magicj

*/Force Field- Level 28

Powers used:
Repulsion Field

Line In The Sand Strategy:
1) Stand near a door or other small area that has baddies on one side and your team on the other.
2) Activate Repulsion Field to prevent baddies from entering the area where your team is.

This strategy is useful while soloing.

This strategy uses Repulsion Field to draw a "line in the sand" between your team and the baddies. This gives your team a safe area from which to attack or rest.

The strategy works best near a door, such as those found in the sewers.

A great guide Enantiodromos. It's an excellent and detailed overview of the powers. Very well done.

Mind Control/Force Field - Level 18, Level 26 (Optional), Level 32 (Optional)

Powers used:
Before Power Leveling starts: Deflection Shield (Optional), Insulation Shield (Optional)
After the herd has been gathered: One or more of Total Domination and/or Terrify and/or Mass Confuse. Dispersion Bubble (optional).

Power Leveling Strategy:
1) Cast Deflection Shield and Insulation Shield on the team's Tank (optional). Raise Dispersion Bubble (optional).
2) Tank herds large number of baddies to a pre-defined location.
3) When the Tank gives signal, lock down baddies with one or more of Total Domination, Terrify, or Mass Confuse.
4) Team defeats locked down baddies.

This strategy can be used while soloing (honest).

Power Leveling is a term that refers to a high level character using his skills to rapidly advance a much lower level character. Power Leveling is generally frowned upon by serious players. However, the underlying strategy used is sound and extremely useful during serious play.

Using this strategy, the Tank will herd large numbers of baddies into a corner. Once he has them where he wants them, he'll let the rest of the team know. The second step is for the Mind Controller to lock down the baddies using Total Domination, Terrify, or Mass Confusion. The third step is to let Scrappers and Blasters defeat the locked down baddies. A player with healing skills is present to heal as needed.

The Mind/Force Field Controller gives bubbles to the Tank before he herds to allow him to grab larger herds. Once the herd is in place, the Mind/Force Field Controller locks down the mob.

The XP gained from this strategy is impressive and missions are cleared at a very fast rate.

Mass Confussion should only be used to lock down a group when the Tank has herded more than can be handled by the group. Specifically, unless the Tank indicates he can't hold all the baddies, don't use Mass Confussion to lock down the baddies when you're on a team.

In solo situations, the MC can use the Herd strategy posted previously to gather and lock down a large group of baddies by himself. In these situations it's ok to use Mass Confussion to lock down the baddies if that's what you want to do.

Mind Control/Force Field - Level 8, Level 18 (Optional), Level 20 (Optional), Level 26 (Optional), Level 32 (Optional)

Powers used:
For herding: Personal Force Field
For lockdown: One or more of Mass Hypnosis and/or Total Domination and/or Terrify and/or Mass Confuse. Dispersion Bubble (optional).

Herd Strategy:
Part I, The Herd.
1) Examine mission layout. Find a corner that has no mobs and is not in the line of sight of mobs. If you are on a team, let them know where the herding location is. Also ensure they stay far enough away from it so as not to draw aggro.
2) Raise Personal Force Field.
3) Walk to mob and draw aggro.
4) Repeat step 2 for as many mobs as desired.
5) Walk to a corner, breaking line of sight with the mobs, so all mobs follow you.

This strategy is useful while soloing.

As a Mind/Force Field Controller you have the ability to herd and lockdown mobs in a manner very much like a Tank.

The herding process consists of simply walking up to mobs and drawing their aggro, protected by your Personal Force Field, then walking to the next mob and so on. Once you have the number of mobs you want, walk to a corner that breaks line of sight with the mobs. This will draw all mobs in to the corner.

It is important that teammates stay far enough away for the herding location as to not draw the aggro of the baddies you herd.

Part II, The Lockdown.
1) Raise Dispersion Bubble and any other protections you have that allow you to attack while they're in use. Stealth is an example, as would be the various shields that come in the Epic Power pools.
2) Target a baddie in the mob.
3) Lower your Personal Force Field.
4) Lock down mob with Mass Hypnotise followed by Total Domination or Terrify, or Mass Confuse.

If Mass Hypnosis is your only available method of group lockdown, you should not use this strategy on a team. Mass Hypnosis is useful when soloing or as a prelude to using Total Domination or Terrify.

The lockdown keeps all mobs in place. Teammates should not attack the mob until after the lockdown.

This is the delicate part of the operation. Once you lower your Personal Force Field you will be exposing yourself to some risk. You can try to time this with a lull in attacks by the baddies, if one exists. The use of defenses that allow you to attack while in use are helpful here.

Once lockdown is complete, teammates can attack the baddies.

Mind Control/*- Level 6

Powers used:
Confuse

Getting To Know You Strategy:
1) When encountering a type of baddie you have never seen before, cast Confuse on it.

This strategy is useful when soloing.

The Getting To Know You Strategy allows the the MC to learn about a new type of baddie without encuring great personal risk. Using this strategy you'll learn:

1. If you can Confuse the baddie.
2. How long your Confuse will last.
3. The powers and fighting style of the new baddie.
4. The damage done by the baddie.

Mind Control/Force Field- Level 6

Powers used:
Confuse, Force Bolt, Personal Force Field

Feed The Pet Strategy:
1) Save the last baddie from a defeated mob. Confuse the baddie.
2) Use the Lure Strategy, posted previously, to bring a mob to your pet.

This strategy is useful while soloing.

Sometimes when you've defeated a mob your confused pet is still alive. Use the Lure Strategy, posted previously, to bring a new mob to your pet for him to fight.

Mind Control/Force Field- Level 6

Powers used:
Confuse, Force Bolt

Walk The Pet Strategy:
1) Save the last baddie from a defeated mob. Confuse the baddie.
2) Use Force Bolt to push baddie into the next mob located nearby.

This strategy is useful when soloing.

Sometimes when you've defeated a mob your confused pet is still alive. Rather than spend time defeating it, use a Force Bolt to push him to a nearby mob and continue fighting.

Walking your pet for long distances is usually not practical.

Mind Control/*- Level 6

Powers used:
Confuse

Solo AV Strategy:
1) Confuse a member of an AV's party, preferable a Boss.
2) Repeat step 1 until confused baddie defeats AV.

This strategy is useful when soloing.

Using this strategy the MC can defeat an AV by himself. The MC casts Confuse on a member of the AV's group and lets that baddie attack the AV. The confused baddie must be powerful enough to damge the AV consistantly.

MCs at any level can use this strategy to defeat baddies that are too tough for the team to defeat without enduring great risk.

This strategy was used by the author during the Mole Point Charlie TF in Shadow Shard against Ruladak the Strong. Using this strategy Ruladak was taken from 100% health down to 5% health. At that point the rest of the TF defeated Ruladak.

This strategy is a special case of the Pets Strategy, posted previously.

Mind Control/*- Level 6

Powers used:
Confuse

Pets Strategy:
1) Confuse a baddie in a group allowing him to apply damage to his fellow baddies.

This strategy is useful when soloing.

While the Confuse power is technically a confuse class spell that does no damage, there is no question that a confused baddie in many ways acts like a pet. A War Wolf swiping away at the Council you're fighting certainly feels like a pet, and a pretty good one at that.

*** Differences Between Confused Baddies And Pets ***

1. A pet can draw the aggro from the group the party is engaging, acting as a defense for the rest of the group by increasing the number of targets the baddies have to choose from. Confused baddies act as a defense by reducing the number of baddies attacking the party.

2. A pet can draw the aggro of groups the party did not mean to engage, often with disasterous results. A confused baddie draws no team aggro at all.

3. Pets usually last for more than one encounter and follow the caster around the mission. Confused baddies last for only one encounter.

4. A pet is always the same type of pet, no matter how many times the spell is cast. Fire Controllers always get Fire Imps, for example. The MC can select from a wide variety of baddies to turn into pets, incuding inanimate objects.

5. No "To Hit" roll is required to create a pet. A "To Hit" roll is required to confuse a baddie.

6. Pets incure no XP penalty. Confused baddies incure the XP penalty of Confuse.

*** Determining Which Baddie To Confuse ***
With so many different types of pets to choose from, determining which to select is a skill in itself.

1. Ensure that you can confuse the baddie quickly enough to be useful. For example, there's no sense confusing a Sky Raider Force Field Generator after it's been activated by a Sky Raider.

2. Ensure that the results of the confuse are acceptable to you and your team. For example, you may have the option to Confuse a Boss and have him wipe out his minnions for you. In situations where the team is weak compared to the mob, this may be acceptable. In situations where the team feels they can defeat the mob themselves, the loss of XP may be unacceptable.

3. Remember that by confusing a baddie, you effectively gain 100% defense from that baddie. If Malta Sappers are weakening you team, by confusing them they are not attacking your team. Knowing what powers you want to take away from the mob is fundemental to selecting the right baddie to confuse.

4. Remember that by confusing a baddie, you effectively gain an ally in fight the mob. Once confused, the baddie is basically a teammate. This means that baddies that aid their teammates will be aiding you. Tsoo Sorcerers healing the team and Sky Raider Force Field Generators giving the team bubbles are classic examples.

5. If you've read about a neat Confuse strategy that you'd like to try, make sure you test it in a safe environment first, if possible. Simply put, sometimes the strategy guides are wrong. The auther may have made an error, or perhaps the game has been updated and changed since a guide was released, or perhaps you've misunderstood the guide. Always have real life experience with confusing a baddie in a safe environment before using it in a situation where the stakes are high.

*** The Dangers Of Confuse ***

Confuse is often thought to be a risk-free action. This is not true. Here are a few of the dangers to be aware of when using Confuse.

1. You can aggro the mob if you move too closely to it to before casting Confuse. While it's common sense not to do this, you will almost certainly do it at least once.

2. Confused baddies can create "runners", baddies who run around after their health gets to a certain low level. If more than 1 baddie is confused, one of the confused baddies may be a runner. A runner who comes near you will draw aggro. Confused runners near you will draw aggro if their Confuse wears off.

3. Knockback attacks by a confused baddie can land an unconfused baddie right at your feet, drawing aggro.

Mind Control/*- Level 6

Powers used:
Confuse

Multitasking Strategy:
1) Confuse a baddie in a group.
2) Move on to another group. Apply various strategies to defeat it.

This strategy is useful when soloing.

The multitasking strategy enables the MC to engage two or more groups at the same time with the intent of defeating them, not just locking them down.

An individual baddie is confused and allowed to soften up a group while the MC directs his attentions to another group.

With practice, the MC can combat 3 or 4 groups simultainously.

Mind Control/*- Level 2 (Level 4 optional)

Powers used:
Mesmerize, Levitate, Dominate (optional)

Blasteritis Strategy:
1) Spam ranged attacks on baddie until he is defeated.

This strategy attempts to use the MC powers like a Blaster. Ranged attacks are repeated on a baddie until he is defeated. The Controller's ranged attacks do less damage than a Blaster's, but are safer because they are also holds.

There are times when this strategy is useful, and even required. But if you find yourself using this strategy almost exclusively, you should review some of the other strategies for the MC or consider that you may be happier with a Blaster AT.

The Juggle Strategy posted previously is a specialized version of the Blasteritis Strategy.

Mind Control/*- Level 6

Powers used:
Confuse

Turn Back Baddie Strategy:
1) When a baddies has moved away from his group and toward yours, cast Confuse on the baddie.

This strategy is useful while soloing.

This strategy causes the wandering baddie to return to his group, allowing your party to remain undetected.

*/Force Field - Level 2 (Level 10 optional, Level 20 Optional)

Powers used:
Deflection Shield, Insulation Shield (Optional), Dispersion Bubble (Optional)

Scrapper Tank Strategy:
1) Cast Deflection Shield and optionally Insulation Shield on a Scrapper.
2) Scrapper herds like a tank, protected by the bubbles.
3) Optionally, wait at the herd location with Dispersion Bubble turned on to offer extra protection when the Scrapper arrives.

This strategy helps a Scrapper herd like a Tank. It gives him extra protection against the large number of baddies. When used with a good Scrapper, the Scrapper can herd just as well as a Tank.

This strategy will not magically enable a Scrapper who doesn't know how to herd to herd. A lot is based on the capabilities of the Scrapper.

This strategy can also be applied to Tanks, to enable them to herd larger numbers of baddies or higher levels of baddies.

Mind Control/*- Level 6

Powers used:
Confuse, Dominate

Rock 'Em Sock 'Em Robots Strategy:
1) Confuse two baddies in the mob that are standing next to each other. Usually the two confused baddies will start fighting each other.
2) Allow the confused baddies to fight each other until one of the is down to about 25% health.
3) Cast Dominate on the healthy baddie.
4) Allow weaker baddie to continue beating up the healthy baddie until the healthy baddies is down to 25% health.
5) Cast Dominate on the baddie that is not currently dominated.

This strategy is useful when soloing.

Use this strategy to severely weaken two members of a mob before the fight has even begun.

Optionally, once you have the two weaken baddies locked down with Dominate, you can cast Confuse on a 3rd baddie just before the team attacks to have him help in the main fight.

Everybody loves watching Rock 'Em Sock 'Em Robots. You can use this stategy during the "down time" of waiting for teammates to arrive in a mission. It's even more entertaining than the Boombox.

Mind Control/* - Level 8

Powers used:
Mass Hypnosis

Delayed Sleep Strategy:
1) Allow teammates to perform AoE attacks.
2) When the effects of the AoE attacks are complete, Mass Hypnotize the baddies.

Mass Hypnosis can be a frustrating power because any attacks on a sleeping baddie cause him to wake up. When playing teams it is a common strategy of teammates to hit a mob with an AoE attack, completly undoing your Mass Hypnosis.

Using this strategy, the MC waits for the AoE attacks to complete before sleeping the mob. This allows the mob, or at least most of the mob, to be held while your teamates' AoE attacks recharge.

A variant of this strategy is used with the Confuse/Mass Hypnosis or Confuse/Total Domination or Confuse/Terrify powers. If you Confuse a baddie and then cast a crowd control lock down power there's a good chance you'll effect the baddie you confused, undoing your own work. Instead, cast Confuse after the crowd control power on a baddie that was unaffected.

[ QUOTE ]
No mind control/force field guides? I just started one up. It's not a bad combo, is it?

[/ QUOTE ]

I've been adding strategies for Mind and Force Field to the Unofficial Controllers Guide.

Currently the tips are all based on low level powers (level 6 is the highest). However, I believe these tips are useful at all levels of play. Additional tips will appear as time allows. So far, I've been able to add new tips every day.

*/Force Field- Level 4

Powers used:
Force Bolt, Personal Force Field

Lure Strategy:
1) Have team gather a safe distance from a mob.
2) Pass out bubbles to everyone (optional, but recommended if you have them).
3) Approach mob to within distance of your Force Bolt and fire.
4) Raise Personal Force Field to protect you from the Alpha Strike of the pulled mob. Once the Alpha Strike is complete, lower your PFF.
5) Team defeats all mob members.

This strategy will pull an entire mob. It is useful for when the team wants to battle the mob in a certain area and there is no Tank.

I've used this strategy to pull a powerful boss down from steep steps to an open flat area, and to pull mobs out of a room full of mobs in order to avoid accidentally drawing the other mobs into battle.

Mind Control/Force Field- Level 4

Powers used:
Levitate, Force Bolt

Follow The Bouncing Ball Strategy:
1) Knockback baddie with Force Bolt.
2) Lift and drop baddie with Levitate.
3) Repeat as needed.

This strategy is useful for taking out a baddie from the battle. Using only these powers the baddie will never have time to attack the team.

It is especially useful for baddies who are resistent to sleeps and holds.

It is also useful when you or a team member are getting the worst of it from a powerful baddie. It really can be a lifesaver in these situations.

The cycle can be repeated for as long as needed, and it really is a blast to watch the baddie being pushed and tossed around the room totally helpless for an entire fight.

The downside to this strategy is it consumes the Controllers time completely while doing it, so you'll probably want to get back to your other duties once the baddie has been pushed a safe distance away.

Mind Control/*- Level 2 (Level 4 optional)

Powers used:
Mesmerize, Levitate, Dominate (optional)

Juggle Strategy:
1) Mesmerize a baddie in a mob.
2) Levitate and mezmerize (in that order) the next baddie in a mob.
3) Repeat step 2 until all baddies are sleeping.
4) Repeat steps 1 - 3 until all baddies are defeated.

This strategy is useful for soloing.

By employing this strategy, the MC can control and defeat an entire mob while being in very little danger himself.

If at any time the MC runs low on End he can simply turn around, walk away, recharge, return, and begin the cycle again.

Once the MC has Dominate it can be added to the cycle like so:

1) Mesmerize a baddie in a mob.
2) Dominate the next baddie in a mob.
3) Repeat step 1 and 2 until all baddies are sleeping or held.
4) Use Mesmerize, Dominate, and Levitate (in that order) to defeat individuals in the mob. From time to time you may need to stop an attack on an indivdual baddie and Mesmerize or Dominate other mob members to keep them locked down.

If a mob is encountered that is too large to use this strategy the MC can form smaller mobs from it using the Divide And Conqure strategy posted previously.

Mind Control/*- Level 6

Powers used:
Confuse, Mesmerize, Dominate

Preemptive Strike Strategy:
1) Confuse the toughest baddie in a mob.
2) Spam said baddie with Mesmerize and Dominate until he is defeated.

This strategy is useful when soloing.

Confused baddies can be attacked with Mesmerize and Dominate and they will not draw aggro until they are defeated. DO NOT use Levitate as it will alert the rest of the mob.

Using this strategy takes the toughest baddie out of the fight before it has even begun.

The MC can also rest in between Mesmerize and Dominate in order to have full End by the time the toughest baddie goes down.

Mind Control/*- Level 6

Powers used:
Confuse

Find Enemies Strategy:
1) Confuse a baddie that seems to be standing alone, but a mob chould be just out of sight (around a corner for example).

This strategy is useful while soloing. A baddie seems to be alone, but may be part of a mob that's hidden around a corner or otherwise out of sight.

If the baddies is part of a mob, casting Confuse on him will cause him to run to his mob and start attacking. If he is alone he will simply stand there.

Based on how the baddie reacts to Confuse, the MC can form a plan of attack.

Mind Control/*- Level 1, Level 2, Level 8, Level 18, Level 26, Level 32

Powers used:
Mesmerize, Dominate (Level 2), Mass Hypnosis (Level 8), Total Domination (Level 18), Terrify (Level 26), Mass Confusion (Level 32)

Sandman Strategy (Level 1):
1) Mesmerize each member of a mob once.
2) Walk to next mob.
3) Repeat for each mob in the mission.

This strategy is a useful way to "stealth" mission at low levels. The MC can walk through the mission looking for bombs, glowies, hostages, and what have you. Only baddies guarding these items need to actually be defeated. All others are put to sleep and then left alone.

In areas where there are too many baddies to effectively use this strategy, the MC can employ the Divide and Conquer strategy posted previously.

Sandman Strategy (Level 2):
1) As the Level 1 strategy, but also uses Dominate.

Sandman Strategy (Level 8):
1) As the Level 2 strategy, but also uses Mass Hypnotise.

Sandman Strategy (Level 18):
1) As the Level 8 strategy, but also uses Total Domination.

Sandman Strategy (Level 26):
1) As the Level 18 strategy, but also uses Terrify.

Sandman Strategy (Level 32):
1) As the Level 26 strategy, but also uses Mass Confusion.

Mind Control/*- Level 1

Powers used:
Mesmerize

Divide And Conquer Strategy:
1) Mesmerize a member of a mob.
2) Back up as his fellow mobmates come after you. Continue backing up until there is a good distance between the Mesmerized member and his team mates.
3) Repeat this process until the size of the un-Mezed mob is managable.
4) Defeat un-Mezed mob.

Once mob members are seperated by enough distance, they will not come to the aid of their fellow mobmates who are being attacked.

This strategy is a useful way to break up mobs that are too large to handle into more manageable sizes. It's useful when soloing, especially at lower levels or in areas like intersections where there are a large number of baddies.

*/Force Field- Level 1

Powers used:
Personal Force Field

Hide In Plain Sight Strategy:
1) Raise Personal Force Field. Walk through mission looking for hostages, bombs, what have you.

This strategy is effective way to "stealth" a mission. The Controller is safe from the baddies inside his Personal Force Field. He can walk around the mission looking for key objects, such as glowies or hostages, without engaging with the mission baddies. They will attack him, but few of the attacks will hit the Controller inside his PFF.

Also note that the Controller can interact with objects like doors and glowies without having to lower the PFF.

The Hide In Plain Sight strategy is also an excellent way to travel to and from missions at lower levels where the Controller does not yet have a travel power and the missions are deep in an area that has baddies several levels higher than the Controller.

*/Force Field- Level 1

Powers used:
Personal Force Field

Mini-Tank Strategy:
1) Have team gather a safe distance from a powerful mob.
2) Pass out bubbles to everyone (optional, but recommended if you have them).
3) Raise Personal Force Field and head to powerful mob. Stand right next to a mob member until you have their attention. Your Personal Force Field will protect you from harm.
4) Walk slowly back to team. Only some of the mob members will follow you.
5) Team defeats all mob members that follow you.

This strategy is effective for pulling off small groups from a large powerful mob. Teammates can defeat the smaller groups one by one until the original mob is dwindled down to a managable size.

This strategy differs from a real Tank's herding in that goal is to pull smaller groups of the mob rather than pulling many large mobs.

Personal Force Field will protect you from harm from at least to +3 baddies. I've read claims that it will protect from up to +7 baddies.