Your absolute favorite Dominator?

[MTeague]

Plant/Psi

• Psi assault is not the strongest damage, and can have some issues vs zombies / robots, but it's still pretty good
• and you can use TK Thrust / Roots / Procs to handle robots
• Seeds of Confusion / Carrion Creepers are both Happiness in a button
• Drain Psyche being your own personal -Regen debuff is HUGE
• Drain Psyche and Spirit Tree make you very resiliant as you level up.

[Crowcus Pocus]

So many options T_T what to do what to do?

I want a Gravity domi at some point. And I also think I'll finally give Ice/ a chance, even though it seems subpar. Or does domination makes Arctic Air that much better?

[CantgetRight]

Going to throw in plant/earth and dark/ice. Anything plant/ is good and strong. But dark/ice seems to mesh together really well. 
My dark/ice is only in the 20s. I’m trying to farm some inf for him. But the control and play style is really fun if you like up close and personal. 

Edited July 13, 2020 by CantgetRight

[VV]

I think at this point my fave is Dark/Savage, mainly just for the maniac fun that it is. I play it essentially like a scrapper with some control. But, honestly, Anything/Savage is just going to rock because of that crazy Savage Leap. I think in terms of ruling the field, that would be my Elec/Nrg. Between all that knock, and all the End drain, nobody on the other team gets to do much unless I say it's okay.

[Crowcus Pocus]

11 hours ago, VV said:

I think at this point my fave is Dark/Savage, mainly just for the maniac fun that it is. I play it essentially like a scrapper with some control. But, honestly, Anything/Savage is just going to rock because of that crazy Savage Leap. I think in terms of ruling the field, that would be my Elec/Nrg. Between all that knock, and all the End drain, nobody on the other team gets to do much unless I say it's okay.

Interesting! I was thinking Plant was probably the best at locking things down just because of how OP Seeds of Confusion seems to be. I've never played either sets (Plant or Elec), so those might added to my never ending list of alts. How quickly can you drain a spawn? Is it efficient enough that you can do it safely and constantly? Thanks!

 

[Coyote]

Seeds is a lot faster than End draining... but Seeds does have a recharge while the End draining is almost constant, so if you Confuse one spawn and aggro another... you might be in trouble. And some mobs resist Confusion, while very few resist End drain. And Electric Control DOES have a good AoE Confuse power also. Overall, Electric is very safe with a lot of tools, but it's a little slower and does a lot less damage than Plant. For one thing, if you AoE Confuse everyone with Plant/Savage... they tear into each other along with you. If you do it with Electric... they don't do much to each other because you're generally also Sleeping and End Draining (and chain Knocking) them. So they do much less self-harm.

[gameboy1234]

On 7/8/2020 at 8:02 AM, Coyote said:

Dark/Nrg ... also excellent options to either of the above.

I *just* made a Dark/Dark Dom to try Doms out, and I wonder how it would compare to Dark/NRG?  I like what looks like more control in /Dark but of course damage is always useful.  My new Dom is literally level 2 right now so I could just re-roll without losing anything.

 

[Coyote]

Well, first you have to understand how /Nrg does its area damage... it builds up Energy Stored with Total Focus (melee attack), and then does almost double damage by using Whirling Hands (PBAoE attack). In effect, Total Focus becomes a semi-AoE, hitting one target hard, and effectively setting up AoE damage though it needs a 2nd power to actually release that damage. This means that /Nrg does all of its AoE damage in melee range.

 

Now, my Dark builds will frankenslot Heart of Darkness with 3-4 damage procs. This puts it at 200-260 or so AoE damage, and it's an early use power in every fight. It's also PBAoE, so playwise, it's a real smooth action to start the fight with Fearsome Stare for the Fear (and huge ToHit Debuff). Note that if you have Power Up active at this point, you get a +Defense boost to your Defense powers, as well as a big boost to the -ToHit, so in fights where you have PU ready at the start, which should be most of them, you can start with a huge defensive boost. Now, while the buff is up, you run in and fire HoD, TF, and WH... you get effectively 3 PBAoE powers, 2 of them with damage boosted from PU (HoD gets its damage boosted also, but it does irrelevant damage outside of the procs)... and HoD gets its duration boosted by PU. So it's a very solid and smooth action cycle, with good AoE damage.

 

Dark/Dark has a problem. Engulfing Darkness is a nice PBAoE, but Nightfall is a long narrow cone, and with 10 second recharge it's up a lot but does lower damage. I almost think that /Dark would play best as a range-oriented Dominator, giving up the use of Engulfing Darkness, but playing much more safely and leveraging Gloom, the snipe, and Life Drain. But to do this, it would work better with an all-ranged primary... Mind, Gravity, or Earth. Defensively, stacking the -ToHit debuffs along with the best heal available for Doms, makes it a very strong defensive build. But if you're going defense, I think I'd rather go with Earth, which also has a -ToHit power, and which doesn't have any reason to go into melee range.

 

Single target is also a long analysis, but the short version is that Nrg does significantly more damage... but only by going into melee range and leveraging Total Focus, which builds up an Energy Stored/Released with Power Burst, giving you three Extreme damage attacks (Power Burst, TF, and the snipe). Dark does a lot less, but can stay at range and has a self-heal. So it's again a question of damage or defense.

 

BTW, /Dark doesn't have more CONTROL. It has way more DEBUFFING than Nrg... Nrg has a 100% knockback, TF is a 100% Stun compared to the Immobilize from Midnight Grasp, and Whirling Hands has a chance to Stun while Engulfing Darkness has -ToHit. If you're going /Dark, it's not for more control, it's for more -ToHit and a heal.

 

I like /Nrg option more, but... if you want a stronger defensive combo, Dark/Dark's ability to leverage a TON of -ToHit makes it one of the strongest Dominators defensively. Multiple control options, backed up by good -ToHit stacking, and with a safety net of a solid lifetap attack.

[Bill Z Bubba]

@Coyote Is TF the only way to build up stored nrg? My grav/dom is 100% ranged at I see that go off every now and then but don't understand the mechanism for building it.

[Mezmera]

1 hour ago, Bill Z Bubba said:

@Coyote Is TF the only way to build up stored nrg? My grav/dom is 100% ranged at I see that go off every now and then but don't understand the mechanism for building it.

TF is an easy to use one because it has a 100% chance (and great damage) to build Energy Storage, unless you used TF to build Energy within the last 10 seconds, indicated by the TF attack icon listed in your status bar for 10 seconds, which then you can't build it that way until the icon goes away. 

 

Any other power in Energy Assault that isn't designated as an Energy Release power can also build Energy but at a much lower chance.  So Bone Smasher, Whirling Hands and Power Burst release and all the other attacks have a slight chance to build up energy with TF being 100% chance.

 

Once you TF a target and then release that nasty Whirling Hands on a group and watch them crumple you'll thirst to always want to execute that chain.  I cut my teeth with the revamp to Energy Assault on a Grav/Nrg dom, you're missing out playing it exclusively at range.  

Edited July 16, 2020 by Mezmera

[Coyote]

6 hours ago, Mezmera said:

Any other power in Energy Assault that isn't designated as an Energy Release power can also build Energy but at a much lower chance.

 

Doesn't it have to be activated upon a Stunned target? That is, if you hit Stunned targets with single-target attacks that aren't Release, then there is a chance... but I think that if you don't Stun them first, there is no chance to build up Energy Storage.

[Bill Z Bubba]

So what I'm hearing is that I need to build a melee-centric earth/nrg dom....

[VV]

On 7/14/2020 at 4:22 AM, Falsey said:

Interesting! I was thinking Plant was probably the best at locking things down just because of how OP Seeds of Confusion seems to be. I've never played either sets (Plant or Elec), so those might added to my never ending list of alts. How quickly can you drain a spawn? Is it efficient enough that you can do it safely and constantly? Thanks!

 

Kind of depends on your tactics and slotting. I don't have anything slotted for EndMod, but it still tends to take only a few seconds. Toss Static Field, Chain Fences, Jolting Chain while standing there with Conductive Field and they are pretty much out of End. And the good thing is, they stay out as long as you are standing there with Conductive Field running.

 

Plant is a lot of fun, too. I have a Plant/Dark that rules. 

[Mezmera]

5 hours ago, Coyote said:

 

Doesn't it have to be activated upon a Stunned target? That is, if you hit Stunned targets with single-target attacks that aren't Release, then there is a chance... but I think that if you don't Stun them first, there is no chance to build up Energy Storage.

No they don't need to be stunned to build it hence why Bill is able to eventually build it with all of his ranged blasts.  Every non-release attack has a small chance to build it stuns have no say in this where'd you read into it that they did?

Edited July 16, 2020 by Mezmera

[Mezmera]

4 hours ago, Bill Z Bubba said:

So what I'm hearing is that I need to build a melee-centric earth/nrg dom....

The thing is with Energy Assault is that the attacks from Whirling Hands and after are so good that you can just run in with that strong melee then just finish everything off without moving your feet.  Power Burst and Snipe are just fantastic finishers you don't even need to leave your spot you can just tab targets boom dead.  Its pretty fun I feel like Hudson in Aliens without that falling through the floor bit "Come on you F'ers, you want some, oh you too, come on you want some of this!"

Edited July 16, 2020 by Mezmera

[Coyote]

1 hour ago, Mezmera said:

No they don't need to be stunned to build it hence why Bill is able to eventually build it with all of his ranged blasts.  Every non-release attack has a small chance to build it stuns have no say in this where'd you read into it that they did?

 

Not sure, and I'm not sure about it, either... I remember reading something, but perhaps I conflated some patch notes together and created an imaginary restriction in my mind.

[Mezmera]

8 hours ago, Coyote said:

 

Not sure, and I'm not sure about it, either... I remember reading something, but perhaps I conflated some patch notes together and created an imaginary restriction in my mind.

Reading that a target is stunned seems far too complex of a system to implement as opposed to reading the power you're activating internally and providing rolls based on that.  Every Energy attack has a varying chance of building Energy Storage from 10% to 50% and TF at 100% chance, they're listed in power descriptions when you show details.  

 

Edit: 

I stand corrected about the percentages.  I logged in game to see how its displayed on my Energy dom and there's nothing anywhere in the descriptions.  Had to go back to the update last August to get where I had gotten my info.  It's 20% for most attacks and 100% for TF

 

August 27th Patch notes: 

New special mechanic. Most single target attacks have a 20% chance of granting Energy Focus mode. Hitting a foe with Total Focus will always grant Energy Focus mode.

Edited July 17, 2020 by Mezmera
Correction

[Golden Azrael]

I didn't know the %s for Energy Focus Mode.  Useful to know on my Gravity Energy Dominator.

 

20% for 'most' attacks and always on Total Focus ala Mode.

 

Great mechanic for Energy on Dominators.

 

It would be interesting for developers to look at other sets and see if unique modes can be applied.

 

This 'Energy Mode' would be interesting on the Energy Melee Tankers (I know some are still bummed about the Energy Melee 'cull' from way back.)

 

Building up energy to spend as extra damage mode is an interesting mechanic.  And it certainly ties in with the Dominator's 'focus' of buildling up domination.

 

It's a very 'focused' AT.  And to see that focus extended to other aspects of its combat eg. Energy Mode makes sense to me.

 

Azrael.

[oedipus_tex]

I think the various "mode" powers need a look to be honest. The issue is that Dominators have two possible places they can use for damage. There's the primary of some Control sets (Gravity, Mind) and the Assault set itself.

 

Gravity for example is a straight up blast set with a few controls. It loses big paired with Energy or Fire Assault because those mechanics don't actually benefit the blasts it has. In fact, I'm critical of Gravity Control because the powers mesh so poorly with the secondary. Are Propel andL ift meant to replace blasts in the secondary? Gravity's special attack mechanic that rewards the player with extra damage feels like it needs an update on Dominators so that any Assault power, not just Propel and Lift, benefits. 

 

 

Edited July 28, 2020 by oedipus_tex

[kiramon]

I want a plant dom where endurance isn’t a concern... earth was NOT that lol. 
 

 

[oedipus_tex]

1 hour ago, kiramon said:

I want a plant dom where endurance isn’t a concern... earth was NOT that lol. 
 

 

 

 

Plant/Psi. 🙂 Among the most powerful Dominators possible.

[kiramon]

1 hour ago, oedipus_tex said:

 

 

Plant/Psi. 🙂 Among the most powerful Dominators possible.

Yeah but I do a lot of psi: ergh

[Coyote]

Plant/Savage. Endurance is still a concern, but not that bad, because the Blood stack system gives you an Endurance discount on power usage.

[mbre2006]

My icex3 dom. Making the battlefiled a beautiful blue hue is amazing.

[kiramon]

On 8/1/2020 at 10:23 PM, Coyote said:

Plant/Savage. Endurance is still a concern, but not that bad, because the Blood stack system gives you an Endurance discount on power usage.

I think I decided to give it ago... we shall see. Without Rending perhaps !