Alpha Slotting a Mind/TA

Can anyone suggest which Alpha slot works best on a Mind/TA. Looking at them it seems that they would ALL be pretty cool:

1. Cardiac - the endurance cost reduction and extra range would benefit all powers plus theres a nice boost to fear and sleep for Terrify, Mass Hypnosis and Mesmerize. At the moment my Mind/TA does have some endurance issues (especially since my character is always either hovering or flying) but when she is fully slotted I suspect Endurance will not be as much an issue.

2. Musculature - The extra damage would look nice in oil slick arrow - especially since I am planning on sticking five Ragnaroks in it (eventually). Plus Musculature has a nice endurance modification boost (see comments on Cardiac) and a 20% increase to -tohit which will make flash arrow a bit more useful (baring in mind that my ranged defence will run at about 43% so I will be using flash arrow a fair bit to effectively push me over the softcap). Oh and the defence debuff will be nice in Acid and Disruption Arrow.

3. Nerve - I have nerve on my other mind controller and really like the increase to confusion duration and defence increase (which will put me close to softcap).

4. Spiritual - According to Mids if I have Spiritual Core Paragon the recharge on oil slick arrow drops to a lovelly 38 seconds. If I have Spiritual Radial paragon the recharge is 39% and i also get a slow buff to glue arrow. This alone is reason enough to consider Spiritual Alpha - which is fortunate because it offers very little else. However the good thing about spiritual alpha is that (with enough purple IOs) I can free up two slots in Hasten and it will still be perma!

I could, given enough time and shard runs, make a few of each and try them out but I cant be bothered with that.

If it helps I play mainly solo but like to team for TF's and trials and stuff.

Thanks for your help!

Yeah, that's a toughy.

I select my Alpha for a character based on the criteria that all or most of it's buffs should benefit my character. Obbviously, the primary buff helps any character. However, some characters have little need for -ToHit or Fly speed (Fly is capped simply by being level 50 with no enhancement, iirc)

TA however has a wide variety of debuffs and mezzes that compliment Mind Control's abilities. Hmm...

I went Nerve on my Mind controller, too. You neglected to mention that it also increases Hold duration, which I think is important, especially considering Total Dom's low starting duration. TA also has Ice Arrow and EMP arrow. Being able to stack lots of Hold mag before its timer runs out is very nice in certain situations.

I don't know what your build is currently, but being able to stack anywhere between 15-27 mag of hold in about 8 seconds (depending on Overpower and proc usage) is just sick enough to make me want to roll a Mind/TA. Nerve would definitely help you stack those holds and maybe, just maybe, hold an AV through the dreaded PToD.

Well, that's my take. Though if you DO have end issues, Cardiac would be a better all-around solution. It'll help you 100% of the time as opposed to helping you hold an AV once in a great while.

You're right Emperor, I forgot about the hold buff in Nerve.

I havent space in my build for Ice Arrow. As a point of reference here is my FINAL intended build. It is expensive but as things stand I only need to buy the Gravitational Anchors, 4 Ragnaroks and 3 of the Unbreakable Constraints - I am currently bidding on the Coersive Persuasions and I've had a few lucky drops. I also got the PvP enhancement using Hero merits so thats 2 billion inf saved!

Hero Plan by Mids' Hero Designer 1.942
http://www.cohplanner.com/
Click this DataLink to open the build!
Tinkerbella: Level 50 Magic Controller
Primary Power Set: Mind Control
Secondary Power Set: Trick Arrow
Power Pool: Speed
Power Pool: Flight
Power Pool: Fighting
Power Pool: Leaping
Ancillary Pool: Fire Mastery
Hero Profile:
Level 1: Mesmerize

• (A) Thunderstrike - Accuracy/Damage
• (3) Thunderstrike - Damage/Endurance
• (7) Thunderstrike - Damage/Recharge
• (23) Thunderstrike - Accuracy/Damage/Recharge
• (23) Thunderstrike - Accuracy/Damage/Endurance
• (25) Thunderstrike - Damage/Endurance/Recharge

• (A) Gravitational Anchor - Chance for Hold
• (37) Gravitational Anchor - Immobilize/Recharge
• (37) Gravitational Anchor - Accuracy/Immobilize/Recharge
• (40) Gravitational Anchor - Accuracy/Recharge
• (40) Gravitational Anchor - Immobilize/Endurance

• (A) Thunderstrike - Accuracy/Damage
• (3) Thunderstrike - Damage/Endurance
• (7) Thunderstrike - Damage/Recharge
• (15) Thunderstrike - Accuracy/Damage/Recharge
• (19) Thunderstrike - Accuracy/Damage/Endurance
• (19) Thunderstrike - Damage/Endurance/Recharge

• (A) Thunderstrike - Accuracy/Damage
• (5) Thunderstrike - Damage/Endurance
• (5) Thunderstrike - Damage/Recharge
• (13) Thunderstrike - Accuracy/Damage/Recharge
• (13) Thunderstrike - Accuracy/Damage/Endurance
• (15) Thunderstrike - Damage/Endurance/Recharge

• (A) Malaise's Illusions - Accuracy/Recharge
• (21) Malaise's Illusions - Endurance/Confused
• (21) Malaise's Illusions - Accuracy/Endurance
• (25) Malaise's Illusions - Confused/Range
• (31) Malaise's Illusions - Accuracy/Confused/Recharge
• (31) Malaise's Illusions - Chance of Damage(Psionic)

• (A) Fortunata Hypnosis - Sleep
• (9) Fortunata Hypnosis - Sleep/Recharge
• (9) Fortunata Hypnosis - Accuracy/Sleep/Recharge
• (11) Fortunata Hypnosis - Accuracy/Recharge
• (11) Fortunata Hypnosis - Sleep/Endurance

• (A) Recharge Reduction IO
• (17) Recharge Reduction IO
• (17) Recharge Reduction IO

• (A) Luck of the Gambler - Recharge Speed
• (45) Luck of the Gambler - Defense
• (46) Luck of the Gambler - Defense/Endurance

• (A) Blessing of the Zephyr - Knockback Reduction (4 points)

• (A) Dark Watcher's Despair - To Hit Debuff/Recharge/Endurance

• (A) Unbreakable Constraint - Chance for Smashing Damage
• (29) Unbreakable Constraint - Endurance/Hold
• (40) Unbreakable Constraint - Hold/Recharge
• (43) Unbreakable Constraint - Accuracy/Hold/Recharge
• (43) Unbreakable Constraint - Accuracy/Recharge

• (A) Pacing of the Turtle - Endurance/Recharge/Slow

• (A) Achilles' Heel - Chance for Res Debuff

• (A) HamiO:Nucleolus Exposure

• (A) Glimpse of the Abyss - Accuracy/Recharge
• (27) Glimpse of the Abyss - Endurance/Fear
• (27) Glimpse of the Abyss - Accuracy/Endurance
• (29) Glimpse of the Abyss - Fear/Range
• (34) Glimpse of the Abyss - Accuracy/Fear/Recharge

• (A) Recharge Reduction IO

• (A) Gladiator's Armor - TP Protection +3% Def (All)
• (31) Steadfast Protection - Resistance/+Def 3%

• (A) Coercive Persuasion - Confused
• (33) Coercive Persuasion - Confused/Recharge
• (33) Coercive Persuasion - Accuracy/Confused/Recharge
• (33) Coercive Persuasion - Accuracy/Recharge
• (34) Coercive Persuasion - Confused/Endurance
• (34) Coercive Persuasion - Contagious Confusion

• (A) Ragnarok - Damage
• (36) Ragnarok - Damage/Recharge
• (36) Ragnarok - Accuracy/Damage/Recharge
• (36) Ragnarok - Accuracy/Recharge
• (37) Ragnarok - Damage/Endurance

• (A) Basilisk's Gaze - Accuracy/Hold
• (39) Basilisk's Gaze - Accuracy/Endurance/Recharge/Hold
• (39) Basilisk's Gaze - Recharge/Hold
• (39) Basilisk's Gaze - Endurance/Recharge/Hold

• (A) Positron's Blast - Accuracy/Damage
• (42) Positron's Blast - Damage/Endurance
• (42) Positron's Blast - Damage/Recharge
• (42) Positron's Blast - Damage/Range
• (43) Positron's Blast - Accuracy/Damage/Endurance

• (A) Thunderstrike - Accuracy/Damage
• (45) Thunderstrike - Damage/Endurance
• (45) Thunderstrike - Damage/Recharge
• (46) Thunderstrike - Accuracy/Damage/Recharge
• (48) Thunderstrike - Accuracy/Damage/Endurance
• (50) Thunderstrike - Damage/Endurance/Recharge

• (A) Luck of the Gambler - Recharge Speed
• (48) Luck of the Gambler - Defense/Endurance
• (48) Luck of the Gambler - Defense

• (A) Luck of the Gambler - Defense
• (50) Luck of the Gambler - Recharge Speed
• (50) Luck of the Gambler - Defense/Endurance

• (A) Empty

• (A) Celerity - +Stealth

• (A) Empty

• (A) Empty

• (A) Numina's Convalescence - +Regeneration/+Recovery

• (A) Empty

• (A) Endurance Modification IO
• (46) Endurance Modification IO

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Fffffsssss... Y U NO MAKE DATA LINK WERK?!

I keed.

That's actually a damn good build... I made one very similar this morning when mulling over possibilities for soft-capping my Mind/Kin. I realize you're looking for Alpha advice and not build advice, but I feel the need to chime in on something.

The Chance for Damage proc in Confuse. I know you're going for the Def-Cap, and being as close as you are, drawing a bit of agro probably won't hurt... however, if you try to confuse an unaware enemy, and that proc goes off (regardless of whether or not the confuse actually hits), it might agro the ENTIRE SPAWN (much like any other attack)

If anything, take out that slot, 6-slot your immbo and use trap of The Hunter. You've got enough global accuracy and recharge that you can forgo a Purple set.

Now, regardless of whether you do that or not, let's see those Alpha choices again...

You don't seem to need Cardiac. You're regaining over 3 End per second and only using .75 in toggles. Pacing your attack chain will make sure you don't bottom-out.

Musculature is also out. You certainly don't need the damage. You'd get only a small boost from the ED-bypass portion for damage.

Nerve... I'm partial to it, but only for its secondary effects.

Spiritual... you mentioned it would let you reassign the slots in Hasten. That might be the best thing, as your arrows seem sadly underslotted. You definitely don't need more recharge, but alpha is all about letting us reassign slots and taking the pressure off, so that might be the best way to go.

So I've voting Spiritual.

PS: I'd put PosiBlast in terrorize. Recovery Bonus > terror bonus, plus, it would offset some of the recovery bonus you'd lose if you take my advice about switching Gravvy anchor for Trap of the Hunter (And getting rid of that damage proc in confuse).

I think you have to check something off for the "data link" to actually work. I tried clicking it and got nothing.

Good point about Confuse. Now that I -really- think about it, I'm in the same camp. By the time I'm using it, agro isn't a problem. Hmm...

Anyway, hopefully someone else comes in here and offers their two cents. it'd be nice to get a consensus before you dedicate yourself to a specific direction, right? =)