The Unofficial Stategy Guide for Controllers
By
apple_eater,
Posted on: 2004-09-21 13:04 in Player Guides
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.
That combo is just seriously sick, and is a perversion of gameplay mechanics. - Excelsio
The Infernal Challenge
Building a WarTroller
Troller Damage
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.
That combo is just seriously sick, and is a perversion of gameplay mechanics. - Excelsio
The Infernal Challenge
Building a WarTroller
Troller Damage
i need some help with my illusion/kinetics build, i want to work in phantasms and Fulcrum Shift ^_^ (reason i made this toon, heh) any help on a build would be much appreciated!
thanks in advance!
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.
That combo is just seriously sick, and is a perversion of gameplay mechanics. - Excelsio
The Infernal Challenge
Building a WarTroller
Troller Damage
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.
That combo is just seriously sick, and is a perversion of gameplay mechanics. - Excelsio
The Infernal Challenge
Building a WarTroller
Troller Damage
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.
That combo is just seriously sick, and is a perversion of gameplay mechanics. - Excelsio
The Infernal Challenge
Building a WarTroller
Troller Damage
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.
That combo is just seriously sick, and is a perversion of gameplay mechanics. - Excelsio
The Infernal Challenge
Building a WarTroller
Troller Damage
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.
That combo is just seriously sick, and is a perversion of gameplay mechanics. - Excelsio
The Infernal Challenge
Building a WarTroller
Troller Damage
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.
That combo is just seriously sick, and is a perversion of gameplay mechanics. - Excelsio
The Infernal Challenge
Building a WarTroller
Troller Damage
*/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.
That combo is just seriously sick, and is a perversion of gameplay mechanics. - Excelsio
The Infernal Challenge
Building a WarTroller
Troller Damage
*/Force Field- Level 1
Powers used:
Personal Force Field
Decoy Strategy:
1) When wounded or otherwise unable to take part in battle, raise Personal Force Field.
2) Stay in the battle zone and draw aggro from as many baddies as you can while you recover.
This strategy enables the caster to heal and draw baddies away from teammates at the same time. Properly done, you can draw the attention of a large portion of the baddies away from your team. Simply walk to any baddie not engaged with a teammate. This will draw their aggro.
Your teammates need to know they should not attack the baddies you have attacking you.
That combo is just seriously sick, and is a perversion of gameplay mechanics. - Excelsio
The Infernal Challenge
Building a WarTroller
Troller Damage
Mind Control/*- Level 18, (Level 32 optional)
Powers used:
Dominate, Total Domination, Confuse (optional), Mass Confusion (optional)
2 Bosses Strategy:
1) Cast Dominate on a boss. (at level 32 or higher you can use Confuse instead)
2) Cast Total Domination on the mob (at level 32 or higher you can use Mass Confusion instead)
3) Cast Dominate on a 2nd boss. (at level 32 or higher you can use Confuse instead)
This strategy is useful while soloing.
Using this strategy, the MC can lock down 2 bosses using just 3 steps. As a bonus, all the other baddies with the bosses are locked down as well. The strategy works against any set of baddies that require 2 applications of domination or confusion.
The key to this strategy is the fact that Dominate stacks with Total Domination, and that Confuse stacks with Mass Confusion.
That combo is just seriously sick, and is a perversion of gameplay mechanics. - Excelsio
The Infernal Challenge
Building a WarTroller
Troller Damage
Mind Control/*- Level 6, Level 32 (optional)
Powers used:
Confuse, Mass Confusion (optional)
Safe Attack Strategy:
1) Confuse a baddie in a group (at level 32 you can optionally use Mass Confusion).
2) Attack mob as usual.
This strategy is useful when soloing.
Applying Confuse to a baddie before attacking it means that even when the baddie is able to return the attack, he will attack his own teammates. In particular, applying Mass Confussion before Terrify provides safety from return attacks by the feared baddies.
That combo is just seriously sick, and is a perversion of gameplay mechanics. - Excelsio
The Infernal Challenge
Building a WarTroller
Troller Damage
blasters are for 6 year olds.
Ice/Storm strategies:
Fun with KB/repel:
Against scattered mobs on a map that provides a corner. Cast slick at the corner and use gale/hurricane to force mobs onto the slick. Particularly useful on office maps. Use hurricane to push mobs that wanders out of debuff patchs back into patch, or to push a new group onto the patch.
Jousting ice slick/freezing rain/glacier:
recommended travel - combat jump/hurdle and superspeed
SS up to mob or jump towards them and then start backpeddaling/jump back or sideways but at the same time cast glacier/ice slick (dropping slick/freezeing rain requires a bit more timing). Do it right and mobs will have minimal reaction against these two attacks.
Basic ice/storm combo-Frostbite + tornado + lightning storm:
Frostbite cancels out the knockback from tornado and lightning storm. Just make sure you reapply frostbite every 10 seconds. For additional damage slot 3 damage procs into frostbite and apply freezing rain liberally.
Group strategy:
Turn AA on (with 3 damage procs and the contagious confusion proc), Freezing rain spawn mid approach land in spawn with frostbite, follow up with fissure, summon tornado/lightning storm as needed, spam frostbite to trigger those damage procs..
I didn't think frostbite took damage procs.. doesn't say you can slot a set type on power discription... if you do have three damage procs which ones do you have in there...
posi, impeded swiftness and trap
the second one is the hardest to get.
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.
That combo is just seriously sick, and is a perversion of gameplay mechanics. - Excelsio
The Infernal Challenge
Building a WarTroller
Troller Damage