I think you've boiled the difference down to the essence.
Plant is significantly faster, for rolling through missions. The enemies help you (when confused) and Roots and Creepers add significant damage. Earth really can't compete in this regard. Seeds > Freezing Rain > spam Roots will let you turn the diff slider up a few notches, at least for spawn size.
However (and it's a real however), when additional mobs hit, Plant has one other option - the aoe, long-timer hold (Vines). Earth has a whole bag of tricks for crowd control. Further, when Plant runs into confuse resistant mobs, well, then it really sucks. Earth has something to offer against pretty much all mob types.
So, I think I'd summarize by saying Plant is a one-trick pony, that does that one trick very very well, while Earth is more versatile. I'm not going to try to steer the OP toward one or the other, both will be quite strong.
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Good summary. The only thing I would add is that Earth's pet makes a significant difference -- because of his Seismic Smash, Earth might be slightly better at single target damage. Rocky is also a better tank -- l took Super Speed to go with my Steamy Mist so I can easily lead him into the fight to draw aggro.|
Originally Posted by Deacon_NA
I think you've boiled the difference down to the essence.
Plant is significantly faster, for rolling through missions. The enemies help you (when confused) and Roots and Creepers add significant damage. Earth really can't compete in this regard. Seeds > Freezing Rain > spam Roots will let you turn the diff slider up a few notches, at least for spawn size. However (and it's a real however), when additional mobs hit, Plant has one other option - the aoe, long-timer hold (Vines). Earth has a whole bag of tricks for crowd control. Further, when Plant runs into confuse resistant mobs, well, then it really sucks. Earth has something to offer against pretty much all mob types. So, I think I'd summarize by saying Plant is a one-trick pony, that does that one trick very very well, while Earth is more versatile. I'm not going to try to steer the OP toward one or the other, both will be quite strong. |
Plant certainly has better AoE damage. Plant relies more on positioning, since Seeds is a cone, so invisibility is a huge help too. Creepers can be used as a Alpha Strike absorber, but not as reliably as Rocky. Plant's pet, Twoey, is fairly squishy and isn't as much of a game changer as Rocky.
Both sets are a heck of a lot of fun to play.
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Heh, well it looks like I was right after all. Those summaries really explained what I thought in my mind MUCH better then I could have though. Cheers mates, and after thinking a bit more, gonna go with an Earth/Storm controller: "Landscape" on Virtue Server.
You would have done fine, Outback, either way you went. Both are a lot of fun to play.
When you unleash Tornado and/or Lightning Storm, it is a good idea to spam the AoE Immob to keep baddies from getting flung Hither and Thither. Tornado can really grind a baddie down when it does not have to chase them. You will find that the Earth AoE Immob is a bit easier to use because it will work on airborne baddies, whereas the baddies need to be close to the ground for the Plant AoE Immob to be able to hit them.
I have taken Earth/Storm to 50 twice and Plant/Storm to 50 once. Lots of enjoyment with those guys. 
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The plant immob isnt to hard to work with since snow storm can ground flyers.
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Originally Posted by Melancton
You would have done fine, Outback, either way you went. Both are a lot of fun to play.
When you unleash Tornado and/or Lightning Storm, it is a good idea to spam the AoE Immob to keep baddies from getting flung Hither and Thither. Tornado can really grind a baddie down when it does not have to chase them. You will find that the Earth AoE Immob is a bit easier to use because it will work on airborne baddies, whereas the baddies need to be close to the ground for the Plant AoE Immob to be able to hit them. I have taken Earth/Storm to 50 twice and Plant/Storm to 50 once. Lots of enjoyment with those guys. |
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Everyone else already summed this up but I have a 50 earth/storm and a 50 plant/storm and love them both.
My Earth was first and even fully IO'd at lvl 50 she is painfully slow to solo but is pretty much never in danger.
My Plant troller on the other hand rips through mobs (don't laugh but I use her for farming when I can bring myself to grind) and has good controls but can't lock down nearly as many mobs as earth can.
I suggest you make one of each I suspect you'll like having both playstyles available.
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Plant steamrolls through mobs (my plant/fire at least), where as an Earth is safe but terribly slow and boring solo. On teams, Plant still helps the steamroll, whereas earth shines for making the mobs helpless for teammates to kill. Teammates love an Earth on the team.
Depends, do you want to reliably lockdown huge groups and keep them helpless? Do you want to have less control (still good though), but really good dmg?
Also, my Flytrap is anything but squishie or whatever, he almost never dies unless I'm not doing my job.
Could anyone suggest a Plant/Storm build? I just came back to the game so I am a newbie to all the changes and a little guidance would be awesome
It's not perfect, but Creepers will down low flyers, so indoors even without a grounder in your secondary you can usually still get Roots off.
Been doing some reading/research, and from both that and what I've seen in-game, Earth/Storm and Plant/Storm seem to be extremely good at lock down. However, is there anything else they have in common, or are different? Plant seems to be a bit more damage oriented, while Earth is more control... am I right in this assumption? I'm thinking of making one or the other, but kinda want to know what the real difference is between the two first.