Thank you so much for the guide. It's a great primer that reinforces my insane idea of creating a BS/SR Scrapper may not be as crazy as I originally had thought. Obviously, animation and endurance problems are concerns for me, but I've recently learned positioning and pacing are powerful allies - as much as high damage output and DPS.
I'm curious about any builds anyone has had success with using this combo. I'll take Colette's advice to heart and will try building something in Mids.
Thank you again for the kickstart!
The Broadsword/Super Reflexes scrapper (BS/SR) has been available since the debut of City of Heroes and has seen many changes. Yet Ive found no specific guide for this increasingly popular variety of scrapper. I hope my own effort will serve the new scrapper well.
The hard numbers for both powersets are readily available. This guide is intended for those like me who prefer to play rather than crunch numbers.
The BS/SR suffers from the following disadvantages.
1. Vulnerability to accuracy buffs such as Aim or Devouring Earth crystals.
2. Extremely rapid use of Endurance, especially in the early levels.
3. A lack of self heals and holds.
However, the BS/SR enjoys some amazing advantages.
1. The best possible defenses in the game (Katana/SR and Ninja Blade/SR stalkers meet but do not exceed these defenses.)
2. Potent attacks capable of eliminating most soft targets in seconds.
3. One of the best mez defenses in the game.
BS/SR presents a heavy burden for Endurance, but broadswords Parry offers amazing synergy. BS/SR is therefore challenging, entertaining and effective.
Powerset overview.
Broadsword.
Hack: A low recharge, high damage hit from your sword. Not bad, but the recharge makes this attack less attractive than Slash, in my opinion.
Slash: An above-average filler attack with a fast recharge rate. Youre unlikely to go to pool powers for fast recharge strikes because these attacks make your weapon vanish and forces you to draw it again. Regrettable. Slash helps fill this need.
Slice: A cone attack with adequate damage but a higher end cost and recharge rate. Inefficient on a soloist.
Buildup: A standard damage and accuracy buff. Very good to have, though Id advise taking it later in your career.
Parry: for you, this is the gem of the Broadsword set. For best results, slot it with one accuracy, two damage, three defense. Thiss a little counterintuitive. Parry can fit into your attack chain as a filler attack with this damage, and the defensive bonus stacks with itself. Paired with Slash and Brawl it offers an adequate early-level damage chain.
Confront: For most melee sets, these taunt powers are almost universally useless. Broadswords no exception.
Whirling Sword: Like Slice, this attack is inefficient for the soloist but the team scrapper may find use for it. If your teams having trouble hitting targets, try slotting this with accuracies, a recharge and defense debuffs. Thiss a creative alternative to taking Tactics.
Disembowel: one of your two heavy hitters. Slow to recharge but it packs a whallop.
Headsplitter: has become almost legendary in its ability to pump out damage. Like Disembowel it takes a while to recharge.
Super Reflexes.
Unlike Broadsword, where youre free to pick and choose your attacks, you really need to take all of the SR set. Why is this?
Resistance, armor that lets you take punishment is linear. More just means more. Defense, the ability to nimbly dodge incoming attacks, is on a curve. A little defense is like having none at all. But a great deal of defense makes an enormous difference, and those last few points or defense have a disproportionately large value, a case of increasing returns, not decreasing.
Id rather not go into the math. Seek Arcanavilles Guide to Defense, with plenty of numbers for those of you who enjoy it.
So not only do you want all the SR powers, youll want pool powers too, like Weave, Combat Jumping or Maneuvers. More on those later.
The powers.
Focused Fighting (FF): A superb toggle. Put some reduced endurance on it first, then some defense on it later.
Focused Senses: With FF, this toggle completes your initial defense package. Youll immediately see the difference. As one scrapper put it, you either look fabulous or youre dead. Slot this early and heavily and let Parry take up the slack.
Agile: first of the SR passives. I advise taking them later.
Practiced Brawler: a gem of a mez defense. Its a click power that can always be ready for you with two recharges. It stacks(!) with three. While you dont have the range of defenses of the new Willpower toggle Indomitable Will, you still have one of the two best possible mez defenses in the game.
Dodge: Second passive. Take it later.
Quickness: A must for the slower-recharging Broadsword set. This power makes a noticable difference.
Lucky: Third passive. These passives also offer a progressive resistance buff as you take damage. Meaning the more youre hit, the harder it will be to finish you off. One of these passives wont make that much difference but all three together definitely will. You might take Lucky immediately to help fill the AoE hole youve been laboring under for twenty eight levels.
Evasion: Third toggle, and youll breathe a sigh of relief when you get it. Up until now AoEs have been your downfall. No longer.
Elude: A godmode power that zaps your Defenses and Endurance recovery through the roof, with a crash three minutes later. Some like to use this as often as possible (Perma-lude) while others prefer it as a panic button.
The Pools
As mentioned, youll want those powers that give you still more defense.
Concealment: Stealth is an acceptable toggle, though some unique inventions functionally replace it. The rest are not really useful to you.
Fighting: Weave is a wonderful tool for you, but sadly it forces you to take the less useful Boxing or Kick attacks first. If only theyd assign the brawl animations instead!
Fitness: A must, especially on such an End-intensive build.
Flight: Not bad. Range is a manner of defense after all, though you belong in the middle of the fight. And Hover may be slotted for defense. Youre also less vulnerable to Grounding powers such as Web Grenade.
Leadership: I love Maneuvers and Tactics. They do cost a lot of Endurance but they make both you and your entire team hit better. Many teammates with stacking Maneuvers can make your team practically unkillable!
Leaping: Combat Jumping stacking with Hurdle can offer a cheap pseudo travel power. It can also be slotted for defense. Acrobatics is redundant for you and a waste of precious End.
Medicine: Aid Selfs a fine choice as you have no self-heal power. Also the interrupt is less an issue because youre so hard to hit.
Presence: I found Provoke useful in Player vs. Environment (PvE) because I often found myself acting in a tanks place. Intimidate in turn proved very useful in the Player vs. Player (PvP) world. It stops the Aim/Buildup combos of the blasters and stalkers very nicely, and you dont have any other holds.
Speed: Hasten does let you pump out Disembowel and Headsplitter more often half the time, and is the mainstay of the permalude builds. A good option.
Teleport: This allows you to travel even when youre caught in quicksand or caltrop fields. This is a perfectly acceptable option, though I prefer to pair it with hover.
The Ancillaries:
Body Mastery: is generally taken for End conservation and the accuracy buff. Focused Accuracy also enhances your perception.
Darkness Mastery: an interesting choice as the accuracy debuffs it offers synergise nicely with your defenses. These are slot-greedy though.
Weapon Mastery: an underestimated choice. Caltrops and Web Grenade are lovely tools.
Final notes:
BS/SR offers more excitement than other sets because SR is somewhat less reliable and endurance is an issue. But the damage you offer makes you a force on the battlefield. Youll need to minimize your disadvantages and capitalize on your strengths. It truly blooms in the thirties and becomes nearly unhittable in the forties.
BS/SR solos well, but also works well in a team. My own build is a team scrapper designed to put the lie to the idea that scrappers work best alone. She acts as a tanker in a pinch, guards her more vulnerable colleagues, enhances them with leadership, scouts, rapidly eliminates priority targets such as sappers and keeps the big boss busy while the team mops up the escort. Shes the cavalry unit, ready to rescue a vulnerable comrade or charge a weakened opponent.
Without getting into the specifics of my build and slotting, I use Parry, Headsplitter, Slash and Disembowel as my attack chain. This gives me fine single-target damage, gives me room for all the SR powers plus pools and exemplars down comfortably.