Never played a stormie

In an effort to find a fun toon to play while I wait for time to come out, I decided that I'd finally try a Storm defender. I like really active sets like storm summoning, and the set always looked fun, but seemed a little daunting. Anyways, I think I'm doing storm/cold, but I could be persuaded to pick a different secondary. I have a quick build I made in mids, but knowing little about storm I figured I'd throw it to the wolves.

A couple of things to note, I have the first veteran attack, and would like some advice on early leveling, such as am I picking the right powers to make leveling workable.

Hero Plan by Mids' Hero Designer 1.942
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Level 50 Magic Defender
Primary Power Set: Storm Summoning
Secondary Power Set: Ice Blast
Power Pool: Flight
Power Pool: Speed
Power Pool: Leadership
Ancillary Pool: Mu Mastery

Hero Profile:
Level 1: O2 Boost -- Heal(A), Heal(46)
Level 1: Ice Bolt -- Acc(A), EndRdx(5), Dmg(7), Dmg(15), Dmg(39)
Level 2: Ice Blast -- Acc(A), EndRdx(5), Dmg(7), Dmg(15), Dmg(37)
Level 4: Snow Storm -- EndRdx(A)
Level 6: Hover -- EndRdx(A)
Level 8: Freezing Rain -- Acc(A), EndRdx(9), RechRdx(9), RechRdx(13), DefDeb(31), DefDeb(46)
Level 10: Aim -- RechRdx(A), RechRdx(11), RechRdx(11)
Level 12: Hurricane -- EndRdx(A), ToHitDeb(13), ToHitDeb(19)
Level 14: Fly -- EndRdx(A)
Level 16: Freeze Ray -- Acc(A), EndRdx(17), Hold(17), Hold(19), RechRdx(46)
Level 18: Steamy Mist -- EndRdx(A), ResDam(43), ResDam(43), ResDam(43)
Level 20: Ice Storm -- Acc(A), EndRdx(21), RechRdx(21), RechRdx(25), Dmg(25), Dmg(31)
Level 22: Hasten -- RechRdx(A), RechRdx(23), RechRdx(23)
Level 24: Assault -- EndRdx(A)
Level 26: Tornado -- EndRdx(A), RechRdx(27), RechRdx(27)
Level 28: Bitter Ice Blast -- Acc(A), EndRdx(29), Dmg(29), Dmg(31), Dmg(34), RechRdx(45)
Level 30: Tactics -- EndRdx(A)
Level 32: Lightning Storm -- Acc(A), EndRdx(33), RechRdx(33), RechRdx(33), Dmg(34), Dmg(34)
Level 35: Bitter Freeze Ray -- Acc(A), EndRdx(36), Hold(36), Hold(36), RechRdx(37), Dmg(37)
Level 38: Blizzard -- Acc(A), Dmg(39), Dmg(39), Dmg(40), RechRdx(40), RechRdx(40)
Level 41: Charged Armor -- EndRdx(A), ResDam(42), ResDam(42), ResDam(42)
Level 44: Power Sink -- RechRdx(A), RechRdx(45), RechRdx(45)
Level 47: Summon Adept -- RechRdx(A), RechRdx(48), RechRdx(48), Acc(48), Dmg(50), Dmg(50)
Level 49: Conserve Power -- RechRdx(A), RechRdx(50)
------------
Level 1: Brawl -- Empty(A)
Level 1: Sprint -- Run(A)
Level 1: Vigilance
Level 2: Rest -- RechRdx(A)
Level 2: Swift -- Flight(A)
Level 2: Health -- Heal(A)
Level 2: Hurdle -- Jump(A)
Level 2: Stamina -- EndMod(A), EndMod(3), EndMod(3)
Level 4: Ninja Run

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I don't have mid's at work, but I'll try and share some thoughts.

Storm

You seem to have a pretty decent idea of what Storm's all about - except for the slotting part. I'll try and give you a few pointers, considering this is a level up build.

O2 Boost - Yes, it is a decent(ish) heal at early levels. However, it's the secondary effects that really matter, imo. If you really want to leave it with 2 slots, consider swapping one of those heal IOs for an endreduction.

Snow Storm - Arguably skippable on Storm/Ice defenders, but I would definitely keep it on a leveling toon. Paired with FR it will floor both recharge and slow of a non-purple enemy short of an AV. One endred is the way to go.

Freezing Rain - This is, hands down, the keystone of the set and arguably the best debuff in game. It absolutely does NOT need accuracy. Max it's recharge asap and put an endred after. The -def IO is not as important, although if you do have a spare slot by all means use it.

Steamy Mist - The slotting looks good. If you find it hard to keep your blue bar healthy, you can swap one of those EndRes for a EndRed. This is one of those powers that should never be turned off. I would honestly pick it much sooner though (postpone that Aim for example).

Hurricane - Try and master the "hurricane brushing" as soon as possible. It will go wrong many times before you get it right and you might even annoy some Tankers, but once you master it you'll learn to love this power. I'd swap one -ToHit for a EndRed.

Tornado - This is probably the only Storm power (out of those I pick) that I usually don't mind delaying. It's a great power with great debuffs and decent damage, but it is quite situational. By all means unleash it if you're fighting AVs or KB resistant mobs. Or even if you have a domi/troller with AoE immobs with -kb component. It can be used for creating chaos - which can be either a blessing or a probably team-wipe cause. As for the slotting, I'd probably go with 2Rech/1EndRed/1dmg while leveling up.

Lightning Storm - Slot it and love it. The only not-so-good thing about it is that it's static - it won't follow you. I agree with your slotting although if you DO add a -Def to FR you could skip try and skip that Accuracy IO.


Ice Blast

I won't say much about this except that you don't need accuracy on Ice Storm nor on Blizzard. You'll learn soon enough how powerful Freezing Rain is. On top of that, you seem to want Aim, so just pop Aim-FR-Ice Storm-Blizz and move along.

(I've never been fond of Bitter Ice Ray - the animation is too long. It's understandable that you want to be able to hold bosses at early levels, but I would absolutely skip it in a final build. But for leveling it's a good choice. Just remember using BIR before Freeze Ray).


Pool powers

Leadership: You don't need Tactics at all. Nor should your team. Again, FR is that good. I'd put another EndRed on Assault.

Hasten: I would swap it with either Freeze Ray or Aim. Mainly for TF purposes (it'd be good to have Freezing Rain up as often as possible during Posi TFs).


Other secondaries

It's hard to pick a bad secondary on a stormy. I swear by /Dark for the AoE immob, massive -ToHit and stacked stuns. Others might say /Sonic is the king when it comes to ST damage and Res debuffing. /Energy for the extra knockback as a mitigation tool. /Psi for the -Rech along with controllerish powers (sleep, stun, immob). Honestly, the only secondary I wouldn't pair Storm with (unless it was a concept toon) would be /Rad.


PS: I'd read Draggynn's guide if you really want more in depth information. He wrote his own thoughts and recommendations and it's all up to date and very detailed.

Using Hurricane and knowing how it affects a npc is actually a skill. If your going to run hurricane 24x7x365 an run around knocking things willy nilly you will piss off many people even if you think your helping someone from going flat.

You will have to practice on lower con mobs and holding them in corners and such. You will get players warning you even when you just joined a team sometimes about your storm powers.

Its a cool set but either other non stormers don't understand what it can do or help out and sometimes the stormer himself/herself does not understand the set.

Sadly also the game has evolved where pulling is not much of a necessity as it was before because many are now defense capped in a standard mission setting. So no one is complaining that you pulled another 2 or 3 groups now a days. Now they are happy as its going faster now. Where as back in the day a smart tank would appreciate a pull into a corner and having a stormer holding the mobs in place with freezing rain and hurricane adding in LS for additional KB into the walls.

Again today its just steam rolling. Its a bit sad sometimes because it devalues some powers from some sets. Which overall lessens the use of the set as even some players start to notice themselves how limited some of their powers are..

I'm like debbie downer with this post ?

PS the world is ending.

Currently, Storm/Ice is the deadliest storm/? combo at least until fire blast is available. Ice Storm and Blizzard have blaster-equivalent damage! Freeze Ray/Bitter Freeze Ray DO have utility on hard targets.

I, too, would swap steamy mist with Aim in acquisition order.

Freezing Rain should be used to aggro/attack each and every spawn first, if you don't have gale available to blow them off their feet before they know what hit them from stealth. Freezing Rain does not need accuracy, most of the time Blizzard does not need accuracy, especially if you juice up the acc/dmg with Aim first. Lightning storm is NOT auto-hit but it does have a higher base accuracy than other secondary attacks - no acc needed. (In fact if you are going minimal slotting four ranged damage damage/recharge set IO enhancements would be the most economical slotting.)

I see you went with a patron set emphasizing endurance recovery. Storm is _very_ endurance cost intensive. Endurance cost would be my major concern from running leadership. I would not say it is impossible or unneeded, especially with your team emphasis. I would say you want ~60% endurance cost reduction if you want to run it 24/7.

Hasten is a power that isn't necessary early, but when you get to level 32, you will want it for the freezing rain, tornado, lightning storm trifecta. When you want these powers, and _I_ do, you want that NOW!

Hover is extremely useful to a stormy. You get in good position. You can put a stealth IO in hover if you want. Total invisibility from all except drones, nemesis, rularuu eyes is a good, good thing. Hover lets you position lightning storm up higher. Lightning strikes downward have less scatter. Higher storms means lightning storm will not groups that are close to the current target and draw extra aggro.

When I leveled my first stormy, we didn't have the indoor debt bonus so my SG of all defenders would go big-game hunting in Boomtown. As the song goes if you make it there you can make it anywhere, its up to you, Mr. Stormer Boomtown hurricane practice on green level mobs should give you a feel for the brush, the repel shove. You can practice stealthing in with steamy and taking spawns by surprise with freezing rain, and in your situation, put the chill in their bones with ice storm.

Looking at the advice, is this build any better?

Hero Plan by Mids' Hero Designer 1.942
http://www.cohplanner.com/

Click this DataLink to open the build!

Level 50 Magic Defender
Primary Power Set: Storm Summoning
Secondary Power Set: Ice Blast
Power Pool: Flight
Power Pool: Speed
Power Pool: Leadership
Power Pool: Teleportation
Ancillary Pool: Electricity Mastery

Hero Profile:
Level 1: O2 Boost -- EndRdx(A), Heal(11)
Level 1: Ice Bolt -- Acc(A), EndRdx(5), Dmg(11), Dmg(15), Dmg(42)
Level 2: Ice Blast -- Acc(A), EndRdx(5), Dmg(7), Dmg(13), Dmg(40)
Level 4: Snow Storm -- EndRdx(A)
Level 6: Steamy Mist -- EndRdx(A), EndRdx(7), ResDam(46), ResDam(46)
Level 8: Freezing Rain -- RechRdx(A), RechRdx(9), RechRdx(9), DefDeb(43), DefDeb(43)
Level 10: Hover -- EndRdx(A)
Level 12: Hurricane -- EndRdx(A), EndRdx(13), ToHitDeb(15), ToHitDeb(46)
Level 14: Fly -- EndRdx(A)
Level 16: Freeze Ray -- Acc(A), EndRdx(17), Hold(17), RechRdx(27)
Level 18: Aim -- RechRdx(A), RechRdx(19), RechRdx(19)
Level 20: Ice Storm -- EndRdx(A), RechRdx(21), RechRdx(21), RechRdx(25), Dmg(27), Dmg(31)
Level 22: Hasten -- RechRdx(A), RechRdx(23), RechRdx(23)
Level 24: Assault -- EndRdx(A), EndRdx(25)
Level 26: Tornado -- EndRdx(A), RechRdx(31), RechRdx(34), RechRdx(34), Dmg(37), Dmg(37)
Level 28: Bitter Ice Blast -- Acc(A), EndRdx(29), Dmg(29), Dmg(31), Dmg(42), RechRdx(43)
Level 30: Recall Friend -- Range(A)
Level 32: Lightning Storm -- EndRdx(A), RechRdx(33), RechRdx(33), RechRdx(33), Dmg(34), Dmg(37)
Level 35: Bitter Freeze Ray -- Acc(A), EndRdx(36), Hold(36), RechRdx(36)
Level 38: Blizzard -- RechRdx(A), RechRdx(39), RechRdx(39), Dmg(39), Dmg(40), Dmg(40)
Level 41: Electric Fence -- Acc(A), EndRdx(42)
Level 44: Shocking Bolt -- Acc(A), EndRdx(45), Hold(45), RechRdx(45)
Level 47: Charged Armor -- EndRdx(A), ResDam(48), ResDam(48), ResDam(48)
Level 49: Power Sink -- RechRdx(A), RechRdx(50), RechRdx(50)
------------
Level 1: Brawl -- Empty(A)
Level 1: Sprint -- Empty(A)
Level 1: Vigilance
Level 2: Rest -- RechRdx(A)
Level 2: Swift -- Flight(A)
Level 2: Health -- Heal(A), Heal(50)
Level 2: Hurdle -- Jump(A)
Level 2: Stamina -- EndMod(A), EndMod(3), EndMod(3)
Level 4: Ninja Run

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Is frost breath worth taking at low levels?

I don't recommend Frost Breath as an early powers on a stormer. It's a bit of a slow activator and can mess up your movement and rhythm. If you take it later after you have the tools to hold things together, it can be very effective.