Capes and Cowls Forum

Crush (Level 1)
Ranged Foe Immobilize, -Fly, -Speed, Dot(Smashing)

Range: 80 ft
Cast time: 1.33 s
Recharge time: 4 s
Endurance cost: 7.8
Accuracy modifier: 1.2
Damage: 0.2 DS * 5 = 1.0 DS (Smashing)
Mez: Mag 4 Immobilize

One of the two level 1 picks. I would typically take it over Lift because it enables Containment, the damage (though DoT) is slightly better, and Immobilizes are often handy against AVs. Crush can be slotted as an attack if desired. Note that Crush is a mag 4 effect, which means it will immobilize a boss in one shot.

Rating: 4/5
Suggested slotting: 1 Accuracy, 0-3 Damage


Lift (Level 1)
Ranged Foe Knockup, Damage (Smashing)

Range: 80 ft
Cast time: 1.03 s
Recharge time: 6 s
Endurance cost: 6.86
Accuracy modifier: 1.0
Damage: 0.8 DS (Smashing)

The other level 1 pick. It's quite satisfying to fling bad guys into the air, but Crush is overall more effective. While the animation is very quick, there's an annoying 2-second delay between the power's activation and the enemy taking damage. Lift can be useful if taken as part of an early attack chain, and respecced out later once it's no longer needed; this is what I did.

Rating: 3/5
Suggested slotting: 1 Accuracy, 3 Damage


Gravity Distortion (Level 2)
Ranged Foe Hold, -Fly, -Speed, -Knockback, DoT(Smashing)

Range: 80 ft
Cast time: 1.83 s
Recharge time: 8 s
Endurance cost: 8.53
Accuracy modifier: 1.2
Damage: 0.22 DS * 5 = 1.1 DS (Smashing)
Mez: Mag 3 Hold, with 20% chance of +1 mag

Your single-target hold. Take it at level 2, slot it out immediately, and use it forever. You may note that Gravity Distortion (and the AoE version GDF) impart knockback protection to the target; this is in contrast with most other primaries, which have knockback protection in the immobilizes. Gravity Distortion does significant damage, and slotting it as an attack is a valid approach if you feel that your other powers provide enough control so that additional duration won't be missed. Remember that control durations increase with security level, so hold enhancements may be less critical at high levels than you might think.

Rating: 5/5
Suggested slotting: 1 Accuracy, 2 Recharge, 0-3 Hold, 0-3 Damage

Propel (Level 6)
Ranged Foe Knockback, Damage (Smashing)

Range: 60 ft
Cast time: 3.5 s
Recharge time: 8 s
Endurance cost: 9.36
Accuracy modifier: 1.0
Damage: 1.96 DS (Smashing)

The highest-damage single target attack in any Controller primary. The animation, while fun, is decidedly inconvenient, so Propel can be skipped if damage is not a priority for you (i.e. you do not plan to solo at all). I have had it for a very long time, but I am considering dropping it as I find myself leaving it out of my attack cycle due to the cast time. I suggest slotting for range if possible, as the base range is much shorter than your other Gravity powers.

Rating: 3/5
Suggested slotting: 1 Accuracy, 3 Damage, 1 Range, 1 Recharge


Crushing Field (Level 8)
Targeted AoE Foe Immobilize, -Fly, -Speed, DoT(Smashing)

Range: 80 ft
Radius: 30 ft
Cast time: 1.33 s
Recharge time: 8 s
Endurance cost: 15.6
Accuracy modifier: 0.9
Damage: 0.1 DS * 3 = 0.3 DS (Smashing)
Mez: Mag 3 Immobilize, with 50% chance of +1 mag

An AoE Immobilize with a token DoT. It's handy if you need AoE Containment for one of the Ancillary Power Pool attacks, or if you find the wandering of disoriented mobs to be troublesome (though Lingering Radiation also addresses this issue).

The damage is abysmal, but Crushing Field can be slotted with no less than three different damage procs (Positron's Blast, Impeded Swiftness, Trap of the Hunter) which might add up to respectable damage (I haven't tried it). As noted above, the immobilization powers in Gravity do not have -knockback, so feel free to spam your fully-proc'd CF on top of your teammates' Ice Slicks and Earthquakes.

If you don't have one of the above specific applications in mind for Crushing Field, I suggest you skip it.
If you do take it, remember that Crushing Field (like most AoE controls) has an accuracy penalty, so slot accordingly.

Rating: 2/5
Suggested slotting: 2 Accuracy


Dimension Shift (Level 12)
Targeted AoE Foe Phase, Immobilize

Range: 60 ft
Radius: 20 ft
Cast time: 1.17 s
Recharge time: 90 s
Endurance cost: 13
Accuracy modifier: 1.0
Mez: Mag 3 Phase; Mag 3 Immobilize

Dimension Shift has the distinction of being one of only two AoE Foe Phase powers in the game, and the only one available to Controllers (the other is Black Hole from Dark Miasma). The typical prescribed use for DS is as a panic button, but I feel that taking any power for such occasional use is wasteful. An alternative application (for which I credit Enantiodromos) would be to forego accuracy slotting and use DS to thin large groups; however, players are notoriously bad at identifying phased mobs, so you are likely to cause much grief for your teammates unless you train them to identify and ignore the untouchable bad guys, which is far easier said than done as the FX for Dimension Shift are indistinguishable from those of the other Gravity powers to anyone who doesn't know what to look for. I personally don't see it as worth the effort.

It should be noted that, unlike all other control powers, slotting to enhance Intangibility increases the magnitude of the effect, not the duration (which is fixed at 30 seconds). If you desire, you can slot DS to phase bosses. And a special note of warning; don't ever use Dimension Shift on enemies which resist Immobilize (such as wolves), as they will merrily run right up to you and further muddle the issue of which enemies can be hurt.

Rating: 1/5
Suggested slotting: 0-1 Accuracy, 0-1 Intangibility


Gravity Distortion Field (Level 18)
Targeted AoE Foe Hold, -Speed

Range: 80 ft
Radius: 20 ft
Cast time: 1.83 s
Recharge time: 240 s
Endurance cost: 15.6
Accuracy modifier: 0.8
Mez: Mag 3 Hold, with 20% chance of +1 mag

Your AoE Hold, with the typical short duration (around 15 seconds at level 50) and long recharge. Some players feel that since it is no longer available for every fight (as it was before the Issue 5 changes), Gravity Distortion Field is no longer useful. I find that I can still get good mileage out of it by using it when it is available, and using Wormhole while I wait for GDF to recharge. The knockback from Wormhole is a little too annoying for me to use it exclusively.

Rating: 4/5
Suggested slotting: 2 Accuracy, 2 Hold, 2 Recharge


Wormhole (Level 26)
Targeted AoE Foe Teleport, Disorient, Knockback

Range: 80 ft
Radius: 20 ft
Cast time: 3 s
Recharge time: 90 s
Endurance cost: 15.6
Accuracy modifier: 1
Mez: Mag 3 Disorient, with 20% chance of +1 mag; Mag 4.1 Teleport

There's nothing else quite like Wormhole. You get an AoE Teleport Foe together with the game's longest-lasting AoE Disorient, plus you get to place the mobs where you want them (at least until the knockback kicks in). Wormhole can and always should be activated from out of sight of the targeted mobs, as they will be aggro'd at the beginning of the animation, which is lengthy. When possible, try to aim the exit point into a corner to contain the knockback. If you add an application of Crushing Field you eliminate disorient wander and effectively create a second AoE hold, but I don't typically find it to be necessary. As noted above, Lingering Radiation with its -speed could also be used for this purpose if you don't take CF.

Rating: 4/5
Suggested slotting: 2 Accuracy, 2 Disorient, 1 Range, 1 Recharge


Singularity (Level 32)
Summon Singularity

Range: 60 ft
Cast time: 2.03 s
Recharge time: 240 s
Endurance cost: 20.8

For me, Singularity is the reason to pick Gravity Control. Your Singularity is more or less a second Gravity controller who only uses Crush, Lift, and Gravity Distortion, and does more damage with them than you can. It can't be healed, but that shouldn't matter often as it has 90% Psi and Toxic resists (the cap for pets), and 50% resistance to all other damage types. In addition, it has a built-in Repel aura, so your foes will rarely be able to use their hard-hitting melee attacks on it. Also, it can still benefit from buffs, including regen buffs.

Singularity tracks your movements closely until it finds a target, at which point it stops moving and starts cycling its powers. So long as there are targets in range, it will not move unless you go too far away. This means that it will essentially never pick up aggro from enemies you aren't ready for. It also means that Singularity can be strategically placed for area denial; try dropping it in the towers at the end of the STF and watch the Arachnos Repairmen go flying. And don't forget to use it to soak the alpha from any psi-heavy AVs such as the Psychic Clockwork King.

While the basic slotting below is satisfactory, I suggest that you invest in Set IOs for your Singularity rather than ever using basic IOs or SOs, as the Pet Damage sets are typically very cheap Hero-side. I've slotted mine thusly:

    * Dam/Mez HO x2
    * Sovereign Right Acc/Dam and Resist Aura(all but Psi) Unique
    * Blood Mandate Acc/Dam and Acc

part 2

http://www.repeat-offenders.net/forum/index.php?showtopic=4164 (http://www.repeat-offenders.net/forum/index.php?showtopic=4164)

Part 4: Storm Summoning

Level 1: Gale

Type: Cone (80 deg)
Accuracy: -10%
Endurance cost: 7.8
Activation: 2.2 sec
Recharge: 8 sec
Range: 50 ft
Duration: N.A.
Damage: 3.06 Smashing
Effects: Knock Back
Max targets hit: 16
Rating: if you Hover, if you don’t

As a Troller, you have no choice but to take this power. But fret not, this is a pretty good power. You don’t even have to add slots to it either.



Slotting:
1 Acc

Level 2: O2 Boost

Type: Single Ally, Ranged
Accuracy: N.A.
Endurance cost: 13
Activation: 2.3 sec
Recharge: 4 sec
Range: 80 ft
Duration: 60 sec buffs
Damage: N.A.
Effects: 155.494 Heal, Resist Sleep / Disorient / Endurance Drain
Max targets hit: 1
Rating:



Should you skip this power then? That’s doable, actually. However, the power does have other components that greatly increase its utility. Basically, whomever you use the power on gets broken out of Sleep and Disorient, and gains resistance to these mezzes for a full minute. Your target also receives 69.2% protection against End Drain for the same duration. If someone in your team shouts out “zzz”, hit him or her with O2 Boost; if nothing else, they get a little healing and some mezz resistance. Going up against Malta Sappers? Slap an O2 Boost on your tank before he charges in Taunting. That should keep him relatively safe from an End crash.


Slotting:
Non-set: 0-2 Recharge, 1-2 End Rdx, 0-2 Heal
Set: There are some very nice set bonuses in the heal sets. Actually, slotting up O2 Boost seems a little wasteful to me, but you might be seduced by the following:


Level 4: Snow Storm

Type: Toggle, Ranged Foe-Anchored AoE
Accuracy: N.A.
Endurance cost: 0.26 / sec
Activation: 2.0 sec
Recharge: 10 sec
Range: 80 ft (25 ft radius)
Duration: N.A.
Damage: none
Effects: -62.5% Recharge Rate / all Speeds / JumpHeight, -Fly
Max targets hit: 16
Rating: against most foes, against certain enemies

Every single power in Storm is useful, and Snow Storm is no exception. This toggle Debuff is cast on an enemy, who then carries it around with him wherever he goes. All foes near him (within 25 ft) get grounded and slowed tremendously. This works on everything, including Arch Villains, Giant Monsters and Paragon Protectors in Moment of Glory mode. As such, this is usually the power I lead with when fighting AVs.

Snow Storm really doesn’t need slotting. Just stick an EndRdx in there and you’re set. If you plan to use it a lot though, a second EndRdx can’t go wrong. Some people also like to put in Slows to make foes truly crawl. Do note that the Recharge Rate Debuff cannot be enhanced.

Slotting:
Non-set: 1-2 End Rdx, 0-2 Slow
Set: It’s probably a criminal waste of slots and influence to put sets here. It might be fun to make Snow Storm do damage with Impeded Swiftness’ damage Proc though.

Level 10: Steamy Mist

Type: Toggle, PBAoE
Accuracy: N.A.
Endurance cost: 0.26 / sec
Activation: 1.9 sec
Recharge: 15 sec
Range: self (40 ft radius)
Duration: N.A.
Damage: N.A.
Effects: Stealth, 3.75% Defence to All, 15% Resist Fire / Cold / Energy, Resist Confuse
Max targets hit: N.A.
Rating:

Steamy Mist envelops you and nearby allies in an aura that confers Stealth, a little Defence, fair Resistance to 3 damage types, and good Resistance to Confusion. The Defence is too measly to seriously slot for, but the Resistance is definitely worth 3 slots. With 2 common IOs, Steamy Mist grants 22.5% Resistance, which is not half bad. Stack on either the Fire or Ice APP shield and you’d have elemental Resistance to turn most Tankers and Scrappers green with envy.

Note that the Stealth from this power does not stack with the Stealth from the Concealment Pool powers. It does stack with Smoke (which is a Visibility Debuff) and Super Speed (which carries a PvE-only Visibility Debuff) though. It also does stack with the effects of the +Stealth movement set IOs, and this points to another way you can gain effective Invisibility without taking Smoke.

Slotting:
Non-set: 1-2 End Rdx, 0-2 Resist
Set: Possibly the best thing about this power is that it takes both defence and resistance set IOs and there are some very sweet bonuses and special IOs in those sets. Consider, for instance, the following:


Level 16: Freezing Rain

Type: Targeted AoE
Accuracy: no modifier
Endurance cost: 18.2
Activation: 2.0 sec
Recharge: 60 sec
Range: 60 ft (20 ft radius)
Duration: rain lasts for 15 sec, debuffs remain at full strength for 30 sec after that, slows remain for another 15 sec after that but at only the 20% debuff level
Damage: 75 ticks of 0.56 Cold (42 total) – no Containment bonus
Effects: Knockdown, -40% Recharge Rate / FlySpeed, -30% Defence All / Resist All, -50% RunSpd / JumpSpd / JumpHeight
Max targets hit: 16
Rating:

If someone told you that Freezing Rain was the crowning jewel in the Storm set, I wouldn’t be much inclined to disagree with him. FR is so awesome that you must take it the moment it becomes available. Take it, slot it up, use it every time it pops.

FR not only cuts away a large chunk of Defence and Resistance from up to 16 enemies at once (actually more than that, considering the random nature and rate of fire of the Rain and the duration of the Debuffs), it also slows them a great deal and makes them fall down continuously for most of their time in the Rain. Some people call this Popcorning the mobs, and once you see FR in action you’ll agree that’s an apt description.

Would you believe Freezing Rain does almost 75% of the damage that Hot Feet does? Its ‘cloud of 1s’ can actually kill! As such, it is viable to slot this for damage if you can spare the slots, though recharge should still be your priority.

With 3 Recharge enhancers in it, you can have FR up for practically every fight. It’s not a cheap power to use, so at least 1 EndRdx would go a long way toward keeping your blue bar healthy. FR’s base Defence Debuff is big enough that a single DefDebuff IO would take most mobs to the Defence floor. A Slow wouldn’t hurt either, and 2 would effectively Immob anyone on foot. Accuracy is not necessary since the Rain makes 5 to-hit checks each second and a single hit cripples Defence. Too bad the Resist debuff cannot be slotted for.

Also, remember that Fire Cages grants -KB for 12 seconds (15 seconds for Ring of Fire)? FC/RoF + Freezing Rain = popcorn machine breaks down. If you’re trying to popcorn your targets, keep your finger off the FC button. Use Hot Feet or Snow Storm instead if you really want them to stay in the Rain’s area of effect all that badly.

Slotting:
Non-set: 2-3 Recharge, 0-2 Slow, 1 EndRdx, 0-1 Defence Debuff, 0-2 Damage
Set: While you can slot for damage, there’s no point investing too heavily in damage IOs as their accuracy components would be largely wasted. You might choose to combine damage with slow sets, and/or mix in common IOs. These following sets stand out:
-
Level 20: Hurricane

Type: Toggle, PBAoE
Accuracy: auto-hit
Endurance cost: 0.16 / sec
Activation: 2.0 sec
Recharge: 10 sec
Range: self (25 ft radius)
Duration: debuffs last for 10 sec after last contact
Damage: none
Effects: -60% Range, -30% Accuracy, Knockback, Repel
Max targets hit: no limit
Rating:

Hurricane is a pretty tricky power to use. It’s a great Debuff, as I’m sure you’ll appreciate if you’ve ever tried to melee a Tsoo Sorceror, a Banished Pantheon Storm Shaman or a Cabal Sorceress. With 2 Acc Debuffs in it, Hurricane practically floors (-44.9%) any mob’s chance to hit you or your friends.

However, it’s also a PBAoE toggle centred on you, and it does both Knock Back and Repel. I’ve actually played with Stormies who insisted on running Hurricane into the middle of a spawn, scattering them like confetti all over the place. That’s moronic, and there’s no kinder way to say it.

With Hurricane on, you can run around the very edges of a spawn to nudge them into a tight knot ready for AoEs or so that the Tank can more conveniently do his or her job. This is actually easier to do right after using Fire Cages, since FC protects against Hurricane’s Knock Back but not against its Repel. Or you could crowd a few mobs into a nearby corner and pin them there, Debuffed and unable to do much at all, while you turn around and deal with real threats. Both these uses require you to know your Hurricane’s range rather precisely though. For instance, if you crowd too near the mobs you’re trying to pin in a corner, they tend to get pushed up and out of the corner instead.



Slotting:
1 EndRdx, 0-2 Acc Debuff

Level 28: Thunder Clap

Type: PBAoE
Accuracy: -20%
Endurance cost: 10.4
Activation: 2.4 sec
Recharge: 45 sec
Range: self (25 ft radius)
Duration: 18.6 sec
Damage: none
Effects: Disorient Mag 2, 8% Toggle Drop chance in PvP
Max targets hit: 16
Rating: by itself, with Flash Fire

Thunder Clap’s long activation time and PBAoE nature mean that mobs will almost always manage to unleash a full alpha strike on you before they get Disoriented if you lead with this, so it’s best used against small spawns, after the Tank has aggro, or after you have mezzed Minions and Lts with Flash Fire. Also, it’s only a Mag 2 Disorient, so only Minions (not even Lieutenants) are affected by this.

Is this skippable? Yes, it is. But is it useful? Again, yes. This is the fastest cycling area mezz in the Fire/Storm Troller’s toolbox and you can use it every fight with just a little slotting. This power really shines when stacked with Flash Fire. I believe no troller other than the FF/TC Fire/Storm is able to so frequently, rapidly and consistently lock down all the Bosses in a group.

Slotting:
Non-set: 2 Acc, 1-2 Disorient, 0-2 Recharge


Level 35: Tornado

Type: Pseudo-Pet
Accuracy: auto-hit
Endurance cost: 20.8
Activation: 1.2 sec
Recharge: 60 sec
Range: 60 ft (7 ft radius)
Duration: the funnel lasts for 30 sec
Damage: 60 ticks of 6.67 Smashing (400.2 total) – no Containment bonus
Effects: Disorient Mag 2 (14.9 sec), Knockback, Knockup, -15% Defence to All (8 sec)
Max targets hit: 5
Rating:

Tornado is probably the hardest Storm power to use well. It creates a (rather squat) twister that runs amok after enemies in range. Used unintelligently, it could easily aggro several groups at once and lead to a team wipe. Used well, it could save lives and kill mobs.

Usually, as long as aggro is well-controlled, Tornado should remain in your back pocket. However, if things go terribly out of whack, for instance, if someone else in the team has already aggroed all nearby spawns and the team is starting to fall apart, a Tornado couldn’t really make things worse, and its ability to Disorient and Knock Back could take some of the heat off the team.

Also, when few mobs are left in the immediate area, Tornado could be used to keep a dangerous mob Debuffed and busy. MoGed Paragon Protectors, AVs and GMs are good candidates for this auto-hit pseudo-pet. It also does a fair amount of damage (over time).

Another way to use Tornado for damage is to apply Fire Cages every 12 seconds to negate Tornado’s Knock Back factor. This can be done even with multiple mobs still in the fight as long as there are no unaggroed big spawns nearby.

Lastly, while 'pull with Tornado!' is sort of a joke, this can actually be a smart move if done right. If you know there are mobs just around the corner, you could cast Tornado out of sight and let it plow into the spawn. Do NOT go running after it, or it could well decide to roam further afield and bring back more friends. Instead, allow your team mates to step forth after your Tornado has thoroughly Disoriented the Minions in the near spawn, or else wait (with Imps and Lightning Storm, possibly Hurricane) for the mobs to come charging you one at a time.

Slotting:
Non-set: 0-3 Dam, 0-2 Disorient, 0-2 Recharge, 0-2 EndRdx

Level 38: Lightning Storm

Type: Pseudo-Pet
Accuracy: +40%
Endurance cost: 31.2
Activation: 2.0 sec
Recharge: 90 sec
Range: self (100 ft radius; you must stay within 60 ft or so for LS to keep shooting)
Duration: 60 sec (one bolt every 4 sec)
Damage: 15 bolts each doing 14.04 Energy (600.6 total) – no Containment bonus
Max targets hit: 1 (but mobs very close by may get hit as well)
Rating:

This power summons a very impressive-looking cloud right above your head. This cloud is stationary, but it will shoot lightning bolts every 4 seconds at foes within 100 feet as long as you do not move too far away from the cloud. Foes hit get zapped for a fair bit of damage and get thrown quite a distance away.

LS’s high innate Accuracy means that you don’t really need to slot in Accuracy enhancements. However, it is very expensive, so you could do worse than to put in at least one EndRdx. You’ll also want some Recharges in there so that you can more often mess up Paragon’s weather patterns. Needless to say, 3 Damage IOs are par for the course.

Slotting:
Non-set: 3 Dam, 1-2 Recharge, 0-2 EndRdx