So, how good is PA?

Hey Folks,

Ok, here is the scenario. I have a all rad team of 2 Plant/Rads and a Rad/Archer, now that they are in their 30's I am finding I wipe alot because even with the tools that Plant brings (Creepers, seeds, pet, ect.) my guys are really too squishy and if they ignore the creepers (and it happens) or the seeds miss or whatever, my team is face planting.

Now I had an idea to swap out one of the plant trollers with a Ill/Rad mostly cause I will have more then enough recharge to make PA perma without having to get any sets (3X AM ftw).

My group has SS/IO's for stealth, so how will PA work with that? and will they run into melee and keep things off me? what I want I guess is a tank, without actually getting a tank

Could this do it for me? cause when I do PUG and get a Tank everything rushes to him/her and I can stand back at range and do what my team does best, but if they notice me...well... not so much.



Sidebar. I find that creepers is a little too inconsistent when it comes to distracting them, sometimes they all run into it (sets up a area to Seeds then Roots and AoE to death) but sometimes they ignore it completely, I always try to place the seeds right at their feet, am I setting it wrong?

PA is an amazing tank. They have a very strong agro ability with either ranged or melee attacks. If you are able to perma them without sets then you should have VERY few faceplanting problems. If you are stealthing to a goal or something, it is best that you either dismiss or do not summon them until you are ready to begin a fight. PA is a fabulous opener since they are invincible and will hold agro quite well.

As to your creeper/seeds use, it sounds like you are on the right track there. Sometimes stuff just misses your control efforts and runs straight at you. It really sounds to me like PA will solve your problems.

A big thing to keep in mind here is that Illusion control is quite different from plant. You will still have a fear effect, but you have no immobizes. Phanty is very different from audrey too. Phant is good for helping with mob distraction as well though since it summons a replica of itself to absorb some agro.

Short version - go roll ill/rad and enjoy the uberness that is PA.

First, take a look at my Illusion/Radiation Guide, linked in my sig. That has a lot of discussion about Phantom Army, including strategy of using the ghostly trio.

PA is the key power in Illusion, and probably the #1 reason it is one of the best builds in the game. PA allow the Illusion Controller to control by distraction. For your team, it will be easy to cast PA on the far side of the group of foes, wait a sec for them to grab aggro, and then your teammates can wade in. If PA are still out from your last casting, you use your Superior Invis to lead them into the next group so they can grab aggro. It is pretty easy.

I know what you are saying about the Plant/Rad . . . I have one at 50. Creepers can draw some aggro, but it does not have the taunt that PA does.

Thanks guys!

Yea Local I have read your guide, I dunno if I will just restart my team and make it 1 plant/rad one Ill/Rad and a Rad/Def or try to PL a Ill/Rad. Seems like the thing I need to add to my team.

Thank!

Well, I don´t know where to begin with.

First: I recommend an Ill/rad purely for 1 reason: Fighting AVs. With your teamsetup you will tear AVs like nothing.

but I have one question. How in hell are you wiping so often?... 3x radiation infection, 3 times enervating field, 3 times healoptions. 2 x seeds for even boss control on even nemesis? I´m normaly not rude and say things like: learn to play, but with your former setup i don´t see reasons to wipe. Rad with plant is so effective in producing mitigation and damage (death is the best debuff), it´s unfunny.

But to give a +1 for ill/rad:
I´m dualboxing right now a ill/rad with a plant/rad. Both 50, both IO´d.. It´s fun. Giant monsters fall fast, AVs faster, and nothing is hard to kill. The best thing you will be able to do is: 3 spawns at once: Cast PA in the middle, let the baddies rush your PAs, seeds, roots, carrion creepers and the ill will concentrate on bosses. Evtl if needed enervating field..

One of my next projects is: plant/ cold and plant/kin duo. (right just because of doubleseeds for eternity...)

But still, I can´t believe you wipe that often..

If you are having trouble with two plant/rads on the team I don't think replacing 1 or both with ill/rads is going to solve your issue unless your issue is specifically taking out AV's.

Heck even if you were facing a group of AV's the two planters could sleep the whole group of them with spore burst and do singular pulls. And with 3 rads you shouldn't be having issues with single AV's.

I think you should post up the plant/rad builds you guys are using. Something seems really off in your experiences and I'm doubtful an ill/rad will resolve your issue.

What are you fighting?

Unless Rad was nerfed hard, if you throw Rain of Arrows and Carrion Creepers into a pot of triple stacked AM and triple Rad Debuffs, enemies will be "whiffing" as they melt before your eyes.

Trying coordinating between the three of you by opening with Radiation Infection followed by Enervating Field on the hardest target(s). Also try to stack AM when possible so you can get a hefty recharge and damage bonus. Liberal use of Lingering Radiation will easily floor enemy (no AVs) recharge and movement rates.

Ill/Rad is great, but I think a shift in play style will salvage the time and effort you put into your heroes.

Good luck!

I'm not understanding how anything could get into melee range with 3 rads, 2 of which are plant.

Between double seeds, double carrion, double roots, and 3 Lingering rads anything that isn't controlled should be at the slow cap.

If you guys are having trouble hitting things, but don't want to apply RI then maybe pick up tactics for one or all of the builds.

If you can hit things the alpha shouldn't be an issue if both planters run in and apply seeds. It shouldn't really be an issue if only one plant is using seeds because only the bosses will be free and they should be slow capped from the follow up LR.

edit: didn't realize you were triple boxing. Increase the def of the one that takes all the agro and that should solve most issues.

Few new thoughts on your problem: If the enemy group is not clumped as for example nemesisgroups, you could solve your problem very nice with these changes to slotting: by lvl 32 you can slot lvl 35 enhancements, and with the premise that you should sixslot your main controllsource (when IOing at 50 5 would be enough if you don´t want extra ranged defense), you can slot seeds as followed: 2 acc, 1 confuse, 2 range and one confuse/range from the perplex set ginving you: 76% acc, 54% range (near capped), and 59 confuseduration giving you: 129% base accuracy, 77 feet range and 59 seconds of confuseduration. 77 feet with a 60 degree wide arc should a hit everything and their mother The recahrge with hasten and tripplestacked AM should be enough to lower down the recahrge of Seeds to approximatly 24 seconds (enough for every spawn on this lvl).

One problem can not be solved by that: Caves where mobs are standing on stones or behind stones etc.here the PA is rly making a little difference.

One thing: Don´t be shy to use enervating field. Since a hate the longish animation time of RI, EF is dropped rly fast and provides two very good effects: Enemy damage is lowered, and Your damage (3 EFs..holy god) is improved (especially on bossmobs).

For better control while trippleboxing i suggest:

http://www.amazon.com/Razer-Naga-Las...0254186&sr=8-6