Solo/Leveling power choices for Fire/Thermal
Solo, I would say that both Cinders and Bonfire are very useful. Cinders can be used to fill in when Flashfire is recharging or in those "panic button" moments when you are being overrun. Bonfire is a targetted AoE knockback zone -- very useful for blocking hallways and keeping foes out of melee from you -- again, it can be used as a "panic button" power -- Bonfire is situational and can be skipped, but I find lots and lots of strategic uses for it.
Smoke has mixed opinions. I have it on my Fire/Kin, used to have it on my Fire/Rad. I find it skippable -- one problem is that it has a fixed range that cannot be enhanced -- when you get close enough to use Smoke, you are nearly in aggro range of the Imps so unless you are at max range, they may run in to aggro the foes you just smoked to avoid aggro. Ring of Fire is skippable, but can be nice for extra single-target damage if you solo.
As for other pool powers: Hasten is helpful on all controllers. Boosting the recharge on your powers is always a big help. Plus, you can consider taking Super Speed for both travel and stealth -- my Fire/Rad has both Fly and Super Speed, and I'm thinking of dropping Fly since we have so many options for flight packs now-a-days.
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Guide Links: Earth/Rad Guide, Illusion/Rad Guide, Electric Control
I would definitely take Smoke on a solo Fire build. It can help limit the aggro the imps draw when they are scurrying from mob to mob. I've often encountered the case where the Imps will attack a single member of a mob and bring the whole group running back with them. A little preemptive smoking can help alleviate this. Cinders also gets my vote in either a team or solo setting. Bonfire can be leveraged much easier solo than on teams. With some careful placement you can knockback mobs into a corner or, as Local mention, use it to cover your escape from a hairy situation.
As for Leadership, it can be helpful though there are downsides. First there's the endurance cost of toggles on top of Hot Feet presumably. Tactic's +perception can make the fire monkies even more unruly than usual. Assault might be tempting with the added damage for yourself and the imps. If you were to use Maneuvers I would suggest trying to stack it with some other sources of defense, perhaps from the IO's and the -tohit from Smoke. Imps buffed with thermal shields and a bit of defense may have a decent bit of survivability.
Hi guys. I'm really enjoying my Fire/Thermal right now. I've got a pretty good idea of what my team-oriented build goals are, but I'm also putting together my secondary build for the times when I'm soloing.
In my solo build, I'm taking all or almost all of the Fire Control powers (possibly skipping Smoke, Cinders, and/or Bonfire), but very few of the Thermal powers (skipping the shields, rez, Thaw, and single-target heal). I just hit 16 today, and realized I'm running out of good powers to take and was hoping I could get some advice on pool powers.
I'm already taking the Fitness pool, and the Flying pool for concept and Air Superiority (love that attack for filling out ST attack chain on controllers). What other two pools would most benefit/complement this build, and how? Any unusual build ideas that can be done when you've got this many free power picks to spend on pools?
Other points:
-No pvp
-Minimal IO's until the 30's/40's most likely
-Endgame build isn't really useful here, I need leveling advice
-Definitely taking Forge to support my Imps. Are any of the other Thermal buffs worth it if you're only going to have Imps to put 'em on? What about Leadership?