[Help Wanted] Questions on PvP Build -- SS / FA
By
Lord Mayhem,
Posted on: 2006-11-25 06:57 in Brutes
the SS/SJ build is how I would do it, looks spot on to me.
thePhilosopher Martial Arts/Regen/Fire Scrapper
theRegulator Empathy/Energy/Soul Defender
Total Inertia Ice Blast/Kinetics/Psy Corruptor
Total Inferno Ice Blast/Thermal/Leviathan Corruptor
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* I have some End issue at the moment, running 5 - 7 toggles and i have 1 End Reduction enhancement everywhere.
Fire Shield / Plasma Shield / Though / Acrobatics / Super Jump -- and maybe sprint or superspeed & blazing aura ?
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There's not much you can do about that except slot more End reduction and use Consume to top you up. I run 5-6 toggles on my Fire/Fire too (depending on circumstance), with 1 EndRdx in every attack/clicky, and in PvE he can just about keep going non-stop by using Consume to top-up. Oh and I hope you mean Combat Jumping not Super Jump - you don't want to be running SJ in combat. And at least you get a 10sec break to build some End every time Rage drops 
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- Blazing Aura: (it's a nice power on pve) but i am unsure about it on pvp, will it really help on a 1v1 fight, is it worth the high end cost?
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Don't bother - stalkers will have a decent enough AE defence just from Hide when hidden, and it won't do much damage to a single target - End will be your problem so I reckon switch BA off for PvP.
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- Rage: Considering i'll put 2 Accuracy enhancements on each of my damaging powers, is it good to add 3 more slots on rage with 3 +To Hit enhancements?
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Rage is worth about one Acc SO 3-slotted with ToHits I think - seems that way with my SS/Dark brute. So if you'd normally go 2 Accs in attacks (I do) you can get away with just 1 Acc per attack if you're going to perma-rage. I'd say 1 Acc, 3 Dmg, 0-1 Rchg and 1-2 EndRdx would be best slotting for SS/ attacks - it's how I've gone with my SS/DA. Although you may still want 2 Accs for added help against defence sets like /SR scrappers and Ice/ tankers.
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* And finaly i am really hesitating on some powers and pools... I have no -Fly attack so i was thinking about a Patron Power Pool (Black Scorpion) for the -Fly & Immobilize power, and it can really help this Burn power right ?
What about Mace Blast on this PPP ?
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Black Scorpion's AE immobilise Web Envelope is very good, both for setting up Burn and for the -fly effect - equally good for PvP as if it hits the -spd/-fly/-jump/-rchg effects take place even if the immobilise doesn't (because of status protection like CJ or armour shields).
Ranged damage powers like Mace Blast are fairly rubbish for brutes because our ranged damage base modifier is as low as scrappers/tankers, unless you want it for pulling in PvE (and why would a brute be pulling?). I guess you could take the Hurl power from SS for better ranged damage, but the long animation means it won't be much use in PvP except for the -fly, and even then the Web Envelope has double the range of Hurl.
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But i was also thinking about Air Superiority and maybe Fly for a 2nd Travel power...?
Or finaly Hasten & Super Speed ?
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I wanted Hasten on my Fire/Fire, but took Air Superiority - I take AirSup on all my brutes as it is so good in PvE and is good against squishies in PvP too. You may want Hasten/SS more for PvP, though. Hasten will up your burst damage and a lot of melees in PvP use jousting, whereby they SuperSpeed past you with an attack queued up and it triggers when they are outside melee range so you can't make a return attack (unless you were ready for them). Otherwise I think SJ will be fine for PvP - you'll spend time in combat with unsuppressed CJ+Hurdle anyway - using your web envelope to slow down runners.
On the whole I don't usually favour multiple travel powers, but for PvP it can be handy (the only character I have taken 2 travel powers on is my stalker - TP & Fly - and that was PvP-motivated so he could kill flyers and stalk people from above, as well as being able to escape faster than anyone could catch him when he needed to, and re-position quickly).
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* Talking about hasten, i have a question on the usage of Rage + Hasten.
I am very afraid of the Double End Drop using those 2 powers at the same time..
I would like to know if you could launch Rage again before it fades ? (with hasten, the power should be ready again before the 1st effect fades?)
If you can launch Rage a 2nd time, will it cumulate the effect or simply reset the duration of the 1st Rage?
Will there be a End Drop of the 1st Rage if you start another one? ( this question have sence only if it's realisable of course )
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Here's how Rage works. You'll get the damage/ToHit bonus for 2 mins after you use Rage, but at the end of those 2 minutes you'll get a 10sec crash that cannot be postponed/avoided by any means (unless you die 
). If you use Hasten or other +rchg buffs to get Rage up sooner then you can double-stack the effects, but when the first Rage expires you will get your 10sec crash period regardless of whether a second Rage is running. Basically if you use Hasten +3 rchgs in Rage then you can double stack for a while, but you'll pay for that by crashing more often.
It's up to you whether double-stacking Rage is worth it - I would probably avoid Hasten just for that reason (because it throws off Rage-timing) and take AirSup instead, but for PvP that double-stack period might be invaluable for upping your burst damage to kill an enemy - of course it all depends on timing and whether fights are going to last that long. My PvP fights either seem to be over very quickly, or grind on for ages til one of you leaves out of boredom.
I'll leave further advice to more dedicated PvPers - my SS/DA and my Fire/Fire are both set up for PvE mainly (with the L50 Fire/Fire mainly keeping the LRSF in mind) but with a view to occasional PvP.
Actually I just had another thought about End use - funnily enough it was because of The Philosopher's post - I just remembered a fight I had against him in RV with my Fire/Fire brute. I don't PvP often and dont have much PvP experience, and I was only L40 at that time so had no PPP powers, so that may have affected the result (but probably not 
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Basically I was in RV with one of the controllable Arachnos pets late at night and I saw The Philospher with a pet of his own at an anchor point near the hero base, so I went over to try my luck. We had a nice little toe-to-toe fight for a few minutes, but it was definitely End that I found limiting more than health - after my opening gambit I couldn't maintain my full attack chain because I was struggling for End, so I couldn't do enough burst damage to kill him, even after building a bit of Fury. Likewise he couldn't seem to do enough burst damage to kill me either at first, but of course his end wasn't hurting like mine was (as he is /regen) so he could at least keep up the pressure and perhaps pray for sequential crits - crits were the only thing that seemed to drop my health much.
In the end he actually switched to kill my pet while I was low on End. Possibly he was doing that to let my Fury subside, or to give me a chance , but I was able to maintain Fury with just Brawl/Boxing/AirSup (tbh it hadnt built up that high) while I saved up enough End and waited for FE+BU to come back up (and his IH to go down) for a last ditch effort at enough burst damage to kill him. When that time came I actually end-crashed myself misjudging how much end my last GFS needed (trying to fit it in before BU ran out) after dropping his health quite a bit, and of course my luck dictated that my disorient status toggle was one of the ones that went down (fatal against MA/), so I was disorientated and died.
I didn't mind - I could have run when it became an obvious stalemate - tbh he deserved the win for fighting me toe-to-toe (most tankers/scrappers just want to joust it seems /yawn), but also because he'd probably have got me eventually anyway when luck favoured sequential crits. Also we had a nice chat afterwards, and I don't mind losing to people who are polite and friendly But that fight showed me that End is the main problem for a toggle-heavy brute like /Fire in PvP (not like we can drop protection shields we don't need, because our status protection is shared between them, unlike many other brutes), especially when fighting a /regen of course (and all of the scrappers Ive run into when Ive PvPd have been /regens).
Also Fury building is a problem too in PvP (lets hope the Devs fix that). Admittedly your SS/Fire will probably have better burst damage against some targets than my Fire/Fire, although I guess high S/L resists on some scrappers/tankers will affect you more than my Fire/Fire. Against tankers my few 1-1 toe-to-toe fights as a brute have been very frustrating - one of us has just walked away because we couldn't kill each other after 5mins (admittedly one of those was fire/fire to fire/fire, so that was never going anywhere ).
I tank you very much for all the answers Valkryst,
especially for the Rage usage.
I'll probably go with the 2nd build and see.
I think i'll have to test myself on the battleground for the final details 
Hello There , i am new on those forums, so i am telling a shy hello
Sorry for the writing mistakes
I started to play cov this month, and i went for a SS/FA (Super Strength / Fiery Aura) brute.
Probably not the easiest toon to start to game with.. i am lvl 37 at the moment and i am doing pretty well in PvE.
I got a lot of questions, hesitations and incertitudes about powers, a lot of choice and not sure about what to take.
-- This toon will be dedicated to PvP at lvl 50.
I am playing on a not very crowded french server, and i hope to have a lot of 1v1 or 1v2 fights and probably 2v2 with a friend.
*The path i have chosen and which i am sure:
Pool Powers:
- Leaping: Combat Jumping / Super Jump / Acrobatics
- Fitness: Hurdle / Health / Stamina
- Fighting: Boxing / Though (what about weave?)
* I have some End issue at the moment, running 5 - 7 toggles and i have 1 End Reduction enhancement everywhere.
Fire Shield / Plasma Shield / Though / Acrobatics / Super Jump -- and maybe sprint or superspeed & blazing aura ?
* I would like advices on a few powers and their effectiveness on PvP.
- Blazing Aura: (it's a nice power on pve) but i am unsure about it on pvp, will it really help on a 1v1 fight, is it worth the high end cost?
- Foot Stomp: (a really good power that i like on pve) but again, what about it on PvP?
- Rage: Considering i'll put 2 Accuracy enhancements on each of my damaging powers, is it good to add 3 more slots on rage with 3 +To Hit enhancements?
* And finaly i am really hesitating on some powers and pools... I have no -Fly attack so i was thinking about a Patron Power Pool (Black Scorpion) for the -Fly & Immobilize power, and it can really help this Burn power right ?
What about Mace Blast on this PPP ?
But i was also thinking about Air Superiority and maybe Fly for a 2nd Travel power...?
Or finaly Hasten & Super Speed ?
* Talking about hasten, i have a question on the usage of Rage + Hasten.
I am very afraid of the Double End Drop using those 2 powers at the same time..
I would like to know if you could launch Rage again before it fades ? (with hasten, the power should be ready again before the 1st effect fades?)
If you can launch Rage a 2nd time, will it cumulate the effect or simply reset the duration of the 1st Rage?
Will there be a End Drop of the 1st Rage if you start another one? ( this question have sence only if it's realisable of course )
*I would like some advices on slots for PvP on the dmg powers, i am hesitating between
2 Accuracy, 1 End Reduction, 3 Damage or
2 Accuracy, 1 Recharge Reduction, 3 Damage or
1 Accuracy, 1 End Reduction, 1 Recharge Reduction, 3 Damage or
2 Accuracy, 1 End Reduction, 1 Recharge Reduction, 2 Damage
Any idea for the best choice?
With or without the +3 To Hit Rage Slots?
* I was thinking about those builds, any advices on slotting or powers are welcome:
-- Super Jump / Fly build
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Exported from Ver: 1.7.6.0 of the CoH_CoV Character Builder
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Name: Terry Beaugard
Level: 50
Archetype: Brute
Primary: Super Strength
Secondary: Fiery Aura
---------------------------------------------
01) --> Punch==> Acc(1)Acc(3)EndRdx(3)Dmg(9)Dmg(9)Dmg(23)
01) --> Fire Shield==> DmgRes(1)DmgRes(31)DmgRes(31)EndRdx(31)
02) --> Haymaker==> Acc(2)Acc(5)EndRdx(5)Dmg(11)Dmg(11)Dmg(23)
04) --> Healing Flames==> Heal(4)Heal(27)Heal(27)Rechg(36)Rechg(36)Rechg(36)
06) --> Air Superiority==> Acc(6)Acc(7)EndRdx(7)Dmg(42)Dmg(42)Dmg(42)
08) --> Knockout Blow==> Acc(8)Acc(13)EndRdx(13)Dmg(15)Dmg(15)Dmg(29)
10) --> Boxing==> Acc(10)Acc(17)EndRdx(17)Dmg(25)Dmg(25)Dmg(29)
12) --> Combat Jumping==> DefBuf(12)
14) --> Super Jump==> Jump(14)
16) --> Hurdle==> Jump(16)
18) --> Health==> Heal(18)Heal(19)Heal(19)
20) --> Stamina==> EndMod(20)EndMod(21)EndMod(21)
22) --> Rage==> Rechg(22)Rechg(37)Rechg(40)TH_Buf(46)TH_Buf(46)TH_Buf(46)
24) --> Consume==> Rechg(24)Rechg(37)Rechg(37)Acc(48)EndMod(48)
26) --> Plasma Shield==> DmgRes(26)DmgRes(34)DmgRes(34)EndRdx(34)
28) --> Acrobatics==> EndRdx(28)
30) --> Tough==> DmgRes(30)DmgRes(33)DmgRes(33)EndRdx(33)
32) --> Foot Stomp==> Acc(32)Acc(39)EndRdx(39)Dmg(39)Dmg(40)Dmg(40)
35) --> Fiery Embrace==> Rechg(35)Rechg(43)Rechg(43)
38) --> Fly==> Fly(38)
41) --> Web Envelope==> Acc(41)Acc(43)Rechg(45)Range(48)
44) --> Burn==> Dmg(44)Dmg(45)Dmg(45)
47) --> Rise of the Phoenix==> Rechg(47)
49) --> Blazing Aura==> Acc(49)EndRdx(50)EndRdx(50)Dmg(50)
---------------------------------------------
01) --> Sprint==> Run(1)
01) --> Brawl==> Rechg(1)
01) --> Fury==> Empty(1)
02) --> Rest==> Rechg(2)
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-- Super Jump / Super Speed build
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Exported from Ver: 1.7.6.0 of the CoH_CoV Character Builder
---------------------------------------------
Name: Terry Beaugard
Level: 50
Archetype: Brute
Primary: Super Strength
Secondary: Fiery Aura
---------------------------------------------
01) --> Punch==> Acc(1)Acc(3)EndRdx(3)Dmg(9)Dmg(9)Dmg(23)
01) --> Fire Shield==> DmgRes(1)DmgRes(31)DmgRes(31)EndRdx(31)
02) --> Haymaker==> Acc(2)Acc(5)EndRdx(5)Dmg(11)Dmg(11)Dmg(23)
04) --> Healing Flames==> Heal(4)Heal(27)Heal(27)Rechg(36)Rechg(36)Rechg(36)
06) --> Hasten==> Rechg(6)Rechg(7)Rechg(7)
08) --> Knockout Blow==> Acc(8)Acc(13)EndRdx(13)Dmg(15)Dmg(15)Dmg(29)
10) --> Boxing==> Acc(10)Acc(17)EndRdx(17)Dmg(25)Dmg(25)Dmg(29)
12) --> Combat Jumping==> DefBuf(12)
14) --> Super Jump==> Jump(14)
16) --> Hurdle==> Jump(16)
18) --> Health==> Heal(18)Heal(19)Heal(19)
20) --> Stamina==> EndMod(20)EndMod(21)EndMod(21)
22) --> Rage==> Rechg(22)Rechg(37)Rechg(40)TH_Buf(42)TH_Buf(42)TH_Buf(42)
24) --> Consume==> Rechg(24)Rechg(37)Rechg(37)Acc(48)EndMod(48)
26) --> Plasma Shield==> DmgRes(26)DmgRes(34)DmgRes(34)EndRdx(34)
28) --> Acrobatics==> EndRdx(28)
30) --> Tough==> DmgRes(30)DmgRes(33)DmgRes(33)EndRdx(33)
32) --> Foot Stomp==> Acc(32)Acc(39)EndRdx(39)Dmg(39)Dmg(40)Dmg(40)
35) --> Fiery Embrace==> Rechg(35)Rechg(43)Rechg(43)
38) --> Super Speed==> Run(38)
41) --> Web Envelope==> Acc(41)Acc(43)Rechg(45)Range(48)
44) --> Blazing Aura==> Acc(44)EndRdx(45)EndRdx(45)Dmg(46)Dmg(46)Dmg(46)
47) --> Rise of the Phoenix==> Rechg(47)Rechg(50)
49) --> Burn==> Dmg(49)Dmg(50)Dmg(50)
---------------------------------------------
01) --> Sprint==> Run(1)
01) --> Brawl==> Rechg(1)
01) --> Fury==> Empty(1)
02) --> Rest==> Rechg(2)
---------------------------------------------
Any help would be greatly appreciated