Please, Unleash Your Inner Earth/Storm Controller!

I don't wish to single a player out for ridicule, especially since this guy was a nice guy and he stuck with us through a tough mission against +4s.

But I have to tell somebody.

Was on a team that decided intentionally to take on a tough mission (+4 Crey, Paragon Protectors and Crey Tanks) despite having little in the way of synergy/support characters. We were all damage dealers save for one lower-level tank (who would be facing +5s) and one lone Controller.

But the Controller was Earth/Storm.

There was a lament that we couldn't get any Defenders, but I expressed confidence that Earth/Storm is a really strong Controller build.

But when we got into the mission: no Steamy Mist (and we're getting a lot of Energy and Cold damage), no Quicksand or Earthquake (and we're having trouble hitting), no stuns, no holds, no Freezing Rain! No Hurricane, Tornado, or Immobilize when we're in trouble and getting defeated.

What's he doing?

He's spamming O2 Boost to try and keep the team healed.

He did use the pet, and he put up Lightning Storm from time to time, which in itself was surprisingly helpful, knocking down clusters of purple bad guys. But nothing else.

So I sent him a nice /tell to avoid making a public complaint and suggested he break out his full suite of powers. He (very politely) asked if I thought I could survive without O2 Boost. I offered to try my damnedest (note: I was on a Willpower Scrapper, extra healing was of limited effect).

Now things did start to improve -- but I didn't get to see much more, or talk to the player about it, unfortunately.

Unbeknownst to me, my spouse was in the other room communicating with my ISP, and persuaded them to troubleshoot the system, involving my having to check connections of cables and cords and ultimately including a request that we shut down everything for five minutes and reset the modem and router. It was a good long while before I came back to the game.

Anyway, if that player reads this and recognizes the situation, the answer is not "you are a bad player," and it's not "you should be a weak healer when the team is in trouble."

The answer is, you are an Earth/Storm Controller. All the earth and the sky above are your birthright! Be what you were born to be -- a GOD! Crush your enemies in stone and soil, flay them with the winds of chaos!

Once you've got the enemies trapped, held, debuffed, slowed, stunned, and knocked down, the Scrappers will know what to do. And we won't be waiting for a heal.

Oh. My. Goodness.

Don't get me wrong, 02 Boost can save you from teetering over the brink, but it is a weenie heal, more useful for innoculating against End Drain from Carnies and Sappers than team healing. So there is a problem right there--- play an Emp if your Emp-hasis ( ) is restoring Health.

You have the power of the Earth and the Storm! Use it!

Break out the Freezing Rain. Always. No excuse for that. VERY powerful debuffs, and puts baddies on their keisters a lot, too. Afraid of return fire? Stand around the corner under cover when you put it down.

Ditto for Earthquake and Quicksand. Why would you NOT deploy those??

Now if you are going to use Lightning Storm and Tornado, it is very helpful to apply Stone Cages to keep baddies from being thrown about. But the graphics are huge, etc., and some folks do not like to blot out the screen. Okay, I understand that. But in a case where the bad guys are ripping the team apart, flinging the baddies on their head is GREAT idea when the team is about to die. Hit Stalagmites and try to stun them. ANYTHING. But don't just spam 02!

I have played Earth/Storm to 50 on two different servers, and I cannot say enough great things about it. What you have described is akin to a Claws Scrapper using Brawl exclusively.

If you are about to die, and I see it, I have 02 bound to my numberpad, so if you are Team Slot 2, I hit 2 and you will get 02'd, and I hope you live. But I will proceed with my Controlling duties, ie, I am not spamming 02 to keep you upright. I can give you a bandaid, but that is it, hope you make it, because...

I will be too busy bringing out a cloud that goes ZOT! on the bad guys and grinding them to immobilized powder with a tornado in the midst of freezing rain and quicksand.

I have to agree, I take O2 boost, because there are times when it is exactly what you want. Mostly though my Earth/Storm doesn't ever need it. Especially against Crey, they should have been emasculated with just Earthquake and Freezing Rain followed up with Stalagmites and some choice holds.

earth/storm can hold sooo much more then its given...the amount of chaos it gives is crazy mad.

i dont think i ever "tried" to be a healer...hell half the time i got soo many goodies i forget theres a heal there

Heck, you don't play Earth/Storm to heal. You play it because of its awesome powers! Nothing wrong with enjoying healing, I just hope you were able to show him how much FUN his character could be if he opened himself up to his other abilities.

It makes me sad sometimes that folks - maybe especially stormers - are so afraid that someone will die "on their watch" and that they'll be kicked from groups, that they demote themselves to healspam. Forget that it's bad strategy - it's not much FUN. The game was designed to free us from that sort of monotony.

Wow, nice response to Earth/Storms here. I've been looking for a nice controller build to level and then I thought about Earth/Storm but I didn't know whether it would actually be any good. But after the love shown here, I'm definitely going to roll one

Yoshi, it's crazy powerful as a lockdown controller. If the player referenced in the OP had known what he was about, he never would have needed O2 boost.

I deliberately DON'T take O2 on my stormies because it such a sad little heal. Why kiss boo-boos when my time can be better spend uncorking some proper whop-***?

I'd rather be dropping some +disorient, but hey, I'm a very porsitive kind of person.

I never liked tstorm. The animation takes soooooo loooooong.

First, LOVE storm.

Second:

Was grouped last night on MY Earth Storm. Doing some AE (NOT 'bubbles') and was with a Storm/rad defender! What a great combo!

Team leader asked, "Do we need a healer?". To which the STORM DEFENDER REPLIED, "Yes!"

I said that storm defenders were great at protecting teams, but she claimed 02 Boost wasn't enough (but, don't worry folks, she picked up the medicine pool!)

She didn't use a single rad blast power. All she died was follow us along and cast O2 boost, Stimulant and Aid other. I tried to drop a few hints but to no effects. I quit because I just couldn't take it.

I only take O2 at the end of my build. I use it for pet heal only. You'll never see me trying to heal a party when I can do much more with my control powers. I've leveled Ice / Storm and I'm now playing Plant / Storm and Earth / Storm. I've even rolled a Fire / Storm but havn't put much time into him in about 2 months. # / Storm is powerful and O2 is nothing more than a cheap Break Free for the team. That's it.

I take O2 Boost for the added protection from end drain and it further helps keep Stoney vertical. Earth/storm has enough control that you can skip powers to free up others like O2 Boost.

All this said, could some of you post up your builds please? I'm pretty excited about my earth/storm!

Here is the build I'm working with. Hope it helps!

( I don't slot sets while I'm playing with builds )

Hero Plan by Mids' Hero Designer 1.401
http://www.cohplanner.com/

Click this DataLink to open the build!

Stone Storm: Level 50 Magic Controller
Primary Power Set: Earth Control
Secondary Power Set: Storm Summoning
Power Pool: Leaping
Power Pool: Fitness
Ancillary Pool: Stone Mastery

Hero Profile:
Level 1: Fossilize -- Acc-I(A), Dmg-I(3), Dmg-I(3), Dmg-I(7), RechRdx-I(9), Hold-I(15)
Level 1: Gale -- Acc-I(A)
Level 2: Stone Cages -- Acc-I(A), Dmg-I(5), Dmg-I(9), Dmg-I(11), RechRdx-I(37)
Level 4: Snow Storm -- EndRdx-I(A), EndRdx-I(5)
Level 6: Quicksand -- RechRdx-I(A), RechRdx-I(7), Slow-I(11)
Level 8: Combat Jumping -- EndRdx-I(A)
Level 10: Hurdle -- Jump-I(A)
Level 12: Stalagmites -- Acc-I(A), Dmg-I(13), Dmg-I(13), Dmg-I(34), RechRdx-I(37), Dsrnt-I(40)
Level 14: Super Jump -- Jump-I(A), Jump-I(15)
Level 16: Freezing Rain -- Acc-I(A), RechRdx-I(17), RechRdx-I(17), DefDeb-I(19), DefDeb-I(19), DefDeb-I(25)
Level 18: Health -- Heal-I(A)
Level 20: Stamina -- EndMod-I(A), EndMod-I(21), EndMod-I(21)
Level 22: Steamy Mist -- EndRdx-I(A), DefBuff-I(23), DefBuff-I(23), DefBuff-I(46)
Level 24: Earthquake -- RechRdx-I(A), RechRdx-I(25), RechRdx-I(27), DefDeb-I(31), DefDeb-I(46)
Level 26: Acrobatics -- EndRdx-I(A), EndRdx-I(27)
Level 28: Volcanic Gasses -- Acc-I(A), RechRdx-I(29), RechRdx-I(29), Hold-I(43), Hold-I(46)
Level 30: Stone Prison -- Acc-I(A), RechRdx-I(31), Dmg-I(31)
Level 32: Animate Stone -- Acc-I(A), Dmg-I(33), Dmg-I(33), Dmg-I(33), Dsrnt-I(34), Dsrnt-I(34)
Level 35: Tornado -- RechRdx-I(A), RechRdx-I(36), DefDeb-I(36), Dmg-I(36), Dmg-I(37)
Level 38: Lightning Storm -- Acc-I(A), Dmg-I(39), Dmg-I(39), Dmg-I(39), RechRdx-I(40), RechRdx-I(40)
Level 41: Fissure -- Acc-I(A), Dmg-I(42), Dmg-I(42), Dmg-I(42), RechRdx-I(43), Dsrnt-I(43)
Level 44: Rock Armor -- EndRdx-I(A), DefBuff-I(45), DefBuff-I(45), DefBuff-I(45)
Level 47: Earth's Embrace -- RechRdx-I(A), RechRdx-I(48), RechRdx-I(48), Heal-I(48), Heal-I(50)
Level 49: O2 Boost -- Heal-I(A), Heal-I(50), Heal-I(50)
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Level 1: Brawl -- Dmg-I(A)
Level 1: Sprint -- Run-I(A)
Level 2: Rest -- RechRdx-I(A)
Level 1: Containment

I made a few different choices than Pans. His looks like more of a solo build, while mine is a team-focused build. I made this build with no purple sets, but my final build will have some. I went with Hasten/Super Speed for travel, because Steamy+Super Speed gives full invisibility PLUS I like SS for the maneuverability on a Stormy -- Hurricane + Super Speed allows you to herd by pushing the stragglers into the group (while debuffing their ToHit). SS also allows me to run it, fire off Lightning Storm or Thunderclap, and then run out quickly.

I delayed Snow Storm. While I love it on other Storm controllers, Earth has Quicksand with its massive -ToHit Debuff. Snow Storm gives you some nice -Recharge, but I didn't think I needed two AoE slow powers leveling up, and I find more uses for Quicksand (like, under every AoE control I use). O2 Boost is useful on a team-oriented build, but I wish I could have put more slots into it. I could have given up a damage proc or two from Freezing Rain or Volcanic Gasses I suppose, but those are nice where they are.

I tried to get a lot of Regen, since Earth/Storm does not have a self-heal. I took the Ice APP in part for Hibernate -- a Panic Button power that lets you recover both health and endurance. Plus, with Stone Cages, the AoE in Ice Storm will do a lot of damage.

Hero Plan by Mids' Hero Designer 1.401
http://www.cohplanner.com/
Click this DataLink to open the build!
Dirt Devil: Level 50 Technology Controller
Primary Power Set: Earth Control
Secondary Power Set: Storm Summoning
Power Pool: Speed
Power Pool: Fitness
Ancillary Pool: Ice Mastery
Hero Profile:
Level 1: Fossilize -- BasGaze-Acc/Hold(A), BasGaze-Acc/Rchg(3), BasGaze-Rchg/Hold(5), BasGaze-EndRdx/Rchg/Hold(11), BasGaze-Acc/EndRdx/Rchg/Hold(34), BasGaze-Slow%(34)
Level 1: Gale -- Acc-I(A)
Level 2: Stone Cages -- TotHntr-Acc/EndRdx(A), TotHntr-EndRdx/Immob(3), TotHntr-Immob/Acc(5), TotHntr-Acc/Immob/Rchg(11), TotHntr-Dam%(37)
Level 4: O2 Boost -- Heal-I(A)
Level 6: Quicksand -- RechRdx-I(A), RechRdx-I(7), TmpRdns-EndRdx/Rchg/Slow(7)
Level 8: Hasten -- RechRdx-I(A), RechRdx-I(9), RechRdx-I(9)
Level 10: Hurdle -- Jump-I(A)
Level 12: Stalagmites -- Stpfy-Acc/Rchg(A), Stpfy-EndRdx/Stun(13), Stpfy-Acc/EndRdx(13), Stpfy-Stun/Rng(15), Stpfy-Acc/Stun/Rchg(15), RechRdx-I(42)
Level 14: Super Speed -- EndRdx-I(A)
Level 16: Freezing Rain -- LdyGrey-Rchg/EndRdx(A), LdyGrey-DefDeb/Rchg(17), LdyGrey-DefDeb/Rchg/EndRdx(17), LdyGrey-%Dam(43), Achilles-ResDeb%(46), Posi-Dam%(46)
Level 18: Health -- Numna-Heal(A), Numna-Regen/Rcvry+(19), Heal-I(19)
Level 20: Stamina -- EndMod-I(A), EndMod-I(21), EndMod-I(21)
Level 22: Earthquake -- DarkWD-ToHitDeb/Rchg(A), DarkWD-ToHitdeb/Rchg/EndRdx(23), DarkWD-Rchg/EndRdx(23)
Level 24: Steamy Mist -- ImpArm-ResDam/EndRdx(A), ImpArm-ResDam/EndRdx/Rchg(25), ImpArm-ResDam(25), ImpArm-EndRdx/Rchg(43), S'fstPrt-ResKB(50)
Level 26: Volcanic Gasses -- Lock-Rchg/Hold(A), BasGaze-Rchg/Hold(27), G'Wdw-Acc/Hold/Rchg(27), EoCur-Acc/Hold/Rchg(40), G'Wdw-Dam%(42), NrncSD-Dam%(42)
Level 28: Thunder Clap -- Stpfy-Acc/Rchg(A), Stpfy-EndRdx/Stun(29), Stpfy-Acc/EndRdx(29), Stpfy-Stun/Rng(43), Stpfy-Acc/Stun/Rchg(50)
Level 30: Hurricane -- DarkWD-Slow%(A), DarkWD-ToHitDeb(31), DarkWD-ToHitdeb/Rchg/EndRdx(31), DarkWD-ToHitDeb/EndRdx(31)
Level 32: Animate Stone -- ExRmnt-Acc/Dmg(A), ExRmnt-Dmg/EndRdx(33), ExRmnt-Acc/Dmg/Rchg(33), ExRmnt-EndRdx/Dmg/Rchg(33), ExRmnt-+Res(Pets)(34)
Level 35: Tornado -- ExRmnt-Acc/Rchg(A), ExRmnt-Acc/Dmg(36), ExRmnt-Dmg/EndRdx(36), ExRmnt-Acc/Dmg/Rchg(36), ExRmnt-EndRdx/Dmg/Rchg(37), C'Arms-Acc/Dmg/Rchg(37)
Level 38: Lightning Storm -- Entrpc-Dmg/Rchg(A), Entrpc-Dmg/EndRdx/Rchg(39), Thundr-Dmg/Rchg(39), Thundr-Dmg/EndRdx/Rchg(39), Dev'n-Dmg/Rchg(40), Dev'n-Hold%(40)
Level 41: Hibernate -- RechRdx-I(A)
Level 44: Ice Blast -- Decim-Acc/Dmg(A), Decim-Dmg/EndRdx(45), Decim-Dmg/Rchg(45), Decim-Acc/Dmg/Rchg(45), Decim-Build%(46)
Level 47: Ice Storm -- Posi-Acc/Dmg(A), Posi-Dmg/Rchg(48), Posi-Dmg/EndRdx(48), Posi-Dmg/Rng(48)
Level 49: Snow Storm -- EndRdx-I(A), EndRdx-I(50)
------------
Level 1: Brawl -- Acc-I(A)
Level 1: Sprint -- EndRdx-I(A)
Level 2: Rest -- RechRdx-I(A)
Level 1: Containment