Mogura's Guide to Illusion/Kinetics Control
By
AbunaiFux0rboi,
Posted on: 2007-04-17 12:59 in Player Guides
i just wanted to say thanks for the guide. i was having my doubts about the ill/kin at level 15...it's nice to know that the build will come together in a few milestone levels! it seems right now i'm just a light damage defender spamming si power and speed with blinds thrown in(and sneaking deceives in when no one is looking). i love the rad set, but i played a grav/rad to 42 and didn't want to repeat - they are the toast of the teens and twenties it seems.
Again, thanks for the glimmer of hope and the fantastic breakdown of what to expect out of both sets in the future!
Welcome to the forums, Cabanthe! I'm glad you liked the Guide. Maybe I can help you a bit with your damage dilemma...
In order to get the most out of an Illusion/Kinetics at early levels (early to mid-teens), it's good to take one of the Power Pool attacks. Always use the Power Pool attack after you Blind or Flash your foe(s) to achieve Scrapper-like damage. And remember, when their Hit Points get low, it's best to use Spectral Wounds!
My Guide to Illusion/Kinetics Control.
CoH_Player_101: It's okay. Your choice in avatars makes up for a world of indiscretion.
Will do! I'm glad you explained containment - as i've been away from the game for over a year. i looked at the numbers on SW before hold and after...and youre right...double damage.
a few quick questions:
1) in my pre fulcrum shift life...does it pay to try and stack siphon power?
2) should it bother me(being a tactical perfectionist) that when im leading teen groups and they expect me to cc...all they get is a perceive and blind? hehe(i didnt have room for a heavy slotted flash yet).
Again thanks for your clear documentation. this is the first time ive seen possible slot options actually spelled out. part of having fun is learning to avoid the occasional *blast it*! i took that power with the long animation and poor effects...time to respec again! Twenty four hour trial periods on new powers? just kidding...we all seek the path to gaming perfection right?
1) Yes. Stack Siphon Power as much as you can! It may only help a little bit during each fight, but over the "long haul" it will improve your total damage output considerably.
2) No, you shouldn't feel bad at all. Illusion Control only has nine powers, just like the rest. As an Illusion/* Controller in the teens, your ability to control large mobs is really just wishful thinking. Flash, at those levels, is not very reliable. It's really more of an "oops" power, useful if you get in over your head. Other Controller sets get a variety of hard and soft control powers early on. Illusion is forced to make due with Blind, Deceive, and Flash.
It's not so bad, though. The other Controllers turn green with envy when level 18 comes around. In the meantime, fill some of the gaps in control with Siphon Power and Siphon Speed. They will help mitigate some of the damage your team would normally be taking. It also may help to choose a melee power like Flurry or Boxing, because they both have a chance to Disorient (for Containment)!
If the members of your team have some experience, they should know that your strengths as an Illusion/Kinetics Controller far outweigh your fledgling ability to control a crowd. In either case, communicate with your team to be certain they understand that you're not one of "those" Controllers! 
My Guide to Illusion/Kinetics Control.
CoH_Player_101: It's okay. Your choice in avatars makes up for a world of indiscretion.
This is really helpful. I have a level 20 Ill/Kinetics that I'm so-so on because I've found that Siphon Power doesn't help my Phantom Army, which is disappointing.
I'm thinking about making a new Illusion controller. Does anybody know if I can lock a toggle on a Phantom Army guy? I'm considering Sonic as a secondary but I want to be able to lock the AOE toggles on one of my guys so that he'll reduce the damage resistances of everybody around him which is pretty much the same thing as Siphon Power.
Thanks for the help!
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This is really helpful. I have a level 20 Ill/Kinetics that I'm so-so on because I've found that Siphon Power doesn't help my Phantom Army, which is disappointing.
I'm thinking about making a new Illusion controller. Does anybody know if I can lock a toggle on a Phantom Army guy? I'm considering Sonic as a secondary but I want to be able to lock the AOE toggles on one of my guys so that he'll reduce the damage resistances of everybody around him which is pretty much the same thing as Siphon Power.
Thanks for the help!
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According to Muad_Dib's Illusion/Sonic guide, Disruption Field can be placed on a Phantom Army. I'm not an expert on Illusion/Sonic, but I'm pretty sure this will work.
My Guide to Illusion/Kinetics Control.
CoH_Player_101: It's okay. Your choice in avatars makes up for a world of indiscretion.
this made Psionos on virtue do about 2x as much damage..
good stuff mogura, thanks.
I'm curious as to which power you view as more useful and/or better: group invis. or superior invis? Also if I bought a +stealth IO would that stack on top of the invis?
thanks for the guide!
Sorry for the delay in responding.
I've personally settled on SI, because all too often GI gets refused by some (or most) teammates. That being said, GI still adds a defense buff, and does not interfere with taunt auras. In other words, an invisible Tanker with Invincibility becomes "visible" to anybody close enough to be affected by his or her Invincibility aura. So, your mileage may vary. Still, my personal choice is SI.
As for your question about stealth IO's...
I've experienced a very interesting phenomenon which is also fairly rare. With SI on, fighting against Freaks (who don't have much +perception AFAIK), I've noted that since getting a Stealth IO in my Teleport, occasionally the villains will see me when I teleport in. It's almost as if the Stealth IO interferes (occasionally) with the effects of SI. So for whatever reason, since adding the Stealth IO, I seem to take more alpha strikes than I used to.
As for the guide, you're totally welcome, glad you enjoyed it!
My Guide to Illusion/Kinetics Control.
CoH_Player_101: It's okay. Your choice in avatars makes up for a world of indiscretion.
Awesome guide and very interesting playstyle. I was wondering though, is this the type of il/kin that is still very good at soling Avs and what not. I am fairly new to CoH.
While I must admit that back in the day I actually did solo Shadowhunter, that was during Issue 4, not Issue 9! I don't really recommend trying to solo AV's with an Ill/Kin, but if you change your difficulty so they spawn as EB's, you'll do quite well against them.
Thanks for the comments, and be careful vs. those AV's!
[Edit: Oh, and welcome to the forums! I feel honored your first post was in my guide!!! ]
My Guide to Illusion/Kinetics Control.
CoH_Player_101: It's okay. Your choice in avatars makes up for a world of indiscretion.
I am honored of such a quick response, thank you. Sounds good and thanks for the advice. I'm pretty new here so, what is ill/kin good at doing, especially for the type of build you have provided here. I have already rolled an ill/kin set on the path of your build.
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It's really about controlling crowds at melee range, using Containment to help ramp up the damage. At a pretty low level you'll want to pick up a Pool Power attack. I recommend Air Superiority, because it's quick and does good knockup for soft control.
My Guide to Illusion/Kinetics Control.
CoH_Player_101: It's okay. Your choice in avatars makes up for a world of indiscretion.
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Increase Density: Power Level 16
Activation: 2.0
Endurance: 12.0
Duration: 60.0
Recharge: 3.0
Range: 70'
In-game Description: Increases an ally's mass, freeing him from any Disorient , Immobilization, or Hold effects and leaving him resistant to such effects for a while. Increase Density also protects the target from Knockback, Repel and enemy Teleportation, as well as Smashing and Energy damage. Because the target grows more dense, his movement speed is Slowed. Although the Damage Resistance and slowing effect will not stack with multiple applications, the rest of the effects of Increase Density will. You cannot use this power on yourself.
Evaluation: Increase Density is an invaluable tool for helping your teammates remain unmezzed in combat. Its Slow component is relatively minimal, making it a non-nuisance. Increase Density does not protect versus Disorient , Sleep, or Stun . Though it isn't absolutely necessary, Increase Density is a very useful power and you should seriously consider adding it to your repertoire.
Recommended Slotting: I recommend leaving only one slot in Increase Density and using it to place a Damage Resistance Enhancement.
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Just to clarify - ID actually does protect from disorient and stun, in addition to immobilization, knock back, and holds. The only status effect I'm aware of that it doesn't eliminate is sleep, and that funky Ghost Widow "floating in the air spinning" thing.
I like to use it during combat when a teammate pops a wakie... followed by Transfusion, Transference, and Speed boost. ID frees 'em from the wakie stun, and then they're back in the fight.
Nifty guide though!
Personal preference, I like putting at least two recharges in Spectral Terror, since it doesn't move, so I can resummon it every 30 seconds at new fights.
I haven't leveled my Ill/Kin enough to test this out (having too much fun with my Ill/Rad), but it seems to me that Deceiving a villain before applying Siphon Speed should make the latter much more feasible as a travel-power replacement: you don't have to worry about return fire as you run off, and you'll be long gone by the time the confusion expires.
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Increase Density: Power Level 16
Activation: 2.0
Endurance: 12.0
Duration: 60.0
Recharge: 3.0
Range: 70'
In-game Description: Increases an ally's mass, freeing him from any Disorient , Immobilization, or Hold effects and leaving him resistant to such effects for a while. Increase Density also protects the target from Knockback, Repel and enemy Teleportation, as well as Smashing and Energy damage. Because the target grows more dense, his movement speed is Slowed. Although the Damage Resistance and slowing effect will not stack with multiple applications, the rest of the effects of Increase Density will. You cannot use this power on yourself.
Evaluation: Increase Density is an invaluable tool for helping your teammates remain unmezzed in combat. Its Slow component is relatively minimal, making it a non-nuisance. Increase Density does not protect versus Disorient , Sleep, or Stun . Though it isn't absolutely necessary, Increase Density is a very useful power and you should seriously consider adding it to your repertoire.
Recommended Slotting: I recommend leaving only one slot in Increase Density and using it to place a Damage Resistance Enhancement.
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Just to clarify - ID actually does protect from disorient and stun, in addition to immobilization, knock back, and holds. The only status effect I'm aware of that it doesn't eliminate is sleep, and that funky Ghost Widow "floating in the air spinning" thing.
I like to use it during combat when a teammate pops a wakie... followed by Transfusion, Transference, and Speed boost. ID frees 'em from the wakie stun, and then they're back in the fight.
Nifty guide though!
Personal preference, I like putting at least two recharges in Spectral Terror, since it doesn't move, so I can resummon it every 30 seconds at new fights.
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You know, this is good information. I was pretty sure it didn't work against Disorient/Stun, but I guess it's not that surprising that it does. Thanks for the correction!
My Guide to Illusion/Kinetics Control.
CoH_Player_101: It's okay. Your choice in avatars makes up for a world of indiscretion.
[ QUOTE ]
I haven't leveled my Ill/Kin enough to test this out (having too much fun with my Ill/Rad), but it seems to me that Deceiving a villain before applying Siphon Speed should make the latter much more feasible as a travel-power replacement: you don't have to worry about return fire as you run off, and you'll be long gone by the time the confusion expires.
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Nice strategy. Very nice. Free travel powers for the win!
My Guide to Illusion/Kinetics Control.
CoH_Player_101: It's okay. Your choice in avatars makes up for a world of indiscretion.
[ QUOTE ]
I haven't leveled my Ill/Kin enough to test this out (having too much fun with my Ill/Rad), but it seems to me that Deceiving a villain before applying Siphon Speed should make the latter much more feasible as a travel-power replacement: you don't have to worry about return fire as you run off, and you'll be long gone by the time the confusion expires.
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I deliberately delayed taking Flight for my Ill/Kin Controller after I realized that with occasional usage of my safeguard-mission Raptor and Zero-G packs, using Deceive to distract a target before hitting them with Siphon Speed gave me all the travel power I really needed at that point (and at level 8, too); it lets me get pretty much the length of Steel Canyon before I have to look for another 'volunteer'. Although I've found that not paying attention to Siphon Speed coming back up for too long results in a *cough* *sputter* *wheeze* *gasp* feeling, as if the caffeine finally wore off, when it runs out. 
On the other hand, running out of speed with no mobs conveniently placed to donate is annoying.
"But in our enthusiasm, we could not resist a radical overhaul of the system, in which all of its major weaknesses have been exposed, analyzed, and replaced with new weaknesses."
-- Bruce Leverett, Register Allocation in Optimizing Compilers
It's probably worth noting that the same strategy should work for Siphon Power, too. It's kind of like getting a free red insp every time Confuse and Siphon Power are up congruently. And it's not just extra damage for you, but for everybody around you too. This tactic could save lots of time over the long grind from 1 to 50!
My Guide to Illusion/Kinetics Control.
CoH_Player_101: It's okay. Your choice in avatars makes up for a world of indiscretion.
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Appendix 3: Life Up in the Cut
First of all, consider Kinetics' only healing power: Transfusion. In order to use it, you have to practically stand toe-to-toe with an opponent. That's a spot that would make other types of Controllers run for cover, but it's where you gain back your Hit Points! The risky behavior of getting up in the cut is built into Kinetics from level one.
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I feel that I should point out a two-word omission here. Your comment on Transfusion should read "In order to use it on yourself..." I have found that Transfusion gives a /Kin Controller a level of utility on teams that surpasses the Emp, Rad, or Dark AoE heals -- you can stand back with the Blasters, using Siphon Power to bump them toward the damage cap, and still throw heals into the clot of villains around the Tanker(s)/Scrapper(s) that don't know they're defeated yet. Unlike the other three AoE heals, you don't have to run up into melee to heal the DPS crew; you can take a more static position and still deal healing to the group in melee.
"But in our enthusiasm, we could not resist a radical overhaul of the system, in which all of its major weaknesses have been exposed, analyzed, and replaced with new weaknesses."
-- Bruce Leverett, Register Allocation in Optimizing Compilers
In the context of illustrating the synergy between Illusion and Kinetics, I think it's fairly appropriately phrased. In order to get the full benefit of Fulcrum Shift, Transference, Transfusion, and Flash, the Ill/Kin controller must be up in the cut. Superior Invisibility and Group Invisibility both facilitate this. Obviously by "full benefit" I mean the benefit that is inclusive of the Ill/Kin Controller.
Of course you're right though, in order to use it on yourself you need to be up in the cut. Using it on others is just a matter of careful targeting (and a bit of luck). Individual playstyles may vary, but I stand by the statement as it stands in the context of this guide. Its scope was never to cover every conceivable playstyle, just the one that I've found to fully utilize the synergy between these two powersets.
Thanks, though, for pointing out that this is not the only playstyle that one can employ with Illusion/Kinetics. There are many ways to use the two sets!
My Guide to Illusion/Kinetics Control.
CoH_Player_101: It's okay. Your choice in avatars makes up for a world of indiscretion.
How effective are GI and SI for plus defense? The numbers look small on RedTomax. Are they worth getting for the Defense or slotting for Defense once I have them?
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As a result, Kinetics synergizes better with every other pet with the exception of Singularity .
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Fixed that for you.