HK008

I have a few ideas to help improve what you have started.

First off don't worry so much about the Force Feedback (Chance for recharge) in you single target attacks (especially KO). However, you will get more out of it in ...Foot Stomp! Speaking of Foot Stomp instead of Scirrocco's I would suggest maybe Eradication since it has a large hp boost (increase your hp pool will help out your regen). Now that you have an empty space in the singles think about adding the Mako Acc/Dmg/Rec/End. Also, swap the Crushing Impact Acc/Dmg for the Acc/Dmg/End. You'll get 60% acc, 100% dmg, 85% to both recharge and endurance red. I happen to like that slotting and use it in my SS/WP.

Even though global acc is nice, and 40% is great, +to hit is far better. So Rage should have some slots to boost that aspect, and make sure the recharge is low. That doesn't mean you need to 6 slot it. I'd only 6 slot it with the Gaussian's set if I wanted the defense bonus. Adj. Targeting's 6th pc bonus is "meh" considering how much status resistance you can get in Indomitable Will/Strength of Will.

I'd also plan to take the 4th slot in Darkest Night with the Dark Watcher set. Might as well get the recharge bonus. Don't worry so much about the endurance reduction IO. If you can find the slot put another one in Gloom. So what if it is a Patron attack. It's the best attack you'll have most of the time. Where to find that slot? I usually don't put more than 3 slots into the resistance/defense toggles. I tend to run those power pretty lean, and with resist toggles the 4th bonus usually sucks (at least when going for hit points).

Don't be afraid to put some set bonus like 3 Titanium coatings into Strength of Will. You're also capped on the 16hp bonus provided by several sets. You can trim out some of the Luck of the Gambler's. You can go with just 2 from that set (the 7.5 global recharge, and the defense are my picks) for the regen bonus. If you want to keep 2 slots into those power you can fill them with Gift of the Ancients if you want even more recovery. Serendipity will grant you a small regen bonus that will stack with what you have as well.

Yes, this is me brain storming, and I don't plan to edit it (k, maybe just a little). For the most part though your build looks pretty good. Save up for some purple sets, and we can talk about where those can go!

Is the double arm swing the alternate for KO, and the ground punch for Foot Stomp?

Merc brawl is annoying. Graveknights using ranged attacks almost always is also rather frustrating. My Genin also seem to prefer using the single throwing star over all their melee attacks. So ranged run in, and melee don't. Yeah, still some issues with pet AI.

With Necro/Pain you could add in Dark Blast and Gloom. They add on more -to hit, and with the potential damage buffs they can be less pathetic than usual. I took them to make soloing a little less boring. They can be skipped, and depending on how active your secondary is you may never take them. I just found them a bit more useful for /Pain, and I tend to carry the mind set of taking personal attacks to /Force Field as well. In the end it's a play style choice. You won't be gimp either way.

If I remember right the chart that Billz put up in the scrapper forum for SS has it at about 210 with a chain of KO/Gloom/Haymaker/Punch/Haymaker. You'll need about 250% recharge in KO to make it possible. With Hasten up I'm close, but I haven't enhanced for that last bit. I don't ever use Jab, and rarely use Brawl.

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Ice pirates.

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Yes, and the Tier 3 pet should look like Robert Urich so I can name him "Jason". Wait, you probably aren't talking about the 1984 sci-fi movie of the same name.

My Demon MM will most likely be /Thermal. Name is in reserve, and costume ideas already being toyed with. Can't wait!

That's an AoE machine right there.

I'll share what I am using. It's single target focused. No PvP IO, and I'm not really looking for it right now (playing a lot of alts). 15% Smashing/Lethal defense with 20% negative to-hit from RttC, and Darkest Night. Works wonders vs minions when anchoring DN on a higher HP target.

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[ QUOTE ]
I'm not sure if this thread is still being followed, but I had another question.

Is Punch, Haymaker &amp; KO Blow sufficient against single targets, or do you not worry about that and just cycle Footstomp into the deal or only worry about AoE damage?

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Cycle in Foot Stomp, and you could even toss a Ball Lightening. Put the Force Feedback back into Foot Stomp. It has a chance to proc on all the targets it hits. It won't stack, but the AoE nature of the attack virtually ensures it will be up more often than not. Instead of the second Steadfast in High Pain Tolerance you could eventually go for the PvP 3% defense IO (not found in Mids). That slot would be perfect for it.

Why Serendipity in Combat Jumping? Go for another 3pc Luck of the Gambler, and another 7.5% global recharge. Double stacking Rage won't last for long, but it would be possible while Hasten is active (FF proc would make it more so). Oh, and the Rise to the Challenge HP regen is about right. Play with the accolades, and watch your fully fueled RttC grant you 130hp a sec.

Keep in mind the IO's you are playing with are rather pricey.

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I've loved using Darkest night on my DM/SR if only for the -DMG, which is 21% (!!!)

The only time it is useful is against an AV, or when messing around with the AE seeing how many tough guys I can take on at one and fell like I'm the AV and the game is trying to take ME down as with a team.

However, statistically speaking, even the 21% damage reduction it offers (unresistable as far as I know) still does not match the survivability that aid self gives me on my alt build.

Just my 2 cents. Oh and gloom is just plain awesome single target damage against bags of hp.

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The damage debuff can be partially resisted by AV's.

For an Invul I wouldn't choose Soul for Darkest Night. The set can be an endurance pig as it is, and DN is costly. Choose Soul because of Gloom or not at all.

I recently created a Necro/Pain MM. I am considering an experiment of keeping Dark Blast, Gloom, and maybe adding the cones from Soul.

The potential damage bonuses make those attacks seem less pathetic than usual. Though that's not my only thought here. Since Anguishing Cry is the only offense in the secondary the attacks give you an opportunity to be a second Lich... kinda.

Anyone else try this?

The Scrapper forums are a great place for advice, but no forum is littered with more posts asking for SS/WP advice than the Brute forums. This combo gets a build request once a week at least.

http://boards.cityofheroes.com/showflat....=1#Post13781588

That is a posting that happened not long after yours. Helincarnate's build offered there is a sound way to build a Brute that wants to add what you are looking for. You're build has positional (melee, range, AoE) defenses as the goal of your IO's when you should maybe look at typed (smashing, lethal, fire, cold, etc...). You also have the Regenerative Tissue unique in Rise to the Challenge, and it would be better served in a passive power. Take a look at Helin's build there, and use it for some inspiration. You really don't need 40+ defense on a Willpower especially if you aren't soloing AV's. 50% resistance to Smashing/Lethal damage with Tough is pretty standard.


I'd also recommend browsing the Brute forum for a couple pages, and look at the other SS/WP postings for ideas. This question has been done to death over there, and you'll find more sample builds from people that play that combo.

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What about Monkey Steals the Peach? (Not Safe For Sanity)

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Heh, I learned a variant to that as a method of grapple escape. Go go Bujinkan taijutsu!

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..to make CoF useful? i've got a lowbie energy/dark brute i'm playing right now &amp; toying with the idea of trying it out.

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Yeah, it's called serious enhancement investment. You'll probably want accuracy, to-hit debuff, and endurance management. If you take CoF and only use the default slot prepare to be unimpressed. You'll need to learn how to juggle the endurance cost of the power as well since you might get overwhelmed if you run death shroud too.

I've always been a fan of CoF (even when targets ran away, but then again i just used provoke back then...). It's just not as gravy right out of the box as Oppressive Gloom.

To answer your subject question. Too many attacks is when you have attacks sitting around collecting dust. Does that matter at the low end of the game like level 25? Absolutely not. Trimming the fat of powers is something that you might find more important in the 40-50 game.

Jump Kick is a waste of a power pick to most, but if it is helping you get through the lowbie game while opening your travel of choice, then by all means enjoy it. There are better power choices, but you can change it later (you do get a free respec after the first patron arc you complete). Oh, and when you go to open the fighting pool take boxing. Even in an end game build you may never use boxing, but you need to take something to open tough. At least boxing can take a purple stun enhancement for a bonus 10% global recharge if that's your bag (otherwise never slot it).

Have you started playing that Brute? I don't know how you would have leveled, and not realized what SS attacks are good, and what aren't. If you are coming from Tanker land you should know Jab blows. You don't have to take it, and there is no reason to. If you are about to level this Brute you can still use the slotting ideas for basic SO/common IO without a respec to shuffle things around. That's usually how I roll. So, instead of making comments about how bad the build is (I really don't know where to start). I'll build you something else.

It's by no means the only way to go. You could easily tweak sets, and all that. I added 2 more accolades, and with all the new set bonuses the build lands 2601hp with 72hp per sec with 1 foe in RttC. Hit points are your big deal for farming as most farm targets will just hit you through your defense or debuff it away. I still have that steadfast in there because it is cute (k, fine it's pretty useful).

Here ya go. How I might make a Mu patron (I'm a Soul junkie) SS/WP...

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[ QUOTE ]
Recharge being a no brainer, your main choice is :

- Going for +def, hps and regen.
- Only for +hps and regen.

In the first case you'll have the best survivability when mobs dont debuff your defense. However if you think your defense gonna get debuffed really often, going for hps and regen only is a better choice.

It's up to you, personnally I think a bit of defense never hurt.

PS : dont forget the FF proc in Footstomp, this thing is awesome !

[/ QUOTE ]

I'd advocate +def for Brutes without long recharging attacks, and those that don't have Darkest Night. Otherwise it's recharge, recharge, recharge, and hit points! The best defense is smash first ask questions never! Rawr!

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I am looking for personalized input from different people on this, by the way. Feel free to tell me how -you- run missions!

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I use my Super-strength to rip the door off the hinges of the mission. Then I storm in and find the first group I can. I'll laugh at their puny attempts to harm me, and then I'll put my foot down! Rawr!

Seriously Brutes are all about smash. In the early days you'll be expected to absorb most of the alphas due to your higher hit points, and also as a courtesy for you to build rage. Later on this might change depending on what kind of Dom's, or Masterminds you might group with. You can build to tank, but most don't bother. No one on the dark side complains either since villains are pretty self contained.

Oh, and about whirling hands type attacks. Use point blank area attacks (cone attacks you'll need to practice on lining them up) when you can get as many targets in it's range. Usually those attacks have high endurance costs, and low damage if you only use it on one target. So maximize it's attributes by hitting as many targets as you can!

Adding yourself to the list does change your destiny. You would others just remain a regular old goon of Recluse. Now, the Ouroboros mission gets into temporal paradox territory. Perhaps when you go back to 'fix' the time stream your past self has just completed his first VEAT mission. So when you do get busted out of the Zig you're on the Destined Ones list. Time travel messes everything up.

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[ QUOTE ]
I'd rather be a real rogue and play both sides against the middle. That's what I'm hoping going rogue will be instead of the whole switching side stuff.

[/ QUOTE ]

Well you can stop hoping because it has been confirmed a long time ago that it is actual side-switching.

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Sigh, this is why I never bother to roleplay in MMOs. The roles are already set for you, all you have to do is let the storyline prod you alone. Well, I guess when the time comes, I'll just have to decide whether blue side farms and BM will be enough to entice me to switch sides. Well, definately not my SoAs, there's just something unnatural about that.

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I don't find it shocking that a game inspired by comic books has little room for morally gray. There are MMO's with morally gray areas out there. One in particular comes to mind, and it has it's own version of Mountain Dew.

[ QUOTE ]
I think that SoAs that switch to blueside should run into occasional bounty hunters or Arachnos troops like Keldians run into Voids. I would think the defection of a highly placed Arachnos operative (a Destined One, no less) would annoy the Arbiters just a wee bit...

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I disagree. I don't want to spoil the VEAT story, but due to the ending of it Recluse wouldn't order a hit on you. In fact he would be happy to see you go, and probably tell you to not let the door hit you on the backside as you left. The Arbiters wouldn't do anything either because it's Lord Recluse's will to let you do whatever you want.

Also, being an Arachnos operative, and "Destined One" are mutually exclusive once you begin the story for the VEATs. You erase your service record (hence you are no longer an Arachnos operative), and join the "Destined One" list like all the other AT's red side. No NPC outside of the VEAT story knows you were an operative. If a bounty hunter comes for a "Destined One" that would include every AT red side. The whole reason villains are being let out of the Zig is because that particular character you are playing is on the "Destined One" list. Due to the nature of the VEAT story there is no reason to treat them any different than the other villain AT's. You may RP differently, but the actual game story changes how SoA toons are viewed in the Rogue Isles.

[ QUOTE ]
I don't understand why all the talk about Bane being squishy, and constantly comparing it to Night Widows. Bane is vastly superior in every facet of gameplay, minus the slow casting and no elude.

The damage output is ridiculously high, and as for smacking around heroes, a fully slotted Bane Spider has no problems doing it. As far as soft capping on defenses, wasting power slots on the fighting or leadership trees is pointless. Just spend the money IO'ing your toon out with purples and other expensive sets, and you'll be fine. I have a lvl 50 Bane God. So my advice is simple...stop comparing it to NW's, its a different class, different style, and better in my opinion. Of the VEATS it is clearly the strongest, anyone who claims it isn't, either has never played a Bane Spider, or just has no skill.

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O rly?