As you know, a new X-Men film is on the horizon and with that the chance of our favorite weather tempest to get some much needed love and attention.
I've put together this guide, some my own suggestions, and some suggestions from Storm's very own passionate fanbase.
Also potential new powers I've typed in bold. I have posted scans of both comic and video game source material that have inspired these ideas. All under spoiler tags for clutter...
General Notes
• It's is very well known that Storm suffers a lot from spirit issues. To keep her rotation up, players have to invest a lot in Energy and spam medkits. Which is a lot more work compared to other recent heroes. Spirit reduction across the board, and some spirit regen abilities.
• Survivability! For the most part Storm in Cosmic Danger Room scenarios is like trying to keep a candle lit outside... in a monsoon.
• Consolidate her passives.
• Clean up her DoT durations.
• Add some heavy hitting cooldowns.
• Sudden Tornadoes, summon all tornadoes at once.
• Stormcrafter tree could use redefining
• Give her power vfx an upgrade.
• More Thunder sfx.
• Better animations. Dear lord do something about her bunny hops for both Crashing Hail and Lighting Storm XD
• Some have considered removing Lightning Rush and Elusive Shock altogether, which I mostly agree with.
Essentially useless and not used in any popular builds. I appreciate Lightning Rush for paying homage to Storm's superior hand to hand combat, however for this game, I personally think its best if we keep her focused on purely her weather ranged/ area abilities.
• Storm's uniques need lots of work. There far behind those of recent heroes.
Skybreaker Tree
I'm not going to state it for every one of her abilities. But I'm going to assume we are going to keep in mind, most if not all powers need their spirit costs adjusted. Maybe pretty up her vfx since most look really outdated.
Lightning Bolt, Chain Lightning, Lightning Column. What do they all have in common? All your similar, plain vertical bolts of lightning. Hope to address that below...
- Lightning Bolt
Basic - Increase DoT duration.
- Chain Lightning
Two things can be done with this power...
1) Either keep as is (spirit spender).
2) Remove the power altogether, and implement its chaining ability into a passive. For example, Eye of the Storm now gives all lightning abilities either the chance or guarantee to chain to multiple enemies near each other. This was suggested by another player, and it is an idea I find potentially unique and fun.
- Lightning Column.
1) Remove Basic tag. Convert into a spirit spender.
2) Convert into a cooldown ability. However I have a better idea for a lightning based cooldown power. (See below)
2) Remove power altogether in place for a new ability. (See below)
[NEW] Lightning Barrage (See Scarlet Witch's Chaotic Hex / Human Torch's Homing Flares)
A new fun spirit spender. Essentially a barrage of lightning firing at an angle from behind storm annihilating all those in front of her. Power will act like other homing projectile abilities in that if Storm is not targeting any specific target, lighting will attack multiple foes at once in her path. If targeting a single target, all projectiles will concentrate toward that one target.
- Electrocute
Maybe amp up its vfx so the bolt doesn't look so puny.
- Ball Lightning
No changes needed.
- Lightning Storm
Adjust power duration.
[NEW] Devastating Bolt
Storm calls down a colossal bolt of lightning that devastates all enemies in its path.
Cooldown ability, also another potential replacement for Lightning Column.
- Eye of the Storm
Bring her offensive passive up to par with most recent heroes. Suggest it be combined with Spirited.
1) As mentioned above, introduce chain lightning as a passive.
[NEW] Lightning Speed
Storm travels at the speed of lightning to reach her destination in a blink of an eye.
Teleport ability. Now, now, here me out. You may be thinking your just trying to shoe in a teleport ability because its the best way to move around the game... Well yes, but this is not only directly inspired by her clip from the new X-Men film, it appears she's done something similar in comics as well...
Windrider Tree
- Microburst
Give it a treatment similar to Invisible Woman's Crushing Force. Boosting its damage to enemies affected by Crashing Hail and/or Lightning Storm.
Deepen its vfx so its not too transparent (this is a recurring issue with all her wind powers really).
- Healing Winds
Defensive passive, bring up to par with recent heroes.
- Sirocco Rush
No changes needed.
- Windy Flight
Remove its spirit cost, make it significantly faster.
- Arctic Gale
I've read dozens of comments wanting the 'shooting funnels' or 'mini whirlwinds' vfx removed from this power entirely. Instead make it a forward stream of wind.
1) Perhaps remove its basic tag and make it a spirit spender.
2) Take the power back to its roots and remove its channeling ability and make it a blast of wind that knocks back all enemies in its arc. Add a cooldown. (See Jean Grey's (Mental) Kinetic Wave)
- Sudden Tornadoes
Tornadoes are nearly invisible, please make them more visually solidified. If tornadoes are going to be more demanding due to an upgraded vfx, then reduce the amount of tornadoes to two or three and increase their damage to compensate.
Definitely look at Deadpool's Ultimate Kitchen Sink for visual inspiration.
Dark cloudy tornadoes would be amazing to see for Storm.
Most importantly, all Tornadoes summoned at once is a must.
- Typhoon
1)Now her signature needs help. First of all the 'pulling' of enemies into its center is hardly ever seen with all the outgoing CC Storm causes. So definitely make that pull irresistible. For a signature, the AoE is MUCH too small, bosses walk so easily out of it and all that dps is out the window. Either make it larger so its harder for bosses to take two steps out of it, or make it follow your initial target.
2) Some have suggested getting rid of this power, and replacing it with a large tornado, a power fans have been asking for since launch.
Stormcrafter Tree
This tree can use some much needed love. At the moment its very weak and has no real direction. I personally think this tree should feature some of Storm's more creative use of her powers. Abilities she's performed in comics that aren't your typical bolt of lightning etc.
But firstly...
- Storm Surge
Probably one of the more unique CC breakers in game. I believe this power alone should be converted into a specialization. Featuring all three tempests to choose from.
•Freezing
•Gusting
•Arcing
That's right, we get rid of the tempest powers so we have more points to invest in other abilities. Incorporate their current mechanics into the specialization. Spruce up their vfx, so that it is more obvious which of the specializations are being activated.
So large radial electric blast for Arcing. Blast of wind for Gusting and a blast of freezing wind and hail for Freezing. Mechanics should stay the same for the most part, just increase the damage to both Gusting and Arcing (Arcing should remain the heavier hitter). Gusting will continue to reflect all projectiles back onto enemies upon activation. Freezing will continue to freeze enemies for a duration of time (arguably one of the most useful).
- Obscuring Fog
This can for the most part remain as is. However any ideas to make it better is always welcomed.
- Thundering Maelstrom
Bring this ability, arguably one of the most fun powers in the game, back to its former glory. TM can benefit from following in Scarlet Witch's Chaos Warp example. Up the damage, add damage negation, maybe some healing?
1) A fellow fan suggested that Thundering Maelstrom receive some additional perks depending on the tempest specialization you have active. Arcing, chance of striking additional enemies than its current max. Gusting, slow enemies even more significantly. Freezing, chance to freeze enemies within your AoE.
Now for the fun part, new powers that could further define the tree as powers related to Storm's more creative side.
[NEW] EMP (See Doom's Mystical Master)
Storm taps into the fundamental forces that is the source of her powers, and unleashes a powerful Electromagnetic Pulse on to her enemies.
Cooldown ability. Causes extra damage toward robotic enemies.
[NEW] Flash Flood (See Antman's Tidal Wave / Neptune's Trident Rank 5 proc)
Out of thin air Storm calls fourth a rampaging flood to wash away all foes in her presence.
Cooldown. Knock back. Enemies affected by Flash Flood temporarily receive extra damage from lightning based attacks.
[NEW] H-Bomb
Storm gathers Hydrogen atoms around her enemies and with lightning ignites it causing a catastrophic explosion.
Cooldown ability.
Several times has Storm used heat offensively, I think it is about time that it got represented in a game :)
[NEW] Solar Beam [better name? :P ]
Storm parts the ozone layer and magnetic field to call down a burning beam of light.
This can work as both a DoT or cooldown.
OR
[NEW] Heat Wave
Storm super heats the air in an area to dangerously high temperatures.
Can cause enemies to knock down. Potentially work as either a DoT or cooldown.
ULTIMATE Goddess of Weather
For the most part it seems like many are happy with her ultimate as it is. Again some amped up vfx would be gorgeous but for the most part I'm fairly happy with it. However it can benefit from an increase in damage.
1) I must note that others have called for her ult to also include her channeling a large tornado. Storm fans really want to see the tornado Gaz XD
• New resource: Willpower! Rid of Spirit on all the complexities (like spirit regen, spirit costs) that come with it.
Willpower will work like Stamina for Daredevil and Elektra. I think Willpower will work very well with a character like storm, and will also serve as a nod to the characters exceptional willpower in comics. So powerful she was the only one strong enough to hold the entity Eternity in her consciousness (other heroes present at the time were Reed Richards, Invisible Woman and Silver Surfer!) Doctor Strange described that Ororo has an incredibly powerful will, much so that he knew she would be alright when he placed Eternity in her consciousness, exposing her mind to the wonders of the universe itself.
• Currently her lightning vfx look shrivel and weak. Lightning should be more defined, bolder!.
What lightning looks like now:
As you can see, the lightning almost looks 2D in some angles.
Storm's lightning should a bolder defined bolt, like this one:
With the thunderous sfx to back it up.
• As said earlier, wind vfx are almost invisible in game.
• Read a couple comments asking for an increase in Crashing Hail and Lightning Storm's AoE size.
• Tornado, tornado, tornado :D
