Power Combo Question

[AfterglowNoMore]

I'm just curious, how effective is a Storm/Rad Defender as opposed to a Dark/Rad, or an Empathy/Rad?

[Freeze Warning]

Well, you're looking at three pretty distinctly different primaries. Storm tends to have a lot of 'soft' control powers (like hurricane, gale, snow storm, and freezing rain) some minor stealth/defense (steamy mist) a good disorient (thunder clap) and two pets (tornado for disorient and lightining storm for damage). Dark seems to have much more hard control powers (fear, petrifying glare, howling twilight if you use for its disorient, and black hole with the upcoming change, I think) a controlling pet (dark servant) and some good debuffs, some stealth and a passable heal thrown in. Empathy is all about buffs and heals (and really good ones at that).

Yin could tell you more about storm summoning than I can (as a controller), but I've gotten Crossbones Cat up to 34 (dark/dark) and I have to say I really enjoy the set. I think that Dark Miasma has a better synergy (god I hate actually using that word) with Dark Blast (with it's immobilizes and disorients) than Radiation. Storm summoning seems to work well with anything, as does Empathy. Radiation seems to pair well with Empathy becuase of the similar colors (yeah, I know that's weak, but...).

Freeze

[Yin]

Not certain on the Radiation secondary, but Storm Summoning is considered a mixed bag. While most Defender sets are buff heavy, Storming is debuff with some buffs. We're considered scatter/crowd control to many people. O2 Boost and Steamy Mist are our only buffs because off the resistances O2 Boost supplies, and the Defense Buffs and Damage Resistances Steamy Mist supplies as well as team Stealth. Our debuffs include Freezing Rain (scatter), which causes a Defense Debuff as well as cold damage, Hurricane provides ToHit Debuffs, Thunderclap disorients, Snow Storm slows recharge rate, Tornado causes disorient, fear, and knockback, and Lightning Storm provides damage with an extreme knockback. If you do choose Lightning Storm let me know. I can help with slotting. And just a tip or two:

1.) Don't slot Gale (if you chose it) with no more than 2 slots. Any more than that is a waste.

2.) Check the Defender forums over at the main forums. There are tons of people who give advice. :) Good luck with whatever you choose. :)