Ringo

This is the post (and the build) that clued me in on the -recovery effects being limited to Poison and Thermal. @Tomgreen1has a great PVP/Hard Target sapper build here that was really informative.

It turns out those Poison debuff numbers weren't as huge as I thought. Mids was combining the actual debuff with the partial AoE debuff. So a Corr would see a a -45% Res value that was actually only 30, and a Defender would see a whopping -60% Res value that was actually only 40. Still a 10% difference, but not quite as much as I thought. Personally, for a Thermal I'd go Corruptor all the way. For Poison I'd play a Defender with the intent to Solo or Hard Mode team content. For non-Hard Mode team content, I think the Poison Corr wins out.

Thermal and Poison are the two sets that do -recovery, so they're actually the only true sapper sets as they not only drain end but keep enemies from generating new end for 40 and 30 seconds respectively. Even Short Circuit in Electric Blast only has a 10 second -recovery duration. So from my point of view if you're going Thermal then take advantage of Heat Exhaustion and pair it with Electric Blast. As far as Defender vs Corruptor, I was investigating this for a potential Elec/Poison sapper and my conclusions were: Strictly Solo: Defender (Vigilance damage boost, higher debuff values) Teamed: Corruptor (Defenders lose the damage boost, teams throw out enough damage and debuffs that the lower Corr debuffs are only felt on the very hardest of targets, which actually see Scourge perform at its best) Teamed, Hard Mode Content: Defender (Everything needs debuffed, but not everything has the HP bar necessary to make Scourge a bigger factor) So that's for a Poison Sapper. For Thermal, which is a much more Buff-centric set, I think you're better off running a Corruptor in all situations. Basically only Forge and Melt Armor are always benefitting from the higher Defender values, and that's not enough to make the damage drop worth it.

@Voltak the posted build has Afterburner as a power pick (at least for me) - I assume you replaced that with Evasive Maneuvers? Also - does that Soulbound Allegiance proc actually fire in Tornado? I never see any buildup except from Lightning Storm in my buffs list, nor in my Pet Damage window on Brainstorm. After some experimentation, I kept seeing the Overwhelming Force, Achilles' Heel, Touch of Lady Grey, and Force Feedback procs firing the most in Tornado (Shield Breaker Lethal didn't seem to fire ever, nor Soulbound Allegiance), along with Apocalypse and Force Feedback in Lightning Storm (again - nothing from Gladiator's Javelin). The Decimation Build Up proc did fire every time LS was summoned, but only on summon. Could Touch of Lady Grey be canceling out Shield Breaker? And Apocalypse for Gladiator's Javelin? If that's a thing that's happening - maybe my other procs are canceling Soulbound Allegiance? I guess this calls for more testing.

Yup! Soft-capping Ranged Defense will be your best bet to stay unmezzed, but it's a hard knock life out there

Dimension Shift -> Oil Slick is great. IIRC you can also Wormhole a group *into* the Dimension Shift as well. The two downsides (for Grav Controllers) are 1) Dimension Shift only lasts for 20 seconds, it's not a lot of time to put it up and then launch attacks/port enemies into it and 2) Controllers can be hard pressed to kill all mobs within that 20 second window However, add in a team that is willing to work with the Grav Controller? To misquote that Scottish play: Bubble, Bubble, Toil and Trouble - Welcome to my Cauldron of DOOM

Here's what my leveling build for Jenny Chaos would look like, @Delduath: There's a few Set IOs in there that I will get into. The main thing to remember is that you can use the same SOs instead of the non-set IOs, it's just really expensive to keep upgrading them over time, so using IOs of at least level 25 or higher will give you the same bonuses as even level SOs or better (with higher levels). Okay so the Set IOs in the build are the 3 in Health, 1 in Stamina, and 1 in 02 Boost that will increase your HP/Regen/End overall. Highly recommended! The 2 in Tough, 1 in Manuevers, 1 in Hover, and 1 in Surge of Power are all about boosting global resistances and defense (and total hp). Not as necessary before the late game, but you'll want them all eventually. Gale and Tornado have the Knockback to Knockdown Proc. These are quality of life enhancements, and not major for Plant/Storm because you can use Roots to convert your immobilized targets from KB to KD. At some point you may want to have the comfort of the Procs, but then again maybe not! There's an alternate slotting on Power Sink with two set IOs. It decreases the amount of end to use Power Sink and increases the amount of end gained per mob hit. It's handy, but drops the recharge reduction. Up to you. The main difference here in how you run the leveling build is that you don't have the Defense, Recharge, or Endurance to run at full tilt. As it is, Steamy Mist/Tough/Weave/Charged Armor are the only toggles you want to be running full time. Your recharge is low, and your biggest powers don't come until late - so make good use of Spore Burst and Gale. Keep your teammates alive with Hurricane and 02 boost (it clears Disorient/Stun and Blindness!) Once you have Creepers, Tornado, and Lightning Storm you'll really be cooking. Jenny Chaos Leveling - Controller (Plant Control).mxd

oh and the build download: Jenny Chaos 22.2 - Controller (Plant Control).mxd

The long awaited 2022 update! Okay, here's my most recently updated build for my main, Jenny Chaos: Pros: Positional Defenses - Ranged 44.9%, AoE 45.5%, Melee 23.65% (if you're getting melee'd, turn on Hurricane for a -30% to hit debuff on your attackers + repel) Resistances - S/L 75%, Energy 74%, Fire/Cold 44.9% (Surge of Power can boost everything but Psionic if you need it) Max HP: +179, Regen: 188% Recharge Debuff Resist: 35% Global Recharge: 227% Global Accuracy: +15% Global Damage: +14% Sprint (with Celerity Stealth) + Steamy Mist = True Stealth. Just remember to "/release_pets all" to drop Fly Trap and Creepers before you start running for that blinky/boss room Cons: Hasten is 20 seconds short of Perma No real Negative/Toxic/Psi damage resists End Hungry Build is End Hungry No Def Debuff resistances, Cascade Failures will happen (if you don't Hurricane) How it plays: Seeds->Roots->Freezing Rain->Tornado->Lightning Storm->Roots->Strangler Alternate Roots and Strangler on anything not Confused (Bosses and higher usually) and throw down parts of your original chain when they recharge if the mobs haven't melted. This combo generally eliminates minions/lts with ease, but struggles to really pour it on for hard targets. Tornado and Lightning Storm are your big hitters, but both Roots and Freezing Rain have -res procs (that will stack with each other) so don't forget to reapply. Lightning Storm, Roots, and Freezing Rain all benefit greatly from Procs, while I find that Tornado gets the most out of actually slotting damage. You *can* slot a KB/KD Proc in Lightning Storm, but basically if anything isn't already Rooted, you don't want it to close the distance with you anyway, so KB is hardly a problem. Spore Burst is an autohit (and I didn't want to slot it, but it was necessary) that can buy you some time, but you have to position the sleeping group away from your pets. Vines will also buy you time, but less of it, and on a longer recharge. Handy for stacking Holds though. Gale and Hurricane are excellent damage mitigation. Gale doesn't have the accuracy slotted to be a true lockdown power, but with a 50ft range and 80 degree cone, you're going to knock enough mobs on their butt to help. Hurricane gives that sweet -range and -30% Tohit debuff that combos with your sub-par melee defense to rise above the normal defensive Softcap. Ranged and AoE attackers within the Debuff will be having an even worse time. I believe the debuff range is slightly bigger than the hurricane animation? Don't quote me on that. Hurricane's Repel is also great as it can herd baddies into a corner for your tank or Tornado. Both the debuff and repel work together to help you create safe zones for your ranged teammates. Any mobs attempting to get through you to the blaster will have their tohit debuffed and their range shortened - meaning they will have to close the distance to even fire, which will then hit them with the repel and make them repeat the process. KB/KD resistant foes will ignore the repel, but then your ranged buddies just need to make sure that any melee attacks are still standing in your hurricane when they start swinging. Hug the Hurricane! Love the Hurricane! Of course, the Hurricane eats all your endurance - which is why you need Power Sink (and some choice Incarnate picks). Of all the Epic pools, Mu's Power Sink has 1) the quickest recharge and 2) No Accuracy Check. Between Power Sink and Lightning Storm you could potential sap your targets, but what you really want is to fill up your blue bar - and this will do that for you. Eat early, Eat often Seeds of Confusion is the bedrock on which the Plant/Storm is built. So it needs to be said - against Confuse resistant foes, all your normal plans go out the window. Gale, Hurricane, and Spore Burst suddenly become keys to survival, and you'll actually need to pay attention to killing the minions/lts instead of just assuming they're gonna melt. Be Wary of Longbow!

Okay, here's my most recently updated build for my main, Jenny Chaos: Pros: Positional Defenses - Ranged 44.9%, AoE 45.5%, Melee 23.65% (if you're getting melee'd, turn on Hurricane for a -30% to hit debuff on your attackers + repel) Resistances - S/L 75%, Energy 74%, Fire/Cold 44.9% (Surge of Power can boost everything but Psionic if you need it) Max HP: +179, Regen: 188% Recharge Debuff Resist: 35% Global Recharge: 227% Global Accuracy: +15% Global Damage: +14% Sprint (with Celerity Stealth) + Steamy Mist = True Stealth. Just remember to "/release_pets all" to drop Fly Trap and Creepers before you start running for that blinky/boss room Cons: Hasten is 20 seconds short of Perma No real Negative/Toxic/Psi damage resists End Hungry Build is End Hungry No Def Debuff resistances, Cascade Failures will happen (if you don't Hurricane) How it plays: Seeds->Roots->Freezing Rain->Tornado->Lightning Storm->Roots->Strangler Alternate Roots and Strangler on anything not Confused (Bosses and higher usually) and throw down parts of your original chain when they recharge if the mobs haven't melted. This combo generally eliminates minions/lts with ease, but struggles to really pour it on for hard targets. Tornado and Lightning Storm are your big hitters, but both Roots and Freezing Rain have -res procs (that will stack with each other) so don't forget to reapply. Lightning Storm, Roots, and Freezing Rain all benefit greatly from Procs, while I find that Tornado gets the most out of actually slotting damage. You *can* slot a KB/KD Proc in Lightning Storm, but basically if anything isn't already Rooted, you don't want it to close the distance with you anyway, so KB is hardly a problem. Spore Burst is an autohit (and I didn't want to slot it, but it was necessary) that can buy you some time, but you have to position the sleeping group away from your pets. Vines will also buy you time, but less of it, and on a longer recharge. Handy for stacking Holds though. Gale and Hurricane are excellent damage mitigation. Gale doesn't have the accuracy slotted to be a true lockdown power, but with a 50ft range and 80 degree cone, you're going to knock enough mobs on their butt to help. Hurricane gives that sweet -range and -30% Tohit debuff that combos with your sub-par melee defense to rise above the normal defensive Softcap. Ranged and AoE attackers within the Debuff will be having an even worse time. I believe the debuff range is slightly bigger than the hurricane animation? Don't quote me on that. Hurricane's Repel is also great as it can herd baddies into a corner for your tank or Tornado. Both the debuff and repel work together to help you create safe zones for your ranged teammates. Any mobs attempting to get through you to the blaster will have their tohit debuffed and their range shortened - meaning they will have to close the distance to even fire, which will then hit them with the repel and make them repeat the process. KB/KD resistant foes will ignore the repel, but then your ranged buddies just need to make sure that any melee attacks are still standing in your hurricane when they start swinging. Hug the Hurricane! Love the Hurricane! Of course, the Hurricane eats all your endurance - which is why you need Power Sink (and some choice Incarnate picks). Of all the Epic pools, Mu's Power Sink has 1) the quickest recharge and 2) No Accuracy Check. Between Power Sink and Lightning Storm you could potential sap your targets, but what you really want is to fill up your blue bar - and this will do that for you. Eat early, Eat often Seeds of Confusion is the bedrock on which the Plant/Storm is built. So it needs to be said - against Confuse resistant foes, all your normal plans go out the window. Gale, Hurricane, and Spore Burst suddenly become keys to survival, and you'll actually need to pay attention to killing the minions/lts instead of just assuming they're gonna melt. Be Wary of Longbow! Jenny Chaos 22.2 - Controller (Plant Control).mxd

I guess one thing I'm shooting for is higher resists so that I don't have that "crack like an egg" moment - thus giving me time to use Aid Self, but I'll admit that I shorted some defense in chasing those +resist numbers. It's interesting to me that you have all the attacks loaded with so many procs. Isn't everything that's sub-30 seconds and not AoE pretty unlikely to fire?

Riverdusk is correct. Which is why opening with Seeds against mobs that can't be Confused is generally a death sentence

Now that the Sleep is Autohit, Spore Burst is a good one slot wonder to help facilitate control aggro/strategic withdrawal. Just don't throw Roots at that group! Otherwise, yeah I skip all those too

Seeds is the standard Plant opener Roots is the highest damage aoe immobilize available to controllers. It sets Containment for double damage and helps clear minions/lts (who should be confused and helping melt themselves) Everything else should be aimed at taking down the harder targets, Bosses/EBs/AVs. Strangler and Ice Arrow to stack single target holds. Debuffs from your arrows and damage from OSA. Make sure you have a way to ignite Oil Slick, some kind of Fire or Energy damage (the Sorcery pool attack works great) Lotsa recharge in your build to get all your best powers up often. Fighting pool and Maneuvers plus an epic pool armor or shield to increase survival. Learn which enemies shrug off Confuse (freaking Longbow) as they will be especially dangerous

Live - Issue 18/Going Rogue

So I'm just about to reach 50 on my SR/KM Tanker and decided to put together a build. Well actually three builds because I'm not sure which direction I want to go yet. All three builds have 50%+ to Positional Defenses. Around 50% Smashing, Lethal, Toxic, and Psionic Resists. 400-600 extra HP, 70%+ Accuracy, and 200%+ Global Recharge without Hasten. All three currently plan to use Boxing and Cross Punch in addition to the first three Kinetic Melee attacks. This first build has Gloom from the Epic pool, unslotted Kick to boost the Fighting attacks, Aid Other, Aid Self, and Field Medic (for the endurance recovery). It's closest to what I'm current running The second build drops Gloom and Kick for Conserve Power and Physical Perfection: And finally the third build takes Aid Other, Aid Self, and then the Pyre Mastery Epic Pool for Meltdown and Fireball What do y'all think? Which one would you choose - or what modifications would you make?

Is there a writeup on how Power Siphon works on the different ATs? And I guess Concentrated Strike as well?

I want an Illusion/Grav troller

Sentinels actually have a stronger version of Electric Armor as you lose the damage aura for a +max end and +regen toggle. Also, AFAIK, the Grounded effect gives you the +res no matter what, it is only the Immobilize and Knockback protection that disappears when you're in the air. Given that most Immobilizes already give you -fly, and the worst Knockdown effects only happen on the ground, I think you're pretty good using Hover and Fly. The main reason not to take Electric Armor on any AT is because it is a wholly a resistance set without a decent heal to offset the chip damage. Energize heals the same as Regen's Reconstruction but with a twice as long recharge and a half as short duration. However, Sentinel Energize is now 90s recharge (instead of 120) and its 100% Regen buff is complimented by Charged Shield's 150% regen toggle buff. And Charged Shield is equal the same amount of Regen that is in Regen's Integration power. Mids seems to be a big bugged with Energize (it's not letting me turn it on, but show the End Discount automatically?} but Energize and Charged Shield sit at 250% Regen, Fast Healing and Intergration at 225% Regen, and 150% from Hardened Carapace and Ablative Carapace (in Bio Armor. With enough targets Parasitic Leech actually trumps both Elec and Regen in total regen%) So really, there's no reason not to take Electric Armor on a Sent. I would guess people don't do it because it's not a great armor on other sets, but that's not the case here.

Poison's Debuffs have a huge jump in the numbers between Corr and Defender. A Poison/Elec Def might be the way to go there But thank you for sharing this, I'd never realized how few sets actually get -recovery and not just -end

My main on live was Robo the Clown - an Illusion/FF controller. Played him from Issue 1 through Shutdown. I loved him, but swore I would never run FF again. His HC replacement was a Praetorian Illusion/Traps. But one of my most fun characters on live was a Plant/Storm Controller named Gaia's Fury, and when Homecoming became a thing one of my first characters was another Plant/Storm: Jenny Chaos She has no backstory besides the name and my usual playstyle (Do as Jenny Says, Not as she Does is the SG's motto), but she's a ton of fun and I still play her regularly. She's probably my only fully t4 Incarnate on HC. And while Jenny has no real backstory, she has declared that she LIVES ON THE EDGE and HAILS FROM THE CHAOS ZONE often enough that I have another dozen or so characters who actually have backstories linked to the "Chaos Zone". Jenny, however, remains a mystery. As does her Praetorian counterpart Nrg/Plant Blaster Genevieve Chaos

Never even thought to try KM with Shield! I'll have to see how silly it looks. I have KM/SR in both Stalker and Tanker flavors. KM is a very love/hate set for me. It's so much more noticeable (and thus irritating) when my target dies during windup

The Shocked mechanic is new. Less than a year old I think? It's really done wonders for Electric blast

That said, I have only been on 2 star Aeon and 2 star ITF. There may be situations/mechanics on the 3-4 star difficulties that make some sets fare worse or shine brighter

Illusion, of course, because Taunt is Taunt (Phantom Army) and Spooky puts out good -to hit in addition to Fear. Probably paired with an active Buff/Debuff set as your other powers won't be as critical, leaving you time to focus on your secondary Earrh has strong controls and doesn't have to enter melee. Plenty of -def powers is a boon. The Knockdown probably won't be as effective but the -to hit should help. Grabbing power boost to up those stun times could be key. Fire brings damage in Bonfire and Hotfeet, plus a bit of -perception in Smoke to control aggro. Dark has -to hit in its entire set ranging from -7% to -15% which is a nice addition Symphony should be a mix of good control and damage, but I haven't played it yet. Grav is a ??? in how to leverage it for HM in my book. Plant, Ice, and Mind all have cornerstone Confuse powers plus Ice wants to be in melee. Not saying you can't or shouldn't bring these on Hard Mode, but you may have to work a bit harder to min/max how you play those sets