Blind_Minotaur

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Anyway the responses and general demeanor in this thread has made me depressed. Sign me off from PVP until further notice.

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There are no Heavies, Grinders, Farmers, AVs, Turrets or Badge Hunters in Lowbie PvP

That might just have been their particular builds and playstyle though. Just because you have beaten two /elec Brutes in duels with an FOTM toon doesn't mean that they are not hard to take down.

I love my SS/EA Brute. In PvE he is a god with my current build and can actually Tank large spawns of most enemy types. He never runs out of endurance, even though there is a 25% end crash when Rage runs out. Rage is the gem of the SS set, even against mobs that debuff accuracy you can still hit them with ease, the same goes in PvP, I can hit through Elude quite nicely.

SS/EA is very nice in lower lvl PvP (Warburg and below), but, playing a defense based villain in RV or lvl 50 arena is tough. If your opponent gets a few lucky hits you go down very fast. With powers like Focused Accuracy in abbundance in RV I find that even with Overload active I still get hit A LOT. Overload is a great power, if slotted with 3 heals will actually double your HP bar at lvl 50 and also cap out your defense and give you nice resistance. The crash isn't as painful as Unstoppable because only your End bar crashes, time an End Drain correctly and your toggles won't drop, fire up conserve power and you are fighting at full steam again instantly.

Here is my build:

Archetype: Brute
Primary: Super Strength
Secondary: Energy Aura
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01) --> Punch==> Acc(1) Acc(15) Rechg(17) Rechg(40) EndRdx(43)
01) --> Kinetic Shield==> DefBuf(1) DefBuf(3) DefBuf(5) EndRdx(5) EndRdx(11)
02) --> Haymaker==> Acc(2) Acc(3) Rechg(15) Rechg(37) EndRdx(39) EndRdx(39)
04) --> Power Shield==> DefBuf(4) DefBuf(7) DefBuf(7) EndRdx(11) EndRdx(13)
06) --> Combat Jumping==> EndRdx(6)
08) --> Knockout Blow==> Acc(8) Acc(9) Rechg(9) Rechg(13) EndRdx(25) EndRdx(25)
10) --> Entropy Shield==> EndRdx(10)
12) --> Swift==> Run(12)
14) --> Health==> Heal(14) Heal(19) Heal(19)
16) --> Boxing==> Acc(16) Acc(17) EndRdx(40)
18) --> Super Jump==> Jump(18)
20) --> Stamina==> EndMod(20) EndMod(21) EndMod(21)
22) --> Tough==> DmgRes(22) DmgRes(23) DmgRes(23) EndRdx(37)
24) --> Aid Other==> IntRdx(24) IntRdx(39)
26) --> Rage==> Rechg(26) Rechg(27) TH_Buf(27) TH_Buf(31) TH_Buf(31)
28) --> Aid Self==> IntRdx(28) IntRdx(29) IntRdx(29) Heal(31) Heal(33) Heal(34)
30) --> Taunt==> Range(30) Range(34) Taunt(34) Taunt(36) Rechg(37)
32) --> Dampening Field==> DmgRes(32) DmgRes(33) DmgRes(33)
35) --> Conserve Power==> Rechg(35) Rechg(36) Rechg(36)
38) --> Overload==> Rechg(38) Rechg(40) Rechg(42) DefBuf(42) Heal(42) Heal(43)
41) --> Foot Stomp==> Acc(41) Acc(43) Rechg(45) Rechg(45) EndRdx(48) EndRdx(50)
44) --> Energy Drain==> Rechg(44) Rechg(45) Rechg(46) EndMod(46) EndMod(46) EndMod(50)
47) --> Acrobatics==> EndRdx(47) EndRdx(48) EndRdx(48)
49) --> Energy Protection==> DmgRes(49) DmgRes(50)

Edit: This was a respec at 50 build (for Sirens PvP amongst other things). For PvE get rage asap and Footstomp at 32).

It appears that teh power that really unbalances things here is Power Boost. It seems like almost all heroes can have access to it through the Ancillary Pools (I'm far from a CoH expert so don't know exact numbers). Of all the CoV ATs and powerset combos the only ones that have access to it are /ice and /nrg dominators.

Unless I have a dedicated thermal and/or cold corruptor, my Defense based Brute doesn't stand a chance in lvl 50 PvP; Heroes can easily hit me even through Overload. It is simply a lot more fun for villains to pvp at lower levels, which probably explains why Sirens and Warburg are a lot more popular than RV.

Very few of the CoV patron powers come close to most of what is on offer to heroes and I hope that this is addressed in the future.

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So this means that slotting damage only helps you OUTSIDE of domination? Sounds like a really screwed up way to do things. Is this common for damage buffs, like if i have a thermal buffing does it work the same way? In that case I would seriously consider slotting something else like recharge over damage in situations where domination is often on the go (big teams & pvp).

EDIT: nm, max to the rescue

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That's exactly what I was worried about and was considering changing my slotting for my Doms.

Thanks to Sin and MaX.

So if I'm playing a dom who teams all the time and usually a full team at that, it feels like I almost have perma domination, is there much point in slotting for damage?

Quick question about Dominators and damage. Am I right in my understanding that when in Domination the buff that you gain is based on your base damage and any enhancements you have aren't taken into account?

I've been giving this matter a little thought and I'm not sure that the Heavies (or indeed the Pillboxes) are actually the problem with RV PvP. I think that the zone was designed with a zone population in mind much higher than what we get on average in the EU. There are only two (or is it three?) Heavies per side. I can imagine that if the zone was a lot busier Heavies would cease to be a problem as a large team would easily overcome even a fully buffed up Heavy.

Does anyone here have any experience playing in RV on the US servers? I'm guessing that it is a lot busier? Are Heavies such an issue with a larger population in the zone?

I'm fairly certain that RV wasn't designed with the smallish EU PvP community in mind and as a result Heavies severly unbalance our experience.

Thanks for orgainising this again Echo, I had a right laugh. Although you wouldn't think it if you hadn't tried it but PvP at lvl 5 is so much fun. Well unless there are too many Cold corruptors.

Nerf teh Infridgidate!!!

Only joking, but that power is so good at lvl 5 I've been tempted to get my Cold corruptor to a higher level.

I like the idea of playing on test as I have a load of toons sitting on Defiant that I'd also like to try out.

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Just to clarify then, if your in a PvP zone your fair game. Purposefully setting out to stop an event in a PvP zone is also fair game but not everyone will like it and thats tough on them. You can either let them have their way and leave the zone or block all communication and continue anyway safe in the fact you are not insulting anyone or doing a petitionable offense. Just be prepared for them stopping you have your fun in stopping them having theirs.

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That makes a lot more sense and are certainly rules I can abide by

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True and thats up to the individual players whether to be nice or not. As for getting teleported and defeated, you were in the PvP zone so you agreed to PvP. Disagreeing to PvP involves leaving the zone.

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I'm failing to follow you here. You are know saying that if you are in a zone you are agreeing to PvP, and that if you don't want to PvP you should leave the zone. However, only a few posts back you were implying that people should check to see if there are any player organised NON-PVP activities going on and again, leave the zone. By your logic when exactly is it ok for me to stay in the zone??

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On your blaster you could just get an empath friend then stand next to the heavy using the boombox emotes and eating cheezy puffs.

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This has to be simply the best advise ever!

For the record I'm not a fan of heavies as they currently work. I'm happy that there are player controlled pets in the zone; I feel it's a fairly novel element. I do think that they are overpowered though and that they shouldn't be buffable. A fully buffed up heavy is pretty unstoppable. I'd also like to see a timer added to them so that they would change hands more often, concept wise it could be that they run out of power after a set time and get returned to their spawn point.

This sound's interesting but I don't know anything about it. Can someone fill me in on the rules, server and level that this fought at etc. I'm trying to get involved in more pvp lately so this sounds like a good opportunity.

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See you all tonight at 8pm! I'd like try for some team or duo games to mix things up this week.

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Are we still fighting at lvl 5 and allowed to bring higher alts?

I should be there, work commitments permitting

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No just don't complain when several heroes start hunting you down to stop you from taking over pillboxes. The badge hunters shouldn't shout over broadcast either. Just organise a search and destroy team.

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Point taken. I didn't complain in game and I didn't actually mind being hunted down (it was kind of fun). I just wanted to share my experience and this thread is the right place.

What I do object to was abusive broadcast, all I was doing was using the zone in it's intended fashion. But as I say, I'm fairly thick skinned and it certainly wont faze me.

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The RV thing on Union was a large group of badge hunters taking out AVs for badges. Organised and advertised on the badge hunter channel. I turned up halfway through just before you started taking over pillboxes. I think it really annoyed some of them because the AVs they were fighting disappeared. From what i saw the broadcasts started off polite and then got progressively worse when you continued to take over pillboxes. Doesn't help when your on hide and the only other villain in the zone is watching the heroes fight the AVs and cheering the heroes on.

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So because this was organised by a bunch of badge hunters I should have just left the zone and done sonething else?

To be honest I don't pay a great deal of attention to chat in pvp zones, i'm focused on playing. It was only when I happened to see my name appearing a dozen times that I realised what was going on. I wasn't in the zone to purposely spoil people's fun, I was in there to play the zone; destroy pillboxes and fight heroes.

I guess the warning needs to be amended on entering the zone - PvP may occur providing there isn't a player orginised farming event taking place.

What nonsense.

I knew Doms could do it. Just a shame that we didn't get the EU dom team through it first. Doms no longer teh gimp?

Now lets see 8 stalkers do it...

Just read more of the US thread. It appears the key to success is PowerBoosted Vengance.

I had my first taste of the sour side of zonal pvp on the weekend. I decided to pop into RV for a bit of action on my level 50 villain. I was one of only two villains in the zone and there were about 12 heroes. The heroes were there to farm the turrets and I decided I'd make things slightly more difficult for them. I grabbed a Heavy and started to win back pillboxes for the villains. This was met with a torrent of abuse over broadcast. I decided to not let this faze me and carried on, adamant that if I did run into the heroes I'd try and put up a good fight. 12 against 1 aren’t really the best odds but I had nothing to lose. Of course I lost many times (as you would expect), but were the broadcast messages saying that I was selfish (the actual messages weren’t that polite) really necessary. I mean, there wasn't really a lot I could do against a dozen heroes except slow them down marginally. The reaction I got was as if I was leading a 12 villain strong gank squad against a solo badger.

I shrugged it off anyway and continued to put up a fight for a while. I certainly won't let it put me off visiting the zones, but can see what it could do to people a little less thick skinned and/or new to the game.

I had fun last time so i'll try and be there this week, and 8:00pm is a nicer start time for me too

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I thought of making a EM/elec but never got past lvl 5 cause I had other alts to play. Only advice I can give, is to forget grounded and get acrobatics instead. From EM the only bad power is Stun and maybe whirling hands in pvp.

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I also don't like barrage on a brute. It is so slow and seems detrimental to fury building. I'd much rather have something like Air Sup or Boxing in its place.

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(managed to get lvl 50 in 189 hours which isnt bad if you call fire the 'weakest' secondary).

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I just wanted to clarify that I never said FA was the weakest secondary; just seems to be the least popular.

I don't have a EN/FA brute, I have a fire/fire and it is great fun to play and very effective too.

Not unique as such, in my opinion you have chosen the most popular primary and paired it with the least popular secondary. I think that the reason FA is unpopular is it's lack of a god mode power at lvl 38. Don't let that put you off though. I've had loads of fun with my FA brute lately. Don't expect to be able to "tank" though. With the recent changes to Healing Flames I've found FA to be a lot more surviable, it recharges so fast it's astounding.

Whilst I can sympathise with you Kashi, especially about the broadcast abuse, what on earth were you doing sorting out your slotting in the middle Warburg?

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Getting a basic little palce up and running doesn't take too much effort - play only in SG mdoe for a few weeks and you should earn enough to start building the essentials.

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I'll be adding a lot of my alts into the sg to begin with so I should be able to get at least 100k for starters. Then if I play with my 50 for a bit I figure it shouldn't take long long.

Any tips on other basics; such as what plot size I should go for, how many rooms etc. Also, do storage items require power?

I'm seriously considering trying to build myself a solo base for all my alts. In fact, not so much a base, but a store room. I would like somewhere to store enhancements and insps, and once I9 arrives; salvage and recipies.

I'm not too fussed about having a medibay or teleports etc (may add them later) but would like to get a small base up and running with storage facilities and maybe a workbench.

How much trouble will this be (time and effort)?
What basic base components (oversight center etc) will I need to get a base to this level?