Onlyasandwich

Please hide this in a spoiler if you would.

Just wanted to say - this suggestion was a real win! Spinning kick isn't fiddly at all. It's sneakily good, and if anything less fiddly than a regular cone. I can get a feel for it and visualize where it will hit, and line things up more naturally rather than basing it on a targeted mob. Between this and Trick shot, I'm really liking the aoe attacks that double as solid ST attacks. Neither of them are fireball, but it makes for really lean power management, and feels great in practice.

I'm pretty sure damage procs won't work at all here. This is because isn't doing direct targeted aoe damage itself, and it doesn't summon any entities that use a targeted aoe power. Therefore targeted aoe procs just won't go off. Instead, it uses the single target power "shifting tides" referenced here in CoD. Now, I'm not 100% certain how it is applied (autohit, accuracy check? I don't see any autohit flags so think it may actually appreciate acc) but it is a single target effect. I would assume that it properly inherits the ED you put into it, as otherwise slotting for damage would be pointless. However, proc mechanics require that a power of the matching type exist for them to trigger. In this case, Shifting Tides is a targeted aoe from a slotting perspective only - I guess it's just the closest thing they figured that makes sense for sets, even though it isn't one in technical terms.

If one is of a more defensive slant, you could even add the Ragnarok KD proc! I'll often do this on my tankers when I have slots to spare. Adding 72% chance for KD to a 16 target power is probably more mitigation than any absorb or mag 3 hold.

Yeah - I like storm blast best on sentinels for this reason. At least there you can really focus on the blasts and nothing else. Both of these combos have a lot of thematic possibility! Could be the ghostly survivor of a ship that burned in the ocean - I like it. Dark could even come off as a little bit "evil storm" with the right tint. The main functional advantage fire would have is the lack of reliance on cones. Marine really wants to splash in wist Whitecap asap to get the frenzy and debuffs going, and fire can just sort of do that without caring about positioning. Still, Dark can always do its normal setup and follow up with the splash-in. Even with the extra end consumption of Shifting tides to account for, I think Fire/ would work out okay though. Between Toroidial, a perf shifter popped into Toroidal, and extra support from Power of the depths, you have a very solid package to make up for your expensive toggles.

I assumed some of your goals based on the initial build and threw together an example of what it what my suggestions might look like in action. Assumptions: You value defense. You are minimizing cost (I did include a single purple proc, but easily subbed for another). The Gladiator sets are probably the biggest indulgence otherwise. You value these things over maximizing proc potential in powers. Notable changes: Softcap ranged defense. Vastly improved resistances. Better end sustainability, including the extra perf shifter in bubble. Better in combat maneuverability. (Hover+Evasive is an absolute dream). I did sneak a little procciness into Chain lightning. It's not an actual chain power, so works well for it. A little more KB protection. You could swap the Winter travel unique for a bit more. Drop in the bucket here on slow res since I didn't grab Winter IOs otherwise. If I were going all out on my own preference, I would probably sacrifice defense goals altogether and go to proc city. That's me though, and not everyone's thing. Building chunky defense does make for a smoother solo experience. Build: Corruptor (Storm Blast - Marine Affinity).mbd Chunk: Text: Pic:

Glad to see you back, @Carnifax! The 38% total does appear to be correct. My mids is behaving. Is this specifically a budget build? I see that outside of the ATO's, no purples or Winter sets are included. I think it's a very solid baseline build. I agree that Shoal Rush is an easy skip though - Whitecap gets the frenzy moving anyhow. You could easily swap for a defense IO mule like vengeance, or even a minimally slotted epic pet for fun. Ideally, I'd stack an epic with a resist armor rather than S/L defense. This helps you capitalize on the resistance provided by Toroidal Bubble. Still, hitting high ranged/S/L is not a bad goal for sure, and you may be married to Ice for other reasons like theme, which is fine. You are missing the resist uniques though. They are of particular value given the aforementioned bubble resists. I really like @Auroxis's mention of putting the ATO +end proc in Shifting tides - that's pretty neat! I think you'll be okay on end either way with this build though. The Perf shifter proc in Toroidal is useful as well if you find yourself running short. I see you are tight on slots there, but perhaps could shift things around if it becomes a priority. Shifting Tides does need some accuracy slotting though. From what I understand, the damage bonus procs it generates rely on local accuracy here. I'm not entirely clear on the effect though, so it may warrant review. CoD directs it to this power for the proc component, which has a 1.0 accuracy. The power itself doesn't take acc natively according to mids, but of course can include sets that have it. Super unclear on this one behind the scenes.

At very low levels defenders get their big buffs online sooner. Low level controllers still struggle with damage and a useful control rotation. Not nearly as much a deal these days with the level requirements decreased on powers. At higher levels a single controller can more consistently provide safety to themselves and a team than a single defender, and are now contributing meaningful damage. If you are optimizing for the perfect team there is higher potential choosing the right defenders. Both are so powerful if stacking a lot on a team that the difference hardly matters.

In all honestly I don't use my ST confuses that often, but pick them more often than not when available. Reasons: Low level play where I don't have good aoe controls to rotate. Farting around with buff mobs. (not always optimal, but fun) Just farting around, regardless of buff mobs. Sometimes it's fun to watch a boss murder his buddies and take a nap myself. Challenging content that I can't otherwise overcome. In the worst case, stepping back to set up some confuses before engagement (no aggro for mind!) can let you pull of some wonderful stuff. Theoretically helpful on some starred content. I don't play much of this though. A place for coercive persuasion if I'm not going for Psi epic. I don't always (or even often) go for softcap on most characters these days, but even hitting a middle ground 30ish ranged defense can be meaningful.

I typically take them because: Hold sets are really nice (4 slot Basilisk if anything). They provide a really nice backup plan if your primary controls aren't cutting it. Good for big adds, or situations where the team is just moving super fast.

First just pick something that sounds neat. Being excited about the fantasy of what you are playing is an important part of making the experience interesting. I'm not saying you have to have some sort of heavy RP lore, but a a fun theme that marries costume to powerset goes a long way. Every AT is pretty newbie friendly these days. Masterminds are a bit hard to enjoy without a little knowledge of keybinds though. If you go that path, consider looking at the beginner guides in the MM forum for some setup advice. I wouldn't overplan your first build. Just stick with the basics and be aware of Enhancement diversification caps. If you're a natural planner, it can't hurt to pick around the forums at some example builds with whatever sets you choose, but don't feel like you need to copy them directly. Once you have some cash to play with, you can decide whether you want to invest it into researching and crafting a more focused build.

I put together a quick version of how I'd approach this combo. It definitely isn't 100% optimized, but is more or less where I'd go. Some notable changes: All your aoes do much more damage now. I chose a defense type to focus on (ranged defense). I didn't hit softcap, but achieved a meaningful number that is one small purple away from softcap, and will easily softcap in many teams with outside buffs. I generally prefer a ranged defense focus on blasters even if going into melee. Your controls will go a long way towards keeping melee at bey, and Drain Psyche is very powerful as well of course. More optimal ST attacks, all with higher damage now to boot. Force Feedback is in both your aoe and ST chains, allowing it to benefit you in all situations. Note that I have procs disabled in the FFBack powers to more accurately review global totals. Some extra fun powers like Rise of the Phoenix and Melt armor added to the mix. Lower end consumption. Lots of Knockback protection (easy to get on the way to low hanging ranged defense bonuses) Higher global recharge. S/L resist is a fair bit lower. However, you should find that the controls in your attacks bridge the gap nicely for most mobs. Getting a Juicy Drain Psyche also solves most survival issues. Blaster (Psychic Blast - Mental Manipulation).mbd

There is much I would do different in a ground up build, but I'll provide some general thoughts: Skipping TK blast and Scramble minds isn't great. These are some of the premier powers in the set. TK blast is outstanding DPA with good control, and Scramble is solid aoe damage with a really excellent control effect. Likewise with TK Thrust. Psionic Tornado, if chosen, should be slotted as an attack. Weave is way overslotted. Procs aren't very useful in Bonfire. The build overall lacks focus. You have invested heavily into 6 slots of some sets, but those final bonuses aren't really stacking towards anything meaningful. For example, the full avalanche set can be useful if you are building towards melee softcap, but you aren't focused there.

Well dang that does look pretty nice. I'll mess around on test and figure things out 🙂. If I take it back, the question becomes - Contagious Confusion proc in Confuse or in WoC? Confuse is typically a tool I find myself using more often at lower levels, and the passive nature of WoC is nice. I don't know - no perfect answers here! I may just keep my current version that chooses Phase Shift instead. Edit: For anyone that may be interested - here's what I settled on. Dominator (Mind Control - Martial Assault) levitate version w unleash.mbd I dropped a little slow res to better optimize DT procs, and picked up some extra end support along the way with my new slotting there. Nice to save money on cheaper pieces too. Spinning Kick is in, Psi Nado is out. Phase Shift is my final one slot wonder. Phase Shift is awesome, and I don't often find myself in a place where I can grab it easily. In the worst case, I can go into phase and wait for a big control to come off recharge. Sure I could do more or less the same with the START power Ethereal shift, but it feels better to truly have it in my kit.

Thanks for your further input, Wimbochismo! I'm liking the Spinning Kick swap (dropping Psi nado) more and more. It helps fill in the ST rotation with less reliance on Levitate, and keeps FFback running in ST as well. Levitate is still decent filler with a nice alternate use all the while. In normal play, I'm okay with a less than seamless ST rotation. A decent amount of time is taken re-applying controls and repositioning after all! The only thing I would potentially improve from here I think would be finding a way to work end support back into Health/stamina. We'll see how it drives once put together - may not be a problem. Finding a slot of the PM proc would be nice too, but I think I'm eating at the bones on spare slots from here. I cooooould drop indom will and lose a lotg, swapping in Misdirection. I've never played with it before. 7.5% global recharge versus 12.75 aoe -res every ~70ish seconds. Sort of interesting to play with! The Placate is whatever with Mass Hyp already in my pocket, but it may be neat. Phase Shift is another possibility. The ultimate back-up plan!