Trying to solo AVs (kind of), but dont want to play Illusion

[Damoklese]

So I usually duo with a friend of mine, and we want to try to complete all of the TFs with just the two of us.  Controllers are my jam, so im trying to find the right controller that is a good mix of fun and effective.  My duo partner is most likely going to be some kind of defense based melee DPS.

 

So Illusion is the obvious choice because beating AVs is kind of its thing.. the problem is that I really dont like Illusion control.  I mean its a fine set and all, but the playstyle just doesnt keep my interest.  Ive had far more fun with Gravity and Plant control.

 

Anyway..I was just wondering if anyone with more knowledge than me could recommend something that might fit my needs?   I am trying to learn how these proc monster builds work, and there might be some potential there..but I dont want to dive into a powerset thinking that I have it figured out and realize down the road that I made the wrong choice.

 

EDIT:  I should probably clarify that the reason I say "solo AVs" when I plan on bringing someone with me, is because I prefer not to depend on him having an optimal build.  Id like to be able to pretty much take care of it myself if necessary.  I enjoy a character more when I know im capable of epic things 😄 ..plus if things go sideways, I dont want our survival to depend on both of us doing exactly the right thing at the right time..  a little room for screw ups, ya know?

Edited May 29, 2020 by Damoklese

[Coyote]

If you want to solo AVs and don't want Illusion, you have two excellent options:

 

1) Earth Control, with a strong buffing secondary. Animate Stone is a tank with Taunt effect on his attacks, so he can keep the AV busy while you kill him. I just soloed an AV easily at 33, with Earth/Cold... Cold buffs the pet and debuffs the AV. Another excellent option for this is Thermal, as it will do about the same though with buffing Resistance rather than Defense. In both cases you want to put all 4 pet IOs in Animate Stone for Defense and Recovery, so you're giving up some damage slotting, but having an AV-tanking pet is more important than improving its damage a bit.

 

2) Dark Affinity secondary can make pretty much any primary able to tank an AV. Without going into great detail, debuffing an AV's Resistance improves your Damage debuffs upon it... and Dark puts out good -Resist, and great -Damage, which then gets improved by the -Resist. You may be able to floor an AV's damage before you get Fluffy at 38... and after you get Fluffy, it's quite easy. You also put out something like 150% -ToHit, which even AVs will feel. Add in team Defense and Regen boosts, constant Healing spam (since part of debuffing Damage is to spam Twilight Grasp), and almost no AV in the game can kill you directly with damage. Only the ones that summon pet entities that do damage like Scirocco and his Tornado, or Bad Maiden's blue fires will be a threat.

 

There are other options (/Traps secondary is a good option), but the two simplest are Earth primary or Dark secondary. Earth is pretty straightforward with the right buffing set (and some others will work like Poison or Dark), and Dark Affinity is very straightforward: spam the powers that do -ToHit, -Damage, and -Regen, and the AV becomes a paper tiger.

[Doomguide2005]

There are many (likely all when you get into Incarnates and high end IO builds) AT's that can solo a wide variety of AVs including many controller sets.  The ones that do it easiest will generally have an easier time because of strong mitigation usually starting with strong, i.e. capped, defenses vs the AVs attacks, then resistance(s) against stuff that gets through those defenses, a blue bar that won't run out, and usually some combo of resistance and regeneration debuffs.  Illusion was able to do it pre IO's owing to its pets who could tank and survive an AV's attacks.  

 

Coyote mentioned some of the common power sets used for such things.  Pick a pair of sets you think sound fun and go from there.

 

 

 

 

 

 

[Leo Darkheart]

@Coyote the combo of Earth/Cold gave me the 'that sounds fun!' feeling. Would you be kind enough to share the build, plz?

 

[Coyote]

This is what I'm running now, updated to do more damage (because I found that it was strong in everything except AoE damage, and personal survival when you aggro a lot of mobs... and doing more AoE damage thins out the crowd of mobs).

 

Spoiler

Hero Plan by Mids' Reborn : Hero Designer 2.6.0.7
https://github.com/ImaginaryDevelopment/imaginary-hero-designer

Click this DataLink to open the build!

Frostone: Level 50 Magic Controller
Primary Power Set: Earth Control
Secondary Power Set: Cold Domination
Power Pool: Force of Will
Power Pool: Medicine
Power Pool: Speed
Power Pool: Leadership
Ancillary Pool: Stone Mastery

Hero Profile:
Level 1: Fossilize -- Apc-Dmg/EndRdx(A), GldJvl-Dam%(3), GldNet-Dam%(3), NrnSht-Dam%(5), GhsWdwEmb-Dam%(5), UnbCns-Dam%(7)
Level 1: Infrigidate -- TmpRdn-Acc/EndRdx(A), ShlBrk-%Dam(7), ImpSwf-Dam%(9), TchofLadG-%Dam(9), AchHee-ResDeb%(11)
Level 2: Stone Cages -- PstBls-Dam%(A), PstBls-Acc/Dmg(11), PstBls-Dmg/EndRdx(13), PstBls-Acc/Dmg/EndRdx(13), PstBls-Dmg/Rng(15), SprOvrPrs-Rchg/Energy Font(15)
Level 4: Project Will -- Thn-Acc/Dmg(A), Apc-Dam%(19), GldJvl-Dam%(19), ExpStr-Dam%(21), FrcFdb-Rechg%(21)
Level 6: Ice Shield -- LucoftheG-Def/Rchg+(A), LucoftheG-Def(23)
Level 8: Mighty Leap -- BlsoftheZ-ResKB(A)
Level 10: Glacial Shield -- LucoftheG-Def(A)
Level 12: Stalagmites -- HO:Endo(A), AbsAmz-Acc/Stun/Rchg(23), SprWiloft-Rchg/Dmg%(25), PstBls-Dam%(25), JvlVll-Dam%(27), Empty(27)
Level 14: Wall of Force -- PstBls-Dam%(A), PstBls-Dmg/Rng(29), PstBls-Acc/Dmg(29), PstBls-Dmg/EndRdx(31), PstBls-Acc/Dmg/EndRdx(31), FrcFdb-Rechg%(31)
Level 16: Aid Other -- NmnCnv-Heal(A)
Level 18: Earthquake -- FrcFdb-Rechg%(A)
Level 20: Arctic Fog -- StdPrt-ResDam/Def+(A), GldArm-3defTpProc(33), LucoftheG-Def/Rchg+(33), LucoftheG-Def(33), Ksm-ToHit+(34), UnbGrd-Max HP%(34)
Level 22: Hasten -- RechRdx-I(A), RechRdx-I(34)
Level 24: Unleash Potential -- LucoftheG-Def/Rchg+(A)
Level 26: Volcanic Gasses -- Lck-Rchg/Hold(A), Ann-ResDeb%(36), Lck-%Hold(36), NrnSht-Dam%(36), GhsWdwEmb-Dam%(37), PstBls-Dam%(37)
Level 28: Benumb -- Acc-I(A), RechRdx-I(37), RechRdx-I(39)
Level 30: Maneuvers -- LucoftheG-Def/Rchg+(A), LucoftheG-Def/EndRdx(39), LucoftheG-Def(39), LucoftheG-Def/EndRdx/Rchg(40), ShlWal-ResDam/Re TP(40), Rct-ResDam%(40)
Level 32: Animate Stone -- SvrRgh-PetResDam(A), EdcoftheM-PetDef(42), ExpRnf-+Res(Pets)(42), CaltoArm-+Def(Pets)(42), HO:Nucle(43), SlbAll-Dmg(43)
Level 35: Sleet -- UndDfn-Rchg/EndRdx(A)
Level 38: Heat Loss -- PrfShf-EndMod/Acc/Rchg(A), PrfShf-Acc/Rchg(43), RechRdx-I(45)
Level 41: Fissure -- FrcFdb-Rechg%(A), HO:Perox(45), HO:Perox(45), PstBls-Dam%(46), ExpStr-Dam%(46), Empty(50)
Level 44: Seismic Smash -- KntCmb-Acc/Dmg(A), KntCmb-Dmg/EndRdx(46), KntCmb-Dmg/Rchg(48), KntCmb-Dmg/EndRdx/Rchg(48), Hct-Dam%(48), GhsWdwEmb-Dam%(50)
Level 47: Rock Armor -- LucoftheG-Def/Rchg+(A), LucoftheG-Def/EndRdx(50)
Level 49: Earth's Embrace -- DctWnd-Heal/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 -- Empty(A)
Level 2: Rest -- Empty(A)
Level 2: Swift -- Empty(A)
Level 2: Health -- Pnc-Heal/+End(A), NmnCnv-Regen/Rcvry+(17)
Level 2: Hurdle -- Empty(A)
Level 2: Stamina -- PrfShf-End%(A), PwrTrns-+Heal(17)
Level 4: Ninja Run
Level 50: Barrier Core Epiphany
Level 50: Cryonic Core Final Judgement
Level 50: Storm Elemental Core Superior Ally
Level 50: Control Core Embodiment
Level 50: Nerve Core Paragon
------------

 

 

 

Stalagmites opens up with 300 AoE damage, then Stone Cages to stop wandering. EQ for the -ToHit debuff, and then alternate Wall of Force and Fissure to get Force Feedback procs and get the powers back up faster for the next fight. Switch to single target attacks when down to the Boss(es).

 

Ice Mastery APP is also an option, it has better AoE due to Frost Breath being the best AoE in the APPs, and also having Ice Storm as backup AoE. I may respec into that and see how the extra AoE damage plays compared to the loss of constant Force Feedback procs... should be better AoE, but both Earth and Cold like to have more Recharge, so... for now it's Stone Mastery.