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Message: <blockquote data-quote="evilbob" data-source="post: 4849230" data-attributes="member: 9789">I have to admit, the following - while a bit bitter - is honestly what I believe based on my own experiences fighting solos of all tiers.First, all solos from level 12 and down should absolutely follow the rules in the MM2:  20% fewer HP (at a minimum!  30% fewer would be better) and slightly more powerful attacks.  Maybe, 10% more powerful across the board upped to 50% more when bloodied.  However, solos that are level 13 and up probably need more HP, not fewer.  I'm very specifically picking level 13 because that's when the first (and not the last) game-altering power, Storm of Blades, is available to the party.  Once the party has access to this power, solos go from 10-20 round boring slugfests to whimpering 2 or 3 round pitifulness.  Yes, that's right:  I'm saying that based on my own experience, solos need redesigning based on the assumption that they will take a minimum of 2 or 3 SoB attacks within the first round (probably 2 per character, maybe 2 characters using this power).  Second, all solos over level 13 could stand to have a "triggered when bloodied" attack - like a dragon's breath - mostly because that's one of the few attacks they are guaranteed to use even when they are killed in 1 round.Next, epic-level solos probably don't need their defenses lowered because that's the only thing even close to stopping the wizard or the ranger from killing them in one round.  Orcus in particular shouldn't have his will defense lowered by 2, or else the 1-hit wizard will kill him 10% easier.  AC probably shouldn't be lowered, either, just because that makes it slightly harder for the support character(s) who gives him a -8 to his AC to hit him in the first place.Now, if you're dead-set on lowering defenses, you'll need to make him immune to stun/sleep/daze/etc. AND he'll need some kind of power that can avoid simple 10+ hit locks, like "once you've taken your healing surge's value in damage from one character you automatically teleport 10 squares" as an immediate interrupt or something like that.  No wait - immediate interrupt isn't a good mechanic because you can't use those when you're under certain conditions - well, it'll just have to happen as a non-action, then.As I said, this may sound trite, but I couldn't be more serious.  Solos past level 13 are misunderstood:  they shouldn't be the big-bad final boss; they are best used to soak the 5-6 SoB-like attacks that will be coming (there are several), wizard dailies, and other game-breaking powers so that the REAL boss won't go down in less than 1 round of combat.  Well, that's what they end up being, anyway.</blockquote>

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