Dampening Bubble? slot it or skip it?

[Ice Ember]

I am not finding much information on the new Dampening Bubble power.  How to slot it or is it a dud?

 

I have a FF/Psi I was looking to respec now that mids is updated and I am lacking in search fu on this power. 

 

If anyone can offer some insight on the power I would appreciate it.

 

Thanks.

[SeraphimKensai]

It's one of the few powers in the game that you can give DDR to yourself/allies and that value is enhanceable. I would definitely slot it, but maybe that's just me.

[Hedgefund]

I like it, it's subtle for both effect and visually but effective.  I use 2 level 53 HO Membranes.  

[Asymptotic]

It's a good power.  Its only issue is that it doesn't feel like a T9.  The graphics are underwhelming and its effects aren't obvious.

 

I frakenslot it with four slots to max recharge and def.  It's nice to get its recharge down to 30s, so that its usually up for every group.

[Zect]

I wouldn't skip it. Not only does it give DDR, it gives -special to enemies in it. So their debuffs are weakened, and when you get hit by the debuffs, you further resist them.

 

(This illustrates how the most recent suite of buffs has made the set objectively overpowered: not only has its main deficiency, i.e. a lack of offensive debuffs, been removed, it now has strong counterplay against its main counter, def debuff. Not that this should discourage anyone from exploiting the situation to the fullest! It is a monstrously overpowered set now, just one that's often underestimated because its powers are subtle and its strength is biased towards the defensive end of the scale.)

 

Slotting depends on what alpha and how much global rech you have. FF, unlike most support sets, has the option of viable hasteless builds because none of its critical powers have super long recharges. If working with customary permahasten levels of recharge and agility alpha, one membrane brings the recharge into every-spawn territory while providing respectable levels of def.

Edited November 20, 2022 by Zect

[Sir Myshkin]

The power is particular, you have to execute it before your enemies have a chance to inflict their abilities for the debuff to impact them, so it has to be done immediately and it's a bit slow to do that. The max you'll get the recharge down to is 30ish seconds in best case scenarios, for a fast moving team this isn't enough to have it up every spawn but maybe every other one, and then you find "well maybe I'll just hold on to it for the important ones" and then "maybe just the AV" and then you're suddenly thinking "why did I take this power?"

 

The key component of its function is the DDR it grants, but it only starts at 22% and is marginally enhanceable. This isn't bad to supplement other defensive sets that have a base to begin with, but it's not a very significant amount when starting from scratch. Ageless Radial outshines the effectiveness of this powers purpose pretty substantially by providing a much higher amount for a considerable duration of its run.

 

For most of the game there's not many places this is likely to shine outside of Hard Mode, it's very easily an unnoticed power when it occurs in general and most regular content gets moved through so effectively that the difference of what this power does it unlikely to change the game for most.

[Frosticus]

For regular content I'd take it and just leave it unslotted. Throw it down for longer lasting encounters as it just makes everything a bit easier.

For HM it is a must have for the new FF for all the reasons  @Zect states. 

 

The devs basically said lol @ balance with the new FF changes. It makes me look forward to unlimited-target chaining poison debuffs or something coming down the pipeline for that set. 

[Linea]

I put 2 slots in it in my latest hardmode build.  (Recharge+5, Membrane)

For standard content 1 slot of recharge+5 would be fine.

For hardmode, you can go up to 3 slots of (defense/recharge)+5 or membranes or whatever.

[JStacy337]

I have it slotted with 3 Recharge IOs and a Gift of the Ancients +Run Speed on my Merc/FF. Refreshes right before the 45-second duration and is such a lovely, lovely pick now