Stormbilly

Or just don't pick it and maintain your roleplaying integrity.

I personally like it in the set, and have no problem taking and using it.

Interesting.

Let me just say that I'm shocked that Earth/ came in second in dps with hasten post 32.

Also, did I miss it, or did you not use hotfeet on your fire/ controller for the test? It would seem that if you didn't, that would boost dps considerably.

Oh, and for reference, here is my current build. Been thinking about going with the earth epic instead of fire, but haven't changed my mind yet.

This build has all the control you'd ever need, and some very tasty damage. The IO levels are not accurate, just the slotting.

Hero Plan by Mids' Hero Designer 1.30
http://www.honourableunited.org.uk/mhd.php

Level 50 Mutation Controller
Primary Power Set: Earth Control
Secondary Power Set: Storm Summoning
Power Pool: Flight
Power Pool: Fitness
Power Pool: Speed
Ancillary Pool: Fire Mastery

Hero Profile:
Level 1: Fossilize -- Para-Acc/Hold/Rchg:30(A), NrncSD-Acc/Hold/Rchg:30(3), EoCur-Acc/Hold/Rchg:35(3), G'Wdw-Acc/Hold/Rchg:35(11), G'Wdw-Acc/Rchg:35(21), G'Wdw-Hold/Rng:35(21)
Level 1: Gale -- Acc-I:35(A), Acc-I:35(50)
Level 2: Stone Cages -- Acc-I:35(A), TotHntr-Dam%:35(7), Acc-I:35(11), EndRdx-I:35(37), Posi-Dam%:35(40)
Level 4: O2 Boost -- Heal-I:35(A), Heal-I:35(5), Heal-I:35(5)
Level 6: Quicksand -- RechRdx-I:35(A), Slow-I:35(7)
Level 8: Air Superiority -- C'ngImp-Acc/Dmg:35(A), C'ngImp-Dmg/Rchg:35(9), C'ngImp-Acc/Dmg/Rchg:35(9), C'ngImp-Acc/Dmg/EndRdx:35(34), C'ngImp-Dmg/EndRdx/Rchg:35(34)
Level 10: Swift -- Flight-I:35(A)
Level 12: Stalagmites -- Stpfy-Acc/Stun/Rchg:35(A), Rope-Acc/Stun/Rchg:35(13), RzDz-Acc/Stun/Rchg:30(13), Stgr-Acc/Stun/Rchg:30(15), Rope-Acc/Rchg:35(15), Rope-Stun/Rng:35(34)
Level 14: Fly -- Flight-I:35(A), Flight-I:35(50)
Level 16: Freezing Rain -- RechRdx-I:35(A), RechRdx-I:35(17), RechRdx-I:35(17), Posi-Dam%:35(46), ImpSwft-Dam%:30(50)
Level 18: Earthquake -- RechRdx-I:35(A), RechRdx-I:35(19), RechRdx-I:35(19)
Level 20: Health -- Heal-I:35(A)
Level 22: Stamina -- EndMod-I:35(A), EndMod-I:35(23), EndMod-I:35(23)
Level 24: Hurricane -- ToHitDeb-I:35(A), ToHitDeb-I:35(25), ToHitDeb-I:35(25), EndRdx-I:35(29)
Level 26: Volcanic Gasses -- Para-Acc/Hold/Rchg:30(A), NrncSD-Acc/Hold/Rchg:30(27), EoCur-Acc/Hold/Rchg:35(27), G'Wdw-Acc/Hold/Rchg:35(29), Hold-I:35(31), RechRdx-I:35(37)
Level 28: Steamy Mist -- EndRdx-I:35(A), Krma-ResKB:30(43)
Level 30: Hasten -- RechRdx-I:35(A), RechRdx-I:35(31), RechRdx-I:35(31)
Level 32: Animate Stone -- BldM'dt-Acc:35(A), BldM'dt-Dmg:35(33), Dmg-I:35(33), Dmg-I:35(33), SvgnRt-PetResDam:35(46)
Level 35: Tornado -- Dmg-I:35(A), Dmg-I:35(36), Dmg-I:35(36), EndRdx-I:35(36), RechRdx-I:35(37)
Level 38: Lightning Storm -- Dev'n-Dmg/Rchg:35(A), Dev'n-Dmg/EndRdx:35(39), Thundr-Dmg/EndRdx/Rchg:35(39), Thundr-Dmg/EndRdx:35(39), Thundr-Dmg/Rchg:35(40), Thundr-Acc/Dmg/Rchg:35(40)
Level 41: Fire Ball -- Det'tn-Acc/Dmg:35(A), Det'tn-Dmg/Rchg:35(42), Det'tn-Acc/Dmg/EndRdx:35(42), AirB'st-Dmg/Rchg:35(42), Det'tn-Dmg/EndRdx:35(43), RechRdx-I:35(43)
Level 44: Fire Blast -- Thundr-Acc/Dmg:35(A), Thundr-Dmg/Rchg:35(45), Thundr-Acc/Dmg/Rchg:35(45), Thundr-Acc/Dmg/EndRdx:35(45), Thundr-Dmg/EndRdx/Rchg:35(46)
Level 47: Fire Shield -- ImpArm-ResDam/EndRdx:35(A), ImpArm-ResDam:35(48), S'fstPrt-ResDam/Def+:30(48), S'fstPrt-ResDam/EndRdx:30(48)
Level 49: Snow Storm -- EndRdx-I:35(A)
------------
Level 1: Brawl -- Empty(A)
Level 1: Sprint -- Empty(A)
Level 2: Rest -- Empty(A)
Level 1: Containment
------------
[u]Set Bonus Totals:[u]<ul type="square">[*]+3% Defense(Smashing)[*]+3% Defense(Lethal)[*]+3% Defense(Fire)[*]+3% Defense(Cold)[*]+8% Defense(Energy)[*]+3% Defense(Negative)[*]+3% Defense(Psionic)[*]+3% Defense(Melee)[*]+3% Defense(Ranged)[*]+3% Defense(AoE)[*]+21% Enhancement(Accuracy)[*]+5% Enhancement(RechargeTime)[*]+4% FlySpeed[*]+36.2 (3%) HitPoints[*]+4% JumpSpeed[*]+Knockback (Mag -4)[*]+MezResist(Immobilize) (Mag 2.2%)[*]+MezResist(Sleep) (Mag 1.65%)[*]+9.5% Recovery[*]+18% Regeneration[*]+0.95% Resistance(Fire)[*]+0.95% Resistance(Cold)[*]+1.88% Resistance(Energy)[*]+9% RunSpeed[*]+1% Debt Protection[*]+PBAoE (20ft) Pet +Res(All but Psionic) 10%[/list]


<font class="small">Code:[/color]<hr /><pre>| Copy &amp; Paste this data chunk into Mids' Hero Designer to view the build |
|-----------------------------------------------------------------------------|
|MHDz;4161;1147;1532;|
&gt;-KE5DMOXS80O@?(?]!ET4.1KOC0"STE&lt;=HL%BD".^B&gt;M19M"95$@Z*29B'HMW =(6:1L4U[G7,211L.
/P^&amp;\'YG@BU2F?S/1%+S^'?U&amp;KZ^ZIU:F$CZ[&gt;UY+P&lt;N2B&gt;NKAU3(W-MSNI7DHO)6;57QNJBWW9&lt;Z9X
+5LONC++8YO`I9LZ8Q[]6.L0R^!/.&gt;TD8R\7Y]Y7?#'^J"[CD5:?DNBW5_NUY_?N1E]GFYSK&lt;][0F-U
+/'"4#_8JV``]?&gt;*F]EQM_J4WB`1SCN'IJ&amp;U6OF\8UWWXI4,`&lt;\T7!"`?YGSA OI?2M`\"^-]U!]%^G:
L26DXQ;DG]ECX+XY80X^B*\'.)G`_&gt;X&amp;&amp;2NI?R6YQST.1Y!_R J*)W:&gt;&gt;N*.G(-2]B'2G+"-SYCVV-?B
D7Z35)P!0A$98Z-@)1S[4V3+[%]C$:$O"[IDW!41'#3&gt;[*\'+HSP4&amp;XN1B6X$E$"@7?_(TE+),D&lt;0!X
\Z&gt;498L!?8+]DZ'W2C1K&gt;@ZU&lt;E?U.\R-[,[(WT3MK=B[(9J]+]4N74OMQ46EO)*8(Z,3%"!&amp;7R?Q"
(OGA!EH\G/HWLI@0-_$$"%.!0;H*!SY+7]U0W3;3!P'U#DBI3!B-N&amp;C-(VS.`)&amp;]W;/.N]0&amp;Z-B$=
&amp;RL"=LEWS+OU%O!R((TB"'?+],&gt;/DGD+_3K%1L&amp;8N8!=R72[A9`\1?D&amp;14_.-B"KX"%H$#5D6NP?&amp;TG
?GD`T8!5)#BO!HHM]D'&amp;!CB7JCD18=?/#6?X%646##F*!92SS5F_%1I=&lt;D\S8%,0#-2-XA"K[G,=&amp;,_
QXEF^B#*DPPRK,3O(5)1:&amp;E964I54Q&gt;&gt;*9`F)3^I ";C&gt;?8YEZ8Z'X"?GKACX5&lt;L.\`#4P4XMD%&gt;F; !4
&gt;YP/#DST$7DPBX&amp;Z(^UL?"#?2S\&gt;".#V^@FI*YH4H?X;F&g t;3&lt;.+%"%ZZ[KIL%'5?4U&amp;E(*7Y&gt;@=&lt;3&amp;,3
BU.?)1"):"X68=6MAC_+MRU&amp;O6((M+N2\PQ&amp;CSI+I; :$TH:8&lt;@VX0\10]C$Q5B6@G6)")_P9;\5?818
JMK6WU)7BF4DP`*2CMD`P25JKIVK(D2H_)&lt;O,#-&lt;W7EX+P/]&gt;'*AS&amp;$[X*]0GW1H]^TJZ'0Z`S08Y
!M4C:&lt;2-R]Y&amp;V=P50I1?$/&lt;[6H$%^`5L`@/@L&lt;Y=D$@!GC$';4&gt;I&amp;=R*;C"%4YC+09)*^'"]H)`$7&amp;=
@"&lt;0*:"(^M&lt;Y!`SN91M4("\+81WUXI&amp;'@I#;F%'@ FP3F,F?::91TJFZ3]T&amp;TF:TBI&amp;+K$WIQ=:&gt;A4YB
",V"S\;0F$SJFC2$2V*H2JHGBM&gt;BK;Q;47'1#UEH3\.)W1_ .H#7,#IP1#"8LS3:0`MZSX)*MM4_VDA=
L\ZO:$"6FS)W?8%6)XLD6ZZ]8UT7WQ$U-"QJF?/7L&gt;[^_43;T^T'"9!V?64?:8$?KZ'`_'3[VG)O)[_
_&amp;5-:`TG$S=!=$`B@&lt;,=;#8S@A0TLB0P:QY?J6FU@NMN2(-2[8ZP%C-X(A%U!D:Q)1-#QKXED26Q)
8DEK;`XL*25&amp;X&gt;6I'OR^NH_&amp;"B-R0``
|-----------------------------------------------------------------------------|
</pre><hr />

I really like stone cages + tornado. You just have to work your strategy. Lead with stalagmites + cages, then use Hurricane to push them all in a corner, drop freezing rain to lower resistance, hit stone cages again and unleash the hurricane. Sounds like it would take a long time, but really doesn't.

The other option would be to cast QS on a corner, then pull with SS and duck around corner. The mob will get bunched up on the edge of QS, then just hit stalagmites + cages + freezing rain + tornado. With stoney doing extra damage, mobs melt away like crazy.

There are lots of uses for many of these powers that the OP doesn't seem to like. There really aren't many bad powers in either sets, and with some solid tactics, you can use all of them to good effect.

When going all out control, I agree, I don't use cages much. But when I want to do some damage, cages is GREAT.

Also, I do take the ST immob in the early levels as a attack, and I slot it as that. With stone prison + air superiority + vet attack, you can do solid damage in the low levels and even solo a bit.

Just some thoughts.

I agree with what was said by others. In addition, I just cannot believe you said not to get death shroud!!

Anyone that has ever used death shroud (or any other damage aura for that matter) understands that it does HUGE amounts of damage. I understand that the "ticks" are small, but they really add up. I would even suggest that it could be the power that does the most damage. I generally find that when I jump in and attack a boss, by time he's dead, I only have to smack the minions once or twice before they die. It is a very efficient way to kill groups.

claws/dark is a nice combo, and I applaud your effort to further it's cause, but I really hope that people don't take you advice. I'm sorry.

Fine, I'll play along. For team builds, I would vote for earth/storm. It is like a walking natural disaster. You have earthquakes, quicksand, freezing rain, snow storms, rocks jutting out of the ground to trap and disorient things, hurricanes, tornados, lightning storms, and winds all at your disposal to unleash on the baddies. The only down side, is that they are slow soloers. I think fire/fire blasters are also fun for all the fire explosions. fire/fire tanks could be similarly fun, just much less damage with much more survivability. If soloing is your bag, then consider a scrapper of some sort. They all can be fun, just depends on what you like to look at. I can think of many other fun builds too. To name a few: rad/rad defenders, dark/dark defenders, mind/ controllers, katana/regen scrapper, just to name a few.

Keep in mind, these are all just MY opinions, and may not be much fun for you.

Hey, I've been trying to find part 2 of this guide, and for some reason can't find it. My search fu is severely lacking, could someone post a link to it for me please?

And, btw, great guide!

[ QUOTE ]

I am wondering one thing, though: why is everyone so high on picking up Quicksand? It slows the runners, but it doesn't seem to affect recharge in any way. With snowstorm the mobs are slowed, and with stone cages they're not going anywhere anyway, so... why take quicksand?



[/ QUOTE ]

Quicksand has a very nice defense debuff attached to it. So even if you don't care about the slow, it makes hitting things VERY easy. Also, it helps keep things on your earthquake/freezing rain longer, so is a good combo power with these.