I've played an Earth/Storm to 50 and a Storm/Electrical Defender to 50 and liked them both. It's "controlled chaos" and a lot of fun.
I also played a Plant/Thorns Dominator to 35, at which point I deleted it, and have a Plant/Thermal Controller stuck at 35 or so. Plant is just so ... ugly.
I like the Earth pet a lot better. It's pretty tough, and your heal can keep it alive when it does get hurt. You can stack your hold with one of its attacks. The Plant pet is ... ugly, and doesn't seem to do much. The Earth pet can also now be customized with a very attractive translucent gemstone appearance, as can the hold and immobilize. This is very nice, because one of the problems with the original Earth effects is when you hold/immob large creatures anyone engaged in melee with them can't see a damn thing. With the translucent gemstone effects that problem is pretty much gone.
My major Storm advice is to be conservative with Knockback attacks (Tornado, Gale and Hurricane) when teaming with melee characters. Don't knock things out of a scrappers' reach, even if they're dying. They hate that. Learn how to use walls and dead-end corridors to your advantage with Knockback attacks and Lightning Storm.
Hm, could you post your Earth/Storm build? i need a good build, my current Earth/Storm is level 6, and is called "Dirt Storm" xD
Earth gives you more control options but Plant is a lot more DPS heavy. I am currently leveling a Plant/Storm right now. I have gotten him to lvl 36 and I'm having a lot of fun with it. He is an AoE beast. I can take down large spawns very quickly and safely. Only thing I have to say is that the combo is heavy on your endurance so learning how to manage it is pretty important. Other then that it is one of the more fun toons I remember leveling in quite awhile.
I've played both to 50. Here are my thoughts...
Earth/Storm - you have many tools to use tactically, something is almost always available for AoE lockdown. You pay for this great control with very low damage. Storm helps with this but it can still be slow at times. My personal playstyle revolves around perma-stunning everything in sight with a Stalagmite+Fissure combo, stone caging, herdicaning into a pile, and finally letting loose with tornado and lightning storm. I can solo up to +2x8 spawns in this fashion, albeit slowly.
Plant/Storm - it comes off more as a one trick pony, but what a trick! With recharge bonuses, Seeds of Confusion can easily be stacked to neuter anything in its path that isnt resistant to confuse. Roots does 2x the damage of other AoE immobilizes (stone cages included), so that, combined with creepers, great AoE damage can be had even before figuring in lightning storm and tornado. The downside? Aside from SoC, plant really does not offer much AoE control, there are times you wish you had it. Vines pales insignificantly next to Volcanic Gases.
I personally prefer plant/storm, but I tend to play very aggressivly w/ capped ranged defense, right in the face of enemies . If you like hanging back and tactically using what each situation calls for and letting others handle the damage, you might like earth/storm more.
I dusted off my 45 Earth/Storm last night, and I think I fell in love with him all over again. The combo has so many synergies and stackable effects. Two AoE Knockdown powers. Two slows. Two stuns (three if you take Fissure!) And ways to debuff just about anything and everything that is debuffable.
It works really well on a team, once you get the hand of the various effects. I kept hoping for an ambush or for the team to aggro a second or third mob just to give me a challenge!
The other fun aspect is that since you're dropping alot of location-based effeects and powers, like Earthquake, Freezing Rain, Lightning storm, etc, Hurricane is a really fun way to bully mobs into your effects.
Stay Gold, Paragon. Stay Gold.
Nolite te bastardes carborundorum.
Though I loathe using the word "synergy" without irony, the word does apply to Earth/Storm. Two mediocre AOE stuns (Stalagmites, Thunderclap) combine to provide every spawn crowd control. This lets you free to use the good stuff in Earth at your convenience.
Conversely, I see an un-synergy with Plant and Storm. Personally, with Plant, I don't like to pair it with sets that hinder foes' ability to attack, such as Storm and TA. Please note I'm not saying Plant with either of two won't work, or even be great combos. I'm just basically saying between the two choices the OP listed, I see Earth/Storm as a much great pairing than Plant/Storm.
Global = Hedgefund (or some derivation thereof)
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How is Stalagmites mediocre when it's equal to pretty much every other AoE stun? /storm hinders foes ability to attack in two ways. One, Freezing Rain and you can AoE immob. a mob and have them standing up attacking each other with a -res debuff, and Hurricane due to it's -tohit debuff. I don't use Hurricane on my Plant/storm.|
Originally Posted by Deacon_NA
Though I loathe using the word "synergy" without irony, the word does apply to Earth/Storm. Two mediocre AOE stuns (Stalagmites, Thunderclap) combine to provide every spawn crowd control. This lets you free to use the good stuff in Earth at your convenience.
Conversely, I see an un-synergy with Plant and Storm. Personally, with Plant, I don't like to pair it with sets that hinder foes' ability to attack, such as Storm and TA. Please note I'm not saying Plant with either of two won't work, or even be great combos. I'm just basically saying between the two choices the OP listed, I see Earth/Storm as a much great pairing than Plant/Storm. |
I have a level 50 Earth/storm and a level 37 Plant/storm. The Plant/storm is easier to solo, but I would still rank the Earth/storm as more fun to play, but I love control and to me Earth has more of it.
The only problem with leveling toons, is that theres hardly anyone on Union anymore, theres never any low level.. leveling teams. >_>
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Maybe you could utilize deductive reasoning to answer that yourself.
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Originally Posted by Amy_Amp
How is Stalagmites mediocre when it's equal to pretty much every other AoE stun?
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Global = Hedgefund (or some derivation thereof)
Well as person who mainly plays scrappers I do enjoy my plant/kin quite a bit. Not sure how a plant stormy would turn out. I rolled a earth controller for a while and got frustrated with it and deleted it after it stalled out around level 32ish. Haven't played a stormy to much so I couldn't help you on that part.
I'll always be a "Champion" at heart. My server away from home.
"When the people fear their government, there is tyranny; when the government fears the people, there is liberty." - Thomas Jefferson
"With great moustache comes great responsibility" - Zee Captain
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Average? Yes. Mediocre? Not at all.
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Originally Posted by Deacon_NA
Maybe you could utilize deductive reasoning to answer that yourself.
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Word. When I read that I boggled for a moment. Stalagmites is far from mediocre. It's Earth's bread and butter control.|
Originally Posted by Amy_Amp
Average? Yes. Mediocre? Not at all.
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Anyway, having played both an Earth/Storm and Plant/Storm to 50, I'll admit there's a synergy to Earth/Storm that Plant/Storm lacks. However, Plant/Storm is far, far from lacking. The high damage from Creepers and Roots coupled with the every spawn debuff in Freezing Rain works very nicely. Spamming Roots for damage also keeps things in place for Tornado. Slows from Creepers and Snow Storm stack to bring the enemies to a halt. Perhaps, these things could be considered synergy between Plant and Storm.
Both combinations will have a wide variety of controls to handle situations so either is a solid choice.
I'ved played both an Earth/Storm and Plant/Storm to about level 43/41 respectively.
Everything has pretty well be said about the two. I would pick Earth/Storm if I were
planning on playing more with teams and not so much solo. It's a control monster.
I would pick Plant/Storm if you plan to solo more, but works well in a team also. The AoE damage from any one power is not that great but once 5 or more are in play, damage is very good and takes the enemies down surprisingly fast. It seems to be even faster than my fire/rad troller. In any case, both have been the most fun of all the archetypes I've ever played. Whichever one you pick you should have some fun.
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http://www.thefreedictionary.com/mediocre|
Originally Posted by ketch
Word. When I read that I boggled for a moment.
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2. mediocre - lacking exceptional quality or ability; "a novel of average merit"; "only a fair performance of the sonata"; "in fair health"; "the caliber of the students has gone from mediocre to above average"; "the performance was middling at best"
middling, average, fair
Now you can boggle at actual word definitions.
Global = Hedgefund (or some derivation thereof)
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Originally Posted by Deacon_NA
http://www.thefreedictionary.com/mediocre
2. mediocre - lacking exceptional quality or ability; "a novel of average merit"; "only a fair performance of the sonata"; "in fair health"; "the caliber of the students has gone from mediocre to above average"; "the performance was middling at best" middling, average, fair Now you can boggle at actual word definitions. |
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| of moderate or low quality |
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Hmm, I read that as having a bit of a snide tone to it, almost as if one thought I didn't know the meaning of the word mediocre.|
Originally Posted by Deacon_NA
http://www.thefreedictionary.com/mediocre
2. mediocre - lacking exceptional quality or ability; "a novel of average merit"; "only a fair performance of the sonata"; "in fair health"; "the caliber of the students has gone from mediocre to above average"; "the performance was middling at best" middling, average, fair Now you can boggle at actual word definitions. |
Oh well, let's look at some numbers. Controllers have access to 4 AoE stuns: Stalagmites, Flashfire, Wormhole, and Thunder Clap.
- Thunder Clap: 25 foot radius, 45 second recharge, 60% base accuracy, only mag 2, 2.37 second activation.
- Wormhole: 15 foot radius, 90 second recharge, 75% base accuracy, mag 3, 14.5 mag knockback, and enemy teleport, 3 second activation.
- Flashfire: 25 foot radius, 90 second recharge, 60% base accuracy, mag 3 stun, 2.37 second activation.
- Stalagmites: 25 foot radius, 90 second recharge, 60% base accuracy, mag 3 stun, -20% defense debuff, 2.1 second activation.
Stalagmites is the same as all the other stuns in recharge, save Thunder Clap which is only a mag 2 stun and PBAoE. It beats all other stuns in its activation times. It offers a considerable secondary benefit in a defense debuff. It can be used without worrying about placement, unlike Wormhole.
It may only be better than the others by a bit, but it still remains the best AoE stun available to controllers.
Edit: I forgot about Fissure, with its 50% chance for a mag 2 stun, and Repulsion Bomb, with a 40% chance of a mag 2 stun.
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Originally Posted by Deacon_NA
Though I loathe using the word "synergy" without irony...
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Originally Posted by Deacon_NA
Maybe you could utilize deductive reasoning to answer that yourself.
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Originally Posted by Deacon_NA
Now you can boggle at actual word definitions.
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http://www.thefreedictionary.com/smug
smug adj. Exhibiting or feeling great or offensive satisfaction with oneself or with one's situation; self-righteously complacent.
Stay Gold, Paragon. Stay Gold.
Nolite te bastardes carborundorum.
Stalagmites are win smothered in awesomesauce with whipped goodness and sprinkles.
@Mental Maden @Maden Mental
"....you are now tackle free for life."-ShoNuff
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Don't forget that Wormhole has a marginally longer stun effect too, but the lower AOE really does hurt it (buff please Castle!)
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Originally Posted by ketch
Hmm, I read that as having a bit of a snide tone to it, almost as if one thought I didn't know the meaning of the word mediocre.
Oh well, let's look at some numbers. Controllers have access to 4 AoE stuns: Stalagmites, Flashfire, Wormhole, and Thunder Clap.
Stalagmites is the same as all the other stuns in recharge, save Thunder Clap which is only a mag 2 stun and PBAoE. It beats all other stuns in its activation times. It offers a considerable secondary benefit in a defense debuff. It can be used without worrying about placement, unlike Wormhole. It may only be better than the others by a bit, but it still remains the best AoE stun available to controllers. Edit: I forgot about Fissure, with its 50% chance for a mag 2 stun, and Repulsion Bomb, with a 40% chance of a mag 2 stun. |
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Also Flashfires and Wormhole draw some aggro during activation Stalagmites doesn't.
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Originally Posted by ketch
Hmm, I read that as having a bit of a snide tone to it, almost as if one thought I didn't know the meaning of the word mediocre.
Oh well, let's look at some numbers. Controllers have access to 4 AoE stuns: Stalagmites, Flashfire, Wormhole, and Thunder Clap.
Stalagmites is the same as all the other stuns in recharge, save Thunder Clap which is only a mag 2 stun and PBAoE. It beats all other stuns in its activation times. It offers a considerable secondary benefit in a defense debuff. It can be used without worrying about placement, unlike Wormhole. It may only be better than the others by a bit, but it still remains the best AoE stun available to controllers. Edit: I forgot about Fissure, with its 50% chance for a mag 2 stun, and Repulsion Bomb, with a 40% chance of a mag 2 stun. |
L50s: Tanks: Cryofission - Ice/EM - Dr Celsius - Fire/Ice - Saint George - SD/SS | Controllers: Psichosis - Ill/Kin - Major Chaos - Ill/Stm | Scrappers - Neutron Crusader - DM/SR
Currently Levelling: Angelic Blade - BS/WP Scrapper | Seeds of Destruction - Plant/Kin Controller
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Flashfire doesn't, at least not for my Fire/Rad. Wormhole does indeed, there's a 2 second delay in it triggering. But it's the only one that doesn't need LOS either,
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Originally Posted by Psiphon
Also Flashfires and Wormhole draw some aggro during activation Stalagmites doesn't.
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As you activate FF the ground flickers and smolders during which the mob starts to react.|
Originally Posted by Carnifax
Flashfire doesn't, at least not for my Fire/Rad. Wormhole does indeed, there's a 2 second delay in it triggering. But it's the only one that doesn't need LOS either,
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Stalagmites is instantaneous there is no reaction until the mobs is hit.
L50s: Tanks: Cryofission - Ice/EM - Dr Celsius - Fire/Ice - Saint George - SD/SS | Controllers: Psichosis - Ill/Kin - Major Chaos - Ill/Stm | Scrappers - Neutron Crusader - DM/SR
Currently Levelling: Angelic Blade - BS/WP Scrapper | Seeds of Destruction - Plant/Kin Controller
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I've never gotten an alpha from trying to fire off Flashfire. The animation might start but the mobs don't get notified until the stun triggers afaik. Unlike Wormhole which has a specific (2.7 second now I check on it) delay built into the stun.
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Originally Posted by Psiphon
As you activate FF the ground flickers and smolders during which the mob starts to react.
Stalagmites is instantaneous there is no reaction until the mobs is hit. |
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I'll check, it's been a while since I've played one of my Fire trollers, I'm pretty certain they are notified as I can remember being surprised by them looking at me or running during the activation.|
Originally Posted by Carnifax
I've never gotten an alpha from trying to fire off Flashfire. The animation might start but the mobs don't get notified until the stun triggers afaik. Unlike Wormhole which has a specific (2.7 second now I check on it) delay built into the stun.
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I'll check though to make sure its not just old age settting in
L50s: Tanks: Cryofission - Ice/EM - Dr Celsius - Fire/Ice - Saint George - SD/SS | Controllers: Psichosis - Ill/Kin - Major Chaos - Ill/Stm | Scrappers - Neutron Crusader - DM/SR
Currently Levelling: Angelic Blade - BS/WP Scrapper | Seeds of Destruction - Plant/Kin Controller
I'm thinking about making a new Controller, and i've always had a soft spot for storm, even though i've never really played a storm toon, i've heard Earth/Storm own in PvE, but i've also heard Plant/Storm is better than Earth/Storm..
Advice please? Dx