Group Immobilise Powers - Useful or a Deathwish?
By
Archy,
Posted on: 2006-03-29 10:25 in Controllers
I too have a Grav/Kin Troller and I use crushing field lots.
I wouldn't recommend it if you're on your own though.
With other people taking the aggro though, this can save a few people from getting hit by the more powerful, close range attacks of the mobs.
It's also a great setup for Containment double damage.
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I'm in the same boat. Either choose crushing field again (when I respec) or get something like Repel. I can see repel helping on missions where I have to stop people getting to a point, such as the reactor respec mission or stop 30 Fir Bolgs (spelling?) from entering the portal.
But then again, I can always use crush to stop them from getting close to the spot in the first place.
I will have to see this weekend how repel plays out before I respec.
Grav/Storm? Take it before you take Freezing Rain definitely. Otherwise get used to watching the mobs scatter like roaches when the light comes on (as my Illusionist does). Plus it doesn't bestow knockback resistance to mobs AFAIK (unlike other AOE immobs) so it works well with Hurricane too.
The AOE Containment is less useful for you due to lack of AOE damage powers. But Grav & Storm synergises so well for the two reasons outlined you should definitely have it at some point.
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Crushing Field, the group immobilise power, has become selectable. It seems to me that using a power which immobilises a group without actually stopping them shooting at you is a recipe for disaster. I would much prefer to wait and get the mass hold power (Grav Distortion Field).
Is this right or am I missing out on a useful power?
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I haven't taken it on my Grav troller (and might skip it altogether), but do use Fire Cages a lot on my Fire troller. Remember that AoE holds have a high acc penalty, so they won't be holding much before you get SOs. And as was said before, group immobs are useful for setting up containment, if you can survive the aggro.
CoX 50s: <ill/rad> <ice/ice> <fire/kin> <grav/sonic> <ice/storm> <earth/kin> <kin/elec> <cold/psy> <thugs/dark> <fire/dark> <dark/elec> <night widow> <EM/ninj> <mind/icy>
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I haven't taken it on my Grav troller (and might skip it altogether), but do use Fire Cages a lot on my Fire troller. Remember that AoE holds have a high acc penalty, so they won't be holding much before you get SOs. And as was said before, group immobs are useful for setting up containment, if you can survive the aggro.
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/agree
I have taken it early on with my lvl 16 Grav Rad troller and it misses a lot so doesn't help keep mobs from splitting up and gets me a lot of aggro and not much containment as well.
Better off with a loud hailer and yelling "over here kill ME!!"
Hey Prox 
You should definately get it!
You won't have much use for it before Freezing Rain since it basically draws aggro, but the sweet thing here is the synergy between Grav and Storm
Most AoE immobs have - knockdown/back for 10 secs after applying thus negating Freezing Rain but the Grav immob doesn't!! 
: This basically means you will debuff the mobs, knock them down and set up containment...its a must take power IMO....just not instantly.
+ you can use it with Wormhole to do a makeshift hold
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OK so from the replies it seems it's worth considering for later, just not an immediate low-level pick to pull out during all those Hollows cave missions.
Thanks all
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Hey Prox
You should definately get it!
You won't have much use for it before Freezing Rain since it basically draws aggro, but the sweet thing here is the synergy between Grav and Storm
Most AoE immobs have - knockdown/back for 10 secs after applying thus negating Freezing Rain but the Grav immob doesn't!! : This basically means you will debuff the mobs, knock them down and set up containment...its a must take power IMO....just not instantly.
+ you can use it with Wormhole to do a makeshift hold
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And you can then shuffle them around with Hurricane too. The accuracy debuff should keep you safe enough if you throw in a few SOs, especially if theres a good Tank on your team, just don't knock em back too much, learn to herd them with the edges of the 'cane which does pushback.
I got crushing field as soon as it was available, I find that when in a team against a large mob you get much better results if you use CF first then use GDF, for some reason you seem to have a better chance to hit with the GDF ... or maybe i'm imagining that last bit, either way it's more effective for me.
On a slightly off topic note I move that we get GDF renamed to "Miss and die Field".
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Grav/Storm? Take it before you take Freezing Rain definitely. Otherwise get used to watching the mobs scatter like roaches when the light comes on (as my Illusionist does).
[/ QUOTE ]That's what hurricane and snow storm are for 
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Grav/Storm? Take it before you take Freezing Rain definitely. Otherwise get used to watching the mobs scatter like roaches when the light comes on (as my Illusionist does).
[/ QUOTE ]That's what hurricane and snow storm are for
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Indeed. But it gets a little messy sometimes.
Messy is Storms second name though in fairness
Slightly off topic, but I'll get to the point, just bare with me.
Nothing more annoying to a tank than having some troller or blaster throw "Rain of Whatever" on top of him when he finally have all the mobs gathered around himself.
IMO there's two uses for Rain of blahblahblah:
1) if you find yourself surrounded by mobs intent on making your life miserable, cast Rain on top of yourself, and watch the mobs take the hint. (This does work for scaring mobs off any squishy.)
2) When the tank has gathered the mobs around himself, root the mobs with CF (see? I did get to the point) THEN use the Rain of somethingorother.
I find CF (or equivalent) pretty handy, as you can cast it then step out of the mobs range. Also SUPER for */Rad trollers and their AOE toggles to make mobs stay in range of the anchor.
Controlling isn't so much about constantly casting powers on everything in range, but rather (yes, you guessed it) controlling troublesome mobs, and having a general overview of the battle. So you don't have to be in range of the mobs at all times.
One tip for AoE root powers (not specifically to the OP, but to any troller): You don't have to use it RIGHT AWAY. If the team decides to pull the group of mobs, DON'T root untill the mobs are where you want them to be. Too many times (even at lvl 40+) I have trollers in my team who insists on using all their powers the second a group of mobs are agroed (and very often, before they are agroed). It's not a competition of who makes the most damage, and if it had been, controlling wouldn't be the way to go. Everyone wants to be the most important player in the team, but that doesn't mean being the first person to attack. There are more often than not an ideal sequence of events in a battle, and rooting a loosely gathered group of mobs isn't on top of that list.
I took Steamy Mist at 10 (and I love it, stealth for all without using up a power pool!) and at 12 did actually pick up Crushing Field because I'd heard such bad things about Dimension Shift.
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I took Steamy Mist at 10 (and I love it, stealth for all without using up a power pool!) and at 12 did actually pick up Crushing Field because I'd heard such bad things about Dimension Shift.
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You get Freezing Rain at 16 isn't it? You'll love the Crushing Frield / Freezing Rain combo. It strips defense too so if you do Crushing Field -> Freezing Rain -> GDF you'll hit more of them with the GDF.
Steamy Mist is a wonderfully understated power. Slap it on and never think about it again but you've got stealth + some nice Damage resists against fire, nrg and cold. Slot it with +dmg resists, not +defense as the defense is tiny,
Yeah my build is nicely gaining momentum. It'll be Fly at 14, Freezing Rain at 16, GDF at 18. Certainly something to aim for in the next few levels.
i'd take Crushing Field before you get GDF for a couple of reasons.
Fair enough it might be an Immob and not a hold but it does help if your team needs to beat a hasty retreat. all they have to do is break the line of sight, this could be the diffrence between a team faceplant and people surviving. And it helps to keep the mobs at arms length when your in a 'Squishy' team.
Also, Crushing Field and GDF stack on top of eachother which aids your chances of locking down a big group with a few Lts and Bosses in it (GDF followed by Crushing field followed by Gravity Distortion/Crush on the ones you didnt get with your AoEs).
just my opinion
Hi all, I made a Grav/Storm Controller (an intrepid reporter called Top Story, wave if you see her and you could be on "Good Morning Paragon"
) and at level 9 am loving her so far.
Crushing Field, the group immobilise power, has become selectable. It seems to me that using a power which immobilises a group without actually stopping them shooting at you is a recipe for disaster. I would much prefer to wait and get the mass hold power (Grav Distortion Field).
Is this right or am I missing out on a useful power?