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Dauntless

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Posts posted by Dauntless

    So how do you build a blaster, anyway?

    in Blaster

    Posted

    Admittedly I've always been more of a scrapper or dominator player.  I had a sonic/fire blaster back on live that I pushed all the way to 50, sure, but it wasn't a too that I identified with or reached for very often other than the insistence that I'd get at least one blaster to 50.

    But today, a decade later, I've been playing a few blaster toons that I actually really enjoy (and one that I don't, lets just ignore him).  As I'm getting them into the higher levels and the cooler/fun sets are opening up as options, what should I aim for?  Dominators are easy, recharge->permadom.  Scrappers aren't much harder, make them survivable.  Is there anything else worth aiming for?  Blast IO set bonuses are unappealing to my eye compared to what I look for with melee sets.

    Frankenslotting lets you get more oomph while being efficient on slots, but what am I saving those slots for now that I actually have them in abundance?  Or do I actually need to stop and think about powers other than "just take all of them" to see what they do?  
     

    A minor complaint about the dominator ATO

    in Dominator

    Posted

    I think SeraphimKensai's idea is the best, just improve dominating grasp.  Most of the other ATs I play I usually try to squeeze in both sets, with the dominator sets I just squeeze in Ascendency + the other's proc.  It feels like a missed opportunity.

     

    I honestly don't think it matters too much about control vs damage for where the sets go.  The holds always get the 4-piece Basilisk Gaze set for 7.5% recharge and a proc.  The other control sets almost all have a 5-piece bonus of 6.25% recharge somewhere, which does compete in the rule of 5 against ranged & AOE attacks but they are usually the cheaper option.  Melee and melee AOE are in the 5% bucket and can be "nicely slotted" with only 5 slots.  None of these will make an outsized impact while leveling up, and once you hit 50 they all compete for that magic 10% bracket if you want to push it that far.  In practice, if I had the option to go either direction or both, I'd still end up using the dominator sets to ease the pressure on that 6.25% recharge bucket - none of those existing alternative sets are perfect and one of them are bad options.

    lol of course most of my dom builds are levelling/budget permadom builds, which probably taints my perspective.

    • Like 1

    Attack strategies for elec/elec (solo and teams!)

    in Dominator

    Posted

    33 minutes ago, queequeg77 said:

    Where's the best spot to slot the Ascendancy of the Dominator set? As far as I can tell, I can only put that into primary powers. Maybe that could make Chain Fences or Jolting Chain a decent power use?

     

    It looks like the Dominating Grasp set doesn't have real useful bonuses. But would it's proc help out my damage as an Elec/Elec? With a different damage type, if nothing else?

     

    I have competing thoughts about ascendancy of the dominator - either in my opening AOE mez so it acts like a mini-build up (those typically recharge for 30ish seconds once slotted, perfect for the proc) or in my single target hold so it is part of my attack chain.   The opener makes it a reliable proc but the STH puts it into my normal attack chain, hopefully maximizing its single target use.

    At the end of the day either is probably fine and I'm just inconsistent.

    • Thanks 1

    Attack strategies for elec/elec (solo and teams!)

    in Dominator

    Posted

    9 hours ago, Uun said:

    Chain Fences is a mag 3 immobilize. Electric Fence is the mag 4 immobilize.

     

    Shoot, did I get them backwards?  Single target immob = mag4, aoe immob = mag 3.  STI can actually catch a surprising amount of foes in one shot, just not usually the AVs famous for running away.  AOE immob is better as an attack when slotted correctly.  Fill in the silly names as you see fit.  😄

    Attack strategies for elec/elec (solo and teams!)

    in Dominator

    Posted

    It is weird, given how un-plussed I am with electric control, that I have 3 toons with it as a primary.  

     

    Solo, at your level, it is pretty much up to you.  I've typically   My bread and butter controls are the hold and confuse (synaptic overload), I'll use the sleep (static field) if confuse is down or I'm expecting adds.  And then burn things down.  I usually have conductive aura running to help with endurance management.

     

    On teams, it doesn't have a good reliable "oops" control.  Sleep is alright, it is a location AOE, but I'm sure if you try harder than I do you can macro/bind more snap-worthy faster ability to place that location than trying to manually spot it in a pinch.  Confuse can get most of a spawn of mobs, but it takes some time.  The no-aggro is your friend here.  The AOE hold is your only real oops button, and it is subject to the problems in common with all of the AOE holds.  I tend to focus on locking down difficult targets and blasting - I'll put up confuse and/or sleep as the tactical situation permits but I'm generally not achieving the "master of the AOE controls" I typically do with my other doms.


    Now on to your specific questions:

    Most dom assault sets are lacking with AOE.  The good news is most epic picks can fill that hole nicely.

    One thing to mind on teams to help keep from getting crushed is control causes aggro - not as much as a tank's multiplier but you should be able to pull aggro on nearly anything that isn't a tank, brute, or scrapper (with a tank-esque aggro aura).  You have to understand your group's dynamic before you open up freely with aoe control while you level, in the beginning you are better off holding what you hit but as you level you should learn what you are capable of handling and try to stay within that range.  (Or be like me and always push to be the hero as a way to help fund debt badges. 🙂

    I don't use jolting chain very often, especially as I've leveled up.  But the knockdown is a reliable one-shot "control" for most bosses, even if it only lasts a few seconds.  It is often enough time to hold -> jolting chain -> ???? -> hold to lock down and average boss before he hits you too much.  Or you can chain -> hold -> ??? -> chain -> hold, with a little recharge and some lucky rag-doll effects you won't get clobbered at all.

    Chain fences is a mag4 immobilize, it'll one-shot immobilize not only your average boss but also your average AV.  Your typical AV does not have high immobilize protection.  In theory that is helpful when facing AVs who like to run amok across the map, but in practice those AVs tend to have protection or resistance to immobilize.  I used to use it to catch Crimson on that one red-side mission, otherwise just treat it like a low level blast.  I usually skip it.

    I tend to take the AOE immob though, slot it full of damage procs, and use it for damage.  They are usually very wide targeted powers.    You can probably do the same thing with the STI, but I've never really tried before.

    I find voltaic sentinel helpful solo, but I usually forget to resummon him on a team.


    If you are on a team where there isn't much of a demand or need for your controls, either other toons with easier to use controls or you are just speed-rolling, just sit back and enjoy it.  Even without a "what's a tank" presence like my mind dom can bring you can still contribute significantly to your team's bottom line.  I've run Manticore's task force a fair amount lately.  The smoothest run by far was the one with literally just one electric dom - she managed to hold nearly every paragon protector and I think we had to deal with only 1 or 2 MOGs the entire time.  It was easily the fastest run of them all. 

    • Thanks 1

    The Rich Alt's Guide to Perma-Dom

    in Dominator

    Posted

    On 4/2/2024 at 3:01 AM, MonteCarla said:

    Working backwards from the Rule of 5:

    5 x LotG +7.5% (Manouvers+Vengeance, Weave/Hover/CJ, and Stealth+Grant Invisibility or  Indomitable Will+Link Minds) 

    3 x Other 7.5% (Basilisks' Gaze x 2 and Sting of the Manticore)

     

     

    Those don't count against each other?  Sigh, you don't want to know how many years I've been getting it wrong. 😞

    • Like 1

    Arsenal Control/Arsenal Assault Build Dominator ??

    in Dominator

    Posted

    Levelling up is annoying me with respect to the ranged DPS:  you get the tier 1 burst and a narrow cone AOE in the buckshot, and that is it until the sniper attack at T8?!?  Wow.  But 5 slotted in both powers it at least keeps me busy.  The endurance drain from using buckshot like it is a single target attack adds up in the lower levels.   Ironically /arsenal is probably better paired with the more traditional control sets that are chok-full of middleton blasts to give controllers attack powers - I'm just used to leaning on assault for attacks and control sets for controls.

    I've wondered what it would be like to take the fighting pool and make a full melee attach chain, but not enough to try it yet.  

    One thing I do appreciate in the late 20s thus far is a lot of the AOE controls are useful without additional slots, making it easier to focus slots on the holds and assault powers as I see fit.  I'm drooling over hitting the volume of slots that come available in the 30s.


    I like playing the combo so far, soloing is interesting, but on a well equipped team I have a tendency to rely on flashbang (the AOE stun) because it is targeted, and most of the other AOEs are location targeted and that just takes too long.  The plethora of location targeted AOEs is terribly helpful for ambushes and other dynamic encounters, many options for area control and denial.

    Another Force User Homage !!

    in Dominator

    Posted · Edited by Dauntless

    (*big snip*)

     

    Whoops, wrong thread.  Sorry about the temporary threadjack.

     

     

    On topic:  I just don't buy force user w/o a lightsaber.  We need a laser assault set, with 2-3 hits from "laser sword".  That'll do nicely.

    Hybrid slots and dominators

    in Dominator

    Posted

    4 hours ago, Uun said:

    Dark/Dark - Support

    Ice/Savage - Control (Runs Arctic Air and spams Cold Snap, both of which are non-damaging control powers. Is it optimal? I don't know.)

     

    Do you find it helpful?  How does it play?  What are the perks?  Any other observations?

    Hybrid slots and dominators

    in Dominator

    Posted

    The worst part is I even replied in that thread.  I still don't think the +1 mag is really helpful to us, but I was reading about the other aspects of hybrid last night and that is what got me thinking.

    Hybrid slots and dominators

    in Dominator

    Posted

    I'll admit, this is an "underthought" topic for me, the hybrid slots.  (You know, where under-thinking is the opposite of over-thinking).

     

    I usually just go assault, as it makes generic sense with no actual thought going into the process.  On sizeable raids or over-powered teams I don't seem to see much of a need for control, just damage, which assault fits into nicely.

     

    For anyone who has actually thought through this slot and what it means to a dom build or two, what did you come up with?  I'm curious.

    New To Dom

    in Dominator

    Posted

    Sleep and fear can be broken by damage, everything else (immob, stun, confuse, hold) should be fine.

     

    Sleep is 100% removed by damage, you'll see this with mass hypnosis.  The perk is without damage it does not cause aggro.  A lot of newer AOE sleep effects reapply smaller duration sleep effects, which makes it play more like fear (in practice).  Against higher level mobs, if you haven't slotted for sleep duration, you'll see them waking up for smaller fits of action even from those re-applying AOEs.

     

    Fear can be broken, ish.  Damage will allow the scared mob to take an action but they get the fear affect reapplied to them after a second or two.  If they are facing you they will likely fire off an attack, if they have to turn odds are they'll be scared again before they finish turning.  It isn't 100% but it certainly cuts down on incoming damage.  

     

    Enhancement choices depend on your build goals.  I usually take both procs but I rarely take both sets.

    • Thanks 1

    Grav/Energy Ranged Dominator

    in Dominator

    Posted

    Personally, I thought it would be great being able to stack stuns with energy, but this ended up being my 5th /energy dominator and I just lost interest around the time gravity was getting good.  One thing that was surprisingly annoying is energy has a lot of blasts and grav has a few powers that are more or less attacks - too many powers stepping on each other's toes for me.  You are overwhelmed with middleton ranged attack choices.

    YMMV, it does allow you to quickly stack stun which is always fun.  And grav has some great powers in it.

     

    I loved the idea and I still like my character concept - a mashup of a star-trek-esque red-shirt guy and Captain Fisby from The Teahouse of the August Moon.

    Conductive aura

    in Dominator

    Posted · Edited by Dauntless

    Never mind, I guess it does.

     

    I unslotted stamina, just the default slot in CA with an accuracy, and ran off to play with hydras in perez park for a while.  

     

    0.13 end/sec per hydra, the lower level critters ran in and out, but I usually had 5+ in range.   It looks to take 2-3 seconds before the proc shows up on the combat attributes.  On a more interesting side effect, it seems the regen and recovery procs fire at different rates and last different amounts of time.

     

    Well I guess I'm wrong then, it just doesn't feel like it helps much on teams that are steamrolling.  And I guess that is probably why, it feels that way because I am never next to enough someones long enough to make a big difference.

    Conductive aura

    in Dominator

    Posted

    8 hours ago, oedipus_tex said:

    On the buff side, Unenhanced, Conductive Aura supplies +0.03125 recovery to the caster. If you hit 8 targets with it (the cap), you're getting exactly as much Recovery as Inherent Stamina (0.25 Recovery).

     

    That is how it is supposed to work.  Is it actually working?  It certainly didn't seem to be these last few nights.

    Conductive aura

    in Dominator

    Posted

    Does conductive aura _ACTUALLY_ do anything, other than generate more aggro than a brute?   Obviously you have to be close enough to hit and it takes accuracy enhancements.  With a half dozen procs or more from getting mixed in you would think that you would not be gasping for air after just a few attacks.

     

    I have two toons with it currently:

     

    A level 40 who is just barely permadom and 1acc/2endmod.  I have enough slots so everything has endurance reduction and domination recharges enough now that honestly I don't really need it most of the time.

     

    A level 20-something with just the default slot.  Flipping it on seems to deplete endurance completely in just a handful of attacks, a very marked difference from her performance in the late teens and pre-24.

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