Storm/Dark (from feeling since I don't look at numbers) deals more damage than Plant/Storm and Earth/Storm between all the cones and the extra debuffing. The major difference between them is Plant and Earth have immobilize powers that have -KB which allows you to utilize Tornado more while Storm/Dark doesn't have the -KB which allows for the knockback mitigation while the enemies still can't move. Think of the ramps in caves and sewers, being on the top, cone immobilize and then Gale them all down the ramp making them both unable to move from down there and being far enough away that they can no longer attack you or your teammates.
That's what I see the major difference is. Other than that it's a question of do you want harder controls or better debuff values. Not to mention that you get the Storm powers sooner. Barring Mastermind (because I'm not a particular fan of them), I have a Storm character of each AT that has access to them. Each offers something different and unique to the table, the Defender just offers more damage than Controller version, less damage than the corruptor version, more debuff than both, and less hard control than Control.
It really depends your play style and what you find most important.
50s: Bla- Arch/Mental Cont- Mind/FF, Earth/Cold, Ill/Therm, Earth/Rad Dominator- Plant/Psi, Elec/Earth Corr- Fire/Storm, Arch/Sonic, Rad/Kin, Beam/Sonic, Psi/Time Stalker- Elec/SR Def- Storm/Dark, Emp/Psi, Dark/Elec, FF/Arch, TA/Ice, TA/Elec, Kin/AR, Cold/DP, Traps/Psi Scrap- Fire/Shield Tanker- Dark/Mace, Ice/Kin Brute- Claws/WP, SS/Energy, BS/Elec
Storm is harder to use effectively when you don't pair it with a controller primary. Think about all the storm defenders you've ever teamed with and consider that they were likely either really good or abysmally bad due to KB effects inherent in most of storm's best powers.
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/dark will out do Earth, but I don't think the gap will be that big. Both sets have good potential for adding in damage via damage procs. Plant has Seeds, and multiple powers for damage procs. I highly doubt /dark does more damage. Plant does more damage at the cost of lesser exp although that cost is made back up in exp over time.|
Originally Posted by StormyDarkness
Storm/Dark (from feeling since I don't look at numbers) deals more damage than Plant/Storm and Earth/Storm between all the cones and the extra debuffing. The major difference between them is Plant and Earth have immobilize powers that have -KB which allows you to utilize Tornado more while Storm/Dark doesn't have the -KB which allows for the knockback mitigation while the enemies still can't move. Think of the ramps in caves and sewers, being on the top, cone immobilize and then Gale them all down the ramp making them both unable to move from down there and being far enough away that they can no longer attack you or your teammates.
That's what I see the major difference is. Other than that it's a question of do you want harder controls or better debuff values. Not to mention that you get the Storm powers sooner. Barring Mastermind (because I'm not a particular fan of them), I have a Storm character of each AT that has access to them. Each offers something different and unique to the table, the Defender just offers more damage than Controller version, less damage than the corruptor version, more debuff than both, and less hard control than Control. It really depends your play style and what you find most important. |
I rolled an Earth/storm and Storm/dark. I came to the same cross roads as the OP and kept the Earth/storm. It's one of my two 50s in nearly four years of playing. Love the build. Eventually rolled the Storm/dark again. Why? Because my controller had such a stupid amount of control I ended up getting rid of Hurricane, which is a/the defining power of the Storm. Playing a /storm controller with -KB is like playing /storm on training wheels. Since I had a level 50 /storm, I wanted to try it without the crutch. I got it to level 26 and I can say it's a completely different playstyle. I have to use Hurricane now, and I have to learn how to use it.
I also have a Fire/storm, level 24, and Plant/storm, level 37. Again, neither have Hurricane by that's in part because I'm running Hot Feet on my Fire/storm and Hurricane messes with Seeds too much since it slows down the damage of the confused targets. I have to do Ill and Grav, which will be defender like due to the lack of -KB, too at some point. Both of those will have Hurricane, but it's in part due to the controller's primaries lack of control relatively speaking.
Play a Storm/Dark defender because you want to blast and debuff. Play a */storm controller because you want to be a Controller. If your main purpose is to learn to use the Storm Summoning set to it's fullest extent, then go with the Defender. Controllers frankly don't need all of it's powers that much. Hurricane and Thunderclap are redundant for controllers most of the time. Tornado is used as a damage power when combined with -KB, and Lightning Storm is also used as a damage power and not as a defense/positioning power.
Additionally I love Dark Blast in that every offensive power you use, you're further enhancing the survivability of the team by debuffing accuracy. Usage of the cones with -recharge can make this effect be spawn wide.
Controllers rightfully focus on their primary, so do Defenders most of the time. For shear spawn controlling power the Defender (no matter what power combo) will not surpass a Controller. (well ok DDD has a good shot actually) But a Storm/dark has great debuffing, decent heal, a self heal, good pbaoe resistances, and near controller-like spawn handling abilities.
TT/Nightfall/Hurricane one bottleneck door, Freezing rain and snowstorm another spawn, lightning cloud and Tornado for whatever got through. Trust me, that is some serious chaos generating power. chaos=control in CoX. One of the things I love about the game.
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I've been complimented on my organized chaos ability.|
Originally Posted by Gavving
Trust me, that is some serious chaos generating power. chaos=control in CoX. One of the things I love about the game.
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As a side note, it's also fun to see another Oklahoman around the forums.
50s: Bla- Arch/Mental Cont- Mind/FF, Earth/Cold, Ill/Therm, Earth/Rad Dominator- Plant/Psi, Elec/Earth Corr- Fire/Storm, Arch/Sonic, Rad/Kin, Beam/Sonic, Psi/Time Stalker- Elec/SR Def- Storm/Dark, Emp/Psi, Dark/Elec, FF/Arch, TA/Ice, TA/Elec, Kin/AR, Cold/DP, Traps/Psi Scrap- Fire/Shield Tanker- Dark/Mace, Ice/Kin Brute- Claws/WP, SS/Energy, BS/Elec
I recently made a storm/dark defender who has just recently reached level 25. I'm really enjoying it so far and I'm loving the synergy between the sets. My only concern, however, is that I am having difficulties seeing how a storm/dark defender is better than, say, an earth/storm or plant/storm controller.
The defender is probably better on in the early levels, but I feel like in the 30s, the aforementioned controllers would surpass the capabilities of the defender. Maybe I'm wrong, and I hope that I am because I rarely see storm as a primary for defenders.
I was originally Medic Man, but I needed a change and wanted to be able to keep my monogrammed towels.