Embrace the chaos and use it (wisely) as a source of control. The big downside with ele/storm is the lack of -kb in your cages (thats what make the chain kd power effective), but there are plenty of strong storm controllers that don't have -kb either: Illusion/storm being one. And its a very powerful combo. Just make sure you and your teammates understand how your powers work and how you plan on using them.
Is electric/storm the best powers synergy you can have? No. Will it be fun? Sure!
@Mental Maden @Maden Mental
"....you are now tackle free for life."-ShoNuff
Quote:
Actually, if you do things right, you'll have more fun than a barrel full of monkeys wearing fake clown rainbow afro wigs.|
Originally Posted by Jazra
Ever since I heard about Electric Control coming out I've been wanting to make an Elec/Storm, as it seemed to fit together for thematic reasons. So I made one in Praetoria and have been having a lot of fun with it so far, but I'm starting to wonder if, moving in to the future, I've made a horrible horrible mistake.
Electric Control requires, at least as far as I have seen, a lot of mob management. Keep them all in close in Conductive Aura, keep them all placed in the Static Field, all bunched up for Jolting Chain, and everything is all hunky dory. In fact, doing that with Ghouls, who love to run up close, I have been able to survive massive attacks more or less indefinitely. Praetorian Clockwork, who all fight from Range, have been giving me a huge headache. But Storm is all about chaos and being ridiculous. It's been fine so far up to 20, where I have been using my new Hurricane to push outliers in to my Static Field, but what happens when I have a tornado or two out there throwing people around, or a Lightning storm blasting people across the room? Seems like it will be negating my electricity entirely. Anybody have any experiences in making this work, or will I have do be doing either electric control or stormy stuff, but not both? I can see having a lot of fun keeping Group A over there locked down with a static field, or Synaptic Overload, while I get down and dirty in the middle of group B with my storms. Any other thoughts? |
Imagine that for a few seconds, if you will.
Okay, now that you've seen that, I can see a lot of fun happening with Elec/Storm, ONLY so long as you use Hurricane and Tornado as emergency powers, not all-the-time powers. Here's some fun ideas:
Synaptic Overload + Steamy Mist
Static Field + Conductive Aura + Snow Storm + Freezing Rain
Freezing Rain + Snow Storm + Electric Fences + Jolting Chain + L-Storm
All of that + Gremlins!
A trick I used to use on my Storm/Dark Defender (before I made the mistake of deleting him) was to use Ninja Run, jump really high and at the peak of the jump cast Lightning Storm. This way, Stormy doesn't knock BACK, but knock Down (directionally at least). Make sense?
I think if you pay attention to your surroundings and do very little to scatter spawns, you'll be fine.
My guides:Dark Melee/Dark Armor/Soul Mastery, Illusion Control/Kinetics/Primal Forces Mastery, Electric Armor
"Dark Armor is a complete waste as a tanking set."
Quote:
Actually I didn't take Snow Storm yet. I thought it unnecessary to slow them down, as the Chain Fences will keep them in place and why slow down their attacks when they will be slowed down by their lack of endurance anyway? Mistake? Am I missing something?|
Originally Posted by Nalrok_AthZim
Synaptic Overload + Steamy Mist
Static Field + Conductive Aura + Snow Storm + Freezing Rain Freezing Rain + Snow Storm + Electric Fences + Jolting Chain + L-Storm All of that + Gremlins! |
Quote:
| A trick I used to use on my Storm/Dark Defender (before I made the mistake of deleting him) was to use Ninja Run, jump really high and at the peak of the jump cast Lightning Storm. This way, Stormy doesn't knock BACK, but knock Down (directionally at least). Make sense? |
Also, thanks for the encouragement MentalMaden.
Jazra -- Level 50 Illusion/Radiation Controller
Swayvill -- Level 50 Plant/Psi Dominator
Droshalla -- Level 50 Warshade
Latro Dectus -- Level 50 Fortunata
Starseeds -- Level 50 Elec/Storm controller
Quote:
A) Good point, actually. I suppose at that point the only use you'll get out of Snow Storm is keeping the enemies Electric Fences missed from running away, if that makes sense. Plus it's a nice debuff to have in case you run across mobs who have a high resistance to end drain.|
Originally Posted by Jazra
Actually I didn't take Snow Storm yet. I thought it unnecessary to slow them down, as the Chain Fences will keep them in place and why slow down their attacks when they will be slowed down by their lack of endurance anyway? Mistake? Am I missing something?
Good point, actually. I suppose at that point the only use you'll get out of Snow Storm is keeping the enemies Electric Fences missed from running away, if that makes sense. Plus it's a nice debuff to have in case you run across mobs who have a high resistance to end drain. Oh, I like that a lot! I will definitely be trying that out. Thanks muchly! Also, thanks for the encouragement MentalMaden. |
B) It's fun! You can't see your cloud anymore if you do it right, and every few seconds this giant bolt of angry smashes a bunch of guys on their butts. The first 2 weeks I did it, I laughed every fight.
"Yaaahhh! Get the hero, get the--" *WHAMF*
"Hahaha, you fell."
My guides:Dark Melee/Dark Armor/Soul Mastery, Illusion Control/Kinetics/Primal Forces Mastery, Electric Armor
"Dark Armor is a complete waste as a tanking set."
I like me my -kb
But, even more than that, I like me my herdicaning. Hurricane + Conductive Aura is a no go 
It's an interesting combination conceptually, but logistically it's a mess. My opinion.
Quote:
I find -recharge to be a more frontloaded mechanic than endurance drain. It still requires the enemy to fire off their attacks, but it fills the gap for mitigation between 100% endurance and 0%. You can also toss snow storm and static field under sleep resistant mobs and bottom out their attack rate.|
Originally Posted by Jazra
Actually I didn't take Snow Storm yet. I thought it unnecessary to slow them down, as the Chain Fences will keep them in place and why slow down their attacks when they will be slowed down by their lack of endurance anyway? Mistake? Am I missing something?
|
Take advantage of the lack of -kb in Fences. Fences + Freezing Rain makes a nice pseudo-hold. Toss that on the mob while you use Static Field to hold off an ambush, for example. Also, Fences works well with Gale for clumping enemies in the corner.
As long as you're careful with placement you can avoid many of the conflicts that arise between Storm and Electric.
Quote:
That's pretty much what I was thinking. So far I have been using Herdicane to make sure that people are shoved in to my Static Field, but Tornado and Lightning Storm look like they could be problems.|
Originally Posted by kinaki
I like me my -kb
But, even more than that, I like me my herdicaning. Hurricane + Conductive Aura is a no go It's an interesting combination conceptually, but logistically it's a mess. My opinion. |
On the other hand, in a big team there will be a lot of other things keeping people out of my Static Field anyway, or at the very least keeping the sleep useless. Perhaps on a large enough team I can leverage the Storm stuff more often, and the Electric stuff less. Different things to do in different circumstances, perhaps. I'm hoping that's how it will work out.
Jazra -- Level 50 Illusion/Radiation Controller
Swayvill -- Level 50 Plant/Psi Dominator
Droshalla -- Level 50 Warshade
Latro Dectus -- Level 50 Fortunata
Starseeds -- Level 50 Elec/Storm controller
I hate to say it, but despite what others are saying about embracing the chaos, etc., Elec and Storm are not good pairings. Here is why:
- Storm is all about kb and Elec is about being up close and personal. With no -kb in Fences, this is problematic. LS and Tornado knocking stuff out of Conductive Aura is bad. Knocking stuff out of Static Field is worse (mob is woken and not getting re-ticked).
- Herdcaning is bad with sleeps. Pushing one mob into Static field likely means waking others.
- Herdcaning works best with AoE immobs that provide -kb since when a mob is on the ground it doesn't get pushed.
- The only good thing is that Thunder Clap now has usefulness, but with no corresponding disorient power in Elec, even that isn't great.
Here is how I would rank the secondaries:
1) Rad
Rad is a common #1, but with a confuse to group mobs for RI/EF and endurance help to keep Choking Cloud up, it really shines with Elec.
Three are tied at #2
2) Cold
Main thing here is Heat Loss, but lots of other support too.
2) Kinetics
Like Elec control, Kin is an up close set so there is good synergy in that respect. Transference means no need for Stamina, though with I19 that is no longer an issue.
2) TA
Elec has limited hard controls and TA helps with that.
5) Sonic/Force
Similar, but different. These rank close to the same.
6) Therm/Emp
No real synergy, but nothing that hurts either.
7) Storm
Too much that actually hurts. Limited/no synergy and lots of bad pairing.
Current:
Fridgerato - Traps/Ice (Frdm)
Gadgetron - Grav/TA (Lbrty)
Ice/Kin Guide
Quote:
Personally, I'd rank Force above Sonic; with stacked lethal/smashing it's much easier for an Elec/FF to enter melee where Electric tends to work well. Also, I'd place Thermal over Empathy. Thermal can buff its pets even on a team without causing any teammate to lose out, and it also has a source of -recovery in Heat Exhaustion to help keep the endurance of dangerous targets bottomed out.|
Originally Posted by AWRocketman
Here is how I would rank the secondaries:
1) Rad Rad is a common #1, but with a confuse to group mobs for RI/EF and endurance help to keep Choking Cloud up, it really shines with Elec. Three are tied at #2 2) Cold Main thing here is Heat Loss, but lots of other support too. 2) Kinetics Like Elec control, Kin is an up close set so there is good synergy in that respect. Transference means no need for Stamina, though with I19 that is no longer an issue. 2) TA Elec has limited hard controls and TA helps with that. 5) Sonic/Force Similar, but different. These rank close to the same. 6) Therm/Emp No real synergy, but nothing that hurts either. 7) Storm Too much that actually hurts. Limited/no synergy and lots of bad pairing. |
Also MM pointed out many of the other powerful storm combos don't benefit from -kb. They may not be as melee oriented, but the lessons learned in playing one of those also apply to Electric. Placing Lightning Storm carefully and using Hurricane appropriately means you'll have little conflict. Tornado, though, I've always reserved for AV's or if another controller was spamming immobilizes.
I don't necessarily agree with the rankings.
Thermal has probably the best chance of any secondary to keep pets alive, and grants them a 40% damage bonus. It also has a huge (-200%) 40 second long Recovery debuff in Heat Exhaustion.
I actually don't find Radiation to have a lot of "synergy" per se. It does let you run toggles a bit easier. But like Ice/Rad the whole house of cards collapses if you get mezzed, so you're shoehorned into Indomitable Will, which you don't get until 41 at the earliest (and you have to delay your single target blast to get it that early).
I would rank the sets like this (although ranking is a dangerous thing IMO):
1) Everything not listed below, all for differing reasons.
2) Sonic Resonance, which I have never been a fan of.
3) Storm Summoning. In addition to reasons listed previously, two of your best powers, Freezing Rain and Static Field contradict each other. Scattered mobs also break chain powers.
Ever since I heard about Electric Control coming out I've been wanting to make an Elec/Storm, as it seemed to fit together for thematic reasons. So I made one in Praetoria and have been having a lot of fun with it so far, but I'm starting to wonder if, moving in to the future, I've made a horrible horrible mistake.
Electric Control requires, at least as far as I have seen, a lot of mob management. Keep them all in close in Conductive Aura, keep them all placed in the Static Field, all bunched up for Jolting Chain, and everything is all hunky dory. In fact, doing that with Ghouls, who love to run up close, I have been able to survive massive attacks more or less indefinitely. Praetorian Clockwork, who all fight from Range, have been giving me a huge headache.
But Storm is all about chaos and being ridiculous. It's been fine so far up to 20, where I have been using my new Hurricane to push outliers in to my Static Field, but what happens when I have a tornado or two out there throwing people around, or a Lightning storm blasting people across the room? Seems like it will be negating my electricity entirely.
Anybody have any experiences in making this work, or will I have do be doing either electric control or stormy stuff, but not both? I can see having a lot of fun keeping Group A over there locked down with a static field, or Synaptic Overload, while I get down and dirty in the middle of group B with my storms. Any other thoughts?
Jazra -- Level 50 Illusion/Radiation Controller
Swayvill -- Level 50 Plant/Psi Dominator
Droshalla -- Level 50 Warshade
Latro Dectus -- Level 50 Fortunata
Starseeds -- Level 50 Elec/Storm controller