On the Care and Feeding of Your Scrapper (V2.0)
By
AgentMountaineer,
Posted on: 2005-04-04 20:04 in Player Guides
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I'm somewhere between Feral and Civilized.
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Ditto.
All four of them. 
Blue
American Steele: 50 BS/Inv
Nightfall: 50 DDD
Sable Slayer: 50 DM/Rgn
Fortune's Shadow: 50 Dark/Psi
WinterStrike: 47 Ice/Dev
Quantum Well: 43 Inv/EM
Twilit Destiny: 43 MA/DA
Red
Shadowslip: 50 DDC
Final Rest: 50 MA/Rgn
Abyssal Frost: 50 Ice/Dark
Golden Ember: 50 SM/FA
Hello. My name is Cyberopts and I pride myself on being a civilized scrapper. I am very unusual, in that scrapperlock rarely happens to me. I do enjoy the benefits of having a blaster or defender targetting my enemy, as this helps me speed through mobs with total disregard for my own safety. This is especially true when teaming with a kinetics/radiation defender. When I'm being buffed with speed boost and increase density, I'm simply unstoppable. The paternal instincts that kick in when teaming with one of these individuals is almost overwhelming. Instead of rushing headlong into a fray, I find myself constantly checking on my "investment," making sure that his endurance is ok and giving him whatever inspirations he might require.
Whereas most scrappers can be likened unto felines, I fancy myself the guard dog. I may bark at enemies outside of my territory (team's range), but when in range to do damage to my "family," I attack them with reckless abandon, only chasing after them with the assurance that "home" is safe and sound when I do so.
Some scrappers like to herd enemies. I like to herd team mates. Looking after their safety even extends to the point of searching for someone who is lost and giving them a personal escort to the rest of the team, even if this means my own demise. I'll even stay behind when the tanker leaves if it means assuring the retreat and survival of the rest of the team.
Being domesticated, I don't have to worry about debt, as my "family" will most graciously take care of it for me in return for my unwavering loyalty to the safety of the team.
I read this for the first time back in June or July, and I haven't been able to play a Scrapper since without thinking of this post
And since I just figured out how to put UBB code in my signature... well...
Thanks,
Dr. Rob
Hmm, I think I am a Feral with Domestic leanings.
Scrappus Devastatus here. My main is a level 32 (almost 33) Claw/SR. I started out teaming alot, but after a few really idiotic teams I tended to solo. I've at least attempted to slolo Doc Vahz (took him down to half with only four respites), but didn't have the patiance to level a few times before trying again. I duoed Positron, and actualy worked with a team for Manticore. In addition I tried to solo the Tera Volta TF
My secondary is a level 18 Dark/Dark scrapper. Tend to only solo with him. Just now tried to team, and the leader refused to listen when I told him I do best when surounded. He kept pulling single enemies and expected me to serve as the main damage dealer. He also ignored my telling him I don't need a defender to heal me. Dark Regen does more then any defender I've ever teamed with to heal me. Got really annoying when he kept pulling one enemy at a time, and expected dark consumsion to keep my endurance filled. I ran out of endurance far too many times in each fight because of that.
Scrapperlock... Madam Enigma has a serious problem with it. I've been known to dive headlong into 60+ enemies without thinking twice about it. Slimy Sam however has less of a problem. He wants to be surounded, he prefers it. Thus getting swarmed by 20+ bad guys is a good thing. He'll dive right in.
As for the squishies? Well as long as their not energy blasters I love them to death. They never need to worry with me around. If they are getting swarmed I dive in and spin attack the whole mess of them. Instant agro.
"The danger is not that a particular class is unfit to govern. Every class is unfit to govern." Lord Acton
Madam Enigma's History
Great post.
Interesting point for me is that when I play my scrapper I become feral with wild tendancies. But all of my other toons are team players. But on my scrapper I am pretty feral. Sometimes I try to play the domesticated role but ... generally I can't keep it going. I become feral and start charging.
My biggest problem is that I tend to beat the tank to the pack and use it for fuel (soul drain and/or dark consumption). But darn it I want to get a good sized soul drain, and a nice lineup for my SM. Sometimes those silly blasters or controller ruin my lineups.
*Grrrr*
*Raises hand.*
Scrappus Domesticus here..
*Yep.. one of the rare ones.. 
*
If anyone here Bob Barker's me.. I'll punch you in your nuts. 
since this was dug up again, I'll post. I've been domesticated! I used to be Feral, borderline wild (I'd only team for TFs), but now I'm domesticated in that I want to always team with the SG I joined.
I still solo at times though. In teams, I still get scrapper lock and sometimes I still have to be told "We're not ready! Don't you go jumping off into that spawn yet!".
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since this was dug up again, I'll post. I've been domesticated! I used to be Feral, borderline wild (I'd only team for TFs), but now I'm domesticated in that I want to always team with the SG I joined.
I still solo at times though. In teams, I still get scrapper lock and sometimes I still have to be told "We're not ready! Don't you go jumping off into that spawn yet!".
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Sraperus Domesticus here, i teem on all my tunes but i do get scrapper lonc and until i see my duo budy or team droping into the orange i dont break agro...but i also play speed demons so i tend to julp between mobs liek a Brute on syperdyne
AE # 67087: Journey through the Looking Glass - Save the World
LLX VirtueVerse! - Check out my crazy Toons
This is the size of group that we have balanced AVs for, 6.
-Positron 06/07/06 07:27 PM
CaptainAdept:
I had to bump this tonight just so you could see my signature. 
that was a asome post soo feral here also i am the sg's scrapper tank aka scank!
Well what do you know! I've changed classes!
Scrapper Wild can become Scrapper Domesticus with proper care and the occasional wild night out.
Part of Sister Flame's Clickey-Clack Posse
The English language is an intricate high-speed precision tool.Stop using it to bang open coconuts. ~Tokamak
Dark_Respite's Video page
omg, someone pegged us. it takes one to know one I figure. Is it psychotic to jump into a crowd you know you could handle if you just had one heal from the outside and scream "here I go, save me"?
Is it psychotic to say "my life for you" and really mean it?
Is it psychotic to get a tear in your eye when you have to part from a really really good team and say "it would have been a pleasure to die for you"?
This is all normal to me, I wouldn't have it any other way.
"my life for you, but if the line gets too long, yer going to the back of it"
LaFiera
Feral
(her name's Feral Tigress, for Bob's sake! 
)
And no spaying or neutering, she's married. And she WANTS to have kittens, BADLY.
"City of Heroes. April 27, 2004 - August 31, 2012. Obliterated not with a weapon of mass destruction, not by an all-powerful supervillain... but by a cold-hearted and cowardly corporate suck-up."
Oh man, I read this and cracked up because of the accuracy.
I, myself, have a 50 Spines/Regen scrapper who is the tank for my basic team of me, a rifle/Energy blaster, and a Empath/energy defender.
My build not only has all the defenses, but I took all the defenses from the power pools as well. It was needed for that group and we get along well with it. I totally tank everything!
Course, I get irritated at the kill stealing blaster.... hehe
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Course, I get irritated at the kill stealing blaster.... hehe
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I think I've been domesticated enough to finally get over this part. In fact, my favorite team gets mad at ME for stealing all their kills. (as I don't require too much healing, and I seem to be the self appointed team guard dog, our empath is now attacking, and enjoying the utter lack of danger at times)
There's another important scrapper condition that some people put in the scrapperlock category but it is quite different. I call it Scrapper Zen but it will look more like a killing spree. You will feel like a small child holding the leash of a large dog as it drags you through a park. It is very similar in concept to the Dominators "domination" scale but its not a meter on the screen. It exists in the scrappers brain. Usually excitement, adrenaline, or pure survival kicks it on. This is when you see the most parts flying around the room, and it carries to the next room and the next, and the next, until the scrapper either dies or runs out of enemies. When a scrapper is truly in this zone, you really must let them go. Don't try and stop them or slow them down or even talk because they won't respond, or cannot respond due to the extreme timing of every single move, click, jump. You will probably witness the most intensive part of your game career during these times, and actually the safest because your scrapper is "in-tune" with everything around them that concerns the battle. RL means nothing, afk means you have been crossed off the list of immediate resources and liabilities as well. When scrappers fly into scrapper zen it probably means they have learned the strengths of their teammates and have already predicted the outcome, and really to a fine degree of accuracy if no one cries or gives up the fight. When Scrapper Zen is over (sometimes noted by death or lack of things to kill), there will always be a moment of silence to piece together everythign that just happened, before someone shouts "Woot! that was a rush!"
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When scrappers fly into scrapper zen it probably means they have learned the strengths of their teammates and have already predicted the outcome
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Very well described.
A ballet in which minute and not so minute changes in position, attack decisions, and power recycle times that just mesh.
One seems to be in the perfect place at the perfect time in front of the perfect mob with the perfect power for that mob.
It isn't unique to scrappers; I've seen Certified's En/En blapper fall into it too. Truly a glory to behold...one is left with the feeling of "Doh! Wish I'd made a movie of that!"
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Note that there are three conditions where firing upon the target of a scrapper may be forgiven.
A. If a target is nearly terminated and it would be a waste of both time and endurance to finish the target, it is permissible to finish the target of a scrapper.
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Note for the care and feeding of martial artists: If your scrapper crane-kicks a foe away and does not immediately pursue it, the scrapper doesn't care what happens to it. If the foe gets up again -- most times, it won't -- put it back down immediately.
I don't play Bill Z enough. Brutes are great, but nothing has compared to the feeling of pure scrapperlock that I can attain with claws/sr.
To be honest, I'm more civilized that anything these days. But I still have moments, like with any wild animal, where my savage side comes out and overrides all my training.
Be well, people of CoH.
Awesome guide. And i know a couple people it's actually helped in dealing with me and my scrapping brethren.
*raises hands* Domesticated MA/SR and proud of it, with a wild side and proud of that, too.
I'm what I might call a Focused Domesticated Scrapper. If noone bothers to ask me to deal with something specific(assuming I don't disagree and debate the tactic if they do, anyway), I take a moment to tab through the spawn and identify priority targets, like sappers, bosses, Sky Raider engineers, that sort of thing, and work the list in a top-down fashion. When I run out of them, I indiscriminately slaughter anything within reach and rarely feel bad if a blaster torches whatever it is.
I second the above specialty note regarding the care of MA scrappers. If I crane kick it away from me and I care, I'll immediately jump right after it(because with Hurdle, jumping covers the distance faster and time's a-wastin') If I don't, then I've reached the wanton slaughter phase and i could care less who kills it-- I'm probably standing back-to-back with the tank killing anything in reach.
I'll also note that in the case of the Domesticated Scrapper particularly, it's very effective to pair them off with tanks(if you have enough). Scrappers are very territorial, especially to their own kind. Nothing's a thorn in your paw quite so much as some guy with a katana smacking *your* boss around, like you're not doing more damage than his fancy-pants green-glowing alleycat bootie ANYWAY.
Also, my favorite activity is loping along just behind the tank, so I can jump into the mass of bodies that start crowding up for a nice Dragon's Tail. I rarely dive in first, just to save my team the worry, unless it's necessary.
I'll grudgingly take that SK, if the team *really* needs me to have it, but I've built myself to work without it. I'll know if I need one, and I'll ask for it immediately when I do. Please don't make me try to explain that it's compltely frivilous, yes, I know they're +5 to me, but you don't need me to tank, so don't sweat it.
Understand that I group because I like playing with people, It's honestly not that I need to. Frankly, I can probably earn twice the XP per hour if I go solo, but I like fighting on a team, it gives me warm fuzzies. I will honestly get impatient if there's excessive waits, afks, hold-ups, and so on, and eventually, I'll get bored. Then i'll either leave, of make my oen entertainment. Not good.
Please understand that I have a good appreciation of what people should be capable of. I've played every AT at some point or another, even though I don't like all of them due to my scrapper sensibilities. I've even played most of the powersets. I expect you to do a better job at what you do than I could in your place. Do me the favor of doing so. Mind you, I'll probably be fine if you don't, but it offends my delicate demeanor and i turn to the wild.
If the group is comprised of clearly enough Omph to tackle what the mission throws at a dead run, and you insist on pulling to be safe, I'm probably going to go find some stuff to piss off. I'm going to get wild. We've got two tanks, a defender, a controller, and a pile of damage. They're +2s. You want to pull? Come ON. I'll be polite about it at first, but it's not going to last, I promise.
All bets are off when I pop that joyous button to the right of my toggles, though. Yes, Elude. Elude sends me right into Feral/Wild roots like nobody's business. That button is pure, uncut, unadulterated catnip. Boost me, Shift, me, Fort me if you really wanna. but let me loose. You'll like it, promise. I WILL use that 3-minute godlike power to its full extent. The full extent might be destroying this 8-man spawn that almost team wiped us, followed by that patrol over there, and if I've still got thirty seconds, maybe I'll take a shot at those guys at the foot of the stairs for kicks and giggles. I'm very sorry for the worry this puts you all through, but if you were on an Elude high, you'd understand.
I play and have always played a scrapper, ever since beta. it's colored my perceptions of the game compltely. I attempt to play ever AT with the scrapper philosophy, tweaking out builds so I can ride that razor's edge. It's no surprise my second-favorite powerset is Storm summoning, the "I can't believe you just did that!" set. Perfect for a scrapper. It's also no surprise that my Secondary is that ultimate of knife-walking dice-rolling, Super Reflexes. Don't feel bad if you couldn't save me, dear Empathy. It wouldn't be fun without the thrill of danger, the knowledge that you're god right now and untouchable, but the random number generator may make you its B***h at ANY moment. What a way to feel alive.
I will jump into a spawn of +6s to help my group without a second's hesitation, I'll pull a +5 boss off a defender three levels higher than me without blinking an eyelash. I will sometimes fall, but I will always get back up and jump back in with only pause enough to switch my toggles back on. I will take a shot at a +10 Paragon Protector just to see if I can hit it.
I am The Daring Death-Defying Su-Lin, and I earned those titles.
I am a Scrapper.
( I am also easily amused. )
My Srcrapper says one thing frequently
"what is this debt you speak of...all i see is my dark purple and light purple exp bar"
AE # 67087: Journey through the Looking Glass - Save the World
LLX VirtueVerse! - Check out my crazy Toons
This is the size of group that we have balanced AVs for, 6.
-Positron 06/07/06 07:27 PM
Marvelous!
one word, "uber"
"Wonderfully satirical and cleverly written!"
-The Necrotron Times
Member of:
Repeat Offenders Network - The Largest Coalition Network in the Game, across Virtue, Freedom, Justice and Exalted. Open to all, check us out.
Current Team Project: Pending
Hi my name is MadDog, and I'm a wild Scrapper.
Hi MadDog!!!
But soloed three AV's so far.