imported_Omniverse

I think some points need to be made in favor of Corruptors to debunk the claim that a Trick Arrow Defender will have comparable damage with better debuffs.

(1) The Corruptor will have better damage against mobs that have not been debuffed. This is especially relevant when using AOEs. Few debuffs can be used so efficiently that no stragglers have managed to avoid them.

(2) The Corruptor will get access to his high damaging attacks (apart from Oil Slick) earlier because they are in his primary power set. This loses relevance after level 40 or so (except when exemped of course), but that's still 40 levels of advantage.

(3) Corruptors share the 500% damage cap of Blasters and Scrappers, putting them 100% ahead of their Defender brethren. This means in situations where damage buffs are approaching the cap (such as when someone uses Fulcrum Shift), Corruptors will come out way ahead.

(4) Scourge actually does make quite a difference, especially if you're using AOEs in a large team setting. It's a rare moment that I throw out an AOE and don't see the word Scourge appear a few times unless the fight JUST started.

(5) This isn't relevant if you are using a primary shared by Corruptors and Defenders (such as Archery), but it is worth noting that the Fire Blast primary is very high damage and only available to Corruptors.


This isn't to make a case that Corruptor > Defender. I've played and enjoyed both, and neither are gimped by any means. This is to make the relatively common sense case that you should roll a Corruptor if you want more focus on damage and a Defender if you want more focus on debuffs and support. As far as which is better on a team, once again that depends on whether your team is more lacking in damage or support, though both bring some of each.

As far as the general claim that resistance debuffs can make damage dealers irrelevant in general, ask yourself this; which team would move faster through a mission, 8 defenders, or 4 defenders and 4 blasters? Resistance debuffs only go so far, and the high damage of other ATs is half of where the usefulness of said debuffs comes from.

Hi,
I was having trouble finding solid information on this by searching the forum so I figured I'd ask.

I notice that Consume in the Fiery Aura secondary takes accuracy enhancements. Is this one of those situations where the accuracy check is only for PVP, or is it also a PVE thing? Is it worth slotting accuracy for a PVE-only toon?

It doesn't contain a build, but I did do a guide to splattrolling that includes slotting suggestions for each power

Splattroller Field Guide

[ QUOTE ]
Good debuffs and some minor control (depends on what you call 'control' ).

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I'm pretty sure that virtually everyone would consider a single target immob, a single target hold and an AOE hold to be control powers. Why the quotation marks?

Does anyone else imagine that their pet, Singy, makes a gentle, pulsing "wub wub wub" sound?

[ QUOTE ]
Maybe only 2) or 5) is needed, Wormhole doesnt need to be aggro free if you can find a corner from which to cast it around. And a range increase woudl help a lot there.

[/ QUOTE ]

I think I agree here. The reason I find myself wanting more range is the fact that it causes aggro for 2 or 3 seconds before the power actually executes, with me helpless the entire time.

First, let me say that I think Gravity Control is a good set. I recently got a Gravity/Trick Arrow controller up to 30 and I think he is an effective and fun toon.

I do think, however, that Gravity is a bit lacking. What's worse, in my opinion, is that fixing it would be so easy and yet, since CoH's inception, as far as I know, nothing has been done to do so.

I would propose the following 2 changes, which would be easy to do, and would significantly improve the powerset:

(1) Make Wormhole available at level 12.
This could be done by putting Dimension Shift at level 26. Every other control set gets a solid AOE control power by level 12, and there's no reason Gravity Control should be an exception. I don't think it could be argued that this would be "game breaking" if giving Plant Control something as awesome as Seeds of Confusion at level 8 isn't.

(2) Have Wormhole trigger aggro after its executed.
One of the most difficult things about using Wormhole effectively is not getting faceplanted while trying to use it. Once again, all of the other control sets have a solid AOE control that does not have this drawback.


Some other minor things that might help the set:

(3) Make Gravity Distortion available at level 1.
This could be done by swapping it with Lift. This would enable someone to skip both Crush and Lift if they so choose. This would also normalize it with the other control sets, which offer an immobilize or a hold at level 1.

(4) Small reductions in power activation time.
Some of this may just be perception, but it seems like it takes longer to activate many of the Gravity Control powers compared to other control sets. Some minor reductions in activation time might be warranted, especially for Propel.

(5) Increase range on Wormhole.
On top of its other drawbacks, Wormhole has a very short range given its function as a teleport power. AOE controls are already limited in how much they can be improved by slotting, and making range slotting almost a necessity only exacerbates this.

Hi everyone,
I've played quite a few toons, and I notice I never really see Gravity controllers except maybe once in a blue moon. I know this is because the early game is a bit rough, since the good soft control powers come late.

I was wondering, if I were to roll a Gravity controller, what secondary synergizes with it the best?

Plant goes great with basically anything. I think it works best if you intend to add some damage, so 6 slot Roots for accuracy, damage, and endurance reduction.

Some examples of synergies:

Trick Arrow - The great thing about this combo is that you can play an "all ranged" controller who flies around with Hover. You get not one but two resistance debuffs, which'll boost the damage potential of Roots.

Storm Summoning - The anti-KB effect of Roots (which you should be spamming for sweet, sweet damage) makes it a lot easier to use Storm's more unusual tools, like Tornado.

Radiation Emission - Seeds of Confusion tends to bunch the mobs up together. This means that your AOE debuffs will hit more targets and function more efficiently.

[ QUOTE ]
You must be on the ground to START the toggle. Once you've got it going, feel free to take off.

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Will it continue to do damage when you're not on the ground? I was under the impression that it does not, in which case flying around with Hot Feet is just pointlessly draining your end.

I've played both a Plant/Rad controller and a Plant/Psi dominator and, on both toons, I have never had anyone complain about confusion.

I can tell you that Plant/Storm would be a solid choice for soloing. If you take Entangle and Roots and slot them for damage, you'll be able to take down mobs pretty quickly. Freezing Rain has a damage resistance debuff, so it'll increase your damage output.

Storm also gives you a stealth power, making it easier to find glowies and such without starting a fight.

I just posted a guide to damage dealing controllers.

The Splattroller Field Guide

[ QUOTE ]
Great guide!

I don't think I enjoyed anything as much as getting my Fire/Storm to 50, and you're not wrong about End issues. +34% Recovery from sets, Numina & Miracle uniques, and three slotted Stamina. I still need blues on some occasions... Oh, but the fun... the fun...

Anyway this has helped me look at my next controller build. Plant/something I think. I have a TA/A and Kin/En defender so it may be Rad for a change of scene.

Thanks!

-H

[/ QUOTE ]

Thanks for the positive feedback.

I'm playing a Plant/Rad right now and it's awesome. Radiation is a great debuffing set, and spamming Roots on big groups of mobs is fun.

A more finalized version is now posted here.

Thanks everyone for the feedback!

I have created a guide for damage dealing controllers.

The Splattroller Field Guide

[5] Power Set Synergies and Strategy

[5.a] Plant Control/Radiation Emission
This is one of the more endurance friendly Splattroller builds due to Accelerate Metabolism and a lack of toggles in the primary. Radiation Infection will help stop damage coming your way, which is good since Roots tends to draw a lot of aggro.

Basic Strategy:
Buff yourself and your team with Accelerate Metabolism if necessary. If you're the one opening the fight, consider using a purple inspiration before starting.
1.Start off by firing Radiation Infection, and queue up Seeds of Confusion while this is animating.
2.Once Seeds of Confusion fires, find a mob and use Enervating Field.
3.At this point, start spamming Roots on the group, using various other control/damage/heal powers while Roots recharges.


[5.b] Fire Control/Radiation Emission
Fire/Rad has been a longtime favorite for good reason, and it's even better for Splattrollers. Radiation Infection makes it much easier to let Hot Feet tick away without taking much return fire, and Enervating Field is a nice damage resistance debuff that helps your Fire Imps go crazy. Accelerate Metabolism will help mitigate Hot Feet's heavy endurance cost.

Basic Strategy:
Buff yourself and your team with Accelerate Metabolism if necessary and make sure your Hot Feet is turned on. If you're the one opening the fight, consider using a purple inspiration before starting.
1.Start off by firing Radiation Infection, and queue up Flashfire while this is animating.
2.Once Flashfire fires, use Fire Cages to lock the mobs in place.
3.Find a mob and use Enervating Field, then run into melee range and let Hot Feet tick away while you keep the mobs locked down.


[5.c] Plant Control/Storm Summoning
At first, it would seem like this would be a bad choice. Roots, which you'll be using a lot, nullifies the knockdown causes by Freezing Rain. It's actually this effect that makes this combo such a good choice; you can use powers like Tornado without worry that the mobs'll be scattered all over the place, and Seeds of Confusion should provide enough damage mitigation that the knockdown from Freezing Rain should be unnecessary.

Basic Strategy:
Make sure Steamy Mist is turned on before doing anything else. If you're the one opening the fight, consider using a purple inspiration before starting.
1.Start with Seeds of Confusion.
2.Use Snow Storm once the mobs are confused.
3.By now the mobs should have clustered together due to the confusion, so use Freezing Rain.
4.At this point, start spamming Roots on the group, using various other control/damage/heal powers while Roots recharges.


[5.d] Fire Control/Storm Summoning
This is a solid choice for a Splattroller but is also, by far, the most endurance heavy build. Honestly, I don't know if there is a more endurance heavy build in the game than a Fire/Storm splattroller. I would highly recommend slotting IO sets for +recovery and saving up your reward merits to get the Miracle +Recovery recipe. Don't skimp on Endurance Reduction in any of your commonly used powers. The good news is that there is great synergy here. In particular, Fire Cages does not prevent knockdown, so your Freezing Rain'll still have the mobs flopping around like fish.

Basic Strategy:
Make sure Steamy Mist and Hot Feet are turned on before doing anything else. If you're the one opening the fight, consider using a purple inspiration before starting.
1.Start with Flashfire and use Fire Cages right after.
2.While running into the group, use Freezing Rain followed by Snow Storm.
3.At this point, use your control powers to keep the mobs locked down while Hot Feet does the rest.


[5.e] Plant Control/Kinetics
This is a very endurance friendly choice due to Transference and the complete absence of toggle powers. Kinetics'll provide good damage and recharge buffs for you to use while you spam Roots all over the place.

Basic Strategy:
Before starting, give your teammates Speed Boost where appropriate. If you're the one opening the fight, consider using a purple inspiration before starting.
1.Start with Seeds of Confusion.
2.While the mobs are clustering, use Siphon Power and Siphon Speed. If it's available, use Fulcrum Shift once the mobs are grouped together.
3.At this point, start spamming Roots on the group, using various other control/buff/heal powers while Roots recharges. Use Transference if your endurance starts to run low.


[5.f] Fire Control/Kinetics
Fire/Kin has been a flavor-of-the-month many times during the history of City of Heroes due to the combination of Fulcrum Shift with Fire Imps. As a Splattroller, you'll already be doing solid damage before you even get your Fire Imps, so this is just icing on the cake. Hot Feet tends to use a lot of endurance, so Transference will be very useful in the 35+ game.

Basic Strategy:
Make sure Hot Feet is turned on before doing anything else. Give your teammates Speed Boost where appropriate. If you're the one opening the fight, consider using a purple inspiration before starting.
1.Begin with Flashfire followed by Fire Cages.
2.Then use Siphon Power and Siphon Speed while you run into the group. If it's available, use Fulcrum Shift.
3.At this point, use your control powers to keep the mobs locked down while Hot Feet does the rest. Use Transference if your endurance starts to run low.


[5.g] Plant Control/Trick Arrow
Probably the best thing about this combination is the low endurance use. Along with Plant/Kin, this is probably the most endurance friendly Splattroller combination, since there are no toggles to speak of. One disadvantage is that Plant gives you no tools for lighting your Oil Slick with.

Basic Strategy:
If you're the one opening the fight, consider using a purple inspiration before starting.
1.Start with Seeds of Confusion. This will bunch up the mobs and make it easier to hit them with your debuffs.
2.Next, cycle through your debuffs. You'll probably want to use Glue Arrow, Acid Arrow, and Disruption Arrow. If it's available, throw down Oil Slick as well.
3.At this point, start spamming Roots on the group, using various other control/debuff powers while Roots recharges.


[5.h] Fire Control/Trick Arrow
This combination has great synergy. The low endurance use of Trick Arrow pairs well with the high endurance use of Hot Feet. Virtually every power in your primary is capable of lighting Oil Slick, which can be very helpful, especially when you're running solo.

Basic Strategy:
Make sure Hot Feet is turned on before doing anything else. If you're the one opening the fight, consider using a purple inspiration before starting.
1.Start the fight with Flashfire followed by Fire Cages.
2.Now run into the group while you cycle through your debuffs. You'll probably want to use Glue Arrow, Acid Arrow, and Disruption Arrow. If it's available, throw down Oil Slick as well.
3.At this point, use your control powers to keep the mobs locked down while Hot Feet does the rest.


[6] Ancillary Pools: A Brief Discussion
By the time you reach level 41, you should already have a solid Splattroller build, capable of dealing some good damage. Your controls/debuffs/buffs/heals should already be slotted to a point where they are functioning at near peak efficiency.

This means that your choice in ancillary pools will not make or break your toon. They also offer very similar power choices. Most of them have at least one single target blast, one AOE attack power, and a toggle shield power. This means its really hard to go wrong with your ancillary pool choice.

If you're going for a certain theme with your toon, by all means, go with the pool that best fits the theme. If you're not, choose the one that you think will provide the most utility to you. Rather than go into detail, I will simply give a brief summary of what each pool has to offer so that you can look over the powers and decide whether that pool is for you.

[6.a] Fire Mastery
This is a great choice if you're after additional damage. Fire Ball is a solid targetted AOE that you will find plenty of use for. This is also a good choice if your build is heavy on endurance, since Consume allows you to restore your endurance by draining it from mobs.

[6.b] Ice Mastery
Ice Mastery will provide you with a solid mix of damage powers and defensive powers. Frost Breath is an underrated AOE; slot for Range enhancement and you'll see why its awesome. Ice Rain is also a great AOE for a controller, since the mobs will frequently be locked down and unable to escape from its wrath. Hibernate is a nice "Oh crap!" power if things get way out of hand.

[6.c] Primal Forces Mastery
Like Fire Mastery, Primal Forces Mastery gives you solid damage and helps you manage endurance. Conserve Power is a decent power for keeping your endurance up. Of special note is Power Boost, which will make most of your holds, buffs, and debuffs more powerful during its duration. It's almost like a mini version of Domination for Controllers.

[6.d] Psionic Mastery
Psionic Mastery is one of the most protection oriented ancillary pools. You get a click buff that boosts your resistance to mez and gives you Psi defense, and this is on top of the standard toggle shield you also get in this pool. The resistance to mez and Psi is probably the best reason to choose this pool.

[6.e] Stone Mastery
This is the only ancillary pool that gives you substantial melee damage, making this a great choice for Fire Splattrollers who are already in melee range anyway. You also get a self heal power, which can be handy if your secondary doesn't have a heal.

[3.c] Kinetics
Kinetics is a great set for boosting your damage but functions a lot differently than the other sets I've mentioned. Rather than debuffing the mobs, you will mostly be buffing yourself and your teammates so that you do more damage. This set is very light on slotting, allowing you to slot your primary more heavily. This is also the only power set I know of that provides decent travel powers, so you might be able to skip travel pools entirely. I would mainly recommend this set for a Splattroller that frequently plays on teams, as its not the best at soloing compared to the others.

Transfusion
Level: 1
Effects: Ranged (Targeted Area of Effect), Foe -Endurance, -Regeneration, Team Heal
Rating: ***
Description: This is a nice heal combined with some excellent debuffs. It heals the players near the mob you used it on, so be sure to inform the team to stay near melee if they want heals. The regeneration debuff is especially useful against late game AVs.
Slotting: I would plan to 6 slot this eventually. Slot for a mix of Accuracy, Heal, and Recharge. You'll want a very high accuracy, probably 1.5 or higher, because you don't want to miss when the team is in bad need of healing.

Siphon Power
Level: 2
Effects: Ranged, Foe -Damage, Team +Damage
Rating: ***
Description: This simple power debuffs a mob's damage output while buffing the damage of you and everyone around you. An excellent power that provides additional power. Definitely do not skip this. The nice thing about this power is that it does stack with itself; if you fire it off while you are still buffed from it, you'll get an additional buff.
Slotting: I would put 2 to 4 slots in this. Put at least one Accuracy SO/IO and then slot for Recharge.

Repel
Level: 4
Effects: Toggle: Self Area of Effect, Foe Knockback
Rating: *
Description: This toggle basically knocks the mobs away from you. This might seem like good mitigation for a ranged damage dealer, but it mainly just causes problems. Skip it.
Slotting: If you take this, slot for Endurance Reduction.

Siphon Speed
Level: 10
Effects: Ranged, Foe -Speed, Self +Speed, +Recharge
Rating: ***
Description: This simple power debuffs a mob's movement speed while buffing your movement speed and recharge rate. This is yet another excellent buff that you should take. More recharge rate means more splattrolling, and the movement speed buff is high enough to essentially make this a travel power.
Slotting: I would put 2 to 4 slots in this. Put at least one Accuracy SO/IO and then slot for Recharge.

Increase Density
Level: 16
Effects: Ranged, Ally Special
Rating: **
Description: This is a decent buff that provides your ally with resistance to smashing and energy damage, as well as various forms of mez. It will also free a teammate from mez if he is currently held, disoriented, or immobilized. A solid team power but not essential for a Splattroller.
Slotting: I would put 3 slots in this. Slot for Damage Resistance. Later on you might want to add an additional slot for Endurance Reduction.

Speed Boost
Level: 20
Effects: Ranged, Ally +Speed, +Recharge, +Recovery, Resist Slow
Rating: ***
Description: This is the only power in this guide I have given 3 stars that does nothing to help with splattrolling. It's because Speed Boost is an amazing buff for your teammates that boosts their movement speed, recharge rate, and endurance recovery. This is the power teams will love you for. You'll also really wish you could use it on yourself for the endurance recovery, but you can't.
Slotting: A single Endurance Modification SO/IO should suffice for this power.

Inertial Reduction
Level: 28
Effects: Point Blank Area of Effect, Allies +Jump
Rating: *
Description: This power is basically like giving you and your team Super Jump for a while. This power can function as a travel power without the need to dip into power pools, if you feel you need to do so. Most of your teammates are going to already have travel powers though, so the buff is mainly for yourself.
Slotting: If you take this, give it 2 slots and fill them with Recharge SOs/IOs. This will make the power “perma”, enabling you to use it as a travel power.

Transference
Level: 35
Effects: Ranged (Targeted Area of Effect), Foe -Endurance, Team +Recovery, Special
Rating: ***
Description: When you use this power on a mob, it drains his endurance while restoring some endurance for anyone near the mob. This is an excellent power for keeping your endurance up during a long fight.
Slotting: I would put 6 slots in this. Slot for a mix of Accuracy, Recharge, and Endurance Modification. You'll want high accuracy, probably 1.5 or above, to avoid situations where this power misses when you're in dire need of endurance.

Fulcrum Shift
Level: 38
Effects: Ranged (Targeted Area of Effect), Foe -Damage, Team +Damage
Rating: ***
Description: This is an incredible power for buffing damage. It'll hit the mob you target and any mobs nearby, reducing their damage output while buffing the damage of anyone near the mobs. The more mobs you manage to hit, the higher the damage buff. Essential for the Splattroller.
Slotting: I would put 6 slots in this. Slot for a combination of Recharge and Accuracy. You want this power to hit as many mobs as possible, so very high accuracy (1.6+) is recommended.


[3.d] Trick Arrow
Trick Arrow is a great debuff set that got some bad press when it was first introduced. Most of the shortcomings have been addressed, and the end result is a control/debuff set that is very light on endurance use. It's also light on slotting, since most of the powers are autohit. This set contains not one but two damage resistance debuffs, along with a really nice damage AOE, making it a solid choice for a Splattroller.

Entangling Arrow
Level: 1
Effects: Ranged Foe: Immobilize, -Recharge, -Fly, Slow
Rating: *
Description: For a controller, this is a pretty weak choice, but you have to take it. Unlike the single target immobilize in your primary, this one does no damage at all. You won't use this often.
Slotting: Go ahead and put one Accuracy SO/IO in here, but don't add additional slots.

Flash Arrow
Level: 2
Effects: Ranged (Targeted Area of Effect) -To Hit, -Perception
Rating: *
Description: This power is an AOE that does a small To Hit debuff and a perception debuff. It can be a handy utility power for stealthing around missions. Consider taking this if your teams frequently draw unwanted aggro from extra groups.
Slotting: If you take this, I would put one Recharge SO/IO in it. There's no point in slotting for anything else, since the To Hit debuff is so small and the power is autohit in PVE.

Glue Arrow
Level: 4
Effects: Ranged (Targeted Area of Effect) -Speed, -Recharge, -Fly
Rating: ***
Description: This is one of your main debuffs, and one that you'll be using often. The recharge debuff provides good damage mitigation, and the fly debuff ensures that any powers that won't work on flying mobs (such as Roots) will still hit.
Slotting: I would put 3 slots in this and slot only for Recharge. This power is autohit so Accuracy is not necessary.

Ice Arrow
Level: 10
Effects: Ranged Foe: Hold, -Speed, -Recharge
Rating: *
Description: Much like Entangling Arrow, this is a weak choice for a controller. Unlike the single target hold in your primary, this one does no damage at all. I'd skip it.
Slotting: If you take this, slot for Accuracy and Hold. I wouldn't slot for Recharge unless you are taking this instead of your primary hold for some reason.

Poison Gas Arrow
Level: 16
Effects: Ranged (Targeted Area of Effect) -Damage, Sleep
Rating: ***
Description: This is an excellent damage debuff, which will help keep you alive while you're splattrolling. The sleep is not reliable and shouldn't be your main focus when using this power. Definitely take this.
Slotting: I would put 3 slots in this and slot only for Recharge. This power is autohit so Accuracy is not necessary.

Acid Arrow
Level: 20
Effects: Ranged (Targeted Area of Effect) Minor Damage over Time(Toxic), -Resistance(All), -Defense
Rating: ***
Description: This is the first of your two damage resistance debuffs. This means you will do more damage. It also debuffs defense, making it easier to hit the mobs. The damage is pretty minor. The area of effect is actually pretty small, so you'll usually only hit 2 to 4 mobs with it, so focus it on bosses. Essential for splattrolling.
Slotting: I would put 4 to 6 slots in this. Focus first on Accuracy and Recharge, and slot for Defense Debuff later if you feel it's necessary.

Disruption Arrow
Level: 28
Effects: Ranged (Location Area of Effect) -Resistance(All)
Rating: ***
Description: This is your second damage resistance debuff, and the area of effect is much larger than Acid Arrow. It's also autohit, making it more reliable. Essential for splattrolling.
Slotting: I would put 3 slots in this and slot only for Recharge. This power is autohit so Accuracy is not necessary.

Oil Slick Arrow
Level: 35
Effects: Ranged (Location Area of Effect) Knockdown, -Speed, -Defense, +Special(Moderate Damage over Time(Fire) while burning)
Rating: ***
Description: This power is awesome. On top of debuffing movement speed and defense and knocking the mobs down, if someone lights the oil slick, it does some really great damage. Essential for splattrolling.
Slotting: You'll want to 6 slot this power. Focus mainly on Damage and Recharge Reduction. You'll want to use it often and you'll want it to hit hard.

EMP Arrow
Level: 38
Effects: Ranged (Targeted Area of Effect) Foe: Hold, -Regen, -Endurance, Special Damage vs Robots; Self: -Recovery
Rating: *
Description: This is an AOE hold, with some extra benefits and some extra problems. It debuffs the mobs on top of the hold, but also leaves you unable to recover endurance for a while. Whether you want to take this, your primary AOE hold, or both, is up to you. This has a longer recharge and a -recovery effect, but it also has a much wider area of effect and some nice debuffs. The base accuracy is also the standard 1.0, which is higher than your primary AOE hold.
Slotting: If you take this, put 6 slots in it. Focus on Accuracy, Hold, and Recharge. I would focus on Recharge since this power has a very long recharge time.


[4] Pool Power Analysis
In this section, I will discuss various pool power sets that may be useful to Splattrollers. Pool power sets that are not especially useful to Splattrollers will not be discussed even if they are still good power pools. The two truly essential pool powers are Stamina and Hasten.

[4.a] Fitness
This is the most essential power pool for Splattrollers. Most builds will at least have moderate endurance use, if not very heavy endurance use, so Stamina is a must.

Swift
Level: 6
Effects: Auto: Self +Speed
Rating: *
Description: This auto power provides a permanent boost to movement speed. This can be useful if you are using Flight to travel around, but otherwise I would skip it.
Slotting: No need to add additional slots to this. Slot one Run Speed or Flight Speed SO/IO.

Hurdle
Level: 6
Effects: Auto: +Jump
Rating: **
Description: This auto power boosts both your jump height and jump speed. Combined with Combat Jumping, you can easily hop around during a battle. Not essential but still highly recommended.
Slotting: No need to add additional slots to this. Slot one Jump SO/IO.

Health
Level: 14
Effects: Auto: Self +Regeneration, Resistance (Sleep)
Rating: **
Description: This auto power boosts your health regeneration and provides a small resistance to sleep powers. This is a better choice than Swift but is not an essential power unless you get your hands on a Miracle +Recovery IO.
Slotting: No need to add additional slots to this. Slot one Health SO/IO. If you can get your hands on a Miracle +Recovery IO, put that in here to give yourself a permanent 15% recovery buff.

Stamina
Level: 20
Effects: Auto: Self +Recovery
Rating: ***
Description: This auto power boosts your endurance recovery. This power is essential and is the primary reason to dip into the Fitness pool.
Slotting: You'll want to put 3 slots into this. Slot for Endurance Modification.


[4.b] Leadership
For more endurance light Splattroller builds, Leadership can provide some excellent buffs to you and your team. Endurance heavy builds, like Fire/Storm, should seriously consider their endurance use before taking these powers.

Maneuvers
Level: 6
Effects: Toggle PBAoE Team +DEF(All)
Rating: *
Description: This toggle buffs you and your team's defense. The buff is so small that it's almost not worth taking this power.
Slotting: If you do take this, just slot one Endurance Reduction SO/IO. Don't bother slotting for Defense.

Assault
Level: 6
Effects: Toggle PBAoE Team +DMG Res(Taunt, Placate)
Rating: ***
Description: This toggle buffs you and your team's damage. Controllers get a solid 15% damage buff from this, which is worth about half an SO, so this is a great choice.
Slotting: You shouldn't need to add extra slots to this. Just slot one Endurance Reduction SO/IO.

Tactics
Level: 14
Effects: Toggle PBAoE Team +ACC Res(Confuse, Fear) +Perception
Rating: ***
Description: This toggle buffs you and your team's accuracy and perception. The accuracy buff is great, and the perception buff is really useful against Arachnos mobs that like to blind you and your team.
Slotting: I would put 4 slots into this. Slot mainly for To Hit Buff with some Endurance Reduction on the side.

Vengeance
Level: 20
Effects: Click Targeted AoE Team +DMG +ACC +DEF(All) Res(Effects)
Rating: **
Description: This is a great power when you get the chance to use it. It has the same problem as Fallout though; you need a teammate to faceplant to use it. I consider it too situational to make it a good choice. This might actually synergize well with Fallout, allowing you to buff your damage before using Fallout.
Slotting: I wouldn't put additional slots into this. Slotting should depend on what buff you want most from this power.


[4.c] Speed
The main reason for a Splattroller to dip into the Speed pool is Hasten. More recharge means more damage.

Flurry
Level: 6
Effects: Moderate Damage (Smashing) Foe Disorient (minor)
Rating: *
Description: A pretty simple melee attack. I wouldn't take this; you should be able to do significantly more damage with your primary powers.
Slotting: If you do take this, slot for Accuracy and Damage. I wouldn't put more than 4 slots into this.

Hasten
Level: 6
Effects: Self +Recharge
Rating: ***
Description: This click buff provides a hefty 70% recharge rate buff. Fully slotted, you can set this power to autofire and have it up about 2/3 of the time. With Accelerate Metabolism or Siphon Speed, it'll be up even more than that.
Slotting: You'll want to 3 slot this power for Recharge Reduction.

Super Speed
Level: 14
Effects: Toggle: Self +Speed (Minor Stealth)
Rating: **
Description: As a travel power, Super Speed is a mixed bag. The raw speed is great, but the lack of vertical mobility is a serious drawback in some zones. The stealth buff can be useful for getting through missions and avoiding aggro when opening a fight.
Slotting: Don't add additional slots to this. Slot for Speed.

Whirlwind
Level: 20
Effects: Toggle: PBAoE, Foe Knockback
Rating: *
Description: One of the least popular pool powers, and with good reason. This tends to scatter the mobs around, which is very bad for a Splattroller. Don't take this.
Slotting: If you take this, don't add additional slots to this. Slot for Endurance Reduction.


[4.d] Leaping
This is a very solid power pool choice. It increases your mobility during battle while providing some decent mez resistance.

Jump Kick
Level: 6
Effects: Melee, Moderate Dmg(Smash), Foe Knockback
Rating: *
Description: A pretty simple melee attack. I wouldn't take this; you should be able to do significantly more damage with your primary powers.
Slotting: If you do take this, slot for Accuracy and Damage. I wouldn't put more than 4 slots into this.

Combat Jumping
Level: 6
Effects: Toggle: Self +Jump, +Def(All), Res(Immobilization)
Rating: ***
Description: This is a really good toggle power. It has an extremely low endurance cost, and combined with Hurdle, will make you very mobile during a battle. It also makes it very difficult for mobs to immobilize you. Finally, you can slot a Knockback Resistance IO into this.
Slotting: No need to add additional slots to this. I would put either a Jump SO/IO or a Knockback Resistance IO into this.

Super Jump
Level: 14
Effects: Toggle: Self Long Jump
Rating: **
Description: This is one of the better travel powers in the game, though there's nothing that makes it better for a splattroller than the other travel powers.
Slotting: No need to add additional slots to this. I would put a Jump SO/IO into this.

Acrobatics
Level: 20
Effects: Toggle: Self +Res(Knockback, Hold)
Rating: **
Description: This toggle provides really good knockback resistance. The hold resistance is nice but often not enough to stop you from being held. Consider skipping this if you can get a Knockback Resistance IO, although this power does have higher knockback resistance than the IO.
Slotting: No need to add additional slots to this. I would put one Endurance Reduction SO/IO into this.


[4.e] Flight
The utility of Flight as a Splattroller is entirely dependent on your playstyle. A more ranged Splattroller, like Plant/Trick Arrow, may find it very useful. Melee oriented Splattrollers might enjoy the additional melee damage that Air Superiority has to offer.

Hover
Level: 6
Effects: Toggle: Self Fly, +DEF(All)
Rating: **
Description: A slow, endurance light flight power that lets you fly around during battle. This can be very handy but only for ranged Splattrollers like Plant/Trick Arrow.
Slotting: You'll want 3 slots in this power. Slot for Flight Speed to increase your mobility during battle.

Air Superiority
Level: 6
Effects: Melee, Moderate DMG(Smash), Foe Knockdown -Fly
Rating: **
Description: This is probably the best attack power available in the power pools. The knockdown provides some minor damage mitigation. You probably won't need this to do solid damage, but if you want a melee attack power, this is the one to take.
Slotting: Slot for Accuracy and Damage. I wouldn't put more than 4 slots into this.

Fly
Level: 14
Effects: Toggle: Self Fly
Rating: **
Description: This is a good travel power but a little slow. Nothing about it is especially good or bad for Splattrollers except for the fact that you might have to put additional slots into it.
Slotting: I would at least have 2 slots in this. Slot for Flight Speed.

Group Fly
Level: 20
Effects: Toggle: Team Fly, -ACC
Rating: *
Description: This power gives your team the ability to fly around. And by ability I mean they will fly and have no way to turn the flight off. This power is more annoying than anything. Don't take it.
Slotting: If you do take it, slot for Flight Speed. Don't put additional slots into this.

The Splattroller Field Guide

[*] Table of Contents
1. The Basics
--(a) What is a Splattroller?
--(b) Why does Splattrolling work?
--(c) What makes a good Splattroller primary?
--(d) What makes a good Splattroller secondary?
--(e) About this guide

2. Primary Power Set Analysis
--(a) Plant Control
--(b) Fire Control

3. Secondary Power Set Analysis
--(a) Radiation Emission
--(b) Storm Summoning
--(c) Kinetics
--(d) Trick Arrow

4. Pool Power Analysis
--(a) Fitness
--(b) Leadership
--(c) Speed
--(d) Leaping
--(e) Flight

5. Power Set Synergies and Strategy
--(a) Plant Control/Radiation Emission
--(b) Fire Control/Radiation Emission
--(c) Plant Control/Storm Summoning
--(d) Fire Control/Storm Summoning
--(e) Plant Control/Kinetics
--(f) Fire Control/Kinetics
--(g) Plant Control/Trick Arrow
--(h) Fire Control/Trick Arrow

6. Ancillary Pools
--(a) Fire Mastery
--(b) Ice Mastery
--(c) Primal Forces Mastery
--(d) Psionic Mastery
--(e) Stone Mastery


[1] The Basics

[1.a] What is a Splattroller?
Splattrollers are part of a long standing tradition of playing ATs differently than originally intended, much like Blappers and Offenders. A Splattroller is essentially a damage-dealing controller that still brings significant control and benefits to the party. The playstyle often involves being in melee range and focusing on pumping out damage once controls and debuffs are in place. Blasters and Dominators may find a Splattroller especially fun since they play very similar, in that you tend to draw aggro due to your damage output while having little direct defense or resistance to protect you.

[1.b] Why does Splattrolling work?
The main reason is Containment, which increases the damage you deal to mobs that are under the effect of control powers. Since most of the mobs you encounter will be under the effect of control powers, since you are a Controller, this basically means a damage buff to almost every mob you attack.

The second reason is that several Controller secondaries have resistance debuff and damage buffing powers, which also help to increase damage output.

[1.c] What makes a good Splattroller primary?
The main thing to look for in your primary, when building your Splattroller, is AOE damage. Primaries like Ice and Earth, while excellent at controlling, simply do not have the damage output needed to play a Splattroller. The two primaries I will focus on in this guide are Fire and Plant, but it is possible that other primaries might make effective Splattrollers.

[1.d] What makes a good Splattroller secondary?
As a Splattroller, your secondary should contain powers that enhance your damage output. This is done through resistance debuffing and damage buffing. There are many secondaries that, while being great secondaries, simply will not work for Splattrolling, such as Force Fields and Empathy. The four secondaries I will focus on in this guide are Radiation, Storm, Kinetics, and Trick Arrow.

[1.e] About this guide
This guide, and indeed this playstyle, might not exist if not for the wonderful work of Enantiodromos. I strongly recommend that everyone interested in Splattrolling read his guides on Fire/Storm and Plant/Rad splattrolling.

I will use a simple rating system for each power. Please keep in mind that the rating is for Splattrollers specifically; it's possible that a power that would be essential for a normal Controller will only have 1 or 2 stars.
3 stars means that the power is essential for a Splattroller and simply should not be skipped.
2 stars means it is a great power but not essential.
1 star means it is a situational power that can be easily skipped.

Rather than discussing which enhancements to slot into each power, I will simply discuss what aspects of the power you should focus on enhancing, and let you decide what IOs/SOs you want to slot. This is mainly because of the huge number of IO combinations that might work well, and the fact that different combinations of Primary/Secondary might affect what you want to slot.


[2] Primary Power Set Analysis

[2.a] Plant Control
For a normal controller, Plant will seem like a rather mediocre control set with one amazing power in Seeds of Confusion. Things are a bit different for a Splattroller though.
The main thing that makes Plant a great set for Splattrollers is Roots. Maligned by controllers for the aggro it draws, Roots actually does significantly higher damage than the AOE immobilizes in other control sets. This, combined with its very fast recharge time and huge area of effect, makes spamming Roots a great way to deal damage.

Entangle
Level: 1
Effects: Ranged, Moderate Damage over Time(Smashing, Lethal), Foe: Immobilize
Rating: **
Description: This is a single target immobilize. It has decent damage and a pretty fast recharge, making this a good choice for spamming single target damage early in your Splattrolling career. It does have one annoying drawback; you can only target mobs that are on the ground.
Slotting: I recommend 4 to 5 slots for this power. Slot for a mix of Accuracy, Damage, and Endurance Reduction. You'll want Accuracy to be at least 1.3 and Damage to be buffed by at least 80%.

Strangler
Level: 1
Effects: Ranged, Moderate Damage over Time(Smashing), Foe: Hold
Rating: **
Description: Considered an essential power for normal control builds, this is decent but not required power for the Splattroller. It does similar damage to Entangle, but has a longer recharge and animation time. Seeds of Confusion provides such good control at level 8 that you can get by without ever taking this power.
Slotting: I recommend 3 to 4 slots for this power. If you took Entangle, I would slot this like a normal control power and focus on Accuracy, Hold, and Endurance Reduction. If you skipped Entangle, slot for Damage instead of Hold. You'll want Accuracy to be at least 1.3, which should be really easy with this power's above average accuracy.

Roots
Level: 2
Effects: Ranged (Targeted Area of Effect), Minor Damage over Time(Smashing, Lethal), Foe: Immobilize
Rating: ***
Description: Many normal control builds skip this power entirely because of the aggro it draws. Roots actually does significantly higher damage than the AOE immobilizes in other control sets and has a very fast recharge and large area of effect, making this your bread-and-butter damage power. It does have one annoying drawback; you can only target mobs that are on the ground.
Slotting: I recommend that you 6 slot this baby. Slot for a mix of Accuracy, Damage, and Endurance Reduction. You'll be spamming this power a lot, so definitely do not neglect Endurance Reduction. You'll want Accuracy to be at least 1.4 and Damage to be buffed by at least 90%. Later on, if you can spare a slot, you might consider placing a damage proc IO in here to increase your damage output even more.

Spore Burst
Level: 6
Effects: Ranged (Targeted Area of Effect), Foe Sleep
Rating: *
Description: This is a simple AOE sleep power. Sleep powers have limited use since a sleeping mob is awakened once attacked, and since you'll be tossing Roots around, its unlikely that any mobs are going to remain asleep. Could potentially be useful for soloing, but you might as well just use Seeds of Confusion instead. Skip this.
Slotting: If you do take this, slot for Accuracy and Sleep Duration.

Seeds of Confusion
Level: 8
Effects: Ranged (Cone), Foe: Confuse
Rating: ***
Description: This is an AOE cone that confuses every target it hits. Confused mobs attack each other instead of you, so this amounts to total damage mitigation. Take this without question, and don't worry; it won't reduce the amount of XP you get over time.
Slotting: Put 6 slots into this power without question. Slot for a mix of Accuracy, Confusion, Recharge, and Endurance Reduction. Try to boost Recharge above 90%. I recommend at least 1.5 accuracy to avoid situations where you get spanked by mobs that you miss when you open up a fight.

Spirit Tree
Level: 12
Effects: Place Tree: Point Blank Area of Effect Heal
Rating: *
Description: You place a tree on the ground that increases the regen rate of anyone standing near it. Once you place the tree, it cannot be moved. This power is not that great, especially if you take the Radiation secondary and actually have a good AOE heal. Skip this.
Slotting: If you do take it, slot for a mix of Healing and Recharge Reduction.

Vines
Level: 18
Effects: Ranged (Targeted Area of Effect), Foe: Hold
Rating: **
Description: This is a ranged AOE hold power. Unlike many of the other AOE holds, this one isn't a PBAOE so you can use it at range. This is a solid control power but not essential; I'd save it for later on in your build. I took it at level 35.
Slotting: If you take this, put 6 slots in it. Focus on Accuracy, Hold, and Recharge. You might have to slot heavy to get decent accuracy out of it; you'll want an accuracy of at least 1.4 to make this power consistently useful.

Carrion Creepers
Level: 26
Effects: Summon Creepers, Ranged (Location Area of Effect), Foe: -Speed, -Fly, -Jump
Rating: ***
Description: Describing this power is a challenge. Basically, you lay down a patch of grassy..stuff that slows mobs. Vines also rise out of the ground and attack the mobs and knock them down. Somewhere among this mess, mobs get immobilized too. Trust me, it's awesome.
Slotting: Slotting this power is a hot topic. It appears that slotting for Damage and Accuracy isn't very useful, so I would just slot 3 Recharge SOs/IOs in this.

Fly Trap
Level: 32
Effects: Summon Fly Trap: Ranged Control Special
Rating: ***
Description: This is your pet. It summons a giant fly trap monster. This is mainly a ranged damage pet, though he does sometimes use a melee attack or two. Extra damage is always good, and he looks awesome, so definitely take this.
Slotting: I would put 4 slots in this. Focus on Accuracy and Damage. Using various IOs, you should be able to get his accuracy around 1.6 while boosting Damage by over 90% in just 4 slots. Otherwise, just slot 1 Accuracy SO/IO and 3 Damage SOs/IOs.


[2.b] Fire Control
Fire splattrolling plays completely different from Plant splattrolling. Hot Feet is the defining power of the set from a Splattroller's perspective. Most of your damage is going to come from Hot Feet, so much of what you will be doing is keeping the mobs controlled and debuffed while Hot Feet ticks away.

Ring of Fire
Level: 1
Effects: Ranged, Moderate DoT(Fire), Foe Immobilize
Rating: *
Description: This is a typical single target immobilize. I would take Char over this in a heartbeat.
Slotting: If you do take it, slot for Accuracy and Damage.

Char
Level: 1
Effects: Ranged, Moderate DoT(Fire), Foe Hold
Rating: **
Description: This is a typical single target hold. While not an essential power for splattrolling, I do think it is a better choice than Ring of Fire.
Slotting: I would put 4 to 5 slots in this eventually, though I wouldn't prioritize this over other, more important powers early on. Slot for a mix of Accuracy, Recharge, and Hold. You'll want an accuracy of at least 1.3 in this.

Fire Cages
Level: 2
Effects: Ranged (Targeted AoE), Minot DoT(Fire), Foe Immobilize
Rating: ***
Description: This is a decent AOE immobilize that does some damage to boot. The nice thing about Fire Cages is that it does not prevent mobs from being knocked down from powers like Oil Slick and Freezing Rain. Definitely take this, as this will keep the mobs in place while you have Hot Feet hitting them, and it will enable Containment to buff your damage.
Slotting: I would put 5 to 6 slots in this. Focus on Accuracy, Endurance Reduction, and Recharge. You'll want an accuracy of at least 1.3 in this, and Endurance Reduction is very important since you'll be using this power several times during a fight.

Smoke
Level: 6
Effects: Targeted AoE, -To Hit, -Perception
Rating: *
Description: This power is an AOE that does a small To Hit debuff and a perception debuff. It can be a handy utility power for stealthing around missions. Consider taking this if your teams frequently draw unwanted aggro from extra groups.
Slotting: If you take this, I would put one Recharge SO/IO in it. There's no point in slotting for anything else, since the To Hit debuff is so small and the power is autohit in PVE.

Hot Feet
Level: 8
Effects: Toggle, PBAoE, Minor Damage (Fire), Foe Slow
Rating: ***
Description: This is a toggle power that constantly does damage to every mob around you. This is your primary source of damage as a Fire splattroller, so don't skip this. Once you have the mobs controlled, you'll jump into the group and just let this slowly defeat them all.
Slotting: 6 slot this power for Damage and Endurance Reduction. Don't skimp on the latter; this power is an absolute endurance hog.

Flashfire
Level: 12
Effects: Targeted AoE, Minor Damage (Fire), Foe Disorient
Rating: ***
Description: This is a great soft control AOE. Stunned mobs wander around aimlessly, unable to attack. This amounts to total damage mitigation. Since you'll be using Fire Cages often, the mobs usually won't be able to wander around much either.
Slotting: 6 slot this power for a mix of Accuracy, Stun, and Recharge. You'll want to make sure you have an accuracy of at least 1.4, but higher is even better,

Cinders
Level: 18
Effects: PBAoE, Foe Hold
Rating: **
Description: This is your typical AOE hold power. You have to be in melee range, since this is a PBAOE, but you'll be there anyway when you're using Hot Feet. This is not essential but is a solid control power.
Slotting: If you take this, put 6 slots in it. Focus on Accuracy, Hold, and Recharge. You might have to slot heavy to get decent accuracy out of it; you'll want an accuracy of at least 1.4 to make this power consistently useful.

Bonfire
Level: 26
Effects: Targeted Location, Knockback
Rating: *
Description: This creates a wall of fire that knocks mobs back when they walk into it. This power is extremely situational and difficult to use well. You have plenty of control with Flashfire and Cinders, so I would not take this unless you just can't find anything else useful to take.
Slotting: If you do decide to take this, I would only slot this for Recharge. The number of slots is up to you; I personally wouldn't put any extra slots into it.

Fire Imps
Level: 32
Effects: Summon Fire Imps
Rating: ***
Description: This power summons three Fire Imps to do your bidding. Actually, they just tend to melee attack things until they are defeated, which is exactly what you want. Probably the highest damage of all the Controller pets, which is perfect for a Splattroller.
Slotting: I would put 4 slots in this. Focus on Accuracy and Damage. Using various IOs, you should be able to get accuracy around 1.6 while boosting Damage by over 90% in just 4 slots. Otherwise, just slot 1 Accuracy SO/IO and 3 Damage SOs/IOs.


[3] Secondary Power Set Analysis

[3.a] Radiation Emission
Radiation Emission is mainly a debuffing set, with one really nice buff and a good heal, as well as a couple of extra control options. It's primarily the two toggle debuffs, Radiation Infection and Enervating Field, that make this set great for splattrolling.

Radiant Aura
Level: 1
Effects: PBAoE Heal
Rating: ***
Description: A rather good AOE heal that hits you and everyone around you. You have to take this power, and it's a solid power that you're going to want. It never hurts to have a heal when you get into a bind. Just don't disrespect the honored tradition of splattrolling and advertise yourself as a “healer” when looking for a team.
Slotting: I would put 3 to 4 slots into this. Focus on a combination of Healing and Endurance Reduction.

Radiation Infection
Level: 2
Effects: Toggle: Ranged (Targeted Area of Effect), Foe: -To Hit, -Def
Rating: ***
Description: This is an essential power. While the toggle is on, the mob you targeted, and all the mobs around him, will have their To Hit and Defense debuffed. This means that they'll hit you less often and you'll hit them more often.
Slotting: I would put 4 slots in this, though this power is great even with one slot. Focus mainly on To Hit Debuff with some Endurance Reduction on the side.

Accelerate Metabolism
Level: 4
Effects: PBAoE, +Dmg, +Recovery, +Speed, +Recharge, +Res Mez
Rating: ***
Description: This is a fantastic buff that teams will love you for. It seems to buff almost everything: damage, endurance recovery, movement speed, recharge rate, and mez resistance. Combined with Hasten, your recharge rates will be ridiculous. This power is an absolute must.
Slotting: You'll want to put 5 to 6 slots in this. Focus first on maximizing Recharge, and then add some Endurance Recovery.

Enervating Field
Level: 10
Effects: Toggle: Ranged (Targeted Area of Effect), Foe: -Dam, -Res
Rating: ***
Description: This is an essential power. While the toggle is on, the mob you targeted, and all the mobs around him, will have their Damage and Damage Resistance debuffed. This means that they'll hit you for less damage and you'll hit them for more.
Slotting: I would put 2-3 slots in this. All slots should be filled with Endurance Reduction, since this power is an endurance hog.

Mutation
Level: 16
Effects: Ally Resurrect, Ally +Recharge, +Recovery, +Dam, +To Hit
Rating: **
Description: You use this power to resurrect your teammates. It also gives some nice buffs to help them stay alive. This is a very good and very useful power, but not necessary for splattrolling.
Slotting: I would put one Recharge slot in this and nothing more. If you really find that your teammates are faceplanting so much that the recharge time is an issue, you're not doing your job right.

Lingering Radiation
Level: 20
Effects: Enemy targeted AoE, -Regen, -Recharge, -Speed
Rating: **
Description: Unlike your other AOE debuffs, this one isn't a toggle, and it debuffs regeneration, recharge rate, and movement speed. This is a really good power, and the regeneration debuff will come in handy later against high level AVs. Not essential to splattrolling but you're probably going to want to take this before you hit level 40.
Slotting: One Accuracy SO/IO should be sufficient at first. Later on, consider adding 1 or 2 slots for Recharge.

Choking Cloud
Level: 28
Effects: Toggle, PBAoE, Pulsing Foe Hold
Rating: *
Description: This is a toggle PBAOE that holds mobs that are near you. Most of the time, it's only going to affect minions. Honestly, this isn't very useful when you consider all of your other control options, and the endurance cost doesn't help matters.
Slotting: If you do take this, slot for Hold and Endurance Reduction. 4 slots or so should suffice.

Fallout
Level: 35
Effects: Ally corpse targeted, AoE extreme damage
Rating: *
Description: This power is awesome when you get the chance to use it. Unfortunately, you can only use it if someone faceplants, and even then, it has to be the kind of situation where an AOE coming from their corpse will hit a lot of targets. In my opinion, this is too situational to be a reliable source of damage and should be skipped.
Slotting: I would put 4 slots into this. You'll want to slot for a mix of Accuracy and Damage, focusing mainly on Damage. Don't bother slotting for Recharge or Endurance Reduction; you won't get to use it often enough for these to matter.

EM Pulse
Level: 38
Effects: PBAoE Foe Hold -Regen, End Drain, Self -Recovery
Rating: *
Description: This is an AOE hold, with some extra benefits and some extra problems. It debuffs the mobs on top of the hold, but also leaves you unable to recover endurance for a while. Whether you want to take this, your primary AOE hold, or both, is up to you. This has a longer recharge and a -recovery effect, but it also has a much wider area of effect and some nice debuffs. The base accuracy is also the standard 1.0, which is higher than your primary AOE hold.
Slotting: If you take this, put 6 slots in it. Focus on Accuracy, Hold, and Recharge. I would focus on Recharge since this power has a very long recharge time.


[3.b] Storm Summoning
Storm Summoning provides a combination of debuffs, controls, buffs and extra damage. Many of the powers are toggles, and Storm Summoning has no endurance recovery buffs, so expect to slot heavily for Endurance Reduction in your primary. This is a great choice for a Splattroller.

Gale
Level: 1
Effects: Ranged (Cone), Minor Damage (Smash), Foe Knockback
Rating: *
Description: This cone AOE basically blows the mobs back with a gust of wind, knocking them down. This is not a great power, but it is one you have to take. It can sometimes come in handy for positioning mobs against a wall so that they are all bunched up.
Slotting: I would leave this at one slot and put an Accuracy SO/IO in there. If you find yourself using it often, consider adding a second Accuracy SO/IO.

O2 Boost
Level: 2
Effects: Ally Heal, Ally +Resistance (Disorient, Sleep, Endurance Drain)
Rating: *
Description: This is a pretty typical single target heal that also provides some mez resistance. This is a decent single target heal but doesn't really do anything to help you with splattrolling.
Slotting: If you do take this, slot for a mix of Heal and Endurance Reduction.

Snow Storm
Level: 4
Effects: Toggle: Ranged (Targeted Area of Effect), Foe: -Speed -Recharge -Fly
Rating: ***
Description: This is a toggle debuff that reduces the movement speed, recharge rate, and flying ability of any mobs around the one you targeted. This provides solid damage mitigation and helps keep the mobs in one place.
Slotting: This is one of those powers that is great with just one slot. I would slot this for Endurance Reduction.

Steamy Mist
Level: 10
Effects: Toggle: Point Blank Area of Effect, Team Stealth, +Defense(All), +Resistance(Fire, Cold, Energy, Confuse)
Rating: ***
Description: This toggle PBAOE stealths you and everyone near you, and also provides a small defense buff and a decent resistance buff to fire, cold, and energy damage. To top it all off, it also provides confuse resistance. This is an awesome power, both for the stealth and the damage mitigation, so definitely take it.
Slotting: I would try to put 4 slots in this. Slot for a mix of Endurance Reduction and Damage Resistance. The defense buff is so piddly that it's not worth slotting for.

Freezing Rain
Level: 16
Effects: Ranged (Location Area of Effect), Minor Damage over Time(Cold), Foe -Speed, -Recharge, -Defense, -Resistance, Knockdown
Rating: ***
Description: This power is essential. Once you select a location to fire this power, it causes freezing rain to fall from the sky. The rain reduces the movement speed, recharge rate, defense, and damage resistance of the mobs that it hits. It also does small amounts of damage and knocks the mobs down, making it hard for them to fight back. This is excellent damage mitigation and the damage resistance debuff means you'll be doing more damage. Take this!
Slotting: I would put 3 to 4 slots into this. Focus on Recharge, and use the 4th slot for Endurance Reduction.

Hurricane
Level: 20
Effects: Toggle: Point Blank Area of Effect, Foe: -Range, -To Hit, Repel, Knockback
Rating: **
Description: This is one of those Storm powers that is very difficult to use well. You form a big circle of bad weather around you that debuffs the range and To Hit of the mobs, but also knocks them back. This can either be a great way to keep mobs cornered or a way to pointlessly scatter them all over the place. Consider your playstyle when you decide to take this; if you rely on Hot Feet to do damage, for example, this power might not be a good choice since you'll be knocking the mobs away.
Slotting: This power is very effective with just one slot but can benefit from more. I would focus mainly on To Hit Debuff and maybe Endurance Reduction.

Thunder Clap
Level: 28
Effects: PBAoE Foe Disorient
Rating: *
Description: This is a straight up soft control power. It is a minion-level disorient that affects all of the mobs around you. I would only really recommend it if you're using Fire as your secondary, so that you can stack it with Flashfire to disorient bosses.
Slotting: I would put 3 to 6 slots into this. Slot for a mix of Accuracy, Disorient, and Recharge. You'll want an accuracy of at least 1.4.

Tornado
Level: 35
Effects: Summon Tornado: Ranged Targeted Area of Effect Minor Damage (Smash), Foe: Knockback, Fear, Disorient
Rating: **
Description: This is another one of those Storm powers that is very difficult to use well. It can either be great fun or total chaos. Basically, it spawns a tornado that moves around, dealing damage while fearing, disorienting, and knocking back mobs. If you take this, I would use it after you've already laid down some immobilize to keep it from scattering the mobs.
Slotting: I would put 4 slots in this. Focus on Accuracy and Damage. You'll want an accuracy of at least 1.4.

Lightning Storm
Level: 38
Effects: Create Storm: Ranged, High Damage(Energy), Foe: -Endurance
Rating: ***
Description: This power does really nice damage. It basically summons a lightning storm that hovers over the mobs and hits them with lightning, doing damage and draining endurance. Definitely do not skip this.
Slotting: I would put 3 to 5 slots in this. Slot mainly for Damage, and then add Recharge once the damage is maxed out.

[ QUOTE ]
My Fire/Rad Nuclear Flareup is fast approaching the 40s and I am starting to rethink his Ancillary Pool. I was orginally just going to go with Fire, but am starting to warm up to Ice, sort of a nuclear winter. I figured the slows in ice would compliment Hotfeet and Lingering Radiation.

I thought I'd take Frost Breath, Ice Storm and Hibernate and I can't decide whether to take the armor or not. If I didn't I'd probably grab Ice Blast for some ST damage. Would it be a mistake to leave the armor behind?

Or, as origanlly intended, should I just stick with Fire?

Any thoughts, feedback, opinions and the like welcomed. Thanks!

[/ QUOTE ]

I think any of the pools would work great. If you use Hot Feet often, consider Stone Mastery. The additional melee damage might have more utility for you since you'll be in melee range anyway.

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Smoke and Flash Arrow are extremely useful for parsing dense enemy spawns. They are essential for avoiding over-aggro, especially when using Imps. They can make the dreaded "Rooms of Death" much easier to manage.

True, the -ToHit is negligible, but the -perception has saved my butt more times that I'll ever know. Both require the user to really manage the room, and look ahead to the next mob, which can be hard when you're neck deep in this mob.

Another handy feature- I can get closer and have a precious second or two more to cast Radiation Infection on a mob.

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I've taken both powers at various points and found them handy but not essential. I've updated the guide to be a little more upbeat about them, but I still consider them situational.

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Lingering Radiation:
Slotting: One recharge SO/IO should be sufficient for this power. Extra slots aren't really necessary.

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Unlike the rad toggles, Lingering Radiation isn't auto-hit, so you'll want to slot for Acc in most cases, and the recharge (90 seconds) is sufficiently long compared to the effect duration (30 seconds) that you'll probably want to slot more heavily for recharge to get max effectiveness out of it.

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I even slotted an Accuracy in there. I must've had a brainfart when I was typing the guide up. I've updated this info.

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EM Pulse:
Description: This is an AOE hold, with some extra benefits and some extra problems. It debuffs the mobs on top of the hold, but also drains your endurance and leaves you unable to recover endurance for a while.

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Unlike Blaster/Defender nukes, EM Pulse doesn't drain your endurance - it just has a fairly high base end cost (20.8) and a -recovery debuff after you fire it. In exchange, you cover a huge area (double the radius of the PBAoE holds in Ice, Illusion and Fire, triple that of the ranged holds in Plant, Grav, and Mind) with a Mag 3 hold for (slotted for hold duration) up to a minute, plus hits enemies with a 40% end drain and a -recovery debuff. I'd skip the AoE hold in my primary before I'd skip this, honestly.

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These are good points and I've updated the guide accordingly.

This is exactly the kind of feedback I wanted. Thanks!

A more finalized version is now posted here.

Thanks everyone for the feedback!

A more finalized version is now posted here.

Thanks everyone for the feedback!

First, Enantiodromos, let me say that this is a fantastic guide and that I am having a blast with my Plant/Rad splatroller (just like I did with my Fire/Storm splatroller).

I just had a few questions:

(1) I notice that you said that Recharge and End Redux are the only things that make sense for creepers at this point. Should I consider the slots at 29 to be "free slots" now?

(2) You suggested taking Swift if the player goes with any travel power other than Super Speed. I took Hurdle because I find that Hurdle + Combat Jumping is great for moving around in the middle of a battle.

Do you think Swift would be a better choice, and if so why?

(3) I intend to take Strangler at 28 (I respecced into splatrolling at 27 to go along with buying IOs) because of teleporting enemies. The first two missions I did after the respec were against Sky Raiders and Tsoo, and even a confused Porter/Sorcerer is annoying when it runs away by teleporting.

I was thinking of taking the slots at 29 and putting them into Strangler, and slotting it with Acc/Hold, Hold, Hold. I know the power has high accuracy to start, and Hasten/AM will probably boost recharge enough to not worry about that. Do you think this would be good slotting to leave the power at?

(4) This isn't really a question so much as a note/suggestion. Players that take Combat Jumping/Super Jump can slot a +Stealth IO into Combat Jumping. This basically gives you the advantage of taking Super Speed without having to use a travel power that has no vertical movement.