Guide: Mind w/ Radiation & Empathy v. 2.3
By
alexavier,
Posted on: 2006-11-30 15:57 in Player Guides
BUILDS
First, I present two build checklists. My goal is not to build a specialized optimal Mind/* character, but to present a new or average player with a workable plan that doesn't necessarily miss any of the biggest deals. My goal is also not to criticize anyone personally for how they've built a character, nor is it to insist that anyone must do things my way.
MIND/EMPATHY BUILD CHECKLIST
The first thing to do is to make a series of initial choices. You have early build choices-- between Mesmerize and Levitate, between Heal Other and Absorb Pain, and between major movement powers.
I.
<font class="small">Code:[/color]<hr /><pre>
1 Choose: {Mesmerize or Levitate}1 Healing Aura
2 Dominate /Acc,Rchg,Hold,Rchg,Hold,Acc (2,3,5,7,9,11)
4 Choose: {Heal Other or Absorb Pain}
6
8
10
12 14 Choose: {Super Jump, Fly, Super speed, Teleport}
16
18 Total Dom /Acc,Rchg,Rchg,Rchg,Acc,Hold (18,19,19,23,23,25)
20 Stamina /EndMod,EndMod,EndMod (20,21,21)
22
24 Fortitude
26 Terrify /Acc,End,Dmg,Dmg,Dmg,End (26,27,27,31,31,31)
28 Rec Aura /Rchg,Rchg,Rchg (28,29,29)
30
32 Mass Conf /Acc,Rchg,Rchg,Acc,Rchg,Conf (32,33,33,33,34,34)
35
38 Adren Boost /Rchg,Rchg,Rchg (38,40,40)
</pre><hr />
II. Next, we fill in the gaps for levels 6,8,10,12, and 16:
1. A movement precursor at 6,8,10, or 12 will be dictated by the movement power you took:
....a.Hasten, if Superspeed
....b.Combat Jumping, if Superleap
....c.Choose: Hover or Air Superiority, if Fly.
....d.Choose: Recall Friend or Teleport Foe, if Teleport
(Just say no to flurry and jump kick!)
2. Also, you'll have to choose 2 of the fitness pool powers that will go in the 6-16 range:
Choose 2: {Swift, Hurdle, Health} (If Movement power is Super speed, choose Hurdle)
3. Finally comes the deepest part of your character customization. You'll get to choose four, or if you took super speed, five, of the six powers on the following list, in more or less any order you want.
Choose 2:
Stealth
Confuse
Mass Hypnosis (Min L8)
Resurrect (Min L10)
Telekinesis (Min L12)
Clear Mind (Min L16)
III. Take Hasten at 22, unless you took it earlier because you run super speed:
1. If not Super speed, L22 = Hasten
2. If Super speed, L22 = Choose One: {Stealth, Confuse, Mass Hypnosis, Telekinesis, Clear Mind, Resurrect}
IV. Pick two other powers to go in L30 and L35 slots:
Choose 2: {Stealth, Confuse, Mass Hypnosis, Telekinesis, Clear Mind, Resurrect}
Note: The order I'd consider the "optional six" powers are: Confuse, Clear Mind, Mass Hypnosis, Telekinesis, Resurrect, Stealth. For $Deity's sake, don't take everything EXCEPT confuse and clear mind. 9_6
V.Finally, you slot things. Remember: once you're using SOs, don't slot more than 3 of a given enhancement type.
Place Slots: 3,5,7,9,11,13,13,15,15,17,17,25,34,36,36,36,37,37, 37,39,40,40,40
MIND/RADIATION BUILD CHECKLIST
I. Start with the following list, initially choosing between Mesmerize and Levitate at L1, and a major movement power at L14.
<font class="small">Code:[/color]<hr /><pre>
1 Radiant Aura /Heal (1)
1 Choose: {Mesmerize or Levitate}
2 Dominate /Acc,Rchg,Hld,Rchg,Hld,Rchg (2,3,3,9,11,13)
4 Accel Metabolism /Rchg,Rchg,Rchg (4,5,5)
6 Rad Infect /End,DefDbf,DefDbf,DefDbf (6,7,7,9)
8
10
12
14 Choose: {Fly, Super Jump, Teleportation, Super Speed}
16
18 Total Domination /Acc,Rchg,Rchg,Rchg,Acc,Hold (18,19,19,23,25,29)
20 Stamina /EndMod,EndMod,EndMod (20,21,21)
22 Enervataing Field /End,End,End (22,23,25)
24
26 Terrify /Acc,End,Dmg,Dmg,Dmg,End (26,27,27,29,31,31)
28
30
32 Mass Confusion /Acc,Rchg,Conf,Acc,Rchg,Conf (32,33,33,33,34,34)
35
38
</pre><hr />
II. Next, we fill in the gaps for levels 8,10,12, and 16:
1. A movement precursor at 8, 10, or 12 will be dictated by the movement power you took:
....a.Hasten, if Superspeed
....b.Combat Jumping, if Superleap
....c.Choose: Hover or Air Superiority, if Fly.
....d.Choose: Recall Friend or Teleport Foe, if Teleport
(Just say no to flurry and jump kick!)
2. Choose 2 of the fitness pool powers that will go in the 6-16 range:
{Swift, Hurdle, Health} (If Movement power is Super speed, choose Hurdle)
3. Pick one other power to fit into the 8-16 range:
Choose One: {Confuse, Mass Hypnosis, Telekinesis (12), Mutation (16)}
III. Take Hasten at 24, unless you took it earlier because you run super speed:
1. If not Super speed, L24 = Hasten
2. If Super speed, L24 =
Choose:
Stealth
Confuse
Mass Hypnosis
Mutation
Lingering Radiation
IV. Pick four more powers to go in L28,L30,L35, and L38 slots:
Choose 2:
Stealth
Confuse
Mass Hypnosis
Telekinesis
Mutation
Lingering Radiation
Choking Cloud
EM Pulse (Min 38)
Note: The order I'd consider these optional powers, is: Confuse, Mass Hypnosis, Telekinesis, Lingering Radiation, Mutation, EM Pulse, Stealth, Choking Cloud. Don't stake your build on Choking Cloud and Stealth, for cryin' out loud!
V. Finally, you slot things. Remember: once you're using SOs, never use more than 3 of a given enhancement type.
Place Slots: 9,11,13,15,15,17,17,31,34,36,36,36,37,37,37,39,39, 39,40,40,40
SOLO VS TEAM BUILD CONSIDERATIONS
Mind/Empathy and Mind/Radiation alike are great team contributors. Confusions, radiation debuffs, and empathy buffs are great magnifiers, and all the controls, and heals are great mitigation tools. As a rule, my remarks have reflected teaming, as a rule.
There're a few key considerations for builds that want to solo:
Solo Mind Mods:
<ul type="square">[*]Must take Levitate, Dominate, and Mesmerize.[*]3xDmg in Mesmerize[*]Always take Confuse[*]Strongly consider Mass Hypnosis[*]Strongly Consider Air Superiority[*]Omit Total Domination[*]Always take Terrify[*]Strongly consider stealth.[/list]
Solo Empathy Mods:
<ul type="square">[*]Omit Heal Other AND Absorb Pain[*]Consider slotting Healing Aura heavily.[*]Always take Regen Aura[*]Have existential crisis. You really should be teaming.[*]First respec trial at 24. And there's always rerollling.[/list]
Solo Radiation Mods:
<ul type="square">[*]Omit Mutation[*]Consider slotting Radiant Aura significantly.[*]Take Enervating Field early[*]Omit Lingering Radiation[*]Omit Fallout[*]Relish nobody but you killing your anchors![/list]
Tactics while solo will include a fair amount of juggling between mobs that are confused. Keep one of the lower-class (minion, lieut, vs lieut, boss, respectively), preferrably something that deals good damage, confused at all times. When you're down to 2 remaining mobs, start holding and damaging your confusee, and let the hurt guy wake up, confuse him, and let him go after your former 'ally.' Remember also that your confused guy will wake up sleeping bosses, which tends to be suboptimal, and usually argues for either double dominating a boss, and sucking up the damage.
Once you have Terrify slotted out as a damage tool (1xAcc, 2xEnd, 1xRchg, 2xDmg), keep your eyes open for herding opportunities. Adjacent spawns will become your friend. If you're Rad, learn to pull with Rad Infection.
APPENDIX A: UNDERSTANDING STATUS EFFECTS
There are a number of distinct status effects in CoH, and Mind Controllers are masters of some of the strongest, whereas Radiation also runs its fair share. Also, Empathy->Clear Mind immunizes against them all. Understanding them as a Mind/Green controller is crucial.
STATUS EFFECTS
<ul type="square">[*]Hold: Affected target cannot use any power, and cannot move. Drops toggles. The most common status effect controllers use.
[*]Disorient/Stun: Affected target cannot use any power. Drops toggles. Also, moves slowly and randomly.
[*]Sleep: Affected target cannot use any power, and cannot move. Drops toggles. Effect automatically ends when target takes any damage from a hero.
[*]Immobilize: Affected target cannot move.
[*]Fear: Affected target cannot use any power, and cannot move. Effect momentarily stops (long enough for target to make one attack), every time a damaging power is applied to the MOb. Often includes an accuracy debuff.
[*]Phase/Detain/Intangible: Affected target is intangible and cannot be affected or affect others.
[*]Knockdown/up: Affected target is knocked to the ground, or into the air, then has to get to their feet, during which time, they cannot take any other action. Some controller forms of knockdown have repetitive, pulsing, AoE knockdown.
[*]Knock back: Like knockdown but displaces the target horizontally.
[*]Slow: Not really a status effect, rather, a movement debuff, and, usually, recharge debuff.
[*]Smoke, etc: Not really a status effect, rather, a debuff on aggro range/perception, and an accuracy debuff.
[*]Confusion: Does quite a few related but distinct things. Affected targets:
stop attacking heroes completely,
stop buffing villains completely,
buff heroes as though they were villains.
attack and debuff villains as though they were heroes-- BUT! 75% the damage done by confused mobs is excluded from the calculation of credit for XP, whenever a mob is defeated. [/list]
Most ATs have at least a few powers in a couple power sets that at least occasionally do status effects. Disorients and stuns are frequently a possible side effect of melee attacks, as are knockup and knockback. Dark and Ice (non-controller) sets notoriously wield a variety of controls, including holds, fears, and slows. Controller primaries are a collection of 3-9 (usually 8) powers whose primary purpose is a status effect (or pseudopet that immediately produces a status effect, including most placed AoE powers).
STACKING, MINIONS, BOSSES, AVs
Every control has something that gurus call "magnitude." Bosses and Arch-Villains are progressively harder to control than lieutenants and minions. To successfully get them controlled, you may need more than one application of the status effect.
Putting the same status effect on a MOb twice or more is called "stacking." Status effects can only be stacked with other status effects of the SAME TYPE. You cannot stack confusion and sleep, fear and hold, etc. A boss with a single application of sleep, hold, and confuse each is a boss who's still fully active and hurting you (ordinarily). As a rule of thumb: it takes one application of a control (sleeps, holds, etc), to affect a minion or lieutenant, and two to affect anything classed higher than that (bosses and up).
But there're a LOT of exceptions:
Certain types of mobs have resistance to certain kinds of controls. Some are just a little tougher, and require a second application as though they were a boss. Others may actually be absolutely immune to certain kinds of controls.
Most control powers that do not ordinarily affect a boss in a single hit will, occasionally, score a "critical" hit, and get enough magnitude to control a boss in a single application.
Immobilizations and Mind Control/Mesmerize are slightly higher magnitude from the get-go, and affect bosses in a single application.
Nearly all Elite Bosses and Arch-Villains have a special power that gives them very, very high resistance to holds, sleeps, confuses, and fears, for (I'm guessing here) about 65% of the duration of the fight. This resistance can be overcome by stacking one kind of control very high, but it takes typically 2-3 controllers spamming that control nonstop in order to do so. The other ~35% of the time, when the resistance is down, the Elite Boss or AV is just like an ordinary boss. You can tell whether resistance is up or down, by looking at the purple triangles circling the MOb's head. If they point up, the MOb is resistant. If they point down, he's vulnerable!
Giant Monsters of various sorts have the same kind of high resistance AVs have, except it's up 100% of the time. It is possible to control them, but again takes typically 3 even-level controllers nonstop spamming the same kind of control.
Phases/Detains/Intangibilities cannot be slotted for duration. Some can be slotted for *magnitude*, others (the single-targets) have a very high magnitude to start with, which can't be improved. With a single intangibility enhancement in an enhanceable power, you can affect even-level bosses. Bear in mind this is also affected by relative level.
Slows do not have the same sort of magnitude-- they always have some effect, the effect is simply scaled back against tougher opponents (but not a lot-- slows can be great versus AVs).
Bear in mind also that controls nearly all have finite durations, so you're limited in how "high" you can stack an effect by how fast you can apply it repeatedly.
HARD AND TOTAL
Total/Partial Control: A term I like to use to distinguish between two classes of controls. Total Controls are controls that fully stop the attacks of an effected enemy that would otherwise be aggroing, for a significant duration. They include hold, disorient, sleep, fear, confuse, and phase. Technically Knock* is a total control with an extremely short duration.
Hard/Soft Control: Another term I use to distinguish between kinds of controls. Soft controls are controls that you can't benefit from and attack the controlled mob at the same time. They include sleeps, fear, smoke, and phase. (The other controls could be called "hard" controls.)
Hard Total Controls: hold, confuse, disorient
Hard Partial Controls: Knockdown/up, Slow, Immob
Soft Total Controls: sleeps, fear, smoke, and phase
Some people include what I call "hard partial" controls under "soft" control. Some also fit confuses and even disorients into that category.
__________________________________________
APPENDIX B: CONFUSING SPECIFIC MOBS
There are a few noteworthy mobs in CoH to deal with, as a Mind Controller. As has been noted, confused enemies will buff and debuff to *your* advantage, and this is something you'll very much want to take advantage of. Any time a mob is primarily or note worthily a buffer, debuffer, or controller, you should consider it your solemn duty to confuse them.
An incomplete list of confuse-worthy targets:
<ul type="square">[*]Vazhilok Embalmed of all kinds, will blow up their own allies rather than your team, if you confuse them. Not always a high priority for confusion, since holding them is just as good, but frankly, everyone loves you when you set off Zombie fireworks safely, and frankly some of the earlier Vazhilok missions are really dangerous because of the unresistable and front-loaded damage exploding zombies do. So I say-- blow them up on each-other! Super funny!
[*]Certain Lead Outcast, who summon pets, such as Lead Scorchers, as well as Frostfire himself.
[*]Some of the Circle of Thorns Mages-- especially madness mages (who virtually are Mind/Emp themselves), Life Mages (who heal now, some), Ice Thorn casters, and worst, those pesky Earth Thorn casters-- all of whom will put their powers to work for YOU. (But get the earth thorns confused *before* they start firing powers.)
[*]CoT Portals, which summon Behemoths that yield no XP (yuk!), but are good XP themselves, can be kept from EVER summoning by confusing them before they aggro to anything. Just make sure to approach cautiously (it's hard to gague aggro distance from portals) and make SURE to keep the confusion up.
[*]Council vampires of all sorts (they use various sleeps and holds).
[*]Banished Pantheon Shamen (they others use myriad status effects and debuffs, including snow storm, earthquake, and hurricane, and Death Shamen summon pet zombies).
[*]Sky raider Force field Generators (yes, they bubble *you*!).
[*]All devouring earth 'shrooms. They mez like crazy, and also summon mez-resistance emanators. (See below for more on Emanators).
[*]Crey Medics and Radiologists (Medics heal and Radiologists do rad infection).
[*]Lost Aberrants and Pariahs, especially the Eremites and Anchorites.
[*]Rikti Mentalists, Mesmerists, and Guardians. Also, Rikti portals, opened by communications officers, will port in *confused* conscripts if you confuse the portal!
[*]Tsoo Yellow Ink Men, who use sleeps and holds, and Sorcerers, whose heals are legendarily annoying, and who have a hold of their own. Also, Dragonfly, Herald, and Skyfall type bosses. Finally, anytime a Tsoo throws caltrops that are getting on your nerves, confuse him. As long as he's alive and confused, the caltrops will affect him, not you. (After he dies, the caltrops revert to hurting you.)
[*]False Nemeses. These guys *can* be confused with the normal difficulty of a boss, and they often have dispersion bubble up.
[*]Malta. Sappers, which are, hands down, the best target for confusions in the entire game. They do negligible damage, but even stalwart tanks and epic scrappers fear their end drain. You needn't. Have them drain your enemies instead! Also, if you have a Malta Engineer who's already dropped an auto-turret that is annoying you, confuse him. So long as he's alive and confused, the turret will attack villains. It reverts when he dies though.
[*]Carnie Illusionists and Master Illusionists-- they'll summon hordes of pets-- other illusionists, Dark Servants, Phantasms... and they'll all fight each other, so long as you keep the original summoner alive and confused. Great fun.
[*]Knives of Artemis-- All the Knives throw caltrops, it seems like, and a single mass confusion can turn an inferno of caltrop micro damage against the people who created it.
[*]ODDITY: Devouring Earth villains drop a wide variety of emanators that buff other DE ONLY. Confusing the person who summoned the emanator OR the emanator itself will make the emanator STOP buffing the DE, but it will NOT buff your team. (This is an unusual exception.)
[*]CAUTION: DE Fungoids (deathcaps, etc) require special attention, as well. If one that you confuse plants a fungus (which normally provide nearby DE with resistance to status effects), and then you proceed to put holds on other DE, and the fight gets going, and somehow your fungoid dies, suddenly you'll have a fungus that nobody was worrying about breaking all your holds. So watch funguses. Keep them separately confused if for whatever reason your team isn't killing them automatically.
[*]CAUTION: Nemesis are a pain in the rear. They all require two applications to confuse, so rarely will there be much point in using confusions against them. Of course, as noted above, False Nemeses and Warhulks, as bosses, only take the usual 2x confuse to affect. You'll often come across a pair, and if you don't have anything else, it can be useful to pop mass confusion and then a pair of confuses to get the two of them.
[*]CAUTION: Explosives, a relatively recent introduction into the game, blow up good guys and bad guys alike. Don't be tricked into thinking you can confuse them into not blowing you up. A confused explosive puts the smackdown intended for you, on the enemy, but also puts the smackdown intended for the enemy on YOU! [/list]
__________________________________________
APPENDIX C: MISCELLANEOUS ADVICE
<ul type="square">[*]Always be courteous. Discourtesy is always a waste of time.
[*]Start teams yourself, rather than waiting to be chosen. Develop your leadership and communication skills. (The author is sorely lacking in this department.)
[*]There are only four good ways to approach a dangerous fight.
1) You lead into each fight with area control-- preferably aggroless-- from sufficient distance, or
2) a blaster or defender pulls ones and twos with an especially lightweight or long-range blast,
3) tanks closely followed by scrappers rush in, followed by everyone else keeping their distance.
4) tanks attract aggro then leave the enemy's line of sight around a corner, making enemies cluster at the corner.
TAKE THE RESPONSIBILITY for making sure your team knows and agrees on ONE AND ONLY ONE of these, especially if you're leading.
[*]If your team is composed of 40%+ melee and the group isn't in way over its head, help blasters, defenders, and other controllers understand that pulling with blasts is NOT THE ONLY way to play.
[*]If you're on a team with 40%+ blasters and few team-defense oriented builds, help any twitchy scrappers present understand that being kiting debt magnets is NOT THE ONLY way to play.
[*]If you're on a team with a good tank who is herding, don't fire off control until he's in position. Ask him to fire off an F7 "Ready!" when you should mez. But also watch out for other teammates who get dangerous aggro away from him. Herding can be dangerous, and you're not vital to it, so use your alertness to the max.
[*]If you're on a team with a good blaster or defender who's pulling, if there are *any* melee people on the team, DO NOT MEZ ANYTHING until it's WELL OUTSIDE THE AGGRO RANGE of whatever group it's been pulled from. And for $Deity's sake do NOT confuse it!
[*]If you are on a team with people who do anything AoE to foes-- particularly claw/*, spine/*, and */dark scrappers and fire/* and */fire blasters, radiation, dark, and sonic controllers and defenders, watch positioning CAREFULLY, because once you lock down a group, obviously they won't move into position for cones and AoEs of their own accord. It's ok, especially with the scrappers and tanks, to wait a minute to lock mobs down, and not lockdown before they cluster up. You've got heals, so if need be, let the scrapper go into the red, then heal, mez, and heal again. It may also be useful in this regard to run ahead of the team a bit and immediately mez clusters of MObs as soon as they spawn and before they start to meander. You can in theory use Telekinesis selectively to correct problems applying AoE to a scattered mob you've just held, but don't waste too much time; area mezzes aren't going to last forever. The goal here is clustering of MoBs for AoEs. Investigate this further.
[*]Some attacks will make mobs scatter-- it seems to me most notoriously, everything with the word "rain" in the power description. If you have a teammate running this kind of effect but not locking down mobs first, work something out with them.
[*]Accept that there are bad teams to be on, and that you can only do two things about them: talk, leave.
If the team can't be improved with talk, you should leave it. For the good of the game, leave it!
[*]If you're LEADING a team, it means you accept responsibility for recruiting, communicating, and most of all, addressing misconduct if it's ruining play for the others. Addressing misconduct in a team is your job because you have the sole power to kick people. If you don't want to exercise it, hand off leadership to somebody who does, preferably BEFORE anything becomes an issue. And always say you've done so in the team channel.
[*]Always keep a seperate tab visible, while teaming, for ONLY chat and private tells. There's an audible report for everything that comes in over either channel, and teammates should be able to expect you to promptly respond in those channels, and not miss anything said there. The entire chat window opens and closes with a single keystroke (c), so if need be, flip the window open just long enough to glance at what people are saying.[/list]
__________________________________________
APPENDIX D: CONFUSION AND XP/TIME
INTRO
A confused mob will actively do damage to the other mobs you're fighting. Normally, anything except a teammate doing damage to mobs you're fighting claims a portion of the XP for themself.
However, MOST of a CONFUSED MOb's DAMAGE DOES NOT COUNT in this regard. 75% of the damage a confused mob does to your other enemies magically disappears from BOTH sides of the equation. In other words, for example, if you do half the damage to a mob killed by confused mobs, you get 80% of the XP.
Equations for real XP yield over time require looking at the duration of a normal fight, an unknown standard downtime between fights, and the way confuse buffs XP/dmg. The following section looks at these things in detail. Fortunately, there is one fairly simple rule to follow regarding keeping XP up:
If you're using confusion, it will not worsen XP per time unless you spend more than a certain amount of time between fights. That amount of time is: three times the amount of time the fight itself WOULD have normally taken, times the fraction of damage you did.
As a practical matter, groups that are pursuing XP in any remotely reasonable fashion will be well within this range, so that confusion NEVER, as a practical matter, hurt XP/time. Some people will never believe you re: this. If somebody disrupts team play telling you not to use confuses, I strongly recommend you cite their disruptive ignorance and leave the team.
The following is a kind of proof, regarding XP and time. If you're math-phobic, turn back now. If you have a herostats-esque program, just go verify this stuff for yourself.
Also, please note: this was meant to address only the binary: confusions vs holds or similar, and its effect on experience. That's based on the assumptions that either you don't have to play with confusion-spamming mind controllers at all, or if you do, the mind controllers can be well built without doing much with confusions. (Either is true.) So this attempts only to show: does it get worse if somebody's using confusions instead of holds (also, I ignore bad guy buffs to your team, and the minor scatter or cluster you get confusion, depending on your skill level and luck.)
HOW EXPERIENCE WORKS GENERALLY
Spawn: A group of MObs (mobile objects; bad guys. XP on legs.)
Where:
X = Experience value of (average) spawn
D = fraction of the spawn's HPs done by you, where 1 = 100%.
Under normal circumstances, everybody who damages a mob "takes" a share of that mob's experience yield (X), proportional to the fraction of damage they do (D). That means if you and an unteamed stranger each do half the damage to a mob, and it's defeated, you each get half the experience value. Earned experience (Xp) is equal to the mob's experience value times the fraction of damage you do to it.
Xp = DX
If you do all the damage (D=1), then you get the full experience of the spawn (XP=X).
HOW EXPERIENCE OVER TIME WORKS GENERALLY
Where:
F = ("Fight") time each spawn takes to fully defeat
S = ("Search") time it takes after each fight to find the next fight
T = ("Time") fight plus search time = F+S
Experience per time (Xppt) is equal to experience value of the spawn (X) divided by total time (T). Total time is a function of how long it normally takes to defeat a spawn (F) plus time between fights (S):
Xppt = X/T = X/(F+S)
HOW CONFUSION EXPERIENCE WORKS
Where:
Cmd = fraction of spawn's damage done by confused mobs (where 1=100%) = 1-D
The experience value of mobs damaged by other confused mobs (Cx) is equal to the mob's base experience value times the fraction of the mob's damage once you EXCLUDE three quarters of the damage confused mobs did (Cmd) from the mob's base damage.
Cx = DX / ( D + (Cmd/4))Cx = DX / ( D + ((1-D)/4))Cx = 4DX / (3D + 1)
HOW CONFUSION FIGHT DURATION WORKS
Fight durations depend directly on how much damage has to be dealt to finish the enemy. The amount of time fights last (Cf) where damage from confused mobs is in play, is the normal fight time (F) times the fraction of the damage you yourself have to do (D).
Cf = time a spawn takes to defeat, if it's been damaged by confused mobs = FD.
***Note: F here is the duration of a NORMAL fight, that is, without confusion in play.
HOW CONFUSION EXPERIENCE OVER TIME WORKS
Total time with confusions in play (Ct) is a function of how long it takes to defeat a spawn with confusions in play (Cf), plus downtime between fights (S).
Ct = confused fight plus search time Cf+S = FD+S
Experience per time with confused mobs doing some damage (Cxppt) is equal to experience value of the spawn damaged by confused mobs (Cx) divided by total time with confusions in play (Ct).
Just as
Xppt = X /T
Likewise
Cxppt = Cx/Ct
Cxppt = 4DX / ((FD+S)*(3D + 1))
DOING AT LEAST AS WELL
What we really want to do is compare normal experience per time (Xppt) to experience per time when confusions are in play (Cxppt). We can find a "break even" point by setting the two figures equal to each other. The break-even point is should be a statement about when your experience over time WITH confusions (Cxppt) is the SAME as your experience per time WITHOUT confusions (Xppt).
Break-even point rule:
Xppt = Cxppt
<font class="small">Code:[/color]<hr /><pre>
Xppt = Cxppt
__________________________________________________ ___________
X/(F + S) = 4DX / ((DF+S)*(3D + 1)) |divide by X
1/(F + S) = 4D / ((DF+S)*(3D + 1)) |invert
(F + S) = ((DF+S)*(3D + 1)) / 4D |multiply out
(F + S) = (3DDF+3DS+DF+S) / 4D |multiply by 4D
4DF+4DS = 3DDF+3DS+DF+S |subtract (DF +4DS +3DDF)
3DF-3DDF = S-DS |divide by (1-D)
__________________________________________________ ___________
3DF = S
</pre><hr />
WHAT DOES S=3DF MEAN?
So, here's our statement about when your experience over time (Cxppt) WITH confusions is the SAME as your experience per time WITHOUT them
S = 3DF
In English:
Time it takes after each fight to find the next fight is equal to three times the fraction of the spawn's damage done by you, times the time each spawn takes to fully defeat (normally).
If you start the next fight faster than that, your XPS is better with confuse than without. If you find them slower, experience over time gets worse when you use confusions in place of (some) holds.
WHAT DOES THAT PROVE?
Nothing, directly, since we have to be able to judge for ourselves whether we can meet the rule above. But we CAN safely say that if our downtime between fights is short enough, confusion is really helping with XP, to say nothing of being a hold with lots of fringe benefits.
In my experience, groups with any real interest in decent XP over time will EASILY be doing better than the S=3DF rule above. If the group can't manage S=3DF on the average, it's probably because they're doing something IN PREFERENCE to decent XP/time.
And as anyone can see, such a group has no business complaining: "Confusion is hurting our XP!" Because of course, if the group wasn't doing other things that hurt XP/time more, the confusion itself would be *helping* XP/time. If you're not trying to get decent XP, you ought to have no complaints about not getting the best possible XP.
HOW MUCH BETTER?
Remember, none of this speaks to *how much* better the XP would be if you were getting in more than your 2.7%.
To generalize, ((Cxppt/Xppt) -1) is the % bonus to XP you get (Cb) when using confusions.
Cb= Cxppt/CXppt = (4D(F+S) / ((FD+S)*(3D + 1)))-1
Among the things that can be seen is that as D goes down, (Cb) goes up.
WARNING: Do not adjust your D!
It's wrong to conclude from this that we should hold back doing damage to increase XP gain from confusion; holding back damage is an assumption that stretches the "normal" fight length, and generally just doesn't apply. It's throwing out damage and getting nothing in return.
D is the fraction of damage *you* do. You can quite effectively tweak it downward by fighting mobs with more hitpoints, against whom your damage is scaled down, and that, when confused, hit harder. IOW, D can be scaled back by fighting higher level mobs. The only caveat I have to offer is: you need to make sure you have the accuracy to be doing this. The ubarness of confuses versus higher level mobs is narrowed by accuracy scaling back against much higher mobs.
Choosing a Controller V2 | Splattrollers | Plant/Rad | Fire/Storm | Mind/Emp & Mind/Rad
Weird Controller Powers | Conf & XP/Time | Controller Damage
Being a Healer | The word Necessary | Natural Concept Characters
This is by far the very best guide I've read since I started playing this game. Well done.
I've played since Beta and I don't have one single lvl 50 toon. Is it because I'm deeply philosophical and believe life is a journey, or am I easily distracted by shiny baubles?
You decide.
An incredible, thorough guide. Great job!
Are you a professional guide writer, if not you should look into it.
Thanks to you my level 24 mind/rad can see a little more clearly into his future levels.
Hope to see more great guides from you in the future.
Im rich because you trust the previous 5 bids!!
My market signature is the highest bid!!!!
Working on version 2.4, among other things I just realized I never took out that bogus remark about terrify having an accuraccy debuff! Gah!
Also, there's some other advice about build in there that's at least slighly wacky. PM me if you have questions, because I'm not sure, for example, I would insist on TD at 18 anymore.
Choosing a Controller V2 | Splattrollers | Plant/Rad | Fire/Storm | Mind/Emp & Mind/Rad
Weird Controller Powers | Conf & XP/Time | Controller Damage
Being a Healer | The word Necessary | Natural Concept Characters
Damn, but that's a brilliant guide. Great job, Enantiodromos!
What happen to section 9 and 10
I just wanted to thank you for this guide. I made a mind/rad and it is the most fun Ive ever had on this game. Im at 23 now, but once I hit 22 and got SO I was able to put my reputation on the highest level and I solo without issue... and quickly too.
End isnt an issue, and I assume will get a bit worse once I get my big powers, but better once I get conserve power.
I def see a need in my playstyle for tp foe and stealth (both for the EXACT reasons you mentioned).
This guide is by far the best around. Kudos.
My playstyle: Solo 70%+. And with all the temp travel powers, never really have needed one. TP I decided to get so I have a 'Z' travel once my temps run out, but hurdle/swift and sprint work great even as is.
My build:
---------------------------------------------
Exported from Ver: 1.7.6.0 of the CoH_CoV Character Builder - (http://sherksilver.coldfront.net/index.php)
---------------------------------------------
Name:
Level: 50
Archetype: Controller
Primary: Mind Control
Secondary: Radiation Emission
---------------------------------------------
01) --> Mesmerize
* Accuracy(1)
* Accuracy(3)
* Damage(3)
* Damage(5)
* Damage(37)
01) --> Radiant Aura
* Healing(1)
* End Reduction(43)
* Recharge Reduction(45)
02) --> Dominate
* Accuracy(2)
* Accuracy(5)
* Damage(7)
* Damage(7)
* Damage(31)
* Recharge Reduction(48)
04) --> Levitate
* Accuracy(4)
* Accuracy(11)
* Damage(11)
* Damage(13)
* Damage(37)
* End Reduction(50)
06) --> Confuse
* Accuracy(6)
* Accuracy(25)
* End Reduction(43)
08) --> Mass Hypnosis
* Accuracy(8)
* Accuracy(9)
* Accuracy(9)
* End Reduction(34)
* Recharge Reduction(34)
* Recharge Reduction(37)
10) --> Accelerate Metabolism
* Recharge Reduction(10)
* Recharge Reduction(13)
* Recharge Reduction(15)
* Endurance Modification(15)
* Endurance Modification(17)
* Endurance Modification(17)
12) --> Enervating Field
* End Reduction(12)
* End Reduction(19)
* End Reduction(46)
14) --> Hasten
* Recharge Reduction(14)
* Recharge Reduction(19)
* Recharge Reduction(21)
16) --> Swift
* Run Speed(16)
18) --> Hurdle
* Jump(18)
20) --> Lingering Radiation
* Accuracy(20)
* Accuracy(21)
* Recharge Reduction(36)
* Recharge Reduction(42)
* End Reduction(46)
* End Reduction(46)
22) --> Stamina
* Endurance Modification(22)
* Endurance Modification(23)
* Endurance Modification(23)
24) --> Radiation Infection
* End Reduction(24)
* Defense DeBuff(25)
* Defense DeBuff(31)
* Defense DeBuff(31)
* To Hit DeBuff(40)
* To Hit DeBuff(43)
26) --> Terrify
* Accuracy(26)
* Accuracy(27)
* Damage(27)
* Damage(29)
* End Reduction(31)
* End Reduction(36)
28) --> Teleport Foe
* Accuracy(28)
* Accuracy(29)
30) --> Stealth
* End Reduction(30)
32) --> Mass Confusion
* Accuracy(32)
* Accuracy(33)
* Recharge Reduction(33)
* Recharge Reduction(33)
* Recharge Reduction(34)
* End Reduction(36)
35) --> Teleport
* End Reduction(35)
38) --> EM Pulse
* Accuracy(38)
* Accuracy(39)
* Recharge Reduction(39)
* Recharge Reduction(39)
* Recharge Reduction(40)
* End Reduction(40)
41) --> Conserve Power
* Recharge Reduction(41)
* Recharge Reduction(42)
* Recharge Reduction(42)
44) --> Temp Invulnerability
* End Reduction(44)
* End Reduction(45)
* End Reduction(45)
47) --> Power Boost
* Recharge Reduction(47)
* Recharge Reduction(48)
* Recharge Reduction(48)
49) --> Telekinesis
* End Reduction(49)
* End Reduction(50)
* End Reduction(50)
---------------------------------------------
01) --> Sprint
* Empty Enhancement(1)
01) --> Brawl
* Empty Enhancement(1)
02) --> Rest
* Empty Enhancement(2)
01) --> Containment
* Empty Enhancement(1)
---------------------------------------------
In addition to the issues with Terrify not having an accuracy debuff, I should also mention:
1. All bets re: stealth are now off; I've specced or will be speccing stealth out of my characters, since you can now duplicate it with a single (albeit potentially expensive) IO, or with the most appealling of travel powers for anybody using hasten (superspeed). For the purposes of this guide, just omit all references to stealth.
2. Mesmerize now accepts recharges. Maybe it was a bug after all! At any rate, you can slot it for recharges if you REALLY want, but it's pretty fast as-is, especially on anybody running say, AM and Hasten.
3. EF is subject to an effect that may be a bug, affecting all -res powers presently: they all debuff mob damage as well, for some reason. The net effect is that EF debuffs mob damge slightly more than it debuffs mob resistance, making the net effect of EF on confused mobs a very slight drop in confused mob damage output. This is not a significant concern for any reason I can see, except that in reality EF will not significantly increase confused spawn self-destruction times, contrary to my above remarks.
Choosing a Controller V2 | Splattrollers | Plant/Rad | Fire/Storm | Mind/Emp & Mind/Rad
Weird Controller Powers | Conf & XP/Time | Controller Damage
Being a Healer | The word Necessary | Natural Concept Characters
Mind, Radiation, Empathy...or, Colorless Green Ideas Sleep Furiously
PvE Team & Solo Mind/Empathy and Mind/Radiation
For I8, by Enantiodromos v2.3
__________________________________________
1. Introduction
2. Mind Control
........a. Overview
........b. Mind Control Features in Depth
........c. Individual Powers
........d. Using Mind Control
3. Slotting
4. Empathy
........a. Overview
........b. Individual Powers
........c. Using Empathy
........d. Mind/Empathy Synergy
5. Radiation
........a. Overview
........b. Individual powers
........c. Using Radiation
........d. Mind/Radiation Synergy
6. Pool Powers
........a. Recommended Pool Powers
........b. Other Pool Powers
........c. Pool Powers to Avoid
7. Per Origin (RP)
........a. Mind controllers and Origins
........b. Empathy and Origins
........c. Radiation and Origins
8. Builds
........a. Mind/Empathy Build Checklist
........b. Mind/Radiation Build Checklist
........c. Solo vs Team build considerations
9. Note on Ancillary (aka "Epic") Power Pools
10. Things that suck
APPENDIX A: Understanding Status Effects
APPENDIX B: Confusing Specific MObs
APPENDIX C: Miscellaneous Advice
APPENDIX D: Confusion and XP/Time
.......a. Intro
.......b. How experience works generally
.......c. How experience over time works generally
.......d. How confusion experience works.
.......e. How confusion fight duration works.
.......f. How confusion XP/Time works.
.......g. Doing at least as well.
.......h. What does S=3DF mean?
.......i. What does that prove?
.......k. How much better?
.......l. Warning: Do not adjust your D!
_________________________________________
INTRODUCTION
In this FAQ, I'll be talking about Mind control with Empathy and Radiation sets. I hope to provide fairly thorough insight into all three. I've spent over 1400 hours (for a variety of reasons) playing my L50 Mind/Empathy controller, and I run a Mind/Rad L37 controller, and a Rad/Psi L43 Defender, so I've played the great majority of these powers fairly heavily. I don't play player-versus-player at all, and will only have cursory comments regarding this.
In v2.3, I tidied up some descriptions of powers, elaborated a bit on slotting strategy, omitted a few things that seem pretty irrelevant (my builds, some fancy math speculation about confusion XP, comparisons of other Mind/* builds which can be found in the Guide to Choosing the Controller that's Right for You), killed a couple typos, and doubtless introduced several more.
__________________________________________
MIND CONTROL
Mind Control is the premier set for hard & total control, aggro-free control, and confusions. It does fair damage that's typed Psi for good penetration, has enormous surgical control potential, no pets, and no immobilizations. It has sometimes been remarked that Mind Control has good or great area control. Mind does have good area control, but is not, contrary to popular wisdom, the best (see Ice and Earth control).
(If you're unfamiliar with status effects and terms, or end up not understanding anything said here, please refer to appendix A, understanding status effects. There's no standard meaning for some of these terms either, and I use them in what I think are precise, but not totally norm, ways. Again, consult the appendix if the following doesn't make sense.)
Here are the highlights of Mind Control:
<ul type="square">[*]Hard Controls
Mind has five great hard controls: a ranged single-target and *two* Ranged AoE holds-- Dominate, Telekinesis (AoE Toggle), and Total Domination (AoE). It also has two confusions, which are among the hardest controls in the PvE game: Confuse (ranged single-target) and Mass Confusion (ranged AoE).
[*]Single Target Controls
Mind has three great controls for dealing with one target at a time-- an aspect of controlling often overlooked, because many sets have half their single-target control in the form of an immobilization (which are of limited control value). Mesmerize, Confuse, and Dominate easily let you juggle 3-8 mobs at a time (depending on your skill and slotting) without resorting to any sort of area control.
[*]Soft Controls
Mind also has three soft controls-- Mesmerize (ranged single-target sleep) Mass Hypnosis (ranged AoE), and Terrify, (large cone fear).
[*]Aggro Free Controls
Three of Mind's controls, Confuse, Mass Hypnosis, and Mass Confusion, never cause aggro-- which is three more than any other set except Illusion (which has one, or more if you count invisibility.) And since they're all ranged, you're able to actually apply them at zero risk of aggro. There are all sorts of tactical advantages to be had from this.
[*]Damage dealing
Controllers now do meaningful damage (see containment), and most of Mind's damage is typed Psi, which is rarely resisted. Dominate and Mesmerize are standard damage-dealing controls, and a great damage/control one-two in a fight. Mind also has Levitate, a great high damage power that does prevent knockback-nonresistant enemies from attacking while they're on the ground, and which is smashing damage, a handy alternative to the psi you do, especially when facing robots. Finally, Mind has Terrify, one of only two options in controller primaries for doing area damage.
[*]Containment setup
Containment is now the name of the game for damage with controllers-- any mob that is immobilized, held, disoriented, or slept takes double damage from any attack by a controller (except brawl). Mind has two single-target (Dominate, Mesmerize) and three AoE controls (Total Dom, Mass Hypnosis, Telekinesis) that set up containment, all ranged. This can mean decent damage output with unusual safety, in the hands of a well-built mind controller.
[*]Confusions
Mind specializes in confusion, one of the most controversial kinds of powers in the game, because of the question often raised regarding XP and confusions. Confusions are like a hold in that they completely stop a foe from taking any action against your team. However, they also (among other things) cause the foe to attack *other foes*-- and most (75%) of the damage they do when confused, is not "counted" when mobs are defeated, so you wind up getting more experience that normal for the damage you do.
Read that again: the net effect of confusions is to improve XP.
Confusions are widely misunderstood for three reasons:
1) At one point in the early release of City of Heroes, damage from confused mobs was not discounted by 75% when XP was distributed, so that it typically made XP worse, when used. This has been fixed for a LONG time, but attitudes persist.
2) People improperly compare confused villains to pets because the L32 Mind Controller power is Mass Confusion, not a pet.
3) People sometimes become interested in how much experience they're getting per defeated MOb. Confusion can cut down modestly on your experience gained per mob, but it always compensates-- or overcompensates-- by speeding up fights, which mean more experience per time.
Because of these things, there is a persistent belief that confusions cause teams to 'lose XP.' They absolutely do not, but you can expect to team with people who think they do.
[*]Trickiness
Mind Controls can be some of the hardest control effects for teammates to recognize. None of them have dramatic animations like, say, Earth or Ice, and teammates attacking/killing controlled mobs first can cut down on your effectiveness, if they can't/won't learn to work with you. Confusions, indeed, leave mobs actually moving and attacking, which can be even more confusing for teammates. Communication is a must.
[*]Stackability
Mind provides two (technically, three) pair of stackable total controls-- Confuse and Mass Confusion (both are confusions), Dominate and Total Domination (both are holds). It also can, technically, double up sleep magnitude, by using Mesmerize and then Mass Hypnosis.[/list]
INDIVIDUAL POWERS
NOTE: Again, read the appendix on status effects first, if any terms used here are not familiar.
<ul type="square">[*]Mesmerize
Available: L1
Slotting: 1 Accuracy. If you want damage, you could add 1-3 damage. A second accuracy later, if you decide you need it.
Importance: Consider
A single target sleep with enormous duration and enough magnitude to sleep a boss in one application. It does OK damage, and is great for keeping fringe mobs, especially bosses, out of the fight. If there are guys on the fringe on the opposite side from your team who aggro, put them to sleep, and deal with them later! Like any sleep, the downside is that all the lovely control duration you invested in the mesmerized mob goes away when he takes the first point of damage from you or a teammate. Note, Mesmerize CANNOT be slotted for recharge. This is not a bug, AFAIK.
[*]Levitate
Available: L1
Slotting: 1 Accuracy, 3 damage. When you have spare slots, +0-1 Dmg, +0-1 End, +0-2 Recharge.
Importance: Consider
Levitate is the best low-level damage power in the set. It does knock-up, which at least momentarily interrupts your enemies, too. A strong choice in a scraptroller or a build with very few powers to offer early in its secondary (including an empathy build with no single-target heals, if that interests you.)
[*]Dominate
Available: L2
Slotting: 1 accuracy, 1 hold, 2 recharge immediately. Depending on what help you have in other powers, +0-1 accuracy, +0-2 hold, +0-1 recharge, +0-2 damage, +0-1 End Redux, as soon as possible.
Importance: Mandatory
Dominate is a good fast single target hold, with decent damage. Dominate is a bread-and-butter power. You should ALWAYS take it at level 2, or latest at 4, and slot early and heavy.
[*]Confuse
Available: L6
Slotting: 1 accuracy. When you can, +1-3 recharge, +0-2 duration. If you really have slots to spare and lots of native +recharge, consider +0-2 range.
Importance: Important
Confuse completely stops an enemy from attacking you or your teammates, and additionally forces them attack and debuff other villains, and buff the good guys! As if that weren't enough, it DRAWS NO AGGRO! You can spam confuses all day long, if you just want to clear out an area. It requires two applications to affect a boss-- much like holds, and has a longer recharge and activation time, BUT, it also has a significantly longer duration.
Another way confuses differ from holds is that, confused mobs will still move around under their own power. Potentially, in very dispersed, adjacent groupings, they'll go where you don't want them to go. On the other hand, confusion can also be used to get an outlying mob to cluster up with the rest of a group, since he'll move to attack them. If you're really clever, it's a herding tool. If you're really unlucky, it causes a bit of scatter. Fair tradeoff.
Confuse should be SERIOUSLY considered by L16 or so, if not straight away at L6. Using it on any enemy is good, and using it on enemy defender types is fantastic.
For PvPers, however, Confuse will be a nonstarter-- its effects are at best a nuisance in PvP, and it can't detoggle or set containment.
[*]Mass Hypnosis
Available: L8
Slotting: 1 Accuracy. A second accuracy when you have slots to spare. Consider +1-3 recharge, if you find you can make frequent use of the power, and +0-2 range when you really have slots to spare,
Importance: Consider
Mass Hypnosis is your first, and one of two, aggro FREE area controls! It is a large Area of Effect that centers on an enemy you target while at range, putting minions and lieutenants to sleep, with a small chance to sleep bosses. It does no damage. Very good for mitigating damage when you're facing overwhelmingly large spawns, as when two large spawns are back-to-back, or some gruesome summoning power is at work. It also initiates containment damage doubling. Rarely should this power be used, however, in the middle of a fight.
[*]Telekinesis
Available: L12
Slotting: 1 End Redux. +2 End redux soon, depending on whether you're using the power regularly.
Importance: Consider
Telekinesis is an auto-hit TOGGLE ranged area hold, meaning, you select a target, toggle on TK, and the target and everyone else around them has a hold applied. Additionally, affected targets steadily move in a direct line away from you- this is what makes Telekinesis tricky; you have to find physical obstacles to bunch your TK'd opponents up into, because otherwise, they'll not only drift away from you, but they'll all drift apart, including away from the original target of the effect, and most will come un-held. Also, can cause the target to drift far away into areas where the effect will draw aggro to you, like any other anchored AoE toggle.
Telekinesis is also one of the biggest end hogs in the entire game. To use this power as a staple, you'll need to take it and slot it fairly heavily for end reduction, which given all other considerations, you'll have to do either ASAP, or pretty late.
Telekinesis has adequate magnitude to hold lieutenants and minions, but also stacks with total domination or dominate. Unheld bosses will readily move to counter the pushback effect of TK.
Finally, telekinesis, ifyou missed this, takes no hit check. It can be used with 100% confidence on significantly higher spawns.
[*]Total Domination
Available: L18
Slotting: Three-slot immediately. 2 accuracy, 1 recharge. When possible, +1-2 recharge, +1-2 hold. If you always run rad infection and/or tactics, consider dropping an accuracy for a recharge.
Importance: Important
Total domination is an Area of Effect Hold applied to everyone within a fairly large radius from an enemy you target at range. It does no damage, but does draw aggro. Like most area controls it has a long recharge time. It's a great tool to provide teams with safety in combination with other powers, but will require full slotting. Take it as soon as available, at 18.
[*]Terrify
Available: L26
Slotting: 1 Accuracy. When you reasonably can, +0-1 accuracy +1-2 end redux. If you decide you need damage, +3 damage.
Importance: Important
Terrify is a fear effect with an accuracy debuff that does psi damage equal to dominate and mesmerize, in a VERY large cone. Though it's a soft control, as damage mitigation goes it can still be useful when you team with single-target hitters, particularly if you stand any chance of surviving one volley from the enemy. Terrify also has a good recharge rate for such a big, broad damage/control attack. Endurance is what tends to keep Terrify in check. With slotting, Stamina and Recovery Aura or AM, you'll be able, eventually, to sidestep this limitation.
[*]Mass Confusion
Available: L32
Slotting: 4 slots immediately-- 1 accuracy, 3 recharge. When you have slots to spare, +0-1 Accuracy, +0-1 End Redux, +0-2 Confuse duration.
Importance: Mandatory
Here's the zenith of Mind Control! Mass confusion is everything that the single target confuse is, except as an AoE. It's long-duration, slow recharge, draws no aggro, and is fantastic for clearing out an area (say, the bodyguards of an AV). It can be readily stacked with confuse, and second to none for versatility and power, among area controls. It's also hysterically entertaining.
Refer to the section on Confuse, and think AoE.[/list]
USING MIND CONTROL POWERS
<ul type="square">[*]Dominate, Levitate, Mesmerize, Confuse
Basic single-target controlling is important as a mind controller. You have a LOT of options to take one guy out at a time. ALWAYS know which mobs are the mezzers/buffers/debuffers, among the enemy, and fire confusions off FIRST on those mobs (the long activation but aggro-free nature of confusions make them ideal initials in chains).Hit crucially dangerous bosses with dominate (typically twice), until they stop moving. Look for lieutenants and non-crucial bosses on the edge of fights to mesmerize (mesmerize does a good job of getting enough mag to sleep a boss). And use levitate as a stopgap control between real controls, or on anything that's held, for a dose of damage. These are key, too when soloing, since they do the most damage and since it's scarcely efficient to use an area control on just 3 mobs, since you can almost certainly lock those down well before they take more health from you than your native health recovery will return before the next fight. If you really feel you need a fifth power in your arsenal for soloing, consider picking up air superiority. With a control/containment/damage set like Dominate, Levitate, Mesmerize, Confuse, Air Superiority, you'll have respectable damage and, if you use it right, iron-clad safety.
[*]Mass Hypnosis, Dominate, Mesmerize (Very Safe)
This is a basic combo you can be doing by L8. Lead with Mass Hypnosis from a good distance, then immediately Dominate to get the most important target under control-- either the guy your buddies are gunning for, or the boss you dread most. Now mesmerize the mob furthest from the attack zone of your teammates. Cycle your Dominates through the battlefront, and your Mesmerizes through the rear of the enemy. You'll be doing noteworthy damage with every hit, and mitigate nearly all of the enemy's damage.
This combo is particularly important, because there's a strong current of well-deserved disdain for lowbie controllers who're full of useless powers because they're building toward their ubar stamina/hasten/movement power/pet build in the 30s.
So if you really wanna be a hardcore *controller* early, here's your chance. Get this build up and running, trouble yourself to explain it to teammates, and avoid teaming with people who have large area damage before you turn 21, and can consistently sling total domination for them.
<font class="small">Code:[/color]<hr /><pre>
1 Mesmerize /Acc,Acc (1,3)
1 Healing Aura /End (1)
2 Dominate /Acc,Acc,Rchg,End,Rchg,Rchg (2,3,5,5,7,7)
4 Absorb Pain /Heal (4)
6 Confuse /Acc (6)
8 Mass Hypnosis /Acc,End,Rchg (8,9,9)
</pre><hr />
Extensive control for single-target hitters, with heavy healing to back it up. And you can always spec slots out of Mesmerize and Mass Hypnosis when you turn 24. And bear in mind-- with containment, you're going to do fair damage this way, too. Pair this with an Energy Blaster, Martial Arts Scrapper, or other single-target fighter, and you're golden in your fledgling hero days.
[*]Confuse, Mass Confusion (Aggro FREE!)
For going after large groups with very high safety, or for leading into groups that you want to subsequently Hold, but want to be quite sure never attack you or your team. Apply mass confusion, then, lay a single confusion on each boss. This ensures every mob is completely controlled WITHOUT ANY AGGRO, and doesn't even involve bosses reducing the XP value of individual mobs before you send your team in. This might be hard to pull off perfectly if there are many bosses or you don't run hasten yet. Also, if you have large groups you just want to clear off, especially if they lack bosses, you can just apply mass confusion and keep spamming confuse until you have one mob left.
[*]Telekinesis, Confuse (You're so clever!)
Here's a great way to bring your stragglers back into the fold of TK. Suppose you have four MObs gathered in a corner, but one got away, and you just REALLY want them all in one place. Wait for the right moment, and confuse the straggler. They'll run right over to the bad guys that are bobbing in the corner, and get stuck in the hold themself.
[*]Confusion, confusion, patience! (Aggro FREE!)
For dealing with pesky spawns of bad guys surrounding an Arch Villain-- confuse the AV a few times, and wait. When his mez resistance drops, he will promptly decimate his own allies, leaving your team free to focus on him. This is particularly beneficial fighting certain AVs who spawn in the presence of large status-effect groups or other dangers, such as Infernal. Better still, those pesky AV alpha strikes won't be used on your team, which can save a lot of grief up against guys like the latter-game clockwork king.
[*]Mass Hypnosis, Total Domination (Extremely Safe)
Total Domination does after all draw aggro. And sometimes you'll want or need to lead into fights, as a controller. Especially if you don't have a handy tank or are dealing with a horde of psi blasters (Gordon Trench and The Clockwork King's dimension come to mind). Especially if your accuracy with Total Domination isn't Iron Clad, the Mass Hypnosis is a nice cushion. The guys you miss with Total Domination will stay asleep, and you can target Dom them to your heart's content. If you're really hardcore and have an especially enormous cluster of MObs, you can always try doing partial overlap placement with the two-- get Mass Hypnosis further back, and Total Dom nearer; you'll still be buffering in the overlap, get more total coverage, and your team will presumably be dealing with anybody in the front row that Total Dom missed. Also, this technique allows you to keep proximity aggro off your team until scrappers are charging in, and gauge when to lay down hard control once they're (liable to be) woken back up.
[*]Total Domination, Dominate (Low-risk)
This is elementary total lockdown, and should be in every Mind Controller's playbook. Apply Total Domination to a spawn (preferably a boss closest to the center of the group so you get everyone, and don't have to re-target to go after the boss), then keep your eyes open and spam dominate through the group on a cycling basis (usually, bosses first). Unless your Dominate is slow, you're up against huge spawns, or you're fighting things 3+ over your head, you ought to be able to keep a spawn locked down at least until your endurance runs out. But if you're doing this, you're going to need to survive whatever ranged alpha strike any bosses present will use-- so don't do it against mezzers like Rikti Chief Mentalists. Obviously, in a scenario with bosses, pop Total Dom and then get Dominate on the boss as fast as possible.
[*]Telekinesis, Total Domination, Dominate (Draws some aggro)
One of the nice things about telekinesis is that it's an auto hit. Suppose you were dealing with numerous +3 bosses, and your tank was going down. Maneuver into the right position, apply telekinesis, then total dom, then start domming bosses that're still moving. This will cost you some endurance, but you *should* be able to get several of them under control pretty darn quickly this way. Once you know you've got a couple doms on each, turn off TK to save the endurance.
[*]Mass Hypnosis, Mass Confusion and Terrify (Low-risk)
Here's the Promised Land of soloing. If you have both of the top powers in Mind Control as well as either Mass Hypnosis, and especially if you have Hasten and Stamina and/or Endurance Buff to support it, this trick becomes possible. Lead in with Mass Hypnosis. Follow up with Mass Confusion. They're still sleeping though, and ready to take 2x damage from your next attack! Now hit them with Terrify. They'll take damage, wake up, smack each other once, and cower. If you have teammates, they can finish them off. Or, you can keep terrifying them, with Mass Hypnosis beforehand when available to get 2x containment damage.
[*]Telekinesis, Terrify (Tricky!)
One other screwy thing you can do, if you have Telekinesis, Terrify, and Stamina, is use Telekinesis both to buffer you against alpha strike, and as a containment setter, to send off a shot of terrify. Since telekinesis is guaranteed to hit, if you can toggle it up, quickly fire terrify, then toggle it back down, you stand a good chance of getting terrify's soft control in on the entire group *and* its contained damage, without really moving the group much, and only having to take fire from bosses present. I know that sounds scary, but it's usually very survivable.[/list]
______________________________________________
SLOTTING
As a breif intro to slotting powers, a few remarks. My comments in power descriptions on how to slot refer to slotting single-origin (SO) enhancements, which are expensive and unavailable (for the most part) until level 22, when you can buy level 25 SO enhances.
Level 1-11
Most of your powers from your primary will have hit-checks. Early in the game, especially with things that are AoE, this is an issue. Mind's in fairly good shape since there aren't many mobs with +defense to mental typed attacks, which is nearly everything in /mind. But you really want controls to hit, so while you're still using training-origin enhancements, I recommend slotting a couple of accuracies in every hit-check power. (Many regard slotting anything before DOs a waste of time. At least as far as accuracy goes, I don't agree.)
Level 12-21
At levels 12-21, start slotting dual-origin enhancements (DOs) the way you would SOs, with the understanding you're not getting quite the same performance that you might expect at 22+. If you don't have any help with influence, you should hold off on DOs other than accuracy until 17. You may also want to consider some other tricks:
<ul type="square">[*]Especially once you have a travel power, make sure to stop and sell enhancements. Make sure to sell DOs and SOs at the appropriate stores, where you'll get more influence for them.[*]Take risks with your life for greater XP gain unless you're on a team that's playing very conservatively, especially if you have a res in your tray-- so long as you have debt, you're earning extra influence.[*]If you play in a SG that insists on you running in SG mode but doesn't pay influence at LEAST 3 to one on prestige earned, consider finding a less stingy SG, or if post-25, soloing and PuGing.[*]Let your enhancements go to yellow at 16,21,26,31,36.[*]Try to avoid overlaying DOs or SOs. Plus up where possible. This can be easier if you choose to put even numbers of enhancements of a given type in a power. E.g., if you're choosing between 1 acc, 1 hold, 1 rchg, and 1 acc 2 rchg, weigh in the ease of plussing up paired recharges into your decision.[/list]
Level 22+
At this point, slot SOs per my advice. If you have trouble with influence, see above, and bear in mind that running in SG mode after 25 is going to start costing you influence.
Most importantly: Never slot more than 3 SOs of a given *type* in a given power. The fourth recharge in Dominate, for example, gets you very nearly nothing. If you feel the need to do this, investigate "Enhancement Diversification" on the forums first.
Finally: Beware putting extra enhancement slots in a power early to put extra TOs or DOs in, where you won't be able to use the slots once you're using SOs. It's always best to know precisely how you plan to build a character. There are character builders out there, and most of the AT forums are happy to review your build, especially if you use a relatively catchy subject line. (You can be cutesy, provocative, or desperate to equal effect.)
__________________________________________
EMPATHY
Play Empathy if you want to be popular in the early game with people who don't understand defenders, or tactics, well.
Empathy, has lots of healing, yes. But it's more about reducing downtime between fights, and later on, about buffing an ally or two, and less about team defense, than most people think. Personally I think it's fantastic as a team-oriented SECONDARY-- a controller can use it to the max for it's supporting role without extravagant expense in powers and slots, especially a late-game troller.
The downside is of course you do need a team to make Empathy useful. Even that has a silver lining, though, because you really should team anyway, as a controller, and being a "Healer" has got to be one of the best (if not best-justified) selling points you can broadcast when you're looking for a team.
Though it's got a lot of heal, the high range of Empathy has some great buff powers OTHER than the heals. People will love you all over again for a dozen levels when you pick up Fortitude and Recovery Aura at levels 20 and 28. Under the right circumstances, you can also ingratiate yourself immensely in the 20s and up with clear mind. And Adrenaline Boost, the final power of the set, is a phenomenal single-teammate booster.
Empathy is certainly the least directly offensive set, and along with FF one of the most team-oriented. It has more click and teammate-target effects than any other set. And half (44%) of the set is effects that are (or can be) last-ditch, emergency efforts to keep teammates from being dead in combat. It is, after all, a weird set.
INDIVIDUAL POWERS
<ul type="square">[*]Healing Aura
Available: L1
Slotting: 1 Heal. +0-2 Heals and +0-2 End Redux when you have spare slots.
Importance: Forced
The only low level power you'll get out of Empathy that helps you, and you'll be forced to take it. It's a good self/PBAoE heal. And hey-- if you're working with a bunch of blasters who're all sucking up aggro standing next to you, it's great.
[*]Heal Other & Absorb Pain
Available: L2, L4 respectively
Slotting: 2 Heal. When you have spare slots: +0-1 Heal, +0-2 Endurance, +0-2 Recharge, .
Importance: Choose ONE.
My position is, these two are redundant on a controller. Absorb pain makes you wait another 2 levels to take it, heals more for less endurance, and is a little trickier to manage since it hurts you a little and makes you un-healable for a short period. The more popular of the two is Heal Other, but especially on a low-aggro Mind controller, Absorb Pain should be seriously considered, since it heals more than twice as much for negligable endurance.
[*]Resurrect
Available: L10
Slotting: 1 Recharge
Importance: Consider
This power brings a teammate back to full health from defeat. The End cost is big, and the recharge is very slow. Primarily, this power is good for saving your teammates the trouble of walking back from the hospital.
But there are situations where an in-combat Resurrect can be fantastic. A group depending on a Tank can really benefit from that tank making a very fast full-recovery. A group in a tedious fight with a fast-regenerating boss or AV will likely be very happy with a spot-resurrect when it's key blaster falls. Also bear in mind that Ressurect gives the recipient a short respite from debt if they die immediately again; so if you don't have anything to lose, neither does somebody you Ressurect in combat.
[*]Clear Mind
Available: L16
Slotting: 1 Recharge
Importance: Important
Gives the target large +magnitude against immob, sleep, hold, terrify, and disorient. Crucial against some kinds of foes, this sometimes overlooked power makes you the anti-controller. It cycles fast, lasts a fight, and is otherwise pretty much effortless-- EXCEPT-- that you have to train teammates to call out quickly when held or otherwise watch them on the screen like a hawk, if you're not spamming this power before every fight. Either way, this power is great if you're not *lazy*.
[*]Fortitude
Available: L16
Slotting: 1 recharge. +0-2 Acc Buff +0-2 Def Buff +0-2 Recharge when you can spare the slots.
Importance: Important
A nice damage, defense, and accuracy boost. A little more everything! (Including, BTW, defense against psi!) Fairly slow recycle, but if you work at it you can have 2-3 teammates forted once you have hasten and couple recharges in it. Plus, if you're going to be worth nothing else in a fight, say against an AV, you can still fort teammates.
[*]Recovery Aura
Available: L28
Slotting: 3 Recharge immediately. +0-3 EndMod if you have nothing else to slot.
Importance: Crucial
A PBAoE endurance recovery buff extraordinaire. It is, itself, an End Hog, so you're best to pop it at the start of a fight, unless you think you'll be mostly watching the scrappers wear themselves out beating bad guys silly, in which case, wait a bit. Obviously, you benefit from it too. It doesn't last forever-- you need a couple folks to keep it perma, but it certainly lasts the lenghts of most fights, which means everybody pouring everything on without hesitation.
[*]Regeneration Aura
Available: L35
Slotting: 1 Recharge. +0-2 Recharge, +0-3 Heal if you have nothing else to slot.
Importance: Maybe
Regeneration aura is a powerful boost to native health recovery. As one more purely defensive power, while this power is good, I think its usually better to get most of your controls in first. Take it late if you want it.
[*]Adrenaline Boost
Available: L38
Slotting: 3 Recharge immediately.
Importance: Important
This power is huge. Huger than people know-- its only drawback being that it's single-target. You won't quite be able to make it perma on anyone without outside help, but whomever it's on will have ENORMOUS health and endurance recovery, MUCH faster recharge (= 2x speedboost), and some resistance to slows. This power alone defines the entire empathy set as the best late-game duoing set there is.[/list]
EMPATHY USAGE
Like defenders, be ready to do some buffing at the start of combat, and pay attention to when the buffs are back up again-- ordinarily, you should be able to put them up once a fight.Giving somebody Fortitude + Adrenaline Boost is a very real and noticeable improvement, to any character I've ever seen. Even just spamming heals on a scrapper can easily make the difference between a defeated AV and a defeated scrapper. If you're pulling off a hazardous resurrect, be ready to hit your target with a heal if he starts to go down before he gets away or turns on toggle defenses. Rezzing somebody to die again just sucks.
My recommendation on buffs (this is a no-brainer, but it's easy to let intelligent buffing choices slide) is, give fortitude and adrenaline boost to the lowest level damage dealer (scrapper, blaster) in the group-- or, if all else seems equal, give fortitude to the blaster with the most trouble hitting, and adrenaline boost to the scrapper with the biggest endurance issues. If you're fighting large groups with numerous mezzers (Tsoo, Lost, devouring earth, and Rikti come to mind) spam clear mind through the team's controllers, defenders, and blasters, especially of nobody's running dispersion bubbles. If your 20+ scrapper or ($deity forbid) tank lacks mez protection, you'll notice, and can yell at them later.
Empathy is not your primary as a controller. I recommend against taking more than two healing powers with the set (you're forced to take one), and I recommend against trying to routinely use heals to defend your team. The exception is: when you're aiding a retreat or fighting an AV.
MIND CONTROL/EMPATHY SYNERGY
MC/Empath is really a build for multitaksers-- people who think it's fun to try and keep their finger on the pulse of everything going on, especially in a pickup team, where it approaches impossible, even if folks stay together. MC/Emp is one of the least susceptible of all builds, to the "What is there to do but stand here and hit things" syndrome. You will have to become very accustomed to your preferred method of selecting both teammates and enemies. Tab (in the default keyboard configuration) cycles you through enemies. And you can select teammates with mouse clicks on the team list. I recommend mapping the "~" key to cycle through teammates. You can also select targets of either sort with a click directly on the target. Only you can come up with the target-selection scheme that works best for you, but choose wisely. Also, strongly recommended you turn the health and status display bar for other heroes to to "always on."
Mind control has a lot of aggro-free attacks, and Empathy has no aggroing debuffs. You could live your life virtually aggro-free under this build. You will be the last man standing, more than almost anybody. If you are prone to survival guilt, you may want to consider another build.
Mind is pretty much a grouping-oriented set, and Empathy the most grouping-oriented of the controller secondaries. MC/Emp is therefore an extreme group build. That's how to think about playing Mind/Empathy IMO.
Mind control is not surprisingly an End Hog with its advanced stunts, nor are heals or resurrection light on the end. Fortunately, Empathy has one major power that works directly with you-- Recovery Aura. You can readily eat your entire native + stamina endurance recovery doing Mind Controller Tricks, so having Recovery Aura ready to go can be a real boon.
Mind/Empathy can be fantastic if you're working with a modest number of damage dealers who're squishy or would prefer not to rely only their own defenses. Duoing or trioing with blasters or Super Reflexes scrappers particularly, can be quite lucrative, especially if you're at a stage where you can boost their accuracy a little, you have missions set on invincible, and your allies are a couple levels below you. The ideal sidekick for a Mind/Empathy is a Blapper!
On big teams on high difficulty with a tank, you will want to think about giving full heal attention to the tank, and be sensitive to whether there's herding/cornering going on.
__________________________________________
RADIATION
Radiation is an effective and aggressive set. It's got three fantastic buffing/debuffing tools very early in the set, and two or three other powers that are worth a serious look. It adds a lot of offensive punch to teams or to its user solo, as well as substantial control at the higher levels, a PBAoE heal, and a resurrect. Powerful, aggressive, versatile-- this is Radiation.
<ul type="square">[*]Radiant Aura
Available: L1
Slotting: 1 Heal. If you really find yourself using it a lot, could be slotted +0-2 Heal and +0-2 Endurance reduction.
Importance: Forced
Radiant Aura is a tidy PBAoE heal. You'll be forced to take it. But hey-- you can heal yourself with it.
[*]Radiation Infection (RI)
Available: L2
Slotting: At least four slots as soon as possible. 1 Endurance reduction +0-3 DefDebuffs +0-3 AccDebuffs. Add the last two slots when you have nothing else crucial to slot.
Importance: Crucial
Radiation Infection is a toggle AoE debuff-- you pick an enemy, toggle the power on, and the enemy and any villain nearby has reduced accuracy and defense. You can slot this for offensive (DefDebuff) or defensive (AccDebuff) purposes. Most folks recommend slotting for accuracy debuff to further protect the team. My philosophy differs-- particularly with a Mind controller, it may be a strong contribution to slot for defense debuff.
Remember that Radiation Infection stays up until the bad guy dies, or is very far away, and that in the meantime, if he runs, anybody he's near is aggroed to you. Extremely effective, and a must-have sometime before your teens.
When running RI with mass confusion, there's this to consider: if you slotted exclusively for defense debuff, you'd be increasing the net rate at which confused mobs hit each other. Slotted for accuracy debuff, of course, you'd be decreasing it. But the closer to balanced these debuffs get, the more RI tends to have no effect on the damage output of a group that's all confused. In other words, you have to decide whether you want to maximize or minimize the rate at which confused mobs attack each other.
[*]Accelerate Metabolism (AM)
Available: L4
Slotting: 3 recharges immediately, and eventually, when you have slots to spare, add three End Mods.
Importance: Crucial
This PBAoE buff lets you endow your whole team with a modest amount of extra damage, recharge, movement speed, and resistance to mez and endurance drains. The net effect: a very impressive buff. AM should be taken and slotted as soon as possible. Even when you solo, you'll want AM as often as possible.
[*]Enervating Field (EF)
Available: L10
Slotting: 1 endurance reduction. Followed by 1-2 more once you start using it regularly.
Importance: Crucial
A toggle AoE debuff like Radiation infection, Enervating field reduces your opponent's resistance and damage. It's quite an endurance hog, so you'll almost certianly want to wait until L22 to take it, but you certainly *won't* want to skip it.
Since resistance debuffs work a little better on those who have a high resistance to a given type of damage, and because often mobs are resistant to the same type of damage that they themselves wield, EF, like defense debuff slotted Radiation infection, tends to enhance the rate at which confused mobs kill themselves off.
[*]Mutation
Available: L16
Slotting: 1 recharge
Importance: Consider
Returns a downed hero to full health and endurance and gives him a short-lived damage & endurance & recovery boost, that drops after the length of a fight or so, leaving the target breifly sensitive to damage before going back to normal. The End cost is enormous, and the recharge is very slow. Primarily, this power is good for saving your teammates the trouble of walking back from the hospital.
But there are situations where an in-combat Mutation can be fantastic. A group depending on a Tank can really benefit from that tank making a very fast full-recovery and gaining miscellaneous buffs. A group in a tedious fight with a fast-regenerating boss or AV will likely be very happy with a spot-resurrect when it's key blaster falls. Also bear in mind that mutation gives the recipient a short respite from debt if they die immediately again; so if you don't have anything to lose, neither does somebody you use Mutation on in combat.
[*]Lingering Radiation
Available: L20
Slotting: 1 accuracy. +1 Accuracy, +1-2 End redux when you start using it regularly. Top it off with recharges when you really have slots to spare and have fallen in love with it.
Importance: Consider
A ranged AoE slow and regeneration debuff. The first significant control power in the radiation set, and though Mind scarcely needs other controls, you may want to consider this one eventually. It is particularly valuable against Archvillains, who can't be affected full-time by holds and so on, but *can* be slowed slightly with LR, and also have enormous regeneration that normally makes it hard to beat them. You may find this power extremely useful in the end game.
[*]Choking Cloud
Available: L28
Slotting: 3 Hold, 2-3 End Reduction.
Importance: Maybe
The second of three control-oriented powers in radiation. This one is a PBAoE toggle pulsing hold. That is, it applies a very short duration pulsing hold, to villains standing near you, once every several seconds. Fully slotted, it's an interesting form of control, but as a controller, you'll probably find it redundant with your primary. If you want it, you really need to have 3 hold slots, and some end reduction, before you really get a sense of what it can do.
[*]Fallout
Available: L35
Slotting: 0-1 Accuracy, 3 dmg.
Importance: Dubious
A power one rarely sees, and situational to instances where you have a dead teammate on hand. I have mixed feelings about this-- moreso than a defender, if you can't keep teammates from dying in the first place, there's some doubt about whether you're doing your job (or, are on the right team). What it is, is a hefty dose of AoE damage centered on a fallen teammate. And you can, in principle, tote a teammate's corpse around if you have recall friend, and blow it up for damage. Very cool, if that's your style.
[*]EM Pulse
Available: L38
Slotting:
Importance: Consider
EMP is an exceptionally large PBAoE attack, long-duration hold, that hurts robots a bit, makes it hard for you to recover endurance for a while, and has a long recharge time. As another control, this power isn't really a priority, but it's good enough out of the box, and cool enough that you might want to take it anyhow. The power also drains some endurance from targets, and stops you from recovering endurance for a very breif period.[/list]
RADIATION USAGE
Slinging radiation, as a controller, is a matter of constantly waffling about whether to debuff with RI before or after you apply area control. If you think you can survive alpha strikes, or if you have a handy tank who's absorbing alpha, by all means, debuff first, then control. If you have an aggro-free control handy, Mass Confusion or Mass Hypnosis, use that, then debuff. Otherwise, you'd better know how much alpha strike you can handle.
Because toggles go down when the target for the toggle, or "anchor," dies, you're going to find it annoying when people kill your anchors prematurely. You need to approach this problem from both angles: 1) Get used to it! 2) Educate your teammates.
When buffing with Accelerate Metabolism, don't be shy about calling for the team to gather to get the buff. Usually shouting "Gather!" or "AM!" in the team channel is sufficient. Don't be rude or obsessive, but try and make people understand that they really want the boost, because it's net effect is great, even though an individual can sometimes not notice it.
Radiation is great for helping out with killing bosses and AVs, especially with RI, EF, and Lingering Radiation in play together.
MIND/RADIATION SYNERGY
When it comes to the Mind/Radiation combo, there's really nothing that doesn't work together, and most of it is phenomenal. So much so that the main thing to talk about (once you realize how UBAR mind/rad is) is pitfalls:
The first big pitfall is that Radiation, like Mind, has a lot of powers your teammates can work with, or screw up, depending on their actions. Hence, more that possibly any other set, Mind/Rad requires you to talk to your teammates and explain yourself if they don't already know Mind and Rad. It will also be worth your while to develop some macros (there are FAQs on this), to announce whom you're targeting with your mezzes, toggles, and mez toggles. Also, experience as a blaster helps a lot with this-- you'll notice quickly that the guy your tab-select first hits is the SAME guy everybody else's tab-select hits first! I recommend you learn to tab 80% of the way through a spawn to select your target, if that's the method you're going to use for target selection.
The second big pitfall of Mind/Radiation is that Mind and Radiation both have overwhelming numbers of great or necessary powers in the early build. Which forces you to make tough choices about power selection until you're nearly in the endgame. You have a lot of viable alternatives in a Mind/Rad build, but you should *really* plan your entire build ahead, looking at what you want to be able to provide, and when you'll be able to support the endurance cost on which powers.
Another awkward thing about Mind/Rad is that both sets are control heavy. For example, supposing you decided to stick to holds. A L38 Mind/Rad could easily be built who had: Dominate, Telekinesis, Total Domination, Choking Cloud, and EMP. The holds would ALL STACK. That's more area hold power than $Deity. Not that that kind of redundancy is terrible, but it does respresent overkill in most situations, outside of stacking hold mag on an AV.
Fourth to note about the combination is the endurance cost. With 3-slotted stamina, it's possible to run Telekinesis, Enervating Field, and Radiation Infection, each with 2 end reduction slots, indefinitely, if you're not running anything else. With AM up, things are a little better. Both sets can, potentially, make enormous endurance demands on you. This can actually make decisions about your pre-21 build easier, since you can choose to pick up end-light powers, and/or slot for end redux, in the first 20 levels.
Finally, radiation debuffs with Mass Confusion can be completely fight altering. Particularly if you focus on defense debuffs without accuracy debuffs in Radiation Infection, running it and EF on a mass-confused spawn ensures a sickeningly fast rate of spawn self-destruction. On the other hand, using an accuracy debuff heavy Rad infection and Lingering Radiation without Enervating Field, will tend to slow down the rate at which a mass confused spawn will kill itself. This is an arcane point about confusions, but getting the right ratio of confused mob-to-team damage is the key to getting the best XP/time buff out of confusion use, and radiation debuffs enhance your control over this.
__________________________________________
POOL POWERS
Recommended Pool Powers
<ul type="square">[*]Speed/Hasten
Available: L6
Slotting: 3 Recharge
Importance: Crucial
Hasten is worth it on most Mind builds, especially Mind/Empathy. Three-slot it for recharge, and it's like having an extra couple recharge enhances, most of the time, in every power that recharges. Now, consider some of your best powers-- Total Dom, Terrify, Mass Confusion, Rec Aura, Adrenaline Boost, Accelerate Metabolism. These could *always* use more recharge speed. Get hasten and 3-slot it as soon as you have your endurance issues clear. With Radiation, it has bonus synergy with Accelerate Metabolism, and helps with powers such as Lingering Rad, Mutation, and EMP.
Can you survive without it? Yes. More so on a */rad build. But IMO you'll still be happier with it than with a variety of other powers you may eventually build into your Mind/Green troller. So take it, eventually. FWIW, I think a lot of people are giving up on the utility of Hasten because it's not what it was before enhancement diversification. As a Mind/Green, you're going to have to be doing a great deal of clicking anyhow.
[*]Fitness/Stamina
Available: L20, after 2 other fitness powers
Slotting: 3 EndMod
Importance: Crucial
It is conceivable to avoid stamina on Mind/Empathy characters, if you're willing to wait around until you get Recovery Aura, and be forever pinned down between uses of it. Even with both, though, you can find ways to tax yourself end-wise as a Mind/Green, especially if you're running telekinesis. With Mind/Rad, Accelerate Metabolism doesn't fill this gap in quite as well, and Radiation itself can demand more endurance for things you might want to do routinely. In either build, I think Stamina is well worth the 3 powers and 2 slots.
[*]Concealment/Stealth
Available: L6
Slotting: 1 Def or End
Importance: Consider
Stealth is a quality of life enhancer. It's nice to scout an area before you back off to start controlling. Mind's wealth of aggro-free control, with stealth added, can make for an entirely different playstyle. Also, stealth opens up a lot of opportunities soloing missions for objectives without making most arrests, if you want to see game content but can't find a team. [/list]
Other Pool Powers
<ul type="square">[*]Fitness/Hurdle
Available: L6
Slotting: 1 Jump
Importance: Optional
Most people have noticed that if you're building Hasten + Stamina into your character, you have a handy opening on super speed as a movement power. If you're doing that make sure to pick up the sequence HURDLE, Health, Stamina. If you're not going to take a major movement power at all, hurdle is also nice for mobility.
[*]Inherent/Sprint
Available: L2
Slotting: 1 Run No move power planned? +2 run.
Importance: Optional
It's not the end of the world if you don't take a major movement power at all. (Incidentally, people who make a big deal about 30 seconds more or less between missions are very likely to be impossible to control for anyhow.) If you're going with swift and hurdle for movement, remember to slot SPRINT, NOT SWIFT, for optimum speed. With swift and 3 runs in sprint, you're not much slower than the average flier. And you get to see more of the game. Plus, nowadays, with shortcuts through bases and Pocket D, you really aren't at that much of a disadvantage.
[*]Teleport/Recall Friend
Available: L6
Slotting: 1 End or Recharge
Importance: Consider
Most defenders who routinely resurrect/mutate people (which shouldn't be happening, but that's another story) like recall friend so they can pull out of harm's way then resurrect you safely. Plus, it's just nice to be able to offer teammates who're selling on the other side of the map a direct port to the door, gate, or train.
[*]Teleport/Teleport Foe
Available: L6
Slotting: 1 End or Recharge
Importance: Optional
Teleport Foe is fun. Also, however, confused mobs have the same short aggro range you've come to otherwise love, and if you're using confuse, you're going to sometimes end up with a solitary confused mob with a good 20 seconds of confusion left on him to no good purpose. Teleporting him into the next group of enemies is a nice touch for the anal-retentive mind controller. Even better, if you've got a particularly great buffer/debuffer/mezzer bad guy confused-- sappers, carnies, tsoo sorcerers, rikti guardians, Sky Raider force field generators all come to mind-- you can tote them around! (This is nothing overwhelmingly useful, but it's not a complete waste of time, plus it's fun.) Regardless, don't put something more important off just for TP Foe.
[*]Teleport/Teleportation
Available: L6
Slotting: 1 End. Maybe 1-3 Range and 1 End when you have slots to spare.
Importance: Consider
Teleport-- Teleport is potentially the fastest, but the hardest to control, of all the major movement powers. Best but hardest to control? Sounds like a Mind Controller to me. Don't get it if you have serious lag issues.
[*]Superspeed
Available: L14
Slotting: 1 Run
Importance: Considder
Superspeed is a great movement power on a mind/green controller. Builds are always tight, superspeed is a nice fast form of movement with decent precision and a great stealth bonus, and you almost certainly will have its precursor anyway. If you can reconcile yourself to having a fire perpetually lit beneath your feet, and not having much in the way of vertical movement, Superspeed is the way to go.
[*]Leadership/Assault
Available: L6
Slotting: 1 Endurance
Importance: Optional
A modest damage buff for your whole team. Useful mainly as a precursor to Tactics. Also helps resist taunts.
[*]Leadership/Maneuvers
Available: L6
Slotting: 1 Endurance
Importance: Dubious.
A small defense buff for your whole team. Useful mainly as a precursor to Tactics. Prefer Assault under most circumstnaces.
[*]Leadership/Tactics
Available: L14, with Maneuvers or Assault
Slotting: 1 Endurance, 3 Accuracy Buff
Importance: Consider
Tactics can be a meaningful buff to accuracy on every power used by you or any teammate. This is worth considering, though the total cost to your character's build (2 powers and 3 slots) can be daunting. Gets even better for hitting very-hard-to-hit opponents. Also increases the range at which you can spot stealthy folks and resists confusions and terrorizes a bit, making it more exciting for PvP.
[*]Leaping/Combat Jumping
Available: L6
Slotting: 1 End
Importance: Optional
Marginal defensive bonus plus some nice resistance to immobilize, and a higher jump. A precursor to Super Jump.
[*]Leaping/Super Jump
Available: L14, with jump-kick or combat jumping
Slotting: 1 Jump, +0-2 jump when you have spare slots.
Importance: Optional
Super jump is a bit counter-intuitive, as a combination with Mind, Empathy, and Radiation. I associate it with sets like kinetics, gravity, and super strength. Anyhow, if you think it fits your character, more power to you-- it's a great movement power, with decent control and great speed.
[*]Flight/Hover
Available: L6
Slotting: 1 End, possibly 3 fly.
Importance: Optional
A slow form of flight with a small defense bonus. If you just want a relatively low-endurance way of staying out of melee range, it's OK, but leaves you fairly stationary. Movement becomes more tolerable with 3 fly enhances, if you have slots to burn, or with other movement enhances, such as putting flight speeds in sprint, swift, or quickness, getting speed-boosted, etc.
[*]Flight/Air Superiority
Available: L6
Slotting: 1 Acc
Importance: Optional
A nice attack with a great knockdown element. No flying solo controller would be without it!
[*]Flight/Fly
Available: L14, with Air Superiority or Hover
Slotting: 1 Fly, +0-2 Fly when you have spare slots.
Importance: Optional
The slowest of the major movement powers, but the best precision vertical movement, and most heroic seeming. I'm a fan, most people aren't. [/list]
Pool Powers to Avoid
<ul type="square">[*]Leaping-/Jump Kick
Available: L6
Importance: Avoid
An attack with a long animation time that doesn't quite get full containment. It's vaguely entertaining, though. If you're trying to build a mind controller who's one of the three stooges or a gorilla, I say, take this power! Otherwise, skip it.
[*]Fighting/Any
Importance: Avoid
At some point, it will become tempting to add boxing or kick to fill out an attack chain, and maybe try to add tough and weave to be able to hang in there with the tough guys, later on. Just don't. Besides which, if you really must take a pool attack, it should be Air superiority.
[*]Medicine/Any
Importance: Avoid
Unless you were playing Mind/Rad and were desperate for a mez-breaking power, there's no reason in the world to take the Medicine pool.
[*]Presence/Any
Importance: Avoid
If you were dead set on a concept character who ran multiple fear attacks, then MAYBE you should consider this. Otherwise, controllers have no business taunting![/list]
__________________________________________
PER ORIGIN
Mind Controllers Generally
[*]Natural
Much of Mind Control could be explained as persuasion, charisma, intimidation, and the like. The two telekinetic elements in Mind Control are hard to explain for a natural, unless you think it's a completely ordinary human ability, or unless you retcon them as some form of martial art, using them when standing near badguys. None of the super-movement powers fit terribly well, strictly speaking, though you can always claim superspeed's a motorcycle, flight is a flight backpack, or teleport is the result of your having hacked the city-wide teleportation grid.
[*]Technology
Controlling minds with technology can be done wackily-- ala some sort of "cerebro" device that amplifies brainwaves, or perhaps more interestingly, as a side effect of using psychoactive chemical agents sprayed in the air. Sorta creepy, but a lot of the mind powers *do* look like some kind of aerosol. Flight is the most plausible Technology major movement power, and teleportation works well too.
[*]Science & Mutant
What one does with these origins is notoriously open. I mean, what *can't* the right sort of scientific experiment unlock? What *can't* be a mutant power? For the Science side, see the Anime classic Akira. For the Mutant side, what makes more sense that a mutant psychic? With the telekinetic component of Mind, Flight is probably the best, conceptually.
[*]Magic
Holds and sleeps in Mind could easily be "soft" forms of magic, whereas confusions could be forms of possession or will domination, and telekinetic elements could be more physically-oriented "spells." Teleport is probably the best magical movement power, though flight fits well also.
Empathy
<ul type="square">[*]Natural
With a little suspension of disbelief, the low heals in Empathy could be emergency medical attention. Many of the higher-up buffs could be attributed to encouragement or tactical advice.
[*]Technology
The various healing/buffing effects of Empathy could easily be super-advanced medical technology.
[*]Science & Mutant
It's plausible, if not typical, to imagine someone transformed by science or born with mutation to be able to heal others.
[*]Magic
Magic healing and blessings easily cover the empathy set.[/list]
Radiation
<ul type="square">[*]Natural
It's difficult to interpret radiation powers as natural, without going into comedy, or reinventing the meaning of the term.
[*]Technology & Science & Mutant
Discovery of (technology), or bodily control over (science & mutant) some sort of secret energy form or energy source could easily explain radiation powers.
[*]Magic
Wispy green clouds of light are the most common way magical power is represented in the game. All the radiation powers could be forms of magical energy, curses, and blessings.[/list]
Choosing a Controller V2 | Splattrollers | Plant/Rad | Fire/Storm | Mind/Emp & Mind/Rad
Weird Controller Powers | Conf & XP/Time | Controller Damage
Being a Healer | The word Necessary | Natural Concept Characters