Plant/Nature affinity build?

[Panda]

I'm not really good at builds (and I haven't played since 2012); I've had controllers before but was never super invested (I used to main a martial arts/regen scrapper) but I'd like to change that and get this controller down. My question is, what would a good build be for a Plant/Nature Affinity controller? Any help is appreciated, thank you!

[Pyriold]

Both plant control and nature affinity seem to be pretty solid choices. In CoH, unlike other games, there is no definitive build for any combination. It's all down to your personal preferences.

 

The two end powers of nature control are really nice, carrion creepers is surprisingly good as far as i remember. Spore burst is really great as well, but you need to add your own damage on top in order to not lose to much xp for kills.

 

The fastest leveling will always be in teams, so if you want to team you would need a different build then if you want to mainly solo. There is a happy medium of course. Just try out a build, you can /respec every 10 levels i think and on top of that there are respec missions.

 

[Erydanus]

When it comes to builds I'm firmly a believer that you shouldn't get too fixed on a particular build because the way the game plays does change at different levels.  Some of that has changed because of inherent fitness and the relaxation on restrictions in pool powers allowing you to get a travel power at 4. However, how you want to slot things may change quite a bit, and at 50 especially you may want to redo everything. (Level 50 IOs are stronger than SOs, so at that point powers you put 3 of something into can now get 2 level 50 IOs and in many cases be good enough like that (stamina for instance) or you may just selectively use level 50 IOs to get a 2 1/2 type setup.).

 

For any controller leveling build I think these are the cornerstones:

- your primary single target hold and immobilize, and if your set has a single target confuse, that.

- at least 1 AoE miscellaneous AoE control from your primary like a group sleep, fear, or confuse. (Group phase shift is skippable, totally your option.)

- your AoE hold (these tend to require massive investment in slotting due to a balance adjustment way back when but they're still an important tactical tool)

- if you solo at all and your set has a direct damage power, get it. In the case of Gravity that has both lift and propel, one's good enough.

 

- from your secondary, any obviously essential buffs/debuffs that will help you as a controller

- since you're not a defender, pure support powers like a heal targeted on an ally are still useful but not as high priority. After all you'll have a pet eventually and want to heal them. But a group heal which affects you too is certainly useful; I'd get it but I would put controls a bit ahead.

 

- any travel or support power you like

- don't forget to slot inherent stamina

 

Now, my past experience with plant control was as a dominator; my only experience with nature affinity is as a mastermind and not high level. NA looks good but it does have a lot of heals in it. So I have prepped just a very general list of the order I'd take powers in to get you going.

Typical Power Selection Order

Power names in italic denote the most flexible choices; basically those are good places where you can interchange powers with each other or slide in travel or other pool powers.

 

Level 1: Strangler - I want to start with a single target hold

 

Level 1: Corrosive Enzymes - obligatory; but a good debuff

 

Level 2: Entangle - I want the single target immobilize next, for damage purposes and just because it's essential to have those two cornerstone powers.

 

Level 4: Wild Growth - this is a combination shield and regen buff for the party including yourself so I do recommend taking it for some self defense.

 

Level 6: Spore Burst - this is a nice area effect sleep. If you're getting overwhelmed especially at low levels this will reliably conk out most of a big pack of minions and then you can single target the ones awake. If you're teaming a lot it would probably be better to get Roots here so you can bind a group of foes in a handy clump for the damage types to AoE, or for use with the next power.

 

Level 8: Seeds of Confusion - some people don't like confuses but I do. If you're teaming, the benefit of a group confuse is basically making a crowd of foes waste an attack shooting each other while your team actually wallops them all. XP loss is trivial in that situation. If you're soloing or just playing with a buddy it's more of an active tool where you make your enemies really do your work. Again I think the xp loss is a completely reasonable trade off. Basically between spore burst and this you should have at least one, if you don't like one of them just grab roots earlier. Note that this is also a good time to take a travel power instead. I personally am just going with Ninja Run right now. With Swift and Hurdle now inherent and the jump pack also available for occasionally climbing up a wall, I feel it's good enough to get by.

 

Level 10: Spore Cloud - this is a toggle you place on foes to lower their damage output, to-hit and regeneration. It's like a radiation infection or darkest night. End cost is a bit high but with inherent stamina it should be fine even without enhancements. While ideally your controls should stop people from attacking you sometimes it just doesn't work out that way; for instance maybe you have a boss or even an Elite Boss show up in your mission. This type of power is essential then.

 

Level 12: Regrowth - The primary power set has Spirit Tree at this level, which is a +regeneration beacon. It never impressed me. Since the secondary set has active heals, I'd say to skip the tree and take the actual heals instead. It's an unusual heal in that it's a cone starting at (and affecting) yourself.

 

Level 14: Roots - if you haven't had a chance to pick up the AoE immobilze (or the sleep or confuse) now's your chance. By the way this power does more damage than any other area effect controller primary immobilize.  I think it's a holdover from this set being originally intended for Dominators. It's still a low damage power but it's more damage than is typical in a hold set, and it might be worth slotting for some damage depending on your playstyle.

 

Level 16: Lifegiving Spores - placeable group heal over time/recovery field. I haven't had the chance to use this or other powers in affinity yet but it looks good on paper. Probably a bit of an end hog so run as needed. Again this is a good place to swap in a travel power or juggle the sleep, confuse, and AoE immobilize with. This is exactly an example of a power that a defender is going to jump on and for a controller it's nice for the party but not essential to your job of crowd control.

 

Level 18: Vines - your AoE hold. Generally you want to take these as soon as they're available because they typically need 1 acc, 2 hold, 3 recharge or some close variant of that with invention enhancements.

 

Level 20: Wild Bastion - a nice AoE damage barrier and heal buff which affects you so it gets self-defense priority.

 

From here on just take all your primary/secondary powers as they're available. There's literally nothing but pool powers for you to take at 22 and 24 unless you took extra pool powers earlier and if you did I'd finish getting everything in your primaries and secondaries except spirit tree. The inclusion of inherent fitness and lowering the minimum level for a true travel power to 4 means that you don't have to skip any primary/secondary powers to get those. If you want to take extra pool powers, say multiple leadership and travel powers, then you'll have to selectively skip an optional power or two.

 

Going forward though I'd take every available primary and secondary as they're available. (Even if you end up soloing a lot with this character I'd still take Rebirth at 28 because it's a combo rez and single target heal and you can use the heal on your Fly Trap pet you'll be getting at 32.) About the only thing I would say you have to play with a bit is Entangling Aura at 35. I'm not sure if the endurance drain is worth it for the minion-level hold. It looks an awful lot like radiation's Choking Cloud, which on my Grav/Rad controller I kind of flip-flopped on whether I liked it or not.

 

You can now tap Ancillary/Epic/Patron power pools at 35 not 41. Fly trap at 32 is mandatory and Overgrowth at 38 is clearly a good buff for yourself and the pet. That means if you'd like to start on power pool powers early, you could skip Entangling aura and get one of the primo choices like Psionics/Indomitable Will, Fire Mastery/Fireball, Ice Mastery/Hibernate. If you're going for Primal Forces mastery for the incredibly potent Power Boost at 44, you can at least knock out a pre-req at this point.

[damnimgood]

Erydanus, I don't know if you're ever gonna see this message,cause your post is from 2019 and I don't know if you still play,but your post helped alot. THANK YOU.

Edited June 26, 2021 by damnimgood