Local_Man
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Quote:Well, with Rad, you are multiplying that extra damage by 22.5% because of the resistance debuff. Storm and TA get an extra 30% of extra damage from debuffs. So every little bit of extra damage has a big impact.Originally Posted by Novella
Why's that? I don't know any Tankers that lose sleep over an alpha attack. The only people that worry about those are Blaster, Controller, or Defenders.
I know that which is why I mentioned it
in the first place, but in truth I still don't think I would ever slot the proc because the damage is not that impressive to me.
Kinetics doesn't have any debuffs to benefit Phantom Army, so the added damage will have much less of an effect. -
I have the luxury of teaming with one of the best tanks around. Call Me Awesome is one of my regular buddies, and he has written some of the better tank guides on these boards. He knows and understands the effectiveness of Phantom Army, when PA can be used for max benefit and when his tanking will do a better job (most of the time). Also, since I play Ill/Rad, Ill/Storm and Ill/TA, I don't have quite the damage buff of Ill/Kin to my other powers, and rely more upon PA to do a substantial part of my damage.
The fact that you are looking at the issue from the point of view of an Ill/Kin makes a big difference. The overall playstyle will be quite different than other combos. -
Quote:I find the main benefit for slotting Steamy Mist for resistance is often the Energy resistance, as there is a lot of energy damage in the upper levels. Giving about 30% Energy Resistance to the team can make a difference.Originally Posted by brophog02
I tend to go the other way with Steamy Mist on my stormies. I only slot more than one if it is going to get me to a certain goal (i.e. capped resistance or defense). It is a good power to give you that little bit extra that is often needed for an endeavor (if fire and cold were more common damage types, I'd slot it more consistently over all characters).
On the flipside, I tend to 6 slot Tornado and LS instead, particularly with a lower damage set like earth. Where earth isn't a great damage set, it is a decent damage fascilitating set. Procs work well in the set, and it can keep things contained well for damaging powers like Tornado and LS to maximize their benefits.
Similarly, my trollers tend to get less Steamy Mist love because I slot the epics heavily for the same reason. On something like a Mastermind, it is the opposite. There I slot Steamy Mist heavily in large part because it stacks well with many of the pets existing defense/resistance.
Resistance slotting generally helps more than Defense slotting unless you're stacking defense, and in that case the last few % towards the softcap mean more. Slotted Steamy, Combat Jump, Maneuvers, and Rock Armor gives you 13.7 def to everything and 36.5 to smashing and lethal. That may be the difference in softcapping to S/L on some builds (2 slotting Steamy for defense plus the steadfast 3% defense puts you at 39.2 for S/L and 16.3 to everything). You could see such a scenario on a Storm defender who took the leadership pool.
It is a power that can vary a lot in slotting options depending on archetype, sets, and how your other powers are slotted. Until you figure all of that out, the best advice is some endredux love, because Storm is a hungry eater!
Have fun. Good combination. -
Quote:When I'm teaming, there is usually a tank on the team. In that case, the added damage actually provides more benefit than the minimally shorter recharge. PA becomes more of a damage power than anything else if you have a good tank. (Of course, a good tank will know to let PA take the alpha in difficult situations, too.)Originally Posted by Novella
That's fine, but I personally think the proc is a waste unless you are a person that solos primarily. If you team even 30% of the team its pointless because your teammates will defeat whatever Phantom Army would be attacking, excluding Monsters and Archvillains. In my opinion accuracy and recharge are the best things to slot in Phantom Army.
The damage that the proc provides is not impressive nor is the 16% chance for it to fire off for each decoy.
Personal preference, not saying anyone is wrong for doing it, but if I did it I would feel like I was wasting something. -
Quote:Steamy Mist: It has a small Defense amount and a fairly large resistance amount to Energy, Cold and Fire. In general, slot it for Resistance and EndRdx unless you have a lot of other defense to stack with its small amount of Defense. Note that it can take either the Karma or Steadfast Protection -knockback procs. I generally put 4-5 slots in it, depending on whether I have a -knockback in it (which I usually do). The other four slots are from a resistance set like Impervium Armor.Originally Posted by dume
Hi all
I've rolled an earth/storm troller a few days ago - but he's so much fun he's lvl 29 now. But the thing is - since I want to spend some bucks in io's - some powers leave me questioned on slotting.
Steamy mist: should I go for red or def or both?
Hurricane: enlighten me - I got no clue
Stoney: I've read some guides on it; most ppl slot acc/dam and some slot the +res bonus aura from sovereign set - I will slot stoney for acc/dam too probably - but would it be worth it to mix 2 sets & get bonusses out of it, just slot acc/dam + the sovereign res bonus or slot acc/dam + sovereign res bonus + the def bonus io (you find tht one under recharge intensive pets)
Hurricane: Slot it for ToHit Debuff and EndRdx. I like 4 Dark Watcher.
Rocky: As you said, Acc/Dam. Because Rocky has so much Resistance already, you want to stack the Resistance. I like Acc/Dam and Damage from one pet set (Blood Mandate) and then Acc/Dam and Acc/Dam/End from another (Brilliant Leadership) plus both of the Resistance procs (Sovereign Right and Expediant Reinforcement). Small amount of defense doesn't provide the benefit of stacked Resistance.
Take a look at my Earth/Rad guide for a lot of information on your Earth powers. I plan on getting around to updating it soon with more info on IO sets. -
Quote:Certain types of tanks have powers that rely upon grouping foes around them. Invulnerability, Willpower and Shield in particular. Invulnerability gets more Defense, Willpower gets more Regen and Shield gets more damage. With my Shield tank, I really prefer for the team to let me gather up a group of foes -- this increases my damage so that when I hit the group with Shield Charge, it does a ton of damage. The same thing applies with Shield scrappers, and with the new increase in damage for a scrapper's shield charge, that can make a big difference.Originally Posted by MentalMaden
Maybe they feel sorry for them?
If its a meleer and they are herding maybe you are starting a bit too soon? Can't think why anyone wouldn't want kd unless its timed poorly.
It's better for the entire team to let the tank gather aggro before hitting your AoE controls as long as the tank can handle the aggro. I'm just guessing, but this may be what your teammate was doing.
If that guess isn't right, then I can't think of why he was complaining. -
Besides, the Hami-Os were created before the EndMod enhancments were created. There used to be separate Endurance Drain and Endurance Gain enhancements, but they were combined into one -- Endurance Modification. All the types of Hami-O's were created before EndMods were added to the game.
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Quote:Um, Psalms is Old Testament, and Jesus didn't show up until the New Testament . . . David wrote some of the Psalms, so maybe it was David who threw the forklift with his sling . . .Originally Posted by SlimPickens
Psalms 4:20 " And Lo did Jesus thowest the holy forklift at his enemies, and he smotest them mightily." Amen.
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Quote:EM Pulse is useful for an Earth/Rad in my opinion, especially as a panic button power, but useful in other situations, too. I wouldn't say it is essential, but it is very nice to have as a back-up AoE hold. The three standard AoE controls for an Earth/Rad are Stalagmites+Stone Cages, Earthquake and Volcanic Gasses. The last two are point-n-click location-targetted AoEs, and the first is a foe-targetted AoE, all of which can be used at range. All three of them take an extra second or two to target.Originally Posted by Crim_the_Cold
I was working on mids today and nearly fell out my chair when I saw the hold duration I could achieve with a power boosted EMP. Is it actually gonna be useful as a power, for the massive hold, or is it gonna be the most awesome power I never use?
EM Pulse is perfect for those moments when your team is being overrun and you have foes in your face. One keypress or click and boom -- you are surrounded by statues. EM Pulse also works especially well against Robots and situations where you need a big boost in -Regen. While I find I don't use EM Pulse very often, I'm glad I have it when the situation arises. However, I don't find that I really need the duration extended in most situations -- it lasts long enough that the team can usually kill off the foes before it wears off.
If you are interested, take a look at my Earth/Rad guide, linked in my sig. -
I had one odd problem all weekend -- if I had been on a mission, then ran into Wentworths and clicked on a representative, then my game would crash. After verifying and reloading, everything seemed to work fine.
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Everyone has their own favorite travel powers. I often look to the secondary effects to choose my travel power.
For characters who need an extra attack, I usually go with Air Superiority/Fly.
For characters who have some kind of stealth in their build, such as Storm Controllers (with Steamy Mist) or Dark Miasma Defenders (with Shadowfall) or Warshades (with Shadow Cloak . . . but that's a special case), I usually go with Super Speed since the stealth in Super Speed stacks with other Stealth to give full invisibility. Super Speed is much better than some of the folks here seem to think. It provides wonderful battlefield maneuverability. The vertical issues can be overcome with the Good vs. Evil Jet Pack or the Raptor Pack or the Zero-G Pack -- or Hover.
If my Blaster has a ranged build, I go with Hover/Fly.
If my character is defense based, then I go with Combat Jumping/Super Jump.
For less durable characters, some kind of travel power that allows them to search without being seen is a good idea. There are a lot of missions in the upper levels where you have to tour a zone looking for hostages or glowies or particular foes. Those are hard to do with Super Jump and Teleport, so Fly or Super Speed work better.
Super Jump, Teleport and Super Speed all take some practice to use well. Fly is easy.
Teleport is the best travel power for a Stone Armor Tank or Brute, because his Rooted power and Granite Armor make it hard to run, and impossible to jump or fly.
Teleport is great for certain uses: Illusion Controllers with Invisibility can be the team spy. You can teleport past blocked halls and Rikti Drones (who can see through invisibility). Of course, Recall Friend lets you bring the team to you once you find the goal of the mission. Also, Teleport is the only travel power you can use when Immobilized or slowed. Teleport is great in the Shadow Shard -- I'm always the first one to the mission, and then I can bring the slow pokes who have to rely on a flight pack. Make sure to slot Recall Friend for Range when in the Shadow Shard. -
Quote:Yes, it works because it is slotted in the power itself. PA get the benefits of enhancements slotted in the power itself. That's why you can slot PA for damage and accuracy.Originally Posted by EricHough
Does the build up proc actually do anything for PA? Considering that they are immune to any buffs you might put on them I can't see why a buff from a proc would work either.
The slotting mentioned by Mr. Enigma is probably the best overall. I have that slotting mentioned in my Ill/Rad guide. But it only works at level 50 -- the earlier slotting I mentioned will work leveling up. -
Quote:Just to correct one thing -- Phantom Army has no knockback. Only Phantasm has knockback. Phanty has a single target blast and a Torrent with a high chance of knockback.Originally Posted by Rodion
Playing against a powerset is very instructive in how it is effective.
I always liked Spectral Terror, but I didn't realize how good the to-hit debuff is until I wrote an AE arc with an Illusion/WP Boss. When my Brute wasn't feared, I couldn't hit anything. To beat the boss down you have to get away away from ST, and the recharge on Spectral Terror is so short the boss quickly summons it again and you have to move.
But with Illusion/Storm the OP may have a point, depending on playstyle. Hurricane's to-hit debuff is -30, twice that of ST. However, Hurricane doesn't work well with Freezing Rain, which is any Stormie's mainstay for maximizing damage. On the other hand, Phantasm and Phantom Army have lots of KB, which means your pets are already knocking things out of FR.
Really, it all boils down to what you like. Both Illusion and Storm are decent and none of the powers is out and out bad (well, you don't have any choice about Gale). Tornado is probably the least useful, but it can be great fun. Thunder Clap is probably the one I'd skip because it's another PBAoE like Flash, which I'm not particularly fond of.
I actually took Thunderclap on my Ill/Storm -- it can set up Containment on minions and recharges quickly -- much faster than Flash. Since Tornado also does Stuns, you can actually stack stuns with Tornado and Thunderclap. Granted, I don't use it much, but I have it because I wanted to play around with it.
Tornado can be quite useful in some situations. If a foe is knockback resistant, like most AVs and EBs, then it puts out a lot of damage and is autohit. Also against foes that are very hard to hit, Tornado is autohit so it can take out those Paragon Protectors who have just hit their MoG or Elude. And, Tornado is great in situations where you think you might get mezzed, since it flies around on its own, causing chaos whereever it goes. -
My Broadsword/Shield Scrapper, "Bull Shield" is my first soft-capped character -- it does require one parry to softcap melee, but Ranged and AoE are both at 47%. He still needs about 5 more IOs to complete his Regen and Recovery, but he's the first character I have ever gotten close to having "done." Too many alts.
I have plans to soft-cap my MA/SR scrapper and maybe my Invul/Axe tank if I ever save up enough infl to do it. Maybe my Shield/SS tank. -
Quote:A lot of people find AoE Immobilization powers to be skippable. I don't, but I don't agree with your statement. Illusion is different. Illusion controllers control with distraction rather than hard effects. Illusion controllers don't conflict with other controllers using knockdown effects (Earthquake, Ice Slick, Freezing Rain) or knockback or positioning powers. An AoE Immob would actually hurt Illusion more than help it.Originally Posted by DaveMebs
Illusion has no immob which (I think) is necessary for any self-respecting controller (mind excluded). So, to make up for that, you gotta use spooky.
Every other set has an AoE control other than the AoE Hold. You use Spooky because Spectral Terror is the best AoE control in the Illusion set. -
Quote:All kinds of options can be found in my Ill/Rad guide, linked in my sig.Originally Posted by Kazuo_Kiriyama
What is recommended for PvE? Teaming or Soloing.
If it matters, my secondary is Thermal.
Bottom line: Recharge first, then Damage with some accuracy. With SOs or common IOs, 2-3 Recharge, 1 acc, 2-3 damage. Depends on whether you want them up as much as possible or want to maximize damage.
With IOs, there are a number of choices, but generally I suggest 4 Expediant Reinforcement (leave out the Dam/End and the 10% Resist), then fill the other two slots with the two triples from Call to Arms. -
Quote:Originally Posted by TRTerror
i have don fine without spooky on my ill/storm
Black Marrow is exactly right. Storm has Freezing Rain, Hurricane and Snow Storm, plus Thunderclap, Tornado and even the knockback of Lightning Storm and Gale, all of which can be used to some degree for crowd control. Ill/Rad has . . . uh . . . Ling Rad to provide a little bit of slow, and Choking Cloud (if you take it, which you shouldn't) and EM Pulse with its long recharge. So, Ill/Storm can get by without Spectral Terror much more easily.
But I still have it on my Ill/Storm. Spooky is too good a tool. -
Quote:Originally Posted by Pans_Folley
Spectral Terror is a good power to have. It helps stop you and your team from taking damage while it's up. If your playstyle is able to get away without using it and you and your team is doing good without it, then having it is up to you. I like to have it myself as a nice panic button. I've used it in every fight to help slow down attacks and to keep mobs at bay while the team tears them apart. Final answer - you don't need to take any powers you're not happy with using. I think you may miss it when a battle starts to sour.
I agree with Pans. Every controller set has an AoE Hold, and then some other kind of AoE control power that is up more often than the slow-recharging hold. Fire has Flashfire+Fire Cages. Ice has Ice Slick. Earth actually has two, Earthquake and Stalagmites+Stone Cages. Grav has Wormhole (and Dimension Shift, ugh) and Mind has Mass Hypnosis, Terrify and Mass Confusion, Plant has Seeds of Confusion.
Illusion's best AoE control is Spectral Terror. Spooky is not only permanent, it looks cool and it gives a 15% ToHit Debuff. It is fully effective, even with no additional slots. Spooky can give you back-up AoE control for when Phantom Army despawns or when Flash runs out. You can cast Spooky around a corner to avoid surprises. Spooky can block doors, since he continues to use his single target terrify for his 45 second life.
One of the reasons Flash is skippable with many illusion controller builds is because Spectral Terror is so good. Even though Cinders and Glacier are pretty much the same power, it is more easily skipped than the others, because Fire and Ice need the AoE holds more. Spooky provides effective AoE control from range that is perma from the beginning. If you commit to using it and really give it a good workout, I bet you'll find that it is very effective . . .
But if you don't like it, feel free to drop it. It is your character. -
Quote:Are you looking for team play or solo play? Ice (not Cold) is a low damage primary, so a solo Ice/Kin will be very slow to level.Originally Posted by Talionis
The idea is to create a melee Kin that can function in melee range. Using Artic Air and Ice Slick for mitigation. What suggestions do yall have for playing this combonation. Which powers are skippable?
On the Ice side, Flash Freeze is typically skipped, as a ranged AoE sleep power, but it has some use solo. If you are taking Arctic Air, then Shiver can be skipped, but I would suggest trying to fit it in for an Ice/Kin. Frostbite conflicts with Ice Slick, so some people suggest skipping it, but I like to have it but just don't use it on Ice Slick. Chilblain is mainly for single target damage, so it is skippable on a team build, but not if you want to solo.
On the Kinetics side, Repel is usually skipped. If you plan to take a travel power, then skip Inertial Reduction (or you can skip the travel power and take IR, but I find the continual need to recast IR to be a bit of a pain). After you get Fulcrum Shift, Siphon Power becomes optional but nice to have for single targets (like AVs). Increase Density is optional but nice to have for teammates or your Jack. (ID is also a good place to slot a Steadfast Protection -Knockback.) -
Quote:The nerf to pets where recharge doesn't affect them any more substantially hurt the damage output of Lightning Storm. Storm doesn't have any -Regen, and with that reduction, the amount of damage you can do may not be enough to overcome an AV's regen. Tornado has a constant damage output, but that's probably not enough.Originally Posted by Mariner
Just curious, how would those builds do against AV's? Reason I ask is I most solo due to the strange hours I play and I've always wanted to try an AV or GM.
But, I haven't tried it myself. -
Quote:Did you read my post?Originally Posted by MysticScottie
Ok basically i mean, What is a earth/storm good at? and does anyone have an ideal build.
Quote:Earth Control is an outstanding AoE control set -- So, putting those together, you get: Earth/Storm is an outstanding AoE control set with multi-purpose tools for positioning, debuffing, control and damage. It is flashy with lots of noise and graphics. Earth/Storm tends to be more suited for teams than solo, but the extra damage from Tornado and Lightning Storm lets you be able to solo in the higher levels.Quote:Storm is a multi-purpose set with tools for positioning, debuffing, control and damage.
Now, as for an ideal build, there isn't one. It depends on your playstyle. Do you like to hang back and provide team support? Be up front in melee and aggressive? Do you want to solo or only team? How active do you want to be?
Try putting together a build that fits your playstyle, and explain what you like to do. Folks will comment on it. Each person has his or her own preferences, too, so take the comments with a grain of salt. For example, I like to combine Steamy Mist with Super Speed to get full invisibility, so I get Hasten, too. Some people like having a melee attack and want Air Superiority and Fly (but you can't use Stalagmites from the air, so you will have to land to use it). Other folks like the Immob protection in Combat Jumping. And I have even seen some people who like Teleport to use with Hurricane for herding up the foes.
Most folks will recommend skipping Salt Crystals in Earth. Opinions differ on Stone Prison and Stone Cages. On the Storm side, make sure you take Freezing Rain at 16 and Lightning Storm at 38, but the rest is kind of up in the air (pun intended). -
Quote:The export to Titan Forums works . . .Originally Posted by Mr_Enigma
Also, can someone tell me the correct formatting code type to use in Mid's export options so I can post the actual build in readable form in my post (instead of using the data chunk that folks import into their Mid's)? I've tried all the ones available in my i16-updated Mid's, and none of them seem to work...
Hero Plan by Mids' Hero Designer 1.601
http://www.cohplanner.com/
Click this DataLink to open the build!
Lorelei Black: Level 50 Magic Controller
Primary Power Set: Earth Control
Secondary Power Set: Trick Arrow
Power Pool: Leaping
Power Pool: Flight
Ancillary Pool: Fire Mastery
Hero Profile:
Level 1: Stone Prison -- Thundr-Acc/Dmg(A), Thundr-Dmg/EndRdx(3), Thundr-Dmg/Rchg(5), Thundr-Acc/Dmg/Rchg(7), Thundr-Acc/Dmg/EndRdx(9), Thundr-Dmg/EndRdx/Rchg(19)
Level 1: Entangling Arrow -- RechRdx-I(A)
Level 2: Fossilize -- Thundr-Acc/Dmg(A), Thundr-Dmg/EndRdx(3), Thundr-Dmg/Rchg(5), Thundr-Acc/Dmg/Rchg(7), Thundr-Acc/Dmg/EndRdx(9), Thundr-Dmg/EndRdx/Rchg(21)
Level 4: Glue Arrow -- RechRdx-I(A)
Level 6: Quicksand -- Range-I(A)
Level 8: Combat Jumping -- Zephyr-Travel(A), Zephyr-Travel/EndRdx(25), Zephyr-ResKB(25), LkGmblr-Def(39), LkGmblr-Rchg+(39)
Level 10: Ice Arrow -- Lock-Acc/Hold(A), Lock-Acc/Rchg(11), Lock-Rchg/Hold(11), Lock-EndRdx/Rchg/Hold(15), Lock-Acc/EndRdx/Rchg/Hold(17), Lock-%Hold(21)
Level 12: Stalagmites -- RzDz-Acc/Rchg(A), RzDz-EndRdx/Stun(13), RzDz-Acc/EndRdx(13), RzDz-Stun/Rng(15), RzDz-Acc/Stun/Rchg(17), RzDz-Immob%(39)
Level 14: Super Jump -- Zephyr-Travel(A), Zephyr-ResKB(19), Zephyr-Travel/EndRdx(36)
Level 16: Stone Cages -- DblAc-Acc/Rchg(A), DblAc-Rchg/Immob(31), DblAc-Acc/EndRdx(31), DblAc-Immob/Rng(34), DblAc-Acc/Immob/Rchg(37)
Level 18: Earthquake -- RechRdx-I(A), RechRdx-I(37)
Level 20: Poison Gas Arrow -- Range-I(A)
Level 22: Fly -- Zephyr-Travel(A), Zephyr-Travel/EndRdx(23), Zephyr-ResKB(23)
Level 24: Hover -- Zephyr-Travel(A), Zephyr-Travel/EndRdx(37), Zephyr-ResKB(46)
Level 26: Volcanic Gasses -- Lock-Acc/Hold(A), Lock-Acc/Rchg(27), Lock-Rchg/Hold(27), Lock-EndRdx/Rchg/Hold(29), Lock-Acc/EndRdx/Rchg/Hold(29), Lock-%Hold(31)
Level 28: Disruption Arrow -- RechRdx-I(A)
Level 30: Acid Arrow -- Det'tn-Acc/Dmg(A), Det'tn-Dmg/EndRdx(48), Det'tn-Dmg/Rchg(48), Det'tn-Dmg/Rng(48), Det'tn-Acc/Dmg/EndRdx(50)
Level 32: Animate Stone -- BldM'dt-Acc/Dmg(A), BldM'dt-Dmg/EndRdx(33), BldM'dt-Acc/EndRdx(33), BldM'dt-Acc/Dmg/EndRdx(33), BldM'dt-Acc(34), BldM'dt-Dmg(34)
Level 35: Oil Slick Arrow -- AirB'st-Dmg/Rchg(A), Det'tn-Dmg/Rchg(36), Ragnrk-Dmg/Rchg(36)
Level 38: EMP Arrow -- Lock-Acc/Hold(A), Lock-Acc/Rchg(40), Lock-Rchg/Hold(40), Lock-EndRdx/Rchg/Hold(40), Lock-Acc/EndRdx/Rchg/Hold(43), Lock-%Hold(46)
Level 41: Fire Blast -- Thundr-Acc/Dmg(A), Thundr-Dmg/EndRdx(42), Thundr-Dmg/Rchg(42), Thundr-Acc/Dmg/Rchg(42), Thundr-Acc/Dmg/EndRdx(43), Thundr-Dmg/EndRdx/Rchg(43)
Level 44: Fire Ball -- Det'tn-Acc/Dmg(A), Det'tn-Dmg/EndRdx(45), Det'tn-Dmg/Rchg(45), Det'tn-Dmg/Rng(45), Det'tn-Acc/Dmg/EndRdx(46)
Level 47: Fire Shield -- S'fstPrt-ResDam/Def+(A)
Level 49: Group Fly -- Zephyr-Travel(A), Zephyr-Travel/EndRdx(50), Zephyr-ResKB(50)
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Level 1: Brawl -- Empty(A)
Level 1: Sprint -- ULeap-Stlth(A)
Level 2: Rest -- Empty(A)
Level 1: Containment -
Quote:Take a look at my Ill/Rad guide for some detailed information about Phantom Army. The different types of attacks are just illusion -- in fact, all the damage being done is Psi Damage. The ranged attacks (4 sec.) recharge faster than the melee attacks (6 sec.), so even though the melee attacks do more damage per attack, the difference isn't all that significant. Plus, the ranged attacks do a slightly smaller percentage of spectral damage, so the net damage is probably pretty even. You might be able to test it with HeroStats.Originally Posted by Panikaze
I was playing my Illu character today a bit and noticed something wrong with my decoys.
They are not getting into mellee like they used to do, at least not so often, I fought an EB and my decoys stood in ranged the whole 60 seconds, and even when the EB got close to one of the decoys, it didn't use the firesword at any moment or punched. My decoy kept using lightning bolts, fire and hurl bulder all the time.
Is that happened to everyone?
Is that a known issue?
o.o it really sucks because the damage of the PA in mellee is more than in ranged >.<, I'm taking longer to kill bosses and EBs...
But yeah, I have noticed the last few times I have pulled out one of my Illusion Controllers that PA seem to want to stay more at range. I didn't really pay much attention to it. -
Quote:As MM said, your question isn't very clear. Earth Control is an outstanding AoE control set -- it's strength is its three ranged AoE controls. Stalagmites + Stone Cages combine to be a ranged AoE Hold, effective as an "alpha" strike because Stalagmites hits quickly, but it usually won't trap bosses. Earthquake provides a knockdown area that can affect bosses, but foes can sometimes take a shot or two when they are not bouncing on their tails. Volcanic Gasses is widely considered to be one of the best hold powers in the game, because continues spawning vents for 60 seconds and can stack mag to hold bosses. Underneath each of these AoE controls, you can use Quicksand, a slow patch with a massive 25% defense debuff that stacks with the defense debuff from the rest of the set. The skippable powers in Earth are Salt Crystals, the PB AoE sleep, and Stone Prison, the single-target immobilize (unless you solo a lot, in which case Stone Prison can be a single target damage power).Originally Posted by MysticScottie
Well basically i have a 46 earth/storm find it really fun, BUT what can i do with it... i would appreciate it if you could list some of the good things and bad about an earth/storm, what it can do... and maybe some possible builds....
If i dont continue with my earth/storm i will level my ill/rad xD
Thanks in advance
Storm is a multi-purpose set with tools for positioning, debuffing, control and damage. It is very flashy and fun to use. It has a lot of knockback in Gale, Hurricane, Tornado and Lightning Storm, which can frustrate other players who rely upon foes in groups. Therefore, these powers shouldn't be used on teams until you understand how to use them to help the team instead of causing problems. One of the best powers in Storm is Freezing Rain, which provides a substantial debuff to both defense and resistance, plus a knockdown field (and some other effects like a very minor amount of damage).
It really depends on your playstyle as to which powers might be skippable in Storm. Unfortunately, you can't skip Gale. If you always stay out of melee, then you could skip Hurricane and Thunderclap, but I really like both of these powers on my Earth/Storms. Snow Storm is a foe-anchored AoE slow with -Recharge, which is partially duplicated by Quicksand (but Quicksand works differently and has no -Recharge), so that one could be skipped. Some people skip O2 Boost, an ally single target wimpy heal with stun and endurance drain protection, but it is handy to help teammates and heal your pet -- but very skippable if you mostly solo. Thunderclap is a PB AoE Minions-only stun power, but it stacks with Stalagmites to stun bosses. I reluctantly skipped Snow Storm, but I may pick it up in late levels -- I really like the power for its -Recharge and the foe-anchored aspect.
There's a quick summary from my point of view. Earth/Storm is a pretty flexible build -- not high damage, though, but good on teams once you learn how to control your knockback to help the team rather than hurt it.
I suggest you take a look at my guides, linked in my sig. The Earth/Rad guide will give you some strategy hints on using the Earth powers, and the Ill/Rad guide will tell you more than you ever wanted to know about your Ill/Rad. -
I ran the Manticore TF a couple of nights ago. Fortunately, my buddy brought his IO'ed out level 50 Invul/Stone tank. I had a Level 50 Plant/Rad. The rest of the team was scrappers, Blasters, tanks and one FF defender. Between my debuffs and holds, Carrion Creepers and my buddy holding aggro, we were able to handle the +5 PPs, but it wasn't easy. And we were set at +0 just to get through it faster.
And the timed mission was set at a non-existent door outside the AE building in Bricks. We tried Teleport-to-mission and everything else we could think of. My buddy sent a petition, and we waited around for 25 min. We thought we might actually fail the mission . . . The second petition sent after 25 minutes of waiting was answered pretty quickly. The GM auto-completed the mission.