Heraclea

I took the character out for a Citadel this evening. Those Council maps are full of reasons why I don't like Speed Boost all that much on my melee characters.

I did not try to keep everyone SBed, and tried to use it mostly on anyone I saw panting. Mostly, the other controller. I made ID more of a priority buff; it's about all that Kin has to help melees, and it helps squishies even more. And after the tanks had gathered some together, I tried to make more use of my AoE holds and immobilizes.

Still not sure if I am going to be doing this to everyone's satisfaction, but at least there wasn't any complaining.

I do intend to pick up Ring of Fire if the character lasts another level. Ran a Moonfire yesterday with the character, and I was told that I was expected to have Increase Density, so that's what I got at level 24. The guides I looked at told me to take Char instead at level 1.

I'd probably just as soon have only Increase Density and skip Speed Boost. ID at least seems useful. I dislike SB on my non-Stone tankers, brutes, and scrappers (and don't play my stone tanker much). These characters typically slot hard for endurance recovery, so the benefits of more recharge tend to be much offset by the loss of movement predictability, and therefore of control over where you are going to put down your Foot Stomps and other AoEs.

Then again, asking that you be skipped for Speed Boost doesn't work either. It's not fun being the tanker on a team where every other character is three times as fast on the ground as you are. I guess I just have to turn on Fly whenever I get hit with it. But Foot Stomp won't work with Fly.

So part of the reason why I made this character and am trying to learn how to play him is to learn what things look like from the other side. I promise I won't complain again.

Edit: The mother of a cuckoo chick.

Should work great. Dark Melee, where almost everything has a -to hit debuff in it, pairs well with defense oriented primaries.

DM's chief drawback is the long recharge on its AoE powers (it actually has more AoE by number of powers than some tanker secondaries, like EM or SS. And as Ice, you probably don't need Dark Consumption either.) As Ice, though, you have that covered and don't need AoEs in your secondary to hold aggro at all.

My ill/emp goes through periods of feeling fairly powerful (mostly when PA is up) and hiding (when down). With that character, it's mostly a lack of recharge. PA has 3 recharges in it: not enough. Almost all of the Empathy buffs are 3 slotted for recharge: not enough. She has Hasten: not enough.

I suppose I could mess around with IO sets, but other characters have much higher priority. To the extent that she even has IOs, they're all generic, or the ones that she gets because no other character is able to slot them. Last time I respecced the character I saw that more than half of her enhancements were for recharge.

I noted the apparent ubiquity of fire/kins and just thought that this was apparently a recommended combination. So far at least the character doesn't have the recharge issues of my ill/emp, I'll say that much. But I guess I am learning that I do not enjoy the role of a buff-bot.

I like to have a range of characters on different levels on my home server, which is slowly filling with 50s. I didn't want to make another tanker or scrapper; the few primaries there are ones I know I didn't want (i.e. Dark Armor or Invuln as a scrapper). I suppose I wanted to try something different, and just understood that fire/kin was supposed to be a strong combination. At level 25 I am not seeing it.

Heroes - Doc Delilah. Being Inv/SS doesn't hurt.

Villains - Silver Mantis. She gets the best lines.

And, of course, my archvillain nemesis, the nefarious Mold Wall!

I suppose that if I am going to enjoy a controller, I need to choose a secondary whose chief purpose is not team buffs. I have a level 50 controller I levelled a couple years ago, but she is Illusion/Empathy and does not play well with strangers either.

My rad/archery defender is enjoyable to play, but I'm not terribly interested in playing a set I have in a primary as a secondary on another character. Defenders also get endurance help; I suspect endurance on a rad controller would be a larger problem.

What are the other non-buffing controller secondaries? Storm? Trick Arrow? Storm is not particularly team friendly as far as I can see. Trick Arrow has never impressed either.

I rolled up a Fire/Kin last week and today got him to 25. Mostly because I thought of an amusing name.

Solo, the character is incredibly weak. It seems that everything in the primary does minor damage. Very minor. I ended up eating a veteran respec to move from Super Speed to Flight so I would have another attack, even if it is a melee attack on a squishy. Apart from Char, the next best thing is ... my taunt aura. I didn't know squishies had a taunt aura.

Fortunately, teamed, my primary may as well not exist. I exist to provide Kin buffs to players who are constantly blocked or out of range. I feel like the mother bird with a nest full of cuckoo chicks.

Will this character ever become enjoyable to play?

FWIW, the build looks something like this now:

Hero Plan by Mids' Hero Designer 1.401
http://www.cohplanner.com/

[u]Click this DataLink to open the build![u]

Laird of Kinfyre: Level 25 Mutation Controller
Primary Power Set: Fire Control
Secondary Power Set: Kinetics
Power Pool: Flight
Power Pool: Fitness

Hero Profile:
Level 1: Char -- Acc(A), Acc(3), Dmg(3), Dmg(5), Dmg(11), RechRdx(13)
Level 1: Transfusion -- Acc(A), Acc(5), RechRdx(15), Heal(23)
Level 2: Siphon Power -- Acc(A), Acc(7), RechRdx(15)
Level 4: Fire Cages -- Acc(A), EndRdx(7)
Level 6: Air Superiority -- Acc(A), Acc(9), Dmg(9), Dmg(25)
Level 8: Swift -- Run(A)
Level 10: Siphon Speed -- Acc(A), Acc(11), RechRdx(23)
Level 12: Flashfire -- Acc(A), Acc(13), Dmg(25)
Level 14: Fly -- Flight(A)
Level 16: Health -- Heal(A), Heal(17), Heal(17)
Level 18: Hot Feet -- Acc(A), EndRdx(19), Dmg(19)
Level 20: Stamina -- EndMod(A), EndMod(21), EndMod(21)
Level 22: Speed Boost -- EndMod(A)
Level 24: Increase Density -- EndRdx(A)
Level 26: [Empty]
Level 28: [Empty]
Level 30: [Empty]
Level 32: [Empty]
Level 35: [Empty]
Level 38: [Empty]
Level 41: [Empty]
Level 44: [Empty]
Level 47: [Empty]
Level 49: [Empty]
------------
Level 1: Brawl -- Empty(A)
Level 1: Sprint -- Empty(A)
Level 2: Rest -- Empty(A)
Level 1: Containment

I knew you'd like it. Since we're sharing builds, this one is the one I am currently using. IO set selection is based as much on historical accident (i.e. what dropped) as anything else; only some were acquired deliberately.

Villain Plan by Mids' Villain Designer 1.401
http://www.cohplanner.com/

[u]Click this DataLink to open the build![u]

Anactoria (goal): Level 50 Magic Brute
Primary Power Set: Dark Melee
Secondary Power Set: Willpower
Power Pool: Flight
Power Pool: Fitness
Power Pool: Fighting
Power Pool: Speed

Villain Profile:
Level 1: Shadow Punch -- DarkWD-Rchg/EndRdx(A), DarkWD-ToHitdeb/Rchg/EndRdx(3), Mocking-Acc/Rchg(13), Mocking-Rchg(15), Acc-I(39), DarkWD-Slow%(40)
Level 1: High Pain Tolerance -- Heal-I(A), Heal-I(5), Heal-I(15)
Level 2: Smite -- DarkWD-Rchg/EndRdx(A), DarkWD-ToHitDeb/Rchg(3), Acc-I(9), Acc-I(9), Dmg-I(11), Dmg-I(25)
Level 4: Fast Healing -- Heal-I(A), Heal-I(5), Heal-I(7)
Level 6: Air Superiority -- C'ngImp-Acc/Dmg(A), Acc-I(7), C'ngImp-Acc/Dmg/Rchg(11), C'ngImp-Acc/Dmg/EndRdx(17), C'ngImp-Dmg/EndRdx(29), C'ngImp-Dmg/EndRdx/Rchg(37)
Level 8: Swift -- Run-I(A)
Level 10: Indomitable Will -- GftotA-Def/EndRdx(A), GftotA-Def/Rchg(46), GftotA-Def/EndRdx/Rchg(48), GftotA-Def(50)
Level 12: Siphon Life -- Mako-Acc/Dmg(A), Mako-Acc/EndRdx/Rchg(13), Nictus-Acc/Heal(34), Nictus-Heal/HP/Regen/Rchg(34), Mako-Acc/Dmg/EndRdx/Rchg(43), Nictus-Acc/EndRdx/Heal/HP/Regen(48)
Level 14: Fly -- Flight-I(A)
Level 16: Rise to the Challenge -- Numna-Heal/EndRdx(A), H'zdH-Heal/EndRdx(17), Taunt-I(36), Taunt-I(39), Dct'dW-Heal/EndRdx(40), Numna-Heal/EndRdx/Rchg(40)
Level 18: Health -- Heal-I(A), Heal-I(19), Heal-I(19)
Level 20: Quick Recovery -- EndMod-I(A), EndMod-I(21), EndMod-I(21)
Level 22: Stamina -- EndMod-I(A), EndMod-I(23), EndMod-I(23)
Level 24: Mind Over Body -- ImpArm-ResDam/EndRdx(A), ImpArm-ResDam/EndRdx/Rchg(25), ImpArm-ResDam(37), ImpArm-EndRdx/Rchg(37)
Level 26: Soul Drain -- AdjTgt-ToHit(A), AdjTgt-ToHit/Rchg(27), AdjTgt-ToHit/EndRdx/Rchg(27), AdjTgt-EndRdx/Rchg(31), AdjTgt-ToHit/EndRdx(34), AdjTgt-Rchg(46)
Level 28: Touch of Fear -- Cloud-Acc/ToHitDeb(A), Cloud-Acc/Rchg(29), Cloud-Acc/EndRdx/Rchg(42), Cloud-ToHitDeb(43), Acc-I(46)
Level 30: Heightened Senses -- GftotA-Def/EndRdx(A), GftotA-Def/EndRdx/Rchg(31), GftotA-Def(31), GftotA-Def/Rchg(48)
Level 32: Midnight Grasp -- TotHntr-Acc/Rchg(A), TotHntr-Acc/EndRdx(33), TotHntr-Acc/Immob/Rchg(33), TotHntr-EndRdx/Immob(33), Dmg-I(43), Dmg-I(45)
Level 35: Boxing -- Stpfy-Acc/Rchg(A), Stpfy-Acc/EndRdx(36), Stpfy-Acc/Stun/Rchg(36)
Level 38: Strength of Will -- ResDam-I(A), ResDam-I(39)
Level 41: Tough -- TtmC'tng-ResDam/EndRdx(A), TtmC'tng-ResDam/EndRdx/Rchg(42), TtmC'tng-EndRdx(42)
Level 44: Weave -- LkGmblr-Def/EndRdx(A), LkGmblr-Def/EndRdx/Rchg(45), LkGmblr-EndRdx/Rchg(45)
Level 47: Taunt -- Mocking-Taunt/Rchg/Rng(A)
Level 49: Hasten -- RechRdx-I(A), RechRdx-I(50), RechRdx-I(50)
------------
Level 1: Brawl -- Acc-I(A)
Level 1: Sprint -- Run-I(A)
Level 2: Rest -- RechRdx-I(A)
Level 1: Fury

Be happy to share mine, though I know nothing of PvP. I strove for a relatively balanced build that can tank, but I strove mostly for recovery, damage, and recharge rather than hitting any defensive or resistance caps.

Hero Plan by Mids' Hero Designer 1.401
http://www.cohplanner.com/

[u]Click this DataLink to open the build![u]

Heraclea IV: Level 50 Magic Tanker
Primary Power Set: Invulnerability
Secondary Power Set: Super Strength
Power Pool: Flight
Power Pool: Fitness
Power Pool: Fighting
Power Pool: Speed
Ancillary Pool: Energy Mastery

Hero Profile:
Level 1: Temp Invulnerability -- RctvArm-ResDam/EndRdx(A), RctvArm-ResDam/Rchg(7), RctvArm-ResDam/EndRdx/Rchg(13), RctvArm-ResDam(15), RctvArm-EndRdx/Rchg(46)
Level 1: Jab -- Stpfy-Acc/Rchg(A), Stpfy-Acc/EndRdx(21), Stpfy-Acc/Stun/Rchg(37)
Level 2: Dull Pain -- H'zdH-Heal/Rchg(A), H'zdH-Heal/EndRdx/Rchg(3), Numna-Heal/Rchg(3), Numna-Heal/EndRdx/Rchg(42), RgnTis-Heal/Rchg(43), RgnTis-Heal/EndRdx/Rchg(43)
Level 4: Haymaker -- C'ngImp-Acc/Dmg(A), C'ngImp-Dmg/EndRdx(5), C'ngImp-Dmg/Rchg(5), C'ngImp-Acc/Dmg/Rchg(11), C'ngImp-Acc/Dmg/EndRdx(46), HO:Nucle(46)
Level 6: Air Superiority -- C'ngImp-Acc/Dmg(A), C'ngImp-Dmg/EndRdx(7), C'ngImp-Dmg/Rchg(23), C'ngImp-Acc/Dmg/Rchg(25), C'ngImp-Acc/Dmg/EndRdx(34)
Level 8: Unyielding -- Aegis-ResDam/EndRdx/Rchg(A), Aegis-ResDam/EndRdx(9), Aegis-ResDam(9), Aegis-Psi/Status(11), Aegis-ResDam/Rchg(13)
Level 10: Swift -- Run-I(A)
Level 12: Boxing -- Stpfy-Acc/Rchg(A), Stpfy-Acc/EndRdx(31), Stpfy-Acc/Stun/Rchg(40)
Level 14: Fly -- Frbd-Stlth(A), Frbd-Fly(15)
Level 16: Health -- Heal-I(A), Mrcl-Heal/Rchg(17), Mrcl-Heal(17), Mrcl-Rcvry+(50)
Level 18: Invincibility -- GftotA-Def/EndRdx(A), GftotA-Def/EndRdx/Rchg(19), GftotA-Def(19), GftotA-EndRdx/Rchg(37), GSFC-Build%(43), GSFC-ToHit/EndRdx(45)
Level 20: Stamina -- P'Shift-EndMod/Rchg(A), P'Shift-EndMod(21), P'Shift-EndMod/Acc(48), P'Shift-End%(50)
Level 22: Knockout Blow -- HO:Nucle(A), Lock-Acc/EndRdx/Rchg/Hold(23), Lock-Acc/Rchg(25), P'ngS'Fest-Dmg/EndRdx(33), P'ngS'Fest-Dmg/Rchg(33), P'ngS'Fest-Acc/Dmg(34)
Level 24: Resist Elements -- ImpArm-EndRdx/Rchg(A), ImpArm-ResDam/Rchg(36)
Level 26: Tough Hide -- GftotA-Def(A), GftotA-Def/EndRdx(27), GftotA-Run+(27)
Level 28: Rage -- AdjTgt-Rchg(A), AdjTgt-ToHit/Rchg(29), AdjTgt-ToHit(29), AdjTgt-ToHit/EndRdx(31), AdjTgt-EndRdx/Rchg(34)
Level 30: Tough -- ImpArm-ResDam/EndRdx(A), ImpArm-ResDam/EndRdx/Rchg(31), ImpArm-ResDam(33), ImpArm-EndRdx/Rchg(36)
Level 32: Resist Energies -- S'fstPrt-ResDam/EndRdx(A), S'fstPrt-ResDam/Def+(36)
Level 35: Taunt -- Mocking-Taunt(A), Mocking-Taunt/Rchg(37)
Level 38: Foot Stomp -- C'ngBlow-Acc/Dmg(A), C'ngBlow-Dmg/EndRdx(39), C'ngBlow-Acc/Rchg(39), C'ngBlow-Dmg/Rchg(39), Sciroc-Dmg/Rchg(40), Sciroc-Acc/Dmg/EndRdx(40)
Level 41: Conserve Power -- RechRdx-I(A), RechRdx-I(42), RechRdx-I(42)
Level 44: Hasten -- RechRdx-I(A), RechRdx-I(45), RechRdx-I(45)
Level 47: Weave -- LkGmblr-Def/EndRdx(A), LkGmblr-EndRdx/Rchg(48), LkGmblr-Def/Rchg(48), LkGmblr-Def/EndRdx/Rchg(50)
Level 49: Resist Physical Damage -- ImpArm-ResPsi(A)
------------
Level 1: Brawl -- Dmg-I(A)
Level 1: Sprint -- Run-I(A)
Level 2: Rest -- RechRdx-I(A)
Level 1: Gauntlet

If we can still be human (or whatever) in Granite, it might get me interested in playing my Stone tanker again. I will happily turn off all the glows and all the effects if that's allowed.

As far as I know, tickets only drop when mobs are defeated, and your mission bonus at the end matches those.

SoW is a good place to pop the Steadfast Protection Res/Def unique IO. I tend to find that once Tough and Weave are in play, SoW tends to be almost forgotten, so I usually don't slot it up for resistance all that much myself. The extra +3% across the board defense in that IO is working for you full time whether SoW is active or not.

Here is Betsy Ross, a scrapper on Victory, who would seem to qualify.

I have a basic levelling guide but that may not tell you what you're looking for.

Neither Willpower nor Stone Melee have easy options for exotic slotting, unfortunately, unlike, say, Dark Melee.

I generally look for +hp, +regen, +recharge, and +accuracy bonuses for sets; getting a lot of mileage out of defense bonuses tends to steal slots away from powers that are more fun to slot.

I decided to go with Caltrops.

I did my 50 respec, to change the order of selection and some of the slotting of the powers. This is my "ridiculous" goal build - obviously it's going to take a while to acquire 3 partial sets of LotG and Numina, which I will want in order to get the level of recharge I'd consider desirable out of the character. Until then I'm likely just to go with generic IOs. On the other hand, some of the other powers are creatively slotted with 1000-bid sets.

Hero Plan by Mids' Hero Designer 1.401
http://www.cohplanner.com/

[u]Click this DataLink to open the build![u]

Betsy Ross (goal): Level 50 Mutation Scrapper
Primary Power Set: Spines
Secondary Power Set: Willpower
Power Pool: Flight
Power Pool: Fitness
Power Pool: Fighting
Ancillary Pool: Weapon Mastery

Hero Profile:
Level 1: Lunge -- C'ngImp-Dmg/EndRdx/Rchg(A), C'ngImp-Dmg/EndRdx(3), C'ngImp-Acc/Dmg/EndRdx(3), C'ngImp-Acc/Dmg/Rchg(11), C'ngImp-Acc/Dmg(37), Hectmb-Dam%(46)
Level 1: High Pain Tolerance -- Numna-Heal(A), Numna-Heal/Rchg(5), Numna-Heal/EndRdx/Rchg(7), TtmC'tng-ResDam(43), TtmC'tng-ResDam/Rchg(43), TtmC'tng-ResDam/EndRdx(50)
Level 2: Spine Burst -- Sciroc-Acc/Dmg(A), Sciroc-Acc/Rchg(5), Sciroc-Acc/Dmg/EndRdx(7), Sciroc-Dmg/Rchg(15), Erad-Dmg/Rchg(40), Erad-Acc/Dmg/EndRdx/Rchg(50)
Level 4: Fast Healing -- Numna-Heal(A), Numna-Heal/EndRdx(9), Numna-Heal/Rchg(9)
Level 6: Air Superiority -- Mako-Acc/Dmg(A), Mako-Acc/EndRdx/Rchg(11), Mako-Acc/Dmg/EndRdx/Rchg(46)
Level 8: Impale -- Dev'n-Acc/Dmg(A), Dev'n-Acc/Dmg/Rchg(13), Dev'n-Acc/Dmg/EndRdx/Rchg(13), Dev'n-Dmg/Rchg(40), Thundr-Acc/Dmg(40), Thundr-Acc/Dmg/EndRdx(46)
Level 10: Indomitable Will -- LkGmblr-Def/EndRdx/Rchg(A), LkGmblr-Def/EndRdx(15)
Level 12: Swift -- Run-I(A)
Level 14: Fly -- Flight-I(A)
Level 16: Rise to the Challenge -- Numna-Heal/EndRdx(A), Numna-Heal(17), Numna-Heal/Rchg(17), DarkWD-Rchg/EndRdx(42), DarkWD-Slow%(43), Taunt-I(50)
Level 18: Health -- RgnTis-Heal/EndRdx(A), RgnTis-Heal/Rchg(19), RgnTis-Regen+(19)
Level 20: Quick Recovery -- P'Shift-EndMod(A), P'Shift-EndMod/Acc(21), P'Shift-EndMod/Rchg(21)
Level 22: Stamina -- Efficacy-EndMod(A), Efficacy-EndMod/Rchg(23), Efficacy-EndMod/Acc(23)
Level 24: Mind Over Body -- TtmC'tng-ResDam/EndRdx(A), TtmC'tng-ResDam/EndRdx/Rchg(25), TtmC'tng-ResDam(25), Aegis-ResDam/EndRdx(42)
Level 26: Ripper -- Oblit-Dmg(A), Oblit-Acc/Rchg(27), Oblit-Acc/Dmg/Rchg(27), Oblit-Dmg/Rchg(31), Oblit-Acc/Dmg/EndRdx/Rchg(31), M'Strk-Acc/EndRdx(37)
Level 28: Quills -- TmpRdns-Acc/Slow(A), TmpRdns-Acc/EndRdx(29), TmpRdns-Dmg/Slow(29), TmpRdns-EndRdx/Rchg/Slow(37), TmpRdns-Acc/Dmg/Slow(39), M'Strk-Dmg/EndRdx(39)
Level 30: Heightened Senses -- LkGmblr-Def/EndRdx(A), LkGmblr-Def/EndRdx/Rchg(31), LkGmblr-Def(34), LkGmblr-Rchg+(39)
Level 32: Throw Spines -- AirB'st-Acc/Dmg(A), AirB'st-Dmg/EndRdx(33), AirB'st-Dmg/Rchg(33), Posi-Acc/Dmg(33), Posi-Acc/Dmg/EndRdx(34), Posi-Dmg/Rchg(34)
Level 35: Build Up -- AdjTgt-Rchg(A), AdjTgt-ToHit/Rchg(36), AdjTgt-EndRdx/Rchg(36), AdjTgt-ToHit/EndRdx/Rchg(36)
Level 38: Strength of Will -- S'fstPrt-ResDam/Def+(A)
Level 41: Boxing -- Stpfy-Acc/Rchg(A), Stpfy-Acc/EndRdx(42)
Level 44: Tough -- TtmC'tng-ResDam/EndRdx(A), TtmC'tng-EndRdx/Rchg(45), ImpArm-ResDam/EndRdx(45), ImpArm-ResDam(45)
Level 47: Weave -- LkGmblr-Def/EndRdx(A), LkGmblr-EndRdx/Rchg(48), LkGmblr-Def/EndRdx/Rchg(48), LkGmblr-Rchg+(48)
Level 49: Caltrops -- P'ngTtl--Rchg%(A)
------------
Level 1: Brawl -- Empty(A)
Level 1: Sprint -- Empty(A)
Level 2: Rest -- Empty(A)
Level 1: Critical Hit

I'd generally only put 1 - 2 slots into IW on a scrapper. Having any Psionic defense is itself somewhat unusual among the several defensive sets.

It's also a good place to stick Luck of the Gambler, which generally I do not use unless they drop for me. 2 of them buy you a regeneration buff, which may have a good enough benefit to justify the cost of ownership.

While it's true that Dual Blades is one of the less endurance intensive secondaries for a tanker, I think that the potential of having both QR and Stamina is probably the main advantage of the Willpower defense set. You probably could get by without it - at least, if you also thought you could get by without Tough or Weave too.

To me, at least, making a Willpower tanker and skipping Stamina is rather like having a Porsche you never drive, because you'd rather not be bothered to put air in the tires. Being quit of the broken, boring endurance mechanic is a goal in itself.

Tough and Weave are not quite as necessary - especially if you have Health - but they are great helps for taking the edge off large alpha strikes, something a tanker needs to think about. If you are lucky with inspirations or have a buffing team you can do without them most of the time. I'd rather be tough enough even on a team of all blasters and fire/kins.

I assume that a WP/DB tanker - not a brute or a scrapper - is going to need:<ul type="square">[*]Taunt,[*]Fitness all the way to Stamina; and[*]Fighting including Tough and Weave to take the edge off alpha strikes.[/list]Having all of those things makes for a far more useful Willpower tanker. But getting them with Dual Blades means losing many of the combos.

That's why I like Dual Blades best with primaries that aren't quite so demanding, like Fire or Stone, better than Willpower.

IMO, Dual Blades does not work too well with Willpower, mostly because both sets are quite demanding and require you take eight of the nine powers to get the most out of them. What AoE you can get from the set comes fairly late.

Dual Blades works best with Fire, Stone, and (to a lesser extent) Invulnerability. Basically, the more optional powers there are in the primary, the better the synergy with DB.

Here is a revised build order for this guide. Super Strength needs a bit of changing from my recommended approach to Willpower tankers, in that KO Blow becomes available at level 20 and you want to take it as soon as it is available. This means that Stamina has to be postponed.

Really, except for Rage (28), Strength of Will (32), and Foot Stomp (38), the power selection order for everything after level 20 is a matter of taste. I might still prefer to get Stamina at 22, even if that meant putting off Mind over Body to 24. Generally, the sooner you get both QR and Stamina working for you, the more you will enjoy your character. You do start to face some heavy hitting smashing and lethal mobs, including Freakshow and Warriors, regularly in the 20something levels. Still, the toggles only begin to repay their endurance cost when they can be slotted with SO enhancements or better. So your mileage may vary.

I also pushed Fly forward, Super Speed back. Fly, whatever its flaws, at least goes anywhere. Hasten and Super Speed are the most optional powers of the build. They can easily be replaced by ancillary powers, other pools you like better, or Hurl, Resurgence, or even Hand Clap.

Hero Plan by Mids' Hero Designer 1.401
http://www.cohplanner.com/

Click this DataLink to open the build!

Complete Amazon V. II: Level 50 Magic Tanker
Primary Power Set: Willpower
Secondary Power Set: Super Strength
Power Pool: Flight
Power Pool: Fitness
Power Pool: Fighting
Power Pool: Speed

Hero Profile:
Level 1: High Pain Tolerance -- Heal-I(A), Heal-I(7), Heal-I(15), ResDam-I(40), ResDam-I(43), ResDam-I(43)
Level 1: Jab -- Acc-I(A), Acc-I(3), Dmg-I(34), Dmg-I(36), Dmg-I(36), EndRdx-I(37)
Level 2: Fast Healing -- Heal-I(A), Heal-I(3), Heal-I(7)
Level 4: Haymaker -- Acc-I(A), Acc-I(5), Dmg-I(5), Dmg-I(17), Dmg-I(33), RechRdx-I(34)
Level 6: Indomitable Will -- EndRdx-I(A), DefBuff-I(43), DefBuff-I(46), DefBuff-I(46)
Level 8: Rise to the Challenge -- EndRdx-I(A), Heal-I(9), Heal-I(9), Heal-I(11), Taunt-I(15), Taunt-I(50)
Level 10: Air Superiority -- Acc-I(A), Acc-I(11), Dmg-I(17), Dmg-I(34), Dmg-I(37), EndRdx-I(37)
Level 12: Quick Recovery -- EndMod-I(A), EndMod-I(13), EndMod-I(13)
Level 14: Fly -- Flight-I(A)
Level 16: Swift -- Run-I(A)
Level 18: Health -- Heal-I(A), Heal-I(19), Heal-I(19)
Level 20: Knockout Blow -- Acc-I(A), Acc-I(21), Dmg-I(21), Dmg-I(23), Dmg-I(33), RechRdx-I(33)
Level 22: Mind Over Body -- EndRdx-I(A), ResDam-I(23), ResDam-I(27), ResDam-I(31)
Level 24: Stamina -- EndMod-I(A), EndMod-I(25), EndMod-I(25)
Level 26: Taunt -- Taunt-I(A), Taunt-I(27)
Level 28: Rage -- RechRdx-I(A), RechRdx-I(29), RechRdx-I(29), ToHit-I(50), ToHit-I(50)
Level 30: Heightened Senses -- EndRdx-I(A), DefBuff-I(31), DefBuff-I(31), DefBuff-I(36)
Level 32: Strength of Will -- ResDam-I(A), ResDam-I(48)
Level 35: Boxing -- Acc-I(A)
Level 38: Foot Stomp -- Acc-I(A), Acc-I(39), Dmg-I(39), Dmg-I(39), Dmg-I(40), RechRdx-I(40)
Level 41: Tough -- EndRdx-I(A), EndRdx-I(42), ResDam-I(42), ResDam-I(42), ResDam-I(46)
Level 44: Weave -- EndRdx-I(A), EndRdx-I(45), DefBuff-I(45), DefBuff-I(45)
Level 47: Hasten -- RechRdx-I(A), RechRdx-I(48), RechRdx-I(48)
Level 49: Super Speed -- Run-I(A)
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Level 1: Brawl -- Empty(A)
Level 1: Sprint -- Empty(A)
Level 2: Rest -- Empty(A)
Level 1: Gauntlet

I resisted DA for a long time, and finally got one to 40. DA/Ice - built for pure team support, never even try to solo on that character.

Shadow Maul vs. Smite is very much a matter of taste. The teams I've played on tend to be rather hectic, so my ability to line up mobs is mostly contingent on whether I am the "main tank" or not. My tanker definitely took Shadow Maul, and gets good mileage out of it. My DM/SR Scrapper (that's another good pairing with DM on a scrapper) also uses Shadow Maul.

But my Brute is more concerned with keeping Fury going than with repositioning mobs to execute the perfect attack. So I stuck with Smite for the faster recharge.

My unscientific impression is:

Levelling: Regen &gt; Willpower &gt; Invulnerability
Level 50: Willpower &gt; Invulnerability &gt; Regen

I have never had a level 50 Invuln scrapper, only a Brute, while I do have level 50 Regen and WP scrappers; but my understanding is that the power values and order are identical both sides.

I begin with the assumption that the broken endurance mechanic is the worst design feature of the game. This makes the Regen scrapper the most inviting out of the starting gate. But if you succeed at getting your Willpower scrapper to level 22, at which point you will have both QR and Stamina if you build 'em like I do, your scrapper is tougher and less worrisome to play. There really ought to be a Regen brute.

A level 50 Regen scrapper is nervous. There are an awful lot of hard hitting enemies out there. Mine keeps Hasten on recycle. She has to pay attention to which of her self-heals are recharging, which are about to recharge, and which are available. I do not find this extremely entertaining; some folks apparently do. Tough and Weave help, but really not that much.

My level 50 Invuln brute looks for only two kinds of bonus from invention sets: recovery bonuses and maximum endurance bonuses. Every set IO she equips is chosen with those goals in mind. This tends to limit the amount of other things she can seek. I had to take out a damage enhancement and replace it with and endurance reduction on every attack (For basic SO/IO, I usually slot 2/3/1 acc/dam/end; she is 2/2/2), and the character still pants. She has the Perf. Shifter +Chance for Recovery and she still pants. Right now, she appears mostly for ceremonial functions involving the villain group.

Willpower means having it all. Tough and Weave help a whole lot, and do much more than for the Regen; for the Invuln brute they're almost unsustainable. My post 22 Willpower brutes and scrappers are simple engines of destruction; their defenses are usually equal to the task, their health may dip but comes right back up, and they are never found panting unless they are under a specific debuff.

Invulnerability is a great set for Tankers, not so much so for Scrappers and Brutes. Both are fairly intuitive, set-and-forget defensive sets.

Invulnerability's advantage for tankers is that it's far, far easier to hold aggro with it, and the higher values of the tanker in both resistance and defense tend to multiply, especially since the marginal value of an additional point of resistance goes up sharply once you get resistance above 50%. Invulnerability is also clearly better for eating the alpha strike of a large team spawn: and if you're doing that often, you should be doing it on a tanker.

Willpower gives melee DPS that also take Stamina a huge pool of endurance, keeping them in the fight longer. The regeneration of Willpower is mostly indifferent to the type or position of incoming damage. You mostly don't need to worry about the strength of your taunt aura. You will be weaker to big alphas; but Tough and Weave help a lot, and you can sustain them far easier without costly IO bonuses than the Invulnerability tanker can.

I like my Invulnerability tanker a lot. But probably the only reason I keep my Invulnerability brute is that she is the leader and foundress of my villain group, and all of my Invulnerability scrappers are long time gone. Willpower is currently tougher than Regen, and far more worry free.

Endurance has not been a major issue on this character, and I tend to turn on Quills immediately before the first combat, and turn it off when I at last get tired of the noise it makes.

Scrapper attacks other than taunts do not take taunt sets - or do they? I'd slot up Quills for Taunt if it worked.

Edit Fly has always been my default choice for any melee character, since Air Superiority is so helpful, especially in the early levels. The combat suppressed flight speed of Fly is also good defense from Kinetic movement control debuffs from teammates. The more you rely on AoEs the more important it is to be able to tell what's going to happen when you hit a movement key. Super Jump will not help you there, and you'll fall off the bridges if you have a Kin.