Doc Ranger

I like safety. My main is Dk/Dk so safety is my middle name.

So I think I want to try Elec/ What synergizes well with Electricity?

Honestly I just kind of listed some bare bones guidelines. I'd be happy to hear any suggestions outside my parameters. But I dig actual control 😉 I like Kin and have played it before but I have heard from many here that it doesn't particularly bring a lot to the table in the end game which is why I didn't mention it. I have never played poison but I'd be interested in hearing its synergies with other sets. I have never played Mind or TA...but not many sing the praises of TA around here.

I was afraid of that...I’m too picky. I need to try to enjoy the set for what it is, not what I want it to be.

So I am looking to try a new build with a few caveats. It must be controllery and it must be good in a team environment in a noticeable way. What I mean by that is my Dk/Dk is very defensive and it's noticeable. I can walk into a +4/+8 group and lock it down and not get hit. I love that feeling and I love protecting the group from dmg. I have played and, for various reasons, do not like Illusion, Gravity and Ice. I have a 50 Fire/Dk which is fun so Fire is out. Earth's animations are a little too intrusive for me as well. That leaves me with Dark, Plant, Elec and Mind as a primary. I don't mind trying a different combo of Dark/?. For secondary sets I am intrigued by and/or haven't tried: Thermal (never tried but interested), Time (tried Grav/Time but got bored at 46), Storm (I had an Ice/Storm but got bored at mid 40's), Cold (tried Ill/Cold but Illusion isn't controller at all), and never tried Nature, Sonic or Traps. I would even like to try a Defender with some controller properties but noticeable debuffs for team helping. I'm picky but I really want to like something new 😉

If you want to experience a real controller play style then Illusion should be at the bottom of your list. You might as well play a Mastermind. I’m a controller player at heart and I’m leveling an Ill/Cold right now to see what this AV killer is all about. I’m at 40 right now and I’m about to scrap it and try something else. Is it effective vs Bosses? Yes. But only because of the pets (that you really have no real control over). For this reason I feel I have the least real control over the battlefield. I tried to hop on board the Grav/Time train and was unimpressed as well but more because of the animations and sounds of both sets. And the need for using tricks and combos just doesn’t fly in most chaotic battles with a team. I’m still searching for something really controllery and fun to play outside of my Dark/Dark and Fire/Dark (less defense than D/D but still quite fun).

Dark/Dark has been my favorite combo since rejoining the game. You can be effective in the middle of the crowd or from a distance. Once you get a few levels under your belt the aoe debuffs keep you safe from getting hit. There are so many great sets but the amount of serious control you have along with keeping any group safe just makes it my favorite set.

I just wanted to say I got the Conan reference. I use it often but without the ad lib 🙂

I run Fighting pool on mine, I took HoD fairly early, and I did not take Shadowy Binds. I don’t get hit at all in normal content but it’s for the serious content that I took Fighting pool. Different strokes... I absolutely love Living Shadows...can’t imagine a dark build without it. I also love Shadow Field. But I can see how certain play styles wouldn’t dig it. I play in the middle of the action so Fighting pool and all the other tools are important to me.

Yeah got a few under the bed. There are inexpensive alternatives in the meantime. looking at personal modifications I’m toying with in the hero builder to suit my tastes...but it’s time consuming 🙂

Good stuff. Thanks...I will begin to implement this build posthaste 🙂

So I have a Kin/Rad I made in homage to an old toon I used to play. But it was built with basic IOs. Does anyone have a nice build for a Kin/Rad? I've looked at some other builds here with Kinetics and it appears as if there isn't much people are doing as far as sets are concerned. What are the best ways to slot each Kinetic power? Rad is probably a little more set friendly? Any help is appreciated.

So I'm trying to make a boss killer controller. Many moons ago I heard Ill/Cold was quite adept at such a task. I know it's an odd pairing what with all the Ill/Rad, Ill/Storm etc etc. I've never built an Ill/ or /Cold so if someone has a decent build (cost of IOs not a problem) then I'd be eternally grateful 😉

Here's what I'm running with...I can solo +4/+8 content. Very good control. On teams without Brutes/Tanks I often run point and take alphas (that don't actually hit). This is my favorite toon by far.

I usually put Will of the Troller in Heart of Darkness. It makes the effect last quite awhile and adds some dmg from time to time. I put Overpowering Presence in Fearsome Stare because it can be cast very often in battle and procs the Energy Font every 2 or 3 casts. If I could only do one then it would be Will of the Troller due to the excellent Dmg, ACC and Rech bonuses. But...you should do both 😉

I usually slot 2 rech in Tar Patch 4 slot Darkest Night with Dark Watcher's 1 slot Howling Twilight with rech 4 slot Fluffy with Cloud Senses

So I have built my Fire/Dark out using the Proc monster build. I will say the damage is quite interesting sometimes. On occasion you can drop a +2 minion with one hit of the single target hold. But, on the whole, while I like the fun factor of the Proc monster build on my Fire/Dark, I am not going to try it on my Dark/Dark. The Dark/Dark is my main toon when I want to go out and CONTROL and make the party safe. The Fire/Dark just can't accomplish that same feeling of safety. Sure the damage is fun sometimes but it just isn't as controllery or safe...definitely more fun with a meat shield running point. My Dark/Dark can run point in any group by himself.

I slot Cloud Senses in fluffy.

Yeah I'm keeping Ice. I like it a lot. My troller is quite safe in 54 content...always in the middle of the mobs debuffing to make sure people don't get hit 😉 The only deaths occur when some one goes off by himself. Then they realize it was safer around group. I may try to figure out a way to slot up Ice Storm more in order to try some Procs.

It's not that it's no good....just that most people choose others that boost other powers. Like Primal Forces gets Power Boost that doubles the effectiveness of Fade and things like that. Soul mastery gets Dark Embrace which increases your Resistance. Mace gives you the Scorpion Shield. Psi gives you the Mez protection. Ice isn't "bad" but a min/max player wouldn't choose it. I am not a min/max player like that so Ice works for me. But if I were putting my build out for critique...that would be one of the things people would say to change 😉

I don't really use it at all to be honest. Early levels it's a good distraction if you're solo but late game, if you're slotted then you don't need it. Living shadows I have tried both ways...all Cloud Sense and all Dmg. When I saw that the To Hit Debuff of Living Shadows base was 7.5%...6 slotted with Cloud Sense it's 10.8%. Is it even noticeable with all the To Hit Debuffs you're throwing around? I say nay! So I tried it slotting for Damage. Base Damage is something like 11.93 whereas 6 slotted with Dmg sets is closer to 25. So Double. So to me, seeing the double dmg is easier for me to quantify than a 3% increase in To Hit Debuff. Especially when Fearsome Stare To Hit Debuff is double Living Shadows at 15%. So when you lead off with FS, then LS, Tar Patch and HoD….that mob isn't hitting anyone for a long time and isn't going anywhere for a long time. Any Bosses get the DN treatment for another 15% To Hit Debuff in a large radius. Then factor in SF and Fade for huge Def bonus and SA for another 10% To Hit Debuff… Basically sitting inside a mob of 54s is like sleeping on a cloud 😉

Here's what I run now. Total lockdown and safety in most +4/+8 missions. My EPP is Ice and is not min/max appropriate...it's thematic. But even with a crappy Ice pool the build rocks. Hero Plan by Mids' Reborn : Hero Designer 2.6.0.1 https://github.com/ImaginaryDevelopment/imaginary-hero-designer Click this DataLink to open the build! Level 50 Magic Controller Primary Power Set: Darkness Control Secondary Power Set: Darkness Affinity Power Pool: Flight Power Pool: Speed Power Pool: Leaping Power Pool: Leadership Ancillary Pool: Ice Mastery Hero Profile: Level 1: Dark Grasp -- BslGaz-Acc/Hold(A), BslGaz-Acc/Rchg(3), BslGaz-Rchg/Hold(3), BslGaz-EndRdx/Rchg/Hold(5), BslGaz-Acc/EndRdx/Rchg/Hold(5) Level 1: Twilight Grasp -- TchoftheN-Heal(A), TchoftheN-Heal/HP/Regen/Rchg(7), TchoftheN-Acc/Heal(7), TchoftheN-Acc/EndRdx/Heal/HP/Regen(9), TchoftheN-Acc/EndRdx/Rchg(9), TchoftheN-%Dam(39) Level 2: Living Shadows -- Rgn-Dmg(A), Rgn-Dmg/Rchg(11), Rgn-Acc/Dmg/Rchg(11), Rgn-Acc/Rchg(13), Rgn-Dmg/EndRdx(13), Rgn-Knock%(40) Level 4: Hover -- LucoftheG-Def/Rchg+(A) Level 6: Darkest Night -- DarWtcDsp-ToHitDeb(A), DarWtcDsp-ToHitDeb/Rchg(15), DarWtcDsp-Rchg/EndRdx(15), DarWtcDsp-ToHitDeb/EndRdx(17) Level 8: Fearsome Stare -- SprOvrPrs-Acc/Conf/Hold/Immob/Sleep/Stun/Fear(A), SprOvrPrs-Conf/Hold/Immob/Sleep/Stun/Fear/Rchg(17), SprOvrPrs-EndRdx/Rchg(19), SprOvrPrs-Acc/Conf/Hold/Immob/Sleep/Stun/Fear/EndRdx(19), SprOvrPrs-Acc/Conf/Hold/Immob/Sleep/Stun/Fear/EndRdx/Rchg(40), SprOvrPrs-Rchg/Energy Font(40) Level 10: Fly -- BlsoftheZ-ResKB(A) Level 12: Hasten -- RechRdx-I(A), RechRdx-I(21) Level 14: Tar Patch -- RechRdx-I(A), RechRdx-I(25) Level 16: Shadow Fall -- LucoftheG-Def/Rchg+(A), LucoftheG-Def(25), LucoftheG-Def/EndRdx(27), Ksm-ToHit+(27), GldArm-3defTpProc(42), StdPrt-ResDam/Def+(42) Level 18: Howling Twilight -- RechRdx-I(A) Level 20: Fade -- LucoftheG-Def/EndRdx(A), LucoftheG-Def/Rchg(29), LucoftheG-EndRdx/Rchg(29), LucoftheG-Def/EndRdx/Rchg(31), LucoftheG-Def(42), LucoftheG-Def/Rchg+(43) Level 22: Heart of Darkness -- SprWiloft-Acc/Conf/Hold/Immob/Sleep/Stun/Fear(A), SprWiloft-Conf/Hold/Immob/Sleep/Stun/Fear/Rchg(43), SprWiloft-EndRdx/Rchg(43), SprWiloft-Acc/Conf/Hold/Immob/Sleep/Stun/Fear/EndRdx(45), SprWiloft-Acc/Conf/Hold/Immob/Sleep/Stun/Fear/EndRdx/Rchg(45), SprWiloft-Rchg/Dmg%(45) Level 24: Haunt -- ExpRnf-Acc/Rchg(A), ExpRnf-Acc/Dmg(31), ExpRnf-Acc/Dmg/Rchg(31), ExpRnf-EndRdx/Dmg/Rchg(33) Level 26: Shadow Field -- BslGaz-Acc/Hold(A), BslGaz-Acc/Rchg(33), BslGaz-Rchg/Hold(33), BslGaz-EndRdx/Rchg/Hold(34), BslGaz-Acc/EndRdx/Rchg/Hold(46) Level 28: Soul Absorption -- Prv-Heal(A), Prv-Heal/Rchg(34), PrfShf-EndMod(34), PrfShf-EndMod/Rchg(36), EffAdp-EndMod(36), EffAdp-EndMod/Rchg(36) Level 30: Combat Jumping -- LucoftheG-Def/Rchg+(A), ShlWal-ResDam/Re TP(37), Rct-ResDam%(37) Level 32: Umbra Beast -- EdcoftheM-Acc/Dmg(A), EdcoftheM-Dmg/EndRdx(37), EdcoftheM-Acc/EndRdx(39), EdcoftheM-Acc/Dmg/EndRdx(39), EdcoftheM-Dmg(46), EdcoftheM-PetDef(50) Level 35: Maneuvers -- LucoftheG-Def/Rchg+(A) Level 38: Dark Servant -- CldSns-ToHitDeb(A), CldSns-Acc/ToHitDeb(46), CldSns-ToHitDeb/EndRdx/Rchg(48), CldSns-%Dam(50) Level 41: Hibernate -- RechRdx-I(A) Level 44: Frozen Armor -- LucoftheG-Def/Rchg+(A), Ags-Psi/Status(48), UnbGrd-Max HP%(48) Level 47: Ice Storm -- Dtn-Dmg/Rchg(A), Dtn-Dmg/Rng(50) Level 49: Possess -- MlsIll-Acc/Rchg(A) 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 -- Empty(A) Level 2: Health -- NmnCnv-Regen/Rcvry+(A), Mrc-Rcvry+(21) Level 2: Hurdle -- Empty(A) Level 2: Stamina -- PrfShf-EndMod(A), PrfShf-End%(23), EffAdp-EndMod(23) ------------

Yes that is my current build and originally it was thematic. But after playing it this way for so long I am contemplating a change to your most interesting build 🙂 If I were somewhat attached to living shadows do you think I could ditch the primal kB power and keep LS and slot it similarly? Your description above regarding your encounter mentions having the “cone immobile” so I assume you had it before as well.

Yeah aside from your s/l res the numbers are below what I have now. Most of my status res numbers are over double yours. I would give up some safety for more damage. Might have to test it on the beta server to see how I like it before changing over my whole build...which would be quite expensive 😉

All the powers colors are customizable 😉