Earth / Earth

[SmokenBongs]

Any experienced Earth / Earth Dominators willing to share their wisdom and build suggestions? 

 

Anyone feel strongly that something else / earth or earth / something would be better. 

 

Any and all assistance is greatly appreciated!

 

[oedipus_tex]

I haven't played Earth/Earth but I've played each with other primaries/secondaries.

 

Earth Control is a good set, but only has one AoE power that Dominates, Stalagmites. Luckily Volcanic Gasses is still really good, it just is identical to the Controller power. Earth Control is a very loud, very graphically impactful set. Earth Control is also one of the few sets with no Confusion power (only Gravity and Fire also lacks this). The secondary effect of its powers, -Defense, isn't worthless but also isn't likely to decisively shift the battle in your favor too often. Between Stalagmites, Earthquake, and Volcanic Gasses Earth can saturate a battle field and achieve an excellent level of safety for the team. 

 

Earth Assault is a fun but endurance heavy set. It is a close range. Moreover, its a close range set with no armor or self healing on an archetype that also has no armor or healing. A few powers can do heavy damage (procced out Seismic Smash for example). The close-range aspect of the set though makes me mark this as either a "sandbox" kind of set for running easy missions, or a set mainly for very experienced players. You won't be able to most of use your controls on AVs and your damage is point-blank, so you're standing in their face without mitigation except for whats in your pools, epics, and IOs. You can become quite strong from these sources, but you are definitely not a Scrapper or even a Defender.

Earth Assault's Mudpots is a PBaOE damage aura, which is a rare find among the Assault sets. PBAoE damage auras on melee characters are well known to increase their damage potential due to their effectively infinite DPA. On a Dominator though powers like this are harder to take advantage of and in a team setting can attract unintended aggro.

Overall Earth/Earth might have enough control to overcome some of the limitations, but if you are participating in team content at +4, in iTrials, or difficult AE missions you can expect to faceplant a lot. I run a Earth/Dark, mainly for the self heal, and still die a lot even standing back at range.
 

 

A semi-safe alternative to Earth/Earth is Gravity/Earth, because you can Wormhole enemies to you and only attack what gets teleported. This has some limitations tho because bosses more than +3 to you won't be teleported, and teams won't wait around for you to do this most of the time.

Dark/Earth, Plant/Earth or Mind/Earth would also be solid alternatives, for various reasons.

Electric/Earth is something I'd avoid due to a conflict between the PBAoE aura and your sleep patch power. There are ways to make it work, but I like to cast that power directly underfoot.


On the flip side: Fire Assault and Psi Assault are widely regarded as the strongest of the Assault sets, Fire for pure damage and endurance maintenance, Psi mainly for the sustainability of Drain Psyche. Fire Assault in particular is a great set for a first Dominator; Earth/Fire will not disappoint. Other strong sets are Savage or Energy. I run an Earth/Dark for theme; it has a modestly effective ranged self heal, which it trades away much of its damage for.

 

TLDR Earth/Earth won't be bad, especially if you play it sandbox style not super concerned about comparisons to other archetypes. There's a band of content where it will severely struggle though due to being a very melee heavy option on an archetype without armors or reliable healing. If you can, you'll want to go permadom as fast as possible with IOs, but even that won't likely completely stave off wipeouts.

Edited August 7, 2020 by oedipus_tex

[SmokenBongs]

Thanks for the well thought out and written response! 
 

So I decided that I won't worry about the comparisons with other AT's and rolled an Earth / Earth Dom. Only lvl 25 so far, but I dig the control I have over a battlefield. I'm working with other power pools to work on compensating for the lack of defense as I can see the dangers of melee range. 

 

Overall lots of fun so far!

 

If anyone has any build suggestions for Earth / Earth I'd be very interested. Both in lvling and in endgame. 

 

Also, not sure what to go for on the 3rd power set. I'm guessing something that will buff my D like maybe Dark??? I'm really just getting back into this game after MANY years away and appreciate any advice from experienced players.

[Golden Azrael]

Earth has great control.  Choke mobs and make them fall over?  Put that on faster recharge you what's left runs straight into Earth Assault.

 

Earth Assault has a brutal sense of satisfaction.  Not one but two Stone Hammers!  You get a seismic smash...  Power Boost.  Mud Pots to slow the mobs down as they choke and fall over from your Earth Control.

 

Are you a range Dominator?  Or a Range (close the gap to) melee Dominator?  If you're the latter, you'll love Earth/Earth.

 

Try it in the Hollows up to L8.  Stone Hammer never fails to satisfy.

 

And that stone pet...bit of an 'ard case at L32.

 

The subs and slots are free.

 

Try it.

 

Use SOs all the way to L50.  Take all the powers.  Make your (!) mind up about which work and don't according to your taste.

 

There will be some frustration inherent to the Domi AT up to L32...but after that it gets alot easier.  And the journey is definitely fun.  I got one to L50 on live.  It just kept on giving.

 

Then start looking at builds to Set Built your IOs to create a perma Domi perma hasten God.

 

Azrael.

Edited August 9, 2020 by Golden Azrael