Rad is pretty nice i have one at 33.
I wouldn't go with /Elec. I understand you're aiming for end drain, but it just won't be effective.
/Sonic is really great, imo. My TF main is Sonic/Sonic and I can tell you I make a hell of a difference on a team. I can cap -res by my own (ok, me and the Disruption Field puppet).
Now, if you're really dead set on ditching /Sonic, maybe /Arch or /Dark are good choices. Arch for RoA spamming, no end crash. /Dark for AoE debuffing and tenebrous tentacles lovin'. /Rad is not a bad choice either.
@False Fiction - Virtue / Defiant
Current projects - [Glaciologist - Ill/Cold Troller] [Cloudshaper - Storm/Dark Def] [Harald Wartooth - Elec/Psi Domi]
Defenders have the same EndDrain on Elec Blast as Blasters do, but deal less damage. And Elec Blast is already a little lamesauce on Blasters.
If you don't want Sonic, then... I'd go Ice, personally. The -rech adds to team mitigation on top of the +res shields, you still get Holds (one more than Elec does), and you'll have a nice mini-soup-of-doom with Liquefy + Ice Storm (or Blizzard...).
Thanks for your opinions everyone.
It seems /Sonic is the best option. If I choose it, what about Sonic Siphon? Is it necessary? What is the -res cap?
Players and critters have a minimum Resistance of -300%.
I suspect Sonic Siphon is necessary then.
I've tried /elec and it sure lacks damage output. /Sonic also lacks, but the synergy is too good. Thanks.
Ah, the trick with Sonic is the -Res. Calculate the DPS increase your debuffs add to your teammates, and consider it your own. Then you'll see that on large teams, Sonic Attack indirectly deals the MOST damage.
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Ah, the trick with Sonic is the -Res. Calculate the DPS increase your debuffs add to your teammates, and consider it your own. Then you'll see that on large teams, Sonic Attack indirectly deals the MOST damage.
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I'm not sure that's true simply because Sonic has terrible AOE. I suspect Ice might actually beat it with their Blaster version of Ice Storm and Blizzard (plus a better Cone attack)
On a smaller team though where AOEs are less important Sonic rules. A nice tip with it is to target a teammate who pumps out lots of single target damage and attack the same target he is. They'll melt the enemy.
Personally I'd go Ice just because it's got a nicer balance of single target, AOE and some nice control.
Ah, well, usually when I say DPS I focus on AVs and the like, sturdy targets, I should've clarified that. Burst is what kills regular spawns, and on a team with good tempo it hardly matters what the secondary effect on your blast set is. One Howl is usually good enough per spawn.
I tend to view Sonic Attack as a second debuff set rather than a blast set though, heh, but that's just me. 
I agree with you, usually I don't worry about mobs while building a Defender, but I like to debuff AVs and buff my team. A Sonic/Sonic won't allow me to kill waves of mobs but will help my teammates a lot, right?
I wonder how do you people get -300% res.
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Ah, well, usually when I say DPS I focus on AVs and the like, sturdy targets, I should've clarified that. Burst is what kills regular spawns, and on a team with good tempo it hardly matters what the secondary effect on your blast set is. One Howl is usually good enough per spawn.
I tend to view Sonic Attack as a second debuff set rather than a blast set though, heh, but that's just me.
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Me too. My 30-something Dark/Sonics is an AVs nightmare and I've got Howl slotted with Acc & Recharge over damage (Howl + Tarpatch is lovely)
Go all out team support and go sonic/dark imo.
I have a corruptor with those sets (dark/sonic of course) and he is great fun, but cant solo for toffee.
@Jaw Dropper - Toons of all levels so drop me a line!
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I agree with you, usually I don't worry about mobs while building a Defender, but I like to debuff AVs and buff my team. A Sonic/Sonic won't allow me to kill waves of mobs but will help my teammates a lot, right?
I wonder how do you people get -300% res.
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I'm not the right person to give you numbers and/or forumlas but the real number isn't -300%.
Nevertheless, go with /Sonic. I doubt you'll regret it.
@False Fiction - Virtue / Defiant
Current projects - [Glaciologist - Ill/Cold Troller] [Cloudshaper - Storm/Dark Def] [Harald Wartooth - Elec/Psi Domi]
I may search what the cap for -res is.
But Sonic/Sonic sounds best so far. Thanks!
I've had a Sonic/Elec Defender sitting at 50 for a while, was my fourth level hero and first support toon.
Whilst it might look better on paper, in practice (Short Circuit + Power Sink) isn't as good for endurance drain "spikes" as (Short Circuit + Power Boost). This remains so even after the Power boost nerf (I've tried them both ways). Spamming Tesla Cage will also completely halt recovery on one [non-AV/GM] PvE foe.
By far the best use of sapping I've ever come across on my Sonic/Elec was to keep clusters of Elite Bosses drained (Dr Aeon on the Statesman TF, for example) as Elite Bosses only have Boss-level Endurance pools.
In practice, all Elec offers outside of End Drain is Sparky the Voltaic Sentinel (which actually does very respectable damage these days with the EndMod Acc/Rech Sets, the only problem is you can't "aim" that damage when fighting more than one foe). The tier 1 and tier 2 blasts are also quite fast animating and a fairly unresisted damage type.
In terms of control, whilst I still keep Short Circuit in the build these days I've done away with Tesla Cage in favour of Dominate. It's very, very rare that I encounter a dangerous single foe that can't be either held or taken care of via a Sonic Cage, or a group of foes that can't be handled by a Liquefy patch (it's long recharge and the knockdown is worthless, but the levels of -tohit and -defence are awesome).
At the moment, my Sonic/Elec is /Psychic for Mind Over Body (Psychic damage resistance) and Dominate (inflicts hold, plus does comparable damage to Elec's tier one blast).
IMO the only Sonic power in the set that's skippable is Sonic Repulsion. I'm also a big fan of taking Aid Other/Aid Self (no need for Stimulant with Clarity), plus Assault/Tactics.
Having said all that, if I was rolling my toon again I'd probably go /Sonic. If you can do without an extra form of control (End Drain) then /Elec doesn't really offer much over /Sonic... and /Sonic's extra -resist is golden when fighting Bosses or AVs. I'd happily trade Sparky for Shout, even with the half-hour-long animation time.
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IMO the only Sonic power in the set that's skippable is Sonic Repulsion.
[/ QUOTE ]Oh god, yes. Yet another proof that every powerset needs at least one stinker ability to save power picks off.
Hello everyone.
I'm planning to level a Sonic/ Defender (I've never played one and I'm looking for a support alt) and I would like to know what is the best secondary, besides /Sonic.
Any suggestions?
I was planning for a /elec one because I like the Short Circuit + Power Sink Combo. And I'll be able to pick 2 Holds too. Is it worth? Or am I after a controller?
Cheers