Controllers, REPRESENT!

[Remianen]

hi :p

I'm looking to try out the controller AT at some point in the near future but I have no idea where to start. I was hoping the folks here who have experience with 'trollers could possibly recommend a fun pri/sec combo that would be good for someone new to the AT but not necessarily to the game (or genre) as a whole. I figured it would be better to ask here to cut through all the hype ("Mind 'trollers suck!", etc) and get down to brass tacks. So any suggestions/experiences shared would be greatly appreciated. Thanks! :)

[Cryogentic]

Illusion controlers are probably the easiest since they get that decoy army early. the other ATs will be more of a struggle but can be worth it.
Personally I like Gravity Control with their pets they can put out a lot of holds. Mind controllers are pretty good if done right. Fire gets strong with there pets like most of the controllers and deal some of the best damage at that point. Earth and Ice have some good control abilities but thier pets are nothing special.

as for secondary Radiation has the abilty to debuff your oppenets and increase the recharge rate of your own powers, Empathy will let you heal and have both RAs which is nice if you have pets. Storm as that storm cloud which is like an added pet as well as many debuffs. Force Field as the shields its really only good if you have pets but still probably not one of the better ones for a controller. Kinetix as some good buffing and debuffing ability its another good one for pets.

I would like to see more controllers that are not illusion, there are so many its boring.

[Extractor]

I have a level 24 mind/rad and a lvl 42 earth/kin controller and I’ve played with a friends account on a lvl 39 ill/kin, plus I’ve teamed with all the other primary controller sets so here’s my .02 influence:

Brief overview of the primaries, listed in order of ‘most controller-ish to least’

Mind
By far the number one set as far as control is concerned. 8 of the 9 powers are control, no pets, buffs, snares, immob’s, or drops. And with 5 AoE control powers you can control any situation you find yourself in. It’s just an ‘old-school controlling/pets are for the lazy’ attitude. Cons’ to the set are 1) it’s very team dependent so if soloing is your favorite way to play then look further down this list. (It is possible to just go solo with mind but its very slow and painful; although I do solo sometimes). 2) Dominate and Mass Dominate. You do lose exp points per kill but you gain exp points per hour, if done correctly. 3) Telekinesis. The most powerful power takes some practice to master it; yes all powers in CoH take some practice before you activate them (like when to use it, how to line up the mobs, etc.) but with Tele you have to be skilled with the power AFTER YOU ACTIVATE IT.

Earth
The second most controlling set and the most visually pronounced graphics; where fire and illusion can be hard for teammates to see which mobs are controlled, there is NO doubt when an earth controller is working over the mobs! Additionally most of the earth powers have defense debuffs as a secondary effect so accuracy is not as big of a concern to an earth troller. Con’s to the set are the pets. The stonies hit hard and are very tough but also very slow in movement and attack speed. The solution to that is to have Kinetics as your primary (have you ever seen a stonie army on Speed Boost and Fulcrum Shift?!? Awesome sight.) Also the stonies have knock backs but the immob powers of the set have 10-second anti-knock back built in.

Ice
If earth is number 2 in control then ice is number 2a. Ice comes in slightly behind earth due to 1) a non-controlling (but useful) power in Artic Air and 2) the earth version of Ice Slick is slightly better (Earthquake).

Fire
This is a toss-up with ice as far as total control, they are both just slightly behind earth and far behind mind (imho). Fire is a great blend of control and solo-ability, but if you’re dead-set on soloing only it’s a very long road to level 32 and fire imps.

Gravity
This is the infamous ‘controller-gap’ set. Although the dev’s tried to address this by changing Wormhole to an AoE disorient, most gravity controllers would rather have the pre-Issue 4 version. The pets in gravity are the most controlling of all the pets. I like gravity thematically and the animation is just right (not as weak as fire but not overbearing like earth), but I just wish this set can get some love from the dev’s soon.

Illusion
By far the weakest set as far as total control goes but also by far the best set for soloing from level 1 to 50. This set seems to attract younger/less mature players and therefore it gets a bad rap. (once when teamed with an illusion controller as the team’s only controller, I asked the illusionist why she wasn’t trying to hold the bosses. And she said it’s not worth the effort because she couldn’t hold them! Apparently she didn’t know about mez status and holds stacking….. aaarrrgggghhhh.)

Secondary sets:
Go with Radiation if for nothing else then Accelerate Metabolism and EMPulse. EMPulse is the best AoE hold in the game (and why is it in a defender set?????). It has a medium activation time, a mega hold (45 seconds base!) and a monstrous range (in fact you have to be careful not to end up holding two groups at once!). If not rad then kinetics is great although it’s a long wait until the two ubber-powers at level 35 and 38. Empathy, don’t take: some healing is good for a controller but a whole set dedicated to healing your teammates is a waste if you’re a half decent controller. Storm, is fun but too chaotic. Your job is to control the battlefield not make chaos and unpredictability. Force fields….meh.


To answer your question: Earth/kinetics is the most fun set while still dominating the battlefield.

Ymmv.

[Tsarmina]

I don't have a high lvl controller but I do find them very fun in teams. My lvl 18 mind/storm leveled up almost completely with TFs.
Though I am a scrapper at heart, it's a nice change of pace to sit back behind the team and keep control of the situation. :cool:

[Remianen]

First off, thanks all for your input. Extractor, your post was like a guide in and of itself and very useful. Just one thing...

(once when teamed with an illusion controller as the team’s only controller, I asked the illusionist why she wasn’t trying to hold the bosses. And she said it’s not worth the effort because she couldn’t hold them! Apparently she didn’t know about mez status and holds stacking….. aaarrrgggghhhh.)

aroo?

Do you mean magnitudes? If not, this totally conf00zles me. I'll try some guides and see what I can dig up though.


To answer your question: Earth/kinetics is the most fun set while still dominating the battlefield.

Ymmv.

Very nice! Thanks again! :)

[Extractor]

Do you mean magnitudes? If not, this totally conf00zles me. I'll try some guides and see what I can dig up though.

Yes, I meant to say magnitudes. Sorry about the confusion.

[Bari Jon]

Fire
This is a toss-up with ice as far as total control, they are both just slightly behind earth and far behind mind (imho). Fire is a great blend of control and solo-ability, but if you’re dead-set on soloing only it’s a very long road to level 32 and fire imps.

Secondary sets:
Empathy, don’t take: some healing is good for a controller but a whole set dedicated to healing your teammates is a waste if you’re a half decent controller.


My Controller is Hot For Teacher a level 32 Fire/Empathy controller. I totally agree that at the lower levels, if you want to solo only, fire is not the way to go with a controller. It just takes a long time to deal any sort of damage and is something that I do when I can't find anyone to team with. However, it is possible to solo, especially once you get stamina. I got the Pwnz badge one night soloing Hottie, so you can be victorious... it just took 1 1/2 hours to do. Prior to that make sure to slot for enhance endurance on your fire powers. Now that I have hit 32, my fire imps deal tons of damage (ok tons compared with pre-imp levels) and I can solo most missions now.

Regarding Empathy, I really enjoy being able to both control and heal. I find that a lot of times, I have been on teams and have had to use my empathy almost exclusively. And I'm totally okay with that. Other times, I use my healing powers as a backup if needed and can focus my energies on controlling the battlefield. But, I have always found that having the empathy set is a blessing when the team is just getting wailed on and needs some emergency heals. I found another added benefit when I got my imps: I can heal my imps and keep them alive for the full duration of their lives... and still hit my control powers just to keep the baddies from running away from them. All in all, I have really enjoyed my choice of AT and power sets.

[Freeze Warning]

It all depends on you, really. I really enjoy being an Ice/Storm 'troller. Storms a grab bag of powers, and has really decent 'soft' control. Storm adds a nice slow, a low magnitude aoe disorient, a single target heal/buff, a decent debuff in Freezing rain (with knockdown and slow), some extra pets, and a stealth (and hurricane, where ever it fits into that with it's range and accuracy debuff and knockdown/push away effect). It's chaotic/scatter nature can be completely nullified by a good primary set with holds and immobilizes (But sometimes, after a day of perfect lockdowns and completely controlled battlefeilds, nothings more fun than just raining chaos, knockback and scatter on the screen :chuckle: )

See, Rad and kinetics will combo with any primary really well, but other secondaries do better with certian primaries.

Bubbles and empathy go well with the sets that get few pets that can be buffed, like ice and earth.

Storm goes well with sets that get early mass immobilizes and holds, like all except mind, really.

I see a lot of empathy/mind 'trollers, I imagine that the empathy helps them find teams more easily.

My two cents!
Freeze

[Cryogentic]

Most fun controller can probably be argued for either one, I love being Gravity control some of the powers are so much fun like worm hole, but it did get boring for me since I can beat most things by myself. Most fun was when me and a scrapper faought Infernal and his gate with just us two was an epic long fight but very fun. Any controller made well and that you enjoy playing will be good. Cryo is an RP build Hero everything about her powers has to do with her RP.

[Emerald Sky]

I have an earth/storm, grav/kin, mind/ff, an ill/emp, ice/storm, fire/rad and I love them all (except for the fire controller). What a pain in the ass it is to solo her. Most of the powersets are chosen more based on concept than anything else for me.

[suburbanhell]

I've got two controllers in relatively early stages (pre-18) that I have a good amount of fun playing with both:

1)Miss Judgement - Ice Control / Storm Summoning -- these two sets compliment each other greatly, imo, since most of the storm summoning set is that of a ..."cold" variety.

2)Brimstonia - Fire Control / Radiation -- also two complimentary sets, and the rad aura is a nice heal -- though the toggles get VERY end consuming at the moment since she isn't high enough to use stamina -- Radiation Infecton and Enervating Field (or whatever EF is I can't remember at this exact second) take quite a drain when you're constantly throwing out fire cages, etc.

I started a Mind Control / Kinetics controller yesterday on Justice -- I'm not impressed yet but I can't cast an accurate judgement of the skill set as of level 4, lol.

[Gollum_ARG]

Only controller I got is a Fire/Rad. lvl 25 at the moment. This is the build I got planned. The enhancements were placed in a rush. But i'm pretty confident about the power choices.

Exported from version 1.5A of CoH Planner
http://joechott.com/coh

Archetype: Controller
Primary Powers - Ranged : Fire Control
Secondary Powers - Support : Radiation Emission

01 : Radiant Aura hel hel hel hel hel
01 : Char acc acc hlddur hlddur hlddur acc
02 : Radiation Infection endred defdbf defdbf
04 : Accelerate Metabolism recred recred recred recred recred
06 : Hasten recred recred recred recred recred recred
08 : Smoke thtdbf thtdbf recred
10 : Enervating Field endred endred endred
12 : Hurdle jmp
14 : Super Speed runspd
16 : Health hel
18 : Cinders hlddur hlddur hlddur hlddur acc acc
20 : Stamina endrec endrec endrec endrec endrec endrec
22 : Lingering Radiation endred acc endred
24 : Hover fltspd fltspd fltspd fltspd fltspd fltspd
26 : Stealth defbuf
28 : Choking Cloud endred hlddur hlddur hlddur
30 : Grant Invisibility defbuf
32 : Fire Imps dam dam dam acc recred recred
35 : Phase Shift recred endred
38 : EMP Pulse acc acc hlddur hlddur recred hlddur
41 : Indomitable Will recred recred recred recred
44 : Mind over Body damres damres damres damres endred damres
47 : Psionic Tornado acc dam dam dam dam
49 : Mutation recred
-------------------------------------------
01 : Brawl enhancement(01)
01 : Sprint enhancement(01)
02 : Rest enhancement(02)

This build is pretty much impossible to solo pre-32. Keep that in mind. You got no damage powers except for the imps.
You get 3 Debuffs (Smoke, EF, RI), 1 slow (Lingering Radiation), 1 single target hold (Char), 3 AOE holds (Cinders, EMP Pulse, Choking Cloud), 1 Heal, 1 res and a great Buff (AM).
With all those holds you can hold a boss or an AV, probably. :cool:

The other powers of the Fire Control set are not really necessary. Some got a long animation, others high end cost.
Doh! Well i need to rework the slots and put some more on RI. :shinner:

[Tsarmina]

I started a Mind Control / Kinetics controller yesterday on Justice -- I'm not impressed yet but I can't cast an accurate judgement of the skill set as of level 4, lol.
I like the mind control set. Even with the lvl 5 mind/ff I have (on Justice even) it's fun. Put one guy to sleep, give the other a headache.... I like it that I can prevent them from hitting me or team mates.

[Quakester]

Go Justice!

[Gollum_ARG]

GO GO JUSTICE! :cool:

[suburbanhell]

I like the mind control set. Even with the lvl 5 mind/ff I have (on Justice even) it's fun. Put one guy to sleep, give the other a headache.... I like it that I can prevent them from hitting me or team mates.



Yeah I think it's the Kinetics part I'm not liking...

[Extractor]

Kinetics is tough a lower level's as it is very accuracy dependent--the powers have to hit in order to work, unlike radiation-- and until you can start putting DO and SO enhancements in there, you miss more than you'd like to.

Personally, few things in CoH are as satisfying as Kinetics and especially hitting Fulcrum Shift on a huge spawn of mob's!!

But with the changes to Siphon Speed, you now can be perma-Hasten light at very low levels. You might want to give 8Ball a pm for some tips on all things kinetic.

[Remianen]

Started a Grav/FF 'troller on Virtue. She is SO much fun so far. :)

[Cryogentic]

all controllers start out fun, but when you get to about the mid 20s it gets really hard for controllers unless your illusion, but it gets a lot better at 32