_omgarm_

41, 44, 47, 49
that's 4 total, enough powers to take every patron power.

/Energy or /Dark for ghosting, /Stone for tanking mishes. Solo all sets are equally fast (except maybe a granite tank).

I love /DA for running into a mob and mez most of them, while the rest attacks you (on test I had CoF and OG running and used my immob patron, troller+debuffer+brute FTW ).


It basically comes down to this:

Fire melee: AoE bruning (sweet damage)

Super strength: High single target smashing, with some AoE's, and Rage (big plus!)

Stone melee: Higher single target smashing, and better control than SS, no rage.

Energy melee: ET + TF = win

Dark Melee: No big hitter, but has a heal, end drain, fear and acc debuff.



Fire aura: Resistance set, no KB res, damage aura, and another build up. Also has a combat heal. Doesn't have an emergency button.

Invulnerability: Insane smashing resistance, some defence, low resistance against evertting else. Has HP boost + heal.
Has an emergency button. Hardly any flaws.

Dark Armor: Decent resist against all but psionics, only set with resistance against psionic (50% when slotted), no KB, stealth and +perception and the best PvE heal. Also has 2 extra debuff auras, but the set is the biggest end hog out there. Also no emergency button.

Energy Armor: Defence against all but psionic, minor resistance to some types. 2 end "boosting" powers and a cloak (not sure if it gives +perception). Has an emergency button.

Stone armor: Has granite(big plus), a hp boost + heal, some defence against psionics, a damage aura, and the ability to slow mobs. Some shields drop your running speed though.

Only elec/ and /elec left for somebody else.

One of the advantages /DA has are the three PBAoE auras. For PvE you want 2 max. DS + OG works fine for me, but my brute has a immob and alot of knockdown to keep the mobs close. DS + CoF will drain alot of end and Fear really shines in PvP due to the low resist. OG won't disorient every single mob so you'll still get fury, while CoF is a bit too effective and lets your fury drop more than OG.
Also don't take Murky cloud till 30, that's when the big groups of flamethrowers, sappers and energy mobs first show up. Before that you can handle them.

I don't know how it works (the more damage the more HP drained, or fixed amount of HP) but if you have Health and Aid Self taking a bit of damage for insane damage is worth it and even if you don't you can get away with it. ET + TF is what makes Energy outdamage every other melee set, so take both

Not an expert in PvP but you'll need 3 acc in each attack, there are alot of possible defence buffs (and don't forget Ice/ Tanks, impossible with only 1-2 acc).

From reading the power descriptions I assumed that both sets had equal disorient powers, so I guess that evens the sets out (except for concept reasons that is). Thanks for some new insight everybody

It's a solid build, just add one acc in each attack if you want to raise the rep a bit higher.

Evading holds is always better in PvE/PvP than getting hit by a less damaging one, that's why /DA and /Fire should be happy they have to pick Acrobatics, it has a tiny bit of extra hold res.
In PvE the damage between a resistance or a defence set isn't really big, but in PvP most resistance sets will be taken down faster due to lower defence.

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Somebody enlighten me because it seems SS beats Stone, while I think they were meant to be equal when you add up all the pros and cons.

[/ QUOTE ]Powersets will never be completely balanced unless they're identical. It's all down to playstyle and preferences, as well as consept.

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SS and Stone have both a good amount of KB and some disorient. Both big hitters have a hold component (can anybody confirm wether KO blow has a hold or a major disorient?) and 2 AoE's of which only one deals damage. Every set has 3 basic attacks but Stone and SS have alot in commom, almost identical. Most SS brutes I see have the same playstyle as most stone brutes (haven't been on heroes alot so don't know if the same goes for tankers). Footstomp/fault the mob, make sure you're the center of attention and hit the strongest mob with KO blow/Seismic smash.
The only reason some stone player have to change their playstyle is because stone/stone is a good working matching set, and so is SS/INV. Seeing as SS and Stone/ only differ a tiny bit they would both go well with /Stone and /INV.

So both sets are almost equal, yet SS has an edge over Stone? Changing your playstyle won't make stone better, SS will just be slightly better at it. That's why I was wondering why Stone doesn't have something in Seismic to even things out, or even have a different power?

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As a DA when you say a hit in the face, you mean from the floor right?

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Then my self rez kicks in, allowing me to aggro all mobs around me AoE's are good on brutes, with or without fury

My main is a Stone/ brute and I simply love Seismic Smash, a nice big smash with a great sound effect and animation and when it hits it always applies a mag 4 hold. This has to be the power that defines Stone Melee right?

Then one lvl later when I finally started teaming (lvl 23) I met alot of SS/ brutes. They were all so happy with their KO Blow: it deals great damage, has a nice animation and can apply a hold. This sounded so familiar that I went to the forums and had to know if KO was actually better than my Smash.

My results (from a hero planner):

Seismic Smash:
Cost: 18,512
Activation: 1,5
Recharge: 20
Range: 5
BI: 9,89 (It's flawed, but works for brute set comparison)


KO Blow:
Cost: 18,512
Activation: 2,23
Recharge: 25
Range: 5
BI: 9,89

So besides the hold magnitude (couldn't find it, hero planner says KO blow applies a major disorient actually) KO blow's only flaw is that it's slower.

This made me think that Stone and SS were pretty balanced (the only 100% smash sets). But after checking the other powers (had some time left, so why not ), my conclusions are:

The first 3 attacks of SS are weaker. Stone fist deal the same amount of damage as Punch, and Stone Mallet's damage equals Haymaker's. Heavy Mallet is stronger than all but KO Blow.

So:
Stone Fist > Jab
Stone Mallet > Punch
Heavy Mallet > Haymaker

Tremor's animation time is horrible, but deals damage.
Fault has a good animation, deals no damage but disorients.
Footstomp has a good animation AND deals damage.
The lack of disorient in Footstomp is made up by having Handclap.
All of these also have knockback.

So:
Footstomp + Handlap > Tremor + Fault

Rage gives a great damage and accuracy boost (with a downtime as long as BU lasts), almost negating the difference in damage of the first 3 attacks and buffing KO so it now beats Seismic in damage.
BU ofcourse negates this by giving a 100% damage boost instead of a 80%.
But Rage is a buff that is up 90% of the time.

So:
Rage > BU

The taunts and hurls are both equally useless.

So:
Brawl > taunt + hurl

Stone's score so far: +3
SS's score so far: +3

It basically comes down to Seismic Smash vs. KO blow:

Seismic Smash can be used once with BU every 34 seconds.
KO Blow: can be used 7 times with Rage for 90 seconds.
If each attack has one rechred SO and Rage/BU is 3 slotted with rechred and both sets use hasten whenever it's up)

Somebody enlighten me because it seems SS beats Stone, while I think they were meant to be equal when you add up all the pros and cons.

Avoiding is for weaklings, taking a hit to the face is for real Brutes



Yes a /DA speaking here

I love them, if a team is doing great without a /Inv and one joins he lights the place. And wether he is a good player or not, he makes everything feel less evil. Plus they match my /DA set

I have a Stone/DA brute and he does drain end faster than other brutes it seems, but stone melee does feel the smashiest of all the primary sets. Nothing can beat Fault and Seismic Smash (which will hold bosses). After Stamina and alot of endred slots I don't have alot of problems, I just have to keep popping blues

But then again I use Seismic Smash whenever I can, instead of using it when fury is high. It really drains alot

Can't comment on the other sets, because I've only seen and heard them.

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Actually, since brutes have fury, end/rech/acc take priority over damage enhancers.

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I know, but some people like a few damage enh in their attacks for the times fury is low or the big hitters, I don't.

And damage really isn't a problem now (no BU, tremor or hasten). I don't think I have room to take BU or tremor earlier, but I'll see what I can miss.

Exported from version 1.5C of CoH Planner
http://joechott.com/coh

Archetype: Brute
Primary Powers - Ranged : Stone Melee
Secondary Powers - Support : Dark Armor

01 : Dark Embrace endred(01) damres(9) damres(34) damres(39) endred(42)
01 : Stone Fist acc(01) acc(5) acc(7) endred(15) endred(17) disdur(34)
02 : Death Shroud endred(02) endred(3) endred(3) acc(40) acc(40)
04 : Stone Mallet acc(04) endred(5) acc(11) endred(13) acc(17) recred(33)
06 : Heavy Mallet acc(06) endred(7) acc(9) endred(13) acc(15) recred(31)
08 : Combat Jumping endred(08)
10 : Obsidian Shield endred(10) damres(11) damres(36) damres(39) endred(42)
12 : Hurdle jmp(12)
14 : Super Jump jmp(14)
16 : Health hel(16) hel(43)
18 : Seismic Smash acc(18) acc(19) acc(19) endred(23) endred(23) recred(29)
20 : Stamina endrec(20) endrec(21) endrec(21) endrec(46)
22 : Acrobatics endred(22)
24 : Dark Regeneration acc(24) acc(25) endred(25) endred(27) recred(29) recred(31)
26 : Fault acc(26) acc(27) acc(33) endred(37) disdur(40)
28 : Cloak of Darkness endred(28) endred(43)
30 : Murky Cloud endred(30) damres(31) damres(37) damres(39) endred(43)
32 : Hasten recred(32) recred(33) recred(34)
35 : Oppressive Gloom acc(35) acc(36) disdur(36) disdur(37)
38 : Soul Transfer recred(38)
41 : Aid Other inttim(41) hel(42)
44 : Hurl Boulder acc(44) acc(45) acc(45) endred(45) endred(46) kbkdis(46)
47 : Tremor acc(47) acc(48) acc(48) endred(48) endred(50)
49 : Build Up recred(49) recred(50) recred(50)

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Note: The hurl boulder will be a patron power, the knockback in it is secondary effect duration.

Things I won't change:
- I always slot all my attacks with 3 acc and no damage, fury gives me enough of a boost.
- Had to skip CoF, it would be just too much. DS and OG keep fury and damage taken at a good level.


The rest of the build was mostly using leftover slots and powers. Took aid other for badges and gave stamina an extra slots, but not sure wether to keep them or not. Any suggestions?

And if you don't like the colours, blame the planner

Death Shroud and Cof, or Death Shroud and OG should keep fury at a decent level and damage taken low enough. Taking both costs alot of end and might lower your fury too much, I'd only take all three for serious PvPing. OG can live with less slots so it's your pick.
(CoF: 2 acc, 2 fear, 2 end, OG: 0-2 disorient, 2 acc)

Soul Transfer need 3 slots max (I have 3rech now, great for annoying granites in PvP but recharges fast enough outside of PvP).

Dark Regen will do with 2 end, 2 rech, 2 acc. Can add some heals too for more serious PvPing (less mobs = less hp healed).

Taking Obsidian at lvl 10 will make life easy early on, Air Sup can wait.

And SJ is the best TP for /Dark and / Fire, flying will do but you're going to be very slow and end heavy.

OG works great against higher minions and lieuts. Just be sure to keep grabbing aggro for fury. Haven't tried CoF.

Smash.

I think the Tsoo siphons say +spd and + dmg while they Debuff. Maybe it does the same in PvP and the Stalker read the description of the power when he was hit by it?

And that is why I love Seismic Smash

On Topic: Are you sure you didn't put the mez toggle in the bottom tray and keep toggle-ing it on and off? My /DA only got held by 2 very fast trollers or an Illusion/ one.

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You didnt read about the no toggle-drop change yet?

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Ofc I did I'm going to be so happy in Siren's if I actually have some toggles running at the end of the battle

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Aye, tis true. It's just that the conversation was about energy melee so I was being specific.

I'm a bit surprised that omgarm said that non blaster EM toggle drop him. Must be total focus, cos I'd be surprised if you could hit fast enough to stack the disorients from the other attacks.

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I always thought that EM (for any character to be exact) didn't have automatic toggle drops, but when I got to fight some they seemed to drop my toggles so fast I just assumed it was auto-drop.
So yes I guess it was the TF + fast disorients that caught me offguard.

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All Blasters have toggle droppers, but only */En has the toggle-drop + stun effect which is why it's so nasty. Non-Energy might drop toggles but they don't stun, allowing you to re-toggle whereas without a BF or equivalent you can't respond Vs Energy, because you're stunned.

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From this day on I swear I'll make Blasters extinct(sp?). My precious /DA toggles