Storm / Storm First Impressions (and Leveling Up)

[tidge]

I want to get this out of the way: I avoided the new Storm set(s) because everybody else jumped into them at release. I write this because some of what follows may be old news to others. I did see some messages that run counter to what I am seeing... and I am enjoying the Storm / Storm combo so I thought I'd share my initial thoughts.

 

I've almost entirely run solo, and I've got the character just shy of level 35. I can have whatever enhancements I want, so for leveling purposes think: ATO, leftover catalyzed PVP, Overwhelming Force, etc. I don't have any Winter pieces in the build right now... for leveling (especially low level) this is less about set bonuses and more about having enhancements that don't need to be replaced. I was carrying a bunch of KB->KD pieces, but as I was playing I found only a couple of powers actually needed them IMO.

 

This combo is the most Controller-like Defender combo I have run... and I really like it. I think it's a good sign when by level 30 I only have one power pick that isn't from the Primary or Secondary! I want to add this bit of personal mistake: I accidentally set myself a Bricktown level 30 Radio mission at +0x8 (Freakshow) and I was able to clear it... I would have stealthed it, but the map and spawns did not allow that option... that setting is not a solo setting for me with a fresh level 30! The ability to have a bunch of (pseudo) pets and area control options really made the difference.

 

My hot takes on the Primary, Storm Summoning:

 

T1 Gale. I toke this, slotted it with Accuracy and %damage and it actually works quite well both as a means of control and some extra damage. With Accuracy slotting it is a pretty reliable source of %damage (for an somewhat short recharge power). I had planned to make this KD->KB, but I'm pretty experienced with KB and so I think that choice would be wasting a slot.

 

T2 O2 Boost. I took it as a Mule for %Absorb. I've used it to heal allies.

 

T3 Snow Storm: Endurance reduction only, used as a means of area control

 

T4 Steamy Mist: Holds Kismet, Resistance and Defense mules. The real beauty is it allows me to get really close to most critters to set up Storm Cell.

 

T5 Freezing Rain: Area control with a great debuff. I have this slotted for Accuracy/Recharge and %damage. It isn't a great source of %damage on cast, but it isn't nothing. I'm reserving judgement if I keep %damage in it until after I regularly face large spawn sizes or not and test with some 50+5 pieces in it.

 

T6 Hurricane: Endurance Reduction only. I use this for indoor map control (rarely).

 

T7 Thunder Clap: I had intended to take this, but I ended up skipping. I wasn't seeing where in my chain I would use it and still be making best use of the secondary set's synergies.

 

T8 Tornado: This has a KB->KD piece. I have plans for some slotting it it, but I don't use it very often... pretty much only when I am facing enemies that can mezz me, as it gets their attention.

 

T9 Lightning Storm: A keeper! I like that it can be cast while nowhere close to a ground surface.

 

Hot takes on the Secondary (Storm Blast). As a Defender, I'm less concerned about uber-damage so I felt that a Blast set that requires a little bit of setup to leverage synergy is fine. When I've teamed, I don't sweat doing damage, except to get more attention to the group.

 

T1 Gust: I skipped. There is nothing wrong with it, it is more that there are only so many single-target ranged attacks I want in a build.

 

T2 Hailstones is the Single-Target ranged attack I chose. It eventually has 6x Defender ATO.

 

T3 Jet Stream is a typical cone %damage attack for me, which requires Accuracy. Works well, needs no KB->KD with Storm Cell, and otherwise is a reasonable board control attack.

 

T4 Storm Cell: Taken, holding 3x Vigilant Assault ATO (Dam/Recharge, Dam/End/Rech, Rech/%+Absorb) Honestly, this slotting strikes me as wasteful, but:

• The power strikes me as one that wouldn't benefit from %damage,
• The power shouldn't need many slots, and other powers benefit more IMO from more slots
• I wanted the %absorb on a power I would be using all the time, for a lot of content (so, "early power" pick),
• I wanted the 3-piece bonus. although I am often satisfied with a 4/2 split of Vigilant Assault

 

T5 Intensify: Taken, but no plans to heavily slot.

 

T6 Direct Strike: Taken, and used as my "opener" after Storm Cell. See Steamy Mist. Works reasonably well even with a few slots.

 

T7 Chain Lighting: Taken, not heavily slotted yet. Planned to have the three accuracy pieces of Vigilant Assault ATO and three %damage... I don't have this fully slotted, but so I may make this a four-piece ATO (for more Global Accuracy), and have another slot for somewhere else... I have to experiment with a more complete build. See note below on Global Recharge.

 

T8 Cloud Burst Chain Lighting: Taken, not heavily slotted yet.

 

T9 Category Five: Taken, not heavily slotted. It will probably get 6x Annihilation. The recharge time is too long IMO to go for %damage, and the 6xAnnihilation set bonuses are comfortable to me.

 

Note on Global Recharge: Without much in the way of Global Recharge at level 35, I am finding that solo I can still run through missions reasonably quickly, and depending on how many critters I face at once... the long recharge Category Five isn't needed ASAP... because this is a Defender. On teams... I think if the team is relying on this Defender to do MOAR damage (on top of debuffing, healing and controlling the field) then the team can bloody well be comfortable with my pace! This ends up with me not sweating trying to get every LotG or 5xPurple Recharge set bonus.

 

The shortcomings (so far):

 

Enemy mezzes. I'm probably going to respec into the Sorcery pool (I've been using Flight) and can fit Rune of Protection painlessly into the planned build at level 44.  For low level content, it is Inspirations. Sorcery lets me mule some other pieces, freeing up slots. I had intended to use Force of Will for Weaken Resolve, but I feel like Sorcery will do more.

 

Endurance: I have no accolades, not tons of slots yet, and not great set bonuses... so I am pretty much pacing myself.

 

Defenses: Not great! Maneuvers is in the build, but I don't expect to have particularly high Defenses even end-build.

 

The worry is seeing how it will do against +4 enemies. I pretty much only take Defenders against such content on teams, and I am mostly worried about having enough slotted accuracy to make the %damage work... and powers like Gale which have an inherently low base Accuracy can become unreliable as a control mechanism. I'll probably just end up with a second build explicitly for that kind of content, leveraging more set bonuses.

Edited July 18 by tidge
fixed power name

[wRECk69]

Thank you for the nice breakdown and insights, tidge!  I recently contemplated making a Storm/Storm, but I wasn't completely sold on the idea.  I might roll a different defender now, but I'll certainly keep this one in the back of my mind!

[Psyonico]

I've gotten this combo into the high 20s as a defender and high 30s as a Corruptor.  I think I prefer it as a Corr, though I haven't played either much since the change to the pseudo-pets in whatever patch that was.  That might make me prefer the defender combo.

[Uun]

I just leveled one as a corruptor as part of a static weekly team and really enjoyed it. The combination of Direct Strike, Lightning Storm and Storm Cell is pretty striking. Scourges really well (Cat 5 in particular). Chain Lightning is "meh" and a poor substitute for a targeted AoE. 

 

[you have type above - T8 should be Cloudburst]

[Gulbasaur]

I played a storm/water defender and thoroughly enjoyed it.

 

Because of Lightning Storm and, to a lesser extent, Tornado, I will say it's worth going absolutely bananas on recharge with the Storm primary and I say that as someone who usually avoids doing so. Yes, it hammers your endurance, but you can recharge it pretty quickly as well with procs and one of the tertiary powders has a nice endurance recharge power. You're in a constant state of "if I ever stop, I'll die" because you need to push hard on the control but there's something beautiful about getting three lightning clouds out at once and just holding an area hostage.

 

I don't use a single KB>KD IO, which will suprise nobody.

Edited July 18 by Gulbasaur

[tidge]

Some more experimenting between levels 30 and 40, with Tornado.

 

I definitely want Tornado to have KB->KD, as the more time it needs to chase anything is wasted time. I didn't like that it will scatter enemies away from Lightning Storm, the Storm Cell and Freezing Rain. It also plays havoc with my AoE attacks. Originally, I had the Overwhelming Force Damage/%KB/KB->KD, but that piece ended up in Lightning Storm, so now Tornado has a Sudden Acceleration piece in it, and a couple of Expedient Reinforcements.

 

I was skeptical that this power would be a good choice for %proc, but the base accuracy is 1.3! I tested against even con enemies, and no matter if I use %proc from Defense Debuff sets or Knockdown sets, I see about 2 applications of the %proc per cast... which is pretty good! FWIW, on a Defender I think of each %damage as like an un-enhanced single-target attack for free... so even on a single victim of Tornado, this turns out to help speed up defeats... and I've seen the %proc against multiple targets, if I summon Tornado strategically or otherwise keep them clustered. Yet...

 

The real advantage I am imagining from the %proc rate is the use of the Achilles' Heel %-Resistance debuff. Normally I consider the choice between %-Res and %damage to be a coin flip (weighted towards %damage for reasons) but Storm/Storm exists in the sweet spot where there can be a lot of different sources of damage coming in the 10 seconds of a 20% resistance debuff. These will be the damage-over-time attacks, both from the (pseudo)pets and the Defender attacks... not to mention whatever attacks the Defender happens to land during that short duration debuff.

 

I had not originally planned to put any %proc in Tornado, but this testing has me reconsidering that choice, as well as re-evaluating the other pieces I had planned to slot it with.

 

EDIT: I should note that Freezing Rain should also take the Achilles' Heel set, and ought to %proc well (at least on cast)... however Freezing Rain does an order of magnitude less damage-over-time as Tornado, so I'm thinking the %-Resistance is better applied to a target that the Tornado will very likely be staying with and being dealt damage-over-time. Since Freezing Rain is already a reliable source of (non-random) -Resistance, I don't plan to stack a %-Resistance piece in it... at least not for my solo build. I'm more focused on getting the recharge times down on Freezing Rain, and if possible leverage it for %damage as well, at least for solo play.

Edited July 19 by tidge

[SeraphimKensai]

On 7/17/2024 at 12:26 PM, tidge said:

 

T5 Freezing Rain: Area control with a great debuff. I have this slotted for Accuracy/Recharge and %damage. It isn't a great source of %damage on cast, but it isn't nothing. I'm reserving judgement if I keep %damage in it until after I regularly face large spawn sizes or not and test with some 50+5 pieces in it.

I believe for your standard 3.5ppm proc it was like a 13% chance to fire iirc. I haven't looked up the proc chance in a year or so.

[tidge]

15 hours ago, SeraphimKensai said:

I believe for your standard 3.5ppm proc it was like a 13% chance to fire iirc. I haven't looked up the proc chance in a year or so.

 

Freezing Rain is definitely a power that would be just fine with Recharge Enhancements(*1). The Debuffs alone are great. It has a pretty sizeable radius so catching a bunch of enemies in it upon cast (to get the %damage) saves a couple of mediocre ST attacks. I pretty much only see the %damage on cast, which is similar to my experience with Caltrops on other characters.

 

The main reason for me to keep the %damage in it is that for my (leveling, and likely final) build is that  I have few damaging powers before level 20, not counting Storm Cell. Hailstones is a typical T1 ST attack, Gale is an unreliable source of damage, Jet Stream is a fine cone attack... and then there is Storm Cell.

 

(*1) It appears to me that the debuffs also require a ToHit check, so I have a sort of "in for a penny, in for a pound" thought process where if I am slotting for both Recharge and Accuracy I may as well toss some %damage into it too. Once I have a couple of 50+5 Accuracy/Recharge pieces in it I'll be doing some testing. It's going to be franken-slotted, I just haven't decided how many slots to devote to it yet.

[tidge]

Here is my build at level 50.

 

Spoiler

Level 50 Magic Defender

Primary Power Set: Storm Summoning

Secondary Power Set: Storm Blast

Power Pool: Sorcery

Power Pool: Leadership

Power Pool: Leaping

Power Pool: Concealment

Ancillary Pool: Mu Mastery

- - - - - - - - - - - -

Level 1:                 Gale

 (A) Accuracy IO: Level 50+5

 (*) Accuracy IO: Level 50+5

 (*) Javelin Volley - Chance for Damage (Lethal)

 (*) Bombardment - Chance for Damage (Fire)

 

Level 1:                 Hailstones

 (A) Superior Defender’s Bastion - Accuracy/Damage: Level 50

 (*) Superior Defender’s Bastion - Damage/Recharge: Level 50

 (*) Superior Defender’s Bastion - Accuracy/Damage/Recharge: Level 50

 (*) Superior Defender’s Bastion - Accuracy/Damage/Endurance: Level 50

 (*) Superior Defender’s Bastion - Accuracy/Damage/Endurance/Recharge: Level 50

 (*) Superior Defender’s Bastion - Recharge /%Heal (PBAoE): Level 50

 

Level 1:                 Snow Storm

 (A) Endurance Reduction IO: Level 50+5

 

Level 4:                 Jet Stream

 (A) Superior Frozen Blast - Accuracy/Damage/Endurance: Level 50

 (*) Superior Frozen Blast - Accuracy/Damage/Endurance/Reacharge: Level 50

 (*) Explosive Strike - Chance for Damage (Smashing)

 (*) Javelin Volley - Chance for Damage (Lethal)

 (*) Positron's Blast - Chance for Damage (Energy)

 (*) Bombardment - Chance for Damage (Fire)

 

Level 6:                 Mystic Flight

 (A) Blessing of the Zephyr - Run Speed, Jump, Flight Speed, Range/Endurance

 (*) Blessing of the Zephyr - Run Speed, Jump, Flight Speed, Range

 (*) Blessing of the Zephyr - Knockback Reduction (4 points)

 

Level 8:                 Steamy Mist     

 (A) Kismet - +ToHit (6%)

 (*) Shield Wall - +Resist (Teleportation), +5% Res (All)

 (*) Shield Wall - Defense: Level 50+5

 (*) Shield Wall - Defense/Endurance: Level 50+5

 (*) Gladiator's Armor - TP Protection +3% Def (All)

 (*) Gladiator's Armor - Resistance/Endurance: Level 50+5

 

Level 10:              Storm Cell          

 (A) Superior Vigilant Assault - Damage/Recharge: Level 50

 (*) Superior Vigilant Assault - Damage/Endurance/Recharge: Level 50

 

Level 12:              Freezing Rain    

 (A) Ragnarok - Accuracy/Recharge: Level 50+5

 (*) Analyze Weakness - Accuracy/Recharge: Level 50+5

 (*) Javelin Volley - Chance for Damage (Lethal)

 (*) Positron's Blast - Chance for Damage (Energy)

 (*) Bombardment - Chance for Damage (Fire)

 (*) Touch of Lady Grey - Chance for Damage (Negative)

 

Level 14:              O2 Boost

 (A) Healing IO: Level 50+5

 

Level 16:              Hurricane

 (A) Endurance Reduction IO: Level 50+5

 

Level 18:              Intensify

(A) Gaussian's Synchronized Fire- Control - Chance for Build Up

 (*) Recharge Reduction IO: Level 50+5

 

Level 20:              Direct Strike      

 (A) Experienced Marksman - Accuracy/Damage: Level 50+5

 (*) Experienced Marksman - Damage/Recharge: Level 50+5

 (*) Experienced Marksman - Accuracy/Endurance/Recharge: Level 50+5

 (*) Experienced Marksman - Damage/Endurance/Interrupt: Level 50+5

 (*) Experienced Marksman - Damage/Interrupt/Range/Recharge: Level 50+5

 

Level 22:              Tornado              

 (A) Soulbound Allegiance - Accuracy/Recharge: Level 50+5

 (*) Soulbound Allegiance - Damage/Endurance: Level 50+5

 (*) Overwhelming Force - Damage/Knockback- to- Knockdown

 (*) Overwhelming Force - Endurance/Recharge

 (*) Achilles’ Heel - Chance for Resistance Debuff

 (*) Touch of Lady Grey - Chance for Damage (Negative)

 

Level 24:              Chain Lightning               

 (A) Superior Vigilant Assault - Accuracy/Damage: Level 50

 (*) Superior Vigilant Assault - Accuracy/Damage/Endurance: Level 50

 (*) Superior Vigilant Assault - Recharge/%Absorb (PBAoE): Level 50

 (*) Superior Vigilant Assault - Accuracy/Damage/Endurance/Recharge: Level 50

 (*) Javelin Volley - Chance for Damage (Lethal)

 (*) Bombardment - Chance for Damage (Fire)

 

Level 26:              Lightning Storm               

 (A) Sudden Acceleration - Knockback-to-Knockdown

 (*) Gladiator’s Javelin - Accuracy/Endurance/Recharge: Level 50+5

 (*) Superior Winter’s Bite - Accuracy/Damage/Endurance/Recharge: Level 50

 (*) Gladiator’s Javelin - Chance for Damage (Toxic)

 (*) Apocalypse - Chance for Damage (Negative)

 (*) Explosive Strike - Chance for Damage (Smashing)

 

Level 28:              Cloudburst        

 (A) Apocalypse - Accuracy/Recharge: Level 50+5

 (*) Apocalypse - Damage/Recharge: Level 50+5

 (*) Apocalypse - Accuracy/Damage/Recharge: Level 50+5

 (*) Apocalypse - Damage/Endurance: Level 50+5

 (*) Apocalypse - Damage: Level 50+5

 

Level 30:              Category Five

 (A) Annihilation - Accuracy/Damage

 (*) Annihilation - Accuracy/Damage/Endurance

 (*) Annihilation - Accuracy/Damage/Recharge

 (*) Annihilation - Damage/Recharge

 (*) Annihilation - Accuracy/Damage/Endurance/Recharge

 (*) Annihilation - Chance of Resistance Debuff

 

Level 32:              Maneuvers        

 (A) Reactive Defenses - Defense

 (*) Reactive Defenses - Defense/Endurance

 (*) Reactive Defenses - Endurance/Recharge

 (*) Reactive Defenses - Defense/Recharge

 (*) Reactive Defenses - Defense/Endurance/Recharge

 (*) Reactive Defenses - Scaling Resist Damage

 

Level 35:              Spirit Ward

 (A) Preventive Medicine - Chance for +Absorb

 

Level 38:              Rune of Protection        

 (A) Steadfast Protection - Resistance/+Def 3%

 (*) Steadfast Protection - Knockback Reduction (4 points)

 

Level 41:              Charged Armor

 (A) Unbreakable Guard - Resistance

 (*) Unbreakable Guard - Resistance/Endurance

 (*) Unbreakable Guard - Resistance/Endurance/Recharge

 (*) Unbreakable Guard - +Max HP

 

Level 44:              Energize             

 (A) D-Sync Reconstruction (Heal/Recharge): Level 53

 (*) D-Sync Reconstruction (Heal/Recharge): Level 53

 

 

 

Level 47:              Combat Jumping             

 (A) Luck of the Gambler - Recharge Speed

 

Level 49:              Infiltration         

 (A) Karma - Knockback Reduction (4 points)

 

 

Level 1: Brawl    

 (A) Empty

 

Level 1: Vigilance             

 

Level 1: Sprint   

 (A) Unbound Leap - Stealth

 

Level 2: Rest      

 (A) Interrupt IO: Level 50

 

Level 2: Athletic Run      

 

Level 2: Swift     

 (A) Run Speed IO: Level 50+5

 

Level 2: Health  

 (A) Panacea - +Hit Points/Endurance

 (*) Miracle - +Recovery

 

Level 2: Hurdle 

 (A) Jumping IO: Level 50+5

 

Level 2: Stamina               

 (A) Performance Shifter - Chance for +End

 (*) Performance Shifter - EndMod

 

- - - - - - - - - - - -

 

NOTES:

 

  /macro_image "DarkCast_Aim"    "CELL" "powexec_location me Storm Cell$$powexec_location target Storm Cell"
   /macro_image "IceBlast_Aim"    "RAIN" "powexec_location me Freezing Rain$$powexec_location target Freezing Rain"
   /macro_image "BanishedPantheon_Storms_Hurricane"    "Cat5" "powexec_location me Category Five$$powexec_location target Category Five"
   /macro_image "ElectricalBolt_Aim"    "TORN" "powexec_location me Tornado$$powexec_location target Tornado"

 

 

Notes:

 

Besides the obvious "what can be slotted", this was not my leveling build. I used Flight and didn't respec into Sorcery until level 50. I also used a different choice of powers 35+.

 

I put 12 points of KB protection in this build. For a lot of content 4 points is fine... but for Freem! I wanted to be able to craft a buff and take the build to 22. The final power (Infiltration) allows swapping in of a LotG or a Winter's Gift Slow Resistance.

 

This is intended to be a "solo build" for +0x8, it plays just fine on teams at +4x8... but it also does not have incarnates and only has one accolade so far. I didn't regularly solo play +0x5 until after level 40, as that is when I wanted XP and drops to come at a better rate.

 

A lot of what "solo play" means for me is an affirmative response to "Can I play content at that setting without having to rely on Inspirations (or Incarnate Powers/Shifts)?" So what that means for this build are the AoEs, the debuffs, a "Build Up" (to simulate red/yellow insps), Rune of Protection (for long duration mezzes), and a self-heal. Ideally I would include Power Sink (Mu Mastery) to mitigate the need for blue insps, but I didn't quite have the slots I wanted for that.

 

I recognize that the Gale slotting may seem odd. Gale has an inherently poor Accuracy, and it's recharge time is on the fast side, but with slotted accuracy it's large cone makes it a pretty good source of %damage against large spawns. I would fault no one for making a radically different set of choices with respect to Gale... I find myself using it as source of control, and while I am using it as such I am perfectly happy to sometimes pick up some extra damage from it. I end quite a few fights with Gale!

 

As I wrote earlier in the thread, this combo is proctastic! Both because of the nature of Storm Blast, and the smooth acceptance of %damage in both the primary and secondary powers. A team-mostly character should not need the (extra) %damage, but for mostly-solo non-DPS characters an AoE-%damage build can clean up large spawns much faster than those without adding %damage. As an aside: I love damage-over-time on low DPS AT, as it keeps certain enemies from "doing things" like summoning pets. The Knockdown/knockback is surprisingly good at delaying enemies from cast certain powers too!

 

Defensively: By level 50, the positional defenses are in the high 20s, which is good enough for +0 or +1. I typically don't run with either Hurricane or the Mu Charged Armor on. 4-slotting Unbreakable Guard is a sort of default choice to boost Melee defense, but with better planning/use of Hurricane I am certain that I could pull two slots from Charged Armor, add one to Hurricane (more Endurance reduction, possibly a 50+5 Accuracy/Endurance/Recharge piece as the second) freeing up a slot for elsewhere in the build.

 

I'm still noodling on a Storm/Storm build for higher difficulty, small team size play.

 

[arcane]

What does everyone think of Intensify these days. I kind of hate that the power is only (allegedly) good because of Storm Cell procs (which are hard to observe/measure), and I’m leaning closer and closer to skipping it.

[Uun]

1 hour ago, arcane said:

What does everyone think of Intensify these days. I kind of hate that the power is only (allegedly) good because of Storm Cell procs (which are hard to observe/measure), and I’m leaning closer and closer to skipping it.

I slot it with a Gaussian bu proc and use it with Cat 5. I’m pretty happy with the results.

[tidge]

22 hours ago, arcane said:

What does everyone think of Intensify these days. I kind of hate that the power is only (allegedly) good because of Storm Cell procs (which are hard to observe/measure), and I’m leaning closer and closer to skipping it.

 

 Intensify is a power that I considered dropping or delaying in order to get Rune of Protection earlier in the build. I kept Intensify because I wanted to have an on-demand power to boost damage from single-target attacks, for those times when I am down to the one-or-two "hard targets".

 

For my play style, I considered only single-slotting it with the %Build up, but I did not make that change. Reason: I often team with groups that will split up on "defeat all" missions and having the boost available more often against +4s helps. Even without the %Build Up, Intensify is maxing out the damage bonus of the (Fast) Snipe) from +ToHit.