Very nice guide, thank you.
Some note, not as much a critic of your build as presenting alternatives:
My Thugs/Dark skipped Empty Clip, its damage is really minor, and I play my MM as a control freak that micromanages minions, so I'd rather get a utility power.
Mostly if I had to pick one thing to change in your build, I would drop dual wield and take darkest night at 8. I would move acrobatics to 30 (is that morethan changing one thing? moving DN creted a hole at 30!)
I took Hasten+superspeed on mine, hasten really helps during setup at the start of a mission and superspeed+shadow full is full invisibility. squeezing in recall friend is team friendly. superspeed only sucks in Grandville though, so either respec, take a 2nd travel pool (I'd go flight) or use temp powers.
I find hurdle to have a huge synergy with superjump, it doubles the jump distance (not height). Hurdle is also very useful for superspeeders.
FYI, my MM is stamina-less. that allowed me to take 3 more utility powers (like recall friend). I rarely use the pistols (they work well for pulling) and I have some end reds in more powers.
Its a post (after) respec build, to show what it is currently, as I leveled up it was much different. I would never wait so long to pick darkest night, for example. I should have been more clear on that, in case someone would actually level it like that.
You have some excellent suggestions that some may want to pusue.
I like swift to counteract the spd penalty of shadowfall.
I took stamina on my build as I use attacks alot, those along with the toggles I run ( cj,acro,DN,shadowfall,dark embrace), not to mention healing and fearsome stare.
I kept empty clips for the added ae and, I have to admit, just cause I think its fun.
A sample engagement using my build and style would be something along this line(assuming running on high difficulties and a tough spawn)
Approach the enemy spawn running shadowfall, cj,acro,and dark embrace. goto place my brute to gain aggro, hit them with howling twilight, then soul tentacles, send in minions,drop a tar patch. Throw darkest night on the boss, maybe summon gangwar if I feel like it or the boss is realy tough, line up cone attacks and use nightfall and empty clips. Hit fearsome stare and access the situation. Heal if needed. If not healing, start hitting the boss with dual wield,nightfall and empty clips as they refresh. This makes short work of the minions and what left now is maybe the boss and a couple lts. Clean it up and proceed. If the spawn was judged to be easy I wouldnt use howling twilight. If it was a really tough spawn I'd do the above except I would use gangwar and pwouldnt initiate my own attacks right away,concentrating on minions and healing till it was broken up.
Dark Servant
available level 38): and here it is at last,one of the reasons you chose dark...an extra pet !!! You cant control him at all but the dark servant will use a good variety of the dark miasma powers to heal and attack your enemies.
Must have power, the servant can be a tremendous help to you and your minions. The question isnt if you get this power at 38 but how are you gonna slot it.
The dark medic: 2 acc, 3 heal, 1 any other
The dark snarer: 2 acc, 3 immob, 1 any other
The dark controller: 2 acc,3 hold, 1 immob
The dark-of-all-trades: 2 acc,1 immob, 1 hold,2 heal
i find acc in servant to be unneccesary, he has a very high natural acc....i slot mine 3 heal 3 tohit debuff
oh and twilight grasp also debuffs regen
[ QUOTE ]
Call Thugsavailable level 1) Summons a pistol equipped thug to do your bidding. These are your basic "cannonfodder" minions but will form the backbone of your early career and still add significant damage throughout your lifespan.You gain your first minion upon selecting this power, the second minion at level 6 and the third at level 18. The third minion is an arsonist and uses fire based attacks and can scourge. 2 acc, 3 damage, 1 recharge (for faster resummoning) or and an end reduction( for cheaper summoning).
[/ QUOTE ]
Is this correct.. doesn't an Endurance Reduction in the Summon power mean that the henchman uses less Endurance ?
If so, I think that's not really needed in the regular Thugs, they don't use much endurance at all with their attacks.
An end reducer both reduces the cost of the summons and the cost of the abilities used by the minion, I'm pretty sure I read recently.
Currently: 50s (5), 40s (3), 30s (5)
Red and blue side, mostly Infinity, Virtue, and Freedom.
I've noticed that when I first got my Bruiser, he would run very low, if not out, of endurance while fighting large spawns (or against multiple bosses). However, once I gave him an end reducer SO, he goes for a much longer time without issue.
Dungeoncleaners! (ID#125715): Slay the Adventurers! Rescue the Monsters! Return the Treasure!
Peppermint Cat-- Lv50 Mewtant Ice/Eng Bls
This guide will concern itself on the use, selection, and slotting of the Thug/Dark Mastermind powersets with an emphasis on the Dark Miasma secondary for a pve soloer. I'd highly suggest new mm's ( and even some veteran ones) to read the general guides for masterminds as there are some truly excellent guides regarding tactics and keybinds.
available level 1) a single shot low damage attack with a fairly fast recharge rate. If you want one attack,skip this one and take dual wield. If you want two attacks decide if you want the two single target attacks(Pistols and Dual Wield) or a single target and the cone attack (Dual wield and Empty clips). 1 acc and any others you see fit(though I do suggest skipping this one completly or if taken not to slot it heavily).
available level 1) Summons a pistol equipped thug to do your bidding. These are your basic "cannonfodder" minions but will form the backbone of your early career and still add significant damage throughout your lifespan.You gain your first minion upon selecting this power, the second minion at level 6 and the third at level 18. The third minion is an arsonist and uses fire based attacks and can scourge. 2 acc, 3 damage, 1 recharge (for faster resummoning) or and an end reduction( for cheaper summoning).
available level 2) Fire off a shot from two pistols. Does more damage than Pistols and can knockdown your opponent. If you want one attack pick this one. See Pistols above. 1 acc (default) If you feel you must slot this power go the standard attack slotting 1-2 acc,3 damage,an end reducer or a recharge.
available level 8): A moderate damage cone attack with a fairly hefty end cost. Not efficient as a single target attack. Fun though as you unload multiple shots from two pistols. Can add some descent damage to a group thats been herded,packed,held, or pulled around a corner. Beware of added aggro though. 1 acc, 1 end reduction. If you want to slot it more add an additional acc and 3 damage.
available level 26) Here he is- your very own mini pocket brute. He's not as tough or as smart (usually) than a normal brute but he does the job and never whines about fury,buffs, or missed heals. You'll love him. Give him the best name to reflect this. Get used to goto placing him as you would rather have him in melee grabbing aggro and fury then tearing up the pavement. 2 acc 3 damage 1 rch or end reduction.
available level 2 ) A useful power, Tar Patch drops a large patch of viscious negative energy that slows the movement of any opponent thats in or passes through it. As an added bonus it reduces your enemies damage resistance by 27 %! Tar patch is usefull as an opener to a fight before your minions or teammates unleash their attacks. Also good as the second move after howling twilight, the slow effect will keep the disorientated enemies closer together.Same for Fearsome stare,which wont draw you aggro as tar patch causes no damage. The additional effects of minus jump and fly can be nice vs certain flying enemies ( goldbrickers,sky raiders,longbow) and I'd imagine would have some use in pvp as well. You can also use this power as a sort of guard from melee opponents, as it will slow them and enemies tend to try to run away from the patch. If you select this power it will be usefull throughout your career,in any kind of group or solo, against herding minons or Av's.A group of tar patched minions is easy meat for your minions aoe attacks. Highly recommend this one. Slot 3 recharge in it.
available level 4) : An excellent power, darkest night is a targeted toggle power that reduces the mob you targeted and all nearby enemies accuracy and damage potential by 22 %. The damage potential cannot be increased but the acc debuff portion can be. With 3 So's tohit debuffs slotted the acc debuff can render minions impotent, and even against hard hitting Eb's and Av's the damage potential debuff alone is worth the end cost. The one significant drawback of this power is that it requires an anchor. Not a big problem solo but in a group can be quite irritating. In all the confusion of combat alot of players will not notice the "anchor " animation and inevitably it seems that the anchor is always one of the first to die. I'd suggest using a bind target saying when using this power in groups.This power is usefull in the early to mid levels when villain powercurves are more in line with their enemies and later in the game when fighting Eb's and Av's.Its the mid levels, after players have So's slotted in their attacks and their attacks more heavily slotted, that in groups (especially with alot of At's that have ae attacks) Darkest Night becomes less usefull as the kill rate of a spawn is so fast. Still a good tool to have solo. I'd recommend getting this one,but build permitting, could be postponed till later if you are inclined to group alot. Slot with an end reducer and 3 tohit deduffs.
available level 16) A toggle PBAOE, shadowfall offers three benefits to anyone in its aura. One, it offers a limited stealth effect,lowering the distance at which mobs will notice you.Sadly, this will not stack with other forms of concealment but can be handy for moving closer to get into a good attack position. Secondly,it offers minimal defense to melee and ranged attacks.It has some synergy with your acc debuffs but the bonus is small enough to make slotting for more defense inefficient. The last effect and imo the most usefull is the 20% base resist it offers against energy, negative energy, and psionis attacks. Especially the last as very few powers offer resist to psi. Shadowfall reduces the users movement rate but not anyone eles's, I find this highly annoying and use swift to conteract this. Get this power but dont feel like you have to fit in right away. 1 end reduction, 3 damage resists.
available level 20 ) Another dark power I love, this power has a huge cone effect and will likely be your opening move. Slot sufficient acc to hit as many as posible.Fearsome stare will put a fear counter (which very few things resist) on an enemy causing them to stand and cower in terror,not attacking unless they are attacked, and with reduced acc when they do. In large spawns this is particulary valuable as the minons on the fringe of the battle will be effectivly removed while your minions concentrate their ae attacks on the rest. Can also be used as emergency save your butt power, having another ace up your sleeve is never a bad thing. Get this power. Slot it,use it. Teach them to fear the darkness. 2 acc, 3 fear duration, 1 recharge.
available level:28) For most situations the soft control of fearsome stare is enough for my needs but PG has its usefull times.As a mag 2 hold it will hold minions and lts with one appliaction.Its possible with recharge and hold duration to stack and hold a boss but this would require slots that could very well be used more effectivly elsewhere. Still, there are certain enemeies that are so annoying having a real hold can be handy.I've had it but between all my other powers and managing my minions I've found that I dont use it alot.
available level 35) I suppose it could have its uses but....... the annoying drawbacks,mainly waiting around for phased mobs to rephase after everything else is defeated. As an the 8th power in set I would want more than this power offers. As a panic button it could be ok,but, really there are better powers to choose.The one true skippable power in the entire set.
available level 38): and here it is at last,one of the reasons you chose dark...an extra pet !!! You cant control him at all but the dark servant will use a good variety of the dark miasma powers to heal and attack your enemies.
Before we get to the actual powers themselves,let us briefly examine the heated debate betwen masterminds on the taking of attack powers. Some players feel that the masterminds purpose and main form of damage is their minions and all power selections should,in someway, enhance or reflect this belief and personal attacks have no place in their build and playstyle. They are ,of course, correct. Some players feel that their minions, while being indespensible and making up the greatest contribution to their overall damage output, feel that taking attacks only adds to their overall DPS, allows another way to pull, fits their concept, or is just plain fun. They are, of course, correct. The point here is that it is a matter of choice, if you want personal attacks,by all means, take them.
Keep in mind when making this decision that you can take attacks at low levels when your damage output is relatively low and respec out of them later. Veteran respec rewards are especially handy in these cases. Having 1-2 or even all 3 attacks can make the wait till level 12 and 16 much more bearable.
Personally, I like having 1 or 2 attacks available to me. For use in pulling,for something to do in a long fight, to add abit of damage and mitigation in the form of knockdown, and for the fun of having a pistol toting mastermind. To each his own.
Pistols
Call Thugs
Dual Wield
Equip Thugs( available level 6) Every minion comes with a default attack, using this power (and later Upgrade equipment) grants your minions additional attacks. This is a good thing as the granted powers 1) are generally stronger than the default attack and 2) gives your minions an attack chain. Do not skip this power. This power recharges fast. Default slot with an end reduction.
Empty Clips
Call Enforcers( available level 12) Your first tier two minion, comes equipped with uzi's. Beyond the excellent damage they add to your force the enforcers also posses a form of the leadership skills that is granted to your other minions. This is especially inportant as Thugs do not recieve resistances vs any damage types. Make sure you upgrade them as it grants them the other leadership skills. With Equip Thugs on them they have assault and maneuvers,and later with Upgrade equipment, tactics.You get your second enforcer at level 24.
Need I say that this is a must have power ? Slot as Call thugs.
Gang War: A targeted power which summons a whole posse of thugs to attack your foes.They wield simple melee weapons, are weak individually, can be killed (and healed),cannot be commanded after the initial target is eliminated but will hang out with you and party for a couple minutes.Very usefull as an aggro magnet and a ghetto form of an immobilization as their target will have trouble moving while being swarmed. Be carefull when targeting this power as 1) if the target dies before they are summoned the Gang war wont come and 2) make sure the target is on the ground.
I love this power and you most likely will,too. Of all the the MM's 7th choice,its gangwar that I think is the coolest. Though the necro's ghost summon is pretty cool,too. Could be skipped, I suppose, but I would highly recommend getting this one right away at 18th. 3 acc and 3 recharge. Some players use 3 damage instead but I feel the greater acc is a better deal than the small returns on increasing the minor damage they deal by 99%.With 3 recharges I can use this 2-3 times on a mission map. At higher levels it isnt the Mob Wars damage potential thats attractive but the initial agrro they gain and the soft immob.
Call Bruiser
Upgrade Equipment ( available 32 ) Grants your minions their most powerfull attacks and their coolest looking costume.
Must get. Default slot end reduction.
DARK MIASMA:
The power of darkness is yours to command. The choice of your secondary can be of more importance than your primary, as it is your secondary that will dictate what tactics you will use to allow your primary power set to prevail. Used wisely Dark Miasma is highly effective in both solo and team play and is good against hordes of minions,as well as, Eb's and Av's. I've heard its also effective in pvp as well but I cannot comment on this as my experience in pvp is limited and confined largely to melee types.
Twilight Grasp: ( available level 1,auto selection)you have no choice in getting this power but you would grab it anyways. The masterminds only ae heal, twilight grasp does its job pretty well. Due to the lack of area healing power in Cov this power alone can get you a spot in a group if they cant find a thermal or kin corruptor.(yes, I know rad has a heal too but its weaker than TG). Twilight grasp is an accuracy based heal,so you need to be able to hit the mob in order to heal. This isnt a huge drawback post SO's but in the early levels can be frustrating,especially if your fighting mobs that are +2-3. The heal is centered around you so you have to be in close proximity to those you want healed. This can be its biggest drawback as on a group its unlikely that everyone will stay clustered together.( and we won't even get into the crazy antics of our arsonist). Relative to the instant cast heals of other sets TG is a slow heal,some foresight will be needed as instant saves are not possible. Even with these drawbacks Tg is highly usefull, and not just as a heal. In boss,eb,and Av fights use TG as part of your "attack chain " as it also puts a 10% acc debuff counter on your foe AND lowers the damage they deal. These may seem like incidental side effects but it can make a noticable difference in tough fights.
Strong heal : 2 acc,3 heal,1 end reducer or recharge
Balanced Heal: 2 acc,2 heal,1 end reduction,1 recharge
Tar Patch
Darkest Night
Howling Twilight: (available level 10) One of my favorite Dark miasma powers. Not only is it a group rez ( the only group rez in the game ) but is a very powerfull debuff tool.
There is no acc check in its use, your target and all enemies in a descent sized area around it will be slowed,disorientated, and drained of a little health(but not bosses). Solo or in smaller groups when Im comfortable with the groups ability to survive I'll use this as an opener to soften up large/tough spawns. Also good to hit a spawn with a tough boss in it, giving you some extra breathing space as those pesky minions and lts will be neutralized for awhile.Very nice against Tsoo and Malta where the minions and lts can be just as or more annoying then the boss's.Not to mention longbow and arachnos. Slotting : if you use this power as just a rez (shame on you !) throw a rch reduction in the default slot maybe adding another later on. If you use it as the potent combat tool it can be go 3 recharge,3 stun. As a soloer get this asap,you won't regret it. Otherwise fit it in when you can.This power alone can get you into a LRSF where a group rez is extremely valuable.
Shadowfall
Fearsome Stare
Petrifying Gaze
emergency hold : 2 acc
light,fast hold for holding multiple mobs: 2 acc,1 hold, 3 recharge
Heavy hold for stacking: 2 acc,3 hold, 1 recharge
Note- both would let you hold a boss,more a matter of prefference.
Black Hole
Dark Servant
Must have power, the servant can be a tremendous help to you and your minions. The question isnt if you get this power at 38 but how are you gonna slot it.
The dark medic: 2 acc, 3 heal, 1 any other
The dark snarer: 2 acc, 3 immob, 1 any other
The dark controller: 2 acc,3 hold, 1 immob
The dark-of-all-trades: 2 acc,1 immob, 1 hold,2 heal
I use the dark medic version, stronger heals for me,my minions,and my teammates at high levels is desirable. Sure,the other powers wont be as strong but helps out a little and I have already addressed through my own powers the enemies I feel to be the most danger. Anything the servant does is like frosting, a tasty addition to your capabilities. The dark snarer or controller would be usefull for any that wants more control action and/or skipped fearsome stare (gasp !) and PG.The last version,to me,is the least desirable. Sure, all of its powers are enhanced slightly but Id rather have it strong in at least one area.
From lvl 1 to 50 you only get 24 power selections.In the primary all three summons, both upgrade powers and gangwars are a must have. You'll want a travel power and thats two more for 8 powers taken.
In dark miasma you have to take TG, and imo tar patch, howling twilight, fearsome stare and dark servant are must haves, with darkest night being desirable ( and perhaps PG and shadowfall)
Lets say you opt to skip Pg, thats 15 powers taken now, leaving you with 9 powers to choose from attacks,pool powers, and the patron pools.And only 6 options if you go with a stamina build.Go the leadership route(with stamina to afford the end cost ) and your left with only 3 choices. With that in mind let us examine the various power pools and their desirability.
The Pool Powers:
Concealment: Stealth, wont stack with shadowfall, if your going for phase shift then drop shadowfall or pick up grant invis. Which can be usefull when lackeying or stealthing a mission on a team. Wouldnt use it on my minions as I generally prefer that they attract attention rather than me, and the tiny defense bonus isnt worth it. May be nice in team pvp and if the ultimate panic button phase shift is your goal,you'll have to take one.Invis would be ok,i guess,for stealthing but,except on,say,cot orenbega maps it isnt that hard to just rush a mission if you dont have your minions out.
Fighting : lol, yea right. Maybe in some odd concept build but the returns for a MM isnt worth the powe slots. Last thing we need is an extra melee attack, and 11.8 % smashing/lethal reist or the 3.9 % extra defense isnt going to save the day(and thats with 3 slots in each ). Skip it or make a brute.
Fitness: an excellent pool,that passively enhances the basic attributes of your character.Can travel faster by hurdle hopping then with swift but i like swift better cause it negates the speed penalty of shadowfall and when encounering quicksand thats minus jump swift lets get clear faster. Matter of preference.Health isnt a bad choice,ultimately the game is about Hp and getting alittle more back on the way to stamina isnt bad.And,of course, the gem of the set-stamina. More stamina the better. Enough said.
Flight: safe,slow(until slotted) and easy to travel, flight is a good "squishy" mode of travel and makes Grandville much more bearable.Hover can add a touch of defense and get you above such annoying things as earthquake and the like.Air Superiority is argueably one of the best pool attack choices and could make an ok panic attack to gain a couple seconds. Flight also offers you away to travel in style with your minions and friends-slowly and with a huge end drain- but in style nontheless.
Leadership: A pool in which many MM's decree as mandatory.The effects of Maneuvers(small defense bonus,not worth slotting), Assault( increase in damage,resist to confuse and taunt),Tactics ( very nie power, 3 slotted its almost like having another acc slotted), and vengeance ( wont work on minions,situational but gives an excellent boost to all 3 skills and a small heal) will apply to everyone near you, be they minion or teammate. I like leadership alot....when someone else has it. Its just a weird personal thing of mine but I hate having this pool. I dont like using up the skill slots to get it, the end drain when id rather be using other powers,and hate having to retoggle them everytime I get stunned or held. I had this pool for a good long while and though it did offer some benefit I dont miss it much at all(except tactics). Both my enforcers run their version of leadership, through my secondary I can get better results with defense and damage potential than with leadership. Now, of course, leadership would stack with all that but I opted it out and havnt regretted it. A good solid pool choice and a natural one for an MM.
Leaping: combat jumping gives a decent travel boost and a small defense bonus as well as mag 1 protection from immobilization.I avoid jumpkick like I would syphyllis, the animation takes way to long for what it does. Superjump, unenhanced,offers fast travel with good vertical climb,is easy and cheap to use.One of my favorites. Acrobatics is handy, it offers mag 1 protection from knockbacks and holds. If your looking for some status protection and decent travel, jumping pool is a solid choice.
Medicine- skip it, we have a heal and a rez, no use sucking up the few spare power selections we have with redunacies. Though Stimulant is handy to have.
Presence: lol.....go ahead. See post under fighting.
Speed: Flurry is one of the most end to damage efficient attack powers which is good cause other than that it pretty much sucks...alot. Imagine a weak single target shadowmaul. Yup,skip it and get haste instead. I love haste but on this MM its largely useless so I wouldnt bother. However, SS is very nice for zooming mission maps and can be fun till you hit Grandville. So you'll be taking haste if you want SS. I've never liked whirlwind at all but some players like it. You decide.
Teleportation: Handy,handy. Recall friend for teammates and minions, goof for getting corpses in a pile for Howling Twilight. Teleport foe is ok for pulling and grabbing runners/flyers. If I was to seriously pvp I think I would get this power. Teleport , on the straightaways is the fastest travel power of them all ( unless you have dial-up), but is an end hog and needs a couple slots to be more user friendly.This pool is the other one that offers a way to transport your friends and minions along with you.
Patron Pool Powers: All PP pools offer four powers; an Ae attack, an AE immobilization, a shield, and a single target hold.
Ghost Widow:as a theme this pool meshes nicely with dark miasma,its the one I took and while I enjoy it, if I had the chance I would pick Black Scorpion( see below).
Nightfall: an ae cone that deals moderate negative energy damage and reduces the acc of those hit. 2 acc,3 dam, 1 end rdx
Dark Embrace: wrap yourself in negative energy granting resists to smashing,lethal, and toxic damage. 1 end rdx, 3 resists
Soul Tentacles: an area effect immobilization and negative energy dot. 2 acc, 1-3 immob, 1-3 damage depending on preference.
Soul Storm : single target hold, with this and PG you can play controller. 2 acc,3 hold
Black Scorpian :
Web Envelope: an ae immobilization,- fly - jump, does no damage.
Scorpian Shield :energy shield that grants defense to smashing,lethal,and energy attacks. Also adds resists to toxic damage. This is the power I wish I could take. Think of the synergy of the -acc debuff of miasma with the + defense of this shield.
Mace Beam Volley: cone attack,moderate damage
Web Cacoon: single target hold.
Captain Mako:
School of Sharks : an ae immobilization and dot.
Bile Spray: cone attack dealing toxic damage.
Shark Skin: Passive resists to smashing,lethal and cold damage.
Spirit Shark Jaws: Single target hold with lethal dot.
Scirroco:
Static Discharge: ae energy attack
Charged Armor : offers resists to smashing,lethal and energy attacks
Electrifying fences: ae immobilization and energy dot.
Electric Shackles: single target hold.
Brief summation on the capabilities of dark miasma:
With this secondary you have :
* the only MM aoe heal that also debuffs targets acc and the damage they deal.
* an aoe debuff,slow -fly-jump that seriously lowers enemies damage resistance.
* an aoe toggle acc debuff and damage potential
* an aoe rez that can masquearde as an auto hit aoe stun, slow, damage power.
* an aoe stealth,defense, resist vs energy,neg, energy and psi.
* an aoe fear power, good soft control,huge cone,seldom resisted.
* a single target hold
* an aoe enemy phase
* and a pet that uses many of the above powers randomly to help you out.
* and ,if all that wasn't enough, we get more dates than any other MM.
A note on the first veteran power rewards( havnt gotten the choice of Nemesis staff or blackwand,only 28 months in, I curse the while I left for EQ2 back when it came out)
Sands of mu vs The undead slaying Axe.
Sands of mu: unslotted shadowmaul, does high damage in a melee, roots you for a few seconds, does partial smashing/ neg energy damage with an acc debuff counter.
Undead Axe: moderate lethal with a special bonus true undead (cot spectres and banished Pantheon husks and the like, Vahz isnt included), faster recharge than sands of mu.
Now the main use of these two powers will come in the early levels,when your goofing off, adding some damage to your minions, and as a "get out of my face " panic button. Sands of mu will do more damage and as a theme fits with dark miasma nicely. However, as you can't slot acc with this its inaccurate and missing will hurt- trust me Ive done 50 levels of Dm on both cities- missing with these makes you cringe.
The axe does less damage but is faster,it will add some damage and you get the whole " axe wielding maniac" thing going on.The weapon redraw can get annoying but your not gonna rely on temp powers for damage forever. In the long run,imo, you'll get more use of the axe. When you get to cot spectres the axe can be your friend. Cot spectres suck in general and doing scads of damage to them is nice. Plus dark melee is weak vs spectres.And if a melee attack panic botton is your thing the fast animation of the axe is better.Get as from flight pool if you feel truly need one.
Thug/Dark is a flexible damage dealing machine that is equally suited to solo play or team. Just take the time to learn its limits and you'll be fine. Have fun, make some friends, and dont forget to feed your minions.
Posted below is my build post respec:
+---------------------------------------------
+ Built with SuckerPunch's Online Planner
+ http://www.pf-coh.com/planner/
+---------------------------------------------
+ Name: N/A
+ Level: 50
+ Archetype: Mastermind
+ Primary: Thugs
+ Secondary: Dark Miasma
+---------------------------------------------
01 >> Twilight Grasp ==> Acc(1),Acc(3),Heal(7),Heal(11),Heal(40),Rech(43)
01 >> Call Thugs ==> Acc(1),Acc(3),Dam(5),Dam(7),Dam(19)
02 >> Dual Wield ==> Acc(2),Dam(33),Dam(34),Dam(34),EndCost(37)
04 >> Tar Patch ==> Rech(4),Rech(5),Rech(43)
06 >> Equip Thugs ==> EndCost(6)
08 >> Empty Clips ==> Acc(8),Acc(9),Dam(9),Dam(15),Dam(37)
10 >> Howling Twilight ==> Rech(10),Rech(11),Rech(17),DisDur(43),DisDur(46),DisDur(48)
12 >> Call Enforcer ==> Acc(12),Acc(13),Dam(13),Dam(15),Dam(17)
14 >> Combat Jumping ==> EndCost(14)
16 >> Super Jump ==> Jump(16)
18 >> Gang War ==> Acc(18),Acc(19),Acc(23),Rech(23),Rech(25),Rech(25)
20 >> Fearsome Stare ==> Acc(20),Acc(21),Fear(21),Fear(34),EndCost(37),Rech(45)
22 >> Swift ==> RunSpd(22)
24 >> Health ==> Heal(24),Heal(46),Heal(46)
26 >> Call Bruiser ==> Acc(26),Acc(27),Dam(27),Dam(29),Dam(29)
28 >> Stamina ==> EndMod(28),EndMod(33),EndMod(33)
30 >> Darkest Night ==> EndCost(30),EndCost(31),ToHitDeBuff(31),ToHitDeBuff(31),ToHitDeBuff(48)
32 >> Upgrade Equipment ==> EndCost(32)
35 >> Shadow Fall ==> EndCost(35),DamRes(36),DamRes(36),DamRes(36)
38 >> Dark Servant ==> Acc(38),Acc(39),Heal(39),Heal(39),Heal(40),ToHitDeBuff(40)
41 >> Dark Embrace ==> EndCost(41),DamRes(42),DamRes(42),DamRes(42)
44 >> Soul Tentacles ==> Acc(44),Acc(45),Immob(45)
47 >> Acrobatics ==> EndCost(47),EndCost(48)
49 >> Night Fall ==> Acc(49),Dam(50),Dam(50),Dam(50)