You are correct in that salt crystals is pretty bad. It's got a worse duration and recharge than mass hypnosis, as well as causing aggro and being PBAoE. I don't think you'd be able to sleep the phalanx with it. And I'm not really a fan of snipes, either.
If you're looking at the first tier patron powers, the only one that really jumps out at me is water spout. All the rest are armors, a couple of whatever attacks, and two end recovery powers that you already don't really need. Water spout is pretty decent for taking on harder targets, though. It's autohit and actually does a lot of damage if it stays on one target over its entire duration - such as if you're fighting an eb. As well, it can take the achillies' heel proc, although you may already have one of those in earthquake. Given that they can only go off once every 10 seconds, though, couldn't hurt to have two possible sources. However, this might be somewhat of an ill fit with your concept - a misty looking tornado doesn't really seem to fit with fire powers (although it does look pretty cool - way better than storm's tornado).
If you don't want waterspout, I'd probably just grab consume. While you may not need it that often at the moment, it could come in handy sometimes. Also, with the upcoming dominator changes that are currently on test, you might need the endurance recovery after all - /fire is one of the sets that had some of its attacks buffed in damage, which means that they also cost more endurance. Some /fire dominators are reporting that the more powerful attacks are leading to them using up endurance faster than before. All that is to say, consume might be useful once issue 15 hits to fully leverage the more damaging attacks.
@MuonNeutrino
Student, Gamer, Altaholic, and future Astronomer.
This is what it means to be a tank!
My first Dom. And Earth/Fire. It's been challanging so far... but now that i'm in my 40s, and have slots for all my cool powers, it's really starting to come alive i have to say.
But, I'm finding myself in a small delimia. I've worked my build out, and i like it alot. I use set IO's and HO's. I've prebought most everything i need. But, i have ONE power choice, and 5 slots i'm not sure what to do with.
It'll basically be my last power i can fully 6 slot. I was planning on taking Consume... but in all honesty, I can't think of one time in the last few weeks i've been playing, post stam, i've ran out of endurance... So, it'd prolly be a waste...
If not Consume, then, i have 2 choices from my primary and secondarys... Blasing Blot... and Salt Crystals. I'm not a big fan of snipes, and i hardly need more single target damage. Good recharge on my blasts and all that... and the sleep is well... a sleep... in a team setting it's kind of pointless as the AoE's will wake the mobs, and i have control in spades when i'm solo... Only time i've ever really seen a sleep be useful is in the LRSF... but i don't THINK SaltCrystals will do what Mass Hypnosis can.. can it? If it could, well, that'd make my dississon for me... but if not... eh, i have no idea what to take. heh.
I've not really looked at the patron powers that closely. never like them as they are concept braking on most of my builds. (I build to concept, not uberness 9 times out of 10) But it'd have to be one of the opening 2 powers, cause i only have one power chocie open... anything there i'm overlooking?
any advice is greatly appreactied!
@KingSnake - Triumph Server
@PrinceSnake
My common sense is tingling... ~ Deadpool
If you can't learn to do something well... learn to enjoy doing it poorly...