Perma Phantom Army

[ajm603]

Hello.  I have recently returned to CoH and am really enjoying the game again.  I have mostly been playing controllers since returning, and I want to roll another Illusion toon.  My 1st level 50 is an Illusion/Traps troller.  What secondaries help you to achieve Perma PA at the earliest levels? Rad and Time seem to be the obvious front runners.  Am I missing other options? What is the earliest possible level to achieve Perma PA? Any help would be appreciated. 

[SeraphimKensai]

Time, Rad, Kinetics, and Elec Affinity can all get recharge buffs from their own sets.

 

Besides Hasten, and stacking recharge set bonuses, you can also use an Offensive Amplifier from the P2W vendor and also make a recharge base buff. Otherwise you can be effected by outside recharge buffs like SB and such too.

 

In my experience the earliest I've had Perma PA that I can remember was for a Yin TF, but it's possible I may have been able to get it for Synapse TF as well, but I don't ever remember trying as when I run that it's usually early morning during it's WST period and I usually solo it with my three accounts.

[Meknomancer]

4 minutes ago, SeraphimKensai said:

Time, Rad, Kinetics, and Elec Affinity can all get recharge buffs from their own sets.

 

Besides Hasten, and stacking recharge set bonuses, you can also use an Offensive Amplifier from the P2W vendor and also make a recharge base buff. Otherwise you can be effected by outside recharge buffs like SB and such too.

 

In my experience the earliest I've had Perma PA that I can remember was for a Yin TF, but it's possible I may have been able to get it for Synapse TF as well, but I don't ever remember trying as when I run that it's usually early morning during it's WST period and I usually solo it with my three accounts.

 

Does elec affinity's energizing circuit help? I run an ill/elec and i haven't noticed it.

[Onlyasandwich]

14 minutes ago, Meknomancer said:

Does elec affinity's energizing circuit help? I run an ill/elec and i haven't noticed it.

It certainly will, but you have to keep spamming it, as the duration is very short, and you'll want enough static built up so it loops back to you if on a team. Easy looping if you're solo and just hitting your Phantasm.

Edited May 1 by Onlyasandwich

[SeraphimKensai]

19 minutes ago, Meknomancer said:

 

Does elec affinity's energizing circuit help? I run an ill/elec and i haven't noticed it.

Yes but it's only a 5 second duration, do you have to essentially have it on auto and target your phantasm.

[Uun]

I've got an Illusion/Time with perma Phantom Army, Hasten and Chrono Shift. I don't recall what level I achieved that, but Chrono Shift isn't available until lvl 30. 

[ajm603]

So, Rad and Kin have the best potential for the earliest possible perma PA based on the ability to acquire AM and Siphon Speed at low levels? 

[Uun]

2 hours ago, ajm603 said:

So, Rad and Kin have the best potential for the earliest possible perma PA based on the ability to acquire AM and Siphon Speed at low levels? 

You can get AM and Siphon Speed at lower levels than Chrono Shift, but Ill/Rad and Ill/Kin require more global recharge than Ill/Time for perma-PA. AM provides 30% +rech and Siphon Speed provides 20% (but can be stacked) while Chrono Shift provides 50%. 

[ajm603]

Uun, are you able to share your Ill/Time build?

[Uun]

5 hours ago, ajm603 said:

Uun, are you able to share your Ill/Time build?

 

Uuntouchable - Controller (Illusion Control).mbd

[Maelwys]

Agree /Time is probably the strongest secondary that can do what you're asking here.

FWIW at Lv50 it's possible to give you and your pets/teammates Softcapped Defence on an Illusion/Time as well.
The Trick is using [Powerboost + Clarion Radial] every 120s to buff both [Farsight and Group Invisibility].
That can get you North of 40%, then Maneuvers can make up the difference (or just rely on Time's Juncture versus anything other than level 54 AVs - realistically that will bring you to the Incarnate Defence Softcap as long as you're fighting something without Archvillain Resistance).

Controller - Illusion - Time (PwrBoost).mbd

[KMadeleine]

Thanks for the builds!  I’m really enjoying my Ill/time controller.  

[kelika2]

ill/kin if you want permaish phantom early on.  there is like a 15-25 second gap whenever i exemp down to posi

[KC4800]

I have Perma PA with an Ill/TA but it utilizes the Incarnate Alpha power that boosts recharge. I forget what it's called. Old brain.

[Maelwys]

39 minutes ago, KC4800 said:

I have Perma PA with an Ill/TA but it utilizes the Incarnate Alpha power that boosts recharge. I forget what it's called. Old brain.

If it's an Alpha slot then it'd be from either the Agility (Recharge + Defence/EndMod/etc) or Spiritual (Recharge + Healing/Stun/etc) trees.

There's also the Destiny Slot clicky which really sticks your recharge into overdrive and is rather appropriately named...

[KC4800]

that's it

[Doomguide2005]

The real base question is: "How much recharge is needed to achieve perma-PA?"  

Followed by "How early while accounting for exemplar scaling can you achieve that value?"

Your obvious earliest level is 13th while exemplared, 18th otherwise if you can achieve the nessary recharge.  Set bonuses themselves don't scale they simply work or don't at any given level but the lower you exemplar the more likely the actual recharge in PA, Hasten, AM etc. are likely to get effected.  Also as you get below 25th (and below 22nd ouch) set bonuses for larger amounts of recharge start to get very scarce outside Purple and PvP IOs.  At that point while it may still be achievable it probably also starts to become very counter to "good" endgame build, i.e. 2 slots in Hasten even boosted is probably well shy (I'm 'guessing') of approaching get into ED diminishing returns but I haven't looked or thought about it in a long time 

Edited May 3 by Doomguide2005