Demon Dark Dilemma : Petrifying Gaze or Tactics

I had a question for you guys. I have heard that at endgame, Tactics is pretty much required for MMs right now. But I don't have any power I feel like I can part with other than Petrifying Gaze. Will I be gimping Dark Miasma by not having it? It would sure be nice for Malta Sappers etc.

But Fearsome Stare/Darkest Night/Tarpit should take care of them I'm hoping. Am I right that Petrifying Gaze is the most skipable of the Dark powers (other than Black Hole)? I like the AOE whip attack for dispensing -res and gaining aggro. Plus the extra perception from Tactics would be nice as well.

Thoughts?

Villain Plan by Mids' Villain Designer 1.90
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Maestro Dark: Level 50 Magic Mastermind
Primary Power Set: Demon Summoning
Secondary Power Set: Dark Miasma
Power Pool: Speed
Power Pool: Leadership
Power Pool: Fighting
Power Pool: Presence
Ancillary Pool: Mace Mastery
Villain Profile:
Level 1: Summon Demonlings -- HO:Nucle(A), HO:Nucle(3), HO:Nucle(3), ImpSwft-Dam%(5), EdctM'r-PetDef(5), S'bndAl-Build%(7)
Level 1: Twilight Grasp -- Nictus-Heal(A), Nictus-Acc/EndRdx/Heal/HP/Regen(40), Nictus-Acc/Heal(42), Acc-I(43)
Level 2: Tar Patch -- RechRdx-I(A)
Level 4: Darkest Night -- DarkWD-ToHitDeb(A), DarkWD-Rchg/EndRdx(11), DarkWD-ToHitDeb/EndRdx(36), DarkWD-ToHitdeb/Rchg/EndRdx(37)
Level 6: Enchant Demon -- EndRdx-I(A)
Level 8: Crack Whip -- Posi-Dmg/Rng(A), Posi-Acc/Dmg/EndRdx(9), Posi-Dmg/EndRdx(29), Posi-Acc/Dmg(29), Posi-Dam%(37), ExStrk-Dam%(37)
Level 10: Hasten -- RechRdx-I(A), RechRdx-I(11), RechRdx-I(34)
Level 12: Summon Demons -- HO:Nucle(A), HO:Nucle(13), HO:Nucle(13), HO:Golgi(15), HO:Ribo(15), SvgnRt-PetResDam(31)
Level 14: Howling Twilight -- RechRdx-I(A), RechRdx-I(43)
Level 16: Shadow Fall -- LkGmblr-Rchg+(A), Ksmt-ToHit+(17), HO:Enzym(17), S'fstPrt-ResKB(23), S'fstPrt-ResDam/Def+(25), HO:Enzym(43)
Level 18: Hell on Earth -- ExRmnt-Acc/Dmg/Rchg(A), ExRmnt-Acc/Rchg(19), ExRmnt-EndRdx/Dmg/Rchg(19), ExRmnt-+Res(Pets)(21), C'Arms-+Def(Pets)(21), S'bndAl-Acc/Dmg/Rchg(23)
Level 20: Fearsome Stare -- Cloud-ToHitDeb(A), Cloud-Acc/ToHitDeb(25), Cloud-Acc/EndRdx/Rchg(27), Cloud-ToHitDeb/EndRdx/Rchg(27), N'mare-Acc/Fear(46)
Level 22: Assault -- EndRdx-I(A)
Level 24: Tactics -- HO:Cyto(A), HO:Cyto(31)
Level 26: Summon Demon Prince -- HO:Nucle(A), HO:Nucle(31), HO:Perox(33), HO:Endo(33), EndRdx-I(33), ImpSwft-Dam%(34)
Level 28: Maneuvers -- LkGmblr-Rchg+(A), HO:Enzym(36), HO:Enzym(48)
Level 30: Boxing -- Empty(A)
Level 32: Abyssal Empowerment -- EndRdx-I(A)
Level 35: Tough -- HO:Ribo(A), HO:Ribo(36)
Level 38: Dark Servant -- Acc-I(A), Cloud-Acc/ToHitDeb(39), Cloud-ToHitDeb(39), Cloud-ToHitDeb/EndRdx/Rchg(39), Cloud-%Dam(40), TotHntr-Dam%(40)
Level 41: Scorpion Shield -- HO:Enzym(A), HO:Enzym(42), LkGmblr-Rchg+(42)
Level 44: Provoke -- Zinger-Taunt(A), Zinger-Taunt/Rchg(45), Zinger-Acc/Rchg(45), Zinger-Dam%(45), Zinger-Taunt/Rchg/Rng(46), Zinger-Taunt/Rng(46)
Level 47: Web Envelope -- TotHntr-Acc/EndRdx(A), TotHntr-Acc/Immob/Rchg(48), TotHntr-Immob/Acc(48), TotHntr-Dam%(50)
Level 49: Weave -- LkGmblr-Rchg+(A), HO:Enzym(50), HO:Enzym(50)
------------
Level 1: Brawl -- Empty(A)
Level 1: Sprint -- EndRdx-I(A)
Level 2: Rest -- RechRdx-I(A)
Level 1: Supremacy
Level 4: Ninja Run
Level 2: Swift -- Run-I(A)
Level 2: Hurdle -- Jump-I(A)
Level 2: Health -- Mrcl-Rcvry+(A), Numna-Regen/Rcvry+(7)
Level 2: Stamina -- EndMod-I(A), EndMod-I(9), EndMod-I(34)

Petrifying Gaze is indeed skippable. I like your build. I'd likely go with 3 Performance Shifters in Stamina (proc, mod, mod/xxx). I'd strongly consider the Musculature Alpha, although the Cardiac is appealing as well.

I'd skip it. It's an extremely lukewarm single-target Hold. You'll be too busy doing other things to notice it.

Unless I am missing something, even with Darkest Night running you are still not at defense cap, excluding Smash and Lethal of course. You are close but still short. Unless your relying on a combo of Fearsome stare and Darkest Night which I would say is a bit much of putting all your eggs in one basket.

Seeing that Darkest Night is the way your going to get your Defense Cap going and further seeing that you need your Darkest Night anchor close to other mobs and not running off. You might be better off making sure you have your anchor held in place so they don't run off. I know the recharge on Darkest Night is pretty decent and waiting for that thing to recharge to replace your anchor can be trouble some if your taking in a lot of damage. Which will occur if your not defense capped and you loose your anchor.

Personally ( remember I said Personally ) I think you went over board with the Hami's. First just replacing the Hami's with 3 Blood mandate sets, 1 Sovereign Right set and one cloud sense for Dark Servant. I was first able to increase your overall defenses so when Darkest Night is not on you have better survivability and second those sets gave you better numbers Accuracy and Damage wise for your pets.

Nutshell just messing around with the build and placing the standard mastermind IO sets you see in 90% of all mastermind builds I was almost able to defense capping your build excluding the 17 % Hit Debuff that Darkest Night offers. So you could remove Scorpion Shield probably and pick some other powers if you want.

I would keep Tactics and replace Assault with Petrifying Gaze. I can only assuming it will stack with your pets hold so you could build up enough magnitude to hold some AV. Look I hold Rom with my Soul mastery hold, so no reason why you can't especially when you have a pet that uses a hold also. You need Tactics for sure.

Here is a very rough build I used just replacing some of your stuff and moving some stuff around. Just to give you an idea. Place your build side by side and take a look. I'm sure you can find something in between that will give you bit more benefits.

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You can skip petrifying gaze, but I wouldn't. I just don't like provoke. Your demons have strong AoEs that will rip the aggro right off you anyways. Crack the whip doesn't have quite the same threat, but it WILL grab the alpha attack on to your mastermind. Petrifying gaze, stacked on fluffies hold stacked on the demon prince's hold means held bosses, even AV's if for just a bit. I think it's worth it to stack the holds.