Status protection options for controllers?

[biostem]

Besides obvious secondary choices, like FF, Son, Traps, what other options are there to gain status protection as a controller?  Others I can think of are acrobatics from leaping and rune of protection from sorcery, then there's clarion from incarnates.  Any other ideas?  I suppose I could simply focus on upping my defense to the point where I simply don't get hit...

[Captain Fabulous]

I guess it depends upon which effects you want protection for. Evasive Maneuvers and Combat Jumping give immobilization protection. Tactics and Steamy Mist have confusion protection. Vengeance gives repel, KB, and fear protection. Faraday Cage has repel, KB, sleep, stun, immobilize, and hold protection. Shadow Fall has fear protection. There are global IOs that give KB protection.

[EnjoyTheJourney]

Another straightforward one that you almost certainly know about is indomitable will in psi mastery. With perma-hasten it can be about a couple or a few seconds from being permanently activated. It's available as of level 35, as well, which provides some help with mezzes while exemp-ing down to Manticore TFs and higher.

It doesn't offer knockback protection, though. So, taking indomitable will can cost two or three more slots to take than it might at first appear if it's your primary source of mez protection. 

Edited August 23, 2023 by EnjoyTheJourney

[Without_Pause]

3-Slot Gladiator's Armor in a Res based power and then 5-Slot Gladiator's Javelin into a range ST attack to get 6 mag KB protection via set bonuses. It's not great, but at least it is something. If you grab your ST Immobilization power and a ST ranged attack from an epic, you could push that to 9 KB protection which would be even better. 

[biostem]

Just now, Without_Pause said:

3-Slot Gladiator's Armor in a Res based power and then 5-Slot Gladiator's Javelin into a range ST attack to get 6 mag KB protection via set bonuses. It's not great, but at least it is something. If you grab your ST Immobilization power and a ST ranged attack from an epic, you could push that to 9 KB protection which would be even better. 

I appreciate the input, but TBH, KB is the least of my worries.

[Without_Pause]

2 minutes ago, biostem said:

I appreciate the input, but TBH, KB is the least of my worries.

You literally mention Acrobatics in your first post. 

[biostem]

6 minutes ago, Without_Pause said:

You literally mention Acrobatics in your first post. 

Mainly for its hold protection.  It's minimal, but more important to me.

[Uun]

In addition to Rune of Protection and Clarion, another option is Hybrid/Melee/Core (radial has a taunt aura). My issue with Indomitable Will (and why I never take it) is that it has to be used preemptively and can't be used while mezzed. The hold protection in Acrobatics is only mag 2 and isn't really worth the additional power picks.

[tidge]

Even though I think it is a mundane option, when I want an actual power for a squishy's mezz protection I lean into the Sorcery pool for Rune of Protection. I'm not crazy about burning a couple of pool powers to get it unlocked, but there are reasonable precursor mule powers, and Arcane Bolt isn't a terrible single-target attack for Controllers... although I prefer other pool power attacks.

 

Often with Controllers I simply don't sweat the risk of enemy mezz and try to have a column of "Break Free" Inspirations on stand-by.

 

Also keep in mind that the temporary SG base buffs (mezz resistance) can be crafted with some salvage... this isn't the same as protection of course.

[carroto]

13 hours ago, biostem said:

I could simply focus on upping my defense to the point where I simply don't get hit...

 

I've tried many of the options given above on various characters.  For the defense route Time Manipulation is good here because it gives you a nice defense power to help avoid getting hit that will also remain active if a lucky shot does get through, unlike toggles.  Fade from Darkness Affinity could serve the same role.  I've been mezzed and been able to just sit and wait it out in relative safety thanks to that.

 

Another option is to shorten the duration of the mezzes to the point that they are not as troublesome.  I'm only aware of one power that can do that effectively: Accelerate Metabolism from Radiation Emission.  I have been surprised at how well this approach has worked for me.  YMMV.

 

There are a number of clicks that can help like those above.  Personally it gets old after a while having to keep up with them, and if I forget and get mezzed then I'm still in trouble anyway.  Still they're better than nothing.  Passive protection is nice to have though which is one of the reasons Sonic Resonance has gotten played so much by me.

 

Edit: Oh and I'll disagree with the person above about Acrobatics.  It will protect you from one hold, which is usually all you need.  It is great for that, but stuns tend to be more of an issue for me, so while Acro is great it's only a partial solution.

Edited August 23, 2023 by carroto

[EnjoyTheJourney]

5 hours ago, Uun said:

In addition to Rune of Protection and Clarion, another option is Hybrid/Melee/Core (radial has a taunt aura). My issue with Indomitable Will (and why I never take it) is that it has to be used preemptively and can't be used while mezzed. The hold protection in Acrobatics is only mag 2 and isn't really worth the additional power picks.

I totally forgot that. doh!

Pairing with melee hybrid core sounds like a good idea. Then you can rotate them and with some care about timing melee core hybrid should routinely be activated when it's time to re-activate indomitable will.

[Yomo Kimyata]

Not to be flip, but what about break-frees?  Alternatively, ranged defense.

[biostem]

19 minutes ago, Yomo Kimyata said:

Not to be flip, but what about break-frees?  Alternatively, ranged defense.

Not flippant at all.  For me, it's more about not breaking the flow of gameplay.  Sure, I could eat breakfrees in anticipation of being mezzed, but it's not as reliable, (as far as keeping enough in stock 24x7), as what I'm looking for.

[carroto]

3 hours ago, Yomo Kimyata said:

Not to be flip, but what about break-frees?

 

Doesn't work with my approach to inspiration management.  I try to always keep a few slots open for drops, and convert to what I can use.  But in order for that to work I need to be able to hold on to one or two of a number of things until I get that third that I can convert.  On top of that I want to be sure I have the essentials in stock when I need them.  There's not a lot of room for all of that to work, and devoting a row to break-frees would probably break the whole system.

 

If we had slightly larger inspiration trays I could probably make it work.  But even if I could manage to squeeze it all in somehow, that would still only work after I've reached level 40 and trained up to get all my inspiration slots.  From 1-39 there still wouldn't be room.

 

 

3 hours ago, Yomo Kimyata said:

Alternatively, ranged defense.

 

This is the approach I tend to take on my Hover-Blasters, along with a handful of others.  Works well enough when it meshes with the play-style of the character in question.

 

[Argentae]

On the inspirations, have you tried using the P2w vendor option to refuse some of the types ? I refuse Dam Res drops, Rez drops and sometimes others depending on the build I’m playing. Once I get to the point that I’m running against X8 spawns I generally refuse small drops too which cuts down the types of drops to the point that three of a kind is much more likely. If you keep a couple three packs around you can create anything needed and still have room for a large stack of Med Defense and Emerge insp.

 

I go with Evasive maneuvers and high Ranged Def, if you get it into the  high 30 low 40 range you get mezzed a LOT less often, to the point that Clarion is all I ever need. Before incarnate I carry some break free as mentioned.

 

I often do the Sorcery pool and pick up Spirit Ward to use on Primaries that have a single strong pet instead of Imps or Gemlins. Also great at keeping Fluffy (Dark Servant) alive or a mission temp. Pet that likes to get killed. It’s surprisingly effective if you slot it with a single heal IO and go with Vigor in the Alpha.

Arcane Bolt is actually pretty decent at taking procs including a force feedback + Rech and does good damage when you have the Arcane boost (forget the name atm) triggered so you get 3x the damage instead of the normal 2x from containment. Rune of Protection reduces your break free usage to almost nothing, and gives a nice Damage res boost too. 
 

Couldn’t quite work it into Dionysus’ build, but I tried. 🙂 just too tight with only one skipped power from Primary, one from secondary and 4 out of 5 of Soul Mastery.

[Zect]

elecaff provides mez prot (faraday cage). Unusually, it also protects from sleep/KB/KU/Repel, being one of very few sources of grantable repel prot in the game, no confuse though.

 

The catch? It's only while you stand in the affected area. It's up to you to move the cage around with you as necessary.

[Doomguide2005]

On 8/23/2023 at 9:31 AM, Uun said:

In addition to Rune of Protection and Clarion, another option is Hybrid/Melee/Core (radial has a taunt aura). My issue with Indomitable Will (and why I never take it) is that it has to be used preemptively and can't be used while mezzed. The hold protection in Acrobatics is only mag 2 and isn't really worth the additional power picks.

I get where you're coming from but I've been enjoying having both IW and Rune.  Having Rune takes some pressure off trying to get IW at or near perma and is there for the times I don't have IW up and running nor breakfree handy. 

[MonteCarla]

I use the P2W Defence Buff to get Mag 4 status protection on all my "squishies", and it's utterly game-changing! (I really feel it when it runs out mid-mission).

It costs (1000 * level * level) per hour.

You can pick up 8 hours at level 1 for 8,000 inf, which usually lasts me till the early to mid 20's, so refreshing it for another 8 hours costs 4-5 million. Another refresh at level 40 maybe costs 12-13 million and gets me to 50. So less than 20 million while I'm levelling.

At level 50 it's 2.5 million per hour, and I tend to refresh it for particular task forces, knowing that it'll pay for itself with the merits I earn.

 

One of the downsides is that you do feel the clock ticking when you log in.

 

It also gives you a decent defence buff and some resistance.

 

https://homecoming.wiki/wiki/Defense_Amplifier

 

Edited September 2, 2023 by MonteCarla

[BitCook]

Poison has a -Secondary on some of its powers.  I don't bother with Mez protection on any of my /Poison controllers.

[Saiyajinzoningen]

On 8/22/2023 at 11:22 PM, biostem said:

Mainly for its hold protection.  It's minimal, but more important to me.

 

Acrobatics could use some love. 

Didn't there used to be a way to tell what powers were popular or unpopular statistically?

would be very interested to see how many builds still use acrobatics.

[UltraAlt]

28 minutes ago, Saiyajinzoningen said:

would be very interested to see how many builds still use acrobatics.

 

Out of the 100+ character I have, I think I only have 1 or 2 with acrobatics myself.

Do you have any with acrobatics?

 

But back to the main thread, you can get some status protection from the Impervious Skin proc (https://homecoming.wiki/wiki/Impervious_Skin:_Status_Resistance/Regeneration)

if you have a slot you an put a Resist Damage set in, but, it isn't really "status resistance", it only reduces duration:

"This enhancement grants a global 7.5% reduction in status effect duration, which may be stacked up to five times to provide a maximum reduction of 37.5%." - wiki

 

That might not seem much, but it also:

"This enhancement grants a 25% regeneration rate bonus for 120 seconds. When used in a click power, the effect is granted every time the power is used. When used in a toggle power, the effect persists until 120 seconds after the toggle power is deactivated. When used in an auto power, the effect is always active. This regeneration rate bonus is unique and non-stacking."

[Saiyajinzoningen]

very very few out of the 40 odd 50's I have maybe 3 of them have the ability.

The incarnate power does it very well, but i don't like to rely on incarnates.

for me incarnates should be icing, not part of the cake (if that makes any sense)

[Maxzero]

One big advantage of Indom Will is that is also has a lot of Psi defence. This matters because many CC attacks are Psi attacks that do not have a positional defence tag (range/melee/AoE) but only a Psi one.

 

What this means is that you can all the ranged defence in the world but most Psi attacks will just plain ignore it.

 

Finally IW also is a higher mag (10) and covers 5 different CC types (Hold, Stun, Confuse, Sleep, Terror). Both the Traps and Sonic Bubbles are weaker and narrower in their protection

 

The downside of Psi Mastery are that its the weakest offensively with the worst attacks. The biggest cost of Psi Mastery is the inability to take a strong offensive epic like Frost or Leviathan.

Edited September 22, 2023 by Maxzero

[Ringo]

My ill/ff controller used IW *just* to close the Sleep hole in my mez protection

 

Psi Tornado isn't great, but it's hilarious against Clockwork

[Saiyajinzoningen]

19 hours ago, Maxzero said:

The downside of Psi Mastery are that its the weakest offensively with the worst attacks. The biggest cost of Psi Mastery is the inability to take a strong offensive epic like Frost or Leviathan.

 

Hi,

I'd like to know more about this if possible.

but I don't want to hijack this thread.

Would you mind explaining more?

I've created a new thread about it.

 

sorry for the inconvenience.