I think MA gets good faster, but for general all around useful-ness I'd go Broadsword.
World of Jackcraft.
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I think MA gets good faster, but for general all around useful-ness I'd go Broadsword.
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The man quoteth the truth!
BS/Regen is insanely powerful, and you can even get some very useful Def built up using Parry.
Defiant 50's
Many and varied!
@Miss Chief
When I look at MA I see a set that does mediocre damage, with stuns. So you can stun bosses and take them down without much risk.
The truth is the least risky way to take him out is with sheer power which is where Broadsword rules all Scrapper types.
World of Jackcraft.
And you get that lovely *Crunch* When you critical all those nice easy masterminds in the face 
Actually I don't like BS because of the animation, it doesn't feel as *crunchy* as I would like it. Katana gets away with being *swishy* but BS needs more bite to the animations.
What does BS have over katana? BS does a little bit more damage but katan costs less end and has a better recharge rate.
Don't underestimate the stuns in MA, cobra strike is very useful against the more annoying villians out there (sorcerers and sappers spring to mind), and the animation for the final power looks great (even if it takes a while)
I went with Martial Arts over ******* Sword myself because I didn't like the idea of a superhero who fought with a sharp weapon, but it's never let me down as a set.
The basic attacks, Storm Kick and Thunder Kick, are fantastic straightforward abilities...the damage is a bit lower than BS's first moves, but if my sources are right, then activation times are lower too which helps make up for that - you'll still be dealing out great damage once you've got a decent sequence of blows to use. They're also very accurate, and ocassionally disorient, so they're good right off the bat whereas the -def thing BS attacks can do takes a few blows to start helping you.
The later stuff is really a lot of very cool toolkit sort of moves that fit seamlessly into your combat pattern...need to stop a target from moving or knock him out of the air? No problem, Crippling Axe Kick will bring him down to earth, and it's still great damage for its activation speed. Too many minions interfering with your boss fight? Don't sweat it, Dragon Tail will send them all flying without you even needing to switch target.
I'm sure BS is capable of doing lots of cool things too, but I couldn't be happier with MA. It looks good, it flows well, and all the moves you can pick offer you something interesting and different.
BS might be a little offputting early on - you don't have many attacks, and those you have take a while to recharge, but darn does it kick donkey later on. 3 AE powers (Whirling Sword, Slice and Head Splitter - yes, the extreme damage level 32 power is an AE attack, albiet one with a limit of 5 victims) as well as awsome single target killing ability, and Parry, which, come I7, will be able to put you over the effective cap of 45% defense.
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What does BS have over katana? BS does a little bit more damage but katan costs less end and has a better recharge rate.
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Style. Most important thing to a scrapper after huge orange numbers
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What does BS have over katana? BS does a little bit more damage but katan costs less end and has a better recharge rate.
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Style. Most important thing to a scrapper after huge orange numbers
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and here's me thinking that the most important thing after huge orange numbers was leaving a trail of lots of bodies....
darn, gotta play my scapper more.
@Shift
Shift 50 DM/DA Scrapper ][ TTL 50 Kat/Reg Scrapper ][ Shabriel 50 Peacebringer ][ Ion Shift 46 Rad/Rad Corruptor ][ Thermal Shift 35 Fire/Fire Blaster
"A Scrapper is a lot like a chainsaw. Somewhat hard to handle, incredibly dangerous, and by far the most fun when wielded by the slightly insane."
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What does BS have over katana? BS does a little bit more damage but katan costs less end and has a better recharge rate.
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Style. Most important thing to a scrapper after huge orange numbers
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What do you mean after??!
"Well, they found my diary today.
They were appropriately appalled
at the discovery of the eight victims
They're now putting it all together.
Women wrapped in silk
with one leg missing
Eight legs, one body, silk,
spider, brilliant!"
For the arrest with speed and extreme prejudice, it's gotta be Broadsword. 
For all those times you want to mash that boss before the minions get a chance to start on you.
Martial Arts is ok if you want to make opponents wander around like freshly dug up members of the Banished Pantheon. Broadsword is big, deliberate and beautiful when you take almost half the hitpoints off a boss with that first buildup > headsplitter.
::Brag Begins:: I soloed Terra on Monday night with my Broadsword/Regen Steampunkette. One hell of a close fight but the big orange numbers pulled me through. ::Brag Ends::
Broadsword's great if you want to look like a dork.
MA's more like having those badass shoes with the lights in the heels that flash when you walk, except you kick people with them while making swoosh noises with your mouth.
The dmg difference isnt that big. BS is a little bit better in the AoE department. MA has a better frontload damage.
Eagle Claw does damage at the start of the animation, headsplitter does late in the animation.
MA can get away with having fewer attacks. You can cycle storm kick, crip. axe kick, eagle clae and crane kick.
While BS needs more attacks to have a full attack chain.
IIrc MA has a better dmg chain than broadsword though Im not sure here.
In PvE it doesnt matter all that much. Both sets a fine and the difference is minimal.
A Paragon Defender
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BS might be a little offputting early on - you don't have many attacks, and those you have take a while to recharge, but darn does it kick donkey later on. 3 AE powers (Whirling Sword, Slice and Head Splitter - yes, the extreme damage level 32 power is an AE attack, albiet one with a limit of 5 victims) as well as awsome single target killing ability, and Parry, which, come I7, will be able to put you over the effective cap of 45% defense.
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Um...my BS/Rgn scrapper has had a 4-attack chain (excluding brawl) going since L10 (might even have been L8, I forget). Hack/Slice/the melee cone AoE (I forget the name, can't be bothered to look it up) and Parry. In fact, the problem has been fitting in all of the available options early on (haven't had time to take Build Up or Dull Pain yet, as of L13, because of needing Hasten for SS at 14).
So I would hardly class BS as 'offputting early on' 
Very convincing, may swap my katana/regen for a BS/regen, i need some more specific convincing from what BS has over katana
Simple, overall damage. Broadsword just hits harder. It isn't a pretty, but looks isn't why people choose Broadsword.
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Broadsword's great if you want to look like a dork.
MA's more like having those badass shoes with the lights in the heels that flash when you walk, except you kick people with them while making swoosh noises with your mouth.
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That is a great post. MA has more control and is more (much more) entertaining to play, which would be the clincher for me.
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BS might be a little offputting early on - you don't have many attacks, and those you have take a while to recharge, but darn does it kick donkey later on. 3 AE powers (Whirling Sword, Slice and Head Splitter - yes, the extreme damage level 32 power is an AE attack, albiet one with a limit of 5 victims) as well as awsome single target killing ability, and Parry, which, come I7, will be able to put you over the effective cap of 45% defense.
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Um...my BS/Rgn scrapper has had a 4-attack chain (excluding brawl) going since L10 (might even have been L8, I forget). Hack/Slice/the melee cone AoE (I forget the name, can't be bothered to look it up) and Parry. In fact, the problem has been fitting in all of the available options early on (haven't had time to take Build Up or Dull Pain yet, as of L13, because of needing Hasten for SS at 14).
So I would hardly class BS as 'offputting early on'
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A) Slice *is* the melee cone
B) Slash, the power I guess you meant when you said slice, it crap. Pure and simple. Complete waste of a power. Especially as you're having problems fitting things in.
Now, I admit the Hack-Parry-Slice-Parry chain is reasonably complete, but I've met people who can't even get to level 8 'cos of the slowness of the attacks...
Easy to say: BS = dmg -end; MA = stuns +end
Main handicap on bs is imo having to seath ur sword if theres some pool power on ur chain. The -end shouldnt be a problem on a /regen, but will prolly be on any other secondary
Main handicap on MA is u have to bash more buttons if u want ur foe dea.. errm.. arrested .
If u plan to pvp, a built up critic head splitter will faceplant anything squishy, and a chain head splitter +dissembowel, anything but a tanker or a dull pained scrapper (against them u can use parry too, which with the soon-to-come def buff is bound to do make a real difference). Bad news is u wont be able to use TP Foe (unless with caltrops, and even that way it wont be THAT consistent) cuz of the weapon seath thingie.
On the MA side, u will have stuns, a fair dmg output, quickest chains, and the chance to use TP foe at its full potential
IMO slice is required up until the first respec opportunity, when you can get rid of it, but the first 20 or so levels you need every attack you can get.
Defiant 50's
Many and varied!
@Miss Chief
hey im thinking of makin a /regen scrapper but duno about making Martial Arts or broadsword: what do you think??
Thanks very much, the pidgenator