First Defender

I have to admit not been playing long still around my first month maybe
more though probly not, but being hearing so much smack about
Defenders how their best used as only Healers and or Givving Um I think
the term was Buff's.

Now I was reading teh description and they look as though they would
make pretty fine ranged attack units simmilar if not unlike the Blasters, so
I figured let see what I can do.
(Forgive the poor spelling please.)

What I hope to create:

Primary Power: Storm Summoning.
Gale
Lightning Storm


Secondry Power: Electrical Blast.
Charged Bolts
Lightning Bolts
Ball Lightning
Zap
Tesla Charge
Voltaic Sentinel
Thunderous Blast

Power Pools:
Recall Friend
Teleport
Team Teleport
Aid Self
Aid Others
Resuscitate


Might change some the powers in the Power Pool,
'Aid Others' for 'Grant Invisibility'
Resuscitate' for 'Invisibility'

I was inspried by some thing I saw on youtube:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ww8GwStHfPk

"I'm an archer if you stand still I'll shoot you with my healing arror,
I hear a direct shot to the heart does wonders!"
(4 Min's and 30 Secs' into it.)

Damn that cracked me up, okay it was more funny when the character
said it heh!

People who say that Defenders are only good for Healing and Buffing are not correct. However unfortunately your stance, that Defenders can be good Blasters, is also erroneous.

The truth lies somewhere in the middle. Defenders, when built correctly, can deal decent damage but their lower base damage means they will only deal a little more than 50% of Blaster base damage (on teams at least, the new Vigilance means they deal a bit more solo about 70% blaster damage).

The character you seem to be trying for is sometimes referred to as an Offender. An Offender is a Defender who deals high damage generally by using his primary to boost the damage in his secondary.

In your particular case you've got a Defender optimized for ranged damage but his damage will suck horribly compared to a Blaster since you aren't using your primary to full effect. You're also going to be weaker than a Blaster since Defenders get fewer hitpoints than Blasters and you aren't using the tools in your primary to mitigate incoming damage.

Regarding your primary at the very least you should pick up Freezing Rain for the resistance debuff and Snow Storm for the slow (so you take less damage). I'd also recommend Steamy Mist (stealth, defense and resistance) and Hurricane (an excellent debuff especially when solo).

For your secondary Electric can work but it's damage is a bit low compared to the other blast sets. Sonic is the most popular blast set for a high damage defender due to the resistance debuffs but any of the damage sets will work to some extent.

In regards to power pools I personally wouldn't bother with Resuscitate and the Concealment pool is useless for a Stormy since it doesn't stack with Steamy Mist. Team Teleport is similarly a pretty marginal power.

As a final note, it is perfectly possible to make a Defender who neglects one or both of his sets and they are still at least marginally playable but the best Defenders uses both sets in harmony. You buff yourself and your allies or debuff your enemies but in between you use your blasts to help defeat your foes.

For Storm Summoning the "staple" powers.

Steamy Mist, Freezing Rain, and Lightning Storms.

Good Powers: Gale, O2 Boost, Snow Storm, Hurricane, and Tornado.

Average Powers: Thunder Clap.

Freezing Rain imo *is* the greatest power of Storm Summoning.

I did an Ouro arc with a team of 8 doing the players debuffed challenge. One person of the team (3/4s of the way through) suddenly realized we were debuffed, then realized that the entire team missed it due to FR. It really is that great imo.

No offense, but that build makes me cringe. If you're going to neglect your primary that much, it'd be better just to cut to the chase and roll a Blaster, as a Defender who neglects their primary is basically a super-gimped Blaster.

If you want to make an Offender, you'll want a debuffing Primary or Kinetics. Other sets can Offend too, but not as effectively due to lower personal damage. Storm is good for this (though with drastically different picks and much heavier investment in it than your pondered build has), but Rad, Dark, TA, and Traps are all good too. These all work well because, if you're setting yourself up to do maximum damage, more often than not you're helping your team at the same time. And a good Offender remembers that they're to support the team while burning everything around them.

Hmnn I see, well certainly food for thought and some thing for me to
digest and muse over.

My reasons for the Buld I guess where in theory any way.
I could use Gale to blow any one who come's to close away from me and
use Lightning Storm Storm latter on when I could get it to add alittle
damage to those who get to close.

The Stealth I could use when thing go pair shape and allow me to move
away safely before using the Recall Friend to bring them to safty and then
use both Resuscitate and Aid Others to awaken them and give them a bit
health.

And mostly having the Electric Blast so I could have some fun blasting at
stuff from a distance, guess it all look sgood on paper but I guess from
your expirences it must be a difreant thing in practice.

So fair enough will re-think the powers

Actually, in theory is a maybe. Concept, once again, maybe.

Steamy Mist and Stealth have the same stealth radius (which means that a stealth proc will get you to 65 ft. stealth, good for anything without +perc). However, you don't lose half your defense bonus if you attack with Steamy Mist. As an added bonus, you get 20% Fire/Cold/Energy resistance and confuse protect and resistance. Stealth also slows down your fly/run speed, to which Steamy Mist does not. Also, you can place Resistance set IOs into Steamy Mist. Thus making Steamy Mist better.

Heal Other starts with a 262.4 Heal on a defender out of the box. O2 does 176 out of the box, doesn't get interrupted (if memory on medicine pool serves), has greater recharge (4 versus 10 second) 80 ft. range versus 25 ft. range. Double endo cost (6.5 Heal Other vs. 13 O2), but O2 also does -8.65 mag stun and sleep for 60 seconds (thus stackable to overcome Rommy rez if you stack it 4 times on someone) 173% sleep resist, +108.1% perception with those blinding Arachnos and Artemis (etc.). Plus, it's good for recovery/endo drain protection. Malta higher level and Clockwork (Synapse/Posi anyone?) for low levels (where you really need the endurance protection). I'm a fan if someone dies, make a wakie for them (or give them stuff to make theirs) then use O2 on them since that'll cancel the stun from wakie. That's one less inspiration they have to worry about. That's 3 medicine pool powers in one for you. Stimulant (to a degree), Heal Other does worse hps, and either day job rez power or pass wakies out for the resuscitate. Only problem is you can't target yourself. Also, people can use Wakies in mid battle and you can get them the CM, they pop a blue and they're back in action.

Gale and Hurricane are good if you're good at positioning KB. Until you are, it's can be a headache. Though both are good powers.

As I said before FR is your blender for the enemies. -30% defense means you'll hit everyone, -35% resistance means you'll kill the mob faster, and the Knockdown and -50% recharge will make it safer for you, and the slows means they'll scatter "less" even though I don't slot for slows and don't tend to have much probably with a -70% run/jump speed, -60% fly, and -3.5 max run speed. Add in a dash of damage, and if you get your recharge to moderate/good, you'll be able to FR every mob on a decently fast paced team. A super steamroller team you'll get it every 1.5 mobs, which I usually would just save the .5 or so for the next mob, but it's rare that there's a team *that* good. Just saying, FR win.

Tornado when teamed with Elec Mastery's Elec Fence will become a blender on that opponent (if you're going against one enemy at the time, otherwise it might start attacking another. AVs usually have really good -KB so if you don't have a -KB or a teammate on your team with -KB, it'll still blend the AV at the end of your TF. Note: Not all Immobilize powers have -KB, so take note to which do and don't if you're going that route. Also, with -KB consideration with Hurricane, -KB doesn't mean -Repel. That means you can gradually push enemies into a counter if you have a Controller who has -KB powers on the entire mob.

Lightning Storm (as you've already gathered) is nice.

Thunder Clap is alright. I believe it's better on controllers, and usually best if you combine it with something else (Like Dark Master's Oppressive Gloom) for double stacked and mezzed bosses.

Snow Storm is nice, though not my personal cup of tea. It's more -spd and -recharge, though a toggle and always present on your anchor and those around him. To each their own I guess.

Just some Storm food for though in regards to each power.



Edit: Small typo errors, major one being saying "Heal Other has better hps", the rest small ones. Also added an ending note to O2.

For give my ignourance and Imean no dissrespect but when peopel start
throwing numbers and percetages towards me my mind goes blank and I'm
left some what confused with a vacent look on my face @_@
Same with all those game terms and abreveations(sp) for names and
stuff

Basicly could you repeate that with out all the figures, in a way even a Idot
like me oculd understand please?

Translation:

Quote:

Originally Posted by StormyDarkness Steamy Mist and Stealth have the same stealth radius (which means that a stealth proc will get you to 65 ft. stealth, good for anything without +perc). However, you don't lose half your defense bonus if you attack with Steamy Mist. As an added bonus, you get 20% Fire/Cold/Energy resistance and confuse protect and resistance. Stealth also slows down your fly/run speed, to which Steamy Mist does not. Also, you can place Resistance set IOs into Steamy Mist. Thus making Steamy Mist better.

Not only do you get to keep the defense bonus while fighting (versus Stealth), but you get resistance to three of the eight damage types (that can be resisted). They have the same amount of stealth so that shouldn't be a factor. Steamy Mist also has you moving faster thus more advantageous for running through/around mobs. Also, it protects against Confuse and if you do get confused, it reduces the time confused. Good for pvp and very specific enemies (Villain side mid/upper level Circle of Thorns' Succubus).

Quote:

Originally Posted by StormyDarkness Heal Other starts with a 262.4 Heal on a defender out of the box. O2 does 176 out of the box, doesn't get interrupted (if memory on medicine pool serves), has greater recharge (4 versus 10 second) 80 ft. range versus 25 ft. range. Double endo cost (6.5 Heal Other vs. 13 O2), but O2 also does -8.65 mag stun and sleep for 60 seconds (thus stackable to overcome Rommy rez if you stack it 4 times on someone) 173% sleep resist, +108.1% perception with those blinding Arachnos and Artemis (etc.). Plus, it's good for recovery/endo drain protection. Malta higher level and Clockwork (Synapse/Posi anyone?) for low levels (where you really need the endurance protection). I'm a fan if someone dies, make a wakie for them (or give them stuff to make theirs) then use O2 on them since that'll cancel the stun from wakie. That's one less inspiration they have to worry about. That's 3 medicine pool powers in one for you. Stimulant (to a degree), Heal Other does worse hps, and either day job rez power or pass wakies out for the resuscitate. Only problem is you can't target yourself. Also, people can use Wakies in mid battle and you can get them the CM, they pop a blue and they're back in action.

O2 is O2 Boost (the Storm Summoning heal). Heal Other heal 262.4 HP every 10 seconds (thus 26.24 HP per second or hps). O2 is 176 HP every 4 seconds (thus 44 hps). It helps two of the mez protection and helps your allies against them. Stimulant is the closest of the Medicine equivalent of this, but it adds Holds, Immobilizes, and Fear. It also does stuns, sleeps, and Confuse, but O2 and Steamy Mist covers those three. Because how wakies works, the stun can be overcome by O2's stun protection. Perception is usually not needed (though there are some enemies that do -perception). There's also a day job accolade power that gives you a rez nearly exactly like resuscitate. CM is short of Clear Mind, which is the Empathy power set of stimulant (but better). The inspiration equivalent is Break Free.

Quote:

Originally Posted by StormyDarkness Gale and Hurricane are good if you're good at positioning KB. Until you are, it's can be a headache. Though both are good powers.

KB is Knockback. Good and bad, depending on situation.

Quote:

Originally Posted by StormyDarkness As I said before FR is your blender for the enemies. -30% defense means you'll hit everyone, -35% resistance means you'll kill the mob faster, and the Knockdown and -50% recharge will make it safer for you, and the slows means they'll scatter "less" even though I don't slot for slows and don't tend to have much probably with a -70% run/jump speed, -60% fly, and -3.5 max run speed. Add in a dash of damage, and if you get your recharge to moderate/good, you'll be able to FR every mob on a decently fast paced team. A super steamroller team you'll get it every 1.5 mobs, which I usually would just save the .5 or so for the next mob, but it's rare that there's a team *that* good. Just saying, FR win.

FR = Freezing Rain. Those numbers are saying it's a strong power and actually gets mobs killed faster and does some mitigation of the enemies incoming attacks. It *is* my favorite power of Storm Summoning, period.

Quote:

Originally Posted by StormyDarkness Tornado when teamed with Elec Mastery's Elec Fence will become a blender on that opponent (if you're going against one enemy at the time, otherwise it might start attacking another. AVs usually have really good -KB so if you don't have a -KB or a teammate on your team with -KB, it'll still blend the AV at the end of your TF. Note: Not all Immobilize powers have -KB, so take note to which do and don't if you're going that route. Also, with -KB consideration with Hurricane, -KB doesn't mean -Repel. That means you can gradually push enemies into a counter if you have a Controller who has -KB powers on the entire mob.

-KB mean anti-Knockback powers. AV is Archvillain or one of the hardest enemies of the game. TF is task force. I think that covers most of that.

Quote:

Originally Posted by StormyDarkness Lightning Storm (as you've already gathered) is nice.

I think that explains everything.

Quote:

Originally Posted by StormyDarkness Thunder Clap is alright. I believe it's better on controllers, and usually best if you combine it with something else (Like Dark Master's Oppressive Gloom) for double stacked and mezzed bosses.

Mezzed for this is stuns (disorients).

Quote:

Originally Posted by StormyDarkness Snow Storm is nice, though not my personal cup of tea. It's more -spd and -recharge, though a toggle and always present on your anchor and those around him. To each their own I guess.

-spd is Speed debuff. Anchors is the enemy target you use the toggle power on. It then effects the enemies around that target you're toggled.


Hope that helps some.

Beautfuly thank you, I fully understand now Thanks *Nods*
And Agreed much to to ponder and use Thanks Again!

If there's anything else you need more clarification, just shoot me a PM or post here. Also, any questions pertaining Elec Blast or Storm Summoning (I have 3 of each, though none are Storm/Elec). But I'm not known for having "conventional builds". Though some of my ideas spawn new and greater things.

Just a quick qualitative rundown of Storm powers for ya.

Gale: Enemies will be knocked away from you about the same distance, if they're hit. That's the trick -- Gale is a cone with low accuracy, so it takes accuracy slotting, good aim, and maybe range slotting to make sure everything is hit. Enemies are seriously scattered by Gale only when you hit some targets but miss other targets.

O2 Boost: Grants an ally protection against a few status effects and debuffs, at the cost of losing some of your Vigilance endurance discount (because it heals them, awwww ).

Snow Storm: De-flies enemies in an area effect. Useful to keep fliers from escaping your Freezing Rain. Also has a slow effect, but Freezing Rain by itself should stop enemies from being able to make any meaningful movement.

Steamy Mist: Damage resistance to one common damage type (Energy) plus two less common damage types (Fire, Cold), plus a little defense, plus a little Stealth. Compares very nicely to APP armors, and even stacks with them. The fact that it also helps nearby teammates is secondary.

Freezing Rain: Take it, /bind it to a mouse button combination, and don't look back. Explaining what Freezing Rain does only wastes time you should be using to take and bind it. Do it nao! Slot for anything you like except accuracy and damage. Recharge enhancement brings Freezing Rain up more often, slow movement enhancement keeps targets from escaping Freezing Rain easily, range enhancement lets you use Freezing Rain from further away, defense debuff enhancement helps you and the team hit much higher level enemies.

Hurricane: Autohits enemies that you get close to, inflicting a massive -tohit debuff. The only better -tohit debuff in the game is the Dark Blast nuke (Blackstar). By itself, will floor (i.e. minimum 5% total to-hit chance) a lot of enemies. With Steamy Mist, will floor the vast majority of enemies. The debuff is "sticky" and will keep enemies debuffed for 10 seconds after they're no longer in the Hurricane. In a desperate situation, I sometimes start doing fly-bys every few seconds in a circle around the spawn, or even straight through the spawn, with Hurricane running, and the debuff will persist until I make my next fly-by, giving me time to blast and stuff.

Thunder Clap: Stuns minions (mag 2) in a somewhat large radius around you. Duration is long enough, recharge is short enough, to perma stun minions if you have to. (Though you'll never have to.) Like Gale, lots of accuracy slotting required. Makes a nice assist for random newbies fighting Blood Brothers on the street, since it doesn't deal damage or take XP.

Tornado: Autohit smashing DoT. Eats AVs, GMs, MoG'ing Paragon Protectors, and anything else that foolishly relies on dodging/deflecting (def). Nom nom nom.

Lightning Storm: High accuracy energy blasting pet with a small AoE. Eats AVs, GMs, and closely packed targets against a wall. Nom nom nom.

Just to warn you, Logan, Electricity is the lowest damage Defender secondary. Its not terrible, just maybe 80% as effective as other sets.

Ice also makes a nice thematic pair with Storm and does better damage overall. Freezing Rain and Ice Storm are very nice together.

I'm not saying that Electricty is unplayable by any means, just a little bit weaker than other blast sets.

What lof of the posters have said about Freezing Rain does make it appealing, and the way it makes targets easier to hit and makes them take more damage is quite true. The real mitigation from Freezing Rain is the little ice slick that it makes that causes the foes to flop like fish sprawled across the deck of a trawler. When they are picking themselves up, they can't shoot you. All of these conditions are accentuated by the area effect of being slowed on top of this. Freezing rain is my favorite storm power.