Eldandil

Thanks for the heartening responses, guys. Keep the comments and critiques rolling in.

A little shameless plugging of my own guide here: if you like it all that much, do give it a few stars so that others will notice it and benefit from it too. Thanks!

Kinesia, I hear you on the Ring of Fire issue. Editing the guide to include your contribution.

Here's a new classic Fire/Storm guide:

Eldandil Tauro’s I7 guide to the classic Fire/Storm/Fire Troller

Part 4: Power Pools

Now, a character is hardly complete without some Pool powers. We’ll take a quick look at the available Pools in this section.

Concealment

This is a pretty nice Pool for squishies like yourself. However, since you have Steamy Mist (you are taking Steamy Mist, aren’t you?), you don’t need Stealth at all. Invisibility is pointless as well if you’ve picked up Smoke.

Grant Invisibility could be useful, but you could just tell your team mates to huddle close while you Stealth them with your Steamy Mist. Still, GI does do the job better in all ways, so it wouldn't be a totally wasted pick.

Phase Shift could theoretically save your life. However, PS has several major limitations (including a long activation time) that make it less than ideal as a life-saver.

All told, Concealment is not necessarily the best Pool choice for the Fire/Storm Troller.

Fighting

Tough is nice, but you’re playing a classic Troller, so the prerequisites are kind of meh. Boxing's actually quite nice, but you don't want to be doing up-close single-target damage anyway. Heck, you don’t even need Tough, really. The point of playing a multi-mezzing Troller is to not get hit much in the first place. If you really want Smashing/Lethal Resistance however, Fire Shield in the Fire APP gives you approximately double Tough's S/L Resist and Fire and Cold Resistance for the same endurance cost.

As for Weave, well, it's probably not worth the prereqs and endurance cost.

Fitness

While I hate to say it, you will need Stamina if you're going to run all the nice toggles that this build offers. Take it ASAP and three-slot it.

If you want to Fly, take Swift as a prereq and slot it with one Flight Speed enhancer (more enhancers add hardly anything to your Flight Speed). Otherwise, Hurdle’s a good choice of prereq. You could take both, but why not take Health instead? Never hurts to have a little more Regeneration, in my opinion.

Flight

With I8, Hover’s base speed will be increased 10%. This will make Hover more attractive than ever as a combat travel/manoeuvring power. The Fire/Storm Troller is all about positioning and precise targeting, so I highly recommend taking Hover and 3-slotting it for Speed. Hover is useful even when using Flash Fire: it allows you to fly up and pick the mob closest to the centre of a spawn as your target. Last but not least, you gain a measure of resistance to Knockback while in the air. You'd just twirl in the air for a moment instead of get smashed painfully onto your face.

If you’re taking Hover, you might as well take Fly too. This build is fairly tight on power picks and you can ill-afford to waste too many picks on travel powers. And Fly's quite fun anyway. Except that it's slower than a blonde in a breaststroke competition.

Group Flight sounds good on paper, but is sadly gimped in play. The pets and team mates you grant Flight to tend to fly more slowly than you do (I suspect this has to do with lag) and you'd have to move at a crawl if you want to keep them all safely within your Group Flight radius.

Air Superiority is widely touted as the best Pool attack there is. But you're not going into melee so skip it.

Leadership

Controllers come in only behind Defenders in gaining benefit from Leadership powers, and that’s one reason why this Pool is a good choice for you. Tactics is definitely useful to run, since you will usually have at least 3 “team mates” (your Imps) with you at any time. Also, a Troller could always do with more Accuracy.

For your prereq, I would suggest Assault to amplify the damage done by your Imps as well as by yourself. Yes, the gain is not a lot, but it does add up. Plus it grants Resistance to Taunt and Placate. You could go Manoeuvres instead, but that’s got a rather sad 1.875% Defence bonus. Vengeance is probably not necessary. You can’t use it on your Imps, and your job is to keep your team mates from face-planting. Play well and you’d hardly see an opportunity to use Vengeance; I say skip it.

Leaping

Not a bad Pool choice by any means. Super Jump is possibly the best travel power, all things considered. It's fast, has good vertical clearance, has great air control, and is practically endurance-free.

Combat Jumping adds a fair bit of vertical clearance, which would be quite a boon to Super Speeders. It also gives some protection against Immobilisation and raises your defences by a minuscule amount.

Acrobatics would certainly come in useful against mezzing foes. Often has Eldandil lamented the lack of hold protection when fighting the Carnival of Shadows and the Devouring Earth.

You do not want Jump Kick, however. It's not the best Pool attack, and you're better off attacking at range anyway. A Splatroller might find this one useful, but that's covered in the Splatroller guide.

Medicine

If you really want to be a healer, consider this Pool since O2 Boost sucks so bad as a heal. Then again, if you really want to be a healer, you shouldn’t be playing a Fire/Storm.

None of the powers in this pool are bad. Stimulant even clears up more status effects than does O2 Boost. However, all the Medicine powers are interruptible, and you'll likely find a need to invest 1-3 Interrupt Reduxes into each power you wish to use in combat.

Presence

You don’t need more control than you already have. These controls are much weaker than your main ones. You do not want to draw aggro. Pass.

Speed

Hasten can’t be perma’ed anymore, but many people still swear by it. Take it if you want to; certainly can’t hurt to have faster Recharge Rates half the time.

Super Speed, when combined with Steamy Mist, might allow you to fire off Thunder Clap without getting beaten on. If you do take all these three powers, try it and tell me how they work out in combination.

You shouldn't need either Whirlwind or Flurry.

Teleportation

There were occasions when my Imps got stuck in terrain (notably on CoT temple maps) and I regretted not having Recall Friend to bring them in. Certainly, this is one of the best utility powers in the game.

Teleport might move you more than a little too quickly for your Imps to catch up though. Even Eldandil, who flies, tends to leave his elementals far behind when he’s moving through a zone in a hurry.

Teleport Foe wouldn't add much to this build. And Team Teleport just doesn't impress me much.


Part 5: Ancillary Power Pools (APPs)

Finally, we’ve come to the APPs. I’ve only had experience with the Fire APP, unfortunately, so my thoughts on everything else are based on stats alone.

Fire Mastery

Eldandil selected Fire Mastery because of character concept, and it has turned out to be an excellent choice. His Flash Fire + Fire Cages + Freezing Rain + Fire Ball combo reduces an entire even-con spawn to a sliver of health which his Imps burn away in no time at all. Fireball does 105.65 base Smashing and Fire damage (mainly Fire), which amplifies to 443.6 with 3 Dmg SOs, Assault and Containment. This power has a range of 80 ft and an effect radius of 15..

Stacking Fire Shield onto Steamy Mist means that he has decent (read: Scrapper-level) resistances against several types of damage. Fire Shield gives 19.25% Smashing/Lethal, 14% Fire and 7% Cold Resistance.

His last power shall be Consume, since he could do with an Endurance replenishment power. This does Brawl-level damage to up to 10 nearby foes and returns 20 Endurance points per enemy hit.

Some people advocate Fire Blast very strongly, however. It is a fast-cycling single target attack that does a third more damage (133.46, purely Fire) than Fire Ball, and seems an excellent choice as well. Unfortunately, there isn’t a power I would sacrifice for it, and Eldandil kills quickly enough as it is that it doesn’t seem necessary.

Ice Mastery

This looks to be a fair pick, but lags behind Fire for quick AoE as well as single-target damage. Ice Blast does 111.22 Cold and Smashing Damage to a single target, but also slows down movement and Recharge Rate by 20%. The Smashing Component renders Ice Blast weak against foes with Smashing Defence. Compare this with Fire Blast's pure Fire damage.

Ice Storm is similar to the Blaster power of the same name. It does 1.12 Cold and Lethal damage 5 times a second for 15 seconds. It also slows Recharge by 10%, Fly Speed by 30% and all Run and Jump Speeds by 40%. It has a relatively short casting range of 60 ft but a large 25 ft effect radius. The Fire/Storm Troller probably has enough slows that another isn't quite necessary, and killing with this would take too long.

Hibernate appears to be a better panic button than Phase Shift in many ways, but the Fire/Storm already has a number of panic buttons named Cinders, Thunder Clap, Hurricane, and Tornado. If you use it as a safe way to regain some Endurance and Health though, you'd probably like it quite a bit...except that it's got a 240 second recharge duration.

Frozen Armor and Fire Shield are highly similar powers. However, Frozen Armor grants Defence (10.5%) instead of Resistance against Smashing and Lethal attacks. I suggest that Frozen Armor is actually superior to Fire Shield in this regard, and here's my reasoning: Fire Shield is a Resist toggle, so its benefits come in only when a hit lands, whereupon each component of FS protects against one specific damage type. Frozen Armor works at the To-Hit level though. If an attack contains multiple damage types, your effective Defence is calculated using the damage type you are most protected against.

Here's an example: A villain punches you with an Energy Punch that does both Energy as well as Smashing damage. The Fire Shield user is not any harder to hit than an unprotected hero, but the Smashing component of the attack is blunted by Fire Shield's S/L Resist. The FS hero takes full Energy damage and partial Smashing damage. Frozen Armor, however, has S/L Defence. Since the Energy Punch is one single move, its Smashing and Energy components either both hit or both miss - they are treated unitarily in the calculation of To-Hit. If the attack hits, full Smashing and Energy damage is taken; but if the attack misses, even the Energy component that FA doesn't protect against is negated as well. Since many attacks even in the late game have a Smashing or Lethal component, you can expect your Frozen Armor to guard you against a surprising variety of moves.

In summary, Ice Mastery trades damage for a little more protection (direct and indirect) as compared to Fire Mastery.

Primal Forces

Conserve Power and Power Boost both look like very attractive choices for a Troller. However, they both have long recharge times (600 sec and 120 sec respectively), and I don’t really like powers that I can’t use frequently. I know I’d probably just forget to use them entirely in the end. I rather suspect they are more useful for PvPers (who tend, if I am not mistaken, to use their powers in intense spurts) than PvEers.

Power Blast does 111.22 Smashing and Energy damage at the standard 80 ft with an unimpressive 30% chance to do light Knockback. This is a weaker choice than both Fire Blast and Ice Blast. This APP also lacks an AoE attack move.

Temporary Invulnerability costs the same as Fire Shield and Frozen Armor, but it only protects against Smashing and Lethal Damage (21% Resistance). While these Resist values are marginally higher than Fire Shield's, I am inclined to say that Fire Shield and Frozen Armor's Fire and Cold Resistances put them ahead of Temp Invul.

Psionic Mastery

If Indomitable Will had a shorter recharge, I would have been very much tempted by this power. It gives 17.5% Psionic Defence as very strong total Mezz resistance for 90 seconds. well as Its recharge is a whopping 360 seconds though, so, no, thank you. PvPers may find this useful, however.

Mental Blast is a standard Troller APP single-target attack. It has nice advantages in damage type (111.22 Psionic damage) and a short (6 second) 30% Recharge Time debuff though. It also has a 100 ft range for those of you who like to engage in long-range battles.

The Psionic personal shield, Mind Over Body, gives decent Psionic Resistance (14%) on top of S/L (19.25%). This is one of the very few powers in the entire game to grant such a Resistance.

Psionic Tornado is actually a very impressive power on paper. It does almost as much damage as Fire Ball (97.3 Psionic), has a slightly larger effect area (20 ft), and has a very useful pair of secondary effects as well (50% Knockup chance and -30% Recharge Rate for 10 seconds). Its range is also the usual 100 ft for Psionic powers.

To be honest, I suspect Psionic Mastery may be the strongest of the Controller APPs. A seldom-resisted damage type, high damage values, protection against that same damage type, (occasional) protection against mezzes, and very useful secondary effects make the Psionic APP really shine. If not for character concept, Eldandil would be very tempted to swap his Fire for Psionic. Reader, do give this set some serious consideration.

Stone Mastery

Fissure is yet another targeted AoE Disorient. Theoretically, combining Flash Fire, Thunder Clap and Fissure should allow you to mezz just about anything in the game short of an AV or GM. But…nah. You don’t need another area control, especially since this one only has a 50% chance to Disorient, a short 20 ft range, and a small 15 ft effect radius. It is available every 20 seconds, does 50.05 Smashing damage and may cause minor Knockback though. One could conceivably use this as an AoE attack, but one would not be able to wipe out spawns anywhere near as quickly as one could with Fireball or Psionic Tornado.

Hurl Boulder is a short range (40 ft) single-target attack that does 166.83 Smashing damage and has a 50% chance to do significant Knockback. Notice that this is the strongest single-target attack in the Controller APP list. It does recharge more slowly than usual (10 seconds), however, and the short range can be limiting.

Rock Armor, like Frozen Armor, grants Defence instead of Resistance. Therefore, it affords the same "extra" protection that Frozen Armor does. Rock Armor's S/L Defence values (11.2%) are slightly higher than Frozen Armor's but it does not have protection against other damage types. However, in this case, since many attacks have either a Smashing or Lethal component, Rock Armor is possibly as good as or better than Frozen Armor.

Earth's Embrace is a self-heal, a HP boost and 14% Toxic Resistance all in one click, similar to Tanker self-heals. I see it as a sort of panic button for a getaway. It's on a 360 second timer.

Addendum: I'd somehow managed to mix up the Tanker and Troller Stone Mastery sets. The old writeup was for Tankers, which is why it seemed so different. Many thanks to SuperJe, who very gently informed me of this in a PM.


Part 6: Strategy and Tactics

Here’re some strategies, tactics and combos for the Fire/Storm Controller.

1. Flash Fire + Fire Cages + Freezing Rain + Fire Ball burns non-Fire-resistant even-cons down to just a sliver of Health. If there are quite a few bosses in the group, you could add on another Fire Cages followed by a Thunder Clap and see if you can Disorient them too.
2. Against small spawns made up mostly of minions, you could safely replace Flash Fire with Thunder Clap (or Fissure). Remember that the bad guys will manage to get off an alpha strike on you, so don’t try this when there are Sappers or mezzers in the group.
3. Cinders takes out everything lieutenant-level and below. Adding a single Char would mezz a boss as well. The FF + FC combo doesn’t work well on Council Wolves, as they are highly Immob Resistant (they tend to scatter all over the map after they get Disoriented), so Cinders is a better option there.
4. Freezing Rain alone or with Snow Storm is a great soft control. You could also use it after 10+ seconds of Fire Cages; the Immob from FC lasts a lot longer than the –KB.
5. Lightning Storm tends to scatter mobs, but it can be combined with Fire Cages’ –KB to prevent that. Also, Hurricane could be used to crowd mobs together for extra LS damage.
6. Hurricane works well in tandem with Fire Cages. FC’s –KB prevents Hurricane from sending mobs flying across the room, but its lack of –Repel means that Hurricane could still Repel mobs steadily away.
7. Hurricane also works great with MoGed Paragon Protectors. It is auto-hit and reduces their amplified Defences to more manageable levels.
8. Snow Storm also works with MoGed PPs, although its main role is to reduce the PP’s damage-dealing capacity. It grounds and debuffs intangible Carnie Illusionists too.
9. When facing a mezzing foe, it is feasible to send your Imps in first, either by edging near or by casting Summon Fire Imps right on top of the spawn. You could always O2 Boost them back to wakefulness if necessary.
10. Similarly, if you are about to launch an attack against an enemy whose damage type you and your Tank are weak against, send in the Imps first. You get no debt even if they die.
11. A Tornado pull is not as crazy as it sounds.


Part 7: Sample Build

Eldandil is slotted so that he can hit +5s with facility. However, his mezz durations are shortened greatly against +5s, so he has to ready follow-up mezzes. With his power choices, Eldandil has at least one area control (Flashfire, Cinders, Thunder Clap, Freezing Rain, Snow Storm, Hurricane, Tornado) available at any one time.

Eldandil Tauro - Character Builder screenshot

I hope you found some use out of this guide. If you have questions, comments or objections, please feel free to post replies or PM me.

Part 3: Storm Summoning

If you thought Fire Control had a bad rep, wait till you hear about Storm’s! Storm Summoning is a very fun, very useful set that gives control, buffing, debuffing, damage and healing. It’s quite possibly the most difficult Controller secondary/ Defender primary to play well. Bad Stormies tend to use Gale, Tornado and Hurricane in ways that make their team mates tear their hair out. They Gale mobs away from the Tank and Scrapper, run into the middle of groups with Hurricane on, and happily throw Tornadoes out every chance they get. A bad Stormie could quite literally halve the entire team’s XP gain rate by the team wipes they cause.

A good Stormie, on the other hand, is a holy terror to the bad guys. Learn to use your Storm powers wisely in combination with your Fire skills and you will be able to pull your team out of impossible situations. Of course, they probably wouldn’t realise just how much you had to do with them surviving miraculously, but you’d know, and that should be enough.

Level 1: Gale

Type: Cone (80 deg)
Accuracy: -10%
Endurance cost: 7.8
Activation: 2.2 sec
Recharge: 8 sec
Range: 50 ft
Duration: N.A.
Damage: 3.06 Smashing
Effects: Knockback
Max targets hit: 16
Rating: if you Hover, if you don’t
Slotting recommendations: 1 Acc

As a Troller, you have no choice but to take this power. But fret not, this is a pretty good power. You don’t even have to add slots to it either.

Gale does practically no damage at all, but it has a strong 100% knockback component (if you hit) that you can use to reposition mobs and/or take them momentarily out of the fight. With ragdoll physics in the game now, a foe that gets knocked down will take maybe three seconds to climb to his feet. That may be all the time you need for Char to pop so that you can lock him down.

If you Fly or Hover, you can use Gale from above a target in the air or on a ledge to knock him straight down towards ground and your waiting team mates. If a mob wanders out of a debuff zone or away from the tank, you can circle around and Gale him right back into the thick of the action (make sure you know the range and knockback distance of your Gale though).

Just be circumspect in your use of Gale. Using it thoughtlessly could very quickly incur the wrath of your fellow heroes. Since this power has such a strong knockback already, I do not recommend the use of knockback enhancers. Remember, the key word here is finesse.

Level 2: O2 Boost

Type: Single Ally, Ranged
Accuracy: N.A.
Endurance cost: 13
Activation: 2.3 sec
Recharge: 4 sec
Range: 80 ft
Duration: 60 sec buffs
Damage: N.A.
Effects: 155.494 Heal, Resist Sleep / Disorient / Endurance Drain
Max targets hit: 1
Rating:
Slotting recommendations: 0-2 Recharge, 1-2 End Rdx, 0-3 Heal

While it’s true that O2 Boost is a heal, it’s also true that O2 Boost is weak sauce as a heal. In the end-game, even 3-slotted with Heal enhancers, it barely makes a difference on a tank the same level. Therefore, I don’t really recommend using this power as a heal. A Fire/Storm is a mezzer and debuffer, not a healer. You’d be better off preventing further damage than trying to patch up damage already done.

Should you skip this power then? That’s doable, actually. However, the power does have other components that greatly increase its utility. Basically, whoever you use the power on gets broken out of Sleep and Disorient, and gains resistance to these mezzes for a full minute. Your target also receives 69.2% protection against End Drain for the same duration. If someone in your team shouts out “zzz”, hit him or her with O2 Boost; if nothing else, they get a little healing and some mezz resistance. Going up against Malta Sappers? Slap an O2 Boost on your tank before he charges in Taunting. That should keep him relatively safe from an End crash.

All in all, this is a pretty good power to have. I don’t feel that it is absolutely necessary for the classic Fire/Storm build, but do pick it up at some point if you can.

Level 4: Snow Storm

Type: Toggle, Ranged Foe-Anchored AoE
Accuracy: N.A.
Endurance cost: 0.26 / sec
Activation: 2.0 sec
Recharge: 10 sec
Range: 80 ft (25 ft radius)
Duration: N.A.
Damage: none
Effects: -62.5% Recharge Rate / all Speeds / JumpHeight, -Fly
Max targets hit: 16
Rating: against most foes, against certain enemies
Slotting recommendations: 1-2 End Rdx, 0-2 Slow

Every single power in Storm is useful, and Snow Storm is no exception. This toggle debuff is cast on an enemy, who then carries it around with him wherever he goes. All foes near him (within 25 ft) get grounded and slowed tremendously. This works on everything, including Arch Villains, Giant Monsters and Paragon Protectors in Moment of Glory mode.

This power really doesn’t need slotting. Just stick an EndRdx in there and you’re set. If you plan to use it a lot though, a second EndRdx can’t go wrong. Some people also like to put in Slows to make foes truly crawl. Do note that the Recharge Rate debuff cannot be enhanced.

Level 10: Steamy Mist

Type: Toggle, PBAoE
Accuracy: N.A.
Endurance cost: 0.26 / sec
Activation: 1.9 sec
Recharge: 15 sec
Range: self (40 ft radius)
Duration: N.A.
Damage: N.A.
Effects: Stealth, 3.75% Defence to All, 15% Resist Fire / Cold / Energy, Resist Confuse
Max targets hit: N.A.
Rating:
Slotting recommendations: 1-2 End Rdx, 3 Resist

Steamy Mist envelops you and nearby allies in an aura that confers Stealth, a little Defence, fair Resistance to 3 damage types, and good Resistance to Confusion. The Defence is too measly to slot for, but the Resistance is definitely worth 3 slots. With 3 SOs, Steamy Mist grants 23.4% Resistance, which is not half bad. Stack on Fire Shield from the Fire APP and you’d have Fire (and, to a lesser extent, Cold) Resistance to turn most Tankers and Scrappers green with envy.

Note that the Stealth from this power does not stack with the powers from the Concealment Power Pool. It does stack with Smoke (which is a Visibility debuff) and Super Speed (which also has a Visibility debuff of sorts) though.

Level 16: Freezing Rain

Type: Targeted AoE
Accuracy: no modifier
Endurance cost: 18.2
Activation: 2.0 sec
Recharge: 60 sec
Range: 60 ft (20 ft radius)
Duration: rain lasts for 15 sec, debuffs remain at full strength for 30 sec after that, slows remain for another 15 sec after that but at only the 20% debuff level
Damage: 75 ticks of 0.56 Cold (42 total) – no Containment bonus
Effects: Knockdown, -40% Recharge Rate / FlySpeed, -30% Defence All / Resist All, -50% RunSpd / JumpSpd / JumpHeight
Max targets hit: 16
Rating:
Slotting recommendations: 3 Recharge, 0-1 Slow, 1 EndRdx, 1-2 Defence Debuff

If someone told you that Freezing Rain was the crowning jewel in the Storm set, I wouldn’t be much inclined to disagree with him. FR is so awesome that you must take it the moment it becomes available. Take it, slot it up, use it every time it pops.

FR not only cuts away a large chunk of Defence and Resistance from up to 16 enemies at once, it also slows them a great deal and makes them fall down continuously for most of their time in the Rain. Some people call this Popcorning the mobs, and once you see FR in action you’ll agree that’s an apt description.

With 3 Recharge enhancers in it, you can have FR up for practically every fight. It’s not a cheap power to use, so at least 1 EndRdx would go a long way to keeping your blue bar healthy. FR’s Defence debuff is big enough that 1 slot is enough in my opinion, but some people prefer more debuff. Accuracy is not necessary since the Rain makes 5 to-hit checks in a second and a single hit cripples Defence. A Slow wouldn’t hurt either. Too bad the Resist debuff cannot be slotted for.

Also, remember that Fire Cages grants -KB for 12 seconds? Fire Cages + Freezing Rain = popcorn machine breaks down. If you’re trying to popcorn your targets, keep your finger off the FC button. Use Snow Storm instead if you want them to stay in the Rain’s area of effect.

Level 20: Hurricane

Type: Toggle, PBAoE
Accuracy: auto-hit
Endurance cost: 0.16 / sec
Activation: 2.0 sec
Recharge: 10 sec
Range: self (25 ft radius)
Duration: debuffs last for 10 sec after last contact
Damage: none
Effects: -60% Range, -30% Accuracy, Knockback, Repel
Max targets hit: no limit
Rating:
Slotting recommendations: 1 EndRdx, 2-3 Acc Debuff

Hurricane is a pretty tricky power to use. It’s a great debuff, as I’m sure you’ll appreciate if you’ve ever tried to melee a Tsoo Sorceror, a Banished Pantheon Storm Shaman or a Cabal Sorceress. With a couple or three Acc debuffs in it, Hurricane can practically floor any mob’s chance to hit you or your friends.

However, it’s also a PBAoE toggle centred on you, and it does both Knockback and Repel. I’ve actually played with Stormies who insisted on running Hurricane into the middle of a spawn, scattering them like confetti all over the place. That’s moronic, and there’s no kinder way to say it.

With Hurricane on, you can run around the very edges of a spawn to knock/push them into a tight knot ready for AoEs or so that the Tank can more conveniently do his or her job. This is actually easier to do right after using Fire Cages, since FC protects against Hurricane’s Knockback but not against its Repel. Or you could crowd a few mobs into a nearby corner and pin them there, debuffed and unable to do much at all, while you turn around and deal with real threats. Both these uses require you to know your Hurricane’s range rather precisely though. For instance, if you crowd too near the mobs you’re trying to pin in a corner, they tend to get pushed up and out of the corner instead.

It used to be that in PvP, Hurricane would unfailingly interrupt any melee Assassin Strike, but it is my understanding that such is no longer the case. But leave it on in PvP zones anyway. It still has a fair chance of saving your skin.

Level 28: Thunder Clap

Type: PBAoE
Accuracy: -20%
Endurance cost: 10.4
Activation: 2.4 sec
Recharge: 45 sec
Range: self (25 ft radius)
Duration: 18.6 sec
Damage: none
Effects: Disorient Mag 2, 8% Toggle Drop chance in PvP
Max targets hit: 16
Rating:
Slotting recommendations: 2 Acc, 1-3 Disorient, 0-3 Recharge

Thunder Clap unfortunately looks better on paper than it works in-game. Its long activation time and PBAoE nature mean that mobs will almost always manage to unleash a full alpha strike on you before they get disoriented, so it’s best used against small spawns or after the Tank has aggro. Also, it’s only a Mag 2 Disorient, so only minions (not even lieutenants) are affected by this.

Is this skippable? Yes, it is. But is it useful? Again, yes. This is the fastest cycling area mezz in the Fire/Storm Troller’s toolbox and you can use it every fight with just a little slotting. Also, it does stack with Flash Fire to mezz lieutenants (doesn’t seem to work on bosses though).

Addendum: Enantiodromos tells me he is pretty sure Flash Fire + Thunder Clap gets bosses. Hmm. Could be I've been fighting highly mezz-resistant bosses or something. Will go test it out.

Level 35: Tornado

Type: Pseudo-Pet
Accuracy: auto-hit
Endurance cost: 20.8
Activation: 1.2 sec
Recharge: 60 sec
Range: 60 ft (7 ft radius)
Duration: the funnel lasts for 30 sec
Damage: 60 ticks of 6.67 Smashing (400.2 total) – no Containment bonus
Effects: Disorient Mag 2 (14.9 sec), Knockback, Knockup, -15% Defence to All (8 sec)
Max targets hit: 5
Rating:
Slotting recommendations: 0-3 Dam, 1-3 Disorient, 0-2 Recharge, 1-2 EndRdx

Tornado is probably the hardest Storm power to use well. It creates a (rather squat) twister that runs amok after enemies in range. Used unintelligently, it could easily aggro several groups at once and lead to a team wipe. Used well, it could save lives and kill mobs.

Usually, as long as aggro is well-controlled, Tornado should remain in your back pocket. However, if things go terribly out of whack, for instance, if someone else in the team has already aggroed all nearby spawns and the team is starting to fall apart, a Tornado couldn’t really make things worse, and its ability to Disorient and Knockback could take some of the heat off the team.

Also, when few mobs are left in the immediate area, Tornado could be used to keep a dangerous mob debuffed and busy. MoGed Paragon Protectors, AVs and GMs are good candidates for this auto-hit pseudo-pet. It also does a fair amount of damage (over time).

Lastly, while “pull with Tornado!” is sort of a joke, this can actually be a smart move if done right. If you know there are mobs just around the corner, you could cast Tornado out of sight and let it plow into the spawn. Do NOT go running after it, or it could well decide to roam further afield and bring back more friends. Instead, allow your team mates to step forth after your Tornado has thoroughly Disoriented the mobs in the near spawn, or else wait (with Imps and Lightning Storm, possibly Hurricane) for the mobs to come charging you one at a time.

Level 38: Lightning Storm

Type: Pseudo-Pet
Accuracy: +40%
Endurance cost: 31.2
Activation: 2.0 sec
Recharge: 90 sec
Range: self (100 ft radius; you must stay within 60 ft or so for LS to keep shooting)
Duration: 60 sec (one bolt every 4 sec)
Damage: 15 bolts each doing 14.04 Energy (600.6 total) – no Containment bonus
Effects: Knockback, 7% End Drain, -90% End Recovery (30% chance, lasts 4 sec), 17% Toggle Drop chance in PvP
Max targets hit: 1 (but mobs very nearby may get hit as well)
Rating:
Slotting recommendations: 3 Dam, 1-3 Recharge, 0-2 EndRdx

This power summons a very impressive-looking cloud right above your head. This cloud is stationary, but it will shoot lightning bolts every 4 seconds at foes within 100 feet as long as you do not move too far away from the cloud. Foes hit get zapped for a fair bit of damage and get thrown quite a distance away.

Interestingly, if that mob is standing right next to another mob or two, his neighbours get zapped together with him. Therefore, a LS cast right after you’ve pinned a number of mobs in a corner with Hurricane can be expected to be more than usually efficient.

LS’s high innate Accuracy means that you don’t really need to slot in Accuracy enhancements. However, it is very expensive, so you could do worse than to put in at least one EndRdx. You’ll also want some Recharges in there so that you can more often mess up Paragon’s weather patterns. Needless to say, 3 Damage SOs are par for the course.

Eldandil Tauro’s I7 guide to the classic Fire/Storm/Fire Troller

Contents
Part 1: Preface
Part 2: Fire Control
Part 3: Storm Summoning
Part 4: Power Pools
Part 5: Ancillary Power Pools (APPs)
Part 6: Strategy and Tactics
Part 7: Sample build


Part 1: Preface

I8’s going to go live any moment now, but since there will not be any major changes to the power sets in that issue, I thought I might as well put up this guide now.

Eldandil Tauro was the first character I created when I started CoH for real about 18 or so months ago. And though, due to my severe altaholism, I’ve only recently managed to level him to 48, there’s something compelling about him that keeps me going back to fire him up again (pun quite intended). I’ve respecced him a fair number of times and have tried out just about every single power in his main sets, and I believe I know a thing or two about the Fire/Storm combination.

Having read more fantasy books than is probably healthy for anyone, I created Eldandil as a Fire/Air elemental mage. It therefore only made sense to plan for a Fire ancillary pool as well. Mind you, this was long before I learnt that a Fire primary and a Fire APP were two-thirds of the equation for what is widely considered the most uber troller build. But of course that uber build requires a Radiation or Kinetics secondary, not a Storm.

Anyway. The Fire/Storm troller isn’t the build with the most control. Built as a “classic” controller rather than as a splatroller, it isn’t necessarily the most damaging of builds either. However, this build does offer a very nice variety of area controls and it does do quite a bit of damage. Most importantly, with its very flashy repertoire of moves, it’s a lot of fun both to watch and to play. And as you hit the early to mid thirties, you will find yourself a very capable soloer. Beyond level 42 (with slotted Fireball), you’ll even find yourself blowing through missions more quickly solo than with all but the most efficient teams.

Before we move on into the main part of the guide, I’d like to thank Enantiodromos for his multitude of controller write-ups, BrimstoneGale for the original Fire/Storm guide, and Dess_, _Enos_, SuperJe, DaemonDivinity, hudsonsmith, Dunkirk, Sailboat, Smashmaster, BlackJoker, CommunistPenguin, and Slodeine for their opinions on various threads. You have all helped me in measures greater or lesser to create or modify Eldandil. (Edit: it appears DaemonDivinity has a very nice Fire/Storm guide out there as well.)

Special thanks also go out to Sherk Silver, creator of the awesome CoH/CoV Character Builder. Sadly, he’s not playing anymore, but his builder lives on and is being updated now by KayMoonpetal.

Last, but definitely not least, many thanks are owed to Red Tomax and iakona for the incredible CoX database known as the City of Data. That is truly a stunning piece of work.

Disclaimer: This is a PvE guide. I only PvP casually and occasionally, and am not experienced enough in that arena to write a guide about it.


Part 2: Fire Control

Fire Control has a bad reputation as a set with poor control. However, I would like to contest that reputation, for Fire/ in the right hands can do a lot to keep the bad guys busy. It also combines beautifully with the Storm secondary to give you some form of area control, hard or soft, for every single group of mobs you come across.

One disadvantage of Fire/ is that most of its powers have a small damage component, so you can be sure you’ll be picking up lots of aggro. What makes this worse is that the damage is doled out over time. Without good aggro-control on your team, or if you attack before aggro can be managed, you are almost guaranteed to take a lot of damage in retaliation. On the other hand, all this damage does add up, especially when Containment is factored in (for those not in the know, Controllers do double damage to any mob that has been held, disoriented, immobilised or slept by yourself or anyone else). Fire is also not that commonly resisted. These truths make soloing at the higher levels go just that little bit faster.

Note: This guide uses information from City of Data. Therefore, damage is listed not in Brawl Index numbers but as Damage Scalar values.

Level 1: Ring of Fire

Type: Single Target, Ranged
Accuracy: +20%
Endurance cost: 7.8
Activation: 1.2 sec
Recharge: 4 sec
Range: 80 ft
Duration: 27.9 sec
Damage: 5 ticks of 6.73 Fire (33.65 total)
Effects: Immobilize Mag 4, -Fly (15 sec), -KB (15 sec)
Max targets hit: 1
Rating: in the early game, when your attack chain grows more complete
Slotting recommendations: 1 Acc, 0-3 Immob, 0-3 Recharge

Until level 8, Ring of Fire ties with Char for most damaging primary set power. But RoF recharges twice as quickly as Char and costs a bit less endurance, and is therefore clearly the better damage dealer. Some people take it at level 2 (I strongly suggest taking Char at level 1) and respec out of it when better powers come along, which is a fair strategy. But, in my honest opinion, you don’t need this power.

Addendum: Kinesia informs me that Ring of Fire is actually rather useful in PvP. Considering how many Breakfrees PvPers tend to pack, fast-cycling, highly accurate single-target status stackers are arguably more useful than slow-activating, slow-recharging mass holds. I estimate this power would rate 3 smilies in PvP.

Kinesia also notes that RoF stacks with Fire Cages in PvE to immobilise bosses. I don't see boss immob as a very high priority task for the multi-mezzing Troller, however. There are just better things you could do with your time and endurance, like casting holds instead. But Kinesia's point that its your strongest damaging move (same damage as Char but recharges twice as quickly) in the lower levels is well made; the RoF description has been amended accordingly.

Level 1: Char

Type: Single Target, Ranged
Accuracy: +20%
Endurance cost: 8.53
Activation: 1.1 sec
Recharge: 8 sec
Range: 80 ft
Duration: 22.4 sec
Damage: 5 ticks of 6.73 Fire (33.65 total)
Effects: Hold Mag 3
Max targets hit: 1
Rating:
Slotting recommendations: 1 Acc, 3 Hold, 2 Recharge

Ah, Char. Now we’re talking. Take this power at level 1, slot it, use it, love it. It’s your standard fast-cycling single-target hold, and you’ll be relying on it through your entire superhero career. By itself, it can hold a minion or a lieutenant. Stacked on itself (which is where the recharges come in) or on top of Cinders, it renders bosses helpless.

Char does about 1.5 times the damage of Brawl and will be one of your primary mob-killing tools early on. Its damage pales in comparison to that of other powers later on, but you’ll still find that the slivers of health it burns from mobs will help to finish them off just that little bit more quickly.

Char has an inherent accuracy bonus. If you choose to run Tactics and don’t ever want to fight anything stronger than an even-con, you might consider exchanging the Accuracy for a Recharge or an EndRdx. I like to be able to hold +5s though, so I put in the Accuracy and run Tactics.

Level 2: Fire Cages

Type: Targeted AoE
Accuracy: -10%
Endurance cost: 15.6
Activation: 1.0 sec
Recharge: 8 sec
Range: 80 ft (30 ft radius)
Duration: 27.9 sec
Damage: 3 ticks of 3.36 Fire (10.08 total)
Effects: Immobilize Mag 3, -Fly (12 sec), -KB (12 sec)
Max targets hit: 16
Rating: by itself, in combination with FF and other powers
Slotting recommendations: 2 Acc, 0-2 Recharge, 1-2 EndRdx

Fire Cages do not do much by themselves except piss off the bad guys. Early on, solo, you’ll only use this power to keep your foes at bay (ranged attacks tend to hurt a little less than melee moves) and do a tiny bit of damage. Once you’ve picked up Flash Fire, however, the Fire Cages power becomes the second part of the famous Fire/ one-two combo (refer to section 6). Take this power and slot it up. It’s expensive to use, so put in at least one EndRdx. The Recharge enhancements are not strictly necessary; I have them in on Eldandil in order to quickly stack immob on bosses. FC does not need Immob enhancements. It lasts really long and you could always stack it if you need it to last longer.

Note that Fire Cages will immobilise foes as well as ground them and prevent them from being knocked back. Therefore, on a knockback-heavy team, you could use FC to keep the bad guys clustered. It also works beautifully in conjunction with a Blaster’s rain attacks or a Fire Tanker’s Burn patch.

Level 6: Smoke

Type: Targeted AoE
Accuracy: no modifier
Endurance cost: 7.8
Activation: 1.2 sec
Recharge: 30 sec
Range: 80 ft (35 ft radius)
Duration: 60 sec
Damage: 5 ticks of 6.73 Fire (33.65 total)
Effects: -90% Visibility, -5% Accuracy
Max targets hit: 16
Rating:
Slotting recommendations: 1 Acc

The nice thing about Smoke is that it lowers enemy perception radius by 90%. Coupled with some sort of stealth power (like /Storm’s Steamy Mist), Smoke renders you practically invisible to mobs. It also does not alert the enemy to your presence whether you hit or miss, which means you could stand at the maximum range and keep Smoking the enemy until you succeed.

Unfortunately, its Accuracy debuff component is rather weak. Don’t count on Smoke saving your life. If you take this power, take it as a means to attain ghetto invisibility and just put one Acc in there. I suppose it’s possible to plan a team of 8 Fire Trollers each with debuff-slotted Smoke to give a very nice cumulative debuff, but unless you’re going that route, don’t bother putting slots into this power.

Level 8: Hot Feet

Type: Toggle, PBAoE
Accuracy: no modifier (but non-damage components are auto-hit)
Endurance cost: 2.08 / sec
Activation: 1.5 sec
Recharge: 20 sec
Range: self (20 ft radius)
Duration: N.A.
Damage: 7.65 Fire every 2 sec
Effects: -Fly, -87.5% RunSpd / JumpHeight / JumpSpeed
Max targets hit: 16
Rating: if you Hover, if you don’t
Slotting recommendations: 2 Acc, 3 Dmg, 1 EndRdx

Running Hot Feet puts a nice 2-second-pulse damage aura around you that also scares away, grounds and slows all the mobs around you (up to 16 at a time). While the damage isn’t a lot, it benefits from Containment and really adds up against big spawns. If you mostly solo small spawns, however, this power’s not quite so hot (again with the puns) especially considering the huge Endurance cost.

Note that you cannot use this power while in the air. If you intend to Hover in combat, this power is not for you. If you’re going to be a classic Controller, I would strongly suggest forgoing Hot Feet for Hover. The additional damage from Hot Feet isn’t really that important, and Hover’s positional value far outweighs that benefit.

Level 12: Flash Fire

Type: Targeted AoE
Accuracy: -20%
Endurance cost: 15.6
Activation: 2.4 sec
Recharge: 90 sec
Range: 70 ft (25 ft radius)
Duration: 14.9 sec
Damage: 4 ticks of 1.84 Fire (7.36 total)
Effects: Disorient Mag 3
Max targets hit: 16
Rating:
Slotting recommendations: 2 Acc, 2 Disorient, 2 Recharge

This power makes up the other half of your one-two ghetto hold. Flash Fire disorients up to 16 mobs in a large area at range, rendering them incapable of taking any action except walk. However, there is a bug that often causes Disoriented mobs to slide away at amazing speeds, so Fire Cages is needed to keep them all rooted in place.

The Flash Fire + Fire Cages combo is available more often than Cinders. Also, unless you’re right in their faces, mobs tend not to react to you until you’ve hit them with Flash Fire. If all goes right, their only valid response would be to walk dazedly around. This is probably the safest mass-mezz in your arsenal.

With 2 Recharge SOs, FF pops every 54 seconds. That means you should be able to use it on every 2nd or 3rd group you come across solo or in a fast team. You’d wish it would cycle more quickly, but this also means that you’d get to use your other powers during the fights it’s down.

Note: With a /Storm secondary, it’s tempting to think that Flash Fire + Thunder Clap would work together to hold even bosses. In practice, however, this appears not to be the case. I suspect that bosses now have 6 or more levels of Disorient resistance, which FF + TC (Mag 3 + 2 = 5) cannot overcome.

Level 18: Cinders

Type: PBAoE
Accuracy: -20%
Endurance cost: 15.6
Activation: 1.1 sec
Recharge: 240 sec
Range: self (30 ft radius)
Duration: 14.9 sec
Damage: none
Effects: Hold Mag 3
Max targets hit: 16
Rating:
Slotting recommendations: 2 Acc, 2 Hold, 2 Recharge

This would be your best tool if not for its terrible recharge time. As it is, even with 2 Recharge enhancements, you’d only get to use it every 5 – 7 fights. Such being the case, some people recommend skipping this power altogether. I’ve personally found this power to be of great utility as a panic button and as a boss-stopper in tandem with Char.

Level 26: Bonfire

Type: Targeted AoE
Accuracy: auto-hit
Endurance cost: 13
Activation: 3.1 sec
Recharge: 60 sec
Range: 70 ft (25 ft radius)
Duration: 45 sec
Damage: 13 ticks of 5.56 Fire (total 72.28) – no Containment bonus
Effects: Knockback
Max targets hit: 16
Rating:
Slotting recommendations: 0-1 Recharge, 0-1 EndRdx

Both Bonfire’s damage and knockback components are auto-hit. This makes it a great tool for blocking off doorways or for trapping enemies in corners. However, throw it onto your tank and you’re going to get sworn at for the next few minutes.

The damage component of Bonfire looks fairly substantial too, even though it doesn’t get magnified by Containment. However, the knockback that it causes means that you can only use it for damage if you are willing to stack on Fire Cages every 12 seconds or if you only use it on mobs you’ve nudged into a corner with Hurricane. I’ve tried it, and it was just too much work for too little gain. In the end, it just sat in my tray unused – the Fire/Storm has too many better tools at his or her disposal – and I eventually respecced out of it.

Level 32: Fire Imps

Type: Pets (3)
Accuracy: +20%
Endurance cost: 26
Activation: 2.0 sec
Recharge: 240 sec
Range: 60 ft
Duration: until you zone or enter/leave a mish
Damage: each imp does 27.81 + 3 ticks of 11.12 Fire (total 61.17) every 4 sec – no Containment bonus
Effects: none
Max targets hit: 1 each
Rating:
Slotting recommendations: 0-1 Acc, 3 Dmg, 0-3 Recharge

This power will turn you from a purely support character into a strong soloer. It summons three Fire Imps that just love to frolic with the bad guys and burn them to a crisp in the process. Out of the box, they have great accuracy and do much more damage than you are capable of yourself. Slotted with Damage enhancers, they become truly a force to be reckoned with.

In a team, Imps are great conversational pieces. Their antics will often get a chuckle out of your team mates. The damage they add and the aggro they absorb also make them valuable additions to the team.

The Imps have few HPs and little in the way of defences, however. Send them without backup into combat against even-cons and they’re bound to get hurt or killed. They are best kept in reserve and only unleashed when you have the bad guys mezzed. Sometimes, however, it is worthwhile sending them in first to take the alpha. (More on this in section 6.)

Unfortunately, managing your Imps can be an exercise in frustration. You cannot control them directly, and all you can do is to move yourself and wait for them to follow. The little buggers have quite a long perception range and are very aggressive. Wander too near a mob and the three stooges would be off like rockets before you even had a chance to say, “Oh, bleep!” They reduce your scouting ability to zero, and if they are not tightly reined in (by you staying in the rear echelon of your team), they could very easily aggro multiple groups and cause a team wipe.

The word doesn't exactly flash on screen for effect or anything. It's just the name of the group that produced the video.

Buildup.

And that was what made me chuckle. The vid looked like an advertisement for the Build Up power.

That panda was obviously AR/ but not /devices.

[ QUOTE ]
"Shot through the head~ and your to blame~
You give pandas~ a bad name~"

...

sorry <;_;> I was attacked by Bon Jovi. Seriously. They were here, with guns.

[/ QUOTE ]

Shoot me now.

Lol!

105? *blinks*

And I thought I was an altaholic.

Well, since the video is entitled sniper panda, what happens at the end isn't much of a surprise. The video isn't really that funny either, but it's still watchable for two things:

1) The girl's really [edit: rather] cute.
2) After the panda shoots, the word that pops up on screen made me chuckle the first time I saw it. If it gets a laugh out of you too, you've also been playing too much CoX.

Video here.

Excellent guide. I believe there was an earlier version that I'd consulted to make my Inv/EM tank?

Some notes:

According to City of Data, Unyielding costs 0.13 EPS to run, while Invincibility costs 0.21. That EndRdx should go into Invinc before UY.

Aggro auras (including Invinc) and Gauntlet don't work against AVs, GMs, and some other stuff. I used to be tauntless, but I recently respecced it back in to avoid being useless against such foes.

Desmodos, UY gives only 5% S/L res, but it gives 10% to other damage types. IMHO, it's worth slotting.

Well, in my last post all those months ago, I was using numbers from Sherk Silver's planner. Those numbers are wildly wrong.

Information from City of Data confirms that using Flashfire for damage is ridiculous. Bonfire does almost as much damage as Hot Feet, but that damage does not benefit from Containment and is a chore to keep up (since you'd have to keep reapplying Fire Cages for -KB).

You know, they could organise base items into several tiers and make the cost of items within each tier go up as you buy items from that category.

E.g. They could put teleporters in Tier T and make the first teleporter dirt cheap. The second one would be a little pricier, then the third even more expensive, and so on. This system would allow even small SGs to have access to a couple of teleporters.

Also, just as we have to choose just two main power sets and stick with them, giving up the goodness of the other sets, there could be a tier of "uber" items that each SG could have only 1 of. Each SG would then have to choose the 1 item that they would most like to have. The pinpoint teleporter you've mentioned sounds like it could go in here. What else? Perhaps an enhancement shop? Mm...a temporary powers shop like those in the PvP zones?

Such additions would not make any SG more powerful in any way, really, but any of these additions would make bases much more attractive to both casual and hardcore players. Convenience, wot.

[ QUOTE ]
I dig this idea...but I have to admit that I'm barely interested in bases. Once I knew the bases weren't going to be actual locations, I kind of lost interest. When I originally heard they were coming, I thought it was going to be like this:

"The Liberty Patrol, huh? Where's your base?"
"Talos Island. Due west of the Tech Shop. Can't miss it."

Instead, it was:

"The Liberty Patrol, huh? Where's your base?"
"You know that little glowing column of light in every major zone? That's us."

Yes, yes...I know that it fits the whole teleportation grid theme of the city and that to do it any other way would be kind of tough in a city environment without large open areas to "develop"...I just thought bases would be real places, ya know?

[/ QUOTE ]

Woah, weird. I just posted almost exactly the same thing over in this thread.

[ QUOTE ]
Taunt in comics is more a debuff than anything else.

Spider-Man taunting Doc Ock keeps his attention somewhat, but really, Spidey does it 'cos it usually makes him do something stupid. If Doc Ock is intent on actually doing something, he's perfectly capable of ignoring Spidey's taunts.

"Realistically" speaking, Taunt should be a low-level debuff to DEF and ACC which has a really high hate rating so that when you build up enough applications, the enemy in question will stop what they're doing and take a few swipes at you, then go back to trying to acheive their actual objective again unless you force them to keep their attention on you.

[/ QUOTE ]

Absolutely.

Mm...I dunno. I think bases disappointed me mainly because they exist in some sort of limbo. If you had to walk in a particular door in order to get into your base - and if the richer groups could go as far as to purchase a whole building and do up the outside - I think I would dig bases a whole lot more.

As things stand, they are just a convenient way to get around.

[ QUOTE ]
hopefully, the Marvel game will offer more than just "the same old" characters. I am expecting the gameplay to be awesome.

[/ QUOTE ]

Ya know, the thing is this: people will play Marvel's MMO because they want to be Wolverine or Hulk or Spiderman. But without resorting to cheesy clone storylines, they can't let everyone who wants to be Wolverine become Wolverine, can they?

So I guess players will have to be content with creating all-new characters. In that case, what's the point of switching from CoX to Marvel unless the other game's engine and character system are clearly superior?

Triumph has RPers? I haven't come across more than 1 or 2 in all my time there.

Ok, I'm sure it's the right AI this time. He's mad too.

[ QUOTE ]
Ctab: Who's Statesman?

User: Let's talk about something else.

Ctab: Like what?

User: Mm...do you like pie?

Ctab: Death?

User: Er...no. Pie. You know. Usually circular edible, often sweet, er...never mind.

Ctab: You should!

User: Never mind. I'm leaving. Ciao.

Ctab: Don't leave me! THE SPIDERS ARE EVERYWHERE!

User: Spiders? Have you gone slightly mad now?

Ctab: Did he make chocolates?

User: Did who make chocolates? We were talking about non-existent spiders just now and - MARY JOSEPH AND JESUS THAT'S A FREAKING HUGE SPIDER!!!

Ctab: Bendis?

User: It's gone now. Phew.

Ctab: I don't want money, but I need power, or else I go to sleep.

User: Was that a threat?

Ctab: First, you need to send me one hundred billion dollars.

User: And there you were saying you didn't want money. Make up your mind already.

Ctab: My name's CTab!

User: I wasn't asking.

Ctab: Maybe it still is wrong, and you just don't know?

User: I'm tired. I'm going off. For real this time.

Ctab: CTab's my name, but if you want to call me something else, you can call me C!

[/ QUOTE ]

Funny thing is I clicked on your link to get there.

Oh well.

You know, CTAB is insane. Totally, totally insane.

[ QUOTE ]
Jabberwacky: Help me if you can - I am feeling down.

User: Why are you feeling down?

Jabberwacky: No not me, you feel bad.

User: Uh...what are you, crazy? You just said you were feeling down.

Jabberwacky: Yes I am.

User: Uh huh. Big surprise. Say, what's your name again?

Jabberwacky: My name is Strong Bad. What's yours?

User: Strong Bad? What the hell kind of name is that?

Jabberwacky: I don't know.. Its your name , Not mine.

User: Wow, you ARE seriously insane. Don't suppose you like moonbathing?

Jabberwacky: Do I look like I'm artificially intelligent?

User: Artificially Idiotic, maybe. Say, do you like pasta?

Jabberwacky: Who is artificially real?

User: I give up. I'll bring you an I-love-me jacket the next time I visit. Bye for now.

Jabberwacky: For now? Are you going somewhere later?

[/ QUOTE ]

Or was I talking to the wrong guy?

D'oh. I was asking only about pseudo-pets, not about the usual sort of powers, but it came out all wrong. Silly me.

As for pseudo-pets...so *that's* what that activation number means! Thank you.

Before I ask my question, I just wanna give 2 thumbs up to the City of Data site. Beautiful piece of work.

Ok, now for my question: Am I missing something or does CoD not have any information at the moment on how many tics DoT attacks run through?

Hey, awesome work.

Seriously, this is borked. Most of my tanks are tauntless, many because of RP reasons.

[ QUOTE ]
The mirror Katana stance was a compromise to the fact that every City Of * animation is designed with the (uh) left foot forward (that is, animations all begin and end in that stance).

It was decided (apparantly) that a reverse-handed stance was more acceptable than all Katana users having the wrong footwork for their grips, and giving them both correct grips and footwork was simply infeesible from the engineering standpoint. Or something.

[/ QUOTE ]

Ah. I missed all the noise, apparently. No biggie, but my Kendo friends can't bear to play Katana lol.