Riverdusk

Ice armor does have a minimal fx option, unless you mean even at minimal it is still too much (it does still have some fx to it even at minimal, but doesn't turn you into a total ice cube anyway).

Yep, once you get the incarnate boosts, I'd think most MM's should be able to do it, although speed of doing so might vary depending on powers/build of course.

I'd say softcap defense is nice, but not vital, unless you plan to tankermind. Since I don't see provoke in your build I'm assuming you aren't going for that. Keep in mind that in bodyguard mode you have really good resistances when needed, which helps a lot.

Yep, it can even buff otherwise unbuffable pets like phantom army and voltaic sentinel.

Another point against it - lackluster proc/set opportunities. Endurance mod sets are weak (for offensive purposes). Although this hurts corrupters/defenders more. Funny the set is actually pretty good overall for sentinels though. Maybe they could give all ATs the damage boost they gave to sentinel's tesla cage.

Yep, I read this change in the patch notes and my reaction was 😕. Not sure what they were thinking with this one.

Some of the epics have immobilizes, and I'm very much looking forward to web envelope for that reason. Only helps down to level 30 (when exemp) at best, but still available for a big chunk of the game at least. Also, I'd swear I've noticed things tend to run more than usual when the thug arsonist sets them on fire. Unless that is my imagination, thugs have a particular issue with runners.

Might add ice armor to that as well (not that many seem to play it anymore). It is another defense set and Scrappers get Icy Bastion which seems more useful than hibernate?

Not to be nit picky, but I believe electric shackles is single target. You are probably thinking of brutes which get electric fences (which I wish scrappers got instead). I do think water spout is underrated though which you didn't list, and it helps clean up those extra minions too and is an easy cast and forget (and also happens to be good against hard single targets).

Not to mention siphon life giving you a huge heal every few seconds on top of WP's already crazy regen. Should be one of the most unkillable combo around.

Interesting bit of trivia, I always wondered how some of these differences came about.

Simple answer, resistance cap for a blaster is 75%, so you are fine. Defense softcap is 45%. As others explain above resistance and defense are two different things.

Very cool. Hope to see Experimentation, Gadgetry, and Utility Belt soon as well! Agree it'd be nice to raise the cap on number of different pools we can pick beyond 4 too, if possible.

Yep, found an old archived thread discussing the same thing. Best people could come up with was a macro to dismiss the zombies and knights and release the lich so only the lich body remains. I guess just to make it easier to target and raise from the lich. Still need to resummon everything though. https://web.archive.org/web/20120906021955/http://boards.cityofheroes.com/showthread.php?t=292484

/bio is probably actually the best at AV (and potentially even GM) killing. There is a reason TW/Bio is the new AV/GM killing FoTM. DM when buffed with soul drain shouldn't be too far different though. Bio with its damage buff, -res debuff, and -regen debuffs make a good bit of difference. They aren't huge, but they add up when you combine them with envenomed daggers and incarnate debuffs. Bio is much harder to max defense on though and more clicky and not everyone is a fan of the visuals (even the minimal ones). Also soul drain doesn't buff bio damage aura since it is toxic damage.

A victim of their own success in a way though. They've already made some good changes and are working a pretty big overhaul to tankers. So they've shown they are capable and willing to make some pretty significant changes, and so far imho have done a pretty good job of it.

I'm the opposite, I like pistols in theory, but wish the animations weren't so over the top. Less twirling and gun flipping would also most likely lead to those animations being shorter and improving that ST dps. Piercing Rounds was the really obnoxious one to me, so much so that the plan was to skip it on my DP defender.

Haven't had a chance to test this one personally (basically just haven't spent the time to pay close enough attention and I haven't played my 50 illusion controller recently), but I know other people have in the past and it definitely used to, so unless things have changed it does. It was even written up in Local Man's old illusion/radiation guide. Not long ago, I did test it in voltaic sentinel from electric blast which is also an "unbuffable" pet and it worked there (although underwhelming given its attack is on a 2.5 sec recharge and does low damage). It'd be consistent that it works in PA still as well. I think the trick is that the pet is buffing itself, and it isn't an external buff.

For what it is worth, my go to is 4 expedient reinforcement and 2 Soulbound Allegiance (dam/recharge and chance for Build Up). If you mean early on before IO's, 1 accuracy, 2 damage, 3 recharge.

Yep, my planned build for my latest controller I'm working on I counted up all the different damage procs in it. Came up to 20 in total. That's just damage procs, didn't include utility ones like Lockdown and force feedback even. Definitely recommended. I can agree with some of the other suggestions made as well though. Upping the damage back up in the epics would certainly be a good start. It is sad when a power pool attack, Arcane Bolt, does more damage with a faster recharge than the equivalent single target controller epic pool attacks. Speaking as an illusion controller fan, I'd also love to see "fear" added as a containment trigger. Would help mind control, and to a lesser extend dark, as well.

Just another possibility in case you haven't thought of it, always worth considering an arachnos soldier as well. Just stick with the huntsman gun build. Can make it pretty similar to an AR/SR, but with more team buffs.

Do find it funny every AT could probably start a topic like this, in fact in the controller forum there already is one: I even commented in that one, tankers have in the past often made controllers feel "not needed" especially. And now with the buffs they are getting, probably more so.

Personally I'd always try to grab an immobilize to go with storm. Storm has powers with fear effects that tend to send AV's (who have good slow resistance) running. Can be a real annoyance. Since you've already gone electric with your epic pool, I'd consider picking up electric fence. Maybe more useful than a 1 slot Thunderstrike anyway.

I know back in the day the clash was between tankers and controllers. They both had a bit of the same "role" (controlling the battlefield), just a different approach. With the proposed (pretty major) buffs to tankers on the test server now being tested, does this change things? Make controllers have even less of a role on teams? Still won't stop me from making controllers as I find them fun personally. Just found it interesting I haven't seen it brought up, when it used to be a big thing. Only complaints I see is how buffed tankers are encroaching on brutes. Maybe brutes already made the argument moot.

Would be curious if you slotted a taunt enhancer in it, whether or not it'd fix the issue for you.