Illusion/empathy

[ForestNinja]

Hello everyone. I am looking to build my level 50 illusion/empathy controller with set bonuses and was hoping for some help on the build.

 

I used to play this back on live as a group helper for difficult pick up groups. I need high level heals (I love absorb pain), the ability to buff (adrenaline boost, RA's, and fortitude. May add sorcery and leadership), and a panic button in phantom army. A res + recall would be nice, and invisibility would be ideal. I will try to post a start build a little later.

 

Thanks!

 

[Force Redux]

Honestly, just build for recharge with set bonuses. Illusionists don't get much aggro, and don't need to focus on defense or resists much. Recharge will benefit PA and empathy buffs.

Edited August 29 by Force Redux

[Doomguide2005]

6 hours ago, Force Redux said:

Honestly, just build for recharge with set bonuses. Illusionists don't get much aggro, and don't need to focus on defense or resists much. Recharge will benefit PA and empathy buffs.

This^

Pile on the recharge is where I'd go.  Every! single! power! should include a recharge set bonus if possible.  You can stop if/when you can perma IW as a 'goal'.  *wanders off to Mids*

[Two Dollar Bill]

Back on Justice my primary was Ill/Emp, and he was amazing. Today the game is so easy that you can play a whole task force without anyone needing a heal, and nobody even considers the value of crowd control. Your biggest foe is boredom since only a small fraction of your powers get used. I would look in to the Sorcery Pool because it gives you some completely new support tools to play with, like Spirit Ward and Enflame, and you can include Arcane Bolt into your attack chain, because Spectral Wounds and Blind is not exactly a chain.

 

Recharge is definitely the most important thing to slot for, and that does mean you'll want ridiculously expensive purple sets, though you can certainly get zero-downtime Phantom Army without going all purple. If you want a secondary goal for IO set bonuses, consider some AoE defense. You can take a lot of damage just by standing next to the blaster who suddenly gets aggro.

 

If you want your super support character to feel useful, consider exemplaring with lowbie groups that don't have all their IO sets. Build your character to exemplar well, not just to function properly at 50+1.

 

[Doomguide2005]

 

27 minutes ago, Two Dollar Bill said:

If you want your super support character to feel useful, consider exemplaring with lowbie groups that don't have all their IO sets. Build your character to exemplar well, not just to function properly at 50+1.

 

As someone who has ... I think it's currently 4 level 50 Empaths and several more leveling up I 100% support this statement.  Build to handle Posi 1 & 2, Synapse and Yin specifically.  Teams at 45+ can use the buffs and the offense of Illusion but having/needing the big green numbers is far less common (especially if you keep your buffs flowing). Or find a PI Radio team running with a whole bunch of lowbies in tow.

[Doomguide2005]

First very quick pass on Ill/Emp/Psi

1. Somehow managed to skip Hasten,  Still has perma PA without Incarnates.  Probably want to look into adding primarily to help with exemplar function and PA at lower levels.  It will also close the gap while IW is on cool down at higher levels.  Might want RoP to fill the down time on IW and reduce pressures to add more recharge.
2. PvP Panacea will greatly help keeping recharge high as will the Purples while exemped.
3. May want to shuffle powers and slotting around (or eliminate) to up AoE as that is a solid point mentioned by @Two Dollar Bill.  Probably one of the most common ways my Ill/Traps gets smacked is stray shots at other things even solo (they shoot at AM while I'm placing).  Never mind the Blaster.
4. Likely I'll try a 2nd pass covering some of these issues.

 

ForestNinja IllEmpPsi (v1.00 i28.1) forum ForestNinja.mbd

[ForestNinja]

Thanks all for the advice.

 

I took the build Doomguide2005 posted and broke down some likes and dislikes.

 

Most of the sets and bonuses work great.

- I changed a bunch of slotting for a little more recharge and some regeneration (helpful when I use Absorb Pain). I also grabbed a little KB protection as well.

- I dropped Deceive for Flash as I like holds better than Confuse.

- I dropped Phantasm. I don't think it really helps this build that much. Phantom Army is invincible and has a bunch of agro pulling capability.

- I dropped Vengeance to grab Teleport Target. I like the utility better than the buff. It even allows me to stealth missions when needed or call someone back when they have lost their way.

- I grabbed maneuvers instead of assault. It lets me get some slots and extra defense for my party is always good.

- I don't love blind overall. It seems a bit over slotted for proc damage. I dropped them to gain some more slots in other places.

- Finally, I moved some powers around for level. I'm not sure this is the best level placement as of now, but what does everyone think? Are their massive gaping holes?

ForestNinja IllEmpPsi (v1.00 i28.1) forum ForestNinja.mbd

[Two Dollar Bill]

I feel like it's spending resources on frivolous things it doesn't need and neglecting the essentials.
- I do prefer to slot Blind as a hold and not as a proc dispenser, but right now with just two enhancements, it isn't even a good hold. Blind is your primary hard control power. It also stacks with Flash. Slot that sucker like you mean it, so it's fast and reliable.
- Deceive is amazing. I love to sneak a bit ahead of the team and confuse all the enemies that drain endurance, cast buffs or summon pets. In a hard fight, it allows you to stay hidden while healing, buffing AND doing crowd control with zero aggro.
- Phantom Army is great of course, but the best way to make it recharge faster is to slot it for recharge. Right now it's not even triggering Enhancement Diversification. Give it a +Recharge IO.
- Regeneration Aura is basically a junk power. Although it was once common for teams to pause for a group hug to get buffs, it's very difficult to get teams to sit still for it these days. The only character who will regularly be benefiting from Regeneration Aura is you, and you don't need it. Put those extra slots in Blind.
- Adrenalin Boost is great for that teammate who really needs a respec because his endurance bar is always empty. It's not needed as a heal and doesn't need to be 5-slotted with Panacea. Again, I would put the slots into powers that you will really be using all the time.
- Empaths can get away with having horrible endurance efficiency because they have Recovery Aura, so maybe it won't be a problem, but if it is... Superior Invisibility and Mystic Flight are horrible endurance hogs, worse than Leadership toggles. You can greatly reduce their endurance costs and get some set bonuses with an extra slot or two.

 

[Doomguide2005]

5 hours ago, ForestNinja said:

Thanks all for the advice.

 

I took the build Doomguide2005 posted and broke down some likes and dislikes.

 

Most of the sets and bonuses work great.

- I changed a bunch of slotting for a little more recharge and some regeneration (helpful when I use Absorb Pain). I also grabbed a little KB protection as well.

The passive regen pales in comparion to that generated by RegenA but you can just drop it to two Rech IO's and get those slots out if wanted

- I dropped Deceive for Flash as I like holds better than Confuse.

The Confuse is a better "hold" than Flash.  Only the main target is held, the rest are under Sleep effects.

- I dropped Phantasm. I don't think it really helps this build that much. Phantom Army is invincible and has a bunch of agro pulling capability.

Ill point out that while Phantasm doesn't have a taunt effect the Phantasm he creates does have a taunt effect.  Most of the time not an issue but one nasty recharge debuff and ... 

- I dropped Vengeance to grab Teleport Target. I like the utility better than the buff. It even allows me to stealth missions when needed or call someone back when they have lost their way. Fairly niche to for just the ability to retrieve a lost teammate.  The stealth of SI exceeds a Stalker's, you shouldn't have any issues stealthing anything.

- I grabbed maneuvers instead of assault. It lets me get some slots and extra defense for my party is always good.  

- I don't love blind overall. It seems a bit over slotted for proc damage. I dropped them to gain some more slots in other places.

- Finally, I moved some powers around for level. I'm not sure this is the best level placement as of now, but what does everyone think? Are their massive gaping holes?

Move Kismet and a slot to Maneuvers.  Unless you very reliably remember to fire off Fort the bonus could be lost. (it last 120 sec after last triggered_

If you keep Teleport Target you could put either a KB protection or Slow resist IO in the power.  Rather than dropping it in Maneuvers

Resurrect - I'd use an Endred IO rather than recharge.  Even with all the recharge in the build can you see a team waiting for it to recharge vs all the alternatives?  It's relative expensive power at 26 end Murphy says you'll need it to Rez someone relatively critical when you're low on end and RA is on cooldowm.

I'd attempt to get Hasten early closer to PA to get its buff on PA's recharge easier at lower levels.

 

5 hours ago, ForestNinja said:

ForestNinja IllEmpPsi (v1.00 i28.1) forum ForestNinja.mbd 41.44 kB · 2 downloads