vibal

Interesting take @Switch8! I hadn't played dark since the obscure sustenance update. How are you liking it? Dark regen is a nice heal, but the delay in the button and the delivery of HP can be pretty brutal on dark. I'm hesitant to trust +regen, but resistance to -to-hit would be lovely for the times it comes up.

I really wanted to make a build work with 2 proper damage aurus. I tried spines/dark, /bio, and /elec. This is the build i ran: |MBD;23576;1486;1984;BASE64;| |GxdcACwKbBuZfSeOBuYtPTK/LkW69lScinjx2AaIJSun5zndI+Q3i05XX6esVB59uRR| |KP6Un/NTc/C39/qv2IX265vJqcTMniWA0qLP79//bL7WRsRZn3a4zwT//TYAKhIpwfm| |gKpFABfVkgTyBUnUmrgKXrGzX3qcmqnrrWNS516+XK2hjMbuE6wCEW6j5mzrAoMSp6P| |vVn10Vh0lH/dvC4mIDknSmc33lZ8yUAO6QFFFhJPcG+z3piEhbbXQ23VAoHO6Q9KFwO| |IN6zqMt7M3I2CPpSWkjBomwhgfHZ8hPee21fuFGdIPBtDt0JqiO9QcvGHn/ooj5e9lU| |8wYAlLnUUuYO+SWRiuLUXW56R5DUWhi0GV2a2fIRcLJq9scAyzjK+2otAl65L50x93M| |1S/4u35YNxq0lcTcnUUodhHeu+Z8TaMNTvuIzTd5A3bstHtPR/rURvveatWTPWmyk8D| |rBj00HyOVQ8qh9IeP8FuJX/C2N9rpg3uhYED7MJtSmYU+ulOt+NuvdKP5H9/g4dFIwp| |X4+tezoGw7Qaqb4zwwYnAku8R1KYw0FQY7fG97DWo5v3g+5wAnM5ouANf5BMrwuDkh2| |+0+yH9lgcDkYIRRDZAUOEkhAZCNvQtWVW/41MSadX/3F13lJWZfgApmyNwYfH/Ak16z| |lPSY/mIiGnPYdqFKHkDlkBMTz4jQfSB8eRMQeaqJ/xl3PuLG7pvHG3wxMGb533+6SZr| |wRJfEk2UIT4nIBxhNeAIcJboADRVYBpEiabfdMXr8OYWa1AcZ12OVHeViK7i4mvBzTm| |iW+yhRWEdcAQhR9ZAX9k0GqneeGLaYlE3N7I2ii8/Uq1rAC+py3y9bzEikNwF84Soum| |4B39RMbRTFkEc4eIKKI4omA6GCKIgLeCRZMa7LrfSoeIch8JGMTBwuOMc7iHZZKh0ZD| |HIR/GdYnI2jmjI2KSaq/lHLtdBCSecR5SEkjPxkdzIN5neoQ5YUCwaQKly8VN9RzK91| |rYv6F0Uby9ftz0W2FDsDTBUlbi91dfG/wP8xHW8PJh7zeFJOyxnbE8H7EoM2ijuDe3A| |1isaqnDCcNLCikd3oGQkpJlnXXsWu4/oxpcmvu421awc8MJ93YPmFayq4KLicSC3gOK| |ISgQKEVUm5AZwLT2VL1KNmB1YOULVmrXD9phPKGRNqvsU3jJaiFvw2vj28x1VsgAsKF| |bS6aZJfExBWc6boXAgAiXd0hrEcck+P0FSqoENxdaVgpWFA14oVobldKoIFhMorLsvK| |Np0ZDz4BltygRvOrBqqopTxhjNMqrVxEEO5vAKMI4iDuIQfMyDZiUdqp3qvBnr31zs4| |W8SpAIEXx3m3pifzjWynvB/Hs8Cc2t/ttjDOmzT3sZ7OjUQxzu7VpF+T+cVNUp3r5MY| |3MaN31o7Wryao4hTVRXZXsEHrRLOScdlGrRdZEM8AVleGISbbpoh4GyuuR9hI95DlV1| |M3C7y0fAK41IzislvX9/KQGJxQ5ArtKQM8foa7o/sAkW8x92MOvJIg65qzFvxkBdVwA| |v+Je01sRq4xFhvZKntgN/cts6Y6LrHlDRmhOxa0SJ5s8QA2FPtGMceA88BTjKC4tjZ3| |PdQIlsyx/xqlneFVGObRo9/yLv/hvdxh6nwNM7ySbfkb5A61ADwQdsoHyqy3CrAsezF| |kH1L0y+20xRj4IOwhhgowEwkzG1yuUAdzVTMHmhE+C9X3zWgJzyPlYaQyLkgKifPh2V| |62y47jL25u2yfUGx0J+roHpSqeMKT2ixlKz9xRHsq50DRUyTv9qzf/EeOhmwi5Zzr93| |m2+dENnLaYgcVkhMfEYz2//pCmrgdSQEornc5znqS7FDL+LoSEGuOmmb/OXVIyZoah/| |CDgMXpPjzGGAcw06o0WEvLD3baFmAEm2YAYzsj0btc2+sNh9timh7jIPKTSuJA65Jcn| |3WCVdGsvfLOY7UHKorMxI8Cope5XHBKzIR8zYAQ==| 54/8 content was just a bit rough outside of barrier living. It's a fun build when everything is clicking though.

Actually re-reading the descriptions it's worse than I thought. 10% to the attuned is dog water. Scaling it up only boosts the ST auto brawl toggle damage. I thought you could scale the boost up on all attacks to 10 stacks, flat 10% to one target is awful.

I had extremely low expectations for sonic as they all seem to pay the -res tax in terms of AoE output. Sonic melee manages to underwhelm even with some AoE in the kit. Notably the solution for -res being too good was to pull it as a secondary effect from every power except the sleep. Note: Sleep isn't an effect I generally pursue especially on a melee character. It's -9%/15s res which is okay, but you won't be cratering a tough target's resistance and you'll be slotting a sleep so y'know. Replacing -res with hold/kd is okay I guess (?) but sonic already has an established *thing* - why isn't it here? Attune doesn't pull the trigger on being interesting. It's a single target DoT toggle. The damage isn't great and the secondary effects aren't either. The only powers that increase the output are sonic thrust and strident echo and ONLY if you hit the attuned target. Neither of the 1st 2 attacks in the set are buttons worth pushing and by mid 20's they exist in other sets as filler for when the buttons you want to push are recharging. So what do you get for slotting and prioritizing one or both of your throw away level 1 power picks? 10% increase to damage per stack on the attuned target. In a mystical dreamworld you'd toggle up, get to 10 stacks, and enjoy 100% bonus damage. That will happen approximately never. AV fight or bust I suppose, but I can't think of another power with a use that narrow. The set wants me to toggle a target up, tickle it with my throw-aways and retarget to hit everyone else OR hammer into the attuned target and retoggle/lose stacks. It's a DoT set which says brute, but it's a base damage buff set which says everyone BUT brute. You do get a 180 degree cone and a 15' pbaoe which I didn't expect from sonic. The reason I didn't expect it is you don't get the thing that made you want to play sonic. At least a ST focused set with -res would help everyone do damage instead of breakdancing around forgettable powers to buff your own damage.

I think there's a good faith argument to be made that controls need a goal to balance toward in team content. The amount of mob types that are partially/largely/completely immune to controls, lower damage and/or lower support #'s on both control AT's, and reliance on cycling barrier for mitigation in incarnate level content, makes them the first to get jettisoned in harder content groups. A dom's slot would almost always be better filled by a blaster, and a troller's spot would almost always be better filled by a corrupter. Firing off an AOE hold in content that is actually challenging is about as useful as if there were a mob type that was immune to footstomp's damage, but still effected by the knock down -- presuming footstomp were saddled with a 240s cooldown. Given the recent changes to plant I have no idea what the dev goals are for controls but I don't have high hopes for the return of support heavy teams.

To clarify the dev response on the first page was in regards to whether people are running the content (they are), not how that content was being organized.

I guess we'll agree to... agree 😄

Tend to be done doesn't discount that they have been done outside of premades w/voice chat.

This is effectively already in the game with the starred content, lab, etc. Those tend to be done in premade's with aggressive team comp requirements. Fun for those that enjoy it, but not something you see pop up in the /LFG all that often. The friction in game tends to be when a player brings their +1 brute to a zerg team which'll cause some of the feelsbads. The sticking point is the idea that folks are out here with their TA/Archery defenders soloing at +4/x8 without some bonkers tomfoolery.

The idea that every toon can solo +4/x8 is only true if you cherry pick circumstance and available powers (i.e. just use a break free). The vast majority of characters can solo a +4/x8 spawn, but that's not the same as soloing a whole mission at that rate. You can use incarnates to fill gaps, but the vast majority of builds are going to lack in more than one area (mez protection, sustain, damage, etc.). You CAN use a break free, until you run out. You CAN email yourself more and leave mission, but seriously... nobody is doing that and flexing (right??). You CAN take clarion, but are you sure you have enough healing (rebirth)? Enough Defense (barrier)? Rune of protection is there for mez protection and aid self for sustain, but I'd love to see a functional build that includes both of those picks. Capped defense is also a great tool, except every enemy group will cause cascading. Most characters need something after the alpha to mitigate (other than more damage). Judgements are extremely good. They also do about 50% damage to a +4 minion. You are definitely going to be getting clapped back. Hyperbole aside the list of builds that can consistently solo +4/x8 without cherry picking mob types (re: council) is pretty slim.

Players like that debuff fun around them aggressively anyhow. Being stuck in an I3 mindset 20 years later. Better that they put themselves out there and make themselves easy to avoid.

Mobs are an endangered species and missions are a limited resource! In seriousness though the time lost tracking mobs is a debuff to fun. Grab a fresh mission and lets roll. Also mission complete is a bonus. Lets try to hit as many of those as we can.

I do realize, and certainly wouldn't trade the utility of capped stealth for a ST sleep.

But illusion plays consistently and contributes without PA. Tagging it as a late bloomer undermines what illusion is capable of sans PA, particularly in the case of a duo. I struggle to think of a controller that's going to bring more impact to the scenario described. There's a lot more to the set despite it being flagged as a one trick pony.

This is incorrect. Illusion gets the bulk of it's kit **very** early. Phantom Army is what pushes it into hilarious levels, but this levelling scheme: Blind, Radiant Aura, Spectral Wounds, Deceive, Accelerate Metabolism, Superior Invis Gives you access to illusions ability to solo endlessly. PA accelerates that immensely and turns the danger button to "Off", but by level 8 you have everything you need. Including an aoe/self heal and a solid +recov/+recharge buff. The OP isn't going to be kitting the toon out, but illusion starts very good and moves into supreme tier with investment. Also note that a no-aggro confuse is a life saver and provides 100% mitigation from trouble mobs. This is especially relevant in a small spawn setting which I assume is what a duo is going to be seeing. Accelerate metabolism (even w/downtime) is also an immense help to early melee characters. To the OP -- I would say give Illusion/Radiation a serious look for what you want.