City of Heroes

This section provides an opinionated guide to choosing your Blaster powersets in City of Heroes. The author emphasizes that all powersets are viable and fun, but this guide focuses on a min/maxer's perspective, comparing powersets against each other.

Note: Ratings are relative to other powersets. A low rating does not mean a powerset is bad, just that it may be less effective than others in its category.

Blaster Primaries

Assault Rifle

A balanced powerset with mostly lethal damage, effective against Vazhilok. Key powers include Burst, Slug, Sniper Rifle, Flamethrower, and Full Auto. Buckshot and M30 Grenade are generally considered weak, and Beanbag is situational.

Rating: 4/5. While strong, Fire Blast is considered slightly better in the late game due to enemy resistances to lethal damage.

Electrical Blast

Considered not very good due to a lack of AoE capabilities and being less effective than single-target powersets. While Short Circuit can be potent with proper slotting, it's generally more efficient to defeat enemies quickly with other powersets.

Rating: 1/5. Significantly less effective than other Blaster powersets.

Energy Blast

A strong powerset focused on single-target damage with good animations. Key powers include Bolt, Blast, Power Burst, and Sniper Blast. Torrent and Explosive Blast offer AoE potential, and Aim provides a damage boost. Push is considered worthless, and Nova is a novelty due to its long recharge time.

Rating: 3/5. Excellent for single-target damage, but AoE blasters are generally more efficient.

Fire Blast

A very viable AoE powerset. Avoid Flares, especially with Perma-Hasten. Fire Blast is useful for picking off targets, but the focus is on AoE with Fire Ball and Fire Breath. Rain of Fire is not recommended. Blaze is excellent for high-health targets and bosses, and Blazing Bolt serves as a standard sniper attack. Inferno is similar to Nova.

Rating: 5/5. Considered one of the best AoE options for Blasters.

Fire vs. AR: Fire is better than AR until level 32, and then AR takes the lead until about 40-42, after which Fire pulls ahead again. Both are still viable, but since AR is only better for about 8-10 levels, and Fire can easily hold its own on those levels, Fire is recommended.

Ice Blast Powerset: Ice Blast is a decent powerset. Energy's knockback is superior to Ice's slow, but both have uses. Ice Blast gets two holds, which are very useful for soloing missions, as you typically fight two to three enemies at a time. This also helps with fighting bosses. Ice Blast lacks a sniper ability. Ice Blast has very low activation times, allowing you to cast your three main nukes quickly. Frost Breath is considered useless as it is the only Area of Effect (AoE) power. Freeze Ray and Bitter Freeze Ray are good holds, especially for solo players. Ice Storm is also considered rather useless; even though you are not AoE like Fire, taking another power would be better. Enemies will attack you as they run from the storm, diminishing its effectiveness. Blizzard is reported to be horrible compared to other drain endurance and kill everything powers.

Ice Blast Rating: 2/5. Both Energy and Ice Blast can hold their own in combat, with good and bad aspects for single-target damage. Energy has a snipe ability, while Ice Blast has two holds. Choose based on your character concept.

Secondary Powers - Devices: Devices is often considered the best secondary powerset. Web Grenade provides Immobilization. Caltrops is very useful for stopping enemies from attacking you in melee. Taser is not recommended. Targeting Drone is highly beneficial, allowing you to forgo Accuracy enhancements entirely. Smoke Grenade is also excellent, making enemies barely able to hit you. Cloaking Device is good and stacks well with other Defense powers. Trip Mine can be stacked repeatedly in one location, making it effective for destroying bosses. Time Bomb is generally not very useful due to its difficulty in effective use, despite its high damage. Auto Turret is considered bad and not worth using, with negligible damage in a fight.

Devices Rating: 5/5. It is not a contest; the utility is excellent. Targeting Drone combined with Perma-Hasten allows you to 6-slot all your attacks with Damage enhancements, enabling you to defeat anything quickly. All other powers in the Devices set are also excellent.

Secondary Powers - Electricity Manipulation: This powerset is not very good. Electric Fence is standard, but the rest is considered a decline. It is advised to stay away from all Blaster melee powers, including Charged Brawl, Havoc Punch, and Thunder Strike, as well as all Blaster PBAoE (Point Blank Area of Effect) powers like Lightning Field, Lightning Clap, and Power Sink. The only remaining power is Build-Up. Power Sink is somewhat useful but too late at level 35. Shocking Grasp is not bad, but a melee hold at level 38 is considered late.

Electricity Manipulation Rating: 1/5. This set is filled with only close-range powers, and Blasters are vulnerable in melee past level 20. Electricity Manipulation cannot hold up. The set is considered to have only a few useful powers.

Secondary Powers - Energy Manipulation: Generally regarded as the second-best secondary, with good reason. Build Up at level 4 is appealing, but there are too many melee attacks. Conserve Power is nice but unreliable; even with Perma-Hasten and 6-slotted Recharge, it cannot be permanent. Stamina generally works well. Power Boost is not widely discussed and does not sound very useful. Boost Range is also nice but not as impressive as Targeting Drone, Smoke Grenade, or Caltrops.

Energy Manipulation Rating: 4/5. The early availability of Build Up is the primary benefit, which is better than other sets.

Secondary Powers - Fire Manipulation: This set has too many PBAoE and melee powers. Ring of Fire is acceptable, similar to Web Grenade. Build Up is available at level 16, compared to Energy's level 4. Consume is nice but not a replacement for Stamina. Most other powers are PBAoE or melee. Consume is considered nice but not great, especially at level 28.

Fire Manipulation Rating: 2/5. Energy Manipulation is superior in all aspects, and Ice Blast at least offers a slow.

Secondary Powers - Ice Manipulation: This set also has too many melee/PBAoE powers. Chilblain slows recharge, which is beneficial, similar to Web Grenade. Build Up is available at level 16, the same as Fire, but much later than Energy. The primary advantage is Shiver, which is quite nice, functioning like a ranged Caltrops but also affecting recharge. This is its main benefit.

Ice Manipulation Rating: 3/5. Shiver places it slightly ahead of Fire Manipulation, behind Energy Manipulation, and significantly behind Devices.

Controller Primaries - Earth Control: Generally not considered very good. Stone Prison, Fossilize, and Stone Cages are standard Controller powers. Skipping the immobilize and taking the AoE version is likely a good idea. Quicksand is considered quite bad, offering an AoE immobilize followed by an AoE slow. Salt Crystals is also rather bad, and Sleep is generally undesirable. Stalagmites is much better. Targeted Disorient is very good. Earthquake is not very good, with -Accuracy and -Defense that leave much to be desired, though it might be worth taking. Volcanic Gasses is standard AoE hold Controller fare, but it is obtained 8 levels later than for other Controllers, which is a significant drawback. Animate Stone is considered a poor Controller summon.

Earth Control Rating: 2/6. It functions but is not comparable to other Controller primary powersets.

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.