Arcane Bolt or ST Immobilize?

[Gone]

Working on a Dark/Dark/Soul build that is primarily for teaming, but I would like to have some kind of solo capability so that I can more easily get specific goals completed (accolades, mostly, so it doesn't need to be mega-efficient solo, just capable of +0/x1 in relative speed).

 

So, that in mind, is Arcane Bolt or the ST Immobilize (shadowy binds) the better choice, given that I only have room for one of the two?  Bolt does more damage, the Immobilize, well, it immobilizes and I guess can be useful for AV's that run around.  Either one would probably need to be slotted for damage right?  Soul doesn't bring an additional single target damage power so I'm mainly relying on the ST hold and one other power.

 

Not sure, what do you think?

 

 

[Coyote]

Dark and Dark are both very strong defensive sets, enough so that I feel you may be getting too many defensive powers if you don't have room for both Arcane Bolt and the Immobilize.

 

If you only take one, I would take the Immob, since the ability to immediately get Containment on a Boss, and to hold AVs in place, is more useful than the extra damage. Personally, I would take both if I were taking the Sorcery pool. This would allow me to slot the Hold for Hold rather than for Damage, and cycle the two attack powers for doing damage.

[Gone]

I would only be taking the Sorcery pool for Arcane bolt, otherwise I'd be taking nothing from it at all.  Which power would you drop to take Arcane Bolt?

 

Hero Plan by Mids' Hero Designer 2.22

http://www.cohplanner.com/

 

Click this DataLink to open the build!

 

Level 50 Magic Controller

Primary Power Set: Darkness Control

Secondary Power Set: Darkness Affinity

Power Pool: Flight

Power Pool: Speed

Power Pool: Leadership

Ancillary Pool: Soul Mastery

 

Hero Profile:

Level 1: Dark Grasp -- Empty(A)

Level 1: Twilight Grasp -- Empty(A)

Level 2: Tar Patch -- Empty(A)

Level 4: Darkest Night -- Empty(A)

Level 6: Living Shadows -- Empty(A)

Level 8: Fearsome Stare -- Empty(A)

Level 10: Howling Twilight -- Empty(A)

Level 12: Heart of Darkness -- Empty(A)

Level 14: Fly -- Empty(A)

Level 16: Shadow Fall -- Empty(A)

Level 18: Haunt -- Empty(A)

Level 20: Fade -- Empty(A)

Level 22: Hover -- Empty(A)

Level 24: Shadowy Binds -- Empty(A)

Level 26: Shadow Field -- Empty(A)

Level 28: Soul Absorption -- Empty(A)

Level 30: Hasten -- Empty(A)

Level 32: Umbra Beast -- Empty(A)

Level 35: Dark Embrace -- Empty(A)

Level 38: Dark Servant -- Empty(A)

Level 41: Dark Obliteration -- Empty(A)

Level 44: Soul Drain -- Empty(A)

Level 47: Maneuvers -- Empty(A)

Level 49: Afterburner -- Empty(A)

Level 1: Brawl -- Empty(A)

Level 1: Containment

Level 1: Prestige Power Dash -- Empty(A)

Level 1: Prestige Power Slide -- Empty(A)

Level 1: Prestige Power Quick -- Empty(A)

Level 1: Prestige Power Rush -- Empty(A)

Level 1: Prestige Power Surge -- Empty(A)

Level 1: Sprint -- Empty(A)

Level 2: Rest -- Empty(A)

Level 4: Ninja Run

Level 2: Swift -- Empty(A)

Level 2: Health -- Empty(A)

Level 2: Hurdle -- Empty(A)

Level 2: Stamina -- Empty(A)

------------

 

 

 

 

[Nyghtmaire]

Two options: 1) drop Fearsome Stare (you have a ton of hit debuffs between your primary and secondary already), or 2) fly and afterburner, picking up mystic flight and arcane bolt respectively (while keeping hover for the LotG slot). Depends on your build goals, of course.

[Gone]

Thanks for the suggestions.  These don't seem like compromises I can make however.  Fearsome stare is the best Tohit debuff in the primary by a large margin, and is unskippable for a team-oriented build.  Dropping Fly and Afterburner would offer no slots, making the Arcane Bolt pickup much more difficult to fit as well as removing the recharge necessary to maintain permahasten and permafade.

 

I really want to fit Arcane Bolt in but it looks impossible right now.  Maybe I can drop Maneuvers or something, but that will significantly decrease defense and put me farther away from softcap.  Feels like a bad trade still, but it might be necessary.

[Nyghtmaire]

Thanks for the suggestions.  These don't seem like compromises I can make however.  Fearsome stare is the best Tohit debuff in the primary by a large margin, and is unskippable for a team-oriented build.  Dropping Fly and Afterburner would offer no slots, making the Arcane Bolt pickup much more difficult to fit as well as removing the recharge necessary to maintain permahasten and permafade.

 

I really want to fit Arcane Bolt in but it looks impossible right now.  Maybe I can drop Maneuvers or something, but that will significantly decrease defense and put me farther away from softcap.  Feels like a bad trade still, but it might be necessary.

 

Aim high! I can imagine soft-capping Range defense, perma Hasten/Fade/Soul Absorption, and keeping Fearsome Stare, but it would require relying on the Alpha slot to squeeze those last few percentage points (~5 seconds on Hasten). Here's a sketch with Tier 3 Spiritual.

 

The problems/compromises: the slotting on Howling Twilight is very basic, Shadow Field is a little too much of a set-mule, and Living Shadows is limited (relying on Soul Absorption to make it manageable). But other than the 3 HOs -- two in Living Shadows and one in Dark Servant -- and the Gladiator proc, the remaining enhancements are doable. The remaining defenses are 1 inspiration shy of soft-cap, instead relying on the hit debuffs to fill the gap if against anything other than an AV with its massive resists to debuffs.

 

Lastly, Sprint has a +stealth for full coverage with Shadow Fall if you have any interest in stealthing missions.

 

There are two remaining slots left with which to allocate.

 

Villain Plan by Hero Villain Designer 2.23

https://github.com/ImaginaryDevelopment/imaginary-hero-designer

 

Click this DataLink to open the build!

 

Stara Test: Level 50 Magic Controller

Primary Power Set: Darkness Control

Secondary Power Set: Darkness Affinity

Power Pool: Flight

Power Pool: Sorcery

Power Pool: Speed

Power Pool: Leadership

Ancillary Pool: Soul Mastery

 

Villain Profile:

Level 1: Dark Grasp

• (A) Basilisk's Gaze - Endurance/Recharge/Hold
  
• (3) Basilisk's Gaze - Recharge/Hold
  
• (3) Basilisk's Gaze - Accuracy/Endurance/Recharge/Hold
  
• (5) Basilisk's Gaze - Accuracy/Hold
  
• (5) Damage Increase IO
  

Level 1: Twilight Grasp

• (A) Touch of the Nictus - Accuracy/Healing
  
• (7) Touch of the Nictus - Heal/HitPoints/Regeneration/Recharge
  
• (25) Touch of the Nictus - Accuracy/Endurance/Heal/HitPoints/Regeneration
  

Level 2: Tar Patch

• (A) Recharge Reduction IO
  
• (39) Recharge Reduction IO
  

Level 4: Darkest Night

• (A) Dark Watcher's Despair - Recharge/Endurance
  
• (7) Dark Watcher's Despair - To Hit Debuff
  
• (11) Dark Watcher's Despair - To Hit Debuff/Recharge/Endurance
  
• (31) Dark Watcher's Despair - To Hit Debuff/Endurance
  

Level 6: Living Shadows

• (A) Trap of the Hunter - Accuracy/Endurance
  
• (36) HamiO:Endoplasm Exposure
  
• (43) HamiO:Peroxisome Exposure
  

Level 8: Fearsome Stare

• (A) Cloud Senses - Accuracy/ToHitDebuff
  
• (9) Cloud Senses - Accuracy/Recharge
  
• (9) Cloud Senses - ToHit Debuff/Endurance/Recharge
  
• (11) Cloud Senses - Accuracy/Endurance/Recharge
  

Level 10: Howling Twilight

• (A) Recharge Reduction IO
  
• (19) Recharge Reduction IO
  
• (46) Endurance Reduction IO
  

Level 12: Heart of Darkness

• (A) Superior Will of the Controller - Recharge/Chance for Psionic Damage
  
• (13) Superior Will of the Controller - Confused/Hold/Immobilize/Sleep/Stun/Terrorized/Recharge
  
• (13) Superior Will of the Controller - Accuracy/Confused/Hold/Immobilize/Sleep/Stun/Terrorized
  
• (15) Superior Will of the Controller - Accuracy/Confused/Hold/Immobilize/Sleep/Stun/Terrorized/Endurance/Recharge
  
• (15) Superior Will of the Controller - Endurance/Recharge
  
• (19) Superior Will of the Controller - Accuracy/Confused/Hold/Immobilize/Sleep/Stun/Terrorized/Endurance
  

Level 14: Hover

• (A) Luck of the Gambler - Recharge Speed
  

Level 16: Shadow Fall

• (A) Luck of the Gambler - Recharge Speed
  
• (17) Luck of the Gambler - Defense
  
• (17) Luck of the Gambler - Defense/Endurance
  
• (25) Titanium Coating - Resistance/Endurance
  
• (27) Titanium Coating - Resistance
  

Level 18: Haunt

• (A) Expedient Reinforcement - Endurance/Damage/Recharge
  
• (36) Expedient Reinforcement - Accuracy/Damage
  
• (37) Expedient Reinforcement - Damage/Endurance
  
• (37) Expedient Reinforcement - Accuracy/Damage/Recharge
  
• (37) Recharge Reduction IO
  

Level 20: Fade

• (A) Luck of the Gambler - Recharge Speed
  
• (21) Luck of the Gambler - Defense
  
• (21) Luck of the Gambler - Defense/Recharge
  
• (23) Recharge Reduction IO
  
• (23) Luck of the Gambler - Defense/Endurance/Recharge
  

Level 22: Arcane Bolt

• (A) Decimation - Accuracy/Damage/Recharge
  
• (27) Decimation - Damage/Recharge
  
• (31) Decimation - Damage/Endurance
  
• (31) Decimation - Accuracy/Damage
  
• (34) Decimation - Accuracy/Endurance/Recharge
  

Level 24: Fly

• (A) Blessing of the Zephyr - Knockback Reduction (4 points)
  

Level 26: Shadow Field

• (A) Basilisk's Gaze - Chance for Recharge Slow
  
• (29) Basilisk's Gaze - Endurance/Recharge/Hold
  
• (48) Basilisk's Gaze - Recharge/Hold
  
• (48) Basilisk's Gaze - Accuracy/Endurance/Recharge/Hold
  

Level 28: Soul Absorption

• (A) Recharge Reduction IO
  
• (29) Recharge Reduction IO
  

Level 30: Shadowy Binds

• (A) Thunderstrike - Accuracy/Damage/Endurance
  
• (39) Thunderstrike - Damage/Endurance/Recharge
  
• (40) Thunderstrike - Damage/Endurance
  
• (40) Thunderstrike - Accuracy/Damage/Recharge
  

Level 32: Umbra Beast

• (A) Expedient Reinforcement - Resist Bonus Aura for Pets
  
• (33) Expedient Reinforcement - Accuracy/Damage
  
• (33) Expedient Reinforcement - Damage/Endurance
  
• (33) Expedient Reinforcement - Accuracy/Recharge
  
• (34) Expedient Reinforcement - Accuracy/Damage/Recharge
  
• (34) Expedient Reinforcement - Endurance/Damage/Recharge
  

Level 35: Dark Embrace

• (A) Steadfast Protection - Resistance/+Def 3%
  
• (36) Gladiator's Armor - TP Protection +3% Def (All)
  
• (39) Resist Damage IO
  

Level 38: Dark Servant

• (A) Cloud Senses - Chance for Negative Energy Damage
  
• (46) HamiO:Endoplasm Exposure
  
• (50) Dampened Spirits - To Hit Debuff/Endurance
  

Level 41: Dark Obliteration

• (A) Positron's Blast - Chance of Damage(Energy)
  
• (42) Positron's Blast - Accuracy/Damage/Endurance
  
• (42) Positron's Blast - Damage/Recharge
  
• (42) Positron's Blast - Damage/Endurance
  
• (43) Positron's Blast - Accuracy/Damage
  

Level 44: Soul Drain

• (A) Obliteration - Accuracy/Damage/Endurance/Recharge
  
• (45) Obliteration - Chance for Smashing Damage
  
• (45) Obliteration - Accuracy/Recharge
  
• (45) Obliteration - Damage/Recharge
  
• (46) Obliteration - Accuracy/Damage/Recharge
  

Level 47: Hasten

• (A) Recharge Reduction IO
  
• (48) Recharge Reduction IO
  

Level 49: Maneuvers

• (A) Luck of the Gambler - Recharge Speed
  
• (50) Luck of the Gambler - Defense
  
• (50) Luck of the Gambler - Defense/Endurance
  

Level 1: Brawl

• (A) Empty
  

Level 1: Containment

Level 1: Prestige Power Dash

• (A) Empty
  

Level 1: Prestige Power Slide

• (A) Empty
  

Level 1: Prestige Power Quick

• (A) Empty
  

Level 1: Prestige Power Rush

• (A) Empty
  

Level 1: Prestige Power Surge

• (A) Empty
  

Level 1: Sprint

• (A) Unbounded Leap - +Stealth
  

Level 2: Rest

• (A) Empty
  

Level 4: Ninja Run

Level 2: Swift

• (A) Flight Speed IO
  

Level 2: Health

• (A) Miracle - +Recovery
  

Level 2: Hurdle

• (A) Jumping IO
  

Level 2: Stamina

• (A) Endurance Modification IO
  

Level 50: Spiritual Partial Core Revamp

Level 0: Born In Battle

Level 0: High Pain Threshold

Level 0: Invader

Level 0: Marshal

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[Coyote]

The remaining defenses are 1 inspiration shy of soft-cap, instead relying on the hit debuffs to fill the gap if against anything other than an AV with its massive resists to debuffs.

 

FYI, I think that a /Dark Controller can put out over 100% ToHit Debuff against an AV. Add in the debuffs from the primary (including Haunt and Umbra Beast), and I think that topping 150% is doable. Even resisted, that's like 17% ToHit Debuff against an AV, more than a small Inspiration.

[Nyghtmaire]

The remaining defenses are 1 inspiration shy of soft-cap, instead relying on the hit debuffs to fill the gap if against anything other than an AV with its massive resists to debuffs.

 

FYI, I think that a /Dark Controller can put out over 100% ToHit Debuff against an AV. Add in the debuffs from the primary (including Haunt and Umbra Beast), and I think that topping 150% is doable. Even resisted, that's like 17% ToHit Debuff against an AV, more than a small Inspiration.

 

I  was just checking that very discussion in the Mastermind subforums https://forums.homecomingservers.com/index.php/topic,6539.0.html.! Very true!

[Gone]

Aim high! I can imagine soft-capping Range defense, perma Hasten/Fade/Soul Absorption, and keeping Fearsome Stare, but it would require relying on the Alpha slot to squeeze those last few percentage points (~5 seconds on Hasten). Here's a sketch with Tier 3 Spiritual.

 

The problems/compromises: the slotting on Howling Twilight is very basic, Shadow Field is a little too much of a set-mule, and Living Shadows is limited (relying on Soul Absorption to make it manageable). But other than the 3 HOs -- two in Living Shadows and one in Dark Servant -- and the Gladiator proc, the remaining enhancements are doable. The remaining defenses are 1 inspiration shy of soft-cap, instead relying on the hit debuffs to fill the gap if against anything other than an AV with its massive resists to debuffs.

 

Lastly, Sprint has a +stealth for full coverage with Shadow Fall if you have any interest in stealthing missions.

 

There are two remaining slots left with which to allocate.

 

Thanks for the build example.  It's fairly similar to what I was working on and does give me some slotting ideas which is very helpful.  I'm considering Arcane Bolt again, but the slots are where I'm having problems, although I may be overslotting some things when I compare to your build (for example I have three slots in both stamina and health for the four recovery procs) I'm also running on the Agility incarnate path, but looking at spiritual with Howling Twilight and Heart of Darkness really makes me think I need to switch.

 

If I can come up with a few slots, I'll post the build.