Dark/Rad - Some questions

[ProtestTheBread]

Dark/Rad seems to be a fun combo but I have never built a controller before, so I don't even know what sort of powers are must haves from Dark control, and slotting is something that I have no idea about.

In regards to slotting, do you think looking at other dark/x to get an idea on the dark side (ha) of things and looking at x/rad for an idea on the rad side of things would be useful for me?

Does anyone have an idea on what powers I should be looking to pick up? Such as, is fearsome stare worth it or will the fear piss off team mates?

Something that may or may not be possible to answer, but I do wonder if this build will have solo potential.

[Zumberge]

2 hours ago, ProtestTheBread said:

Dark/Rad seems to be a fun combo but I have never built a controller before, so I don't even know what sort of powers are must haves from Dark control, and slotting is something that I have no idea about.

In regards to slotting, do you think looking at other dark/x to get an idea on the dark side (ha) of things and looking at x/rad for an idea on the rad side of things would be useful for me?

 

Absolutely.  Neither set is the sort of thing where you'd change the slotting based on what it's paired with.

 

Quote

Does anyone have an idea on what powers I should be looking to pick up? Such as, is fearsome stare worth it or will the fear piss off team mates?

 

Out of Darkness Control, I'd say everything except Shadowy Binds.  Single-target immobilizes are generally skippable unless you're planning to solo, in which case they're part of your damage.  Don't worry about Fearsome Stare being a problem; aside from a hefty to-hit debuff it causes enemies to stop moving and tremble in terror for a bit between hits or attacks, which cuts down on incoming damage.  This does not make them run away from the area of effect - that's listed as "afraid" in tool tips, and is usually applied to things like caltrops and powers that set the floor on fire.

 

As for Radiation Emission, skip Choking Cloud.  It's a costly PBAoE toggle that holds nearby enemies, but it's too weak and infrequent to be of tactical use.  Fallout is a hefty chunk of AoE damage and defense/resistance debuffing, but it does require someone to be dead, so it's not going to be used often; if you find it collecting dust, respec out of it.  EM Pulse is effectively a second AoE hold with a big recovery/regen debuff and might have had its endurance crash taken out.  When it had the crash it wasn't worth using, but provided someone can double-check this, it could be worthwhile.

 

Quote

Something that may or may not be possible to answer, but I do wonder if this build will have solo potential.

 

Compared to Gravity or Illusion or maybe Mind?  Nnnnnnot really.  It's not a very shooty set.  Even Haunt is more about dropping fears on enemies and distracting them rather than outright violence.

 

Maybe wait for a second opinion though, just in case.

[Coyote]

If you like to turn up the difficulty, Dark/Rad will solo well because it handles problems well. Mobs don't hit much with all of the -ToHit, and you have Possess to handle rare difficult cases, and if you slot attacks properly for damage, you can do enough damage. The safety and consistency make up for the lower damage.

 

If you plan on this, slot Dark Grasp with 3 or so damage Procs, and use the other 2-3 slots for Accuracy/Damage/Endurance. Possess will be a major power, so make sure you slot that, and Accelerate Metabolism and Radiation Infection from the /Rad side.

 

For teaming, slot up both Fearsome Stare with -ToHit, and Radiation Infection, and all the mobs will be at the ToHit floor. This will also work when soloing, but when soloing you'll need some Endurance to spare for doing the damage, so you'll probably only use one of them at a time. Radiation Infection may be a better option, as it also lowers the Defense of mobs, which means that you can actually use the P2W prestige attacks and expect them to have a good chance to hit.