Clarion. How useful is it really?

[Sovera]

I am making a duo with a friend where we both are rolling Illusion/Kinetics. I have little experience with Incarnate choices for Controllers but I do know Clarion is the choice for squishies.

 

On top of PA being near perma (actually well on perma if we are together and speedboosting each other or just keeping Siphon Speed at two stacks) the build I cooked is also at 45% defense to S/L/E and ranged which leads me to consider what do?

 

- I can shuffle the slots and go down to 40% and then use Barrier for the last 5%. It would be easy enough to carry a row of Breakfrees to free me from any CC especially since PA takes agro and the build focuses on single target CC and attacks/buffing (I mean, it has Spectral Terror but there is not much point in casting it other than sticky situations) which reduces agro. Also we can restock BFs between missions.

- Stick to 45% and then take Clarion and use on cooldown to be immune to CC. It's a more common choice, but dunno, 'just' immune to CC seems a bit weak to 'waste' an incarnate with. Barrier as a team wide panic button is more appealing.

 

Opinions?

[Uun]

Clarion is definitely handy, but not required. Are you both taking Increase Density? If you don't mind hitting each other with ID, Clarion wouldn't be needed.

[kiramon]

Clarion is a pain. It's got quite a cast animation, can still drop toggles (offensive ones) cuz it doesn't have 101% overlap, costs a large 20 endurance, and is just blahhhhhhhhh.

 

[RobotLove]

Clarion seems a little wasteful on controller. Least 'involved' AT in the game next to MM. Plenty of recovery tools if you have to dig yourself back out of a hairy fight.

 

Without knowing your endurance situation, Ageless Radial with it's +debuff res is often overlooked. More +recharge towards Perma-PA. Plugs a lot of melee teammates armor's holes, and it gives you a second refill option if Transference whiffs.

 

Otherwise adding Barrier + Core Lore pets alongside your already godly Phantasm and PA? Thing of beauty.

Edited September 24, 2020 by RobotLove

[Omega-202]

You both should take Increase Density.  Its great mez protection for the whole team and makes a solid IO mule for any of the +Res IOs.  It's a solid spot to put the Unbreakable Guard +HP or Gladiator's Armor +Def IOs, or Steadfast's -KB if you aren't taking a travel power to slot a Zephyr.

[Sovera]

We have ID, of course. It ended with a +7.5% HP unique. Recovery is kinda iffy. I took some slots and added them to Health for the uniques since I was at -0.10. Even with Transference that was too much for me.

 

Okay then, I guess I'll try the Barrier route.

[Doc Ranger]

I think if you really want to get away from Clarion then I would try to get Rune of Protection in the sorcery pool. One of my corruptors has it and it lasts 90secs with a 145sec recharge. So up over half the time?

 

You can click it after your are mezzed which is nice. I think it is more powerful than clarion as well. I usually take flight and spirit ward to get to Rune. 

 

 

Edited September 24, 2020 by Doc Ranger

[Mr. Vee]

I've not taken it on anything since I discovered defensive amplifier. Most of my squishies are ranged defense capped so the 4 points from the amp is usually more than enough. It has the benefit of working when exemped as well. Unless there's some pressing need for a different hybrid I'll take the melee one with the mez help as it also works as a break free click (for those times when something gets through both defense and 4 points - like when someone kills a nictus in ITF while we're all exposed or reichsmann's big stun). 

[roleki]

While it's a nice thing to shoot for, an Ill/* controller really doesn't need to race for capped defenses; for one, they've got the whole "three invincible tanks" thing going for them, but then they can also drop one of the most underrated soft controls in the game in Spectral Terror, which nets them 15% -ToHit right out of the box and can be ramped up to -25% with some slot shenanigans.  -ToHit is resistable, but it comes off the same side of the equation as +Defense so even a 50% resist leaves you at a soft +7.5 Def if all you do is slot ST with a Recharge IO and forget it, which you shouldn't because Spectral Terror is worth spinning to 5 slots, six if you're throwing procs into the mix as well.

As for which Destiny slot to take... Ill/Kin is a weird bird because unlike most other /Kin, there's really no compelling reason to wander into Melee range to bathe in your AoE buffs; it's not like you're going to Deceive mobs harder (?) and your Phantasm will wander out of range like that's it's job.... so unless you didn't get to Perma-PA through slotting + Hasten + set Bonuses + Alpha, not a huge reason to take Ageless. 

 

So, if it's down to Barrier or Clarion, personally I would lean Clarion.  Way I figure, I've never forgotten to fire off Barrier & noticed it, but I have *often* forgotten to fire off Clarion and regretted it.  But the OP's case is special, since it's a duo... why not one of you take Clarion, the other Barrier, and cover ALL the bases?

[oedipus_tex]

I'd probably do Clarion Radial Epiphany for the combo of mezz breaker and +Special.

 

Kinetics doesn't need Ageless or Rebirth IMO. Barrier would be the only other one I'd really consider.

[Toxis]

Not sure how well this works for your build but for my Grav/Storm I recently respec'd into //Psi for Indomitable Will and Sorcery for Rune of Protection. I have a fair bit of breathing room to go from one to the other without any mez protection gaps and IW isn't too far off from perma anyways. 

 

This was the best option for me because I need Ageless as my auto cast due to my massive endurance consumption.