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Looking for a bit of general advice in Blaster building here.

I figure my main will probably be an Energy/Elec blaster, but I am a bit undecided and am looking for some tips, help, and advice.

I pretty much know what i will be taking from the Energy main spec line, the question is about my second line.

I am currently a level 10 Energy/Elec blaster, and have taken Elec Fence, and Lightnning field.

Should i have avoided lightning field? I realise the purpose of a blaster is to stay out of mele range, and now I am thinking it might have been better to save that slot for use in either a pool power, or for some of the higher end close range powers (like lightning clap, or thunder strike).  If lightning field doesent really get much better at high levels, i will probably re roll and ditch it.

Also, having looked closer at the Energy secondary, it lacks the Root (which was why i took Elec Manip) but gets Build Up really early, has Energy Conservation, and gets some decent stuns/disorients at high level.


second question, what are the best pool powers to grab for a Blaster?
(supposing i stay with Ener/Elec, the build i am considering would likely have 5 points to spend on pool powers.  Hover and hasten are a given, i think, but what would you reccomend for the others?

I am still undecided as to which Adv Move power i want (though fly is looking like the best option)

so in the end, i have 2 pool powers still to pick.

Well, I will tell you what I know, but that ain't much.  I am an elec/elec blaster and the secondary works fine for me.  I have an immob right off, and then build-up and such.  But I don't know how it would combine with energy.  It works really well with my main power, elec, because I get a zapp and tesla cage (which is a full hold instead of just an immobilization).  So I can hold them, build-up, aim, then smash them for about 220 with zapp.  But, honestly, a lot of the secondary powers in elec seem to have melee as a range, such as light field, which is why I didn't take them.  I hover and snipe, I don't do melee.  And it will get even worse as you get to higher levels and the guys can one shot you.  So depending on what you choose in your main powerset, there are things that will work well if you take elec as a secondary.  But then, in a reasonably balanced game, you could say that about any secondary power set.

What did you take from the Energy main spec line?  It'll help us figure out what kind of blaster you wanna play and what you're looking for.

The majority of the blaster secondary powers are melee/control, for all the pools.

I think that their idea of the energy blaster, though, was that your crowd-control is done via the throwback side-effects of all your attacks, so you don't need root.

I didn't play my energy/energy to terribly high levels, but I know that with the various powers having different ranges, and with the knockbacked mobs running back to you all the time, you're going to be in melee range every now and then.   Hover is almost against the feel of the class, especially if you take energy-manipulation.

Sounds like you're looking for ranged-only powers.  Not sure if it's feasible with your secondary pool, whether it's electrical or energy, considering the fact that you get those powers at much later levels than your primaries.

I have two energy blasters. The first is my first release character, and I did pick one more melee skill than I would have otherwise, but he's pretty effective and melee skills are still desirable if you are in missions or fighting other flyers (both mine are flyers). He's all about damage slotting.

My newer character is foregoing most melee skills and even most close range attacks, as an experiment of sorts. I'm focusing on a few ranged attacks, slotting them for accuracy and recharge reduction. Then I'm focusing on the energy manipulation type powers (aim, build up, conservation) and leadership/fitness.

I mostly wanted to take the same template and grow it in another direction to see how much of an impact that has, how different I can make two characters that started out identical.

well, to clairify a bit, I dont really have much of a major issue in getting into mele range.  My question was more along the lines of "is Lightning Field an essential close range power" or should i have dumped it for something else.  While it is a PBAoE, it doesent do a lot of damage per tick, and seems to draw a fair bit of aggro when in close quarters missions (not a good thing for a blaster)

Other then that, what are your thoughts on the Advanced movement powers.

Considering I intend to take hasten and hover, which Adv Movement is better? Fly or Super Speed?  Which 4th level pool would be better? Whirlwind (from hasten/Speed) or Group Fly (from Hover/Fly)?

Blaster + Fly. Two great tastes that taste great together.

My Energy/Energy blaster is fun as hell to play. I have concentrated my enh sockets into the longer ranged powers for the most part, so I can beat holy hell out of things from a distance. If they get too close, I can use the knockback punch (I have enhanced knockback, just for the pure fun of it) or the AoE cone knockback power to get them off me (Cone works well for injuring lots of low levels, too).

I have hover and Teleport friend (the first for defense and mobility, the second for sheer convenience). Think I will go with Fly next.