City of Heroes Unique IO Enhancers Guide

City of Heroes Unique IO Enhancers Guide by Nericus

Ok ever since IO’s came around certain ones were released that are sought after in a way that is reminiscent of the search for the Holy Grail. These IO’s tend to sell from high to exorbitant prices when sold on the markets thus bringing in a massive influx of in-game funds to your character, or these IO’s when properly slotted can provide very nice power boosts for your character. Also on a very regular basis someone is always asking the ever popular question:

“Will any of the Unique Heal IO’s work in Fitness/Health?” Answer: Yes

Disclaimer: As with all guides I create, they are GUIDES, not a Bible that you must follow. 

What is a “unique” IO?
Answer: A unique IO is an IO that you can only install one copy of into your character.
Example: Kismet: +6% To Hit

So what Unique IO’s are there? Currently there are:

1. Numina Convalesence: +regeneration (20%) +recovery (10%) this affect is constant while a power is running and for 2 minutes after the power is shut off.

2. Miracle: +recovery (15%) this affect is constant while a power is running and for 2 minutes after the power is shut off.

3. Regenerative Tissue +Regeneration (25%) this affect is constant while a power is running and for 2 minutes after the power is shut off.

4. Aegis Psi/Status Res: (3% psi resist/20% status resistance). functions as a set bonus but if you Exemplar/Flashback too far then the IO is offline for the duration.

Special notation: the exact functional nature of this IO’s percentages has been called into question. Either the IO recipe description in game is wrong or else this IO isn’t functioning as intended and needs to be rechecked by the devs. Recommend not installing it into a passive/always on power at this time until the Devs/Rednames verify the functional nature of this IO

5. Kismet: +6% To Hit while power is on and for 2 minutes after power is off

6. Freebird +Stealth (once installed you cannot slot any other +stealth IO + this io works for as long as the power is on and for 2 minutes after the power is off)

7. Celerity +Stealth (once installed you cannot slot any other +stealth IO + this io works for as long as the power is on and for 2 minutes after the power is off)

8. Unbounded Leap +Stealth (once installed you cannot slot any other +stealth IO + this io works for as long as the power is on and for 2 minutes after the power is off)

9. Time and Space Manipulation +Stealth (once installed you cannot slot any other +stealth IO + this io works for as long as the power is on and for 2 minutes after the power is off)

10. Steadfast Protection resistance +defense. This IO functions as part of a set bonus and is always on even in a power that is switched off but if you Exemplar/Flashback too far then the IO is offline for the duration. The resistance part of this IO is like other resistance IO, the +Defense is a global boost.

11. Edict of the Master: 5% Defense aura for pets functions as part of set bonus, always on even if power is off: so your summoned pets retain the Aura. However if you Exemplar/Flashback too far then this IO shuts down for the duration.

12. Sovereign Right: 10% resistance aura for pets: functions as part of set bonus, always on even if power is off: so your summoned pets retain the Aura. However if you Exemplar/Flashback too far then this IO shuts down for the duration.

13. Commanding Presence: 10% Taunt/Placate resistance for Pets: functions as part of set bonus, always on even if power is off: so your summoned pets retain the Aura. However if you Exemplar/Flashback too far then this IO shuts down for the duration.

Notation: pets must be within 40 ft of your character or the aura fades until they get back in range. Recipe description in game might still say 20ft but its actually 40 ft. Recipe description should also provide the percentage value of the auras but just in case they don’t, the percentages were added to above descriptions.

14. Rectified Recticle 20% increase to perception

15. Gaussian’s Synchronized Fire Control Chance for Build Up (supposed to be Unique, currently bugged to allow for more then 1 to be installed)

16. Decimation Chance for Build Up

17. All the Purple IO sets

Note: if there is a Unique IO missing from the list, PM me please with its name and information for inclusion, the list of course will also be updated as new Unique IO’s are added into the game.

What about if I Exemplar/Malefactor/Flashback? Will I still have the use of these IO’s?

If a Unique IO is mentioned as being part of a Set Bonus then if you Exemplar/Malefactor/Flashback 3 or more levels below the level of the IO or to the point where you don’t even have the power at all then no you won’t have the IO in effect for the duration.

Unique IO’s that have the 2 minute timer on them such as Numina +Regen +recovery still work. Example: a level 50 character of mine took Fitness/Health at Level 14 and added 2 slots to it at 15 and has all three of the Unique Heal IO’s in those first three slots and then Exemplar/Malefactor/Flashback’s to Level 15 and found that all 3 still showed as functional in the Combat Attributes window.

Where can one get the most use out of a Unique IO?
Depends on your powers and what the IO is. However some of the Unique IO can be installed into powers that are designed as Automatic or Always On powers. Example: Fitness/health is where you should slot the Unique Numina, Miracle and Regenerative Tissue IO’s.

So now let’s look at just where one could get optimal usage of their Unique IO:

1 Freebird/Celerity/Unbounded Leap/Time and Space Manipulation +stealth. When first released these IO’s (except for time and space) could be slotted into Passive/Always on powers like Fitness/Swift or Fitness/Hurdle to create perma-stealth, however this led to problems on any time of rescue or kidnap mission where the perma-stealthed character had to lead a hostage out, this led to a patch that changed these particular IO’s so that they will no longer install into any passive power at all. Now these IO can only install into the appropriate travel power. If you are someone that takes multiple travel powers, you can only ever install one +stealth IO. Example: if you have Flight and Superspeed you can install; Freebird +stealth or Celerity +stealth, NOT both. Also something to note: your inherent sprint powers can be slotted with Celerity or Unbounded Leap +Stealth. Also to note: these stealth IO’s will stack with other stealth powers like Invisibility, Shadowfall, a Stalker’s ability to Hide along with some others.

2 Aegis Psi/Status Resist : Special notation: the exact functional nature of this IO’s percentages has been called into question. Either the IO recipe description in game is wrong or else this IO isn’t functioning as intended and needs to be rechecked by the devs. Recommend not installing it into a passive/always on power at this time until the Devs/Rednames verify the functional nature of this IO

3 Kismet: +6% To hit while power is on and for 2 minutes after power is off. The Invulnerability power set has the power Tough Hide as a passive/always on power so this is where the IO should go for that particular power set. Other brute/tanker power sets along with Dominators/Corruptors/ Masterminds appear to have only toggle powers for this IO. Stalkers: Dark Armor users can install this into Shadow Dweller as its an Auto power, Super Reflexes has the Auto powers called Agile and Dodge, all other Stalkers have to use Toggle powers, although any Stalker can install this IO into their HIDE power as well. Blasters/Controllers/Defenders do not appear to have an “Always On” power for this IO, and thus would have use click or toggle powers. Scrappers with Invulnerability power set can slot this into Tough Hide for it to always be on, Scrappers with Super Reflexes could install this IO into Agile or Dodge for the “Always on” effect, other Scrapper power sets do not appear to have an “Always On” power for this IO, and thus would have use click or toggle powers. Epic Villains do have an Auto On power for this IO also.

4 Edict of the Master Defense Pet Aura and Sovereign Right Pet Resistance Aura IO, Any pet summon power will do, just remember these are Pet auras, so the summoner itself doesn’t receive the aura.

5 Numina +regen+recovery, Miracle +recovery, Regenerative Tissue +regeneration: these IO are optimally installed into an Automatic/Always on power as only the character equipped with them receives their special bonus. Example: Radiation Healer slots the Unique Heal IO into Radiant Aura: only THEY get the special bonus from the IO each time the Aura activates and for 2 minutes afterward, thus these IO would essentially be wasted in such a power. Trap users installing these into Triage Beacon would also not be bestowing the special boost from the IO to their teammates, so again these IO would be wasted in such a power. These 3 Heal IO belong in a healing power that is passive/always on, so lets look at what Hero/Villains have for Always On Healing Powers:

Brutes/Tankers: Willpower Brutes are best to slot these into Fast Healing or Fitness/Health. Fast Healing gives better heal boost then Fitness/Health, thus Fitness/Health is recommended for the Unique IO and Fast Healing instead be amped up with non unique heal IO

Stalker: Regeneration and Willpower Stalkers could use Fast Healing however as stated with Brutes/Tankers, Fast Healing provides better overall heal boost then Fitness/Health, thus slotting up Fast Healing with other Heal Boosters would be better while the Unique Heal IO’s go into Fitness/Health. All other Stalker types should use Fitness/Health to achieve the always on effect.

Scrappers with Regeneration : gain Fast Healing at Level 1, however as stated above Fast Healing is better with normal heal boosters and the Unique Heal IO go into Fitness/Health. All other Scrapper types should also use Fitness/Health.

Blaster/Controller/Defender/Kheldians/Corruptors/Dominators/Masterminds/Epic Villains : Fitness/Health is where these should go for the always on effect as they don’t appear to have other heal related powers that are “always on”

So how could one best slot Fitness/Health or Fast Healing with these 3 unique healing IO? Well in the case of both Fitness/Health and Fast Heal, it comes down to these configurations: (note: Fast Healing has a base value of 75% regeneration vs the 40% of Fitness/Health, you are better off powering up Fast Healing with the non unique IO and using the unique ones in Fitness/Health )

Fitness/Health: base value 40%, installing 3 Level 50 Heal IO brings it up to 79.6%

Fitness/Health: base value 40%, installing only the 3 Unique Heal IO brings its base value to 85% and the Unique Heal IO will always be on so you don’t have to worry about their 2 minute timer and last I checked the Unique’s would not be affected by debuffs.

Fitness/Health: base value 40%, installing the 3 Unique Heal IO plus a Numina: Heal and Miracle: Heal brings the base value to 117% plus you have 12% regeneration bonus from 2 slotting Numina and a 2.5% boost to recovery of Stamina thanks to 2 Miracles installed, plus the 3 Unique Heal IO always on and running. (Stone Armor brute/tanks should change the second Numina to another Regen Tissue since 2 slotting of Regen. Tissue is a 4% run increase.)

Why are these IO more optimal in an always on power? Simple; remember these unique heal IO’s descriptions: “while the power is on and for 2 minutes after the power is off” Powers like Fast Healing and Fitness Health are “Always On” for as long as your character is logged in to the game. Every ten seconds these powers will “pulse” which will in turn reset the 2 minute timer on the IO’s back to 2 minutes. Ten seconds later the power “pulses” again thus resetting the timer back to 2 minutes and so on. The special bonuses these IO’s provide are for your character only, thus having them in a power that heals others would be pointless as only YOU receive the special bonus from them.

Now, once you install these IO’s into a passive heal power like Fitness/Health, it will seem as though they aren’t working, and when you bring up your character’s personal data and look at the all the set bonus descriptions among your powers you likely won’t see these IO’s mentioned. To see that they are working, open up the new Combat Attributes window. It should also be noted that the IO’s with the 2 minute timers will stack with themselves when your character zones into a mission or into a city zone.

Special Mention: the Performance Shifter +Endurance IO: this IO is a non-unique IO. Though it is not unique and thus you could install more then one of them, installing this IO into attack powers at this time means that the when the IO triggers successfully your attack WILL bestow Stamina to your foe and not to your character. So where do you put this IO where it will benefit your character? That’s Easy: this IO gets installed into STAMINA.

Note: ran a few more tests on TEST server with this Proc installed into assorted powers that siphon endurance from enemies, such as Kinetics/Transference and the Electric Melee powers. Result: don’t install this Proc into those powers at all, every time the proc triggered it restored stamina to the enemy. Conclusion: AT THIS TIME (issue 12), this Proc is meant for Quick Recovery/Stamina/Kheldian Transformation powers, installing this Proc into any attack powers is a really BAD idea.

The majority of characters in the game will have to install this IO into stamina, however
Willpower Brute/Tanker/Scrapper/Stalker and Regeneration Scrappers can install one into Quick Recovery and if they also have Stamina they can install another one as well.

Kheldians: well of course it depends on how you’ve built the Kheldian but let’s say you are a tri-former Kheldian and you have Fitness/Stamina. You could then have three of these Procs, one for stamina, and one for each of your transformation powers, though please note that when in human form the Proc that is on your transformation powers should be off since that power would be off and when you transform Stamina is supposed to cut off so while you shouldn’t have 2 of the Proc firing off at the same time in any mode, each mode still benefits from having a Proc in it.

Stamina is now optimally slotted with this proc, plus a Performance Shifter Endurance Modifier plus a normal Endurance Modifier IO. 2 Slotting Performance Shifter grants 5% movement increase, the 2 endurance Modifiers will sufficiently boost your Stamina recovery and the +End proc is icing on the cake. Stamina like all passive/always on powers “pulses” every 10 seconds, thus every 10 seconds this IO checks for its 20% chance to give you back extra 10% Stamina. Or to put even more simply: the Proc will check a total of 6 times per minute for a 20% chance to function.

For those that need the numbers explained about Stamina and Quick Recovery here they are:

Unslotted Stamina = 25% stamina Recovery.

3 slot Level 50 Endurance Mod IO = 99.08% increase for a total of 49.8% Stamina Recovery

3 slot Stamina with One Normal Level 50 Endurance Mod. IO plus Performance Shifter Endurance Mod IO plus the Performance Shifter +Endurance Proc = 83.32% increase to the base 25% of the power for a total of 45.8% Stamina recovery plus every 10 seconds you will have a 20% chance of gaining and extra 10% stamina recovery from the +End Proc, plus you have the bonus of 5% movement increase from 2 slotting Performance Shifter

Unslotted Quick Recovery = 30% Stamina Recovery

3 Slot Level 50 Endurance Mod IO = 99.08% increase for a total of 59.7% Stamina Recovery

3 Slot with One Normal Level 50 Endurance Mod. IO plus Performance Shifter Endurance Mod IO plus the Performance Shifter +Endurance Proc = 83.32% increase to the base 25% of the power for a total of 55% Stamina recovery plus every 10 seconds you will have a 20% chance of gaining and extra 10% stamina recovery from the +End Proc, plus you have the bonus of 5% movement increase from 2 slotting Performance Shifter

Kheldians: for both Peacebringer and Warshades, the Nova and Dwarf forms both have a base 15% recovery rate for Endurance.

Installing three Level 50 Endurance Mod IO and no +end Proc would bring recovery to 29.9% due to Enhancement Diversification.

Slotting either Nova or Dwarf form with the Performance Shifter +Endurance Proc plus 2 Level 50 endurance mod brings the recovery rate while in that form to 27.5% plus every 10 seconds you will have a 20% chance of getting an extra 10% endurance restored.

Also, the Performance Shifter +End proc is currently exempt from things that drain endurance or powers that once used, take away all endurance and you can’t recover any for a few minutes. The Proc will still check every 10 seconds and if it decides to, it will bestow that 10% endurance back to your character. So imagine your character with this Proc installed and being attacked by Malta Sappers. Even as you are being drained by the Sapper the Proc could still restore 10% stamina to you, so surprise Sapper! Or let’s say you are a Blaster with the NOVA power and you have one of this Proc installed in your Stamina. After triggering Nova, the proc could still restore 10% stamina even during the brief time when you can’t regain more stamina after the power is used. Note: the key word is COULD, there are times when it won’t.

Also if you install this Proc into the first slot that you receive when you pick Quick Recovery or Stamina as a power to have and then Exemplar/Malefactor/Flashback to level 20, the Proc will still function regardless of the level of the Proc.

Once installed into your stamina and/or quick recovery power(s), to see if the Proc is working, all you need to do is edit a chat tab and add the Healing Received and Healing bestowed entries then save the tab, then sit back and observe.

Purple IO Sets: All purple set IO’s are unique so you can only ever have one of each from a purple set slotted into your character. You can have more then one Purple SET installed, example; Absolute Amazement in one power and Hecatomb in another power. Purple IO’s are only Level 50, and you must be Level 50 to install them, however their set bonuses are supposed to remain in effect no matter how far down you malefactor or Flashback. Purple IO’s are Pool A and thus can be gained from normal missions, but the enemies must be capable of dropping an L50 recipe which means targets should be at least level 47. However these are rare drops and of course buying them from the market will not be cheap. Most of them require one or more rather rare (and expensive to buy) piece of salvage to create and all cost 600,000 to craft.