More Equal Than Others

Y'know, if y'think non-emp defenders have it hard... I think emp defs have it even worse.

They're empaths. The favored targets of everybody. Some dislike 'em because they promote the idea there's nothing but big green numbers to defender blue shields. Some who are just plain idiots and can't be saved by anyone will still pursue them like rabid dogs for teh healz0r. Even teams who take 'em along pretty much expect and understand only the green number powers and tend to forget about the other buffs. And worse, probably 85% of the empaths themselves forget or never figured out about their other buffs.

Freedom server being what it is, I am quite sad to say that the only defender set that seems to have survived at high levels is the empath set. I seriously haven't met a high level def that was anything else (except one stray bubbler who I never saw again.) Even controller secondaries are emp, except for an odd bubbler or stormie. *boggles*

And boy, are some empaths more equal than others.

This morning, I logged on with the express intention of trying to make 2.5 bars and get to level 47. As it so happens, I got invited to a team with two empaths and a blaster. (Previously, we had a controller /ff for a while, and a scrapper, but they had to leave. Damn but I was god again with Bubbles and the two emp buffs.)

These empaths were pros. Pros, I tell you. The empath leader was 49, I started at 46, and she offered a sk to me which I took, so effectively 48. Our first mission was against 50s and 51s.

Then the next mission I leveled, so I was now 47, my sk fell off, and we were fighting level 52s - what? Carnies and Malta. OMGWTFBBQ. *whimper*

To my amazement, not only was I kept standing on my feet facing +5 mobs, but I could actually hit 'em (for low damage) and still capture aggro (madly taunting, of course, auto-hits are good here).

Why? Fortitude. I think I got double fort'ed all the time. Blaster too, prolly. And we had clear mind running on us too, just in case. Cos of the silly Malta. Luckily I had a hold so I would do the hold sapper thing. But at such a level disparity, my hold evaporated fast, or I would miss - and then my toggles would fall, my end sucked dry and we had a few close encounters...and some squishies died alas.

(Though I have no idea why the defenders insisted on standing so close to us, one def was practically breathing under my armpit and kept eating all the stuns from AoE grenades and rockets. I had to keep running around and turning big Zeus Titans away from them.)

But they sure got me back running real fast. Adrenaline boost to replace end and so on.

Of course I helped out by hitting unstopp when necessary to regain aggro and all. But it was certainly very interesting. I think this was one of the rare times I got serious empath buffage - too often Mr. Healz0rman neglects to buff or tosses a desultory one on a blaster or something. Tanks never seemed to be high on a poor empath's priority list.

Well, these guys knew differently. And there was serious ass-kicking of insanely high Malta and Carnies as a result. Go (real) empaths!

Some day I must give MedicBot more play time. Getting closer now to goal. Level 47 and counting. Oh, I got myself ice blast. I kept staring at RPD, REl and Tough Hide, and just couldn't bring myself to do it. Perhaps another invul tanker for another time.

It makes me giggle to have a ranged weapon on a tank. Of course, not slotted, it doesn't hit for anything significant. My slotted scorch hits for better damage. But as I was busy tormenting level 30 greys in Brickstown with it, I noticed something smart about choosing ice. Ice blast recharges quickly, and has -spd and -recharge on it. HAR. I can now be a Crey cryo tank with an ice pistol! I slowed this wildly running grey to a near standstill, giggling like an idiot with a new toy.

If anything, I'm now going to have a serious problem deciding on my attack chain. Hold? AoE? Heavy single-target damage? Tickle and slow the heck out of something? Flip him over with air sup?

Ah well, it's a good kind of problem. I'm not one to really worry about maximum DPS on a tank, more options the better.