New Build

so lately ive been wanting to lvl a controller after messing with mids and reading stuff on fourms i cant decide between ill/rad or ill/dark, but i would like to know how dark is for a primary i havent tried it yet and i know illusion is pretty good. im looking to build him for soloing and AV's/gms

Illusion/Radiation is always a good choice . . . and I strongly recommend that you take a look at my Ill/Rad guide, linked in my sig. That guide will give you a lot of basics about controllers, a detailed explanation of the powers, strategy suggestions, recommended leveling-up builds and your final Perma-PA build.

What makes Ill/Rad so good is that it is fairly easy to play a decent Ill/Rad, and yet it can take some skill to play it really well. Rad provides BOTH a Recharge buff and debuffs, which will make PA better and easier to get to perma. Rad has everything you need to make Illusion better and solo AVs -- Resistance and Defense Debuffs, Slow, -Recharge and -Regen, two PB AoE holds, a self-heal and self-buff. Time is the only other secondary with both a Recharge buff and debuffs, but those come very late in Time while they come early in Rad. Because the Rad debuffs are AoE toggles, they have very short recharges and are always available. One other nice benefit . . . the level 35 power (Fallout) is skippable, letting you take your APP power earlier.

Dark is a very good secondary, with strong To Hit and Resistance debuffs. It does NOT have a Recharge buff, so it will be more expensive to get to the Perma-PA level. It also lacks a Defense Debuff (which helps PA hit more often). Tar Patch is a great power with -Resistance . . . but the recharge is a bit long. Like Rad, the level 35 power is skippable. The extra pet, Dark Servant, is very good for more ToHit Debuff, control and healing. However, if you get a Perma-PA build, the aim is to let the PA draw the aggro so the ToHit Debuff isn't as important.

So far, I like the Dark primary. It has lowish damage but better than Ice, Elec or Earth. The cone AoE Immob is pretty easy to get used to. Fearsome Stare is a great control power even if it does not set Containment because you have other ways to set Containment. Instead of PA, you get the two Haunt pets which can be buffed but aren't invulnerable. Dark Control has a nice mix of control powers, with Immob, Fear, Stun and Hold. The final pet is OK . . . but annoyingly noisy.

If you haven't played a Controller before, my Ill/Rad guide is a great place to start.

when got the first APP Power takable at lvl 35?

especally paired with illuson it will give you a good aoe hold and when used after flash even bosses dont attack you

If both a ill/rad and ill/dark have perma pa they are earily similar potential.

Ok the ill/dark will be able to stack two tar pacthes for -60 res and have howling twilight up 30 out of 45 seconds for -500% regen. The ill/rad will have only -22.5% res from enervating field but have -500% regen from lingering radiation but also have another -500% regen from em pulse if they so choose. They both get similar amounts of -damage rad has -20 damage(more if you count fallout but I don't) dark gets -30% damage. Dark defiantly wins in minus to-hit it's pretty much it thing. The heals both could be argued to be better but I could say dark wins cause it comes with a regen and to-hit debuff if only smallish.

Personally having had both a perma ill/rad and ill/dark I prefer the ill/dark. I also love the dark pet fluffy and ever since I saw and fought a Master Illusionist I have wanted to make an ill/dark so maybe I'm biased some.

you forgot that dark sucks at -def