her Extraordinary Death-defying title as she is ... even though "by the numbers" typically used for Facetanking standards, she shouldn't even be up to the task (no Dull Pain equivalent, meager Resistances, HP below 2800, etc. etc.). But then again, I've never particularly enjoyed marching down the already well beaten path when it comes to strategizing how to "win" at games. ^_-