Illusion/Radiation PvE Build Critique

Most of the time that I suggest folks look at my guide is because

(a) they haven't bothered to put together their own build and want someone to make a build for them. I wrote the guide to cover that situation.
(b) the build they posted shows that they don't understand the powersets. I wrote the guide for those folks, too.
(c) they don't have any experience with either of the powersets or, in many cases, any experience with Controllers.

Your build has a lot of stuff where I don't agree with your build, but you don't really fit into one of those groups. You aren't at perma-PA yet (unless you are counting on Incarnate buffs), so you could use more Recharge. I have some minor suggestions and some major ones for your build. Now, you have built for Defense, which a lot of people do. I don't feel that you need to build for Defense, but if you are going that direction, I suggest the Ice APP over the Fire APP because of the Ice Shield. Ice Blast, Hibernate and Frost Breath work well, too. (Plus, Ice Shield is another place for a LotG Recharge.)

Spectral Wounds: Decimation is fine. A minor suggest might be to consider adding one more slot to add an Acc/Dam Hami-O and then replace one of your other IOs with the Chance for Build Up. Since this power is used a LOT, that chance for build up can hit quite often.

Radiation Infection: I find in upper levels, I really don't use RI except on bigger, tougher targets. Teams (and even me, solo) wipe out lower level foes so fast that it is just not worth the time to cast RI. You have devoted 6 slots to a power that I find is only situational, when you could get by with 3 or 4. I have it slotted with 3 Enzymes and that's it -- the other slots are used better elsewhere. If you don't want to get the 3 Enzymes (and they are very pricy on the market), then 4 Dark Watcher is fine. I don't feel the proc is worth while -- a 20% chance of a 25% Recharge debuff for 20 seconds? When the power itself is a ToHit Debuff? I don't see a large benefit there. Defense Debuff is less important, because once you have decent accuracy, the Defense Debuff can't take you beyond the 95% ToHit cap. The Enzymes cover Defense Debuff, but I wouldn't spend extra slots on it.

Accelerate Metabolism: I do feel it is worth 6-slotting AM for the 5% Recharge plus the EndRdx in one of the IOs you left out. AM does so many good things!

Blind: I would take Blind a lot earlier than 6, but it doesn't really matter unless you are doing the lowbie sewer trial. I consider Blind to be an important source of damage, so I would put the Unbreakable Constraint set in Flash or EM Pulse. My recommended slotting is 4 Baz Gaze, an Acc/Dam Hami-O and a common Damage. That gets you decent damage. For a power that you will using over and over, that damage adds up. I know that Mids says that the Unbreakable Constraint proc does more damage . . . but that is averaged over a lot of uses rather than on every use. If you are taking down minions and lieutenants, a little bit of damage every time is better than an occasional big hit that has to rely upon the Random Number Generator.

You skipped Deceive: Deceive is one of the best control powers in the set. Plus, it is an easy place for a purple set that gives 10% Recharge. My guide explains why I think Deceive is so wonderful. You could easily drop Assault, but Deceive should be taken early and used often. It is a single-target long-lasting control that draws no aggro, so you can take tough bosses out of the fight before it begins. I could give you example after example where Deceive has helped me and/or my team complete missions faster and with fewer deaths.

Superior Invis: I tend to run this almost all the time. As a result, I need to get that huge endurance cost a lot lower. My suggested slotting is 1 LotG Recharge, 5 Red Fortune. That slotting has some nice benefits: 12.5% total Recharge, capped EndRdx, capped Defense. However, for you folks looking for Defense from SI, remember that it cuts in half as soon as you attack or click a glowie . . . so your defense numbers in Mids need to be reduced.

GI: Since I use SI all the time, I really don't need GI other than as a set mule. In fact, I plan on dropping it soon when I get Afterburner. Maybe you prefer GI . . . which is fine due to the much lower End Cost, but you could still use that 5% Recharge set bonus.

Enervating Field: While I don't use RI very often in the upper level game, I use EF on almost every fight. It is a fast-casting Resistance Debuff (which are more valuable in the late game) that has a Damage debuff as a bonus. Its only downside is the high end cost. I suggest 2 EndRdx instead of just one.

Hover: You are getting 0.5% for slotting a Defense IO in Hover. Is that worth a slot for that little bit of Defense and the set bonus?

Phantom Army: The Resistance proc does nothing for PA. The only reason to slot that proc is for the Defense bonus. If you feel the defense is needed, then keep your current slotting. I prefer the additional damage of using the Dam/Rech and Chance for Build Up from Soulbound.

Ling Rad: Here is a easily corrected problem. Ling Rad needs Accuracy. You have none. You will need it to hit AVs for the -Regen.

Fighting Pool: I'm not a fan of the Fighting Pool for Controllers in general and Ill/Rad in particular. There are too many other good powers that I don't want to give up for Defense that isn't needed that badly -- Flash, Deceive, even Mutation and Recall Friend. Between Perma PA, using Invisibility, Deceive to get foes off of me, Spectral Terror, Flying/Hovering out of melee range, the ToHit Debuff in RI and EM Pulse as a panic button power, I don't feel I need Defense. I don't have the Leadership pool, either. But that's your choice.

And yet you wrote this, which actually sounds meaner.



I'm not saying you were trying to be rude, but I'm not sure what exactly you meant by this last statement. Especially given how thoughtful and thorough Local is with his advice and comments to people in need around here. His guide is a great resource and I'd never look at it as a "bother".

I assumed that you had actually read the guide, and that your build was your own personal preference after understanding what's in there. Now you say you didn't read it? I wrote it mostly so that I and others on the forums don't have to keep saying the same thing over and over again.

Yes, I know it is long. But I tried to put a lot in there for anyone playing an Ill/Rad, including a LOT of strategy, a lot of reasons why I suggest slotting the way I do and why I suggest taking certain powers at certain times. Most of the information is stuff I have picked up from other folks here on the forums, City of Data, ParagonWiki and other guides, and then I added in a few of my own insights and experiences from playing my Ill/Rad a lot. So I do suggest you read through it . . . you will probably learn something.

Even after the guide, there are a lot of great points made in the thread after it, including some builds where folks built up their defense. Personally, I like having a variety of utility powers rather than defense . . . I think they make the character more fun.

Baltoro is not rude nor was he in this, he simply said which explains to that even though Local Man as much gracious effort has put into making such an amazing guide, which i personally think is great, not many people have the time to look through, even myself i skip builds just to get to the "crux" of it so to speak, and its the same whoever you speak to, now really it can be misconstrued as the person reading might not understand the person who wrote and therefore the person who reads should take into consideration all accounts and aspects of that person if indeed they feel they could "sympathise".

i agree with you a 100% that Local Mans guide is genious, however i dont even for 1 second believe Baltoro was rude at all, he was very polite aswell and his intentions werre just.