Local_Man
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One important aspect of Wormhole . . . during its activation, foes can shoot at you!. Whenever possible, target the baddies, and then hide around a corner or behind something. It works well to then target the reticule at a wall or in a corner, to limit the knockback. As soon as the foes show up, use Crushing Field to hold them in place, as a Stun+Immobilize is the same as a hold.
I have found it to be a fun power on my Grav/Storm. I like to throw them into a corner and turn on Hurricane. While Hurricane debuffs their ToHit, I can pick them off one at a time with GD, Crush, Propel. There are also a lot of strategic uses for Wormhole. You want to make the day for a Traps Defender? Let him set up a "field of death" with his Trip Mines and other traps, and then Wormhole a group of foes into the middle of it. -
OK, I took a look at your build, and tried to keep the cost down as much as possible while getting to a Perma-PA build. While there is only one purple sets in the build, I did need to include three Luck of the Gambler Recharge IOs -- You may need to get these by earning merits to keep the cost down. Other than those and the Basilisk's Gaze sets, the sets used are not too expensive.
The only significant power change I made was to trade out Air Superiority for Hover, as a place to move the Karma -knockback and put in another LotG Recharge. I had to change the slotting for Stamina and Ling Rad. (By the way, that Red Fortune that you currently have in Superior Invis is no different than a common EndRdx, as you have no set bonus out of it.)
Of course, there could be a wide range of other ways to make this build.
Hero Plan by Mids' Hero Designer 1.601
http://www.cohplanner.com/
Click this DataLink to open the build!
ill-rad good1: Level 50 Magic Controller
Primary Power Set: Illusion Control
Secondary Power Set: Radiation Emission
Power Pool: Flight
Power Pool: Fitness
Power Pool: Speed
Ancillary Pool: Ice Mastery
Hero Profile:
Level 1: Blind -- BasGaze-Acc/Hold(A), BasGaze-Acc/Rchg(3), BasGaze-Rchg/Hold(11), BasGaze-Acc/EndRdx/Rchg/Hold(17), Thundr-Acc/Dmg(31), Thundr-Dmg/Rchg(50)
Level 1: Radiant Aura -- Dct'dW-Heal/EndRdx(A), Dct'dW-EndRdx/Rchg(9), Dct'dW-Rchg(17), Dct'dW-Heal/Rchg(34), Dct'dW-Heal(46)
Level 2: Spectral Wounds -- Decim-Acc/Dmg(A), Decim-Dmg/EndRdx(3), Decim-Dmg/Rchg(5), Decim-Acc/EndRdx/Rchg(5), Decim-Acc/Dmg/Rchg(31), Thundr-Acc/Dmg/Rchg(43)
Level 4: Deceive -- CoPers-Conf/Rchg(A), CoPers-Acc/Conf/Rchg(11), CoPers-Acc/Rchg(15), CoPers-Conf/EndRdx(31), CoPers-Conf%(37)
Level 6: Accelerate Metabolism -- Efficacy-EndMod(A), Efficacy-EndMod/Rchg(7), Efficacy-EndMod/Acc/Rchg(7), Efficacy-Acc/Rchg(34), Efficacy-EndMod/EndRdx(37), Efficacy-EndMod/Acc(40)
Level 8: Superior Invisibility -- RedFtn-Def/EndRdx(A), RedFtn-Def/Rchg(9), RedFtn-EndRdx/Rchg(13), RedFtn-EndRdx(29), RedFtn-Def/EndRdx/Rchg(37), LkGmblr-Rchg+(43)
Level 10: Radiation Infection -- DarkWD-ToHitDeb(A), DarkWD-ToHitDeb/EndRdx(13), DarkWD-ToHitdeb/Rchg/EndRdx(15), DarkWD-Slow%(48)
Level 12: Hover -- LkGmblr-Rchg+(A), Krma-ResKB(40)
Level 14: Fly -- Frbd-EndRdx(A), Frbd-Fly(27)
Level 16: Swift -- Flight-I(A)
Level 18: Phantom Army -- ExRmnt-Acc/Rchg(A), ExRmnt-Acc/Dmg(19), ExRmnt-Acc/Dmg/Rchg(19), ExRmnt-EndRdx/Dmg/Rchg(21), C'Arms-Acc/Dmg/Rchg(21), C'Arms-EndRdx/Dmg/Rchg(23)
Level 20: Health -- Numna-Heal(A), Numna-Regen/Rcvry+(34)
Level 22: Stamina -- P'Shift-EndMod/Rchg(A), P'Shift-EndMod/Acc(23), P'Shift-EndMod(25), P'Shift-End%(40)
Level 24: Hasten -- RechRdx-I(A), RechRdx-I(25), RechRdx-I(27)
Level 26: Spectral Terror -- RechRdx-I(A)
Level 28: Enervating Field -- EndRdx-I(A), EndRdx-I(29)
Level 30: Lingering Radiation -- Acc-I(A)
Level 32: Phantasm -- BldM'dt-Acc/Dmg(A), ExRmnt-Acc/Dmg(33), ExRmnt-Dmg/EndRdx(33), ExRmnt-Acc/Dmg/Rchg(33), ExRmnt-EndRdx/Dmg/Rchg(46)
Level 35: Flash -- BasGaze-EndRdx/Rchg/Hold(A), BasGaze-Acc/EndRdx/Rchg/Hold(36), BasGaze-Rchg/Hold(36), BasGaze-Acc/Rchg(36)
Level 38: EM Pulse -- BasGaze-EndRdx/Rchg/Hold(A), BasGaze-Acc/EndRdx/Rchg/Hold(39), BasGaze-Rchg/Hold(39), BasGaze-Acc/Rchg(39)
Level 41: Ice Blast -- Dev'n-Acc/Dmg(A), Dev'n-Dmg/Rchg(42), Dev'n-Acc/Dmg/Rchg(42), Dev'n-Dmg/EndRdx(42), Dev'n-Hold%(43)
Level 44: Frost Breath -- Posi-Acc/Dmg(A), Posi-Dmg/Rchg(45), Posi-Dmg/EndRdx(45), Posi-Acc/Dmg/EndRdx(45), Posi-Dmg/Rng(46)
Level 47: Ice Storm -- Posi-Dmg/Rchg(A), Posi-Dmg/EndRdx(48), Posi-Acc/Dmg/EndRdx(48), Posi-Dmg/Rng(50), Posi-Dam%(50)
Level 49: Frozen Armor -- LkGmblr-Rchg+(A)
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Level 1: Brawl -- Empty(A)
Level 1: Sprint -- Empty(A)
Level 2: Rest -- Empty(A)
Level 1: Containment
EDIT:
My first version posted had a problem, so this is a revised version. The first version violated the "Rule of 5" with 6.25% Recharge, so I had to include the purple set in Deceive and add a Basilisk's Gaze in Blind. That increased the Recharge quite a bit, though -
Quote:I have played Mind (mine's a Mind/FF) up enough to have a decent idea of its AoE control. While I acknowledge Mind has great AoE control, I don't think it is as good as Earth. Both sets have AoE sleeps, but Earth controllers usually skip theirs because it isn't needed (and it is PB AoE, and draws aggro). No question that Volcanic Gasses is much better than Total Dom. So the question is whether the options of Total Dom, Terrify and Mass Confusion are better than Stalagmites+Stone Cages, Earthquake and Volcanic Gasses, plus Rocky and his ability to pull aggro. Factor in Earth's Defense Debuff to make it more reliable to hit those large groups, and I think Earth is superior as an AoE controller. Of course, Mind far outshines Earth for Single target control and damage.Originally Posted by Oedipus_Tex
I'm nitpicking but I'd argue Mind/TA is a competitor with Earth/TA for the most number of holds, depending on how you classify Confusion abilities. I tend to classify them as "reasons the mob is not shooting at me," and this elevates Mind Control in this category. Earth/TA is much better at locking enemies down in a specific location, and Mind/TA is much better at opening a fight on your own terms. I also think that the single target Confusion available to Mind (and Illusion) blows any other Controller sets' single target mezz abilities out of the water, in terms of both duration and net effect.
Maybe, but I can accomplish the same thing with Volcanic Gasses, Stone Cages and RI, all from range, and use less endurance. I keep EM Pulse as a "panic button" power, and sometimes pull it out against large groups of Robots but otherwise use it rarely. My other AoE controls work almost all the time.Quote:There is also EM Pulse, which is PBAoE. An Earth/Rad standing inside Volcanic Gasses with Choking Cloud up and an EM Pulse for backup is a fierce thing. -
Quote:Yes, Contagious Confusion does not affact pets any more.Originally Posted by Frost
Referencing Arctic Air:
I don't mean to hijack the thread, but I've been out of the game for a bit. Did this ever get fixed in regards to Jack Frost getting affected when the proc fires off when he's in melee range?
That proc seemed to me to double the effectiveness of AA. Maybe that's because the Confuse visual effect in AA is finally showing up, but it seems to me that there are a LOT more confused baddies. The Proc lasts for about 10 seconds, while the confuse from AA lasts less than 4 seconds . ... less than 8 seconds fully slotted. So the proc actually provides longer confuse than the power. And the proc hits a group 1/3 of the time every 10 seconds. It is simply WOW. -
Quote:Originally Posted by Miladys_Knight
If you want maximum holds I'd suggest Earth/Trick Arrow. You get 2 AoE holds and 2 single target holds. Plus you get quite a lot of defense and resistance debuffing.
Earth/TA is the ultimate control king, with more ranged AoE control powers than any other combo. But Earth/Rad has almost as many controls, and has a lot more flexibility for team support and handling a range of situations.
I agree 100%. If you want to go into melee, go with an Ice/Rad.Quote:Originally Posted by Sailboat
IMHO I would play to the extremes: either make an Ice/Rad with Choking Cloud and Arctic Air and wade in, or an Earth/Rad and skip choking cloud entirely. Or make both
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Quote:Personally, I'm not a big fan of using Choking Cloud on an Earth/Rad. There is no other reason an Earth/Rad needs to get that close, since the three AoE controls are all ranged. The endurance costs and slotting demands for Choking Cloud is too high for the limited benefit of stacking with Volcanic Gasses. Choking Cloud really needs to be continually combined with another control (like Hot Feet or Arctic Air) to be effective.Originally Posted by Oedipus_Tex
Either Ice or Earth works well. With Earth you'll find a fairly standard Controller with perhaps some slight extra emphasis on close action (because of the stacking between Choking Cloud and Volcanic Gasses.)
And, in my opnion, Earth/Rad really doesn't need Choking Cloud to be fully effective. Maybe that's because I prefer to play my Earth/Rad from range, and you may prefer to be more in melee. -
Quote:So, what do you have that keeps you from taking both? Having both makes them more useful.Originally Posted by Ideon
My level 50 ill/rad is probably my most played level 50 alt at the moment. :3
Dropped Flash for EM Pulse, never looked back. :3
(well, maybe I'd take it again if I had a free power slot... but I don't!
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Quote:Frankly, you can do everything I mentioned using SOs. You can spend as much or as little as you want. Ice/Rad is very heavy on Endurance, and optimal slotting for Arctic Air and Choking Cloud could be somewhat expensive. But Earth/Rad doesn't have a problem with endurance most of the time. Accelerate Metabolism gives you a part-time Recovery boost -- with a lot of Recharge, you can get "perma-AM" but it certainly is not needed.Originally Posted by Invincible_Ninja
One last question: an in-game friend of mine made a Ice/Rad and IOed him at lvl 50 for approximately 150 mil which is fairly cheap. He is able to do everything you mentioned a Ice/Rad is capable of doing above. Is it possible to perfect an Earth/Rad at aorund the same price?
If you want, you can load up and Earth/Rad with damage procs, but it certainly isn't necessary unless you want to solo a bunch. You can load up with Recharge, which is nice but not needed. You have three ranged AoE controls (Stalagmites+Stone Cages, Earthquake and Volcanic Gasses), plus a great PB AoE Hold (EM Pulse) as back-up -- so you should have one available pretty much all the time. The one bonus that would help the most is Ranged Defense, since Earth/Rad's AoE controls sometimes draw some aggro. However, I haven't built mine that way . . . I have the Stone APP, and the Defense shield seems to be enough when combined with my heal power. -
Quote:Well, you can freeze them in a block of Ice, or Immobilize a group in chunks of Ice, and then throw a fireball at them. Ice Control/*/Fire. For the sake of concept, that works. Or you can go with the Fire/*/Ice combo, where your "fireball" can be Bonfire and blast with Ice.Originally Posted by BrandX
Fire and Ice aren't to hard to keep in concept with each other, as they do the same thing in reverse...one increases the temperature, the other decreases.
The downside however, for me anyways, is while I can see them both working nicely together in concept, I'd like to beable to throw both a Fireball and an Ice Blast, and that can't happen yet :/ -
Quote:Yes. Take a look at my guide for strategies and build suggestions. You get two of the best hold powers in the game (Volcanic Gasses and EM Pulse), plus a psuedo-hold in Stalagmites+Stone Cages (stun+Immob=Hold). Also, you get a knockdown area (Earthquake) and a Targetted AoE Slow with a huge Defense Debuff that has a lot of strategic uses. (Very few people recognize the value of Quicksand.) As an Earth/Rad, you will be an AoE Blaster's best friend.Originally Posted by Invincible_Ninja
Well, i want a hold based controller and i don't solo if i have a choice between it and teaming. So with that would you suggest Earth/Rad?
However, if you like to play more up front and like to run in front with the melee guys, then Ice/Rad might fit your playstyle more. -
Quote:The two sets have some similarities, but have significant differences. A lot depends on how you want to play the character. Both sets go well with Radiation.Originally Posted by Invincible_Ninja
I want to know which one has the stronger holds. My secondary is going to be rad regardless of which primary i pick. If you guys could give me advice on which one has the stronger holds and/or mixes best with rad.
My Earth/Rad guide (see the link in my sig) will tell you almost all you might want to know about the Earth/Rad combo . . . I still need to go back and add some IO information into the guide, but it has tons of information that I compiled from the great folks on these boards. Earth/Rad is an awesome ranged AoE controller with tons of Defense Debuff to make it easy to hit the foes. The Rad secondary gives it plenty of flexibility to provide great team support. For the most part, however, you want to stay out of melee, and don't expect to do much damage leveling up. Eventually, once you get Rocky and some APP attacks, you can solo, but not quickly. Rocky had some changes made and is now one of the best pets in the game. The main complaint about Earth Control (some people just didn't like the graphics) has been somewhat resolved with power customization. The Crystal and Lava options are pretty good.
Ice/Rad has less "hard" control than Earth/Rad. If you want more "holds," then Earth/Rad is the choice. Ice/Rad can be made either as a ranged or melee controller, and its main focus is Slows with -Recharge. I would suggest going Melee since the melee controls make it uniquely different than Earth. Other than Fire/Rad, Ice/Rad is the build that can make best use of Rad's Choking Cloud. Ice/Rad can combine Arctic Air and Choking Cloud for a double-toggle PB AoE control aura, where you will want to follow the melee teammates and reduce the damage they take to almost nothing. It will mature late -- you will need both Arctic Air and Choking Cloud fully slotted for EndRdx for both, and Confuse for AA and Hold for CC. But once you are fully slotted and enhanced, you will be able to walk in and in a few seconds, most foes in the area will be held, confused or slowly running. This will also be a low damage build, but you can beef up the damage with a lot of procs and other tricks. You will also want to team for the most part. -
Sweetmeat, that is exactly why I said that there are many, many ways to make an Ice/Storm Controller. The build is certainly flexible enough to be adjusted to various playstyles. This is why I usually talk about my personal experience when I'm making suggestions, as other folks have other preferences.
When I made my Ice/Storm, I already had several ranged-type controllers, so making a melee-type appealed to me. Arctic Air turned out to be a wonderful melee control power -- much better than I originally thought.
On the Fly vs. Super Speed . . . while several of my other Stormies have Super Speed, I actually have Air Superiority/Fly on my Ice/Storm. Mostly, I wanted Air Sup to add a little more damage for soloing. I make up for the lost stealth in Super Speed with an IO in Prestige Power Slide. Ninja Run can fill in for Super Speed much of the time now-a-days if you can get a Stealth IO.
Quote:Well, Chilblain, at level 5, has a 20% Accuracy bonus and a duration of over 19 Seconds, before slotting, to apply a Mag 4 Immob and a 20% chance of an extra mag for 13 seconds. That duration increases to 27 seconds by level 50. One Accuracy SO puts it over the accuracy cap (unless you are going up against very high level foes), and it doesn't need recharge since it already recharges quickly and it's duration is almost four times its recharge. This is why I feel comfortable slotting this power as a damage power. For Single Target control, I find that Block of Ice is a usually adequate. Most of the time, I use BoI to set containment, then Chilblain gets Containment Damage.Originally Posted by puba187
the idea with chillblain is an early control skill while later it becomes a back-up for frostbite. i mainly plan on soloing this toon and the additional lock down is really all i'm looking for. yeah i could eek out a bit more dmg but at the cost of acc and its immob, strength it's just not worth it to me as i plan on rockin mr. twisty all the time. i did however take that slow out of the rain and drop another slot into frostbite so as to get those def bonuses but i may move it to AA and drop thunderclap. i was really on the fence about which one to go with in that instance but i think i'll give that a shot. the only thing that i dont like about it is the whole running away thing but i should be ok with all the immobs and holds.
In Arctic Air, they run away slowly, so it usually isn't a problem. What happens most of the time is that the foes will get hit by a pulse and do one of several things: (a) the foe may slowly try to run out of the area, (b) the foe may turn and run TOWARDS another foe (being confused), (c) the foe may attack another foe, (d) the foe may kind of run back and forth as he is hit by the confuse and the "afraid" from subsequent pulses (this is the most frequent behaviour), or the foe may turn and attack you or a teammate (happens less often the longer he is in AA). I find that it seems to mitigate about 70-80% of the damage to melee characters if played right, and usually their armor and regen can handle the rest. Most of the damage happens in the first few seconds before AA's pulses hit.
In Lightning Storm, I strongly recommend the Chance for Hold proc from Devastation. I find it hits often, looks cool (the tesla cage fits with the power), and is very effective to hold foes without any attention from me. I know earlier the "chance for +Endurance" proc put in a pet was actually giving endurance to the foe, but I think that has been fixed. I don't know if the proc in LS will give you Endurance, but I don't think so. That proc will probably provide more benefit in Stamina, where it will have a chance to go off every 10 seconds.
The general consensus on that Force Feedback Chance for Recharge is that it got nerfed into uselessness. It certainly will not pass any Recharge to the pets now. But I have not personally tried it. -
Quote:My build has the same benefits of fast recharge and high damage in Tornado and Lightning Storm, with fast recharge in Frostbite to provide -knockback if you want it. But I tried to build with a little more utility for team situations, where teammates will be doing most of the damage.Originally Posted by puba187
right on. i see how you're going about things. i'm going at it from a different angle in that i'm using the immob and holds to control the KB of the lightning storm and tornado which i feel are 2 incredible powers but the KB just ruins their utility. i proc several powers to get a couple more points here and there but for the most part the tornado and storm should do most of the killing. as for the slotting of stamina you end up with a 49.8% recovery with 3 50 io's but with the efficacy adaptors you get a 47.9. it sounds like a bit of a lose but click on totals and take a look. they end up coming out the same and why not get the extra couple bonuses from the adaptors?
just make sure you use the ones for endmod.
If you haven't used max-slotted Arctic Air, you don't know the best control power for a higher level Ice Controller. It has some similarities to Choking Cloud, but it is faster hitting and more effective if you use that Contagious Confusion proc. All I need to do is either let the tank draw the alpha attack and/or throw an Ice Slick as soon as the melee guys run in, and then I follow them in with AA running. After a couple of seconds, about 80% of the melee foes are slowed and confused or slowed and "afraid" trying to run out of the cloud. The melee teammates are taking very little damage while they can take down the baddies. At times, I will cast Lightning Storm near the edge of the group of foes, positioned so the Storm's knockback will knock them towards us rather than away.
Tornado is saved for special times (like AVs or foes who are hard to hit, like Paragon Protectors who have hit MoG).
However, if I want to, I can always pull out the Frostbite+Snowstorm (or Shiver) +Tornado+Lightning Storm combo to do damage. The option is always there, but I find I take more damage that way.
Puba187, what is the purpose for you of Chilblain? I think it should be taken early as a damage power (slotted for Damage, of course) or taken late as a way to Immob AVs and EBs. On my actual build, I have it slotted for damage and use it as part of my single target attack chain. In your build, you took it early but only slotted it for Accuracy (it has an accuracy bonus) and Recharge (it is already perma).
I skipped Thunderclap because I find that without a second Stun power to stack with Thunderclap, it is not very effective as only a Mag 2 Stun. I would much rather use Arctic Air, which is up all the time. (I use Thunderclap quite a bit on my Earth/Storm and Grav/Storm, but those sets have AoE stun powers to stack with it.)
In Stamina, you lose 2% Recovery to gain about 11 Hit points with 3 Efficiency Adaptors over commons. One of your two bonuses is 1.5% Recovery, which is offset by the lower enhancement in Stamina and still results in 2% less Recovery. I'm not sure it is worth it. But if you can go for a 4th slot in Stamina, the Performance Shifter set with its proc you will net higher Recovery (factoring in the proc) and 18 HP, plus a small speed bonus. That is worth it. In my build above, I would probably pull the Range out of Ice Slick to get the extra slot if I wanted to slot the Performance Shifter set. -
Snow is something we sing about but never see . . . here in the Tampa Bay (Florida, a bit Southwest of Orlando, for all you "furriners"). It might actually dip into the upper 40's tonight! Cold! I might actually need a blanket.
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There are many, many different ways to make an Ice/Storm. I have made up a build with perma-Ice Slick and Perma-Freezing Rain. This is NOT the build that I have on my Ice/Storm, but it has some of the elements, like my current slotting of Arctic Air, Freezing Rain and Hurricane.
I made some choices you may not want to make. With several of my Storm Characters, I use Super Speed for travel because Super Speed + Steamy Mist = full invisibility for PvE + Resistance to three types for damage for the team + good battlefield maneuverability for "herdicaning" + a place to put a -knockback IO Z+ making it easy to fit in Hasten. I included Shiver late mainly because you said you wanted a focus on Slow for the team. (On my Ice/Storm, I skipped Shiver and took Chilblain as a damage power.) The slotting was geared towards Recharge, but tried to slot the powers for the main purposes of the powers -- I did not sacrifice powers for set bonuses.
I went for a mix of Hold and Damage in Block of Ice, but you can go more one way or the other. Other than Basilisk for Recharge and Lockdown for Defense, most of the non-purple hold sets have weak bonuses.
I took Frostbite early, but in my build, I didn't take it until 30, as it conflicts with Ice Slick. Just don't use it on Ice Slick. (I took Chilblain at that point for damage.)
None of the Slow powers really need to be slotted for Slow, since you have three of them.
Arctic Air doesn't start getting good until it is fully slotted for EndRdx and Confuse. The Contagious Confusion proc improves the power substantially.
The Range in Ice Slick is nice to have, but not essential since this build has invisibility.
While leveling up, Freezing Rain only needs Recharge. The Defense Debuff really doesn't need to be enhanced, but the Lady Grey set is cheap and has nice bonuses.
If I had a 4th slot for Stamina, I would have used 4 Performance Shifters. I don't think that 3 Efficiency Adapters are worth giving up Recovery -- I'd rather put 3 common EndMods.
My slotting for Jack Frost tried to give a little enhancement to his Hold and Chilling Embrace aspects, while still giving him max Damage and Accuracy. But there are a LOT of other ways to slot Jack.
My slotting for Lightning Storm includes the Chance for Hold proc, which is wonderful in this power.
I picked the Ice APP mostly for Hibernate. Ice/Storm has no self-heal or Endurance Recovery powers, but Hibernate gives you both.
Hero Plan by Mids' Hero Designer 1.601
http://www.cohplanner.com/
Click this DataLink to open the build!
Storm Drain: Level 50 Technology Controller
Primary Power Set: Ice Control
Secondary Power Set: Storm Summoning
Power Pool: Speed
Power Pool: Fitness
Ancillary Pool: Ice Mastery
Hero Profile:
Level 1: Block of Ice -- BasGaze-Acc/Hold(A), BasGaze-Acc/Rchg(3), BasGaze-Rchg/Hold(3), BasGaze-Acc/EndRdx/Rchg/Hold(11), Thundr-Acc/Dmg(19), Thundr-Dmg/Rchg(31)
Level 1: Gale -- Acc-I(A)
Level 2: Frostbite -- GravAnch-Acc/Immob/Rchg(A), GravAnch-Acc/Rchg(5), GravAnch-Immob/EndRdx(11), GravAnch-Hold%(34), GravAnch-Immob/Rchg(42), TotHntr-Dam%(43)
Level 4: Snow Storm -- TmpRdns-EndRdx/Rchg/Slow(A), TmpRdns-Acc/EndRdx(5), EndRdx-I(43)
Level 6: Arctic Air -- CoPers-Conf(A), CoPers-Conf%(7), CoPers-Conf/EndRdx(7), Mlais-EndRdx/Conf(15), Mlais-Dam%(15), EndRdx-I(19)
Level 8: Hasten -- RechRdx-I(A), RechRdx-I(9), RechRdx-I(9)
Level 10: Hurdle -- Jump-I(A)
Level 12: Ice Slick -- RechRdx-I(A), RechRdx-I(13), RechRdx-I(13), Range-I(43)
Level 14: Super Speed -- EndRdx-I(A)
Level 16: Freezing Rain -- LdyGrey-DefDeb(A), LdyGrey-DefDeb/Rchg(17), LdyGrey-DefDeb/Rchg/EndRdx(17), LdyGrey-Rchg/EndRdx(46), LdyGrey-%Dam(46)
Level 18: Health -- Numna-Regen/Rcvry+(A)
Level 20: Stamina -- EndMod-I(A), EndMod-I(21), EndMod-I(21)
Level 22: Steamy Mist -- Krma-ResKB(A), ImpArm-ResDam/EndRdx(23), ImpArm-ResDam(23), ImpArm-ResDam/EndRdx/Rchg(29), ImpArm-ResDam/Rchg(42)
Level 24: Hurricane -- DarkWD-ToHitDeb(A), DarkWD-ToHitDeb/EndRdx(25), DarkWD-ToHitDeb/Rchg(25), DarkWD-Slow%(29)
Level 26: Glacier -- BasGaze-Acc/Hold(A), BasGaze-Acc/Rchg(27), BasGaze-Rchg/Hold(27), BasGaze-Acc/EndRdx/Rchg/Hold(37), Lock-Acc/EndRdx/Rchg/Hold(40), Lock-%Hold(42)
Level 28: O2 Boost -- Heal-I(A)
Level 30: Shiver -- Acc-I(A), RechRdx-I(31), RechRdx-I(31)
Level 32: Jack Frost -- HO:Nucle(A), HO:Nucle(33), HO:Nucle(33), Hold-I(33), Slow-I(34), RechRdx-I(34)
Level 35: Tornado -- ExRmnt-Acc/Rchg(A), ExRmnt-Dmg/EndRdx(36), ExRmnt-Acc/Dmg/Rchg(36), ExRmnt-EndRdx/Dmg/Rchg(36), S'bndAl-Dmg/EndRdx(37), S'bndAl-Dmg/Rchg(37)
Level 38: Lightning Storm -- Thundr-Dmg/Rchg(A), Thundr-Dmg/EndRdx/Rchg(39), Entrpc-Dmg/Rchg(39), Entrpc-Dmg/EndRdx/Rchg(39), Dev'n-Dmg/Rchg(40), Dev'n-Hold%(40)
Level 41: Hibernate -- RechRdx-I(A)
Level 44: Ice Blast -- Decim-Acc/Dmg(A), Decim-Dmg/Rchg(45), Decim-Acc/EndRdx/Rchg(45), Decim-Acc/Dmg/Rchg(45), Decim-Build%(46)
Level 47: Ice Storm -- Posi-Dmg/EndRdx(A), Posi-Dmg/Rchg(48), Posi-Acc/Dmg/EndRdx(48), Posi-Dmg/Rng(48), Posi-Dam%(50)
Level 49: Frozen Armor -- LkGmblr-Def/EndRdx(A), LkGmblr-Def(50), LkGmblr-Rchg+(50)
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Level 1: Brawl -- Acc-I(A)
Level 1: Sprint -- EndRdx-I(A)
Level 2: Rest -- RechRdx-I(A)
Level 1: Containment -
Quote:There is no question that the "Rule of Five" applies separately to the 7.5% Recharge from several sets and the 7.5% Recharge in the Luck of the Gambler IO. Ask any Illusion controller with Perma-PA! That is often achieved with several LotG Recharge IOs added to several sets with the 7.5% Recharge.Originally Posted by UltimaOX
the proc is a 10 sec cooldown before it procs again, but thats per power so it should be ok.
and
oh i see, well ill test that theory i guess witht he 7.5%
thanks -
The "general wisdom" is that damage procs do overall more damage in Controller AoE immobilize powers except for Plant's Roots. The question is whether you can get enough Accuracy and EndRdx to be effective.
However, if you can get the Graviational Anchor Chance for Hold, it is awesome. I was on a team of 4 Fire/Rads tonight where we all have that proc, and most of the time the entire spawn was held using that proc. Of course, we had other sources of damage (Hot Feet and Fire Imps). -
Quote:Air Sup is great on most controllers and a lot of scrappers and tanks. It is one of the main reasons that Fly is my most often used travel power, not because I want Fly, but because I want Air Sup. I was just on a baby Ill/Rad I have on a rarely played server . . . Blind-SW-Air Sup is very effective to help kill the foes faster than Blind-SW alone. (And if you look at my Ill/Rad guide, it explains why it is important to kill fast to take advantage of spectral damage.) Plus, if Blind misses or is recharging, Air Sup's knockdown acts as a control power to keep the foe occupied long enough for Blind to recharge. And it can knock down flyers, too.Originally Posted by Guero
Funny you mention that; the whole reason I'm looking to get 'more better' at Blind/SW is because the Vet attacks are so sporadic for me. I am going to give some serious thought to adding Air Sup... I've never taken it before but Ill Sonic is a loose enough build that Air Sup would fit right in, and may help me drag Phantasm into melee range, so he can get some benefit Disruption Field.
Hrm, Air Sup is looking pretty good now that I check it out on City of Data... instantly adds 130 + 30 contained, with Sonic's -Res to cancel out the fact that Smashing is so heavily resisted.
Interesting...
I generally take Air Superiority on most controllers that I expect to solo to some degree or another. About the only time I hav a flyer who takes Hover instead of Air Sup is for a Blaster who stays at range. -
Quote:Well, I can tell you that my slotting, for my usual playstyle, would be to slot Spectral Wounds the way I suggested above with some decent Recharge after getting good accuracy and capped damage. I would slot Blind with Acc/Hold/Rech from three sets, plus the Lockdown Acc/Hold/End/Rech, and then put a couple of common Damage IOs in the last two slots.Originally Posted by Guero
Yeah, I know. I took a 9-month break & came back last month, loaded up my main who had ~560m in his pocket when I left, and figured I'd be able to siphon funds from that for my Spines/Regen and my Ill/Sonic... I was surprised to find out that slotting just a handful of powers on my Spines/Regen left me destitute... so now I have to be more careful about what I spend on the Ill/Son.
But anyway... I appreciate your suggestions; I assumed that other people who ran Illusion controllers would have run into the same problem, that being, as an Illusion controller you have two attacks, one with a default recharge of 9s, the other on a 6s timer.
Because of this, you never have endurance issues. But... say you go balls-out and reduce the recharge by half in both attacks. Does endurance become a problem then? Is there a sweet spot on Blind that maximizes the return on Damage & Recharge, wherein neither is pumped to 99.1% enhancement, but moreso in the 80/85 range?
Given that Blind has more set options than SW, maybe there's an approach that makes more sense than laying out 45m for half a set of Decimation and a smattering from Hold & Sleep sets... things like that, I thought would be a good question for the forums. Especially when even middle-of-the-road slotting will run you 50m these days.
In any event, when somebody writes into the boards with a question about AA or Singularity slotting - subjects I'm more familiar with after running Ice & Grav builds for upwards of 5 years - I'm glad my first reaction has never been to call them lazy, because seriously, what kind of response is that? Either you can help or you can't. If you can't, why even chime in?
On some Illusion controllers, I have Air Sup to fill in after Blind-SW. If I know I have to run into melee, I will often use Deceive on the target first. On others, I have to use ranged Vet attacks to fill in (since I now have two). Once I get to the APP sets, then I can get a nice attack chain of Blind-SW-APP Blast-SW. -
Quote:Maybe because some people like to do things for fun and aren't quite as "git-er-done" oriented as you appear to be. Some folks don't like the Fire control set. Some people don't like Kinetics. A lot of people don't want to be another Fire/Kin with all the baggage that seems to imply. Your analogy doesn't quite fit when the entire purpose of the game is to play the game.Originally Posted by milehigh77
Why do people insist on riding a bike to the pot of gold when they can simply jump into a car?
I suppose just to show it can be done.
I can certainly walk 25 miles to a shopping center to buy dozens of christmas gifts then walk back home as opposed to driving their in my SUV...doesn't mean I should just to prove the point it can be done. -
I'm not a numbers guy for the most part, but I find that Illusion's attack chain really works best with one of the other APP sets with a Blast. On my Ill/Rad and Ill/TA, I use Blind-SW-Fire Blast-SW. On my Ill/Storm, I use Ice Blast in place of Fire Blast. I have used the Primal Blast, too, and presume that Psi's Mental Blast works well.
The Blast also lets you stay at range, which is generally safer. You also don't have the problem of Phantasm knocking back your target. Once I get the APP blasts, I see no need to bring my Illusion controller into melee range. Of course, that would be different for an Ill/Kin, but mine isn't up to APP levels yet. -
Quote:One small thing that came to mind as I read your post: If you can fit in one or even two -knockback IOs, you can drop Acrobatics and fit in Maneuvers for a little extra Defense.Originally Posted by AWishForWings
Hey there! First time ever posting here but I needed some help from more experienced users. I have been playing CoH for a little over 5 months now, I'm still a newbie, and decided I'd make a Fire/Kinetic Controller.
So far, I really enjoy playing this Archetype. I managed to gather enough money to purple her on most of the important skills, notably Char/Fire Cages/Flashfires/Fireball/Hot Feet. I've tried to hit the softcap for defense but it seems I am stuck at 13-ish% defense for everything and about 66% resist for Smashing/Lethal. I am using Weave/Tough/Fire Shield/Combat Jumping/Acrobatics, all of which are 4-slotted. I've tried mixing IO together so I could hit the highest Resist/Defense bonus for that specific power but I can't seem to go any higher than those numbers.
I've seen many Fire/Kin that told me they were softcapped. I do not seem to be, however. This is frustrating me a bit as I have spent a lot of time trying to buy decent set and she do not seem to do as good as other people do...
What would be your recommandations for slotting those skills? Am I totally missing something?! Money is no object here, unless it requires specific PvP sets which are way too pricey...
Help?
For a question like this, it is much easier to answer if we see your existing build. It is hard to say what you are doing wrong or right without seeing what you are doing.
You may get a few snarky answers . . . a few of us "old vets" don't have billions of Infl and aren't fond of farming. Personally, I don't try to "softcap" controllers. Of my 14 level 50 characters, I have one scrapper who is softcapped, and I plan to work on softcapping a Tank or a Brute if I ever decide to devote the resources to it. To me, Controllers are for controlling and buff/debuffing mostly, and Recharge is generally the main attribute I look for. I have a Fire/Kin, but I actually like my Fire/Rad better -- more fun to me. -
Quote:The problem with this question is that you don't give enough information. Are you mostly solo or team? What is your playstyle? What other powers do you have available? Are you having endurance problems? Do you spend a lot of time attacking to do damage, such that you need a lot of Recharge? How many slots do you have devoted to each power? How much Influence do you have to spend?Originally Posted by Guero
My Ill/Sonic is at 37 now, and it's high time I ditched the generic IOs in favor of something a little more fitting a dude with two attacks. Anyone have a good recommendation for an affordable frankenslotting of Blind & Spectral Wounds during the grind to 50? I don't necessarily care about set bonus', just want a good balance of acc, dam & rech with a little end thrown in.
There are some sets that can be obtained at lower levels, like the Basilisk's Gaze set, where you can get and use the set now even if you plan to have it in your level 50 build. Do you expect to have any of these sets in your final build?
Blind can be slotted either as an attack or as a hold, depending upon what you want out of it. Although it has an accuracy bonus, you also really, really want it to hit to make sure you get the Containment bonus. And then there are options for some decent bonuses just for parts of sets. If you mostly team, then you may want more control than damage. You could go with Acc/Hold/Rech from several sets, and you could add in the Acc/Hold/EndRdx/Rech from Lockdown, depending upon the price, the number of slots and what you want out of the power. You can add some damage if you want. . . . or you can slot the power entirely for damage, and maybe throw in a little bit of hold. The question is whether you use Blind for its control, or if you only use it as an attack that sets up Containment for Spectral Wounds. And do you have Air Superiority to make an attack chain? If you just use the Blind-SW as a "chain," then you don't need much (or any) hold in Blind. However, if you use a Blind-SW-AirSup-SW chain, you might need a little bit of hold, but mostly damage. Or if you spread Blind around to control lots of foes while teammates take them down, then Blind needs more hold.
Spectral Wounds also has lots of options. For example, 4 Thunderstrikes and 2 Devastations have some nice small bonuses for Recovery, Accuracy and Regen.
There are lots and lots of good options. Just figure out what you want and play around with Mids. -
Quote:A little more information would help. Ice Controllers can be built either as a melee-focused build (around Arctic Air) or as a ranged-focused build (using Shiver).Originally Posted by Switch_NA
i transfered a ice storm over to my main server and was curious on a good build for the combo any one with a nice build to give me an idea ...
Also, do you prefer large teams, small teams or solo? If you only solo, then certain team powers should be skipped. If you never solo, then other powers might be skippable.
Do you want to build for Recharge? Ranged Defense? Some other kind of attribute? How aggressive is your playstyle?
For example, my Ice/Storm is melee-oriented, and he is built specifically so that he can solo well, but prefers a team. I generally prefer Recharge over Defense.
Are you looking for a general guideline for leveling up, or do you want a final level 50 build with expensive IO sets? -
Last night, I was teaming with a good game-buddy (We have been teaming together for 3-4 years), and we were both playing our level 50 Broadsword/Shield Scrappers, both of whom have softcapped defenses. My buddy's mission, set for +4 players, and we are up against Carnies. We herd up a huge group of foes who would be a problem for most level 50 characters, pull them to a corner. Both of us let loose with Build Up, Shield Charge for massive damage . . . . and the entire huge group faceplants. Both of us were cackling with glee.
It has taken us a long time of understanding how builds work and the right strategies, but it is a heck of a lot of fun feeling that "super."
Then we teamed up with someone new to us, but a long-time vet of the game, and had a great time using voice chat and killing stuff amazingly fast. Later we started doing some Malta missions, which were enough of a challenge to be fun.
The Dev's have done a nice job reducing many of the more frustrating aspects of this game while leaving it to be a challenge and improving the fun factors.
And there are a lot of great people in this game.