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Garthalus

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  1. Garthalus

    ATI 10.12 drivers

    POST-ACTION

    Same here, has happened a few times to me, which has never happened before.

    I'm also getting a weird effect with Depth of Field where even close up, my character is blurry, like being shot through a filtered lens... Strange.
  2. Garthalus
    Shield/Fire Melee

    He'll get jealous.
  3. Garthalus

    Dark/???

    POST-ACTION

    Quote:
    Originally Posted by Dechs Kaison View Post
    I've managed to do alright with Dark/Fire but I constantly wish I had more mitigation in my secondary. Elec or stone particularly, for all the reasons above. Knockdown and stuns will help a lot.

    Kinetic Melee is another good choice, as the -dmg stacks nicely on the already resisted damage you're taking. As a bonus, the synergy between Power Siphon and Death Shroud is excellent.

    Fire does do a ton of damage, though.
    Yep, Fire Melee is my favorite secondary, but my goal for the DA/SM Tank I'm running now was to look at the synergies between the two powersets.

    For large-team Tanking, it's a beast. Between Fault and Tremor, with OG plinking in the background, I can chain them together to keep an entire spawn bouncing and stunned. The first time I simultaneously stunned 4 Greater Devoured DE bosses, I knew I was on to something.

    It's been a surprisingly versatile set, too. Nemesis, Malta, Rikti, Carnies, you name it, it's been taking on every villain group I've thrown at it and performing very well. Devouring Earth are perhaps the most difficult with their emanators. Mid-spawn they'll drop a Fungi so my stuns stop working, and then a Quartz and Carin and all of a sudden I'm punching Dark Regen as often as it comes up. Even then, tactics and a little pre-emptive targeting can help a lot with that.

    Roll what you like, I actually tried 3 different secondaries with Dark Armor before Stone Melee really "clicked" for me. See what works for you and your playstyle.
  4. Garthalus

    Dark/???

    POST-ACTION

    I'll put in a third vote for Dark/Stone Melee, but go for the Energy Mastery epic pool for Conserve Power and Physical Perfection. I've got one at level 42 right now and even with the Miracle +Recovery proc, the Numina's Regen/Recovery proc, Stamina slotted up and including the Performance Shifter: Chance for Endurance proc... Well, it's still hard on the blue bar. Having the Theft of Essence: Chance for Endurance proc in Dark Regeneration is also a HUGE help, I highly recommend that.
  5. Garthalus

    Tanker Discussion

    POST-ACTION

    I'll echo what Heraclea and Dechs Kaison indicated...

    For the record, I play several different AT's. Primarily melee characters, but a smattering of Blasters and Defenders as well.

    I wind up getting pulled back into Tanking over and over again because of, quite frankly, poor Tanks I see in pick-up-groups and teams. A poorly played Tank (like any archetype) is at best ineffectual, at worst it's a real liability to a team. Everyone is out there to have fun and feel like they are participating. What a good Tank does for a team that's a hodge-podge mix of players is that it provides a much lower-risk environment for the group. Locking down aggro and gathering opponents in one tightly packed group does wonders for a team.

    Similarly, with good players and/or people you play with often that know your playstyle, aggressive Tanking will allow your team to steamroll through missions at an astounding rate.

    That said, on high-end teams with veteran players, I have experienced the phenomenon that Dechs mentions. If well-played teams are clicking and steamrolling on their own, you go into a semi-Scrapper mode and do what you can to help out. Although, even with those teams, there frequently are situations where a bad decision or someone AFK could lead to a teamwipe if not for some timely Tank intervention. Sure those moments don't come that often on those teams, but they do prove that having a Tank along has value. And hey, you get to pound stuff without worrying about the squishies for once...
  6. Garthalus
    At level 12 I start investing in Level 15ish set IOs. Mostly for the enhancement values, but also to pick up a smidgin of set bonuses such as +Recovery. Before Stamina, a few or several +% Recovery set bonuses really help out.

    At level 17 I upgrade again, as enhancement values on level 20 set IOs are notably better than the 15's. Also, there are several new sets that open up at level 20 (such as Multistrikes).

    At level 22 I'm swapping again for level 25 set IOs and a few choice common IOs (such as common L25 End Mod IOs for Stamina). At this point, I'm looking to maximize enhancement values, and with multi-aspect IOs in heavily slotted powers, it's very possible to hit the ED cap for enhancement values. Note that level 25 IOs are the break point between Tier 1 salvage (i.e. cheap) and Tier 2 salvage (more expensive).

    Now, seldom do I even spend 10M on IOs for a character up through level 22. And with that, I upgraded IO sets three times. If you're careful at the market, you can do this easily and with little hardship. Past that, level 27 is a big hallmark, since several of the "good" higher-end sets open up (e.g. Crushing Impact, Numina's) and you can start shooting for more set bonuses in earnest to round out your build.

    From that point on, I usually just slot new IOs, seldom going back and replacing level 30's unless there is a strong need. Enhancement value-wise, the improvement curve for enhancement value starts to plateau and if you're already at the ED cap for the most important values, the extra few % points are usually not worth the extra investment. At level 47-50, I may go "whole hog" and start investing in tweaks for the "end game" build, complete with high-cost sets and purples if desired. Truthfully, though, I tend to invest in Procs (Miracle +Recovery, Numina's Regen/Recovery, Performance Shifter +End, Steadfast Res/Def, etc.) in the 30's for a build.

    I tend to follow this progression because I absolutely HATE having enhancements deteriorate over time and possible go red on me mid-mission with a fun team. That and the better enhancement values and set bonuses allow me to tailor and customize characters to suit my playstyle and potentially address holes in the powersets. I want my characters to be as "Super" as possible.
  7. Garthalus
    I'm leveling a Dark Armor/Stone Melee Tank right now, just hit level 29.

    Perspective so far is that the lower levels can be downright painful. Without the mitigation of OG or CoF, it can be tough going with 8-member team spawns. Trays filled with blue/purple inspirations help out, but refilling between missions can be a hassle.

    Once I was able to pick up Oppressive Gloom and Fault.. Wow. I was all of a sudden a freakish mix of Tank and Controller rolled into one. Spawns were staggering around me and the first time I stunned four Greater Devoured bosses at once, I knew it was getting fun.

    I'm taking a slightly different approach than the previously posted build. Less S/L Defense, more base recharge (no hasten), regeneration, recovery, and global accuracy. The beauty of Fault is that it accepts the Absolute Amazement purple set, which is one of the most affordable purple sets out there. Here's the draft build I'm working with:

    Hero Plan by Mids' Hero Designer 1.81
    http://www.cohplanner.com/

    Click this DataLink to open the build!

    Shardoth: Level 50 Magic Tanker
    Primary Power Set: Dark Armor
    Secondary Power Set: Stone Melee
    Power Pool: Fitness
    Power Pool: Leaping
    Power Pool: Fighting
    Ancillary Pool: Energy Mastery

    Hero Profile:
    Level 1: Dark Embrace -- RctvArm-ResDam/EndRdx:40(A), RctvArm-ResDam/EndRdx/Rchg:40(3), RctvArm-ResDam:40(3), S'fstPrt-ResDam/Def+:15(7), S'fstPrt-ResKB:17(46)
    Level 1: Stone Fist -- C'ngImp-Dmg/EndRdx:40(A), C'ngImp-Dmg/Rchg:40(7), C'ngImp-Acc/Dmg/EndRdx:40(29), C'ngImp-Dmg/EndRdx/Rchg:40(34), C'ngImp-Acc/Dmg/Rchg:40(43)
    Level 2: Stone Mallet -- C'ngImp-Dmg/EndRdx:40(A), C'ngImp-Dmg/Rchg:40(5), C'ngImp-Acc/Dmg/EndRdx:40(17), C'ngImp-Dmg/EndRdx/Rchg:40(34), C'ngImp-Acc/Dmg/Rchg:40(43)
    Level 4: Heavy Mallet -- C'ngImp-Dmg/EndRdx:40(A), C'ngImp-Dmg/Rchg:40(5), C'ngImp-Acc/Dmg/Rchg:40(17), C'ngImp-Acc/Dmg/EndRdx:40(34), C'ngImp-Dmg/EndRdx/Rchg:40(40)
    Level 6: Obsidian Shield -- TtmC'tng-ResDam/EndRdx:40(A)
    Level 8: Dark Regeneration -- Nictus-Acc/EndRdx/Heal/HP/Regen:40(A), Nictus-Acc/EndRdx/Rchg:40(9), Mrcl-Heal/EndRdx/Rchg:40(9), Mrcl-EndRdx/Rchg:40(11), Numna-Heal/EndRdx/Rchg:40(11), Numna-EndRdx/Rchg:40(15)
    Level 10: Hurdle -- Jump-I:40(A)
    Level 12: Murky Cloud -- RctvArm-ResDam/EndRdx:40(A), RctvArm-ResDam:40(13), RctvArm-ResDam/EndRdx/Rchg:40(13), RctvArm-ResDam/Rchg:40(15)
    Level 14: Health -- Mrcl-Rcvry+:40(A), Mrcl-Heal:40(45), Numna-Heal/Rchg:40(45), Numna-Regen/Rcvry+:40(48), Numna-Heal:40(48)
    Level 16: Combat Jumping -- Krma-ResKB:15(A), Ksmt-ToHit+:30(46), LkGmblr-Rchg+:40(46), LkGmblr-Def:40(48)
    Level 18: Death Shroud -- Sciroc-Acc/Dmg:40(A), Sciroc-Dmg/EndRdx:40(19), Sciroc-Acc/Dmg/EndRdx:40(19), Sciroc-Dam%:40(23), C'ngBlow-Acc/Dmg:40(25), C'ngBlow-Dmg/EndRdx:40(25)
    Level 20: Stamina -- P'Shift-EndMod:40(A), P'Shift-EndMod/Acc:40(21), P'Shift-EndMod/Rchg:40(21), P'Shift-End%:40(43)
    Level 22: Fault -- Amaze-Stun:50(A), Amaze-Stun/Rchg:50(23), Amaze-Acc/Stun/Rchg:50(27), Amaze-Acc/Rchg:50(27), Amaze-EndRdx/Stun:50(29), Zinger-Dam%:40(45)
    Level 24: Taunt -- Zinger-Taunt/Rchg/Rng:40(A), Zinger-Dam%:40(37), Zinger-Taunt/Rchg:40(50)
    Level 26: Oppressive Gloom -- Rope-Acc/Stun:40(A)
    Level 28: Cloak of Darkness -- LkGmblr-Def/EndRdx:40(A), LkGmblr-Def:40(31), LkGmblr-Def/EndRdx/Rchg:40(31), LkGmblr-Rchg+:40(31)
    Level 30: Boxing -- C'ngImp-Acc/Dmg/Rchg:40(A)
    Level 32: Tough -- RctvArm-ResDam/EndRdx:40(A), RctvArm-ResDam:40(33), RctvArm-ResDam/EndRdx/Rchg:40(33), RctvArm-ResDam/Rchg:40(33)
    Level 35: Tremor -- Erad-Dmg/Rchg:30(A), Erad-Acc/Dmg/Rchg:30(36), Erad-Acc/Dmg/EndRdx/Rchg:30(36), C'ngBlow-Acc/Dmg:40(36), C'ngBlow-Dmg/EndRdx:40(37), C'ngBlow-Dmg/Rchg:40(37)
    Level 38: Seismic Smash -- C'ngImp-Acc/Dmg:40(A), C'ngImp-Dmg/Rchg:40(39), C'ngImp-Acc/Dmg/Rchg:40(39), C'ngImp-Acc/Dmg/EndRdx:40(39), C'ngImp-Dmg/EndRdx/Rchg:40(40), Mako-Acc/EndRdx/Rchg:40(40)
    Level 41: Weave -- LkGmblr-Def/EndRdx:40(A), LkGmblr-Def:40(42), LkGmblr-Def/EndRdx/Rchg:40(42), LkGmblr-Rchg+:40(42)
    Level 44: Conserve Power -- RechRdx-I:40(A)
    Level 47: Physical Perfection -- RgnTis-Regen+:30(A), P'Shift-End%:40(50), P'Shift-EndMod:40(50)
    Level 49: Soul Transfer -- RechRdx-I:40(A)
    ------------
    Level 1: Brawl -- Acc-I:40(A)
    Level 1: Sprint -- QckFt-EndRdx/RunSpd:40(A)
    Level 2: Rest -- RechRdx-I:40(A)
    Level 1: Gauntlet
    Level 4: Ninja Run



    Code: 
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  8. Garthalus
    Be careful of hanging your hat on +Defense to make your Brute brutier...

    That works, and against some foes pretty well, but against Romans, Family, or anything else that has Defense debuffs... Well, that carefully IO'd Defense is going to evaporate like water on a hot griddle.

    The flip side is that building for +Recharge is arguably more expensive while addressing a number of different threats. The problem? Same issue as above, only with Carnies, etc. that debuff Recharge. There are a few IOs to counter the slow and -Recharge effect, but it's still very opponent specific as to whether you'll be godly or sucking wind.

    I'm seeing this first hand with my Claws/Fire Brute. I've built up both recharge and also Energy/Ranged defense (Eng Def is up to 33.28% now at level 45) and he can absolutely MAUL +2/8 level Rikti missions in the warzone mission after mission. But, throw him into a +1/8 mission full of Longbow and dammmmn. Rise of the Pheonix gets used a lot more...

    Pick your poison, I guess.
  9. Garthalus
    As an alternative, consider 3X Eradication and 3X Cleaving Blow. I tend to do this on characters shooting for high Energy/Neg typed defense. The extra 1.25% from the CB's add up and the (small) Recovery boost fits well with the +1.8% Max End from Eradiction.

    Just food for thought. My WP/DB Tank is softcapped to Eng/Neg (~46%) with this approach.
  10. Garthalus
    My Claws/Fire has been running tip missions comfortably at +2/4 since his 30's. I've recently upped it to +2/8 when he hit 40 and I reslotted some IOs.

    Having 30% Energy/Neg Energy Defense on him makes him plow through Rikti like something large with a plow on the front...
  11. Garthalus

    claws/??

    POST-ACTION

    I'm new (relatively) to Brutes, but I'll agree with the bulk of the commentary here... Claws/Fire is, well, an eye-opener.

    I've been leveling one since Going Rogue went out and he's fun to solo and the damage output continually surpasses my expectations. I'll be on even level-teams with him and he consistently drops spawns faster that his other team members and steals aggro like he's the only one in the room. I repeatedly get a chuckle when I'm stripping aggro off Tanks, even with them Taunting (still not quite sure how that happens, but oh well).

    Here's something I noticed about the pairing, too. For teams (if you roll that way) most of the prevalent "support" AT's have buffs and powers that increase character survivability. Pair insane damage output with survivability boosts from the team and Dammmmmn. You turn into a flaming edged juggernaut of DOOM. I had an Empath last night hitting me with Fortitude and it was all I needed to go helter-skelter rolling though Arachnos like tissue paper.

    Good fun. As survivable as say /SR at high levels? Probably not. Mechanics aside though, it's a fun, fun pairing. Try it for a "spin"

    (pun intended)
  12. Garthalus
    Quote:
    Originally Posted by Werner View Post
    Yeah, that's why I frankenslotted my Siphon Life and picked up some recharge. When I'm badly hurt, I want to spam it faster than my normal attack chain. I switch to Siphon Life -> Smite -> Laser Beam Eyes. The chain isn't great for DPS, but the Laser Beam Eyes helps (a tiny bit) to make certain Siphon Life hits, and the chain spams Siphon Life almost as fast as it comes up on my perma Hasten and slotted for recharge build.

    Mind you, my build is from before Physical Perfection. I'd almost certainly take Physical Perfection instead these days. I'd just lose even more DPS when spamming Siphon Life.
    That summarizes my thinking precisely.

    It's finding the balance between survivability and damage output. Ultimately, there are times where my DPS goes way down when I'm kiting and hitting Siphon Life after a nasty hit, but that's just so I can get back in there and deal even more pain... Now if I could only pin Siege to the table... He's a tough cookie.
  13. Garthalus
    Not that it matters, but I was kiting for the first half of the fight. Moving at range to get him to attack with his fire-based powers, then swooping in to pound away at melee range, then bouncing back out when he reaches for that big flaming axe.

    I hit upon the attacking at the edge of melee range approach by accident, as I landed farther away from him than I intended and he took longer to switch to melee attacks. I kept doing it because my DPS went up the longer I had an uninterrupted string of attacks... Little did I know I was unintentionally committing what some apparently strongly believe is a faux pas for the manly (and womanly) art of soloing AVs with a melee character. Perhaps I have less virtual chest hair than others here, but it still was fun.

    Note that I am not doing this with my fights with Siege, rather staying at melee range and then kiting to use Siphon Life when I get nailed.

    Hopefully that is not verboten as well...
  14. Garthalus
    The only tweak I am considering is more global recharge, not for the attack chain, but for the hybrid one I slip into to spam Siphon Life to recover from a nasty hit... Plus, it would allow both Hasten and Soul Drain to recharge more quickly, to boot.

    I'm working on soloing Siege right now and man, his resistances are a real pain in the patootie. I've lately been dragging him down off the top platform to get him into a mob of minions as fodder for Soul Drain. The difference in damage output is substantial that way... We'll see.
  15. Garthalus
    Well, the posts here are intended to solicit feedback, so it seems this post did it and then some...

    I suppose it shows how inexperienced I am at soloing AVs that I pointed out an approach that obviously has some prior discussion and established positions (pro and con) on it.

    It's all good, and part of free speech is letting everyone say their piece. I'm fine with that.

    Now... on to Nightstar.
  16. Garthalus
    Quote:
    Originally Posted by Santorican View Post
    Congrats! You should post up your build so we can disect it and make it stronger, faster, smarter, nanananananananananananana.
    Sure.

    Please note that I credit Gaiden and some other folks here for their suggestions and advice on my final build. It's working well for me.

    Hero Plan by Mids' Hero Designer 1.707
    http://www.cohplanner.com/

    Click this DataLink to open the build!

    Slammer Sam: Level 50 Technology Scrapper
    Primary Power Set: Dark Melee
    Secondary Power Set: Super Reflexes
    Power Pool: Leaping
    Power Pool: Fitness
    Power Pool: Fighting
    Power Pool: Speed
    Ancillary Pool: Body Mastery

    Hero Profile:
    Level 1: Smite -- C'ngImp-Dmg/EndRdx:42(A), C'ngImp-Acc/Dmg/Rchg:42(3), C'ngImp-Acc/Dmg/EndRdx:42(5), C'ngImp-Dmg/EndRdx/Rchg:42(7), C'ngImp-Acc/Dmg:42(17), Hectmb-Dam%:50(19)
    Level 1: Focused Fighting -- LkGmblr-Def/EndRdx:40(A), LkGmblr-Def:40(13), LkGmblr-Def/EndRdx/Rchg:40(17), LkGmblr-Rchg+:40(23)
    Level 2: Shadow Maul -- Oblit-Dmg:40(A), Oblit-Acc/Rchg:40(3), Oblit-Dmg/Rchg:40(5), Oblit-Acc/Dmg/Rchg:40(7), Oblit-Acc/Dmg/EndRdx/Rchg:40(15), Oblit-%Dam:40(19)
    Level 4: Focused Senses -- LkGmblr-Def/EndRdx:40(A), LkGmblr-Def:40(15), LkGmblr-Def/EndRdx/Rchg:40(23), LkGmblr-Def/Rchg:40(25)
    Level 6: Combat Jumping -- Ksmt-ToHit+:30(A)
    Level 8: Siphon Life -- C'ngImp-Acc/Dmg:47(A), C'ngImp-Acc/Dmg/EndRdx:47(9), C'ngImp-Dmg/EndRdx:47(9), Dct'dW-Heal/EndRdx:47(11), Heal-I:50(11), Nictus-Acc/Heal:47(13)
    Level 10: Practiced Brawler -- EndRdx-I:50(A)
    Level 12: Hurdle -- Jump-I:50(A)
    Level 14: Health -- Numna-Heal/EndRdx:40(A), Numna-EndRdx/Rchg:40(37), Numna-Heal/Rchg:40(46), Numna-Heal/EndRdx/Rchg:40(46), Numna-Heal:40(46), Numna-Regen/Rcvry+:40(48)
    Level 16: Dodge -- LkGmblr-Rchg+:40(A), LkGmblr-Def:40(34), GftotA-Run+:38(42)
    Level 18: Agile -- LkGmblr-Def:40(A), LkGmblr-Rchg+:40(37), GftotA-Run+:37(42)
    Level 20: Stamina -- P'Shift-EndMod:40(A), P'Shift-EndMod/Rchg:40(21), P'Shift-EndMod/Acc/Rchg:40(21), P'Shift-Acc/Rchg:40(25), P'Shift-EndMod/Acc:40(43), P'Shift-End%:40(43)
    Level 22: Quickness -- Run-I:50(A)
    Level 24: Boxing -- Acc-I:40(A)
    Level 26: Soul Drain -- GSFC-ToHit:40(A), GSFC-ToHit/Rchg:40(27), GSFC-ToHit/Rchg/EndRdx:40(27), GSFC-Rchg/EndRdx:40(29), GSFC-ToHit/EndRdx:40(29), GSFC-Build%:50(31)
    Level 28: Lucky -- LkGmblr-Def:40(A), LkGmblr-Rchg+:40(40), GftotA-Run+:39(42)
    Level 30: Tough -- S'fstPrt-ResDam/Def+:27(A), ImpArm-ResDam/EndRdx:37(31), ImpArm-ResDam:35(31), ImpArm-ResDam/EndRdx/Rchg:37(40), ImpArm-ResDam/Rchg:37(50)
    Level 32: Midnight Grasp -- C'ngImp-Acc/Dmg:47(A), C'ngImp-Dmg/Rchg:47(33), C'ngImp-Acc/Dmg/Rchg:47(33), C'ngImp-Acc/Dmg/EndRdx:47(33), C'ngImp-Dmg/EndRdx/Rchg:47(34), RechRdx-I:50(34)
    Level 35: Evasion -- RedFtn-Def/EndRdx:40(A), RedFtn-Def/Rchg:40(36), RedFtn-EndRdx/Rchg:40(36), RedFtn-Def/EndRdx/Rchg:40(36), RedFtn-Def:40(37)
    Level 38: Weave -- RedFtn-Def/EndRdx:40(A), RedFtn-Def/Rchg:40(39), RedFtn-EndRdx:40(39), RedFtn-Def/EndRdx/Rchg:40(39), RedFtn-Def:40(40)
    Level 41: Conserve Power -- RechRdx-I:45(A), RechRdx-I:45(43)
    Level 44: Physical Perfection -- Mrcl-Rcvry+:40(A), P'Shift-EndMod:40(45), P'Shift-EndMod/Acc:40(45), P'Shift-End%:40(45), P'Shift-EndMod/Rchg:40(50), RgnTis-Regen+:21(50)
    Level 47: Hasten -- RechRdx-I:50(A), RechRdx-I:50(48), RechRdx-I:50(48)
    Level 49: Super Jump -- Zephyr-ResKB:42(A)
    ------------
    Level 1: Brawl -- Acc-I:50(A)
    Level 1: Sprint -- Run-I:50(A)
    Level 2: Rest -- RechRdx-I:50(A)
    Level 1: Critical Hit
    Level 6: Ninja Run
    ------------
    Set Bonus Totals:
    • 12% DamageBuff(Smashing)
    • 12% DamageBuff(Lethal)
    • 12% DamageBuff(Fire)
    • 12% DamageBuff(Cold)
    • 12% DamageBuff(Energy)
    • 12% DamageBuff(Negative)
    • 12% DamageBuff(Toxic)
    • 12% DamageBuff(Psionic)
    • 6.13% Defense(Smashing)
    • 6.13% Defense(Lethal)
    • 5.81% Defense(Fire)
    • 5.81% Defense(Cold)
    • 6.13% Defense(Energy)
    • 6.13% Defense(Negative)
    • 4.88% Defense(Psionic)
    • 9.25% Defense(Melee)
    • 9.25% Defense(Ranged)
    • 8.63% Defense(AoE)
    • 2.25% Max End
    • 6% Enhancement(Heal)
    • 41% Enhancement(Accuracy)
    • 55% Enhancement(RechargeTime)
    • 15% FlySpeed
    • 175.7 HP (13.1%) HitPoints
    • 15% JumpHeight
    • 15% JumpSpeed
    • Knockback (Mag -4)
    • Knockup (Mag -4)
    • MezResist(Held) 3.3%
    • MezResist(Immobilize) 11%
    • MezResist(Stun) 2.2%
    • 10% (0.17 End/sec) Recovery
    • 62% (3.47 HP/sec) Regeneration
    • 2.52% Resistance(Fire)
    • 2.52% Resistance(Cold)
    • 37.5% RunSpeed


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  17. Garthalus
    Quote:
    Originally Posted by Silverado View Post
    Because I love seeing obnoxious newbies getting riled up over not congratulating someone else on a "feat" achieved through questionable methods.
    I'm sorry, what?

    I fought and beat Infernal using nothing but my build... No inspirations, etc. etc. What about that was "questionable"?

    Did I find an approach that worked? Yes.
    Was it an exploit? No.

    I consider it tactics. He was attacking me the whole time, it wasn't like it was a free ride by any stretch...

    By your logic, I should just walk up and hammer away until someone goes down? Isn't that just button mashing and leaving it to the mechanics of the build and the random number generator?

    Personally, regardless of your position, I was thrilled to have found an approach that worked after trial and error and some creative positioning. Ultimately, it's about the challenge and pushing limits. I did both, as set by my own expectations, so I am satisfied and pleased. That's enough for me.

    If you can do it "better" or the "right" way, power to you. Perhaps I'm not there... yet.

    It's a game, relax and have fun.
  18. Garthalus
    Quote:
    Originally Posted by Silverado View Post
    Why do people keep exploiting the melee range discrepancy against AVs (particularly Infernal)?

    I mean I guess it's not a big deal, but still, at least have the decency to wear your Scrapper pants like a man!
    That was the first 5 times...

    He has an attack with his Battle-Axe that hits for roughly 1300 hit points of damage, or about 95% of my hit-points (counting IO bonuses and the FPRM accolade). At melee range it's a given that at SOME point he's going to hit with that, and 2-unlucky hits in a row, with anything, means faceplanting.

    And it's not an exploit, IMHO. It's called tactics.

    Scrappers are bold and sometimes crazy, they don't need to be stupid.
  19. Garthalus

    BS/DA - Build

    POST-ACTION

    I'd be interested to see if there was a way to work off your build and use CoF as mitigation in it. It would require more slots, but the -To Hit and lack of wandering would complement the high Defense the build has.

    Crap, now I too need to go play around in Mids...

    Best of luck.
  20. Garthalus
    No temps, no inspirations, no click vet powers, etc. with my level 50 DM/SR Scrapper. Tackled Infernal, even con AV...

    Damn, that boy was tough. Took me 5 tries to get the hang of it. I finally figured out that if I could keep dodging in and out of melee range, he would stick to range attacks. Specifically, stand at the very edge of melee range with him and wail away, then when he stepped forward and drew his axe, back off and evade until he planted again and started with the ranged attacks. At that point close to the edge of melee range and repeat. Took a while to take him down, but I was finally able to take him out.



    I am sooooo stoked now to go and tackle more!
  21. Garthalus

    BS/DA - Build

    POST-ACTION

    I may have been too harsh in my initial assessment. I looked into your build a little deeper, and although I disagree with the focus, that perhaps has more to do with playstyle and goals than build merit.

    Here is an example of a "generalist" build that I would throw together...
    Hero Plan by Mids' Hero Designer 1.707
    http://www.cohplanner.com/

    Click this DataLink to open the build!

    Sample: Level 50 Magic Scrapper
    Primary Power Set: Broad Sword
    Secondary Power Set: Dark Armor
    Power Pool: Leaping
    Power Pool: Fitness
    Power Pool: Fighting
    Ancillary Pool: Body Mastery

    Hero Profile:
    Level 1: Hack -- C'ngImp-Acc/Dmg:40(A), C'ngImp-Dmg/Rchg:40(3), C'ngImp-Acc/Dmg/Rchg:40(7), C'ngImp-Acc/Dmg/EndRdx:40(31), C'ngImp-Dmg/EndRdx/Rchg:40(31), Achilles-ResDeb%:20(36)
    Level 1: Dark Embrace -- S'fstPrt-ResDam/EndRdx:25(A), S'fstPrt-ResDam/Def+:25(23), ImpArm-ResDam/EndRdx:35(40), ImpArm-ResDam:35(40)
    Level 2: Slice -- Sciroc-Acc/Dmg:40(A), Sciroc-Dmg/EndRdx:40(3), Sciroc-Dmg/Rchg:40(7), Sciroc-Acc/Dmg/EndRdx:40(13), Sciroc-Acc/Rchg:40(36), Oblit-Acc/Dmg/EndRdx/Rchg:40(36)
    Level 4: Death Shroud -- M'Strk-Acc/Dmg:40(A), M'Strk-Acc/Dmg/EndRdx:40(5), Sciroc-Acc/Dmg:40(5), Sciroc-Acc/Dmg/EndRdx:40(13), M'Strk-Dmg/EndRdx:40(37), M'Strk-Acc/EndRdx:40(37)
    Level 6: Combat Jumping -- Ksmt-ToHit+:20(A), Krma-ResKB:20(50)
    Level 8: Parry -- C'ngImp-Acc/Dmg:40(A), C'ngImp-Dmg/Rchg:40(9), C'ngImp-Acc/Dmg/Rchg:40(9), C'ngImp-Acc/Dmg/EndRdx:40(11), C'ngImp-Dmg/EndRdx/Rchg:40(11), DefBuff-I:50(37)
    Level 10: Obsidian Shield -- EndRdx-I:45(A)
    Level 12: Hurdle -- Jump-I:45(A)
    Level 14: Build Up -- AdjTgt-ToHit/Rchg:40(A), AdjTgt-Rchg:40(15), RechRdx-I:40(15)
    Level 16: Dark Regeneration -- Nictus-Acc/EndRdx/Heal/HP/Regen:40(A), Nictus-Acc/EndRdx/Rchg:40(17), M'Strk-Acc/EndRdx:40(17), Mrcl-Heal/EndRdx/Rchg:35(19), Mrcl-Heal/Rchg:35(19), Mrcl-EndRdx/Rchg:35(46)
    Level 18: Health -- Numna-Regen/Rcvry+:40(A), Mrcl-Rcvry+:35(46), Numna-Heal:40(50), Mrcl-Heal:35(50)
    Level 20: Stamina -- P'Shift-EndMod:40(A), P'Shift-EndMod/Rchg:40(21), P'Shift-EndMod/Acc:40(21), P'Shift-End%:40(42)
    Level 22: Murky Cloud -- RctvArm-ResDam/EndRdx:40(A), RctvArm-ResDam/Rchg:40(23), RctvArm-ResDam:40(39), RctvArm-ResDam/EndRdx/Rchg:40(40)
    Level 24: Whirling Sword -- C'ngBlow-Acc/Dmg:40(A), C'ngBlow-Dmg/EndRdx:40(25), C'ngBlow-Dmg/Rchg:40(25), Erad-Dmg/Rchg:25(31), Erad-Acc/Dmg/Rchg:25(42), Erad-Acc/Dmg/EndRdx/Rchg:25(42)
    Level 26: Disembowel -- C'ngImp-Acc/Dmg:40(A), C'ngImp-Dmg/Rchg:40(27), C'ngImp-Acc/Dmg/Rchg:40(27), C'ngImp-Acc/Dmg/EndRdx:40(29), C'ngImp-Dmg/EndRdx/Rchg:40(29), Mako-Acc/Dmg/EndRdx/Rchg:40(34)
    Level 28: Cloak of Darkness -- LkGmblr-Def/EndRdx:40(A), LkGmblr-Def:40(43), LkGmblr-Def/EndRdx/Rchg:40(45), LkGmblr-Def/Rchg:40(45)
    Level 30: Boxing -- Acc-I:40(A)
    Level 32: Head Splitter -- C'ngBlow-Acc/Dmg:40(A), C'ngBlow-Dmg/EndRdx:40(33), C'ngBlow-Dmg/Rchg:40(33), Erad-Dmg/Rchg:25(33), Erad-Acc/Dmg/Rchg:25(34), Erad-Acc/Dmg/EndRdx/Rchg:25(34)
    Level 35: Oppressive Gloom -- Rope-Acc/Stun:40(A)
    Level 38: Tough -- S'fstPrt-ResKB:30(A), RctvArm-ResDam/EndRdx:35(39), RctvArm-ResDam/Rchg:35(39), RctvArm-ResDam:35(43), RctvArm-ResDam/EndRdx/Rchg:35(43)
    Level 41: Conserve Power -- RechRdx-I:45(A)
    Level 44: Physical Perfection -- EndMod-I:40(A), EndMod-I:40(45), P'Shift-End%:40(46)
    Level 47: Weave -- LkGmblr-Def/EndRdx:40(A), LkGmblr-Def:40(48), LkGmblr-Def/EndRdx/Rchg:40(48), LkGmblr-Def/Rchg:40(48)
    Level 49: Super Jump -- Zephyr-ResKB:40(A)
    ------------
    Level 1: Brawl -- Acc-I:45(A)
    Level 1: Sprint -- QckFt-EndRdx/RunSpd:45(A)
    Level 2: Rest -- RechRdx-I:45(A)
    Level 1: Critical Hit
    Level 0: Ninja Run



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    Less Defense (certainly), but sufficient to soft-cap melee/lethal easily double-stacking Parry.

    I also advocate paying careful attention to endurance reduction and management in builds for Dark-Armor, as they tend to tend to be toggle-heavy. The sample build above is geared toward that in many of the power selections. Other than the Procs in the build, it also is moderately priced overall... And the extra endurance and recovery in the build allows for pretty non-stop attack-attack-attack with no down-time. A plus for me with the frenetic Scrapper tendencies I slip into from time to time.

    Note that my preference is also to slot for higher accuracy, including more global accuracy and the +6% to-hit unique Kismet IO. Fighting +4's and high-defense targets like Rikti drones makes the extra come in handy.

    As far as attacks go, the AoE attacks always get slotting priority for me. The single-target is strong for Broadsword, but Death Shroud, Whirling Sword, and Slice are nasty in big crowds. I typically spend most my time in big teams, usually out ahead of the team, so AoE attacks tend to deal the most aggregate damage in that environment.

    I'll eat a little crow on this one and say that I can see the merits of your build and it's approach. I reacted strongly because it is a vastly different approach than the one that suits my playstyle. My apologies for my rash leap to assess and a tip of the hat to your reasonable and cordial response.

    Have fun and best of luck.
  22. Garthalus

    BS/DA - Build

    POST-ACTION

    I'm sorry, but my personal opinion is I would not touch that build with a 10' pole...

    Seriously, a Scrapper's priorities are:
    a.) flip out and kill everything in the nearby area
    b.) survive in that threat-rich crucible of personal combat
    c.) immediately hare off to find something else to pummel

    Your build woefully underslots and underenhances the attacks. That's bad.

    Additionally, all that extra extra defense you are trying to squeeze in will do very little for you in Cimerora or other areas with opponents that debuff Defense. The build has 0% Defense Debuff resistance. In Cimerora that defense will melt and drain away like ice chips in the sun. Furthermore, you are way underenhancing your Resistances to squeeze in that Defense is sacrificing survivability.

    Just overall, it's trying too hard to go in a direction that is not its strong suit. Dark Armor's real strength is in its layered mitigation. Resistance + Defense + active mitgation (OG/CoF) + massive PbAoE self heal = great survivability.

    YMMV, but I would not consider that build "best of the best" by any stretch of the imagination. Not trying to be harsh, just frank and honest with my opinion. Feel free to disagree if you wish, but I thought another point of view was needed.

    Best of luck.
  23. Garthalus

    Slash or Hack?

    POST-ACTION

    I'd say reference my BS/WP guide (points to signature). I'll side with Werner on this one and say Hack is definitely the way to go. Even at lower levels, you can have a nice "single target" attack chain with Hack, Slice, and Parry.

    The extra attack can be taken at lower levels and respec'd out of later on, but that would purely be user preference. I would not recommend it, however. Take Hack and just keep mashing the buttons...
  24. Garthalus
    Points to the guide in his signature...
  25. Garthalus
    Yeah, but since it's geared for soloing AVs mostly one-on-one, the to-hit is acceptable for +0 AVs. I thought about that, and I could always do without the 6-slotting Gaussian's to up the accuracy and recharge.

    Thanks though, I greatly appreciate the help.