Mind Control Primary:
Mesmerize: You arch your back and let loose a swirl of psychic energy from your mind towards an unsuspecting foe.
The down low: When I originally got this power it was because I was stupid and wanted to fill out my attack chain and play like a blaster, but I have learned. With containment, and the fact that this does highly unresisted psionic damage makes this a power you will want in the early levels and beyond.
How to use: I use it to take out foes on the outskirts of a mob that need to be slept while AoE damage takes out his friends in the middle. This attack is a great primer for containment with your other two single target damage attacks. Take it and love it.
Damage: 2.77 (from hero builder)
Slots: I say slot it with 1-2 accs for higher level mobs, because as a controller you want to rarely miss. If you need some extra damage at the lower levels maybe 1-2 damage. Also 1 sleep durations.
Levitate: You pump your arms in the air and cause your victim to shoot up and then fall back to the ground.
The down low: This is gonna be your main source of damage through out the game until you get to your epics; trust me this is a no-brainer.
How to use it: Levitate is a dish best served with a side of containment, lead off with either mesmerize, or dominate and then use levitate for some sweet double smashing damage. This attack is especially useful when fighting machines (like clock work) since they are highly resistant to your psy damage.
Damage: 3.66
Slots: This one is pretty simple, 3 damage and two accs makes this attack very effective; maybe later on throw a slot in for recharge.
Dominate: You thrust your hand forward and a swirl of psychic energy projects from your mind and attacks a foes mind.
The down low: This is a power much like mesmerize and out lines one of your main types of holds. This power is a more effective hold then sleep, because if the foe is attacked, he wont simply wake up, but will still writhe with pain until the hold wears off.
How to use it: I would use this to target an enemy who is either threatening you or a friend; it will keep anyone of your tail for a good while. As well this is good at locking down anchors, or bosses.
Damage: Same as Mesmerize
Slots: 1-2 acc, 2-3 holds, and 1-2 damage for the battle troller.
***This is your main attack chain right above. At the lower levels you will play slightly like a blaster, who has some sweet holds, remember that your game plan changes as you progress in level, and always carry some blues cause this build is very end demanding.
Conefuse: You manipulate the mind of a foe and cause him to perceive those around him as his enemy and he will ignore you and your teammates.
The down low: I never used this power on the mind set, but used it rather extensively with my illusion troller, and since I would assume the two are the same I know a fair amount about this power.
How to use it: This power is great for dealing with higher levels and its always fun watching badies beat on each other. Yet, as a mind troller you will have many other things to deal with, and will most likely not have the time to individually confuse different foes. Good for bosses at lower levels, but I have seen few people take it on mind trollers.
Slots: I have found it too be very effective with 2 recharges, 2 accs, and 2 confuse durations. (A better choice for illusionist b/c they have more time on their hands during combat depending on secondary)
Mass Hypnosis: You wave both hands through the air and project a ripple of mental waves which cause all the foes in a frontal cone to fall asleep.
The down Low: OMG! People often knock this power but they are mental, I love this power soo much and it just becomes more and more useful as you progress through the game.
How to use it: This power is very versatile. In the beginning it will be used on big groups so that single targets can be aggroed. As well, later on it can be used in stressful situations to take a portion of the agro out of the picture. ALSO, it is a great primer later on for your other aoe holds but I will get into that later. Basically it is a sleep power and will allow you to hold a large mass of foes UNTIL they take damage b/c then they will wake up.
Slots: 2-3 accs, 1-2 sleep durations, and 1 range really helps so as not to get agro.
Telekinesis: You focus your mind on a target and cause him/her/it to slowly float backwards picking up any other foes in its path.
The down low: Well I never said playing mind was easy, it is one of the most complex sets out there, which makes it very rewarding when you master it! This is one of those unique powers. You either you love it or hate, try it out on test and check out some of the other guides that focus solely on tele.
How to use it: It took me FOREVER to learn how to use this power. Trust me you are going to want to practice with this. This is one of the powers that are purely situational, that means the majority of the time you will probably have other powers you will be using. So when do we use this power? If you are fighting anything and you see a corner you beat yourself over the head and tell yourself to use tele! Just target a baddie on the outside of the group and move yourself so that you cause the targeted baddie to fly into the others, and then just force them into a wall. It is really satisfying when this power works, and it is VERY effective; but also an end burden.
Slots: 2-3 endredux, and maybe 1-2 recharges if you want to use if often.
Total Domination: You unleash a very powerful blast of mental energy which causes all foes in the targeted area to grip at their torn minds.
The down low: Well you made it, this is your top of the line AoE hold, and it is very nice. The only downside is that it has a veryyy long recharge, so make sure you slot this puppy up.
How to use it: This power is great to use in battles, but rarely as an opener because of the agro you will get for it, Try and use it after a scrapper or tank soaks up enough agro for you to be safe.
Damage: Even though I thought for the longest time this did damage
yet it does not too bad.
Slots: The traditional 2 hold, 2 acc, 2 recharges will be fine, if you want you can swap out an acc for a recharge if you want it out longer and you have tactics.
Terrify: You focus on your enemies minds and bring about their greatest fears, tearing at their minds and causing them to cower in fear.
The low down: This is it, your first and only AoE damage attack, slot it and love it, this attack is a staple and if you skip it I will beat you with a frozen piece of meat
How to use it: Liberally, it has a nice recharge which means it is up when you usually need it, it is a hold and damage attack so love it. I will cover the tactics in a bit.
Damage: Hero builder says 2.777 (I think maybe a little more, dunno)
Slots: 2 accs, 2 damage, 2 fear. If you want swap out a dam or fear for a recharge to have it out more.
***** Ok so here is where I tell you the most important part of mind trolling, are you ready? Thus far you have
1. Mass hypnosis
2. Total domination
3. Terrify
Three very good aoes, it is time for some fun.
Here is where we learn just how good mass hypnosis really is, it is a semi hold THAT DRAWS NO AGGRO!! Ya thats right, much like smoke grenade from the dev set, this is a hold that will get you no angry baddies. Not only that but it sets up containment!
So here is the plan put Mass Hyp on a crowd
Then use total domination, now the agro this power would normally get you is diminished because the baddies are already asleep. Then you terrify and get double damage!!!!! Omg there is nothing more satisfying then this combo, trust me. And if you have vanguard then you will be a holding god!!
Mass confusion: You send out sparks of confusion from your mind and cause an entire group of enemies to turn on one another.
The down low: Well, I know, I avoided this power for the longest time, on the pure principal that it was not a pet, plain and simple. But then after a while I thought what the hell might as well give it a try.
How it works: This power is like a mass hypnosis. It has its good sides, when used with terrify it will cause the baddies to tremble and then ever so often attack one another. The down side is that there is a slight decrease in exp for foes killed or damaged by other npcs. Take it as an emergency button kind of power or when you are fighting avs and you want to turn their minions on them.
Slotting: 2 acc, 2 confuse duration, 2 recharge.
Onto the Storm portion of the guide!!!!
Wait a minute, IF I am a storm troll that means tanks are going to hate me right??
Well if you play like a dumb dumb then yes. Storm has a good number of knock backs and mobs spreading powers that make tankers shiver in their boots. But I will show you how to use Storm so that
yes I am gonna say it, Tankers will respect you.
Storm Control: The organized Chaos.
Gale: You raise both hands in the air and create a cone that knocks back all foes in range.
The down low: well right of the bat here is one of those chaos creating powers storm is known for. But under the right conditions it can be used to actually send single individual foes into the larger group. How you say?
How to use it: If you can back yourself up enough you can send a single targeted foe where ever you want. Practice it, its fun, plus it looks really cool.
Damage: minimal
Slots: one acc is fine.
O2 Boost: You raise your hands towards an ally and saturate them in a wave of oxygen healing some of their wounds.
The down low: Storm is a set that offers a ton of different powers and this is one. If you are interested in having a heal then take it, but you can certainly skip it for other, more important powers.
How to use it: Once slotted up properly this heal is very good, one great aspect is that it prevents/gets rid of sleep or stun affects. This power is especially useful when a friend uses a wakie in the middle of combat. This power is best used on tankers or scrappers because they have a natural resistant that complements the power.
Slotting: 3 heal, 2 recharges, and maybe a rang if u want.
Snow Storm: You raise both arms over your head and summon a viscous snow storm around a target enemy and his allies.
The down low: This power is a must have, it is the first of the slow powers in the set that really help keep groups of baddies tight together even after your holds break.
How to use it: This power is one that brings its own agro so make sure that you either have an ally get the agro, or even better you sleep the group, and then activate snow storm for 0 aggro.
Slotting: 2-3 slow, 2-3 end reductions, maybe 1 recharge
Steamy mist: Using your control over weather you manipulate the moisture around you and cover yourself and nearby allies in a dense mist.
The down low: Again this power is tailored more for team playing like 02 boost, although for soloing it does offer some well needed defense. I love this power; it looks cool and allows for you and your friends to get closer to the baddies before they see you.
How to use it: This power gives you a really hefty defense to fire, cold, and energy at 20% I think, and then there is a very slight defense to ranged and melee damage. I would suggest waiting till after 20 for this power just because before stamina and SOs its got a pretty heavy end cost.
Slotting: 2-3 end redux, 2-3 def.
Freezing Rain: You raise your hands in the air and summon down a rain storms that slows your enemies and causes them to slip and fall.
The down low: This power is soo versatile it possesses a number of ways to cripple your enemies. There is slow, knock down, -recharge, DoT cold damage, and defense debuff. Its a great power to have and a staple of the set.
How to use it: I find that this power works wonders when used in conjunction with snow storm, their slows stack with one another, because the downside of FS is that the baddies will flee when they are caught in the storm and it tends to break up neatly packed groups; especially since at the lower levels you wont be able to keep all the baddies together with your holds. So just make sure a tank has agro before applying snow storm and then freezing rain.
Damage: minimal
Slotting: There are many ways, I would say 2 slow, 2 defense debuff, 1 recharge, and maybe an end redux.
Hurricane: You thrust your hands away from your body and generate a powerful wind around yourself that protects you from melee combat.
How to use it: Great for pvp b/c, while it does draw attention to you, it makes it so stalkers or any type of melee character is gonna have trouble getting at you. Not only does it knock back, but it lowers acc, which anyone knows from a fist fight with a tso sorcerer.
The down low: I personally never needed this power, I almost always teamed since for most of my time as a mind troller their was no containment. This tends to be one of the powers that tanks see and flip a s**t because any idiot can run into a group and ruin things. Some take it for the melee defense which I guess is nice but I just take hover and I get a small defense buff. Lastly I would imagine the end drain is a bother for the mind/storm troller.
Slotting: 2-3 to hit debuff, 2-3 end reducer
Thunderclap: You clap your mighty hands together over your head and generate a powerful pulse of thunder disorienting all baddies around you.
The down low: I repseced out and in of this power more times then I can count and I finally gave up on it. The pros: It looks really cool. The cons: It has a to hit of -10% because of its aoe nature, it lasts 10 seconds, and has a recharge of 45 seconds un-enhanced. I dont exactly know, but I think the mag is 2 so you are just getting the minions and Lts. Lastly you should not really be in the middle of a mob.
How to use it: This power is much like Flash for Illusionists, which is also a not so good power, but I took flash because it was the only major aoe hold in the set, but mind has plenty of holds you should not be relying on this for hold. I say if you have room take this power and use it when your other holds are recharging I would imagine it works well when supplementing other holds but it never impressed me.
Slotting: 2 acc, 2 recharge, 2 disorient.
Tornado: Using your control over the elements you summon a tornado that will follow you and fight on your side.
The down low: So remember how I said mind lacked a pet and all, well here is one of you pseudo pets, and this one like the rest follows a trend in stupidity. Yet, this situational power is sometimes useful, and has, as most storm powers do, very neat graphics.
How to use it: Unfortunately, mind lacks the kind of holds the actually root targets in place like gravity. So when you unleash tornado on a crowd all the targets will be thrown here and there and everyone will yell at you (I speak from experience). So there are times and ways to use it; much like in the Mario games when he would take that giant bomb dog for a walk it had a leash and would only stray so far away from Mario before it had to come back. As well if you sense that the tornado is gonna fark stuff up just move your character back and the tornado will follow you. I find that tornado helps on either GMs, or other real big not gonna be knocked down things, like when the DE plant a tree, or the militia make a turret. In pvp its great cause it will focus on your enemy and the knock back+disorient is killer.
Damage: 30 tics of .61 damage, if it focuses on one target it could do hypothetically 18.33 according to hero builder.
Slotting: There are lots of ways people like to slot this, I under slotted cause I did not use it often but it could be slotted with 2 damage, 2 disorient,1 end, 1 defense debuff.
Lightening storm: You summon a powerful storm cloud above your head that is stationary and will launch attacks on any enemies that threaten you.
The down low: Wow, this is what you have been waiting for, this is it, another kind of pet that in some respects is better then a pet. It does not die, it stays where you put it, and it looks pretty freaking sweet.
How to use it: LS mixes it up and allows you to indirectly deal energy damage which is good as far as versatility goes. Now this power also pacts a knock back which sometimes ticks people off specially those trying to manage agro but by placing LS in the right place it will actually knock baddies back into the mob, and it will hit more than one baddy. This power is the s**T and you will love just get used to summoning it in a good place. Also if you want you can summon the storm right above a mob (if u have hover) and it will do pseudo-Knock up which is great.
Damage: 11 tics of 4.02 damage for a total of 44.3.
Slotting: 2-3 damage, 2 acc, 1 range, and end redux if you drop a damage just cause this power is pretty costly as far as endurance goes.
As a final summary: How to keep organized chaos=)
1. Back yourself up and use gale to blast singe foes into the mob or tank/scrappers aura.
2. Use telekinesis to grab single/multiple foes and lead them into corner or mob.
3. Now with the snowstorm animation fixed use this to keep the group tight while the rest of the
team deals with baddies.
4. Use 02 to aid those holding agro.
5. When a tank grabs the agro sometimes a portion of the mob will stay back and use ranged attacks; just float up behind them and summon TS, it will blast the baddies away from itself and thus into the mob, and once they are in the mob TS will continue to hit multiple targets around the tank.
** Powers to not use when the team is relying heavily on the tank pulling method (herding)>
Hurricane-no brainer this power is a little too hectic
Freezing rain- Though I love this power it sometimes is not necessary when you are mowing through crowd after crowd.
Mass confuse- People often argue about losing exp and that stuff, I personally love this power but it is better used when the team is struggling not when a tank is herding mobs.
I am not knocking the above powers but I just want to make it so people better understand how not to use storm/mind in a way that makes people avoid inviting them to a team.( lol if that makes sense).
Pool Powers:
Fitness: Get it love it, I you go with fly get swift, super speed, and super jump should go with hurdle. 3 slot stamina, and maybe health if you can since you are a squishy troller.
Flight: Take hover and love it! Slot with 2-3 flight speed and you will never have to touch the ground again, maybe and end redux to. Or go with air superiority for another attack/ pseudo hold.
SS-Get hasten just cause the recharge on mass confusion and total domination is ridiculous. Plus if you ever end up the healer on the time and all you have is 02 boost you can hit hasten so your heal is up more.
Accolades:
Vanguard: An accolade seemingly made just for trollers, it makes all your holds and disorients, and sleeps and all that good stuff last longer! And ever since the devs really nerfed our AoE powers this accolade really gives your average controller and upper hand, especially in AV fights. In fact I can usually sort of reliably hold an AV with vanguard up. If you need info on any accolades just visit coh/coldfront for info.
Thanks for reading that, sorry for the length I went a little crazy I hope you have learned or became inspired.
I would love to see your build with power pools and or epic. I have one myself but struggle with every respec I do to satisfy my needs. Really want to take it out on the pvp circuit but get stomped on everytime. Ty though, don't see to many guides on this build.
Hollows
Beware the Woods at Night.
Miles to go and Skies to Fly!
After getting to 50 I decided to respec for pvp and there are def somethings that change.
Hurrican: originally not a power I like but in pvp it's great for warding off pvp damage.
I find the best tactic is that you get tp foe. You find a target and a corner. You cast hurrican, LS, and freezing rain. (bring some blues for this). Then you tp the unexpecting foe into the chaos. Once the enemy is in the corner cast tele and hold it's [censored]. As far as epics I originally went with psi and it was ok but after i8 the epic attacks kinda suck. If you need defense go with ice and hibernate. I like ernegy because of power boost and conserve erngy which is a must in pvp. Just make sure you have reds in your frist three minds attacks and just trust in you LS and Hurrican
ill post my build soon.
You my friend are AWESOME for making this guide! My Mind/Storm is lvl 12 atm and i'm gonna follow his guide for her.
Thanks!
My 50's:
Fiya Man: Fiya/ Fiya/ Flame Blaster -Protector
Ethros: Dark/Dark/Dark Defender - Protector
Ja-Ja: Fire/Kin/Earth Controller- Protector
Shadow Flux: Fortunata
Daily Forecast: Fire/Storm/Mace Corruptor- Infinity
"XP is for sissies. Real men collect debt." -Adelie
@Gammos
Ah, finally a really good mind/storm guide =)
I applaud your work on this. This is the first mind/storm guide I've read which is intelligent & accurate.
My main (first 50) is a mind/storm troller, and frankly my favorite character. I have many other characters, but there's just nothing quite so satisfying as 'frustrating the mobs to death'.
I have some differing views on some powers. Mostly just playstyle and opinion issues though, i'm not dissing your guide, its very good.
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The only glaring disagreement is about mass confusion. In my playstyle, I try to have a 'hard' AoE hold up for every major mob encounter. And by hard I mean really shutting down the enemy's ability to do harm.
Mass hypnosis is a wonderful power, I'm not knocking it, in fact I love it. But the best DPS in the game, in any class, is AoE damage, which means mobs will stay asleep about 2 seconds at best. I find mass hypnosis is THE opening hold, but it should always be followed up by total domination or mass confusion. This way you can shut down mobs with very little risk/aggro, and the holding magnitudes stack so that even the Lt's and pesky rikti mentalists all get locked down.
using TD and MC in tandem, every other mob-set, you can have a hard hold up for every battle. your tank will think you're god, your healer will feel bored (if you bring a healer or tank, I've found that with 1 other troller, healing/tanking becomes superfluous).
Yes some mobs will hit each other and moderately detract from the xp... but unless you're in way way over your head, you'll never wipe. No death & fast mop-ups = great xp, and alternating mass confusion and total domination every other battle, lets you bring potent 'hold' power to every battle. In groups where the mission just isn't that challenging, you can skip your MC punch and just save it for that accidental pull which might otherwise be disasterous. When you don't 'need' MC it makes things nice & fast & tidy. When you get in over your head, it can turn the tide of battle even more dramatically than fulcrum shift. I gotta say mass confusion is an absolute must-have power, second only to TD in the mind set.
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single target confusion is one which I have kept on my 50. I could easily see swapping it out for another power. but I find it quite useful. when preparing to hit an AV, I just confuse all the adds around it, and thin them out while everyone else waits for their best powers to recharge. During a battle gone haywire (or when mobs are just horribly scattered to start with and you lack a tank with herding instinct) you can spam dominate & confuse alternating with the tab key. This isn't instant, but very quickly quells the enemy into a more cooperative state. If you see a rikti guardian, confuse it. He will heal you and buff your friends.If you see a single mob outside the kill zone, you can make him 'want' to run up to his pals before the shooting starts. I can't say there is any life-or-death need for it, but I find a lot of utility in all sorts of situations for single target confuse. It also makes just about anything solo-able if you don't mind a slow grind.
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gale... if you take telekinesis, then most of what gale does becomes obsolete. It can help blow extra mobs into a TK bundle though. Also, around christmas time, its fun to open rooftop presents, and when the angry snowmen pop out, just blow them off the building =)
if it were at all possible, i'd skip gale, but it isn't. I really don't use it much. The very most common use i get out of gale is to sandwich a single mob between me and my lightning storm, and gale them back to it when they get knocked clear.
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O2 boost, I'd say this, like single target confuse, is optional, but oh so very useful really. if you group in small numbers (say 2-4) its very helpful. If you are a bit higher level than some of the others in the group, it becomes much more powerful since the heal % scales favorably. with good controlling, it can help make going without a healer much more workable. Just always remember to do your controlling job first, then heal where needed afterwards. Its a better use of your endurance than attacking individual targets with dmg late in the fray. and in a mixed team, it helps a brute forgive you for all that holding 
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Your words on thunderclap just perfectly describe my own experience with it. It looks so cool, and it can help out in a pinch... but its just not part of a solid trolling grind in mind/storm. I keep specing in & out of it too. If they'd let me do the animation, as a powerless emote, then I think i could finally just put it to rest.
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Levitate - I don't pvp much, but levitate is really nice there. the knockup magnitude is high enough to get through most kb-resist without slotting, with slotting (and maybe power boost) it really makes a ragdoll out of your targets. This is a great alternative to actual 'holds' for targets which are highly resistant. just keep them off their feet! I took the power epic pool, the single target attack in that also has a mild knockback. combined this can sort of stack up as a whole seperate form of control.
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one thing I wanted to make very clear about freezing rain... It has powerful -def and -resist on its targets. Any blaster who critisized you for using it probably doesn't understand what it does before the mobs scatter. With terrify, i find that freezing rain increases the hit rate and dmg numbers such that it makes it almost 2x as effective as an attack. it makes minions slip & fall, it slows dramatically... its godly. As a blaster on an alt, when i team with a stormy, i wait till i see that white patch on the ground and then cut loose with my best aoe attacks. phenomenal damage. Ideally, mobs with a hard hold (MC/TD) will be unable to leave the kill zone anyway. Actually MC/TD makes freezing rain that much 'better'.
and snowstorm... it's not just 62% slow to movement, its 62% slow to the mobs recharge rate. That's like giving your whole team 62% resistance to all attack forms from the effected mobs. it's an absolute must have. stack it with freezing rain and you'll have great hold power based on slow rather than psi. great alternative trolling power, and great for bulk numbers of unexpected adds, and great for when the group attacks and your MC and TD were both still down.
Snow+FR = slow cap, huge attack-rate debuff, massive -resist/-def, moderate aoe dmg, and some slip&fall. tis uber.
I don't slot snow storm. the best bit is the -recharge, which is not enhanceable. Snowstorm is a wonderful power with just 1 end reducer in it. freezing rain is worth slotting heavily to make it a really potent combo though.
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tornado - it kills AV's, GM's, and PVPers. its probably a must-have pvp power. in a teaming build its usually more trouble than it's worth. very good on targets which can't be tossed though. or in pvp. great damage & debuffs. I've found it can be used with great effect if you team with say an earth controller, or ice, or anyone who can root all the mobs in place. I don't have it in my build currently, since i mostly team, and its fairly situation-specific.
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Lightning storm... wonderful power. superb power. with hasten, -recharge, max dmg, and some -recharge IO bonuses, I can maintain 2 lightning storms uninterupted. the knockdown from 2 storms gets to be quite overwhelming on single hard targets, almost negating any need to control them. its oh so tasty in pvp. I love my lightning!
yeah, it knocks things out of the kill box... its best to set up well overhead to make more of a 'knock-down' effect, or around the periphery to knock runners back into the kill box. Its best in the 2nd half of the brawl, when things start to scatter some naturally, and you can plant it right in the middle without messing anything up. it does a dandy job of mopping up stragglers. against an AV, my 2 storms are about 75% of my damage output.
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steamy mist... is great. must have. stealth, +def, +resistance... for everybody.. yes please. take steamy mist, get a stealth IO for hover/fly/jumping/tp/etc pow, instant invisibility. it takes resist IO's it takes def IO's I've got a kismet & a luck of the gambler and an aegis all in it. with hover & temp invulnerability its one of my 3 constant combat toggles. and they all make me less squishy =)
seriously though, this isn't one to pass up. its twice as strong as maneuvers in defense bonus. and it has 15% +resistance (to fire, cold, and energy, all common attacks) and gives group stealth. its hugely superior to maneuvers, and most other group buffing powers. it looks pretty. it's not an absolute must have, but it'd be such a shame to pass on it when its right there in your power set. (it is end hoggy untill slotted, i agree, its better to get after you get Stamina).
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on travel powers which compliment or epic powers which go well with mind-storm. i'll take a stab at it.
You need stamina & hasten. these aren't really optional for this set. that said i'll move on =)
hover - this one gives you a vantage from which to coordinate your controlling well. you can place your storms better with it, and get a little more utility out of TK. you can find the perfect angle & range to drop your terrify as well. And you float just out of mele range making you less squishy. its low end cost, slotted up its fairly quick, and it'll hold luck of the gambler & a stealth with 3 speed IO's. I just can't say how much easier it makes life with this set. of course hover goes best with teleport or fly. but really any travel power you enjoy could work, but hover is worth a look regardless of your traveling power choice.
I found the best utility in the ice mastery & primal forces mastery epic pools. the ice's strongest power is hybernate, which is like phase shift, except with super-regen & recharge. Its really nice, particularly when dying still means something to your xp. I cant count how often I hibernated & tp'd out the instant it dropped to escape impossible odds in one piece.
I use the primal forces set. Power boost can be made to come up in time for each battle, which means all your holds just got 50% more effective. conserve power is up about 45% of the time, and makes endurance related downtime a non-issue (also makes TK a lot more end-friendly). power blast is a nice single attack with moderate knockback which goes well when alternated with levitate, and a couple lightning storms for some really crazy corner knockback stacking. tp foe someone into that...
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what did I pass on? mesmerize, hurricane, thunderclap, & tornado. mesmerize being useless once past low level, the 3 storm powers all being quite useful, but somewhat situational and/or redundant to other powers.
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anyway, sorry to carry on so long. I really like your guide, and I hope i've only added viewpoints here, not detracting from the original post, which is the best guide I've seen.
Katerinae
Virtue Heroes of note:
Katerinae, Luci Ferre, Shinigami's Kiss, Dark Invokation, Cerulean Twilight, Side effect, Cheshire Noir
Virtue Villains of note:
- Black Dragon, Raven Sterling, Domina Procella, Inertia K., Vivian Revenio, Charlotte Arachne, Doll Parts, Fierce Orchid, Theta Charge
Well since this is the only Mind/Storm guide I saw (and no builds were posted) I'd like some feedback on this build I made. She's a lowbie atm but I plan on PvP'ing and remain effective in PvE with her, so any feedback would be welcome, as well as criticizing the order I picked my powers 
. I put some KB enhancers on some powers thinking about the incoming nerf to acrobatics, besides trying not to make a bank-breaker build (I'm sure that when I hit 50 I may be able to afford at least a confuse purple set but didn't put it for now).
Hero Plan by Mids' Hero Designer 1,30
http://www.honourableunited.org.uk/mhd.php
Mesmerizer Selkie: Level 50 Magic Controller
Primary Power Set: Mind Control
Secondary Power Set: Storm Summoning
Power Pool: Speed
Power Pool: Leaping
Power Pool: Fitness
Ancillary Pool: Ice Mastery
Hero Profile:
Level 1: Mesmerize -- Decim-Acc/Dmg:40(A), Decim-Dmg/EndRdx:40(3), Decim-Dmg/Rchg:40(3), Decim-Acc/EndRdx/Rchg:40(5), Decim-Acc/Dmg/Rchg:40(5)
Level 1: Gale -- FrcFbk-Rechg%:50(A), FrcFbk-Acc/KB:50(7), KinCrsh-Acc/KB:50(7)
Level 2: Dominate -- Decim-Acc/Dmg:40(A), Decim-Dmg/EndRdx:40(9), Decim-Dmg/Rchg:40(11), Decim-Acc/EndRdx/Rchg:40(13), Decim-Acc/Dmg/Rchg:40(15)
Level 4: Levitate -- Thundr-Acc/Dmg:50(A), Thundr-Acc/Dmg/Rchg:50(9), Thundr-Acc/Dmg/EndRdx:50(11), Thundr-Dmg/EndRdx/Rchg:50(13), Thundr-Dmg/Rchg:50(15), KBDist-I:50(17)
Level 6: Snow Storm -- TmpRdns-Rng/Slow:50(A), TmpRdns-Acc/EndRdx:50(19), TmpRdns-EndRdx/Rchg/Slow:50(19), TmpRdns-Acc/Dmg/Slow:50(23), TmpRdns-Dmg/Slow:50(23)
Level 8: Confuse -- Mlais-Acc/Rchg:50(A), Mlais-Acc/EndRdx:50(17), Mlais-Conf/Rng:50(31), Mlais-Acc/Conf/Rchg:50(31), Mlais-Dam%:50(33)
Level 10: Hasten -- RechRdx-I:50(A), RechRdx-I:50(33), RechRdx-I:50(37)
Level 12: Combat Jumping -- Krma-ResKB:30(A), Ksmt-ToHit+:30(37)
Level 14: Super Jump -- Jump-I:50(A), Jump-I:50(39)
Level 16: Freezing Rain -- LdyGrey-DefDeb:50(A), LdyGrey-DefDeb/Rchg:50(34), LdyGrey-DefDeb/Rchg/EndRdx:50(34), LdyGrey-DefDeb/EndRdx:50(34), TmpRdns-Acc/Slow:50(36), TmpRdns-Acc/Dmg/Slow:50(36)
Level 18: Hurdle -- Jump-I:50(A), Jump-I:50(21)
Level 20: Health -- Heal-I:50(A), Numna-Heal:50(21), Numna-Heal/EndRdx:50(29)
Level 22: Stamina -- Efficacy-EndMod:50(A), Efficacy-EndMod/Acc:50(29), Efficacy-EndMod/Rchg:50(31)
Level 24: Hurricane -- DarkWD-ToHitDeb:50(A), DarkWD-ToHitDeb/EndRdx:50(25), DarkWD-Rchg/EndRdx:50(25), DarkWD-ToHitDeb/Rchg:50(27), KBDist-I:50(27)
Level 26: Terrify -- Posi-Acc/Dmg:50(A), Posi-Acc/Dmg/EndRdx:50(39), Posi-Dmg/EndRdx:50(39), Posi-Dmg/Rchg:50(40), Abys-Acc/Fear/Rchg:50(43), N'mare-Acc/Fear/Rchg:50(43)
Level 28: Steamy Mist -- TtmC'tng-ResDam:50(A), TtmC'tng-ResDam/EndRdx:50(33), TtmC'tng-ResDam/Rchg:50(36), Aegis-ResDam/EndRdx:50(37)
Level 30: Telekinesis -- EndRdx-I:50(A)
Level 32: Super Speed -- Run-I:50(A)
Level 35: Tornado -- FrcFbk-Dmg/KB:50(A), KinCrsh-Dmg/KB:50(42), FrcFbk-Dmg/EndRdx/KB:50(43), EdctM'r-Dmg:40(46)
Level 38: Lightning Storm -- Decim-Acc/Dmg:40(A), Decim-Dmg/EndRdx:40(40), Decim-Dmg/Rchg:40(40), Decim-Acc/EndRdx/Rchg:40(42), Decim-Acc/Dmg/Rchg:40(42)
Level 41: Hibernate -- EndRdx-I:50(A), EndRdx-I:50(45)
Level 44: Ice Blast -- Thundr-Acc/Dmg:50(A), Thundr-Acc/Dmg/Rchg:50(45), Thundr-Dmg/Rchg:50(45), Thundr-Acc/Dmg/EndRdx:50(46), P'ngTtl-Dmg/Slow:50(46)
Level 47: Ice Storm -- P'ngTtl-Acc/Slow:50(A), TmpRdns-Acc/Slow:50(48), Posi-Dmg/Rchg:50(48), Det'tn-Dmg/Rchg:50(48), AirB'st-Dmg/Rchg:50(50)
Level 49: O2 Boost -- Numna-Heal:50(A), Numna-Heal/Rchg:50(50), Numna-Heal/EndRdx/Rchg:40(50)
------------
Level 1: Brawl -- Empty(A)
Level 1: Sprint -- ULeap-Stlth:50(A)
Level 2: Rest -- RechRdx-I:50(A)
Level 1: Containment
------------
[u]Set Bonus Totals:[u]<ul type="square">[*]+2,5% DamageBuff[*]+5% Defense(Energy)[*]+7,65% Max Endurance[*]+23% Enhancement(Accuracy)[*]+2,5% Enhancement(Confused)[*]+33,8% Enhancement(RechargeTime)[*]+1,5% Enhancement(Slow)[*]+14% FlySpeed[*]+131 (10,9%) HitPoints[*]+14% JumpSpeed[*]+Knockback (Mag -4)[*]+MezResist(Immobilize) (Mag 8,25%)[*]+MezResist(Sleep) (Mag 2,2%)[*]+18,5% Recovery[*]+32% Regeneration[*]+1,58% Resistance(Fire)[*]+1,58% Resistance(Cold)[*]+14% RunSpeed[/list]
<font class="small">Code:[/color]<hr /><pre>| Copy & Paste this data chunk into Mids' Hero Designer to view the build |
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Sorry for this belated reply, but they have just now thrown 3 free days my way . So, I want to thank Katerinae because I definatly agree with what she's added. Kio welcome to a very fun build, and I hope the guide can help. As for pvp, I have tried it once Az reached 50 and all I can add to your build is that 1. I would get ride of O2 boost 2. and instead get tp foe. The only reason for this is that in pvp I find that (while kind of low) it's best to tp isolated foes in to a pre made freezing rain, LS, Tornado, tele combo(be in a corner). They will instantly be slowed by the rain and stunned by the tornado while you go to town with tele and other attacks. (Just make sure you bring blues, lots of blues!) With that said, I find pvp to be a trivial as a mind/storm, it's sort of fun, but I think the real action for the set is in pve imho.
-Az
I just wanted to add a few things since i've had almost a year to rethink a few details and try various specs out.
I ended up dropping O2 boost. I don't think its a bad heal really, I used to have it 5 slotted with doctored wounds (can never have too much recharge bonus ), the trouble with O2 boost is that when someone's in trouble, you can get caught in an endless cycle of spamming O2 on them to keep them alive, instead of reaching for your powerful control abilities which will ultimately do more to keep your teammate alive. I'd keep it if i was fond of small groups though, or duo'd a lot. the more people in your group, the more your aoe control powers take precedent over a single target heal.
I also dropped single target confuse. Its a fun power, and there's lots of 'spot' uses for it, but ultimately I needed the space for other powers which I think add more to the character's ability. So for both O2 boost and single target confuse, i've succumbed to traditional wisdom
mass confusion on the other hand is one of my staple powers and is totally indispensable. without all three (MH, TD, and MC) how are you gonna have brutal aggro-less aoe control power up every 45 seconds?
Other changes, I respec'd into tornado. its 4 slotted 2dmg/2rech. I find it is usefull. you can put it on doors that need beating down, on AV's which can't be knocked around, or if any other player in the group has an aoe imob, those typically also have -KB, which will make them sit tight and take some tornado abuse. Also, sometimes you'll be teamed with an NRG blaster, or a peacebringer who thinks that scattering the mobs as soon as possible with his 'boom' is a good idea, even if they're all still half alive and really mad. Note: the scattering 'boom' powers aren't bad powers, but players with those powers should wait till the targets' health is eaten down enough that it will actually kill most of them OR wait for someone to cast an aoe imob. They don't always show this foresight... so now you've heard everything, a stormy whining about scattering mobs anyway, if you're on that 'not so aoe-savy' team, or things just degenerate into a mess when someone's pet runs wild, whatever... tornado and lightning storm are powers which are at home in utter chaos.
I also respec'd into hurricane. Honestly the number one reason *not* to have hurricane was that my old graphics card was laggy, and in a battle i'd often overshoot my intended movements with hurricane, which just made things a mess. Now with 8800 GTS, hurricane is back in my spec, and gees that to hit debuff is NICE.
Also i wanted to clarify about mass hypnosis, i said something about stacking magnitudes, this is incorrect. magnitudes don't stack between different hold types (sleep/stun/imob/hold/confuse/etc.) What mass hypnosis does is hit with a mag 4 aoe sleep... which will sleep bosses in one hit. and it is 'aggro-less'... that means that if you use mass hypnosis before using total domination... you eliminate 95% of all the alpha damage you'd normally take. the only damage you'll take, is from bosses who were hit by your total domination, but able to withstand it with their mag3 status resist. Just target the boss ahead of time, mass hyp, total dom, then single target dom the boss and the hold effect will stack up to mag 6. the boss will get off a single ranged attack at you, and that's pretty much all the alpha you have to worry about. I have found that this can actually aggravate a tanker... nobody likes to feel unneeded. Just let them know if there's an AV battle that they'll be the superstar (and don't mention anything about how you'll be nullifying all the adds and ambushes around the AV while your nados & lightning & debuffs will be beating the AV up ) seriously though, tanks can be useful, especially if they know how to herd and round up mobs. sadly, many don't, so i tend to drift on ahead of the team incapacitating everything in sight while they're still semi-grouped together.
and how about that levitate? bit of an underappreciated power really. put enough KB slotting in it, and you can get even foes with a lot of KB resist up in the air. knock up/down/back is a great short term spot use control, plus it does dmg. I chain dominate (containment, yes please), levitate, and power blast, in a 123,123,123 seamless casting chain.
lastly, I wanted to point out something which isn't immediately obvious... 'confuse' does not set up containment. holds do, sleeps do, stuns do, etc. confuse doesn't. which... means that using mass hypnosis with confuse can be a good idea... the sleep sets up containment, and then you hit em with terrify at double dmg. also, on the subject of mass confusion, the fear effect in terrify greatly decreases mob-to-mob aggression since they're all waiting to be hit before they can hit back. it nullifies most of the already minor xp loss.
and on the subject of terrify, it is one of 2 powers worth putting a dmg proc IO into. the other being freezing rain. terrify hits up to 16 targets every time you fire it, that means every use of the power you'll get several procs to go off for each chance for dmg IO slotted. I have a 5 slotted positrons blast set with the chance for dmg there, and 1 glimpse of the abyss damage proc IO as well. typically 3-9 procs of 70dmg per firing of terrify. Freezing rain is even better, it has an unlimited number of targets, as many villains as you can fit on the head of a pin AND... chance for dmg IO's roll once every 10.5 seconds in an ongoing attack like freezing rain. FR lasts 30 seconds so that's 1 round of proc rolls when you start it, another at 10.5 secs into it, and another at 21 seconds into it. that's 3 rolls per mob in the aoe, per IO. and you can slot up to 3 different chance for dmg IO's into it. Doesn't get much better than that for maximizing chance for dmg IO's. I use 2, cuz i really like having positron's blast set 5 slotted for the set bonuses.
Of interest to those chosing an AT: Based on my experience with mind/storm, i did level up a carefully planned out fire/storm troller. The fire/storm troller is able to make good use of the stun in thunderclap, has an aoe imob for tornado, and the imps do serious damage. My fire/storm is much more soloable, does considerably more damage, and is fearsome in pvp. But, my original mind/storm troller is still superior for all out control, and is more useful to large teams.
Virtue Heroes of note:
Katerinae, Luci Ferre, Shinigami's Kiss, Dark Invokation, Cerulean Twilight, Side effect, Cheshire Noir
Virtue Villains of note:
- Black Dragon, Raven Sterling, Domina Procella, Inertia K., Vivian Revenio, Charlotte Arachne, Doll Parts, Fierce Orchid, Theta Charge
I very much agree with what you added. I also respec'd out of O2 boost, it's great for teaming as I mention, but not a necessity, and I never thought much of single target confuse. I also completely agree with your last comment. This was my first char also, and there is nothing like being on a team and just dominating!
[ QUOTE ]
This attack is especially useful when fighting machines (like clock work) since they are highly resistant to your psy damage.
[/ QUOTE ]
Well... actually... you chose the worst example since clockworks are VULNERABLE to psy damage.
From paragon wiki:
[ QUOTE ]
Clockwork Minions are weak, and vulnerable to most damage. They are, however, resistant to Lethal damage and Disorient, and are very vulnerable to Psionic damage, Sleep and Knockback.
[/ QUOTE ]
Though I'm pretty sure you must be right about the other REAL robots 
The ultimate guide to Trolling the good ole Fashion way!
Azoths mystical guide to Mind/Storm trolling and you!!
This guide is pretty specifically meant for those pursuing a mind/storm controller though some of the info is useful for each individual set on a defender, or dom.
I know you are reading this and thinking, hmmm #1: Why in the world would I ever want to play a freaking controller??? They have the lowest damage output and defense in the game, and they are only fun when you get the pet, and wait a minute, Mind does not even get a pet!!!!-- If you are coming into this guide with THAT kind of mentality then you can leave because you are too ignorant to enjoy the magical world of trolling and I am sorry for you!
What part do I want to play?
Well first you have to understand what ATs you like playing. I find that the ATs people are particularly interested in really reflect who they are. For example, I am what some my call, a little anal, I like things a certain way, I like making sure everyone is happy. So obviously I am going to like trolling. Now if this theory holds true, then MY ex-girlfriend would most likely play a corruptor, and thats ok, what ever floats your boat. Just know that as a controller, you are going to be ignored some times; people are uneducated. But thats why we are here to change their minds!
Mind and Storm, what on odd combo you say??
Well I created this character purely for concept, Az was the first character I ever made and I grew to love him. Controllers do take time; you need to be ready to donate some serious hours to make it past those slow days of playing but keep at it. The minute people see that you are a storm troller they instantly think of knock back and death. This is because there are stupid people out there who play the set wrong and give us a bad name. In my mid 20s I had to take the fact I was a storm troller out of my find info cause people were ignoring me; but through this guide you will learn to storm troll to the utmost.
Mind, no pet, no thanks.
I realize that it lacks that flashy tier 9 pet, but let me tell you, the majority of controller pets act like they are being controlled by sugar hyped 4 year olds. DO you really want a walking rock, or a retarded snowman?? =) not to knock the other sets but you are really not missing out on all that much, plus what mind lacks in its tier nine it makes up for with a slew of extremely powerful holds! As well in the later levels storm more then compensates for lack of pet.