Local_Man
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The entire push for "soft-capping" is really overblown. An effective controller who does his/her job at controlling generally doesn't need a bunch of defense. It is nice, but far from necessary. Personally, I won't reduce my effectiveness as a controller to get a bunch of bonuses that may help me last longer but contribute less to the team. (I'm not blaming you as a newish player . . . it is all the talk on the boards.)
And if you don't have experience with your powersets, take some time to learn how to play them before looking at an end-game build. What you really need is a leveling up build. Once you are in your upper 30's, it may be time to think about an end-game build. Why? Different people have different playstyles, and somebody else's build may not be the best for you.
Ice/Rad is a low damage controller that is very good at soft control for teams. I wouldn't want to solo one -- it is possible but will be very slow, especially in the beginning. You have an option of going either melee or ranged. Melee has some special synergy, so I suggest you try that first.
From Ice Control, the essential powers are:
Block of Ice -- Single target Hold. It is essential, eventually slot it like a standard hold with 2 Acc, 2 Hold, 2 Recharge, although there are other options.
Arctic Air (melee) -- Toggle PB AoE Slow/Confuse. Max slot for EndRdx and Confuse, plan on 6 slots. This is a power that seems unimpressive until it is fully slotted in the upper levels, but it is a key power. Eventually, it will mitigate about 70-75% of the damage from foes in its range. This is why you want to stay in melee -- follow the tank and scrappers to reduce the damage they take.
Ice Slick -- Ranged AoE knockdown. 2-3 Recharge. Essential as soon as you get it. Some people find it less useful in upper levels, but I don't. This is the reason I first made an Ice Controller.
and Jack Frost -- 1-2 Acc, 3 Dam. Other slots are optional, like Hold or Slow or Recharge.
Frostbite (AoE Immob) is highly recommended for an Ice/Rad, but some folks would say that it conflicts with Ice Slick so don't take it -- I say to make sure you don't use it on Ice Slick, but take it. Slot for at least 2 Acc, 1-2 EndRdx. Damage procs in this actually do more damage than slotting the power for Damage.
Glacier is highly recommended, even though it has a fairly short duration and a long recharge -- it takes a lot of slots, but an AoE hold is a big help. Like a standard Hold, slot 2 Acc, 2 Hold, 2 Rech.
Chilblain is a single target Immob, mostly skippable unless you want to solo. It can be useful in upper levels to immobilize a boss or AV, but Immobs let that foe shoot at you. If you want to (try to) solo, you can slot this up for damage.
Shiver is a huge cone AoE slow. If you want a ranged character, this is the one to take over Arctic Air. If you can fit it into your build, take it even with Arctic Air . . . but that may be tight. You have another Slow power from your secondary (Lingering Radiation, which has a huge -Regen so it is good against AVs), so this is the one that might need to be skipped.
Flash Freeze: Ranged AoE sleep. Teams generally will wake up foes, making this mostly useless.
Radiation Emission is something I know well -- see my Ill/Rad guide for details on the powers and recommended slotting. In fact, if you are not familiar with Controllers in general, I have some general information in the Guide. Also, take a look at the strategy section . . . there is some stuff in there about choosing your anchor for the Rad debuffs.
One important reason to take Frostbite -- An AoE Immobilize + Radiation Infection slotted up for ToHit Debuff is almost like an AoE Hold. The foes can't move, and they have trouble hitting you and your team as long as they are in the area of the debuff. When Ice Slick is recharging, this can be an important source of control, especially in low levels.
Ice/Rad is one of the few builds that can make good use of Choking Cloud. Combine it with Arctic Air, and once both powers are fully slotted, you will be able to lock down most groups. Choking Cloud needs 3 EndRdx, 3 Hold -- if you can't fully slot it, don't take it. In fact, I would say that one of the main reasons to play an Ice/Rad is the CC-AA combo.
Other than that, probably the most skippable powers in Rad are Fallout and Mutation -- even these powers can be good depending on your playstyle.
Fitness (for Stamina) is essential -- plan for it at 20. Hasten is good, but less essential than on some controllers. Any travel power works, but Super Speed can give you some Stealth too, which is useful. -
There is no hard and fast rule, as it depends widely upon the type of foes and the powersets and playstyles of the character/team. It can also vary with the environment.
On my Illusion Controllers, I generally try to distract the foes with PA, use my debuffs, and then take down minions as fast as possible to maximize benefit of Spectral Damage. If the boss is a problem, I can take him out of the fight before it begins with Deceive.
On my Earth Controllers, I usually send out my AoE controls, and then focus on taking down the Boss who can hurt me the most. The lower foes are too busy to bother me, but the Boss can sometimes smack me around if I don't control him.
It really depends on whether your powersets are focused on AoE or single target, on what kind of defense or defensive-type powers you have, and the nature of the foes. It also depends on the team . . . some tanks are great at drawing Boss aggro, while others are better at AoE aggro. And if the environment allows you to take out minions without aggroing the rest of the group, then take out the minions. -
Ran into the same thing last night in my first time running the second half of that arc red-side. We had to look around for a bit before finding the cowering NPC whose name was "bank teller." Then, instead of actually going in to blow up the vault, it was a little surprising for me, and completely confusing for my teammates (since they couldn't read the text).
I really wish that the entire team had access to see the text from the contact. -
I am a strong proponant of Bonfire . . . but I would take Hasten first.
Bonfire can be very, very useful in the right situation. The more I use it, the more effective uses I find for it. All those AV's with Knockback protection? Bonfire adds a little extra damage and keeps any other foes away from you while you beat on the AV. Statesman's Task Force? Nothing is better on the Towers to keep the Repairmen away. Respec Trial? Bonfire can protect one entire side of the Reactor. Block hallways and doors, protect squishy teammates from melee attacks, separate large groups . . . tons of uses.
But Hasten will provide more of a benefit . . . you want those AoE controls to recharge as fast as possible. -
Quote:I agree. SOs work at 25. Then start picking up cheap frankenslotting IOs at 30, then fill with SOs if you can't get everything you need. By 35, you should be on all IOs, either frankenslotted from sets or filled in with common IOs.Originally Posted by Hyperstrike
What I'd suggest, if you're doing that, is to frankenslot with cheap set IOs where available. Much more economical and better returns in the long run.
Maybe SOs at 25 and start Frankenslotting at 28-30.
As for Fallout. Take a look at my Ill/Rad guide on the description of Fallout before you commit to it. It is one of the most situational powers in the game. Yeah, it provides a large amount of damage and a huge debuff . . . if you can use it in the right situation. But you need to slot it up if you take it.
I have it on my Earth/Rad, but I find I rarely use it . . . mainly because my Earth/Rad is so good at controlling, that teammates rarely die. When they do, they usually forget to wait for me to blow up their bodies, because they want to get back in the action.
Concept-wise, is blowing up a teammate's body very heroic? OK for a Villain, but not really for a hero.
As for the APP choice. I found after a lot of experience with my Fire/Rad that my biggest problem was getting mezzed, which resulted in dropping Hot Feet and Choking Cloud. The only set with mez protection is the Psi set with Indomidible Will. Plus, you get the benefit of a different damage type . . . anything that resists fire will usually not resist psi too. Psi Tornado puts out decent damage over time with knock-up for added control. Overall, I'm very happy with the Psi set on my Fire/Rad . . . and I have tried all of the Controller APP sets on various characters.
I really like the fire set on some characters, like my Ill/Rad and Ill/TA. But a Fire/Rad already has a bunch of damage, and that mez protection is really important. -
Welcome to the forums.
As others have said, while you can play your character as a "healer," we suggest that you do not limit yourself by that mind-set. Your primary is very powerful as a way to control groups and reduce (and sometimes eliminate) incoming damage from foes. Stopping the damage before it happens is far better than healing it after it happens. In the "City," buffs and debuffs are usually more important than heals.
Controllers are unique in the "City," in that neither powerset is focused on damage. Both Primary and Secondary are focused on "support," while all other ATs have either a primary or secondary focused on Damage. (Masterminds have a primary focused on their pets and a few damage powers, but those pets are focused on Damage). In some ways, this makes Controllers seemed destined to be a weak support AT, but in fact, many controllers can do good damage and can solo quite well. Controllers are one of the hardest ATs to play well, as using the powers to best effect takes some special strategy. This also makes them more fun, as you don't spend your time running through the same attack chain all the time. You have to adjust your strategy to the type of foe and the environment and the make-up of your team.
I suggest that new players should try out lots of characters. Controllers in particular have very different playstyles for every combo. A Plant/Emp will play differently than a Plant/Kinetics or a Plant/Trick Arrow. An Illusion/Emp plays differently than a Plant/Emp. -
Quote:My comment was talking about Phantom Army alone, not the character as a whole. An Ill/Kin can only buff the Recharge for faster casting of PA, which is pretty meaningless once you have enough recharge for Perma-PA. The debuffs make PA do more damage and hit more often, drawing more aggro.Originally Posted by Psiphon
My comment was based on levelling but a perma-PA Ill/Kin will still outdamage a Perma-PA Ill/Rad.
An Ill/Kin will use PA as a supplement to it's own it's own damage and he will be operatiing at the damage cap for most of the mission.
Fulcram Shift + Siphon Power + Siphon Speed + Fissure + Seismic Smash + pet damage > Accelerate Metabolism + debuffs + pet damage + Epic damage.
Once you get Fulcrum Shift at 38, I agree that an Ill/Kin will outdamage an Ill/Rad . . . for as long as it lives. An Ill/Rad will live longer, staying at range, picking off foes one by one while PA and ST keep the group distracted and the ToHit Debuff keeps them from hitting you most of the time if they do attack. Before Fulcrum Shift, I'm not sure that an Ill/Kin will outdamage an Ill/Rad.
I use the "run to the far side" trick all the time, too, when PA are already out. However, when PA can be "fresh cast," I don't need to. Ill/rad has a very effective way to keep foes grouped for the Rad debuffs: PA, ST, Blind and Deceive. I pick an anchor for the Rad debuffs who aggro on PA, so they don't run. Spooky can also keep them in place. It is rarely a problem, and if it is, I just Blind the anchor or Deceive a runner. No Immob needed, since PA aggro plus an occasional Deceive keep the group together.Quote:I use Phantasm all of the time; the Knockback issue with Kinetics can easily be negated. After dropping PA jump to the far side of the mob so that they sit between you and the Phantasm. The Phantasm will move into melee range in an attempt to be close to you, that will allow him to be buffed (not 100% but most of the time) also any KB will take the mob towards you not away.
While we are on the subject of synergy and KB it's not all sweetness and light with either Rad or Storm.
Rad works best with a set with an AoE immobilise so that you can layer the debuffs and keep the mob grouped. Illusion lacks this so its effectiveness is effected by KB and computer AI (runners etc);s the mob seperates so the debuffs become less effective.
An Ill/Rad has no way to effectively reduce/negate this.
Storm has a location based debuff (Freezing Rain) which is also adversely effected by KB not only from Phantasm but also Lightning Storm.
So basically a kin can negate the effects of KB by his own positioning of which he has complete control. A /Rad or /Storm however is at the mercy of map/terrain and computer AI.
Phanty's knockback isn't much of a problem to me. I stay back out of melee, so Phanty usually knocks foes away from me and towards the PA and the debuffs. He makes a nice bodyguard.
Ill/Storm has its own issues and solutions. Positioning can usually deal with many of them. Hurricane and Gale lets you push foes back into groups. But most of the time, I play my Ill/Storm solo or small team, so I don't have to worry about the chaos she causes. All that knockback mitigates a lot of damage.
Against very high level foes, Ill/Rad shines. The toHit and Defense Debuffs allow you to fight those high level foes, while PA and Phanty's decoy keep them distracted. The Damage and Resistance debuffs make up some for the higher levels. It may not be an ideal farming toon, but Ill/Rad can handle a wider range of situations than just about any build in the game. That's why I said that it is arguably the most flexible build in the game.Quote:I play in melee all the time, the buffs miss occasionally but they are up so often its not an issue when playing at +2/x8. At +3 it starts to be as the amount of incoming damage threatens to overwhelm the regen, +4 definately. -
When you are in the Costume Creator, you will see two new "pre-made" costumes for Justice and Sinister. Plus, all the specific items are available under each category -- you'll find Justice boots and Sinister gloves, etc.
The Teleport power will show up in your Powers list, and you can drag that to one of your power bars. (When you set up your character, you can have three power bars by hitting your right ALT key three times. Then you can add more that you can reposition by clicking on the little "+" spot on the top of the power bars.) -
Quote:A perma-PA build, or at least a build that allows PA to be out almost all the time, negates your argument that Siphon Speed makes an Ill/Kin better. PA out AND hitting more often AND doing more damage is what Ill/Rad and Ill/Storm can do. Ill/Therm and Ill/Cold have some pretty good debuffs, too.Originally Posted by Psiphon
It's true that the debuffs in Rad and Storm mean that while Phantom Army are out they will do more damage than a Kin. Kinetics however has got Siphon Speed so that PA will be out more often, during this time not only are they doing damage they are also tanking and thus increasing the survivability of both yourself and the team. The recommended slotting for PA is 3 recharge then a mixture of damage and accuracy so that PA are available as often as possible - this slotting is closer to the increased uptime of /Kin than it is to the increased damage of /Rad from debuffs.
In regards to defensive powers I assume that you mean "for self" as Kinetics has Increase Density which is an ally buff giving resist to damage, immob, mez etc.
Kinetics also has an extremely large heal which allows both the team and yourself to negate a lot of damage. Saying that Kinetics has no defensive powers is a bit like saying a Regen scrapper has no defensive powers - although technically true it has mitigation through heals; my current build can heal over 400HP every few seconds.
As you said stacking EMP and Flash is nice as it allows a /Rad to hold bosses as well - but better than Flash (which will all but bosses) and Fulcram Shift which will cap a teams damage?
Increase Density? And how often do you really use it? Do you keep the entire team boosted every minute? I mainly use it as a way to break stuns, or to help a teammate who is getting knocked back a lot. But it is way too much of a pain to keep it up on an entire team. The Rad debuffs, however, are foe-anchored toggles. Pick an anchor, and it stays on until he is dead.
With your Ill/Kin, how much do you use Phantasm? How often does he knock back your target for your 5 siphon powers? And how often do you miss? Rad's heal, buffs and debuffs never miss. Transfusion is a good heal, but it only works if you are in melee and if it hits -- mine seems to miss at just the wrong moment. (and actually, a Regen scrapper does have a power with some Smashing/Lethal Resistance, Resilliance -- just being picky.)
No question that Fulcrum Shift is a great team buff. But it becomes less effective when foes are spread out, or against single tough foes, or when your teammates are not in range of the buff because they focus on ranged damage.
My point was that an Ill/Rad is a more flexible character, with a nice mix of offense and defense, team buffing and debuffing, able to solo and team equally well. For a Melee-focused, high damage team, Ill/Kin shines, but you don't always get those teams. -
If you want some details on the Rad powers, take a look at my Ill/Rad guide for options for slotting up your Rad powers. For a leveling up Fire/Rad build, there are a few powers that you need to take as soon as they become available: Char, Fire Cages, Flashfire, Fire Imps. I Like to take Hot Feet as soon as it becomes available, but the endurance cost is high so some people wait until after Stamina. I consider Cinders to be a high priority to take, but it can wait a little while. Ring of Fire, Smoke and Bonfire are all optional -- of those, I prefer Bonfire, but different people like different things.
On the Rad side, Radiant Aura (no choice), AM and Choking Cloud should be taken as soon as you can. RI should be taken very early. EF should be taken shortly after Stamina. LR should be fit in eventually. I recommend EM Pulse, but it is situational. Fallout and Mutation are skippable -- a rez is nice to have, but there are so many opportunities to get a rez in the game today, it really is very skippable.
Hasten is important. For travel, Fly or Super Speed are good choices. Super Speed gives you the option of some stealth, and is fast battlefields maneuvering (if you can handle it). Fly is the all around most useful. Air Superiority is a nice addition if you want to use Fly.
I have a lot of problems with your build -- both Order and slotting.
On this build, I'm not entirely comfortable with the timing of the slots, but the slotting gives you the idea of the main things to slot for. There really is no reason not to start using set IOs to fill out and Frankenslot a build once you get into the 30's, since you can get a more enhancement from frankenslotting than regular slotting.
The last power pick is my personal whim ... I like Super Speed on a Fire/Rad (I have two of them, one 50 and the other at 43.)
Hero Plan by Mids' Hero Designer 1.707
http://www.cohplanner.com/
Click this DataLink to open the build!
Fire-Rad Basic: Level 50 Mutation Controller
Primary Power Set: Fire Control
Secondary Power Set: Radiation Emission
Power Pool: Flight
Power Pool: Fitness
Power Pool: Speed
Ancillary Pool: Psionic Mastery
Hero Profile:
Level 1: Char -- Acc-I(A), Hold-I(3), RechRdx-I(27), Dmg-I(36), Dmg-I(36), EoCur-Acc/Hold/Rchg(43)
Level 1: Radiant Aura -- Heal-I(A), Heal-I(7), Heal-I(36), RechRdx-I(43)
Level 2: Fire Cages -- Acc-I(A), Acc-I(3), EndRdx-I(11), EndRdx-I(37), TotHntr-Dam%(50)
Level 4: Accelerate Metabolism -- RechRdx-I(A), RechRdx-I(5), RechRdx-I(5), EndMod-I(40), EndMod-I(42), EndMod-I(43)
Level 6: Radiation Infection -- EndRdx-I(A), ToHitDeb-I(7), ToHitDeb-I(23), ToHitDeb-I(37)
Level 8: Hot Feet -- EndRdx-I(A), EndRdx-I(9), Dmg-I(9), Acc-I(17), EndRdx-I(19), Dmg-I(19)
Level 10: Air Superiority -- Acc-I(A), Acc-I(11), Dmg-I(37), Dmg-I(50)
Level 12: Flashfire -- Acc-I(A), Acc-I(13), Dsrnt-I(13), RechRdx-I(15), Dsrnt-I(15), RechRdx-I(17)
Level 14: Fly -- Flight-I(A)
Level 16: Swift -- Flight-I(A)
Level 18: Health -- Heal-I(A)
Level 20: Stamina -- EndMod-I(A), EndMod-I(21), EndMod-I(21)
Level 22: Enervating Field -- EndRdx-I(A), EndRdx-I(23)
Level 24: Hasten -- RechRdx-I(A), RechRdx-I(25), RechRdx-I(25)
Level 26: Lingering Radiation -- Acc-I(A), RechRdx-I(27), RechRdx-I(40), RechRdx-I(46)
Level 28: Choking Cloud -- EndRdx-I(A), Hold-I(29), EndRdx-I(29), Hold-I(31), EndRdx-I(31), Hold-I(31)
Level 30: Cinders -- Acc-I(A), Acc-I(34), Hold-I(34), RechRdx-I(46), Hold-I(46)
Level 32: Fire Imps -- Acc-I(A), Dmg-I(33), Dmg-I(33), Dmg-I(33), RechRdx-I(34), RechRdx-I(40)
Level 35: Bonfire -- RechRdx-I(A)
Level 38: EM Pulse -- Acc-I(A), Acc-I(39), RechRdx-I(39), RechRdx-I(39)
Level 41: Indomitable Will -- RechRdx-I(A), RechRdx-I(42), RechRdx-I(42)
Level 44: Mind Over Body -- ResDam-I(A), EndRdx-I(45), ResDam-I(45), ResDam-I(45)
Level 47: Psionic Tornado -- Acc-I(A), Dmg-I(48), Dmg-I(48), Dmg-I(48), RechRdx-I(50)
Level 49: Super Speed -- EndRdx-I(A)
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Level 1: Brawl -- Empty(A)
Level 1: Sprint -- Run-I(A)
Level 2: Rest -- RechRdx-I(A)
Level 1: Containment
Level 6: Ninja Run
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More Bacon awesomeness from the Old Spice Guy!
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Quote:I beg to differ that Ill/Kin is "more capable than either Ill/Rad or Ill/Storm." Ill/Kin may be more offensive, but is not nearly as flexible. Kinetics does not have the synergy with Illusion that Rad does . . . or Storm for that matter. Kinetics has no debuffs to make Phantom Army better. If you don't take Repel (and very few do), Kinetics has virtually no defensive powers. Rad and Storm have more tools to help the team when things are going wrong. (For example, Flash+EM Pulse will hold everything short of an AV.) Being a Controller is not just doing damage.Originally Posted by Psiphon
Overall Ill/Kin is a vastly underrated combination, aside from combating AVs and GMs it is more capable than either Ill/Rad or Ill/Storm and will out damage them in most situations.
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A controller is really a different mind-set than the other ATs when on a team. Your primary purpose is to protect the team and do as much as you can to reduce the damage taken by teammates while limiting the foes. Then you use your secondary to benefit the team with buffs and debuffs. Damage is fairly low down the list of priorities. The closest other AT is, oddly enough, a Tank.
Solo, of course damage becomes more important, but you still gain your safety and survivability through control.
Illusion controllers are even more unusual -- but in some ways more like Tanks. Illusion controls using aggro on PA and Phanty's decoy, but also has Deceive and Spectral Terror to add to the mix. I consider Deceive to be very important as a control power -- it not only stops the foe from doing damage to you and your team, but also helps to gather the foes closer, and in some cases can add to the overall control you are using by turning the foes' control back on themselves. It becomes a multiplier. For example, if you confuse a Tsoo Ink Man, he will turn his annoying sleep power on his buddies . . . almost like adding a temporary controller to your team. That certainly multplies your efforts when the confused Inky runs around and controls for you.
Should you do damage? Absolutely! But it is a lower priority than control and debuffs. Another important factor is your personal survival. If you die, you can't control foes for everyone else, so your personal survival is important. (On occasion, I have been the only survivor from a team wipe. While I hid in invisibility, I used Deceive to get rid of the most difficult foes . . . such that by the time the rest of the team came back from the hospital, the only foe left would stand there meekly and let himself get clobbered. What wiped out the entire team, I could handle solo with some time and patience.) -
Quote:Playstyle is try to get the pets engaged, then generally apply the rad debuffs on foes who are focused on the PA. (If PA are already out, I may need to lead them into the fight with invis.) I almost always stay at range, unless needed for Flash, EM Pulse or to lead the pets. Check if any foes need a Deceive. Then pick a minion to blast using Blind-SW-Fire Blast-SW. Apply Spectral Terror when needed, sometimes to catch add-ins or if some ToHit Debuff is needed. I generally keep Superior Invis on except during long, tough fights where endurance might be an issue.Originally Posted by Elanthil
Did some more reading and I must say, the guide is a bit...chewy for the brain...at first, but it digests quite nicely if you just put in the effort to nibble at it steadily
(sorry, I love analogies).
Found quite a bit of good info in there. I'm still feeling a bit muddle-headed about when to assign a slot to a power, but that should come in time and practice.
Some questions/comments I had about your final build:
1- What is your particular play style for this build? Do you stand off at all times and let your pets do the work, stepping in only to finish tough foes....or do you actively blast on things the whole time?
I use the "speed-on-demand" binds from Citybinder, which allows me to be in Hover unless I press any direction key, at which time I automatically change to Fly, then go back to Hover when I let go of the key. This allows me to effectively fight from the air when I choose, and I don't have to slot Hover for Flight Speed. That makes it easy to stay at range.
EM Pulse is more of a panic button and back-up control power. It allows me to use Flash whenever I want, knowing that I always have another huge Hold available. The radius is so big on EM Pulse that you don't have to go into melee range. It works fine from the edge of the group. Take a look at the numbers. Most of the time, I can stand to the side of the group and still get the entire group.Quote:
2- Whats the purpose of taking EM Pulse in YOUR playstyle? It requires advancing to melee range, much as Flash does, but its debuff and other side effects have such a meager duration (compared to Flash) that one wonders why you would really bother?
I also use it selectively against certain foes. Large group of Robots? It does some AoE damage in addition to the hold and debuffs. (However, I consider the debuffs to be a minor aspect of the power. I may use them once in a while, though.) Flash+EM Pulse will hold almost anything short of an AV. I found it very useful in some Shard TFs and in the Lady Gray TF. You know that spot in the ITF when all the Robots come to life while you beat on the control box? EM Pulse does damage to all of them on one shot. I almost always use an EM Pulse as soon as they come to life, then I fly up high to avoid aggro and pop a blue. Then back down to pick one to pick on once somebody else has the aggro.
It varies, but for the most part, I stay moderately back, up high enough to stay out of melee and most AoE range, but close enough to see what is going on. If a foe decides to focus on me instead of the pets, I often use Deceive to distract him and get him focused back on the main group. If I think I may need Flash/EM Pulse, I may fly overhead to make it easy to drop down and pop the hold.Quote:
3- What is the best position, relative to the enemies, in your opinion, for the flying/hovering Ill/Rad during a large mob battle while SOLO...and where again while TEAMING? Directly above? As far out back as possible?
If I have to lead the pets into the fight, I will sometimes set up on the far side of the group from the rest of the team. This lets me look for good targets to Deceive, and if we get a new group who comes in to aggro, I can catch them with Flash or Spectral Terror. It really varies.
Are you using your Debuffs or AoE damage powers before teammates/PA can get aggro? Either of those can draw aggro, so I usually hold off on them until the aggro is already focused on somebody or something else. Some Tanks insist on running in immediately -- if so, I usually hold back casting PA until I see foes that may not be aggroed on the tank. Or, if he is handling aggro well, I use PA as a damage power.Quote:
4-I'm suddenly having issues in Cimmerora with being seen and attacked after dropping pets. On my old (several years old) build, this didn't seem to happen so much. My superior Invis is currently SO'd, so could that be the problem, or could it be something that happened in a recent patch, as the problem just cropped up recently?
Yes, I understand its possible to be seen, your stealth drops 50%, yadda yadda, but I'm teaming with other Ill/Rads and Kins and they are not getting focus fired by 10 mobs...but I am.
I'm pretty careful about avoiding aggro. If any foe gets too near me, he gets a Deceive. If any foe looks at me funny or tries to shoot near me, he gets a Deceive or a Spectral Terror. And I use Deceive or Blind whenever I get a foe focused on me. I worry more about taking down individual foes fast, but I'm not in a hurry to take down the group. Picking them off one by one is safer and works better with Illusion's tools.
The macro to dismiss your pets is, as far as I can remember (I don't have game access at the moment):Quote:
5- Lastly, I'm having issues with my pets lack of AI activation range. Unless I literally get close enough to pick the enemies nose, my pets just...stand there. Furthermore, on the flip side, they occaisionally go insane and wander off to attack things nowhere near the party. Can you offer any suggestions on how to deal with their stupidity, and do you know of a macro that will 'mass kill' all my pets?
/macro Pets release_pets
You can use anything you want for "Pets." It is a useful macro to have, especially when you want to stealth a mission.
As for positioning pets, a key is using Invisibility to pull the the pets into groups of foes with your "invisibile leash." That's one of the best parts of Superior Invis. I usually fly to the far side of the group of foes, pulling the PA in after me. They will usually start attacking from range.
With PA, sometimes I will hold back on re-casting them if the team is handling things well enough, just so I can place them where I want for the next group.
Realizing that you have pets to control is an important part of a higher level controller -- it is easy to forget if you are used to playing any other AT. I generally stay back, making sure that my pets stay out of trouble. -
For your consideration . . .
Southern Fried Bacon!! From Chicago of all places. The description says:
"Where I'm from, we take bacon, batter it, deep fry it, then dip it in a garlic-herb mayo. We call it country fried bacon, wave a flag and set off fireworks. We're America." -
Radiation Emission: Radiant reticules reducing resistance and reviving retinues.
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Quote:My Invul/Axe tank has a costume with the Shovel.Originally Posted by Sailboat
Well, using current power customization, we can at least make The Shoveler.
I actually have "Invisible Boy" on Guardian as a stalker. Although it was "inspired by the movie," I don't think the character was ever separately trademarked and the name is pretty general.
Most of my characters are original concepts/puns, but every now and then, I do one based upon something else . . . my Traps Defender is a take-off of Ron Popiel (founder of Ronco and inventor of many, many gadgets), and my Sonic/Kin Corrupter is Sam Kineson (comedian whose was famous for yelling at people). -
Unfortunately, I'm not on a computer where I have Mid's at the moment, so I can't read a data chunk.
As for the guide, did you look at the later sections, where I discussed strategy? Did you look at the sections where I discussed how to level up a character? My guide is kind of unique in that is has those sections. I also tried to give various options, rather than just my personal opinion. Under the discussion about each power, I tried to discuss practical aspects of how to slot the power and some strategies to make it better. There's plenty of "theory" in the beginning where I try to discuss the benefits and weaknesses of an Ill/Rad, but there's tons of practical stuff, too. I suggest you read the section about dealing with Spectral Damage, as that will make a HUGE difference on the amount of damage you do.
I use both builds on my Ill/Rad. My second build is my perma-PA build posted in the later post for the guide, and that's the one I use most of the time. He can both solo and team very, very well. But every now and then, I pull out my old build who has Recall Friend and Teleport and Hover (Teleport+Hover is far better than Teleport alone.) That one is really nice to have on a Shard TF or a TF with a lot of stealthable missions. Because of Stealth, Recall Friend is very nice to have on an Ill/Rad, but you have to give up something good to get it. For me to fit in Recall Friend on my Perma PA build, I would have had to get a few really expensive purple sets to make up for the recharge from some of the sets and IOs I currently have . . . but I could do it.
I used to really like having Mutation, but there are so many Rez options in the game now, very few Rez powers are worth taking. With a Day Job accolade, you can get 10 charges for Rez Ally. You can get a self-Rez as a temp power in the late teens, and can combine Inspirations to make wakies. You can get Rise of the Phoenix from the Fire APP set. So the need for Rez powers has substantially reduced in the current game. (However, my one character with Fallout has Mutation too -- after blowing up a teammate, it is only polite to rez him, too.)
If you want Group Invis, then drop Superior Invis. If you need a place for another LotG Recharge, you would get more benefit from Combat Jumping. -
I like the P.L.O.T. Device and a few that reference Rocky Horror.
With the addition of AE, the Devs should hold a contest to allow players to design new Scanner/Newspaper missions. Think about how many more we could have!
I thought this post would be about the movie, "Mystery Men." -
Yes, the global recharge amounts stack, but Recharge does not act in a straight line . . . as you get more and more Recharge, it does less and less. I'm sure someone can post the formula used. (Edit: whoops, somebody did)
Stacking Global Recharge is key to making a "Perma-PA" Illusion/Radiation controller, or many of the other best builds in the game. Hasten gives about 70% recharge when active. Accelerate Metabolism in the Radiation Emission power set gives 30%.
(Not all the purple sets have that lovely 10% Recharge. -
I strongly suggest you take a look at my Illusion/Radiation Guide (linked in my sig) and the posts in response. Near the end of the comments, I posted my current Ill/Rad Perma-PA build. In the guide I explained my reasoning for taking each power and slotting them.
I also suggest you get Mid's builder from www.cohtitan.com. It not only makes trying out builds easier, it also makes it easy to post your proposed build so others can comment on it.
You can get a very powerful Perma-PA build without so many expensive purple sets. My guide describes almost all the sets that give you Recharge. My Perma-PA Ill/Rad only has five of the Coersive Persuasion set and two Soulbound Allegeance.
As for your build: The Fortunata purple set in Blind is a waste. Blind is a key power, and it needs to be slotted for Acc, Hold, Dam and Rech, not sleep.
RI: You can save slots using 3 Enzyme Hami-Os, or you can use 4 Dark Watcher if you want the 5% Recharge.
AM: Use 6 Efficacy Adapter.
EF: no need for a Recharge especially if you have lots of Global Recharge.
Air Sup: If you take one of the single target blasts from an APP set, you won't need Air Sup. Take Hover as a place for a LotG Recharge.
Sup Invis: Needs max EndRdx. See my guide for really good slotting.
Phantom Army: 4 Expediant Reinforcement, then 2 others to cap Recharge and damage. You could go with the two triples from Call to Arms, but I prefer Dam/Rech and Chance for Build Up from Soulbound here. The Chance for Build Up has an increased chance to hit with three pets rather than one.
Ling Rad: With enough global Recharge, you only need a single Accuracy. Those slots will get more benefit in other powers.
Mutation: I would take EM Pulse over Mutation. Take Flash at 30.
Phanty: Another 4 Expediant Reinforcement, and an Acc/Dam Hami-O to finish it out.
Group Invis: Why take this when you have Superior Invis?
My personal choice for APP set is Fire, because it does more damage. In any event, you need the single target blast to make the Blind-SW-Blast-SW attack chain for max damage. -
Quote:The only thing being "looked at" is the animation times according to Castle's post. Most folks seem to think that the animation time for Propel might be shortened. There was no hint that Lift might be included, but we can always hope. Still, Lift and Dimension Shift gives Grav two powers that are easily skipped.Originally Posted by Tired Angel
I believe - and I could be wrong as I can't find the quote - that Gravity is getting some sort of review as part of the I18/GR stuff. I don't know if this is going to be a buff or where but *fingers crossed* lift will be put on par with the dominator version.
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Quote:The choice is not between Crush and Lift . . . it is between Lift and Propel. Between Lift and Crush, I would take Crush because it does more damage and sets containment. Lift does pretty low damage, about 24 base. (Compare that to Mind's Levitate, which does about 40 base.) Crush does about 31. And Lift does not set Containment.Originally Posted by Graile
Is it typical to take either Crush or Lift but not both? I like both but I want to fit in Propel as well. With all the toys that grav/storm seems to have, I can't seem to get them all in. What are the skippable powers in the later levels? Is the AoE hold worth it? Skip Tornado maybe?
Oh, and I was messing around with the idea of slotting proc-heavy into Crushing Field for some nice AoE damage? Do you think that's a viable strategy?
Thanks in advance for the info.
The only reason to take Lift over Propel is for teams. On teams, Propel is so slow that it often hits after the foe is dead. Lift lets you get damage in before the foe dies. I still prefer Propel. My single target attack chain is GD-Crush-Propel -- that way, even if GD misses, I still have Containment for Propel.
My build is similar to Lewis's build until 41. I went with the Ice APP set. I love Super Speed with a stormie . . . it not only combines with Steamy to make invis, but it also allows great positioning for Hurricane, Lightning Storm and lots of other powers. -
Yes, the proc is good especially in Fire Imps and Phantom Army. Each of the three critters has a 16.6% chance to trigger a build-up, and the build-up will then apply to all three critters. I'm not sure of the amount of buff, but it is noticeable.
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Earth Controllers have -Defense in most of their primary powers, including a large 25% -Defense in Quicksand. An Earth Controller on the team allows the team to easily handle higher level content, knowing that their attacks will hit almost all the time. Plus that -Defense helps to make sure that many of the control powers (some of which cannot be slotted for accuracy) will hit the majority of the foes.
And a regular team that includes an Earth Controller can slot less for accuracy with confidence that they don't need any more than minimal accuracy. This frees up slots for other uses.