Controllers aren't about firepower. They're about... control, surprisingly enough. ;P
You're contributing to any team that takes you by keeping them strong and the enemies weak. You just won't solo as easily as some builds.
Earth is the best control set imo...but you basically wont be able to do any form of damage in your entire career.
Poo man has fairly good melee damage but he's pretty reluctant to go into melee and he's slow....as in very slow!
You will have plenty to do with stalagmites + stone cages, earthquake + quicksand, volcanic gasses + quicksand, stalagmites + stone cages + volcanic gasses + quicksand combos all while you buff your teammates every 4 minutes so you will have plenty to do.
Get a travelpower.
Don't slot powerslide/sprint....and lose salt crystals
SingStar:
"Extremists LOVE to fish to get us annoyed so we break the forum rules."
CRACK68:
"The origin of life wasn't planned either, should all life be declared a bug and wiped out?"
Lionsbane:
"You know me.Ever the realist"
Earth is the most control-oriented primary (i.e. not much damage), and sonics is (imo) the weakest secondary for controllers. You really need a large team because it will be very hard to solo. And focus on the good powers from earth/ i.e. NOT Salt Crystals but Quicksand, Earthquake, and the holds/immobs. From /sonic, get the shields, Sonic Dispersion, Disruption Field (if you can find a tank or scrapper) and Clarity. Sonic Cage is good for PvP, but not that great for PvE, especially on a hard-to-solo toon. Liquefy is quite bad. Swift and Power Slide as only travel powers??? 
I would go for CJ/SJ/Acro, or Hasten/SS.
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>
[ QUOTE ]
Swift and Power Slide as only travel powers??? I would go for CJ/SJ/Acro, or Hasten/SS.
[/ QUOTE ]
...or both 
SingStar:
"Extremists LOVE to fish to get us annoyed so we break the forum rules."
CRACK68:
"The origin of life wasn't planned either, should all life be declared a bug and wiped out?"
Lionsbane:
"You know me.Ever the realist"
[ QUOTE ]
[ QUOTE ]
Swift and Power Slide as only travel powers??? I would go for CJ/SJ/Acro, or Hasten/SS.
[/ QUOTE ]
...or both
[/ QUOTE ]
On a sonic? Probably. It's not like your build will be tight or anything
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>
[ QUOTE ]
[ QUOTE ]
[ QUOTE ]
Swift and Power Slide as only travel powers??? I would go for CJ/SJ/Acro, or Hasten/SS.
[/ QUOTE ]
...or both
[/ QUOTE ]
On a sonic? Probably. It's not like your build will be tight or anything
[/ QUOTE ]
tadaaaa!! (don't mind the lvls )
---------------------------------------------
Exported from Ver: 1.7.6.0 of the CoH_CoV Character Builder - (http://sherksilver.coldfront.net/index.php)
---------------------------------------------
Name:
Level: 50
Archetype: Controller
Primary: Earth Control
Secondary: Sonic Resonance
---------------------------------------------
01) --> Fossilize==> Empty(1)
01) --> Sonic Siphon==> Empty(1)
02) --> Sonic Barrier==> Empty(2)
04) --> Stone Cages==> Empty(4)
06) --> Sonic Haven==> Empty(6)
08) --> Quicksand==> Empty(8)
10) --> Swift==> Empty(10)
12) --> Stalagmites==> Empty(12)
14) --> Hurdle==> Empty(14)
16) --> Combat Jumping==> Empty(16)
18) --> Disruption Field==> Empty(18)
20) --> Earthquake==> Empty(20)
22) --> Sonic Dispersion==> Empty(22)
24) --> Super Jump==> Empty(24)
26) --> Stamina==> Empty(26)
28) --> Volcanic Gasses==> Empty(28)
30) --> Acrobatics==> Empty(30)
32) --> Animate Stone==> Empty(32)
35) --> Clarity==> Empty(35)
38) --> Hasten==> Empty(38)
41) --> Hibernate==> Empty(41)
44) --> Frozen Armor==> Empty(44)
47) --> Ice Storm==> Empty(47)
49) --> Super Speed==> Empty(49)
---------------------------------------------
01) --> Sprint==> Empty(1)
01) --> Brawl==> Empty(1)
01) --> Containment==> Empty(1)
02) --> Rest==> Empty(2)
---------------------------------------------
SingStar:
"Extremists LOVE to fish to get us annoyed so we break the forum rules."
CRACK68:
"The origin of life wasn't planned either, should all life be declared a bug and wiped out?"
Lionsbane:
"You know me.Ever the realist"
[ QUOTE ]
Hi there
I had an idea for a character that manipulates sound to create Earthquakes (and shatter/weaken things).
Unwittingly, I've created a great Debuff/Buffer with the combo reducing an opponents DEF and RES and adding to allies' RES.
The problem I am finding is that beyond throwing down Quicksand and using Pillars of Salt etc, I don't have much in the way of firepower.
Is my combo gimped? Or am I gonna find that I'm just hanging around waiting in between debuffs or will I be of some use (I mean, before Animate Stone :P).
Also, I decided to use slot Swift and Power Slide for my movement. Is this a bad idea?
[/ QUOTE ]
This sounds like a great combo. Earth is really great for control.
Salt Crystals can be useful if your team knows that it is a sleep and not to use AoEs - however as you get further into your career, you will most likely find you don't need it. (Mind you I'm talking from the point of view of an Earth/Storm - my secondary has forms of control also.)
If you're looking for firepower, your only "real" taste will probably be the epics at level 41 - other than that - team build!
Also I wouldn't bother slotting powers such as sprints/slides - they're next to useless. Just have enough patience to get to level 14 :P
In the meantime, take a look at this guide on the US forums
Earth/Sonic guide
@Under Control
[ QUOTE ]
Earth is the most control-oriented primary (i.e. not much damage), and sonics is (imo) the weakest secondary for controllers. You really need a large team because it will be very hard to solo. And focus on the good powers from earth/ i.e. NOT Salt Crystals but Quicksand, Earthquake, and the holds/immobs. From /sonic, get the shields, Sonic Dispersion, Disruption Field (if you can find a tank or scrapper) and Clarity. Sonic Cage is good for PvP, but not that great for PvE, especially on a hard-to-solo toon. Liquefy is quite bad. Swift and Power Slide as only travel powers??? I would go for CJ/SJ/Acro, or Hasten/SS.
[/ QUOTE ]
Any particular reason why sonics is weak for controllers? Other than the lack of holds found in /rad or /TA?
Earth will always be low damage, but I would have thought /Sonic would be one of the sets of choice to bump up damage with two -res powers. I certainly find my Grav/Sonic has quite satisfying damage output.
Sorry to butt in, well sonic shields on winnie the poo sound cool but in this combo how do earthquake and liquefy numerically compare?
Its a nice concept, i am thinking bout it now too.
He will honor his words; he will definitely carry out his actions. What he promises he will fulfill. He does not care about his bodily self, putting his life and death aside to come forward for another's troubled besiegement. He does not boast about his ability, or shamelessly extol his own virtues. - Sima Qian.
[ QUOTE ]
[ QUOTE ]
Earth is the most control-oriented primary (i.e. not much damage), and sonics is (imo) the weakest secondary for controllers. You really need a large team because it will be very hard to solo. And focus on the good powers from earth/ i.e. NOT Salt Crystals but Quicksand, Earthquake, and the holds/immobs. From /sonic, get the shields, Sonic Dispersion, Disruption Field (if you can find a tank or scrapper) and Clarity. Sonic Cage is good for PvP, but not that great for PvE, especially on a hard-to-solo toon. Liquefy is quite bad. Swift and Power Slide as only travel powers??? I would go for CJ/SJ/Acro, or Hasten/SS.
[/ QUOTE ]
Any particular reason why sonics is weak for controllers? Other than the lack of holds found in /rad or /TA?
Earth will always be low damage, but I would have thought /Sonic would be one of the sets of choice to bump up damage with two -res powers. I certainly find my Grav/Sonic has quite satisfying damage output.
[/ QUOTE ]
As I said, that's my opinion after playing all the secondaries (except TA) to a reasonable level. Sonic can help bump up the output of your team-mates, but not yours since you won't do much damage to begin with (Grav has a bit more). The single-target -res can't be stacked, the PbAoE -res field needs a tank or scrapper (not very reliable to put it on pets given their AI), the repel field is highly situational, Sonic Cage is skippable for PvE, Clarity comes at 35 (instead of 16 for CM ), Liquefy is truly pants (low-mag hold, -tht and -def not that noticeable imo, probably one of the worst Tier 9 powers in the game). You can't really compare it with sets like kin, rad, storm or TA for which most powers are great (and which really help augment your damage). Empathy, well I don't particularly like it for controllers in PvE, but it's certainly helpful. And FF, in many cases def > res. That's why. YMMV. Now if you ever manage to get 2 sonics on a team (and I only managed 2-3 times in 50 levels), then it becomes a much better set.
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>
AFAIK Earthquake is wonderful, Liquefy is one of the two rubbish powers in sonic.
What I would like to know is do they stack? Im never clear about how KB and repel powers stack together 
I'd imagine that once you get Mr. Poo, your Sonic shields and the allied-anchor -res toggle would be golden.
Ol' Winnie is immune to Psi damage, and you can buff his other resistances up to their respective caps.
He also has "tauntiness" so your anchor shouldn't pull much aggro from him. And he's being made KnockDOWN!
But as many have already said, don't expect to actually kill anything before it dies of old age... 
[ QUOTE ]
AFAIK Earthquake is wonderful,
[/ QUOTE ]
All the powers in Earth are wonderful, except Salt Crystals in later levels. Three of them (4 if you count Animate Stone) you are able to use around corners (Volcanic gasses, Earthquake, Quicksand)
[ QUOTE ]
Im never clear about how KB...
[/ QUOTE ]
Earthquake is knockdown and so is Liquify - if Earthquake isn't, I've certainly never noticed.
[ QUOTE ]
...repel powers stack together
[/ QUOTE ]
No repel powers in an Earth/Sonic build.
@Under Control
[ QUOTE ]
[ QUOTE ]
Im never clear about how KB...
[/ QUOTE ]
Earthquake is knockdown and so is Liquify - if Earthquake isn't, I've certainly never noticed.
[/ QUOTE ]
Powers like earthquake, ice slick etc will do knockback to certain mobs with lowmag knockback resistance such as clockwork.
SingStar:
"Extremists LOVE to fish to get us annoyed so we break the forum rules."
CRACK68:
"The origin of life wasn't planned either, should all life be declared a bug and wiped out?"
Lionsbane:
"You know me.Ever the realist"
Sorry both are Knock down... I was actually asking a generic question about how Knock back/down/up and Repel effects stack. Bit of a derailment, I know.
I would actually say that ALL Earth powers are wonderful.. including Salt Crystals. AoE sleeps are usefull all the time but sleeps do have a impressive duration. Lovely when needed. Earthquake is, however, one of the more wonderful powers in a wonderful set!
[ QUOTE ]
Powers like earthquake, ice slick etc will do knockback to certain mobs with lowmag knockback resistance such as clockwork.
[/ QUOTE ]
I forgot 
Oh the shame >.<
@Under Control
Hmmm, interesting build prospects. The one thing you might want to consider though, is quite heavily slotting Animate Stone for Recharge, rather than Damage.
Maybe 3xRech, 2xAcc.
With your shields, you could make him into a pretty good Tank, and the faster he recharges, the more times you can plonk him into a mob.
You'll have to be quick with your shields though, as he'll take the most damage off the alpha Strike.
A bind to target him would help.
It's not ideal, but seeing as though he doesnt kick out THAT much damage anyway, it could be a nice little twist on the usual.
Something to consider anyway
Hmmm
Sonic certainly has some awful powers: Repulsion one, Cage one (for PvE anyway), and Liquefy.
Sonic Siphon I find a good power, only needing 2 acc
Sonic Shields are a very attractive buff (probably not as good as FF ones, unless you are a resistance based tank in which case they are better)
Sonic Dispersion is, like FF, a truly AMAZING power. At high levels, with all those mez effects, nothing makes me happier than this power on the FF equivilent.
Sonic Disruption is, I have to say, also an AMAZING power IF you have a reliable tank to put it on. -resistance has to be the most valuable debuff in the game IMO.
That leaves Clarity (another solid power).
I make that 3 rubbish powers, 4 good powers, and 2 amazing powers (one of which is admitedly highly situational).
Its not a solo freindly toon but I think it compares nicely with FF. What it lacks in protection (from the repel effects and defence), it makes up in offence (the two -res effects).
I suppose in terms of synergy you may want to consider the epic. /FF would go better with ice and stone, wheras /Sonic would go better with Psionic, Fire, and Primal? (best to stack resistance or defence). I dont think the normal advantage of defence, its ability to avoid mez effects, is quite so pertinent given the mez resistance of sonic/FF dispersion.
Im not saying /Sonic is better than /FF, but I cant see it being worse either. Then again, I dont see any particular sets gimped. Maybe Rad/Energy or Kin/Energy.
[ QUOTE ]
I'd imagine that once you get Mr. Poo, your Sonic shields and the allied-anchor -res toggle would be golden.
Ol' Winnie is immune to Psi damage, and you can buff his other resistances up to their respective caps.
He also has "tauntiness" so your anchor shouldn't pull much aggro from him. And he's being made KnockDOWN!
But as many have already said, don't expect to actually kill anything before it dies of old age...
[/ QUOTE ]
I have a earth /sonic who has just reached 32 and i had hoped i could do the above, however all my pet does is stand 6 feet behind me and throw rocks which makes him totally useless as a tank.
Im currently planning to slot him with recharges so i can summon him into the middle of a mob his attack rate is so poor im not even considering damage slotting.
This is the worst ai i have seen on a pet it just isnt comparable with them other lvl 32 troller powers simply because he wont enter close combat. It could really use some love 
Rant over. - Im suplementing my damage with flurry and am fortunate enough to have the vet sands of mu which hits a reasonable amount thanks to the -def. Drafting in attacks from the pools is possible thanks to containment and a few really duff powers that leave loads of space, in my build at least.
I took ss as my travel power since i was aready using the pool it uses up minimum space in my build. So far i dont seem to have been held much so taking sj etc is a matter of player preference i feel.
Good Luck
Wytch lvl 50 illu/storm
Jygsaw lvl 50 mind/thorns
Moonshyne lvl 32 earth/sonic
others mostly defiant
----
Wytch
Still Mostly Defiant.
Hi there
I had an idea for a character that manipulates sound to create Earthquakes (and shatter/weaken things).
Unwittingly, I've created a great Debuff/Buffer with the combo reducing an opponents DEF and RES and adding to allies' RES.
The problem I am finding is that beyond throwing down Quicksand and using Pillars of Salt etc, I don't have much in the way of firepower.
Is my combo gimped? Or am I gonna find that I'm just hanging around waiting in between debuffs or will I be of some use (I mean, before Animate Stone :P).
Also, I decided to use slot Swift and Power Slide for my movement. Is this a bad idea?