Suggestion forum is that way ------>
because some people dont take granite. don't ask why no one knows. but on the other side, none of the toggle armors works with granite. so usually at 41(patron power freespec) most brutes drop all the toggle shields except for granite unless they are using the other armors for set bonuses.
the nice thing about htis suggestion is that even if you don't take granite you can still take rock armor, and stone skin will always be useful. I don't really care much either way because i'd take rock armor any ways(granite is not always necessary and it's useful when malefactoring).
The forced choice of your first level secondary is a constant bane in this game. Talk to Stormies about Gale.
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I'm just saying that Tanks (since this is their primary) get a choice for Stone Skin or Rock Armor. I have played a Stone/Stone Tank and I must admit that Rock Armor is useful at lower levels. Once you get to Granite, most people respeced out of Rock Armor (you can't use it so why bother having it?).
I'm just saying to give Brutes the same thing. Even if you swap Rock Armor with Stone Skin for Tanks, this doesn't change a thing for them.
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The forced choice of your first level secondary is a constant bane in this game. Talk to Stormies about Gale.
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Well, it's either Gale, or O2 boost.
And notice, every power you are forced to take can be used solo...
Part of the reason why Sonic Siphon is T1 not T2/3 like it originally was.
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Well, the question is...are stoners supposed to run in Granite all the time? Probably not. I'm just guessing, but I don't think the designers originally intended for folks to stay in Granite 24/7.
The other Tier 9 defensive powers are all 'oh crap' panic buttons, stuff you only use when you're in a tight situation. That includes the self-rez powers that Fire and Dark Armor get. Even the current Moment of Glory is like that, broadly speaking: you use it before you get into trouble.
'course, many stone players...take Granite and run it all the time. Because you can. But I doubt that was the idea when the devs sketched out the powerset.
It's kinda silly to set things up so that players level a character up to 38 (or 32, for tanks) and then proceed to ignore the rest of their powerset.
Just because you can stay in Granite all the time doesn't mean you should or must. Yeah, you CAN, but it's probably not the intended playstyle. The game doesn't stop you from doing this, but I wouldn't expect any design changes to make pure-Granite builds better.
Personally, I LIKE the idea of giving Brutes Stone Skin at level 1. I totally agree, having to take a power you don't plan on using is kinda suck. But...I doubt this will be changed.
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That's because Rock Armor protects you significantly better than Stone Skin; it's the superior choice. You really aren't going to want to run Granite 24/7; even as a tanker I only run it when I need that level of protection. If I don't then I certainly don't need the penalties.
Now if we could change the Invulnerability secondary to give Temp. Invuln instead of RPD as the tier one selection...
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The forced choice of your first level secondary is a constant bane in this game. Talk to Stormies about Gale.
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Well, it's either Gale, or O2 boost.
And notice, every power you are forced to take can be used solo...
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When Storm is a Secondary, as it is for Controllers, you must take Gale.
And, I'd rather be given the choice of taking a soloing or teaming power, especially since I would be able to respec out of the weak solo power later on. Storm Controllers can never respec out of Gale, which is way too often an anti-team power. 
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If you plan on running Granite 24/7, don't slot it. Put a GotA +Runspeed in there, or use a slot and add a LotG+Rech as well.
It is by no means a waste of a power, unlike Gale for storm controllers, jab/barrage for tanks, etc, etc.
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When Storm is a Secondary, as it is for Controllers, you must take Gale.
And, I'd rather be given the choice of taking a soloing or teaming power, especially since I would be able to respec out of the weak solo power later on. Storm Controllers can never respec out of Gale, which is way too often an anti-team power.
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Agreed; the real problem is that every player has to take the first power of his/her secondary. I would love to have a choice between the 1st and 2nd tier attacks on my tanks, for instance.
If the devs have a reason for making forcing players to take that power, they've not said what it is, to my knowledge. It seems like an arbitrary rule, and I wish it would go away.
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If you plan on running Granite 24/7, don't slot it. Put a GotA +Runspeed in there, or use a slot and add a LotG+Rech as well.
It is by no means a waste of a power, unlike Gale for storm controllers, jab/barrage for tanks, etc, etc.
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Barrage has had an upgrade and Gale on a MM is quite nice 
Well that's what a mate of mine and I have found lvling a pair of thug/storm mm's, you learn to use the kb....and a pair of herdicanes is just pure niceness and room corners are your 3rd party member.
Gale is good in the right players hands, just like any other power really
The first and only choice for a Brute with the secondary power set of Stone Armor is Rock Armor.
Rock Armor can't be used with Granite Armor. Why force a character to choose a power that he/she will not be able to use in the future? Just swap Rock Armor with Stone Skin (thus Stone Skin becomes the first and only choice).
This way a /Stone Armor Brute can not choose not to take (or respec out of) Rock Armor like Tanks can.