first of all, YAY ARA'S COMING BACK HOME!!! WOOHOOO!!! 
and i'd say go for the stormie 
storm/elec is nice but elec is a bit naff on damage if you ask me, storm/energy for super kb nastyness storm/psi sounds like alot of fun i must say. but hey, you cant go wrong with /dark for a defender 
storm/dark would make you sort of a blaster/troller/defender, you got the blasts ofc, some soft controll in both storm and dark, "pet" from storm.. yummy all over (i've thought about these sets myself but i wanna get my troller and brute done first since my ALTolism is worse than ever!)
@EU Brimmy - Union and Exalted servers
I say go for Storm/Sonic-or-Archery for something different and fun, or Storm/Dark-or-Electric like all the 10 million others out there. 
Definately the stormie. Elec isn't that great and doesn't have much AoE. I'm enjoying my storm/dark more right now but it is a bit cookie cutter. Archery is a good secondary for defenders imo because of the nuke-lite later on and complements storm by being endurance light as well. The weapon redraw won't be much of an issue because you can have hurricane running, drop snow storm and freezing rain and then just go to town with your blasts.
So archery or dark secondary imo.
Defender elec's crowning glory is Short Circuit - Hurricane negates it. Storm/Elec is not a good choice unless you're hung up on the Storm-off-the-X-Men thing. . Storm/Energy is great, Energy is good honest up-front damage with knockback aplenty to augment what you already have. Storm/Psi gives a more controlery feel - the lack of a BuildUp-type power sometimes feels like it lacks oomph, however. Rad is very fast-firing and with fantastic sound and visuals - feels a bit lacklustre damage-wise, though. Archery is good damage, but also fairly widely resisted. Blazing Arrow is incredible damage, for a defender. Main drawback is the constant put-away-bow-cast-storm-power-draw-bow-again thing. Dark blast is controllery, and definitely feels lacking in damage. It doesn't have the up-front insta-damage that makes you feel like something's actually happening. Tentacles and dark Pit works as a sort of pseudo-AoE hold when both are slotted, which works well once you have the mobs all nicely cornered. Sonics is good single target damage with a powerful res debuff - the noise it makes gets old very quickly soloing, though. Powerful, if you can handle playing with the sound off.
Summary - I'd go with energy, hands down. Second place goes to Dark, then Psi, then Dark, Rad, Archery, Sonic.
DON'T eat muffins while I'm developing you.
Pants! Turkey Magnates! A man in a box! Rogue AI! Come one, come all, to arc ID 10107 - It's [i]'Not as long as some other arcs'[/i]!
Hmm ok, so far i have been tempted by /energy and /archery.
Since i know nothing about storm summoning (seen very few ppl play it, esp. at high levels) what powers would you say are must have/must avoid?
Anyway here is my storm defender build from my own guestimates of what might work. Feel free to rip it apart. Will i need to slot more end reduction than this since it seems like an end heavy set. (used archery this build, but made a very similar /energy build too)
---------------------------------------------
Exported from Ver: 1.7.6.0 of the CoH_CoV Character Builder
---------------------------------------------
Name:
Level: 41
Archetype: Defender
Primary: Storm Summoning
Secondary: Archery
---------------------------------------------
01) --> Gale==> Acc(1)
01) --> Snap Shot==> Acc(1)Dmg(3)
02) --> Snow Storm==> EndRdx(2)EndRdx(3)Slow(5)EndRdx(7)Slow(15)
04) --> Fistful of Arrows==> Acc(4)Dmg(5)Dmg(7)Dmg(17)
06) --> Swift==> Run(6)
08) --> Freezing Rain==> DefDeBuf(8)Rechg(9)Slow(9)Rechg(15)Rechg(17)
10) --> Flaming Arrow==> Acc(10)Dmg(11)Dmg(11)Dmg(13)
12) --> Air Superiority==> Acc(12)Dmg(13)
14) --> Fly==> Fly(14)
16) --> Health==> Heal(16)
18) --> Thunder Clap==> Acc(18)Acc(19)DisDur(19)DisDur(34)DisDur(37)
20) --> Stamina==> EndMod(20)EndMod(21)EndMod(21)
22) --> Hurricane==> EndRdx(22)EndRdx(23)EndRdx(23)TH_DeBuf(27)TH_DeBuf(37)
24) --> Steamy Mist==> EndRdx(24)EndRdx(25)EndRdx(25)DmgRes(31)DmgRes(37)
26) --> Tornado==> Rechg(26)EndRdx(27)
28) --> Ranged Shot==> Acc(28)Dmg(29)Dmg(29)Dmg(40)
30) --> Aim==> Rechg(30)Rechg(31)Rechg(31)
32) --> Lightning Storm==> Acc(32)Dmg(33)Dmg(33)Rechg(33)Rechg(34)EndRdx(34)
35) --> Explosive Arrow==> Acc(35)Dmg(36)Dmg(36)Dmg(36)
38) --> Rain of Arrows==> Acc(38)Dmg(39)Dmg(39)Rechg(39)Dmg(40)EndRdx(40)
---------------------------------------------
01) --> Sprint==> Empty(1)
01) --> Brawl==> Empty(1)
01) --> Vigilance==> Empty(1)
02) --> Rest==> Empty(2)
---------------------------------------------
Any opinions on an epic to go with?
@Jaw Dropper - Toons of all levels so drop me a line!
Imaginary Inc.
Twitter me!
[ QUOTE ]
Any opinions on an epic to go with?
[/ QUOTE ]
I'd say that is something you'll be able to pick a lot better yourself when you've hit level 32-35. By then you should know what you feel you need and what would/wouldn't work with your playstyle. PBAoE and melee powers would likely not be all that useful to you if use Hurricane and the other knockbacks a lot.
[ QUOTE ]
Hmm ok, so far i have been tempted by /energy and /archery.
Since i know nothing about storm summoning (seen very few ppl play it, esp. at high levels) what powers would you say are must have/must avoid?
Anyway here is my storm defender build from my own guestimates of what might work. Feel free to rip it apart. Will i need to slot more end reduction than this since it seems like an end heavy set. (used archery this build, but made a very similar /energy build too)
---------------------------------------------
Exported from Ver: 1.7.6.0 of the CoH_CoV Character Builder
---------------------------------------------
Name:
Level: 41
Archetype: Defender
Primary: Storm Summoning
Secondary: Archery
---------------------------------------------
01) --> Gale==> Acc(1)
01) --> Snap Shot==> Acc(1)Dmg(3)
02) --> Snow Storm==> EndRdx(2)EndRdx(3)Slow(5)EndRdx(7)Slow(15)
04) --> Fistful of Arrows==> Acc(4)Dmg(5)Dmg(7)Dmg(17)
06) --> Swift==> Run(6)
08) --> Freezing Rain==> DefDeBuf(8)Rechg(9)Slow(9)Rechg(15)Rechg(17)
10) --> Flaming Arrow==> Acc(10)Dmg(11)Dmg(11)Dmg(13)
12) --> Air Superiority==> Acc(12)Dmg(13)
14) --> Fly==> Fly(14)
16) --> Health==> Heal(16)
18) --> Thunder Clap==> Acc(18)Acc(19)DisDur(19)DisDur(34)DisDur(37)
20) --> Stamina==> EndMod(20)EndMod(21)EndMod(21)
22) --> Hurricane==> EndRdx(22)EndRdx(23)EndRdx(23)TH_DeBuf(27)TH_DeBuf(37)
24) --> Steamy Mist==> EndRdx(24)EndRdx(25)EndRdx(25)DmgRes(31)DmgRes(37)
26) --> Tornado==> Rechg(26)EndRdx(27)
28) --> Ranged Shot==> Acc(28)Dmg(29)Dmg(29)Dmg(40)
30) --> Aim==> Rechg(30)Rechg(31)Rechg(31)
32) --> Lightning Storm==> Acc(32)Dmg(33)Dmg(33)Rechg(33)Rechg(34)EndRdx(34)
35) --> Explosive Arrow==> Acc(35)Dmg(36)Dmg(36)Dmg(36)
38) --> Rain of Arrows==> Acc(38)Dmg(39)Dmg(39)Rechg(39)Dmg(40)EndRdx(40)
---------------------------------------------
01) --> Sprint==> Empty(1)
01) --> Brawl==> Empty(1)
01) --> Vigilance==> Empty(1)
02) --> Rest==> Empty(2)
---------------------------------------------
Any opinions on an epic to go with?
[/ QUOTE ]
I would aim to get snow storm, freezing rain and hurricane at the lvls they become available as they are the three must haves that you need to function. Most people take everything but thunderclap. Some people have an aversion to gale for some reason but I would take it and get two accuracy SO's minimum as it has a horrible penalty. You mainly use it at the start of a fight to relocate the entire spawn en masse into the nearest wall/corner so the last thing you want is to miss 50% of them and end up with scatter. On really hard mobs I'll drop freezing rain immediately before gale because I can't have it miss any of them. Once in a corner, the team is safe as houses.
Snow storm would benefit from swapping an end with a third slow. You have no immob with archery and since freezing rain scatters, you want mobs at the movement cap to minimise scatter. +3 and +4s are going to need all the slows you can get.
Fistful could do with a range SO at the end of it. One range SO is 50% increase on a cone. That's a huge difference in coverage and fistful is a short, wide cone.
Freezing Rain is great, maybe swap the Def debuff for an EndRedux.
Fly always gets 3 flight SO's on all my toons. I can't cope with its slow speed without them but again if you're short on slots that's up to you.
Thunderclap most people don't bother with. It's minions only and point blank and doesn't go well with hurricane. I would drop it completely.
Hurricane is best with 3 TH_DeBuff (It's 37.5% base. The best accuracy debuff in the game. Definately slot for it) It's half the endurance cost of snow storm/steamy mist so one end redux is enough.
Steamy Mist could do with 3 resist debuff and 2 endurance.
Tornado is a power I wish I could 12 slot. It deserves a whole thread devoted to how to slot it so I'm not even going to go there.
Lightning Storm is usually 3 dam, 2 rech, 1 end for most people. Its base accuracy is so high you will only see it miss 5% of the time.
Hope that helps! Oh and a word of warning. Whatever you do, don't suddenly respec into leadership powers on a stormie at two o'clock in the morning. 
Wow cheers for the indepth reply! Certainly alot to think about although i have a couple of q's...
You suggest taking out an end redux from each of snow storm, hurricane and steamy mist, is this gonna cripple my endurance unless i slot other powers with end redux?
Is O2 Boost really worth taking? Ive heard of other stormies fitting in aid other & self, thoughts on this?
Guessing I haven't slotted Tornado enough. Any suggestions (without wanting to make people repost stuff thats been in other threads...)
@Jaw Dropper - Toons of all levels so drop me a line!
Imaginary Inc.
Twitter me!
I found that even with soloing storm/elec and storm/dark you won't need three endredux in snow storm and mist. Two is great and even one is manageable. The end drain is something like 0.13 for hurricane and 0.26 for mist and snow. (Can't remember exactly off the top of my head) You're much better off sticking an end redux in your big drainers like tornado and lightning storm. With archery you just won't need any in your blasts but I went for one endredux in tentacles and nightfall on my storm/dark.
I have O2 boost on my storm/elec and I regret getting gale late on him. On my storm/dark I don't have it yet but may pick it up much later on at some point. It's more useful to provide sleep/disorient resist for squishies on the front line like Kins, or to protect melee types from evil end drains like the Carnival. 3 slotted with heal SO's you will hit a squishie for maybe 1/3 of their health so it's ok in a crisis but certainly nothing to keep a tanker alive and time spent spamming O2 boost is time wasted not being active with storm powers to help the whole team. It is very fast recharge though for buffing several people in a row with status resists before a fight.
Tornado I've changed a few times and wish it had more slots. For storm/elec I went for 3dam, 2rech, 1end, like my lightning storm because the poor aoe damage of elec needs a boost and tornado is big aoe damage on cornered mobs. On my storm/dark I will probably go for 3disorient, 2rech, 1end and use it for crowd control. The disorient can be quite devastating as it whips around the room throwing stuff about and lasts a good long while.
Hopefully with the invention system I'll be able to get a 3dam/dis, 3rech/end combo or something like that.
Oh just a quick anecdote about tornado (awesome power) from two days ago. It was a nemesis mission in the Crey base thingy. A wayward scrapper went into the room with the four exploding buff machines and suddenly went into the red from snipers etc. The rest of the team went the other way into another room on the other side of the corridor. I O2 boosted the scrapper but he was standing his ground and the room was full of scattered mobs shooting him so I chucked a tornado at one side, dropped snow storm and freezing rain on the other side, stuck up a lightning storm and left him to it because the tanker in the other room was into the orange. Quickly ran off to save him *eyeroll* with a hefty shove from hurricane and an O2 boost and we finished those mobs. Went back to the first room to find the scrapper still fighting and the room was full.. I mean.. FULL of Nemesis staggering around disoriented, snow stormed and being shot at by a lightning storm. I always thought that tornado followed you religiously but it was clearly having too much fun to care as it hadn't left the room. It was one of those "omg... storm rocks" moments and I'm definately going 3 disorient duration on my storm/dark tornado!
Hello all,
After a rather long break away (due to pesky academia) i shall be returning to Paragon City in about 3 weeks (yes its a while away but i'm getting impatient). When i return for the xmas hols i want to roll a new toon to play during my short hols. Got two types of toon in mind, either a storm/* def or a fire/* dom. The storm def appeals since it looks like its got fun powers later on and could be quite challenging. Same with the fire dom. My question is this, which toon and which secondary? (also any general advice , comments etc gratefully received.)
I had thought Storm/elec for obvious conceptual reasons but now im not so sure that its the most suitable compliment. Is Psi a better choice? I had also tried a fire/energy dom before which was quite fun but would fire/fire be more prudent?
While i have no desire to be uber (i am contemplating a dom after all :P) i would like to try and tailor my build to be able to solo occaisonally if possible.
So what do you all think? What should i play next?
[Edit] posted it here as wasnt sure where else to post it but nevermind!
@Jaw Dropper - Toons of all levels so drop me a line!
Imaginary Inc.
Twitter me!