Dark/Dark set advice

[tssneo]

Hi guys,

 

I have a level 40 dark/dark controller.  I am starting to look a getting IO sets and am not sure what to get.  For hold/immob/fear type powers should I focus on control duration or to hit debuffs?  Or a combination of the two?  Some sets look like they have great bonuses but, don't help with one aspect of the power.

 

Appreciate any advice, new to controllers. 

[Griffyn]

I'm at the same point with my Dark/Dark so I don't have any specific advice just yet. But one thing to look at when deciding on what to buff for a power is the strength of that portion of the power. For example, Twilight Grasp has a 5% ToHit Debuff while Fearsome Stare has a 15% ToHit Debuff. You're going to get a bigger bang if you slot up FS especially given that it's also an AoE, and you're not sacrificing on the other aspects of TG (the Heal).  Now I'm not saying that's the best slotting for FS, but it's a possibility that I'm contemplating (with the Fear just along for the ride or many 1-slotted with an IO for another set).

 

 

 

 

[tssneo]

That is a good point.  For something like fearsome stare I wonder if it would be best to stick with regular IO's to get the most fear and de-buff out of it.  Fear sets don't seem to add mush to the duration anyway.

[Griffyn]

I was actually looking at the Accurate ToHit Debuff sets for FS with maybe one generic Range IO.

[Taboomantis]

Level 8: Fearsome Stare

(A) Glimpse of the Abyss - Accuracy/Fear/Recharge

(9) Glimpse of the Abyss - Accuracy/Recharge

(11) Glimpse of the Abyss - Accuracy/Endurance

(21) Glimpse of the Abyss - Fear/Range

(21) Glimpse of the Abyss - Chance of Damage(Psionic)

 

This is what I have slotted.  My recharge on this is so much faster then the effect I can perma fear, if I want to.  I have so much control this isnt on every fight, but maybe I should.

 

I have them at level 25 so I can have it for posi.

[Greentea]

Dark/Dark is a very tight build.

 

Living Shadows: It depends on your preference; slot damage, to-hit debuff, or immob IOs. For me personally, I used to hit debuffs.

 

Fearsome Stare: to-hit debuff IOs without a doubt. You can slot fear IOs, but I found to-hit debuff helps a lot better than fear.

 

Heart of Darkness and Shadow Field should have Stun and Hold IOs respectively. You can slot ATO set in one of those abilities. I used ATO sets in my Heart of Darkness.

 

Please note; if you do slot any damage IO into Fearsome Stare, they will strike you back or run away. From my experiences, fear duration doesn't last long.

[Robotech_Master]

I have Dark Grasp six-slotted with Basilisk's Gaze. It has some pretty decent set bonuses, including hefty bonuses to recharge rate and regeneration. I'm vaguely considering replacing it with Entomb, as it's about the only hold power I have that I don't have something unique in, but I really don't wanna lose that recharge rate bump.

 

Shadowy Binds and Living Shadows, you really don't need to bother slotting for immobilization. As a controller, your Immob is going to last a good long time even unslotted (especially if you add sets that include mez bonuses as part of their set bonuses). Go with damage instead. I have Thunderstrike in my Shadowy Binds, which includes a nice bump to overall accuracy and another to travel power speed. Might switch it up to Apocalypse or Winter's Bite, down the road.

 

In Living Shadows, I have Overwhelming Force, from the Summer Blockbuster trial. It provides a decent regeneration bump, and 4 points of knockback protection which is sufficient to protect from most in-game knockback, and it means I don't have to find another defense, resist, or travel power slot somewhere to cram in a KB protection IO. (It wouldn't work with my travel powers anyway because my Dark/Dark 'troller teleports.) Plus, the knockdown proc is nice in a cone AoE attack.

 

I have Superior Overwhelming Presence in my Fearsome Stare, and Superior Will of the Controller in my Heart of Darkness, both of them sixed out. Both of them increase the duration of all mez effects, plus they include very nice recharge rate, recovery, etc. And every tiime I fire Fearsome Stare, there's a good chance I get an Energy Font. Yay, another pet!

 

Shadow Field has six-slotted 50+5 Unbreakable Constraint. Before I was able to move up to that, I had Basilisk's Gaze in it, too. More accuracy, recharge rate, and recovery boosts, among others. Good stuff.

 

I couldn't six everything. I have Haunt 4-slotted with Call to Arms (another recharge rate bump), and Umbra Beast 4-slotted with Edict of the Master (another travel power speed bump).

 

On the Defender side, Howling Twilight and Tar Patch are both good enough without much slotting needed that I just have one and two 50+5 Recharge Rate Common IOs in them, respectively. Twilight Grasp is six-slotted with Touch of the Nictus (another hefty accuracy bump). Dark Servant is sixed with Cloud Senses (more recharge rate and travel speed buffs). Darkest Night has four of Dark Watcher's Despair (another recharge rate bump). Shadow Fall has four of Luck of the Gambler (including the global recharge rate), Fade has two of Luck of the Gambler plus a 50+5 recharge rate common. Soul Absorption has two of Performance Shifter plus the Numina's Convalescence regen/recovery proc. (My Health has the Regenerative Tissue regen proc in it.)

 

I took Maneuvers with three of LotG in it, including recharge proc, and Indomitable Will with just the LOTG recharge proc. Mind Over Body just has the Aegis psi/mez resist IO in it. Psionic Tornado has four of Force Feedback. And, finally, I've got Combat Jumping, with yet another LotG proc.

 

Oh, and my Stamina has two of Performance Shifter in it, including the end rec proc, plus a 50+5 EndMod common IO. I've got Recall Friend with a 50+5 range IO, and Teleport with two 50+5 range and one 50+5 end reduc IO.

 

Between the procs and all the IO set recharge bonuses, and two 50+5 recharge IOs in it, I basically have perma-Hasten. With all the accuracy and mez duration set bonuses, I don't worry too much that a lot of my sets cap out well below 50. Also, everything except Unbreakable Constraint is Attuned.

 

I'm pretty happy with this character's build.

[tssneo]

Sorry it took me so long to reply, just wanted to say thank for all for the good advice.