Mass Hypnosis

[BrandX]

How do you professional Dominator players go around using this power?  Just for solo play?  Doesn't seem it would do well in team play.  Set Bonus mule?

[Coyote]

Solo only.

Once in a while, especially on a small team, it's useful for fighting multiple AVs.

Once in a while, on a team, it's useful for intercepting an ambush while the team is fighting a lot of other mobs.

Those are pretty niche situations for it.

 

If you solo a decent amount, it's useful, and you can mule a purple set into it for when you're on a team, so it's not a terrible choice if you're going to team and solo. If you're going to only be a team character... I'd skip it. There are better options for muling, I think.

[tidge]

I can't speak to it as a Dominator, but I use it on a Controller. For my current build (not yet level 50):

1. It will be a set mule at lvl 50+
2. It is used for the ATO pet proc while leveling.

I know that folks are not shy about expressing disappointment about the ATO pets (for both Dominators and Controllers), but I happen to like that those pets are really good at grabbing aggro; I have no expectation that they will be doing anything else. In my experience, this is pretty important when playing solo.

 

I think @Coyote hit the other points I would say about the power.

[honoroit]

I enjoy mass hypnosis. Use it all the time on teams as Dom. It's a big wave interrupt, even if it lasts less than a second amidst artillery levels of team mate aoe. 

 

It often keeps one or two out of play at the edges missed by those aoe. 

 

Love it, and recommend mesmerize over levitate also! 

[Greycat]

Don't discount it just because it's a sleep. It's useful.

 

(Maybe because I've been running Keyes a good bit lately, but one application of this can get me a couple of batteries there, for instance, damage (taken) and aggro free, even without any + levels, as an example.)

[Mezmera]

I used to have Mass Hypnosis way back when the Lord Recluse Strike Force was hard so I could use the sleep method.  Nowadays my dom can just tank that aggro so I'll pick the powers that have more effect like the aoe hold, confuse and terrify.  I do take Mesmerize seeing how sleeps are still useful if your team knows not to wake them.  

 

Solo it is a more useful power but there's already a lot of good things to choose from, I'd skip this power.  

Edited November 19, 2020 by Mezmera

[Harakh]

17 hours ago, BrandX said:

How do you professional Dominator players go around using this power?  Just for solo play?  Doesn't seem it would do well in team play.  Set Bonus mule?

 

Been playing mind dom the last couple weeks. Finding mass hypnosis useful during solo, and team play. When solo I implement MH at the end of my AoE attack chain to keep baddies closer together preventing a bunch of run aways. Or right before they begin to spread after using mass confusion.

 

Teaming, running a task force MH saved team from mass-death. Since MH is aggro free its very handy to sleep a near by mob to prevent an early fight, or sleep the current group before team wipes if going down. Also, as already mentioned is useful as an interruption.

[oedipus_tex]

Mass Hypnosis is a not-bad power that nevertheless has sat on my Update Wishlist for some time.

 

IMO the Sleep duration should be shortened, but it should recharge in 15 seconds (down from 45) and have a cast time around 1 second. 

 

As is, its not terrible. It's mostly useful solo, although there's the occasional situation where Sleeping an enemy group one spawn ahead can keep them from aggroing.

[Ultimo]

I think it would be more useful if it did a bit of damage.  Total Domination, too.  As it is, the duration of each is so short and the recharge so long, that they're of only occasional use.

[Blackmoor]

I rarely use it on teams, but do constantly when solo. Slotting it with Call of the Sandman: Chance for Self Heal is very useful, as it procs very often(and gives you 6.25% recharge).

[Mezmera]

15 hours ago, Ultimo said:

I think it would be more useful if it did a bit of damage.  Total Domination, too.  As it is, the duration of each is so short and the recharge so long, that they're of only occasional use.

Based on the recharge associated with the longer recharging aoe holds damage procs work very well in the holds so I drop in the purple and pvp proc into it.  It's a quite nice bit of damage.  

[tidge]

As reported, the AoE Holds become very good sources of damage with %procs. Even pre-50, there are three %damage procs that can be added, with a fourth available at level 50.

 

Confuse is also not bad, with two available %damage procs, plus the Contagious Confusion proc to beef up the single-target confuses.

 

It's most of the the other control (and debuff) sets that could use some proc-love. In particular, the Fear powers don't have either a PVP or Purple choice! I can sort of understand the historic reluctance to not having a PVP Fear set, but Fear's four IO sets when compared to the six (not counting the Superior or Winter varieties) IO sets for Holds definitely feels like it is begin short-changed.

 

I'd like to see a new lvl 10-30 Fear set with 3 or 5-pieces (including a %damage proc), and a Superior (lvl 50) set that includes a "Contagious Fear" proc. I know that there is a difference of opinion on slotting the Contagious Confusion proc in AoE or single target, but it is clear that players find it a valuable option.

[Coyote]

Personally, I would like to see every set type that has only 4 sets (Fear, To Hit Debuff, etc) get at least 2 more sets added, a 10-30 and a 30-50 set. Maybe skip on groups like Accurate To Hit Debuff, Accurate Healing, etc, since they can always take the no-Accuracy sets also, but everything else that has only 4 options should get new sets before we get more like Artillery and Bombardment, which are nice but are added to a set group that already had a good amount of options (once you include the Winter, Purple, Universal Damage, and so on).

[Blackmoor]

6 hours ago, tidge said:

It's most of the the other control (and debuff) sets that could use some proc-love. In particular, the Fear powers don't have either a PVP or Purple choice! I can sort of understand the historic reluctance to not having a PVP Fear set, but Fear's four IO sets when compared to the six (not counting the Superior or Winter varieties) IO sets for Holds definitely feels like it is begin short-changed.

Yes, there  is a purple choice available, at least for Mind Doms! I six-slot Terrorize with the full Ragnarok set.  The Chance For Knockdown proc works beautifully. It causes mobs to regularly fall down, rather than perform the quick attack they're granted by Terrorize's effect. Its relatively low damage is more than compensated for by its freakishly wide arch. It's a bread & butter attack for me. Granted, its not a "Purple Fear set" per se, but its an interesting little caveat...Or oversight.

 

Come to think of it, this is germane to the OP. I thought about this thread while running LGTF last night. I frequently started fights, hitting first with Mass Hypnosis in order to pacify spawns so I wouldn't eat the alpha. I then hit them with Terrorize. I rarely ever took noteworthy damage from doing it.

[oedipus_tex]

Mass Hyp also takes the Chance for Placate proc. Mind Control is probably one of the ideal sets for that proc, because it's less likely to instantly break (Arctic Air for example cancels Placate because the aura is considered an "attack.")

 

I'm not sure how useful that is in practice. Also am not sure what Placate does, if anything, while solo. Most players use so much AoE that Placate isn't much of a factor in their gameplay, but it's something. 

[graeberguinn]

I would like to see a couple powers in Mind Control get an update. But as for mass hypnosis, why not make it a pulsing sleep, like static field in electric. Or make it an aoe disorient. Something to give it more value and help mind players out with aoe control. 

[...]

13 hours ago, graeberguinn said:

I would like to see a couple powers in Mind Control get an update. But as for mass hypnosis, why not make it a pulsing sleep, like static field in electric. Or make it an aoe disorient. Something to give it more value and help mind players out with aoe control. 

It doesn't pulse like Static Field in electric control because it is non-notify.

 

Many people love mass hypnosis exactly as it is, because it is so useful for soloing. Far less useful in a group, but still has its uses. 

 

I would't change it at all.

[Flat Line]

Mass Hypnosis and Terrorize for damage is a great combo.

 

I’ve also used Mass Hypnosis to prevent a team wipe when we agro too much.

 

It’s also nice to run past mobs you don’t want to fight.

 

I usually alternate between it and Mass Confusion.

[Hewhorocks]

On 1/7/2021 at 8:16 PM, Daemon Creed said:

 

I usually alternate between it and Mass Confusion.

How much recharge do you have? Can you get Mass confusion anywhere near Seeds of confusion? I've always thought it odd that plant is  better than mind control at confuse effects...

[DZKFire]

I took Mass Hypnosis and use it a lot. I solo a lot and /fire secondary doesn't offer as many AoEs, so being able to pick a enemies one by one while Mass Hypno-ing the rest is nice.

 

In teams, I still use Mass Hypnosis a lot. It's helped prevent wipes from accidental aggro on the lower level TFs (mainly posi1&2). I don't do much radios missions anymore, but I open with Mass Hypnosis on engage because it lets blasters open PBAoE nukes with impunity.

 

[Flat Line]

16 hours ago, Hewhorocks said:

How much recharge do you have? Can you get Mass confusion anywhere near Seeds of confusion? I've always thought it odd that plant is  better than mind control at confuse effects...

I'm not sure how often Seeds of Confusion is up for you, but I find Mass Hypnotize up often enough. Not being a cone makes it easier to use too. 

When it isn't up, Mass Confusion is another good option. Total Domination is also good in the rare case the other two aren't up.

And I also use Terrify a lot. It's a cone, but does good damage and offers a lot of control. 

 

My Recharge is at: 178.75% (including Perma-Hasten)

Mas Hypnotize recharges in: 12.75s (starts at 45s)

Mass Confusion recharges in: 63.81s (starts at 240s)

Total Domination recharges in: 63.89s (starts at 240s)

Terrify recharges in: 12.83s (starts at 40s)

 

Because of all the options and most are AoEs instead of cones, I personally think Mind Control is better at sleeps and confuses. BUT, I haven't put nearly as much time into plant, and I know a lot of people love plant.

 

[Tantricsecrets]

Mass hypnosis is a good mitigation tool that sets up a safe team alpha strike and can be used as interruption while in combat. With high recharge io builds, mass hypnosis recharges fast enough for use multiple times in a single group for harder content or up evey group on speed teams.

 

It's a very good emergency button for preventing wipes when multiple /x8 enemies are grouped very close to each other and they get aggro'd.

 

While in domination, mass hypnosis can be stacked with other mind abilities if fighting enemies with hold resistances like devouring earth and their bosses. 

[Ravenbane]

I have a level 50 Mind/Psi. In big groups, I mostly use it to take another, nearby mob out of a fight before it sees what's going on and pulls into the current fray. I think that's its most useful application most of the time, especially since it doesn't aggro if I miss. Also very helpful for pausing adds/ambushes.

 

For duoing (my husband and I play together as duos almost all the time whenever we're not on bigger teams, very rarely do I actually solo) I use it much more liberally. I'll often use it before I drop in for Drain Psyche (which doesn't break sleep), then my Judgement or Psychic Shockwave. He plays a scrapper as her duo partner and uses Fold Space to gather things in, so I can sleep them while he positions himself for that without taking many hits (not that it's as much of a concern at 50+).

 

I've slotted mine with Ascendancy of the Dominator mostly for the chance for +damage proc (as well as the rest of the set bonuses), since it recharges quickly and I usually pop it off as I approach the mob so the fighting starts on my terms, and that way I have a chance for +damage with my initial attack or two. That way I'm also at least benefiting myself in teams if I use it mid-flight, even if the mez is interrupted almost immediately I still my get my +Damage. 

[Hewhorocks]

On 2/11/2021 at 5:47 AM, Daemon Creed said:

I'm not sure how often Seeds of Confusion is up for you,

 

Out of the Box Seeds is 60 seconds. So every 16 seconds is easily doable. 

Vines (AOE HOLD) is of the standard type and sporeburst is comparable to mass hypnotize. 

Terrify is faster recharge than creepers but the utility is pretty close (and sheer coolness goes to creepers I think.)

 

Its just sad to me that the Capstone mind control power seems  outdone by the lvl 8 plant control of the same type (AOE Confuse)

[Clave Dark 5]

On 1/7/2021 at 7:16 PM, Daemon Creed said:

It’s also nice to run past mobs you don’t want to fight.

I was just going to mention this.  I was on one of those teams this weekend, you know the one, where you hit the instanced map and the brute with stealth is already 70% across the map?  And so do I stand here like a fool with my thumb up my Dom by the door and wait, or do I make an even bigger fool of myself and try to take down this group by myself or what?  I mean, this wouldn't get me completely across the map to the brute, but it's something.