Trying Dark/Assault, not sure what's worth taking

[BasiliskXVIII]

I had a build I'm not really happy with, and as I'm levelling the character up, the less happy I'm getting. I'm trying to rip the thing back to bare bones and start from zero, but the more I futz with it, the less I feel I even know what I'm doing. I'm not really sure I can even identify the stuff that's worth taking. Part of this is that I don't really play control much. I have an Earth/Martial up to 45, but in general I stick to Corruptors, Tanks, and Brutes.

 

Some things I'm not sure about:

The Disorient/Immobilize combo is a common soft control pairing to make into hard control, but dark's Heart of Darkness as a PBAoE doesn't seem to play nicely with the Cone Immob. At the very least it needs a lot of repositioning comparatively. Should I not be relying on it, in favour of other soft controls?

 

Trip Mine? Lot of damage, but a long animation. Is it worth it? My /Traps corr loves it, but here I'm less sure.

 

Ignite initially struck me as a bit of a lame T9, but then I realised that keeping stuff in the patch shouldn't be a problem.

 

I'll include my current build, but I realise it's a trash fire that isn't even getting permadom right, Please help.

 

Spoiler

Gunsmoke - Hero Dominator
Build plan made with Mids' Reborn v3.7.5 rev. 21
──────────────────────────────

• Primary powerset: Darkness Control
• Secondary powerset: Arsenal Assault
• Pool powerset (#1): Flight
• Pool powerset (#2): Speed
• Pool powerset (#3): Leaping
• Pool powerset (#4): Fighting
• Epic powerset: Dark Mastery
  

──────────────────────────────

Powers taken:

Level 1: Dark Grasp

• A: Lockdown: Accuracy/Hold
• 3: Lockdown: Recharge/Hold
• 7: Thunderstrike: Accuracy/Damage
• 17: Thunderstrike: Damage/Recharge
• 31: Thunderstrike: Accuracy/Damage/Endurance
  

Level 1: Burst

• A: Decimation: Accuracy/Damage
• 3: Decimation: Damage/Endurance
• 7: Decimation: Damage/Recharge
• 29: Decimation: Accuracy/Damage/Recharge
• 37: Decimation: Chance of Build Up
  

Level 2: Shadowy Binds

• A: Thunderstrike: Accuracy/Damage
• 5: Devastation: Accuracy/Damage
• 13: Devastation: Chance of Hold
• 34: Cloud Senses: Chance for Negative Energy Damage
• 46: Trap of the Hunter: Chance of Damage(Lethal)
  

Level 4: Buckshot

• A: Sudden Acceleration: Knockback/Accuracy/Damage
• 5: Sudden Acceleration: Knockback/Damage/Recharge
• 15: Sudden Acceleration: Knockback to Knockdown
• 21: Sudden Acceleration: Knockback/Recharge
• 36: Sudden Acceleration: Knockback/Damage/Endurance
• 37: Sudden Acceleration: Knockback/Accuracy
  

Level 6: Fly

• A: Invention: Flight Speed
  

Level 8: Fearsome Stare

• A: Glimpse of the Abyss: Accuracy/Recharge
• 9: Glimpse of the Abyss: Endurance/Fear
• 11: Glimpse of the Abyss: Fear/Range
• 39: Glimpse of the Abyss: Accuracy/Fear/Recharge
• 45: Glimpse of the Abyss: Chance of Damage(Psionic)
  

Level 10: Possess

• A: Malaise's Illusions: Accuracy/Recharge
• 11: Malaise's Illusions: Accuracy/Endurance
• 21: Malaise's Illusions: Confused/Range
• 36: Malaise's Illusions: Accuracy/Confused/Recharge
• 45: Malaise's Illusions: Chance of Damage(Psionic)
  

Level 12: Elbow Strike

• A: Force Feedback: Damage/Knockback
• 13: Force Feedback: Accuracy/Knockback
• 33: Force Feedback: Damage/Endurance/Knockback
• 36: Force Feedback: Chance for +Recharge
  

Level 14: Living Shadows

• A: Trap of the Hunter: Immobilize/Accuracy
• 15: Trap of the Hunter: Accuracy/Immobilize/Recharge
• 17: Trap of the Hunter: Chance of Damage(Lethal)
• 33: Cloud Senses: Chance for Negative Energy Damage
• 46: Positron's Blast: Chance of Damage(Energy)
  

Level 16: Power Up

• A: Invention: Recharge Reduction
  

Level 18: Haunt

• A: Expedient Reinforcement: Accuracy/Recharge
• 19: Expedient Reinforcement: Accuracy/Damage
• 19: Expedient Reinforcement: Accuracy/Damage/Recharge
• 42: Expedient Reinforcement: Endurance/Damage/Recharge
• 43: Glimpse of the Abyss: Chance of Damage(Psionic)
  

Level 20: Hasten

• A: Invention: Recharge Reduction
• 34: Invention: Recharge Reduction
• 37: Invention: Recharge Reduction
  

Level 22: Shadow Field

• A: Ascendency of the Dominator: Accuracy/Control Duration
• 23: Ascendency of the Dominator: Control Duration/Recharge
• 23: Ascendency of the Dominator: Accuracy/Control Duration/Endurance
• 25: Ascendency of the Dominator: Accuracy/Control Duration/Endurance/Recharge
• 43: Ascendency of the Dominator: Recharge/Chance for +Damage
  

Level 24: Targeting Drone

• A: Rectified Reticle: To Hit Buff
• 25: Rectified Reticle: Increased Perception
• 40: Gaussian's Synchronized Fire-Control: Chance for Build Up
  

Level 26: Umbra Beast

• A: Expedient Reinforcement: Accuracy/Recharge
• 27: Expedient Reinforcement: Damage/Endurance
• 27: Expedient Reinforcement: Accuracy/Damage
• 40: Expedient Reinforcement: Accuracy/Damage/Recharge
  

Level 28: Trip Mine

• A: Obliteration: Damage
• 29: Obliteration: Accuracy/Recharge
• 43: Obliteration: Damage/Recharge
• 46: Obliteration: Chance for Smashing Damage
• 48: Obliteration: Accuracy/Damage/Recharge
  

Level 30: Ignite

• A: Annihilation: Accuracy/Damage
• 31: Positron's Blast: Accuracy/Damage
• 31: Frozen Blast: Recharge/Chance for Immobilize
  

Level 32: Sniper Rifle

• A: Sting of the Manticore: Accuracy/Damage
• 33: Sting of the Manticore: Damage/Endurance
• 34: Sting of the Manticore: Damage/Endurance/Recharge
  

Level 35: Tar Patch

• A: Invention: Recharge Reduction
  

Level 38: Murky Cloud

• A: Reactive Armor: Resistance/Endurance
• 39: Reactive Armor: Resistance/Recharge
• 39: Reactive Armor: Resistance/Endurance/Recharge
• 40: Reactive Armor: Resistance
  

Level 41: Darkest Night

• A: Dark Watcher's Despair: To Hit Debuff/Endurance
• 42: Dampened Spirits: To Hit Debuff/Endurance
• 42: Dark Watcher's Despair: To Hit Debuff/Recharge/Endurance
  

Level 44: Heart of Darkness

• A: Rope A Dope: Accuracy/Stun
• 45: Cloud Senses: Chance for Negative Energy Damage
  

Level 47: Umbral Torrent

• A: Sudden Acceleration: Knockback/Damage/Recharge
• 48: Sudden Acceleration: Knockback/Damage/Endurance
• 48: Sudden Acceleration: Knockback/Accuracy/Damage
• 50: Sudden Acceleration: Knockback/Accuracy
• 50: Sudden Acceleration: Knockback/Recharge
• 50: Sudden Acceleration: Knockback to Knockdown
  

Level 49: Combat Jumping

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

──────────────────────────────

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: Numina's Convalesence: +Regeneration/+Recovery
  

Level 1: Stamina

• A: Power Transfer: Chance to Heal Self
• 9: Power Transfer: EndMod
  

Level 6: Afterburner

Level 49: Quick Form

 

 

 

Gunsmoke - Dominator (Darkness Control - Arsenal Assault).mbd

[Snokle]

So looking through what you have, just some eyeball suggestions. I have no experience with Arsenal so I cannot help there, but I played a bit with Dark, and can try to help with it. I am guessing you are trying to get perma-domination correct? There will be some of peeps will help out with some builds and parts when it comes around but, purps, ATOs, and some winters super help make a dom a beast.

 

For power choices, looking just at Darkness control, I would remove Shadowy Binds, you do not need a single target Immob. The damage is poor and will not help ya in the long run.

 

Possess can be helpful if you are running the Purple IO, but personally I am not a huge fan of it, but can be strong if you want to run it.

 

I do not link the AOE hold, it has a long recharge time, and there are better powers, I feel Doms have that can take in AOE in controls that take over than the hold.

 

Heart of Darkness is a must, it is a signature power of the set, while PBAOE it has a huge stun time, and if you want to (I recommend) it can be highly proc'd to do some good damage. Pick it up as early as possible, and six slot it.

 

Fearsome stare should for 5 slotted, with 4 clouded senses and the proc for Glimpse of the Abyss, the fear has a natural long time, and the -to-hit is the big draw.

 

Dark Grasp, can be 4 slotted if you need IO bonuses, or 6 slotted for proc damage.

 

Living Shadows, only really need 1-2 slots. It is best to put winter IOs if you got the money for them the Winter range IO is best for them. Immob time is nice and long.

 

Hasten only needs two 50+5 IO slots now, no needs to three slot it now.

 

If I recall right now, I use Clouded Senses x6 in Haunt now, trying to lean more into the -to hit for them then damage.

 

Umbral Beast - Expedient Reinforcement, All three Damage IOs, and the Res Proc, Soulbound Proc, Clouded Sense Proc

 

Also as a general rule for the sniper attack, people usually go six slot it if they can, 5 manit, Apocalypse proc.

[twozerofoxtrot]

On 1/28/2025 at 3:31 AM, BasiliskXVIII said:

Trip Mine? Lot of damage, but a long animation.

 

Incorrect. 

 

On 1/28/2025 at 3:31 AM, BasiliskXVIII said:

Is it worth it?

 

Yes, because...

 

On 1/28/2025 at 3:31 AM, BasiliskXVIII said:

My /Traps corr loves it, but here I'm less sure.

 

...it is not the same power as in Traps.

 

TLDR: Trip Mine in Arse Assault is basically like a Foot Stomp you can preposition. 

 

Taking a quick look at a snip from City of Data:

 

 

We see that Arse Assault trip mine has an uninterruptable 2 second animation time. And it will go off immediately if you are near an enemy. That means you can run into a fight and set it off like you would any other Dom Melee AOE attack, without being penalized.

 

On top of that? You can still drop it as a trap setup to blow up baddies. It still animates over twice as fast as /Traps Trip Mine, but can be stacked up for a big boom. Not quite as big as /Traps mind you, again more in line with normal Dom Melee AOE attacks.

Edited 18 hours ago by twozerofoxtrot
Format crimes

[Carnifax]

2 hours ago, twozerofoxtrot said:

 

We see that Arse Assault trip mine has an uninterruptable 2 second animation time. And it will go off immediately if you are near an enemy. That means you can run into a fight and set it off like you would any other Dom Melee AOE attack, without being penalized.

Yep, it's a copy of the newish Blasters Devices Mine, not the original Traps one with the long, interruptable cast time. 

So it's a decent AoE for a domi. Quicker, can't be disrupted but a smaller boom. 

[BasiliskXVIII]

I appreciate the insights. I did a respec with some of this feedback in mind and it's feeling a lot less useless and disjointed. I am finding the KB in powers like Buckshot still annoying, but they also make a home for Sudden Acceleration sets, so at least the KB will be mitigated when I can afford the multiple KD>KBs. Since I am playing this character on Victory, I'm building under the assumption that I will be soloing a lot, so my new current build is more of an interim one as I work towards permadom, and then it'll get another rework to account for the faster recharge cycle. But at the moment, I'm definitely wishing for a better ST attack chain, because it's feeling pretty anemic ATM compared to my Symphonic/Savage dom. This one's become a pet project, though, so we'll see it through.