JuliusSeizure

Interesting thread, but all of these pages seem to overlook one important aspect:

Sustained DPS =/= burst damage.

A Brute with access to Build Up, Soul Drain, FU/BF, red pills, or external +damage that's on a timer simply does not pump out the burst damage that a Scrapper can. This is an important distinction that places the Scrapper as more of a hybrid between Stalkers and Brutes if viewed through "red" glasses, while the Brute is a hybrid between a Tanker and a Scrapper if viewed with "blue" glasses. Both the Brute and Scrapper AT possess multiple attributes and abilities that fall somewhere in between their respective bookends from the other faction.

Looking at everything through a lens that only values sustained DPS denies Scrappers one of their primary roles-- an ability to leverage burst damage against Bosses and Lts. There's also the issue of realistic external +damage in a team setting. The Scrapper AT is almost always outperforming the Brute when external +damage is considered.

This debate is a bit myopic and tends to play into the general meme of soloing AVs and Pylons. I'm sorry, but that's just a fraction of this game.

Tanks can have more AoE damage thanks to having both FSC and Combustion in their version of Fire Melee. Cumbustion also has a 15' radius versus a 10' radius for FSC-- this makes a difference in consistently reaching the target cap. The Tanks will also be more survivable in general play, and will have greater IO limits thanks to their huge HP cap.

The scrapper will destroy the Tank in single target damage, not just because of AT mods, but also due to having Cremate.

That's a good one-- I've always wanted to make a hero that used a 50s sci-fi ray gun to shoot blasts.

I am extremely happy with the alternate animations that the developers provided for Super Strength and Martial Arts. I sincerely hope that more skill sets will receive equal attention eventually. If you could recieve a new animation for any 1 skill, what would it be and how would it animate?

Remember, animations are neither sped up nor slowed down, this is purely about aesthetics and will not address DPA wishes.

• My major wish is for a new Shadow Maul animation. I would love for the character to concentrate for a brief moment and have shadowy tentacles burst from their chest and hit opponents for the Smashng/Lethal DOT that this skill provides.

(That was the funniest typo to spell check of the new year for me.)

It's a good combo-- my SG mate has one and Energy Transfer looks sweet with certain shields.

The +HP available in the set synergizes with regeneration available through IOs and Health, which works well in mitigating the -HP from ET. Having +damage from AAO really makes your heavy hitters put up large numbers.

Has anyone else in this thread slotted Power Surge with a hold set? I run 5 parts Unbreakable Constraint and intentionally spawn dive when I'm nearing a crash and can clump most foes in EMP range. The -55% endurance gives you enough time to recover properly even against bosses that aren't held 50% of the time-- assuming they're already lowish on endurance.

I only have to use Demonic or Phase Shift if the spawn is heavily spread out and/or I have ranged agro.

I agree that this crash has TOO steep of a penalty. Unstoppable has no prolonged -recovery period after the crash, so that means that the -recovery is what we pay for the EMP. If you aren't using the EMP to your advantage, the skill is indeed mediocre.

The soft-capped Smashing/Lethal build will be more survivable than the other build. Both builds will get hammered by defense debuffs and you will need to use purples as ablative armor just to keep you above the soft cap. Having to eat a purple just to cap yourself will not be as effective as it sounds. You need to save purple inspirations for when cascade failure starts to happen, literally the second that you see your Smashing/Lethal stat monotor drop below 45%, because it happens VERY fast when you're on a large team.

However, my opinion is that Dm/Fire benefits more from recharge, max HP, and regeneration to facilitate cycling your heals. Siphon Life at 20% every 4.5 seconds, Healing Flames at 50% every 13 seconds, and running Darkest Night without nerfing your offense is better IMO. I'd prefer to leverage an AoE immobilize, Midnight Grasp (there's your stacked mag for bosses), and Burn properly. You really give up a lot to soft cap, and I would only run the smashing/lethal build as a second build on Master/Tank roles, adding taunt for agro management. Proper heals and Darkest Night, which effectively adds defense through ToHit debuffs and resistance through -damage, will be quite tough in most situations while having far superior offense.

That's just my opinion. I feel the soft-cap craze is overrated compared to working within your primary/secondary and having overclocked offensive capabilities.

I do use a soft capped DM/ELA as my second build for when I want to tank a MoX run, but it makes HUGE sacrifices to get there, just as in your builds.

Either way, good luck with the Brute!

Power Surge is a great g-d mode power. I don't use it all that often, but I also can't imagine not having it on my ELA Brute. Those moments when the entire team wipes and you stand alone as an electric gremlin to decimate the entire spawn are priceless.

The gist of ELA is that the set only needs to survive long enough to levy -endurance to drop the incoming damage dramatically; this is why Energize was such a great addition. The things that ELA can do through Power Surge by landing multiple Power Sinks and draining endurance via Lightning Field make it one of the best g-d modes in the game. It gives you the ability to survive massive incoming damage while the endurance debuffs take effect.

Power Surge also takes hold sets, allowing for the use of 4 parts Basilisk's Gaze or 5 parts Unbreakable Constraint. The EMP works great, but has several limitations that you need to be aware of: the radius is only 12', there is a 10 target cap, and the hold is mag3 with a 50% chance of mag4.

Tanks and Scrappers also have access to Conserve Power and Physical Perfection.

Then again, nothing beats perma-Domination for endurance recovery...

Thanks for the info Necrotech.

Are there any new badges or tasks for this year's event? I only just recently realized it was running again.

War Hog: A DM/ELA Brute, he has an absolute beast of a build and has been my main since issue 8. Receiving the buffs to DM and Energize within a few issues of each other was a marked improvement. This Brute fulfills my need for single-target DPS and I love the look of Power Surge after color customization.

Crusher Plate: A DB/Invuln Brute that functions as my "tank" build. I twas nice when Invulnerability received buffs to its passives and had the -def removed from Unyielding, but the biggest buff was making typed defense ubiquitous in the IO system by pairing all bonuses.

Bad Bloodgeon: A WM/SD Brute that fulfills my need for AoE damage and positional soft-cap brokenness. Crowd Control, Shatter, Whirling Mace, and Shield Charge bludgeon swaths of orange numbers through spawns. It's also fun to use the weapon skins for costume customization.

I feel a level 50 should only be using Brawl if they have endurance issues. There's no way any Brute can't string together a great chain from their primary/patrons/pools, and Brawl is a really poor attack beyond DPE. At level 50, most of your Fury should be coming from enemy attacks, as a mature secondary and mitigation from you primary allow you to survive large amounts of agro.

Brawl as a Fury builder is statistically trivial when you consider what it does to total DPS on a 50. The +damage you get from its fast activation is far outweighed by its terrible DPA-- even with procs. You shouldn't have a purple in this thing, so even with 3 damage procs, one of them being an expensive PVP Melee set, that's only an average of 44 damage from procs. Similar slotting in any other skill is superior-- particularly with Fury and Rage leveraging +damage.

Just my opinion, but it's best to follow what you enjoy. Some people really like its animation.

Knock up skills like Swoop can take this set with no detriment what so ever. In fact, it will let you knock up some opponents that resist such effects.

I think there is a mix-up between SR and SD in the exchange above. Mylia is talking about SR, while Sardan is thinking of SD.

You are both right. SR is ridiculously easy to softcap, wile SD takes quite an investment.