Force Powers, Part 2

I've used Force Powers for months now. I can't remember how long ago, for example, I first invested in Deceptive Leap 2. In the main, I used it with an Attacker build as an alternative to Rank 3 Holographic Decoy. As an Attacker, I also used Rank 3 HoB (Hold Out Blaster) and whatever Self ability suited the particular mission. As for my Ultimate Ability, I used Rank 3 Think Fast, which is fantastic.  At some point, however, I grew tired of carrying a Riposte blade and never  using it. I wanted to play true melee, rather than blast opponents from a distance. And, as I suggested in my "Melee v. Tank" post, I also understood that, to do so, I needed to rethink all of the tactics I used as an Attacker. In short, I hoped that Force Powers would allow me to do so. And they did. 

My next Force Power was Malicious Fury, which, by itself, stinks. The power saps the will of nearby enemies, which increases damage dealt based on the number of enemies drained. Rank 2 increases the damage enhancement duration by 50%. Malicious Fury lives up to its name when used in conjunction with a power like Deceptive Leap, however. I jumped behind opponents, usually two or three of them, initiated Malicious Fury, and then unloaded with HoB 3. The problem with this tactic, of course, is that HoB 3 works best ranged, rather than up close and personal. Therefore, I needed a Directional Ability that worked in this way. 

At about this time in the game, I'd finally earned a lightsaber and, shortly after leveling it up, I invested in Rank 2 Dark Poison, a Directional Ability that not only does more damage than HoB 3 per second, but also works in the opposite way. On the one hand, HoB 3 has great range, but the cone of damage isn't particularly wide. On the other hand, Dark Poison 2 lacks great range, but the cone of damage is tremendously wide. Suddenly, Malicious Fury looked like a brilliant move. Deceptive Leap, Malicious Fury, and Dark Poison all worked very well in conjunction with one another since all of them required "nearby enemies." And, of course, I started using Standard Attacks with the lightsaber as well. Whatever my melee build was ultimately going to look like, I'd finally moved away from Attacker.

Here is my current Ability Set 1:

My Jedi Build?

For the majority of the first Raids on Burnin Konn, I continued to use Rank 3 Think Fast as my Ultimate Ability. It worked very well with Self, Directional, and Targeted Force Powers. So did Rank 2 Hit and Run, which not only increases movement speed after defeating an enemy, but also increases energy gain while moving. This is ideal for a melee build, since you have to run around, a lot! 

As I mentioned in the "Melee v. Tank" post, you generally take more damage as a melee player. For an Ultimate Ability, I wanted to rectify this problem. Hence, Rank 1 Debris Barrier, which creates whirling debris that both defensively absorbs attacks and offensively damages opponents at a per second rate. Rank 1 lasts for roughly 10 seconds, which is usually more than ample. Importantly, Debris Barrier also allows me to use Standard Attacks with the lightsaber after initiating Malicious Fury. This combination is deadly to every nearby enemy.  None of this works while blasting away at a distance with HoB. My attack lines are usually variations on Leap to Fury to Poison to Hit and Run to repeat. For confrontations with so many different dangerous Bosses, Debris Barrier works brilliantly up close and personal.   

I hope I've suggested that these Force Powers work more effectively in conjunction with one another. But they also work because I've committed myself to a Melee Build -- or, as Winter would have us call it, a Jedi Build -- which requires very aggressive gameplay. With that said, here's a quick list of pros and cons to each Force Power.

Rank 2 Deceptive Leap

Pros: Moderate cooldown, effectively deceives most enemies, leap distance and position controllable

Cons: Slight hesitation after leap achieved, holographic decoy duration shorter than Rank 3

Rank 2 Malicious Fury

Pros: Moderate cooldown, massive damage increase with many nearby enemies, interrupts enemies, moderate duration 

Cons: Does not work on droids

Rank 2 Dark Poison

Pros: Nearly 1000 damage per second more than HoB and Durasteel, poisons enemies for a long duration, weakens enemies, wide damage cone 

Cons: Short range, droids immune to weaken effect  

Rank 1 Debris Barrier

Pros: Absorbs all attacks for a moderate duration, massive damage per second to nearby enemies 

Cons: Does not generate Ultimate Energy when active 

So there you have it, my Jedi Build as it currently stands. If I can ever figure out how to post video of missions, then you'll be the first to know! In the meantime, if you want to see how these powers can work together in real time, just shout when you see me online. We can run a mission together. 

Until then, good hunting.