There are three different topics on the Tanker boards as of right now that are within the top 100 last threads, all of which refer to DPS of Tank sets. There was one right underneath yours as well. "Scan."
That said, a properly-built Scrapper that is designed for ST DPS should pretty much always outpace a Tank (I believe Tanks tend to peak at about or under 200 DPS and Scrappers can exceed 200, with a thread I just happened to have open referring to a Kat/SR doing 243 according to Werner). EM doesn't even get any of the fun bonuses of Dark Melee (which is already a Scrapper set) or SS, so it's unlikely. Perhaps when ET was still really fast it could pull it off but not now.
Blue: ~Knockback Squad on Guardian~
Red: ~Undoing of Virtue on [3 guesses]~
Generally speaking when Tankers say they are "rivaling" Scrapper DPS they generally mean they are putting out good DPS ... for a Tanker.
I don't think it's physically possible for a Tanker to actually match the DPS on an equally built Scrapper (single target versus AOE not withstanding).
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While I doubt it now, before people said Energy Melee rivaled Scrappers in DPS.
Looking at MiDS, I can't see to figure out how anyone could of done it before, let alone now.
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Several things have changed since those claims were made:
*) We didn't have ArcanaTime, so all dps computations back then were inflated. Short animations (such as ET and EP) were over estimated more so than longer animations.
*) EP may still have been listed as a cast time of 0.57s. (With ArcanaTime, that would be 0.792s. That results in a ~39% higher DPA than it actually was.)
*) Many Scrapper sets (ie: weapons) still had the redraw baked into them. Broadsword, for example, suffered from low dps pretty badly due to this.
*) We didn't have all the IOs we do now, so some things that people use a lot now (purples, Achilles' Heel, etc) weren't possible.
Add all four of those together and it's entirely possible to see how it could be calculated that an EM Tanker could out damage the low end of Scrappers. (Now, whether the erroneous calculations would have held up with proper calcs using ArcanaTime is a completely different question.)
Didn't Old school
Energy Transfer hit multiple foes?
I seem to recall threads from way back when warning of the dangers of using it if you had pulled to many badguys since you took damage per mob hit.
I never got my INV/NRG high enough back then to find out.
But if that was the case, then doing ET damage (with 6 damage enhancements mind you) to multiple badguys would seem to make it possible to rival scrapper total damage output.
Feel The Burn
What you're referring to is a bug with Gauntlet where it would hit multiple targets when they were stacked into the same place. It wasn't just ET, all Tanker attacks did that. So no, it wasn't a real AoE, though it was bugged that allowed it to.
[edit: Also, mob stacking is pretty much gone now, too.]
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What's the best DPS chain for EM now?
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Air Superiority - Air Superiority - Air Superiority
Repeat as needed.
<《 New Colchis / Guides / Mission Architect 》>
"At what point do we say, 'You're mucking with our myths'?" - Harlan Ellison
(QR)
Note also that there have been many inexperienced players claiming the set has higher performance than scrappers because one attack would hit harder than Beheader, ignoring entirely recharge cycle, cast times and plenty of other things filling the overall chain.
Many players still just judge powers based on how much damage they do per click, not per cast time. Some of the ones that actually calculate the cast time still today insist to ignore recharge time.
Right now, even my calculator lists Stone Melee with a 2.00 score on single target damage.
The weakest scrapper is spines with a 1.8 ST score.
So we have that current Stone Melee can match low end scrapper dps (high end tank with just SOs vs Low end scrapper with just SOs)
To make things interesting, though, Stone melee has a 3.2 endurance efficiency score and Spiness gets a 1.6, this means the tanker consumes twice as much endurance to sustain comparable damage, off course Spines is that low due to DoT bonuses, normal scrappers tend to gravitate towards 2.3 in the worst case. (Higher number means more endurance used per second after enhancements)
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[ QUOTE ]
What's the best DPS chain for EM now?
[/ QUOTE ]
Air Superiority - Air Superiority - Air Superiority
Repeat as needed.
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On a serious note, ET and TF are still the best powers on the set but many hate the lengthy animations. If you want to avoid them like the plague, then you are stuck with
Bone Smasher > Energy Punch > Barrage (priority order not a chain)
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Right now, even my calculator lists Stone Melee with a 2.00 score on single target damage.
The weakest scrapper is spines with a 1.8 ST score.
So we have that current Stone Melee can match low end scrapper dps (high end tank with just SOs vs Low end scrapper with just SOs)
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And I assume this doesn't take the Scrapper's criticals into account? If that's the case, even Spines becomes a better single target option over SM through prolonged fights (combined with the endurance issues mentioned makes it a no brainer).
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There are three different topics on the Tanker boards as of right now that are within the top 100 last threads, all of which refer to DPS of Tank sets. There was one right underneath yours as well. "Scan."
That said, a properly-built Scrapper that is designed for ST DPS should pretty much always outpace a Tank (I believe Tanks tend to peak at about or under 200 DPS and Scrappers can exceed 200, with a thread I just happened to have open referring to a Kat/SR doing 243 according to Werner). EM doesn't even get any of the fun bonuses of Dark Melee (which is already a Scrapper set) or SS, so it's unlikely. Perhaps when ET was still really fast it could pull it off but not now.
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I did check out the previous thread. I saw no list of DPS attack chains for EM.
I saw plenty of hate for EM. Which, having one at 50, I know it's pain well.
However I love the look of EM's pink pom-poms. 
Sooo...was trying to plan out a good DPS chain with it.
To my understanding, that usually required use of ET and TF, but I have no idea now. :/
Yes, I find the set underwhelming, and needs tweeks to fix it's nerfs.
Been on alot of teams, where the enemies were dead before my animation finished...it's equally worse when the team didn't even need me for aggro control, which I was told I was good at (and I had a WP/...yes, I made use of taunt).
I know scrappers will out do tankers damage wise, but seeing as how I don't have the option for EM scrapper side (grrr...) and even though I HATE ET's new animation, I really want the pink pom-pom's again (I miss them so much).
BrandX Future Staff Fighter
The BrandX Collection
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However I love the look of EM's pink pom-poms.
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I cheerfully admit that one of the chief reasons I made a Fire/EM tanker was because the pom poms looked like they belonged with Fire Aura, much more than the various swords you pull out of nowhere that came with Fire Melee did.
Now, Dark Melee probably goes even better with Fire Aura, from a purely visual viewpoint. But Dark Melee was not for tankers when that character was made.
<《 New Colchis / Guides / Mission Architect 》>
"At what point do we say, 'You're mucking with our myths'?" - Harlan Ellison
Fire/Dark tanker? Interesting visually but I've just never been a fan of the "nimbus armors".
"I am a Tank. I am your first choice, I am your last hope." -- Rune Bull
"Durability is the quintessential super-power. " -- Sailboat
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However I love the look of EM's pink pom-poms.
[/ QUOTE ]
I cheerfully admit that one of the chief reasons I made a Fire/EM tanker was because the pom poms looked like they belonged with Fire Aura, much more than the various swords you pull out of nowhere that came with Fire Melee did.
Now, Dark Melee probably goes even better with Fire Aura, from a purely visual viewpoint. But Dark Melee was not for tankers when that character was made.
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I have a Fire/Dark Tanker ... it looks like a 57 Chevy hot rod ... blowing flames and exhaust all over the place
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Sooo...was trying to plan out a good DPS chain with it.
To my understanding, that usually required use of ET and TF, but I have no idea now. :/
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Too many variables, esp your recharge, but...
<font class="small">Code:[/color]<hr /><pre>
EM Dam Act Rech End DPE DPA
Barrage 58.72 1.33 6 6.864 8.55 37.07
EP 44.49 0.83 4 5.2 8.56 42.13
BS 72.96 1.5 8 8.528 8.56 42.52
WH 44.49 2.5 14 13 3.42 16.85
Stun 11.12 1.8 20 10.192 1.09 5.62
ET 202.87 2.67 20 10.192 19.90 69.86
TF 158.38 3.3 20 18.512 8.56 46.15
</pre><hr />
Note, DPA includes Arcanatime, but the Act times do not (calcs are adjusted), so if calculating recharge rates, make sure you adjust all the Act times. Start with that and build your own chain based on the highest DPA attacks and how fast you can fit them in. Of course, this will likely result in a lot of "wasted" damage, but that's another story.
Depending on your recharge, your chain might look something like:
ET > EP > BS > EP > TF > EP > BS > EP > repeat.
Not sure what sort of recharge it would take, but...
ET > BS > TF > BS would be EM's "best" chain, I think. I don't think you can ever do ET > TF > BS, and if you could, it could very well kill you if your regen wasn't very high.
Honestly, though, the DPA values bet. EP, BS & TF aren't large enough for me to care about them, and DPE is identical (and considering "wasted" damage, EP is the most efficient). I just use ET when it's up, EP as filler and use an epic like Fire Blast and skip BS entirely. TF is usually saved for when I wanna stun something.
An Offensive Guide to Ice Melee
If you look at this thread:
https://boards.cityofheroes.com/showflat...part=1&vc=1
about halfway through, they talk about what some of the best chains fo-r Energy Melee are. The one best suggested was the one dave_p just mentioned with ET > BS > TF > BS
That link will tell you how much total recharge you would need (216% on your longest recharging attack which would be ET and TF) to get that chain going, which is pretty significant and you would need Hasten in your build.
A make a note that the 216% recharge number would be a total. So global recharge, Hasten and how much recharge you actually have in the power.
Oh and this is more geared towards taking on AVs. Minions will die way before you get a chain going. And Lieutenants will depend on which ones you are fighting.
That thread got a bit too long winded for me. I was going to mention in there that against AVs, a ET > BS > TF > BS might get you killed from the additional ET self-damage.
An Offensive Guide to Ice Melee
Yeah, doing 167 hp to yourself all time may be bad. I'm trying to figure out if it can work long term though if you healed yourself all the time. I previously had it on a Fire/EM tanker so it wasn't a big deal. Healing Flames came up often enough.
While I doubt it now, before people said Energy Melee rivaled Scrappers in DPS.
Looking at MiDS, I can't see to figure out how anyone could of done it before, let alone now.
What's the best DPS chain for EM now?
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The BrandX Collection