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The arguments for Spin posted so far are good ones and illustrate why some people highly value Spin. In this regard, I don't think there is only one "right" answer, which is another reason that Claws is a strong set--you have some flexibility in your power choices and can still be effective.
Still, the types of arguments I make against Spin are also good ones. It's important to realize that 3-5 barely-damaged foes are still alive and hitting you. Spin draws *more* aggro on you that otherwise might be directed at other members of the team. This can be good in some cases (protecting squishies), but can be bad in other cases (scrappers are *not* tanks and can go down like a sack of potatoes if they garner too much alpha strike).
Another way of looking at it is that if you are focusing on fast single-target damage, you are removing individual sources of damage *faster* than if you focus on minimal AOE damage. If I can eliminate 2 out of 6 foes quickly, I've effectively cut down on the total incoming damage to myself and the team by 33%. If I were to use Spin instead and as a result knock out only 1 of those 6 foes in the same span of time, I've cut down on the total incoming damage by only 17%.
If you consider those example numbers carefully, you'll see that single-target damage is a more effective mitigator of the "alpha strike" than AOE damage. Yes, focusing on AOE damage, especially in a large team, will ultimately help the entire group be killed faster, but the trade-off is that in the early stages of the fight you are not mitigating the heavy alpha strike, putting yourself and any squishy teamate more at risk.
Plus, if scrappers were really all that concerned about protecting squishies, more of them would take the taunt power. LOL how many scrappers do you know that actually took Confront or its equivalent in the other powersets? We're *not* tanks. Our role is not to protect the squishies but to take out as many targets as fast as possible. We're the folks chasing down every minion and 1- or 2-hitting them in rapid succession to more quickly mitigate the total incoming damage to the team. In this light, I feel that focusing on single-target attacks is simply more effective.
But "more effective" is only one dimension of game play. It's satisfying to see a Spin hit 4-5-6 foes and all those pretty orange numbers light up. YMMV.
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On a different tack, some feedback has argued that Acrobatics is worthless when you already have Integration. I'm not going to argue that point other than I've seen some contradictory info about whether Acrobatics stacks or not. And that after 32 I stopped caring to a degree, LOL, because my build was 99% complete and fully functioning. I don't really like *any* of the final pools for 41-50.
I would love it if folks who feel they have the real lowdown would suggest stronger alternatives to my level 35 and 38 power choices, and even suggest level 41-50 power choices that would best complement this type of build and combat approach.
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Hey there is no right or wrong way about this, were just discussing our opinions on the matter.
Having said that, in regards to spin. If you only play solo, and only fight 2 enemies at a time, then I would agree spin would be a power you should skip. But if you play on teams and fight 3 or more baddies at a time, then spin becomes one of your best powers. In your post you seem very concerned about endurance, and i agree endurance is as important as health, so if you are fighting groups of 3 or more, spin becomes one of your best attacks, because when used properly, you will do more dmg/end used to all of the targets you hit with it. And outside of the economical use of end, I believe spins dmg is close to what swipe does, but you are doing it to 3+ enemies at a time.
In regards to acrobatics, it is virtually useless to a regen scrapper with integration, outside of eating more endurance while you have it on. Integration is as good as any protection in the game. Stopping the 1 in a million thing that gets through integration is not worth spending an entire power slot on. As for your request for a different power - try taking hasten. With hasten on, your defensive click powers will come back quicker. That means integration, IH and dull pain get to be used more which makes for far better survivablility. It would also cycle your attack powers quicker, which allows you to use your best attacks more and your worst attacks less. This power is extremely helpful with just about any build, but especially the click heavy regen set. Taking stealth or ss allows you to move past battles you dont need to fight, or get to the end of missions quicker for the xp bonus, or to avoid aggroing groups that are very close to the group you are fighting. Any of these power choices are better than acrobatics which will do virtually nothing for you that integration isnt already doing.
As far as the final pools, focused accuracy is great because the less you miss, the less you waste end and the faster you kill your opponent. Laser eyes and energy torrent can give you some ranged attacks (one with some more kb) which are also energy damage to compliment your lethal heavy claws set.
