Improving my MA/Inv?

Folks, I'm going to need opinions on how to further improve my build for Battle-Hardened. Is there any way to make this build less tight on power selection and slot usage? Any way to add Aid Self in there? Anything else I can do? Or is this the furthest I'm getting out of my elemental soft-capped build for MA/Inv?

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Battle-Hardened: Level 50 Natural Scrapper
Primary Power Set: Martial Arts
Secondary Power Set: Invulnerability
Power Pool: Fitness
Power Pool: Leaping
Power Pool: Fighting
Power Pool: Flight

Hero Profile:
Level 1: Thunder Kick <ul type="square">[*] (A) Mako's Bite - Accuracy/Damage[*] (3) Mako's Bite - Damage/Endurance[*] (5) Mako's Bite - Damage/Recharge[*] (7) Mako's Bite - Accuracy/Endurance/Recharge[*] (13) Mako's Bite - Accuracy/Damage/Endurance/Recharge[*] (19) Mako's Bite - Chance of Damage(Lethal)[/list]Level 1: Resist Physical Damage <ul type="square">[*] (A) Aegis - Resistance/Endurance[*] (39) Aegis - Resistance/Recharge[*] (40) Aegis - Resistance[/list]Level 2: Storm Kick <ul type="square">[*] (A) Mako's Bite - Accuracy/Damage[*] (3) Mako's Bite - Damage/Endurance[*] (5) Mako's Bite - Damage/Recharge[*] (7) Mako's Bite - Accuracy/Endurance/Recharge[*] (13) Mako's Bite - Accuracy/Damage/Endurance/Recharge[*] (15) Mako's Bite - Chance of Damage(Lethal)[/list]Level 4: Temp Invulnerability <ul type="square">[*] (A) Aegis - Resistance/Endurance[*] (17) Aegis - Resistance/Recharge[*] (17) Aegis - Resistance[*] (39) Reactive Armor - Resistance/Endurance[*] (39) Reactive Armor - Endurance/Recharge[*] (43) Reactive Armor - Endurance[/list]Level 6: Dull Pain <ul type="square">[*] (A) Miracle - Heal/Endurance[*] (19) Miracle - Endurance/Recharge[*] (23) Miracle - Heal/Recharge[*] (40) Miracle - Heal/Endurance/Recharge[*] (40) Miracle - Heal[/list]Level 8: Crane Kick <ul type="square">[*] (A) Mako's Bite - Accuracy/Damage[*] (9) Mako's Bite - Damage/Endurance[*] (9) Mako's Bite - Damage/Recharge[*] (11) Mako's Bite - Accuracy/Endurance/Recharge[*] (11) Mako's Bite - Accuracy/Damage/Endurance/Recharge[*] (15) Mako's Bite - Chance of Damage(Lethal)[/list]Level 10: Swift <ul type="square">[*] (A) Run Speed IO[/list]Level 12: Combat Jumping <ul type="square">[*] (A) Blessing of the Zephyr - Run Speed, Jump, Flight Speed, Range[*] (37) Blessing of the Zephyr - Run Speed, Jump, Flight Speed, Range/Endurance[*] (42) Blessing of the Zephyr - Knockback Reduction (4 points)[*] (42) Kismet - Accuracy +6%[*] (46) Defense Buff IO[/list]Level 14: Super Jump <ul type="square">[*] (A) Blessing of the Zephyr - Run Speed, Jump, Flight Speed, Range[*] (36) Blessing of the Zephyr - Run Speed, Jump, Flight Speed, Range/Endurance[*] (36) Blessing of the Zephyr - Knockback Reduction (4 points)[/list]Level 16: Unyielding <ul type="square">[*] (A) Aegis - Resistance/Endurance[*] (25) Aegis - Resistance/Recharge[*] (25) Aegis - Resistance[*] (43) Reactive Armor - Resistance/Endurance[*] (45) Reactive Armor - Endurance/Recharge[*] (46) Reactive Armor - Endurance[/list]Level 18: Health <ul type="square">[*] (A) Miracle - +Recovery[*] (50) Numina's Convalescence - +Regeneration/+Recovery[/list]Level 20: Stamina <ul type="square">[*] (A) Endurance Modification IO[*] (21) Performance Shifter - EndMod[*] (21) Performance Shifter - Chance for +End[/list]Level 22: Focus Chi <ul type="square">[*] (A) Recharge Reduction IO[*] (23) Recharge Reduction IO[/list]Level 24: Kick <ul type="square">[*] (A) Accuracy IO[/list]Level 26: Dragon's Tail <ul type="square">[*] (A) Cleaving Blow - Accuracy/Damage[*] (27) Cleaving Blow - Damage/Endurance[*] (27) Cleaving Blow - Damage/Recharge[*] (31) Eradication - Accuracy/Recharge[*] (31) Eradication - Accuracy/Damage/Recharge[*] (31) Eradication - Accuracy/Damage/Endurance/Recharge[/list]Level 28: Invincibility <ul type="square">[*] (A) Defense Buff IO[*] (29) Defense Buff IO[*] (29) Defense Buff IO[/list]Level 30: Tough <ul type="square">[*] (A) Aegis - Resistance/Endurance[*] (34) Aegis - Resistance/Recharge[*] (37) Aegis - Resistance[*] (37) Reactive Armor - Resistance/Endurance[*] (46) Reactive Armor - Endurance/Recharge[*] (48) Reactive Armor - Endurance[/list]Level 32: Eagles Claw <ul type="square">[*] (A) Mako's Bite - Accuracy/Damage[*] (33) Mako's Bite - Damage/Endurance[*] (33) Mako's Bite - Damage/Recharge[*] (33) Mako's Bite - Accuracy/Endurance/Recharge[*] (34) Mako's Bite - Accuracy/Damage/Endurance/Recharge[*] (34) Mako's Bite - Chance of Damage(Lethal)[/list]Level 35: Weave <ul type="square">[*] (A) Defense Buff IO[*] (36) Red Fortune - Defense/Endurance[*] (45) Luck of the Gambler - Defense/Endurance[/list]Level 38: Unstoppable <ul type="square">[*] (A) Aegis - Resistance/Endurance[*] (42) Aegis - Resistance/Recharge[*] (45) Aegis - Resistance[/list]Level 41: Tough Hide <ul type="square">[*] (A) Defense Buff IO[*] (43) Defense Buff IO[/list]Level 44: Resist Elements <ul type="square">[*] (A) Reactive Armor - Resistance/Endurance[*] (48) Reactive Armor - Resistance/Recharge[*] (48) Reactive Armor - Resistance[/list]Level 47: Resist Energies <ul type="square">[*] (A) Steadfast Protection - Resistance/+Def 3%[/list]Level 49: Hover <ul type="square">[*] (A) Blessing of the Zephyr - Run Speed, Jump, Flight Speed, Range[*] (50) Blessing of the Zephyr - Run Speed, Jump, Flight Speed, Range/Endurance[*] (50) Blessing of the Zephyr - Knockback Reduction (4 points)[/list]------------
Level 1: Brawl <ul type="square">[*] (A) Accuracy IO[/list]Level 1: Sprint <ul type="square">[*] (A) Run Speed IO[/list]Level 2: Rest <ul type="square">[*] (A) Recharge Reduction IO[/list]Level 1: Critical Hit



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Thanks in advance for any help.

Kinetic Combat IOs are your friend.
Only 4 will get you a massive Smash/Lethal bonus (so still 2 extra slots for added awesome on any power)
A few of those and you'll be up there with Granite Tanks for any smash/Lethal foe in the game (ie most of them)

When all is said and done it's probably cheaper and easier than chasing positional defense and using Makos

Wouldnt Tough, Unyielding and TI be better slotted with all Aegis (+4.6% Fire/Cold defence) or all Reactive Armour (3 separate smaller typed Def bonuses)?

You've kind of fallen between the two there without gaining any extra Frankenslotting bonus either.

I'd go Aegis myself, and pick up the Smash/Lethal Defence from Kinetic Combat.

If Hover and CJ are just mules for BoTZ (ie you dont care about the actual movement bonuses), you may as well swap them out for standard IOs.
Both would give +1.5% Defence to everything for three IOs instead of +3.125% vs Ranged and Aoe (which will get lost against your Elemental defences to all but ranged/AoE psi attacks) and +1.56% vs E/N/F/C.

My DM/invul doesn't bother with fire/cold defense. The amount of cold and fire damage out there that isn't paired with smashing or lethal is tiny, and not worth slotting for. Smsh/Lthl and Eng/Neg are your important ones.

4 Slotting reactive armor gives you defense to both of those, while still capping resistance enhancement and giving ~40% end reduction. It will save you quite a few slots.

4 slot Kinetic Combats + the 2 Crushing Impact triples will give you more than enough enhancement to all the important aspects of your attacks (acc, dam, rech, end).

Eradication you're already using, but I'd suggest 4 slotting it, just because the +HP is the biggest set bonus of its kind at +2.25%. You can actually get away with 5 slotting dragon's tail by putting a multistrike triple in the last slot.

One of the things I did with Invincibility and Weave was 5 slot Red fortunes(all but the Def/Rech) and put a LotG7.5 in the 6th slot. Max defense enhancement, max endurance reduction, and some pretty good set bonuses all around.

Last thing, if you're trying to fit Aid Self, my personal recommendation is to drop hover and Unstoppable. Yes, really...

[ QUOTE ]
Kinetic Combat IOs are your friend.
Only 4 will get you a massive Smash/Lethal bonus (so still 2 extra slots for added awesome on any power)
A few of those and you'll be up there with Granite Tanks for any smash/Lethal foe in the game (ie most of them)

When all is said and done it's probably cheaper and easier than chasing positional defense and using Makos

[/ QUOTE ]
I've wondered if focusing on Smashing/Lethal Resist and Smashing/Lethal Defense is a good idea, or if opening up a hole with the elemental typed damages is a bad idea. Further opinions on this, everyone?

How much the build costs never factors into what I choose to build. Eventually I will have the Inf, merit, or tickets for anything. I am currently running with this build and have for a while, but feel like I can push it further but am unsure how to do so in a minimal or radical way. Any of the people that have extensive use of Invulnerability, please chime in! How have you been playing Invulnerability over the years? This character is my first Invulnerability character ever, simply because the buffs the set has received became the tipping point for me to try it out.

[ QUOTE ]
Wouldnt Tough, Unyielding and TI be better slotted with all Aegis (+4.6% Fire/Cold defence) or all Reactive Armour (3 separate smaller typed Def bonuses)?

You've kind of fallen between the two there without gaining any extra Frankenslotting bonus either.

I'd go Aegis myself, and pick up the Smash/Lethal Defence from Kinetic Combat.

If Hover and CJ are just mules for BoTZ (ie you dont care about the actual movement bonuses), you may as well swap them out for standard IOs.
Both would give +1.5% Defence to everything for three IOs instead of +3.125% vs Ranged and Aoe (which will get lost against your Elemental defences to all but ranged/AoE psi attacks) and +1.56% vs E/N/F/C.

[/ QUOTE ]
I am slotting 3 Aegis and 3 Reactive Armor only to get to the point of getting their first bonus that gives Fire/Cold and Energy/Negative Energy bonuses. If I were to go for more Fire/Cold with more Aegis slots I would be going over the soft-cap and opening up a hole for Energy/Negative Energy which I am sure other powers could help fill with IOs. I believe it is unwise to open up such a hole to damage types I have significantly less Resistance to. Would getting Smashing/Lethal Defense really help that much more in the big picture over covering Invulnerability Scrapper's weaksauce Resists to F/C or E/N?

As reflected by the power being off in the build, I will not have Hover running at all in combat that does not require it. The added Ranged/AoE (specifically the Ranged at 40%) are a nice added bonus, but not a focus of the build. Don't forget they catch common Smashing/Lethal attacks as well, such as gun attacks that debuff Defense, hurl boulder, and mixed physical and elemental damages.

Thanks to the both of you for taking time to give your suggestions.

[ QUOTE ]
Would getting Smashing/Lethal Defense really help that much more in the big picture over covering Invulnerability Scrapper's weaksauce Resists to F/C or E/N?

[/ QUOTE ]

In quite a few situationsin the ITF, you'll have Cimeroran swords wacking you debuffing your defense into the red, and dark blasts from nictus blasting your now defenseless tush.

I've got a 50 DM/Inv, which is the reason I suggested Kinetic Combats, it's what she uses.
over 40% smash/Lethal Defense, over 70 S/L Resist, so comparing it to a granite tank is pretty close. and yeah, that's what I'd focus on, it's the sets strength after all.

F/C is never a problem (I guess cos its paired with S/L mostly, but havent looked to hard at the combat log, just know she shrugs it off with ease)
And E/N is something to be wary of, but only rarely, and again is mostly shrugged off,

Of course the Psi-hole will still be big enough to drive a truck through.

It comes down to what enemies your facing most,

On an LGTF, expect chain Dying, on an ITF, expect to outlast everything else, including any non stone or inv tank.

Which is all a roundabout way of saying, focus on getting as much Smash/Lethal res/def as possible, don't worry about the rest.

I recently pulled my lvl 50 MA/Inv out of retirement. With the changes to IO sets enhancing both positional and typed defense, I focused mostly on S/L defense. As Soul_Fane said, most other typed damage comes paired with S/L damage, so S/L defense protects you from both. For whatever isn't covered, I use Dull Pain and Aid Self.

Below is my 'cheap' IO build. I used Smashing Haymakers instead of Kinetic Combat just because they were cheaper or more available than Kinetic Combat. The psy defense/resistance set bonuses and uniques are left over from when I bought them just after Issue 9 when everything was cheap. My build isn't maxed out and could use a little tweaking, but it's a whole lot tougher than it was before IO's.

+---------------------------------------------
+ Built with SuckerPunch's Online Planner
+ http://www.cohplanner.com
+---------------------------------------------
Name: N/A
Level: 50
Archetype: Scrapper
Primary: Martial Arts
Secondary: Invulnerability
+---------------------------------------------
01 =&gt; Resist Physical Damage ==&gt; DamRes(1),DamRes(43)
01 =&gt; Storm Kick ==&gt; Smashing Haymaker(1),Smashing Haymaker(3),Smashing Haymaker(13),Smashing Haymaker(19),Focused Smite(34),Focused Smite(46)
02 =&gt; Temp Invulnerability ==&gt; Reactive Armor(2),Reactive Armor(3),Reactive Armor(5),Reactive Armor(9),Reactive Armor(34),Reactive Armor(40)
04 =&gt; Dull Pain ==&gt; Doctored Wounds(4),Doctored Wounds(5),Doctored Wounds(7),Doctored Wounds(11),Doctored Wounds(15),Doctored Wounds(25)
06 =&gt; Air Superiority ==&gt; Smashing Haymaker(6),Smashing Haymaker(7),Smashing Haymaker(15),Smashing Haymaker(23),Focused Smite(34),Focused Smite(46)
08 =&gt; Crane Kick ==&gt; Crushing Impact(8),Crushing Impact(9),Crushing Impact(13),Crushing Impact(19),Crushing Impact(31),Crushing Impact(39)
10 =&gt; Focus Chi ==&gt; Rech(10),Rech(11),Rech(17)
12 =&gt; Swift ==&gt; RunSpd(12)
14 =&gt; Fly ==&gt; Flight(14)
16 =&gt; Unyielding ==&gt; Impervium Armor(16),Impervium Armor(17),Impervium Armor(23),Impervium Armor(25),Impervium Armor(37),Impervium Armor(40)
18 =&gt; Health ==&gt; Heal(18)
20 =&gt; Stamina ==&gt; EndMod(20),EndMod(21),EndMod(21)
22 =&gt; Resist Elements ==&gt; DamRes(22),DamRes(46),Steadfast Protection(48)
24 =&gt; Resist Energies ==&gt; DamRes(24),DamRes(48),Aegis(48)
26 =&gt; Dragons Tail ==&gt; Sciroccos Dervish(26),Sciroccos Dervish(27),Sciroccos Dervish(27),Sciroccos Dervish(31),Sciroccos Dervish(36),Sciroccos Dervish(40)
28 =&gt; Invincibility ==&gt; Red Fortune(28),Red Fortune(29),Red Fortune(29),Red Fortune(31),Red Fortune(37),ToHitBuff(43)
30 =&gt; Boxing ==&gt; Acc(30)
32 =&gt; Eagles Claw ==&gt; Crushing Impact(32),Crushing Impact(33),Crushing Impact(33),Crushing Impact(33),Crushing Impact(37),Crushing Impact(43)
35 =&gt; Tough Hide ==&gt; DefBuff(35),DefBuff(36),Kismet(36)
38 =&gt; Unstoppable ==&gt; Titanium Coating(38),Titanium Coating(39),Titanium Coating(39)
41 =&gt; Tough ==&gt; Reactive Armor(41),Reactive Armor(42),Reactive Armor(42),Reactive Armor(42)
44 =&gt; Weave ==&gt; Red Fortune(44),Red Fortune(45),Red Fortune(45),Red Fortune(45)
47 =&gt; Aid Other ==&gt; Heal(47)
49 =&gt; Aid Self ==&gt; Interrupt(49),Interrupt(50),Heal(50),Heal(50)
+---------------------------------------------
01 =&gt; Sprint ==&gt; Empty(1)
01 =&gt; Brawl ==&gt; Empty(1)
02 =&gt; Rest ==&gt; Empty(1)

Thanks everyone so far for your input. I'm tinkering around with a build right now with those suggestions in mind.

Call_Me_Awesome's guide for Soft-capping Inv Tanks might have some useful info, although a fair bit of it has already been mentioned. It's for Tankers, but still some good IO set advice and what have you.

And S/L defense is definitely the way to focus. You could cover the psi hole, but for the tiny amount of psi damage mobs in the game, it's not really worth it. And most other damage types get paired off with smashing or lethal.