roleki

If I have a controller that has access to an AoE sleep, I'll usually take that before the AoE Hold. and sometimes in lieu of it entirely. Reason being, if I am soloing, I want a mez I can reapply to stack magnitude/duration during cooldown, and if I am on a team, AoE Holds typically collect dust right next to an AoE Sleep anyway, so, very little difference between the two in that scenario. Of course, if you can fit both in your build, that works too.

This is my Dark/EA, Voltswagen. There are many like it, but this one is mine. Actually, I haven't run into another Dark/EA yet but that's not for lack of trying; this one has been pretty much all I have played since it hit 50. I think every kid should have a Dark/EA in their character selection screen. I run a LOT of controllers, and find that Dark/EA is super consistent, full-speed ahead no matter what the content is or whether I am solo, on a team, or on a league. The great thing is, it's not like there's a dead spot in the climb to 50, either. You get pets sprinkled in early, midway, and late; meaning you get the benefits of your own buffs within 10 minutes of stepping into Atlas, and it just builds from there. You get Energizing Circuit (+End) right when endurance becomes an issue, and Faraday Cage right when it means something to have Mez protection. The latter half of /EA is just icing, but it's pretty good icing. They basically took the better parts of /Kin and /FF, made them less of a PITA to deploy, then threw in a better Forge for good measure. Now, it's not all perfect. Dark/EA is not an AV killer, but you have all the tools to survive an encounter with one. It doesn't do anything to buff +Def, but thanks to all the -ToHit from Dark you ARE affecting the incoming math and mitigating plenty of damage. What damage does get through has to melt off Absorb shields that you can chunk out like a bodily function, and if someone is leaking health you can throw a heal at them. Since your heals/absorbs are ranged auto-hits on a quick timer, you can effectively support a team whether they are running in a pack or practicing social distancing. Since you have Mez protection from the Cage, you can get a more fun Destiny slot, like Ageless. All in all, can't say enough good about Dark/EA. Now, as for this build, this is what it looks like after a second respec; my level-up build was just generic IOs and a few set IOs that I found along the way, then the 'mid-range' build was pretty much slotted the same, but with yellows and oranges where purples show up here. To be honest, the mid-range build was fine as it was, but I really liked the Dark/EA workflow and threw some purples into it. I get a lot of proc hits out of the various Cloud Senses instances, and Living Shadows and Seismic Smash are proc'd to the gills; Smash always delivers, while Living Shadows is a bit streaky. I can probably do without the Kismet +Acc in CJ, and my Health/Stamina setup is like 3 or 4 levels of redundant thanks to Ageless and Energizing Circuit, so I could *probably* move 3-5 slots elsewhere, but... just haven't felt the need to do so. Anyway, here's the build: Hero Plan by Mids' Reborn : Hero Designer 2.6.0.7 https://github.com/ImaginaryDevelopment/imaginary-hero-designer Click this DataLink to open the build! Voltswagen: Level 50 Technology Controller Primary Power Set: Darkness Control Secondary Power Set: zn_Electrical Affinity Power Pool: Leaping Power Pool: Speed Power Pool: Fighting Ancillary Pool: Stone Mastery Hero Profile: Level 1: Dark Grasp -- UnbCns-Hold(A), UnbCns-Hold/Rchg(5), UnbCns-Acc/Hold/Rchg(11), UnbCns-Acc/Rchg(13), UnbCns-EndRdx/Hold(15) Level 1: Shock -- PrfShf-EndMod/Acc(A), PrfShf-EndMod/Rchg(7) Level 2: Living Shadows -- SprWiloft-Acc/Conf/Hold/Immob/Sleep/Stun/Fear(A), SprWiloft-Rchg/Dmg%(5), Bmbdmt-+FireDmg(11), JvlVll-Dam%(13), PstBls-Dam%(17), CldSns-%Dam(21) Level 4: Super Jump -- Jump-I(A) Level 6: Galvanic Sentinel -- PreOptmz-EndMod/Acc/End(A), PreOptmz-EndMod/Rech(7) Level 8: Fearsome Stare -- CldSns-Acc/ToHitDeb(A), CldSns-ToHitDeb/EndRdx/Rchg(17), CldSns-%Dam(19), CldSns-Acc/Rchg(40) Level 10: Rejuvenating Circuit -- Prv-Heal(A), Prv-Heal/EndRdx(19), Prv-EndRdx/Rchg(31), Prv-Heal/Rchg(37), Prv-Heal/Rchg/EndRdx(37) Level 12: Energizing Circuit -- PreOptmz-EndMod/End(A), PreOptmz-EndMod/End/Rech(36) Level 14: Combat Jumping -- LucoftheG-Def/Rchg+(A), Ksm-ToHit+(15) Level 16: Faraday Cage -- UnbGrd-ResDam(A), UnbGrd-ResDam/EndRdx(23), UnbGrd-Rchg/ResDam(23), UnbGrd-ResDam/EndRdx/Rchg(25) Level 18: Heart of Darkness -- AbsAmz-Stun(A), AbsAmz-Stun/Rchg(31), AbsAmz-Acc/Stun/Rchg(34), AbsAmz-Acc/Rchg(34), AbsAmz-EndRdx/Stun(36) Level 20: Hasten -- RechRdx-I(A), RechRdx-I(21) Level 22: Haunt -- SlbAll-Dmg/Rchg(A), SlbAll-Acc/Dmg/Rchg(25), SlbAll-Acc/Rchg(27), SlbAll-Dmg(27), GlmoftheA-Dam%(29), CldSns-%Dam(36) Level 24: Empowering Circuit -- GssSynFr--ToHit(A), GssSynFr--ToHit/Rchg/EndRdx(39) Level 26: Boxing -- Acc-I(A) Level 28: Tough -- StdPrt-ResDam/Def+(A), GldArm-3defTpProc(29) Level 30: Weave -- LucoftheG-Def/Rchg+(A), LucoftheG-Def/EndRdx(31) Level 32: Umbra Beast -- ExpRnf-Acc/Rchg(A), ExpRnf-Acc/Dmg(33), ExpRnf-Dmg/EndRdx(33), ExpRnf-Acc/Dmg/Rchg(33), ExpRnf-EndRdx/Dmg/Rchg(34), CldSns-%Dam(37) Level 35: Fissure -- Rgn-Dmg(A), Rgn-Dmg/Rchg(39), Rgn-Acc/Dmg/Rchg(40), Rgn-Acc/Rchg(40), Rgn-Dmg/EndRdx(43), SuddAcc--KB/+KD(46) Level 38: Amp Up -- RechRdx-I(A), RechRdx-I(39) Level 41: Seismic Smash -- Hct-Acc/Dmg/Rchg(A), Hct-Dam%(42), TchofDth-Dam%(42), Mk'Bit-Dam%(42), GhsWdwEmb-Dam%(43), NrnSht-Dam%(43) Level 44: Insulating Circuit -- Prv-Heal(A), Prv-Heal/EndRdx(45), Prv-EndRdx/Rchg(45), Prv-Heal/Rchg(45), Prv-Heal/Rchg/EndRdx(46), Prv-Absorb%(46) Level 47: Possess -- CrcPrs-Conf(A), CrcPrs-Conf/Rchg(48), CrcPrs-Acc/Conf/Rchg(48), CrcPrs-Acc/Rchg(48), CrcPrs-Conf/EndRdx(50), CrcPrs-Conf%(50) Level 49: Shadow Field -- GhsWdwEmb-Acc/Rchg(A), GhsWdwEmb-Acc/Hold/Rchg(50) Level 1: Brawl -- Empty(A) Level 1: Containment Level 1: Prestige Power Dash -- Empty(A) Level 1: Prestige Power Slide -- Empty(A) Level 1: Prestige Power Quick -- Empty(A) Level 1: Prestige Power Rush -- Empty(A) Level 1: Prestige Power Surge -- Empty(A) Level 1: Sprint -- Run-I(A) Level 2: Rest -- Empty(A) Level 4: Ninja Run Level 2: Swift -- Run-I(A) Level 2: Health -- Mrc-Rcvry+(A), NmnCnv-Regen/Rcvry+(3), Pnc-Heal/+End(9) Level 2: Hurdle -- Jump-I(A) Level 2: Stamina -- PrfShf-EndMod(A), PrfShf-End%(3), SynSck-EndMod/+RunSpeed(9) Level 50: Intuition Total Radial Revamp Level 50: Ageless Partial Radial Invocation Level 50: Ion Core Final Judgement Level 50: Degenerative Core Flawless Interface Level 50: Warworks Radial Superior Ally Level 50: Support Core Embodiment ------------

So a couple of weeks ago I decided to activate the second (first?) alternate build of my En/En blaster, which left him at level 1. I went offline to mess around with the alternate build in Mids, and came back this morning to start the build. I got to about level 20 when I realized I needed to rearrange a selection, so I stopped clicking Train to a new level of power and used a /respec. It let me slot and do things up through level 20, and I dragged my enhancements back into the inventory tray and clicked finish. I got a "Respec Failed" message and thought not much of it, but then I noticed all my enhancements that I put in inventory were gone. This did NOT affect my "main" build, which is great because I've got about 750M in that dude. But, on the character as a whole, I lost a crappy HO, a couple of SOs, and an EndMod 50+5. I'm not looking for restoration or anything, just putting this out as a warning that you shouldn't use a /respec during the level-up of a secondary build, because you'll apparently lose stuff.

I'm a big fan of my Dark/EA controller, but my experience with EA so far has me thinking its best synergy might be with Fire, on account of your HotFeet wanting you in melee right there with your Imps anyway, might as well get the benefits of them nearby. I find this a bit surprising, too, because so far I have an EA 50 in Controller, Def, and MM variants, and by far the most effective of the bunch is the Controller, in terms of ability to deal with whatever is in front of you in a timely manner. I can confirm, MM pets do NOT get any benefit from Amp Up, at least, nothing represented in the CA window. I cannot speak to whether they are getting the +Secondary Effects benefits.

Sigh. And when this does nothing to curb inflation, they'll nerf AE even more, then stand around with big comical question marks over their heads when inflation actually increases as farming gradually drops off. You want to fix your market? Floor converters at 750K. Make it unprofitable to transmute yellow trash into orange gold.

I've got 840-odd levels of Controllers just in HC. I know what an AoE hold does, and, if I wanted Mind to have a once-every-90-second path to containment I would have specified a Hold. But a Hold is not what is needed here.

Well, your nitpicking is warranted, I'm not giving you much other than saying they should be separated, and that's mostly because MY own ideas for fixing MC are a little ridiculous. I would amp Terrify into a mini-nuke, and turn TK into an un-Force Bubble, where anything caught in the AoE is immobilized and immune to KB, and quickly drawn to the center of the AoE. I'm talking about making TK a power that would give Mind an avenue to Containment (while not being a lockdown power) and would finally be an AoE immob that teams don't mind you leading with. Obviously, an AoE that brings foes into melee range would not be fair on say, a Mind/Energy Dom.

I think /Poison is one of the most underrated controller secondaries; so much -Res, -ToHit, -Def, -Dam, and even a decent amount of -Regen, -End, and -Rech. If people thought more about what it does, they'd have paired it with Fire right out the gate. I don't even have half the inf invested in mine as the OP does, and it still melts through everything.

Because MC for Controllers is what they broke, and the fix shouldn't be handcuffed to "but what would that be like on a Dominator?"

I remember the days when people would roll a Mind/ just to get access to TK, so it is sad to see how useless it has become. It would be nice to see TK made a signature power again, but to do it right they would probably have to divorce Controller MC from Dom MC.

This is how I wound up doing Mind/Poison. I kind of split the difference between making it a "proc monster" and slotting it for effect, and the result is easily one of my favorite controllers. As a pet-less, buff-less controller, it keeps pace in DPS with everything short of a /Kin controller (thanks in no small part to all the -Res) and it survives having low defense and no heal thanks to all the -ToHit and soft controls. It's not a map-sweeping juggernaut, but it will sweep a map in less peril and with more style than pretty much any other controller I have, and, I have a lot of them. Hero Plan by Mids' Reborn : Hero Designer 2.6.0.7 https://github.com/ImaginaryDevelopment/imaginary-hero-designer Click this DataLink to open the build! Dr. Jonas: Level 50 Technology Controller Primary Power Set: Mind Control Secondary Power Set: Poison Power Pool: Leaping Power Pool: Speed Power Pool: Fighting Power Pool: Leadership Ancillary Pool: Stone Mastery Hero Profile: Level 1: Mesmerize -- Dvs-Acc/Dmg(A), Dvs-Hold%(7) Level 1: Alkaloid -- Prv-Heal(A), Prv-Absorb%(23) Level 2: Dominate -- GhsWdwEmb-Acc/EndRdx(A), GhsWdwEmb-EndRdx/Hold(9), GhsWdwEmb-Acc/Hold/Rchg(19), GhsWdwEmb-Dam%(21), Lck-%Hold(21), Dvs-Hold%(23) Level 4: Envenom -- ShlBrk-Acc/DefDeb(A), ShlBrk-%Dam(9), AchHee-ResDeb%(13) Level 6: Weaken -- CldSns-%Dam(A), CldSns-Acc/ToHitDeb(7), CldSns-Acc/EndRdx/Rchg(11), CldSns-ToHitDeb(46) Level 8: Super Jump -- Jump-I(A) Level 10: Combat Jumping -- LucoftheG-Def/Rchg+(A), Ksm-ToHit+(11) Level 12: Confuse -- CrcPrs-Conf(A), CrcPrs-Conf/Rchg(13), CrcPrs-Acc/Conf/Rchg(27), CrcPrs-Acc/Rchg(31), CrcPrs-Conf/EndRdx(31), CrcPrs-Conf%(34) Level 14: Mass Hypnosis -- FrtHyp-Sleep(A), FrtHyp-Sleep/Rchg(15), FrtHyp-Acc/Sleep/Rchg(15), FrtHyp-Acc/Rchg(17), FrtHyp-Sleep/EndRdx(17), FrtHyp-Plct%(19) Level 16: Neurotoxic Breath -- PcnoftheT-Acc/Slow(A) Level 18: Hasten -- RechRdx-I(A), RechRdx-I(25) Level 20: Boxing -- Empty(A) Level 22: Total Domination -- UnbCns-Hold(A), UnbCns-Hold/Rchg(25), UnbCns-Acc/Hold/Rchg(37), UnbCns-Acc/Rchg(39), UnbCns-EndRdx/Hold(40), UnbCns-Dam%(40) Level 24: Tough -- UnbGrd-ResDam(A), UnbGrd-ResDam/EndRdx(27), UnbGrd-ResDam/EndRdx/Rchg(36), UnbGrd-Max HP%(37) Level 26: Weave -- LucoftheG-Def/Rchg+(A), LucoftheG-Def/EndRdx(37), LucoftheG-Def(43) Level 28: Paralytic Poison -- GhsWdwEmb-Acc/Hold/Rchg(A), GhsWdwEmb-Acc/EndRdx(29), GhsWdwEmb-Dam%(29), Lck-%Hold(31) Level 30: Terrify -- PstBls-Acc/Dmg(A), PstBls-Dam%(43), PstBls-Acc/Dmg/EndRdx(48), PstBls-Dmg/EndRdx(50), PstBls-Dmg/Rng(48), GlmoftheA-Dam%(48) Level 32: Mass Confusion -- MlsIll-Acc/Rchg(A), MlsIll-EndRdx/Conf(33), MlsIll-Acc/EndRdx(33), MlsIll-Conf/Rng(33), MlsIll-Acc/Conf/Rchg(34), MlsIll-Dam%(34) Level 35: Poison Trap -- Arm-Dmg/EndRdx(A), Arm-Dam%(36), GhsWdwEmb-Dam%(36), Erd-%Dam(40), NrnSht-Dam%(42), FuroftheG-ResDeb%(43) Level 38: Venomous Gas -- AchHee-ResDeb%(A), DarWtcDsp-ToHitDeb/EndRdx(39), DarWtcDsp-Rchg/EndRdx(39) Level 41: Fissure -- FrcFdb-Acc/KB(A), FrcFdb-Rechg%(42), SuddAcc--KB/+KD(42) Level 44: Seismic Smash -- Hct-Acc/Dmg/Rchg(A), Hct-Dam%(45), TchofDth-Dam%(45), GhsWdwEmb-Dam%(45), NrnSht-Dam%(46), Mk'Bit-Dam%(46) Level 47: Levitate -- FrcFdb-Acc/KB(A), FrcFdb-Rechg%(50) Level 49: Maneuvers -- LucoftheG-Def/EndRdx(A), LucoftheG-Def/Rchg+(50) Level 1: Brawl -- Empty(A) Level 1: Containment Level 1: Prestige Power Dash -- Empty(A) Level 1: Prestige Power Slide -- Empty(A) Level 1: Prestige Power Quick -- Empty(A) Level 1: Prestige Power Rush -- Empty(A) Level 1: Prestige Power Surge -- Empty(A) Level 1: Sprint -- Clr-Stlth(A) Level 2: Rest -- Empty(A) Level 4: Ninja Run Level 2: Swift -- Flight-I(A) Level 2: Health -- Mrc-Rcvry+(A), NmnCnv-Regen/Rcvry+(3), Pnc-Heal/+End(5) Level 2: Hurdle -- Jump-I(A) Level 2: Stamina -- PrfShf-EndMod(A), PrfShf-EndMod/Rchg(3), PrfShf-End%(5) Level 50: Cardiac Total Radial Revamp Level 50: Ion Total Core Judgement Level 50: Degenerative Total Core Conversion Level 50: Clarion Partial Core Invocation Level 50: Rikti Ally Level 50: Control Total Core Graft ------------

This is what I wound up doing for my Dark/EA; I'm not liking the PerfShift% in the click powers, not sure if I move those slots altogether or put something else in there. I am kind of meh on the Intuition Alpha slot; I wanted to try it somewhere but this isn't really the right build for it. I'm also missing Shadowy Binds from my attack chain; right now I don't have a 'cooldown' attack and mob encounters are taking just that much longer. I don't REALLY want to step out of Possess but as a 6-wide situational, it seems like the thing to cut, but am thinking of trying Musculature Alpha on the test server and see if that tightens it up any. In any case, I do like the build overall, it does pretty much what I expected it to do, albeit a little slushier than I would like. Hero Plan by Mids' Reborn : Hero Designer 2.6.0.7 https://github.com/ImaginaryDevelopment/imaginary-hero-designer Click this DataLink to open the build! Voltswagen: Level 50 Technology Controller Primary Power Set: Darkness Control Secondary Power Set: zn_Electrical Affinity Power Pool: Leaping Power Pool: Speed Power Pool: Fighting Ancillary Pool: Stone Mastery Hero Profile: Level 1: Dark Grasp -- GhsWdwEmb-Acc/EndRdx(A), GhsWdwEmb-EndRdx/Hold(5), GhsWdwEmb-Hold/Rng(11), GhsWdwEmb-Acc/Hold/Rchg(13), Dvs-Hold%(15) Level 1: Shock -- PrfShf-EndMod/Acc(A), PrfShf-End%(7), EnrMnp-Stun%(46) Level 2: Living Shadows -- PstBls-Acc/Dmg(A), PstBls-Dmg/EndRdx(5), PstBls-Dmg/Rng(11), PstBls-Acc/Dmg/EndRdx(13), PstBls-Dam%(17), CldSns-%Dam(43) Level 4: Super Jump -- Jump-I(A) Level 6: Galvanic Sentinel -- EnrMnp-Stun%(A), PrfShf-EndMod/Acc(7) Level 8: Fearsome Stare -- GlmoftheA-Acc/Rchg(A), GlmoftheA-EndRdx/Fear(17), GlmoftheA-Acc/EndRdx(19), GlmoftheA-Acc/Fear/Rchg(19), GlmoftheA-Dam%(21), CldSns-%Dam(39) Level 10: Rejuvenating Circuit -- Prv-Heal(A), Prv-Heal/EndRdx(31), Prv-EndRdx/Rchg(37), Prv-Heal/Rchg(37), Prv-Heal/Rchg/EndRdx(39) Level 12: Energizing Circuit -- PrfShf-EndMod(A), PrfShf-End%(36) Level 14: Combat Jumping -- LucoftheG-Def/Rchg+(A), Ksm-ToHit+(15) Level 16: Faraday Cage -- UnbGrd-ResDam(A), UnbGrd-ResDam/EndRdx(23), UnbGrd-Rchg/ResDam(23), UnbGrd-ResDam/EndRdx/Rchg(25) Level 18: Heart of Darkness -- Stp-Acc/Rchg(A), Stp-EndRdx/Stun(31), Stp-Acc/EndRdx(34), Stp-Stun/Rng(34), Stp-Acc/Stun/Rchg(36), CldSns-%Dam(36) Level 20: Hasten -- RechRdx-I(A), RechRdx-I(21) Level 22: Haunt -- GlmoftheA-Acc/Rchg(A), GlmoftheA-EndRdx/Fear(25), GlmoftheA-Acc/EndRdx(27), GlmoftheA-Acc/Fear/Rchg(27), GlmoftheA-Dam%(29), CldSns-%Dam(40) Level 24: Empowering Circuit -- GssSynFr--ToHit(A) Level 26: Boxing -- Acc-I(A) Level 28: Tough -- StdPrt-ResDam/Def+(A), GldArm-3defTpProc(29) Level 30: Weave -- LucoftheG-Def/Rchg+(A), LucoftheG-Def/EndRdx(31) Level 32: Umbra Beast -- ExpRnf-Acc/Rchg(A), ExpRnf-Acc/Dmg(33), ExpRnf-Dmg/EndRdx(33), ExpRnf-Acc/Dmg/Rchg(33), ExpRnf-EndRdx/Dmg/Rchg(34), CldSns-%Dam(37) Level 35: Fissure -- Ann-Acc/Dmg(A), Ann-ResDeb%(40), SuddAcc--KB/+KD(40) Level 38: Amp Up -- RechRdx-I(A), RechRdx-I(39) Level 41: Seismic Smash -- Hct-Acc/Dmg/Rchg(A), Hct-Dam%(42), TchofDth-Dam%(42), Mk'Bit-Dam%(42), GhsWdwEmb-Dam%(43), NrnSht-Dam%(43) Level 44: Insulating Circuit -- Prv-Heal(A), Prv-Heal/EndRdx(45), Prv-EndRdx/Rchg(45), Prv-Heal/Rchg(45), Prv-Heal/Rchg/EndRdx(46), Prv-Absorb%(46) Level 47: Possess -- SprWiloft-Acc/Conf/Hold/Immob/Sleep/Stun/Fear(A), SprWiloft-Conf/Hold/Immob/Sleep/Stun/Fear/Rchg(48), SprWiloft-EndRdx/Rchg(48), SprWiloft-Acc/Conf/Hold/Immob/Sleep/Stun/Fear/EndRdx(48), SprWiloft-Acc/Conf/Hold/Immob/Sleep/Stun/Fear/EndRdx/Rchg(50), SprWiloft-Rchg/Dmg%(50) Level 49: Shadow Field -- GhsWdwEmb-Acc/Rchg(A), GhsWdwEmb-Acc/Hold/Rchg(50) Level 1: Brawl -- Empty(A) Level 1: Containment Level 1: Prestige Power Dash -- Empty(A) Level 1: Prestige Power Slide -- Empty(A) Level 1: Prestige Power Quick -- Empty(A) Level 1: Prestige Power Rush -- Empty(A) Level 1: Prestige Power Surge -- Empty(A) Level 1: Sprint -- Run-I(A) Level 2: Rest -- Empty(A) Level 4: Ninja Run Level 2: Swift -- Run-I(A) Level 2: Health -- Mrc-Rcvry+(A), NmnCnv-Regen/Rcvry+(3), Pnc-Heal/+End(9) Level 2: Hurdle -- Jump-I(A) Level 2: Stamina -- PrfShf-EndMod(A), PrfShf-End%(3), SynSck-EndMod/+RunSpeed(9) Level 50: Intuition Total Radial Revamp Level 50: Ageless Partial Radial Invocation ------------

How are you even getting Electrical Affinity out of Mids? I'm on 2.6.0.7 and it claims there aren't any updates? I didn't realize the Check For Updates button wasn't connected to anything; wish I had known about the MRBU stuff earlier! Thanks, @Ironscarlet (downthread)

Eh. I solo a Mind/Poison and have no trouble mowing through anything my other controllers attempt. Sure, its effectiveness is hampered on teams, but every controller's effectiveness suffers in that scenario.

I love Ice Controllers, so, I would need a DPM counter.

I know, I was a newer player when I started dual-boxing. I feel empathy for people who don't want to go through THOSE hoops - because they shouldn't HAVE to - but there are a million ways to earn inf (and salvage) in-game, and eventually, everyone can afford what they want. Keyword being 'eventually' - if you value your time at all, you'll dual-box and sidestep these Gordon Gecko wannabes completely.

Both /Dark and /Time are strong secondaries, but if you're trying to crack hard targets, I think /Dark wins out. Every power except Black Hole makes your character/whole team more effective. Howling Twilight is still one of the best ST debuffs in the game, Twilight Grasp is a rapid-fire AoE heal that hits for a significant amount of HP *and* packs decent debuffs along with it, and Soul Absorption can amp the team's regen right when they need it most. Dark Servant adds to your DPS and survivability, and Shadow Fall/Fade can shore up your raw +Def quickly. Don't get me wrong, I love the /Time secondary for soloing/normal content, but when you get it rolling you realize its constituent powers are not nearly as complementary as those in /Dark. Plus, /Time has this Rube Goldberg thing going on, where if you lead with Time Crawl then everything else in /Time gets better but Time Crawl is a lousy opener and right around the time you've hit with all the various powers you need to and go to throw Slowed Response on something, streakbreaker kicks in and you've just wasted like 6 clicks worth of combat. And just my 2c, but until they nerf Seismic Smash, there is no better Epic for a controller than Stone Mastery, especially if you have a primary (AND secondary) with very few skippables. Maybe I am getting this quote wrong, but the power to boost your secondary effects for 15s out of every 30 is insignificant next to the ability to destroy a planet every 12s.

Dual-client and get a farmer on both accounts. Alternate between them semi-regularly, and the only thing you'll need the market for is a place to dump your garbage.

You may be surprised to see photos, some of which have no coloring to them whatsoever, and the people in those photos may be seen standing very close to each other, may even appear to be marching, and the looks on their faces - if the photo is close enough to show such detail - will seem to indicate they are very passionate about whatever issue is agitating them. Many of the slogans on the signs they carry would indicate they are all gathered in support of one particular ideal. The preponderance of such gatherings actually lead to changes in legislation across the entire country. You would be shocked to find out that all of this transpired without the benefit of the internet, or even fax machines. You people didn't invent beer, food, or communications, or condescending shit comments. And while you certainly didn't invent complaining, you are without a doubt absolute masters on the subject.

Low-hanging fruit is a necessary evil in a society that encourages freedom of expression. It used to be that a childish joke did not warrant a childish response, but now it's all "Someone take The Bad Thing away! Someone! Someone!" and the whole world stops until The Bad Thing is properly scuttled. Thank God Mel Brooks peaked in the 70s, you people would have had him executed.

About the only time I fit Tactics into a build is if I *can* 6-slot it. The set bonuses out of GaussianSFC are really solid, and the Build-Up is a nice perk. TBH, Tactics might be overkill on an Earth, but if I get any downtime I might try and work up a build that can take it. Having seen what a proc'd out Poison Trap can do, I would be hard-pressed to drop it, but if it's a choice between Poison Trap and Seismic Smash, well...

Before I say anything, let me preface this with a disclaimer that I tend to look at builds through the prism of how *I* would play a particular combo, so don't take these observations as coming from some kind of bible of best practices. The important thing is that the build does what YOU want it to do. That said, here are the things that jumped out at me... 1) No Envenom. I would take Envenom; even if you're chunking out tons of -Def already, the -Res out of Envenom is huge (30%), and you can slap an Achilles' proc in there to get an occasional 20% -Res bonus. Being Earth, you'll want to hit harder on occasion. 2) Too many slots in Maneuvers. I'm not a fan of putting more than 3x slots into Maneuvers, even if two of them are Procs or whatever. The base +Def is so tiny (+2.625) that it just isn't worth buffing for more than endurance or muling. 3) Not enough slots in Tactics. On the other hand, I am a huge fan of 6-slotting Tactics with Gaussian's Synchronized Fire-Control - you get a damage buff, an endurance buff, and several defense buffs that are almost the equal of Maneuvers, one shot of Build-Up per minute, and a gigantic +ToHIt bonus. Combined with the -Def from Earth, the only thing that will stop you from clobbering stuff is the streakbreaker. 4) Too much stuff in Venemous Gas. I'm rolling 3x Enzyme Exposure on my /Posions; that gets me to the floor of endurance burn in that toggle, while getting -ToHit and -Def nearly to ED levels. Granted, you lose some set bonuses rolling that way, but I love having available slots in a Controller build because... 5) Seismic Smash! Take Seismic Smash, 6-slot it, and fill it with procs, glorious procs. With the -Def and +Tohit you have in the build, you can *almost* justify slotting 6 procs in the power... me, I prefer at least one Acc/Dam (or, Acc/Dam/Rech) Seismic Smash because I just know I will be kicking myself every time it misses. It still misses on occasion, even with the +Acc enchancement, but at least *I* know I did all I can. The 'cheap' slotting is two pieces Hecatomb, Ghost Widow%, Neuronic Shutdown %, Touch of Death%, and Mako's%. Slotted that way, I usually clobber an Orange Con for 900 on a 'regular' toon, and over 1200 on a /Poison. It's beautiful, and the highlight of my night every time I see our melee guys angrily whittling away at a boss, then I casually stroll up and pancake the target. 6) Try and fit Paralytic Poison in there. A second ST hold makes life super easy when you're soloing, and only helps you lock down more nerds when teams are running 4/8. 4-slot it with Ghost Widow and you have yourself a tidy little lockdown chain of Fossilize/Paralytic/Fossilize and a little extra endurance to keep on keeping on. 7) Don't bother 6-slotting Fissure. It's a good mule for the FF+Rech proc, but you're going to be pissed that you spent 120M to squeak out 1/6th of the damage that 60M invested in Seismic Smash would get you. That said, if you slot as I suggest, you lose those purple bonuses and that's not exactly insignificant. Eight) Poison Trap Slotting. Again, the purple set bonuses are nice, but if you can afford to go without them, you can six-slot Poison Trap with procs and one-shot almost/every minion in the spawn, and leave the survivors with a case of the hurls. 9) Neurotoxic Breath. If you can fit NBreath in somehow, you get a significant -Rech debuff that comes in handy when you're rolling up against stuff that hits HARD. Even with all your -Def, -ToHit, -Res, some -Rech and -Speed still comes in handy and will help you survive sticky spots you otherwise might not have. 10) Endurance. The build you linked just had the default slots in Health/Stamina. I typically 3-slot both on my controllers, throwing the Miracle/Numina/Panacea trio in Health and three bits of PerfShifter in Stamina. If you boost the straight PShift Endurance enhancement, it makes up for what you 'lost' by throwing a Schedule A (26.5) in place of a generic IO, and you get 19HP out of the deal. Having said ALL that, it may be hard to believe but I like the build. To my mind, Earth is still the granddaddy of all Controller primaries, and /Poison has recently become my favorite controller secondary because all the tricky debuffs add up to make everything you do better. If I weren't juggling the pitiable cries of a million end users who recently found themselves working from home, I would spin up an Earth/Poison RIGHT NOW.

I know everyone NEEDS +Def, but I have to imagine Plant/Time will have enough controls/buffs to make +Def more of a "comes in handy every so often" kind of thing, rather than being the difference between the build being playable or not. With Hybrid Control? Forget about it. While I am completely underwhelmed by the workflow of my Plant/Nature, I sometimes forget to use any of the secondary while I am soloing because the primary is already so survivable out of the box. ETA: my Plant/Nature is where I discovered how devastating Seismic Smash could be when you stuff procs into it... I was "arresting" Fake Nemesis (Nemesii?) faster on this guy than even my Rad/Fire brute. ETA2: I meant to say, my Plant/Nature. I don't have a Plant/Time. ETA3: Yet.

Eh, some Controllers are more of a slog than others, but to my mind, that just makes it that much more rewarding when they finally DO turn the corner. If that takes the form of Stone Mastery/Seismic Smash, so be it. Myself, anything that has significant -Res debuffs leans straight into Seismic Smash because seriously, why not leverage such a devastating ST attack? That said, I have plenty of working controller builds that barely touch an EPP. 99 ways and all that.

Good on you for trying, but you're never going to talk people into admitting their favored in-game activity is anything but harmful. I mean, someone stated their "buy low, sell high!" strategy somehow gives others the gift of time. Fact of the matter is, they steal time from me. I'm not paying their inflated prices, so I have to take time to roll my own. That's not a fucking service.