I would think that come epics, you'd have an extremely effective controller that can do good damage. Also, Seismic Smash after a Fulcrum can't be that bad.
Many people love their Earth/Kin controllers. I have one, but ever since the nerf to controller pets so that they do not get the recharge buff from Speed Boost, I just haven't wanted to play mine. Earth is a great ranged control set, but Kinetics makes you want to be in melee. Personally I think that Kinetics works best with Fire and Ice since those sets naturally work better in melee. Still, Kinetics is a great set on teams helping the team go through missions much faster. And Earth can control groups like no other set. Try teaming with Blasters and you may have more fun.
What kind of controller would you enjoy? No idea -- it depends on how you like to play your characters. There are people who like virtually any combination you can think of. Maybe describe what you like and don't line and we might be able to help. My personal favorite is Illusion/Radiation. You can see why in the guide link in my sig. But I also really like my other */Rad and */Storm characters, plus a fair mix of other secondaries. I have 7 different controllers at level 50, and I'm currently working on Earth/Storm, Plant/Kin, Grav/Storm, Mind/FF and my second Ill/Rad and Fire/Rad.
LOCAL MAN! The most famous hero of all. There are more newspaper stories about me than anyone else. "Local Man wins Medal of Honor." "Local Man opens Animal Shelter." "Local Man Charged with..." (Um, forget about that one.)
Guide Links: Earth/Rad Guide, Illusion/Rad Guide, Electric Control
I am looking for something that is good in groups but I can also solo well with as well, So That's pretty much what I am looking for. If I have to reroll I will, but before I waste time I'd like to find something that fits the catagory i just mentioned. Also I play on a low pop server "Protector" So getting groups isn't the best but I do find them from time to time.
Then you want Illusion/Radiation. The Radiation Emission debuffs are very team-friendly and the Illusion Control is by far the best primary for soloing as a Controller.
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Really? I was told that was bad you only have 1 attack, Spectral Wounds, then you get those weak 3 pets but the enemy you fight regens the health faster than you can kill, I really don't see how illusion is ever anything good, but then again I've only played for a month or so now.
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Originally Posted by JD_Gumby
Then you want Illusion/Radiation. The Radiation Emission debuffs are very team-friendly and the Illusion Control is by far the best primary for soloing as a Controller.
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Some of this depends if you have enough inf to kit out a toon with IOs. Earth/Kin can do just fine. You have good control, access to damage boosts, can get perma hasten and with the controller epics, access to damage attacks.
Are you concerned that you will stink? I can tell you that you will not.
Can you solo an Earth/Kin, sure. I solo an Earth/Storm and do just fine. With the Epic attacks and some IOs in your powers you'll do fine, just not spectacular when you solo. On a team, you are really valuable as you can contribute controll for every fight.
I guess that means I do have to reroll, thanks for the info, just curious I was told that ill/rad was the best but I don't see how that can be, because they only have one attack, yeah they get those 3 pets but since the damage they do is illusionary damage, its very easy for the mob to regen it's hp back.
I wouldn't reccomend Ill/Rad unless you like that particular play style. (I don't really care for it)
For soloing my prefered primary is Fire or Plant. Fire if you are patient and can wait, Plant if you are impatient.
For secondaries for soloing, Storm, Rad, or Kinetics.
Anything that can solo will also be fine on a team.
Edit - Also if you need a team mate on protector you can just give me a shout. I'm on most evenings US Central Time. I've got a level 34 Ice/Fire Blaster on Protector. Global is @Grandpa Squeak. I'm usually playing on Justice but I can switch over no problem.
-Insanity is doing the same thing over and over again and expecting different results. - Albert Einstein.
-I do not feel obliged to believe that the same God who has endowed us with sense, reason, and intellect has intended us to forgo their use. - Galileo Galilei
-When injustice becomes law, resistance becomes duty. - Thomas Jefferson
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When you say RAD do you mean Radiation Emission? Also I have having a hard time deciding between fire/rad or fire/storm or plant/rad/ or plant/storm
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Originally Posted by Miladys_Knight
I wouldn't reccomend Ill/Rad unless you like that particular play style. (I don't really care for it)
For soloing my prefered primary is Fire or Plant. Fire if you are patient and can wait, Plant if you are impatient. For secondaries for soloing, Storm, Rad, or Kinetics. Anything that can solo will also be fine on a team. Edit - Also if you need a team mate on protector you can just give me a shout. I'm on most evenings US Central Time. I've got a level 34 Ice/Fire Blaster on Protector. Global is @Grandpa Squeak. I'm usually playing on Justice but I can switch over no problem. |
Radiation Emission is exactly what I mean when I say Rad. The combinations that you mention are all good, play style is the deciding factor for me when choosing a combination.
Also you may not want to give up on your Earth/Kin just yet as level 39 and 40 is where you get slotted up fulcrum shift. Teaming will speed the process there.
-Insanity is doing the same thing over and over again and expecting different results. - Albert Einstein.
-I do not feel obliged to believe that the same God who has endowed us with sense, reason, and intellect has intended us to forgo their use. - Galileo Galilei
-When injustice becomes law, resistance becomes duty. - Thomas Jefferson
It's hard to make ANY Earth troller or any /Kin troller that isn't at least effective for mezzing the crap out of enemies and buffing a team into an engine of destruction. That being said, neither set has much in the way of actual attacks, just defense debuffs, attack buffs, heals, endurance recovery, and (oh yeah....) control. Rocky is a great pet that can weather a lot, and the /Kin buffs and heals will make it pretty-much unkillable, but it won't be doing the kind of damage that Fire imps do just because there are THREE imps versus ONE rock golem.
Soloing it still possible, especially after picking up some epic pool attacks so that you can put those /Kin buffs to use. It's just a long wait to get all the powers you'll need.
My Earth/Storm and Earth/Thermal controllers are solid on teams and solo, but I never made an Earth/kin because I already have a Fire/Kin corrupter, and it spoiled any other kinetics build for me. 
Too many alts to list.
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I woudn't say its too easy, it doesn't heal back as fast it seems your thinking. Illusion is a very solid set and one of a kind. Think of it as the mastermind of controller. |
Originally Posted by Xanerith
I guess that means I do have to reroll, thanks for the info, just curious I was told that ill/rad was the best but I don't see how that can be, because they only have one attack, yeah they get those 3 pets but since the damage they do is illusionary damage, its very easy for the mob to regen it's hp back.
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You get spooky who can fear even bosses pretty quickly and mess up their accuaracy, 3 decoys who are indestructable, and Phantasm a pet that summons its own pets which also happens to be indestructable.
Up to 6 pets out at once not much is gonna survive that barrage before too much heals back besides the truly tough in the game, and even they can't take it for to long.
Just alittle perspective about Illusion control
And heres what an ill/rad is capable of
Earth/Kinetics may be the ultimate character for turning a team into a steam roller. It is far from a bad combo, but it depends on what kind of action you're looking for. Earth reduces enemy defenses and turns them into statues, and Kinetics boosts your team's damage, increase their Recharge rate, and gives them limitless endurance. In essence, any team you end up on, no matter how crappy, will be able to stomp most enemies, and they will love you for it.
On the solo front, the good news for you is you're past the hard part. If you continue leveling this character, his solo strength will improve dramatically. If you take Fulcrum Shift at 38 and blasts in your epics, you will become a steady soloer (not a farmer, though).
If you're unsure, it might help to post your build and/or your power selections so far so we can tell you how to get the most from this character. After 32 levels I would definitely not delete him right away.
Alright well I think I'll put my earth controller on hold for now and probably try either a fire/plant/ill with rad as my secondary, though I am not really sure which one to choose from.
There was no big mistake, you have the ultimate lockdown toon, and can solo(slower than the heavy hitters, but it's reasonable) or team easily.
You'll shine way more on teams, but you may want to dip into a pool for a single target attack if you prefer to solo.
Only 6 levels away from Fulcrum Shift, and you'll be ridiculous so don't give up.
I played an Earth/Kinetics to 50 and found a lot of synergy between the sets.
Kinetics needs to hit, Earth provides -Def
Earth is low on damage, Kinetics boosts that.
Kinetics needs close up enemies for healing and Transfusion, Quicksand stops them running away (although so do ST holds which every Controller has)
Earth has some very good long recharge powers (eg Volcanic Gasses), Kinetics boost your Recharge through Siphon Speed.
Earth is much nicer to solo if you have Sands of Mu 12 month vet power. Earth Control allows it to hit reliably thanks to all the -Def.
Earth/Kin will be great with fulcrum shift and any aoe epic attack power (fissure/fireball/psi tornado). It's a late blooming build but should be very nice. Until then, use those veteran attacks if you have them. The -defense debuff in earth really makes them viable. Illusion is good for soloing small, tough spawns but lacks much aoe damage. Plant is overall a good soloer. I still prefer fire control for it's overall utility.
@SBeaudway on Pinnacle, TaskForce Titans Supergroup.
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I strongly recommend that you take a look at my Illusion/Radiation guide, linked in my sig. Take a look at it to help you decide between the three you are considering, even if you decide to go with Fire/Rad or Plant/Rad as the information and strategy tips on the Radiation Emission section will be a big help.|
Originally Posted by Xanerith
Alright well I think I'll put my earth controller on hold for now and probably try either a fire/plant/ill with rad as my secondary, though I am not really sure which one to choose from.
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Illusion/Radiation is my favorite build in the game. It is the most flexible build in the game, able to do a little of everything except be a scrapper. Both Blind and Spectral Wounds act as single-target attacks, plus the benefits of Deceive. My guide explains the illusory damage aspect of Spectral Wounds and how to take advantage of it to increase your net damage. By the time you hit level 41 and the APP powers, you can have a great attack chain of Blind-SW-Blast-SW that will allow you to take down AVs solo.
One of my favorite things about Ill/Rad is that it is both a simple and complex controller. It is easy to play an Ill/Rad to a basic skill level and be very effective, but the details of the powers are complex enough that you can, with the right strategy and build, turn an Ill/Rad into one of the most powerful characters in the game. Again, my guide explains all this.
I also have Fire/Rad and Plant/Rad at 50, and they are great controllers. The playstyle for each is significantly different. Fire/Rad is a melee controller, using Hot Feet and Choking Cloud to do AoE damage with control. (I like Fire/Rad so much that I'm working on a second one on a second server for a Fire/Rad team -- I didn't want to move my first one for concept reasons.) A team of Fire/Rads is probably the most powerful team in the game; While Fire/Rad is good solo, it is not as powerful as a solo Ill/Rad because of the invulnerability of Phantom Army. A Fire/Rad does not kill as fast as a Fire/Kin, but is more surivable and more flexible - I like my Fire/Rad more than my Fire/Kin.
Plant/Rad is more a kind of short-range controller and a bit of a one-trick pony -- the cone of Seeds of Confusion and the AoE damage from Roots really defines the character. Everything else for a Plant controller depends on Seeds+Roots. He is good at AoE damage over time, but somewhat weak on single target damage.
LOCAL MAN! The most famous hero of all. There are more newspaper stories about me than anyone else. "Local Man wins Medal of Honor." "Local Man opens Animal Shelter." "Local Man Charged with..." (Um, forget about that one.)
Guide Links: Earth/Rad Guide, Illusion/Rad Guide, Electric Control
It's never a mistake to roll and Earth controller of any secondary.
@Mental Maden @Maden Mental
"....you are now tackle free for life."-ShoNuff
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I'd roll an Ill/Rad and a Plant/Storm. Both are very powerful combinations but have very different strenghs and weaknesses.|
Originally Posted by Xanerith
Alright well I think I'll put my earth controller on hold for now and probably try either a fire/plant/ill with rad as my secondary, though I am not really sure which one to choose from.
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Ill/Rad has good single target damage and is a great AV soloer.
Plant/Storm has a lot of AoE damage.
Both would be very good solo and on teams.
L50s: Tanks: Cryofission - Ice/EM - Dr Celsius - Fire/Ice - Saint George - SD/SS | Controllers: Psichosis - Ill/Kin - Major Chaos - Ill/Stm | Scrappers - Neutron Crusader - DM/SR
Currently Levelling: Angelic Blade - BS/WP Scrapper | Seeds of Destruction - Plant/Kin Controller
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Originally Posted by Xanerith
getting him to 32 so far has been a big pain not enjoyable at all, so I am wondering.
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Were you mostly solo'ing? If you were, I suggest you play more in groups until the later levels and see if you like that better.
If you didn't like playing him in groups, then you may want to rethink making a controller altogether unless it was just that you didn't like earth in particular. I tried to make an earth controller and really couldn't get into it, and I love controllers.
As for Illusion, they are fun to solo with. Only the base damage of Phantom Army heals back. Any extra damage from enhancements or debuffs is permanent. This is why playing a secondary with a resistance debuff is important. Same thing for spectral wounds.
Spectral wounds is probably the best single target attack for controllers. Some sets don't really have a plain single target nuke. Grav has two, but one is kinda weak (lift) and the other has a huge activation time that makes it very annoying. Blind also does decent damage, especially with enhancements and containment.
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I can solo my Earth/Storm now that I'm over 32. Up until then, with the slight damage from my earth powers, Gale and Vet. Sands of Mu as my only damage sources, soloing was a miserable, miserable experience. The only reason I didn't abandon the character on about two hundred different occasions between levels 1-31 was because I enjoyed her bio concept/costume.|
Originally Posted by Torrynt
Can you solo an Earth/Kin, sure. I solo an Earth/Storm and do just fine.
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Of course, now that I'm lvl 36 I'm finding the character fun for both soloing and teams.
Not a big fan of Kin, but Earth is a fantastic set. I would recomend taking a more melee like orientation to take advantage of Kin's debuff/buffs. You really need to be active with those Kin buffs, especially Siphon Power, to keep your damage up and your opponents damage down. The debuff/buffs are all single target until level 35 meaning that you generally are going to want to focus debuffs on a target that you are not controlling while using AoE mezzes and focussing damage on a single target. I recomend giving a lot of enhancement love to your AoE controls as they are what makes Earth so good.
But looking ahead, level 35 you get your Endurance-o-matic followed by a level 38 fulcrum shift which is the real reason that people take Kin over Rad... although I still prefer rad...
Anyway. It is a great build, but it is up to whether it is fun for you or not... if you get to level 38, damn gotta love Fulcrum shift...
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There is little doubt that post 32, Earth/Storm is a total riot.|
Originally Posted by Jophiel
I can solo my Earth/Storm now that I'm over 32. Up until then, with the slight damage from my earth powers, Gale and Vet. Sands of Mu as my only damage sources, soloing was a miserable, miserable experience. The only reason I didn't abandon the character on about two hundred different occasions between levels 1-31 was because I enjoyed her bio concept/costume.
Of course, now that I'm lvl 36 I'm finding the character fun for both soloing and teams. |
However, pre 32, Earth/* anything can be rough. You have to be creative to make things work.
(1) Two slot damage procs into your AOE immob.
(2) Slot a damage proc into your ST immob, make it heavy for damage and recharge.
(3) Slot procs in quicksand and earthquake.
(4) Take a pool power or two for attacks.
(5) Look for AOE procs for your secondary (I have Freezing Rain heavily slotted and Gale is actually nice with some procs in it)
Doing some or all of the above will really help you with your pre-pet controller. I soloed most of the way from 15 - 42, and went 1-50 in about a month of reasonable play time. I tend to find groups of 0/-1 mobs and wipe them. I zombie hunted DA, Freak hunted Crey's, and did a fair bit in Perez once I had the slots. It's not blazing speed, but it's good enough to keep you moving forwards.
The devs have given us a lot of tools to make soloing a troller not too painful, you just have to work at doing it.
I think I made a serious mistake, for a few weeks now I've been working hard on leveling my earth controller, it's been slow and I just hit 32, I just got my pet so he isn't that good yet, but heres where I think I messed up, I chose Kin as my secondary, is that a bad choice? Do I need to redo him? Because getting him to 32 so far has been a big pain not enjoyable at all, so I am wondering.
IF my Earth/kin is total lolfail, what other type of controller would you guys advise?
Fire/kin?
Fire/Storm?
Thanks.