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Episode 40 – IO Sets Part 3

We are happy to bring you Episode 40. Well, half of it at least 🙂  As has been the case lately, this went very long, and this 1.5 hour chunk is the first to see the light of day. The second chunk is another hour+ of fluffy feedbacky goodness and will be out as soon as we can prod the edit monkeys back into action. Lazy monkeys…

In this episode we disuss:

Click through for the full IO Set Feature that covers Accuracy bonuses, Damage bonuses, boosting Endurance, boosting Health, and as an odd addition, set IOs that offer Debt Protection

As usual, I order the sets from lowest number of pieces required to highest. As an additional reminder, the full text of this will be in the show notes, as I won’t be reading every single set name — only the ones that give the biggest bonuses.

ACCURACY:
Accuracy is an attribute that pretty much everyone understands, even if they don’t have the actual to-hit calculation memorized. As a frame of reference, an even-level accuracy SO grants +33% benefit.

Except for two of the following sets, to get any accuracy bonuses requires 4 pieces of an IO set in a power, which makes +accuracy more expensive than the attributes earlier discussed, since the more pieces you need for a set, the more likely you will run into set piece shortages or high prices for the recipe or salvage.

Accuracy bonus sets requiring only 2 IOs:
Defense Debuff: Exploited Vulnerability +3% accuracy [ 2 pieces
required out of 3 available.]

Accuracy bonus sets requiring only 3 IOs:
To Hit Debuff: Deflated Ego +3 % acc [ 3 out of  3 required, the full set. ]

Accuracy bonus sets requiring 4 IOs:
Melee:Crushing Impact +7% acc
PBAOE:Scirocco’s Dervish 9+% acc
Ranged:Thunderstrike +7% acc
Target AOE:Positron’s Blast +9% acc
Sniper:Exploit Weakness +3% acc
Sniper:Calibrated Accuracy +5% acc
Defense:Serendipity +3% acc
Defense:Luck of the Gambler +9% acc
Confuse:Perplex +5% acc
Slow:Pacing of the Turtle +9% acc
Immob:Trap fo the Hunter +9% acc
Hold:Neuronic Shutdown +7% acc
Fear:Nightmare +5% acc
Fear:Glimpse of the Abyss +9% acc
To Hit Buff:Adjusted Targetting +9% acc
Defense Debuff:Undermined Defense +7% acc

The following require 4 IOs, and are the unique level 50 purple sets, therefore very expensive and can’t be used more than once per character.
Melee: Hecatomb +15% acc
PBAOE: Armaggedon  +15% acc
Target AOE: Ragnarok +15% acc
Sleep: Fortunata Hypnosis +15% acc
Immob: Gravitational Anchor +15% acc
Hold: Unbreakable Constraint +15% acc
Stun: Absolute Amazement +15% acc
The good news, even though you have to invest 4 slots, there are enough power groups that accept +accuracy bonus set IOs and the percentages are in general high enough that getting +20% accuracy on all attacks relatively easy. I wouldn’t recommend changing your slotting strategy to stop slotting Accuracy SOs or IOs and compensating with bonuses (especially since bonuses aren’t guaranteed to be there if you exemplar down), but having +accuracy in general is nice, especially when fighting enemies that debuff your overall chance to hit, like spectrals and vampyrs.

DAMAGE:
Okay, everyone loves damage. Well, all the cool kids do. And damage bonuses are pretty handily available, in the form of inspirations, inherents, buffs, etc. so people may not be sweating using IOs to pump up the damage. But it is nice to break the Enhancement Diversification dampeners on damage, or beef up the damage of a power that is sacrificing a damage SO or IO for some other effect (which is not unreasonable with high end IOs, which get close to ED norms with only 2 IOs instead of 3 SOs.)

Damage bonus sets requiring 2 IOs
Knockback:Explosive Strike  +1.5% dam [needs two of the three available]
To Hit Buff: Adjusted Targetting +2% dam
To Hit Debuff: Deflated Ego +1.5% dam [needs 2 of 3 ]
To Hit Debuff: Dampened Spirits +2% dam
Defense Debuff: Achilles Heel +1.5% dam  [2/3]
Defense Debuff:Undermined Defenses  +2% dam

Damage bonus sets requiring 3 IOs
To Hit Buff: Encouraged Accuracy  +1.5% dam [needs 3/3, complete set]

Damage bonus sets requiring 4 IOs
Melee:Pounding Slugfest  +2% dam [ need 4 of 4 ]
Melee:Touch of Death  +2.5% dam
Melee:Makos Bite  +3% dam
PBAOE:Cleaving Blow  +1% dam
Ranged:Tempest  +2% dam    [ need 4 of 4 ]
Ranged:Devastation  +3% dam
Sniper:Extreme Measures  +2% dam
Sniper:Sting of the Manticore  +3% dam
Defense:Red Fortune  +2% dam
Confuse:Malaise’s Illusions  +2.5% dam
Immob:Rooting Grasp  +1% dam

Purple level 50 sets requiring 4 IOs
Ranged:Apocalypse  +4% dam
Pet:Soulbound Allegiance  +4% dam
Confuse:Coercive Persuasion  +4% dam

Damage  bonus sets requiring 5 IOs:
Knockback: Force Feedback +2.5% dam
End Modification: Efficacy Adaptor  +2.5% dam
End Modification: Performance Shifter +2.5% dam
To Hit Buff: Gaussian’s Synchronized Fire Control  +2.5% dam
To Hit Debuff: Dark Watcher’s Despair +2% dam
Defense Debuff: Touch of Lady Grey +2% dam

It doesn’t seem like you can rack up huge +damage %, but +10-15% damage seems pretty easy to reach.

ENDURANCE
Endurance is another thing that everyone pretty much learns fast that you must have. Except for regen scrappers. Anyway, the game offers several forms of endurance breaks, and IO set bonuses is another tool to help manage endurance.

Simply, the more Endurance you have not only increases the overall pool of endurance you can use, but also the rate at which it comes back. Two great tastes that taste great together. Or whatever. Enough talk. Action! (Which is  hard to do without Endurance.)

For comparison’s sake, the Atlas Medallion and Portal Jockey Accolades both offer +5% endurance. Yes, I know you won’t see % in the descriptions (at least I think you won’t.) To talk more about this would get into a long talk on changes in Endurance over the years, and I’m not sure I’m qualified to get all the facts correct here. Entertain me and accept for now that AM and PJ offer +5% endurance for comparison to bonuses below. If I’m wrong, that could be a great seed for a feature on Endurance in general.

Endurance bonus sets requiring 2 IOs
Taunt: Mocking Beratement  +1.8% endurance

Endurance bonus sets requiring 3 IOs
To Hit Debuff: Dampened Spirits + 1.8% End
Defense Debuff: Undermined Defenses + 1.8% End

Endurance bonus sets requiring 4 IOs
Ranged:Entropic Chaos  +2.25% End    [need 4 of 5]
Ranged:Decimation  +2.25% End
Pet:Unquestioning Loyalty  +0.9% End    [need 4 of 4]
Pet:Commanding Presence  +1.35% End    [need 4 of 5]
Resist:Impervium Armor  +2.25% End
Defense:Gift of the Ancients  +1.8% End
Sleep:Call of the Sandman  +2.25% End
Slow:Tempered Readiness  +0.9% End
Hold:Ghost Widows Embrace  +2.25% End

The percentages are not huge, there aren’t a lot of Endurance-contributing sets, and since many bonuses are the same value, you probably can’t wrack up too high a bonus. But, it looks like you could score higher than +5%, which is accolade level.

HEALTH
By my count, there are 56 IO sets that offer +Health. Yes, the percentages are small, but if you want to boost health, you have a lot of options to choose from, a lot in the 3 IO range which could allow all kinds of frankenslotting, and remember, +Health not only == more hit points, but it improves the rate at which you gain hits back.

By way of comparison, the Freedom Phalanx accolade offers +10% Health, Portal Jockey and Task Force Commander each offer +5% to hits.

Health bonus sets requiring 2 IOs:
End Mod:Efficacy Adaptor  +1.13% health
To Hit Debuff:DarkWatcher’s Despair  +1.5% health
Defense Debuff:Touch of Lady Grey  +1.5% health

Health bonus sets requiring 3 IOs:
Melee:Bonesnap  +0.75% health      [ need all 3 of 3]
Melee:Bruising Blow  +0.75% health    [need all 3 of 3]
Melee:Smashing Haymaker  +1.13% health   [need 3 of 4]
Melee:Kinetic Combat  +1.5% health
Melee:Touch of Death  +1.5% health
Melee:Crushing Impact  +1.13% health
Melee:Mako’s Bite  +1.5% health
Ranged:Far Strike  +0.75% health    [need all 3 of 3]
Ranged:Voley Fire  +0.75% health    [need all 3 of 3]
Ranged:Ruin  +1.13% health     [need 3 of 5]
Ranged:Decimation  +1.13% health
Ranged: Devastation +2.25% health
Target AOE:Air Burst  +0.75% health   [need 3 of 4]
Sniper:Extreme Measures  +1.5% health
Pet:Unquestioning Loyalty  +0.75% health    [need 3 of 4]
Pet:Comnanding Presence  +1.13% health   [need 3 of 5]
Pet:Edict of the Master  +1.5% health
Heal:Triage  +0.75% health    [need 3 of 4]
Heal:Regenerative Tissue  +1.5% health    [need 3 of 5]
Heal:Miracle  +1.88% health
Heal:Numina’s Convalescence  +1.88% health
Resist Damage:Steadfast Protection  +1.5% health   [need 3 of 3]
Resist Damage:Impervious Skin  +1.5% health    [need 3 of 5]
Resist Damage:Titanium Coating  +1.5% health
Defense:Karma  +1.5% health    [need 3 of 3]
Defense:Serendipity  +0.75% health
Defense:Luck of the Gambler  +1.13% health
Sleep:Hibernation  +0.75% health    [need 3 of 5]
Sleep:Induced Coma  +0.75% health
Sleep:Call of the Sandman  +1.88% health
Immob:Rooting Grasp  +0.75% health
Immob:Trap of the Hunter  +1.88% health
Hold:Neuronic Shutdown  +1.5% health
Hold:Ghost Widow’s Embrace  +1.88% health
Fear:Horror  +0.75% health
Fear:Glimpse fo the Abyss  +1.88% health
Stun:Razzle Dazzle  +1.5% health
Stun:Stupefy  +1.88% health
Flight:Soaring  +0.75% health
Flight:Freebird  +1.5% health
Leaping:Springfoot  +0.75% health
Leaping:Unbounded Leap  +1.5% health
Run:Quickfoot  +0.75% health
Run:Celerity  +1.5% health
Teleport:Jaunt  +0.75% health
Teleport:Time and Space Manip.  +1.5% health
Knockback:Volley of Velocity  +1.13% health
End Modification:Adrenal Adjustment  +1.13% health
End Modification:Performance Shifter  +1.88% health
To Hit Buff:Gaussian’s Sync. Fire Control  +1.88% health

Purple unique level 50 sets requiring 3 IOs:
Ranged: Apocalypse  +3% health
Pet: Soulbound Allegiance  +3% health
Health bonus sets requiring 5 IOs:
Defense Debuff: Undermined Defenses  +1.5% health

DEBT PROTECTION
No one wants debt (except for debt badgers or people who want to have slower leveling so as to not outpace content) but I’m not sure if people really worry about minimizing potential debt via IO set bonuses. The majority of sets that offer Debt protection require an investment of 4 IOs in a set, which seems steep when I might rather slot something that would increase my chance, even marginally, of not being defeated at all.

Still, here are the sets:

Debt protection bonus sets that require 2 IOs:
Defense:Karma +1.5% debt protection  [ need 2 of 3]
Knockback:Volley of Velocity +1% debt protection  [need 2 of 3]
To Hit Buff:Encouraged Accuracy +1.5% debt protection  [need 2 of 3]

Debt protection bonus sets that require 4 IOs:
Melee:Focussed Smite +1.5% debt protection    [need 4 of 5]
Ranged:Ruin +1% debt protection    [need 4 of 5]
Target AOE:Detonation +1% debt protection
Sniper:Executioners Contract +2.5% debt protection
Pet:Brilliant Leadership +1% debt protection
Resist Damage:Impervious Skin +2% debt protection
Resist Damage:Aegis +2.5% debt protection
Defense:Kismet +1.5% debt protection    [need 4 of 5]
Sleep:Induced Coma +2% debt protection
Immob:Debilitative Action +2% debt protection
Hold:Paralytic +1% debt protection    [need 4 of 5]
Fear:Unspeakable Terror +1.5% debt protection

Again, not a giant amount of sets or high percentages. It might be worth it in the long run if you’re insanely brave, unlucky, or playing a beloved concept build that just has some gaping weaknesses (I might have a few of those…)

That’s it for this third installment. The next will be the final grouping of IOs by benefit. The next category will be all the damage resistance and defense bonuses status effects.

36 replies on “Episode 40 – IO Sets Part 3”

DANGIT! Every. Single. Time.! I’ll get it one of these days! Mark my words, Nod. Mark them well.

Zeal Before Nod!

I was SO glad hearing you two again. That month+ long wait was torture. Can tell that some of the info was outdated, and plenty of more recent developments not even mentioned.
Grats on the job and hours, but we miss you!

Viv, you could really tell how SinnerSaints story was getting to you, you big softy you! Can’t blame you tho, I have a child and reading the updates makes me want to cry and smile all in one. My boy has gotten a few hugs out of the thread, whether he wanted them or not, heh.

IO discussion was informative as usual, props to the author. It’s all about the author, after all 🙂

Feedback segment was … I like the character backgrounds, I want to try something like that soon.

The episode ended rather abruptly, I thought. Not even a sign-out or a see you for the next episode kind of thing 🙁

for those worried if the iTunes monkey truncated the episoded, it looks like it should have a length of 1 hour 28 mins.

Can’t wait to listen to it…

Yay! new Nod First Post!

So glad you guys got this cast out. I understand RL>COH, but we just missed hearing you guys.

Yeah the abrupt ending was just not wanting to wait any longer to get it out. I just lopped off what was done and capped it with the outro. Rest of the feedback “coming soon”.

The Seanachai is awesome. I’ve been listening since Ep1 and was so sad over his year+ hiatus. Glad to hear new content coming. Can’t wait for more “How To Succeed in Evil”.

I’ve heared only about 30 minutes of the cast, but let me go ahead and say this…


GAAARRRR!! I forgot, I hate it when I forget things >_<

I wish this would have showed-up BEFORE I got stuck on the side of a mountain in New Mexico waiting 8 hours to get a tire changed. It would have made the time pass a bit faster. But, at least I can listen tomorrow while I’m waiting in line to get my truck unloaded in El Paso, Texas.

And I saw a reference to “character backgrounds” from Nod. Could that be my stuff? (Withholding “Squee” until I know for sure.)

Glad to have you back. Missed ya.

Ok, I can officially SQUEE! now. It was me. And all four of the pieces I sent in. Wow, I guess I have to break-out the microphone again in the near future, I have several (30-ish) characters still sitting around waiting for their turn.

Thanks for the play, guys.

yeah, Camera Guy, you do have a good voice for podcasting. Great bios.

Chooch and Viv, thanks for featuring my IO stuff, and for the tank-centric email I sent in.

Thanks again for getting the podcast out, I think we all appreciate the hard work, especially in light of your McSoda misadventure.

As always, great to hear you two.

Well, I guess I can cross “A new CoH Podcast episode” off my Christmas list….

….and add “4 new CoH Podcast episodes” to it!

I don’t have a mutation controller/brute so I can’t have that knuckle/knupple cracking sound in my bio! Do knupples crack like knuckles or are knuckles cracking like knupples and no one knew it till now?! I am so confused!?! See what happens when you guys don’t rein me in, I am left to my own rambling thoughts. I’m scared….Choov? Vooch? …..*mutters* Troy?

Awesome cast. The wife and I were both weepy through the entire section on Anna, thank you so much for spending so much time out of your cast for Anna. She had another doctor’s appt today….gonna go post it up now.

lol, kill the wabbit!!

I loved that, it inspired me to make my new character
Assault Rifle/Devices Blaster named Elmer Fudd

Camera Guy, awesome bios, and delivery. I just wonder how many other “number two” themed characters this will spawn. I know you inspired me to create whose bio you may hear on a future show. – Same Criswell, Different Day.

Seems the system ate the name of my character. So for now, he will be known as “NAME WITHHELD”.

Many? We’re talking Macs here. Mac gamers are a rare breed. Though we’ve got some that have been using that Boot Camp thing that are going to be *really* pleased with this. Assuming they don’t spill anything on their computer – I hear that’s been a problem for Mac users of late.

Chooch and Viv, plz plz plz plz!!

I’m going on a vacation (cruise baby :stickstongueout:) so cna you get theother half out? and quick?

I need my daily… no I mean weekly… I mean about bi-monthly dose of vitamin C.. and O.. and just a bit of Vitamin H

plz?

Who cares about a game with 11 million players? I’ll take quality over quantity any day. How much “fluff” do they have? Do they read player bios? Do they get stuff signed by famous authors then just give it away to their listeners? Do they have knupples? No competition at all.

Hehe, All I know is I’m staying with this podcast

I just find it almost funny..

a wow and coh podcast… hehe

Coh>WoW

Coh\ ——————–(That’s coh kicking wow’s butt btw)
\ WoW
\_/

The reason you no longer see the % on the Atlas Medallion and Portal Jockey Accolades in reference to their Endurance boost is because it confused people. They probably should do the same with set bonuses that give an END boost. The confusion came from folks thinking the two Accolades stacked, and they don’t. Each gives +5% END but the boost is computed off your base END of 100. 5% of 100 being 5, it was just easier to take off the confusing % sign and call it a day. Similarly, the +% Health boosts given by Accolades operate off your base health but since your base health varies, the %s make sense. In general, any boost, buff, or other % change to a power, your END, Health, or any other ‘stat’ works off the base value of the item. So subject to limits on buffs like ED, the ‘rule of fives’, and caps, the end result is a summation of all the buff percentages in effect and that value is applied to the base value being affected to get the final value. Debuffs are generally nothing more than -% numbers that get included in the summation. So they reduce, negate or overpower the buff % you would otherwise have in effect resulting in either a reduced buff, no buff, or a negative debuff to the base value.

ZOMG, the WoW Podcast is sponsored!? Jeez, they have advertisements inside the podcast, too.

No knupples but it’s a video format. I don’t think you can show knupples on video without getting banned in Austraila.

In reference to endurance, my percentage comment was actually that in early issues, endurance was a fixed quantity, 100 points. At some point (I think for PVP), endurance was changed so that it actually went up in level, but was always normalized to the interface to appear to go from 1 – 100. As you went up in level, your endurance pool increased (and your endurance expenditures of powers increased to match…)

Now, this is what I remember, but I’ve not gone back to patch notes to find out when it happened (or if it happened,always possible I made it up…)

I recall nothing of the sort along those lines. Not sure where you got that idea FF. Endurance has always been 100 and up till IOs the only way to have more was through the Accolades that gave bonuses to END.

I went back and read patch notes, and I think I discovered my confusion.

Endurance drains used to use fixed points, but now work on percentages, since some opponents might have more than 100 endurance points.

I swear I recall something about endurance working differently under the hood, but since I can’t find evidence of that, I will concede the point to you RB. I need to lay off the pipe…

Thanks for the input, RB

helo! The babes are here! This is my sexiest site to visit. I make sure I am alone in case I get too hot. Post your favorite link here.

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