Here are some fun Combos that I have tried and loved, but for different reasons;
Mind - Kinetics (This played like a Psychic Blaster, tons of damage, and great for teams)
Earth - Storm (This controller will one day get to a level to take Fire Mastery and become the Master of all elements. Really difficult on endurance, and WAY too many powers to choose from. Expect to be doing alot of respecs tuning this one)
If you want to avoid the typical Fire-Rad or Fire-Kin build, try Pairing a Primary of your choice with Forcefields. You get Status protection from the bubble as well as easy-to-use Team and Pet buffs that leave you free to focus on your primary. One of the biggest issues with controllers on a team is that they have TWO support sets, and often you will get controllers that play on teams and forget to use their primary to focus on their secondary, or focus on their primary and forget to use their secondary. Well, Forcefields is a set that lets you easily multi-task both sets.
BIOSPARK :: DARKTHORN :: SKYGUARD :: WILDMAGE
HEATSINK :: FASTHAND :: POWERCELL :: RUNESTAFF
Fire/Storm- it's like a buzzsaw.
@Mental Maden @Maden Mental
"....you are now tackle free for life."-ShoNuff
I appreciate the responses thus far....all interesting ideas.....also one thing i forgot to add, on each of the sets if there are obvious powers that are skippable..i can research them when i figure out what i will make, but if you guys have found glaring powers that are just C R A P, then good to go..thanks!!!
Plant/Storm is well worth trying, as a choatic melee-range option.
The AOE immobilise does double the usual damage to the point where its worth slotting for damage. Carrion Creepers, Tornado and Lightning Storm provide extra damage to everyone whose locked down in your Roots, and Seeds of Confusion keeps you safe while causing the enemies to do even more damage to each other, all boosted by Freezing Rain.
Optional powers here are Spore Burst, and probably Snow Storm.
Spirit Tree and Hurricane can be skipped.
The controllers I have tried are:
Gravity/Storm - this is my main character and my first controller. He is great fun to play. He has some good single target damage, can unleash chaos and has some good utility powers. Took me a long time to come up with a build and play style I was happy with though.
Mind/Trick Arrow - this was good fun to level. Mass Hypnosis a mob, lay down Oil Slick Arrow and then watch them burn!
Illusion/Forcefield - not the most interesting toon to play but is a great support toon with buffing defence and managing agro.
Ice/Cold Dom - only just got her to lvl 33, she doesn't solo too well but again is a great support toon
Plant/Kin - only at lvl 28 so haven't got to the big kinetic powers yet, but I can really see his potential and Seeds of Confusion is such a great power!
Illusion/Rad - only lvl 27 at the moment but can see the potential again if you invest the time and inf into the build to make it great
Electric/Kin - only lvl 26 but is fun to play on teams, doesn't solo too well
Illusion/Dark - only just rolled this toon but from what I've read it can potentially be a powerful combo
Dark/Storm - another toon I've only just rolled but I love Storm and from playing with Mids it looks like it could be a good combo
Fire/Storm - another baby toon but this could potentially be a strong toon with freezing rain and containment boosted damage from hot feet. Could potentially have some endurance issues though
Fire/Kinetic - only lvl 28 at the moment so I don't have the big kinetic powers yet. I can see the potential for lots of damage but really takes a long time to mature.
Earth/Sonic - only at lvl 20 at the moment but is slow to solo but is another great support toon.
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Originally Posted by Zwillinger
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Plant/Storm and Earth/Storm . . . heck, Grav/Storm, Ill/Storm, Ice/Storm and Dark/Storm too. I have all but the Dark/Storm at 50. Storm is just a lot of fun. However, it takes some understanding and practice to play the set well. A badly played Storm will be cursed by teammates.|
Originally Posted by Dr Harmony
Plant/Storm is well worth trying, as a choatic melee-range option.
The AOE immobilise does double the usual damage to the point where its worth slotting for damage. Carrion Creepers, Tornado and Lightning Storm provide extra damage to everyone whose locked down in your Roots, and Seeds of Confusion keeps you safe while causing the enemies to do even more damage to each other, all boosted by Freezing Rain. Optional powers here are Spore Burst, and probably Snow Storm. Spirit Tree and Hurricane can be skipped. |
The only really bad power in Storm is the only one you can't skip, Gale (and even that can have some uses). Opinions vary on O2 Boost and Snow Storm. O2 Boost is a somewhat weak single target heal with some nice secondary effects (Stun and Sleep and Endurance Drain protection), while Snow Storm is a foe-anchored toggle with AoE Slow, -Recharge and -Fly. Both can be useful powers depending upon your primary and playstyle. Thunderclap can be skippable if you do not have a stun power in your primary or you want to stay mostly at range -- it is only mag 2 and PB AoE, but it looks cool. Thunderclap is very nice to have when you can stack it with another stun, however. (I expect it to be a key power for my Dark/Storm.) I would NOT skip Hurricane on any Stormie. It gives you a great positioning tool with a huge ToHit Debuff, and you can turn it on and off whenever you want.
Without an AoE -Knockback power, Tornado can cause a lot of chaos. On the other hand, an AUTOHIT damage power can be mighty handy. Storm lacks any -Regen, but the DoT from Tornado can mostly replace the -Regen from other sets.
As for Primaries if you like doing damage, I suggest trying a Plant/Storm. Plant provides nice AoE damage and control. Storm's last two powers provide some good single target damage. Spore Burst is skippable. Entangle may be skippable on a mostly team build. Spirit Tree is optional, but since you don't have a self-heal, it can help with a large regen buff. Don't skip Hurricane, as you can use it to push foes into a tight group before hitting them with Seeds + Roots. (Learn to use Hurricane to run around the outside of groups to make them into a tighter group . . . this is called "herdicaning.") You can also learn to keep foes at the edge of your hurricane to debuff their to-hit while you are able to use your ranged attacks to damage and immobilize them . . . in effect, they can't hit you but you can hit them. That ToHit Debuff helps you avoid the need for Defense.
On my Plant/Storm, I skipped Spore Burst and Thunderclap, but kept O2 Boost and Snow Storm. An AoE Immob+ToHit Debuff (Hurricane)+-Recharge(Snow Storm) is almost like a continual hold.
I like to take Super Speed on on my Stormies, as Super Speed + Steamy Mist = Full invisibility, which is very handy. Super Speed is also great for "herdicaning." If you want, you could skip Spirit Tree and go for the Medicine Pool. Actually, there are lots of options on how to build depending upon your playstyle.
Stormies tend to be heavy users of endurance, so plan on getting a Miracle +Recovery at 20 and a Numina +Regen/+Recovery at 30. (One big complaint I have about Fire/Storm is that it is so Endurance heavy that is it almost unplayable in low levels.)
Of course, I always recommend Ill/Rad. If you are interested in that, I strongly recommend you take a look at my Ill/Rad guide, link below. But you just did an Ill/Dark, so I assume you want something different.
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
I would make the suggestion of an Ill/Rad, you get your first pets at 17 so you don’t need to wait for 32 and the rad secondary is by far one of the best secondary’s in the game.
My Ill/Rad is fully incarnated and IO’d to the max, a true GOD able to solo any AV or GM in the game, solo’ed the full DA story line at x8+4 with AV’s enabled and have even farmed x8+4. I love playing her and still bring her out almost daily.
The only down side is the cost, in terms of cost when she neared 50 and as I further invested in her build I easily spent 3 to 4 billion in influence on her. Today the prices and availability of high end IO’s have come down a lot and it should be a lot cheaper to get her from hero to GOD status.
Other good controllers that maybe don’t live in the spotlight that I would recommend:
Darkness/Dark affinity, nice damage (not the best but not bad) good solo and great as a debuffer on a team, mine is in her mid 30’s.
Elc/Rad nice synergy between the sets and an great control controller, dose well at locking down large mobs for teams with mostly single target damage or for small teams running at x7 or x8. Mine hit 30 last night.
Dark Tower. SL50 Stone/Stone Tanker
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I appreciate all the input on my question from you guys...and of course i decided to try a Fire/Rad.....murphys law....i usually stay away from flavor of the months, but seemed good enough to try out and found out my SG dosent have one....however, i think i am going to be loving controllers and my next one after this will def be /storm....that seemed to be the big winner....now off to tinker a fire/rad build, thanks again!
So a quick update if there was anyone like me that was on the fence of doing FOTM builds, especially Fire/Rad.,.. i just hit 32...solo'd a bit prior and after 32, as well as did a bunch of TF's (2 x DFB's, Posi 1, Posi 2, synapse, Yin and Citadel) so i could get the jist of Solo and team play...and i gotta say i really really like this toon....now its just fun with fire imps running around...one question i did have though, is besides AV fights and the MLTF (formerly STF), i cant find a practical use for Bonfire, with Hotfeet and Choking cloud running its better to keep the baddies grouped....any thoughts?
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Originally Posted by Dark_Tower
I would make the suggestion of an Ill/Rad, you get your first pets at 17 so you dont need to wait for 32 and the rad secondary is by far one of the best secondarys in the game.
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@Mental Maden @Maden Mental
"....you are now tackle free for life."-ShoNuff
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Bonfire is a situational power . . . but you can creatively find lots of uses. You should only use it once in a while, but it is really nice to have at times. It works as a barrier, a repel and as a damage power. |
Originally Posted by StupidlySmart
So a quick update if there was anyone like me that was on the fence of doing FOTM builds, especially Fire/Rad.,.. i just hit 32...solo'd a bit prior and after 32, as well as did a bunch of TF's (2 x DFB's, Posi 1, Posi 2, synapse, Yin and Citadel) so i could get the jist of Solo and team play...and i gotta say i really really like this toon....now its just fun with fire imps running around...one question i did have though, is besides AV fights and the MLTF (formerly STF), i cant find a practical use for Bonfire, with Hotfeet and Choking cloud running its better to keep the baddies grouped....any thoughts?
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Is there a spot that you want to keep foes away (like the Reactor in the respec trial or the towers in the MLTF)? Bonfire. Do you want to keep foes locked in a room? Bonfire in the doorway. Do you have some squishy teammates with ranged attacks who prefer to stay out of melee, but find it hard to fly out of melee when in hallways and caves? Bonfire, and they can stand in the middle. Anytime you have an AV with knockback protection? Bonfire chips away at his health while keeping lower level foes away, letting you defeat the AV while ignoring the others. Are you and your team being overwhelmed by a huge ambush? Bonfire to let you all catch your breath.
Of course, if you have enough slots to slot it up for damage, you can spam Fire Cages and throw Bonfire in the middle of the group to burn them up from range. However, Fire Cages does and will miss foes on occation, sending one or two flying back once in a while.
Bonfire is certainly not an essential power. I have teamed with folks who love it so much they use it for every group . . . and I spent my time cursing the jerk. It should only be used in the right situations, but it can be a kind of additional control on an otherwise control-light set. I would much, much rather skip Smoke than Bonfire, personally. I like Bonfire, and I find it a kind of challenge to look for more situations where the power is useful.
However, if you don't "buy into it" as a fun toy to play with, then you will probably be better off skipping it.
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
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Originally Posted by MentalMaden
Fire/Storm- it's like a buzzsaw.
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My Fire/Storm/Stone is my only Controller as I very much prefer melee types, but I loooooooveeee this guy. Be careful with all that stormy-goodness though, some people really, really HATE Lightning Storm, Gale, etc (in team situations, obviously).
Hey all...so i thought this would spark up good conversation, due to the whats the best primary debate below.... So....i have gotten my Ill/dark Troller to 50 and all incarnated out...and love him...he was my first and only troller...and it made me totally love the AT that i once despised....so now my question is...whats another fun combo to try....i am mostly a melee player.....but am game for any change..... i know the typical answer is Fire/Rad... is that really still the best?? So....all you troller lovers out there..if you could please help me find my next fun combo to play.....just please refrain from using Illusion and /Dark..... also i am looking for a combo thats fun to play pre 32 pets so i dont want to shoot myself in the face waiting to get to 32....thanks in advance!!