Are Sonic Cage/Detention Field Usable?

[Griffyn]

These powers seem to be mostly worthless. I could see them being useful to remove an AV or one of Recluse's Towers for a bit if things start going badly. But can these powers remove a +4 AV or a tower reliably or is the mag reduced so much that you'd end up needing multiples?

[macskull]

One of them is enough to make a tower or AV intangible. Most people don't take those powers because they're such fringe use cases (but I have a Fire/Sonic Corruptor that I made for this specific reason).

[cohRock]

I don't think they are useless, just very situational.  And if you are teamed, especially large team, your allies are likely going to waste a lot of effort on the intangible foe -- even if you tell them.  But solo or with one  teammate, these powers can be life-savers.

Edited August 13, 2020 by cohRock

[Greycat]

Yes, they're useful. Situational, but useful.

[JnEricsonx]

I really wish these powers on Gravity Control or Dark, Dimension SHift or Black Hole, did something else.   But, they don't, so, honestly...never taken them.

[Gulbasaur]

They're decent on smaller teams. The CoH meta seems to be very focused on teams of eight with everyone spamming AoEs. Small team stuff is usually more challenging and requires different tactics. 

[Outrider_01]

Turn the intangible to a 6 sec short duration untouchable hold that does a decent amount of upfront damage when it wears off.  AoE attack with hold effect, semi long timer.

[Blackfeather]

Hmm...I think I'll try summoning @The Philotic Knight to weigh in on this. 🙂

[Tath99]

Sonic Cage & Detention Field are excellent powers.

 

- Turn the difficulty up.

- Turn on Bosses.

- Cage or Detain the Boss of each spawn.

- Defeat all Minions.

- Catch Breath (or use any inspiration of choice) 😉

- Pile on Boss.

 

===

 

- Join PUG group.

- Wild-eyed crazy scrapper runs ahead and comes back tail-between-legs, trailing a damaged mob.

- Now fighting two spawns!

- Emergency detain highest threat (using a custom macro that includes text detention warning).

- Defeat mob.

- Resurrect fallen heroes.

- /e slap Scrapper.

 

 

[_NOPE_]

1 hour ago, Tath99 said:

Sonic Cage & Detention Field are excellent powers.

 

- Turn the difficulty up.

- Turn on Bosses.

- Cage or Detain the Boss of each spawn.

- Defeat all Minions.

- Catch Breath (or use any inspiration of choice) 😉

- Pile on Boss.

 

===

 

- Join PUG group.

- Wild-eyed crazy scrapper runs ahead and comes back tail-between-legs, trailing a damaged mob.

- Now fighting two spawns!

- Emergency detain highest threat (using a custom macro that includes text detention warning).

- Defeat mob.

- Resurrect fallen heroes.

- /e slap Scrapper.

 

 

This @Blackfeather. This.

[Griffyn]

So I did some testing in AE and the results there were bad. A Sonic Cage worked on a +0 Toxic Tarantula, but completely failed on a +4. It also did not work on a +0 Elite Boss. 

 

So it would appear that if you are running at +4, the only use of this power would be to remove a single LT.  Given the duration, there are much better ways to get rid of any pesky LTs. 

 

[Apparition]

8 hours ago, macskull said:

One of them is enough to make a tower or AV intangible. Most people don't take those powers because they're such fringe use cases (but I have a Fire/Sonic Corruptor that I made for this specific reason).

Even then, the power needs to actually hit the tower or AV.  Between six bubblers and three Sonic characters, I have never taken such a power.

[Lines]

With a coordinated team, maybe, but I've never been in such a team. The few times I've seen them used in Pugs it's just tripped me up.

[Griffyn]

9 hours ago, macskull said:

One of them is enough to make a tower or AV intangible. Most people don't take those powers because they're such fringe use cases (but I have a Fire/Sonic Corruptor that I made for this specific reason).

Based on my tests in AE, I doubt that this is still true. One cage was not enough for a +4 Boss (two worked) and it was not possible to cage a +0 Black Scorpion EB even with two cages.

[Apparition]

7 minutes ago, Griffyn said:

Based on my tests in AE, I doubt that this is still true. One cage was not enough for a +4 Boss (two worked) and it was not possible to cage a +0 Black Scorpion EB even with two cages.

It is true.  It can still make a tower or AV intangible.  AE is not the same as the rest of the game for one thing.  Regardless, as I said the power still needs to actually hit, and it’s only a couple of fringe cases where it’s useful.  There are other better powers that you can use.

[Griffyn]

1 hour ago, Apparition said:

It is true.  It can still make a tower or AV intangible.  AE is not the same as the rest of the game for one thing.  Regardless, as I said the power still needs to actually hit, and it’s only a couple of fringe cases where it’s useful.  There are other better powers that you can use.

This is not correct. I just went on the test server outside of AE and fought a +4 Infernal AV. The Sonic Cage hit, the orange text appeared, and he was not caged. 

[Outrider_01]

9 hours ago, Griffyn said:

This is not correct. I just went on the test server outside of AE and fought a +4 Infernal AV. The Sonic Cage hit, the orange text appeared, and he was not caged. 

Triangles up or down?  Would assume based on normal AV mechanics, triangle up and it should resist even an intangible unless you stacked it with a couple of players.  60sec recharge, 30 duration without hasten or  recharge/acc/intangible enhancements but who would 3 slot it heavily? Powers are taken so rarely its kinda hard to tell without an actual test of several people doing it.

 

And Mids doesn't even have intangible enhancements so I can't even see what the duration is with even 1 enhancement.  Not to mention its like the only power effect without an IO set, next to repulse effects.

[Griffyn]

2 hours ago, Outrider_01 said:

Triangles up or down?  Would assume based on normal AV mechanics, triangle up and it should resist even an intangible unless you stacked it with a couple of players.  60sec recharge, 30 duration without hasten or  recharge/acc/intangible enhancements but who would 3 slot it heavily? Powers are taken so rarely its kinda hard to tell without an actual test of several people doing it.

 

And Mids doesn't even have intangible enhancements so I can't even see what the duration is with even 1 enhancement.  Not to mention its like the only power effect without an IO set, next to repulse effects.

Intangibility enhancers were removed from the game. If it's only occasionally when the triangles are down it's even less useful.  The cage powers were nerfed a while ago. They have limited usefulness early if you are playing at normal notoriety. They are a waste of a power at high levels of notoriety.

[kiramon]

Regardless of fringe cases, all of these outside of Gravity’s is a nuisance of a power and should be changed. Whether they become toggles or completely new powers, they need to be changed. 

[Outrider_01]

6 hours ago, Griffyn said:

Intangibility enhancers were removed from the game. If it's only occasionally when the triangles are down it's even less useful.  The cage powers were nerfed a while ago. They have limited usefulness early if you are playing at normal notoriety. They are a waste of a power at high levels of notoriety.

I get the limited use part, I had a Dark Maisma defender on live and took it long before IO sets were a thing.  Maybe used it 3 times, one for testing. 

 

As for IO I see the recipe for a plain IO in the AH and thought there was SO.  Mids did show Hammi-O with the effect to modify duration so was thinking that it wasn't set in the database for a power nobody uses.

[Eldyem]

6 hours ago, kiramon said:

Regardless of fringe cases, all of these outside of Gravity’s is a nuisance of a power and should be changed. Whether they become toggles or completely new powers, they need to be changed. 

I've seen Gravity's mentioned as being better than the others, and I'm under the impression it got a significant buff at some point to do so, but I have no idea what changed to make it less garbage. Could you enlighten me?

[drbuzzard]

Every power choice is an opportunity cost. These powers are a good example of that.

 

Is there potential use for said powers? Yes.

 

Would you likely be better off with something else which is less situational and will help you more often? Yes.

 

I suppose with multiple builds these powers might be leveraged more since you can make a build specifically for cases where the powers would be of the most use.

 

 

[kiramon]

2 hours ago, Eldyem said:

I've seen Gravity's mentioned as being better than the others, and I'm under the impression it got a significant buff at some point to do so, but I have no idea what changed to make it less garbage. Could you enlighten me?

 

1. Its a targeted AoE + Root 

2. You can 'phase into it' to attack things in it/etc

3. Its a toggle so you can shut it off when needed

 

It's got some quirk/weird delays, but it's literally a dimension shift. 

[Rumors]

Another use for them is, if you're going into a PvP area for Shivan Shards, Warburg Nukes, or whatever and some Stalker or something keeps harassing you, then just put them in timeout for a moment.

[macskull]

Cages only last for four seconds in PvP (8 seconds if you're a Controller or Dominator) so that isn't particularly useful. They used to last standard PvE duration though.