Bring on the Night: A DM/DA Guide for Brutes

Orodreth · 10-22-2006 04:40 PM

Introduction:

Maybe you're an old hand at bruting, and looking for a challenge. Or maybe you're shiny-new to brutes, and looking for something unusual. Either way, you've come to the right place. DM/DA is challenging, versatile, and fun to play. It also looks damn cool.

DM/DA has a bit less raw damage output than many other sets, such as Super Strength. It's also something of a late bloomer-there are many good powers in both sets and most of them need heavy slotting to shine. What it does have is a highly unusual toolbox of auras, debuffs, and other tools that will help you cope with situations that would send other types of brutes scurrying for cover. Malta sappers? Yawn. Longbow spec Ops? Pushovers. Psionic bosses? Please.

Section one: Dark Melee

Dark melee is almost entirely single-target attacks. There are only two AoEs in the entire set: Dark consumption and Soul Drain. Both of these powers are more valuable for their non-damage effect, and typically don't get slotted much for damage.

The damage can also seem lackluster when compared to other sets that have more reliable or longer lasting accuracy and damage buffs, such as super strength. DMs equivalent, Soul Drain, requires enemies nearby and the benefits can vary in strength. This means that compared to other brutes, you may take longer to take down targets.

On the plus side, most dark melee attacks typically inflict a small accuracy penalty when they hit-in the neighborhood of 5%. The debuff usually only lasts a few seconds, but it does stack, and hitting your enemy over and over again can put a noticeable dent in his accuracy. Due to the short duration and small amount of the debuff, however, actually flooring enemy accuracy to the 5% threshold is going to be difficult if not impossible.

Most of the attacks do a combination of smash/lethal and negative energy damage, or pure negative energy. Negative energy is not a commonly-resisted damage type.

The set is particularly notable for having an endurance-recovery power. Brutes love end almost as much as they love SMASH. With the large number of toggles in DA, endurance recovery is going to come in particularly handy.

A sidenote: The base accuracy numbers for both parts of this guide should be interpreted as "the percent of base accuracy this power gets." Base accuracy varies depending on wether or not you are in PVE or PVP. In PVP, base accuracy is 50%. In PVE, base accuracy is 75%. Touch of Fear has 120% accuracy, therefore it has 90% base accuracy in PVE, and 60% base accuracy in PVP.

The Powers:

Shadow Punch:

Base Accuracy: 100%
End cost: 4.368
Cast time: .57
Recharge: 3 secs
Damage: SM/L (14.17), negative energy (20.85)
Debuff: 5%, 6 seconds

A fast, quick recharge attack that does respectable damage and offers a slight debuff. Shadow Punch isn't spectacular, but it's great for building fury and the damage is well worth slotting for. An attack you'll use from 1-50.

Suggested Slotting: one to two accuracy, one to two end reduction, zero to one recharge reduction, two to three damage.

Smite:

Base Accuracy: 100%
End cost: 6.864
Cast time: .97
Recharge: 6 secs
Damage: SM/L (13.34), negative energy (41.7)
Debuff: 5%, 10 seconds

A slightly-improved version of Shadow Punch, smite does quite a bit more negative energy damage. Another great attack you'll use throughout your career.

Suggested Slotting: one to two accuracy, one to two end reduction, zero to one recharge reduction, two to three damage.

Shadow Maul:

Base Accuracy: 100%
End cost: 8.528
Cast time: 3.07
Recharge: 8 secs
Damage: SM/L (11.23), negative energy (11.23) every .625 seconds
Debuff: 5%, 6 seconds

This is probably one of the most unusual attacks in any of the brute sets. When you activate this power, your toon will perform an animation similar to the flurry attack from the Super-speed pool. It lasts three seconds and you won't be able to do anything else while the animation is going. If you hit, you'll do a signifigant amount of smash/lethal and negative energy damage, spread out over the length of the animation. If not, you'll stand there like a tool, pinwheeling your arms at nothing.

The power is also a cone-you can hit up to five targets, but the cone is narrow, so they must be standing *very* close together.

While the lengthy animation is annoying and sometimes lethal, SM is still a good power to take. It does more damage than almost every other power. Highly recommended.

Suggested Slotting: one to two accuracy, one to two end reduction, zero to one recharge reduction, two to three damage.

Touch of Fear:

Base Accuracy: 120%
End cost: 8.528
Cast time: 1.17
Recharge: 8 secs
Damage: none
Debuff: 11%, 20 seconds

An extremely unusual power, ToF does no damage at all. Instead, it inflicts a high-mag fear effect-high enough to fear minions and leutenants in one application, and bosses in two. It also has the highest and longest-lasting accuracy debuff of all the DM attacks. Note it's higher-than-average base accuracy.

Many newcomers to DM don't see the point of a single-target fear attack. ToF is best used against bosses, elite bosses, Avs, and particularly nasty minions such as sappers. It's not an "every-fight" power, but when you need it, you'll need it badly. It's also quite possibly the only DM attack worth slotting for accuracy debuff. Highly recommended.

Suggested Slotting: You'll need it to stack, so a combination of fear duration and recharge enhancements are best. You can probably get away with only one accuracy due to the high base. The end cost is a bit high, so one or more end reduction is also recommended.

Siphon Life:

Base Accuracy: 100%
End cost: 11.96
Cast time: 1.93
Recharge: 15 secs
Damage: negative energy (41.7)
Debuff: 5%, 10 seconds
Heal: 149.92

Siphon life does a lot of things, none of them particularly well. It does the same amount of negative energy damage as smite, but no smash/lethal. If it hits, it will also heal you, but not for very much. It has a very high end cost and a very long recharge.

Still, siphon Life is a good power. An additional bit of self-healing is a help for a brute, especially coupled with a bigger primary heal like Dark Regeneration. Considering the low resists of Dark Armor, it looks even more attractive.

slotting: This power requires some heavy slotting if you plan on using it regularly. the recharge and end cost are going to need enhancements, one or, preferably, more. It doesn't heal if it doesn't hit, so two accuracy. If you've got any space left over, you can enhance either the heal or the damage-your choice.

Taunt:

Base Accuracy: 100%
End cost: 4.368
Range: 70
Cast time: 1.67
Recharge: 10 secs
Damage: none
Debuff: none
Duration: 20 secs vs critters, 5 secs versus players.

there are endless discussions on the boards about taunt, I won't go into what it does. Is it worth taking? Doubtful. Your DM secondary will have lots of ways of generating aggression if you need it, and more importantly, your low resists usually mean more aggro is just what you don't want. Optional.

Suggested Slotting: one to two accuracy, if you pvp, if not, a taunt enhancement in the base slot.

Dark Consumption:

Base Accuracy: 100%
End cost: .52
Cast time: 1.03
Recharge: 180 secs
Damage: negative energy (33.36)
Debuff: none
Special: 25 end recovery for each target hit

Possibly the most coveted power in the set, Dark Consumption is an AoE that will return 25 end for each target hit, as well as doing a modest amount of negative energy damage. Who doesn't want this?

Suggested Slotting: you want it to hit as many foes as possible, two accuracy. the recharge is incredibly long, so three recharge. If you have slots left, I recommend enhancing the end recovery. Take it, slot it, love it.

Soul Drain:

Base Accuracy: 120%
End cost: 15.6
Cast time: 1.03
Recharge: 120 secs
Damage: negative energy (41.7)
Debuff: none
Special: 5% to-hit buff and 12.5% damage buff for each target hit, lasts 30 seconds

DMs answer to build-up, soul drain is a quirky power that will boost your damage and accuracy depending on how many enemies it hits. While it has the potential to confer very large bonuses, the reality is that the benefit it offers is pretty variable, depending on how many enemies are near when it's up and how many it hits. Still, it's the only self-buff you have, I recommend you take it.

Suggested Slotting: Accuracy, of course, is required (although note the higher-than-average base accuracy). the recharge time means that even with three recharge enhancements, there will still be a gap when it expires and won't be available. Slot it for recharge.

Midnight Grasp:

Base Accuracy: 100%
End cost: 11.96
Cast time: 2.07
Recharge: 15 secs
Damage: negative energy (53.37) initial, 4.58 every second for nine seconds
Debuff: 5%, 20 seconds
Special: 10-second immobilize

Some sets are desired entirely based on their tier-nine power. DM is not one of them. MG is not a bad power, but I feel it works signifigantly better for a scrapper than a brute. Like Shadow Maul, this power does Damage over time, but unlike that power, the damage is considerably spread out. It also immobilizes the target in a ring of undulating tentacles. The immobilize is most useful in conjunction with Oppressive Gloom, from your secondary. It will keep targets from wandering out of your aura. Opinions are mixed on this one-some people feel DoT is not worth the bother, others point out that altogether, it does much more damage than any other DM attack. Take it if you want it.

Slotting: one to two accuracy, one to two end reduction, zero to one recharge and damage to taste. I wouldn't slot it for immobilize-usually, your target is dead before the immob wears off.

Orodreth · 10-22-2006 04:44 PM

Section two: Dark Armor

Dark Armor is perhaps the most nonconventional brute secondary to play. It offers a number of resistances to unusual damage or attack types, such as endurance drain and psionics. It also has a varied toolbox of other powers-a damage aura, two auras that inclict status effects, etc. Instead of a tier-nine "god-mode" power, it offers an unusual self-res.

On the plus side, the set offers resistance to just about every damage type, including unusual ones such as toxic and psionics. It also offers resistance to endurance drain effects, such as those used by Malta sappers. Fear and disorient auras can render enemies who come too close helpless, and there is also a stealth and +perception power.

On the downside, the resists overall tend to be low-15-22% base depending on type of damage. It lacks knockback protection of any kind, which forces players to use pool powers to cover this weakness. The self-heal is powerful, but relies on hitting nearby enemies, which can make it unreliable. The tier nine is dissapointing and not terribly useful.

DA has a very large number of toggles-depending on the powers you take, you could have five or more toggles, not counting any toggles from pool powers. It's therefore essential to practice toggle management, turning on toggles as you need them and turning them off when done to conserve end.

The Powers:

Dark Embrace:

Base Accuracy: 100%
End cost: .104
Cast time: .57
Recharge: 4 secs
Type: toggle

This is your basic shield. It offers SM/L (22.5%), Toxic (15%) and negative energy (15%) resist. Essential, take it, slot it, use it.

Suggested Slotting: Three resistance. Most people will put an end reduction in here, I don't see the point, considering the already low end cost.

Death Shroud:

Base Accuracy: 100%
End cost: 1.04
Cast time: 1.17
Recharge: 4 secs
Type: toggle

Death shroud does decent negative energy damage (8.34 every 2 seconds) to all nearby enemies, but is an end hog. I've seen some interesting strategies using death shroud and cloak of Fear together to slow down enemies attack rate, yet keep them from not attacking at all. Still, I consider this an optional power. Even if you take it, you won't be able to run it all the time.

Suggested Slotting: one to two accuracy. If you want to run it all or most of the time, two to three end reduction. Fill the rest with damage enhancements.

Murky Cloud:

Base Accuracy: 100%
End cost: .104
Cast time: 1.17
Recharge: 4 secs
Type: toggle

Your next basic shield, Murky cloud will protect you from fire and cold (22.5% resist), negative energy and energy (15%), and will also offer you 69% resistance to end drain. Take it, slot it, use it.

Suggested Slotting: Three resistance. Most people will put an end reduction in here, I don't see the point, considering the already low end cost.

Obsidian Shield:

Base Accuracy: 100%
End cost: .104
Cast time: 1.17
Recharge: 4 secs
Type: toggle

Offers the bulk of your status resists, all at mag 10. Sleep, Disorient, hold, and fear. It also confers a base 37.5% resistance to psionic damage-your highest resistance by far.

Suggested Slotting: Three resistance if you want o maximize your psi resists. Most people will put an end reduction in here, I don't see the point, considering the already low end cost.

Dark Regeneration:

Base Accuracy: 100%
End cost: 33.8
Cast time: 1.17
Recharge: 30 secs
Type: click

This is DAs version of a self-heal. It's an AoE power, centered on you, that does a very small amount of negative energy damage (8.34, not worth enhancing) to all enemies nearby, and grants you 449.76 hp for each enemy hit. With just two or three enemies, it can restore you to full health from almost nothing. Take it.

Suggested Slotting: It can't heal you if it doesn't hit, two accuracy. It drains nearly a third of your end every time you use it, put at least two end reduction into it. You can slot it with a bit more recharge or end reduction if you like. The heal generally doesn't need enhancing, and the damage is miniscule.

cloak Of Darkness:

Base Accuracy: 100%
End cost: .13
Cast time: 1.17
Recharge: 20 secs
Type: toggle

A highly unusual power, cloak of darkness does a number of things: stealth, a defence bonus (3.75%), +perception, and mag 10 immobilize protection. It also completely obscures your toon when activated, making you look like a fuzzy shadow.

Should you take it? That depends. If you don't take the leaping pool, you'll need this for your immob resist. If you're going to PVP, the perception bonus will come in handy regardless of what else you have. If neither of those applies, it's completely up to you. I like the stealth for scouting.

Suggested Slotting: the defence buff is tiny and not really worth enhancing, the end cost is so low it doesn't really benefit fom reduction, and the other aspects are unenhanceable.

Cloak Of Fear:

Base Accuracy: 67%
End cost: 2.6
Cast time: 1.17
Recharge: 4 secs
Type: toggle
special: 5% acc debuff, mag 4 fear

This is the first "status aura" available to you. CoF will fear any minion that comes close to you. The magnitude is not high enough to affect bosses alone, but it can be stacked with touch of fear. It also has what I consider one of the coolest animations in the game-little screaming faces will float around your toon.

The downside is the atrocious base accuracy and monstrous end cost. The debuff it offers is barely noticeable.

I'm of the opinion that all DA brutes should take one of the status auras. Which one you take depends on taste. CoF will keep minions within easy reach but mostly helpless. However, it's an end hog and requires a lot of slotting to overcome its inherent problems.

Suggested Slotting: It will need two to three accuracy to get an acceptable hit rate. If you want to run it for lengthy periods, you'll need two to three end reduction-even then, it's expensive to operate.

Oppressive Gloom:

Base Accuracy: 100%
End cost: .156
Cast time: 1.17
Recharge: 8 secs
Type: toggle

The alternative to CoF is OG. It inflicts a mag two disorient on any enemy that comes close. this will send minions reeling, but won't affect bosses alone. It has much better accuracy and costs much less end than CoF. However, it does drain a tiny bit of your health (4.17 unresistable damage every two seconds). With a brutes hit points and the health power from the fitness pool, this is not even noticeable.

The real drawback of OG is the disorient itself. Enemies are not stationary, and will wander off out of the radius of the effect. This makes immobilize powers like Midnight Grasp very useful.

Both this power and CoF will slow or stop enemies from attacking, thereby hurting fury generation. Take one anyway. You needn't run it all the time, but there will be times when you'll need more damage mitigation than your resistances can grant.

Suggested Slotting: OG requires very little slotting to be effective. One or two accuracy enhancements and away you go.

Soul Transfer:

Base Accuracy: 100%
End cost: 0
Cast time: 1.17
Recharge: 300 secs
Type: click
special: 289.14 hp, 30 end per target

Some Sets offer tier-nine powers that can drastically improve your surviveability for short periods. DA is not one of them. Soul Transfer is a combination of self-ressurrect and AoE power. It's not particularly good at either function. For Soul Drain to work, you must be dead. And there must be enemies near your fallen body-if there aren't, and you activate the power, it will do nothing and be wasted.

If there are enemies nearby, ST will return you to life, with health and end based on the number of enemies nearby. You will be invulnerable for a few seconds, and be protected from XP debt for 90 seconds. The enemies will take a modest amount of negative energy damage (41.7) and be hit with a base 10-second, mag 35 stun-powerful enough to stun even bosses.

This all sounds great, but in reality, ST is an awkward, difficult power to use, and often leads to a second death in short order. It works best on teams, where there are more likely to be enough enemies neaby to return you to full life and end. Solo, there will be so few foes nearby you'll come back severely weakened. It's entirely possible for mobs to move away so fast that there is no-one in range when you activate the power, leaving you dead and the power wasted. Optional.

Slotting: While the power certainly benefits from slotting, you need to ask yourself: should I spend slots on a power I can only use when I'm dead? Drop an end mod, heal, or disorient enhancement in the base slot and move on.

Orodreth · 10-22-2006 05:40 PM

Section three: Pool Powers

Medicine: For most other brutes, medicine is a good choice to supplement their main heal. For DM/DA brutes, it's redundant. You'll have access to a heal through both primary and secondary-take and slot them both, skip this pool.

Flight: This is one of the two power pools that can help brutes deal with the lack of KB resist (the other is leaping).

Hover: Costs minimal end (.1), offers a slight defence boost (2.5%), and most importantly, being hit with KB will only flip you over in the air, causing minimal or no disruption to your attack chain. Extrememly strong knockback powers, like those used by Longbow Ballista, will actually push you back a short distance. As KB becomes more common, you'll need to run hover more and more often, so slotting for flight speed enhancement is eventually neccessary. With hover three-slotted and swift with the base slot, you will hover a bit faster than you run without sprint on-this speed is perfectly zippy in missions. Beware of -fly attacks-with hover shut off, you will have no defence against KB at all, so this is not recommended for PVP. For PVE, though, it works well.

Flight is a safe, if slow, travel power that requires flight speed enhancements to reach maximum speed. Swift is highly recommended if you take this pool.

Air superiority is an excellent attack that can help you deal with bosses and can be made a staple of your attack chain. I have mine slotted with some recharge reduction enhancements and have put it on auto.

Leaping: This is the other pool that can help with KB.

If you take combat jumping, then you can skip CoD (if you want) as your immobilization resist will already be covered. Combat jumping costs no end and offers a slight defence bonus (2.5%). Additional slotting is not recommended.

You will want acrobatics, a toggle power that confers resistance to hold and knockdown. Acros end cost is a bit steep for a toggle (.3, three times more than hover), but it requires no additional slotting (unlike hover).

Avoid jump-kick. It does a decent amount of damage (41.7 smashing) and has a small chance of knockdown (15%), but suffers from a lengthy animation (3 seconds, as long as shadow maul!).

Super-leap is a fast travel power that works great outdoors (but not inside enclosed spaces) and requires no slotting to be workable.

Super-speed:

Flurry: Avoid. It has all the problems of shadow maul and none of the advantages.

Hasten: Can be useful for getting slow-recharge powers like Dark consumption back up, but it will aggravate your already-considerable end problems.

Super-speed: will stack with CoD to give full invisibility. This is a good choice for secondary travel power if you decide to PVP. Requires no slotting, and swift is recommended.

Fitness:

Hurdle or swift: Depends on what travel power you are taking. If flight, choose swift. If Leaping, choose hurdle.

Health: Will help offset the penalty from oppressive gloom. It's useful for minimizing downtime.

Stamina: Essential. Take it and three-slot it as early as possible.

Patron Power Pools: The PPPs don't contain anything you really have to have, though some of the powers can be useful. The immobilize powers can help in conjunction with Oppresive Gloom, and having ranged attacks to pull is nice. A lot of people take Ghost Widow for thematic reasons, and because the -acc stacks.

Orodreth · 10-22-2006 05:42 PM

Sample builds:

This first build is my own build for Blackwraith. I chose to use fly for my KB mitigation, and because of the slotting that required, I chose not to take cloak of fear. I put off death shroud because I simply didn't see how I'd have the end to run it, and siphon life got put off because, well, something had to be. I would have loved to take it earlier but could not figure out how.

No, I don't have end reduction in most of the toggles. I have both done the math and playtested this, and they don't make any noticeable difference. The slots do more good elsewhere.

Notice I put hover off until late-I found KB isn't really a serious problem in the early game. I didn't have to take it until the late twenties and wasn't running it consistenly until the late thirties.

---------------------------------------------
Exported from Ver: 1.7.6.0 of the CoH_CoV Character Builder
---------------------------------------------
Name: blackwraith
Level: 46
Archetype: Brute
Primary: Dark Melee
Secondary: Dark Armor
---------------------------------------------
01) --> Shadow Punch==> Acc(1)Acc(3)EndRdx(11)Rechg(13)Dmg(29)Dmg(39)
01) --> Dark Embrace==> DmgRes(1)DmgRes(17)DmgRes(17)
02) --> Smite==> Acc(2)Acc(3)EndRdx(11)Rechg(13)Dmg(29)Dmg(39)
04) --> Shadow Maul==> Acc(4)Acc(5)EndRdx(5)Rechg(15)Dmg(31)Dmg(39)
06) --> Air Superiority==> Acc(6)Acc(7)EndRdx(7)Rechg(15)Dmg(31)Dmg(40)
08) --> Touch of Fear==> Acc(8)EndRdx(9)Rechg(9)
10) --> Obsidian Shield==> DmgRes(10)DmgRes(40)DmgRes(40)
12) --> Murky Cloud==> DmgRes(12)DmgRes(31)DmgRes(34)
14) --> Swift==> Run(14)
16) --> Health==> Heal(16)
18) --> Dark Consumption==> Acc(18)Acc(19)Rechg(19)Rechg(36)Rechg(36)
20) --> Stamina==> EndMod(20)EndMod(21)EndMod(21)
22) --> Dark Regeneration==> Acc(22)Acc(23)EndRdx(23)EndRdx(36)Rechg(43)
24) --> Fly==> Fly(24)Fly(25)Fly(25)
26) --> Soul Drain==> Acc(26)Acc(27)Rechg(27)Rechg(37)Rechg(27)
28) --> Hover==> Fly(28)Fly(37)Fly(37)
30) --> Cloak Of Darkness==> EndRdx(30)
32) --> Midnight Grasp==> Acc(32)Acc(33)EndRdx(33)Rechg(33)Dmg(34)Dmg(34)
35) --> Oppressive Gloom==> Acc(35)
38) --> Soul Transfer==> DisDur(38)
41) --> Death Shroud==> Acc(41)Acc(42)EndRdx(42)EndRdx(42)Dmg(43)Dmg(43)
44) --> Siphon Life==> Acc(44)Acc(45)EndRdx(45)EndRdx(45)Rechg(46)Rechg(46)
---------------------------------------------
01) --> Sprint==> Empty(1)
01) --> Brawl==> Empty(1)
01) --> Fury==> Empty(1)
02) --> Rest==> Empty(2)
---------------------------------------------

And here is a build using Super-leaping. notice how the savings in slots allowed me to slot up my attacks earlier, and to take powers like Cloak of Fear that require heavy slotting.

---------------------------------------------
Exported from Ver: 1.7.6.0 of the CoH_CoV Character Builder
---------------------------------------------
Name: Blackie Two
Level: 46
Archetype: Brute
Primary: Dark Melee
Secondary: Dark Armor
---------------------------------------------
01) --> Shadow Punch==> Acc(1)Acc(3)EndRdx(7)Rechg(11)Dmg(19)Dmg(34)
01) --> Dark Embrace==> DmgRes(1)DmgRes(15)DmgRes(15)
02) --> Smite==> Acc(2)Acc(3)EndRdx(7)Rechg(11)Dmg(19)Dmg(34)
04) --> Shadow Maul==> Acc(4)Acc(5)EndRdx(5)Rechg(13)Dmg(34)Dmg(39)
06) --> Combat Jumping==> Jump(6)
08) --> Siphon Life==> Acc(8)Acc(9)EndRdx(9)EndRdx(13)Rechg(17)Rechg(17)
10) --> Murky Cloud==> DmgRes(10)DmgRes(39)DmgRes(39)
12) --> Obsidian Shield==> DmgRes(12)DmgRes(40)DmgRes(40)
14) --> Super Jump==> Jump(14)
16) --> Hurdle==> Jump(16)
18) --> Health==> Heal(18)
20) --> Stamina==> EndMod(20)EndMod(21)EndMod(21)
22) --> Dark Consumption==> Acc(22)Acc(23)Rechg(23)Rechg(31)Rechg(40)
24) --> Touch of Fear==> Acc(24)EndRdx(25)Rechg(25)Fear(45)Fear(45)
26) --> Dark Regeneration==> Acc(26)Acc(27)EndRdx(27)EndRdx(31)Rechg(42)Rechg(46)
28) --> Soul Drain==> Acc(28)Acc(29)Rechg(29)Rechg(31)Rechg(42)
30) --> Acrobatics==>
32) --> Midnight Grasp==> Acc(32)Acc(33)EndRdx(33)Rechg(33)Dmg(37)Dmg(37)
35) --> Cloak Of Fear==> Acc(35)Acc(36)EndRdx(36)EndRdx(36)EndRdx(37)
38) --> Soul Transfer==> DisDur(38)
41) --> Death Shroud==> Acc(41)Acc(42)EndRdx(43)EndRdx(43)Dmg(43)Dmg(45)
44) --> Cloak Of Darkness==> EndRdx(44)
---------------------------------------------
01) --> Sprint==> Empty(1)
01) --> Brawl==> Empty(1)
01) --> Fury==> Empty(1)
02) --> Rest==> Empty(2)
[b]---------------------------------------------

Canuck · 10-28-2006 08:57 PM

A good guide, from my perspective as a 38 D/D Brute. The only comment I have is that I have and run Death Shroud continually, and with slotting End redux into everything, it's become my number one most damaging power over time. It about ties with a couple of the attacks if I'm solo, but the bigger the group I'm in, the wider the margin by which it beats any other single power.

--The Canuck/Smish, Victory

Chaos_Fury · 03-20-2007 05:19 PM

Here is my recent respec of my level 50 toon. He fights much better now that I have slotted 2 accuracy in most of his powers. Before that he seemed to miss targets quite a bit.

---------------------------------------------
Exported from Ver: 1.7.6.0 of the CoH_CoV Character Builder - (http://sherksilver.coldfront.net/index.php)
---------------------------------------------
Name: Chaos Fury
Level: 50
Archetype: Brute
Primary: Dark Melee
Secondary: Dark Armor
---------------------------------------------
01) --> Shadow Punch==> Acc(1) Acc(3) Rechg(7) EndRdx(25) Dmg(34) Dmg(36)
01) --> Dark Embrace==> DmgRes(1) DmgRes(5) DmgRes(21)
02) --> Smite==> Acc(2) Acc(3) Rechg(7) EndRdx(11) Dmg(29) Dmg(36)
04) --> Murky Cloud==> DmgRes(4) DmgRes(5) DmgRes(21)
06) --> Shadow Maul==> Acc(6) Acc(9) Rechg(9) EndRdx(11) Dmg(29) Dmg(36)
08) --> Combat Jumping==> DefBuf(8)
10) --> Siphon Life==> Acc(10) Acc(13) Rechg(15) Rechg(15) EndRdx(37)
12) --> Obsidian Shield==> DmgRes(12) DmgRes(13) DmgRes(25)
14) --> Super Jump==> Jump(14)
16) --> Dark Regeneration==> Acc(16) Acc(17) Rechg(17) Rechg(34) EndRdx(39) EndRdx(39)
18) --> Dark Consumption==> Acc(18) Acc(19) Rechg(19) Rechg(34) Rechg(39) EndMod(40)
20) --> Acrobatics==> EndRdx(20)
22) --> Air Superiority==> Acc(22) Acc(23) Rechg(23) EndRdx(40) Dmg(43) Dmg(43)
24) --> Hurdle==> Jump(24)
26) --> Soul Drain==> Acc(26) Acc(27) Rechg(27) Rechg(37) Rechg(37) EndRdx(40)
28) --> Health==> Heal(28) Heal(31)
30) --> Stamina==> EndMod(30) EndMod(31) EndMod(31)
32) --> Midnight Grasp==> Acc(32) Acc(33) Dmg(33) Dmg(33) EndRdx(43)
35) --> Oppressive Gloom==> Acc(35)
38) --> Soul Transfer==> DisDur(38)
41) --> Gloom==> Acc(41) Acc(42) TH_DeBuf(42) Dmg(42) Dmg(46) Dmg(50)
44) --> Dark Obliteration==> Acc(44) Acc(45) TH_DeBuf(45) Dmg(45) Dmg(46) Dmg(46)
47) --> Summon Widow==> Acc(47) Acc(48) Dmg(48) Dmg(48) Dmg(50)
49) --> Soul Tentacles==> Acc(49) Acc(50)
---------------------------------------------
01) --> Power Slide==> Run(1)
01) --> Sprint==> Run(1)
01) --> Brawl==> Acc(1)
01) --> Fury==> Empty(1)
02) --> Rest==> Rechg(2)
---------------------------------------------

Natsuki · 03-20-2007 11:55 PM

Couple of nitpicks. You go and list the Endurance cost for Toggles, but not their Activate time. Death Shroud activates every 2, and the defense shields are every 0.5. Which makes Death Should cost 0.52 EPS, and each shield cost 0.26 EPS. Oppressive Gloom activates every 2 seconds, so its a 0.08 EPS, and Cloak of Fear activates every 5 seconds, so its a 0.52 EPS. (Combat Jumping costs 0.03 every 0.5, putting it 0.06 EPS about what OG costs)

The other nitpick being that you state Dark Armor as being "low resist".... It's not low, its normal. Fire Shield, Dark Embrace, and Temp Invuln /all/ have 22.5% Resist to Lethal/Smash. Electric Armor is the only set that has above normal levels of Resist.

Otherwise, good guide overall.

Damage Proc Mini-FAQ

Just noticed Damage Proc Mini-FAQ wasn't working with new forums, it's been updated.