Tactical Mercenary Build

Hiya everyone- I've got a TLM build to share here.  Following my recent purchase of the Energy Rapier, I've designed a build that goes along well with it.  This build needs a couple of rare pieces of gear.  Sorry if you don't have any, but they're all seasonal-rare, so they should be coming back along soon.  So...first...the build (separate link to picture here).

What gear did I use?
Energy Rapier (Seasonal-Rare, get it now from the Lawman/Silas Auer)
Carrot Impaler (Seasonal-Rare, from the Bionic Battalion Saga)
Carrierzooka (Seasonal-Rare, coming back for the Fourth of July event, which is in a while)
Beast Master E M (Make necessary adjustments but do not switch elements.  Keywords: Gender and/or alignment.) (Seasonal-Rare, Frysteland War event) (+5 enhancements on dexterity)
Baby Yeti (I used it in this picture, but sometimes, I adjust to Rusted Assault Bot) (Seasonal-Rare, Frysteland War event)
This build only has five enhancements (on dexterity on the armor), but any more enhancements in any stat would work.  The strategy is pretty self-explanatory if you look at my skill tree, but if you can't make heads or tails of it, I'll happily tell you.
Against other TLM tanks and CH tanks, you must conserve your energy for healing (unless you know that TLM/CH has a habit of removing energy, especially with CHs.  Then just go with Field Commander).  If you happen to "lose" any energy (Whoops, I clicked Field Commander), the max reroute (30% conversion rate!) should help things. 
Because this build functions best with any bot that has 10-14 or higher base damage (aka Varium bots only- no Rusted Bot, unless you have no other choice.  But then you'll be looking at 21-25+30, which is relatively low.), I used the Baby Yeti (my only Varium bot on this TLM).  But I imagine that the Gamma Bot would really work (12-16, H4X!- waiting for a Delta Bot).
Against strength BMs, you must try to deal the same amount of damage as them.  You can use Field Commander (but it is risky- Strength BMs most commonly have Azrael's Borg or Bio Borg for obvious reasons, and if you do the math, the increased output in damage for 4 turns usually is less than regular damage output for 5 turns).  I think eventually you will have to rely on the power of the block, as tank healing won't do much ("Last turn of cooldown for Field Medic!" *BM Guns* *50 Damage* /Critical/ /Defeated!/).  You can only hope that their (probably noobier) partner will not troll you and heal them.  (Well, if they do, you should have taken them out first.  But if you're facing two Strength blood mages, well, good luck and hope that the god of Shadow Arts and/or Blocks is with you.)
Against Strength BHs?  Hmmm.  Tricky.  Try to Atom Smash first Sorry, I forgot that the Energy Rapier is a sword.  If you can't take out their Smoke Screen (or Massacre, which is almost always there), try to outdamage them.  Or tank.
Since I've mentioned tank twice, I guess I should tell you that this build is not very tanky.  At the core, it is a 5 Focus build.  If you truly want to become tanky and still keep the robot damage, switch to the Delta Knight (dang- I really should get it for my TLM, but Beast Master has 11% Frostbite chance), but only if your resistance is at least 30-36 (base resistance, don't factor in agility or encumbrance or armor bonus), which calls for heavy enhancements.
Now for choice of robot.  The obvious choice is Gamma Bot, which is unfortunately rare (back then we thought there would never be a non-varium bot) but has 12-16.  The next choices are Azrael's Borg (rare!) and Baby Yeti (rare!), as they have the next best base damage.  Next are the Assault Bot (not rare, although it costs 1250 Varium) and the current Pyro Fly (good for offensive uses: "Derp cannot use Field Medic this battle!"), because they only come in at 10-14.  If you really are desperate (aka nonvarium), I guess you'll have to use the Rusted Assault Bot.  (Oh wait, great idea! Rusted Gamma Bot!  Make the base damage 10-14 and make it cost 20,000!  Forget it, it's a slap in the face to those who worked their butts off for the real, genuine Gamma Bot.)
Just remember, guys, disclaimer: This build is not a guaranteed win build.  This is not a heavily variumated TLM, CH, or BM.  I made this build, therefore it is subject to fail.  It is still in testing.
Heh.
~ReconnaisX

My Excellent Hybrid Strength Build.

The Infernal Slayer sword is (hopefully) still in stock, right?  Probably clocking in at less than 500 now.  I've given up my quest to obtain the sword.  Oh well.  Anyhow, there are more important things to share.

It's a Hybrid!

On Friday, I formulated a new build, designed to help me get my 14,000 credits faster.  It's not a typical blood mage build (strength or technology- honestly, do you guys ever think of your own instead of build copying?).  But I think of my own builds.  This new build (predictably on my blood mage) is a strength hybrid.  What sets it apart from other blood mage builds (and all other builds) is that this build utilizes the Frost Slayer.
Now, Frost Slayer is not very exciting.  At the time of its release, only a few people wielded it, and many more discovered the fact that the Frost Destroyer was much more useful, being a class-specific mutating weapon.  Needless to say, the Frost Slayer was not bought in-game much.  I obtained the Frost Slayer through my first $50 Varium package promotion, the only time I would use my own money for Varium.  Like others, I chose to utilize Frost Destroyer.  So the Frost Slayer was left collecting dust in my inventory.  It was one of the few weapons I had first but enhanced last.  That was how important it was to me.
But I am creative with builds, and I like to use every weapon I have, as it allows for diverse builds.  The few other times I had used Frost Slayer, it had ended up horribly, not because of the sword, but because of me.  (Like a true Blood Mage,) I had used to Frost Slayer in a Strength build- no hybrids allowed.  And since at the time, Delta Knight was not released, I was stuck with Beast Master P M, without split defenses.  And, if you can remember, Beast Master offered a +8 boost to support, which was rather useless in a strength build.  My Primary damage triumphed at 26-32+35, but I was left with a low Dexterity and Technology.  If you remember how Dexterity affects one's likelihood to attack with a primary and block, and how Technology affects one's likelihood to deflect and be deflected, you can be sure how I came off in those deals.  That build was awful.
So, how the build works?  The cornerstone of the build is probably either Bludgeon or Blood Lust.  (I still freak out when a Pyro Fly takes out my Level 5 Field Medic.)  I just attack (mainly with primary, thus the dexterity) with the Frost Slayer most of the time.  I usually rage with my gun unless if my enemy has an usually high dexterity (looking at 30-36+5+1+11, tank TLMs).  If I see low health, I will try for a fast kill with my Level 8 Bludgeon (49% more damage).  Through the whole battle, Blood Lust really helps me out.  Reflex Boost, which should be in most BM builds, can be very useful for energy regain.  If I'm taking heavy damage that refuses to stop, be it physical or energy, I put on Reflex Boost.  Besides the small addition to my defense (26-32 -> 31-38) the energy regain is very helpful.
Now, like most other builds, this one has a failed prototype, which I have stored in the Closet of Useless Builds.  (I threw away the key.)  That failed prototype used high health (140).  Besides that great agility *boost*, my Strength was kind of looking on the low side.  I also didn't realize that Deadly Aim is very useful to Blood Mages, just as useful as Support is to BMs (which is to say, none- unless you have seen my other BM builds).  So I would march into battle with a +4 bonus on  my Carrot Impaler.  Ha.
Now, my Carrot Impaler is better off, with a +6.  My Strength-relying weapons are better now, with a 19-23 compared to an 18-22.  (I know, big difference.)  I have discovered that having Level 8 Intimidate with 24 Support is a big no-no.  (It was in my prototype.)  Now, I have 28 Support, great for Level 3 Deadly Aim, which increases the gun bonus to 6.
So, yeah

~ReconnaisX