Ice/Thorny Assault has been the only Dominator I like so far

[rksr9997]

I have not really liked Dominators for a long time but am forcing myself to make one, I tried about 25 but Ice/Thorny assault is the one I have liked the best. I am putting the build I want to do below. I have figured out from playing that maxing +recharge really is the key thing. I am just wondering if this is over doing it on the +recharge, and maybe I have space to put more damage.

 

I don't like to take the fighting pool and I am not really interested in having constantly capped defenses because I use inspirations all the time, and when you are controlling you only need to boost defense when you are light on control, so I like what Unleash Potential brings to the table.

 

I want to be tough enough to go on the hardest content. If you have any recommendations, I'll appreciate it.

 

 

Ice-Jamz - Dominator (Ice Control - Thorny Assault).mbd

Edited June 18 by rksr9997
Added Build File

[Onlyasandwich]

Hi there!

 

Newest mids won't let me paste data chunks for import. Do you mind sharing the file?

 

I built my own Ice/thorny not long ago, and have enjoyed it so far.

 

The keys focuses of my own build:

• Slow resist.
• +recharge with FFback support.
• Extra proc damage juice in key powers.
• S/L defense as a fallback, with Unleash to softcap and support other defenses in troublesome situations.

 

At 50, I find that, much like my other doms, it's very sustainable to rely on my controls for survivability. Defenses are a bit of a side note, and I don't go out of my way to invest in bonuses related to them. This allows me to really focus on maximum damage, though it does require a lot of focus on proper engagements. If something goes sideways, you have to pop your backup plan very quickly or you'll go down. However, you do have some solid backup plans with Unleash, Glacier, Hibernate, and even Flash Freeze in the right spot. Pick whichever one you like and wait stabilize.

 

Your build may be a very different focus, which is fine of course. I also dislike taking the fighting pools on my doms, as it's a heavy power investment on an AT that really benefits from deeper APP dips, and the end sustainability can be tough. 

 

Note procs are toggled off in Thorn Barrage and Ripper to reflect more realistic recharge totals.

 

Dominator (Ice Control - Thorny Assault) unleash version.mbd

 

Text:

Spoiler

Hero Dominator
Build plan made with Mids' Reborn v3.7.4 rev. 9
──────────────────────────────

• Primary powerset: Ice Control
• Secondary powerset: Thorny Assault
• Pool powerset (#1): Leaping
• Pool powerset (#2): Speed
• Pool powerset (#3): Leadership
• Pool powerset (#4): Force of Will
• Epic powerset: Ice Mastery

──────────────────────────────

Powers taken:

Level 1: Block of Ice

• A: Basilisk's Gaze: Accuracy/Hold
• 48: Basilisk's Gaze: Accuracy/Endurance/Recharge/Hold
• 48: Basilisk's Gaze: Endurance/Recharge/Hold
• 48: Basilisk's Gaze: Chance for Recharge Slow

Level 1: Skewer

• A: Superior Blistering Cold: Accuracy/Damage
• 7: Superior Blistering Cold: Damage/Endurance
• 17: Superior Blistering Cold: Accuracy/Damage/Endurance
• 46: Hecatomb: Chance of Damage(Negative)
• 50: Touch of Death: Chance of Damage(Negative)

Level 2: Frostbite

• A: Gravitational Anchor: Recharge/Accuracy
• 3: Gravitational Anchor: Immobilize/Recharge/Accuracy
• 3: Gravitational Anchor: Immobilize
• 21: Gravitational Anchor: Immobilize/Endurance
• 43: Gravitational Anchor: Chance for Hold
• 43: Superior Dominating Grasp: RechargeTime/Fiery Orb

Level 4: Fling Thorns

• A: Superior Frozen Blast: Accuracy/Damage
• 5: Superior Frozen Blast: Damage/Endurance
• 5: Positron's Blast: Chance of Damage(Energy)
• 42: Bombardment: Chance for Fire Damage
• 42: Shield Breaker: Chance for Lethal Damage
• 42: Touch of Lady Grey: Chance for Negative Damage

Level 6: Arctic Air

• A: Coercive Persuasion : Confused/Recharge
• 7: Coercive Persuasion : Confused/Recharge/Accuracy
• 19: Coercive Persuasion : Confused
• 40: Coercive Persuasion : Confused/Endurance
• 40: Coercive Persuasion : Contagious Confusion

Level 8: Cold Snap

• A: Superior Ascendency of the Dominator: Accuracy/Control Duration
• 9: Superior Ascendency of the Dominator: Control Duration/Recharge
• 9: Superior Ascendency of the Dominator: Endurance/Recharge
• 21: Superior Ascendency of the Dominator: Accuracy/Control Duration/Endurance
• 37: Superior Ascendency of the Dominator: Accuracy/Control Duration/Endurance/Recharge

Level 10: Impale

• A: Gladiator's Javelin: Accuracy/Damage
• 11: Gladiator's Javelin: Chance of Damage(Toxic)
• 11: Apocalypse: Damage/Endurance
• 13: Ice Mistral's Torment: Chance for Cold Damage
• 15: Touch of Lady Grey: Chance for Negative Damage
• 17: Superior Ascendency of the Dominator: Recharge/Chance for +Damage

Level 12: Ice Slick

• A: Superior Frozen Blast: Recharge/Chance for Immobilize
• 13: Superior Frozen Blast: Accuracy/Damage/Recharge

Level 14: Combat Jumping

• A: Luck of the Gambler: Defense/Increased Global Recharge Speed
• 37: Kismet: Accuracy +6%

Level 16: Build Up

• A: Gaussian's Synchronized Fire-Control: Chance for Build Up

Level 18: Hasten

• A: Invention: Recharge Reduction
• 25: Invention: Recharge Reduction

Level 20: Mighty Leap

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

Level 22: Glacier

• A: Unbreakable Constraint: Chance for Smashing Damage
• 23: Unbreakable Constraint: Hold/Recharge
• 23: Unbreakable Constraint: Hold/Recharge/Accuracy
• 25: Unbreakable Constraint: Recharge/Accuracy
• 36: Unbreakable Constraint: Hold/Endurance

Level 24: Weaken Resolve

• A: Invention: Accuracy

Level 26: Jack Frost

• A: Call to Arms: Accuracy/Damage
• 36: Call to Arms: Damage/Endurance
• 27: Call to Arms: Accuracy/Damage/Recharge
• 34: Call to Arms: Defense Bonus Aura for Pets
• 37: Edict of the Master: Defense Bonus
• 43: Soulbound Allegiance: Chance for Build Up

Level 28: Ripper

• A: Superior Avalanche: Accuracy/Damage
• 29: Superior Avalanche: Damage/Endurance
• 29: Eradication: Chance for Energy Damage
• 33: Armageddon: Chance for Fire Damage
• 34: Touch of Lady Grey: Chance for Negative Damage
• 34: Force Feedback: Chance for +Recharge

Level 30: Thorn Barrage

• A: Apocalypse: Damage
• 31: Apocalypse: Chance of Damage(Negative)
• 31: Gladiator's Javelin: Chance of Damage(Toxic)
• 31: Decimation: Chance of Build Up
• 33: Explosive Strike: Chance for Smashing Damage
• 33: Force Feedback: Chance for +Recharge

Level 32: Unleash Potential

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

Level 35: Sleet

• A: Invention: Recharge Reduction

Level 38: Frozen Armor

• A: Luck of the Gambler: Defense/Increased Global Recharge Speed
• 39: Luck of the Gambler: Defense/Endurance
• 39: Luck of the Gambler: Defense
• 40: Gladiator's Armor: TP Protection +3% Def (All)
• 51: Steadfast Protection: Resistance/+Def 3%

Level 41: Hibernate

• A: Preventive Medicine: Chance for +Absorb

Level 44: Ice Storm

• A: Ragnarok: Damage/Recharge
• 45: Ragnarok: Damage/Recharge/Accuracy
• 45: Ragnarok: Recharge/Accuracy
• 45: Ragnarok: Damage/Endurance
• 46: Ragnarok: Chance for Knockdown

Level 47: Maneuvers

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

Level 49: Flash Freeze

• A: Call of the Sandman: Chance of Heal Self

──────────────────────────────

Inherents:

Level 1: Domination

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
• 19: Miracle: +Recovery
• 46: Numina's Convalesence: +Regeneration/+Recovery

Level 1: Stamina

• A: Performance Shifter: Chance for +End
• 36: Performance Shifter: EndMod
• 50: Invention: Endurance Modification

Level 32: Takeoff

 

Chunk:

Spoiler

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Spoiler

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Edited June 15 by Onlyasandwich

[Riverdusk]

Ice/thorn does sound fun.  For how much +recharge you need, all depends on how you want to play it.  If you are really good at always keeping both hasten and domination going, you only need about +70% (not including hasten itself).   Someone ran the math a long time ago (and I'm assuming it is correct):  

https://web.archive.org/web/20090705110540/http://boards.cityofheroes.com/showflat.php?Board=faq&Number=8925064

 

If you are at the other extreme and don't want to ever worry about hitting hasten in time or taking hasten at all, you need about +125%.

 

There is also the option to use the START vendor offensive buff to give you +15% for up to 8 hours at a time (although expensive) and a SG base buff for an extra +20% for up to 90 mins at a time (cheap).

 

I tend to aim for +110% global recharge personally as that gives me perma hasten, perma dom, and even perma dom without hasten needed if I use one of the temp buffs.  For 90 mins at a time I don't even have to stress about it and can even go afk without having to worry about rebuilding the dom bar very often.

 

[rksr9997]

Okay well that is very interesting stuff to hear! Maybe I am going overboard on the +rech and can add some different stats. I would really like to gear this towards doing as much damage as possible.

 

Let me see if I can link the file.

 

I built mine to be range only, and I do this BECAUSE Ice Patch + Thorntops is like impossible to get past for a lot of enemy groups. I have a crap build right now, and with those 2 powers I can fight +3 Cimerora enemies and they just can never get to me. I know that War Wolves will still be a huge problem, and then enemies that TP, but for so many, You throw down those 2 things (you have sleet as well to drop on them if you want to) and you can stand just out of melee range from them knowing they will not get to you.

[rksr9997]

I am likewise having an issue where I can't open my saved file OR import the data chunk I put in my previous post. Strange times.

Ice-Jamz - Dominator (Ice Control - Thorny Assault).mbd

[rksr9997]

Okay my MIDS is just broken I can't do anything with it anymore....

[rksr9997]

I got it to work by just re-installing the program and posted the build file that I am going to try to obtain. I think it will cost a lot of money.

[Onlyasandwich]

Hi there! Thanks for sharing the file.

 

A few high level observations:

• You are going all ranged, but only minimally slotted thorny darts, which will be needed for a good rotation. Not an amazing power, but Thorn Barrage and Impale are going to feel really slow if that's all you have for single target.
• Chillblain is very redundant. Impale already immobilizes, and will even immob bosses with Dom up. 
• Arctic Air is an important part of Ice's kit. I know you're staying at range, but you can still use it at range - just stay near enough. It has a broad area. You'll be somewhat close in anyhow to use fling.
• Wall of force is not a good damage power. It's nice for AT's that don't have access to other aoes, but it's highly inefficient here. It's not even needed as a prereq if Unleash is important to you. Ice Storm is much better.
• You have chosen a defense based epic, but not achieved any softcaps, even with Unleash up. You aren't really achieving much survivability here. If ignoring softcap, go epic resist instead.
• Recovery is a bit weak. Domination infusions will probably keep you going most of the time, but timing won't always work out.

 

If I could identify any focus here, I guess it would be "recharge where I can find it," but otherwise the IO bonuses lack any real focus. Consider picking some additional goals like:

• Some type of softcap.
• Maximizing proc damage.
• Resists.

 

Pick a strategy and lean into it more, and you'll find greater success. As long as you have perma dom and good accuracy, you can still get away with a lot, of course. However, Ice lacks consistent harder lockdown (no aoe stun), so you'll have to deal with some amount of reprisal. This is especially true if you continue to drop Arctic Air, which offers somewhat persistent control, though it takes a moment to kick in.

 

 

There is more that I would consider in a full rebuild. You can peek at my own build linked above for how my priorities would align. Certainly you don't have to set the same goals I have!

 

[rksr9997]

I've never had a Dominator to the point where Domination was constantly running yet, and as such have Chilblain there because if you use that AND Impale on a War Wolf boss (or any of the other slow/immob resistant enemies the game has) you can keep them from running right up and punching you in your face for 75% of your health.

 

That being said it almost never gets used and I don't put slots in it, so you're probably right that it doesn't even need to be there. I don't know what to take instead of it though.

 

I mostly don't want Arctic Air because it uses so much END and that is largely what causes me to fail. If I have END to use, I always have some way to mitigate threats, when I run out... I mean I suppose EVERY kind of character in this game is useless with no end, but Dominators seem to use a ton of it. I am using Cardiac on him and still I just run out of end all the time.

 

I have used Arctic Air on controllers though and it is a fantastic power, and it does have a big enough radius that maybe it's something I must have.

 

I do not like it when the enemies blast each other with KB and go flying all over though. I want them to stay in my icy and pokey traps area. 

 

Thank you for the ideas though I will look at it again with these things in mind. I really want a way for Wall of Force to be good, but I have used it in the past, and I know it's pretty lame.

[Riverdusk]

2 hours ago, Onlyasandwich said:

 

• Chillblain is very redundant. Impale already immobilizes, and will even immob bosses with Dom up. 

 

 

Might still be redundant and unneeded to have both, but not seeing on City of Data that impale is affected by dom.  Maybe it is, but I know first hand not all control effects of assault sets are.   My experience is with dark assault's midnight grasp which is definitely not affected by dom and it made me sad.    Subdue from psi assault does benefit from it, so it seems inconsistent.  Something I wish they'd clean up and make consistent.

[rksr9997]

I've used it with Domination on and I don't think that it is affected by it. It doesn't immobilize for very long either, and you wouldn't want to slot it with immobilize enhancers because you want damage out of it.

 

So, when you are using it on *4 LTs and bosses they get loose again rather quick. Those War Wolf bosses are, seriously, the thing that kills me so much. They will not stay still, and they don't care about slow AT ALL.

[Frosticus]

Doms secondaries need a sweep because only some powers get domination boosts.

 

Unfortunately impale does not and even spamming it high level stuff gets loose more than you might like.

[Onlyasandwich]

Even so, it serves little use if you have the aoe immob.

Edited June 18 by Onlyasandwich

[rksr9997]

On 6/18/2024 at 5:54 PM, Onlyasandwich said:

Even so, it serves little use if you have the aoe immob.

 

Is there a must have for a Dominator that I could ditch Chilblain and get?

[EnjoyTheJourney]

Here's another take on that build. Key defense and resistance totals are better, although admittedly at the cost of somewhat less recharge. Still more than enough recharge for permadom, though. Damage is also in a better place overall, with ice storm adding a lot more damage than wall of force. 

However you decide to move forward, hopefully you have a blast with your dom. 

 

Ice-Jamz - Dominator (Ice Control - Thorny Assault),v2.mbd

[Onlyasandwich]

18 hours ago, rksr9997 said:

Is there a must have for a Dominator that I could ditch Chilblain and get?

 

Enjoy's build offers some perspective here, but I would consider:

• Arctic Air Can even be a one slot wonder with endredux if you really want, though deserves some slots
• Flash Freeze Might come in handy at times. Not amazing, but has a use case at least with only 1 slot.)
• Ice Storm Will need to redo slots to feed it
• Grant Invis or Infiltration as a Lotg mule. Infiltration could also serve as a Slow res mule.
• Could drop stealth pool entirely and rely on Celerity. Pick up superspeed if you still want full stealth. This would free a pool so you could pick up Combat Teleport, Teleport Target, Hover, or Maneuvers,  They all at least add some utility or extra bit of defense in the case of maneuvers.