About the stormy part, i can't really answer because I've never played one. However...
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Uhm.... also as a general PvP etiquette question, is it taboo to utilize the NPCs in the zone to your advantage? I started a fight near a group of Longbow and the person seemed very upset about it.
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I can answer this part though.
It depends on which way you look at it. One view is the "Anything goes" mentality, if you utilize the NPCs to help neutralize your opponent that is an option and you can do so.
Another way of looking at it, is that you're considered a "noob" because you had to rely on NPCs to do some of your dirty work and you're not a "true" pvper or don't have real "skill".
Personally, give how overpowered the longbow NPCs and the heavies are in PvP, I'd considered a little bit of a dick move but on the flip side, if I see someone purposely trying to bait me into fighting them by the NPCs I'm gonna keep my distance. Just because of how blatantly overpowered they are. If they don't wanna come away from the NPCs to fight me, then whatever, their loss. Some people however will raise all kind of hell because they just can't seem to stay away from the NPCs.
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How do other Stormies play in PvP? What are some strategies?
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They don't. I13 completely killed the storm set in PvP. They went from one of the most feared sets to a total joke. I personally haven't even touched mine since I13 came out.
Regarding NPC's, it's just part of the zones, unfortunately. So dealing with them is part of the gameplay. Like Alpha said, a good player will realize the NPC's are there and not get into the fight...or back off. While they do a lot of damage, they ARE just brainless NPC's. You make one jump away, and you're safe.
Wish you was in RV a few days ago when me and a few others had our stormies out. We had 1 emp and 5 stormies it was pure chaos for about 2 hours, the villians eventually push us back but it was fun as hell.
For the OP
Stormies are not what they use to be thanks to i13. I only bring my out when there's more then one or have a emp watching my back. As for tactics I try to keep tornado out as much as possible in case I get mez so I'm not easy stalker bait. Just run around hitting everyone with hurricane, spam gale like crazy, drop LS and freeze rain trying to debuff as many people possible. Since you are Storm/Energy I wouldn't worry to much about doing damage focus on your strengh just knock back people so they are easier to kill, will delay a few of them from hiting phase or hibernate. Storms are harder to pull off now but still fun with the right team. 
@Intro lolPvP
Storms in general were def one of the sets that got hit the hardest.
Mainly due to the fact that hurricane was pretty much the main reason to take it, since hurr is pretty useless for -tohitt and repel. It makes the set less appealing. with the additon to automatic mezes, retoggeling it is pretty annoying. With that said, i duel quite frequently with it in the arena. and it holds up fairly good against everything except something with pure endrain. where before you had slows and -tohitt to negate pretty much everything you fought, the playstyle has changed to doing decent damage and hoping you can keep something long enough around LS to end drain it. LS is still pretty beastly. but with slows nerfed, its alot harder to keep someone there for more then a few secs.
Is it completely gimp? i wouldn't say that
Gimp compared to before? yes
Still viable? yes in certain situations
In i12 Storm/nrg was a nice build, expecially withthe KB changes i12 brought. i13 hurt storms hardcore. I still play my storm/psi a bit, but he plays completely different:
1. Since defender secondaries suck for damage, you really need to rely on your storm powers more. With hurricane being hurt because of DR and such, this makes it quite difficult. My storm/psi basically lives and dies by lightning cloud and turtling. If you can end drain the opponent enough to toggle drop him (The only way to toggle drop anymore), then that is your best bet. Get him toggle dropped, have aim+PBU ready and hit him with everything you have. Slot for end drain/acc/recharge.
2. Tornado is almost necessary IMO. The i14 changes may fix this, but tornado's -def debuff (autohit BTW) really makes it easy to hit your opponent.
3. Couple quick notes: If you take the toggle resistance shield from the epic and have DR on - steamy mist only grants you like 3% resist. With Global resist bonus and resistance shield, you are pretty much covered. If you have stealth in your build (for phase), then skipping steamy mist is viable (I can't beleive I just said that).
4. I toggle off hurricane when mez supression wears off - that way its recharged by the time you get unmezzed. This is probably the most annoying part of storm and rad: the long cast toggles always dropping.
5. Forget about snow storm, almost everything has slow resistance. My friends fire/em tank didn't really notice my slows.
In my personal experience in i13 PvP..storms really took a beating. In the first wave of closed beta, storm was REALLY over powered because of the anti-spike code. they were then nerfed in the second wave, but still did well due to the anti-spike code. Once that was taken out, they really got hurt. Storm controllers are better than defenders because A)Unresistable debuffs are gone and B) the extra disruption utility of the controller set far outweighs the small damage defenders get from their secondaries.
Some general zone advice: Team and team somemore. Solo storms (Even good ones) will just soften up opponent while other solo players clean up the kills. Your roll is disruption. Your goal is to be annoying as hell. In reality, a good storm is the PvP version of a herding tank. I Say this because if every opponent is totally pissed off at being disrupted by you, then they are trying to kill you instead of everyone else.
Its very sad to play my storm now after seeing what a well balanced storm team can do - but they aren't totally worthless IMO. They are just not nearly as fun as before. But GL, feel free to PM me if you have more specific questions and ill try my best to answer them.
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Hi,
I'm not new to the game, but very new to PvP. I decided to take out my Storm/Energy Defender to RV tonight to see what the I13 changes were like.
I didn't expect to be able to take out anyone, but I did assume that my full set of Dark Watcher's Despair in Hurricane would debuff enough to shield me from a lot of unbuffed melee attacks. Did not. :P I was also a little freaked out that Hurricane suppressed my travel powers including Teleport.
How do other Stormies play in PvP? What are some strategies?
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As others have pointed out, storm is greatly diminished but still playable in i13. Don't expect to be able to run around solo handing out heads--not going to happen. As close support though, you can still bring a lot to the table.
Having the energy secondary, take power push as your main knockback tool, skipping gale. A well-timed knockback is great for stopping runners and often the only way you can get an opportunity to land a freezing rain.
The energy attack chain may only be defender dmg but against a debuffed or damaged target it can close the deal so don't skimp on the single target attacks.
You'll get AS'd through hurricane like it's not even there so get used to staying on the move.
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Uhm.... also as a general PvP etiquette question, is it taboo to utilize the NPCs in the zone to your advantage? I started a fight near a group of Longbow and the person seemed very upset about it.
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Someone will always be complaining about something in pvp zones. Do what you want, when you want and have fun.
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About the stormy part, i can't really answer because I've never played one. However...
[ QUOTE ]
Uhm.... also as a general PvP etiquette question, is it taboo to utilize the NPCs in the zone to your advantage? I started a fight near a group of Longbow and the person seemed very upset about it.
[/ QUOTE ]
I can answer this part though.
It depends on which way you look at it. One view is the "Anything goes" mentality, if you utilize the NPCs to help neutralize your opponent that is an option and you can do so.
Another way of looking at it, is that you're considered a "noob" because you had to rely on NPCs to do some of your dirty work and you're not a "true" pvper or don't have real "skill".
Personally, give how overpowered the longbow NPCs and the heavies are in PvP, I'd considered a little bit of a dick move but on the flip side, if I see someone purposely trying to bait me into fighting them by the NPCs I'm gonna keep my distance. Just because of how blatantly overpowered they are. If they don't wanna come away from the NPCs to fight me, then whatever, their loss. Some people however will raise all kind of hell because they just can't seem to stay away from the NPCs.
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I can see both sides as well, though if the build I'm playing is susceptible to the "2-hits I'm dead" scenario I'm all for using NPCs.
I've watched plenty of villians still attack despite NPCs because it is a challenge to see if they can still eliminate their target despite the odds.
Seriously though, anyone who decries one particular tactic over another is just making noise and ranting, it's all fair in zone PvP. I may rant about being AS'd by 3 Stalkers at the same time, or about base campers, but it's all part of the game. We each blow off steam in different ways, and if I can cause a few villians difficulties by standing amongst NPCs, well that's just a way of paying them back for the advantage they have over me.
Just enjoy the action and if you get too frustrated go back to PvE for a while. PvP should be fun for you, if it's not, try to make it fun by finding ways to make the villians work harder for the inevitable kill. Standing among the NPCs is one way to do that!
"It is that balance, the ground between EB and AV, where the PvP struggle should exist. Where a 1v1 becomes a struggle of equals, and 1vMany gives the benefit to the 1."
Freedom: Fireocity, Electro Imp, Gotya
Infinity: Meteor Storm, Mutai Kid, General Bot, Da Smasher
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Just enjoy the action and if you get too frustrated go back to PvE for a while. PvP should be fun for you, if it's not, try to make it fun by finding ways to make the villians work harder for the inevitable kill. Standing among the NPCs is one way to do that!
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This is the best advice I've seen for new PvP'rs.. Realize that you are going to take a beating, people have been PvP'ing since I4, so you WILL have to climb the learning curve. That being said, have fun, take your beatings, be graceful in doing so and you will get much better.
CoX is still a skill based PvP system (even if it is less so than before). Everyone can potentially have the exact same build, so skill is what stands out.
-Kiri
My Necro/Storm Mastermind is pretty brutal still. I still floor people bad enough they can't hit me (but I've got a lich and a defense shield). Not nearly as good as he once was though. I'd probably be better off with like Necro/Poison or even Necro/Pain Dom, but I'm not about to level and IO another MM as I don't have the drive anymore.
Hi,
I'm not new to the game, but very new to PvP. I decided to take out my Storm/Energy Defender to RV tonight to see what the I13 changes were like.
I didn't expect to be able to take out anyone, but I did assume that my full set of Dark Watcher's Despair in Hurricane would debuff enough to shield me from a lot of unbuffed melee attacks. Did not. :P I was also a little freaked out that Hurricane suppressed my travel powers including Teleport.
How do other Stormies play in PvP? What are some strategies?
Uhm.... also as a general PvP etiquette question, is it taboo to utilize the NPCs in the zone to your advantage? I started a fight near a group of Longbow and the person seemed very upset about it.