Illusion/Kinetics controller

[wijnen]

I have an Illusion/Kinetics controller, which I'd like to improve in terms of which powers it has (and also what enhancements should be used with it). However, I'm having some trouble with that. Most powers are single target, which makes them weak when there are large mobs, such as during a TF. There are some good ones (phantom army in particular) which have long cooldowns, so I have time to use other powers. But which ones work well?

 

So I'd like to get some advice on what I could do with it.

[wijnen]

Thanks for your reply, that's very helpful. I'm level 50 by now, so everything is possible.

 

Although PermaPA? I'll have to look into that, that sounds great. I had slotted many recharge enhancements into it until I noticed there was a cap of 100%. I suppose I can lower the time some more with an incarnate power, but I don't see how that would add the other 50% that I would need to make it perma. Where does the extra recharge boost come from?

 

Getting a lot of aggro tends to quickly kill me. (Which is fine if I take out enough enemies; it can still be a pretty fast way to clear a map. I currently have Rise of the Phoenix, which makes dying a lot less time consuming) I have tried it with repel, and that does indeed help a lot. But only if their ranged attacks aren't too strong.

 

I'm not hung up on being a great controller; at the moment I have a build which is filled with pool powers so I can deal more damage. But it looks like that mostly results in me being mediocre at everything. So that's why I asked (and why I don't show a build to improve): I'm open to any way that would make the character usable as a team player. (Solo would also be nice, but that doesn't need to be the same build.)

 

When I have a plan for what to do, I'll show the powers so people can suggest enhancements. But I'm not there yet.

[Carnifax]

PermaPA isn't like perma-dom in that aiming for it but falling a few seconds shy isn't a disaster. You can cope with a few seconds without them.

 

They do 60-70% of my damage (Ill/Dark/Scorp) and absorb a lot of aggro, which is the reason you still want to strive towards it but it's not as absolute as Perma Dom. 

[oedipus_tex]

I admit Illusion/Kinetics is a build I don't know how to min/max as easily as other Kin builds. Normally with Kinetics builds the strategy is to underslot the main powers for Damage in order to let Fulcrum Shift fill in the gaps, and load everything up with procs. However, Phantom Army doesn't benefit from Fulcrum Shift, so that power at a minimum needs damage slotting, as probably does anything else meant to contribute to a AV fight.

 

For me, the optimal APP for this particular build is possibly Earth, for Fissure and Seismic Smash. This won't help you a whole lot in the above mentioned AV fights, but will add a lot more crunch to your Fulcrum Shifts against normal packs. A nice Synergy between Spectral Terror and Fissure is anything knocked down loses its chance to retaliate. It does mean fighting up close, but /Kinetics sort of implies that. 

 

I'd recommend picking up more AoE damage powers if any are in grasp. Enflame is a good one.

[Carnifax]

Earth is probably best. Fissure is short range but will take a Forced Feedback. 

 

Mace Mastery gives you a Def shield, -Res highly proccable ranged attack and a ranged AOE which will take FF too (but needs a KB2KD). The drawback is the Mace redraw is a killer and there's no way to switch it off. I have it on my Illusion but bemoan the redraw every time I use it. You can chain them but it still sucks. 

 

Gives you the option of another pet too (one which is Fulcrumable) on a long recharge, but you're building for that anyway. 

Edited June 6, 2021 by Carnifax

[wijnen]

Thanks for all the feedback. I'm not sure why you would want to focus on DEF when you have PermaPA though? It seems to me that with PA taking all the aggro, my DEF isn't all that important.

 

I've now tried to make a build with:

1. PermaPA
2. Decent hold powers
3. Ranged damage

I'm probably doing things that make no sense though, so please tell me about those.

Thanks for helping me with this.

 

Actually, I just realized I probably want a different epic pool. I chose fire because of the resurrect, but I get that from unrelenting as well. So then I can take an epic pool which gives me an extra pet, as was suggested.

 

Spoiler

 

This Hero build was built using Mids Reborn 3.0.4.7
https://github.com/Reborn-Team/MidsReborn

shevek: Level 50 Technology Controller
Primary Power Set: Illusion Control
Secondary Power Set: Kinetics
Power Pool: Presence
Power Pool: Experimentation
Ancillary Pool: Fire Mastery

Hero Profile:
------------
Level 1:    Blind    
 (A) Unbreakable Constraint - Chance for Smashing Damage
 (3) Unbreakable Constraint - Hold
 (3) Unbreakable Constraint - Hold/Recharge
 (5) Unbreakable Constraint - Accuracy/Hold/Recharge
 (5) Unbreakable Constraint - Endurance/Hold

Level 1:    Transfusion    
 (A) Preventive Medicine - Chance for +Absorb
 (9) Preventive Medicine - Heal/RechargeTime/Endurance
 (11) Preventive Medicine - Heal
 (11) Preventive Medicine - Heal/Endurance
 (13) Preventive Medicine - Endurance/RechargeTime
 (13) Preventive Medicine - Heal/RechargeTime

Level 2:    Siphon Power    
 (A) Accuracy IO

Level 4:    Pacify    
 (A) Accuracy IO

Level 6:    Speed of Sound    
 (A) HamiO:Microfilament Exposure

Level 8:    Superior Invisibility    
 (A) HamiO:Ribosome Exposure

Level 10:    Experimental Injection    
 (A) Endurance Modification IO

Level 12:    Siphon Speed    
 (A) Accuracy IO

Level 14:    Intimidate    
 (A) Glimpse of the Abyss - Endurance/Fear
 (15) Glimpse of the Abyss - Fear/Range
 (15) Glimpse of the Abyss - Accuracy/Fear/Recharge
 (17) Glimpse of the Abyss - Chance of Damage(Psionic)
 (34) Glimpse of the Abyss - Accuracy/Endurance

Level 16:    Unrelenting    
 (A) Recharge Reduction IO
 (17) Performance Shifter - EndMod
 (42) Performance Shifter - EndMod/Recharge
 (43) Performance Shifter - EndMod/Accuracy/Recharge
 (43) Performance Shifter - Chance for +End
 (43) Performance Shifter - EndMod/Accuracy

Level 18:    Phantom Army    
 (A) Expedient Reinforcement - Accuracy/Recharge
 (19) Expedient Reinforcement - Accuracy/Damage/Recharge
 (19) Expedient Reinforcement - Endurance/Damage/Recharge
 (21) Expedient Reinforcement - Accuracy/Damage
 (21) Expedient Reinforcement - Damage/Endurance
 (23) Accuracy IO

Level 20:    Invoke Panic    
 (A) Glimpse of the Abyss - Endurance/Fear
 (31) Glimpse of the Abyss - Chance of Damage(Psionic)
 (31) Glimpse of the Abyss - Fear/Range
 (34) Glimpse of the Abyss - Accuracy/Fear/Recharge
 (34) Glimpse of the Abyss - Accuracy/Endurance

Level 22:    Adrenal Booster    
 (A) Adjusted Targeting - Recharge
 (23) Adjusted Targeting - To Hit Buff/Recharge
 (25) Adjusted Targeting - To Hit Buff/Endurance/Recharge
 (25) Adjusted Targeting - Endurance/Recharge
 (31) Adjusted Targeting - To Hit Buff

Level 24:    Speed Boost    
 (A) Performance Shifter - EndMod
 (37) Performance Shifter - EndMod/Recharge
 (39) Performance Shifter - EndMod/Accuracy/Recharge
 (39) Performance Shifter - EndMod/Accuracy
 (39) Performance Shifter - Chance for +End

Level 26:    Spectral Terror    
 (A) Superior Will of the Controller - Accuracy/Control Duration
 (27) Superior Will of the Controller - Control Duration/Recharge
 (27) Superior Will of the Controller - Accuracy/Control Duration/Endurance
 (29) Superior Will of the Controller - Accuracy/Control Duration/Endurance/Recharge
 (29) Superior Will of the Controller - Recharge/Chance for Psionic Damage

Level 28:    Deceive    
 (A) Accuracy IO

Level 30:    Repel    
 (A) Endurance Reduction IO

Level 32:    Phantasm    
 (A) Expedient Reinforcement - Accuracy/Damage
 (33) Expedient Reinforcement - Damage/Endurance
 (33) Expedient Reinforcement - Accuracy/Damage/Recharge
 (33) Expedient Reinforcement - Endurance/Damage/Recharge
 (40) Expedient Reinforcement - Accuracy/Recharge
 (40) Expedient Reinforcement - Resist Bonus Aura for Pets

Level 35:    Fire Ball    
 (A) Ragnarok - Damage
 (36) Ragnarok - Damage/Recharge
 (36) Ragnarok - Accuracy/Damage/Recharge
 (36) Ragnarok - Accuracy/Recharge
 (37) Ragnarok - Damage/Endurance
 (37) Endurance Reduction IO

Level 38:    Fulcrum Shift    
 (A) Accuracy IO

Level 41:    Flash    
 (A) Superior Entomb - Accuracy/Hold/Endurance/Recharge
 (42) Superior Entomb - Accuracy/Hold
 (42) Superior Entomb - Accuracy/Hold/Endurance
 (48) Superior Entomb - Hold/Recharge

Level 44:    Transference    
 (A) Power Transfer - EndMod
 (45) Power Transfer - Damage/EndMod
 (45) Power Transfer - Damage/Accuracy/Endurance
 (45) Power Transfer - Damage/Accuracy/Recharge/Endurance
 (46) Power Transfer - Chance to Heal Self

Level 47:    Fire Blast    
 (A) Apocalypse - Damage
 (48) Apocalypse - Damage/Recharge
 (50) Apocalypse - Damage/Endurance
 (50) Apocalypse - Accuracy/Damage/Recharge
 (50) Apocalypse - Accuracy/Recharge
 (48) Endurance Reduction IO

Level 49:    Consume    
 (A) Accuracy IO

Level 1:    Containment    
Level 1:    Brawl    
 (A) Empty

Level 1:    Sprint    
 (A) Run Speed IO

Level 2:    Rest    
 (A) Endurance Modification IO

Level 2:    Swift    
 (A) Run Speed IO

Level 2:    Hurdle    
 (A) Jumping IO

Level 2:    Health    
 (A) Numina's Convalesence - +Regeneration/+Recovery
 (46) Numina's Convalesence - Heal
 (46) Numina's Convalesence - Heal/Endurance

Level 2:    Stamina    
 (A) Performance Shifter - Chance for +End
 (7) Performance Shifter - EndMod
 (7) Performance Shifter - EndMod/Recharge
 (9) Performance Shifter - EndMod/Accuracy
 (40) Performance Shifter - EndMod/Accuracy/Recharge

Level 50:    The Atlas Medallion    
Level 50:    Vanguard Medal    
Level 50:    Task Force Commander    
Level 50:    Portal Jockey    
Level 50:    Elusive Mind    
Level 50:    Eye of the Magus    
Level 50:    Freedom Phalanx Reserve    
Level 50:    Geas of the Kind Ones    
Level 50:    Spiritual Core Paragon    
Level 50:    Diamagnetic Core Flawless Interface    
Level 50:    Banished Pantheon Radial Superior Ally    
Level 50:    Pyronic Core Final Judgement    
Level 50:    Barrier Radial Epiphany    
Level 50:    Support Core Embodiment    
------------

 

 

 

Edited June 17, 2021 by wijnen
Realized I probably want a different epic pool

[Corythia]

People go for high ranged defense, because eventually you will get agro, and high defense is just one more layer of damage mitigation to let you survive it.  Both Illusion, and especially Kin have some powers that can cause enough agro to taunt mobs off of your PA.  If you play aggressively you will really want the extra protection.  I don't tend to cap defense because I am both cheap and lazy in my slotting, but I do try to work in set bonuses for it whenever it's an option.  It can make a big difference if that purple boss is only hitting you 40% of the time rather than 70% of the time, and it's not that hard to get 25-30% ranged defense on a budget.