A Quick Guide to the Sonics/Kinetics Corruptor

My First Corruptor or Sonics/Kinetics, A quick overview

Hello, and welcome to my first attempt at a guide. Quite frankly, I never feel I am the right person for this type of stuff, but I am feeling frisky today. Sonic Blast seems to be overlooked by many for various reasons. Some of the more popular gripes are:

The supposed or is it factual 5% Accuracy Penalty?
The lack of a "Snipe" flavor of attack
The *ahem* unique graphics and sounds
It is a Primarily Single Target Set in the City of AoE

While many of these quibs have some merit, I just think people have never really given it the 'ole college try. Yes, at times there seems to be some accuracy issues, but it is not every fight. Actually the set kind of helps itself after the first attack, so it doesn't seem totally whif-o-riffic. How does it help itself? With the secondary effect of course, which is Damage resistance debuff.

Now most of these guides I have read go over the in-game power descriptions and other stuff. I don't plan on doing that here. I just want to describe the powers in laymans terms, recommend a slotting, and move on. So without further delay:

Sonic Blast

Shriek

Good range, fairly quick recharge, and decent damage. Take this power at the start. This power represents the first of three powers in the set that do direct single target damage, and believe me you want them all.

Enhancements: 5 Total
Type: 2 Accuracy, 3 Damage

Scream

Good Range, fairly quick recharge time (almost identical to Shriek) and good damage. Now this power deals the damage but don't expect to be wow'd by a big orange number. Instead we are treated to a "pulsing" damage giving two hits each tick (energy, smashing) for about 6 ticks.

Enhancements: 5 Total
Type: 2 Accuracy, 3 Damage

Howl

Hey who said this was a single target set? Here it is boys and girls our first AoE attack. Basically what it all boils down to is a 90 degree cone that does Shriek style damage to a bunch of mobs. Good closer in a group situation where the aggro is pretty well handled by others before you break this one loose.

Enhancements: 5 Total
Type: 2 Accuracy, 3 Damage

Shockwave

If knockback is your bag, then by all means pick this up. I personally decided to skip it. Though I was temped to take it considering it is a 90 degree cone attack, but Howl is much better.

Enhancements:
Type:

Shout

Our close range damage dealer. How much? Two orange numbers (energy and smashing) fairly large or large enough to take an even con foe (PvE) to half health or close to it. Good attack, and the last of our major single target damage dealers. Put this on the Christmas list folks.

Enhancements: 6 Total
Type: 2 Accuracy, 3 Damage, 1 Recharge

Amplify

This is the sonic version of Aim, I guess. I say I guess because I skipped it. In an attack set with known accuracy issues this power is a little late in arriving for me. At this stage in your corruptor's career if you haven't slotted a majority of Accuracy enhancements into your powers, then what went wrong?

Enhancements:
Type:

Siren's Song

Our second cone status effect power. (Shockwave being the first) At first to your average Corruptor a cone based sleep might seem a little wonky. I can tell you that it is VERY useful. The base sleep duration is pretty lengthy even on yellows and it can really help you solo through some missions while waiting for the next group to come along. It can also help in groups to thin the herd when people aggro other spawns. Try it , you might like it.

Enhancements: 3 Total
Type: 2 Accuracy, 1 Sleep Duration

Screech

A single target disorient. Once again at the Trainer, I spent some time hemming and hawing over taking this power. Ultimately I took it and am better for it. I use it in conjunction with the Siren's Song. I give a basic attack chain at the end so you can see how.

Neglible damage, and the disorient is about 10 seconds or 3-4 attacks long. This will NOT stun a Boss.

Enhancements: 2 Total
Type: 2 Accuracy

Dreadful Wail

The Sonic Nuke. Many people don't like this power from sonic blast because it supposedly has no secondary effect associated with it. Or at least that is the rumor. Have no fear there is a secondary effect to this power. While not as impressive as some nukes where after doing crazy damage mobs are scattered to four corners, but something more friendly. Disorient. Anyway I find these types of powers overly situational, but a must have none the less.

Enhancements: 6 Total
Types: 2 Accuracy, 3 Damage and a Recharge

Kinetics

Everyone knows about Kinetics. If you don't there are a plethora of guides on it over in the Defender's Forum. Those folks have put a lot of time into them, so I will not go into the individual powers here. From the build below you can see which ones I deemed vital to my personal build and the playstyle of Enabler.

I will, however, go over which ones I did not take and my personal reason why and let you decide for yourself whether or not to pick them up over something else.

Repel

Knocking back a bunch of mobs from myself seems like a good idea. Knocking them back from my team of Brutes and Stalkers?

Not a very good idea if you want to stay teamed. Knockback has it's place and the thought of continually occupying a bunch of mobs seems like a good idea but it really doesn't put this in the "must have" category for a team based villain.

Inertial Reduction

Whee free super jump for everybody! At level 28?! Honestly this was an easy skip for me. The power needs something else. A secondary effect that is worth having perhaps or something entirely different than un-suppressible super jump.

Playstyle:

This is a personal part of Corrupting. How you play your corruptor is up to one person; you. Sonic/Kinetics Corruptors can solo but it isn't the most efficient ride in CoV. Basically since we are mostly single target folks, we have to carefully manage a solo fight. I found it very possible to manage encounters by using an attack chain similar to this:

Get myself noticed either opening up with a Howl or simply being seen.
Find a way to get them clumped together
Siren's Song
Anyone not caught taking a snooze are now the primary targets.
Now for the snoozers.

Attack chain:

Screech - Shout - Scream - Shriek - Howl but only if we aren't going to wake the others.

Reapply Siren's Song as required to keep the encounter simple. Oh and just so you know, if one mob hurts you pretty bad you can use the sleeping mobs to "buff-up" without breaking the sleep. Almost feels like cheating.

Teaming Up

Hey now this where Sonics takes a back seat and Kinetics really shines. Brutes and Stalkers are your meal tickets. Bascially, Kinetics is the ULTIMATE Brute Enabler. Those Brutes are addicted to the SMASH and the one thing that takes them out of SMASH mode is Endurance and Health (mostly endurance). Speed Boost and Transfusion, and believe it or not Increase Density are the 3 reasons why your chat box will be flooded with Tells for teaming up.

Speed Boost in general is so popular that you almost feel like a drug dealer with constant requests for a speed boost pick me up.

Also a good source of hilarity when used on certain type of pets thorughout the game.

Siphon Speed while a handy pseudo-travel power early in the game really finds a home as a boss slower. You know those Freak Tankers running through your group like that jerk in the pit that thinks slam-dancing is a boxing match put to music? Yeah, him.

Slow him down and watch how much that alone helps the survivability of an encounter.

Fulcrum Shift, once you get there will dramatically improve a teams damage dealing ability which has been documented by many others in the community.


---------------------------------------------
Name:
Level: 40
Archetype: Corruptor
Primary: Sonic Blast
Secondary: Kinetics
01) --> Shriek==>
01) --> Transfusion==>
02) --> Scream==>
04) --> Howl==>
06) --> Siphon Power==>
08) --> Recall Friend==>
10) --> Siphon Speed==>
12) --> Shout==>
14) --> Teleport==>
16) --> Increase Density==>
18) --> Hurdle==>
20) --> Speed Boost==>
22) --> Health==>
24) --> Stamina==>
26) --> Siren's Song==>
28) --> Screech==>
30) --> Stealth==>
32) --> Dreadful Wail==>
35) --> Transference==>
38) --> Fulcrum Shift==>
---------------------------------------------
01) --> Sprint==>
01) --> Brawl==>
01) --> Scourge==>
02) --> Rest
---------------------------------------------

[ QUOTE ]
Repel Knocking back a bunch of mobs from myself seems like a good idea. Knocking them back from my team of Brutes and Stalkers? Not a very good idea if you want to stay teamed. Knockback has it's place and the thought of continually occupying a bunch of mobs seems like a good idea but it really doesn't put this in the "must have" category for a team based villain.

[/ QUOTE ]
I took repel and found that it's a good way to pin tough stuff up against the wall or to herd stuff together. It drains the endurance though. With this, bosses can be kept down. It is a bad idea to use this skill and jump in the middle of a tightly clustered group. It's a good starter skill to get if you respec it out of your build.

Nice guide.
Rolled up my own Sonic/Kin not long ago. It's really satisfying watching those damage numbers go up as I spam more attacks.
Also, Cone Scourge? Awesome. Nothing like reliable criticals to make me smile.

Any idea what kind of duration those blasts have, in terms of debuffs? I mean, what's the best attack chain if I want to stack as much -Res as possible, before using something big?
Oh, and does the -Res Crit when the damage does? For example, Shout will do 2x normal damage under Scourge, but will I get 2x the debuff?

Best guess on the debuff of each attack is 10 seconds, give or take, with the single targets, at least. They might increase with the higher level attacks, but I'm not sure. As for the resist debuff critting, no, only damage functions under crit rules, although a crit operates off of total damage, doubled, so if you crit and the mob is cap debuffed (which only seems to take two hits), if your third hit crits, you get a fully debuffed crit, which would be the highest damage possible for that attack, barring amplify before you used it.

I like your guide, and given how you want to play, I think it's a pretty good build, but I'll offer up an alternative for the solo player who only teams infrequently at best:

---------------------------------------------
Exported from Ver: 1.7.5.0 of the CoH_CoV Character Builder
---------------------------------------------
Name:
Level: 50
Archetype: Corruptor
Primary: Sonic Blast
Secondary: Kinetics
---------------------------------------------
01) --> Shriek==> Acc(1)Dmg(3)Dmg(5)Dmg(13)
01) --> Transfusion==> Acc(1)Heal(7)Heal(15)Heal(15)EndRdx(17)
02) --> Scream==> Acc(2)Dmg(3)Dmg(5)Dmg(13)
04) --> Siphon Power==> Acc(4)Rechg(7)EndRdx(19)
06) --> Combat Jumping==> Jump(6)
08) --> Shout==> Acc(8)Dmg(9)Dmg(9)Dmg(11)EndRdx(19)
10) --> Siphon Speed==> Acc(10)Rechg(11)Rechg(17)
12) --> Amplify==> Rechg(12)
14) --> Super Jump==> Jump(14)
16) --> Swift==> Run(16)
18) --> Health==> Heal(18)Heal(34)Heal(34)
20) --> Stamina==> EndMod(20)EndMod(21)EndMod(21)
22) --> Siren's Song==> Acc(22)Acc(23)Sleep(23)EndRdx(25)Rechg(25)Sleep(34)
24) --> Acrobatics==> EndRdx(24)
26) --> Hasten==> Rechg(26)Rechg(27)Rechg(27)
28) --> Repel==> EndRdx(28)EndRdx(29)EndRdx(29)
30) --> Screech==> Acc(30)DisDur(31)Rechg(31)EndRdx(31)DisDur(37)DisDur(40)
32) --> Dreadful Wail==> Acc(32)Dmg(33)Dmg(33)Dmg(33)
35) --> Transference==> Acc(35)EndMod(36)EndMod(36)EndMod(36)Rechg(37)Rechg(37)
38) --> Fulcrum Shift==> Acc(38)Acc(39)Rechg(39)Rechg(39)EndRdx(40)EndRdx(40)
---------------------------------------------
01) --> Sprint==> Empty(1)
01) --> Brawl==> Empty(1)
02) --> Rest==> Empty(2)
01) --> Scourge==> Empty(1)
---------------------------------------------


Most of this build is self explanatory, but I'll include a few explanations:

Q: What? Only one accuracy in most of your attacks?
A: Yep, Amplify at 12 will give you that extra accuracy when you need it, and with Siphon Speed being used as a major debuffing tool throughout your career post 10, you'll be seeing it come back up quite fast, even unslotted.

Q: Why did you only take the sleep cone?
A: I prefer single target attacks. They're easier to manage, they have reliable dmg/end, and they allow you to single out the one you want to drop. So, you sleep a group of mobs, and in there is a lieutenant and a bunch of minions, or a boss a lt and some minions. Sleep should hit most if not all mobs (2 acc), putting everything but the boss to sleep. The boss is then tackled while his support provides a nice, easy to hit mob that can be used to heal off of, without breaking the sleep. Meanwhile, you keep stacking Siphons on him and blasting him to dust. Fully slotted, your sleep cone is going to last around 50 seconds, which is probably enough time to take out just about every mob before even one of them wakes up. Also, unless the mob has special stun resistance, a stacked disorient should put any mob short of an AV out of action, and with the slotting I've recommended, you can keep disorent stacked continuously, or you can chain repel him into a corner. Note, you can certainly take the damaging cone if you like, and in my build, that would mean giving up the short range, high damage attack. Personally, I find I can defeat most mobs with just the first two attacks, and only use the close range one if I need to heal or if a mob runs up to me to melee.

Q: You didn't take ANY team buffs! Why not?
A: This is a soloing build. As such, there is no team that can't benefit from this build, because any build that solos well, also tends to team well. Yes, Speed Boost and Intertial Reduction are good, but so is everything else I've taken, in a team setting. Acrobatics is huge, as you can't do anything if you're on your back. Your powers are all click type, so unless you want to be stocking a tray full of break frees all the time, it is to your benefit to have acrobatics, which gives you super jump, which is of course great. You get Stamina at 20, and believe me, you'll want that.

Q: Why did you choose X power before Y power?
A: No particular reason, actually. I'm only level 13 currently, and after 20, there are a lot of things I could see swapping around. I think that given how the slots fall out, though, this is going to work out the best for me.

So there you go, my idea of what a pure solo sonic/kinetic looks like. So far, so good. I'm playing on the lowest difficulty setting and so far it's working out fine.

Edit: After careful consideration, I'm of the OP's opinion that Repel is fairly unnecessary. By leaving it out, you could get one of the team buffs (I'd probably choose speed boost over increase density, but not by much of a margin, they are both good) and three slot it. Repel is highly situational at best, as many of your powers depend on NOT throwing mobs all over the place, but keeping them close by. As a soloer, I might consider the damaging cone. I could probably find a slot somewhere (like from Health) to make it 1acc/3dmg. Another good option is Stealth. It's always nice to be able to travel in relative safety. Any of these would probably be more useful than Repel.

Cool guide. I was mostly interested in Sonics info, and it was good to see player thoughts on the powers. Just hit level 8 and got Shout , very nice.

If I can suggest an alternate view of Amplify: while accuracy slotting in your powers is a basic need, if not essential, picking up an Aim-type power will not only help you hit against higher levels and mobs with increased defense, but will also eat through any -acc debuffs that are on you, such as rad and dark powers can put on you. It will also allow you to slot Dreadful Wail with 3 damage and 3 recharge. Amplify will always be up in time for DW and its 100% accuracy bonus (assuming Aim numbers, which seems very likely) is actually better than 3 even level SOs.

FP

I am lvl 12 with this build and I just can't stop playing. I really love this combo. I'm still new and this is my second Corr i have played, and first time with kinetics, i just love that power it reeks of awesomeness!

Amplify is a must have power. It provides a +100% acc and a +60% damage boost. The acc is nice against higher level foes and in pvp, but the damage is VERY useful.

[ QUOTE ]
The supposed or is it factual 5% Accuracy Penalty?

[/ QUOTE ]
According to City of Data the penalty is not true.
[ QUOTE ]
Yes, at times there seems to be some accuracy issues, but it is not every fight. Actually the set kind of helps itself after the first attack, so it doesn't seem totally whif-o-riffic. How does it help itself? With the secondary effect of course, which is Damage resistance debuff.

[/ QUOTE ]
Damage resistance makes it so that the same attack does more damage, not makes it more likely to hit in the first place.

Other than that nice guide, Sonic/Kin is a really fun combo.
/e thumbsup