Master of Cones (tm)! The I6 AR/NRG Blaster Guide by Captain IcyHot

AR/NRG is the best AoE set in the game. Period. It takes time to achieve uberness but once you are Master of Cones (tm)!, the world will stand up and take notice. The /NRG secondary utility powers have great synergy with AR and /NRG adds devastating melee attacks as well.

There are four requirements to be a true Master of Cones (tm)!:

Buckshot
Flamethrower
Full Auto
Boost Range

Everything else is optional but these powers are the reason to be an AR/NRG, AoE attack specialist.

There is so much flexibility in AR/NRG that my personal build for Cobalt Capybara has continually mutated throughout the game because of experimentation and what was most useful for those levels. I highly recommend that you plan on respecing into different builds as some powers are very useful in the early game and not that great in the mid to late game. Considering the frequency of “design vision” changes, I would guess that more free respecs would not be too unlikely.

Primary Power Set - Assault Rifle

Burst (1)
Brawl Index: 3.00 Lethal
Endurance Cost: 5.202 pts.
Recharge Time: 4 sec.
Activation Time: 2 sec.
Range: 90
Features: 4 tick DoT (~2 sec.), -Def, +5% Accuracy

Burst is a part of a great 1 - 2 punch with Buckshot. Later on you will be focusing on AoE attacks and this becomes a “so-so” attack. It is the only single target attack in AR that doesn’t have KB so this is your pulling attack if you don’t have TP Foe. It is also great as an interrupter for pet droppers.

Master of Cones (tm)! (MoC) 1 to 5 rating: 3

Recommended slotting: 1 ACC, 3 Dam, 1 Recharge

Slug (1)
Brawl Index: 4.56 Lethal
Endurance Cost: 8.67 pts.
Recharge Time: 9 sec.
Activation Time: 2 sec.
Range: 95
Features: Knockback, +5% Accuracy

This IS your ranged single target attack. You will use this while waiting for your mighty cones to recharge. A great attack throughout the entire game. Do not use this to pull as the knockback element will alert the entire group of mobs to your presence.

MoC rating: 5

Recommended slotting: 1 ACC, 3 Dam, 2 Recharge

Buckshot (2)
Brawl Index: 2.52 Lethal
Endurance Cost: 10.404 pts.
Recharge Time: 8 sec.
Activation Time: 2 sec.
Range: 40
Cone Degree: 30
Features: Cone, Knockback, +5% Accuracy

Your first cone and first step on the road to Master of Cones (tm)!. This is a short range, wide cone attack that will serve you well. Ignore those concerned about knockback, cones are your calling.

MoC rating: 5

Recommended slotting: 1 ACC, 3 Dam, 2 Recharge

M30 Grenade (6)
Brawl Index: 2.49 (1.6683 Lethal, .8217 Smash)
Endurance Cost: 15.1725 pts.
Recharge Time: 17 sec.
Activation Time: 2 sec.
Range: 80
Features: Targeted AE, Knockback, +5% Accuracy

I have used this power only on test and really didn’t like the chaos it created. This knocks stuff all over the place instead of away from me like Buckshot. The MoC is against scatter so this gets a pass. However, it’s an AoE that you can get early so it could be useful in the pre-Full Auto game. I plan on getting it at lvl 49 and slotting it with KB for sheer silliness.

MoC rating: 2

Beanbag (8)
Brawl Index: 0.56 Smash
Endurance Cost: 10.404 pts.
Recharge Time: 20 sec.
Activation Time: 2
Range: 60
Features: Disorient (100% Mag 3), +5% Accuracy

A must have attack for the solo blaster. Nothing flashy. Click and disorient with token damage. For the Master of Cones, this is a later pick.

MoC rating: 3

Recommended slotting: 2 ACC, 2-3 Disorient, 1-2 Recharge

Sniper Rifle (12)
Brawl Index: 7.68 Lethal
Endurance Cost: 15.606 pts.
Recharge Time: 13 sec.
Activation Time: 5 sec.
Range: 120
Features: Interruptible, Knockback, +25% Accuracy

Had it. Used it at the beginning of a fight and then it sat unused until the fighting was over. That irritated me so I respeced out of it. Once I got Boost Range the fun returned. For the solo blaster, a very good power to start off a fight. For the Master of Cones, loads of Boost Range fun. Popping a mob that you have targeted and can’t even see anymore because of the distance is fun.

MoC rating: 3

Recommended slotting: 1 ACC, 3 Dam

Flamethrower (18)
Brawl Index: 5.3336 Fire
Endurance Cost: 21.675 pts.
Recharge Time: 20 sec.
Activation Time: 3 sec.*
Range: 40
Cone Degree: 45
Features: 8 tick DoT (~8 sec.), Cone, +30% Accuracy

Great damage and get to mix Fire with your Lethal now. SLOOOOOOW DoT. So slow that even though the minions that you hit with it are going to die, they can still take you down with a couple of shots apiece. It leaves you rooted for about 3 secs. I like to think of rooting like flipping the bird to a bunch of bikers and then standing there defiantly as they stampede toward you. Very brave but occasionally quite painful. This is cone #2, a very wide cone and it’s the next step on your road to becoming Master of Cones (tm)!

MoC rating: 5

Recommended MoC slotting: 1 ACC, 3 Dam, 2 Recharge

Ignite (26)
Brawl Index: 6.666 Fire (.2222 per tic)
Endurance Cost: 5.202 pts.
Recharge Time: 4 sec.
Activation Time: 2 sec.*
Range: 30
Features: 30 tick DoT (~12 sec.), Small AoE Storm, +100% Accuracy

This is a “storm” type of power similar to Burn. Set and forget. Unfortunately, it also has the fear element so mobs will run out of it as soon as they can. With AR/NRG, you have no reliable way of keeping them in your very small fire patch. The only way you can really take advantage of this power by yourself is to use Air Superiority and chain Knockdown + Ignite. If you regularly team with controllers or tackle tons of AVs this can be a great power as well. The other problem with Ignite is the very short range and the targeting recticle. Until you get used to it, it can really cut into your DPS as you putz around with targeting Ignite instead of using your other attacks. Since Ignite has a bunch of situational uses it’s useful but...situational since, soon after you get it, you are firing your attacks from Guam via Boost Range.

On the PvP front, the radius of your patch is too small to interrupt stalker’s Hide power and other players just aren’t going to be caught in it unless they have burned through their Break Frees i.e. it is useless in PvP.

Hmm...that’s a lot of text to say that Ignite is a power that requires far too much work for most people to bother with it. Oh well.

MoC rating: 2

Recommended MoC slotting: 3 Dam, 0-3 Recharge

Full Auto (32)
Brawl Index: 8.10 Lethal
Endurance Cost: 26.01 pts.
Recharge Time: 25 sec.
Activation Time: 6 sec.
Range: 80
Cone Degree: 10
Features: 18 tick DoT (~6 sec.), Cone, Critical Hit Chance, +35% Accuracy

I never experienced the glory of a fully slotted, Hastened, pre-ED FA myself but it must have been unbelievable since it’s really good now. FA can be frustrating at first due to the very narrow cone. Once you get the hang of it AND get Boost Range it’s fan-freakin-tastic. You will dream of long, narrow, straight hallways . It roots you for 6 seconds and that can feel like an eternity but it is still 1000% better than the “nukes”, especially after ED. It is “just” a big cone AoE with a quick recharge and no drawbacks but the rooting. Sounds and is great! You are almost to the summit of Master of Cones (tm)! goodness.

MoC rating: 5

Recommended MoC slotting: 3 Dam, 3 Recharge


Secondary Power Set - Energy Manipulation

Power Thrust (1)
Brawl Index: 2.2222 (1.1111 Energy/1.1111 Smashing)
Endurance Cost: 6.936 pts.
Recharge Time: 6 sec.
Activation Time: 1 sec.
Range: 5
Features: Knockback

I generally consider the 1st “no choice” power in a secondary as a freebie. This way I don’t get frustrated when they are often crap. Power Thrust is actually a nice power from lvl1 to lvl50. 100% KB on all but resistant mobs. Great for making scary things go away or playing KB soccer with your SG.

MoC rating: 3

Recommended slotting: 1 ACC

Energy Punch (2)
Brawl Index: 5.4445 (2.6667 Energy/2.7778 Smashing)
Endurance Cost: 5.202 pts.
Recharge Time: 4 sec.
Activation Time: 1 sec.
Range: 5
Features: PvP Toggle Drop (100%)

Good if you want to Blap a LOT or get in close to drop toggles. Since the MoC is a floating weapons platform in PvP, this gets a pass. It is not a bad attack and gets a lot of negative press but it just doesn’t fit into the MoC playstyle.

MoC rating: 1

Recommended slotting: 1 ACC, 3 Dam, 1 Recharge, 1 End Redux

Build Up (4)
Endurance Cost: 5.202 pts.
Recharge Time: 90 sec.
Activation Time: 1 sec.
Duration: 10 secs
Features: 62.5% to hit buff, 100% damage buff

You chose NRG as a secondary, you take Build Up at lvl 4. Period. No other set gets this kind of power this early. With ED, you should easily have the slots to stick 3 Recharges in this one.

MoC rating: 5

Recommended slotting: 3 Recharge

Bone Smasher (10)
Brawl Index: 7.2223 (1.6667 Energy/5.5556 Smashing)
Endurance Cost: 8.67 pts.
Recharge Time: 8 sec.
Activation Time: 1 sec.
Range:
Cone Degree:
Dmg Composition:
Features: Disorient (50% Mag 3)