The Long Road to Mind

[VV]

So, I have been toying around with this crazy mentalist build pretty much since Homecoming dropped. Trying to get something that does not totally rely on just confusing the target and letting them do all the work. This is where I am at, now. I know it has a lot of odd power choices. I went with Force of Will and Mace to get some debuffing for hard targets. Also, the PFF is a nice "Oh Shit" power for someone with so few HP. Mighty Leap is total filler and just mules the slow resist IO. I'm still not sure I'm happy with the Force of Will pool, so I might swap for Fighting or Leadership, but those get so overplayed. Anyway, here's the weird build. Let me know what you think.

 

This Villain build was built using Mids Reborn 3.1.2.5
https://github.com/LoadedCamel/MidsReborn

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Vice Valyntina V2: Level 50 Mutation Dominator
Primary Power Set: Mind Control
Secondary Power Set: Psionic Assault
Power Pool: Speed
Power Pool: Force of Will
Power Pool: Concealment
Power Pool: Flight
Ancillary Pool: Mace Mastery

Villain Profile:
Level 1: Levitate -- KntCrs-Acc/KB(A)
Level 1: Psionic Dart -- Acc-I(A)
Level 2: Dominate -- SprWntBit-Acc/Dmg(A), EntChs-Heal%(3), GhsWdwEmb-Dam%(3), NrnSht-Dam%(5), GldJvl-Dam%(5), GldNet-Dam%(7)
Level 4: Hasten -- RechRdx-I(A), RechRdx-I(9)
Level 6: Confuse -- CrcPrs-Conf%(A), CrcPrs-Conf/EndRdx(9), CrcPrs-Acc/Rchg(11), CrcPrs-Acc/Conf/Rchg(11), CrcPrs-Conf/Rchg(13), CrcPrs-Conf(13)
Level 8: Weaken Resolve -- HO:Lyso(A), AchHee-ResDeb%(15)
Level 10: Mental Blast -- Apc-Dmg/EndRdx(A), Apc-Acc/Rchg(15), Apc-Acc/Dmg/Rchg(17), Apc-Dmg/Rchg(17), Apc-Dam%(19), GldJvl-Dam%(19)
Level 12: Stealth -- LucoftheG-Def/Rchg+(A), ShlWal-ResDam/Re TP(21)
Level 14: Hover -- LucoftheG-Def/Rchg+(A)
Level 16: Psychic Scream -- Rgn-Knock%(A), Rgn-Dmg/EndRdx(21), Rgn-Acc/Rchg(23), Rgn-Acc/Dmg/Rchg(23), Rgn-Dmg/Rchg(25), Bmbdmt-+FireDmg(25)
Level 18: Total Domination -- UnbCns-Hold/Rchg(A), UnbCns-Acc/Hold/Rchg(27), UnbCns-Acc/Rchg(27), UnbCns-EndRdx/Hold(29), UnbCns-Dam%(29), GldNet-Dam%(31)
Level 20: Drain Psyche -- Prv-Absorb%(A), Prv-Heal/Rchg/EndRdx(31), Prv-Heal/Rchg(31), Prv-EndRdx/Rchg(33), Prv-Heal/EndRdx(33), Prv-Heal(33)
Level 22: Fly -- Srn-EndRdx/Fly(A)
Level 24: Evasive Maneuvers -- LucoftheG-Def/Rchg+(A)
Level 26: Terrify -- Bmbdmt-+FireDmg(A), Ann-ResDeb%(34), PstBls-Dam%(34), GlmoftheA-Dam%(34), SprDmnGrs-Rchg/Fiery Orb(36), OvrFrc-Dam/KB(36)
Level 28: Mighty Leap -- WntGif-ResSlow(A)
Level 30: Wall of Force -- PstBls-Dam%(A), PstBls-Acc/Dmg/EndRdx(36), PstBls-Dmg/Rng(37), PstBls-Dmg/Rchg(46), PstBls-Acc/Dmg(46), FrcFdb-Rechg%(46)
Level 32: Mass Confusion -- MlsIll-Dam%(A), MlsIll-Acc/Conf/Rchg(37), MlsIll-Conf/Rng(37), MlsIll-Acc/EndRdx(39), MlsIll-EndRdx/Conf(39), MlsIll-Acc/Rchg(39)
Level 35: Psionic Lance -- StnoftheM-Dam%(A), StnoftheM-Dmg/EndRdx/Rchg(40), StnoftheM-Dmg/ActRdx/Rchg(40), StnoftheM-Acc/ActRdx/Rng(40), StnoftheM-Acc/Dmg(42), ExtMsr-Dmg/ActRdx/Rchg(42)
Level 38: Psychic Shockwave -- Arm-Dam%(A), Arm-Dmg/EndRdx(42), Arm-Acc/Rchg(43), Arm-Acc/Dmg/Rchg(43), Arm-Dmg/Rchg(43), SprAvl-Rchg/KDProc(45)
Level 41: Scorpion Shield -- LucoftheG-Def/Rchg+(A), LucoftheG-Def(45)
Level 44: Poisonous Ray -- HO:Lyso(A), AchHee-ResDeb%(45)
Level 47: Unleash Potential -- Rct-ResDam%(A), Rct-Def/EndRdx/Rchg(48), Rct-Def/Rchg(48), Rct-EndRdx/Rchg(48), Rct-Def/EndRdx(50), Rct-Def(50)
Level 49: Personal Force Field -- LucoftheG-Def/Rchg+(A), LucoftheG-Def(50)
Level 1: Domination 
Level 1: Brawl -- Empty(A)
Level 1: Sprint -- Run-I(A)
Level 2: Rest -- Empty(A)
Level 2: Swift -- Flight-I(A)
Level 2: Hurdle -- Jump-I(A)
Level 2: Health -- NmnCnv-Regen/Rcvry+(A), Mrc-Rcvry+(7)
Level 2: Stamina -- PwrTrns-+Heal(A)
Level 49: Quick Form 
Level 28: Takeoff 
Level 1: Prestige Power Dash -- Empty(A)
Level 1: Prestige Power Slide -- Empty(A)
Level 1: Prestige Power Quick -- Empty(A)
Level 1: Prestige Power Rush -- Empty(A)
Level 1: Prestige Power Surge -- Empty(A)
Level 4: Ninja Run 
Level 22: Afterburner 
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[tidge]

Disclaimer: I realize that Dominators make (IMO) extreme choices with set bonuses & powers, so I'm just going to riff in a rather unfocused way. I absolutely don't think you need to change your build.

 

I think you made the right choice with Contagious Confusion in the single-target confuse. Domination makes the (completely random, unpredictable) suggestion to have that piece in the AoE confuse especially weak.

 

Personally: I don't like to rely on Force Feedback +Recharge for Perma-Dom, but I understand its inclusion.... especially if a global recharge (set) bonus has bee sacrificed for %procs.

 

If you have permadom, you may not need the second slot in Health for Recovery.

 

I have been using Force of Will, I can understand your feels. For what it is worth, I rarely take Weaken Resolve so early, but I understand how pool power selection works. I want to say that I always consider your precises slotting, but I feel that I have typically backed away from the HO and just gone with Accuracy at 50+5. when paired with the Achilles Heel piece. If it is a 1-slot-wonder, I go with the Lysosome HO. I typically try to use Wall of Force as cone-base %damage proc power. I see what you are doing with it. If you decide to drop this pool, play with the Presence pool before going to a well-worn pool like Fitness or Leadership. You will get a different type of play experience with Presence.

 

I love the 6-piece bonus for Reactive Defenses, but I wonder if Preventive Medicine isn't a better choice for Unleashed Potential. Ultimately it is the recharge time of the power that I think you want maximized, so I'm just putting this out there. I see that set in Drain Psyche... good place to include a great set, which may be key to permadom... yet Drain Psyche is one of those powers that benefits from Accuracy and takes some decent %damage. I don't really suggest a change, but here is some slotting for it I have used:

• Theft of Essence %+Endurance
• Preventive Medicine %+Absorb (always works, even if power is never clicked)
• Preventive Medicine Heal
• Touch of Nictus %Negative
• Touch of Nictus Accuracy/Heal
• Touch of Nictus Acc/End/Recharge

Also in the category of early power picks, I usually defer the LotG mule picks until late in the build... I like having 'clicky' powers available at low levels.

 

I wouldn't put a second slot in Personal Force Field, except possibly to hold a mule. I've found it to be a rather unreliable power especially when things are going poorly.

[Mezmera]

Those are typically the primary powers I go with.  Depending how I am playing on a particular build I'll have that Malaise and Contagious set flip flopped.  In my team build which I substitute in Leadership powers for Stealth I like to put that Malaise into Mass Confusion for that added damage proc.  On my Stealth build I go with Contagious in MC and I have the full Ascendancy set in the ST Confuse.  

 

As far as the pools I'll go with the ones you have but I don't go with Flight and instead go with Fighting.  I like to 4 slot +5 Shield Walls in Unleash Potential with all of the recharge ones with the unique and then an extra slot for a lotg.  I usually take UP in the 20s because I like having it at low levels and with a set that gets high enhancement values which I don't have to worry about it being attuned.  Typically I like UP more on characters that can power boost it for a bunch more defense.  

 

Yeah I wouldn't rely on a FF proc for perma either.  I do have one slotted in my snipe but that's just a bonus amount I don't need to rely on to still maintain perma.  

[VV]

Ah, thank you so much, excellent commentary both. You are correct on the FF+Rech proc, I am definitely not relying on that for permadom. I tried that once on an Elect/Nrg Dom that had it in about 6 different powers, and it still did not proc reliably enough. The toon's standing Global Recharge Bonus, including Hasten is 195%, way over permaDom, and enough over perma-Hasten that I don't have to worry about it. (Yes, I'm a recharge junky. I'm still twitchy about trying to stack recharge back in Live.) So, I dumped that proc.

 

I might rearrange UP and DP like you said, put the Prev. Med. into UP and then frankenslot DP. I could afford to lose the +8.75% bonus recharge and still have permadom and permahasten, but wow it is hard for me to give up recharge.

I do see that I could increase the recharge on DP and shave maybe 10 seconds. Not sure it's worth it, though.

And, yeah, the 2nd slot in PFF is a big waste on a Def IO. I'll see about fixing that.

And, definitely going to swap Health slotting for more Health/Regen, less recovery. 

 

Thanks again for the good tips, like I said, this has been a really long row to hoe to finally get some idea of how to build a decent mind/psi. Now, I just need to practice with her. She keeps dying because I am not fast enough when things go south. I need to learn to not stand in the middle of combat after I have dropped Drain Psyche.

[tidge]

19 hours ago, VV said:

 Now, I just need to practice with her. She keeps dying because I am not fast enough when things go south. I need to learn to not stand in the middle of combat after I have dropped Drain Psyche.

 

This is about me: I find Dominators to be the most fragile characters and mine tend to live on a razor's edge. My Dominators are almost always the characters that I don't even notice are at very low Health until it is far too late. Sometimes I want this play style because the game is "rather easy" otherwise, but it is peculiarly stressful.

[VV]

Yeah, my experience exactly. If rolls go against me, it can easily go from full HP to none in no time. The UP and PFF are supposed to help mitigate that, but that relies on fast reflexes from me.

[oedipus_tex]

I've recently been rethinking my Dominator builds and changing things up.

 

Classically, I went the Punch/Tough/Weave route. It works well enough, but it was also old school thinking on my part, from back before we had a bunch of super armor click powers. But more recently I've been rethinking that, because really Dominators don't need armor all of the time, just at key moments.

 

Lately I've been finding myself going Weaken Resolve/Mighty Leap/Unleash Potential on more builds, especially ones with a Power Up type power to double the defenses. In particular, Dark Assault lends itself to this because it covers HP recovery. Weaken Resolve isn't strictly the best power ever, but it does have a minor Resist debuff and its marginally better than Punch.

 

On test recently I rolled an Electric/Sonic/Mu Dominator and grabbed Unleash Potential, Power Sink (for endurance), Destiny Barrier, and Surge of Power, the APP power that maxes out your Resists to all but Psi. It was pretty effective rotating between Barrer and Unleash, with Surge there as a backup in case HP started dropping. Sonic Assault doesn't have a sustain, so it does mean if HP start dropping it can get rough if you can't use inspirations, like some of the newer high difficulty task forces.

I did a similar build with Elec/Dark/Mu that loses the -Resists from Sonic Assault but adds HP back to the mix. 

[Mezmera]

On 7/16/2022 at 6:16 PM, oedipus_tex said:

It was pretty effective rotating between Barrer and Unleash

 

This is how I play my doms since they gave us Unleash.  Heck I take Unleash on my Shield tank for the fantastic regen and recovery.  Force of Will pool is sneaky good.  

[VV]

Yeah, it is. I wish it had any other better movement power in it, but whatever.