I8 Necro/Dark MM Guide - Leadership Hate Inside

Geek_Boy · 11-30-2006 04:34 PM

Geek Boys Necromancy/Dark Miasma Mastermind Guide

The first thing I want to go over are some of my ideas on how to play a Mastermind. If you dont agree with these principles, then its likely that you wont agree with a lot of the things that I have to say in this guide.

1) As a Necromancy/Dark Mastermind, you are not here to do damage. There are some other sets where you can make an argument for taking attacks, but if you see orange numbers over someones head, then its because your pets are damaging them or youre not doing something right. It may not seem that way at level 4, but if you stick with it to level 50 youll see this is true. Dont invest in anything that does damage other than your pets. Period.

2) Pets r dum. Really. You cant simply fire and forget them or you (and your team) will die. A lot. Those pet controls that youre given at level one are mostly sufficient to keep them going (though there are a lot of good guides for fine-tuning them), but I would suggest creating a button that sets your pets to aggressive at a specific location so that you can force them into melee combat. Zombies and Grave Knights are at their deadliest at close range, so being able to place them in a specific location is a must in boss and AV/Hero battles. This will also help keep you alive since the games AI will be more concerned with the mob coming at them than the guy in the back providing debuffs. As an added bonus, they increased their speed with Issue 8, meaning they move too quickly for you to recall them before they cause problems sometimes. There are times when theres nothing you can do about that, but . . . .

3) Pet AI is not an excuse for you being dumb. You can control them with the tools that the developers have given you, so do it. This AT requires micro-management. If you dont like it, then you need to move on.

4) While you were formerly useless in PVP, there is some light at the end of the tunnel. With the addition of Bodyguard and some shields from the Epic sets, youre going to survive a lot longer than you could before. There are still a lot of ways to take you down though, so dont get cocky.

5) I interchange the words pet and minion. If youre really anal about that, then this will annoy you. Dont bother complaining to me about it, because Im not going to care. Yes, I get that theres a difference, but they are synonyms in the current vernacular of most of the player base (myself included).

6) This is a guide for people that are going to take their pets. If you want to run a petless MM, then thats fine. You go right ahead. It should be an interesting challenge, but this guide isnt written with you in mind.

Powers:

This is just the standard list of powers, what they do, and what I think of them. Ill post my build at the end, but you dont have to follow it. There are a lot of variations that work, but I have my own opinions on what works best. Older versions had numbers that I swiped from ThePacsters excellent guide, but since so many of the numbers have changed with Issue 7, I took the numbers from the Prima Guide for now. These are still the best numbers I can find, but Im not going to swear theyre right.

Necromancy:

Dark Blast: Level 1
Accuracy: 100%
Range: 80
End Cost: 6.5
Cast Time: 1
Recharge Time: 4
Effects: 30.58 Negative Energy Damage, 5.62 decrease in ToHit Chance for 6 seconds.

Your basic single target blast. Not necessarily a bad attack, but its got a low base damage and its not going to get much more powerful even if you slot it. While I think its a good idea for you to have a single attack at low levels, this isnt the one that I would suggest. As with all Dark Blast powers, this debuffs accuracy.

Also, if you take this at level 1 instead of your Zombie Horde, then youre an idiot.

Slotting: One accuracy. Tops.

Zombie Horde: Level 1
[Levels 1 - 5] -- 1 Zombie
[Levels 6 - 17] -- 2 Zombies (-1 Level)
[Levels 18+] -- 3 Zombies (-2 Level)

Accuracy: 100%
Range: 60
End Cost: 19.5
Cast Time: 3.1
Recharge Time: 60

Status Resistance: Sleep, Fear, Disorient, Slow
Damage Resistance: [40%] Smashing, Cold, Negative Energy, Toxic, Psionic

Initial Abilities: Zombie Brawl
Enchant Undead: Projectile Vomit [Ranged Cone], Zombie Vomit [Melee AoE]
Dark Empowerment: Siphon Life

Your journey to being a God among mortals begins. Your first pet is a useful companion from level 1 all the way up. At first youll love him and cherish him, but soon youll realize just how expendable these guys are and throw them around like the cannon fodder they were born (and expired and re-animated) to be. Zombie Brawl does great damage right away at level 1, but these guys really start to shine once you hit level 6 and they start vomiting on everything. Remember how much it hurt when that first Vazhilok took you down with their toxic damage? WELL WHO HAS THE PEA SOUP NOW, PUNK!?

A word on the final upgrade: yes, its nice for your zombies to be able to heal themselves. It isnt absolutely necessary, though. Youll want that first upgrade on them before you go into battle (at least when you have a choice in the matter), but the second one should only be added as needed. They fire it off with a decent amount of intelligence, but for the most part they go down in 2 or so hits in higher level missions anyway. The little bit of healing they do for themselves isnt going to keep them alive long term. Thats your job.

Slotting: How you slot this depends on what other powers you take. If you have the Leadership Pool, you can probably get away with one or two Accuracies, but everyone else should consider going with two or three Accuracies since these guys will eventually be spawning at 2 to your level. Since youll be fighting things that are +2 and +3 to you, that puts your minions chances of hitting without Supremacy (the automatic buff to Accuracy and Damage that minions receive while theyre in range of you) and some decent enhancements at next to nothing. I personally recommend going with three Accuracies and three Damages since their other aspects arent really worth slotting. The Accuracy Debuff and Heal are nice, but not substantial enough to make a big enough difference to be worth the slots.

Gloom: Level 2
Accuracy: 100%
Range: 80
End Cost: 10.7
Cast Time: 1.1
Recharge Time: 8
Effects: 6.72 Negative Energy Damage per .5 seconds for 3.6 seconds, 5.62 decrease in ToHit Chance for 6 seconds.

A single target blast that does damage over time. If youre going to take a single attack for pulling and debuffing, this is the one to take. Great Damage per Endurance spent, but youre still not going to be one-shotting much of anything. Ever. When I had this, I went through plenty of fights where I never used it and found myself using it as a debuff more than anything else. It doesnt do enough damage to grab agro from your pets most of the time (and why would you want to?), but every little debuff helps.

This was really useful at low levels, but the closer you get to 50, the less youll use it. As a side note, I took Dark Blast at first and respecced into Gloom, then removed anything resembling personal attacks from my build. I wish I had skipped taking an attack all together, but if youre going to take one, take Gloom since it really is so much better than Dark Blast. I would suggest skipping attacks in your build, but if you just have to have one, I would suggest taking Gloom to get you through to the 20s when you can respec and get rid of it entirely.

Slotting: It might be tempting to put more than just that initial slot in here, but dont. A single Accuracy will do you just fine. Besides, you need those slots for your buffs and debuffs.

Enchant Undead: Level 6
Range: 50
End Cost: 16.3
Cast Time: 2.07
Recharge Time: 6

If you dont take this at level 6 then youre an idiot. Really. Permanently buffs your pets (at least until they die or are Dismissed) in super-fantastic and necessary ways. The buffs are detailed in the individual pet descriptions.

Slotting: A single Endurance Reduction is sufficient, but you can throw more in there if you want to. I ran out of endurance when spawning my pets before respeccing into Stamina. Recharges are also nice to have, but hardly necessary unless youre a speed freak.

Life Drain: Level 8
Accuracy: 100%
Range: 60
End Cost: 19.5
Cast Time: 1.93
Recharge Time: 1
Effects: 30.58 Negative Energy Damage, 107 point self heal, 5.62 decrease in ToHit chance for 10 seconds.

A ranged attack that heals you and debuffs the target. This power become superfluous as a /Dark. If your secondary is something that doesnt have a self heal in it, you might want to take this. Otherwise, I wouldnt advise wasting the power slot when there are so many things that are so much more useful.

I never even thought of taking this, but in my experience with Siphon Life on my Regen Scrapper, I can see how this could be useful. It does damage, heals you, and debuffs an enemys accuracy all at once, which is nice. It doesnt do any of these things particularly well, though. Again, its fine if youre reading this guide to build something other than a /Dark, but otherwise I would avoid it.

Slotting: Accuracy and Heals only. The damage will be poor and the debuff wont be significant enough to be worth the slots.

Grave Knight: Level 12

[Levels 12 - 23] -- 1 Grave Knight
[Levels 24+] -- 2 Grave Knights (-1 level)
Accuracy: 100%
Range: 60
End Cost: 19.5
Cast Time: 1.07
Recharge Time: 90
Status Resistance: Sleep, Fear, Disorient, Slow
Damage Resistance: [40%] Cold, Negative Energy, Toxic, Psionic

Initial Abilities: Hack, Slash, Dark Blast
Enchant Undead: Disembowel, Gloom
Dark Empowerment: Head Splitter, Siphon Life

These are your warriors. Their awesomeness cannot be fully explained without seeing them fully buffed and in action. Their sword attacks get the occasional Critical hit, which is enough to bring a tear to your eye. Their ranged damage is nice, but you definitely want these guys on the front lines.

While one might complain about the blandness of the zombies look, these guys look cooler with each upgrade.

Slotting: Again, this depends on what other powers you have. With the Leadership Pool adding to your accuracy, you can get by with having a have a single one in there. The Accuracy DeBuff and Heal that you can put in there are low enough that they arent really worth enhancing. I would suggest going with two Accuracies and three Damages unless you have extra slots to spare.

Soul Extraction: Level 18

[Zombie] Soul Extraction => Spirit
[Grave Knight] Soul Extraction => Tortured Soul
[Lich] Soul Extraction => Wraith
Accuracy: 100%
Range: 60
End Cost: 13.0
Cast Time: 2.03
Recharge Time: 600
Status Resistance: Sleep, Fear, Immobilize, Slow
Damage Resistance: [40%] Smashing, Lethal, Cold, Negative Energy, Toxic

Initial Abilities: Fly, Phase Shift, Ghastly Blast, Life Drain, Necroplasmic Grasp

The ultimate OH SHI- power. This resurrects one of your dead pets as what is essentially a ghost to help you out of a tough spot. This does spawn different minions based on what its cast on, so if you have a choice of who to cast it on, choose a Grave Knight or Lich. The recharge on this is ridiculous before you slot it, so youll want to save it for boss battles until youve got three recharges in it since thats where youre most likely to get overwhelmed anyway. These are on a timer, but its a fairly long one. You dont have to worry about it despawning in the middle of the boss battle it was spawned in, but dont expect it to hang around for the whole show if you pull it out on the first mob in a mission.

The main thing these do is debuff and hold, so dont rely on these guys for a lot of damage. Sure, they help in that department, but their holds are invaluable at higher levels when youll have yourself, your Lich, your Dark Servant , and your Extracted Soul spamming holds on those bosses and AV/Heroes.

Another thing to note is that these pets dont despawn when you die, so they will actually keep the battle going even if you face plant. Theres also no rules against having multiple instances out, so if you have someone Speed Boosting you, you can have two or more of these at a time.

A lot of people claim these arent useful since their precious binds for pulling one out at any time by dismissing a pet stopped working. This is a lie and the bind was technically an exploit since they were never designed to be pulled out without some sort of in-combat loss. If you REALLT just cant live without having these on demand, then just send a single pet in by itself, let it die, then hit Soul Extraction on it. It really isnt that hard and this pet is very, very useful.

Slotting: You can either slot this for Recharges (which I suggest) so that you have one up as often as possible (near-permanently with three Recharges) or you can go with greater effectiveness when theyre out, but sacrifice how often you have one. Either one is certainly valid, but I went from slotting for maximum efficiency when theyre out to slotting for Recharges once I had more experience with the power.

Lich: Level 26

[Levels 26+] -- 1 Lich
Accuracy: 100%
Range: 60
End Cost: 19.5
Cast Time: 3.17
Recharge Time: 120
Status Resistance: Immobilize
Damage Resistance: [40%] Cold, Negative Energy, Toxic?
Initial Abilities: Dark Blast, Torrent [Ranged Cone Knockback]
Enchant Undead: Tenebrous Tentacles [Ranged Cone], Life Drain
Dark Empowerment: Fearsome Stare, Petrifying Gaze

HOLY GOD, YES! These are the final pet from your primary, and they are uber. Their damage is nice, but their main use is to debuff your mobs for you at higher levels. Theyre basically like having a no pets-MM with you at all times once you have Dark Empowerment.

At each stage of being a MM, you start feeling a bit weak right before you get your next pet. Well, once you have your Lich youll never feel that way again. Once theyre fully equipped, theyll have a hold, a cone fear, a cone knockback, a cone immobilize, a self heal, and some decent ranged attacks to boot. Whats not to love?

Okay, there is something thats not to love. Ill admit that Torrent can be a pain, but for every time this guy knocks someone out of your Tar Patch, hes saved your can ten times. This is an occasional annoyance, but it isnt as big a problem as some people make it out to be.

Slotting: This is one where you can go wild. Depending on whether you have Leadership, you can go with one or two Accuracies, you can slot for Hold, Immobilize, Heal, To Hit Debuff, Fear, Damage and a partridge in a pear tree. My only real advice is to 6 slot this ASAP and dont concentrate solely on damage since it isnt his primary function. Currently I have it slotted for two Accuracies, two Fear Durations, and two Hold Durations. Your mileage may vary, of course.

Dark Empowerment: Level 32
Range: 30
End Cost: 22.8
Cast Time: 2.07
Recharge Time: 10

Say it with me now: IF YOU DONT TAKE THIS, YOU ARE AN IDIOT.

This is your final buff for your pets. I usually wont go into battle without my Lich and my two Grave Knights fully Empowered. The powers they receive from Dark Empowerment are what defines this powerset.

Slotting: Issue 7 saw the recharge on this taken down to less than what it was before with three Recharges in it. I would suggest going with a single Endurance Reduction unless youre really worried about upgrading during combat. If you are, then add more Endurance Reductions since the timer is so short now. Its still longer than the recharge on your first upgrade, so you may want to add Recharges to flavor in here.

Dark Miasma:

Twilight Grasp: Level 1
Accuracy: 100%
Range: 80
End Cost: 7.8
Cast Time: 2.37
Recharge Time: 8
Effects: 212 point Heal to all allies within AoE, 3.75% decrease to ToHit chance for 20 seconds, 7.5% decrease to damage for 20 seconds, 50% decrease in regeneration [PVE only], 90% decrease in regeneration [PVP only]

A Point Blank Area of Effect Heal that debuffs the crap out of your enemies (debuffs their Accuracy as well as Regen rate). You dont have a choice in taking it, but if you did you would be an idiot not to. In my opinion this is one of the best heals in the game even if it does require a to-hit check. Yes, it hurts when it misses and yes, it has a smaller radius than the Defender version. Its still great.

Slotting: I suggest having 2 accuracies in here even if youre running Tactics because YOULL NEVER WANT THIS TO MISS. Get 3 Heals and a Recharge if you can spare it. The debuff is nice, but I wouldnt bother enhancing it.

Tar Patch: Level 2
Accuracy: 100%
Range: 90
End Cost: 7.8
Cast Time: 3.1
Recharge Time: 90
Effects: 90% decrease in Run Speed while in AoE, -Jump, -Fly, 22.5% decrease in Damage Resistance while in AoE [PVE only], 22.5% unresistable decrease in Damage Resistance while in AoE [PVP only]

Take this power. Love it. Kiss it. Comb its hair and read it bad poetry. Whisper sweet nothings in its ear at night.

Really, I cant stress this enough: TAKE THIS POWER. It is incredible without ever having to slot it. Slows are always nice, but when you combine that with the debuff to your enemys resistance? Oh yeah, baby. You know Daddy loves you. Who loves you? Thats right. Daddy does.

Slotting: The best part about this power is that you dont ever need to put an extra slot in there if you dont want to. No, you wont get to stack them without putting some recharges in there, but it comes up often enough to be placed on every other mob or so. Usually youll kill things so fast that you wont need it, but when it comes time to take down that AV/Hero youll be blessing me for telling you to take this. Recharges as needed, but I dont see the point in putting a Slow in there. Would they be nice? Sure. Needed? Hardly. Recharges > Slows.

Darkest Night: Level 4
Range: 70
End Cost: .3/second
Cast Time: 3.17
Recharge Time: 10
Effects: 22.5% decrease in damage to enemies in range of target, 11.25% decrease in ToHit chance to enemies in range of target

This is a great debuff that reduces the Accuracy and Damage of everyone surrounding the anchor you cast this on. The base debuff is very powerful, so when you slot this up it becomes ridiculous. Whenever Ive fought characters with Dark Miasma, this power was my bane.

Slotting: At least one Endurance Reduction and then get three To Hit DeBuffs in there ASAP.

Howling Twilight: Level 10
Accuracy: Auto-Hit
Range: 80
End Cost: 26
Cast Time: 3.17
Recharge Time: 180
Effects: 50% decrease to Movement Speed for 30 seconds, 50% decrease to Attack Speed for 30 seconds, 7.64 Negative Energy Damage, 15 second Disorient of 2 strength [PVE only] only, 10 Disorient of 3 Strength in PVP only this will suppress or 15 seconds on affected targets, 50% decrease in regeneration [PVE only]. 90% decrease in regeneration [PVP only], 15 second Fear of strength 3 [PVE only], resurrects allies within AoE with full Health and Endurance

This is the Dark sets rez, and it is very nice. It resurrects and teammates (not pets, thought) within a small AoE around you as well as having a low level Disorient that auto-hits in an AoE around the targeted enemy. The Disorient only works on minions, but I use this power even when Im soloing to even the odds every so often. Especially when you have a mob with several Spec Ops or Flamethrowers. I also never fail to be amused by seeing an entire ambush walk around in their Disoriented daze.

Slotting: Its an auto-hit, so your smart options are Recharge and Disorient. If I ever find the slots Ill go for three of each, but Recharge is really what you should enhance first.

Shadow Fall: Level 16
End Cost: .3/second
Cast Time: 2.03
Recharge Time: 15
Effects: 35 Stealth radius (will suppress for 10 seconds if you interact with a clickable object or attack) in PVE, 389 Stealth radius (same suppression rules apply) in PVP, 3.75% increase to melee and ranged Defense while within AoE, 15% Energy, Negative Energy and Psionic Resistance while in AoE, 129% Fear Resistance while in AoE, 5.19 point Fear Protection while in AoE

This is a team Stealth and Resistance to Energy, Negative Energy and Psionic damage toggle that I love. No, you arent completely invisible, but it lets you get close enough to get yourself set up for Fearsome Stare or any other powers that you want to aim with precision. Youll really notice the difference in how quickly things attack your pets when you have this off.

As much as youll love these boosts for your pets, your teams will love you for the extremely rare Fear and Psionic Resistance this shield offers you and everyone near you. In the RSF fighting Malaise? NO PROBLEM!

Slotting: Youll need two Endurance Reductions in there and then its up to you. You can slot for Damage Resistance (smart) or Defense (not so smart). Of course, I originally slotted for Defense since attacks that dont hit you do no damage at all, but a percentage of 20% is better than a percentage of 2.8%. The Defense is nice, but it isnt worth the slots.

Fearsome Stare: Level 20
Accuracy: 100%
Range: 70
End Cost: .8.5
Cast Time: 2.03
Recharge Time: 40
Arc: 45 degrees
Effects: 17.88-second Fear of strength 3 [PVE only}]; 20% chance of 11.92-second Fear of strength 1 [PVE only]; 17.88-second Fear of strength 3 [PVP only] (this will suppress for 15 seconds on affected targets); 11.25% decrease in To Hit chance to enemies for 20 seconds.

A cone Fear power that many people will claim is no longer necessary. Thats because theyre comparing it to its previous, broken state. This power is still incredible without you ever having to put anything other than an Accuracy in it. Once youve cast this, anyone affected will not be able to attack you unless theyre attacked as they stand there and shiver like little sissies. When they do attack, their accuracy is debuffed, so its less likely to hit you anyway.

Slotting: The recharge is pretty decent on this, but along with Accuracy you may want to put a few Recharges in there. The debate is whether to slot it for Fear Duration, To Hit Debuff or Recharge since having two applications stacked is better than having a single attack that lasts a little longer, but if something is attacking you through the Fear, you want them to miss. The duration is nice out of the box, but you can never have too much of this very good thing. You cant go wrong no matter how you slot this, really.

Petrifying Gaze: Level 28
Accuracy: 100%
Range: 70
End Cost: 7.8
Cast Time: 1.67
Recharge Time: 16
Effects: 9.53-second Hold of 3 strength versus [PVE only]; 7.15-second Hold of 3 strength [PVP only] (this will suppress for 15 seconds on affected targets).

A single target hold. No, it isnt as nice as it used to be, but I still find this to be very useful. Great for getting that Flamethrower locked down before he can turn your Undead Army into shish kabobs.

Lots of people downplay taking a Hold, but I see the role of a /Dark Mastermind (much less a Necro/Dark MM) as one of primarily controlling the fight. You can debuff and heal as well or better than most Corruptors and lock down mobs better than a lot of Dominators. If you dont see this as your role on a team, then you might want to pick a different Secondary rather than neutering this one.

Slotting: Accuracy, Hold Duration and Recharge. In an ideal world I would suggest two of each in that order. No, this doesnt hold things as long as it used to (it was nerfed before CoV came out), but taking out all the enemies in a mob who do fire damage is incredibly important. Remember that this fits your real purpose, which is controlling the mobs to keep your pets alive so they can kill them.

Black Hole: Level 35
Accuracy: 100%
Range: 50
End Cost: 13.0
Cast Time: 1.03
Recharge Time: 120
Radius: 20
EFFECTS: Intangible for 30 seconds [PVE only]; Untouchable for 30 seconds versus critters only; target may only use self-affecting powers for 30 seconds [PVE only]; 30-second Immobilize of strength 3 [PVE only]; Intangible for 10 seconds [PVP only]; Untouchable for 10 seconds [PVP only]; target may only use self-affecting powers for 10 seconds versus players only; 10-second Immobilize of strength 3 versus players only.

For the record, I have never played with anyone who uses this power or even has it in their build. Ive been playing since October of 2004. You do the math.

This makes a group of enemies Intangible. This means that while they cant attack you, you cant attack them either. I can see how this could be useful, and I had no desire to take it since in most situations this power has the ability to make your team very, very mad at you. That was before I read the descriptions of Lord Recluses Strike Force, though. Then I took it in the late 40s, used it about 3 times, hated it, and respecced back out of it.

Slotting: Accuracy and Recharge, maybe. I was recently informed that Intangibility Enhancements actually adds to the magnitude of the power rather than the Duration. I hate the power too much to test this, but take that into consideration before you pass up on this power, too.

Dark Servant: Level 38
Accuracy: 100%
Range: 60
End Cost: 26.0
Cast Time: 3.17
Recharge Time: 240
Initial Abilities -- Petrifying Gaze, Tenebrous Tentacles, Darkest Night [Single Target]

Wow. I have honestly been surprised more than once at this guys effectiveness. Take him at 38, put three recharges in at 39 and enjoy near-constant Dark Servant love (I swear that isnt as racist as it sounds). He can hold, he can Debuff, he can do decent damage (though youre not going to have enough slots to add to that portion of him and it isnt his primary function anyway).

This guy has enough HP that I tend to spawn him into the middle of a mob to get their attention as I throw off Fearsome Stare and Petrifying Gaze before sending in my little army. With the addition of the new Bodyguard feature, this is an even better strategy than before. If the spawn is gigantic, he might die before he either heals himself or I can get close enough to do it for him, but more often than not (and this includes AV fights) hes still standing at the end of a fight he started while Im respawning my zombies and a Grave Knight or two. My DS even managed to hold off Infernal (spawned as an Elite Boss) longer than I could stay alive. This includes my DS killing several of his Behemoth buddies as I desperately tried to heal myself and respawn my completely wiped out army.

Slotting: You may or may not want an Accuracy, but I didnt enhance for Accuracy and this guy never misses no matter how you slot him. From there, youre an idiot if you dont throw in three Recharges so that you can make him near-perma. Once you have three Recharges in there, three To Hit DeBuffs are the most efficient way to slot him since that is the most reliable aspect of his powers. You cant control whether hell use his Holds or Heals or who hell use them on, but he debuffs just about everybody he comes into any kind of contact with.

Power Pools:

Concealment:
You already have Shadow Fall (DONT YOU!!??). I dont see the need.

Fitness:
You can go either way with Fitness. I made it to 50 without Stamina, but found that my pets were dying so often in the 40s (lots of Elite Bosses and enemies who were generally tougher) that not having it was a real pain. Once I hit 50, I re-evaluated, respecced, and worked it in. I couldnt be happier with the decision. If youre planning on taking Leadership, then youll DEFINETELY need Stamina. If you mainly solo, you can probably get by without it too, but if you plan on teaming the whole time, expect to have to respawn your pets, thus necessitating Stamina.

Flight:
Yes, Team Flight works. I dont have it since I dont personally like Flight, but Ive seen it used. It is situational at best, though. With the changes to Swift and general Flight Speed it isnt as bad as it used to be, but I still dont see this as ideal unless you want to go the Hover for Knockback Protection route.

Leadership:
See the next post. This is such a sticky subject that I want to tackle this separately. Im not a fan of using it on a /Dark Mastermind, but you can read all the reasons why in the second post of this thread.

Leaping:
Super Jump is the ultimate utility travel power and it would be nice to have Acrobatics, but theres nothing here thats going to help your minions. Acrobatics really isnt as useful as it is to other ATs since you wont be pulling agro from your pets often enough for Knockback to be a big problem if youre doing things right.

Medicine:
You already have a Heal and a Rez. I dont see the need.

Presence:
There are some interesting PvP concepts Ive seen involving Taunt and Bodyguard Mode, and Fears are never a bad thing. I dont know where youd find room, but there are certainly some possibilities here.

Speed:
CoVs maps are too vertical for me to consider using Superspeed as my main travel power, but it DOES stack with Shadow Fall for what amounts to PvE Invisibility if you want it as a secondary mode of transportation (or dont mind relying on the Temp Powers from your Mayhems and such). Hasten is really nice when youre trying to hold a particularly tough opponent or when youre spawning your pets as well.

Teleport:
This one was my choice. Teleport Foe is the best pulling power ever and is a good way to amuse yourself. I never stop being entertained by watching my minions kill a lone enemy so fast that they cant even draw their weapon. Recall Friend is extremely useful for teammates and minions alike. Teleport Team isnt as useful as it sounds, though it does come in handy getting through some of the Orenbaga maps when your pets are determined to fall down into some crevasse as well as for annoying teammates since you cant decline it. Ive done some interesting things with it, but it isnt as useful as you might imagine since your minions dont always float long enough for you to throw out the second TP. I havent looked back since respeccing out of Team TP, though.

Patron Pools:

Since you can only take one of the pools per character, Ill give my ideas of what will be good and bad about each one (including Ghost Widow even though I gave my reasons for picking the powers from her pool in the My Build and Reasons Why section). From what I can tell, they seem pretty balanced so you should be able to just pick whatever sounds good to you. Ill just give the description provided in the Patch notes along with my thoughts on the individual powers.

Ghost Widow:

This is the set that Im going with for thematic reasons.

Basically, you get a standard shield and some more control options, which are always nice.

Night Fall: Level 41
Accuracy: 100%
Range: 60
End Cost: 16.38
Cast Time: 2
Recharge Time: 20
EFFECTS: 3.36 Negative Energy damage every .3 second for 3 seconds; 5% To Hit decrease for 10 seconds.

Unleashes a cone-shaped burst of particles from the Netherworld. All targets within the modest range of this power take Negative Energy damage and have a reduced Accuracy.

I already had an opportunity to take attacks before and I skipped them for the same reasons.

Slotting: I suppose if youre going to take it, any advice I put here isnt going to mean much.

Dark Embrace: Level 41
End Cost: .1625/second
Cast Time: .67
Recharge Time: 4
EFFECTS: 20.62 Smashing resistance; 20.62 Lethal resistance; 11.25 Toxic resistance; 11.25 Negative Energy resistance.

You tap into the energy of the Netherworld to protect yourself from damage. This Dark Embrace shrouds you and grants resistance to Lethal, Smashing, Negative Energy, and Toxic damage.

A standard shield. The nice thing about this is that with Shadow Fall, your Negative Energy Resistance should be higher than most Brutes.

Slotting: These all use a small amount of Endurance, so one Endurance Reduction is fine coupled with three Damage Resistance.

Soul Tentacles: Level 44
Accuracy: 100%
Range: 40
End Cost: 12.74
Cast Time: 1.67
Recharge Time: 20
Radius: 40 degrees
EFFECTS: 4.12 Negative Energy damage; 3.05 Negative Energy damage every 1 second for 8 seconds; 100% chance for a 15-second Immobilize of strength 3.57 versus critters only; 100% chance for a 10-second Immobilize of strength 3.57 versus players only.

You can create a cone-shaped rift to the Netherworld that allows the souls of the damned to slip into our reality. These Soul Tentacles will snare all foes within range, Immobilizing them while their drain their life. You must have one other Soul Mastery power before selecting this power.

A nice control option to pair up with Tar Patch.

Slotting: Two Accuracies and Immobilization Durations to flavor. Each one adds a surprising amount of time to this thing.

Soul Storm: Level 47
Accuracy: 100%
Range: 40
End Cost: 12.74
Cast Time: 1.67
Recharge Time: 20
EFFECTS: 3.36 Negative Energy damage every 1 second for 11 seconds; 100% chance for a 10-second Hold of strength 3.57 versus critters only; 100% chance for an 8-second Hold of strength 3.57 versus players only.

Like Ghost Widow, you will be able to summon the souls of your victims to do your bidding. Soul Storm enraptures a single target, Holding them while their life-force is drained from their body. You must have two other Soul Mastery powers before selecting this power.

In my opinion, this is absolutely necessary so that you never have to fight an unheld boss ever again. Just stack this and Petrifying Gaze and clean up the rest of the mob at your leisure. So, so useful.

Slotting: The same as Petrifying Gaze, two Accuracies, two Holds, and Recharges.

Black Scorpion:

A lot of the people I play with like this one for all the Flys and I cant say that I disagree with them. I think I went through all the weapon-drawing that I cared to going to 50 on my Broadsword Scrapper, though.

Web Envelope: Level 41
Accuracy: 105%
Range: 80
End Cost: 12.74
Cast Time: 2
Recharge Time: 20
EFFECTS: 100% chance for a 15-second Immobilize of strength 3.57 for critters only; 100% chance for a 10-second Immobilize of strength 3.57 for players only; 20% Run, Fly, and Jump Speed decrease for 15 seconds; 20% Recharge decrease for 15 seconds.

The Nullifier Mace can lob a modified Web Grenade. Upon impact, the Web Grenade expels a strong, tenuous, and very sticky substance that can Immobilize most targets in a wide area. This non-lethal device deals no damage and does not prevent targets from attacking, although their attack rate is Slowed. The Web can bring down flying entities and halts jumping.

-Fly, Immobilize and Slow all in one handy little attack.

Scorpion Shield: Level 41
End Cost: .1625/second
Cast Time: .67
Recharge Time: 4
EFFECTS: 11.25 Defense versus Smashing attacks; 11.25 Defense versus Lethal attacks; 7.25 Defense versus Energy attacks; 13.12 Toxic resistance.

Black Scorpion's technologies are impressive indeed. This energy shield grants you Defense to Lethal, Smashing and Energy attacks, as well as improves your Damage Resistance to Toxic damage.

Defense is nice since if you dont get hit you take no damage at all. Apparently this one provides you with both Defense and Damage Resistance, so thats very appealing.

Slotting: One Endurance Reduction is fine, then Id suggest three Defense.

Mace Beam Volley: Level 44
Accuracy: 105%
Range: 50
End Cost: 18.98
Cast Time: 2
Recharge Time: 32
Radius: 50
Arc: 35 degrees
EFFECTS: 15.29 Smashing damage; 15.29 Energy damage; 30% chance for a Knockback.

Fires a volley of multiple kinetic energy blasts from your Nullifier Mace. These blasts spread out in a wide cone and are powerful enough to knock down some foes. You must have one other Mace Mastery power before selecting this power.

A blasting attack that you dont need.

Slotting: Dont.

Web Cocoon: Level 47
Accuracy: 105%
Range: 60
End Cost: 10.66
Cast Time: 2
Recharge Time: 32
EFFECTS: 100% chance for a 10-second Hold of strength 3.57 versus critters only; 100% chance for an 8-second Hold of strength 3.57 versus players only; 50% Run, Fly, and Jump Speed decrease for 15 seconds; 50% Recharge decrease for 15 seconds; disable Fly.

The Bane Mace can fire a more powerful version of the common web grenade. The sinewy fibers of this grenade are strong enough to completely Hold one target. Targets able to resist the Hold are still likely to have their attack and movement speed dramatically Slowed. Web Cocoon can also bring down flying targets and prevent foes from jumping. You must have one other Mace Mastery power before selecting this power.

Hold, -Fly, -Jump, Slow and Recharge all in one attack. Very, very nice. Almost enough to make me regret my decision to take Ghost Widow (too late now!).

Slotting: Same as Petrifying Gaze unless youre more concerned about the Slow aspect of it.

Captain Mako:

You shoot sharks at people. Whats not to love?

School of Sharks: Level 41
Accuracy: 100%
Range: 50
End Cost: 12.74
Cast Time: 2.37
Radius: 50
Arc: 30 degrees
Max Targets Hit: 10
Recharge Time: 20
EFFECTS: 4.12 Negative Energy damage; 3.05 Negative Energy damage every 1 second for 8 seconds; 100% chance for a 15-second Immobilize of strength
3.57 for critters only; 100% chance for a 10-second Immobilize of strength 3.57 for players only.

You can call forth a school of vicious Shark Spirits that will swim out in a cone formation and will encircle your foes, draining their spirit energy. The encircling Shark Spirits will immobilize most foes while they deal Negative Energy damage over time. Both you and the target must be near the ground for this power to activate.

An immobilize is always nice to go along with things like Tar Patch.

Slotting: Accuracies and Immobilizations to flavor.

Bile Spray: Level 41
Accuracy: 100%
Range: 40
End Cost: 18.98
Cast Time: 2.67
Radius: 60
Arc: 30 degrees
Recharge Time: 32
EFFECTS: 21.41 Toxic damage; 30.58 Toxic damage every 1 second for 5 seconds.

Sharks will eat anything, so their stomach acid must be powerful indeed. You can regurgitate this acid and spew a corrosive spray of bile at a foe. Affected foes in the cone will take Toxic damage over time. You must have one other Leviathan Mastery power before selecting this power.

As much as Im against taking attacks on a Necro/Dark, the description on this power almost makes it too awesome to pass up. In the end, you dont need attacks though.

Slotting: Accuracy and Damage if you cant resist the power.

Shark Skin: Level 44
End Cost: .1625/second
Cast Time: .67
Recharge Time: 4
EFFECTS: 20.62 Smashing resistance; 20.62 Lethal resistance; 20.62 Cold resistance.

The power of the Leviathan Mako has shown you seems to have no end. Shark Skin improves your Damage Resistance to Lethal, Smashing and Cold damage.

A standard shield. Too bad you have to wait until level 44 to take it.

Slotting: One Endurance and three Damage Resistance.

Spirit Shark Jaws: Level 47
Accuracy: 100%
Range: 80
End Cost: 10.66
Cast Time: 1.87
Recharge Time: 32
EFFECTS: 4.12 Lethal damage; 3.05 Lethal damage every 1 second for 8 seconds; 100% chance for a 10-second Hold of strength 3.57 versus critters only; 100% chance for an 8-second Hold of strength 3.57 versus players only; disable Fly.

You can summon a massive Spirit Shark that will attack your foe from below. The Shark will grip your foe with its massive jaws and attempt to Hold the target while he mauls it, dealing Lethal damage over time. Flying targets will likely be pulled to the ground. You must have one other Leviathan Master power before selecting this power.

A Hold with Fly and what sounds like an incredible animation. Sounds good to me.

Slotting: Same as PG.

Scirocco:

Any attack that does End sounds nice, but theres nothing here that guarantees that youll get Endurance back from the attacks. If this set had something akin to Power Surge, I would have been all over it. As it is, this still sounds nice and the lightning animations in this game look really cool.

Static Discharge: Level 41
Accuracy: 100%
Range: 40
End Cost: 18.98
Cast Time: 2.07
Radius: 40
Arc: 45 degrees
Recharge Time: 32
EFFECTS: 29.36 Energy damage; drains 7% of total Endurance versus critters only; drains 1.25 Endurance versus players only; 100% chance to decrease 100% Endurance recovery for 4 seconds; 10% chance to restore 4.29 Endurance to self.

Hurls multiple bolts of Mu electricity in an arc that deals damage and drains Endurance from all affected foes in the area.

Another attack you dont need.

Slotting: Blah blah blah.

Charged Armor: Level 41
End Cost: .1625/second
Cast Time: .67
Recharge Time: 4
EFFECTS: 20.62 Smashing resistance; 20.62 Lethal resistance; 20.62 Energy resistance

When you toggle on this power, you are surrounded by a charged field that makes you highly resistant to Smashing, Lethal, and Energy damage.

Another shield that would compliment Shadow Fall quite nicely since they both add Resistance to Energy Damage.

Slotting: One Endurance Reduction and three Damage Resistance.

Electrifying Fences: Level 44
Accuracy: 100%
Range: 40
End Cost: 12.74
Cast Time: 1.17
Radius: 10
Recharge Time: 20
EFFECTS: 3.05 Energy damage every 1 second for 8 seconds; 100% chance for a 15-second Immobilize of strength 3.57 for critters only; 100% chance for a 10-second Immobilize of strength 3.57 for critters only; drains 4% of total Endurance versus critters only; drains 1 Endurance versus players only; 20% chance to decrease 100% Endurance recovery for 2 seconds.

Electrifying Fences attempts to Immobilize a group of foes in an area. This power deals some Energy damage over time as it slowly drains some Endurance. You must have one other Mu Mastery power before selecting this power.

An Immobilize with some End sounds nice to me.

Slotting: Maybe add some Endurance Mods in this one? I dunno. Im getting slotting recommendation fatigue at this point. All of these powers are about the same anyway.

Electric Shackles: Level 47
Accuracy: 100%
Range: 60
End Cost: 8.58
Cast Time: 2.17
Recharge Time: 32
EFFECTS: 4.58 Energy damage; 100% chance for an 8-second Hold of strength 3.57 versus critters only; 100% chance for a 6-second Hold of strength 3.57 versus players only; drains 15% of total Endurance versus critters only; drains 7 Endurance versus players only; 100% chance to decrease 100% Endurance recovery for 8 seconds; 30% chance to restore 4.29 Endurance to self.

Electric Shackles binds a foe's limbs, leaving the target Held and helpless. The target is drained of some Endurance and some of that Endurance may be transferred back to you. You must have two other Mu Mastery powers before selecting this power.

A Hold with End and a chance to return some of that back to you. Stacking holds is a useful tactic anyway, so having a chance to get some Endurance back is very nice as well.

Slotting: Same as PG with the possibility of adding End Mods to flavor.

A lot of people arent real excited about the Patron powers, and I suppose I can see why. The simple truth is that Masterminds dont need another pet, so there really isnt the irony that a lot of people complain of in us not getting a summons even though every other AT does. Why would we need one? A Necro/Dark can easily be running eight pets at once. What good would a ninth that you cant control do? Instead, theyve made our Patron Pools patch holes in our abilities. I find them useful, but your mileage may vary.

My Build and Reasons Why:

---------------------------------------------
Exported from Ver: 1.7.6.0 of the CoH_CoV Character Builder - (http://sherksilver.coldfront.net/index.php)
---------------------------------------------
Name: Balor
Level: 50
Archetype: Mastermind
Primary: Necromancy
Secondary: Dark Miasma
---------------------------------------------
01) --> Zombie Horde==> Acc(1) Acc(3) Acc(3) Dmg(5) Dmg(5) Dmg(7)
01) --> Twilight Grasp==> Acc(1) Acc(7) Heal(9) Heal(9) Heal(11) Rechg(11)
02) --> Tar Patch==> Rechg(2) Rechg(13) Rechg(13)
04) --> Darkest Night==> EndRdx(4) TH_DeBuf(15) TH_DeBuf(15) TH_DeBuf(17) EndRdx(50)
06) --> Enchant Undead==> EndRdx(6)
08) --> Teleport Foe==> Acc(8) Acc(17) Rechg(19)
10) --> Howling Twilight==> Rechg(10) Rechg(19) Rechg(21)
12) --> Grave Knight==> Acc(12) Acc(21) Dmg(23) Dmg(23) Dmg(25)
14) --> Teleport==> EndRdx(14) EndRdx(25)
16) --> Shadow Fall==> EndRdx(16) EndRdx(27) DmgRes(27) DmgRes(29) DmgRes(29) EndRdx(46)
18) --> Soul Extraction==> Rechg(18) Rechg(31) Rechg(31) Acc(31)
20) --> Fearsome Stare==> Acc(20) Acc(33) Fear(33) Fear(33) Rechg(34) Rechg(34)
22) --> Hurdle==> Jump(22)
24) --> Swift==> Run(24)
26) --> Lich==> Acc(26) Acc(34) Hold(36) Hold(36) Fear(36) Fear(37)
28) --> Petrifying Gaze==> Acc(28) Acc(37) Hold(37) Hold(39) Rechg(39) Rechg(39)
30) --> Stamina==> EndMod(30) EndMod(40) EndMod(40)
32) --> Dark Empowerment==> Rechg(32)
35) --> Recall Friend==> Rechg(35)
38) --> Dark Servant==> Rechg(38) Rechg(40) Rechg(42) Acc(42) TH_DeBuf(42) TH_DeBuf(43)
41) --> Dark Embrace==> EndRdx(41) DmgRes(43) DmgRes(43) DmgRes(45)
44) --> Soul Tentacles==> Acc(44) Acc(45) Immob(45) Immob(46) Immob(46)
47) --> Soul Storm==> Acc(47) Acc(48) Hold(48) Hold(48) Rechg(50) Rechg(50)
49) --> Hasten==> Rechg(49)
---------------------------------------------
01) --> Sprint==> Run(1)
01) --> Brawl==> Acc(1)
01) --> Supremacy==> Empty(1)
02) --> Rest==> Rechg(2)
---------------------------------------------

Level 1: No duh. If you dont take Zombie Horde at level 1, you shouldnt be playing a MM. No choice with Twilight Grasp, but its what you would take if given the choice anyway.

Level 2: I used to have an attack here, but once I got into the 30s, I found that I was only using it by accident. If I need to pull, Ill use TP Foe.

Level 4: Another necessary power that is good to have some slots in ASAP.

Level 6: Enchant Undead. If you ever look at any of my builds, I almost always take a travel or stamina pre-requisite at level 6. This is an exception to that rule. Take this at 6 because you NEED THIS POWER.

Level 8: Im following my grab a travel pre-req ASAP rule here. I chose Teleport for a few reasons, but I took Teleport Foe specifically to be able to grab my opponents and place them neatly into my circle of death. It is a beautiful thing. Even if you dont take Teleport as your travel power, you should consider taking this power.

Level 10: AoE rez and auto-hit disorient. Very useful whether you deem a team worthy of having you along or not.

Level 12: Grave Knight. If you dont take this at level 12 theres a good chance that youre currently dribbling onto your nappie.

Level 14: Travel power. Duh. I took teleport because I wanted something that would provide some support for my pets (Teleport Foe and possibly Teleport Team somewhere in the 40s) that would give me vertical movement. Plus, I like it. Sue me.

Level 16: Shadow Fall gives a defense bonus, stealth, and resistance to certain damage types to everyone near you. You have 6 to 8 pets. Do the math. I originally went with three Endurance Reductions so that I could make up for not having Stamina, but it is still an endurance heavy toggle even with Stamina.

Level 18: Soul Extraction is a great panic power and Ive finally acquiesced to those who insist that you slot it for recharges. Now I can have one out whenever the other one dismisses itself (and have even managed two when I was Speed Boosted).

Level 20: It feels so weird to be suggesting something other than Stamina at level 20. At any rate, my only regret is that I couldnt get this power sooner. Fearsome Stare is your number one crowd control ability (well, other than your Send in your pets and make everything die ability). No, it isnt as broken as it used to be and yes, the Defender version is better. Its still seven shades of awesome.

Level 22: Now Im finally starting my road to Stamina. I took Hurdle first because it is technically faster to hop around than to just run with Swift.

Level 24: Stamina prerequisite number two.

Level 26: Lich. Duh. Watch your effectiveness quadruple. Okay, that might be an exaggeration, but getting this guy is a big deal. I slotted some of his aspects instead of his damage, but thats because it isnt his primary use. Yes, his damage is nice, but those holds and debuffs will make your heart sing.

Level 28: This hold isnt nearly as great as it used to be, but it keeps those Flamethrowers (fire damage HURTS) out of the mix. Also useful for all the Hold stacking on tougher enemies when you, your Lich, your Dark Servant and an Extracted Soul are stacking holds.

Level 30: I took this at 30 because it was convenient and I wanted it to be there for my occasional runs into Sirens Call.

Level 32: Another NO DUH power. Youll weep with joy at how much this helps.

Level 35: Recall Friend is just as handy for you pets as it is your lazy friends.

Level 38: Fluffy! Another power youre an idiot for not taking. The recharge is pretty long compared to the Defender version, so dont expect it to be permanent without some significant slotting. Ill be slotting it for Heals since it will be throwing out Twilight Grasp, but you may want to enhance some other aspect of him.

41: Dark Embrace fills the Damage Resistance holes that are in Shadowfall. The only Damage types I have no Resistance to are Fire and Ice. Not bad for a squishy. The other bonus is that is uses very little Endurance, so a single Endurance Reduction makes it very manageable.

44: Soul Tentacles didnt excite me when I first picked it up, but holy crap does it last a long time now. I wish it had a Fly, but when combined with Tar Patch and the Immobilizes from my Lich and Dark Servant, I rarely have an EB/AV/Hero who doesnt stay where I want them to. Really neat animation, too.

47: Hold stacking is one of the most broken things about a Necro/Dark Mastermind at high levels. Now I have two personal holds so that I can lock down any boss ever, and at least two pets spamming holds as well. Naysayers be damned, this is game breaking right here.

49: Just picked up Hasten to assist in pet summoning and EB/AV/Hero battles. I didnt bother slotting it because I dont use it all that often.

I feel like Ive gone into more detail than I needed to here, but I can answer anyones questions if you want to post them in here. Im not necessarily an expert and Im neither a number cruncher nor a min-maxer (though I have my moments), so I know there are things I could have done to be more efficient. In fact, I may well do them in the future. As it stands right now, I can solo almost everything that I come across. No, I havent soloed any AVs or Heroes, but I came pretty close a few times pre I7 (besides, youre not SUPPOSED to be able to do that).

This guide isnt the be all end all, so if you find that some of this doesnt work for you, that doesnt mean youre doing something wrong.

Well, unless youre taking attacks. Really. Im right about this one. They suck and will continue to suck even if 37 slotted. Damaging things isnt your job. Ever. Im not saying thats the case for other Mastermind sets, but I believe its true for this combo.

So have fun out there.

Geek_Boy · 11-30-2006 04:35 PM

Since I talk about it all the time and I get tired of repeating myself, heres a thread I can point people to when they want to tell me Im crazy for not insisting that every Mastermind ever gets Tactics.

Yes, it is a great power. I have it on my Corruptor, where I think it is infinitely more useful. Im not saying that you shouldnt get it if youre dying to have it, but I want people to at least think about it.

Since Im not an expert on every single secondary, Im limiting my discussion to the /Dark secondary. I have a level 50 Necro/Dark Mastermind and have written a guide that is posted on these forums, on the official CoH forums, and on coldfront.com. Most people Ive talked to have found it helpful and I think Im pretty good when it comes to this powerset. I also have a level 27 Dark/Electric Defender, but he was originally built pre-ED when they were still really good at PvP, so Im not going there.

Other sets have more crap powers, but when it comes to Dark Miasma, the only power you should be skipping is Black Hole. So assuming youre skipping your attacks, thats still 9 of your 24 powers eaten up by your secondary. Add in your 3 pet summons and 2 upgrades and were at 14 of 24. Stamina and a travel power will eat up another 5 (and yes, youll need Stamina once you hit the 40s before that I was fine and I actually got to 50 without it, but once I respecced it in I became MUCH more effective). So with Stamina, a travel power, the powers you need from Dark Miasma, and the bare minimum of powers from your primary, were at 19 of 24 powers. That leaves 5 powers and not a lot of slots left. I argue that if youre going to go with /Dark, that isnt enough room to get Leadership and run it well enough for it to be worth it.

First, the arguments for the Dark Miasma powers one by one. Get more info from my Guide if you want details..

Twilight Grasp: You have no choice but you would be retarded if you didnt take it. Probably the best heal in CoV and a nice debuff to boot. 6 slot this and wish you had more slots to put there.

Tar Patch: A powerful debuff that Slows your enemies and reduces their Damage Resistance. I always just 3 slot it for Recharge because I run out of slots, but Slows are also useful. This is one of the best debuffs available period.

Darkest Night: Powerful ToHit Debuff. Turns everything up to and including AVs into whiffing ninnies.

Howling Twilight: No, this rez wont work on your pets, but it IS an auto-hit Disorient with some nice debuffs to it. I use it all the time even when Im not teaming. The fact that it allows you to rez your teammates is just an added bonus. A great power for PvP since it is auto-hit ([censored] you Mister Personal Force Field!).

Shadow Fall: Stealth and Damage Resistance to damage types that are rarely resisted for you and anyone near you. Everyone will love you when youre fighting Psionic enemies, not counting the usefulness of being able to sneak up on enemies.

Fearsome Stare: This is where some people start to argue. I personally think that if youre not taking FS, why are you taking Dark Miasma? It is a defining power of the set. Cone Fear that debuffs your enemies and makes them unable to attack you unless you attack them first. Rarely resisted and a killer move in PvP. Take it. Slot it. Love it.

Petrifying Gaze: A single target hold that people constantly [censored] about. Its duration was nerfed a long, long time ago and most of the naysayers remember its previous state. No, it doesnt last forever like it used to and it might need a slight buff since it doesnt have any secondary effects, but taking a troublesome minion or LT out of the fight is EXTREMELY USEFUL. Playing Necro, I could lose all of my pets almost instantly if faced with a group that included 3 or more Flamethrowers. Removing one of them from the fight saved my e-can more times than I can count. Longbow Nullifiers? Wussies thanks to this power. Spec-Ops and Sappers? Who cares. Theyre held. When you get your Patron hold (WHICH YOU SHOULD), you no longer have to worry about bosses. Why? Because youve held them by stacking PG and your Patron hold before the fight even started. By the time they break out of it (IF they break out of it), the rest of the mob is dead and youve debuffed them to the point that they cant do anything anyway. HOW is that not useful? This power deserves six slots. So does your Patron hold. Enjoy holding AVs and Heroes? I know I do.

Black Hole: Total crap.

Dark Servant: Anyone who argues that this isnt useful hasnt used it. Im serious about that. Debuffs, heals, holds, immobilizes, does some damage, and tanks for you. Awesome and necessary.

So assuming Im right (and I am), then the question becomes What can I drop from my primary and pool powers to get those two Leadership toggles? Well look at that some in a moment, but first I want to comment on what a /Dark Masterminds role in a team really is. Youre filling the role of a Dark Defendtroller essentially. Youre better at healing and debuffing than most Corruptors and you have more control than a lot of Dominators with none of the frailty. Youre spending all of your endurance on keeping your enemies debuffed and your pets alive rather than splitting it between that and damage, so in many ways you are more useful than a Corruptor or a Dominator could ever be.

Are there situations where a Corruptor is more useful? A few, but most of them involve the Recluse Strike Force. Making all your decisions based on a single Strike Force is retarded.

Are there situation where a Dominator is more useful? Well, Im sure there are, but since they spend most of their time face-planted its hard to tell (lol Dominators lol). Seriously, they need some real attention from the Devs.

What other AT can hold the boss, debuff the entire mob, then kill them without ever taking enough damage to make a real dent in their defenses (thanks to Bodyguard)? None. Who else can kill Heroes in PvP without ever actually attacking them (many of my PvP wins have occurred without me ever leaving Bodyguard)? Nobody.

So why sacrifice that ability for a minor Damage or Defense Boost coupled with better accuracy and some +Perception that you almost never need in PvE?

Another point: if youre taking Assault and Tactics but not Vengeance, then I see no need to take any of them. When Im doing a Recluse Strike Force, its Vengeance that everyones watching for. By the time everyones level 50, they should have plenty of Accuracy and Damage of their own, but Defense? THAT is useful to ANY team. Especially ones that are fighting multiple Heroes at once. Most of this is assuming youre making room for those two powers since theyre the ones everyone talks about, but really you should be trying to make room for three or you should be skipping the pool entirely.

You can argue that youll get the powers and slots by shortchanging your primary or necessary pool powers, but I think thats foolhardy, too.

First Ill start with the character I know best.

---------------------------------------------
Exported from Ver: 1.7.6.0 of the CoH_CoV Character Builder - (http://sherksilver.coldfront.net/index.php)
---------------------------------------------
Name: Balor
Level: 50
Archetype: Mastermind
Primary: Necromancy
Secondary: Dark Miasma
---------------------------------------------
01) --> Zombie Horde==> Acc(1) Acc(3) Acc(3) Dmg(5) Dmg(5) Dmg(7)
01) --> Twilight Grasp==> Acc(1) Acc(7) Heal(9) Heal(9) Heal(11) Rechg(11)
02) --> Tar Patch==> Rechg(2) Rechg(13) Rechg(13)
04) --> Darkest Night==> EndRdx(4) TH_DeBuf(15) TH_DeBuf(15) TH_DeBuf(17) EndRdx(50)
06) --> Enchant Undead==> EndRdx(6)
08) --> Teleport Foe==> Acc(8) Acc(17) Rechg(19)
10) --> Howling Twilight==> Rechg(10) Rechg(19) Rechg(21)
12) --> Grave Knight==> Acc(12) Acc(21) Dmg(23) Dmg(23) Dmg(25)
14) --> Teleport==> EndRdx(14) EndRdx(25)
16) --> Shadow Fall==> EndRdx(16) EndRdx(27) DmgRes(27) DmgRes(29) DmgRes(29) EndRdx(46)
18) --> Soul Extraction==> Rechg(18) Rechg(31) Rechg(31) Acc(31)
20) --> Fearsome Stare==> Acc(20) Acc(33) Fear(33) Fear(33) Rechg(34) Rechg(34)
22) --> Hurdle==> Jump(22)
24) --> Swift==> Run(24)
26) --> Lich==> Acc(26) Acc(34) Hold(36) Hold(36) Fear(36) Fear(37)
28) --> Petrifying Gaze==> Acc(28) Acc(37) Hold(37) Hold(39) Rechg(39) Rechg(39)
30) --> Stamina==> EndMod(30) EndMod(40) EndMod(40)
32) --> Dark Empowerment==> Rechg(32)
35) --> Recall Friend==> Rechg(35)
38) --> Dark Servant==> Rechg(38) Rechg(40) Rechg(42) Acc(42) TH_DeBuf(42) TH_DeBuf(43)
41) --> Dark Embrace==> EndRdx(41) DmgRes(43) DmgRes(43) DmgRes(45)
44) --> Soul Tentacles==> Acc(44) Acc(45) Immob(45) Immob(46) Immob(46)
47) --> Soul Storm==> Acc(47) Acc(48) Hold(48) Hold(48) Rechg(50) Rechg(50)
49) --> Hasten==> Rechg(49)
---------------------------------------------
01) --> Sprint==> Run(1)
01) --> Brawl==> Acc(1)
01) --> Supremacy==> Empty(1)
02) --> Rest==> Rechg(2)

What could I drop from this build? Hasten, which has no slots in it? Stamina, with three (which you cant run Leadership without)? Soul Extraction? Well, theres one power and 3 free slots. Not enough to run Leadership from. Recall Friend? That still doesnt help with the slots necessary to run those powers effectively.

I could drop Endurance Reductions from some powers or Recharges from others, but then I lose effectiveness. The slight increase in damage (11.25% assuming your pets are in range) and accuracy (+11.70% ToHit buff, which is powerful, but still assumes your pets are in range) arent worth having a boss that would have been removed from the fight one-shotting my zombies or holding me, making me completely worthless. They arent worth having a whole mob cowering in Fear while I pick them off one by one at my leisure.

Lets look at some other sets.

---------------------------------------------
Exported from Ver: 1.7.6.0 of the CoH_CoV Character Builder - (http://sherksilver.coldfront.net/index.php)
---------------------------------------------
Name: Merc Example
Level: 50
Archetype: Mastermind
Primary: Mercenaries
Secondary: Dark Miasma
---------------------------------------------
01) --> Soldiers==> Acc(1) Acc(3) Acc(3) Dmg(5) Dmg(5) Dmg(7)
01) --> Twilight Grasp==> Acc(1) Acc(7) Heal(9) Heal(9) Heal(11) Rechg(11)
02) --> Tar Patch==> Rechg(2) Rechg(17) Rechg(21)
04) --> Darkest Night==> EndRdx(4) TH_DeBuf(36) TH_DeBuf(36) TH_DeBuf(36)
06) --> Equip Mercenary==> EndRdx(6)
08) --> Teleport Foe==> Acc(8) Acc(46)
10) --> Howling Twilight==> Rechg(10) Rechg(37) Rechg(37)
12) --> Spec Ops==> Acc(12) Acc(13) Dmg(13) Dmg(15) Dmg(15) Hold(46)
14) --> Teleport==> EndRdx(14) EndRdx(17)
16) --> Shadow Fall==> Rechg(16) EndRdx(23) DmgRes(37) DmgRes(40) DmgRes(43)
18) --> Serum==> Rechg(18) Rechg(19) Rechg(19) DmgRes(43) DmgRes(46) DmgRes(50)
20) --> Fearsome Stare==> Acc(20) Acc(21) Rechg(23) Rechg(25) TH_DeBuf(25) TH_DeBuf(34)
22) --> Swift==> Run(22)
24) --> Hurdle==> Jump(24)
26) --> Commando==> Acc(26) Acc(27) Dmg(27) Dmg(29) Dmg(29)
28) --> Petrifying Gaze==> Acc(28) Acc(31) Hold(31) Hold(31) Rechg(33) Rechg(33)
30) --> Stamina==> EndMod(30) EndMod(34) EndMod(34)
32) --> Tactical Upgrade==> Rechg(32) EndRdx(33)
35) --> Hasten==> Rechg(35)
38) --> Dark Servant==> Rechg(38) Rechg(39) Rechg(39) TH_DeBuf(39) TH_DeBuf(40) Heal(40)
41) --> Scorpion Shield==> EndRdx(41) EndRdx(42) DefBuf(42) DefBuf(42) DefBuf(43)
44) --> Web Envelope==> Acc(44) Acc(45) Immob(45) Immob(45)
47) --> Web Cocoon==> Acc(47) Acc(48) Hold(48) Hold(48) Rechg(50) Rechg(50)
49) --> Recall Friend==> Empty(49)
---------------------------------------------
01) --> Sprint==> Run(1)
01) --> Brawl==> Acc(1)
01) --> Supremacy==> Empty(1)
02) --> Rest==> Rechg(2)

Again, what do I drop? Im no expert, but Serum is supposed to be the bomb from what I understand of the Mercenaries set. The few powers you could argue I might be able to drop dont free enough slots to get Tactics where it needs to be to be effective.

---------------------------------------------
Exported from Ver: 1.7.6.0 of the CoH_CoV Character Builder - (http://sherksilver.coldfront.net/index.php)
---------------------------------------------
Name: Ninja Example
Level: 50
Archetype: Mastermind
Primary: Ninjas
Secondary: Dark Miasma
---------------------------------------------
01) --> Call Genin==> Acc(1) Acc(3) Acc(3) Dmg(5) Dmg(5) Dmg(7)
01) --> Twilight Grasp==> Acc(1) Acc(7) Heal(9) Heal(9) Heal(11) Rechg(11)
02) --> Tar Patch==> Rechg(2) Rechg(23) Rechg(23)
04) --> Darkest Night==> EndRdx(4) TH_DeBuf(37) TH_DeBuf(37) TH_DeBuf(40)
06) --> Train Ninjas==> EndRdx(6)
08) --> Teleport Foe==> Acc(8) Acc(21)
10) --> Howling Twilight==> Rechg(10) Rechg(36) Rechg(36)
12) --> Call Jounin==> Acc(12) Acc(13) Dmg(13) Dmg(15) Dmg(15) TH_DeBuf(17)
14) --> Teleport==> EndRdx(14) EndRdx(17)
16) --> Shadow Fall==> EndRdx(16) EndRdx(19) DmgRes(43) DmgRes(43) DmgRes(46)
18) --> Smoke Flash==> Acc(18) Acc(19) Rechg(36) Rechg(37) Rechg(43)
20) --> Fearsome Stare==> Acc(20) Acc(21) Rechg(25) Rechg(25) TH_DeBuf(34) TH_DeBuf(34)
22) --> Swift==> Run(22)
24) --> Hurdle==> Jump(24)
26) --> Oni==> Acc(26) Acc(27) Dmg(27) Dmg(29) Dmg(29) Hold(31)
28) --> Petrifying Gaze==> Acc(28) Acc(31) Hold(31) Hold(33) Rechg(33) Rechg(34)
30) --> Stamina==> EndMod(30) EndMod(46) EndMod(46)
32) --> Kuji In Zen==> Rechg(32) EndRdx(33)
35) --> Hasten==> Rechg(35) Rechg(50)
38) --> Dark Servant==> Rechg(38) Rechg(39) Rechg(39) TH_DeBuf(39) TH_DeBuf(40) Heal(40)
41) --> School of Sharks==> Acc(41) Acc(42) Immob(42) Immob(42)
44) --> Shark Skin==> EndRdx(44) DmgRes(45) DmgRes(45) DmgRes(45)
47) --> Spirit Shark Jaws==> Acc(47) Acc(48) Hold(48) Hold(48) Rechg(50) Rechg(50)
49) --> Recall Friend==> Rechg(49)
---------------------------------------------
01) --> Sprint==> Empty(1)
01) --> Brawl==> Empty(1)
01) --> Supremacy==> Empty(1)
02) --> Rest==> Empty(2)

Smoke Flash is pretty much necessary from what Ninja people say. Not that many slots in there anyway.

---------------------------------------------
Exported from Ver: 1.7.6.0 of the CoH_CoV Character Builder - (http://sherksilver.coldfront.net/index.php)
---------------------------------------------
Name: Robotics Example
Level: 50
Archetype: Mastermind
Primary: Robotics
Secondary: Dark Miasma
---------------------------------------------
01) --> Battle Drones==> Acc(1) Acc(3) Acc(3) Dmg(5) Dmg(5) Dmg(7)
01) --> Twilight Grasp==> Acc(1) Acc(7) Heal(9) Heal(9) Heal(11) Rechg(11)
02) --> Tar Patch==> Rechg(2) Rechg(23) Rechg(23)
04) --> Darkest Night==> EndRdx(4) TH_DeBuf(37) TH_DeBuf(37) TH_DeBuf(40)
06) --> Equip Robot==> EndRdx(6)
08) --> Teleport Foe==> Acc(8) Acc(21) Rechg(43)
10) --> Howling Twilight==> Rechg(10) Rechg(36) Rechg(36)
12) --> Protector Bots==> Acc(12) Acc(13) Dmg(13) Dmg(15) DefBuf(15) DefBuf(17)
14) --> Teleport==> EndRdx(14) EndRdx(17)
16) --> Shadow Fall==> EndRdx(16) EndRdx(19) DmgRes(43) DmgRes(43) DmgRes(46)
18) --> Repair==> Rechg(18) Rechg(19) Rechg(31)
20) --> Fearsome Stare==> Acc(20) Acc(21) Rechg(25) Rechg(25) TH_DeBuf(34) TH_DeBuf(34)
22) --> Swift==> Run(22)
24) --> Hurdle==> Jump(24)
26) --> Assault Bot==> Acc(26) Acc(27) Dmg(27) Dmg(29) Dmg(29) DisDur(37)
28) --> Petrifying Gaze==> Acc(28) Acc(31) Hold(31) Hold(33) Rechg(33) Rechg(34)
30) --> Stamina==> EndMod(30) EndMod(46) EndMod(46)
32) --> Upgrade Robot==> EndRdx(32) Rechg(33)
35) --> Hasten==> Rechg(35) Rechg(36) Rechg(50)
38) --> Dark Servant==> Rechg(38) Rechg(39) Rechg(39) TH_DeBuf(39) TH_DeBuf(40) Heal(40)
41) --> School of Sharks==> Acc(41) Acc(42) Immob(42) Immob(42)
44) --> Shark Skin==> EndRdx(44) DmgRes(45) DmgRes(45) DmgRes(45)
47) --> Spirit Shark Jaws==> Acc(47) Acc(48) Hold(48) Hold(48) Rechg(50) Rechg(50)
49) --> Recall Friend==> Rechg(49)
---------------------------------------------
01) --> Sprint==> Run(1)
01) --> Brawl==> Acc(1)
01) --> Supremacy==> Empty(1)
02) --> Rest==> Rechg(2)

I suppose you very well COULD do without Repair from what people have told me. This is the one set where you MIGHT be able to fit it in. I still wouldnt, though.

---------------------------------------------
Exported from Ver: 1.7.6.0 of the CoH_CoV Character Builder - (http://sherksilver.coldfront.net/index.php)
---------------------------------------------
Name: Thugs Example
Level: 50
Archetype: Mastermind
Primary: Thugs
Secondary: Dark Miasma
---------------------------------------------
01) --> Call Thugs==> Acc(1) Acc(3) Acc(3) Dmg(5) Dmg(5) Dmg(7)
01) --> Twilight Grasp==> Acc(1) Acc(7) Heal(9) Heal(9) Heal(11) Rechg(11)
02) --> Tar Patch==> Rechg(2) Rechg(25) Rechg(25)
04) --> Darkest Night==> EndRdx(4) TH_DeBuf(36) TH_DeBuf(36) TH_DeBuf(37)
06) --> Equip Thugs==> EndRdx(6)
08) --> Teleport Foe==> Acc(8) Acc(21) Rechg(50)
10) --> Howling Twilight==> Rechg(10) Rechg(43) Rechg(46)
12) --> Call Enforcer==> Acc(12) Acc(13) Dmg(13) Dmg(15) DefBuf(15) DefBuf(17)
14) --> Teleport==> EndRdx(14) EndRdx(17)
16) --> Shadow Fall==> EndRdx(16) EndRdx(34) DmgRes(34) DmgRes(34) DmgRes(36)
18) --> Gang War==> Rechg(18) Rechg(19) Rechg(19) Acc(43)
20) --> Fearsome Stare==> Acc(20) Acc(21) Rechg(23) Rechg(23) TH_DeBuf(37) TH_DeBuf(37)
22) --> Hurdle==> Jump(22)
24) --> Swift==> Run(24)
26) --> Call Bruiser==> Acc(26) Acc(27) Dmg(27) Dmg(29) Dmg(29)
28) --> Petrifying Gaze==> Acc(28) Acc(31) Hold(31) Hold(31) Rechg(33) Rechg(33)
30) --> Stamina==> EndMod(30) EndMod(40) EndMod(43)
32) --> Upgrade Equipment==> EndRdx(32) Rechg(33)
35) --> Hasten==> Rechg(35) Rechg(46) Rechg(46)
38) --> Dark Servant==> Rechg(38) Rechg(39) Rechg(39) TH_DeBuf(39) TH_DeBuf(40) Heal(40)
41) --> Charged Armor==> EndRdx(41) DmgRes(42) DmgRes(42) DmgRes(42)
44) --> Electrifying Fences==> Acc(44) Acc(45) Immob(45) Immob(45)
47) --> Electric Shackles==> Acc(47) Acc(48) Hold(48) Hold(48) Rechg(50) Rechg(50)
49) --> Recall Friend==> Rechg(49)
---------------------------------------------
01) --> Sprint==> Run(1)
01) --> Brawl==> Acc(1)
01) --> Supremacy==> Empty(1)
02) --> Rest==> Rechg(2)

Youll need all the help you can get to keep those Thugs alive. They are sooo squishy. Giving up an ounce of control for that little damage boost is going to be really detrimental to your health.

So Ive covered all the /Dark combinations. I chose different Patron Pools for everyone to add some variety,

Even in a build where you can fit the powers in, I believe that your endurance is better spent on controlling the mobs youre fighting and healing your pets/teammates than adding those minor buffs. But wait! I can take Maneuvers! you say? Think this will help keep your teammates and pets alive? Fully slotted, youre getting a 2.9% Defense boost for a minimum of 0.207 Endurance per second. Dispersion Bubble gives 9.4% for 0.344 Endurance per second. Thats 324% Defense over Maneuvers for 166% of the Endurance cost. WAAAYYY more bang for the buck and that is STILL considered to be an underpowered shield by a lot of people. Shadow Fall gives you 2.8% Defense and we consider that Defense boost to be pathetic! Maneuvers is a joke unless youre maybe already a /Force Field, though it requires so many slots that it just doesnt seem worth it to me.

Im not saying that Leadership isnt useful. I use it very happily on my AR/Rad Corruptor, who I normally run an RSF with at least once or twice a week. Then again, he gets a bigger boost for those powers than a Mastermind does. Why? Several reasons, actually:

1) Corruptors get a bigger boost from Leadership toggles than a Mastermind does. According to Hero Planner, Corruptors get a 15% damage boost while Masterminds get an 11.25% boost. Tactics is the only thing youre concerned about? Well, according to the same program Corruptors get a 15.6% boost while Masterminds only get an 11.7% boost. You can look up Maneuvers numbers for yourself since its too loltastic for me to care about at this point.

2) A Corruptor (or any other AT for that matter) is guaranteed that every attack they make is going to be boosted by those toggles while they are active. A Mastermind is not. There are situations where a pet will be out of range for a boost or behind a wall where it cant receive it that youre spending that Endurance on nothing. You arent personally attacking, so you cant guarantee that the damage that is being dealt by your pets will actually benefit from these toggles 100% of the time.

Yes, you can make the argument that youre helping your team kill things faster, but that Endurance youre burning on a boost of potentially 0% is better spent debuffing, holding, healing, etc.

You just have better options when youre running /Dark than these very minor and over-hyped boosts. Yes, they have their merits in PvP (or at least Tactics does), but it just doesnt fit your role. Most of the PvP fights Ive been in have been reactive fights anyway. Some Scrapper or Stalker thinks Im an easy kill, they swoop in and attack, I shrug off their damage thanks to Bodyguard, then I proceed to the whooping of the [censored]. Would Tactics or Assault make as big a difference in those fights as Hasten or those extra ToHit Debuffs in Darkest Night? Not a chance.

Im done ranting. Let this thread stand as a testament to this argument so I dont have to go into it every time someone brings the topic up.

Geek_Boy · 11-30-2006 04:36 PM

It occured to me that Malaekai's post in my previous version's thread could be useful.

[ QUOTE ]
It's great to have all this valuable info in one thread for the Necro, so I will post my goto bind strategy here. It should be noted that this isn't my only goto bind, but my most used on. I also use Khaiba's binds in addition for individual group control, but this strategy covers about 95% of fights.

An easy way to send only certain pets into combat is to put one letter in their name they share, that no other pet has.

For instance I always want to send my zombies and knights to melee while my ghost and lich hang at range. I would name my pets as follows (just examples to illustrate point, not real names):

Group 1.) Melee:

Bob - Zombie
Nob - Zombie
Cob - Zombie

Slab - Knight
Crab - Knight

Group 2.) Ranged:

Harry - Ghost
Sally - Lich

Now notice that all the zombies and knights included a b in their name, which neither the ghost nor lich has. In addition the ghost and lich both have a y in their name that none of the zombies/knights have.

Now you use two binds:

/bind t petcom_name b goto def (use whatever key you like for "t")
/bind g petcom_name y goto def (use whatever key you like for "g")

Note above: If you don't want the pets in defensive mode when they arrived (which will make them man up to whatever mobs attacked them), then you can put them on aggressive by substituting "agg" for "def" in the bind. This will make them attack whatever's in their range (and possible attack it before it attacks them) but is potentially dangerous when used in a team setting.

Using these two binds and fitting pet names, you can send some pets to melee when they all start at range, or send some pets to range when you all get jumped at melee.

Also, this isn't only useful for the 26+ necro with all his pets. In can be used with two zombies and a graveknight (level 12) for instance. You can make the knight go to melee and the two zombies hang at range (although one would usually try to rush melee anyway, you can pull him back with this command) Just follow the naming guidelines above to give each group a mutually exclusive letter and you're all set.

And just to include the simplified version for completeness, if you want a goto bind that moves all pets to melee, use:

/bind <key> petcom_all goto def (or agg)

[/ QUOTE ]

Geek_Boy · 06-12-2007 03:53 PM

This version of the guide is now dead and everyone should read this one instead.