My Illusion/Radiation guide discusses Choking Cloud, including the way in which the power works. My personal opinion is that Choking Cloud works best with a control set that has another PB AoE Aura to work with it -- Fire's Hot Feet, Ice's Arctic Air or Electric's Conductive Aura make those three primaries the best to work with Choking Cloud.
On other controllers, I think it is less effective, in part because the other controllers can control well while staying out of melee. I don't have Choking Cloud on my Plant/Rad, but I agree that it could be somewhat useful if you like running into melee. I can see it being somewhat useful on an Earth/Rad. But it takes a large investment of slots to be effective, and these builds don't really need Choking Cloud, but it certainly is an option. I think Choking Cloud is probably less useful for an Ill/Rad, Mind/Rad or Grav/Rad. Illusion and Grav have pets that will knock away foes, and Mind really has no reason to be in melee.
Choking Cloud is a toggle hold that pulses every 5 sec. The hold, if it hits, lasts for 7.45 sec at level 50 unenhanced. That means that if you hit ED cap on Hold, it will last just short of 15 second . . . or 3 pulses. That means you get three more chances for the Hold to hit and extend the hold. Anything less than full ED slotting will mean you only get two pulses. This is why I recommend slotting to ED cap on HOLD.
Each pulse has only a 50% chance to hit minions and a 40% chance to hit Lieutenants. So, it can take 5, 10 or even 15 seconds (or more) before a foe is held. This is why I recommend another PB AoE aura to complement Choking Cloud. I find CC is most effective if you have some kind of AoE control power to take the initial aggro -- Fire's Flashfire, Ice's Ice Slick and Elec's Static Field work great. Plant, of course, has Seeds of Confusion. By using an initial AoE control, you can then run into melee and let Choking Cloud have time for several pulses. If you just run in without an initial control, you will draw a lot of aggro when most of the foes are not held.
Choking Cloud also uses a TON of endurance. You need Recovery bonuses and a lot of EndRdx in the power. This is another reason why it can be a problem. Running Choking Cloud can limit what you can do with your other powers.
Leveling up, I recommend using "Frankenslotting" to cap your Hold and EndRdx. Once those are capped, the first proc I recommend is the Lockdown Chance for +Mag2. Because Choking Cloud has a 80% chance to apply a Mag 1, adding Mag 2 will hold Lts. For the 40% chance of applying a Mag 3, that proc will let you hold bosses.
At level 50, I have 4 Unbreakable Constraint, the Lockdown proc and a common EndRdx in Choking Cloud on my Fire/Rad. That's a little bit low on EndRdx, but I make up for it with Recovery buffs. The Chance for Smashing Damage is nice, but I would only put a damage proc in the power after Hold is ED capped.
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
Thank you for the reply. I used your guide for my Ill/Rad troller but compeletly forgot to look at it for this build. Thanks again.
I was curious how you slotted CC. Currently, I am working on a Plant/Rad troller and I'm looking to make this toon my main Incarnate. I'm torn between slotting for hold/end/recharge with the Lockdown: Chance for +2 Mag Hold or slotting it with some hold/end with a few damage procs. Thank you for your advice in advance.
Hero Plan by Mids' Hero Designer 1.803
http://www.cohplanner.com/
Click this DataLink to open the build!
Aiyana Rayen Alore (Ever-Blooming Flower): Level 50 Magic Controller
Primary Power Set: Plant Control
Secondary Power Set: Radiation Emission
Power Pool: Speed
Power Pool: Leadership
Power Pool: Leaping
Ancillary Pool: Stone Mastery
Hero Profile:
Level 1: Strangler -- UbrkCons-Hold(A), UbrkCons-Hold/Rchg(3), UbrkCons-Acc/Hold/Rchg(3), UbrkCons-Dam%(5), UbrkCons-EndRdx/Hold(5), Lock-%Hold(7)
Level 1: Radiant Aura -- Dct'dW-Heal/EndRdx(A), Dct'dW-EndRdx/Rchg(7), Dct'dW-Heal/Rchg(9), Dct'dW-Heal/EndRdx/Rchg(9), Dct'dW-Heal(11), Dct'dW-Rchg(11)
Level 2: Radiation Infection -- DarkWD-ToHitDeb(A), DarkWD-ToHitDeb/Rchg(13), DarkWD-ToHitdeb/Rchg/EndRdx(13), DarkWD-ToHitDeb/EndRdx(15), DarkWD-Rchg/EndRdx(15), Achilles-ResDeb%(19)
Level 4: Accelerate Metabolism -- Efficacy-EndMod(A), Efficacy-EndMod/Rchg(17), Efficacy-EndMod/Acc/Rchg(17), Efficacy-Acc/Rchg(19), Efficacy-EndMod/Acc(21), Efficacy-EndMod/EndRdx(23)
Level 6: Roots -- Ragnrk-Dmg(A), Ragnrk-Dmg/Rchg(25), Ragnrk-Acc/Dmg/Rchg(25), Ragnrk-Dmg/EndRdx(27), Ragnrk-Acc/Rchg(27), GravAnch-Hold%(50)
Level 8: Seeds of Confusion -- CoPers-Conf(A), CoPers-Conf/Rchg(39), CoPers-Acc/Conf/Rchg(40), CoPers-Acc/Rchg(40), CoPers-Conf/EndRdx(40)
Level 10: Enervating Field -- EndRdx-I(A), EndRdx-I(37)
Level 12: Hasten -- RechRdx-I(A), RechRdx-I(36), RechRdx-I(36)
Level 14: Maneuvers -- LkGmblr-Rchg+(A)
Level 16: Tactics -- AdjTgt-ToHit(A), AdjTgt-ToHit/Rchg(37), AdjTgt-ToHit/EndRdx/Rchg(37), AdjTgt-EndRdx/Rchg(39), AdjTgt-ToHit/EndRdx(39)
Level 18: Combat Jumping -- LkGmblr-Rchg+(A)
Level 20: Lingering Radiation -- TmpRdns-Acc/EndRdx(A), TmpRdns-EndRdx/Rchg/Slow(21), P'ngTtl--Rchg%(48)
Level 22: Vines -- Lock-Acc/Hold(A), Lock-Acc/Rchg(23), Lock-Rchg/Hold(34), Lock-EndRdx/Rchg/Hold(34), Lock-Acc/EndRdx/Rchg/Hold(36), Lock-%Hold(50)
Level 24: Super Speed -- Clrty-Stlth(A)
Level 26: Carrion Creepers -- Posi-Acc/Dmg(A), Posi-Dmg/Rchg(31), Posi-Dmg/EndRdx(45), Posi-Dam%(46), TotHntr-Dam%(46), ImpSwft-Dam%(46)
Level 28: Choking Cloud -- G'Wdw-EndRdx/Hold(A), G'Wdw-Acc/EndRdx(29), G'Wdw-Dam%(29), NrncSD-Dam%(31), Lock-%Hold(31)
Level 30: Vengeance -- LkGmblr-Rchg+(A)
Level 32: Fly Trap -- ExRmnt-Acc/Rchg(A), ExRmnt-Acc/Dmg(33), ExRmnt-Dmg/EndRdx(33), ExRmnt-Acc/Dmg/Rchg(33), ExRmnt-EndRdx/Dmg/Rchg(34)
Level 35: Fallout -- Posi-Acc/Dmg(A), Posi-Dmg/EndRdx(43), Posi-Dmg/Rchg(43), Posi-Acc/Dmg/EndRdx(45), Posi-Dam%(45)
Level 38: Assault -- EndRdx-I(A)
Level 41: Fissure -- Posi-Acc/Dmg(A), Posi-Dmg/EndRdx(42), Posi-Dmg/Rchg(42), Posi-Acc/Dmg/EndRdx(42), Posi-Dam%(43), FrcFbk-Rechg%(48)
Level 44: Rock Armor -- LkGmblr-Rchg+(A)
Level 47: Earth's Embrace -- S'fstPrt-ResKB(A)
Level 49: Mutation -- EndRdx-I(A)
------------
Level 1: Brawl -- Empty(A)
Level 1: Sprint -- Empty(A)
Level 2: Rest -- EndMod-I(A), EndMod-I(48), Empty(50)
Level 1: Containment
Level 2: Ninja Run