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== Intro == | |||
Brimstone Gale is the 3rd character I have created, is my main dude, and is still my favorite cartoon. I created her in the first week of CoH2, way before the days of Wolves and Ninjas (squrared). However, I was lucky enough to hook up with a great group of people and rarely had to solo. I have grouped with many different controllers and while I have little direct experience with other primaries, I always pay attention to what other controllers are doing, what their strategies and what powers they use. | |||
==About Controllers== | I have no first-hand experience with how other secondaries mesh with Fire Control, and little experience with other primary sets, but from my observations, Fire/Storm is one of the most fun and “flashy” powersets combinations, sharing the stage with Ice/Storm and Earth/Storm (is there any wonder that all three have Storm Summoning as secondary? ). | ||
Controllers can make or break a team. A good controller will make impossible fights seem doable and can often turn the tide of battle with a single power. That said, they are also a very fragile AT and until they get pets (which doesn’t happen for Mind controllers at all) are very slow soloers. Playing a controller requires thought and strategy, and much like defenders, controllers mustn’t be selfish | It is also one of the most flexible combinations, allowing for varied play styles – offensive, defensive, group or solo oriented, etc, etc, etc. | ||
== About Controllers == | |||
Controllers can make or break a team. A good controller will make impossible fights seem doable and can often turn the tide of battle with a single power. That said, they are also a very fragile AT and until they get pets (which doesn’t happen for Mind controllers at all) are very slow soloers. Playing a controller requires thought and strategy, and much like defenders, controllers mustn’t be selfish – their first priority is the safety of the team, whether via control of mobs or via buffs/debuffs, damage and glory are secondary. Despite their frailty, controllers are required to do things that inevitably will draw much agro, whether it’s because they have to get close to mobs for PBAoE hold or because their debuffs are pissing off the mobs. This means that controllers have to be on their toes, and sometimes retreating from battle for few seconds to let the mobs cool down is the smart choice. | |||
== Fire Control == | |||
''Note: Any damage is specified in Brawl Index (BI), which refers to a power’s damage relative to Brawl.'' | ''Note: Any damage is specified in Brawl Index (BI), which refers to a power’s damage relative to Brawl.'' | ||
The Fire Control set, in terms of pure control falls somewhere in the middle, but what little it lacks in control it compensates with a great debuff (Smoke) and of course Fire Imps. It is also one of only two sets that offer a second way to “hold” the enemies, via a combination of immobilization and stun (the other being Earth control). It doesn’t however have any Sleep or Fear powers and offers only limited Slow and Knockback/down powers. | The Fire Control set, in terms of pure control falls somewhere in the middle, but what little it lacks in control it compensates with a great debuff (Smoke) and of course Fire Imps. It is also one of only two sets that offer a second way to “hold” the enemies, via a combination of immobilization and stun (the other being Earth control). It doesn’t however have any Sleep or Fear powers and offers only limited Slow and Knockback/down powers. | ||
'''Ring of Fire'''<br> | '''Ring of Fire'''<br> | ||
This power is largely considered useless, especially in the late game, cause what’s the point of stopping one mob if you can stop a whole group using Fire Cages. I never took it and never missed it. However, it deals more damage than Fire Cages (to a single mob) and one way to use it, is to take it and slot it for damage in the early game, and then once you got your AoE control powers, respec out of it completely. | This power is largely considered useless, especially in the late game, cause what’s the point of stopping one mob if you can stop a whole group using Fire Cages. I never took it and never missed it. However, it deals more damage than Fire Cages (to a single mob) and one way to use it, is to take it and slot it for damage in the early game, and then once you got your AoE control powers, respec out of it completely. | ||
Type: Single Target, Ranged | Type: Single Target, Ranged | ||
Endurance: 11 pts | Endurance: 11 pts | ||
| Line 22: | Line 28: | ||
Range: 80 ft | Range: 80 ft | ||
Duration: 20 sec | Duration: 20 sec | ||
Misc: Makes enemies immune to knockback/down/up powers for 10 seconds. | Misc: Makes enemies immune to knockback/down/up powers for 10 seconds. | ||
'''Char'''<br> | '''Char'''<br> | ||
This is one of your bread-and-butter powers, i.e. take it and six-slot it | This is one of your bread-and-butter powers, i.e. take it and six-slot it ASAP. It’s a fairly accurate hold which means that at least in the early game you could probably get by with only 1 accuracy enhancement, though eventually it’s a good idea to put a second one in. The standard slotting is 2 accuracy, 2 hold duration, 2 recharge reduction. If you have perma-hasten then you can drop the second recharge redux (that second recharge redux only speeds it up by 0.5 seconds). If you have Tactics well slotted (4-6 tohit buffs) then you could also drop one accuracy, together with perma-hasten allowing you to slot 4 holds in it. | ||
Type: Single Target, Ranged | Type: Single Target, Ranged | ||
Endurance: 12.5 pts | Endurance: 12.5 pts | ||
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'''Fire Cages'''<br> | '''Fire Cages'''<br> | ||
Personally I consider immobilizes to be poor-man’s control, but in case of fire control, Fire Cages is one half of a power combo that gives you a second hold. By using Flashfire in combination with Fire Cages you will have the mobs immobilized and stunned, which essentially has the same effect as a hold – true that it’s a slow and expensive hold but sometimes it’s either that or a team wipeout. It has a weak damage so slotting it for damage is not | Personally I consider immobilizes to be poor-man’s control, but in case of fire control, Fire Cages is one half of a power combo that gives you a second hold. By using Flashfire in combination with Fire Cages you will have the mobs immobilized and stunned, which essentially has the same effect as a hold – true that it’s a slow and expensive hold but sometimes it’s either that or a team wipeout. It has a weak damage so slotting it for damage is not gonna give you a lot, and it has an accuracy penalty, which means that you need at least one accuracy enhancement to just even it out with a non-enhanced Ring of Fire. It is also fairly expensive, in fact, it’s as expensive as Cinders, while not as useful. Nonetheless, to use it as a part of Cages/Flashfire combo it will need to be slotted with two accuracy and two immobilization duration enhancement. It recharges fairly fast, and way faster than Flashfire so rest of the slots can be endurance reduction. Personally I didn’t bother too much with it because I try no to use the Cages/Flashfire combo, I only have one accuracy and one hold duration in it, and 2 end redux, which together with 2 end redux in Flashfire means that the combo is only slightly more expensive than Cinders, something like 26-27 end points. | ||
Type: Targeted AoE | Type: Targeted AoE | ||
Endurance: 22.5 pts | Endurance: 22.5 pts | ||
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Radius: 20 ft | Radius: 20 ft | ||
Duration: 10 sec | Duration: 10 sec | ||
Misc: Makes enemies immune to knockback/down/up powers for 10 seconds. | Misc: Makes enemies immune to knockback/down/up powers for 10 seconds. | ||
'''Smoke'''<br> | '''Smoke'''<br> | ||
This is a great debuff, it has a huge area and extremely accurate. It will reduce mobs’ aggro range, effectively acting as self/team stealth and in combination with Steamy Mist means that most mobs will not see you until you come within melee range. It also provides a nice debuff to mobs’ accuracy. If you have the slots to spare it’s probably best to six-slot it because there’s no such thing as too much debuff . However, it’s difficult to see the effectiveness of the debuff, at least for me it was (though the aggro range debuff is very noticeable), and I never had more than 4 slots in it, all debuff of course, no need for recharge redux since you usually don’t use it more than once, before the fight. Personally I love this power and if I could I’d six-slot it, but keep two things in mind: (1) If you take Super Speed then with Steamy Mist it’s full invisibility and you don’t need Smoke for that, though it’ll still help your | This is a great debuff, it has a huge area and extremely accurate. It will reduce mobs’ aggro range, effectively acting as self/team stealth and in combination with Steamy Mist means that most mobs will not see you until you come within melee range. It also provides a nice debuff to mobs’ accuracy. If you have the slots to spare it’s probably best to six-slot it because there’s no such thing as too much debuff . However, it’s difficult to see the effectiveness of the debuff, at least for me it was (though the aggro range debuff is very noticeable), and I never had more than 4 slots in it, all debuff of course, no need for recharge redux since you usually don’t use it more than once, before the fight. Personally I love this power and if I could I’d six-slot it, but keep two things in mind: (1) If you take Super Speed then with Steamy Mist it’s full invisibility and you don’t need Smoke for that, though it’ll still help your teammates; (2) Hurricane provides much better accuracy debuff though it’s not as “easy” to apply as Smoke. So, you might be able to skip smoke completely, though I wouldn’t. | ||
Type: Targeted AoE | Type: Targeted AoE | ||
Endurance: 11.5 pts | Endurance: 11.5 pts | ||
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Radius: 20 ft | Radius: 20 ft | ||
Duration: 30 sec | Duration: 30 sec | ||
Misc: DeBuffs Accuracy and reduces aggro range. | Misc: DeBuffs Accuracy and reduces aggro range. | ||
'''Hot Feet'''<br> | '''Hot Feet'''<br> | ||
Wow, talk about a useless endurance drain. As a controller you don’t want to stay close to mobs for long but to use this power that’s exactly what you have to do. It also has the distinct drawback of pissing off all the mobs around while not mitigating their damage in any way – sure they | Wow, talk about a useless endurance drain. As a controller you don’t want to stay close to mobs for long but to use this power that’s exactly what you have to do. It also has the distinct drawback of pissing off all the mobs around while not mitigating their damage in any way – sure they gonna move slower but their attacks are still going at normal rate so once they close in to melee range you’re dead meat. Having said that, it has a decent damage and much like Ring of Fire can be used in the early game to boost your already poor damage and make soloing a bit easier (with the intent of respec’ing it at higher levels). Problem with that as I see it, is that the early game is when you have the most endurance problems and using this power is going to make that even worse. | ||
Type: Toggle, PBAoE | Type: Toggle, PBAoE | ||
Endurance: 1.5/sec | Endurance: 1.5/sec | ||
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Range: 70 ft | Range: 70 ft | ||
Radius: 15 ft | Radius: 15 ft | ||
Duration: 10 sec | Duration: 10 sec | ||
'''Cinders'''<br> | '''Cinders'''<br> | ||
This is your AoE hold and the primary control tool, treat it with care and love. Needless to say, six slots | This is your AoE hold and the primary control tool, treat it with care and love. Needless to say, six slots ASAP, in fact, even before Stamina. It’s fairly slow and even with perma-hasten and 2 recharge redux in it, sometimes you’re going to wish it’d come up sooner, without perma-hasten it almost becomes a situational power, not because there are few situations where you need, but because you don’t want to use it unless it’s absolutely necessary. It’s also fairly expensive but unfortunately you can’t afford to slot it with end redux. The standard slotting is 2 acc, 2 hold and 2 recharge redux, and even with perma-hasten and tactics you probably want to keep the 2 acc and 2 recharge redux. | ||
Type: PBAoE | Type: PBAoE | ||
Endurance: 22.5 pts | Endurance: 22.5 pts | ||
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Accuracy: -20% | Accuracy: -20% | ||
Radius: 15 ft | Radius: 15 ft | ||
Duration: 10 sec | Duration: 10 sec | ||
'''Bonfire'''<br> | '''Bonfire'''<br> | ||
This is a very fun, situational, power that works well with only its default slot. It’s got an extremely reliable knockback that always hits when you first use it (only things that resist it are monsters and AVs) and is slowly reduced over the existence of bonfire, i.e. as time passes mobs are knocked back less and less, though it never drops to zero and its effectiveness depends on the relative level of mobs. I had Bonfire throughout at least half of my career and it’s a great tool for blocking doorways or locking down mobs in small rooms. With perma-hasten and 1 recharge redux you can even lay down two Bonfires and play ping-pong with the mobs for some time. It also comes very handy during Task Forces and Trials. It is however, as mentioned, situational power, and in fact, in my late forties I found that I needed it less and less. If you are planning a late-game respec (i.e. in your late forties) then you could take this power for a spin in your 30s and see if you enjoy it and find it useful, and if not then respec out of it. (It’s hard to test this power on the Test Server because it is so situational.) | This is a very fun, situational, power that works well with only its default slot. It’s got an extremely reliable knockback that always hits when you first use it (only things that resist it are monsters and AVs) and is slowly reduced over the existence of bonfire, i.e. as time passes mobs are knocked back less and less, though it never drops to zero and its effectiveness depends on the relative level of mobs. I had Bonfire throughout at least half of my career and it’s a great tool for blocking doorways or locking down mobs in small rooms. With perma-hasten and 1 recharge redux you can even lay down two Bonfires and play ping-pong with the mobs for some time. It also comes very handy during Task Forces and Trials. It is however, as mentioned, situational power, and in fact, in my late forties I found that I needed it less and less. If you are planning a late-game respec (i.e. in your late forties) then you could take this power for a spin in your 30s and see if you enjoy it and find it useful, and if not then respec out of it. (It’s hard to test this power on the Test Server because it is so situational.) | ||
Type: Targeted Location | Type: Targeted Location | ||
Endurance: 19 pts | Endurance: 19 pts | ||
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Radius: 15 ft | Radius: 15 ft | ||
Duration: 30 sec | Duration: 30 sec | ||
Misc: Very reliable knockback | Misc: Very reliable knockback | ||
'''Fire Imps'''<br> | '''Fire Imps'''<br> | ||
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Accuracy: +100% | Accuracy: +100% | ||
Range: 60 ft | Range: 60 ft | ||
Duration: 240 sec | Duration: 240 sec | ||
== Storm Summoning == | |||
Storm is considered a very versatile and somewhat hard to master set, a kind of Jack of all Trades. This is actually a good thing for controllers (less so, in my opinion, for defenders) because it gives us flexibility in how to develop our character and most importantly makes the early levels more interesting. It has powers that buff, debuff, deal damage, and even provide a measure of control. Storm summoning has one of the best accuracy debuffs, a great defense debuff and a very nice team stealth/buff power. It is however somewhat heavy on endurance, it has 3 fairly expensive toggles and its 9th power costs almost half the endurance bar. | Storm is considered a very versatile and somewhat hard to master set, a kind of Jack of all Trades. This is actually a good thing for controllers (less so, in my opinion, for defenders) because it gives us flexibility in how to develop our character and most importantly makes the early levels more interesting. It has powers that buff, debuff, deal damage, and even provide a measure of control. Storm summoning has one of the best accuracy debuffs, a great defense debuff and a very nice team stealth/buff power. It is however somewhat heavy on endurance, it has 3 fairly expensive toggles and its 9th power costs almost half the endurance bar. | ||
''Couple of things on Slows''<br> | ''Couple of things on Slows''<br> | ||
Snow Storm and Freezing Rain slowdown enemy movement and recharge speed. Slow enhancements only enhance the slowdown of movement, not recharge speed. The cap for movement is 10%, i.e. it’s impossible to immobilize mobs by slowing them down to 0. The cap for recharge slowdown is 25%. | Snow Storm and Freezing Rain slowdown enemy movement and recharge speed. Slow enhancements only enhance the slowdown of movement, not recharge speed. The cap for movement is 10%, i.e. it’s impossible to immobilize mobs by slowing them down to 0. The cap for recharge slowdown is 25%. | ||
'''Gale'''<br> | '''Gale'''<br> | ||
| Line 130: | Line 138: | ||
Accuracy: -10% | Accuracy: -10% | ||
Range: 50 ft | Range: 50 ft | ||
Cone Angle: | Cone Angle: 90 deg | ||
'''O2 Boost'''<br> | '''O2 Boost'''<br> | ||
If you’re a group oriented player then you should take this power early. While not a great heal it has a fast recharge, often providing the last-second heals that your | If you’re a group oriented player then you should take this power early. While not a great heal it has a fast recharge, often providing the last-second heals that your teammate needed to survive and regroup, and it has the benefit of protecting from Stun, Sleep and, with I4 endurance drain. This comes especially handy against Tsoo and Lost, and of course after Update 4 might become very wanted when going against Malta If you’re more solo oriented you can wait with it, but you should get it eventually (remember the bit about controllers not being selfish? ), your teammates will appreciate it even if they don’t say so directly. Slotting strategy: 1 end redux cause it’s not cheap, and if you don’t have perma-hasten then 1 recharge redux will help, though not necessary, the rest heals. | ||
Type: Ally Heal/Buff | Type: Ally Heal/Buff | ||
Endurance: 15.5 pts | Endurance: 15.5 pts | ||
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'''Steamy Mist'''<br> | '''Steamy Mist'''<br> | ||
I took this power early and couldn’t possibly imagine playing without it, however, delaying it | I took this power early and couldn’t possibly imagine playing without it, however, delaying it till after you get Stamina might be a good idea because it’s a heavy toggle (then again I managed just fine with it in the early levels). Combined with Smoke, Steamy Mist means that you can come up to melee range of mobs before they notice you, and combined with Super Speed it means invisibility without taking Stealth. It does slow down movement but SS negates that. It also provides a defense and resistance bonus for you and your team making it even better. One way to slot it is 1 end redux and 5 defense, that will give you 15% defense, which is noticeable. You could also slot it with resistance but its resistance is limited to not-so-common damage types, while the defense works against any type of damage. Either way, I wouldn’t suggest slotting it “evenly” with both, either go full defense or full resistance. I also don’t think that there’s a point in slotting it unless you can six slot it. Personally, I just have 2 end redux in it because I run it all the time and have many other toggles, if I could I’d six-slot it and put defense but I don’t have slots to spare. | ||
Type: Toggle, PBAoE | Type: Toggle, PBAoE | ||
Endurance: 0.76/sec | Endurance: 0.76/sec | ||
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Defense Buff: 7.5% to Melee and Ranged damage | Defense Buff: 7.5% to Melee and Ranged damage | ||
Resistance: Not sure, maybe ~15% | Resistance: Not sure, maybe ~15% | ||
Radius: Again don’t know the exact number but it seems to be smaller than radius of Tactics or | Radius: Again don’t know the exact number but it seems to be smaller than radius of Tactics or | ||
Maneuvers. | Maneuvers. | ||
'''Freezing Rain'''<br> | '''Freezing Rain'''<br> | ||
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Defense Debuff: Not sure, maybe ~20% | Defense Debuff: Not sure, maybe ~20% | ||
Resistance Debuff: Not sure, maybe ~25% | Resistance Debuff: Not sure, maybe ~25% | ||
Misc: Good chance for knockdown | Misc: Good chance for knockdown | ||
'''Hurricane'''<br> | '''Hurricane'''<br> | ||
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Radius: 15 ft (?) | Radius: 15 ft (?) | ||
ToHit Debuff: ? (Singificant) | ToHit Debuff: ? (Singificant) | ||
Misc: Pushes foes away from you, severely reduces their attack range, and has a small chance to | Misc: Pushes foes away from you, severely reduces their attack range, and has a small chance to | ||
knockback. | knockback. | ||
'''Thunder Clap'''<br> | '''Thunder Clap'''<br> | ||
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Radius: 20 ft (?) | Radius: 20 ft (?) | ||
Duration: 10 sec | Duration: 10 sec | ||
Misc: In Update 4 has a chance to knockdown toggles | Misc: In Update 4 has a chance to knockdown toggles | ||
'''Tornado'''<br> | '''Tornado'''<br> | ||
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Range: 60 ft | Range: 60 ft | ||
Duration: 30 sec | Duration: 30 sec | ||
Misc: Knocksback, Slightly reduces Defense, causes Fear | Misc: Knocksback, Slightly reduces Defense, causes Fear | ||
'''Lightning Storm'''<br> | '''Lightning Storm'''<br> | ||
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Misc: In Update 4 has a chance to knockdown toggles | Misc: In Update 4 has a chance to knockdown toggles | ||
==Power Pools== | == Power Pools == | ||
'''Fitness''' | '''Fitness''' | ||
Do I really need to talk about Stamina? Oh well…<br> | Do I really need to talk about Stamina? Oh well…<br> | ||
Take it and slot it | Take it and slot it ASAP, it’s particularly important for controllers, and even more so for this combo because of the number of toggle powers. The first two powers in Fitness pool are up to you and don’t need slotting. | ||
Just in case you were wondering: Inherit Endurance recovery is 1.67/sec.<br> | Just in case you were wondering: Inherit Endurance recovery is 1.67/sec.<br> | ||
| Line 265: | Line 274: | ||
'''Group Fly'''<br> | '''Group Fly'''<br> | ||
This is a fun and annoying power at the same time. Well, first of all it’s a huge end hog, if you’re carrying around the entire team, you’ll need a lot of end redux in it not to run out of endurance after several seconds. In Update 4 I believe its base endurance cost was slightly reduced but the per- | This is a fun and annoying power at the same time. Well, first of all it’s a huge end hog, if you’re carrying around the entire team, you’ll need a lot of end redux in it not to run out of endurance after several seconds. In Update 4 I believe its base endurance cost was slightly reduced but the per-teammate endurance cost was slightly raised. What makes it annoying is that it affects you for several seconds after you left the area of its influence, and if its owner chooses to, they can keep chasing you, never letting you leave its area, and that’s why it’s fun if you’re the owner of the power. Also, despite fly enhancements, the owner of Group Fly always moves faster than the rest of the team, making it easy to forget someone and drop them. For the longest time it was considered absolutely useless power, but recently, due to Hami raids and Shadow Shard zones, it became much more popular. Important to note, is that this power will affect Fire Imps and will allow them more easily reach places that they’d normally have trouble getting to. | ||
Type: Toggle | Type: Toggle | ||
Endurance: 1.5/sec + ?/sec per each | Endurance: 1.5/sec + ?/sec per each teammate affected by it | ||
Self and Team Accuracy Debuff (Singnificant) | Self and Team Accuracy Debuff (Singnificant) | ||
| Line 304: | Line 313: | ||
Activation: 2 sec | Activation: 2 sec | ||
Misc: Knocksback | Misc: Knocksback | ||
'''Leadership''' | '''Leadership''' | ||
The main attraction of Leadership pool is Tactics, but | The main attraction of Leadership pool is Tactics, but Manuevers is very nice too, and even Vengeance can come in handy once in a while. | ||
'''Maneuvers'''<br> | '''Maneuvers'''<br> | ||
| Line 316: | Line 325: | ||
Activation: 4 sec | Activation: 4 sec | ||
Radius: ? (A bit larger than Steamy Mist) | Radius: ? (A bit larger than Steamy Mist) | ||
Defense Buff: 6.25% (12.5% with 5 even SOs), Ranged, Melee and AoE | Defense Buff: 6.25% (12.5% with 5 even SOs), Ranged, Melee and AoE | ||
'''Assault'''<br> | '''Assault'''<br> | ||
| Line 337: | Line 346: | ||
Activation: 4 sec | Activation: 4 sec | ||
Radius: ? (A bit larger than Steamy Mist) | Radius: ? (A bit larger than Steamy Mist) | ||
Accuracy Buff: ? (Significant) | Accuracy Buff: ? (Significant) | ||
'''Vengeance'''<br> | '''Vengeance'''<br> | ||
This power can be activated when a | This power can be activated when a teammate dies and it gives the rest of the team members significant buffs to accuracy, damage and defense, it’s like having Maneuvers, Tactics and Assault all at once just without the inconvenience of their combined endurance cost. Like Assault, its damage buff has been upgraded in Issue 4. | ||
Type: Team buff +ACC +DMG +DEF | Type: Team buff +ACC +DMG +DEF | ||
Recharge: 300 sec | Recharge: 300 sec | ||
Radius: All | Radius: All teammates regardless of location | ||
Duration: ? | Duration: ? | ||
The above four Power Pools are, in my opinion, needed for optimal build, but if you choose to not take any of them (better not be Fitness!) then you are free to choose any other power pools, and I will quickly go over them. | The above four Power Pools are, in my opinion, needed for optimal build, but if you choose to not take any of them (better not be Fitness!) then you are free to choose any other power pools, and I will quickly go over them. | ||
'''Medicine''' – Great pool if you’re a group oriented controller who enjoys helping his | '''Medicine''' – Great pool if you’re a group oriented controller who enjoys helping his teammates. | ||
'''Fighting''' – This pool provides extra protection though if you want it for Tough’s Smashing/Lethal resistance then you better just use an Ancillary Power Pool. | '''Fighting''' – This pool provides extra protection though if you want it for Tough’s Smashing/Lethal resistance then you better just use an Ancillary Power Pool. | ||
| Line 360: | Line 369: | ||
'''Presence''' – The least useful pool for Controllers, though in PvP, even after they fix Fear it will still be somewhat useful, but even for that, not worth spending a pool on. | '''Presence''' – The least useful pool for Controllers, though in PvP, even after they fix Fear it will still be somewhat useful, but even for that, not worth spending a pool on. | ||
==Ancillary Power Pools== | == Ancillary Power Pools == | ||
I will not talk in detail about all the APPs as this is a topic for a different thread. I will mostly concentrate on the defensive powers (i.e. shields) and will give some more details on Psionic Mastery since that’s what I took. Also, remember that while some of the pools provide attacks, our damage is low and doesn’t scale well, so even if it says “High DMG”, don’t expect to one-shot a blaster. | |||
I will not talk in detail about all the APPs as this is a topic for a different thread. I will mostly concentrate on the defensive powers (i.e. shields) and will give some more details on Psionic Mastery since that’s what I took. Also, remember that while some of the pools provide attacks, our damage is low and doesn’t scale well, so even if it says “High DMG”, don’t expect to one-shot a blaster. | |||
'''Stone Mastery''' | '''Stone Mastery''' | ||
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'''Earth’s Embrace''' – Increases your maximum hit points and heals, and provides some Toxic resistance – think Dull Pain. | '''Earth’s Embrace''' – Increases your maximum hit points and heals, and provides some Toxic resistance – think Dull Pain. | ||
'''Fire Mastery''' | '''Fire Mastery''' | ||
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'''Consume''' – Damages nearby foes (trivial damage) and sucks up their endurance. It’s enough to hit 3-4 foes to replenish the whole bar. | '''Consume''' – Damages nearby foes (trivial damage) and sucks up their endurance. It’s enough to hit 3-4 foes to replenish the whole bar. | ||
'''Ice Mastery''' | '''Ice Mastery''' | ||
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'''Power Boost''' – Great power for controllers since it enhances all status effects, as well as heals and endurance drain.<br> | '''Power Boost''' – Great power for controllers since it enhances all status effects, as well as heals and endurance drain.<br> | ||
It's possible to make this power perma but not really necessary. Still, if you're curious how - you basically need perma-hasten and 6 +3 SOs, and I really mean that all SOs must be +3, because that will bring down its recharge time to exactly 15 seconds. However, having one or two +2 SOs (for example) will only get a downtime of a tenth of a second, hardly | It's possible to make this power perma but not really necessary. Still, if you're curious how - you basically need perma-hasten and 6 +3 SOs, and I really mean that all SOs must be +3, because that will bring down its recharge time to exactly 15 seconds. However, having one or two +2 SOs (for example) will only get a downtime of a tenth of a second, hardly noticable. Personally, I don't feel it's worth it, in most cases your regular hold duration will suffice. | ||
Endurance: 15 | Endurance: 15 | ||
Recharge 60 | Recharge 60 | ||
Duration: 15 | Duration: 15 | ||
'''Psionic Mastery''' | '''Psionic Mastery''' | ||
| Line 441: | Line 454: | ||
'''Psionic Tornado''' – Moderate damage, ranged AoE attack (psionic damage), with a chance to knockup. | '''Psionic Tornado''' – Moderate damage, ranged AoE attack (psionic damage), with a chance to knockup. | ||
==Suggested Build== | == Suggested Build == | ||
This is a 2-stage build (i.e. you will use at least 1 respec), it shows how I might do things now. The first 27 or so levels you use a damage oriented build, that's the ''pre-respec build''. After the respec you create a regular controller build, that's the ''post-respec build''.<br> | This is a 2-stage build (i.e. you will use at least 1 respec), it shows how I might do things now. The first 27 or so levels you use a damage oriented build, that's the ''pre-respec build''. After the respec you create a regular controller build, that's the ''post-respec build''.<br> | ||
Two notes about this: | Two notes about this: | ||
#This build looks good on paper but I don't know if it's actually | #This build looks good on paper but I don't know if it's actually gonna be fun. If you've played other controllers, you might be ok with the slow progress for the first 32 or so levels, and so won't need the pre-respec-damage-oriented build. | ||
#I'm glad I don't have to do this all over again because there are some hard choices in this build. | #I'm glad I don't have to do this all over again because there are some hard choices in this build. | ||
'''Pre-respec build'''<br> | '''Pre-respec build'''<br> | ||
The idea is that you do the respec at 27, which will allow you to sell all your current enhancements and buy all fresh, 30 lvl DOs and SOs. Because of that the last power is of no real importance, it's just something to use for one level, and then you might or might not respec it out.<br> | The idea is that you do the respec at 27, which will allow you to sell all your current enhancements and buy all fresh, 30 lvl DOs and SOs. Because of that the last power is of no real importance, it's just something to use for one level, and then you might or might not respec it out.<br> | ||
You will see that I chose Cinders, this means less frequent holds and less end usage, and since the pre-respec build is less about holds, and is tight on end, I felt that that was a good choice. However, you can pick-up flashfire, which will cost you more endurance but you'll be able to apply "holds" more frequently.<br> | You will see that I chose Cinders, this means less frequent holds and less end usage, and since the pre-respec build is less about holds, and is tight on end, I felt that that was a good choice. However, you can pick-up flashfire, which will cost you more endurance but you'll be able to apply "holds" more frequently.<br> | ||
When I first did this build I put in Hot Feet, but its end use is so horrendous that pre-stamina using it is more likely to slow down your soloing more than speed it up. (After this I consider Hotfeet even more useless than I thought before) | When I first did this build I put in Hot Feet, but its end use is so horrendous that pre-stamina using it is more likely to slow down your soloing more than speed it up. (After this I consider Hotfeet even more useless than I thought before) | ||
01 : Gale acc(01) acc(13) conrng(13) kbkdis(19) | 01 : Gale acc(01) acc(13) conrng(13) kbkdis(19) | ||
01 : Char acc(01) hlddur(3) dam(3) | 01 : Char acc(01) hlddur(3) dam(3) | ||
02 : Ring of Fire acc(02) dam(5) dam(5) dam(9) dam(9) | 02 : Ring of Fire acc(02) dam(5) dam(5) dam(9) dam(9) | ||
04 : Snow Storm endred(04) slw(19) | 04 : Snow Storm endred(04) slw(19) | ||
06 : Air Superiority acc(06) dam(7) dam(7) | 06 : Air Superiority acc(06) dam(7) dam(7) | ||
08 : Fire Cages acc(08) endred(11) dam(11) dam(15) dam(15) | 08 : Fire Cages acc(08) endred(11) dam(11) dam(15) dam(15) | ||
10 : Hurdle jmp(10) | 10 : Hurdle jmp(10) | ||
12 : Smoke thtdbf(12) | 12 : Smoke thtdbf(12) | ||
14 : Fly endred(14) | 14 : Fly endred(14) | ||
16 : Freezing Rain endred(16) recred(17) defdbf(17) | 16 : Freezing Rain endred(16) recred(17) defdbf(17) | ||
18 : Cinders acc(18) acc(21) recred(21) hlddur(23) | 18 : Cinders acc(18) acc(21) recred(21) hlddur(23) | ||
20 : Health hel(20) | 20 : Health hel(20) | ||
22 : Stamina endrec(22) endrec(23) endrec(25) endrec(25) endrec(27) endrec(27) | 22 : Stamina endrec(22) endrec(23) endrec(25) endrec(25) endrec(27) endrec(27) | ||
24 : Hurricane endred(24) | 24 : Hurricane endred(24) | ||
26 : O2 Boost endred(26) | 26 : O2 Boost endred(26) | ||
'''Post-respec build'''<br> | '''Post-respec build'''<br> | ||
As I mentioned there are some hard choice to make here. I'll go over some choices of powers that I think could be modified depending on preferences and play-style.<br> | As I mentioned there are some hard choice to make here. I'll go over some choices of powers that I think could be modified depending on preferences and play-style.<br> | ||
You could switch O2 and Snow Storm - question is, what helps more, the fact that mobs are slowed down or that you can heal your | You could switch O2 and Snow Storm - question is, what helps more, the fact that mobs are slowed down or that you can heal your teammates. Smoke can be switched with Steamy Mist, though since you're getting SM using respec, you have Stamina and its end usage is not such a problem. Finally, you can delay Freezing Rain and take Maneuvers and Tactics earlier, which will allow you to slot them a bit more before Fire Imps, making the Imps more useful as soon as you have them. | ||
01 : Gale acc(01) | 01 : Gale acc(01) | ||
01 : Char acc(01) acc(3) hlddur(3) hlddur(5) endred(7) recred(9) | 01 : Char acc(01) acc(3) hlddur(3) hlddur(5) endred(7) recred(9) | ||
02 : Fire Cages acc(02) endred(5) endred(7) immdur(11) | 02 : Fire Cages acc(02) endred(5) endred(7) immdur(11) | ||
04 : O2 Boost endred(04) hel(9) hel(17) hel(48) | 04 : O2 Boost endred(04) hel(9) hel(17) hel(48) | ||
06 : Hover fltspd(06) | 06 : Hover fltspd(06) | ||
08 : Hurdle jmp(08) | 08 : Hurdle jmp(08) | ||
10 : Steamy Mist endred(10) endred(11) | 10 : Steamy Mist endred(10) endred(11) | ||
12 : Flashfire acc(12) acc(13) endred(13) endred(15) disdur(17) | 12 : Flashfire acc(12) acc(13) endred(13) endred(15) disdur(17) | ||
14 : Fly endred(14) fltspd(15) fltspd(48) | 14 : Fly endred(14) fltspd(15) fltspd(48) | ||
16 : Health hel(16) | 16 : Health hel(16) | ||
18 : Cinders acc(18) acc(19) hlddur(19) hlddur(23) recred(25) recred(31) | 18 : Cinders acc(18) acc(19) hlddur(19) hlddur(23) recred(25) recred(31) | ||
20 : Stamina endrec(20) endrec(21) endrec(21) endrec(23) endrec(25) endrec(31) | 20 : Stamina endrec(20) endrec(21) endrec(21) endrec(23) endrec(25) endrec(31) | ||
22 : Hasten recred(22) recred(27) recred(27) recred(29) recred(29) recred(31) | 22 : Hasten recred(22) recred(27) recred(27) recred(29) recred(29) recred(31) | ||
24 : Hurricane endred(24) endred(39) thtdbf(39) thtdbf(40) | 24 : Hurricane endred(24) endred(39) thtdbf(39) thtdbf(40) | ||
26 : Freezing Rain endred(26) defdbf(43) | 26 : Freezing Rain endred(26) defdbf(43) | ||
28 : Maneuvers endred(28) defbuf(36) defbuf(37) defbuf(37) defbuf(37) defbuf(40) | 28 : Maneuvers endred(28) defbuf(36) defbuf(37) defbuf(37) defbuf(37) defbuf(40) | ||
30 : Tactics endred(30) thtbuf(34) thtbuf(34) thtbuf(36) thtbuf(39) thtbuf(42) | 30 : Tactics endred(30) thtbuf(34) thtbuf(34) thtbuf(36) thtbuf(39) thtbuf(42) | ||
32 : Fire Imps recred(32) dam(33) dam(33) dam(33) dam(34) dam(36) | 32 : Fire Imps recred(32) dam(33) dam(33) dam(33) dam(34) dam(36) | ||
35 : Snow Storm endred(35) slw(40) | 35 : Snow Storm endred(35) slw(40) | ||
38 : Smoke thtdbf(38) thtdbf(43) thtdbf(43) | 38 : Smoke thtdbf(38) thtdbf(43) thtdbf(43) | ||
41 : Indomitable Will recred(41) recred(42) recred(42) recred(45) recred(45) | 41 : Indomitable Will recred(41) recred(42) recred(42) recred(45) recred(45) | ||
44 : Mind over Body endred(44) damres(45) damres(46) damres(46) damres(46) damres(48) | 44 : Mind over Body endred(44) damres(45) damres(46) damres(46) damres(46) damres(48) | ||
47 : Lightning Storm endred(47) acc(50) dam(50) dam(50) | 47 : Lightning Storm endred(47) acc(50) dam(50) dam(50) | ||
49 : Super Speed runspd(49) | 49 : Super Speed runspd(49) | ||
'''A note about Steamy Mist and Smoke'''<br> | '''A note about Steamy Mist and Smoke'''<br> | ||
Originally I took smoke pertty early and been using it my entire career, including high levels - basically I'm in the habit of always smoking a mob before engaging even if they are the same level as me. As I mention above, if smoke does help with -acc it's not something i was able to really notice much - it's not like taking one group of mobs without smoke produces 10 hits on me, and then the next group, with smoke, and suddenly I don't get hit at all. However, I wouldn't disregard it (I wish somebody would do a test for how much smoke debuffs ). The -aggro is much more | Originally I took smoke pertty early and been using it my entire career, including high levels - basically I'm in the habit of always smoking a mob before engaging even if they are the same level as me. As I mention above, if smoke does help with -acc it's not something i was able to really notice much - it's not like taking one group of mobs without smoke produces 10 hits on me, and then the next group, with smoke, and suddenly I don't get hit at all. However, I wouldn't disregard it (I wish somebody would do a test for how much smoke debuffs ). The -aggro is much more noticable and "useable", with it and steamy mist, you are guaranteed that the mobs never engage first (unless some1 in the team approaches within melee range, of course). | ||
To be honest, I would've liked to put smoke much earlier but in an optimal build, there is no room for both smoke and steamy mist, early on, it's either one or the other, and I chose SM. However, and this is why this is such a flexible combo, you don't have to have an optimal build to have an effective build. My original build was pretty much like the post-respec build (at least the part before lvl22) but with smoke instead of Flashfire, and I never felt like I was gimped, or missed the extra hold that Flashfire provides. In fact, because of Steamy Mist and Smoke I was always in the lead and I was determining the pace of combat - who we attack and when - because those who knew me, knew that they shouldn't attack until I smoke, and shouldn't go ahead of me so they stay under the cover of mist. (It was pretty damn cool) | To be honest, I would've liked to put smoke much earlier but in an optimal build, there is no room for both smoke and steamy mist, early on, it's either one or the other, and I chose SM. However, and this is why this is such a flexible combo, you don't have to have an optimal build to have an effective build. My original build was pretty much like the post-respec build (at least the part before lvl22) but with smoke instead of Flashfire, and I never felt like I was gimped, or missed the extra hold that Flashfire provides. In fact, because of Steamy Mist and Smoke I was always in the lead and I was determining the pace of combat - who we attack and when - because those who knew me, knew that they shouldn't attack until I smoke, and shouldn't go ahead of me so they stay under the cover of mist. (It was pretty damn cool) | ||
==The thanks== | |||
== The thanks == | |||
I just want to say that this guide wouldn’t be possible without all the great people who have spent hours testing powers, whether it’s to get Brawl Indices, or to calculate Stamina’s rate of endurance recovery, or something else, but there are too many names to mention. So to all those peeps I give a big shout out. | I just want to say that this guide wouldn’t be possible without all the great people who have spent hours testing powers, whether it’s to get Brawl Indices, or to calculate Stamina’s rate of endurance recovery, or something else, but there are too many names to mention. So to all those peeps I give a big shout out. | ||
Also, special thanks to Joe Chott for his great program, [http://joechott.com/coh/ CoH Planner] - not only does it provide a great tool for planning out a build, but I often use it as a kind of a CoHPedia (to look up a BI, recharge rate, or something else). | Also, special thanks to Joe Chott for his great program, [http://joechott.com/coh/ CoH Planner] - not only does it provide a great tool for planning out a build, but I often use it as a kind of a CoHPedia (to look up a BI, recharge rate, or something else). | ||