I suggest this. If you're going for damage on a build, it's best to use damage procs and solid damage slotting instead of the very small increase you get from the set bonuses. So I shifted the focus to +hp and +recharge in the set bonuses while making sure to get as many damage procs in as I could. For example, I turned freezing rain into a nuke.
As for life drain, it never got buffed like how siphon life did, so it's not an ideal attack. It does the same amount of damage as dark blast though, so it's not useless either.
Oh, and if it were me, I'd try to pick up thunderclap or oppressive gloom. Combining one of those powers with dark pit can allow you to disorient lieutenants and bosses instead of only minions.
Hero Plan by Mids' Hero Designer 1.621
http://www.cohplanner.com/
Click this DataLink to open the build!
Level 50 Magic Defender
Primary Power Set: Storm Summoning
Secondary Power Set: Dark Blast
Power Pool: Fitness
Power Pool: Leaping
Power Pool: Speed
Power Pool: Leadership
Ancillary Pool: Dark Mastery
Hero Profile:
Level 1: Gale -- Empty(A)
Level 1: Dark Blast -- Decim-Acc/Dmg(A), Decim-Dmg/EndRdx(3), Decim-Dmg/Rchg(3), Decim-Acc/EndRdx/Rchg(5), Decim-Acc/Dmg/Rchg(5), Cloud-%Dam(7)
Level 2: Gloom -- Decim-Acc/EndRdx/Rchg(A), Decim-Acc/Dmg/Rchg(7), Decim-Dmg/Rchg(9), Dev'n-Acc/Dmg/EndRdx/Rchg(9), Dev'n-Acc/Dmg/Rchg(11), Dev'n-Dmg/EndRdx(11)
Level 4: O2 Boost -- Dct'dW-Heal(A), Dct'dW-Heal/EndRdx(13), Dct'dW-Heal/Rchg(13), Dct'dW-Heal/EndRdx/Rchg(15), Dct'dW-Rchg(15)
Level 6: Hurdle -- Jump-I(A)
Level 8: Freezing Rain -- LdyGrey-Rchg/EndRdx(A), TmpRdns-EndRdx/Rchg/Slow(17), RechRdx-I(17), Posi-Dam%(19), ShldBrk-%Dam(25), LdyGrey-%Dam(25)
Level 10: Combat Jumping -- Krma-ResKB(A)
Level 12: Super Jump -- Jump-I(A)
Level 14: Steamy Mist -- S'dpty-Def(A), S'dpty-Def/EndRdx(19), S'dpty-Def/Rchg(21), TtmC'tng-ResDam(21), TtmC'tng-ResDam/EndRdx(23), TtmC'tng-ResDam/EndRdx/Rchg(23)
Level 16: Tenebrous Tentacles -- Posi-Acc/Dmg/EndRdx(A), Posi-Dmg/Rchg(27), Posi-Dmg/Rng(27), Posi-Acc/Dmg(29), Posi-Dam%(29), TotHntr-Dam%(31)
Level 18: Health -- Mrcl-Heal(A), Mrcl-Heal/EndRdx(39), Mrcl-Rcvry+(50)
Level 20: Stamina -- P'Shift-EndMod(A), P'Shift-EndMod/Acc(31), P'Shift-EndMod/Rchg(50)
Level 22: Night Fall -- Posi-Acc/Dmg/EndRdx(A), Posi-Dmg/Rchg(31), Posi-Dmg/Rng(33), Posi-Acc/Dmg(33), Posi-Dam%(33), Cloud-%Dam(34)
Level 24: Dark Pit -- Stpfy-Acc/Rchg(A), Stpfy-EndRdx/Stun(34), Stpfy-Acc/EndRdx(34), Stpfy-Stun/Rng(36), Stpfy-Acc/Stun/Rchg(36)
Level 26: Hurricane -- DarkWD-ToHitDeb(A), DarkWD-ToHitDeb/EndRdx(36), DarkWD-ToHitdeb/Rchg/EndRdx(37), DarkWD-Rchg/EndRdx(37)
Level 28: Hasten -- RechRdx-I(A), RechRdx-I(37)
Level 30: Snow Storm -- EndRdx-I(A)
Level 32: Lightning Storm -- Decim-Acc/Dmg(A), Decim-Dmg/EndRdx(39), Decim-Dmg/Rchg(39), Decim-Acc/EndRdx/Rchg(40), Decim-Acc/Dmg/Rchg(40), ExStrk-Dam%(40)
Level 35: Life Drain -- Numna-Heal/Rchg(A), Numna-Heal/EndRdx(43), Numna-Heal(43), Dev'n-Acc/Dmg(46), Dev'n-Dmg/Rchg(46), Dev'n-Acc/Dmg/EndRdx/Rchg(46)
Level 38: Assault -- EndRdx-I(A)
Level 41: Dark Consumption -- Efficacy-EndMod/Acc/Rchg(A), Efficacy-EndMod/Rchg(42), P'Shift-EndMod/Acc/Rchg(42), P'Shift-EndMod/Rchg(42), P'Shift-Acc/Rchg(43)
Level 44: Dark Embrace -- TtmC'tng-ResDam(A), TtmC'tng-ResDam/EndRdx(45), TtmC'tng-ResDam/EndRdx/Rchg(45), S'fstPrt-ResDam/Def+(45)
Level 47: Soul Drain -- Oblit-Acc/Rchg(A), Oblit-Dmg/Rchg(48), Oblit-Acc/Dmg/Rchg(48), Oblit-Acc/Dmg/EndRdx/Rchg(48), Oblit-%Dam(50)
Level 49: Soul Transfer -- RechRdx-I(A)
------------
Level 1: Brawl -- Empty(A)
Level 1: Sprint -- Empty(A)
Level 2: Rest -- Empty(A)
Level 1: Vigilance
Level 1: Ninja Run
Code:
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hmm...Oppressive Gloom would be easier to fit in since if since it really doesn't need slots.
Gloom's alleged improvement over dark blast is, itself, less useful than oppressive gloom. Also, Gale *and* O2 boost, but no tornado?
Let's entertain a thought for a moment, shall we? Let's say for the sake of argument you are a shining beacon of perfection in a world of degenerate flesh-mongers flopping like inside-out walruses on a city street that resembles nothing so much as an arctic beach after an exxon tanker filled with medical waste popped like an overfilled condom offshore... When you're rasping the landscape with the fury of the elements, are you going to be dedicating the time and energy it takes to launch silly little skulls *and* dark blasts at some target? I would say no. Then I would yell it at you while shaking you by your lapels. Then I would summon a tornado, and it would yell at you for me.
And what is this O2 Boost *and* gale nonsense. If you're not prepared to take o2 boost, gale, *and* the dark power that is basically gale at night, then you're not really frittering away your power choices on the kind of pro-teaming protectionist goofballery that scrappers *spit* have come to expect in pursuit of their one-size-fits-all approach to sucking at life. If you don't have tornado, and you have o2boost *and* gale, then you are giving up on one of the greatest debuffing, enemy-teasing, dpsing summons the game has to offer. It can't even take damage. You can use it at will to ragdoll. The best part is, unlike your ambuchronoclastic (free time destroying, I think, and if not, blame babelfish) gloom/dark blast practices which will only end with you pregnant in the snow being tied to someone's sled (like a miserable dog), tornado is completely automated. In fact, the more tornados you make, the more free success you experience. You could consider it a pyramid scheme, only inverted, and made of evil-sandpapering gusts of wind (and shards of glass).
Whether you fail to take O2 boost, and get to casually watch as some ice tank loses their shield against malta, leaving you to clean up and get them res insps from your tornado-havoc, OR, fail to take gale, and get to casually watch some ice tank lose their shield against malta, leaving you to clean up and get them res insps from your tornado-havoc, is not important. So long as you take tornado to be able to engage in this havoc.
Havoc is priority one, when u r the Mighty Storm Defender.
HOLY COW!! The Mighty Storm is BACK!!!
Triumphant Defenders Forever
Psylenz FF/Psi, ArticQuark Storm/Rad, Symon BarSisyphus Bots/psn, Max VanSydow Thugs/Dk, Cyclone Symon Bots/stm, Blue Loki Ice/Cd, Widow 46526
HelinCarnate:OMG it is so terrible. I have the option to take 3 more powers but no additional slots. Boo F'ing hoo.
::cries tears of joy::
Can't say I've ever really agreed with your storm politics, but welcome back 
Draggynn on Virtue: lvl 50 Storm/Psi, 1389 badges
Draggynn's Guide to Storm Summoning(Gale-Tornado, updated 6/25/2011)
Avatar by Wassy full reference here
Alright, I haven't played dark blast since i7, so I'm kinda "eh.." on slotting IOs aside from damage. For this build I pretty much went for +hp, +damage and of course +recharge. Though I think the only weird slotting I have is on Life Drain...I don't know how much damage it does for Defenders...but I was treating it like how I slotted it on my DM Tank. I have 2 spare slots...probably put them in Soul Transfer to give it more recharge.
Hero Plan by Mids' Hero Designer 1.621
http://www.cohplanner.com/
Click this DataLink to open the build!
Level 50 Magic Defender
Primary Power Set: Storm Summoning
Secondary Power Set: Dark Blast
Power Pool: Fitness
Power Pool: Leaping
Power Pool: Speed
Power Pool: Leadership
Ancillary Pool: Dark Mastery
Hero Profile:
Level 1: Gale -- Acc-I(A)
Level 1: Dark Blast -- Dev'n-Acc/Dmg(A), Dev'n-Dmg/Rchg(3), Dev'n-Acc/Dmg/Rchg(3), Dev'n-Acc/Dmg/EndRdx/Rchg(5), Cloud-%Dam(34)
Level 2: Gloom -- Dev'n-Acc/Dmg(A), Dev'n-Dmg/EndRdx(5), Dev'n-Acc/Dmg/Rchg(7), Dev'n-Acc/Dmg/EndRdx/Rchg(7), Apoc-Dam%(9), Cloud-%Dam(9)
Level 4: O2 Boost -- Mrcl-Heal/EndRdx(A), Mrcl-Heal/EndRdx/Rchg(11), Mrcl-Heal(11)
Level 6: Hurdle -- Jump-I(A)
Level 8: Freezing Rain -- UndDef-DefDeb(A), UndDef-DefDeb/Rchg(13), UndDef-DefDeb/Rchg/EndRdx(13), UndDef-Rchg/EndRdx(15), UndDef-Rchg(15)
Level 10: Combat Jumping -- Jump-I(A)
Level 12: Super Jump -- Jump-I(A)
Level 14: Steamy Mist -- RedFtn-Def/EndRdx(A), RedFtn-Def/Rchg(17), RedFtn-Def/EndRdx/Rchg(17), RedFtn-Def(19), RedFtn-EndRdx(19), Krma-ResKB(21)
Level 16: Tenebrous Tentacles -- Posi-Acc/Dmg(A), Posi-Dmg/EndRdx(21), Posi-Dmg/Rchg(23), Posi-Acc/Dmg/EndRdx(23), Posi-Dam%(25), Cloud-%Dam(25)
Level 18: Health -- Mrcl-Rcvry+(A)
Level 20: Stamina -- Efficacy-EndMod(A), Efficacy-EndMod/Rchg(27), EndMod-I(27)
Level 22: Night Fall -- Posi-Acc/Dmg(A), Posi-Dmg/EndRdx(29), Posi-Dmg/Rchg(29), Posi-Acc/Dmg/EndRdx(31), Posi-Dam%(31), Cloud-%Dam(31)
Level 24: Dark Pit -- Stpfy-Acc/Rchg(A), Stpfy-EndRdx/Stun(33), Stpfy-Acc/EndRdx(33), Stpfy-Stun/Rng(33), Stpfy-Acc/Stun/Rchg(34)
Level 26: Hurricane -- DarkWD-ToHitDeb(A), DarkWD-ToHitDeb/Rchg(34), DarkWD-ToHitdeb/Rchg/EndRdx(36), DarkWD-Rchg/EndRdx(36), DarkWD-ToHitDeb/EndRdx(50)
Level 28: Hasten -- RechRdx-I(A), RechRdx-I(36), RechRdx-I(43)
Level 30: Snow Storm -- EndRdx-I(A), EndRdx-I(37)
Level 32: Lightning Storm -- Dev'n-Acc/Dmg(A), Dev'n-Dmg/Rchg(37), Dev'n-Dmg/EndRdx(37), Dev'n-Hold%(39), Thundr-Acc/Dmg/Rchg(39), ExStrk-Dam%(39)
Level 35: Life Drain -- HO:Golgi(A), HO:Nucle(40), Nictus-Heal(40), Nictus-%Dam(40), Nictus-Acc/Heal(42), Apoc-Dmg(42)
Level 38: Assault -- EndRdx-I(A), EndRdx-I(42)
Level 41: Dark Consumption -- Efficacy-EndMod(A), Efficacy-EndMod/Rchg(45), Efficacy-EndMod/Acc/Rchg(45), Efficacy-Acc/Rchg(45), Efficacy-EndMod/Acc(46), Efficacy-EndMod/EndRdx(46)
Level 44: Dark Embrace -- TtmC'tng-ResDam/EndRdx(A), TtmC'tng-ResDam(46), TtmC'tng-EndRdx(48)
Level 47: Soul Drain -- Oblit-Dmg(A), Oblit-Acc/Rchg(48), Oblit-Dmg/Rchg(48), Oblit-Acc/Dmg/Rchg(50), Oblit-Acc/Dmg/EndRdx/Rchg(50)
Level 49: Soul Transfer -- RechRdx-I(A)
------------
Level 1: Brawl -- Empty(A)
Level 1: Sprint -- Empty(A)
Level 2: Rest -- Empty(A)
Level 1: Vigilance
Level 1: Ninja Run
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Set Bonus Totals: