Part 5

A comprehensive review of City of Heroes Controller secondary power sets: Fire, Gravity, Ice, Illusion, and Mind Control, with ratings and strategic tips.

Fire Control

Fire Control offers a strong set of powers for Controllers. Key abilities include Ring of Fire, Char, and Fire Cages for standard control. It's advised to prioritize the AoE hold over the single-target Immobilize. Smoke is highly recommended, especially if the Grenade from Devices is removed. Hot Feet is considered weak. Flashfire and Cinders are excellent AoE disorients/holds, with Cinders being a PBAoE. Slotting Cinders with Accuracy is suggested, or using Flashfire preemptively. Bonfire is deemed ineffective due to its knockback, which is less useful than disorients or holds already available. Fire Imps is highlighted as the ultimate summon: fast, powerful, and capable of destroying enemies.

Rating: 6/6. Praised for its AoE immobilize, hold, disorient, and the best pet in the game.

Gravity Control

Gravity Control is visually impressive but less effective. Crush is a standard immobilize. Lift is pure damage, which is not the primary role of a Controller. Gravity Distortion is a normal hold. Propel offers decent damage and knockback but has a long activation time. Crushing Field is a standard AoE hold. Dimension Shift is considered detrimental as it reduces the number of enemies affected by AoE holds. Gravity Distortion Field is a standard AoE hold, notable for being location-based rather than target-based. Wormhole is a weak Teleport Foe equivalent. Singularity is a strong pet, similar to a Gravity Controller, providing holds and immobilizes.

Rating: 4/6. Singularity is excellent, and the location-based AoE hold is useful, placing it above Ice and Earth in holding capability.

Ice Control

Ice Control features standard Controller abilities like Chilblain, Block of Ice, and Frostbite. It's recommended to take the AoE immobilize over the single-target version. Arctic Air's fear is considered useless, especially as a PBAoE. Shiver is useful for slowing enemies, though holding is the primary objective. Ice Slick is not recommended due to its knockdown effect, which is less effective than a hold. Flash Freeze is a sleep power. Glacier is a standard PBAoE hold. Jack Frost is reportedly weak.

Rating: 3/6. Not bad, but less effective at controlling than Fire, making it less desirable.

Illusion Control

Illusion Control is unique and strong, especially for soloing. Spectral Wounds offers single-target damage with a minor heal. Blind is a single-target hold with an AoE sleep, useful for soloing. Deceive is a situational power that can act as a hold on lone enemies. Flash is an early PBAoE hold. Superior Invisibility is best for soloing; Group Invisibility is preferred for groups and can be made permanent with Perma-Hasten. Phantom Army is a great summon set, capable of handling large groups of enemies. Spectral Terror and Phantasm are decent, though not as powerful as Fire Imps.

Rating: 5/6. Excellent for soloing due to early summons, but less effective in groups.

Mind Control

Mind Control is largely filled with sleep and damage powers, making it generally weak. Mesmerize and Mass Hypnosis are sleep powers, considered ineffective. Levitate is a damage power. Dominate offers a single-target hold. Confuse is similar to Deceive. Telekinesis is rumored to be good but doesn't compensate for the set's weaknesses. Total Domination is a standard AoE hold. Terrify is a fear power. Mass Confusion is not very useful as it can negatively impact experience gain.

Rating: 1/6. Avoid this set due to its prevalence of sleep, damage-only, and fear powers.

Secondaries: Empathy

Empathy is a standard healing set. Healing Aura and Heal Other are strong abilities. Absorb Pain's effectiveness is uncertain. Resurrect is considered a poor power, as Defenders/Controllers should prevent deaths rather than relying on resurrection, especially since allies should carry Awaken. Clear Mind is useful for disable prevention, though many heroes have their own methods. Fortitude is a highly beneficial power.