Persuade me to choose a pool power

[DougGraves]

I have a level 19 electric/earth dominator used exclusively for teaming.  I have taken everything I want from the two powersets plus assault and tactics and have 2 powers left over to pick.

 

Looking at the power pools there are a lot of options.  I don't need any attacks.  So what would be the 2 most useful powers to take?

 

A travel power is practical.  Stealth is nice but not used much teaming.  

[Ghost]

I always take stealth, for the def and to sneak past things

 

You could also go with combat jump for def (if you need anymore)

Hows your recharge?  Hasten can help with that.

[Snarky]

the pool power i always want...and never take.  teleport.  fold space is the new meta.  i never have room

[Nyghtmaire]

Seconding @Snarky. But have a look at Combat Teleport. It’s great to BAMF into the scrum to have your aura work its magic and smash face with melee attacks; BAMF back out when the heat gets too much. Good escape, great mobility. Teleport Other helps slow teammates get into the action from across zone or once entering the mission if late.

[Supertanker]

Flight. Because flying.

[roleki]

I'm a fan of the Experimentation pool as a main traveler.  If you have the endurance to keep Speed of Sound up at all times, you can macro-bamf yourself into (or out of) trouble, fly to the side of a lost teammate (or instantly become less lost yourself), or simply click on Pollux and POOF! you're up on the bar, teabagging the guy while he juggles tumblers.  You can also teleport to objectives/past obstacles, and with a stealth IO, be kinda stealthish while you're at it.

If you have the power slots available to go deeper into the pool, Toxic Dart is a sneaky little devil for what's essentially a cooldown filler or a quick way to say "... and the horse you rode in on" to runners.

 

Corrosive Vial is a nice little auto-hit -Def debuff, so it makes a decent mule for the Achilles' Heel -Res proc.  It takes a slew of other procs as well, but I've never had enough slots left over to load it up.  Max targets of 5 in a 8' radius, so I always make sure I'm aiming it at the toughest turd, anyone else that it hits is a bonus.

 

Adrenal Booster is basically a super inspiration to give yourself a decent (27%) bump in +ToHit, +Dam, +Rech, and it's a +Special so it'll amp up your mezzes by the same 27%.  If for some reason you had Hybrid Control and Adrenal Booster on a Dom, I'm pretty sure you could put a GM to sleep on your own.  

 

I have no idea what Experimental Injection does, it sounds stupid and I hate it.

[Nyghtmaire]

32 minutes ago, roleki said:

If for some reason you had Hybrid Control and Adrenal Booster on a Dom, I'm pretty sure you could put a GM to sleep on your own.  

That is super cool! FWIW, I believe @DougGraves rarely moves out of the 20s by choice. However, a fully tricked out dominator is a thing to behold.

[MoonSheep]

if you have assault and tactics i’d go for veng. it’s a beautiful team power and you can slot an LOTG +Rech in it

[roleki]

1 hour ago, Nyghtmaire said:

That is super cool! FWIW, I believe @DougGraves rarely moves out of the 20s by choice. However, a fully tricked out dominator is a thing to behold.

While the couple Doms I have went Control Hybrid because it's good fun, I *may* have been leaking a little hyperbole sauce with that whole "putting GMs to sleep" part.

 

[dangeraaron10]

I'm still waiting for Gadgetry ._.

 

But honestly, Flight is super handy for catching up to the team.  Hover makes for a good Luck of the Gambler mule, too.

[Clave Dark 5]

4 hours ago, roleki said:

I'm a fan of the Experimentation pool as a main traveler.  If you have the endurance to keep Speed of Sound up at all times, you can macro-bamf yourself into (or out of) trouble, fly to the side of a lost teammate (or instantly become less lost yourself), or simply click on Pollux and POOF! you're up on the bar, teabagging the guy while he juggles tumblers.  You can also teleport to objectives/past obstacles, and with a stealth IO, be kinda stealthish while you're at it.

If you have the power slots available to go deeper into the pool, Toxic Dart is a sneaky little devil for what's essentially a cooldown filler or a quick way to say "... and the horse you rode in on" to runners.

 

Corrosive Vial is a nice little auto-hit -Def debuff, so it makes a decent mule for the Achilles' Heel -Res proc.  It takes a slew of other procs as well, but I've never had enough slots left over to load it up.  Max targets of 5 in a 8' radius, so I always make sure I'm aiming it at the toughest turd, anyone else that it hits is a bonus.

 

Adrenal Booster is basically a super inspiration to give yourself a decent (27%) bump in +ToHit, +Dam, +Rech, and it's a +Special so it'll amp up your mezzes by the same 27%.  If for some reason you had Hybrid Control and Adrenal Booster on a Dom, I'm pretty sure you could put a GM to sleep on your own.  

 

I have no idea what Experimental Injection does, it sounds stupid and I hate it.

I just took the entirety of the set on a recent character and found these all to be fair assessments.  I took Experimental Injection as well but can't recall what I slotted it with, it may have been something for me rather than the receiving teammate, such as the Preventative Medicine proc.

[KC4800]

My two must haves are infiltration(slotted with a celerity:stealth) and combat TP. However since you are a dom and recharge is important, I'd think Hasten and then either CJ or Hover for a LotG+Rech.

[tidge]

With only a couple of power picks, I usually opt for Enhancement mules, although if I am going to lean into a power pool (typically because it offers travel, an attack, and even more!) the decision becomes easier.

 

The Specialized pools (Sorcery, Experimentation, Force of Will) are good for "going at least 3-deep" because they each offer attacks, travel and mule power(s)... and almost no choice in them is a "stinker".

 

Concealment is an easy pick for LotG mules; if one of the self-affecting powers is chosen early I find it to be a good spot for the Kismet +ToHit piece as long as that power is toggled on (similar to how a Stalker's Hide is a good place for that enhancement). With a Dominator: being able to slot as much global recharge is really quite important... and you are unlikely to have many extra slots available (because, set bonuses for global recharge) so Concealment/Recharge may be the way to go.

 

Any power that can take a Healing enhancement is a good choice for the Preventive Maintenance %+Absorb piece. The power doesn't need to be used (or available!) for that piece to kick in.

 

Combat Teleport is simply FUN, I think the Stalker subforum has the BMAF MELEE discussion.

 

 

[ZemX]

18 minutes ago, tidge said:

Combat Teleport is simply FUN, I think the Stalker subforum has the BMAF MELEE discussion.

 

I really want Fold Space on a Tanker.  I want it every time I find myself on a team with 2-3 controllers and I know my odds of ever gathering mobs into a nice tight group for AoE is about nil.

 

But the big problem I have with that is I've never NOT taken Combat Jumping on a melee character.  I am just so used to it, it would be like learning to write with the opposite hand to quickly move about a combat with CT instead of short hops in any direction with CJ almost without needing to think about it.

 

Guess I just need to do it!   *game face*

[Erratic1]

12 minutes ago, ZemX said:

 

I really want Fold Space on a Tanker.  I want it every time I find myself on a team with 2-3 controllers and I know my odds of ever gathering mobs into a nice tight group for AoE is about nil.

 

One of the most annoying things about playing with stasis-loving controllers--they lock enemies down the moment they see them. "Did something dare move? I say thee NO!!!"

[ZemX]

2 minutes ago, Erratic1 said:

One of the most annoying things about playing with stasis-loving controllers--they lock enemies down the moment they see them.

 

I'm being a little unfair to single them out.  There are other situations where enemies start spread out all over and, if they are ranged-only, are difficult to convince to converge on me, even with Taunt's -range debuff. Fold Space would be nice on most Praetorian interior maps where mobs are literally spaced evenly out over an entire room or subway tunnel.

 

CT would also solve another problem I run into fairly often.   -Jump/-Fly seems a lot more common than I remember.  I'm not immobilized, but my feet can't leave the floor.  I can get completely stuck because I can't hop over a curb or railing until it wears off.  Not as big a deal on a ranged character but my Tank can sometimes not be able to do the job if they can't reach the fight!

[Grouchybeast]

17 hours ago, DougGraves said:

A travel power is practical.  Stealth is nice but not used much teaming.  

 

Stealth and TP Other are a good combo for teaming.  You can help stealth missions, and get your team mates where they're needed or out of trouble.

[Erratic1]

2 hours ago, ZemX said:

 

I'm being a little unfair to single them out.  There are other situations where enemies start spread out all over and, if they are ranged-only, are difficult to convince to converge on me, even with Taunt's -range debuff. Fold Space would be nice on most Praetorian interior maps where mobs are literally spaced evenly out over an entire room or subway tunnel.

 

In the subway tunnel you break line of sight and things will come to you. 

 

I am not saying Fold Space has no use, not at all. But the times when locking everything down immediately is beneficial is usually much less than waiting a bit. I do not play control often, but when I do I try to keep that in mind.

[DougGraves]

I've never been good with teleport.  I've never used it enough to get used to it and think of using it in a fight.  It seems like I should try combat teleport and see what I think of it.

 

I do like fold space when I see people use it.  I've never taken it but should try that too.

 

I'm not sure if I've ever tried any experimentation.  I'll have to try that out as well.

[nihilii]

Hasten is the single most practical power in that situation, especially as a Dominator where both your primary and secondary AND your inherent are clicks.

 

This is not a cool answer, but it is what it is.

[lemming]

I really enjoy TP now that is has the increased hang time.

 

My Inv/Axe tank is a big fan of fold space followed up with Axe Cyclone to get them in even tighter.   (Though Cleave works when they get strung out by Fold)

[ZemX]

39 minutes ago, Erratic1 said:

In the subway tunnel you break line of sight and things will come to you. 

 

I'm well aware of LOS pulling.  I mentioned the Praetorian maps because they take a lot more time to collect than the usual spawns.  So Fold Space is more of a benefit there even without someone locking down mobs.  It's a whole lot faster to collect them with Fold Space than by zig-zagging through half the room and then running back and hiding behind a pillar.   Even without controllers, I find most teams don't have that much patience.  

[BZRKR]

15 hours ago, roleki said:

I have no idea what Experimental Injection does, it sounds stupid and I hate it.

If you have the slots, it's a place to 6-Slot Preventative Medicine for a 8.75% recharge bonus.

[DoctorDitko]

The secret to loving teleport, combat or regular, is to reduce the pain of using it.

 

/bind LCTRL+mouse1 powexecname Combat Teleport

 

is my solution. A quick ctrl-click and I'm on the other side of the room. I love it!

[roleki]

3 hours ago, Erratic1 said:

 

One of the most annoying things about playing with stasis-loving controllers--they lock enemies down the moment they see them. "Did something dare move? I say thee NO!!!"

 

In *most* cases, the Controllers on a team should be working out of their secondary as their 'alpha' and use that time to identify what (if anything) needs to be locked down when they get into their primary.   If the herder hasn't done their job by that time, then the AoE controls are PROBABLY necessary and I don't want to hear a word from the tank about it if that's the click I have to make at that point.

 

18 minutes ago, nihilii said:

Hasten is the single most practical power in that situation, especially as a Dominator where both your primary and secondary AND your inherent are clicks.

 

This is not a cool answer, but it is what it is.

 

Hasten IS cool, I don't understand why people evangelize skipping it. 

 

There's a saying in sports that the best ability is availability, and it translates well to other ventures. 

 

Want to know why certain decks in Magic: The Gathering outperform others? It's because they generate card advantage, either through denial of resources to their opponent, or by filling their own hand faster than the opponent via extra draws/cycling and so on.

 

I've yet to see anyone prove to my satisfaction that any pool power is worth more than having access to every other power 70% faster;  Hasten is more valuable than a LOT of T9s in that respect.

 

I don't judge people who skip Hasten on this toon or that one, but I certainly glance askew at people who go around railing against Hasten.  There's being 'different' and blowing off your own head to spite your face.