Favorite sub-optimal power?

[oedipus_tex]

Arctic Air. I've been fascinated by this power for years. It's a cool idea that doesn't quite pan out--you end up spending a lot of resources getting the mezz protection, recovery. and personal defense you need to use a power like this, and then still end up behind most other Controllers or Dominators. But there's something insane about Arctic Air and Ice Control more or less having to act crazy to prove its value has always drawn me back.

 

I've had more Ice Control characters over the years than any other set. Still think it (and AA) need buffs. But it's still conceptually a fascinating power. I want it to be more powerful but not fundamentally changed.

[Rejolt]

On ‎1‎/‎30‎/‎2021 at 5:48 PM, oedipus_tex said:

Arctic Air. I've been fascinated by this power for years. It's a cool idea that doesn't quite pan out--you end up spending a lot of resources getting the mezz protection, recovery. and personal defense you need to use a power like this, and then still end up behind most other Controllers or Dominators. But there's something insane about Arctic Air and Ice Control more or less having to act crazy to prove its value has always drawn me back.

 

I've had more Ice Control characters over the years than any other set. Still think it (and AA) need buffs. But it's still conceptually a fascinating power. I want it to be more powerful but not fundamentally changed.

My idea for it: You and your teammates get a minor layer of absorb every 10 seconds for each target hit inside of. Idea was 2 percent of your base HP per target it, capping at 5.

[Techwright]

On 1/28/2021 at 11:38 PM, ninja surprise said:

... I don't care that it's kinda slow, narrow, and doesn't have great range...

Well, if this defines "sub-optimal" then I'd vote for the slow animation of Eagle Claw.  Combined with my scarf costume element, the ballet between whirling kick and twirling cloth is elegant art in motion.  If I've managed to time the shot as the coup de grâce, dropping the enemy, it is a very satisfying finish.

[Sailboat]

16 hours ago, Techwright said:

Well, if this defines "sub-optimal" then I'd vote for the slow animation of Eagle Claw.  Combined with my scarf costume element, the ballet between whirling kick and twirling cloth is elegant art in motion.  If I've managed to time the shot as the coup de grâce, dropping the enemy, it is a very satisfying finish.

Also, for MA/SR combos, when you defeat a foe with Storm Kick and immediately the animation for Practiced Brawler chains.  That looks so cool.

[ninja surprise]

On 1/29/2021 at 9:58 PM, Doomguide2005 said:

Meanwhile my Earth/Storm will Stalagmite, Thunder Clap and Fissure you into stunned submission.

My Earth/Time does that while hoping someone on the team will come and defeat the spawn before my super sweet controls wear off.

But it's so fun! I have combo-keys set up so I can drop the AoE's right where I want 'em to neutralize the entire spawn. 

I just can't defeat anything on my own!

[KC4800]

On 1/29/2021 at 12:08 AM, Runewritten said:

Arcane bolt.

The way you scribe a rune of fire and shove it forward, and it rumbles the screen when it hits-- just feels so wonderful for such a meager power.

Plus, it can light Oil Slicks.

[Psyonico]

Is Granite Armor considered sub-optimal?  For some reason I love that power and love building builds around its weaknesses.

[Techwright]

On 2/1/2021 at 3:38 PM, Sailboat said:

Also, for MA/SR combos, when you defeat a foe with Storm Kick and immediately the animation for Practiced Brawler chains.  That looks so cool.

The "I can do this all day" moment.

[BelleSorciere]

5 hours ago, KC4800 said:

Plus, it can light Oil Slicks.

I miss it on my Brute, but the only use I ever really got out of it was pulling Neuron away from Bobcat for the achievement we didn't even get.

[Gentoo]

Sleeps are pretty useless on a team, but I love spamming them, and then doing the sleep emote and standing beside the mobs.  It makes people laugh. I made  SleepWalker character with the closed eyes face and wearing pyjamas.

 

Pointless knockback powers can be a lot of fun, like the one in FF, especially if you have powerboost. Did they nerf that? Haven't tried it recently, but you used to be able to punt a Hellion half way across the zone. Combine lift for skeet shooting. I had a Mind/FF made just for doing this.

 

The Kin "they bounce off you ball" is pretty fun too. You can toggle that plus superspeed on, and point and hit autorun, and see how many of the baddies you can knock away. I call it bowling.

 

You can also play golf or soccer (with teams), with a designated baddie, and some set landmarks.

 

This is how I spend about 50% of my time playing this game, in between playing on pickup groups. I'm surprised it isn't more common.

Edited February 5, 2021 by Gentoo

[Gentoo]

On 1/30/2021 at 5:48 PM, oedipus_tex said:

Arctic Air. I've been fascinated by this power for years. It's a cool idea that doesn't quite pan out--you end up spending a lot of resources getting the mezz protection, recovery. and personal defense you need to use a power like this, and then still end up behind most other Controllers or Dominators. But there's something insane about Arctic Air and Ice Control more or less having to act crazy to prove its value has always drawn me back.

 

I've had more Ice Control characters over the years than any other set. Still think it (and AA) need buffs. But it's still conceptually a fascinating power. I want it to be more powerful but not fundamentally changed.

 

I have based characters around Arctic air. Its hardly useless. Its amazing if you build well, especially if you stack it with other PBAOE set it and forget it powers, like Rad's choking cloud or Nature's similar power - just standing there you control entire mobs. Its incredibly powerful, because you have all your free time to do something else. It also stacks well with Venemous Gasses from Poison.

[Luminara]

8 minutes ago, Gentoo said:

Pointless knockback powers

 

Blasphemer.

[nihilii]

On 1/30/2021 at 11:48 PM, oedipus_tex said:

Arctic Air. I've been fascinated by this power for years. It's a cool idea that doesn't quite pan out--you end up spending a lot of resources getting the mezz protection, recovery. and personal defense you need to use a power like this, and then still end up behind most other Controllers or Dominators. But there's something insane about Arctic Air and Ice Control more or less having to act crazy to prove its value has always drawn me back.

 

I've had more Ice Control characters over the years than any other set. Still think it (and AA) need buffs. But it's still conceptually a fascinating power. I want it to be more powerful but not fundamentally changed.

I love, love, love Arctic Air on Doms. I ignore my entire primary and just attack, while enemies get confused passively.

No doubt it is extremely silly design, but damn. FUN!

[Vulpoid]

All this talk of Arctic Air has raised my desire to give it a spin!
How would you slot it on a Dominator?
Any suggestions?

[Gentoo]

10 minutes ago, Vulpoid said:

All this talk of Arctic Air has raised my desire to give it a spin!
How would you slot it on a Dominator?
Any suggestions?

 

On the cheap, do 3 end redux and 3 confuse.

[Gentoo]

And if you do Arctic Air on a Dom, make sure to pick whatever Dom secondary has the best melee attacks. You'll be spending all your time in melee.

[oedipus_tex]

 

41 minutes ago, Vulpoid said:

All this talk of Arctic Air has raised my desire to give it a spin!
How would you slot it on a Dominator?
Any suggestions?

 

With Arctic Air you need to worry less about the actual slotting of Arctic Air itself and more about the overall build. Specifically, you need to have enough endurance to keep it running alongside the armor you need to be that close to enemies and the mezz protection to keep it from detoggling. Without mezz protection even the most minor nuisance mezz will detoggle AA. Controllers can take Indom Will from the Psi pool and Dominator can go perma dom. Life without mezz protection for an AA build is one where every half second sleep disrupts your main form of mitigation. Not for the faint of heart. 

Even after all the effort it takes to get AA functional, it's still not on the level of the controls available to other sets. It is, however, very interesting, so I enjoy it. It needs a buff on Dominators for sure though, as they eat the double penalty of lower mezz duration and inability to Dominate with the power, which actually means its more effective for Controllers.

Edited February 5, 2021 by oedipus_tex

[Vulpoid]

9 hours ago, Gentoo said:

make sure to pick whatever Dom secondary has the best melee attacks.

What do you suggest?

[Yomo Kimyata]

I realize that this wasn't the purpose of this post, but am I the only one who takes tremendous pleasure in blowing up the subs in the Faultline arcs in non-traditional fashion?

[Gerswin]

Trip mine! It is so situational but when it shines it is so satisfying.  I love keeping track of where ambushes or other mobs spawn and putting a big surprise in place for them.

 

Possibly my best zone PvP memory from Live was when I lured a stalker who was trying to steal my nuke codes onto a camouflaged stack of mines for an instant KO.

[FuturaTrunks]

On 2/2/2021 at 10:49 AM, Psyonico said:

Is Granite Armor considered sub-optimal?  For some reason I love that power and love building builds around its weaknesses.

Yo you throwing shade my way? I'll have you know my granite armor moves at 30mph! it only sucks when i have  to do tfs with lots of vertical movement, bonus is i can walk through any mob to my group and just not give a damn, pulling them to the AV/GM/What have you. I can tank lord recluse with all 4 beams active on him.  Im sure it is sub optimal, but there is a reason you and i play it, and that's that its unmatched in every other comparison.  Yeah you need to build around movement and rech but normally you'd build around rech and your defenses anyways.  Theres simply a method to the madness.

 

To add on as well, my favorites have to be Rise of the Phoenix, Spectral Terror, Inertial Reduction, and now that i see everyone's feelings on it, the entirety that is /Regen =]

[Rejolt]

On 2/6/2021 at 12:10 PM, FuturaTrunks said:

 

To add on as well, my favorites have to be Rise of the Phoenix, Spectral Terror, Inertial Reduction, and now that i see everyone's feelings on it, the entirety that is /Regen =]

Thanks for mentioning IR. It’s one of those “I’m  so fun at parties I gave up a power choice for you” powers. Maybe make IR a self-toggle that gives you and others near you Super Jump but if they have SB on it keeps the SJ buff on for the length of the SB buff. 
 

Also - the only reason to hate RotP is never wanting to die in the first place. That thing is awesome. 
 

Id fight for the T9 on elec armor for Sents/Scraps/Stalkers to be a self Rez that fires off like an EMP and gives you 15 seconds of high regen and rec depending on the targets near you. 

[oedipus_tex]

On 2/5/2021 at 6:34 PM, Vulpoid said:

What do you suggest?

 

I actually think /Fire is among the strongest secondaries for Ice Control. This is mainly because you can immobilize enemies and keep just outside the reach of their melee attacks while you blast them. This gives you more control over the area that Arctic Air covers versus having it dictated by whatever you're swinging at at the time. Consume is also much appreciated for its endurance bar refill.

 

Beyond that, Energy or Psi are decent options for various reasons.

Edited February 8, 2021 by oedipus_tex

[Doomguide2005]

On 2/6/2021 at 10:02 AM, Gerswin said:

Trip mine! It is so situational but when it shines it is so satisfying.  I love keeping track of where ambushes or other mobs spawn and putting a big surprise in place for them.

 

Possibly my best zone PvP memory from Live was when I lured a stalker who was trying to steal my nuke codes onto a camouflaged stack of mines for an instant KO.

Ooooo yes!

 

RWZ, the guard the conference where you have to stave off a massive Nemesis ambush and rescue Lady Grey.  Now imagine a team of 5 AR/Dev blasters.  Let's just say 60+ tripmines was a mildly successful counter-ambush. 

Edited February 8, 2021 by Doomguide2005
Correction

[Grouchybeast]

6 hours ago, Rejolt said:

Also - the only reason to hate RotP is never wanting to die in the first place. That thing is awesome. 

It's my favourite fire power.  And in the days before crashless nukes, RotP was also a brilliant way for PBAoE-nuke blasters to dodge the end crash.