To my mind, SS/Elec.
Lots of single target damage.
Offensive secondary (Lightning feild, Lightning reflex)
As opposed to Elec/Stone [Granite]
Elec has more AoE attacks (Three clear ones + 2 semi ones iirc)
Stone looses mobility, cant steam-roller on full fury like Elec (running from one mob o another). Stone works best, IMO, as a team brute-tank (Brank?.. Brunk?... Trunk?) gather aggro from being hit and then unleashing big AoE attacks.
Im not quite sure why you specify the levl 20-38 range?
But id say go with whats more fun.
From what I've seen, taking Teleport as your travel power totally annihilates the "granite mobility" problem. I watched Reptile Wrath (stone/stone) simply teleport in Granite form straight into Malta Mob after Malta Mob. Was pretty impressive, really.
As for what to do with yourself pre-granite, I'm not sure what to tell you. I can't fathom a brute without a self-heal, but that's only because I play a Dark/Dark brute, who pretty much survives by out-healing his enemies in combat...so I'm on the flip side of having too much healing in my build.
Personally, I would totally go for the Elec/STone combo. I haven't seen it yet and the AoE Electric attacks look brutal once fury is built up. That and the Idea of an Electric Granite just sounds nightmarish. But with style.
-jared
[ QUOTE ]
From what I've seen, taking Teleport as your travel power totally annihilates the "granite mobility" problem.
[/ QUOTE ]
Mitigates, does not annhilate.
In a tightly controlled team, on flat surfaces, against non-flying non teleporting toons, with none of your team using knockback or fear/scatter powers, with no ambushes, patrols or accidently aggro'd second spawns, then teleport will almost always compensate for granites lack of mobility.
Personally, I would say that, at least solo, Brutes work best be keeping up a huge amount of fury from rapid attacks (not being attacked) and charging without pause from one enemy to another. SS/Elec fits the bill: lots of nice single target attacks with +recharge from lightning reflexs, the option of using air superiority and haymaker to keep foes bouncing (and thus you not taking damage)
My Elec/Stone Brute is level 29. Sure, I can solo on him, but he dosent do so well. I have to teleport from mob to mob and I simply dont get that "Steamroller" feeling I do with otherbrutes. On a team, much easier. Teleport into a mob, taunt, get pounded, agro bar whips up straight away (I find getting hit much more effective than hitting for building fury) and unleash AoE hell.
[ QUOTE ]
In a tightly controlled team, on flat surfaces, against non-flying non teleporting toons, with none of your team using knockback or fear/scatter powers, with no ambushes, patrols or accidently aggro'd second spawns, then teleport will almost always compensate for granites lack of mobility.
[/ QUOTE ]
O_O
Ok, I get your point. My own experiences say you must be exagerating just a wee bit though. Mostly because you're saying that it NEVER works unless everything is perfect...and some of the things you listed are problems for almost ALL brute builds.
I have teleporting Granite friends who swear by it....but maybe I used the word "annihilate" a little too loosely. I still haven't seen a better solution to staying in Granite form for an entire mission (besides taking a long time).
-jared
I made a SS/elec now, just a lvl6 but quite enjoyable. Thx for the advice to that 
I'm very familiar with perma-Granite, my 50 tanker hits nearly 2 years now. The state he is now was a massive investment (120m+), and not really in the mood to redo that again 
50)Sinergy X/(50)Mika.
(50)MaceX/(50)Encore
Sign the petition, dont let CoH go down! SIGN!
Oh dont get me wrong Teleport is about the only way to go for a Granite brute/tank or even Stone brute/tank. I certainly wouldnt contemplate a different power pool
[NB With IO there is limited potential to speed up movement rate now...]
I'm not knocking Granite at all. But the reality is its immense resilience is balanced by decreased damage output and less flexibility.
Of course, a fair proportion of the time, a Granite should have no difficulty in grabbing most of the aggro.
Im speaking more from a tank persepctive now, but all sets have different strengths and weaknesses - and all sets are better in some situations than others. For instance, facing a pounding AV like Lord Recluse in the STF I would definately prefer a Granite (providing the tank has taunt six slotted). Facing a shed load of cabal, sky raiders, or knives of artemis with 20 caltrops on the floor, I'd rather have an ice tank who can float over all those caltrops and maintain aggro happily.
As the title, i free'ed up 2 slots on my accounts. Having 3 tankers (my favo 50 granite/SS, 39 fire/EM and 37 Inv/Axe) i decided to go Brute. I already have a 26 SS/Stone (copy of my tanker) but i feel too much 'heroic'.
I really like elec, so was thinkup these 2 combo's. SS for Rage, KO and footstomp, or elec for the awsome animations and aoe's on a Granite. 3rd option was Fire armor, as it has a self heal, but as my tanker isnt 50 yet, i prefer doing another set first.
I'm probably lotsa solo, wich might be bitty hard pre-granite but elec lacks any form of healing. As i spent over 120m to break -recharge of granite, i feel bit up to doing that all over again. But i know after Granite fun really begins.
Wich of these 2 would be more viable solo during the 20-38 content?
50)Sinergy X/(50)Mika.
(50)MaceX/(50)Encore
Sign the petition, dont let CoH go down! SIGN!