Solos and Action Points

[Rechan]

Yeah, I tend to load an AP in when and opportunity presents itself, like as a follow-up to a crit, or to fire off a special combo attack. It doesn't always work, and I tend to modify monsters such that for isntance, their encounter 'sthick' powers are reliable, and stuff like that.

This.

I like the "oh I just hit you good? HERE IT COMES AGAIN", like the bloodied pc. Especially if power 1 put a status effect that power 2 requires being present before it can be used.

 

[wlmartin]

A question for you DMs out there: When do you like to use the action points on your solos?

Normally I try to use one early and then save one for when the solo becomes bloodied, but I'm curious to see what others think. In my experience, its often too easy to recover if the solo pops them early on in the fight as the party generally has a lot of resources left (easier to decide to use dailies and the like), but using one early should at least siphon off some of the healing resources and then a later AP can be used to help bring down a PC (this of course assumes an intelligent monster).

As I said though, still not positive that I run them as effectively as I could be (though MM3 math is certainly helping)

I would recommend getting the AP out as soon as possible but in situation that grants the greatest advantage. APs for monsters should be used like APs for PCs

The most efficient use of an AP for a PC is to capitalize on a good attack. If you have used your daily and knocked the monster prone with your attack, why not followup with an action point and use an Encounter to pummel him some more.

A monster should think along the same lines. If he fires his breath weapon and knocks the wind out of 2 players, he could take a movement to bear over one of the wounded players and take an action point to stomp him...