Personally, I place +HP ahead of all other set bonuses. Then I target defense bonuses. Regeneration bonuses are almost an after thought.
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I pretty much agree with Desmodos. Although it also depends on whether or not you're planning on doing anything specific with the toon. My Dark Melee/Willpower Scrapper is built for AV killing so I focused on Defense, Recharge and Hit Points, in that order. (Hit Points would have been the first priority, but Dark's Siphon Life makes up for a few Hit Points here and there.)
I took Regeneration into consideration as well, but it was a bit down there on my list of concerns.
Oh, and in my opinion (it's just my personal opinion, please no one yell at me) I think set bonuses make a considerable difference.
Do you have any specific plans for your Scrapper? Or is this just for general play?
Emphasizing hit points is old school. Emphasizing typed defense is new school. Either approach (and generally, a mixture of both) will give you a very solid scrapper.
My suspicion is that the hit point approach is safer, in the sense of it having a nice, linear relationship to survivability. It's hard to mess up. And I'm guessing the defense approach is better if you have a big budget, know what you're doing, and seriously go for it. But I haven't done any real comparisons, so I don't know for sure.
Sets can give a major improvement if you know what you're doing. Otherwise, I'd say it would certainly still be noticeable, but less so.
"That's because Werner can't do maths." - BunnyAnomaly
"Four hours in, and I was no longer making mistakes, no longer detoggling. I was a machine." - Werner
Videos of Other Stupid Scrapper Tricks
Thank you all for the advice. I think I know what I am going to do, but now I have questions about the defense. When I run the numbers in Mids, I don't get real high defense totals. I should note that I already have a lv 49 Broadsword/Super Reflexes scrapper and on that character I have 45 to 50 defense values. I am at work currently, so I don't have the numbers in front of me, but when I was working on what I want on this guy last night, I was getting defense values of 5 to 20. Is it possible to get the soft-capped defense limit of 45 on a Willpower scrapper? If not, what kind of defense numbers should I be shooting for? This layered defense/mitigation in Willpower is fascinating to me, but it is much more complex than most of the other scrapper secondaries.
I am comfortable with invention enhancements. However, I do zero PvP and I play for fun, not min/max kind of stuff. I want this character to contribute to a team but nothing more than that.
"That's because Werner can't do maths." - BunnyAnomaly
"Four hours in, and I was no longer making mistakes, no longer detoggling. I was a machine." - Werner
Videos of Other Stupid Scrapper Tricks
[ QUOTE ]
now I have questions about the defense. When I run the numbers in Mids, I don't get real high defense totals. I should note that I already have a lv 49 Broadsword/Super Reflexes scrapper and on that character I have 45 to 50 defense values. I am at work currently, so I don't have the numbers in front of me, but when I was working on what I want on this guy last night, I was getting defense values of 5 to 20. Is it possible to get the soft-capped defense limit of 45 on a Willpower scrapper? If not, what kind of defense numbers should I be shooting for? This layered defense/mitigation in Willpower is fascinating to me, but it is much more complex than most of the other scrapper secondaries.
[/ QUOTE ]
Super Reflexes uses Positional Defense (melee/ranged/AoE) so you won't generally stack defense on Will Power in the same fashion as you did with Super Reflexes.
Will Powers has Typed Defense to Fire, Cold, Energy and Negative Energy (often abbreviated to FCNE). It also has smaller amounts of Smash and Lethal defense. When looking at Mid's, be sure an focus on the typed defenses, not the positional. Since Hightened senses provides a big chunk of typed defense (FCNE), it best to stack on those values, a head start if you will.
Keep in mind Positonal and Typed defense do not stack. Defense values over 45% are rarely applicable so it not recommend to place any effort into exceeding 45% (comment specific to PvE, I have no idea how beneficial it wold be in PvP).
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So playing around on Mid's tonight, I got about 10% for lethal, 20% for energy/neg. energy and 33% for fire/cold for defense. Is that sounding like the numbers I should expect? These numbers are much lower than I would take for an SR scrapper.
Thank you for any help.
SI Radio has many DJs and listeners whom hold City of Heroes close to their hearts. We will be supporting many efforts to keep CoH ALIVE!!
[ QUOTE ]
So playing around on Mid's tonight, I got about 10% for lethal, 20% for energy/neg. energy and 33% for fire/cold for defense. Is that sounding like the numbers I should expect? These numbers are much lower than I would take for an SR scrapper.
Thank you for any help.
[/ QUOTE ]
Your defense will not be as good as SR if that's what you're expecting to attain. You can improve those numbers though. With weave and 3 Aegis slotted in your resistance powers you can start to approach the soft cap for fire/cold defense. Dual Blades has several attacks that can be slotted with Eradication which is commonly used for a negative/energy defense bonus.
[ QUOTE ]
So playing around on Mid's tonight, I got about 10% for lethal, 20% for energy/neg. energy and 33% for fire/cold for defense. Is that sounding like the numbers I should expect? These numbers are much lower than I would take for an SR scrapper.
Thank you for any help.
[/ QUOTE ]
Keep in mind defense is SR's primary form of mitigation, you expect to get big defense numbers more easily with SR.
Will Power's survival comes from regeneration first. Adding defense buys you time for that regneration to do it's work. You can soft cap FCNE with Will Power, but it will take a bit more work.
Getting over 30% defense should be your bare minumum objective, anything less and I'd try again.
SI Radio has many DJs and listeners whom hold City of Heroes close to their hearts. We will be supporting many efforts to keep CoH ALIVE!!
Thank you for the advice. I was not expecting to get SR levels of defense. I was just not sure what I should be aiming to get. Thanks to you guys, I now know where to look to get the numbers you are quoting. I appreciate it.
SI Radio has many DJs and listeners whom hold City of Heroes close to their hearts. We will be supporting many efforts to keep CoH ALIVE!!
[ QUOTE ]
Getting over 30% defense should be your bare minumum objective, anything less and I'd try again.
[/ QUOTE ]
For the record, several people have reported that 30% defense seems to be the point at which defense starts to feel pretty solid and useful. Below that, it's (literally) hit-or-miss. At around 30% (roughly speaking) I start to feel confident and to be able to keep attacking with less worry about my health bar. It' not soft-capped by any means, but that's the range in which it starts to make me happy a given character is defense-based.
Another reason to shoot for that threshhold. 
If we are to die, let us die like men. -- Patrick Cleburne
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The rule is that they must be loved. --Jayne Fynes-Clinton, Death of an Abandoned Dog
OK, this is what I come up with to max regen. the defense isn't so great though. I get 686% regen but my defense numbers are more like 23-33% FCNE. Suggestions?
Hero Plan by Mids' Hero Designer 1.401
http://www.cohplanner.com/
[u]Click this DataLink to open the build![u]
Level 50 Magic Scrapper
Primary Power Set: Dual Blades
Secondary Power Set: Willpower
Power Pool: Flight
Power Pool: Fitness
Power Pool: Leadership
Ancillary Pool: Body Mastery
Hero Profile:
Level 1: Power Slice <ul type="square">[*] (A) Crushing Impact - Accuracy/Damage/Recharge[*] (3) Crushing Impact - Damage/Endurance[*] (3) Crushing Impact - Damage/Recharge[*] (5) Crushing Impact - Accuracy/Damage[*] (5) Crushing Impact - Accuracy/Damage/Endurance[/list]Level 1: High Pain Tolerance <ul type="square">[*] (A) Aegis - Resistance/Endurance[*] (7) Aegis - Resistance/Endurance/Recharge[*] (7) Aegis - Resistance[*] (9) Aegis - Resistance/Recharge[*] (9) Aegis - Endurance/Recharge[/list]Level 2: Ablating Strike <ul type="square">[*] (A) Crushing Impact - Accuracy/Damage[*] (11) Crushing Impact - Damage/Endurance[*] (11) Crushing Impact - Damage/Recharge[*] (13) Crushing Impact - Accuracy/Damage/Recharge[*] (13) Crushing Impact - Accuracy/Damage/Endurance[/list]Level 4: Fast Healing <ul type="square">[*] (A) Numina's Convalescence - Heal[*] (15) Numina's Convalescence - Heal/Endurance[*] (15) Healing IO[/list]Level 6: Typhoon's Edge <ul type="square">[*] (A) Scirocco's Dervish - Accuracy/Damage[*] (17) Scirocco's Dervish - Damage/Endurance[*] (17) Scirocco's Dervish - Damage/Recharge[/list]Level 8: Blinding Feint <ul type="square">[*] (A) Crushing Impact - Accuracy/Damage[*] (19) Crushing Impact - Damage/Endurance[*] (19) Crushing Impact - Damage/Recharge[*] (21) Crushing Impact - Accuracy/Damage/Recharge[*] (21) Crushing Impact - Damage/Endurance/Recharge[/list]Level 10: Indomitable Will <ul type="square">[*] (A) Luck of the Gambler - Defense/Endurance[*] (23) Luck of the Gambler - Defense[*] (23) Serendipity - Defense[*] (25) Serendipity - Defense/Endurance[/list]Level 12: Hover <ul type="square">[*] (A) Freebird - FlySpeed[*] (25) Freebird - Endurance[*] (27) Flight Speed IO[/list]Level 14: Fly <ul type="square">[*] (A) Freebird - FlySpeed[*] (27) Freebird - Endurance[/list]Level 16: Rise to the Challenge <ul type="square">[*] (A) Numina's Convalescence - Heal/Endurance[*] (29) Numina's Convalescence - Heal[*] (29) Triage - Heal/Endurance[*] (31) Triage - Heal/Endurance/Recharge[/list]Level 18: Vengeful Slice <ul type="square">[*] (A) Crushing Impact - Accuracy/Damage[*] (31) Crushing Impact - Damage/Endurance[*] (31) Crushing Impact - Damage/Recharge[*] (33) Crushing Impact - Accuracy/Damage/Recharge[*] (33) Crushing Impact - Accuracy/Damage/Endurance[/list]Level 20: Quick Recovery <ul type="square">[*] (A) Endurance Modification IO[*] (33) Endurance Modification IO[*] (34) Endurance Modification IO[/list]Level 22: Mind Over Body <ul type="square">[*] (A) Aegis - Resistance/Endurance[*] (34) Aegis - Resistance[*] (34) Steadfast Protection - Resistance/+Def 3%[*] (36) Steadfast Protection - Resistance/Endurance[/list]Level 24: Swift <ul type="square">[*] (A) Flight Speed IO[/list]Level 26: Sweeping Strike <ul type="square">[*] (A) Scirocco's Dervish - Accuracy/Damage[*] (36) Scirocco's Dervish - Damage/Endurance[*] (36) Scirocco's Dervish - Damage/Recharge[*] (37) Scirocco's Dervish - Accuracy/Recharge[*] (37) Scirocco's Dervish - Accuracy/Damage/Endurance[/list]Level 28: Heightened Senses <ul type="square">[*] (A) Luck of the Gambler - Defense[*] (37) Luck of the Gambler - Defense/Endurance[*] (39) Serendipity - Defense/Endurance[*] (39) Serendipity - Defense[/list]Level 30: Health <ul type="square">[*] (A) Healing IO[*] (39) Healing IO[*] (40) Healing IO[/list]Level 32: One Thousand Cuts <ul type="square">[*] (A) Scirocco's Dervish - Accuracy/Damage[*] (40) Scirocco's Dervish - Damage/Endurance[*] (40) Scirocco's Dervish - Damage/Recharge[*] (42) Scirocco's Dervish - Accuracy/Recharge[*] (42) Scirocco's Dervish - Accuracy/Damage/Endurance[/list]Level 35: Stamina <ul type="square">[*] (A) Endurance Modification IO[*] (42) Endurance Modification IO[*] (43) Endurance Modification IO[/list]Level 38: Assault <ul type="square">[*] (A) Endurance Reduction IO[*] (43) Endurance Reduction IO[*] (43) Endurance Reduction IO[/list]Level 41: Focused Accuracy <ul type="square">[*] (A) Gaussian's Synchronized Fire-Control - To Hit Buff[*] (45) Gaussian's Synchronized Fire-Control - To Hit Buff/Recharge[*] (45) Gaussian's Synchronized Fire-Control - To Hit Buff/Recharge/Endurance[*] (45) Gaussian's Synchronized Fire-Control - Recharge/Endurance[*] (48) Gaussian's Synchronized Fire-Control - To Hit Buff/Endurance[/list]Level 44: Tactics <ul type="square">[*] (A) Gaussian's Synchronized Fire-Control - To Hit Buff[*] (46) Gaussian's Synchronized Fire-Control - To Hit Buff/Recharge[*] (46) Gaussian's Synchronized Fire-Control - To Hit Buff/Recharge/Endurance[*] (46) Gaussian's Synchronized Fire-Control - Recharge/Endurance[*] (48) Gaussian's Synchronized Fire-Control - To Hit Buff/Endurance[/list]Level 47: Maneuvers <ul type="square">[*] (A) Luck of the Gambler - Defense/Endurance[*] (48) Luck of the Gambler - Defense[*] (50) Defense Buff IO[/list]Level 49: Laser Beam Eyes <ul type="square">[*] (A) Devastation - Damage/Recharge[*] (50) Devastation - Chance of Hold[*] (50) Devastation - Accuracy/Damage/Recharge[/list]------------
Level 1: Brawl <ul type="square">[*] (A) Empty[/list]Level 1: Sprint <ul type="square">[*] (A) Empty[/list]Level 2: Rest <ul type="square">[*] (A) Empty[/list]Level 1: Critical Hit
<font class="small">Code:[/color]<hr /><pre>| Copy & Paste this data into Mids' Hero Designer to view the build |
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If we are to die, let us die like men. -- Patrick Cleburne
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The rule is that they must be loved. --Jayne Fynes-Clinton, Death of an Abandoned Dog
It's also worth mentioning being at 32.5% means one luck will softcap you for troublesome situations. With a full insp tray, that's up to 20 minutes of awesome survivability (granted, this is assuming you don't face tohit buffs or defense debuffs 
).
Another option is recharge for full on DB goodness w/o bothering w/combos.
Speaking of which, Werner or others, how much global recharge (so Hasten + set bonuses only, not the actual IOs in each power) do you need for a gapless BF > AS > SS > AS chain? Can it even be done w/o outside buffs? I tried maxing out my recharge w/o gimping and I still have a 0.158 sec gap bet SS & AS.
For practical purposes, it's prolly better to for max S/L def and then HPs.
An Offensive Guide to Ice Melee
I have a dual blades/willpower scrapper that I am really enjoying. He is currently at lv 40 and I am trying to plan his final build. I am a little confused over what set bonuses I should be emphasizing ( if any ) given all the many options the set has. Do you recommend healing, regeneration, defense, resistance or some combination of the above? Why?
I am actually considering just slotting with no sets. How much of an advantage do set bonuses give?
I have read all the post I9 guides and I am still confused. Any advice would be appreciated. Thank you.
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