ROCK'EM SOCK'EM!!! Melee Dominator (The why isn't as important as the how)

[ThrillMill]

Here's the thing. I'm suffering from the nigh insatiable urge to roll up a Melee-Centric Dominator. I yearn for the biggest, baddest melee attacks in which to smash all those mezzed before me. I completely understand this will likely result in a gimped//sub-par build that underperforms in both it's archetype roll and from a #'s stand point. This still doesn't change the fact that I'm choosing to go down this path of melee tomfoolery. 

This is my first stab at it and I'd really like the community's feed back. I've attempting something moderately similar recently with a Fire/Stone/Fire build with  moderate/middling success. While an absolute blast to play, it relies on a titanic amount of endurance reduction, blue candies and frequent pauses in action to prevent complete endurance drain. A true endurance fiend if ever there was one. The quick animating attacks of stone, coupled with Hot Feet, 170% Global Recharge and combat toggles  give me little more than one group of mobs before becoming winded. 

My hope with this newer iteration is that Bone Smasher > TF > ET chain will be a far, far slower attack chain and therefore easier on the ole blue bar. Conductive Aura should also help mitigate any and all endurance problems (I'm guessing?) Either way, the thought of smashing an even level, non-resistant mob for 700 damage with ET is almost worth any sacrifice? 

Anyway, here's my first build plan. Ideally, I'd like to get Hasten perma'd do I might replace the slotting in my Single Target Hold with Basilisk's Gaze and do the same with my AoE Hold as well for an additional 15% recharge. I'd also consider taking slots out of my AoE Immb and 5-slotting a ranged attack with apoc for another 10%? Let me know. Thanks y'all.  


EDIT: Whoops...forgot to add the build...

 

Villain Plan by Mids' Villain Designer 1.962
http://www.cohplanner.com/

Click this DataLink to open the build!

Level 50 Magic Dominator
Primary Power Set: Electric Control
Secondary Power Set: Energy Assault
Power Pool: Leaping
Power Pool: Speed
Power Pool: Fighting
Power Pool: Leadership
Ancillary Pool: Primal Forces Mastery

Villain Profile:
Level 1: Tesla Cage

• (A) Devastation - Accuracy/Damage
• (3) Devastation - Chance of Hold
• (3) Lockdown - Accuracy/Hold
• (5) Lockdown - Chance for +2 Mag Hold
• (5) HamiO:Peroxisome Exposure
• (7) HamiO:Peroxisome Exposure
  

Level 1: Power Bolt

• (A) HamiO:Nucleolus Exposure
  

Level 2: Bone Smasher

• (A) Hecatomb - Damage
• (7) Hecatomb - Damage/Recharge
• (9) Hecatomb - Accuracy/Damage/Recharge
• (9) Hecatomb - Accuracy/Recharge
• (11) Hecatomb - Chance of Damage(Negative)
  

Level 4: Combat Jumping

• (A) Luck of the Gambler - Recharge Speed
• (13) Unbounded Leap - +Stealth
  

Level 6: Hasten

• (A) Recharge Reduction IO
• (11) Recharge Reduction IO
  

Level 8: Conductive Aura

• (A) Preventive Medicine - Heal
• (45) Preventive Medicine - Heal/Endurance
• (45) Performance Shifter - EndMod
• (48) Performance Shifter - EndMod/Accuracy
  

Level 10: Boxing

• (A) HamiO:Nucleolus Exposure
  

Level 12: Static Field

• (A) Fortunata Hypnosis - Sleep
• (46) Fortunata Hypnosis - Sleep/Recharge
• (46) Fortunata Hypnosis - Accuracy/Sleep/Recharge
• (46) Fortunata Hypnosis - Accuracy/Recharge
• (48) Fortunata Hypnosis - Chance for Placate
  

Level 14: Tough

• (A) Unbreakable Guard - Resistance
• (15) Unbreakable Guard - Resistance/Endurance
• (15) Unbreakable Guard - Resistance/Endurance/RechargeTime
• (17) Unbreakable Guard - +Max HP
• (40) Steadfast Protection - Resistance/+Def 3%
• (40) Steadfast Protection - Knockback Protection
  

Level 16: Power Boost

• (A) Recharge Reduction IO
• (17) Recharge Reduction IO
  

Level 18: Weave

• (A) Luck of the Gambler - Recharge Speed
• (19) Luck of the Gambler - Defense
• (19) Luck of the Gambler - Defense/Endurance
• (43) Shield Wall - +Res (Teleportation), +5% Res (All)
  

Level 20: Whirling Hands

• (A) Armageddon - Damage
• (21) Armageddon - Damage/Recharge
• (21) Armageddon - Accuracy/Damage/Recharge
• (23) Armageddon - Accuracy/Recharge
• (23) Armageddon - Chance for Fire Damage
  

Level 22: Paralyzing Blast

• (A) Superior Ascendency of the Dominator - Accuracy/Confused/Hold/Immobilize/Sleep/Stun/Terrorized
• (25) Superior Ascendency of the Dominator - Confused/Hold/Immobilize/Sleep/Stun/Terrorized/Recharge
• (25) Superior Ascendency of the Dominator - Endurance/Recharge
• (27) Superior Ascendency of the Dominator - Accuracy/Confused/Hold/Immobilize/Sleep/Stun/Terrorized/Endurance
• (43) Superior Ascendency of the Dominator - Recharge/Chance for +Damage
  

Level 24: Kick

• (A) HamiO:Nucleolus Exposure
  

Level 26: Synaptic Overload

• (A) Coercive Persuasion  - Confused
• (27) Coercive Persuasion  - Confused/Recharge
• (29) Coercive Persuasion  - Accuracy/Confused/Recharge
• (29) Coercive Persuasion  - Accuracy/Recharge
• (31) Coercive Persuasion  - Contagious Confusion
  

Level 28: Total Focus

• (A) Superior Blistering Cold - Accuracy/Damage
• (31) Superior Blistering Cold - Damage/Endurance
• (31) Superior Blistering Cold - Accuracy/Damage/Endurance
• (33) Superior Blistering Cold - Accuracy/Damage/Recharge
• (33) Superior Blistering Cold - Damage/Endurance/Accuracy/RechargeTime
  

Level 30: Cross Punch

• (A) Superior Avalanche - Accuracy/Damage
• (39) Superior Avalanche - Damage/Endurance
• (39) Superior Avalanche - Accuracy/Damage/Endurance
• (39) Superior Avalanche - Accuracy/Damage/Recharge
• (40) Superior Avalanche - Recharge/Chance for Knockdown
• (43) Force Feedback - Chance for +Recharge
  

Level 32: Gremlins

• (A) Expedient Reinforcement - Accuracy/Damage
• (33) Expedient Reinforcement - Damage/Endurance
• (34) Expedient Reinforcement - Accuracy/Damage/Recharge
• (34) Expedient Reinforcement - Endurance/Damage/Recharge
  

Level 35: Energy Transfer

• (A) Touch of Death - Accuracy/Damage
• (36) Touch of Death - Damage/Endurance
• (36) Touch of Death - Damage/Recharge
• (36) Touch of Death - Accuracy/Damage/Endurance
• (37) Touch of Death - Damage/Endurance/Recharge
• (45) Touch of Death - Chance of Damage(Negative)
  

Level 38: Chain Fences

• (A) Superior Dominating Grasp - Accuracy/Confused/Hold/Immobilized/Sleep/Stunned/Terrorized
• (50) Superior Dominating Grasp - Confused/Hold/Immobilized/Sleep/Stunned/Terrorized/RechargeTime
• (50) Superior Dominating Grasp - Endurance/RechargeTime
• (50) Superior Dominating Grasp - RechargeTime/Fiery Orb
  

Level 41: Temp Invulnerability

• (A) Unbreakable Guard - Resistance
• (42) Unbreakable Guard - Resistance/Endurance
• (42) Unbreakable Guard - Resistance/Endurance/RechargeTime
• (42) Unbreakable Guard - RechargeTime/Resistance
• (48) Gladiator's Armor - TP Protection +3% Def (All)
  

Level 44: Jolting Chain

• (A) HamiO:Nucleolus Exposure
  

Level 47: Maneuvers

• (A) Luck of the Gambler - Recharge Speed
  

Level 49: Super Jump

• (A) HamiO:Microfilament Exposure
  

Level 1: Brawl

• (A) Empty
  

Level 1: Domination 

Level 1: Prestige Power Dash Edited November 1, 2019 by ThrillMill

[mbre2006]

1) Temp Invul. You skipped the Max HP IO. Why?

2) You need to also be aiming for more damage so why not frankenslot for it?

3) You actually built for permadon so this is a compliment. Thank you for remembering you're still a dom. Can not stress that enough,

4) For melee you want to try and cap you Hitpoints (1600) as much as possible. An easy way to get more Hitpoints would be to put that max HP back in.

5) If you're going to three slot stamina you would have been better with efficiency adaptors. 

6) Drop the Hamis.

7) Lose the stealth IO in combat jumping.

8 ) Power up and hasten only needs to be one slotted

9) You don't need KB IOs with permadom

[ThrillMill]

1 hour ago, mbre2006 said:

1) Temp Invul. You skipped the Max HP IO. Why?

2) You need to also be aiming for more damage so why not frankenslot for it?

3) You actually built for permadon so this is a compliment. Thank you for remembering you're still a dom. Can not stress that enough,

4) For melee you want to try and cap you Hitpoints (1600) as much as possible. An easy way to get more Hitpoints would be to put that max HP back in.

5) If you're going to three slot stamina you would have been better with efficiency adaptors. 

6) Drop the Hamis.

7) Lose the stealth IO in combat jumping.

8 ) Power up and hasten only needs to be one slotted

9) You don't need KB IOs with permadom

MBRE,

Thanks for the response! 

1. It was my understanding that we could only slot 1 Max HP IO? Are we allowed to slot more than one like a LOTG?!! If so, that'd be amazing. 
2. When you say more damage, do you mean an individual power or IO bonuses? 
3. Perma Dom or bust as far as I'm concerned. 
4. I have have that IO slotted in Tough. 
5. The Performance Shift gives the +End Proc, a run/jump speed boost and more +HP! I think it has the superior bonuses. 
6. Why drop the Hamis? Are the bad? I thought the give the best stats 33% to acc/damage
7. I really, really love the Stealth IO on the soft archetypes. It allows me to get safely into position without aggro! 
8. I'd really like to keep Hasten & Power Boost with 2 IOs for recharge. They're both so critical to the build. 
9. You're probably right about this. I just hate KB with a passion and they'll be times I don't or won't have Domination up. 

[mbre2006]

1 hour ago, ThrillMill said:

MBRE,

Thanks for the response! 

1. It was my understanding that we could only slot 1 Max HP IO? Are we allowed to slot more than one like a LOTG?!! If so, that'd be amazing. 
2. When you say more damage, do you mean an individual power or IO bonuses? 
3. Perma Dom or bust as far as I'm concerned. 
4. I have have that IO slotted in Tough. 
5. The Performance Shift gives the +End Proc, a run/jump speed boost and more +HP! I think it has the superior bonuses. 
6. Why drop the Hamis? Are the bad? I thought the give the best stats 33% to acc/damage
7. I really, really love the Stealth IO on the soft archetypes. It allows me to get safely into position without aggro! 
8. I'd really like to keep Hasten & Power Boost with 2 IOs for recharge. They're both so critical to the build. 
9. You're probably right about this. I just hate KB with a passion and they'll be times I don't or won't have Domination up. 

1) Ok cool. I missed seeing you put it in something else. My bad.

2) Damage from set bonuses

3) My man

4) Ok see one.

5) You should leave it one slotted with the proc. Those 7.5 movement bonuses are useless

6) From set bonuses if done properly you'll get enough acc. And running tactics helps further.  Using hamis for those with one slots are fine. But if you have it in powers with multiple slots you're gimping yourself from good set bonuses

7) Stealth IO is only going to benefit you from afar. Close up and they are going to see you regardless

8 ) So are slots. You can one slot them with a recharge enhance +3 and it would be almost the same as two slotting. So you are wasting slots

9) It takes 30 secs to build up dom

10) A;lso you're a dom with permadom. You shouldn't be concerned with trying to cap resistance or soft capping defense. Because if you crowd control properly, they aren't going to hit you while they are slept or held. 

Edited November 1, 2019 by mbre2006

[Mezmera]

11) Why not work in another slot to the confuse and ascendancy sets?  That 6th bonus for those two will get you another 10% ranged defense.  Enough of those and you can get 60% ranged defense at no expense to your other abilities.  

12) Why skip two godly powers in snipe and power burst?  You can be in melee and pretend and still get use out of them, they're even better actually since you don't need to be right next to the target.  The only better attack you'll have that out damages those two is ET but that's a scary power on a squishy without a self heal.  

 

Drop cross punch you won't have time to activate it.  Bone Smasher, Total Focus, Energy Transfer and Whirling Hands are more than enough melee.  Throw in Power Burst and Snipe there you go a fabulous damage chain.  

Edited November 3, 2019 by Mezmera

[ThrillMill]

Thanks Guys/Gals,

I'll consider aiming for better ranged defense with another slot in Confuse & the Dom ATO. 10% is 10%! The reason for taking Cross Punch was for some more AoE damage. I know it isn't great but it's better than nothing? 

I need some more info about snipes! Won't they only fire quickly if I attain some unreasonable high % of ToHit? 

[mbre2006]

3 hours ago, ThrillMill said:

Thanks Guys/Gals,

I'll consider aiming for better ranged defense with another slot in Confuse & the Dom ATO. 10% is 10%! The reason for taking Cross Punch was for some more AoE damage. I know it isn't great but it's better than nothing? 

I need some more info about snipes! Won't they only fire quickly if I attain some unreasonable high % of ToHit? 

That used to be the case but i think its based on acc now. But you only need to attack once or twice for it to kick in as insta-snipe.

[ThrillMill]

43 minutes ago, mbre2006 said:

That used to be the case but i think its based on acc now. But you only need to attack once or twice for it to kick in as insta-snipe.

Oh sweet... Let me rework this some and I'll submit it for review. 

[oedipus_tex]

Not a bad build. Overall comments:

 

• Why Super Jump in the final slot? SJ is normally taken only to unlock other powers in that pool. Super Speed would be a much better option, and you can put the Stealth IO in there for total invisibility against most mobs.
• Have you thought through your attack chain? You almost certainly don't need Punch and Kick. You'll never be using one or the other. I know Cross Punch does extra damage if you have both, but how often will you use that and does that make it worth the cost? I'm betting not but I'm not 100% sure. 
• Static Field really only needs 1 slot. I figure you are 5-slotting for the extra Recharge, but I bet you could get similar Recharge from a power that really needs slotting. FWIW I dont actually know what Chance to Placate does in this power. Might be worth finding out.
• I dont find Conductive Aura provides enough Regen to bother slotting it with Healing, considering the poor bonus options in those sets.
• Would definitely 6-slot Synaptic Overload in order to get the +5 Ranged Defense from the 6th slot.
• Same as above with Paralyzing Blast. With just those 2 slots you've gained +10 Ranged defense.
• Your AoE capability is very low with this combo, so I would still pick up Explosive Blast. You can use it fine enough from melee range. Put a +Recharge IO here. Its one of the biggest reasons to go Energy pool.
• Proc out Jolting Chain, if you decide to keep it.
• Given all the Recharge you have, Conserve Power is a must grab if only just because its available. Taking it will allow you to cut corners on your other slotting.

[Mezmera]

Yeah I'd not go for the Leaping pool at all.  If you want a good travel go with Force of Will, you can get a leap travel, plus a great debuff and a very good defensive power much more useful than combat jumping.  You can also go with just Super Speed for your travel with the stealth IO in that for invisibility like was said.  If you're going to take maneuvers you might as well go with tactics and vengeance, both great powers.  

 

If I can pull those +10 recharge bonuses out of other sets I like to put a six set of Mako's into my melee, it gives some real nice bonuses.  

 

I have an /nrg dom these are how I slot my powers:  

 

Power Bolt (1) 50+5 dmg IO

Bone Smasher (6) Mako's Bite

Power Up (1) 50+5 recharge IO

Whirling Hands (6) Obliteraion  (or 5 of Armageddon if I don't have another viable pbaoe attack) 

Total Focus (6) Mako's Bite

Snipe (5) Sting of Manticore (I don't slot the acc/int/range one) 

Power Burst (5) Apocalypse  

 

[Crowcus Pocus]

TF and ET both have long animations and will root you. Just making sure you took that into consideration.

[Mezmera]

7 hours ago, Falsey said:

TF and ET both have long animations and will root you. Just making sure you took that into consideration.

I'd have to agree.  I do love me some ET but with the rooting and animation of that and TF they'll almost be recharged before you get to your other attacks.  I like to use TF for the mechanics of what it now allows you to do with Whirling Hands and Power Burst.  Great single target damage is well covered now in /energy's revamp.  

 

There's plenty of other good epic pools out there.  I recommend Soul Mastery, Soul Drain is like having your very own Fulcrum Shift but it also greatly increases your tohit.  It just combos well with being in melee and helps fill some lack of AoE damage.  

[oedipus_tex]

I wonder if you've considered Savage Assault for your melee-centric character. I recently got my first Savage to the lower 40s and its the first Dominator where I've felt the melee attacks contribute enough to make the build viable. It's mainly due to the level 38 power, Feral Charge. It recharges in 10 seconds and is technically a PBAoE, although it operates like a standard melee attack in the sense that you need to reticle an enemy to use it. The attack contains a teleport that ports you right next to the enemy, then the punch animates.  So in other words, this power lets you quickly jump from enemy to enemy punching them in the face. 

 

With Savage Melee you'd be losing less utility than you would as a Energy Assault skipping the blasts. The ability to port in also pairs nicely with Electric Control's PBAoE aura.

 

 

 

Edited November 9, 2019 by oedipus_tex

[Mr. Vee]

I'll second savage as really fun. Though melee-centric savage means you're not throwing birds and bees which, c'mon.

 

Also stealth IOs are for sprint. Combo that with superspeed for full middle-of-mob-dancing invisibility unless there's rikti drones or other +perception. Doesn't look like you're really planning to use jolting chain so could easily grab ss there and stick a winter's gift there or a botz -kb for if you let domination slip or while it's building.

[mbre2006]

On 11/5/2019 at 3:07 PM, Falsey said:

TF and ET both have long animations and will root you. Just making sure you took that into consideration.

TF animation has been sped up or changed from live. It's pretty fast. ET...hate that animation.