Storm/rad?
I played it for a long while, never got it to 50 though, but you can totally lay waste with freezing rain/irradiate combo, it destroys the defense of the enemy, while dealing pretty huge damage once well slotted. Tornado is a little bit harder to utilize, it becomes more of a "oh sh--" button". Rad is ok for AoE, but if you're looking for a fun build...that admittedly starts a bit slow, maybe storm/rad is good for you like it was for me!
I love my Storm/Electric. The power they make you take at lvl 1 is medium damage instead of light, which is always a great bonus. The set does decent damage, has a good hold in tesla cage, and of course there is the end drain. I didn't know how good that can be, specially if you ever want to PVP or at least defend yourself in PVP zones.
My storm/elec can take down almost anything, tanks, blasters, regen scrappers even. It's amazing. Storm does a great job of keeping you alive while the blasting powers makes sure they lose all the end really fast. It also works against bosses that can be tough to solo. Hurricane em into a corner and just go to town.
I played a Storm/Ice during Issue 12 beta, and it was just incredibly fun using the rain powers together, using the holds to keep bosses stuck for tornado and LS. If you don't want to try sonic or electric, that would be my recommendation blue side, unless you want to try a storm controller, mastermind, or corruptor.
I'd second a storm/ice. So many targeted AoE's it's tough to see anything through the orange number flying up when you drop it on a big spawn. I haven't bothered with the holds, but I run with SG mates primarily so haven't missed them.
I would third ice blast:
Freeze ray, single target hold
Frost breath, cone AoE with slow
Ice Storm, Killer targetted AoE
Blizzard, tremendous targetted AoE nuke
All of these powers are hurricane user friendly.
Triumphant Defenders Forever
Psylenz FF/Psi, ArticQuark Storm/Rad, Symon BarSisyphus Bots/psn, Max VanSydow Thugs/Dk, Cyclone Symon Bots/stm, Blue Loki Ice/Cd, Widow 46526
HelinCarnate:OMG it is so terrible. I have the option to take 3 more powers but no additional slots. Boo F'ing hoo.
While this is the defender forum, it might make sense to roll a storm focused Controller. It's a bit of a longer slog, but most of the Storm skills are good on controllers, in fact some are better due to -KB in their roots. I think it'd be cool to try to take a Defender playstyle and put it on a controller...
I suggest energy blast or ice blast. Ice blast because it doesn't get much better than freezing rain + ice storm, and energy blast because the combo has an unrivaled amount of positioning tools. I'm looking into bringing my old storm/energy out and getting him a new build.
My first 50 was a Storm/Elec, and my second 50 was a fire/storm troller. I happen to like the storm sets. heh
I did play a storm/ice for a bit, but deleted it because I couldn't focus on that toon. But lemme tell you.... It was an absolute blast!!! I had no problems soloing on it whatsoever. The slows from ice, plus the knockback from storm meant the melee baddies never got close enough to touch me! So, I add my vote to that pool!
Otherwise, if you go troller as someone suggested to try, fire/ works really well with it, in my experience. I also have an ice/storm troller in the 20's that's doing pretty well, but a lot of people also like illusion, or earth with storm.
@The Omega Elementress
Currently playing Project Willow lvl 50 DB/WP Incarnate Shifted Scrapper
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While this is the defender forum, it might make sense to roll a storm focused Controller. It's a bit of a longer slog, but most of the Storm skills are good on controllers, in fact some are better due to -KB in their roots. I think it'd be cool to try to take a Defender playstyle and put it on a controller...
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I have been trying to make Controllers ever since I got the game back in '04, but I haven't had much success. I don't think the playstyle of Controllers fits too well with what I find fun. I don't know what it is, but I just get bored quickly on Controllers.
I had looked into Fire/Storm, and I even got one to about level 14 before I got bored and deleted him, but the idea of using LS and Bonfire to knock baddies back and forth sounded really fun. I think if I could start a Controller at level 25 or so, I'd probably really like it, but I have yet to make it even close to 25 on any Controller.
I pretty much feel the same way about Corrupters. Though my experience with Corrupters is admittedly limited, I feel like Corrupters don't play much like Defenders at all, at least in the early levels. I feel like Dominators are much more analogous to Defenders, which probably explains why they are my favorite Villain AT.
It is sounding like the consensus is Storm/Ice. Frankly, even though I said I don't like Sonic, I expected everyone to come here and say, "Get over yourself! Storm/Sonic is the best!!!!!"
Storm/Ice and Storm/Energy were the top contenders in my own mind, and /Ice was leading because of the higher AoE potential, so I guess I am convinced. Storm/Ice it is.
With that in mind, anything I should know about Storm/Ice that will be better or worse than Storm/Dark? I'm liking the idea of Freeze Ray having a -KB component, but I'm still afraid I'll miss TT too much. I guess I should get off my butt and play the toon before I decide I don't like it, though, right? 
Bye, everybody!
*Champion*
What you are going to like is the burst damage in ice blast, the -speed component is more than a trifle, and of course the triple rain assault in a snowstorm.
Triumphant Defenders Forever
Psylenz FF/Psi, ArticQuark Storm/Rad, Symon BarSisyphus Bots/psn, Max VanSydow Thugs/Dk, Cyclone Symon Bots/stm, Blue Loki Ice/Cd, Widow 46526
HelinCarnate:OMG it is so terrible. I have the option to take 3 more powers but no additional slots. Boo F'ing hoo.
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Frankly, even though I said I don't like Sonic, I expected everyone to come here and say, "Get over yourself! Storm/Sonic is the best!!!!!"
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I can definitely see the argument of sonic being the best, but its lack of area damage has been getting to me lately. I plan to start using my storm/energy for normal missions and getting the storm/sonic when I know there's going to be a tough AV.
Energy has good AoE damage?
Bye, everybody!
*Champion*
Not super special omg awesome area damage, but energy torrent animates quickly and both area attacks can take some good procs. They also recharge quickly, unlike ice storm which, while awesome, can leave you hanging for awhile.
That's true. Ice Storm isn't something you can really spam. I suppose that's where Frost Breath comes in.
So, the $64,000 Question: How do you manage the KB from Energy, particularly in the AoE Blasts?
Energy Torrent only has a 60% chance to KB, which means it is built to scatter. I've never used Explosive Blast, but I understand the power knocks everything away from the center of the explosion, which sounds both awesome and difficult to control. All the other blasts have a chance to KB to varying degrees.
I love positioning tools. I am a big cheerleader for Gale, and I feel like I'm in the minority there. I like having options to move enemies where I want them. The thing is, most of the time, when I get them there, I want them to stay put. How do you do that when every blast can potentially move them again?
I know that tunnel vision helps. Pick a target, single-target-blast him until he is dead, then pick a new target. This doesn't stop the KB, but at least what you're knocking away is dying.
I'm not a big fan of single-target blasts, though. I love spamming AoEs, and it seems like the Energy AoEs do nothing good, because you can hit them all once, but then they're scattered, and you have to reposition them again before hitting them with another AoE.
Now, I've never really played Energy Blast, so I don't know if what I'm describing is anything like how it actually plays. I'm only extrapolating.
So, what's the secret? How do you play Energy Blast, actually use the Blasts regularly, and not cause scatter? For this question, assume you're out in the open with no convenient obstacles.
Bye, everybody!
*Champion*
Best storm advice you will ever receive: Put Gale on auto, target the tanker, and follow him around.
<_<
>_>
(As to the powersets, I don't have too much input, I've played exactly two ranged characters, not counting my MM and Crab, past level 20)
As a stormy who's teamed alot with an energy/energy blaster buddy... KB is something you have to plan on. For example, Target the freezing rain on the back end of the pack, or where you're going to be KB'ing them into. Having FR go up in the empty spot where all the mobs just were a second ago is a bit frustrating.
Also I'd imagine that as a storm/energy blaster you'd be best off learning how to use superspeed and reposition constantly. KB them one way, KB them the other way - if no walls are available. Big open maps with lots of spawns are the bane of my storm and my energy blaster buddy really. We have to watch the angle of attack so that one spawn isnt knocked into another one and so on and so on, until you get overwhelmed.
Huricane herding and hurricane tanking are great, but you can only do so much.
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So, the $64,000 Question: How do you manage the KB from Energy, particularly in the AoE Blasts?
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Well first off, the knockback in explosive blast is NOT an explosion out from the target of your blast. It's based on the target's direction from you just like every other knockback power in the game.
On indoor maps and caves you should be able to control it pretty easily using walls. If you're in a hallway, just get on one side of the enemies and throw them to one side of the hall.
Big nature-ey outdoor maps are tougher. If you hover above the enemies, then your knockback will be directioned towards the ground so they won't go very far. You can also use hurricane + super speed to get them thrown back together pretty quickly. It sometimes might be best to hold back, but that's par for the course on any storm summoning character.
I've got a level 50 Storm/Dark that I absolutely love. I really love everything about the character, and I think it's the most fun toon I've ever made.
I've been getting bored in the game lately, so I've been considering making a new Storm/* toon, but I'm torn about what secondary to take. I'm worried that I've been spoiled by /Dark with its Tentacles. TT + Hurricane is all kinds of awesome, and I don't know if I'll even like Storm as much without the immobilize. I certainly might, but it's still a concern of mine.
So, with that said, I would appreciate any advice for what set to pair with Storm that isn't Dark. What I want is something that works well with Storm (for example: no long rooting animations), and AoE attacks are much preferred.
I know a lot of people like Storm/Sonic, but I've never found Sonic Blast to be fun, so it'll take a very persuasive argument to win me over to Sonic. Electric isn't really my thing, either, since I don't particularly care about endurance draining. I could be convinced, but it'll be much like Sonic, an uphill battle.
I have no reservations for any of the other sets, so what would be a good pairing, and more importantly, why? Dazzle me with stories of the greatness of Storm/(good blast set)!
Bye, everybody!
*Champion*