Help me shore up my Defenses

[Speed Freak]

I've spent probably 12 hours building this character, with continuous reference to this forum and it's posters (thanks guys!) and I think I have a character I'd like to play. Problem is, defensively he's...lacking. His actual Defense stats are okay..ish? His resistances are donkey vomit. Any help you folks could give would be GREATLY appreciated.

 

 

Professor Hasenpfuss - Hero Controller
Build plan made with Mids' Reborn v3.6.6 rev. 3
──────────────────────────────

• Primary powerset: Arsenal Control
• Secondary powerset: Traps
• Pool powerset (#1): Teleportation
• Pool powerset (#2): Leadership
• Pool powerset (#3): Fighting
• Pool powerset (#4): Speed
• Epic powerset: Psionic Mastery
  

──────────────────────────────

Powers taken:

Level 1: Cryo Freeze Ray

• A: Basilisk's Gaze: Accuracy/Hold
• 11: Basilisk's Gaze: Recharge/Hold
• 15: Basilisk's Gaze: Accuracy/Recharge
• 17: Basilisk's Gaze: Endurance/Recharge/Hold
• 17: Ghost Widow's Embrace: Chance of Damage(Psionic)
• 19: Neuronic Shutdown: Chance of Damage(Psionic)
  

Level 1: Caltrops

• A: Ragnarok: Chance for Knockdown
• 3: Positron's Blast: Chance of Damage(Energy)
• 3: Bombardment: Chance for Fire Damage
• 5: Javelin Volley: Damage/Endurance/Recharge
• 5: Javelin Volley: Accuracy/Damage/End/Rech
  

Level 2: Sleep Grenade

• A: Induced Coma: Accuracy/Sleep/Recharge
• 40: Induced Coma: Accuracy/Recharge
  

Level 4: Teleport

• A: Blessing of the Zephyr: Knockback Reduction (4 points)
  

Level 6: Liquid Nitrogen

• A: Positron's Blast: Chance of Damage(Energy)
• 7: Positron's Blast: Accuracy/Damage
• 7: Positron's Blast: Damage/Endurance
• 9: Positron's Blast: Damage/Recharge
• 9: Positron's Blast: Damage/Range
• 11: Annihilation: Chance for Res Debuff
  

Level 8: Cloaking Device

• A: Luck of the Gambler: Defense/Increased Global Recharge Speed
  

Level 10: Maneuvers

• A: Karma: Defense/Endurance
• 36: Karma: Defense/Recharge
• 40: Serendipity: Defense/Endurance
• 46: Serendipity: Defense/Recharge
  

Level 12: Acid Mortar

• A: Shield Breaker: Chance for Lethal Damage
• 13: Shield Breaker: Accuracy/Endurance/Recharge
• 13: Achilles' Heel: Chance for Res Debuff
• 15: Touch of Lady Grey: Chance for Negative Damage
  

Level 14: Boxing

• A: Kinetic Combat: Knockdown Bonus
  

Level 16: Smoke Canister

• A: Superior Overpowering Presence: Accuracy/Control Duration
• 37: Superior Overpowering Presence: Control Duration/RechargeTime
• 37: Superior Overpowering Presence: Endurance/RechargeTime
• 37: Superior Overpowering Presence: Accuracy/Control Duration/Endurance
• 39: Superior Overpowering Presence: Accuracy/Control Duration/Endurance/RechargeTime
• 39: Superior Overpowering Presence: RechargeTime/Energy Font
  

Level 18: Hasten

• A: Invention: Recharge Reduction
• 19: Invention: Recharge Reduction
  

Level 20: Force Field Generator

• A: Luck of the Gambler: Defense/Increased Global Recharge Speed
• 21: Reactive Defenses: Scaling Resist Damage
• 21: Reactive Defenses: Defense
• 40: Reactive Defenses: Defense/Endurance
  

Level 22: Flash Bang

• A: Superior Will of the Controller: Accuracy/Control Duration
• 23: Superior Will of the Controller: Control Duration/Recharge
• 23: Superior Will of the Controller: Endurance/Recharge
• 34: Superior Will of the Controller: Accuracy/Control Duration/Endurance
• 34: Superior Will of the Controller: Accuracy/Control Duration/Endurance/Recharge
• 36: Superior Will of the Controller: Recharge/Chance for Psionic Damage
  

Level 24: Poison Trap

• A: Unbreakable Constraint: Hold/Recharge
• 25: Unbreakable Constraint: Chance for Smashing Damage
• 25: Gladiator's Net: Chance of Damage(Lethal)
• 27: Ghost Widow's Embrace: Chance of Damage(Psionic)
• 27: Neuronic Shutdown: Chance of Damage(Psionic)
• 29: Lockdown: Chance for +2 Mag Hold
  

Level 26: Tear Gas

• A: Gladiator's Net: Chance of Damage(Lethal)
• 29: Ghost Widow's Embrace: Chance of Damage(Psionic)
• 31: Neuronic Shutdown: Chance of Damage(Psionic)
• 31: Lockdown: Chance for +2 Mag Hold
• 31: Basilisk's Gaze: Recharge/Hold
• 33: Basilisk's Gaze: Chance for Recharge Slow
  

Level 28: Teleport Target

• A: Winter's Gift: Slow Resistance (20%)
  

Level 30: Tri-Cannon

• A: Expedient Reinforcement: Resist Bonus Aura for Pets
• 33: Expedient Reinforcement: Accuracy/Damage
• 33: Expedient Reinforcement: Accuracy/Damage/Recharge
• 34: Expedient Reinforcement: Accuracy/Recharge
  

Level 32: Trip Mine

• A: Armageddon: Damage/Recharge
• 42: Armageddon: Chance for Fire Damage
• 45: Armageddon: Damage/Recharge/Accuracy
• 46: Armageddon: Recharge/Accuracy
• 46: Armageddon: Damage/Endurance
  

Level 35: Triage Beacon

• A: Preventive Medicine: Heal
• 36: Preventive Medicine: Heal/Endurance
• 42: Preventive Medicine: Endurance/RechargeTime
• 43: Preventive Medicine: Heal/RechargeTime
• 43: Preventive Medicine: Heal/RechargeTime/Endurance
• 45: Preventive Medicine: Chance for +Absorb
  

Level 38: Fold Space

• A: Invention: Accuracy
• 39: Invention: Accuracy
  

Level 41: Tough

• A: Aegis: Resistance
• 45: Aegis: Resistance/Endurance
• 48: Aegis: Resistance/Recharge
  

Level 44: Indomitable Will

• A: Luck of the Gambler: Defense/Increased Global Recharge Speed
  

Level 47: Time Bomb

• A: Obliteration: Accuracy/Recharge
• 48: Obliteration: Damage/Recharge
• 48: Obliteration: Accuracy/Damage/Recharge
• 50: Obliteration: Accuracy/Damage/Endurance/Recharge
• 50: Obliteration: Chance for Smashing Damage
  

Level 49: Weave

• A: Shield Wall: Endurance/Recharge
• 50: Shield Wall: Defense/Endurance/Recharge
  

──────────────────────────────

Inherents:

Level 1: Containment

Level 1: Brawl

• (Empty)
  

Level 1: Sprint

• (Empty)
  

Level 2: Rest

• (Empty)
  

Level 1: Swift

• (Empty)
  

Level 1: Hurdle

• (Empty)
  

Level 1: Health

• A: Panacea: +Hit Points/Endurance
• 42: Numina's Convalesence: +Regeneration/+Recovery
  

Level 1: Stamina

• A: Performance Shifter: EndMod
• 43: Performance Shifter: Chance for +End
  

──────────────────────────────
Stats Breakdown:

- Defense -

• Smashing:26.52%
• Lethal:26.52%
• Fire:29.65%
• Cold:29.65%
• Energy:39.02%
• Negative:39.02%
• Toxic:26.52%
• Psionic:52.61%
• Melee:26.52%
• Ranged:36.52%
• AoE:28.08%
  

- Resistance -

• Smashing:38.12%
• Lethal:38.12%
• Fire:14.25%
• Cold:14.25%
• Energy:4.5%
• Negative:4.5%
• Toxic:3%
• Psionic:3%
  

 

Professor Hasenpfuss - Controller (Arsenal Control - Traps).mbd

[EnjoyTheJourney]

Here's a revised build. 

The main goals were better defenses, better recharge, and a way to fairly reliably get containment (the immobilize in place of caltrops). Some damage procs were sacrificed along the way. But, more recharge means more availability for some powers that still have damage procs. On the other hand, in this build there is psi nado, which recharges about every 5.5 seconds or thereabouts. It has a +recharge proc IO, it helps to keep mobs in patches on the ground, and it contributes to damage.

Caltrops were removed because they work against keeping mobs grouped up, which arsenal control really benefits from having happen. The "knockback to knockdown" IO was put into trip mine to keep mobs on patches, as well. That means enemies don't get knocked out of range of control patches when you bring them in with fold space. And, many teammates will definitely appreciate the presence of the KB to KD IO. 

The miracle +recovery IO offers a better return than an extra slot in stamina, hence that change. The extra resistance IO in the pet should make him noticeably tougher.

It's not a perfect build. But, hopefully you find some interesting and helpful ideas when looking it over. 

 

 

 

Professor Hasenpfuss - Controller (Arsenal Control - Traps).mbd

Edited May 1 by EnjoyTheJourney

[Speed Freak]

Thank you so much EnjoyTheJourney! I've been playing my version of the build for a few hours today and must say I really enjoy the playstyle and was really hoping someone would be able to help. You provide and how. 

[Onlyasandwich]

Journey's build hits some good totals, but it's worth noting that end management will not be sustainable. This would be viable if you're okay relying on ageless and only working 50+ content.

 

I'd recommend stepping back and not stressing too much about maximizing defense and resist. Fighting Pool is a tough sell for end sustainability. 

 

You may find more success with:

• Getting as close to Ranged Softcap as possible, but don't make big sacrifices to get there. 35+ is pretty good, and will be supplemented by debuffs.
• Epic resist armor. This gives you a meaty layer even without Tough.
• Embracing your diverse tools.
  • Seekers have a hefty tohit-debuff, and make a great alternate opener when Flash Bang is down. This and/or Smoke Canister can make up the difference to softcaps.
  • Tear Gas is one of the best aoe holds around. It's persistent, can be thrown from behind walls, and comes with a healthy damage debuff.
  • Tranq isn't an easy skip on a controller. It's a pretty decent blast, shuts down problem bosses and even AVs in one shot for a breather when needed, and the sleep, even when interrupted, messes with mob AI such that their attack chains are very noticeably disrupted.

 

You have a lot of great things you can splort out of that gun - use them aggressively!

 

[EnjoyTheJourney]

A few things aren't clarified in the attached build further up. First, the passive accolades are a good pickup and that brings endurance recovery to slightly over 3 per second, with that extra 10 endurance. Second, a reasonable pickup for this build could be agility core alpha, which brings endurance recovery to 3.4 per second. The build isn't heavily dependent on procs for damage and better power availability helps to offset that anyways for powers that have low enough recharge to have proc damage fall as a result of taking agility. Then defense totals look even better, as well. 

If there was something to be concerned about for both the original build and the alternative build it would be the lack of a single target attack chain. Didn't want to mess with the original build too much, though, as fitting in the sorcery pool really changes the look and feel of the build. Also, might need to remove the teleport pool to create enough room for sorcery. But, the teleport pool seems like the heart of the original build in some ways and if this is a teaming build then either the original build or the alternative build would still probably be fairly team friendly even without a single target attack chain. 

Despite the occasional remark on the forums about endurance problems associated with running the fighting pool, it is more usually the case that a relatively low level of endurance reduction in "clicky" powers causes endurance burn to run ahead of endurance recovery. A few tweaks to endurance reduction were made to "clicky" powers in the attached build to help with that. Also swapped in a defense / endurance shield wall IO in weave for the originally present defense shield wall IO. 

 

Professor Hasenpfuss - Controller (Arsenal Control - Traps).mbd

[EnjoyTheJourney]

Hopefully this isn't "too much" and I'll leave this thread to others, after this. But, another revision is attached that focuses on improving single target damage for taking on hard targets. That seems like something that could usefully be improved. 

Dropping maneuvers reduces team buffs. In exchange, endurance management becomes easier and arcane bolt helps to take single target damage to a better place. With poison trap flattening regen for hard targets, with double acid mortars out, and with the tri-gun having damage boosted at least a bit more in this latest build, soloing harder targets becomes easier. No speed records for taking down hard targets would be broken by this build. But, it should at least be possible to solo a wide array of hard targets with this build. 

One thing to ponder is when to take the latter two powers in the teleport pool and when to take the fighting pool. The attached build opts for fold space earlier. But, if defenses feel a bit too weak then the fighting pool can be taken earlier and the final two teleport powers could be taken at levels 47 and 49. Personally, the teleport powers look like they're more fun and more team-friendly, and so I'd prefer to take them earlier. Either choice would be reasonable, though. 

With this I'll bow out of this thread. Good luck to the OP, however they decide to move forward. 

PS: Most (and perhaps all) sleep powers are auto-hit. But, perhaps the rules are a bit different for sleep grenade. If accuracy is needed then, of course, that takes priority over the proc.

 

Professor Hasenpfuss - Controller (Arsenal Control - Traps - Psi Mastery),v2.mbd

Edited May 3 by EnjoyTheJourney

[KC4800]

I dunno. I think you worry too much about resistances. Ars/Traps is all about not getting hit, because everyone is vomiting, meaning held helplessly, and when they can fire they target the tri-cannon and not you. Yes, there are rare instances, namely when multiple ambushes seem to target you first, but that's more about the way the mission is designed and not the build.

 

Get your invisibility up to superior, amp up your hold times by splitting up the Archtype Superior enhancers into 3 and 3, and 2 and 2 and 2.

 

Lead with the confuse then the Nitrogen Patch. Then poison the F out of them and let the Tri-Cannon do its job. This combination just melts foes and you should never be getting hit at all.

 

Fighting Pool?? Seriously?

[Speed Freak]

EnjoyTheJourney, thank you again for your replies and builds. They are well thought out and took my preferences into account.