STOP! Ice/Psi Dominator Guide [Version 1.0]
By
Borehound,
Posted on: 2007-06-18 20:19 in Player Guides
Ice Control (S2)
Ice control slows enemy movement and attack speed. This helps greatly when the enemy resists the hold. The "must have" powers are Block of Ice and Ice Slick. Grab those powers ASAP, for they will change (and greatly improve) your dominator days.
[u]Chilblain, Level 1[u] (S21)
Single Target Immobilize
Chilblain will prevent your target from walking, but they can still attack. It will also slow the target down, and prevent it from flying. This is strong enough to stop bosses, and good enough to hold an Archvillain while you run away because there was a teamwipe and you need to escape NOW (that's never happened for me OMG LUMINARY brb.) Chilblain has an accuracy bonus, btw.
In the early game, this will save you from meaty melee attacks. If they can't move, they can't get into melee range. Later on, enemies will have stronger ranged attacks. But it will prevent them from finishing you off with a melee strike.
As an attack, this deals OVER TIME similar damage to Mental Blast, which you get at level 10. It takes about 9 seconds to kick in, and thus isn't useful against low ranking enemies. Save it as a heavy hitter during boss fights.
Slotting:
1 End
1 Acc 1 End 3 Damage (Boss killer)
[u]Block of Ice, Level 1[u] (S22)
MUST GET
Single Target Hold
This is your power pick at level 1. It is your main form of offense and defense during your Dominator's career. Block of Ice has an accuracy bonus. If you target resists the hold, it is slowed down.
Domination 101: Holds are the ultimate debuff. Well, dead is the ultimate debuff but this is (usually) much easier to do. Anything that is held can't fight back, and their shields are off. Easy pickings.
Domination 102: You will need 2 active holds to affect most bosses. That is, you need to place the second hold before the first hold's duration ends. Under domination, your holds are double strength so you will only need one hold. Elite bosses will take 3 holds (or 2 under domination.) Try to survive until you slap enough holds.
Domination 103: Purple Triangles of Doom. Most Elite Bosses and Arch Villains have the PToD. Basically you cannot hold them for 50 out of every 75 seconds (You can immobilize them whenever you want, though.) The plan is to spam as many slow powers as possible. The good news is during those 25 seconds they are at boss level protection.
Note: 2 Dominators can briefly overwhelm the PToD and hold a boss even when they point up. They need to coordinate and stagger their Domination affects. It gets easier if you have more Dominators in the party.
Slotting: Accuracy, Hold Duration, and Recharge Reduction are the only 3 types that should be in here. You need to stack holds quickly, and that means Recharge + Hold. 6 slot this power as soon as you can.
2 Acc, 2 Hold, 2 Recharge
[u]Frostbite, Level 2[u] (S23)
Area of Effect Immobilize
Frostbite is a power that comes in way too soon. By the time it becomes useful, more alternatives appear. So don't grab it at level 2 unless you're-wait no, always grab Mind Probe at level 2.
Frostbite causes everything around your target to become immobilized. They are also slowed a bit. It deals no (or almost no) damage. On teams, just casting Frostbite will cause your enemies to ignore the Brute/Mastermind and shoot you. Ow. And it has an accuracy penalty, too.
To make things even worse, Frostbite nullifies knockdown on your target for the next 10 seconds. Which is really bad if you are relying on knockdown to mitigate damage. Case in point: Ice Slick, which you'll grab at level 12. Frostbite ruins Ice Slick, and Ice Slick is just plain better.
If you plan to take it, wait until AFTER you get Shiver or Arctic Air. The combined slow + immobilize creates a semi-hold that might be good enough, but watch out for that setup time. If you do like the combo, you can skip Glacier.
Slotting:
2 Acc
2 Acc, 1 End, 3 Immobilize
[u]Arctic Air, Level 6[u] (S24)
Player-Based Area of Effect Craziness (Melee Shield)
This is your melee shield. It prevents enemies from doing damage to you, just like any brute's armor toggle would. But instead of giving you a numerical bonus (ie I take half damage from smashing attacks, whee!) you apply slows and status effects.
Arctic Air surrounds you (the dominator) in an aura of cold. Any enemies inside the field will be slowed, panicked, and sometimes confused. By Panicked I mean they will run away from you (and not shoot you.) Confusion is fun, because they will sometimes turn to shoot their friends (and not shoot you.) And slows, well, are always good.
In practice, enemies will run away, then get confused and go after their friend, and sometimes just sit there. You won't see any indication of confusion (no purple bubbles like Mind Control,) so sometimes you'll have to trust it's working. The confusion is only strong enough to affect minions and lieutenants, but it's good enough.
As a side bonus, this will reduce the stealth of anyone close to you. Which will help you when a Night Widow debuffs you and you need to point at her for the rest of the team. (She's over HERE! No, I can't hold her, she's too hard to see from that smoke grenade! Don't ask how I can see but can see her, just hit her!)
Against Bosses and higher, this will slow them down greatly. Sometimes bosses will try to run away VERY SLOWLY (usually when their recharge times are reduced so badly they have no remaining attacks.) Keep them in the Arctic Air patch to keep them running. Free hits!
Slotting: You need Endurance Reduction, at least 2 slots if not 3. Confusion helps protect YOU more than slows, but slows keep them inside the Arctic Air longer. And slows will help you during boss fights.
2 Endurance Reduction, 2 Slow, 2 Confuse
2 Endurance Reduction, 1 Slow, 3 Confuse (Best personal shield)
3 Endurance Reduction, 3 Slow (Boss killer)
[u]Shiver, Level 8[u] (S25)
Cone Slow
If Arctic Air is your melee shield, Shiver is your ranged shield.
First of all, Shiver's cone is HUGE. 135 degrees, 60 feet. You will use this to tag anyone who likes ranged attacks *cough*Fire Thorn Casters*cough* as you continue to pelt them (or close in for the kill.)
The nice part is that you can keep shiver permanently on. Basically you can cast it again before the effects wear off. Sweet.
Slotting: Minimal slotting is required for Shiver as well. It's that good.
1 Acc
1 Acc, 1 Slow, 1 Recharge (Perma Shiver Paranoia)
[u]Ice Slick, Level 12[u] (S26)
MUST GET
Stationary Pet: Area of Effect Knockback
This is it, kids. This is when Ice Control really clicks. This is why you chose Ice Control in the first place. Grab it at level 12.
A patch of ice pops up where you aim it and the badguys are knocked down. Continuously. Technically, only 5 can be knocked down at once, but the slick retries constantly. You can target Ice Slick around corners, denying enemies a chance to counterattack before they slip up. There is no level scaling on this power: -5s and +5s will still slip and slide on the slick.
This is usually my opening attack. You can also use this as an "uh-oh!" Button if you get ambushed.
The few enemies who do resist knockdown will slow to a crawl, giving you plenty of time to hold them before they get off the patch.
Remember, Chilblain and Frostbite will negate Ice Slick's knockdown. This is why you must be VERY careful with Frostbite, as Ice Slick's mitigation >>> Frostbite.
Slotting: Recharge! You want this up with every spawn. Range is optional if you want to have "Slick Snipes."
3 Recharge, 0-3 Range
[u]Flash Freeze, Level 18[u] (S27)
Area of Effect Sleep
Flash Freeze is an Area of Effect sleep. I refer to this power as "The Third Fallback." It's only useful if you absolutely, positively, must be able to handle 3 groups at once.
Sleeps are like holds, except they end when the enemy gets hit (or knocked down, or healed.) So Ice Slick will ruin it. So will Frostbite. So will your AoE attacks. In terms of control, you have MUCH better tools at your disposal than this.
Flash Freeze's best use is as a third control option. Ice Slick the first group, Flash Freeze the second group, Glacier and fight the third group. But... how many times does this scenario arise, really? Ask yourself that as you ponder this question.
Potentially, you could use it to solo as you sleep a spawn then slowly pick them off one by one. Then again, you could also Ice Slick the spawn and kill them with AoEs much faster.
Slotting:
1 Acc, 3 Sleep
[u]Glacier, Level 26[u] (S28)
Point-Blank Area of Effect Hold
Glacier is your multi-target hold. It is centered around YOU, which means YOU must be in melee range for it to be useful. When overwhelmed, you should charge into the biggest group and pop Glacier. Kill them off now or deal with the other enemies later. Glacier is your "STOP!" button.
Old Man Chadius sez:
[ QUOTE ]
I remember back in the day, my old (Issue 4) Ice controller could alpha every spawn with Glacier, and my Spine/Regen Scrapper (back when Casual players didn't know any better) would tear them apart. But that was a LONG time ago, and Glacier has since been "balanced." *swings cane*
[/ QUOTE ]
You could simulate Glacier with Frostbite + Shiver (or Arctic Air) and render Glacier redundant. Just be wary of the setup time.
Final note: You need to be on the ground to use this power. So if you have a flying concept, you need to land or you can pass on Glacier. Then again, it isn't all THAT often you need to land.
Slotting: Slot depending on how much you use it. For me, it sits single-slotted with a recharge. But you might be different.
2 Acc, 2 Recharge, 2 Hold
2 Acc, 3 Recharge (Emergency!)
[u]Jack Frost, Level 32[u] (S29)
Pet
Jack Frost is your pet. At worst, he's a decoy for your enemies to beat up (instead of you.) At best, he's an Ice/Ice blapper.
Jack will stay at range most of the time, firing Ice Bolts. Hey, extra damage helps. But sometimes, sometimes Jack will finally get pissed and charge into melee. Jack slows enemies around him, he has a melee hold, and he's packing Ice Sword AND Greater Ice Sword. He'll pretty much stay in melee until the spawn is dead. He might charge into another crowd after that (get Ice Slick ready) or he'll hang back and switch back to Snowball fight mode.
How to get him into melee? Well, you can summon him right into the middle of the crew, that always works. You can also use Recall Friend to drag him there, that's cool. You can also let something hit him. Jack tends to go after anyone who isn't neutralized first. If something hits you hard, Jack will also get the hint and run in.
But why worry about all of this? Just assume he's at range and leave it at that.
Slotting:
1 Acc, 3 Damage
1 Acc, 3 Damage, 2 Recharge (Need reinforcements during boss battles?)
1 Acc, 3 Damage, 2 Hold (Stack those holds!)
1 Acc, 3 Damage, 2 Slow (Jacktank)
Psionic Assault (S3)
Psionic attacks are long range, rarely resisted, and reduce enemy attack speed. This set has 3 "must have" powers: Mind Probe, Drain Psyche and Psychic Shockwave.
The bad news? This set builds very slowly. Things don't get great until 20. Psionic Dart isn't a great power, but that's your level 1 pick. Telekinetic Thrust at level 4 is respec bait, which leaves Mind Probe as your only "real" attack.
[u]Psionic Dart, Level 1[u] (S31)
Puller, Domination filler
Just like the Rikti monkeys, you can fire pink darts from your head. It has a very fast recharge and long range (100 feet.) This is a good utility power, but is terrible in terms of damage.
And I'm not talking about the individual damage, either. I mean it costs a lot of endurance (the same as Mental Blast, which hits harder) and takes too much of your time.
Now, it's the perfect power to use to build domination, since it deals low damage and recharges quickly. Just hold you enemy, control-click Psi Dart, and watch that meter build up. Sure, you'll burn endurance but that's what Domination is for.
Slotting: Don't.
1 Acc
1 Range (Pull!)
[u]Mind Probe, Level 2[u] (S32)
MUST GET
Melee Attack
Even if you like ranged combat, your attack chain is going to suck until you reach level 10 unless you take this. Run up close and suck your enemy's brain dry. This is your hardest hitting attack for quite some time, so get used to it. It also slows enemy attack speed. Use it safely on held enemies or to neutralize free enemies.
Slotting:
1 Acc, 3 Damage
[u]Telekinetic Thrust, Level 4[u] (S33)
Melee Knockback
Another reason Psi Assault gets a bad rap: TK Thrust isn't the best power out there. TK Thrust knocks an enemy back, dealing a (low) mix of Psychic and Smashing damage. The animation is also too long for its own good, as the Knockback occurs halfway through it.
TK Thrust is best used as a repositioning tool. Badguy escaped your Ice Slick? BAM! Someone escaped the brute's sandbox 'o pain? BAM! The problem is, you're usually better off using a hold to stop the one escapee.
Slotting: Don't.
1 Acc
1 Acc, 1 Recharge (Perma knockback)
[u]Mental Blast, Level 10[u] (S34)
Single Target Blast
Here's your single target ranged attack. You old timers may remember how bad the animation was. The animation was shortened in Issue 7 so it's actually usable now. This attack also reduces enemy attack speed.
When you grab this power, you can relegate Psionic Dart to "filler" status. Psionic Dart's only advantage is recharge and animation speed. Otherwise, Mental Blast costs the SAME endurance, has the SAME range, but deals more damage.
Slotting:
1 Acc, 3 Damage
1 Acc, 3 Damage, 1 Range (Puller)
[u]Psychic Scream, Level 16[u] (S35)
Cone-based Blast
Psychic Scream deals Mental Blast-level damage to everything in its cone of effect. It also slows their attack speed (even more than Mind Probe,) keeping you safe. The animation is a bit long, but it's nowhere as bad as it used to be. And it hits multiple targets, unlike your other attacks. The cone itself is decently sized, too.
This will be your (expensive) 3rd blast until level 28. Hang tight fellow Dominator!
Slotting:
1 Acc, 3 Damage, 2 Endurance Reduction
[u]Drain Psyche, Level 20[u] (S36)
MUST GET
Point-Blank Area of Effect Regen Leech
Drain Psyche nukes downtime. Now you have the strength to keep going, and guess what? It feels good to never rest again. This power will also stomp Bosses and Arch Villains by halting their healing factor.
Drain Psyche tries to hit everything nearby you. If it hits, the enemy's regeneration and recovery is reduced AND you get a regen and recovery boost. The boost is additive, so you can get up to 10 times a regen boost from up to 10 enemies.
If you can keep the enemies occupied (ie your primary, like Flash Freeze, Ice Slick or Glacier) you can leech without any problems.
Reducing Arch Villain regeneration is very important because they recover a LOT of hit points every time they regenerate. While other secondaries boost their damage to overcome it, you prevent them from gaining those new Hit Points in the first place.
Slotting: A mix of Accuracy, Recharge, and either Health or Endurance Modification. Health will boost your regen rate and nerf their regen rates even harder.
1 Acc, 3 Recharge
1 Acc, 3 Recharge, 2 Endurance Modification (All the endurance you can eat!)
2 Acc, 2 Recharge, 2 Health (Boss killer)
[u]Subdue, Level 28[u] (S37)
Single-Target blast, Immobilize
Subdue finally gives your /psi user "respectable" damage. It also vindicates you if you skipped Chilblain (well, almost.)
Subdue hits harder than Mental Blast (almost twice as hard) and will immobilize lieutenants and minions. So don't use it to pull. Do use it to keep someone at range. Do use it as your second blast (Psionic Dart is officially dead as an attack now.) Do use it to lower enemy attack speed (since that's a secondary effect.)
Congratulations, your attack chain is finally ready. Now, just hold on for ten more levels...
Slotting: You can't slot Immobilize Duration enhancements into it, so there.
1 Acc, 3 Damage
[u]Psionic Lance, Level 35[u] (S38)
Snipe
It's been 35 levels. Do you need a snipe? If you do, this is the longest-range snipe in the game. It hits about as hard as Mental Blast + Subdue, although it doesn't reduce attack speed as much. It has an accuracy bonus, though. This has a long animation time, during which you can be interrupted.
The nice part about being a dominator is that you can fire this off mid-battle. Everything is held or flopping on an Ice Slick, so you won't be interrupted during the animation. If you need to complete a ranged attack chain, this will do it.
As a side note, you can build domination off of snipes. It gives you domination at the first line-of-sight check, not the second. So you wait for the first check then cancel the attack (by moving, usually) before the second check is made. Because you didn't fire, the attack is still ready to fire. So you can try to fire it again. This will drain endurance quickly though.
But, do you really need a snipe? It's truly optional. For melee types, it's much too slow. Even ranged types might want to skip this. You already have a ranged chain you've been using for thirty five levels. And if you need to pull, Psionic Dart could easily perform the job. The other /psi blasts are only a little shorter range than most snipes (100 ft vs 120 ft) so...do you REALLY need the full 175 feet of range Psi Lance provides?
Slotting: If you slot Interrupt reductions, you can move during the "aiming" portion of the animation.
3 Damage (Dominator's Advantage)
2 Interrupt, 3 Damage, 1 Acc (Normal Snipe)
3 Range, 3 Damage (ICBM Snipe)
3 Recharge, 1 Acc, 2 Endurance Reduction (Domination Builder)
[u]Psychic Shockwave, Level 38[u] (S39)
MUST GET
Holy Grail - I mean, Point-Blank Area of Effect Attack
YOU MADE IT!
38 levels of "low damage" output has paid off. Psychic Shockwave is...wow. Be sure to make a gratuitous "I got PSW!" post. It's worth it.
Imagine Mind Probe. Now imagine hitting everyone within 25 feet of you with it, at the same time. Now imagine reducing their attack speed as strongly as Psychic Scream. Now add a 25% chance of stunning minions (you can stun bosses while in domination!) And to top things off, make it cost just a little more endurance than Mind Probe (10.19 versus 8.53) and recharge a little slower (10 seconds versus 8) and you have (dare I say it?) The best attack in the game. OK, maybe the best attack in dominator secondaries.
This attack is slightly inefficient against single targets, but the burst damage is too good to pass up, fire it anyway! Against groups this attack is insanely good. The disorient is icing on the cake.
Well, no, the icing is the ability to maintain domination without any nearby targets. You don't need a target to fire Psychic Shockwave, so you can Ctrl + click and autofire it and get free domination without any risk.
You MUST take this at 38.
Slotting:
1 Acc, 3 Damage
1 Acc, 3 Damage, 2 Recharge (Need domination NOW!)
Power Pools (S4)
Thanks to Drain Psyche, you have lots and lots of endurance available. And because you have endurance, you DON'T NEED STAMINA. And I'm sure you'll find a few powers to skip in your primary and secondary. With endurance and power picks to spare, it's time to dive into power pools!
[u]Speed - Hasten[u]
Get Hasten. It's only penalty is the endurance crash, which is countered with Domination as well as Drain Psyche. Getting your controls and attacks up ASAP will keep Domination full (and counter the Hasten crash) more often. This will also make it easier to stack holds on bosses.
[u]Teleport - Recall Friend/Team Teleport[u]
Grab it if you want to force Jack Frost into melee. Team teleport is good if you don't mind sharing the aggro with Jack.
[u]Flight - Hover [u]
[u]Leaping - Acrobatics[u]
Both provide protection against knockback. Hover will protect you from patches (quicksand, glue grenades) and acrobatics will protect you against holds. The issue is, YOUR holds and YOUR Ice Slick will prevent the enemy from firing them in the first place, so hover/acrobatics is only useful in the initial volley.
[u]Flight - Air Superiority[u]
This is actually a decent pool attack, especially in the low levels. It will knock the target down and prevent it from flying for a while. Although Chilblain does the same thing (and from range,) Air Superiority deals all of its damage immediately. And having a smashing damage attack will help you against Psi resistant enemies.
[u]Travel pools[u]
Pick your poison, although you've grabbed Hasten already so you can go Super Speed (good luck with vertical lift.)
[u]Fitness[u]
Remember that part where I said you don't need stamina? Well, if you disagree with me there is still plenty of room for it. It's easy to find three powers to drop in its place. And you'll never need to worry about endurance problems AGAIN! You can also slot Drain Psyche for more health, since your endurance problems have been handled. Frankly, I take Fitness for Swift + Hurdle, but that's because I'm a melee freak.
[u]Leadership[u]
All good toggles for you. Assault boosts your damage and Tactics boosts your accuracy. You can easily drop an accuracy slot from your attacks this way. Oh right, and help your teammates, or something clicks vengeance and giggles 
[u]Fighting[u]
Boxing and Kick are both decent choices. Boxing may combine with Psychic Shockwave to stun lieutenants and bosses. Kick may combine with Ice Slick and knock enemies back. Tough and Weave will help you survive EB fights long enough for Drain Psyche to kick in.
[u]Medicine[u]
Aid self will save you in a pinch, and you will have plenty of time to deal with the animation once you slow everyone. Now you just need to waste a power on a "team friendly" power (I suggest Medicine.)
[u]Concealment[u]
I don't know. They will either see you before they fall on the Ice Slick (and thus alpha strike you, rendering stealth worthless) or they will fall on the Slick first (making Stealth useful, w00t.) At least the defense boost will help.
[u]Presence[u]
Nope. You won't need taunt, because you generate tons of aggro on your own. You won't need fear because you're a dominator. You have many more controls available.
[u]Patron Pools[u]
To be covered later. And it's going to be in depth-Mako.
Build Styles (S5)
Instead of cramming my toon's build down your throat, I will present build styles! These highlight powers you should consider in your dominator if you aim for a certain aspect of your toon.
[u]MUST HAVES[u] (S51)
Get these powers, please! If you ask for help from me, I will say "well, do you have these powers?" And you had better say yes!
[ QUOTE ]
Block of Ice
Ice Slick
Mind Probe
Drain Psyche
Psychic Shockwave
Hasten
[/ QUOTE ]
[u]Melee[u] (S52)
You want to get down and dirty. You have dreams of being a psionic based brute. Range is for sissies. Many of your powers work best in melee range, and it's not like range will help you against bosses. Ice Slick is your alpha strike. Use Arctic Air and Drain Psyche as melee shields.
[ QUOTE ]
Block of Ice
Arctic Air
Ice Slick
Glacier
Mind Probe
Drain Psyche
Subdue
Psychic Shockwave
Teleport Self or Swift or Hurdle
[/ QUOTE ]
[u]Ranged[u] (S53)
Shiver and Psychic Scream make quite the combo and nicely stack slow effects. I bet you could keep them on that Ice Slick all day long. Ha, it's like shooting fish out of a barrel! And Jack will run in front if something escapes, too!
[ QUOTE ]
Block of Ice
Chilblain
Shiver
Ice Slick
Jack Frost
Mind Blast
Psychic Scream
Subdue
Psionic Lance
Psychic Shockwave
[/ QUOTE ]
[u]Boss killer[u] (S54)
Minions are easy. Elite Bosses are the only things that register on your radar. Remember, slows are key.
[ QUOTE ]
Block of Ice
Chilblain
Arctic Air
Shiver
Ice Slick
Jack Frost (Optimized for Slow)
Mind Probe
Mental Blast
Drain Psyche
Subdue
Psychic Shockwave
Hasten
[/ QUOTE ]
[u]Over here, Jack![u] (S55)
Jack Frost, your mission is to deal damage and save me when I'm in trouble. Go for anything I haven't locked down yet!
[ QUOTE ]
Block of Ice
Chilblain
Ice Slick
Jack Frost (optimize for recharge)
Recall Friend / Group Teleport
[/ QUOTE ]
[u]Lockdown Freakout[u] (S56)
You never know when your idiot teammates are going to pull everything. No, it wasn't your fault you ran into the death room and aggroed too many spawns. Luckily, you were born ready to stop everything while the team picks itself up and pulls through. (Or buy enough time to yell "HEALZ!!!11wwwwsssaaaaa," take your pick.)
[ QUOTE ]
Block of Ice
Arctic Air
Ice Slick
Flash Freeze
Glacier
Psychic Scream
Subdue
Psychic Shockwave
[/ QUOTE ]
Gameplay (S6)
[u]Solo[u] (S61)
Lay an Ice Slick. After that, do whatever you want. I jump into melee, then Drain Psyche + Psychic Shockwave. Before 20, I would use with Psychic Scream, then jump into melee and Mind Probe. The most annoying enemy was held and taken out immediately.
Some mobs like to run away (stupid Fire Thorn Casters!) Shiver and Chilblain take care of them while I eat their minions.
I play on the second difficulty to increase mob size. This makes Drain Psyche and Arctic Air very efficient. You other area of effect powers also work well. Also, I'm a story nut.
[u]Elite Bossess[u] (S62)
When it's time to take out one of the big boys, preparation is key. Bring at least 3 purples, 3 reds and nearly-full domination with you in an Elite Boss mission. If you don't have these, try to get them during the mission itself- don't spend them until you find the boss.
OK, eat 3 reds and 3 purples, pop domination and get to work! If the EB does not have purple triangles, you'll permahold him after the third Block of Ice. Shut off Arctic Air and wail on him until he drops. The only concern is if you'll run out of endurance before you kill him, or if you get lazy and stop applying holds. The EB will cream you if he escapes, so keep throwing holds.
If the EB has purple triangles, keep Arctic Air on! Use Shiver and Psychic Scream, too. Don't forget Ice Slick and your melee attacks! Your mission is to nuke his recharge time as much as possible to prevent him from attacking altogether. If the EB can't attack, he can't hurt you, right?
In fact, when the EB runs out of attacks, it tries to run away. With all the -speed effects you have, the EB will still be stuck in Arctic Air and Ice Slick. So the EB will very slowly crawl away while you get tons of free hits. And every 50 seconds the boss's resistance will drop (you will notice this when the boss is suddenly frozen) giving you time to refresh yourself.
Finally, Drain Psyche shows its true strength. Slowing the regeneration rate of an EB will hurt him good. You can't kill him quickly, so prevent him from healing.
Once you survive the alpha strike (aka eat purple pills!) EBs are pushovers.
[u]Teams - By Archetype[u] (S63)
Brute - Their mission is to take the Alpha Strike for you, so you don't have to. Your shields need time to work their magic, while Brute shields are always on. Once they go in, drop an Ice Slick. If you like melee, run in and Drain Psyche and join the fun.
Mastermind - Masterminds are also Alpha Strike soakers. After they run in (or fire from afar) plop an Ice Slick and use Shiver + Psychic Scream to slow incoming damage down. Also, fire off your hold on anything annoying (AoE attacks, mezzers) that could trip up your mastermind's henchmen.
Stalker - Stalkers are great at shutting down very annoying targets quickly. Tell the Stalker which targets you want eliminated first. Everything else should be held (Stalkers get a 20% critical hit rate against held or sleeping targets) or on an Ice Slick. Quick battles benefit both of you, so hurry.
Corruptor - By layering shields, Corruptors can make you feel like a tank. Yeah, I said it. Take the brunt of the aggro for them, and hold anything that tries to annoy them. In return, they'll keep you alive and quickly finish off any strong targets (thanks to Scourge.) A great teammate for EB fights.
Dominator - The nice part about a fellow Dom is that you can split a spawn into 2 spawns rather easily. If a boss pops up, chances are one of you is in Domination and will promptly hold the boss. Or you two can coordinate and clamp the annoying enemies.
Note: If you're fighting an EB/AV with the Purple Triangles of Doom, 2 Dominators can briefly overwhelm the PToD and hold a boss even when they point up. Coordinate and stagger their Domination activation to get the most benefit. It gets much easier to break the Triangles if you have more Dominators in the party.
[u]Big Teams[u] (S64)
You can't take Alpha Strikes. Let the Brutes and Masterminds tank, but follow up with Ice Slick to protect the team. Then rush in and wail.
In case of too much aggro, you're the best equipped to handle the situation. Ice Slick, Flash Freeze, Glacier, and Frostbite + Shiver/Arctic Air can disable 4 spawns. Glacier whichever spawn you will end up fighting in, since it lasts the shortest. Ask the Stalkers to help you out in the Glacier spawn, since they get free crits against held targets.
Domination charges very quickly while on teams. I often click Domination for the extra damage. Also, since there are more bosses, Domination will be needed more so you can quickly neutralize threats.
References (S71)
Frosts Guide to Ice Control, by Frost - My first toon was an Ice/Emp Controller, and I made many, many mistakes. This guide set me straight. that and Frost is pretty much the authority of Ice Control.
Veni. Vidi. Vici: The Complete Guide to Domination. by Waybreaker - A bit old, but a fantastic guide on how to get into the proper Dominator mindset. Do's and Don't's of building a Dominator.
City of Data run by Red Tomax - The place to go for numerical data. If you want to number crunch, this is the place to go.
Loved the guide. Would like to see a sample build, not that I copy builds, but it's always nice to see how you allocate your powers and such 
Up, this is a really good guide
@Prandi - Freedom
Arcs:
# 143959 - Freedom Phalanx, Arachnos Forces and the Deadly Virus.
Whoa, actual replies. Nice.
I am planning an I11 guide, I swear for realz, yo! And I'll have IO craziness and PvP suggestions and Patron Pools (hint: Scirocco or Mako.)
Mini updates:
1) Psi Dart has a reduced endurance cost now.
2) Jack Frost charges into melee now. He's more likely to die vs AVs, but otherwise he will soak aggro and kill things quick, 2 points I loooove.
Nice guide! I rather like it, and its just making me want to do an Ice/* Dom more.
Just have to get my Stalker those last five levels (and Warshade three.) My ice/psy is next in line, I think... Already fun, once you break out of the controller mindset and run in to join in the fun. (May not be a big change if you were ice/kin, given its melee centric nature... and end drains... and...)
Excellent guide. I've been trying to figure out what to pair with /psi for my dominator and this guide clinched it for me. Thanks muchly.
I've been trying to find a dom build that I truly enjoy and have yet to find it. I always run into the same problem, trying to decide which powers to get at which lvls and how to slot them while lvling up. Call me weird, but I'm a perfectionist.
Anyway, if anybody has some advice on build layout for ice/psi I'd very much appreciate it. I've seen ice/ doms really do some amazing things and would love to try it out.
[ QUOTE ]
I've been trying to find a dom build that I truly enjoy and have yet to find it. I always run into the same problem, trying to decide which powers to get at which lvls and how to slot them while lvling up. Call me weird, but I'm a perfectionist.
Anyway, if anybody has some advice on build layout for ice/psi I'd very much appreciate it. I've seen ice/ doms really do some amazing things and would love to try it out.
[/ QUOTE ]
I'm currently at 26 and loving the build. Shiver is so precious for me, I had a friend use Shiver on one of my heroes and it pratically shut me down ('oh noes my powers don't recharge anymore').
That's my build and I'm building it for perma dom, for now I am using only common IOs.
If you don't team a lot or wanna pvp in Siren's Call I suggest you take Mental Blast or Air Superiority to have a decent attack chain. Besides you have to acknowledge that your damage will be lackluster anyway till level 38 when you get Psychic Shockwave. By the way this build almost begs for a respec after PSW since I don't think I'll be using Psychic Scream anymore, but it's been a good pick for me at 18 for leveling.
If you wanna pvp at RV you'd better pick Acrobatics at 49 or whenever you can fit it in.
Cheers!
Villain Plan by Mids' Villain Designer 1,30
http://www.honourableunited.org.uk/mhd.php
Icy Bunny: Level 50 Science Dominator
Primary Power Set: Ice Control
Secondary Power Set: Psionic Assault
Power Pool: Leaping
Power Pool: Medicine
Power Pool: Speed
Ancillary Pool: Leviathan Mastery
Villain Profile:
Level 1: Block of Ice -- Decim-Acc/Dmg:40(A), Decim-Dmg/EndRdx:40(3), Decim-Dmg/Rchg:40(3), Decim-Acc/EndRdx/Rchg:40(5), Decim-Acc/Dmg/Rchg:40(5)
Level 1: Psionic Dart -- Acc-I:50(A)
Level 2: Mind Probe -- C'ngImp-Acc/Dmg:50(A), C'ngImp-Dmg/Rchg:50(7), C'ngImp-Acc/Dmg/EndRdx:50(7), C'ngImp-Acc/Dmg/Rchg:50(9), C'ngImp-Dmg/EndRdx/Rchg:50(9)
Level 4: Chilblain -- Enf'dOp-Acc/Rchg:50(A), Enf'dOp-Acc/Immob:50(13), Enf'dOp-Acc/Immob/Rchg:50(15), Enf'dOp-EndRdx/Immob:50(39), Enf'dOp-Immob/Rng:50(39)
Level 6: Arctic Air -- TmpRdns-Acc/Slow:50(A), TmpRdns-Acc/Dmg/Slow:50(17), TmpRdns-Dmg/Slow:50(34), TmpRdns-EndRdx/Rchg/Slow:50(37), TmpRdns-Acc/EndRdx:50(37)
Level 8: Shiver -- TmpRdns-Acc/Slow:50(A), TmpRdns-Dmg/Slow:50(11), TmpRdns-Acc/EndRdx:50(11), TmpRdns-Rng/Slow:50(13), TmpRdns-Acc/Dmg/Slow:50(17)
Level 10: Combat Jumping -- Krma-ResKB:30(A)
Level 12: Ice Slick -- RechRdx-I:50(A), RechRdx-I:50(15)
Level 14: Super Jump -- Jump-I:50(A)
Level 16: Aid Other -- Heal-I:50(A)
Level 18: Psychic Scream -- Posi-Acc/Dmg:50(A), Posi-Dmg/EndRdx:50(19), Posi-Dmg/Rchg:50(19), Posi-Dmg/Rng:50(21), Posi-Acc/Dmg/EndRdx:50(21)
Level 20: Drain Psyche -- Dct'dW-Heal/EndRdx:50(A), Dct'dW-EndRdx/Rchg:50(33), Dct'dW-Heal/Rchg:50(33), Dct'dW-Heal/EndRdx/Rchg:50(33), Dct'dW-Rchg:50(34), Acc-I:50(40)
Level 22: Aid Self -- Dct'dW-Heal:50(A), Dct'dW-Rchg:50(23), Dct'dW-Heal/Rchg:50(23), Dct'dW-Heal/EndRdx/Rchg:50(25), Dct'dW-Heal/EndRdx:50(25)
Level 24: Hasten -- RechRdx-I:50(A), RechRdx-I:50(27), RechRdx-I:50(27)
Level 26: Glacier -- G'Wdw-Acc/Rchg:50(A), G'Wdw-Acc/Hold/Rchg:50(31), G'Wdw-EndRdx/Hold:50(39), G'Wdw-Acc/EndRdx:50(40), G'Wdw-Hold/Rng:50(43)
Level 28: Subdue -- Decim-Acc/Dmg:40(A), Decim-Dmg/EndRdx:40(29), Decim-Dmg/Rchg:40(29), Decim-Acc/EndRdx/Rchg:40(31), Decim-Acc/Dmg/Rchg:40(31)
Level 30: Super Speed -- Run-I:50(A)
Level 32: Jack Frost -- Acc-I:50(A), Dmg-I:50(34), Dmg-I:50(40), Dmg-I:50(43)
Level 35: Psionic Lance -- Mantic-Acc/Dmg:50(A), Mantic-Dmg/EndRdx:50(36), Mantic-Acc/ActRdx/Rng:50(36), Mantic-Dmg/ActRdx/Rchg:50(36), Mantic-Dmg/EndRdx/Rchg:50(37)
Level 38: Psychic Shockwave -- Empty(A), Empty(46), Empty(46), Empty(50), Empty(50)
Level 41: Water Spout -- Stpfy-Acc/Rchg:50(A), Stpfy-EndRdx/Stun:50(42), Stpfy-Acc/EndRdx:50(42), Stpfy-Stun/Rng:50(42), Stpfy-Acc/Stun/Rchg:50(43)
Level 44: Bile Spray -- Posi-Acc/Dmg:50(A), Posi-Dmg/EndRdx:50(45), Posi-Dmg/Rchg:50(45), Posi-Dmg/Rng:50(45), Posi-Acc/Dmg/EndRdx:50(46)
Level 47: Shark Skin -- ImpSkn-ResDam/EndRdx:30(A), ImpSkn-ResDam/Rchg:30(48), ImpSkn-EndRdx/Rchg:30(48), ImpSkn-ResDam/EndRdx/Rchg:30(48), ImpSkn-Status:30(50)
Level 49: Flash Freeze -- Acc-I:50(A)
------------
Level 1: Brawl -- Empty(A)
Level 1: Sprint -- Run-I:50(A)
Level 2: Rest -- RechRdx-I:50(A)
Level 1: Domination
------------
[u]Set Bonus Totals:[u]<ul type="square">[*]+3% DamageBuff[*]+2,5% Defense(Lethal)[*]+0,95% Defense(Energy)[*]+0,95% Defense(Negative)[*]+8,55% Max Endurance[*]+25% Enhancement(Accuracy)[*]+8% Enhancement(Heal)[*]+2,5% Enhancement(Held)[*]+3% Enhancement(Immobilize)[*]+70% Enhancement(RechargeTime)[*]+3% Enhancement(Slow)[*]+3% Enhancement(Stun)[*]+103,9 (8,63%) HitPoints[*]+Knockback (Mag -4)[*]+MezResist(Confused) (Mag 7,5%)[*]+MezResist(Held) (Mag 7,5%)[*]+MezResist(Immobilize) (Mag 15,2%)[*]+MezResist(Sleep) (Mag 9,7%)[*]+MezResist(Stun) (Mag 7,5%)[*]+MezResist(Terrorized) (Mag 11,9%)[*]+10,5% Recovery[*]+12% Regeneration[*]+5,67% Resistance(Fire)[*]+5,67% Resistance(Cold)[*]+1,88% Resistance(Negative)[*]+5% RunSpeed[*]+2% Debt Protection[/list]
<font class="small">Code:[/color]<hr /><pre>| Copy & Paste this data chunk into Mids' Hero Designer to view the build |
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</pre><hr />
For a permadom build (I think I finally found one I won't cry over) I will keep Psychic Scream for its targetted AoE so I can slot Positron's Blast into it (7.5 recharge at 5 slots.)
[ QUOTE ]
For a permadom build (I think I finally found one I won't cry over) I will keep Psychic Scream for its targetted AoE so I can slot Positron's Blast into it (7.5 recharge at 5 slots.)
[/ QUOTE ]
Posi is 6.25%, Manticore, the sniper one, is 7.5%.
Actually for the 6.25% bonus you can slot Decimation for any ranged attack too, at least in my build that would make Psychic Scream replaceable with Mental Blast.
This was an awesome guide! I'm up to level 9 so far and i love it. It's so much fun to freeze and psi them down. I am (somewhat) patiently waiting to hear about the patron powers and I hope that this will be my first villain to get there.
Eradicate, Rampage, Annihilate
For Fame and Fortune ~ #109709
[u]STOP! Ice Control/Psionic Assault Dominator Guide[u]
Version 1.0 for Issue 9
By Chadius
1. Introduction
2. Ice Control
3. Psionic Assault
4. Power Pools
5. Build Styles
6. Gameplay
7. Conclusion
Quick Search: Use the search function on your web browser to quickly jump to the subsection you are looking for.
S1. Introduction
..... S11. Why Ice/Psi?
..... S12. Why not Ice/Psi?
..... S13. Caveats
S2. Ice Control
..... S21. Chilblain
..... S22. Block of Ice
..... S23. Frostbite
..... S24. Arctic Air
..... S25. Shiver
..... S26. Ice Slick
..... S27. Flash Freeze
..... S28. Glacier
..... S29. Jack Frost
S3. Psionic Assault
..... S31. Psionic Dart
..... S32. Mind Probe
..... S33. Telekinetic Thrust
..... S34. Mental Blast
..... S35. Psychic Scream
..... S36. Drain Psyche
..... S37. Subdue
..... S38. Psionic Lance
..... S39. Psychic Shockwave
S4. Power Pools
S5. Build Styles
..... S51. MUST HAVES
..... S52. Melee
..... S53. Ranged
..... S54. Boss Killer
..... S55. Over here, Jack!
..... S56. Lockdown Freakout
S6. Gameplay
..... S61. Solo
..... S62. Elite Bosses
..... S63. Teams - by Archetype
..... S64. Big Teams
S7. Conclusion
..... S71. References
Dominators: The Sum of its Parts (S1)
Congratulations, you picked a Dominator as your ArcheType (AT.) The joys of being an underdog are many fold. People will look down at you and say "low damage, short holds. You're worthless." But then you will shut down multiple spawns when the team screws up a pull, or an ambush hits when no one else was looking. And they'll see what you are all about.
Or maybe you want to solo. People blab about how weak Dominators are. They pull out spreadsheets and "prove" that another AT can out damage them, and holds don't matter against big enemies, so you're dead, blah blah blah. While they're thinking up theory, you're manhandling the Freedom Phalanx. While hanging upside down. And drunk. Let the number crunchers duke it out while you enjoy your toon.
The Dominator is what I've wanted to play every since I bought City of Heroes back in Issue 3. Control + Attack, that's where it's at. Controllers have control, but little direct damage (epics don't count.) Defenders use debuffs instead of Control, but they still lack the damage that I need to balance the lack of control. In Issue 6 my prayers were answered with City of Villains and the release of Dominators. Since then, they have been buffed and tweaked to near perfection. It's time to rock.
This guide concentrates on the Ice Control and Psionic Assault flavor. The plan is to freeze everything then suck their brains dry. You in? Good.
Why Ice/Psi? (S11)
[u]-recharge[u]
Stacking -recharge is this combo's secret weapon. Enemies will have their attacks slowed to a crawl. Anything you can't hold will be slowed so much they may as well be. This is your main secondary effect and will save your bacon against EBs. This will also appeal to teams, since you debuff so much (move over /cold corruptor!)
[u]No Endurance issues[u]
At level 20, your endurance issues will go bye-bye. No, not because of stamina, but because of Drain Psyche. This power also puts a big dent on bosses, Archvillains, and other high-rank foes and prevents them from recovering damage or attacking. Yeah that's right, -regen and -recovery. This is your secondary secondary effect that you will bring to teams.
[u]Melee/Range Styles[u]
Do you prefer melee or ranged combat? Both? There's lots of room for both styles in Ice/Psi. Not every power is a must have in the set, giving you lots of room to pick and choose. It also means your Ice/Psi won't be the same as your friend's Ice/Psi (everyone you know is an Ice/Psi, right?)
Why not Ice/Psi? (S12)
[u]Burst damage[u]
When people complain about Ice/Psi being low damage this is what they mean. You won't output BIG ORANGE NUMBERS (TM) unless you're in Domination. Big battles are done in super slow-mo, with your enemy slowed to a crawl but with you unable to take (offensive) advantage of it. So the effects cancel out. Unless you're on a team, of course.
[u]Psi's a late bloomer[u]
See Psychic Shockwave? It's the best power in the set. Some argue it's the best power in the game (if it isn't, it's dang close.) The problem? It's level 38. The only other heavy hitter in the set is the melee attack, at level 2. You'll do enough damage to survive, but not enough to make the brute and stalker envy. Not yet, anyway.
[u]Psi-resistance[u]
The good news: Almost no one resists Psychic damage. The bad news: When you do find it, it's very high resistance. Fortunata Seers, for example. Later on you'll bump into Fake Nemesis who laugh lol, Psi damage. And then you'll meet Carnies, who will make you cry. A lot.
Caveats before I continue (S13)
[u]No PvP comments[u]
PvP is a different beast altogether. When I figure it out, I'll add stuff.
[u]Little number crunching[u]
This is a number-lite guide, and focuses more on strategy.
[u]Invention Origins[u]
Issue 9 adds Invention Origins, a whole new way to tweak your character and burn the pile of infamy you've been sitting on since you hit level 22. I'm still tooling around with those. For the time being I haven't added anything about IO sets.
[u]Slotting Caveats[u]
The slotting suggestions I give are bare minimums. The first line is the "normal" minimum slotting, and you can add to taste. The lines after that are alternatives or variants of the basic slotting.
The slotting assumes these are for SO level, at around a 33.3 % bonus. Invention Origin enhancements give different bonuses. And sets are an entirely different beast. I'll cover that in a future update.