Official Thread for Brutes: Electric Melee

First of all, stop comparing this power to lvl 32 blaster powers and compare it to lvl 32 Brute powers.

Second, do not talk about the recharge when teaming with X AT on the team, when you do that with the powers like Fire Sword Circle as well, its still a horrible recharge for LR.

3rd, you're obviously always going to use BU when using this power, so I wouldn't necessarily use any Acc in it, can someone figure out the exact recharge with 3 SO recharge, Hasten and Lightning reflexes? How about without Lightning reflexes?

Take Foot Stomp, with Rage and 3 SO damage, it does about 10.8 BI damage AoE, 20 second recharge base

Fire Sword Circle, with BU and 3 SO damage, it does about 16.8 BI damage AoE, 20 second recharge base

Lightning Rod, with Build Up and 3 SO damage, it does about 21 BI damage AoE, 180 second recharge base

So it does double the damage as Foot Stomp, and 30% more than Fire Sword Circle, why not double or triple the recharge? Why 9 Times the recharge??

Exactly. 45 second recharge would have been acceptable.

45 is still too long- 30 is more like it.
the devs are really making these eletric set flawed.
but they are both on the verge of greatness
im not gonna get into eletric shields- doesnt belong here
but this set is missing a "brute" power, LR even though nbot being extreme made up for that fact as a aoe, i like Havoc, JL is ok, it is a little trick to get more than one mob in the cone but one can do it, TS is great, i love it. CI should have the chain dmg like TS where others get the eletrci dmg not smash ( just moderate instead of high) LR was supposed to take the set to another lvl to another but 3 min recharge is a joke, even 45 is a joke. devs are making it really hard to like these eletric sets, and when/ if it hits live, the complaints will pour in.

With all the info finally out, my only reason to re-up my CoV account (a new Elc/Elc brute) goes out the window. Elec melee is ok for AoE dmg, but it needs something for single target as well and it has too many powers that underperform (Lightning Rod, CI's xp issues).

I've played a Fire tank that totally focused on AE dmg since I-2. It was great and fun, but having only a 5ish BI single target attack is horrendous for dealing with bosses. With the increase in EB's in CoV mission arcs (compared to then in CoH), this is a significant issue. Especially since the 5ish BI attack is an AE and pays a heavy cost in end/rchg for it.

Charged Induction looked great on paper. When its xp issues were brought to light, I just shrugged and said 'At least Lightning Rod will be cool.' But now, I say 'Why do I want to play this set?' I can get better AE and ST in Fire or better PvP ability in EM.

Although not directly on topic, /Elec is a bit weak, but I was willing to stay with it just for concept. Combined with the Elec/ issues, I'm just not looking forward to slogging through the lvls for the Elec/ powers that aren't worth it.

I don't know why I keep giving Cryptic second chances. I love this game, but the sets I have fun with keep getting crushed. Regen, Burn tank, perma-Unstoppable tank. Even though there are some legitimate overpowered claims (Burn, perma-US were a bit much, but the changes were too much), you can't deny they were fun.

The only thing I truly hope is that the devs take this feedback seriously. I love some parts of the melee set for elec though it needs a lil something more to be on par with the rest of the brute melee sets.

I'll likely play an elec/ because I love the way it looks, but if improvements aren't made where needed, intrest will be lost by myself and quite a few others.

Edited for the spelling police

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45 is still too long- 30 is more like it.
the devs are really making these eletric set flawed.
but they are both on the verge of greatness
im not gonna get into eletric shields- doesnt belong here
but this set is missing a "brute" power, LR even though nbot being extreme made up for that fact as a aoe, i like Havoc, JL is ok, it is a little trick to get more than one mob in the cone but one can do it, TS is great, i love it. CI should have the chain dmg like TS where others get the eletrci dmg not smash ( just moderate instead of high) LR was supposed to take the set to another lvl to another but 3 min recharge is a joke, even 45 is a joke. devs are making it really hard to like these eletric sets, and when/ if it hits live, the complaints will pour in.

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Actually, I think I see what they're trying to do. Looks like they're trying to balance it with Total Focus.

TF has the greater BI, but it only effects 1 target. Now not knowing LR's animation time, TF is 3+ seconds long. I'll assume they're both probably close.

However, LR gives you movement into a new spawn group, with dmg mitigation (knockdown), not to mention it's AOE.

Now assuming the AOE dmg is the same for everyone in it (I don't know)...and your doing 7.4 BI unslotted, and none of it seems to be DOT dmg. And assuming the END cost is the same as Energy Transfer...I'd say give it 90 second recharge.

Make it equal to BU. It'll either be a great finisher or an even greater opener (especially for those Brutes who want to tank).

Now if it just does ST dmg, but KD's everyone in the AOE, then oh yeah, lower that recharge even more.

T_T 180 seconds....If the devs decide too keep it at 180 seconds im just going to skip elec melee.I personally thought this set would kick butt but it doesnt look like it so far. Both elec sets seem to have...BIG downfalls.

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T_T 180 seconds....If the devs decide too keep it at 180 seconds im just going to skip elec melee.I personally thought this set would kick butt but it doesnt look like it so far. Both elec sets seem to have...BIG downfalls.

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However, LR gives you movement into a new spawn group, with dmg mitigation (knockdown), not to mention it's AOE.


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The movement is a gimmic. A good portion of the time, you'll be herding mobs into a pack before using it. I'd prefer the teleport portion be removed, drop the recharge to 20-30 sec like other Brute PBAoEs, and call it a day.

It still works thematically. You call down a lightning bolt, and boom. Mobs get smashed. Tele-SMASH is cooler, but not for a 3 min recharge.

Drop the recharge to a minute, keep everything the way it is. Absolutely no reason not to.

the dmg is so crappy the recharge should be 30 secs at most

Damn Cryptic, you guys have to do something about this set or I'm not going to play it. And if I'm not going to play it then I'm not going to resubscribe to this game in May.

Even the numbers on paper look awful compared to other brute sets. And numbers on paper always look better than what is implemented in game.

I don't wan to get in the way of all the doom here, but do we even know for sure if this isn't a bug?

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I don't wan to get in the way of all the doom here, but do we even know for sure if this isn't a bug?


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What? The recharge, or the smashing damage?

The smashing damage is obviously a bug. The power explicitly says ENERGY damage. You don't even need the power to know this, just leave your mouse cursor over the power on your power box and it'll say 'high damage (energy.) If it actually DOES smashing or Energy damage, or is simply misreporting, I'll leave to others to find out. I have no desire to test anymore.

The recharge on the other hand... doesn't look like a bug. Looks like boneheaded design, not a bug at all.

Aside from all of the comments posted on this thread so far, this is one topic that I am amazed we have not heard from a Red Name yet.

They don't need to justify it or make excuses for it, but simply tell us if it is working as intended....

If so, this will truly be a very sad set. Not unusable, but very very very sad.

Thunder Strike
Indicated recharge time: Slow
actual recharge time: 20sec

Soul Drain
Indicated recharge time: Very Long
actual recharge time: 180sec

Lightning Rod
Indicated recharge time: Slow
actual recharge time: 180sec

Here's hoping that it's a bug and not a typo!

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Thunder Strike
Indicated recharge time: Slow
actual recharge time: 20sec

Soul Drain
Indicated recharge time: Very Long
actual recharge time: 180sec

Lightning Rod
Indicated recharge time: Slow
actual recharge time: 180sec

Here's hoping that it's a bug and not a typo!

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Thunder Strike
Indicated recharge time: Slow
actual recharge time: 20sec

Soul Drain
Indicated recharge time: Very Long
actual recharge time: 180sec

Lightning Rod
Indicated recharge time: Slow
actual recharge time: 180sec

Here's hoping that it's a bug and not a typo!

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Here's hoping as well, but from what I've seen those "values" for recharge time are extremely subjective and can vary dramatically.

Yet another reason why it's so dumb to not give us the stinking numbers in the power descriptions.

Also, I'd really really like to know whether the sounds for the punches in this set are bugged or are supposed to sound as weak as they do. I'd avoid leveling up an Electric Brute for the sound alone, not to mention the rather lackluster performance of the set.

Devs, can you throw us a bone here? It would be really helpful to know how the set's supposed to work.

If anything, but bug is with the description.

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Thunder Strike
Indicated recharge time: Slow
actual recharge time: 20sec

Soul Drain
Indicated recharge time: Very Long
actual recharge time: 180sec

Lightning Rod
Indicated recharge time: Slow
actual recharge time: 180sec

Here's hoping that it's a bug and not a typo!

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Soul Drain is 120 seconds, I thought.

While my Elec/Elec Brute is nowhere near Lightning Rod, I can't see the viability of the 180s recharge unless its doing a significant amount more damage than an attack like Tremor. It doesn't make a lot of sense relatively speaking. It seems about 3 times too long for a top level Melee attack, sure you can spend 3 recharge to get it to about 90s and then pull it down more with Hasten if desired. But it just seems too much.

My biggest problem right now (as others have pointed out) is Jacob's Ladder. The range is about 1 mob deep and 1.5 mobs wide, anything outside that is never touched by the power. If its range is only going to be normal melee range, then its cone should be wider (like 180 degrees) to compensate. Its too restricted in both directions. I don't think its damage is a problem.

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, sure you can spend 3 recharge to get it to about 90s and then pull it down more with Hasten if desired. But it just seems too much.


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Yes, because besides pigeon-holing people to take hasten, You cut down on the damage by slotting it with 3 recharges, making it pale even more in comparison to the other 32 powers.

pathetic.

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, sure you can spend 3 recharge to get it to about 90s and then pull it down more with Hasten if desired. But it just seems too much.


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Yes, because besides pigeon-holing people to take hasten, You cut down on the damage by slotting it with 3 recharges, making it pale even more in comparison to the other 32 powers.

pathetic.

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Yes. It comes off as a melee power designed for a ranged powerset. But from what I'm reading its nowhere near as strong as Nova, or heck Blackstar.

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, sure you can spend 3 recharge to get it to about 90s and then pull it down more with Hasten if desired. But it just seems too much.


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Yes, because besides pigeon-holing people to take hasten, You cut down on the damage by slotting it with 3 recharges, making it pale even more in comparison to the other 32 powers.

pathetic.

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Yes. It comes off as a melee power designed for a ranged powerset. But from what I'm reading its nowhere near as strong as Nova, or heck Blackstar.

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This would be a great power for a Blaster secondary. Ranged, and yet melee. GENIUS!