Archetype Enhancements
Overview
Archetype Enhancements (ATEs or AEs) are all-unique and attuned enhancements. There is one set per standard archetype, while Epic Archetypes (EATs) have one set for both archetypes. All of the enhancements can only be slotted by a single archetype (or "set of archetypes" for EATs) depending on the name of the set. Each set contains a special enhancement tailored to that AT's role (Stalkers have a chance for hide, Kheldians get a changing bonus based on current form). Archetype Enhancements are also called Archetype Specific Enhancements (ASEs), Archetype Origin Enhancements (ATOs or AOs) - note this is technically a misnomer - or are referred to by the actual archetype (for instance, Blaster Enhancements). Note that calling them "ATIOs" is not only a misnomer, but is also incorrect because Archetype Enhancements are not Invention Origin Enhancements (IOs).
Each enhancement has a level 10 minimum requirement, but as an attuned enhancement, the enhancement portion will increase as the character's level increases. The enhancement portion is affected by exemplar as normal. Set bonuses will operate down to level 7. All Archetype Enhancements are slotted in click damage attacks, melee or ranged as appropriate for the archetype, except for the Controller and Dominator sets slotting in mez powers and the Mastermind set slotting in pet powers.
Note that Archetype Enhancements are not Inventions: they do not need to be crafted. Once claimed from the "Character Item" tab of the Email Window, they appear in the character's enhancement tray and are ready to be slotted if they match the character's archetype. Because Archetype Enhancements are not Inventions, they can be slotted by all accounts, even Premium.
Players can both trade and email the standard Archetype Enhancements; however, the Superior versions are Account Bound and can only be emailed to the player's own global name.
Availability
Archetype Enhancements are available from the following sources:
- As Rare or Very Rare items in Super Pack #1, Heroes and Villains
- Reward Merit Vendors for 400 (non-special pieces) or 500 (special pieces) Reward Merits plus 25 million inf (one purchase per character every four days including below)
- Astral Christy for 55 (non-special pieces) or 70 (special pieces) Astral Merits plus 25 million inf (one purchase per character every four days including above)
Superior Enhancements
Enhancement Catalysts can be applied to the standard enhancements to raise them up into Account Bound "Superior" versions with higher enhancement values, bigger set bonuses, and a better special enhancement bonus. However, catalyzing an ATE will also increase the minimum level requirement to 50, similar to Purple IOs. To catalyze a whole standard set into a Superior set, a player must have six Enhancement Catalysts, as each piece must be catalyzed separately.
Standard and Superior enhancements of the same type are mutually exclusive; a character cannot slot both Blaster's Wrath: Accuracy/Damage and Superior Blaster's Wrath: Accuracy/Damage. This means that set bonuses are limited; a character can get the first and second set bonuses twice (by slotting three standard pieces and three Superior pieces), or the first set bonus twice and the second and third set bonus once (by slotting two and four pieces), but cannot get the third, fourth, and fifth bonuses from both sets. Note that the set bonuses for the standard and Superior versions are different; the Superior version grants higher bonuses.
Enhancement Listing
The following table lists each archetype's enhancement set, and includes the archetype-specific bonus that the special enhancement grants. The final column is the average times per minute the proc chance has to fire (Procs Per Minute, or PPM); if nothing is listed, it functions more like a global.
Note that damage and heal/hitpoint numbers are derived from Level 50 characters. Lower level characters will see lower numbers.
| Archetype | Enhancement Set Name | Special Enhancement Bonus | PPM |
|---|---|---|---|
| Blaster |  Blaster's Wrath
|
71.8 [107]* fire damage** by the slotted power | 4/min [5/min]* |
| Brute |  Brute's Fury
|
gain 5 [7]* Fury when attacking with the slotted power | 4/min [5/min]* |
| Controller |  Will of the Controller
|
71.8 [107]* psionic damage** by the slotted power | 4/min [5/min]* |
| Corruptor |  Malice of the Corruptor
|
71.8 [107]* negative energy damage** by the slotted power | 4/min [5/min]* |
| Defender |  Defender's Bastion
|
72HP [107HP]* PBAoE heal*** by the slotted power | 4/min [5/min]* |
| Dominator |  Ascendency of the Dominator
|
14.19% [21.25%]* damage buff by the slotted power (stacks 3 times) | 5/min [6/min]* |
| Mastermind |  Command of the Mastermind
|
40' radius buff that increases henchmen AOE defense by 10% [15%]* | |
| Scrapper |  Scrapper's Strike
|
increases base chance to critically hit by all powers by 2% minions/4% others [3%/6%]* | |
| Stalker |  Stalker's Guile
|
20% [33%]* chance to hide when attacking with the slotted power | 4/min [5/min]* |
| Tanker |  Might of the Tanker
|
increase damage resistance by 5% [6.7%]* by the slotted power (stacks 3 times) | 5/min [6/min]* |
| Hero EAT |  Kheldian's Grace
|
Human form: 3% [5%]* enhanced damage resistance |
|
| Villain EAT |  Dominion of Arachnos
|
cause terrorize and 10% [15%]* damage debuff when attacking with the slotted power | 4/min [5/min]* |
* Blue numbers inside square brackets indicate the Superior version's special enhancement bonus.
** The damage dealt by these procs are not affected by set bonuses and will not inherit any click buffs.
*** The heal in Defender's Bastion is not affected by set bonuses but will inherit any click buffs.
Mechanics
Unlike standard IO procs with a straight up chance to proc, ATO's behave differently. Rather than calculating a standard, fixed dice roll each time the slotted power is used, ATO's have a chance to proc that is based off of the host power's activation time and recharge time in relation to the PPM of the set.
The power's chance to have the ATO proc is based off of it's PPM, if it says it'll proc 4 times a minute it uses the slotted power's recharge and activation time to calculate it, here is a worked example:
Disembowel - Recharge and activation time of 10s and 1.8s respectively Values taken from base recharge and activation work out that the power can be used 5.08 times (to 2 d.p.) per minute.
Superior Stalker's Guile: Recharge/Chance to Hide has a proc rate of 5 times per minute.
5PPM/5.08 uses a minute = 0.9843: A 98.4% chance to proc in disembowel.* Please note: This formula is not affected by recharge buffs or mechanics like momentum for titan weapons, and will always take the base values of the power in calculating the chance to proc.
- AOE powers are affected differently. (Not sure on formula effects, some clean up required.)
Thus for finalised builds, it is beneficial to try to slot the ATO set into powers with base recharge and animation times of 12 seconds. The closer to that number you can get the better, however overflow simply means the power has a 100% chance to crit on use. A good example is in Assassin's Strike for stalkers.
Inconsistency
While Archetype Enhancements typically state they can be slotted into a broad selection of powers, in practice they appear to be limited to Primary and/or Secondary power selections. It has been shown through testing, that despite qualifying as acceptable powers, most Ancillary Power Pool powers, Power Pool powers and powers from the Patron Power Pools seem unable to accept the slotting of Archetype Enhancements. Whether this is a bug or working as intended has not been verified by a developer at this time.