Oedipus_Tex

The closest thing you will get to "pure support" in this game are some varieties of low damage Controllers. My first 50 was an Ice/Thermal Controller, and "healer" is actually not a bad description of the role he plays sometimes. Of course he can do more than "just heal" but it depends a lot on the fight. He is not the most powerful character I've played but there are circumstances where he was flat out the best support character I've had too (mainly in all-boss missions that figured heavily in the early AE days but have since more or less been removed from the game; mezzes were unreliable due to boss level protection but slow andd knockdown worked beautifully).

IMO for buff-heavy play, Ice, Earth, or Electric Control mixed with Empathy, Thermal, Force Field, and maybe Cold (which has a fair amount of debuff) are top picks. Ice Control in particular has always struck me as a somewhat "gentle" feeling set. If you only plan to team you can pretty much go your whole career without any attacks at all, like my Ice/Therm and Ice/Rads did, only picking up their first and only attacks in the 40s. Unlike with Defenders pretty much no one will think to yell at you for not having taken attacks either (though you do want to pick up some mezz/disabler powers to occupy enemies with).

I would support Liquefy having a 15 second duration, 120 or 180 second Recharge. I agree with others who say the main issue with this power is the extreme Recharge time making it impractical. Even more so in a set that otherwise benefits 0% from building for global Recharge, and where 3 of 9 powers literally can't be slotted with IOs of any kind to help you build toward it, and the ones that can be slotted don't need it.

While we're talking about Tier 9s in need of a look, Force Bubble could really use a lift. (So could Time Bomb but I'd rather Castle simply forget Traps even exists. Unless it's to go "Wow, it's silly that the set that doesn't specialize in Force Fields has better personal defense than the actual Force Field set itself.")

Overall, I agree that "average damage" is much overused as a mechanic when people talk about the "best" damage dealers. IMO the right way to think about Scourge, and procs in general, when dealing with low to moderate HP enemies is to throw the numbers out and think about it like this:

"When your attack hits an enemy that is close to death, there is a chance the enemy will die even if the current attack does not fully deplete its health bar."

We can go back and forth about exact DPS and the like but what it boils down to really, in most situations, is how many seconds it takes to bring down each target. One way to increase those seconds is for them to die faster. It doesn't matter if you hit the enemy for 10 points of damage or 400 if the amount of HP remaining means it takes exactly one follow up attack to down them, and that is what Scourge does.

Looking at Scourge as an "average" of damage pretty much only matters with boss level and AV enemies and contests like Rikti pylon soloing.

Hmm. Not all of these qualify as hybrids, but here are a few names I've written down over the years but never actually used (some because they'd probably result in a /rename. ) People are welcome to steal from this list if they want, since I have way more names than I could ever hope to play. Others I have actually rolled at various times but deleted or rerolled.

Rad Hominem
Veloci-Rapper
The Blast Supper
Blast of the Mohicans
Grace Anatomy
Sparkimedes
The Filth Element
Anne Colder
Static Clang
The Pimpath (Empathy/Assault Rifle, and also likely a TOS violation )
Crossbow Volt
Quarkangel
Sleet Sixteen
Thermenator ~OR~ Ex-Thermanator
Ba-ba-ba-Bloom
Hawaiin Ion
The Game Dropper
Flower Boost
Socket Launcher
Emophilia / Chemophilia
Polterchrist (see TOS violation above)
Geode Joe
Elrond Hubbard (looks like someone already took this on Virtue)
Cold Mother Hubbard
Musical Flares
Grape Balls of Fire (simply has to be a Fire/FF Controller)
Sonic Bloom
Ablazing Grace
Ohm on the Range
Killowasp (which I believe someone said he was taking last time I posted a version of this list)
Riot Earp
Claw and Order
Jurassic Spark (also: Atlas Spark, but I kept that one already, on Virtue at least )
Truth Decay (a crazed dentist?)
Jack of all Blades
Pyre Tuck / Frier Tuck
Little Miss Mullet
Wight Christmas
Cold Saint Nick
Boogity Blue
Glowing Pains
Shock Jaques

Wow there's a lot to reply to here. I concentrated on the final build because the rest I think is more or less up to you. The build is already very good, great job. I played around with some slotting and made a few small revisions that are up to you. These changes bring you to perma-Hasten status while retaining the melee soft cap.

Main changes:
- Removed slots from Stamina and Health aimed at +Recovery. With Heat Loss on a fast recharge build like this you will not miss them.
- Changed slotting in single target immob to damage focus with +Recharge bonus
- Took AoE immob for Containment purposes
- Changes to Sleet to emphasize procs over -Defense (which you already have a lot of)
- Changes to Earthquake to max -ToHit and get some set bonuses
- Dropped Quicksand, Snow Storm. You may decide to re-add one or the other. I would not take both. If you do this, the power I'd drop is Super Speed, but read why I added Super Speed first.
- Added Super Speed, slotted with Winter's Gift. This stacks with Arctic Fog for 80% Resistance to slow and -Recharge powers. It also lets you stealth better than an IO by itself because it does not suppress on damage.
- Added Salt Crystals. It's not the best power but it has its uses and is a very good source for slotting the purple Sleep set
- Changes to Fossilize to reach green levels of Accuracy/Hold/Damage while netting a Recharge bonus
- Swapped out Numina's in Earth's Embrace for the cheaper Doctored Wounds



Hero Plan by Mids' Hero Designer 1.803
http://www.cohplanner.com/

Click this DataLink to open the build!

Toondra-50: Level 50 Magic Controller
Primary Power Set: Earth Control
Secondary Power Set: Cold Domination
Power Pool: Leadership
Power Pool: Speed
Power Pool: Leaping
Ancillary Pool: Stone Mastery

Hero Profile:
Level 1: Fossilize -- BasGaze-Acc/Hold(A), BasGaze-Rchg/Hold(5), BasGaze-Acc/EndRdx/Rchg/Hold(5), BasGaze-EndRdx/Rchg/Hold(7), HO:Nucle(7), Dmg-I(15)
Level 1: Infrigidate -- Acc-I(A)
Level 2: Ice Shield -- S'fstPrt-ResDam/Def+(A), S'fstPrt-ResKB(3), LkGmblr-Rchg+(3), LkGmblr-Def(15)
Level 4: Stone Cages -- Enf'dOp-Acc/Rchg(A), Enf'dOp-EndRdx/Immob(9), Enf'dOp-Acc/EndRdx(21), Enf'dOp-Acc/Immob(25), Enf'dOp-Acc/Immob/Rchg(25), Enf'dOp-Immob/Rng(37)
Level 6: Maneuvers -- LkGmblr-Rchg+(A), LkGmblr-Def(31)
Level 8: Hasten -- RechRdx-I(A), RechRdx-I(9), RechRdx-I(21)
Level 10: Glacial Shield -- LkGmblr-Rchg+(A), LkGmblr-Def/EndRdx(11), LkGmblr-Def(11)
Level 12: Stalagmites -- Amaze-Stun/Rchg(A), Amaze-Acc/Stun/Rchg(13), Amaze-EndRdx/Stun(13), Amaze-Acc/Rchg(17), Amaze-ToHitDeb%(17)
Level 14: Stone Prison -- Decim-Acc/Dmg(A), Decim-Dmg/EndRdx(31), Decim-Acc/EndRdx/Rchg(31), Decim-Dmg/Rchg(46), Decim-Acc/Dmg/Rchg(50)
Level 16: Frostwork -- Dct'dW-Heal/Rchg(A)
Level 18: Earthquake -- DarkWD-ToHitDeb(A), DarkWD-ToHitDeb/Rchg(19), DarkWD-ToHitdeb/Rchg/EndRdx(19), DarkWD-ToHitDeb/EndRdx(23), DarkWD-Rchg/EndRdx(34)
Level 20: Combat Jumping -- LkGmblr-Rchg+(A), LkGmblr-Def(34)
Level 22: Arctic Fog -- LkGmblr-Rchg+(A), LkGmblr-Def/EndRdx(23), LkGmblr-Def(34)
Level 24: Salt Crystals -- FtnHyp-Sleep/Rchg(A), FtnHyp-Acc/Sleep/Rchg(39), FtnHyp-Acc/Rchg(39), FtnHyp-Sleep/EndRdx(40), FtnHyp-Plct%(40)
Level 26: Volcanic Gasses -- UbrkCons-Hold/Rchg(A), UbrkCons-Acc/Hold/Rchg(27), UbrkCons-Acc/Rchg(27), UbrkCons-EndRdx/Hold(29), UbrkCons-Dam%(29), Lock-%Hold(50)
Level 28: Benumb -- Acc-I(A), RechRdx-I(37), RechRdx-I(46)
Level 30: Super Speed -- Winter-ResSlow(A)
Level 32: Animate Stone -- ExRmnt-Acc/Dmg(A), ExRmnt-Dmg/EndRdx(33), ExRmnt-Acc/Dmg/Rchg(33), ExRmnt-EndRdx/Dmg/Rchg(33)
Level 35: Sleet -- LdyGrey-%Dam(A), LdyGrey-DefDeb/Rchg(36), ShldBrk-%Dam(36), RechRdx-I(36), Achilles-ResDeb%(37)
Level 38: Heat Loss -- Efficacy-Acc/Rchg(A), Efficacy-EndMod/Rchg(39), Efficacy-EndMod/Acc(40), Efficacy-EndMod/Acc/Rchg(43)
Level 41: Fissure -- Posi-Acc/Dmg(A), Posi-Dmg/EndRdx(42), Posi-Dmg/Rchg(42), Posi-Acc/Dmg/EndRdx(42), Posi-Dam%(43), FrcFbk-Rechg%(43)
Level 44: Rock Armor -- RedFtn-Def/EndRdx(A), RedFtn-Def/Rchg(45), RedFtn-EndRdx/Rchg(45), RedFtn-Def(45), RedFtn-EndRdx(46)
Level 47: Seismic Smash -- KntkC'bat-Acc/Dmg(A), KntkC'bat-Dmg/EndRdx(48), KntkC'bat-Dmg/Rchg(48), KntkC'bat-Dmg/EndRdx/Rchg(48)
Level 49: Earth's Embrace -- Dct'dW-Heal/Rchg(A), Dct'dW-Heal(50)
------------
Level 1: Brawl -- Empty(A)
Level 1: Sprint -- ULeap-Stlth(A)
Level 2: Rest -- Empty(A)
Level 1: Containment
Level 4: Ninja Run
------------
Set Bonus Totals:

• 7% DamageBuff(Smashing)
• 7% DamageBuff(Lethal)
• 7% DamageBuff(Fire)
• 7% DamageBuff(Cold)
• 7% DamageBuff(Energy)
• 7% DamageBuff(Negative)
• 7% DamageBuff(Toxic)
• 7% DamageBuff(Psionic)
• 10.8% Defense(Smashing)
• 10.8% Defense(Lethal)
• 3% Defense(Fire)
• 3% Defense(Cold)
• 5.5% Defense(Energy)
• 5.5% Defense(Negative)
• 3% Defense(Psionic)
• 9.25% Defense(Melee)
• 4.25% Defense(Ranged)
• 3% Defense(AoE)
• 2.25% Max End
• 3% Enhancement(Immobilize)
• 54% Enhancement(Accuracy)
• 107.5% Enhancement(RechargeTime)
• 91.6 HP (9%) HitPoints
• Knockback (Mag -4)
• Knockup (Mag -4)
• MezResist(Confused) 2.5%
• MezResist(Held) 2.5%
• MezResist(Immobilize) 10.2%
• MezResist(Sleep) 2.5%
• MezResist(Stun) 2.5%
• MezResist(Terrorized) 4.7%
• 22% (0.37 End/sec) Recovery
• 50% (2.12 HP/sec) Regeneration
• 20% ResEffect(FlySpeed)
• 20% ResEffect(RechargeTime)
• 20% ResEffect(RunSpeed)
• 10.4% Resistance(Fire)
• 10.4% Resistance(Cold)
• 1.88% Resistance(Negative)

Anyone know if Power Build Up works with Liquefy? If so, you can apparently score -88.6% ToHit by popping that prior to using Liquefy if Liquefy is slotted with two lvl 50 -ToHit IOs. Too bad nothing else in Sonic Res benefits from Power Boost type powers. I think of the buff sets Sonic R sets a record for "Fewest number of enhanceable powers," with both Power Boost and IOs considered.

I happen to think EBs and AVs are one of the biggest systems in the game that need an overhaul. The fact that people can solo them doesn't bother me necessarily. Unfortunately on teams more often than not I don't even notice I'm fighting an AV until someone announces it because they are nearly indistinguishable from other enemies in terms of their presentation. A change in music, at the least, would be helpful, as would some kind of special notification that we, in fact, just killed an AV (since the game is otherwise so eager to tell us about recipe drops).

Personally I much prefer fighting hordes of EBs on teams, as happens on some Task Forces, to dealing with AVs.

Part of the trouble is that there is basically no variation in boss designs. Essentially they are all bags of HP that you have to use a regen power on and then cycle attacks. Despite the fact that you mostly encounter them within their own lairs, none of them are intelligent enough to equip the place with deadly laser beams or a robotic suit or whatever else supervillains do in movies and comics. At best you might get a few waves of ambushes coming at you. Certain abilities always work (-damage, -resistance, -regen) and others are always heavily penalized (-recharge, -tohit, -endurance), with no exceptions.

Now a few people have said they think EBs are more or less on par with the average character and should be soloable. IMO that depends on the character. Most of my Controllers simply cannot handle EBs very smoothly, especially prior to level 41 where you get a single target blast. I still have ringing in my ears from trying to solo Maria Jenkins with a Mind Controller. Even on -1 the character was ripped apart unless he stood back and just let temp powers do the work for him. My Scrapper on the other hand did it rather easily.

The way I wish they'd designed the "protect my ally" toggle in Sonic R is to remove the knockback and replace it with a 5 second Intangible pulse. You put it on a squishy and if something gets too close to them it has a chance to get Intang'ed. If that's not what they wanted, they back away.

IIRC, Liquefy has only a 3% chance per pulse to make an enemy fall over, which is the lowest chance of any of the "slick" powers in the game. I think Oil Slick Arrow has a 4% chance, Sleet/Freezing Rain has a 5% chance, Earthquake has a 7%, and Ice Slick/Ice Patch has 8%. Regardless it's not really comparable to Earthquake. About the only thing the power does particularly well is the -ToHit. On a Defender you can easily get it to around -50%, which is pretty incredible actually. I still think the power can't touch most other Tier 9s though (Force Bubble excepted).

Is Clarity supposed to indicate that Sonic is particularly good at preventing mezzes? I personally always skip this power and take Leadership toggles instead. I mean, really. IMO we should drop the cast-on-an-ally stuff altogether and just make this a pulsing effect so that anyone who gets near you automatically picks up mezz protection, which lasts one minute. If they want to refresh it they just get near you again. And you get to take advantage of your own power. I don't think maintaining a mezz hole in Sonic R (or Force Field) is really appropriate now that we've got Traps running around with far superior personal defense.

Mind/Emp is a very good combo. It shines somewhat more on teams than individually.

For APPs, take a look at Primal. Both Mind and Empathy benefit a lot from Power Boost, and the knockdown in Energy Torrent is extremely helpful because Fear'ed enemies (who can normally retaliate when you hit them) miss their chance to act if you knock them down with the attack.

Basic advice on Mind Control is to take as many powers as possible. The skippable one is Telekinesis but even it has its uses. Some people skip the AoE Sleep. IMO this is a huge mistake with this set.

In Empathy, the most skippable power is probably Absorb Pain. You probably want everything else.

In terms whether to IO, both Mind and Empathy benefit tremendously from +Recharge. Since you're a team heavy character anyway, my advice on IOing is to basically ignore Defense and go no-holds-barred after every scrap of Recharge you can get. The difference once you've worked down your recharge is rather stunning. Mass Confusion and Total Dom on 60 second recharge means one or the other is up every fight. It's great stuff.

You should plan to take Super Speed or Stealth, and slot it with a Stealth IO. The difference with and without some kind of stealth is night and day for me with Mind Control.

Do either of these stand out as the obviously better choice? I know DA can stack stuns with Martial Arts, and Shield contributes extra damage and an extra AoE to help on that front. Am I missing anything obvious or are they more or less comparable?

Another random suggestion: Dark Armor/War Mace Tanker with Dark Blast/Radiation Corruptor. The Tanker takes Oppressive Gloom and you take Dark Pit and the rest is a story about stunned bosses who the Tanker Clobbers if one of them somehow gets missed. That's before factoring in the fact that enemies can barely hit your tank at all.

A Cold Dom/Sonic Defender would also pair well for somewhat different reasons, although then your teammate is stuck looking at that hideous armor for the duration of his career.

Great concept and costume.

It's up to you, but for a pure win combo, I'd consider Radiation/Sonic Attack. I also think it will coordinate well with your costume (especially if you take Choking Cloud and color it appropriately to look like twinkling stage lights).

IMO the set is fine. It could possibly use some small tweaks but I would go about them differently than what's been suggested.

- Change knockdown in Jolting Chain to knockup to prevent lower level enemies from being flung backward

- Instead of a damage power, give Gremlins Thunderclap from Storm Summoning. There would be a small chance they'd stun bosses occasionally but the 45 second recharge pretty much ensures they'd only do it once per group. Not sure if pet AI can handle it, but hopefully coded so they'd only use it when more than 4 or 5 enemies are around. This would restore some of the stun capabilities Electric lost during beta test and make it pair somewhat better with Storm Summoning itself.

I would not buff Synaptic Overload. It's an AoE confuse with no alert component on the same recharge schedule as Seeds of Confusion that has much better odds to hit an entire group at its high end (about 95% versus 46% from Seeds or Mass Confusion.) The chance of critical failure is real but this is why you have an AoE hold too. The power already recharges four times faster than the only other non-notify AoE confuse.

Tesla Cage's activation time is only a tenth of a second longer than Earth and Plant Control's hold. (That's not in Arcanatime but IMO if you're worried about whether a power is .132 of a second faster or slower you're overanalyzing it.)

Gremlins "not being able to tank well" means they are on par with every other standard lvl 32 pet. The only outlier is Earth Control.

Blasters at least finally got some AoE immobs to help Energy Blast out. That's still not enough to make me play it again, but at least it's there.

Energy Blast on Defenders and Corruptors is for me where it really fails to shine. I agree the set is extremely lacking for those ATs in most situations. I mean, a nuke that kills nothing, throws everything away from your teammates, and tanks your endurance on a Defender?

If you're soloing, one power that may be worth investing in is Repel. A lot of people don't like it but I've always found it very effective. The trick to using it is to only turn it on when you need it and to make sure to run at the enemy instead of waiting for them to come to you. If nothing else it's a good way to keep a mezzer out of the fight. The extra long reach of Psi Blast powers ensures you can still damage them even if you knock them back.

I didn't read most of the thread but my personal opinion is I'd never skip Static Field on an Electric Controller. It's a very good power. IMO it's about equivalent to Mind Control's cone Fear power or Earth Control's Earthquake in the sense that it's not so amazing people rave about it, but if you skip it you will really feel the difference.