Local_Man
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Posts
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Quote:I don't find Thunderclap worth taking on a Mind/Storm. Terrify is a cone so you want to stay at range, while T-Clap is PB AoE and only hits minions with its Mag 2 stun. I generally use Mass Hypnosis to set up Containment for Terrify -- Mass Hyp is higher mag and with some recharge, it comes back pretty quickly. If Mind had an AoE stun (like my Earth/Storm, Fire/Storm or Grav/Storm), then stacking T-Clap with another stun would make it worthwhile.Originally Posted by Wrathmire_Cat
Thanks for the replies.
I've settled on my old staple /storm for a number of reasons. First, like Local stated, /Storm (imo) has more skip-able powers in it than Trick Arrow. I personally rarely take thunderclap (although with terrify I may make an exception) and 02 boost is pretty optional (I always take it on my defenders) as a controller. As for Tornado, I can't imagine *not* taking it. In fact, I've never played a character that had a single target immobilize that also had Tornado so its something I'm used to. Just takes exercising a bit of caution, or the willingness to clean up the mess of angry mobs you've just created.
My only /Storm controller is illusion and I find the chaos control aspect is entertaining, I just have to hold back a little bit on teams, depending on the situation.
To comment on what Local said, I kind of wish I'd made my illusion have the Trick Arrow secondary, for the filling of control gaps. Having Phanty around to ignite the oilpatch sounds pretty spiffy too. Perhaps I'll reroll my illusion into a /trickarrow to test it out after this guy is done, as it is a set worth looking into.
Thanks for the advice!
Go ahead and make the Ill/TA -- no reason to wait. I feel that Illusion is the best primary for Trick Arrow, even though Trick Arrow is probably the third best secondary for Illusion. (I would put Rad and Storm higher.) At this point, I have Illusion with Rad, Storm and TA all at 50, with several lower level Illusionists, too. I rolled mine up specifically because I wanted to experience the TA set. Phantom Army makes all the difference -- send in PA, and then you can stand back to fire off all your arrows in safety.
I'm quite fond of my Ill/TA. I liked his concept -- if I find the name to be amusing, that really helps me enjoy the character. In this case, I wanted a name that combined the concept of an illusionist/magician/entertainer with trick archery. I came up with "Beau Jester," who was the official entertainer of the French Foreign Legion. When the Jester costume became available, it was tailor made for him.
On my Ill/TA, I skipped Group Invis and Flash from the primary, and only Flash Arrow from the secondary. Leveling up, I used Hasten/Super Speed for travel (no Ninja Run in those days). This freed up a powerchoice for Poison Gas Arrow. However, since I got the 60 month, I changed him over to Hasten/Fly. I normally would take Flash, but in this case he is almost never in close range and EM Pulse Arrow gives me my ranged AoE Hold. I finished Beau up with Fire Blast, Fireball and two powers from the medicine pool. I mostly use Oil Slick Arrow to fill in when PA is recharging, as I haven't done a max Recharge build on Beau yet. Oil Slick Arrow + Fireball make a fun BBQ. -
Quote:Frankly, it just depends on what you want out of the power. My slotting of 4 Hami-Os and two common Recharge gives ED capped Damage and Hold, good Accuracy and very good Recharge . . . but I give up bonuses. (I actually started using this slotting before IOs -- but I haven't felt a strong need to change it -- my Fire/Rad isn't as dependant upon Recharge as other controllers.)Originally Posted by ORACLE
Hey Local Man-
I notice your use of mixed HOs in place like Char for example. Were they simply to get near ED cap on hold, damage and accuracy? (vs. traditional set like basilisks gaze for straight hold and the recharge bonus). About to start up my firt fire/rad so reading and learning all i can.
On the other hand, you could slot 4 Basilisk's Gaze for the Recharge bonus, then add an Acc/Dam Hami-O and a common Damage. That will give you a fair mix of Acc, Hold, Damage and Recharge plus the bonus from Basilisk. You could even use two Thunderstrikes for the last two slots if you want a little Recovery.
Some people want more control and don't care about damage from Char, and they may add the Lockdown +2 Mag proc. A full set of Lockdown gives Defense bonuses. Others like to add the Devastation Chance for Hold proc. There are lots of options for slotting Char. -
When you run into foes with -knockback while running Repel, the only thing that happens is you get to drain your endurance. Repel uses endurance for every foe in range.
Note, however that the -knockback only lasts 12 seconds even though the Immob works longer. After that, they will bounce back but still be immobilized. To keep the -knockback, you have to recast the power every 10-12 seconds.
In general, Repel is the most skipped power in the Kinetics set.
Seeds of Confusion is one of the most powerful AoE controls in the game. Don't get mislead by the "you're gonna lose XP" nonsense. The truth is that you earn XP faster using confuse powers because you get bonus XP for damage you don't do. My Illusion/Radiation guide has a long discussion about the misunderstandings that are common about confuse powers. The short version: you may earn a little bit less per foe killed, but you kill foes faster and you get some of the XP for damage done by the confused foes as long as you do some of the damage -- which is virtually automatic if you use the Seeds+Roots combo. If you do 50% of the damage, you get 80% of the XP, but you don't actually LOSE any XP. You earn a little less per foe but kill foes faster and get more XP than you desearve for the damage you did. -
Welcome to the game and the Forums. In the Forums, you have found one of the best places for good information on the game. The others are Paragon Wiki and Red Tomax's Guides, both of which can be accessed from this site. Make sure to download Mid's Hero & Villain Designer so you can work on designing your characters. The various builds you see in the forums use that program.
Also, go to the VidiotMaps Download site to download a patch for your in-game maps which will show the location of badges in the zones -- don't worry, this add-on is approved and Vidiotmaps has previously won recognition by the Developers. -
Quote:Piers is a quirky kind of guy, very focused on his own stuff and pretty jealous of his time (understandable). I doubt he would lend his name to CoH unless it was for a fair amount of money.Originally Posted by Rajani Isa
Hmm, how about Piers Anthony? Seems like his humor would be a good fit for this game.
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Quote:But at level 6, when you have so few powers, doesn't Hasten provide more of a benefit than Swift? Even if it isn't up all that often, when it is, your powers will recharge more quickly allowing you to attack more. While Swift lets you run a little faster . . .Originally Posted by UnicyclePeon
I still think the point applies. I'm not saying its always true, but if for example I was taking Shiver instead of Arctic Air, Ice Slick at 12 and FR at 16, but was planning to put off Steamy Mist to squeeze in Stamina by 20, then I would take Swift or Hurdle at level 6 and take Hasten at 10, because at that level Hasten is not up enough to need to take it at level 6.
So, sure, you're right for some builds and preferences but not for others. It depends on the power set combo.
Lewis
Any of the Travel power pre-requisites provides more benefit than Swift at level 6.
The only argument I can see is if your travel power is Hurdle+Ninja Run . . . but even then, I think other powers provide more benefit when you have so few powers. Give me any build, and I bet that something other than Swift or Hurdle will provide more benefit at 6. -
Mind has good damage in low levels. You get a good single target attack chain in Dominate-Mezmerize (slotted for Damage)-Levitate. Two of the three set Containment, letting you get double damage for your big hitter. Confuse lets you take other foes out of the fight so that you can concentrate on taking down one at a time. Then you get some AoE damage in Terrify. I like the combo of Mass Hypnosis to set up Containment, then Terrify for AoE damage plus AoE control.
While Mind Control picks up good AoE control in the late game when other control sets are getting damage. Thus, I have found that Mind's damage in the later game seems weak. That's where both Storm and Trick Arrow can add damage.
I have a Mind/Storm and lots of experience with Storm. You know what Storm can do. One weakness of Mind/Storm is a lack of an AoE Immob with -knockback. That means that Tornado and the other knockback powers will create chaos.
Trick Arrow adds a lot of Control along with Debuffs. It takes a combination of powers to be effective. You need something to keep the foes busy while you stay at range and fire off your debuff arrows. You get an AoE slow, single target Immob, and an AoE Knockdown, all of which Mind lacks. Plus you get a second single target hold (good for holding bosses) and a second ranged AoE Hold.
I played an Illusion/Trick Arrow to 50. I really like that combo. I don't think Mind/TA will be quite as good, but it should be an effective combo. One problem you will have with both builds is too many good powers. Telekinesis is the only really skippable power in Mind. You know Storm, so I won't go into that. Trick Arrow has a lot of good powers, so it will be hard to decide what to skip. Too bad you can't skip Entangle Arrow. I skipped Flash Arrow on my Ill/TA because I had Superior Invis, but you don't have that option. What is skippable? Maybe Poison Gas Arrow. Maybe Ice Arrow? I'd hate to skip it. You may want to consider using Ninja Run for Travel just so you can take more powers.
Make sure you use Tech or Magic as your origin, and plan to take the Fire APP for Fire Blast and Fireball, all so you can light the Oil Slick. -
Quote:Sure, you need to take it somewhere in the teens, but at level 6, there are a lot of other, more useful powers available. Leveling up a lowbie, I just think that you can take other powers at level 6 that will help you level up faster than Swift or Hurdle. On most characters there is a key power available at that level. If nothing else, take your travel pre-requisite if you need to. Then take Hurdle or Swift at 16 unless you have a power at 16 or 18 you really want -- then take it earlier at 12 or 10.Originally Posted by UnicyclePeon
Well, if you want Stamina at 20 or 22, sometimes you have to, due to when other pre-reqs have to be taken. I often take a travel power at 14 and Stamina at 20. Therefore, I end up with Hurdle and Hasten in the mix pre-20. It can be nice too since you might have less powers to compete for slots during the 1-22 period.
Lewis
I just feel that when posting builds that might be followed by someone new to the game, encouraging them to take Swift at level 6 is not a great idea. Take something that is going to be more effective or more fun.
It used to matter more when you didn't get powers from 5 levels above where you are exemp'ed -- back when you only got your power choices up to 15 when doing Positron. Now it doesn't matter as much once you have gotten past level 20.
For example, Stormies get Freezing Rain at 16, so I would probably move Swift to 12 . . . except that I would take Ice Slick at 12, so I might move it to 10. Hasten or Hover could be moved to 6, or lots of other choices like Arctic Air. (I would take AA here and move Hasten back in the build.) -
I clicked on the link to Mercedes Lackey's website. I have read a few of her books and she is a terrific writer. However, I find it interesting that an author well known for writing Fantasy novels is playing a Superhero game when there are so many Fantasy games out there. . . .
Just sayin' -
It would help if you would describe your playstyle, as the build can vary widely depending on how you play the character.
My Ice/Storm is built as a melee-oriented controller who can solo when needed. I skipped Shiver, Flashfreeze, Thunderclap. I took Chilblain early and slotted it for Damage, added Air Superiority. My playstyle is most often to let the tank and other melee characters go in to get the alpha, then cast Ice Slick and run in with Arctic Air (and Steamy Mist) to control foes around the melee characters. BoI, Chilblain and Air Sup, plus Ice Blast, let me do some single target damage. Snow Storm provides my ranged Slow when I need one, so I don't need Shiver. I consider my main role to be mitigation of damage to the melee guys, and then contribute to damage.
In a previous thread, Louis explained that his playstyle is a little bit different. He is more utilitarian and less damage focused. So his build is a bit different than mine.
As for your build:
Block of Ice: I slotted mine for damage, so mine doesn't really compare.
Gale: I almost never use it. A single Accuracy is all it has. Do you use this power enough to give it two extra slots? Even if you use it a lot, the damage is pretty small -- would a damage proc do more damage?
Frostbite: I mainly use this for its -knockback which turns Tornado into a damage power. I didn't take it until 30. The Grav Anchor Chance for Hold proc is great in AoE Immobs if you use it a lot. In any event, you could trade out the Grav Anchor Immob for Immob/EndRdx. If you use it a lot, damage procs could be nice, too.
(I still don't understand why people take Swift or Hurdle at 6 when other more useful powers are available -- my pet peeve. However, you like to build for level 50, so order doesn't matter.)
Freezing Rain: I don't have access to Mid's at the moment, so I can't check your recharge on this power, but it seems a bit low. I consider Recharge to be the most important thing for slotting. Defense Debuff is nice but not absolutely necessary. I think I may have 5 Lady Gray plus a common Recharge in it. Accuracy really doesn't matter since any "raindrop" will drop the Defense of the foe, letting subsequent "raindrops" hit more often -- the 95% cap is hit quickly. And since I use this whenever it is up, I don't need to slot heavily for Accuracy in other powers.
Fly and Hover seem overslotted to me. Since I use the "Speed On Demand" binds, I never slot Hover for Flight Speed. And generally I only put two Flyspeed enhancements in Fly. (Most of my Stormies take Super Speed to stack stealth with Steamy Mist. However, my Ice/Storm has Air Sup/Fly, and uses a Stealth IO in Sprint to combine with Steamy.)
Arctic Air is underslotted if you use it a lot. The Coersive Persuasion set is quite cheap for a purple set. The Contagious Confusion proc is made for this power. The proc hits for about 10 seconds of Confuse, while the power itself only lasts for about 6 seconds. That proc seems like it doubles the effectiveness of this power. Add the End/Conf and Confuse from the same set, and then you can add a common EndRdx, one more End/Confuse and a damage proc.
Tornado and Lightning Storm don't need all that Accuracy. LS has an inherent 1.4 Acc, and I forget how high Tornado's is, but it can hit Paragon Protectors after they MOG. Those need slotting for Damage, Recharge and EndRdx. A Devastation Chance for Hold in Lightning Storm is really nice.
That Performance Shifter proc should be in Stamina. I think it only works when you are in Hibernate if slotted in the power. I put a common Recharge in Hibernate.
Frost Breath -- needs some Range. Range really helps cone powers.
I take Hurricane much earlier, and slot it with 4 Dark Watcher. I keep it on an easy-to-activate button on my mouse, so I can turn it on and off quickly. This makes it easy to Herd-i-cane when the mood strikes. The ToHit debuff is huge. -
Quote:A couple of macros can fix that . . . simply say that you have been annoyed so many times in the past, that if anyone complains that you have forgotten SB, they won't get it. Or nobody will get it. Whatever you want. I have macros on all my Kinetics characters ready to throw out if anyone gets whiney.Originally Posted by bromley
The thing I hate about having SB and why I respec'd out of it is its secondary effect of turning teammates into braying, entitled nuisances, endlessly squealing for SB like newborn chicks fighting over their mother's vomit.
If someone doesn't want SB, I ask that they be at the bottom of the team list. That way it is easier to remember not to cast SB on them -- the ones at the end of the team list get it last anyways.
A little friendly communication can go a long way.
Yeah, casting SB on a large team can be slightly annoying, but I just do it between fights and I don't have to "take away" anything else I want to do. Binding SB to the keypad makes it easy. That small inconvenience boosts the team a huge amount, so it is worth it. -
Quote:The advantage of Confuse/Deceive from a Mind or Illusion Controller is that you can take the Sapper out of the fight BEFORE the fight begins. Then you can use your alpha strike on other tough foes. Confuse/Deceive lasts so long, that one application will last long enough for most fights to end.Originally Posted by Wicked_Wendy
My favorite is confuse. My Ill/Emp soloed both Indigo and Crimson's arcs with no problem. I sneak in with superior Invisibility and confuse the Sappers and Gunslinger then just let them help me defeat the rest of the mob with my Phantom Army and Phantasm.
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The amazing thing is that of six Fire control threads, only one was for Fire/Kin.
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I'm responding to you, but I'm not intending to sound critical -- everyone has their own playstyle.
Quote:Actually, the Slow sets also have a Dam/Slow as well as the Acc/Dam/Slow. I like to use that one in Hot Feet.Originally Posted by Windenergy21
That depends on how you use it and what you want out of it. As mentioned, that 3.75% recharge buff is not the largest, but it is all combining to your grand total to keep am/hasten perma. The 1.5% and .09%max end helps. The slotting gets good acc, enough rech, some end (which the power does use quite a bit especially during AV battles). The slow on it, i've found VERY useful. You may have fire cages, but they are not always the optimum of what you want. The "dam" is only in the acc/dam/slow, you're not missing out much because it's there.
Or as mentioned if you go the other slotting, with the 4 pacing of the turtles and the recharge, you save a slot, get most of the stats you need, and a 9% acc bonus. You may think "well I have RI", but that doesn't help if you are quickly starting the fight with a flashfire or cinders, or it gets detoggled and you need to pop off one of them really quickly. As mentioned slotting either of these ways also lets you get some end reduction in the power as well, which can be very helpful.
Additionally, with half decent teams, its a fast animating, high debuff power. Lots of times I don't even need to use flashfire/cinders, and can, and do just use the debuffs and LR, and it works just fine. You never know when there is another mob that will show up as well. In situations where you've exhausted FF/Cinders, its good to snag the incoming mob with LR. This way they are slowed and debuffed, so its not a full hold but still pretty effective. By doing this (they are severely slowed, but not using fire cages), they will be debuffed, but by not using fire cages, they still take a good while to get to the team, but because you didn't use fire cages, you can very easily lose aggro with anyone near them, so the slowly incoming damage isn't all going directly to you, spreading out their "love" between the team.
Ideally, you want more than just one accuracy in the power anyways. With either slotting you're getting at least 53%, or 73% acc, and you'll want at least 2 recharges on it. That's 4 slots minimum I'd say for the power anyways, so by adding another slot, getting even just the 9% acc bonus from PotT, or 2 slots and getting the endurance and recharge bonuses, you're also getting some decent endurance, range, and lots of slow speed enhanced in the power, which are all really big helps.
I can't think of too many times that I would want a Slow (moving slowly) over an Immobilize (can't move at all), except where the Slow is combined with an Afraid, as in Hot Feet . . . but Hot Feet has its own Slow, so one application of unenhanced LR easily goes far past the cap. For a fast moving team, Fire Cages animates faster than Ling Rad and recharges a LOT faster. Sure, the Recharge debuff in Ling Rad is nice, but only if the foes last long enough to get off more than 1 shot of any particular power -- otherwise, it provides no benefit. Also, my Fire Cages has a bunch of procs that have a chance to do damage and a Chance to Hold. (In the case of Slow+Afraid, the foes slowly try to run away rather than attack most of the time, but if you Immobilize them, they are more likely to attack. However, Immobilizing them will keep them in range of HF+CC, allowing the hold to hit while they take more damage. That's a trade-off that I'm willing to make, since I have a heal as well.)
The question to me is whether those slots from Ling Rad could be used in another power to provide a greater amount of enhancement. In most builds, I can probably find somewhere else to put those slots to get me a 5%, 6.25% or even 7.5% recharge. For example, 5 Crushing Impacts in Air Sup would give 5% recharge. Plus that Crushing Impact set gives more global Accuracy, helping Ling Rad hit.
With the right kind of build, a single accuracy is enough in Ling Rad. In my Perma-PA Ill/Rad build, I have enough Global Accuracy and Recharge to give Ling Rad a 162% chance to hit and Recharge in about 29.4 seconds with only a single common Accuracy in the default slot. If you want to see the build, it is near the end of the thread in my Ill/Rad guide. -
Quote:Several options. The first one I though of was a Force Field Controller or Defender. PFF lets you pretty much walk "into the valley of death and fear no evil." I have been playing a Mind/FF controller, who has lots of ways to handle the alpha -- PFF, Mass Hypnosis, Terrify, Mass Confusion, Total Domination.Originally Posted by Savage_P
Thank you for the replies so far, and I appreciate the dark miasma suggestion. I know that most trollers are OK with an alpha, but I guess I am looking for PA type powers that canget things started without having to resort to tactics that need your team to think all that much. I tried an ice troller for example and I hated the whole ice slick behind a corner thing. I am not looking for a tank mage, just a toon that feels like a hero and doesn't have to wait on lazy tankers.
Regards,
Savage
Plant controllers are great. You are a bit of a one-trick-pony with Seeds of Confusion followed by Roots, but you can handle large groups starting at level 8. At level 26, Carrion Creepers can also take the Alpha when needed. I have a Plant/Rad at 50 and a Plant/Kin at 40 . . . and Plant/Storm would be a good choice, too.
Dark Miasma is a fun set, too. Fearsome Stare is one of the best control powers in the game, with a terrify and a ToHit Debuff so that anyone not cowering finds it harder to hit you. -
Quote:If you have a preference like this, you should probably say so when posting builds.Originally Posted by Donna_
Ahhhh !
this is where we differ, I don't exemp.
Won't play anything that's not 50.
If I have a particular quirk or preference that may not follow the "norm," I usually try to say so.
Some of the most fun I have had is exemping down favorite characters to play lower level content. A fully IO'ed character can get boring when he or she is too powerful, too invulnerable, etc. Exemp down and some things become a challenge again.
Yesterday doing the Citadel TF, I was reminded about how glad I am that I made my build to be effective for lower level content, and how much I like Fearsome Stare -- even exemp'ed down, it was having a huge effect. -
Quote:It matters a lot if you ever exemp down for lower level TFs, story arcs through Ouroborus or to join teammates. I have been doing that a lot lately -- often the best way to earn merits. In fact, I did a Citadel TF last night on my level 50 Dark/Elec Defender -- I was thankful that I had made his build to be effective at lower levels.Originally Posted by Donna_
Order of powers doesn't matter, if you look at the OP 1st post, it says the toon is already 50.
One of the advantages of purple sets is that they retain their bonuses even when exemp'ed. You may as well build your character to be effective when exemp'ed down. -
Quote:I view Ling Rad as part of the trio of debuffs that are core to Rad, but I would probably consider it to be the least important . . . until running into an AV. With a Fire/Rad, the Slow Run Speed has no effect when you have Fire Cages coming up every few seconds. The Regen debuff has little effect on standard foes, but is most useful against high Regen foes like AVs (who resist the debuff, but it still has an effect). The Recharge Debuff is the most important, but only after the first attack. RI keeps them from hitting you as often, and EF reduces the damage they do even when they do hit you.Originally Posted by Morik_NA
Excellent. And thank you again, sir
I wasn't sure how often Air Sup would actually come up. I had it slotted as more of a filler than anything else. I will certainly make these changes.
LR-Again, I like this one, but I'm really not sure about the slotting.
My choices from 35 up are admittedly, 'weak'. But, most of them are there to fill gaps in or to compliment the powers of groups that I regularly team with. I pushed most of them off to the 'end' to make sure that I could fit the 'core powers' into my build.
I'm trying to keep my 'optimization' within certain parameters. I already have a 50, so it's not a leveling race to the end. Speaking of which, it's time to respec my 50. Anyone know anything about ice/ice blasters? lol
Ling Rad has a 30 sec duration with a 90 sec Recharge and it requires a ToHit. I consider the most important enhancements to be Accuracy and Recharge. The Recharge and Regen debuffs can't be enhanced, and the 75% Run Speed debuff can hit the 90% cap with very little enhancement. And think of how this power is used. If you use Fire Cages a lot, the Run Speed is useless. I usually lead off with Flashfire and Fire Cages, and then might apply EF, LR and RI on tough foes. On easier groups, I just use EF to buff the team's damage. By the time LR's 30 seconds are up, it is probably time to move on to the next group. So, recharge is mostly needed to make LR ready for the next group.
If I have a build with lots of Recharge and Accuracy bonuses, I find that I can get by with a single Acc in the default slot. Look at the Slow sets. Very little Recharge, and the Damage in them is worthless in this power. The bonuses are fairly small, so you may be able to get better bonuses by using those slots in other powers.
If I want to spend 5 slots on LR, I go with Acc/Slow and EndRdx/Rech/Slow from Tempered Readiness, and then 1 common Accuracy and two common Recharge -- but that's assuming no global Acc or Recharge bonuses. On most builds, I can drop a slot or two quite easily and still be very effective. -
OK, I took your build a made a few minor changes. Air Sup needs a minimum of some decent accuracy, not EndRdx. The slots I pulled out of Radiant Aura and Flashfire have minimal reductions in Recharge, but add a lot to Air Sup. I also changed your slotting in Choking Cloud by adding some of the Purple Unbreakable Constraints . . . more Recovery offsets the small reduction in EndRdx, and you get a damage proc that does a lot -- expensive, though.
I'm not crazy about your choices from 35 on, but I didn't change them. I prefer Bonfire, EM Pulse and the Psi pool for Indombidible Will. I think you can get by with fewer slots in Ling Rad, but I didn't change that. Here is my suggested changes:
Hero Plan by Mids' Hero Designer 1.707
http://www.cohplanner.com/
Click this DataLink to open the build!
Fire Hazzard: Level 50 Science Controller
Primary Power Set: Fire Control
Secondary Power Set: Radiation Emission
Power Pool: Flight
Power Pool: Fitness
Power Pool: Speed
Power Pool: Teleportation
Ancillary Pool: Fire Mastery
Hero Profile:
Level 1: Char -- BasGaze-Acc/Hold(A), BasGaze-Acc/Rchg(3), BasGaze-Rchg/Hold(7), BasGaze-Acc/EndRdx/Rchg/Hold(17), Thundr-Acc/Dmg(48), Dmg-I(48)
Level 1: Radiant Aura -- Dct'dW-Heal/EndRdx(A), Dct'dW-EndRdx/Rchg(5), Dct'dW-Heal/Rchg(11), Dct'dW-Heal/EndRdx/Rchg(25), Dct'dW-Heal(46)
Level 2: Fire Cages -- TotHntr-Acc/EndRdx(A), Enf'dOp-Acc/EndRdx(3), RtngG-Acc/EndRdx(7), GravAnch-Hold%(17), TotHntr-Dam%(43), Posi-Dam%(46)
Level 4: Accelerate Metabolism -- Efficacy-EndMod(A), Efficacy-EndMod/Rchg(5), Efficacy-EndMod/Acc/Rchg(11), Efficacy-Acc/Rchg(25), Efficacy-EndMod/Acc(43), RechRdx-I(43)
Level 6: Radiation Infection -- HO:Enzym(A), HO:Enzym(15), HO:Enzym(15), Achilles-ResDeb%(45)
Level 8: Hot Feet -- HO:Nucle(A), Sciroc-Dmg/EndRdx(9), Sciroc-Acc/Dmg/EndRdx(9), TmpRdns-Dmg/Slow(40), TmpRdns-EndRdx/Rchg/Slow(40), EndRdx-I(42)
Level 10: Air Superiority -- Mako-Acc/Dmg(A), Mako-Acc/Dmg/EndRdx/Rchg(40), Mako-Acc/EndRdx/Rchg(46)
Level 12: Flashfire -- Amaze-Stun(A), Amaze-Stun/Rchg(13), Amaze-Acc/Stun/Rchg(13), Amaze-Acc/Rchg(19), Amaze-EndRdx/Stun(39)
Level 14: Fly -- Frbd-Stlth(A), Frbd-Fly(39), Frbd-EndRdx(39)
Level 16: Swift -- Flight-I(A)
Level 18: Health -- Numna-Regen/Rcvry+(A), Heal-I(19), Numna-Heal(27), Mrcl-Rcvry+(48)
Level 20: Stamina -- EndMod-I(A), EndMod-I(21), EndMod-I(21)
Level 22: Hasten -- RechRdx-I(A), RechRdx-I(23), RechRdx-I(23)
Level 24: Enervating Field -- EndRdx-I(A), EndRdx-I(27)
Level 26: Lingering Radiation -- TmpRdns-Acc/Slow(A), TmpRdns-Acc/EndRdx(36), TmpRdns-Rng/Slow(36), TmpRdns-EndRdx/Rchg/Slow(42), TmpRdns-Acc/Dmg/Slow(42)
Level 28: Choking Cloud -- UbrkCons-EndRdx/Hold(A), EoCur-EndRdx/Hold(29), G'Wdw-EndRdx/Hold(29), Lock-%Hold(31), UbrkCons-Dam%(31), UbrkCons-Acc/Hold/Rchg(31)
Level 30: Cinders -- BasGaze-Acc/Hold(A), BasGaze-Acc/Rchg(34), BasGaze-Rchg/Hold(36), BasGaze-Acc/EndRdx/Rchg/Hold(37), Lock-Rchg/Hold(37), Lock-Acc/EndRdx/Rchg/Hold(37)
Level 32: Fire Imps -- ExRmnt-Acc/Rchg(A), ExRmnt-Acc/Dmg(33), ExRmnt-Acc/Dmg/Rchg(33), ExRmnt-EndRdx/Dmg/Rchg(33), S'bndAl-Dmg/Rchg(34), S'bndAl-Build%(34)
Level 35: Recall Friend -- RechRdx-I(A)
Level 38: Mutation -- RechRdx-I(A)
Level 41: Teleport Foe -- RechRdx-I(A)
Level 44: Fire Blast -- Apoc-Dmg(A), Apoc-Acc/Rchg(45), HO:Nucle(45)
Level 47: Rise of the Phoenix -- RechRdx-I(A)
Level 49: Consume -- P'Shift-EndMod(A), P'Shift-EndMod/Rchg(50), P'Shift-EndMod/Acc/Rchg(50), P'Shift-Acc/Rchg(50)
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Level 1: Brawl -- Acc-I(A)
Level 1: Sprint -- Run-I(A)
Level 2: Rest -- RechRdx-I(A)
Level 1: Containment
Level 6: Ninja Run -
Quote:I run HF+CC in all normal team missions. The tank runs in to grab aggro, and I'm not far behind. Flashfire+Fire cages, then I run in with HF+CC. Within a few seconds, the foes are held with CC or Char, and then the tank can leave this group to me/the rest of the team while he gets the next group. It is fast and efficient.Originally Posted by Windenergy21
Never said it wasn't, just that I'm personally not that much of a fan of the power. Like I said my fire/rad has them both, but only because I bred him as a farmer. For a good portion of his life he wasn't a farmer, and I much preferred not having Hot Feet/Choking Cloud when he was a normal team runner.
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A few quick things I see:
I find it hard to 6-slot RI. I don't even use it until tough fights due to its cast time, as on a fast team, everything is dead before then. 4 Dark Watcher, and then you have 2 slots for other places -- you don't need to enhance the Defense debuff as much, since Accuracy in most powers will hit the ToHit cap. One of those slots is needed in EF -- it needs 2 EndRdx.
Put a Numina's Heal into Health -- nice Regen bonus.
Choking Cloud: This MUST be max slotted for Hold due to the way it works. Also the +2 Mag Lockdown proc is great in this, again due to the way the power works. I suggest getting rid of all the Ghost Widow except the End/Hold, and replace them with Lockdown quad and +2 Mag Hold, and the Essence of Curae End/Hold. Trading the damage proc for the +2 Mag proc is an easy choice when you see how often it hits.
Fire Imps: I'm not a big fan of the resistance/Defense procs in Imps. They run out of the aura too often. Recharge is better, so you can re-cast them often. Plus, you have one of your main sources of Damage WAY underslotted. Try 4 Expediant Reinforcement (all but the Dam/End and the Resist proc) and add the two triples from Call to Arms, or even better, Dam/Rech and Chance for Build Up from Soulbound Allegeance.
I would take EM pulse over Maneuvers. It is one of the best holds in the game -- it lets you use Cinders freely as a back-up AoE control when Flashfire is recharging, because you know that you have EM Pulse for those "panic button" moments. It also covers a huge area, lasts a long time, has no accuracy penalty and damages Robots. The trade off is that it halts Recovery for a short time -- but it does NOT drain your endurance. Pop a blue Insp, and you're good.
Fissure is a short range AoE damage power, with the stun being a secondary effect. It needs to be slotted as a damage power, and should have at least 5 slots. I can see a few places where I could squeeze one -- LR could be slotted with a single Acc. EM Pulse can get by with 3 Acc/Hold/Rech. Maybe one slot from Health if you put a Numina's Heal and the Numina's Proc in the other two. -
Quote:Having patience when making bids can really pay off. Make a bid and let it sit for a few days or even a week or two. Play alts -- and if you team with higher level teams, you might get some useful drops. The new e-mail system lets you distribute useful recipes to whichever of your characters needs them. Play TFs and story arcs where you can earn merits -- Random Rolls let you have a chance to "strike it rich," while merits can also let you buy that one or two recipes you need to fill out your build. (And don't forget that you can earn a good number of merits by getting all the exploration badges in all the zones!).Originally Posted by Postagulous
Re: WW
I tend to look at everything from 37 up. In that range the percents don't change too much. To me a 47 is the same as a 50, and you can sometimes get them for 10% of the 50.
Also, remember to look at the other side of the coin. Sometimes, oddly, crafted cost less than the recipe. And remember, at 50 you can always buy the unwanted SOs at that level as placeholders as you slowly build your toon. Though it might be a shock to lose lots of rech. Right now my 46 [though a katana/wp] is carrying around the level 50 enh she'll need for when she gets 47. Some things are much cheaper at 50, and it's also the area where the marketers make all their money.
[sorry if that rambled more than usual, I'm eating lunch]
And there is always the option of "playing the market." Read up on the market guides, pick a niche and, if you picked the right one, become an "ebil marketeer."
I dislike several things about Donna's build . . . especially the order of powers. Flashfire at 32? Fire Imps at 38? But folks can make effective characters in all sorts of ways. I just threw up a quick build -- with some work and thought, I might be able to do better. (I have one Fire/Rad at 50, and I'm working on another on a different server right now, who is up to 38.) -
I have a set of 53 insult taunt binds for my tanks -- some are modified Dangerfield lines, a couple of obligatory Python lines, a few "your Momma" jokes, and a few stupid ones -- well, ok, most of them are stupid. I just set them up to cycle, but there are so many of them, I have to be teamed with the same team for a while before they see repeats.
My first computer (in Grad School) was an Atari 800 -- it was my word processor for years. Better sound and graphics than the Apple ][ or the later C-64, and the original 800 was built solid. $899 got me 16K of RAM, and an extra $199 for a Cassette drive. I taught myself how to program in Assembler on that machine. Eventually I got a single-sided, single density 5 1/4 floppy drive, where we would use a hole punch to notch an edge of the disk to flip it over and use the other side. Those disks held 88K of data -- 76K after you put on DOS.
And a 300 baud Acoustic Modem (as in Wargames, where you put the phone handset in the black cups -- "Trimline" phones didn't fit) calling BBS's . . . -
Yeah, Hot Feet and Choking Cloud are the centerpiece for a Fire/Rad, around which all the other powers are based. Without Hot Feet, your only significant source of damage is Fire Imps. Fire Control gives up some control for added damage . . . compare it to Earth (with Earthquake and Quicksand instead of Hotfeet and Smoke) or Ice (Arctic Air and Shiver), both of which are low-damage sets.
One thing I did miss in my earlier post is Hasten. I consider Hasten to be highly recommended for most controllers. In the case of a Fire/Rad, Hasten will help Flashfire, Cinders and Ling Rad recharge more quickly.
I don't consider Ling Rad to be nearly as important as WindEnergy does. Yes, it is a nice power to stack with other control powers. When Flashfire+Fire Cages or Cinders are up, it really isn't needed for standard foes. But if both of those are recharging, then Fire Cages+RI+EF+LR are almost as good as a hold. The foes can't move, they have trouble hitting you (RI); when they do hit you, it is for less damage (EF) and it takes a while for them to recharge to take another shot (LR). The main problem is that it takes some time to stack 4 powers, compared to 2 (Flashfire+Fire Cages) or 1 (Cinders).
But the focus of the AoE control is to keep foes in place long enough for Hot Feet+Choking Cloud and the Imps to wipe them out. For those of you who aren't fans of Hot Feet -- try running Herostats. You'll see that in the long run and with the right playstyle, Hot Feet will be your highest damage power, even more than the Imps. And you'll kill stuff faster than three Imps can. -
Questions like this should be in the Players Question section. This section is for Guides.