Controlling used to the most difficult and involved task in DCUO, but in recent years, it has been simplified a bit. Still, Controller’s have a lot on their plate and more things they need to accomplish than any other role. Let’s get into ten tips to get you started as a Controller in DCUO:
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10 POWER SETS
There are five different power sets that have access to the Controller role: Gadgets, Mental, Light, Munitions, and Quantum. Each of these power sets excels at different things, but they can all accomplish each and every goal of Controlling (of which there are many). Take a look online at the different power trees to see what looks fun to you, or just pick whatever power you like the look of and give it a try!
9 POWER OVER TIME (POT)
The first and arguably most important job of a Controller is to keep Power Over Time going (referred to as POT from now on). POT gives your teammates power incrementally over time, giving them boosts every few seconds and likely keeping their power pretty full on its own, provided they aren’t spamming their powers. POT used to be a real pain to keep active, as only a couple powers in each power set would activate POT, and could only be reactivated every twelve seconds. Now, just about any power activates POT, and you don’t have to worry about overwriting POT, either. As long as you’ve used an ability recently, POT should be active for you and any teammate that was nearby when you used the power.
8 POWER DUMP
POT isn’t always going to get the job done on its own. Sometimes teammates need to use powers a bit more quickly, or the enemies are gaining the upper hand; point being, you need to get power out, stat. Every Controlling power set has a Power Dump, which refills the power of teammates bar immediately, and by quite a bit.
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This is likely going to give them the power to use a couple of abilities immediately, which is usually the difference between a wipe and success. A Power Dump is an absolute necessity to have in your loadout as a Controller.
7 CROWD CONTROL
Crowd Control is another job tasked to the Controller, though the Tanks get some of this done themselves, too. Crowd Control just means stunning the enemies so that they can’t attack. Tanks are the ones who are likely going to thank you for doing this job more than anybody else, since they’re going to be the ones in the thick of things most often. There are a ton of different powers that accomplish this, and some power sets have more options available to them than others.
6 DEFENSE DEBUFFS
One of the other major jobs tasked to Controllers is defense debuffing enemies. Every Controlling power set has at least a couple of different powers that reduce a target’s defense for a short time, and it’s definitely something you’ll want to keep in your loadout at all times. While it’s definitely not possible to debuff the Defense of every enemy you run across, debuffing the defense the strongest enemy in the room, especially the boss’s, is going to be paramount. The lower the target’s defense, the more damage your team (and especially Damage Dealer’s) are going to do, and the smoother the instance is going to go.
5 DAMAGE DEBUFFS
This is another debuff that, while not quite as important as the defense debuff, can still make quite the difference. Certain powers lower the damage output of an enemy for a short time. This is something your Tanks are going to be happy about more than anybody else, as it makes their job astronomically easier. Again, it’s not going to be possible to damage debuff everything in the room, but prioritizing the most important targets will still make a difference.
4 HEALING DEBUFFS
This is a debuff that isn’t going to be useful all of the time, but in certain instances against certain enemies, is going to be the difference between clearing the instance or spending hours hitting your head against a wall.
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Certain powers lower the healing output of enemies, and this comes into effect mostly on a few different bosses in the game. If enemies that heal the boss aren’t dealt with, they’re going to reverse all of the progress your team has made on the boss thus far, and you’ll be right back at square one.
3 REVIVING DOWNED TEAMMATES
This isn’t the case in every group, but in most groups, reviving downed teammates is a job given to the Controllers, too. This is usually because Controllers have abilities that either shield them from harm or get rid of any aggro they’ve gained from nearby enemies, thus ensuring they can get a clean few seconds to pick up their friend. It’s worth running a power to accomplish this just in case, but if you aren’t sure, just ask your team who’s going to be prioritizing this job.
2 SUPERCHARGE
Different Controller power sets have different Supercharges, but most (if not all) of the powers sets have at least one Supercharge that either shields your team from harm for a short while, recharges your team’s power at an incredible rate, or does both. It’s most definitely a good idea to keep one of these Supercharges in your loadout to help save your team when you get in sticky situations; they can make a huge difference.
1 KEEP YOUR OWN POWER BAR HEALTHY
Lastly, the most important job of a Controller is to keep your own power situation healthy. If you run out of power, you can’t give anybody else power, and it’s going to turn into a domino effect that ends in your team dying. Sometimes you’ll run into situations where it can’t be helped, and in those times, don’t be afraid to drink a Soder Cola to refill your power; even if your health is in good shape. Trust us, your teammates are going to appreciate it. A good Controller is hard to come by in DCUO, and if you can get good at it, you’re going to be a very prized teammate indeed.
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