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Pyrotechnics / Energy Assault Build (critique/suggestions)


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Posted (edited)

Hi all,

 

I'm trying to build my pyro dom and I was hoping for help/suggestions. This is the first build I've tried to make myself, so I'm pretty clueless on both build intricacies and Mids, but I tried my best to put up a good starting point.

 

I based this build after Foxfire's Pyro/Arsenal, then tried to adjust for energy. I'd love feedback and suggestions for improving this build. I like to zip in and out of melee, so this build is aimed at that. The idea is to cast Glittering Column, then zip in, cast Hypnotizing Lights and Incendiary Aura, pop off a Whirling Hands, then zip back to range for AoEs and snipes, etc. Rinse and repeat. As such I prioritized Ranged Defense, but that all might be folly. Not sure.

 

So what terrible mistakes did I make and how can I correct them?

 

Thanks!

 

Foxfire - Hero Dominator
Build plan made with Mids Reborn v3.7.14 rev. 3
──────────────────────────────

  • Primary powerset: Pyrotechnic Control
  • Secondary powerset: Energy Assault
  • Pool powerset (#1): Flight
  • Pool powerset (#2): Speed
  • Pool powerset (#3): Leadership
  • Pool powerset (#4): Fighting
  • Epic powerset: Mu Mastery

──────────────────────────────

Powers taken:

Level 1: Dazzle

  • A: Gladiator's Net: Chance of Damage(Lethal)
  • 3: Gladiator's Javelin: Accuracy/Damage
  • 3: Ghost Widow's Embrace: Chance of Damage(Psionic)
  • 5: Neuronic Shutdown: Chance of Damage(Psionic)
  • 5: Gladiator's Javelin: Chance of Damage(Toxic)
  • 7: Unbreakable Constraint: Chance for Smashing Damage

Level 1: Power Bolt

  • A: Superior Winter's Bite: Accuracy/Damage
  • 7: Superior Winter's Bite: Damage/RechargeTime
  • 9: Superior Winter's Bite: Accuracy/Damage/Endurance
  • 9: Superior Winter's Bite: Accuracy/Damage/Recharge
  • 11: Superior Winter's Bite: Damage/Endurance/Accuracy/RechargeTime
  • 11: Superior Winter's Bite: Recharge/Chance for -Speed & -Recharge

Level 2: Sparkling Chain

  • A: Superior Dominating Grasp: Control Duration/RechargeTime
  • 13: Superior Dominating Grasp: Endurance/RechargeTime
  • 13: Superior Dominating Grasp: Accuracy/Control Duration/Endurance
  • 15: Superior Dominating Grasp: Accuracy/Control Duration/Endurance/RechargeTime
  • 15: Superior Dominating Grasp: RechargeTime/Fiery Orb
  • 33: Superior Dominating Grasp: Accuracy/Control Duration

Level 4: Fly

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

Level 6: Glittering Column

  • A: Artillery: Accuracy/Damage
  • 17: Artillery: Damage/Endurance
  • 17: Artillery: Damage/Recharge
  • 19: Artillery: Accuracy/Damage/Recharge
  • 19: Artillery: Accuracy/Recharge/Range
  • 34: Artillery: Endurance/Recharge/Range

Level 8: Hypnotizing Lights

  • A: Coercive Persuasion : Contagious Confusion
  • 25: Coercive Persuasion : Confused
  • 27: Coercive Persuasion : Confused/Recharge
  • 27: Coercive Persuasion : Confused/Recharge/Accuracy
  • 29: Coercive Persuasion : Recharge/Accuracy
  • 29: Coercive Persuasion : Confused/Endurance

Level 10: Hover

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

Level 12: Multipurpose Missiles

  • A: Artillery: Accuracy/Damage
  • 21: Artillery: Damage/Endurance
  • 21: Artillery: Damage/Recharge
  • 23: Artillery: Accuracy/Damage/Recharge
  • 23: Artillery: Endurance/Recharge/Range
  • 45: Artillery: Accuracy/Recharge/Range

Level 14: Hasten

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

Level 16: Maneuvers

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

Level 18: Incendiary Aura

  • A: Dark Watcher's Despair: Recharge/Endurance
  • 31: Dark Watcher's Despair: To Hit Debuff/Recharge/Endurance
  • 31: Dark Watcher's Despair: To Hit Debuff
  • 31: Dark Watcher's Despair: To Hit Debuff/Endurance

Level 20: Power Blast

  • A: Thunderstrike: Accuracy/Damage
  • 33: Thunderstrike: Damage/Endurance
  • 33: Thunderstrike: Accuracy/Damage/Endurance
  • 34: Thunderstrike: Damage/Endurance/Recharge

Level 22: Explosive Bouquet

  • A: Superior Ascendency of the Dominator: Accuracy/Control Duration
  • 34: Superior Ascendency of the Dominator: Control Duration/Recharge
  • 36: Superior Ascendency of the Dominator: Endurance/Recharge
  • 36: Superior Ascendency of the Dominator: Accuracy/Control Duration/Endurance
  • 36: Superior Ascendency of the Dominator: Accuracy/Control Duration/Endurance/Recharge
  • 50: Superior Ascendency of the Dominator: Recharge/Chance for +Damage

Level 24: Assault

  • A: Invention: Endurance Reduction

Level 26: Catherine Wheel

  • A: Expedient Reinforcement: Accuracy/Recharge
  • 37: Expedient Reinforcement: Accuracy/Damage
  • 37: Expedient Reinforcement: Damage/Endurance
  • 37: Expedient Reinforcement: Accuracy/Damage/Recharge
  • 39: Expedient Reinforcement: Endurance/Damage/Recharge
  • 39: Expedient Reinforcement: Resist Bonus Aura for Pets

Level 28: Power Up

  • A: Invention: Recharge Reduction

Level 30: Power Burst

  • A: Apocalypse: Damage
  • 39: Apocalypse: Damage/Recharge
  • 40: Apocalypse: Damage/Recharge/Accuracy
  • 40: Apocalypse: Recharge/Accuracy
  • 40: Apocalypse: Damage/Endurance

Level 32: Sniper Blast

  • A: Sting of the Manticore: Chance of Damage(Toxic)
  • 42: Sting of the Manticore: Accuracy/Damage
  • 42: Sting of the Manticore: Damage/Endurance/Recharge
  • 43: Sting of the Manticore: Damage/Endurance
  • 43: Sting of the Manticore: Accuracy/Interrupt/Range
  • 43: Apocalypse: Chance of Damage(Negative)

Level 35: Tactics

  • A: Cytoskeleton Exposure

Level 38: Charged Armor

  • A: Gladiator's Armor: Resistance
  • 45: Gladiator's Armor: End/Resist
  • 48: Gladiator's Armor: TP Protection +3% Def (All)

Level 41: Whirling Hands

  • A: Armageddon: Chance for Fire Damage
  • 46: Armageddon: Damage
  • 46: Armageddon: Damage/Endurance
  • 46: Armageddon: Damage/Recharge
  • 48: Armageddon: Damage/Recharge/Accuracy

Level 44: Kick

  • A: Force Feedback: Chance for +Recharge

Level 47: Tough

  • A: Steadfast Protection: Resistance/+Def 3%

Level 49: Weave

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


──────────────────────────────

Inherents:

Level 1: Domination


Level 1: Brawl

  • (Empty)

Level 1: Sprint

  • (Empty)

Level 2: Rest

  • (Empty)

Level 1: Swift

  • A: Microfilament Exposure

Level 1: Hurdle

  • (Empty)

Level 1: Health

  • A: Panacea: +Hit Points/Endurance
  • 48: Miracle: +Recovery

Level 1: Stamina

  • A: Performance Shifter: Chance for +End

Level 1: Blast Off


Level 1: Energy Focus


Level 4: Afterburner


Level 49: Quick Form


 


 

Edited by Blue Frost
Posted (edited)

Energy assault has very strong single target damage and not-so-great AOE. Pyrotechnic control has a couple of powers that can do really good AOE damage when proc'd up (glittering column, hypnotizing lights). So, if you're looking for well rounded and very noticeable damage, pyro / energy is a good combination to consider. 

If you play to each set's strengths, your dom may approach new spawns as follows ...

 

Glittering column (draw aggro, get mobs closer together), then hypnotizing lights to shut mobs down, then close to melee range and put those really strong energy assault single target powers to good use. Rely on to hit debuffs in incendiary aura to help patch up any holes in defenses while in melee range. Use other controls as needed to keep mobs from causing too many problems. Back out briefly to use hypnotizing lights and re-mez a lot of mobs if the fight doesn't finish up within a handful of seconds. Then head back into melee and keep applying heavy single target damage to mobs. 

 

Rinse and repeat for other spawns, perhaps starting with hypnotizing lights or explosive bouquet instead of glittering column from time to time. 

One reason for following this flow would be to maximize damage done, which for single target damage would mean putting the really heavy hitting single target melee powers to good use. Survivability should be quite good if you build for it. 

It is possible to take a primarily ranged approach as a fallback if being in melee seems too dangerous for a particular mission or team. Pushing the envelope and figuring out how to tweak your playstyle and build to survive in melee has some really nice rewards, though. Your dom will do more damage when using their best attacks and, as a bonus, your dom will more frequently and reliably get strong team buffs such as fulcrum shift and defense / resistance shields. 

Edit: It's not necessarily wrong to focus more on building up ranged defense, even if you'll be operating in melee. Doms do sometimes eat fairly large incoming alpha strikes, particularly on teams that don't have a sturdy tank or brute along. Those incoming alphas usually have a high percentage of ranged attacks. Also, if there are 10+ mobs in a spawn, then if you get a lot of aggro most incoming attacks will usually be ranged attacks even if your dom is already in melee range. Finally, energy assault single target attacks are good at mezzing or knocking down (or back) single target enemies that are in melee range, which cuts down on incoming melee attacks, but which are not as effective at reducing multiple incoming ranged attacks. 

Edited by EnjoyTheJourney
Posted

^Thanks for that. I'd love slotting suggestions/refinements if you (or anyone else) has them!

 

With Energy Ranged switched out to Energy Melee, I get this:

 

Starshell - Villain Dominator
Build plan made with Mids Reborn v3.7.14 rev. 3
──────────────────────────────

  • Primary powerset: Pyrotechnic Control
  • Secondary powerset: Energy Assault
  • Pool powerset (#1): Flight
  • Pool powerset (#2): Speed
  • Pool powerset (#3): Fighting
  • Pool powerset (#4): Leadership
  • Ancillary powerset: Mu Mastery

──────────────────────────────

Powers taken:

Level 1: Dazzle

  • A: Gladiator's Javelin: Accuracy/Damage
  • 3: Gladiator's Javelin: Chance of Damage(Toxic)
  • 3: Gladiator's Net: Chance of Damage(Lethal)
  • 7: Ghost Widow's Embrace: Chance of Damage(Psionic)
  • 7: Unbreakable Constraint: Chance for Smashing Damage
  • 13: Neuronic Shutdown: Chance of Damage(Psionic)

Level 1: Bone Smasher

  • A: Mako's Bite: Accuracy/Damage
  • 5: Mako's Bite: Accuracy/Endurance/Recharge
  • 5: Mako's Bite: Accuracy/Damage/Endurance/Recharge
  • 11: Mako's Bite: Chance of Damage(Lethal)

Level 2: Sparkling Chain

  • A: Superior Dominating Grasp: Accuracy/Control Duration
  • 9: Superior Dominating Grasp: Control Duration/RechargeTime
  • 9: Superior Dominating Grasp: Endurance/RechargeTime
  • 11: Superior Dominating Grasp: Accuracy/Control Duration/Endurance
  • 13: Dominating Grasp: Accuracy/Control Duration/Endurance/RechargeTime
  • 15: Superior Dominating Grasp: RechargeTime/Fiery Orb

Level 4: Hover

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

Level 6: Glittering Column

  • A: Artillery: Accuracy/Damage
  • 17: Artillery: Damage/Endurance
  • 17: Artillery: Damage/Recharge
  • 19: Artillery: Accuracy/Damage/Recharge
  • 19: Artillery: Accuracy/Recharge/Range
  • 21: Artillery: Endurance/Recharge/Range

Level 8: Hypnotizing Lights

  • A: Coercive Persuasion : Confused
  • 21: Coercive Persuasion : Confused/Recharge
  • 23: Coercive Persuasion : Confused/Recharge/Accuracy
  • 23: Coercive Persuasion : Recharge/Accuracy
  • 25: Coercive Persuasion : Confused/Endurance
  • 25: Coercive Persuasion : Contagious Confusion

Level 10: Hasten

  • A: Invention: Recharge Reduction
  • 33: Invention: Recharge Reduction

Level 12: Fly

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

Level 14: Multipurpose Missiles

  • A: Superior Frozen Blast: Accuracy/Damage
  • 27: Superior Frozen Blast: Damage/Endurance
  • 27: Superior Frozen Blast: Accuracy/Damage/Endurance
  • 29: Superior Frozen Blast: Accuracy/Damage/Recharge
  • 29: Superior Frozen Blast: Damage/Endurance/Accuracy/RechargeTime
  • 31: Superior Frozen Blast: Recharge/Chance for Immobilize

Level 16: Power Up

  • A: Invention: Recharge Reduction

Level 18: Incendiary Aura

  • A: Dark Watcher's Despair: To Hit Debuff
  • 33: Dark Watcher's Despair: To Hit Debuff/Recharge/Endurance
  • 34: Dark Watcher's Despair: Recharge/Endurance
  • 34: Dark Watcher's Despair: To Hit Debuff/Endurance

Level 20: Whirling Hands

  • A: Armageddon: Damage
  • 36: Armageddon: Damage/Recharge
  • 36: Armageddon: Damage/Recharge/Accuracy
  • 37: Armageddon: Damage/Endurance
  • 37: Armageddon: Chance for Fire Damage

Level 22: Explosive Bouquet

  • A: Superior Ascendency of the Dominator: Accuracy/Control Duration
  • 39: Superior Ascendency of the Dominator: Control Duration/Recharge
  • 39: Superior Ascendency of the Dominator: Endurance/Recharge
  • 39: Superior Ascendency of the Dominator: Accuracy/Control Duration/Endurance
  • 40: Superior Ascendency of the Dominator: Accuracy/Control Duration/Endurance/Recharge
  • 40: Superior Ascendency of the Dominator: Recharge/Chance for +Damage

Level 24: Total Focus

  • A: Hecatomb: Damage
  • 43: Hecatomb: Damage/Recharge
  • 43: Hecatomb: Damage/Recharge/Accuracy
  • 45: Hecatomb: Damage/Endurance
  • 45: Hecatomb: Chance of Damage(Negative)

Level 26: Catherine Wheel

  • A: Expedient Reinforcement: Accuracy/Recharge
  • 40: Expedient Reinforcement: Accuracy/Damage
  • 42: Expedient Reinforcement: Damage/Endurance
  • 42: Expedient Reinforcement: Accuracy/Damage/Recharge
  • 42: Expedient Reinforcement: Endurance/Damage/Recharge
  • 43: Expedient Reinforcement: Resist Bonus Aura for Pets

Level 28: Sniper Blast

  • A: Sting of the Manticore: Accuracy/Damage
  • 34: Sting of the Manticore: Damage/Endurance
  • 37: Sting of the Manticore: Accuracy/Interrupt/Range
  • 50: Sting of the Manticore: Damage/Endurance/Recharge
  • 50: Sting of the Manticore: Chance of Damage(Toxic)
  • 50: Apocalypse: Chance of Damage(Negative)

Level 30: Power Burst

  • A: Superior Winter's Bite: Accuracy/Damage
  • 31: Superior Winter's Bite: Damage/RechargeTime
  • 36: Superior Winter's Bite: Accuracy/Damage/Endurance
  • 45: Superior Winter's Bite: Accuracy/Damage/Recharge
  • 46: Superior Winter's Bite: Damage/Endurance/Accuracy/RechargeTime
  • 46: Superior Winter's Bite: Recharge/Chance for -Speed & -Recharge

Level 32: Kick

  • A: Force Feedback: Chance for +Recharge

Level 35: Tough

  • A: Ribosome Exposure

Level 38: Weave

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

Level 41: Charged Armor

  • A: Gladiator's Armor: TP Protection +3% Def (All)
  • 46: Gladiator's Armor: Resistance
  • 48: Gladiator's Armor: End/Resist

Level 44: Maneuvers

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

Level 47: Tactics

  • A: Cytoskeleton Exposure

Level 49: Assault

  • A: Invention: Endurance Reduction


──────────────────────────────

Inherents:

Level 1: Domination


Level 1: Brawl

  • (Empty)

Level 1: Sprint

  • (Empty)

Level 2: Rest

  • A: Invention: Healing

Level 1: Swift

  • A: Microfilament Exposure

Level 1: Hurdle

  • (Empty)

Level 1: Health

  • A: Numina's Convalesence: +Regeneration/+Recovery

Level 1: Stamina

  • A: Performance Shifter: Chance for +End
  • 31: Performance Shifter: EndMod

Level 1: Blast Off


Level 1: Energy Focus


Level 12: Afterburner


Level 49: Quick Form


 

Posted (edited)

I don't have an energy assault character build handy. But, I do have at least one recent example of a possible slotted build for pyrotechnic control for a dominator (attached). 

You might consider taking fire mastery for fireball and then the armor, perhaps with melt armor or the rez as well. If you do, then consider dropping whirling hands, which has a slow animation and mediocre damage per second of activation time (DPA). Fireball won't be up quite as often as whirling hands. But, with 5 pieces from the ragnarok set, including the unique knockdown IO in that set, which will activate often, it will have noticeably better DPA than whirling hands and it will have a consistently activating control effect. 

For energy assault, you've got the key single target powers for this build. You may want to review the knockback that each power does and most likely will want to put knockback-to-knockdown IOs into powers with knockback values of 2 or higher. Also, consider putting a sixth slot and a damage proc IO into total focus, as it will activate often. You can proc up one or two of the single target attacks, as well, for a minor hit to global recharge and a noticeable boost to single target damage. 

Also, as per the attached build, consider whether you'd rather have leadership powers or the force of will pool. If you keep leadership powers, consider taking vengeance over assault to boost global recharge a bit more (with a LoTG 7.5% global recharge IO in vengeance), to make endurance management easier with a click power instead of another toggle, and to give the party a boost after a teammate gets defeated in battle. If you take the force of will pool, note how unleash potential will be strongly boosted by "power up" in energy assault, leading to big increases in defense totals and in endurance recovery while unleash potential is active if you cast power up shortly before casting unleash potential. Supported by power up, unleash potential becomes a pretty good mini-T9-defensive-clickie without an endurance crash at the end of the minute that it works. 

 

 

Dominator (Pyrotechnic Control - Sonic Assault - Leviathan Mastery).mbd

Screenshot (150).png

Edited by EnjoyTheJourney

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