Storm/Sonic... Broken?

[Zeraphia]

So I was thinking of what could be the possibly most destructive defender combination for both solo and group play and I thought of the absurd synergy between these two. 

 

The -res that you're applying for yourself as well as your team is *bananas,* and you're not just giving the team the benefit, you gain the benefit with the LS and Nado doing extreme amounts of damage...

 

The amount of -res you can apply for a mob can be -55% to -90% depending on it you can get the double rain up, possibly up to 110% for certain periods assuming you double howl and have double rain... That is an extreme amount of damage applied instantly but that's not all... If you Wail you get -40% from the wail and the FotG proc... So that mob actually then has -70% with rain and wail alone, -90% with one howl in addition, -125% with freezing rain in addition to the howl, and -145% with double wail in addition to freezing rain and the howl. Is it probably ever going to happen that I'll reach all those powers at once to combine for an AoE of -145% res? No, but even just assuming -55% or -70%++ is an absurd spike in a team's damage.

 

The ST debuffing is ludicrous, where my -res may be a little lost on an extremely fast moving team, on an AV... yikes...  Screech -> Shriek -> Scream -> Shriek is a flat -80% resistance, and I could easily get off another round of -res, I can run up double rains for -70% res in addition to this giving a pretty guaranteed -150% res to not just myself but the entire team. Bare in mind, you also are cast Nados and LS while get FF procs to make your recharge near permanently surge, the amount of damage of 3 storms 3 nados, and double rain with this level of -res is probably extraordinarily broken to teams, even if you can't run the chain and miss out on -20% even -40%, you're still at -110% - -130% res debuffed...

 

Here is the build I came up with: 

 

Hero Plan by Mids' Reborn : Hero Designer 2.6.0.7
https://github.com/ImaginaryDevelopment/imaginary-hero-designer

Click this DataLink to open the build!

Level 50 Science Defender
Primary Power Set: Storm Summoning
Secondary Power Set: Sonic Attack
Power Pool: Speed
Power Pool: Leadership
Power Pool: Fighting
Power Pool: Leaping
Ancillary Pool: Mace Mastery

Hero Profile:
Level 1: O2 Boost -- Prv-Absorb%(A), Prv-Heal/Rchg/EndRdx(17), Prv-Heal(19), Prv-Heal/EndRdx(21), Prv-EndRdx/Rchg(23), Prv-Heal/Rchg(23)
Level 1: Shriek -- SprDfnBst-Rchg/Heal%(A), SprDfnBst-Acc/Dmg/EndRdx/Rchg(25), SprDfnBst-Acc/Dmg(25), SprDfnBst-Dmg/Rchg(31), SprDfnBst-Dmg/EndRdx/Rchg(31), SprDfnBst-Acc/Dmg/EndRdx(34)
Level 2: Gale -- FrcFdb-Rechg%(A)
Level 4: Howl -- PstBls-Dam%(A), JvlVll-Dam%(5), SprVglAss-Dmg/Rchg(7), SprVglAss-Dmg/EndRdx/Rchg(7), SprVglAss-Acc/Dmg/EndRdx(9)
Level 6: Steamy Mist -- LucoftheG-Def/Rchg+(A)
Level 8: Freezing Rain -- RechRdx-I(A), RechRdx-I(9), RechRdx-I(40)
Level 10: Shockwave -- SuddAcc--KB/+KD(A), FrcFdb-Rechg%(11), PstBls-Dam%(11), JvlVll-Dam%(15), ExpStr-Dam%(17), Acc-I(46)
Level 12: Hasten -- RechRdx-I(A), RechRdx-I(13), RechRdx-I(13)
Level 14: Maneuvers -- LucoftheG-Def/Rchg+(A), ShlWal-ResDam/Re TP(15)
Level 16: Boxing -- Empty(A)
Level 18: Tough -- GldArm-3defTpProc(A), StdPrt-ResDam/Def+(19)
Level 20: Weave -- LucoftheG-Def/Rchg+(A), Rct-ResDam%(21)
Level 22: Super Speed -- Clr-Stlth(A)
Level 24: Scream -- GldJvl-Dam%(A), SprWntBit-Acc/Dmg(37), SprWntBit-Dmg/Rchg(37), SprWntBit-Acc/Dmg/EndRdx(43), SprWntBit-Acc/Dmg/Rchg(45), SprWntBit-Dmg/EndRdx/Acc/Rchg(46)
Level 26: Tornado -- OvrFrc-Dam/KB(A), FrcFdb-Rechg%(27), ExpRnf-Acc/Dmg(27), ExpRnf-Acc/Dmg/Rchg(29), ExpRnf-EndRdx/Dmg/Rchg(29), ExpRnf-Acc/Rchg(31)
Level 28: Amplify -- GssSynFr--Build%(A)
Level 30: Combat Jumping -- LucoftheG-Def/Rchg+(A)
Level 32: Lightning Storm -- Apc-Dam%(A), GldJvl-Dam%(33), FrcFdb-Rechg%(33), Apc-Dmg/Rchg(33), Apc-Acc/Dmg/Rchg(34), ExpStr-Dam%(34)
Level 35: Screech -- GldJvl-Dam%(A), SprVglAss-Acc/Dmg(36), SprVglAss-Rchg/+Absorb(36), SprVglAss-Acc/Dmg/EndRdx/Rchg(36), Apc-Acc/Rchg(37)
Level 38: Dreadful Wail -- Arm-Dam%(A), Arm-Dmg/EndRdx(39), Arm-Dmg/Rchg(39), Arm-Acc/Dmg/Rchg(39), Arm-Acc/Rchg(40), FuroftheG-ResDeb%(40)
Level 41: Web Envelope -- TraoftheH-Dam%(A), TraoftheH-Acc/Immob/Rchg(42), TraoftheH-Acc/Rchg(42), TraoftheH-EndRdx/Immob(42), TraoftheH-Acc/EndRdx(43), TraoftheH-Immob/Acc(43)
Level 44: Summon Disruptor -- SlbAll-Build%(A), SvrRgh-PetResDam(45), ExpRnf-+Res(Pets)(45), ExpRnf-Acc/Dmg/Rchg(48), ExpRnf-Acc/Rchg(46), ExpRnf-EndRdx/Dmg/Rchg(50)
Level 47: Scorpion Shield -- LucoftheG-Def/Rchg+(A), LucoftheG-Def(48), LucoftheG-Def/EndRdx(48)
Level 49: Tactics -- GssSynFr--Rchg/EndRdx(A), GssSynFr--ToHit/EndRdx(50), GssSynFr--ToHit/Rchg/EndRdx(50)
Level 1: Brawl -- Empty(A)
Level 1: Quick Form 
Level 1: Prestige Power Dash -- Empty(A)
Level 1: Prestige Power Slide -- Empty(A)
Level 1: Prestige Power Quick -- Empty(A)
Level 1: Prestige Power Rush -- Empty(A)
Level 1: Prestige Power Surge -- Empty(A)
Level 1: Sprint -- Empty(A)
Level 1: Vigilance 
Level 2: Rest -- Empty(A)
Level 4: Ninja Run 
Level 2: Swift -- Run-I(A)
Level 2: Health -- Pnc-Heal/+End(A), Mrc-Rcvry+(3)
Level 2: Hurdle -- Jump-I(A)
Level 2: Stamina -- PrfShf-End%(A), PrfShf-EndMod(3), PrfShf-EndMod/Rchg(5)
Level 50: Cardiac Core Paragon 
Level 0: Freedom Phalanx Reserve 
Level 0: Portal Jockey 
Level 0: Task Force Commander 
Level 0: The Atlas Medallion 
------------

 

What are your thoughts/opinions on this?

[Coyote]

If you're willing to give up some Recharge bonus, there is a slotting option for Tornado that still gets good Dam/Rech/End from 4 slots using Soulbound and Overwhelming force, and... that frees up a slot to put in Achilles Heel in there for more -Res.

Then, free up a slot from another power, and put the 6th slot in Howl and put Annihilation in there for more -Res.

 

Because, after all, if you can get -150%, why not get -180% 😁

[Doomguide2005]

There was a thread on live about an AV soloist that wasn't RadEm or Cold  or the usual sets ... and it was a Storm/Sonic.  Don't quite recall the name, but it was something along the lines of "Wildcard"  (either the forum name or the character).  Inspired me to make a Storm/Sonic defender and while I never did the solo AV thing I can attest to the absurdly destructive power of the build.

[oedipus_tex]

I've been meaning to cook up a Beam Rifle/Storm Summoning build for a while based on the same principle. Beam Rifle wouldn't hit Sonic's max debuff potential but it has a ranged nuke and multiple ways to proc Achille's Heel. 

 

I still prefer Gravity/Storm Controller personally however for the reason that it can pack the mobs very densely and prevent them from running away. 

[Zeraphia]

3 minutes ago, oedipus_tex said:

I've been meaning to cook up a Beam Rifle/Storm Summoning build for a while based on the same principle. Beam Rifle wouldn't hit Sonic's max debuff potential but it has a ranged nuke and multiple ways to proc Achille's Heel. 

 

I still prefer Gravity/Storm Controller personally however for the reason that it can pack the mobs very densely and prevent them from running away. 

hehe, the build has an AOE immob just for that reason 😜

[Hjarki]

I ran with Storm/Sonic for a while before shifting over to other options. The issue with Sonic is that you pay an enormous penalty both in terms of base damage but also in terms of procs for those innate -res debuffs. This means that options like Beam, Pistols and Water will out-damage Sonic even accounting for the benefits Sonic applies to your Storm-based powers. You can stack up more -res with Sonic than you can with procs slotted into the sets I mentioned, but the marginal value just isn't high enough.

 

Beam is also nice for single target due to the -regen (which Storm doesn't bring) and Water's AE is amazing.

[Frosticus]

it can definitely stack a lot of -res. I had a 50 storm/son/power back on live. it could make a very large impact in longer fights. rain+howl is nice for each spawn on teams. 

 

It is pretty back loaded though amd it isnt often that you get to use it to it's full potential.

web envelope is super slow and you will struggle to plant a +level AV. If they get free they will flee far and wide

[r0y]

This is a great combo.  I don't play my defender much, as Storm without lock-down is really just a lot of fearful fleeing going on.  Realistically, one can get a rain and howl off (55% -res) and pick ST's off.  But once the Tornado and/or Lightning Storm are out, things just don't stick around.

 

A more viable build is an Earth/Storm controller.  Don't say I didn't warn you.  It is worth the 5% debuff loss on the Controller version of Freezing Rain, as well as no Sonic (good and bad) in order to have Stone Cages and Quicksand and Earthquake and... well, you get the picture.  Earth=OP + Storm=OP is really an awesome team player... just remember to open with cages... always cages... THEN drops... and drop and drop and drop....

Edited March 14, 2020 by r0y