DEMONS / DARK MIASMA

Mastermind Comprehensive Build Guide

City of Heroes: Homecoming

Updated for Issue 27+

Overview & Combo Strengths

Demons/Dark Miasma is one of the most durable and satisfying Mastermind combinations in City of Heroes: Homecoming. It layers deep debuffs from Dark Miasma on top of a diverse, hard-hitting demon army to create a team that is difficult to stop and relentless in offense.

Key strengths of the combo:

• Demons deal fire, cold, toxic, and lethal damage — enemies rarely have complete resistance to all four types.

• Dark Miasma's -ToHit debuffs (Darkest Night, Fearsome Stare) mean enemies frequently miss, providing pseudo-defense on top of Bodyguard mode.

• Twilight Grasp provides reliable, frequent healing for the entire team including pets.

• Tar Patch's -resistance debuff causes all demon damage — already varied — to hit harder.

• The Demon Prince is among the best tier-3 pets in the game: holds, slows, a damage aura, and AoE attacks.

• Personal whip attacks (Lash / Crack Whip) provide -resist debuffs that further amplify pet damage.

The main challenge is endurance management — Demons are one of the most endurance-hungry primaries. Investment in endurance recovery IOs and efficient play (Bodyguard mode, debuffing before engaging) is essential.

Power Selection

Demon Summoning — Primary

Mandatory Powers

• Call Demonlings (Lvl 1) — Three varied minions (fire, cold, hellfire). Core summon. Take and slot.

• Enchant Demon (Lvl 6) — First upgrade. Mandatory.

• Call Demons (Lvl 12) — Ember Demon (buffs/heals) + Hellfire Gargoyle (damage). Mandatory.

• Call Demon Prince (Lvl 22) — Your powerhouse tank/damage-dealer. Mandatory.

• Abyssal Empowerment (Lvl 26) — Second upgrade. Mandatory.

• Hell on Earth (Lvl 18) — Damage buff + imp summons on a target demon. Also your home for the four pet global unique IOs. Mandatory.

Personal Attacks — Take At Least Two

Demons are unique in that the MM's personal attacks provide -resistance debuffs, amplifying all demon damage. Cycling two attacks stacks meaningful -resist on targets.

• Lash (Lvl 1) — Single target, fire/toxic, -resist. Take it.

• Crack Whip (Lvl 2) — Targeted AoE, fire/toxic, -resist. Excellent for grabbing aggro in Bodyguard mode. Take it.

Patron Pool Options (Lvl 35+): Masterminds have four patron pools — Soul Mastery, Mu Mastery, Mace Mastery, and Leviathan Mastery. For Demons/Dark, Soul Mastery (Ghost Widow) is the top pick — its dark energy blasts, -accuracy debuffs, and Dark Embrace resistance shield all thematically and mechanically complement the build. Mu Mastery is a solid alternative if you want Charged Armor for layered smashing/lethal/energy resistance. Patron pools require completing a patron story arc at level 35 to unlock.

Dark Miasma — Secondary

Core Powers (Take All)

• Twilight Grasp (Lvl 1) — AoE heal centered on a target, with -ToHit/-Damage/-Regen on the target. Use constantly.

• Tar Patch (Lvl 2) — Ground AoE -resistance and -speed. Drop this under every fight. It makes everything hit harder.

• Darkest Night (Lvl 4) — Toggle -ToHit/-Damage aura on a target. Keep this running on the hardest enemy in the fight.

• Shadow Fall (Lvl 16) — Team stealth toggle with +resistance and +defense. Excellent survivability toggle. Take it.

• Fearsome Stare (Lvl 18) — Cone fear + -ToHit. Excellent crowd control and debuff stacking.

• Howling Twilight (Lvl 26) — AoE rez + debuffs. Invaluable for rezzing pets and disrupting hard targets.

Situational Powers

• Petrifying Gaze (Lvl 10) — Single target hold. Useful for locking down bosses. Slot the Lockdown +2 Mag proc here.

• Black Hole (Lvl 35) — Phase shifts enemies, removing them from combat temporarily. Awkward but situationally useful. Generally skippable.

Pool Powers

Pool	Power	Priority	Notes
Fighting	Tough	High	Resistance armor. Required scaffolding for the build's defense layers.
Fighting	Weave	High	Defense bonus. Home for Luck of the Gambler 7.5% recharge.
Leadership	Maneuvers	High	Defense for you and nearby pets. Another LotG 7.5% slot.
Leadership	Tactics	Medium	ToHit buff for pets. Helps accuracy on difficult targets.
Teleportation	Combat Teleport	Medium	Rapid repositioning. Keeps pets in Supremacy range. Highly recommended.
Speed	Hasten	High	Global recharge boost. 2-slot with recharge IOs. Helps cycle debuffs faster.
Concealment	Stealth	Optional	Pairs with Shadow Fall for near-invisible approach. Another LotG slot.
Concealment	Invisibility	Optional	Full stealth for pulling. Less useful in most content.

IO Enhancement Slotting

Slotting philosophy: set bonuses from pet summon powers do not directly affect pets. Only the special MM pet IOs (Blood Mandate, Soulbound Allegiance, Command of the Mastermind, Mark of Supremacy) provide aura benefits to pets. Frankenslotting for raw acc/dam/end is often better than full sets in summon powers.

Demon Summon Powers

Call Demonlings (Tier 1)

6-piece Blood Mandate. This is your highest-slot pet power and the set bonuses (defense, accuracy) are worth maximizing here.

Slot	Enhancement	Why
1-2	Blood Mandate: Acc/Dam	Core damage + accuracy
3	Blood Mandate: Acc/Dam/End	Triple enhancement value
4	Blood Mandate: Dam/End	Damage + endurance reduction
5	Blood Mandate: Acc/End	Accuracy + endurance reduction
6	Blood Mandate: Acc/Dam/End/Rech	Set completion for bonuses

Call Demons (Tier 2 — Ember + Gargoyle)

Frankenslot for acc/dam/end. The Ember Demon benefits from heal enhancement for his heals; the Gargoyle is pure damage.

Slot	Enhancement	Why
1-2	Blood Mandate: Acc/Dam	Core slotting
3	Blood Mandate: Acc/Dam/End	Triple value
4	Soulbound Allegiance: Dam	Bonus damage
5	Soulbound Allegiance: Dam/End	Damage + end
6	Golgi HO (Heal/End)	Boosts Ember Demon heals + end reduction

Call Demon Prince (Tier 3)

Nearly all of the Prince's attacks have a slow component, making him the ideal home for the Impeded Swiftness damage proc.

Slot	Enhancement	Why
1	Blood Mandate: Acc/Dam	Core accuracy + damage
2	Blood Mandate: Acc/Dam/End	Triple value
3	Blood Mandate: Dam/End	Damage + end
4	Blood Mandate: Acc/End	Accuracy + end
5	Blood Mandate: Dam/Rech	Damage + recharge
6	Impeded Swiftness: Chance for Smash Dmg	Proc fires on virtually every attack due to slow component

Hell on Earth — Most Important Power to Slot

This power is the home for the four global pet unique IOs. These auras buff ALL your pets' resistance and defense passively. Getting all four here is the single highest-impact slotting decision in the build.

Slot	Enhancement	Why
1	Mark of Supremacy: End/Pets +Resistance	UNIQUE — global pet resistance aura
2	Mark of Supremacy: Acc/Pets +Defense	UNIQUE — global pet defense aura
3	Expedient Reinforcement: Resist Bonus	UNIQUE — additional pet resistance aura
4	Call to Arms: Defense Bonus	UNIQUE — additional pet defense aura
5	Expedient Reinforcement: Acc/Dam/Rech	Recharge + accuracy
6	Soulbound Allegiance: Chance for Build Up	Proc gives pets damage/tohit burst

Dark Miasma Powers

Power	Slots	Recommended Sets/IOs
Twilight Grasp	4-5	Touch of the Nictus (Acc/Heal, Acc/End/Heal/Rech) + Doctored Wounds pieces for recharge bonus
Tar Patch	2-3	Tempered Readiness pieces for recharge bonus, or 2 generic recharge IOs
Darkest Night	2	Dark Watcher's Despair: ToHit Debuff/End + Recharge/End — keep it cheap on endurance
Fearsome Stare	4	4-piece Glimpse of the Abyss for recharge bonus + a ToHit debuff IO
Shadow Fall	2	1-2 endurance reduction IOs only — it's a cheap toggle
Howling Twilight	2-3	Recharge IOs, or Absolute Amazement pieces if you want mez set bonuses
Petrifying Gaze	4	4-piece Lockdown + Lockdown: Chance for +2 Mag Hold proc — allows reliable boss holds

Personal Defense & Pool Powers

Power	Slots	Recommended Sets/IOs
Tough	3-4	Unbreakable Guard (3-piece for +max HP) + Steadfast Protection: +3% Def unique + Gladiator's Armor: +3% Def unique
Weave	4	4-piece Luck of the Gambler — include the 7.5% global recharge piece
Maneuvers	3	Luck of the Gambler 7.5% + 2x Defense IOs
Hasten	2	2x generic Recharge IOs
Combat Jumping	1	Luck of the Gambler 7.5% recharge + Kismet: +6% ToHit unique (best spot for Kismet)
Health	2	Panacea: Chance for +HP/+End unique + Numina's Convalescence: +Regen/+Recovery
Stamina	3	Performance Shifter: Chance for +End unique + 2x EndMod IOs
Lash / Crack Whip	4-5	Hecatomb set pieces for damage procs + acc/dam IOs

Key Global IOs & Uniques

These IOs have effects that work globally across your build regardless of where they're slotted (within allowed power types). They are the backbone of an endgame MM build.

Must-Have Globals

IO	Effect	Where to Slot
Luck of the Gambler: +7.5% Recharge	Global recharge bonus — stacks across all defense powers	Weave, Maneuvers, Shadow Fall, Combat Jumping, Stealth
Mark of Supremacy: End/Pets +Resistance	Aura giving all nearby pets bonus resistance	Hell on Earth
Mark of Supremacy: Acc/Pets +Defense	Aura giving all nearby pets bonus defense	Hell on Earth
Expedient Reinforcement: Resist Bonus	Additional pet resistance aura (stacks with MoS)	Hell on Earth
Call to Arms: Defense Bonus	Additional pet defense aura (stacks with MoS)	Hell on Earth
Panacea: Chance for +HP/+End	Passive HP and endurance recovery proc	Health
Performance Shifter: Chance for +End	Passive endurance recovery proc	Stamina
Reactive Defenses: Scaling Resistance	Resistance that scales up as your HP drops	Weave
Steadfast Protection: +3% Defense	Flat +3% defense to all	Tough
Gladiator's Armor: +3% Defense	Flat +3% defense to all (stacks with Steadfast)	Tough
Kismet: +6% ToHit	Flat ToHit bonus benefiting you and nearby pets	Combat Jumping or Stealth
Soulbound Allegiance: Chance for Build Up	Pets get a damage/ToHit buff proc	Demon Prince or Hell on Earth

Stacking Rules

• Luck of the Gambler 7.5% recharge: can be slotted in multiple different powers and all copies stack. Cap is +100% total global recharge from set bonuses across the whole build. 4-6 LotG pieces gets you ~30-45% from LotG alone.

• Steadfast + Gladiator's Armor +3% defense uniques: both slot in Tough and stack for +6% total.

• Mark of Supremacy + Expedient Reinforcement + Call to Arms pet uniques: all four stack in Hell on Earth for maximum pet buffing.

• Kismet +ToHit: only one copy allowed per build.

Build Goals & Defense Targets

Demons/Dark is one of the harder MM combos to softcap because both sets offer limited native defense. The goal is to layer IO set bonuses with pool powers to reach the caps.

Stat	Target	How to Get There
Ranged Defense	45% (softcap)	IO set bonuses (Blood Mandate, Command of the Mastermind) + Weave + Maneuvers
Melee Defense	35-45%	Same sources + Steadfast/Gladiator's +3% uniques
Global Recharge	100%+	Hasten + 4-6x LotG 7.5% + other recharge set bonuses
Endurance Recovery	Stable	Performance Shifter proc + Panacea proc + Numina's + possible Agility Alpha
Pet Defense	~25-30%	MoS + Expedient + Call to Arms uniques in Hell on Earth
Pet Resistance	~30-40%	Same pet unique IOs

The -ToHit debuffs from Darkest Night and Fearsome Stare effectively add another layer of pseudo-defense: a -15% ToHit debuff on enemies is equivalent to +15% defense. Combined with Bodyguard mode, Demons/Dark can be extremely difficult to kill even without full softcap.

Incarnate Powers

Slot	Recommended	Notes
Alpha	Musculature Core (damage) or Agility Core (end/recharge)	Musculature if pets feel weak; Agility if endurance is a problem or you want more recharge
Interface	Diamagnetic Core (-ToHit) or Reactive Core (-Resistance)	Diamagnetic stacks beautifully with Dark Miasma's debuff suite; Reactive adds more -resist on top of Tar Patch
Lore	Demons Core or any Assault pets	Demons lore is thematic and strong; pick Assault type for max damage support
Destiny	Clarion Core (mez protection)	MMs have zero native mez protection; Clarion is near-mandatory for hard content. Barrier is an alternative for layered defense.
Hybrid	Support Core	Persistent passive buff to pets — excellent value for MMs

Playstyle & Combat Loop

Pet Stance Strategy

A common split stance once comfortable with the combo:

• Demonlings + Demon Prince: Defensive stance — they protect you and respond to threats without running off.

• Tier 2 Demons (Ember + Gargoyle): Aggressive stance — they push damage while you debuff.

In Bodyguard mode, you and all pets share incoming damage proportionally. This is your default survival stance during the opening of any fight.

Standard Combat Loop

• Drop Tar Patch at the edge of the incoming spawn before they reach you.

• Hit Fearsome Stare into the spawn cone — fear + -ToHit shuts down the initial alpha.

• Toggle Darkest Night on the hardest target (boss, Elite Boss).

• Use Crack Whip for AoE -resist, grabbing aggro via Bodyguard.

• Cycle Twilight Grasp on the most damaged pet or yourself — it heals everyone nearby.

• Cast Hell on Earth on the Demon Prince or Hellfire Gargoyle for the damage buff.

• Use Petrifying Gaze on bosses. Combine with Lockdown +2 Mag proc for a reliable hold.

• Keep cycling Lash and Crack Whip to maintain stacked -resist on the priority target.

Howling Twilight Tips

Howling Twilight is more versatile than it looks. You can use it without any dead allies to apply its AoE slow, -regen, and disorient debuff as a pure damage mitigation tool. It's excellent against hard targets and AV-class enemies even when no rez is needed.

Hell on Earth Priority

Cast Hell on Earth on the Demon Prince first when available, then rotate to whoever does not have the buff active. The living hellfire imps it spawns also draw aggro off your main pets, which helps survivability in crowded fights.

Budget Priority List

If influence (inf) is limited, acquire IOs in this order for maximum impact per investment:

Priority	IO / Set	Impact
1	Hell on Earth pet uniques (all 4)	Highest single impact — transforms pet survivability
2	Luck of the Gambler 7.5% Recharge x4-6	Global recharge transforms debuff cycling and general build performance
3	Steadfast Protection + Gladiator's Armor +3% Def uniques	Cheap, permanent +6% defense — high value for low cost
4	Panacea + Performance Shifter procs (Health/Stamina)	Passive sustain — removes endurance anxiety
5	Soulbound Allegiance: Chance for Build Up	Pet damage spike proc — noticeable DPS improvement
6	Reactive Defenses: Scaling Resistance	Clutch survival tool when things go wrong
7	Lockdown: +2 Mag Hold proc in Petrifying Gaze	Reliable boss control — high utility
8	Blood Mandate 6-piece on Demonlings	Solid pet slotting with good set bonuses
9	Remaining IO set completion	Fill in gaps, chase recharge and defense bonuses

Advanced Tips

• Darkest Night is a toggle, not a click — it requires you to maintain it actively. If endurance is tight, only toggle it on for hard targets.

• Tar Patch does not auto-refresh. Watch for it to expire and re-drop it. A short recharge investment makes this painless.

• The Demon Prince's Ice Block hold is Mag 3+. It will hold most bosses outright, especially with the Lockdown proc layered on top.

• Shadow Fall grants the team stealth — useful for navigating large maps without pulling every spawn.

• Bodyguard mode requires you to be in Follow or Defensive stance. In Aggressive, you do not share damage. Stay in Defensive when survivability matters.

• Clarion Destiny is nearly mandatory for difficult content (TFs, iTrials). MMs have no native mez protection and getting held or slept makes you helpless while your pets run amok.

• Respec at 50 to remove early-level filler powers and tighten the build. Many pre-50 choices are placeholders — the final build should be clean and efficient.

City of Heroes: Homecoming — Demons/Dark Miasma Guide — Issue 27+