Good powers to intentionally miss with.

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Fialova
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Good powers to intentionally miss with.

Post by Fialova »

This was originally written by mellored of the WOTC forums, I am merely archiving it here due to that forum's deletion.

Guide to Intentional Missing


These are powers/feats/options that you want to go out of your way to miss with. Often, it's because you'll get a nice effect and can reuse them, but a few are (arguably) better missing then hiting.

Note that this isn't a list of powers that work well on a miss (though it could be useful if you find a way to make it reliable), or don't need to hit. It's the one's where you actually want to move to give the enemy cover.
How to miss
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Low stats: (8-13) Melee Training and Braces of Mental Might let's you use a different stat for a few different attacks.
Attack with an improvised weapon: Whip's are also nice to get reach, just don't train in them or use magic ones.
Run: -5 to hit, takes a move action and you grant CA.
Squeeze: -5, like run, but slower and without CA.
Power Attack (feat): -2
Prone : -2
Blind/Total Concealment: -5 Some DM's may let you blind yourself by closing your eyes or blindfolds.
Cover: -2 Attacking the guy in back usually helps miss
Concealment: -2 Enshrouding candle can help, if you have normal vision
Rerolls (such as oath of emnity, via Hero's Of Faith): Cause a natrual 20 is always a hit.

= 1 (assuming 13) + 0 (prof) + 0 (enh) -5 (run/squeeze) -2 (power attack/cover/concealment) -2 (prone)= -4 vs 16 AC

So it's doable at level 1 And you fall behind 1 every 2 levels (except lvl 11). So you can drop power attack @ 5, stand up @9, and stop running @ 17. Impliment attacks need to add 4 more levels (21 without penalty). And of course there's variability in monsters.
One shots:


Inevitable Volley (feat): Turns a miss into 2 attacks, though it's limited to RBA's. Can be expanded with Swirling Arrows, and break things with inevitable accuracy.

Lead By Example (warlord daily 1): This power's miss effect is likely better then it's hit effect (depending on your party). IMO, miss was supposed to be an effect.

Slumber of the Winter Court (Wizard daily 15): Missing gives you a chance to CDG the target and have it not wake up. Much Better if you stack save penalties.

Every Wrong Righted (Stone Keeper): The bonus to hit later could make up for the loss of damage now. The PP, with it's reliable divine fortune, isn't wasted either.

Hellfire Fury (Warlock 27): If your an infernal lock, this will give you a nice boost to your next attack against everyone. And if you have some way to suddently change it into a hit, you can build up alot of damage.


Repeatables:


Foe-Seeker Ammunition (uncommon 12): While it's a consumable, it makes any shot from a bow/crossbow/sling psudo-reliable. But more importainly, if you have a good miss effect, such as Seeker's Peerless Shot, Knave’s Gambit, or even a daily with 1/2 damage, and you can repeat it all combat. Get an armbow and this goes gold.

Master's Surge (acadamy master 20): Turns an arcane encounter into a reliable. Many possibilities here, including using archmage/archspell to turn a daily into an encounter. Sub-list below.

Poisoned Dagger + Bloodroot / Greenblood / Litch Dust / Wyvern Venom / Dragon Bile (at-will + daily): You apply poisions on a miss. And the poisions on expend on a hit. Thus, dragonbile can keep something stunned till you hit.

Assassin's Scalpel (assassin 25): While it doesn't do anything on it's own, it has a 100% miss rate. So you no longer have to worry about rolling 20's. (combo with say... with a star favored champion).

Red Cloak Reaction (Rogue PP 16): Let's you keep your immidiate action. Combo it with say... Shield Edge Block + Practiced Reliability.

Battle Experience (Mul Battle Slave 16): Turns an ANY encounter into a reliable. However, it's has to be the last encounter that you have, though it's not limited to arcane powers like Master's Surge is. Better for Psionic classes, who have less encounter powers.

Assured Healing (cleric feat) + At-Will healing power (Recovery Strike, Astral Seal, Energizing Strike): At-Will surgeless healing. While not alot of healing, it's good for bringing those below 0 back to positives. Better when supporting those who like to drop below 0 (revenant, minotaurs, iron wolf theme).

Practiced Reliability (fighter feat, 21): Makes a figher power reliable. Good for use with Shield Edge Block or Turnabout Riposte.

Learning Weapon: Miss a few times to build up for a big attack.

Inevitable Doom (feat warlock): Miss a few times to build up for a big attack.

Sacrifice to Caiphon (warlock feat): Take a little damage, but it makes any warlock enounter power reliable. Claws of The Magpie is probably the top option.

Earthshock (Genasi) + Earthshock Master + Primordial Surge/Manifest Healing + Elemental Echo: Minor action to gain a nice chunk of THP and damage. Though the feat cost is a bit prohibited.

Stop Thust (Fighter 9): Shift away from incomming enemies.

Merciless cut (Rogue 19): Shift your speed

Unfailing Fortune (Stone Keeper 16): Makes Divine Fortune reliable, which can be expanded with Bountyful Fortune and Greater Fortune. The level 20 is also better on a miss.

Toppling Finish (Fighter 19) Half of 5|W| as auto-damage soulds good, but you won't gain any stat, enhancment, or on hit bonus (frost cheeze) and you have to miss twice. Still, it's likely more then magic missile.

Enforced Peace (Sharakim Blademaster): Teleport to marked enemy. Possibly useful if you have Rapid X punishment feats.

Blind with rage (Fighter 25) You and allies shift 2.

Vorpal doom (Swordmage 29) Crit on 19-20 for the encounter.

Ruthless slaughter (fighter 25) AOE mark.

Spontainious Combustion (Firestarter 20): The trickle of damage (11-12) you get on a miss isn't worth missing for, but if you have fire based allies, it becomes vuln 10 (sustain minor), which can stack up. The PP isn't compleatly useless.

Offensive spin slash: (daring blade 20) Another standard action shift your speed, but you have to basicly waste your PP, since you dumped your Cha.

Line Breaker assault (Dreadnought 20) resist 5, not much at that level. Though the PP isn't a total waste.

Melee Basic Attack: Sometimes enemy's force you to attack allies. Having an alteritive, low accuracy MBA (like Melee Training) is useful. Though i'd consider it too rare to be worth the investment.
Masters Surge
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Here's some good encounter powers to make reliable.
Note that the save end's is "any effect the power applies to an enemy". Which is vauge in many cases, and doesn't apply to allies.


Confusion (Wizard 27): A psudo-dominate, but it doesn't loose it's turn.

Sequestering Force (Wizard 27): Basicly Immobilize

Deceptive Shadows (Wizard 23): Mostly-Blind

Radiant Shield (Swordmage 23): Allies are insubstantial.

Claws of the Magpie (Warlock 17): Kills an aura killer and stops encounter/recharge powers.

Runic Resistance (Artificer 7): Solid amount of selectable resist for your allies.

Icy Weapons (Artificer 7): Could be fun in a frost abusing team.

Gale Force Intrusion (Artitificer 7): Massive AC buff for an ally

Several "spend a surge"

Several zone (damage and/or blocking LOS).

Several teleports.


There are plenty of dailies with nice miss/effects to use for an archspell. Such as Vision of Wrath, Stinking Cloud, Curse of Dark Delerium or Arrow of Destiny.
Mul Battleslave:
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Suggestions??

Additional Stuff:


Brilliant Recovery (Battlemind 27): A minor action attack that requires you to miss first.

Mark of Shadows/Shadow Sulk (feat): Missing keeps you hidden.

Star Favored Champion (ED, martail): Minor action MBA when you miss with an encounter.

Hammer Rythm, Grazing Shot, Scimitar Dance, Arena Battle Rythm, Acid Splash (feat): Since you're going to be missing, might as well add some damage to it. HR, SD, and ABR won't stack.

Assassin's Shroud (feature): Add a fair amount of damage on a miss.

Roguish Killer (feat, assassin, rogue): More damage on a miss.

Ascendent Lineage (deva feat): If you use your racial, and still miss, you get to keep it. Worthless by itself but it can be expanded with Resurgent Memory, Scourge of the Fallen, Astral Enmity, Eternal Void Memories, Weapon of Evil Undone, or Armor of Essence Inviolate to get a nice benifit.
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