MARTIAL ARTS EXTENSIVE/REGENERATION GUIDE v3.1
By
Blunt_Trauma,
Posted on: 2005-02-05 11:33 in Player Guides
The Warcry Regeneration FAQ is out of date. Please use the following link for a more current version (hosted on this board):
Heroic's Regeneration FAQ
(formerly Fedifensor - my beta ID)
Thank you Very Much!!
By the way, shameless appreciation Plug: I did not know Heroic was Fedifensor. His info and research ROCKS, and he has made a HUGE impact in the world of Regeners in CoH!!
A post was dropped to me elsewhere on this Guide and the person had some arguements that were worth addressing, so I am adding those responses (and the arguements below).
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By Bitter_Sting
[image]http://images5.theimagehosting.com/_1Reasontobuythewarranty.1.jpg[/image]
The different colors look nice though.
Seriously, you go through 2 pages of looking at combat strings without even examing what is considered the best (Box->Tk->Sk->AirSup). Worse, you look at combat strings with 1.1 second gaps. 1.1 gaps!! [censored]?
You dismiss Taunt, while going by the old reconstruction is "Your only real defence at early levels" Played with any skill Challenge > Reconstruction as a defensive power, and it has other applications in team settings.
You assume that all builds will be running perma-hasten, which isn't required and isn't entirely clear until mid way through. MA/Regen does not HAVE to run hasten, it is by far the best scrapper mix if you do not run Hasten. Anyone who wants to run a scrapper but wants to take pools that do no include Speed should probably be MA/Reg.
After you get IH, you can drop the heals in INT?? Simply wrong... goofy wrong.
IH is no longer your bread and butter. Not even close INT is the best power in the line by lots. IH is actually optional at this point, a very good option and one I recommend but far from bread and butter.
Leaping does not have the worst y movement. That is flight. In close second is probably unslotted tp (and if you have slots then you could easily slot leaping and make up for it). Further, your comment about acrobatics leads me to think you haven't run into Master Illusionists yet... even without having run into them you advocate resilience for its ability to prevent disorienation but not Acrobatics for dealing with similar problems? I understand it, but your guide should at least explain that.
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So summing up.
You have some numbers on the attack powers which are probably correct and mostly useful. Possibly misleading, but I'll take your word on them.
You have some attack strings that are badly borked (1.1 second gap in attack string, that still boggles my mind).
You have an analysis of power pools, that is close to correct with some minor nits (that I commented on).
You have no suggestions on how to actually play the character through the levels.
You have no build.
You have no guide of what to take at what levels.---
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The numbers seem handy and the coloring is nice, the rest isn't great.
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The word Guide has many definitions. One is "Something that serves to direct or indicate. " That may be the first part that threw you because I had no intention of dropping a cookie cutter build for people to use. If this game has not yet proven that multiple builds for the same power sets can all be effective then I cannot argue the point with you. The intention is to give you an overview of all of the powers so that you can best judge for yourself which powers you would like to take advantage of.
[ QUOTE ]
Seriously, you go through 2 pages of looking at combat strings without even examing what is considered the best (Box->Tk->Sk->AirSup). Worse, you look at combat strings with 1.1 second gaps. 1.1 gaps!! [censored]?
[/ QUOTE ]
The attack string you mention as the "Best" (TK + SK + Box +AS) is noted as Attack String #7. I did cover it if you would have read more closely. It came in 4th place for DPS, 5th place for DPE, and last for required investment (requiring two power pools to make it work). That hardly seems the best to me. The attack strings are listed the first time in order of DPS (which is why they are out of order numerically).
As to the 1.1 gap in my personal string. 1) No string mentions DT, because it is worked in when you can do it. So first off I negate that 1.1 delay with a 1.9 activation attack. 2) No combat ever has you standing in one spot the entire time doing nothing but swinging. You have to move sometimes if for no other reason to properly place your AE attack. This is (delay time) where attacks recycle. I never feel that 1.1 second delay.
[ QUOTE ]
You dismiss Taunt, while going by the old reconstruction is "Your only real defence at early levels" Played with any skill Challenge > Reconstruction as a defensive power, and it has other applications in team settings.
[/ QUOTE ]
I don't understand your point. At early levels your defense and regeneration is neglible. It is a self heal, the only real defense you do get that I am aware of. Taunt makes mobs hit you. Reconstruction heals the dmg you take. I feel Taunt is useless for scrappers. I can see a point in Provoke for certain builds. But a ST taunt, unless you really want to be a puller, has little to no practical use in my experience or of those scrappers I know. I can taunt mobs by doing dmg to them. Unless you state your point more clearly (I did not understand), I can only agree to disagree with you.
[ QUOTE ]
You assume that all builds will be running perma-hasten, which isn't required and isn't entirely clear until mid way through. MA/Regen does not HAVE to run hasten, it is by far the best scrapper mix if you do not run Hasten. Anyone who wants to run a scrapper but wants to take pools that do no include Speed should probably be MA/Reg.
[/ QUOTE ]
Here is where we will have to agree to disagree. I feel that Cryptic made a HUGE mistake when they made Hasten. They made it too valuable and too useful for ALL builds. A 6 slotted Hasten should be a part of every single build in the game in my personal opinion. It allows you to use your best powers more often and more frequently. That is just a difference of opinion. I tell everyone to 6 slot Hasten no matter what they play. I find I am short on slots as it is. Hasten saves slots and powers by having to buy less to make up for recycle times taking longer...
[ QUOTE ]
After you get IH, you can drop the heals in INT?? Simply wrong... goofy wrong.
[/ QUOTE ]
Not really. I currently run Int with 1 end reducer and IH with 3 end reducers and 3 heals and do just fine. I have toyed around with a lot of things and I have found that the "UBER" builds are just not necessary all of the time. I fight regularly solo and with other players and I am usually the last to die, and unless I am just trying something crazy to see what happens, I generally don't die. But that is with AS and DT for crowd control (cc) Knock Down (KD), and perma-Dull Pain.
Have you ever really just tried it? It works. It may not be UBER, but I get along fine and no one I group with ever thinks my defenses are lacking.
[ QUOTE ]
IH is no longer your bread and butter. Not even close INT is the best power in the line by lots. IH is actually optional at this point, a very good option and one I recommend but far from bread and butter.
[/ QUOTE ]
Again, a difference in opinion. Integration is a defining power of our set. Toggle status effect resistance power with inherent regeneration. Very powerful, and unskippable. But Instant Healing is what I call a bread and butter power. Maybe the conflict is just a difference in use of terms. I think my thinking defined your way would mean I would call both Int and IH bread and butter powers. Sorry if my terms threw things off. 
[ QUOTE ]
Leaping does not have the worst y movement. That is flight. In close second is probably unslotted tp (and if you have slots then you could easily slot leaping and make up for it). Further, your comment about acrobatics leads me to think you haven't run into Master Illusionists yet... even without having run into them you advocate resilience for its ability to prevent disorienation but not Acrobatics for dealing with similar problems? I understand it, but your guide should at least explain that.
[/ QUOTE ]
As to y axis. y axis is defined as the movement in an upwards direction. Flight is unlimited, it can reach the ceiling of the zone. Teleport is unlimited, it can reach the ceiling of the zone. Super Leap is limited, it can only reach a maximum distance above its last leap point. It is 3rd highest y axis power in the game. Someone with flight or tp can go straight up past your range. And if flight were slotted for speed, it would go up just as fast as super leap does.
As to Resilience and Acrobatics, resilience's resistance to diorient comes in at two times. One is early levels when you see people get disoriented and you are not necessarily running perma-Int. The second is for when you (awaken/revive) you are not disoriented and can start running, resting, whatever. In a major TF this is HUGE. This is a perk, and if for no other reason that using an awaken and instantly being to react I would take the power. The dmg resistances make it a no brainer in my book. Resislience should sell itself. As to Acrobatics, why you would need this is beyond me. I have fought Master Illusionists and other controlling mobs (I do get sk'd from time to time by higher level friends). I have never had anything break through Integration. All Acrobatics is is status protection. Why take another status protection power when Int is all you will ever need? I have never had Int broken, and the few occurences I have heard of were extreme and exceedingly rare (can count on one hand). Acrobatics is pointless if you have Int.
[ QUOTE ]
You have some numbers on the attack powers which are probably correct and mostly useful. Possibly misleading, but I'll take your word on them.
[/ QUOTE ]
They were hard numbers I took and they are accurate. You have to trust me on that one. You, or someone else can run a similar test (even at a different level) and find out for yourself. The dmg numbers are not what is important. The DPS and DPE comparisons for attacks are what is important.
As to the attack strings being misleading...let me qoute myself from my post...
[ QUOTE ]
By Rising Phoenix: [ QUOTE ]
Also keep in mind these sequences (especially those with delays) will be altered in real combat when you have to move around and when you use DT. They are an excellent basis for comparison and give a great overview of head to head Boss Killing. But they are slightly flawed in real combat where you must move while attacking.
[/ QUOTE ]
[/ QUOTE ]
I pointed out that for a perfect comparison it is flawed. It gives a solid look at head to head fighting with Bosses. It's purpose is to be a comparison with hard numbers for players to plug into their strategies to see what will and will not work for them. Also, none of the attack sequences have DT in them. Delays, movement, etc... all happen in fights, and cycles get thrown off by when you need to drop a DT. The Attack Strings are idylic. Sometimes when fighting something you know a TK will not finish the mob, but one SK will. So you break they cycle to drop that SK to get that mob dead. Real combat is not ever in a cookie cutter format. But the numbers here give you a basis to figure out what works well together and how you can use it to your advantage.
[ QUOTE ]
You have no suggestions on how to actually play the character through the levels.
[/ QUOTE ]
You are 100% right. I will try to rememdy this and put something in later. Sorry about that. I hope this will suffice till then.
[ QUOTE ]
You have no build.
[/ QUOTE ]
I do not promote cookie cutter builds, and I also know people will not understand my build unless they got on and grouped with me and saw how things worked a lot of times. For example you not understanding how a 1.1 delay in my string means nothing to me (I do not get hit with it) or how I can survive without any heals in Int. But, I will take some time and put some things in with explanations as to how I use them, or how I would use them.
The big reason why I avoided this mostly is because I tried the Tough/Weave build and HATED the end cost. And most favor that build... But then I went in FA...so I guess that is personal preference again. I'll take then end hit for more dmg. I do not feel I need to for more defense I do not need.
I hope this answers your points.
The only thing I do not know if I answered well was your comment on Reconstruction and Warrior's Challenge?
[ QUOTE ]
After you get IH, you can drop the heals in INT?? Simply wrong... goofy wrong.
IH is no longer your bread and butter. Not even close INT is the best power in the line by lots. IH is actually optional at this point, a very good option and one I recommend but far from bread and butter.
[/ QUOTE ] Bitter sting, this is just in IMHO, but have you lost your cotton picking mind? IH makes a regen scrapper tougher than a freakin invuln tank. As a lvl 47 I have 47, 48, even 49 Invuln tanks see me do things that they call me crazy about. Don't slot IH, let me know when you'll be in the arena, I wanna watch a defender smack you around.
Willpower has more passive regen than Regen does. Who thought that was a good idea?
Can we get a fix for Energy Melee instead of more new sets?
Someone really ought to make an updated I5 guide for MA/Regen.
Heck it's I9 now, but yes, a new uptodate MA/RGN guide would be wonderfull.
Masterminds annoy everybody, sooner or later. Heck, Masterminds annoy themselves.
-ShadowsBetween
drop Reconstruction? i don't think so, it is your only FULL heal, anyone who uses DP as a heal needs to rethink their strategy, reconstruction 6slotted has saved my butt, it may not have as high green numbers as dull pain but it is a better HEAL, dull pain should only even be used when at full health, it's really your only resistance, and a good one at that..i slot Reconstruction with 4 heals (the 4th is an iffy, you choose, but it does HELP more than the 5th) and 2 recharge, only slot it with 6 when you have extra though, some things need to be slotted first like attacks..
[ QUOTE ]
drop Reconstruction? i don't think so, it is your only FULL heal, anyone who uses DP as a heal needs to rethink their strategy, reconstruction 6slotted has saved my butt, it may not have as high green numbers as dull pain but it is a better HEAL, dull pain should only even be used when at full health, it's really your only resistance, and a good one at that..i slot Reconstruction with 4 heals (the 4th is an iffy, you choose, but it does HELP more than the 5th) and 2 recharge, only slot it with 6 when you have extra though, some things need to be slotted first like attacks..
[/ QUOTE ]
Read the date on the guide before you start flaming. This one was posted in I3. Regen has changed much since then.
MARTIAL ARTS EXTENSIVE / REGENERATION / POWER POOL GUIDE v3.1
Pass it by, unless it really fits your play style.
First off, there were some people who pointed out some mistakes in the previous edition. I'd like to thank them for what they said, for it allowed me to go back and fix my attack sequence section, which changes everything.
Information needed to understand the guide:
The following Guide has been put together from my own personal experience by playing a MA/Regeneration scrapper up to level 41 with a great deal of discussion on the forums. All numbers used herein were taken from the CoH Forums, CoH Warcry, Phoebes research, and from The Confessors Guild page. I then went and tested these numbers to my character on CoH to verify my information. All times were taken by using a stop watch down to one tenth of a second, and then compared against the numbers found on these sites.
Act: Length of time the animation takes
Rec: Length of time the power takes to recycle and become usable again
H-Rec: Length of time the power takes to recycle and become usable again while under the effects of Hasten (39% reduction)
DMG: Damage of attack at level 37 w/5 SOs at level 40 versus lvl.37 white cons calculating the amount of damage done during the animation time (Act)
DPS: Damage per second at level 37 w/5 SOs at level 40 versus lvl.37 white cons calculating the amount of damage done during the animation time (Act)
P-DMG: Base damage of an attack based upon Phoebes research
P-DPS: DPS based upon Phoebes research
DPE: Damage per point of endurance
EPS: Endurance per second
Martial Arts Guide
Attack Values
Thunder Kick
Act: 1.1
Rec: 3.3
H-Rec: 2.0
DMG: 140
DPS: 127.27
P-DMG: 10
P-DPS: 9.09
Notes: Mag 2 Disorient 20% of the time. Solid DPS, good recycle time, and the disorient effect (while not reliable) is still nice. Though it would be better if Cryptic would go back and fix it to the permanent Mag 1 Disorient. 6 slot it.
Storm Kick
Act: 1.2
Rec: 6.2
H-Rec: 3.8
DMG: 185
DPS: 154.16
P-DMG: 13.2
P-DPS: 11
Notes: No additional effects. It is your best single target (ST) DPS attack and is a must have. 6 slot it.
Cobra Strike
Act: 2.0
Rec: 20
H-Rec: 12.2
DMG: Negligble (brawl level)
DPS: Negligible (brawl level)
P-DMG: Unlisted
P-DPS: Unlisted
Notes: This power is a truly utilitarian power. It has no damage capacity of which to speak. It has a 2 second animation time which is not that bad and deals a level 3 Magnitude Disorient. The true combination used to come in with Thunder Kick (which used to have a permanent Mag 1 Disorient). One Cobra Strike followed immediately by a Thunder Kick dealt a Mag 4 Disorient, which can stun a Boss. Now however, CSs usefulness has been damaged heavily. There are few Lts or minions that are so dangerous you need to take the time to disorient them. Though Sappers do come to mind.
At early levels this attack can be very useful to mitigate some of your damage early on, until you have your full defenses up at all times. I used CS to great effect up until about my mid-twenties. In fact, I even suggest taking it at lower levels, and then later on respecing it off of your list. But once you have all of your defenses running and get into your 30+ range, needing to drop disorients should not be necessary. Overall I do not like it at upper levels because it is 2 seconds you are not dealing damage.
For those concerned with toggles that makes mobs harder to hit, remember at higher levels when I am suggesting to drop CS, or simply not use it if you are saving it for special circumstances, using Focus Chi will significantly increase your bonus to hit. When I fought Behemoths (for example) I saved FC for them and killed them easily. CS was never necessary. Get it early on to help you level up (it can save your life repeatedly), but respec it out later in levels. It should be noted that this attack could have serious potential once PvP is realeased.
Focus Chi
Act: 1.0
Rec: 90
H-Rec: 54
DMG: +100% to Base Damage
DPS: +34.9% damage when using 5 Dmg SOs at lvl+3 for attacks
Notes: Focus Chi recycles in 25 seconds with 6 recycle SOs (at +1) and Hasten. Also, a string of 6-8 attacks may be placed within the 10 second duration of Focus Chi meaning a significant increase in your DPS. This one is a no brainer in my book. It allows you to hit things that have a huge defense because it grants a huge accuracy buff, and grants the effect of 3 dmg SOs. 6 slot it with recycle enhancements.
Crane Kick
Act: 2.2
Rec: 8
H-Rec: 4.9
DMG: 230
DPS: 104.54
P-DMG: 16.4
P-DPS: 7.45
Notes: Includes a 60% chance of kockback tag. This attack has a good DPS, and even better has a knockback tag. This is great to get one mob off of you while you deal with a group (KB = less damage), and does good DPS to boot. Also, it suffices for stopping runners by knocking them down (KB = sitting there on the ground).
Warriors Challenge
While for completeness sake I should write out the stats of this attack, I have chosen not to because I do not feel Taunt is worthwhile for Martial Artists (not all Scrappers) except as a pulling tactic. If you want to be a puller, then this is for you. If you simply run into a group of mobs and own them, never take this power. Taunt can be useful in certain combinations, but rarely is it worth it in my opinion for the Martial Artist. The best aspect to this power is to use it before/during a fight to guarantee that a runner will not run. But in my opinion this is time you are not hitting things, so youve already lost me. I am a scrapper. My goal is to beat up thugs, not waste my time causing status effects. That is the tank/controllers job.
Crippling Axe Strike
I was going to put the numbers up. I swear I was. But this attack is just so horrible I could not waste my time. It has the same dmg as TK, but a longer animation time. And the status effects are either negligible or not even noticeable. This is the biggest waste of space out of the entire set.
Dragons Tail
Act: 1.9
Rec: 14
H-Rec: 8.5
DMG: 140
DPS: 73.68
P-DMG: 10
P-DPS: 5.26
Notes: PBAoE and 50% chance of knockback/knockdown tag. Also note range is slightly greater than 5 feet (standard melee range) but less than 10 feet (just as Spin per Claws). A Dragons Tail can hit a target at approximately 6 feet away, and then leave you out of range to hit with one of your regular melee attacks. This is considered an advantage. By the way, did I mention ownage?! Besides being a solid AE attack, it has knockdown. This attack is awesome. The knockdown effect of equal level mobs and up (KB for lower level mobs) makes it one of the best PBAoEs in the game. It does the same base damage as TK. 6 slot it.
Eagles Claw
Act: 3.0
Rec: 10
H-Rec: 6.1
DMG: 274
DPS: 91.33 (Assume 105.02 based upon increase from increased chance of criticals)
P-DMG: 19.6
P-DPS: 6.53
Notes: 60% chance of a Mag 3 Disorient and a 15% increased chance of a critical hit. While this will not go off all of the time, the overall DPS of this attack can be increased by 15% to represent the 15% increased chance of making a critical.
Boxing
Act: 1.1
Rec: 2.5
H-Rec: 1.5
DMG: 104
DPS: 94.54
P-DMG: 7.6
P-DPS: 6.9
Notes: 20% chance of landing a Mag 2 disorient tag. This is a standard attack. It can be worth using, but nothing to throw a party for. Depends on your taste.
Air Superiority
Act: 1.5
Rec: 4
H-Rec: 2.4
DMG: 140
DPS: 93.33
P-DMG: 10
P-DPS: 6.6
End: 7.5
Notes: Not sure of the exact % on the KD/end flight element of the attack. It is no lower than 80%, possibly higher. I notice it goes off almost all of the time. The DPS is slightly lower than most MA attacks, but it has excellent crowd control capacity and low end usage.
Value Notes
Phoebes numbers and calculations come up with a very small discrepancy to a characters numbers when the formula is used correctly and you calculate all numbers including the decimals. When using every number down to the exact decimal point, I found his numbers matched mine with a 7.6% discrepancy across the board. Phoebe posted that this would happen, and is in part due to enhancement level bonuses (or even possibly some armor/dmg bonus versus white con 5th Column/Freakshow that I know nothing of). But it shows two things. His base damage numbers are very accurate, and establishes a premise for determining the Base DPS for all attacks. And in my case, it shows a definitive parallel in the Martial Arts attacks to show which attacks have the better DPS.
Phoebe Formula:
((Level + 9)/10) (Base Damage) = Base Damage for Level
(Base Damage for Level) (Enhancement Modifier) = Approximate Character Base Damage
In order the best DPS attacks are: Storm Kick (SK), Thunder Kick (TK), Eagles Claw (EC), Crane Kick (CK), Boxing (Box), Air Superiority (AS), and Dragons Tail (DT). As to Dragons Tail (DT), while it has the lowest DPS per single target, we all know that it will be used versus multiple mobs. At two targets it jumps to 147.36 DPS, and at three targets it jumps to 221.04 DPS. Considering it does knockdown the majority of the time when fighting even or greater cons (versus knockback- meaning also that you are taking less damage) this attack becomes your most powerful weapon in your arsenal.
Endurance Notes
Known Endurance Costs
TK: 7.5 End
SK: 9.9 End
CK: 12.3 End
EC: 19.6 End
Box: 5.7 End
AS: 7.5 End
DT: 18.8 End
CS: 14.5 End
CAK: 7.5 End
Something to note is that the average ratio of damage to endurance for standard ST attacks is 1.3333 DPE, or 0.75 EPD. So if you take the Base Damage of an attack and then divide it by the Endurance cost the result comes out to 1.3333. Or another way of looking at it, is that there is 4 damage to 3 points of endurance (4 damage of Base Damage, not level adjusted damage). Please note that attacks that are AE, or utilitarian in effect, do not follow that format (such as CS and DT). Thanks for Phoebe for that bit of insight.
Attack Sequences
I will list off several combinations for you that seemed the most obvious, illustrate a certain point, or need to be pointed out. Not all combinations are up here, but I will list for you the most effective combinations versus Single Target that I have come across through personal endeavor or through others posts. I know there are more, and I worked a number of them out. But setting them all to paper is arduous, tedious, and not something I am willing to do. These are some of the best combinations of powers. Other sets of powers were either so inefficient or obviously poor I did not even bother to list an example.
[/i]
Single Target #8
123.195 DPS
0.618 attacks per second
6.87 EPS
Investment: 4 powers, 20 slots
Thunder Kick, Storm Kick, Crane Kick, Eagles Claw
Single Target #6
117.605 DPS
0.704 attacks per second
6.295 EPS
Investment: 4 powers, 20 slots, Flight Pool
Thunder Kick, Storm Kick, Crane Kick, Air Superiority
Single Target #3
116.746 DPS
0.602 attacks per second
6.84 EPS
Investment: 4 powers, 20 slots
Thunder Kick, Storm Kick, Crane Kick, Eagles Claw
Single Target #7
116.181 DPS
0.818 attacks per second
6.245 EPS
Investment: 4 powers, 20 slots, Flight Pool, Fighting Pool
Thunder Kick, Storm Kick, Air Superiority, Boxing
Single Target #2
114.142 DPS
0.714 attacks per second
5.721 EPS
Investment: 4 powers, 20 slots, Fighting Pool
Thunder Kick, Storm Kick, Crane Kick, Boxing
Single Target #4
105.961 DPS
0.769 attacks per second
5.71 EPS
Investment: 3 powers, 15 slots, Fighting Pool
Thunder Kick, Storm Kick, Boxing
Single Target #5
103.883 DPS
0.679 attacks per second
5.56 EPS
Investment: 3 powers, 15 slots, Flight Pool
Thunder Kick, Storm Kick, Air Superiority
Single Target #1
100.36 DPS
0.577 attacks per second
5.371 EPS
Investment: 3 powers, 15 slots
Thunder Kick, Storm Kick, Crane Kick
Revised Attack Sequences
Single Target #1
Thunder Kick, Storm Kick, Crane Kick
Refreshed Cycle
TK, SK, Delay 0.8, TK, CK, TK, SK, Delay 0.8, TK, Delay 0.7, CK 13.5 seconds
Repeated Cycle
TK, SK, Delay 0.8, TK, Delay 0.7, CK, TK, SK, Delay 0.8, TK, Delay 0.7, CK 14.2 seconds
This cycle takes 13.5 seconds and deals 1390 DMG / 102.962 DPS using 8 attacks and 2.3 delay time. It averages 0.592 attacks per second.
The repeated cycle takes 14.2 seconds and deals 1390 DMG / 97.887 DPS using 8 attacks and 3 delay time. It averages 0.563 attacks per second.
A standard cycle of 27.7 seconds (most fights do not last longer) has a DPS of 100.36 with an average of 0.577 attacks per second. This costs 148.8 End, or 5.371 EPS, or 18.682 DPE.
Damage Calculation
TK x4 = 560
SK x2 = 370
CK x2 = 460
Total = 1390
Single Target #2
Thunder Kick, Storm Kick, Crane Kick, Boxing
Refreshed Cycle
TK, SK, Box, TK, CK, TK, SK, Box, TK, Delay 0.4, CK 13.8 seconds
Repeated Cycle
TK, SK, Box, TK, Delay 0.4, CK, TK, SK, Box, TK, Delay 0.4, CK 14.2 seconds
This cycle takes 13.8 seconds and deals 1598 DMG / 115.797 DPS using 10 attacks and 0.4 delay time. It averages 0.724 attacks per second.
The repeated cycle takes 14.2 seconds and deals 1598 DMG / 112.535 DPS using 10 attacks and 0.8 delay time. It averages 0.704 attacks per second.
A standard cycle of 28 seconds (most fights do not last longer) has a DPS of 114.142 with an average of 0.714 attacks per second. This costs 160.2 End, or 5.721 EPS, or 19.95 DPE.
Damage Calculation
TK x4 = 560
SK x2 = 370
CK x2 = 460
Box x2 = 208
Total = 1598
Single Target #3
Thunder Kick, Storm Kick, Crane Kick, Eagles Claw
Refreshed Cycle
SK, TK, EC, SK, TK, CK, TK, SK, EC, TK, SK, CK, TK, Delay 0.5, SK, EC 24.9 seconds
This cycle takes 24.9 seconds and deals 2907 DMG / 116.746 DPS using 15 attacks and 0.5 delay time. It averages 0.602 attacks per second. This costs 170.4 End, or 6.84 EPS, or 17.059 DPE.
Due to the length of this cycle it is compared evenly to a standard cycle. The 0.5 delay does become permanent if there is no time for refresh and the fight continues. Also the order of SK then TK becomes reversed as per the second half of the string if the cycle is repeated.
Damage Calculation
TK x5 = 700
SK x5 = 925
CK x2 = 460
EC x3 = 822
Total = 2907
Single Target #4
Thunder Kick, Storm Kick, Boxing
Refreshed Cycle
TK, SK, Box, TK, Delay 0.4, Box, Delay 0.1, SK, TK, Box, Delay 0.9 10.4seconds
Repeated Cycle
Same as above, no changes in repetition
This cycle takes 10.4 seconds and deals 1102 DMG / 105.961 DPS using 8 attacks and 1.4 delay time. It averages 0.769 attacks per second. This costs 59.4 End, or 5.71 EPS, or 18.552 DPE.
Because repeated cycles never change the time of this cycle, the DPS on this sequence stays the same.
Damage Calculation
TK x3 = 420
SK x2 = 370
Box x3 = 312
Total = 1102
Single Target #5
Thunder Kick, Storm Kick, Air Superiority
Refreshed Cycle
TK, SK, AS, TK, Delay 1.1, SK, TK, AS, Delay 0.5 10.3 seconds
Repeated Cycle
Same as above, no changes in repetition
This cycle takes 10.3 seconds and deals 1070 DMG / 103.883 DPS using 7 attacks and 1.6 delay time. It averages 0.679 attacks per second. This costs 57.3 End, or 5.56 EPS, or 18.673 DPE.
Damage Calculation
TK x3 = 420
SK x2 = 370
AS x2 = 280
Total = 1070
Single Target #6
Thunder Kick, Storm Kick, Crane Kick, Air Superiority
Refreshed Cycle
TK, SK, AS, TK, CK 7.1 seconds
Repeated Cycle
Same as above, no changes in repetition
This cycle takes 7.1 seconds and deals 835 DMG / 117.605 DPS using 5 attacks and 0 delay time. It averages 0.704 attacks per second. This costs 44.7 End, or 6.295 EPS, or 18.680 DPE.
Damage Calculation
TK x2 = 280
SK x1 = 185
CK x1 = 230
AS x1 = 140
Total = 835
Single Target #7
Thunder Kick, Storm Kick, Air Superiority, Boxing
Refreshed Cycle
TK, SK, AS, TK, Box, Delay 0.1, SK, TK, AS, Box 11 seconds
Repeated Cycle
Same as above, no changes in repetition
This cycle takes 11 seconds and deals 1278 DMG / 116.181 DPS using 9 attacks and 0.1 delay time. It averages 0.818 attacks per second. This costs 68.7 End, or 6.245 EPS, or 18.602 DPE.
Damage Calculation
TK x3 = 420
SK x2 = 370
Box x2 = 208
AS x2 = 280
Total = 1278
Single Target #8
Thunder Kick, Storm Kick, Crane Kick, Eagles Claw
Refreshed Cycle
SK, TK, CK, Delay 0.3, SK, TK, EC 9.7 seconds
Repeated Cycle
Same as above, no changes in repetition
This cycle takes 9.7 seconds and deals 1195 DMG / 123.195 DPS using 6 attacks and 0.3 delay time. It averages 0.618 attacks per second. This costs 66.7 End, or 6.87 EPS, or 17.916 DPE.
Damage Calculation
TK x2 = 280
SK x2 = 370
CK x1 = 230
EC x1 = 315 (assume crit)
Total = 1195
Multiple Target sequences are pointless. They overall increase the DPS of your attacks the same way, and get mixed in at different times depending on how many mobs are around you. Since you only have one, and it is your most powerful and best attack you should be using it when you will hit the most targets. Dont be afraid to use it early however because there are not many mobs next to you yet. DT becomes DPS efficient at 3 mobs, so sometimes it is better to use it on 3 mobs standing next to you early in the fight, just so you can use it again in the fight 8.5 seconds later, versus waiting too long to use it and only getting it off once per fight. Also keep in mind these sequences (especially those with delays) will be altered in real combat when you have to move around and when you use DT. They are an excellent basis for comparison and give a great overview of head to head Boss Killing. But they are slightly flawed in real combat where you must move while attacking.
Attack Overview
As a Martial Artist you have to take into account that you are primarily a Boss Killer AT since you have only one attack that is not single target in nature. Assuming this fact you need to make sure that you take advantage of DPS as much as possible. Focus Chi is the first step, and as such you should six slot it out. MA can unleash 7 or 8 attacks in the duration of Focus Chi. FCs +100% to Base Damage equates to +34.9% to your attacks for 10 seconds (7-8 attacks) if you have 5 dmg enhancements in them. At 6 SOs in FC it recycles in 25 seconds (11 seconds of that is the ACT and the 10 second duration), meaning you only go for 14 seconds without it. Using FC once per fight becomes a permanent factor, sometimes more than once in prolonged fights. Also note, that with a 1 second activation time, you can use this power the moment before you close to melee range (as you can use it while running). Lastly, any attack started before the end of FCs duration will get the bonus even if the animation continues on past the duration of FC.
Attack Sequence Note: Typically only 6 attacks can be gotten off before FCs duration ends. ST#4 is the exception to the rule. By itself it will get off 8 attacks before FC ends. If however you lead off with DT, you can only get in 6 more attacks, making 7 your maximum for standard usage. This also heightens the value of ST#4.
At this point you can see your best attacks are Thunder Kick, Storm Kick, and Dragons Tail. Also, it becomes obvious that Focus Chi is a must have. The only decision left is to figure out which attack sequence fits you the best.
Martial Arts Overview
You need to get SK, TK, DT, and FC from Martial Arts and six slot them all. After that, what you need greatly depends on your build. Are you toggle heavy (meaning end light sequences are better for you)? Are you tight on power choice or slots (meaning the smallest investment sequence is best for you)? Do you have room for anything, so will therefore choose either the best status effects or the best DPS? Taking Crane Kick and Air Superiority for attack sequence #6 is probably the best bang for your buck. It is the 2nd best DPS sequence and the best combination of status effects for mitigating damage. But it requires Flight, which some people cannot afford. The end result is you need to weigh the factors of investment, end usage, desired DPS, and status effects to decide which is the best for you.
Martial Arts is pretty straight forward. Position yourself so you can use DT every 9 seconds, and otherwise kill whatever you think needs killing first. Personally I always drop minions, then lts, then the bosses. But hey, go for what you like.
Regeneration Guide
I am going to gloss over this one because many people have done this justice already. Also if you have not read the Regeneration FAQ on Warcry, you need to immediately.
Fast Healing
You have to take it, dont ever slot it.
Reconstruction
Your only real defense at low levels, you need it to get by. Also later on it means less healing inspirations, and more self-reliance. One slot is all that is needed, though if you wanted to work 2-4 total slots into this power it would not be a total waste. A 2 slotted Reconstruction is a pretty good panic button to have. Note that perma-Hasten drops the recycle down to 36 seconds with 0 slots in this power, so you can use it pretty much once each fight. I do suggest adding 2 slots to it at lower levels, and then respec them out later so you can level easier if you do not want those slots there.
Quick Recovery
Six slot it. If you do not know why, you need to go back up to the Warcry website that I listed and read their FAQ.
Dull Pain
Drop 4 slots into it to keep it up all of the time. 40% extra hit points is just awesome, not to mention the fact that it increases the rate at which you regenerate since you have more hit points. The overlap time will be very, very small if it has 4 slots in it. If you can spare the extra slot, I suggest 5 slotting this power so it never drops on you in the middle of a fight because you are worrying about what to hit.
Integration
One slot is all you need for an End Reducer, though some people prefer to have 2-3 total. This is more of a personal preference, though I feel 1 is optimal with the new lower end costs. Early only slot it with 1 reduc, and 5 heals. After you get IH, you can drop the heals if you like, but 5 heals in Int with 3 heals in IH gives you a better regen rate that OLD IH with 3 heals.
Resilience
Buy it, but do not slot it out till later. It is a great power and the resist to Disorient is sweet. Many of your allies will become walking zombies while you wonder what is going on with them and keep fighting. Tough and Resilience 6 slotted out will get you up to 50% damage reduction to Smashing/Lethal which is damn awesome. 6 slotted it gives you 16.5% resistance to S/L/T. It is 7.5% base. If you cannot afford the slots, it is still worth getting.
Instant Healing
Your bread and butter power. Be prepared to be green and glowy, because you will glow like a green lightning bug for the rest of your career. Get it to 6 slots immediately and put 3 endurance reducers and 3 heals in it.
Revive
Get it if you have nothing else you really need. Its nice to free up one inspiration slot and knowing you always have a Rez on you. Its more for convenience, though you can skip it if you really want. It could have serious potential in PvP.
MoG
Highly situational, this deserves its own Guide. Used in the right situations it can turn the tide. For all intents it makes you a SR scrapper with over 100% defense if slotted right with unlimited endurance. Do not go anywhere near psionic dmg and you should be ok. I would love to see it changed, but it still has uses as it is.
Regeneration Summation
You can skip Reconstruction, Revive, and MoG if you like. Skipping the other powers is a huge mistake.
Power Pools
Fighting Pool
As a Regeneration Scrapper you have no significant damage mitigation powers. Resilience if 6 slotted will give you 16.5% damage resistance, but other than that you do no get any defense or damage resistance as a scrapper except from MoG (which Regeners do not like due to the fact it does not allow healing and can easily end in death if used improperly). So then some seek out Damage Resistance or Defense.
Now if you have read Confessors Guide on how to build a Tank Mage, you can see he has already done the work of showing how damage resistance is far better than defense. And since the majority of damage in the game does take the form of lethal or smashing damage, this makes any resistance power against these types of damage very palatable. But please note, that in no way am I saying that Defense sucks or should be ignored. Defense is just as important to a Scrapper in my opinion.
Now understanding all of this, this means the only other Damage Mitigation power for resistance that is available to a Regener is Tough. This is what makes Fighting an automatic pick for some. Add in that it leads to getting Weave and most are sold automatically. Compared to other defense powers from the pools, Weave is the prodigy child. Below is why:
Scrappers Only
Note the numbers in parentheses are if the power is 6 slotted with even level SOs. Also note, that no one in their right mind would ever 6 slot Hasten with Defense, but I put the numbers there for completeness sake. Also, these numbers are sometimes different for other ATs. These numbers only represent the %s for Scrappers
Power Pool Defense
Hover: 5% (11%) - Flight
Hasten: 5% (11%) - Speed
Stealth: 7.5% (16.5%) - Concealment
Combat Jumping: 5% (11%) - Leaping
Weave: 9.4% (20.68%) - Fighting
Maneuvers: 6.25% (13.75%) Leadership
Power Pool Damage Resistance
Tough: 15% (33%) Fighting
Now if you will notice, Fighting is the only Power Pool that grants two defensive powers. Also, the two it grants are the most powerful as well. Now that we have seen what gives the best bang for your buck (power for power) lets see how they compare on an endurance level. For those of you who have not read Vennoms Endurance Cost for Toggles post you should take the time to go check it out.
Below is a list of the powers mentioned above (except Hasten which is a straight up cost of 20 Endurance when the power ends) as per their Endurance Cost per second.
Concealment
-0.38 Stealth
Fighting
-0.22 Tough
-0.20 Weave
Flight
-0.22 Hover
Leadership
-0.45 Maneuvers
Leaping
-0.08 Combat Jumping
Now after reading this, this comes down to show that except for Combat Jumping, Tough and Weave not only have the cheapest costs, but also the greatest bonuses. So the last comparison that needs to be done is to decide whether or not you would like to have Combat Jumping as part of your arsenal. But I will come back to this point in a minute. For now, I would like to show that I feel I have proven why Fighting is a mandatory pick for many scrappers, and strongly suggest you read Vennom and The Confessors posts which I have links to below.
Fitness Pool
Now you need to get Stamina, so you need to make a couple of initial decisions. First off, if you are ever going to get Super Speed I strongly suggest getting Hurdle because it makes Super Speed much more viable. Even if you do not get SS, Hurdle moves you faster than you can run, so as long as you do not mind hopping it works well and allows you to get over fences and other obstacles that you would normally need a movement power to traverse. If you are a Regener skip Health and take Swift. It maxes out your run Speed with SS later on in levels if you drop one speed SO in each of them. Also if you are a Regener the difference it makes on your regenration rate is just insignifanct really. Whereas extra speed is just awesome! The benefit of Health does not truly grant you that much when you already have FH, Int, and IH. Swift is negligible as well, so you really could go either way, but Swift makes a difference when dealing with runners, etc. My personal preference is Swift, because you have to move everywhere. If you are not a regeneration scrapper take Health every time.
Now then on to Stamina. Why do you need this? Well lets go back to Vennom again.
+1.67 Normal Endurance Recovery
+1.67 Quick Recovery (6 even SOs)
+1.25 Stamina (6 even SOs)
+0.56 Quick Recovery
+0.42 Stamina
-1.53 Instant Healing
-0.?? Integration (Unknown after changes was 0.77 before, it has been lowered)
-0.22 Tough
-0.20 Weave
-0.08 Combat Jumping
Now with QR and Stam 6 slotted out your End Regen is 4.59/second. Using IH, Integration, Tough, and Weave means your EPS usage is up to 2.74/second. Now this is nice, but then you have Perma-Hasten and Perma-Dull Pain to worry about. And then you have your attack strings as well. Now there are no enhancements modifying those EPS scores, so your usage will be lower, but as you can begin to see your Regeneration is highly reduced already with both powers.
If you only had QR 6 slotted your End Regen would be at 3.34/second if you never bought Stamina. Your usage would be at 2.74 and youd still have as many powers you would need to run. In this game losing End means death for a Regener, because once IH is gone you are dead in those nastier fights. Especially with the newer animations, our End usage is much higher now and every point counts.
At this point I feel the true value of Stamina should be apparent, especially if you read the Regeneration FAQ and Vennoms post.
Speed Pool
You HAVE to get Hasten. Hasten means you can use your powers more often and it also means you can get your best attacks off more often. You have an increased DPS because your best attacks cycle faster, you get 5% Defense for free (who is going to knock a freebie?) and your other powers (utilitarian or defensive in nature) can be used more often (such as Dull Pain, Reconstruction, Focus Chi, etc ) making you a more effective toon. This power really should speak for itself.
OK, so you have to get Speed and Fitness. And it Really looks like I should get Fitness. What should you do?
Teleport Pool
Teleport has TP Foe (not very effective in a fight of mass real life player opponents, but useful under specialized circumstances) which can change the outcome of certain fights, and even make for some frightening ambushes once PvP is out. TP Friend is always useful. Also if you take SS since you took Speed already, TP gives you the y axis you lack with SS. This would give you excellent mobility. Also, TP Foe stops runners
Leaping Pool
Leaping has the worst y axis out of the other three movement powers, but it has combat effectiveness written all over it. Super Leap allows you to close the distance with runners in a heartbeat, does allow you to slowly hit flying units on each pass as you Leap at them using auto-follow (heh), and can jump off of most buildings sides to allow truly awesome heights if you have things nearby to jump off of. Also it grants you Combat Jumping, not horrible in allowing you to bypass obstacles, and the best Defense power from a Power Pool when based off of how much Defense you get per endurance spent per second. Skip Jump Kick, it has a lower DPS than Boxing does. And with Integration you have no need of Acrobatics.
Flight Pool
Flight has Hover and Air Superiority. One allows you to fight other flying combatants with minimal End usage, and the other allows you to knock opponents out of the air. One warning however! I do predict that once PvP comes out you will see many characters with Hover 6 slotted for speed. They will want the greatest speed possible with the smallest endurance cost. Also expect to see Flight heavily slotted out with End reducers. At this time it is hard to predict how many slots you will want invested here until we see how they work PvP, but expect slot usage to be upped significantly on Flight powers if full flying combats are possible.
The strongest arguments are for Concealment and Fighting, though personally I can not play the game without a movement power other than Super Speed. The lack of a y axis is just hell to me. Leaping gives you CJ for that extra little defense at low end cost. Flight gives you a solid attack and extra PvP potential. TP makes you more team friendly. Concealment gives you and your allies the capacity to bypass mobs, and for you to run away without actually running (phase shift). Fighting gives you solid defense and solid damage resistances.
End story? Personal Preference on this one friend.
Epic Power Pools
You are on your own. I only made it to 41 and do not know enough about them. Though I took Focused Accuracy, dropped my acc enhancements for 6 damage enhancements instead of 5 and I am loving it!!
Sources Cited
Regeneration FAQ - by Fedifensor
Fast Healing + Health + Instant Healing - by CasusBelli
Endurance Cost for Toggle Powers - by Vennom
How to make a Tank Mage in CoH - by The Confessor
Defense Power Source - by Unknown