In PvE you need to protect your henchmen. In PvP you need to protect yourself. Choose accordingly - any secondary set is good but with thugs you're mainly doing Smash/Lethal damage so want a set with some res/def debuffs.
Traps is a good all-rounder but lacks healing, same as Trick Arrow. Dark is the ultimate all-rounder being able to do a bit of everything. Forcefields is a specialist set focussing on defense, as is Posion but focussing on debuffs.
Pick accordingly, and play to your strengths.
Hello,
I've just started up a thugs/poision MM, still low lvl but it's working well for me.
I get the impression that punks are high damage, low defense. The de-buffs in poison mean that the damage hits home so a good offense is a good form of defense.
The only times things get a bit tricky is where I'm up aginst large numbers and I can't debuff them all quick enough.
Dark Miasma is great, I've had it on my corruptor (lvl 30) and I'm missing the debuff / heal of twilight grasp, increased damage / slow of tar patch and control of fearsome stare. It was a tough choice not to take poison over DM but it fitted the concept and I wanted a change.
So with low numbers of tough opponents poison is good, the debuffing helps offset the lvl difference of the punks. Against large numbers of even opponents I don't think it's going to be too hot, but we'll have to wait and see.
Cheers,
Mike.
(nb : consider all this as PvE advice) I think once your mate hits 24, he'll be laughing. Double stacked Maneouvers from the Enforcers (afaik 7% unslotted, but slottable!), and Forcefield generator. He could even get Maneouvers himself from Leadership to triple stack it.
Id recommend Caltrops too, as the Thugs really dont want to be in melee until the Bruiser at 26 (and anyone could be fooled that he likes it 
) so setting your gang behind a nicely placed Caltrops will help a lot.
Good Luck to him
Hiyas,
Lvl 32 thugs/ff here as I have done/dark to 50 before but agree very strong set. I have also taken a prevoius incarnation of this mm to 20 with /poison.
I obviously have not played /dark at 32 post and can imagine fluffy would be great, however I am currently feeling really uber. The damage output from thugs is awesome they take down amber minions on relentless in seconds and red leuteinents in maybe 6-8 secs. Defence wise I am very happy-taken leadership pool to complement enforcers and IF fully bubbled incoming fire either misses or does little damage. Personal ff is a boon and I can just run to end of a np mish for example before spawning to increase turnover time and xp. NOTHING except purple heros has been a problem so far. Force push acts with the extensive kb of the bruiser and most bosses havce troble staying on there feet.
I tested lvl 40 thug/ff, thug/dark and thug/traps at the RV pvp event on the test server. My play stle did not get on with any except /ff which was very sucessful as I perfer to keep jumping in any pvp enviroment and mobility is only offered with /ff imho. Plus u can remove ("jail") annoying enemy players from the equation with /FF of course . In pVE very team friendly-I have bubble binds for my team which is always appreciated. So far this is the most fun I have had on cox
AID SELF IN PFF FTW
Hi all,
I've been asked by a friend who is going to make a thugs MM, what would the best spec / combo for a Thugs MM ?
He asked :
What goes with the Thugs well ?
What would be a good set up for 30% PVP / 70% PVE?
and also are Thugs / Traps any good ?
I explained, Personally i currently have a level 29 Thugs / Force fields - as then i can bubble the thugs for extra defence...and it works nicely in groups for PVE AND PVP
Any thoughts greatly appreciated - thanks !