Mr_Grumpums

'Kay!

First off, I have a Dark/Dark blaster. It's like a controller with big teeth, and I'm happy with it in huge, gigantic piles of ways. This is not a thread that I would like to go off-track onto a critique of Dark Blast's Nightfall/Torrent c-c-c-combo. That's been done to death.

Also, I kind of like Umbral Torrent. It's handy for piling enemies together and leaving them on the ground while my blaster hops in and uses Soul Drain and Shadow Maul.

Yes, I -also- took Shadow Maul. I know the animation is long. It's also one of the better damaging powers in the set, and I can wipe out whole groups with it when I Umbral Torrent/Immob them into a corner.

I'm just saying, repeatedly and all over the place, that I'd prefer we not get into how disappointed you are with Dark Blast. There are other threads for that. They'll love to have you.

Now.

Currently, I'm using Electrical Mastery on my Dark/Dark Blaster in order to access the second hold. This is a system that works well in the short term for a number of reasons (most of them involving holds and their application to enemies who I want to not move or act for a while), but I'm thinking that a -lot- can be done with other APP/Patron sets.

PARTICULARLY Patron sets.

Mace Mastery gives you smashing/lethal/energy defense, and popping enemies in their smug, craggy NPC faces with attacks that debuff their -ToHit (likely due to blinding them with awesome) will only make that Defense MORE effective. Also, you can make use of Mace Mastery's Immobilize to lock enemies down and prevent the knockback from Umbral Torrent while retaining the sweet, sweet AoE damage and -ToHit. A friend likened 1% of -ToHit to 1% defense to everything in the game. I don't know if this is true, but this seems like a nice way to round out an awesome (-what- did I just say? GO TO YOUR ROOM IF YOU DISAGREE!) and innovative (now I'm just adding descriptors to start trouble) new blaster combination. Also, you can -still- stack holds by taking web cocoon, and Spiderlings are a nice little firing squad that you can also use to take alphas if you get invisibility.

Err, that looks confusing. Bullet points!

Mace Mastery for a Dark/Dark Blaster:
-Scorpion shield benefits greatly from -ToHit, effectively raising defense in most situations.
-Web Envelope as a primary immobilize will prevent the knockback from Umbral torrent.
-Stacking Abyssal Gaze with Web Cocoon for holding bosses.
-Spiderlings.
The second Patron that I see working is Soul Mastery, which you themesters are surely considering. Why, you ask? TWO more dark cones to play with for more damage, one being an immobilize, is a sweet deal. Also, you get a nice chunk of resistance from Dark Embrace and a sweet-looking hold for stacking with Abyssal Gaze. MOST IMPORTANTLY, however, is Oppressive Gloom. Its teensy mag 1 stun seems like a joke until you realize that it can stack with the silly-looking mag 2 AoE stun in Darkness Manipulation. In other words, you're able to get your blapper on by walking into a group of enemies who will be suffering from ToHit depravation and a MAG 3 PBAoE STUN! Soul Drain doesn't look scary anymore, does it? If you turn off bosses and run solo, you'll be able to stun almost everything you'll encounter into with that.

Bullets for what a Dark/Dark Blaster would get out of Soul Mastery:
-Additional Negative Energy cones and -ToHit (recharge slotting a priority)
-Combining Oppressive Gloom with Dak Pit for a Mag 3 Stun in melee range
-Resistance from Dark Embrace
-Additional Immobilize that, sadly, doesn't block knockdown for those who loath it.
-Stacking Soul Storm with Abyssal Gaze for holding bosses, or as simply being able to hold two different enemies at once.

My question to you, the person reading this at work, is simple: What have I missed, which would you choose, and do you have any suggestions for alternative APP/Patron selection?

Blasters are indeed amazing, and Archery has a special place in the hearts of many a ranged damage dealer due to Rain of Arrows. Pro tip: Snag Boost Range and hit enemies from so far back that they won't be able to retaliate with their own ranged attacks!

Personally, I enjoyed playing my Sonic/MM/Elec, Fire/MM/Mace , and Dark/Dark/Elec (only lv 37) blasters immensely. I've also recently started up a Beam/Energy Blaster who, at level 17, is already a whole lot fun when it comes to wreaking havoc on enemy HP.

My Sonic/MM/Elec blaster mostly used Siren's Song and ST blasts to cruise or stealth through missions, and chained Psychic Scream, Static Discharge, and Howl into an AoE cone COMBO that would be paused at any minute for a refill on Drain Psyche by MORE application of Siren's Song. It's a solo player's dream blaster.

Fire/MM/Mace would throw Spiderlings into a large group to get their attention, and then use Aim and Concentration before hammering the group with Fire and Psychic Damage. This build works best in or near melee to take advantage of Psychic Shockwave and other powers.

Dark/Dark Blasters are PUNCHY! I find myself constantly blowing enemies into walls with Umbral Torrent, locking them in place with Tenebrous Tendrils, popping off Soul Drain as they begin to STAND, and then eliminate them with powers like Shadow Maul, Smite, and your ranged hits. I find it in melee a good part of the time and finally grabbed the elec APP while leveling simply for the access to another Hold.

Beam/Energy is an extremely simple blaster to play. Disintegration is what makes it worth PLAYING, however. Keeping this toon at max range and laying down a hammer of pain is easy, and Power Thrust keeps single enemies from getting too close. I use hover for mine to keep him above or away from melee. After getting Boost Range, though, I plan on him being a full-on human mobile artillery unit. Hover, boom, hover, boom, and then retire.

"I've got a logo made of goooooooold."

Fell out of my chair.

The answer to any question regarding selection of Defender secondaries is almost always going to be, "Just pick Sonic," for me.

Even if you pick ONLY the T1 power and just throw in a single Accuracy SO, it'll still be a sweet -Res debuff to be used on bosses, EBs, and AVs. If you give the set some love, you'll be able to turn enemy defense into mush when you aren't healing.

Hee. After completing my Ill/Rad build (Nearly identical to Local Man's, with I think maybe one slot placed differently because I don't trust build up Procs on ST attacks) I didn't play another character for WEEKS. I solo'd every EB and AV I could get my hands on, ran piles of TFs, and got all of his Incarnate slots to T3 (two of which are now T4). Walked away from the wreckage with nearly 1200 merits by the time I could put the character down, and it was honestly not even close to helping my recoup my financials after buying everything I needed for that beautiful, horribly expensive build.

On the way to 50? It was pretty-much the same, only slower. The recharge is what makes the character.

My personal favorite Stalker to level was a DM/Nin specifically because it had all the toys to play with. I ran him all the way to 50 on SOs and could still solo EBs/AVs with enough diligence. I picked Soul Mastery for Shadow Meld and never felt the need to look back other than to count the bodies my stalker left in his wake. It also has one of the most incredibly cool AS animations. SKULL WEDGIE!

One of the more overlooked powers for DM is Touch of Fear, in my opinion. Great for debuffing ToHit and blocking attacks. Apply it enough and even an EB will start to cower.

Other great Stalker primaries are KM, Ninja Blade and MA, though this is just a personal list.

I've seen a KM/EA Stalker do incredible things, and it's also quite pretty to look at.

Ill/Rad is a controller ideal for killing strong enemies, tanking enemy mobs, and mild control.

It's sort of like a tanker, a blaster, and a controller all mixed together, and it helps to play to those strengths.

And what do tanks, blasters, and controllers all have in common? Positioning.

That's where the invis comes in.

When you have a tanker, just hop into the mob long enough to get PA on their tails, and then back away to a place where they won't be able to aggro anything on their return trip to you. Phantasm follows you more closely, so let it be your personal tanker and knock enemies away from your position. Throw LR and EF on, toss in some holds and confuses with focus on frustrating enemies, and wittle down minions and Lieutenants while watching your team in case a heal is needed. You can also hop in and use your invisibility as a cover to fire off Flash and EMPulse for some nice lockdown, but be sure to have PA up and actively taking aggro when you do so.

Hover and Ill/Rad are friends. You can float right above a mob out of melee range, and your pets will just look around for something to hit for a couple of seconds and then give up and wait for your lead. Frankly, mine almost never touches his feet to the ground.

If you're looking for an omega controller with mighty damage that can help muscle through the late game, then Plant/Storm or Fire/Kin more be more up your alley. An Ill/Rad troller is sort of its own unique entity, cousin to the more team-friendly Ill/Cold.

Alright, here's how I went about approaching the answer to this question: By asking myself MOAR questions and then deciding my opinion.

-What do you want to BRING to the team? What do you like in a controller?
A: AREA Control, Buffs, Debuffs, Healing, and Damage (last place, but I'd still like it to be there). In other words, a character who can speed things along, keep people standing (within reason, because you can't play their characters for them), and contribute greatly to defeating tough enemies which would otherwise stall the team out.

-What primaries have solid AoE control and damage, along with potential debuffs?
A:
*Earth - a wide variety of AoE control options, lovely defense debuffs, and a tanky pet. Subpar damage. Can't use powers when flying.
*Mind - extremely solid AoE control and decent damage, but it doesn't "lock down" as well as other sets. Some people have stupid crazy hate for confuse, though.
*Fire - Very good damage, solid control, and lots of space to let one focus on their secondary. Pets benefit greatly from secondary buffs.
*Ice - Decent AoE control, low damage, and meh debuffs, along with a decent-ish pet. Can't use some powers on flying enemies.
*Plant - Good damage, excellent AoE control, and can focus on secondary without harming primary. Pet is disappointing. Can't lock down flying enemies as easily.
*Illusion - full lockdown isn't going to happen, slower moving pets mean teams unwilling to wait for you will leave you behind. Perma PA means never having to team again. Arguably best damage short of a Fire/Kin. Awesome stealth.
*Elec - Good lock down powers, awesome secondary effect when slotted for endmod, solid pets that benefit from buffs. Great with recharge IO bonuses and the Musculature alpha for added damage and endmod. Damage isn't the best, but it's there. Knockback will make you furious.
*Gravity - lolololololololololololol But seriously. The lockdown can be decent, and it has high damage for a controller. AWESOME pet, so awesome, in fact, that you don't feel complete until you get it and can let it stack holds all over mobs. Great solo troller, but only a good team choice.

So that cuts out Gravity and Illusion, followed by Earth, Mind, and Ice simply because it's my opinion and they aren't primaries that I love playing all the time. This leaves us with Fire, Plant, and Elec to choose from, with Illusion are a very distinct MAYBE, no matter how much I love my Ill/Rad. We'll come back to that.

-What kind of Secondaries supply buffs, debuffs, healing in some form, and/or additional damage/control? Bonus points for a rez, which people love.
A:
*Cold Domination - Zero heals, but great defense buffs, loads of debuffs, and Sleet for additional damage/control.
*Empathy - Zero debuffs/control/damage, but amazing healing and buffing. Great for a team of competent players, but I always find myself just trying to keep the one idiot on the team from faceplanting constantly. Plus one for rez.
*Force Field - Awesome buffs and great KB control make for a tremendous secondary, but no heals/debuffs. Love this set, and I'm sad not to include it.
*Kinetics - Amazing buffs, some debuffing, a little sapping, built-in travel powers, and a heal with limited use but solid numbers. I love kinetics. The buffs are so wonderful that the limited debuffs aren't a concern, especially for large groups of enemies. Not as amazing on single enemies, but still worth using.
*Radiation - Fills every requirement aside from additional damage, because fallout is hard to use properly. Excellent teaming secondary.
*Sonic - Lacks heals and additional damage, but a team with two /sonic trollers might as well be invincible for all the beautiful resistance buffs/debuffs. One is "merely" good enough to greatly contribute to team survival and kill speed. Unfortunately, no heal.
*Storm Summoning - Great debuffs, a teensy heal with a buff, piles of additional control/damage, and a gigantic difficulty rating. /Storm is a set for people who think outside the box, and in their hands it can be used to wreck just about anything. Linear thinkers will need practic using it. Not for point/clickers. Pair with a primary that locks down KB for additional tactics. Works great with Earth, Plant, and Fire.
*Thermal - Solid heals, buffs, and slightly anemic debuffs along with a rez. This definitely goes on the list as a jack-of-all-trades secondary, but it's so close to a "healer" set that I find myself frustrated with it at times. I prefer it with Masterminds.
*Trick Arrow - Great controller secondary for those who want more control/damage. I love this one, also, but it doesn't go on the list because it doesn't mean the full criteria.

With this, we've knocked out Cold Domination, Empathy, Force Field, Sonic, and Trick Arrow. We have Kinetics, Radiation, Storm Summoning, and Thermal left. This was a brutal culling, and I bet I'll get lots of people disagreeing, especially once I wipe out /Therm on count of me not liking to play it.

So now we've got the following to choose from:
Primaries - Fire, Elec, Plant
Secondaries - Radiation, Storm Summoning, Kinetics
Bonus Primary: Illusion
Bonus Secondary: Cold Domination

Take any of the primaries and mix it with one of the secondaries, with the single exception of Elec/Storm (erroneous KB will destroy your nicely ordered lockdown). After you've made the match and looked at the powers, see if it's something that looks fun. If not, choose again. If so, then roll 'er up! You'll have a team troller that people will love having around.

...And I just realized that this is also mostly the list of the most popular Primaries/secondaries for controllers, minus the power sets that I don't play. >.>

This thread contains a very close approximation of the build I use on my Elec/Ice/Ice Dom. It's honestly a blast to play.

http://boards.cityofheroes.com/showt...50#post3562950

I can't think of anything that's really been changed in the last three years with Broadsword. After it was tweaked into its current monster self, the devs just sort of left it to take its place of glory.

It's a great set, and I'm pretty sure it also has the most unlockable weapon skins (except for a BS/Shield scrapper, in which case you can unlock the SHIELD skins, too), which actually was a lot of fun for me to do on my BS/Fire Scrapper.

It's a solid, survivable character. You'll see yourself standing when lots of other people will fall, and your damage is pretty darn sweet, though not in the realm of Fiery Melee.

I'm a huge fan of my Ice/Stone Tanker. He's got piles of defense, -Dmg debuffs to work like resistance, and plenty of mitigation from /Stone. Also, it's a big aggro magnet with a double tank aura.

In terms of CONTROL, permadom Dominators will probably always take the cake over controllers.

That takes the biggest load off of your mind. You can't out-control them, and most controllers can't out-damage them.

What's left?

SECONDARIES (and Illusion)! Treat your controller like a support character and save the lives of all your team mates. Easy, and EVERYBODY else is running a damage build these days, right?

Also, Elec control does VERY well when paired with /Cold or /Rad.

Fire/Kin controllers are monsters.

Illusion control is one of the most game altering sets out there, and what you can do with Perma PA...

Looks like the person who began this thread didn't realize that Blasters get as much out of IO sets and Incarnate powers as everyone else.

When you see a Ranged softcapped Fire/Fire Blaster hovering above a group of enemies and unleashing a horrifying death inferno without taking so much as a scratch, then you've seen the face of fear.

My friend made her second build JUST for Ranged combat, eschewing the ultimate blapperdom that the Fire secondary allows for in order to launch long-distance pain and suffering (and a pretty easy s/l softcap).

When she uses her s/l Softcapped build, that's when she goes into melee and begins what she calls "Murder Time," and it has earned the capital letters. With Hot Feet, Blazing Aura, Fire Sword Circle, and Burn adding to her Fireball and RoF spamming, Murder Time when Scrappers and Brutes turn around and say, "Don't you think that's a bit excessive?"

Between her two builds, her blaster outlives almost anything. She working on a third build for Trials now in order to get more energy defense, but she says it's hard going.

...Okay screw it. I'm rolling a Fire/Fire blaster. >.>

Why Traps/Dark instead of Traps/Sonic?

As great as traps is, I can't get into it. I love teaming with them, however.

When it comes to a Rad/Sonic, though, I'm on familiar ground. This combo will simply decimate enemy resistance. It's also a highly effective solo character, and one of the best things you can have on your team when AV hunting. I use RI a lot more solo than I do on teams, simply because things don't live long enough to hurt anything when there are others around to do damage.

Howdy! I've currently got a Fire/Shield Scrapper sitting happy at level 38, and it already can solo EBs. I plan on keeping it red side until I can unlock patron pools, and then I might send him elsewhere.

I lack mids (Mac user), and I was wondering if anyone had a build laying around that can Solo AVs and maybe farm?

Having played an earth/earth into the 40's, I think that I can safely say that it's a solid combo. The high resistance and defense to s/l is largely offset by the -def in quicksand and the nice damage level of /earth's attacks.

Here's what an earth/earth Dom is like:
- solid-to-high single target damage
- way above average AoE control
- above average ST control (with Seismic smash)
- melee damage. I typically mez/hold as much as I can from range and then hop into melee. Ranged damage for earth/earth is a joke. If you want that route, go for earth/fire.
- a tank pet. Not many other dominators wade into the thick of things next to their pets like an earth/earth does

Powers I would skip:
- mud pots (low damage and draws aggro, small radius)
- stone cages (the -kb means that it renders earthquake useless)
- hurl (long animation and long recharge without decent damage)

With domination, earthquake, quick sand, stalagmites, and volcanic gasses, I've used my earth/earth dom to hold three separate, large groups of enemies for my team at once. it doesn't kill groups very fast, but good lord can it lock things down and destroy them at leisure.

Play it to level 28 before passing judgment.

I've used two Judgment powers so far: Ion for my Elec/Cold dominator and Pyronic for my SS/Fire brute as well as my Fire/Kin controller. My good friend runs a Brute with Void Judgment that I've seen quite a bit. For brutes and Tankers that can really draw a crowd around them it seems like a really great power. The radius seems larger than Pyronic, which makes up for the lack of range.

For the reasons stated above, I have a real love/hate relationship with Ionic Judgement. Yes, it does very well eliminating more spread-out groups, but you have to be very careful of your initial target. Usually I try and rush ahead a bit when using it so that the long animation can have a head start as the team approaches. Not rushing forward a LOT, granted. Just hopping over as the last couple of minions are being killed and people are getting reoriented.

...Now I want to try Cryonic.

There are two powers on energy blast which bother me when used improperly: the cone and targeted AoE. One of my primary redside characters is an Elec/cold dominator that uses some great patch powers (Static Field, Sleet, Ice Storm) that go a long way towards killing or incapacitating mobs, but Electric control has no way of preventing knock back in the way that Earth, Plant, Ice, and Fire control do. Energy blasters, when done poorly, can wreck that Dominator's control and really slow things down.

The irritating thing is that those two AoE powers don't do much at all in terms of worthwhile damage.