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Early on Mind/TA may seem very ST focused but I assure you it's not so in the higher levels (post 20s). Also despite it having "soft" control, as you use the term, Mind/ can lock down spawns aggro free, something most other "soft" control sets cannot do. |
Originally Posted by Mortimer_NA
I have rolled a Mind/TA and have begun running the Hollows arcs. Its playstyle seems very different from many of the toons I have played before and that it what drew me to the toon. I tend to play very AoE centric toons. This seems to focus mostly on ST control/damage. I guess what I am asking is what role will a mind/TA controller play in the game as it is now. In this world of Incarnate trials, fast moving steam roller teams, and a need(???) for hard control where does the Mind controller with its soft control in Sleep and terror with ST hold and Knockup mitigation fit in? TA confuses me even more. I am sure that as I play the toon more I will learn more but what will all of you expect from me?
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I think this combo will do well on fast moving teams considering all the debuff and control options available.
As far as /TA is all debuffs and control that works best when layered with each other.
You'll get the groove of it. Best of luck!
Thank you. I was pretty sure I was misunderstanding this toon. I wonder if I am perhaps misunderstanding the term "soft control" as well. Could you please explain to me the difference between hard and soft control?
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There are no set definitions today as they have been bastardized from their original meaning.|
Originally Posted by Mortimer_NA
Thank you. I was pretty sure I was misunderstanding this toon. I wonder if I am perhaps misunderstanding the term "soft control" as well. Could you please explain to me the difference between hard and soft control?
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"Hard" control originally meant controls that prevented the enemy from attacking even if attacked. As an example Holds, Stuns, and Confuse fall in this category.
"Soft" control meant controls that limited an enemy's ability to retaliate. As an example Slows, Fears, and Immobilization would fall in this category.
Like I said earlier these definitions were never formally defined. Over time folks assumed it meant something to do with setting up containment.
I'm sure this question will be quite the stir on these boards.
*grabs his vanguard shield and waits for the battle of words to begin*
Thanks again. I will be playing this toon over the next few weeks and will most likely revisit this post with further questions.
*Dances off to mindwipe someone and fire a poison gas arrow at a Skull's butt*
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No problem. Anytime!
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Originally Posted by Mortimer_NA
*grabs his vanguard shield and waits for the battle of words to begin*
Thanks again. I will be playing this toon over the next few weeks and will most likely revisit this post with further questions. *Dances off to mindwipe someone and fire a poison gas arrow at a Skull's butt* |
I have one and she is currently level 41.
Early on you do feel as though you are capable of doing nothing but ST damage and ST mezzes which is great (not to mention safe) solo but in teams you really do feel like a spare wheel. I remember doing a synapse TF with possibly the best PUG I have ever had and felt like the team was constantly dragging me along as the only really reliable group control power I had was mass hypnosis which really doesnt do well in a team!
All I can say to you is that IT DOES GET BETTER and your playstyle will dramatically change as you progress higher in level. Once you get to level 38 you will have no less than three hard lockdowns in mass confusion, mass domination and emp arrow (four if you count telekinesis - which I can never get the hang of so I never bother with it) and two soft control lockdowns in terrify and mass hypnosis not to mention a really cool AOE damage power in oil slick arrow which is capable of doing even more damage combined with glue arrow, disruption arrow and acid arrow. If you take the time to invest in a bit of global recharge you will have at least one hard control up for every mob and a backup soft control as well.
Mind control sometimes gets a bad rap on controllers (although it is flavour du jour on dominators). People look at it and think "Two sleeps and no pets? It must be crap!" but to me its one of my favourite ATs not to mention one of the safest you can play. If only we could have an AT that could combine it with Archery (my other favourite set) then I would be in 7th heaven (mass confusion + rain of arrows = drool).
EDIT: before anyone points out that mind control and archery will never happen I am aware of this.... but I can dream cant I?
Life is one big practical joke that we as the human race have yet to see the punchline to. Once you work that out the rest is easy.
As a LONG time Mind/ player I have to echo what Ace_of_Hearts said.
Having another containment setting AOE power is a definite benefit for Mind/. Even though it's on a looooong timer, Emp is an awesome AOE hold, and having something that will let you pop off multiple aoe attacks and get containment on all of them helps a lot when taking down a large spawn.
And
DO
NOT
UNDERESTIMATE
the impact of Oil Slick! Oli Slick followed by a fireball is just... Well, it warms my heart. 
T/A is a great set, and it actually does have some decent synergy. I loved using Flash arrow and Mass Hyp to to totally control the flow of battle on those layered-cake-of-DEATH maps where teams tend to get swamped with far too many spawns at once.
Having Ice Arrow to stack with Dominate is also very VERY nice. Mind/ is a very strategic set, you can do quite a bit to shape how the battle goes, using things like Mes to snipe outlying mobs and keep them snoozing till the team is ready to deal with them etc. Confusing key mobs (Tsoo Sorcerers etc). T/A is similar in it's ability to strategically affect things using things like Glue arrow, Flash, Oil Slick and EMP arrows to control what happens. Mind/TA is very much a thinking player's build IMO. You can exert an enormous amount of control on the battlefield.
Plus Oil Slick is just awesome as added AOE damage, something that you really don't get from other Secondaries. /Storm comes closest, though it works better as addition single target dmg, and Mind lacks the -kb to really leverage /Storm's dmg potential.
I have rolled a Mind/TA and have begun running the Hollows arcs. Its playstyle seems very different from many of the toons I have played before and that it what drew me to the toon. I tend to play very AoE centric toons. This seems to focus mostly on ST control/damage. I guess what I am asking is what role will a mind/TA controller play in the game as it is now. In this world of Incarnate trials, fast moving steam roller teams, and a need(???) for hard control where does the Mind controller with its soft control in Sleep and terror with ST hold and Knockup mitigation fit in? TA confuses me even more. I am sure that as I play the toon more I will learn more but what will all of you expect from me?