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Forums > Home› Class Forums› The Library

Control Powers - Which are they?

jackshiznitjackshiznit Member Posts: 11 Arc User
edited August 2013 in The Library
I have been reading different guides and theories on CW since I have been playing this game, and I have learned a great deal from these. I have played both Renegade and Thaumaturge builds, DPSed, tossed, and just plain controlled mobs and bosses alike, but one thing I have kept hearing is, "I don't know which powers the game considers Control Powers, and which it considers DoT powers". This is important to know since some of the feats and Class Features specifically alter the effects of Control Powers, but there has been little information on this front, and I have been left to figure it out. Well yesterday I took some time at the Trade of Blades to make the determination.

Method: I have the four-piece High Vizier Armor set (minus the Reinforced Gloves). The special ability of this set grants the user +450 Defense when using control powers on a target (as well as removing 450 defense from the target). After using each spell I have quickly checked my Character Sheet to see which spells granted me the bonus, and the results were eye-opening. Here's the list.

CONTROL POWERS

Entangling Force
Sheild
Repel
Steal Time

NOT CONTROL POWERS

Magic Missile
Ray of Frost
Chill Strike
Conduit of Ice
Ice Storm
Ice Knife
Arcane Singularity
Oppressive Force
Chilling Clouds
Ray of Enfebelmant
Icy Terrain
Icy Rays

UNTESTED

Sudden Storm
Storm Pillar
Shard of the Endless Avalanche
Maelstrom of Chaos

Unfortunately, I am unable to test the powers I don't have, so if anyone out there wants to run this test on the powers I missed, please feel free to share your experience. I also did not test to see if slotting different Class Features changed anything, but I doubt they do. I'll probably make some further tests, but in the interests of time (and my laziness) please feel free to run these experiments yourself and provide us your experience.

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Comments

  • kronikerkroniker Member Posts: 116 Bounty Hunter
    edited July 2013
    I sadly don't have the set otherwise I'd test it for Maelstrom and Shard for you. Good list though, thanks for the info.
  • fondlezfondlez Member Posts: 0 Arc User
    edited July 2013
    Here are the results of my own High Vizier set testing from an earlier thread. The results are not quite as simple as your list implies, because I made the distinction between the debuff the set provides on a target and the buff it provides to you, though they do agree in most aspects.

    I have all non-class feature Powers. So, for the purpose of "Control Powers" for High Vizier that provide a buff, none of the "UNTESTED" count, i.e. they are all "NOT CONTROL POWERS".
    fondlez wrote: »
    From my own testing on dummies with no companion summoned,

    Steal Time: 3x debuff per target, 1x buff total.
    Steal Time (Spell Mastery): 3x debuff per target, 2x buff total (yeah, weird).

    Entangling: 1x debuff, 1x buff.
    Entangling (Spell Mastery): 1x debuff per target, 1x buff per target up to 3x.

    Shield: 1x debuff per target, 1x buff per target up to 3x.
    Shield (Spell Mastery): 1x debuff per target, 1x buff per target up to 3x.

    Chill Strike: 2x debuff, no buff.
    Chill Strike (Spell Mastery): 3x debuff on main target, 1x debuff on flank targets, no buff.

    Icy Terrain: 1x debuff per target, no buff.
    Icy Terrain (Spell Mastery): 1x debuff per target, no buff.

    Repel: 1x debuff, 1x buff.
    Repel (Spell Mastery): 1x debuff per target, 1x buff per target up to 3x.

    Icy Rays 1+2: no debuff, no buff.
    Icy Rays 1+2 (Spell Mastery): no debuff, no buff.

    Conduit of Ice: no debuff, no buff. Checked with full stacks and for synergy with Icy Terrain: none.
    Conduit of Ice (Spell Mastery): no debuff, no buff. Checked with full stacks and for synergy with Icy Terrain: none.

    Shard of the Endless Avalanche: 1x debuff per target up to 2 targets (?! tested this 5 times), no buff.
    Shard of the Endless Avalanche (Spell Mastery): 1x debuff (never more than one for both targetting circles total, no flank debuffs), no buff.

    Sudden Storm: no debuff, no buff.
    Sudden Storm (Spell Mastery): no debuff, no buff.

    Ray of Enfeeblement: no debuff, no buff.
    Ray of Enfeeblement (Spell Mastery): no debuff, no buff.

    Ice Knife: 3x debuff, no buff.
    Ice Storm: 2x debuff per target (I had to remove my accessories to stop killing all the dummies!), no buff.
    Arcane Singularity: no debuff, no buff.
    Maelstrom of Chaos: no debuff, no buff.

    All At-Wills: no debuff, no buff. Tested to full stacks where applicable.

    To be complete: I had Eye of the Storm + Storm Spell class features equipped at all times.

    So, it would appear that the main issue is getting the buff. You should get some kind of debuff up to 3x using obvious control spells and those spells with control elements. The odd ones out, other than the weird results, is Conduit of Ice (no benefit at all), Icy Rays (no benefit at all), Icy Terrain (no buff), and Chill Strike (no buff).

    This makes the set rather less useful than expected for general survivability purposes (I'd rather take a flat 2k Defense over this randomness any day, if survival was critical). But good for group debuffing and group damage, especially trash monsters.
  • jackshiznitjackshiznit Member Posts: 11 Arc User
    edited July 2013
    fondlez wrote: »
    Here are the results of my own High Vizier set testing from an earlier thread. The results are not quite as simple as your list implies, because I made the distinction between the debuff the set provides on a target and the buff it provides to you, though they do agree in most aspects.

    I have all non-class feature Powers. So, for the purpose of "Control Powers" for High Vizier that provide a buff, none of the "UNTESTED" count, i.e. they are all "NOT CONTROL POWERS".

    Thank you! I obviously missed your post, so pardon me for any duplicate info, and didn't mean to hijack your previous work. I just hadn't seen any info on this before. Your list is more comprehensive.
  • johnygwapojohnygwapo Member Posts: 442 Arc User
    edited July 2013
    tried chill strike stacks even not tabbed
  • tyrtallowtyrtallow Member, NW M9 Playtest Posts: 747 Arc User
    edited July 2013
    Unfortunately what and what doesn't count as a control power is not universal - it depends on what particular set/feat/etc we're talking about.

    Tabbed Chill Strike and Icy Terrain, for example, count as control powers for the Archmage set while Shard of Endless Avalanche does not.
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  • kronikerkroniker Member Posts: 116 Bounty Hunter
    edited July 2013
    Talk about inconsistency...
  • davecheesedavecheese Member Posts: 170 Arc User
    edited August 2013
    Anyone know if these inconsistent results have been fixed at all?
This discussion has been closed.