[v2.3.3] Ninja/Time Supremacy Incarnate

[Redlynne]

Needless to say, there have been ... some changes (informed by actual gameplay here on Rebirth) ... that have prompted me to make yet another (next) revision relative to the previous builds which you can find here in the Mastermind Builds forum at these links:

• v2.0
  
• v2.1
  
• v2.2

The main changes in this build relative to the v2.2 is some shifting of powers and slotting to improve efficiency even further than the previous iterations were able to achieve.

The biggest difference is the synergistic effects of slotting Fistful of Arrows with a Positron's Blast proc for extra energy damage relatively frequently, which can cause the damage output of Fistful of Arrows increase by ~2x per use (so the proc behaves a lot like a critical hit), laying down a respectable amount of damage throughput from a Mastermind Personal Attack that does AoE (Cone). The slotting that I use in this build extends the Cone range out to a VERY respectable distance, greatly enhancing its area of effect far in excess of what could be achieved by slotting the Rolling Barrage set exclusively (frankenslotting is the way to go with Cone attacks!).

I've also selected Interface: Diamagnetic Core for its (base) 100% chance to proc a -5% ToHit Debuff when making attacks that natively deal damage (proc damage does not count for this). While my Mastermind can only take advantage of the Diamagnetic Core proc for -ToHit Debuff with a mere 3 attacks (Snap Shot, Aimed Shot and Fistful of Arrows), all of my Ninja Pets "inherit" the Interface proc from me, so they're all applying -ToHit Debuffs to everything they attack (dramatically improving their net protection).

I've also shifted some power picks and slots around to drop Smoke Flash (which I barely ever use, mainly because it's too disruptive and "clunky" to use well due to requiring far too much "set up" time and attention) and replace it with Snap Shot which can then be 6-slotted with the Decimation set. The Decimation - Chance for Buildup proc is ironically best leveraged by how much bonus damage can be generated by "shooting into traffic" with Fistful of Arrows while buffed by the Decimation Buildup proc. I figure that with "typical self buffing" levels for recharge reduction, I ought to be able to shoot TWO Fistful of Arrows before the Buildup proc expires (after 5.25 seconds). The important thing here is that the second Fistful of Arrows needs to START animating before the 5.25s buff time expires ... it doesn't need to END animating before 5.25s of buff time expires, allowing a little bit of "overhang" in animation time totals beyond the 5.25s mark. Reclaiming Snap Shot for the personal attack rotation means a higher possible rate of fire when shooting into $Target rich environments.

You can have three guesses as to who's going to win.
The first two don't count.

This time, I am unable to provide a proper export from Mids' Reborn.
1. My computer is now a M2 iMac Mini, so any wind0ze programming needs to get run through a WINE emulator (in my case, Whisky+GPTK).
2. I am completely unable to get Mids' Reborn to work at all. There desperately needs to be a complete top to bottom refactoring of Mids' Reborn into a web page online character builder, in which the details of the build are dynamically updated as a hash code added to the URL, the same as is done for the (much simpler) talent build online calculators used for World of Warcraft.

So everything you see below is a manual "by hand" transcription from what my build looks like inside the game copied into this posting. If someone would like to transcribe everything I've written here into Mids' Reborn so as to do a "proper" export (with full details and code hash), that would be welcome, since there are some relatively significant changes from the previous iteration (-1 Pool for starters).

Level 50 Technology Mastermind
Primary Power Set: Ninjas
Secondary Power Set: Time Manipulation
Power Pool: Concealment
Power Pool: Speed
Power Pool: Leadership

Praetorian Profile:

Level 1: Call Genin

• (A) Overwhelming Force - Accuracy/Damage: Attuned
  
• (3) Overwhelming Force - Accuracy/Damage/Endurance: Attuned
  
• (3) Overwhelming Force - Accuracy/Damage/Endurance/Recharge: Attuned
  
• (5) Overwhelming Force - Damage/Chance for Knockdown/Knockback to Knockdown: Attuned
  
• (7) Call to Arms - Defense Bonus Aura for Pets: Level 10
• (50) Soulbound Allegiance - Chance for Build Up: Level 50

Level 1: Time Crawl

• (A) Pacing of the Turtle - Accuracy/Endurance: 50+5

Level 2: Snap Shot

• (A) Decimation - Accuracy/Damage: 27+5
  
• (5) Decimation - Damage/Endurance: 27+5
  
• (7) Decimation - Damage/Recharge: 27+5
  
• (11) Decimation - Accuracy/Endurance/Recharge: 27+5
  
• (19) Decimation - Accuracy/Damage/Recharge: 27+5
  
• (23) Decimation - Chance for Buildup: Level 25

Level 4: Temporal Mending

• (A) Preventive Medicine - Chance for +Absorb: Level 20
• (42) Preventive Medicine - Heal: Level 27
• (42) Preventive Medicine - Heal/Endurance: Level 27
• (42) Preventive Medicine - Endurance/RechargeTime: Level 27
• (43) Preventive Medicine - Heal/RechargeTime: Level 27
• (43) Preventive Medicine - Heal/RechargeTime/Endurance: Level 27

Level 6: Train Ninjas

• (A) Endurance Reduction IO: Level 50

Level 8: Aimed Shot

• (A) Apocalypse - Damage: Attuned
  
• (9) Apocalypse - Accuracy/Damage/Recharge: Attuned
  
• (9) Apocalypse - Accuracy/Recharge: Attuned
  
• (11) Apocalypse - Damage/Endurance: Attuned
  
• (19) Apocalypse - Chance of Damage(Negative): Attuned
  
• (25) Gladiator's Javelin - Chance of Damage(Toxic): Level 10

Level 10: Time's Juncture

• (A) Superior Witchcraft - Universal Debuff: Attuned
  
• (34) Superior Witchcraft - Accuracy/ Universal Debuff: Attuned
  
• (37) Superior Witchcraft - Universal Debuff/Endurance/Recharge: Attuned
  
• (37) Superior Witchcraft - Accuracy/Endurance/Recharge: Attuned

Level 12: Call Jounin

• (A) Superior Command of the Mastermind - Accuracy/Damage: Attuned
  
• (13) Superior Command of the Mastermind - Accuracy/Damage/Endurance/Recharge: Attuned
  
• (13) Superior Command of the Mastermind - Damage/Endurance: Attuned
  
• (15) Superior Command of the Mastermind - Recharge/Pet +AoE Defense Aura: Attuned
  
• (15) Edict of the Master - Defense Bonus: Level 15
• (17) Superior Witchcraft - Chance for Res Debuff: Attuned

Level 14: Fistful of Arrows

• (A) Rolling Barrage - Accuracy/Damage: Level 27+5
  
• (17) Rolling Barrage - Damage/Endurance: Level 27+5
  
• (33) Positron's Blast - Chance of Damage(Energy): Level 20
• (33) Annihilation - Chance for Res Debuff: Level 20
• (34) Hamidon Origin: Centriole Exposure++ (Damage/Range)
• (34) Hamidon Origin: Centriole Exposure++ (Damage/Range)

Level 16: Distortion Field

• (A) Basilisk's Gaze - Chance of -Recharge: Level 10
• (39) Superior Winter Storm - Recharge/Chance for Cold Damage: Attuned
  
• (39) Superior Winter Storm - Accuracy/Slow: Attuned
  
• (40) Superior Winter Storm - Damage/Slow: Attuned
  
• (40) Superior Winter Storm - Accuracy/Damage/Slow: Attuned
  
• (40) Superior Winter Storm - Damage/Endurance/Slow: Attuned

Level 18: Temporal Selection

• (A) Regenerative Tissue - +Regeneration: Level 10
• (43) Regenerative Tissue - Heal/Endurance: Level 27
• (45) Regenerative Tissue - Endurance/Recharge: Level 27
• (45) Regenerative Tissue - Heal/Recharge: Level 27
• (45) Regenerative Tissue - Heal/Endurance/Recharge: Level 27

Level 20: Time Stop

• (A) Superior Entomb - Accuracy/Endurance/Hold: Attuned
  
• (21) Gladiator's Net - Chance of Damage(Lethal): Level 10
• (21) Neuronic Shutdown - Chance of Damage(Psionic): Level 10
• (23) Ghost Widow's Embrace - Chance of Damage(Psionic): Level 20
• (25) Lockdown - Chance for +2 Mag Hold: Level 30
• (50) Unbreakable Constraint - Chance for Smashing Damage: Level 50

Level 22: Stealth

• (A) Karma - Knockback Reduction (4 points): Level 10
• (46) Shield Wall - Teleport Protection, Res(All): Level 10
• (46) Luck of the Gambler - Defense/Increased Global Recharge Speed: Level 25

Level 24: Grant Invisibility

• (A) Luck of the Gambler - Defense/Increased Global Recharge Speed: Level 25

Level 26: Oni

• (A) Superior Mark of Supremacy - Accuracy/Damage: Attuned
  
• (27) Superior Mark of Supremacy - Accuracy/Endurance: Attuned
  
• (27) Superior Mark of Supremacy - Accuracy/Damage/Endurance: Attuned
  
• (29) Superior Mark of Supremacy - Endurance/Pet +Resist +Regen: Attuned
  
• (29) Sovereign Right: Resist Bonus: Level 25
• (31) Expedient Reinforcement - Resist Bonus Aura for Pets: Level 30

Level 28: Farsight

• (A) Luck of the Gambler - Defense/Increased Global Recharge Speed: Level 25
• (31) Hamidon Origin: Cytoskeleton Exposure++ (+Defense/+ToHit/Endurance Reduction)
• (33) Hamidon Origin: Cytoskeleton Exposure++ (+Defense/+ToHit/Endurance Reduction)

Level 30: Hasten

• (A) Recharge Reduction IO: Level 50
• (31) Recharge Reduction IO: Level 50

Level 32: Kuji In Zen

• (A) Endurance Reduction IO: Level 50

Level 35: Slowed Response

• (A) Analyze Weakness - Accuracy/Endurance/Recharge: Level 50+5
  
• (36) Shield Breaker - Accuracy/Endurance/Recharge: Level 27+5
  
• (36) Shield Breaker - Chance for Lethal Damage: Level 10
• (36) Achilles' Heel - Chance for Res Debuff: Level 10
• (37) Touch of Lady Grey - Chance for Negative Damage: Level 21

Level 38: Chrono Shift

• (A) Recharge Reduction IO: Level 50
• (39) Recharge Reduction IO: Level 50

Level 41: Maneuvers

• (A) Reactive Defenses - Scaling Resist Damage: Level 20
• (46) Reactive Defenses - Defense: Level 22
• (48) Reactive Defenses - Defense/Endurance: Level 22
• (48) Reactive Defenses - Endurance/RechargeTime: Level 22
• (48) Reactive Defenses - Defense/RechargeTime: Level 22
• (50) Reactive Defenses - Defense/Endurance/RechargeTime: Level 22

Level 44: Tactics

• (A) Hamidon Origin: Cytoskeleton Exposure++ (+Defense/+ToHit/Endurance Reduction)

Level 47: Assault

• (A) Endurance Reduction IO: Level 50+5

Level 49: Vengeance

• (A) Luck of the Gambler - Defense/Increased Global Recharge Speed: Level 25

Level 1: Supremacy
Level 1: Brawl

• (A) Hamidon Origin: Nucleolus Exposure (Acc/Dam)

Level 1: Sprint

• (A) Celerity - +Stealth: Level 15

Level 2: Rest

• (A) Recharge Reduction IO: Level 50

Level 2: Swift

• (A) Run Speed IO: Level 50+5

Level 2: Hurdle

• (A) Jumping IO: Level 50+5

Level 2: Health

• (A) Panacea - +Hit Points/Endurance: Level 10
• (9) Miracle - +Recovery: Level 20
• (17) Numina's Convalesence - +Regeneration/+Recovery: Level 30

Level 2: Stamina

• (A) Performance Shifter - Chance for +End: Level 21
• (13) Performance Shifter - EndMod: Level 27+5
  
• (23) Performance Shifter - EndMod/Accuracy: Level 27+5

Level 4: Ninja Run
Level 1: Prestige Power Surge

• (A) Run Speed IO: Level 50

Level 1: Genin
Level 12: Jounin
Level 26: Oni

Level 50: Alpha Intuition Radial Paragon
Level 50: Judgement Void Radial Final Judgement
Level 50: Interface Diamagnetic Core Flawless Interface
Level 50: Lore Robotic Drones Core Superior Ally
Level 50: Destiny Rebirth Radial Epiphany
Level 50: Hybrid Assault Radial Embodiment
Level 50: Genesis Socket Radial Flawless


Proc chances:
Snap Shot:Decimation (1.0 PPM)

• 1.0 * ((2 / ( 1 + 68.5 / 100 )) + 1) / (60 * (0.25 + 0.75 * (1 + 0 * (11 * 0 + 540) / 30,000))) = 6.50% (Pre-clamp: 3.64%)

Aimed Shot: Apocalypse (4.5 PPM), Gladiator's Javelin (3.5 PPM)

• 3.5 * ((4 / ( 1 + 59.62 / 100 )) + 1) / (60 * (0.25 + 0.75 * (1 + 0 * (11 * 0 + 540) / 30,000))) = 20.45%
  
• 4.5 * ((4 / ( 1 + 59.62 / 100 )) + 1) / (60 * (0.25 + 0.75 * (1 + 0 * (11 * 0 + 540) / 30,000))) = 26.29%

Fistful of Arrows: Annihilation (3.0 PPM), Positron's Blast (3.5 PPM)

• 3.0 * ((8 / ( 1 + 0 / 100 )) + 1.17) / (60 * (0.25 + 0.75 * (1 + 40 * (11 * 30 + 540) / 30,000))) = 24.52% per $Target
  
• 3.5 * ((8 / ( 1 + 0 / 100 )) + 1.17) / (60 * (0.25 + 0.75 * (1 + 40 * (11 * 30 + 540) / 30,000))) = 28.61% per $Target

Call Jounin: Superior Witchcraft (6 PPM)

• Basic: Gambler's Cut (-DEF, 3s recharge)
  
• Basic: Sting of the Wasp (-DEF, 5s recharge)
  
• Basic: Caltrops (Slow, 30s recharge)
  
• Train: Soaring Dragon (-DEF, Knockback, 9s recharge)
  
• Zen: Golden Dragonfly (-DEF, Knockup, 12s recharge)
  
• Zen: Blinding Powder (-To-hit, 120s recharge)

Distortion Field: Basilisk's Gaze (3.5 PPM), Superior Winter Storm (4.5 PPM)

• 3.5 x 10 / (60 * (0.25 + 0.75 * (1 + 20 * (11 * 360 + 540) / 30,000))) = 17.95% per $Target
  
• 4.5 x 10 / (60 * (0.25 + 0.75 * (1 + 20 * (11 * 360 + 540) / 30,000))) = 23.08% per $Target

Time Stop: Gladiator's Net (3.5 PPM), Neuronic Shutdown (3.5 PPM), Ghost Widow's Embrace (3.5 PPM), Lockdown (2.5 PPM), Unbreakable Contstraint (4.5 PPM)

• 2.5 * ((16 / ( 1 + 0 / 100 )) + 2.17) / (60 * (0.25 + 0.75 * (1 + 0 * (11 * 0 + 540) / 30,000))) = 75.71%
  
• 3.5 * ((16 / ( 1 + 0 / 100 )) + 2.17) / (60 * (0.25 + 0.75 * (1 + 0 * (11 * 0 + 540) / 30,000))) = 90% (Pre-clamp: 105.99%)
  
• 4.5 * ((16 / ( 1 + 0 / 100 )) + 2.17) / (60 * (0.25 + 0.75 * (1 + 0 * (11 * 0 + 540) / 30,000))) = 90% (Pre-clamp: 136.28%)

Slowed Response: Shield Breaker (3.5 PPM), Achilles' Heel (3.5 PPM), Touch of Lady Grey (3.5 PPM)

• 3.5 * ((90 / ( 1 + 47.6 / 100 )) + 2.27) / (60 * (0.25 + 0.75 * (1 + 25 * (11 * 360 + 540) / 30,000))) = 90% (Pre-clamp: 96.77%) per $Target

[Redlynne]

So I've been playing the build above in iTrials (rather successfully) and been able to determine somewhat conclusively that the build above is capable of:

• BAF Trial: soloing a bunker during the Mindwashed Resistance Escape Phase
• MoM Trial: soloing the portals during the Aurora Rescue Phase
• DD Trial: soloing a Repulsive Spine to destruction

So ... performance is "pretty decent" when it counts. 

However, that said ... I'm looking at the distribution of Powers (and Slotting) and realizing that there is STILL some "wasteful muling" going on in the build.
Specifically, Aimed Shot is spending an uncomfortable fraction of time on my powers bar in a fully recharged state ... unused. When fully buffed, the recharge on Aimed Shot gets down to ~1 second, but Snap Shot is down around ~0.5 seconds (and visually "inflates" to recharge almost instantly) because Snap Shot has a 2 second recharge (base).

Set Bonus slotting adds up to +108.75% combined global recharge.
Hasten adds another +70% global recharge.
Chrono Shift adds another +50% global recharge.
6-slotting Decimation into Snap Shot adds +68.5% enhancement recharge through enhancement slotting alone.

100 (base) + 68.5 + 108.75 + 70 + 50 = 397.25% total recharge

So Snap Shot's 2 second recharge becomes 2/3.9725=0.503461296412838 seconds ... which is only slightly slower than Player Reaction Speed.
Even with ZERO slotted enhancement on Snap Shot, due to global recharge factors the 2 second recharge would become 328.75% total recharge ... and 2/3.2875=0.608365019011407 seconds ... a difference of +0.105 seconds (which in practice would be barely noticeable).

My point being that I'm coming to the conclusion that it would be "acceptable" to drop Aimed Shot (and recoup 5 slots in the process) towards an alternative build choice.
But what to build?

Well, right now I've got Luck of the Gambler +7.5% global enhancements getting muled in Stealth, Grant Invisibility, Vengeance and Farsight ... and 3 of those powers (Stealth, Grant Invisibility and Vengeance) are rarely used.
Stealth is something I wind up using during the Lambda Trial during the gathering phase, but effectively at no other time.
Grant Invisibility gets used (briefly) during the TPN Trial (to reduce Pet catchup delays when rushing indoors) and during the Keyes Trial (to reduce Pet catchup delays after Ninja Leaping from bunkers up onto the third reactor to join the fight up there) ... but other than that, Grant Invisibility just sits on my power bar unused.
Vengeance occasionally gets used, but it's so rare (because Creed and others are so quick to resurrect the fallen) that it also spends a supermajority of time on my powers bar fully recharged with no opportunities for usage.



Then I noticed that the revamped Teleportation Pool includes 2 powers that add +Defense and which can be slotted for +Defense ... Blink and Blink Blitz. Those powers also accept Melee Sets (Blink) and PBAoE Sets (Blink Blitz) so a 5-slot (for global recharge) + Luck of the Gambler global recharge in those 2 powers becomes an option for replacing Stealth and Grant Invisibility.

Which means ...

Remove:

• Aimed Shot
• Stealth
• Grant Invisibility
• Vengeance

Add:

• Blink
• Teleport
• Blink Blitz
• Mass Translocate

Also Gain:

• Team Teleport
• Mass Translocation

Needless to say, this has some VERY interesting options and possibilities going on with it, but it is going to ROYALLY MESS UP the slotting arrangement I've been using up to this point (because of Rule of Five for set bonuses, among other concerns) so I'm going to have to do an almost top to bottom build refactoring in order to make this work ... but I can already see a path that will be usable, particularly for a Level 50 Incarnate respec.

This is going to take some major work to try and get everything sorted (especially since I can't get Mids' Reborn to work on my M2 iMac Mini!), but it's a possibility worth investigating. If nothing else, Teleportation looks like it will "see more use" than the Aimed Shot, Stealth, Grant Invisibility, Vengeance combination has been achieving. Teleportation will enable NEW TACTICS and strategies to be put into play (such as "relocating to cluster" Clockworks during the Keyes Reactor Trial), including repositioning Foes into my Distortion Field bubbles.