Hagis' Guide to the War Mace v. 1.0 (Issue 11)
By
bdomingz,
Posted on: 2008-03-28 04:46 in Player Guides
Great guide! Well-written and easy to follow.
Don't know why anyone else hasn't responded yet--maybe that says something about War Mace's popularity.
I don't have any experience with War Mace, but this guide has got me curious to try it out.
One thing that I disagree with, though, is your slotting for Clobber. For pretty much any single target disorient, I recommend slotting it with three Disorient Duration SOs. Not necessarily ASAP, but at some point. I find that when you disorient someone, you usually want them to stay that way for a good long time.
well written out power guide. Standard slotting recommendations.
I don't have clobber, but I keep thinking of picking it up...
My VirtueVerse
My Brute!
Three points:
1. War Mace damage is not as bad as people think. It also has lots of good survivability secondary effects which allow you to survive encounters which an axemen would would faceplant in. Also the secondary effects are force multipliers to your team.
2. Clobber is an under-appreciated power. If you six slot it 2 Acc, 2 Disor, & 2 Recharge you can stack the stuns on bosses.
3. It's uncommon and I enjoy being relatively unique.
BTW: Excellent guide
I run a Inv/Mace Tanker. Ran her to 50 about two years ago. Cant say this guide would have helped me. I am not saying its bad, I laughed a couple of times, but not real useful in the scop of trying to make Mace appealing, or making mace appreciated, or even explaining how to make mace fun and useful.
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Just Because You Can, Doesn't Mean You Should!
I've run a mace tank since Issue 2, my first character was Inv/Mace, and I still play him today. Last time I checked I had between 1600 and 1800 hrs playing him. Although I no longer consider him my main, I do keep him current with the changes in the game.
I also have a second mace tank on the same server, Victory, that is a lvl 44 Fire/Mace. All the knowledge I accumulated playing the first mace really helped me with the second character.
I could have and should have written a mace guide, a long time ago, but I'm lazy and procrastinated and went through many periods where I just thought that mace was so bad, why write a guide no one would read anyway?
With that, I cannot complain about what Hagis has written it is generally informative. I know, its hard to write a guide for mace and make it exciting. I know I couldn't do it.
I will humbly offer a few tidbits of advice for mace that I found hold true for me, and if Hagis feels like adding this info to his guide, he is more than welcome to. If he wants to just ignore it he can as well. After all it is HIS guide, not mine.
(1)All mace attacks are useful, but some are better suited for certain primaries more than others. An example is Fire Armor/Mace. A FA/WM tank can make great use of burn if he chose to because of having 3 attacks that Knockdown; Jawbreaker, Shatter and Crowd Control. With these 3 attacks, a solo tank can keep a group of mobs in the burn patch the entire time about as well as an Ice melee tank can with his Ice patch. Add in Air Superiority and having 4 attacks that KD can mitigate a tremendous amount of damage.
(2)Both of my mace tanks run Focused Accuracy from the Energy epic all the time. The 5% bonus by itself is not enough to be able to run with just 1 slot of accuracy in your attacks.
With the invention system, set bonuses can add considerable acc to not need FA but that takes time to accrue. I recommend FA at least initially until you get the sets built that provide the additional accuracy you need. Invul has +tohit in invincibility that helps mace somewhat, but I was never able to count on it in a pinch. Meaning when you're facing a really tough foe, and you can't afford to miss even one shot, having a power like Invincibility to buff your ability to hit when theres only one foe remaining is iffy at best. Besides there are more important uses for invincibility besides to hit, like defense, and taunt ability, and end reduction to consider. I could never find a happy slotting for invincibilty that took care of my to hit as well as keeping me and my team safe. So I just chose to forget that invincibilty had any to hit in it at all and found the solution elsewhere.
(3)Most every mace build is going to be tight because of this. In fact, one of the tightest builds I've even done was the FA/WM tank. So many powers needed not enough power choices until way late. It is definately NOT a set combination for a starting player. But it is very rewarding when you've hit the late 30s, early 40's.
Because of accuracy concerns I wouldn't even recommend Inv/Mace as a starter combination.
(4)Knowing what I know about tanks I would think either Ice Armor or Willpower to be the best Primary to pair with Mace and make it easy enough for a new player to grasp.
-Largo
Founder of A.G.O.N.Y. Supergroup on Victory
Member of Thought Sanctum VG on Victory
Member of St0rm Batallion SG on Guardian
Hey where can i get info on the unlockable carnie mace?
http://cityofheroes.wikia.com/wiki/W...ation#War_Mace
Directly: Illusionist Badge (yeah, that Illusionist Badge).
Blue: ~Knockback Squad on Guardian~
Red: ~Undoing of Virtue on [3 guesses]~
Great guide. Thanks for taking the time to write it. I've got it bookmarked for leveling my tanker.
This topic has been a huge help! I am running my first Tank with Inv/WMace and I wasn't totally happy, but a few tweaks via the tips here and I'm running hot now.
Out Rage
I have a new WM/SR brute at 50 now. WM post-I13 is really, really good. Clobber kicks [censored], and the AOE from Shatter, CC, and Whirling are really really good. Biggest problem seems to be endo useage. At least on my /SR, i had to slot the AOEs with Obilterations so that may be the cause of the problem. However I could see that WP is a very very good secondary pairing for WM redside or even on a tank these days, due to 2 endo recovery powers. WM almost deserves a place on par with the Big 3 these days.
Plus the Rularuu hammer is just too cool.
"Sometimes you have to roll the Hard Six." -- Adama
Teabagging Ms. Liberty - http://kk-comics.com/allmmproject/rsf21.jpg
I'm about to start my DA/WM tank this afternoon, I look forward to never having endurance
Aye, lads and lasses, it's high time fer a guide ta one of the most underappreciated Tanker secondaries. Hope ye get somethin' out o' it!
I rolled up an Invulnerability/War Mace tanker right around the time I4 hit and he's now sitting just shy of level 43. I have every power in the set and use them all regularly. What follows is some general info on the powers in the set, some tactics, and a hodgepodge of random thoughts about the Big Spiked Steel Ball Onna Stick.
First: Why play War Mace? Doesn't the damage blow chunks?
-It's not hard to get that impression. War Mace has fairly long recharge times and it's all Smashing damage, which gets resisted a fair bit. But like all Tanker secondaries, it develops into a powerhouse over time. It's also hindered by the lack of a third single target heavy hitter. The last single target attack you get is Jawbreaker! (Most of us adapt and use Shatter as a ST attack, which has its ups and downs.) For a long time, Mace had some animation glitches that slowed its Damage Per Second (DPS) output down. (These have all been fixed or at least reduced to the point where I don't notice them anymore.) Also, the set did have a fair amount of knockback, which meant you had to spend time chasing mobs down after you hit them. Those powers have since been changed to knockdown, which is a different beast all together. (The argument for pro vs anti knockback has caused more than its fair share of heartburn on the forums. Suffice it to say that right now, the point is moot as far as War Mace goes.)
Ok, those sound like a lot of reaons to avoid the set. Why play it?
-There are a few good reasons.
1) You get to hit thugs with a Big Spiked Steel Ball Onna Stick. Repeatedly. Until they fall over and get teleported to the hospital. (This also applies to shovels, shilleleghs, baseball bats, and any of the other items you can use instead of the standard mace.)
2) War Mace is a surprisingly good AoE set. Whirling Mace is a really nice PBAoE with a decent chance to stun LTs and Minions. Crowd Control is a huge (180 degree) arc that knocks down pretty much anything it hits. Shatter is a narrower cone that can, with practice, reliably hit two thugs at a time. (It can hit more, but 2 is pretty much my limit at my level of skill.) And oh boy, when it hits, it hits HARD. Which brings me to my next point.
3) Accuracy. I hate missing. Let me say it again. I. HATE. MISSING. As a drawn weapon, mace gets a small (5%) inherent accuracy buff. Big deal, you say? Wouldn't you like every soldier in the armed forces to have a free extra bit of accuracy? Would you turn down 5% extra accuracy for your favorite baseball pitcher or basketball team? Granted, it's not much, but every little bit helps.
4) Most robots take extra Smashing damage. Clockworks? Nemesis Jaegers? Malta Titans? Sky Raider Shield Generators? The crystalline Devouring Earth critters? All get broken into itty bitty pieces by the Big Spiked Steel Ball Onna Stick.
5) The mix of soft controls in War Mace is somewhat unpredictable. The lower level attacks have a Stun component, and the higher ones knock people off their feet. Thugs can't attack if they're on their kiesters or staggering around like drunken sods. Either way, though, they're not inflicting damage to you or your team. Also, with the AoE capability of War Mace, holding aggro is a fairly easy task.
Let's go through the powers. I'm going to list each one with some observations and some recommended slotting. Not having any direct experience with IOs, I can't make any recommendations that way. There are, however, plenty of guides out there that can walk you down that road, should you choose to go that route.
Brawl- Yes, Brawl. My tanker has it and uses it enough for it to be in the attack tray. In the early going, it's a filler attack. In the late going...it's still a filler attack. It does jack for damage, but every little bit helps...and it's easy on the ol' Blue Bar. One accuracy SO is plenty.
Bash- You HAVE to take it, so why not use it? It does a moderate amount of damage and has a 10% chance to disorient the one it hits. (MAG 3, maybe a 5-6 second duration.) Slot it out at two accuracies, then gradually add in an end reduction and up to three damages as slots become available.
Pulverize- This is actually a decent attack. It does fair damage, has a 20% chance to disorient (MAG 3, 5-6 seconds duration). Most attack chains will make good use of it. Slot in two accuracies, one end reducer, and up to three damages as slots become available.
Jawbreaker- This is your first power that gives you a hint of the awesomeness that is to come. This attack does good damage (the highest single target attack you get) and sends people flying most of the time. The animation shows you slamming the mace into your target's chin with an upward blow, sending them up in the air a short distance. They don't go too far from you, though. You need to be careful using this on ledges and such, because you can knock thugs away enough that they'll fall of the ledge and away from you. Oh, and the sound effect is very nice-it's a bone-breaking crunch. Nice work, whoever programmed that in. Slot it with two accuracies, one end reducer, and three damages. You will want to six-slot this bad boy.
Whirling Mace- This is your first AoE attack. It hits up to 10-14 targets (I forget which) and does damage on par with Bash. It also has a 30% chance to disorient (MAG 3, duration 5-6 seconds). I wouldn't skip it, although if you must make room somewhere, this can probably be sacrificed. The end usage is a little heavy but that's purely a Quality of Life issue. This is a nice aggro-holding tool and one of the best bang-for-your-buck early AoEs that tankers get. Slot it with 1 Acc, 1 End Reduction, 1 more Acc, and three Damages as slots become available.
Clobber- This power is kind of like a roll of duct tape. You might feel silly for carrying it around, but when it is needed it really comes in handy. It's a MAG 3 Disorient for about 10-12 seconds and does a piddling amount of damage. It also gulps endurance, so you really don't want to use this as a regular part of the attack chain. I use it on Sappers, Illusionists, Rikti Communications Officers, and anyone else I want to keep out of the fight for a while. It's handy for dropping toggles like Hover, Concealment, and Invincibility on thugs. It's also good for stunning CoT Behemoths and Freakshow before they heal, so you can finish them off faster. I'd reccomend slotting two accuracies or one acc and one recharge reduction or one acc and one Disorient Duration. Slotting Disorient Durations will not affect the magnitude of the stun.
Taunt- Enough has been said about taunt in other places that I don't need to get into it here much. Suffice it to say that there are those who swear by it and those who do not need it. Personally, I like it. I have one recharge reduction slotted in it. Taunt affects up to 5 foes in a farly large area, and is autohit in PvE. If you PvP, you'll need to put a couple of accuracies in this.
Build Up- Take it. Use it. Love it. Build Up really fills a void in the Mace secondary-namely, MORE DAMAGE. It's a 20% ToHit buff (like Accuracy, but on steroids) and an 80% damage buff that lasts 10 seconds. BU plus Shatter plus Jawbreaker plus Pulverize really puts a hurting on most anything at +3 to you or higher, and BU + Whirling Mace + Crowd Control + Shatter is an almost obcene amount of AoE damage. Slot it with three recharge reductions. This is actually the last power I took out of the set and I wish I had taken it sooner.
Shatter- Oh, how do I love thee, let me count the ways. The animation rocks, especially if you can land if right after Jawbreaker so it looks like you're smashing someone's skull into the pavement. It is a small cone attack-45 degrees and does "Superior" damage. I think it actually outdoes Jawbreaker by a small amount. When it hits, it knocks foes down. This is definitely a heavy hitter. Slot it with 2 accs, 1 end reducer, and three damages. You will want to six-slot this one as well. You could also slot in a knockback enhancer in place of one of the accs or damages. This will give you some knockback capability if that's what gets your motor running.
Crowd Control- This is one power I felt kind of underwhelmed with. It's a huge arc. It does damage on par with Pulverize. It kinocks down thugs by the bucketload. It's just...I expect something a little more from a Tier 9. Oh well, for all that, it's a decent power. I'd slot it 2 accs, 1 end reducer, and up to three damages.
End reducers are a must if you want to play Mace with Invuln or Stone. Ice, Fire, and Willpower all have tools to help manage their endurance use, so you might be able to get away with not slotting end reducers in your lower level attacks...but I wouldn't recommend it. Likewise, using Hasten with Mace is a good way to boost your DPS at the cost of having more endurance issues. Personally, I plan on picking up Assault for that extra bit of damage and I'll need the endurance.
War Mace is not an overwhelmingly popular set. Thematically, you just don't see that many comic book heroes smacking people with medieval weapons. If you like the concept, though, give it a shot. The set doesn't really excel in any one area, but it also doesn't have any major weaknesses aside from the lack of a ranged attack.
Good luck out there. If you need to, send me an email through the forum and I'll try to help where I can. I also play on Freedom, so if you see a burly Scottish tanker engaging in some "Thugbashin' " feel free to say hello or ask a question.
-Hagis
Chekmate PI- FF/Psy defender, Virtue
(lvl 50 12/18/07)
Hagis- Inv/War Mace tanker, Freedom
(lvl 50 12/19/08)
Brigid Huntress- Arch/Elec blaster, Freedom
And you never get hit
When your back's to the wall
Gonna fight to the end
And you're taking it all!!
-TF:TM, "The Touch"