I believe thugs can do just fine without leadership.
I don't think you really need concealement though.
I never had my bruiser knockbacked or get any sort of trouble as he ran up to the eb/av.
If i dont take leadership then i have a few powerslots left.
I do not know anything about higher level gameplay in cov though.
And one point for me was, that with concealment i may be able to stealth through missions. ( I usually always team with a Stalker )
Is that even possible / viable in later levels ?
I have yet to find a mission that needed stealthing with thugs/poison.
Really your debuffs are so nice that difficult targets become relatively easy and up to a certain difficulty setting you simply waltz through missions.
Some people say for thugs leadership is a must have, since it stacks with the enforcers' leadership.
If concealment fits your playstyle though then I would advise taking it and if it ends up proving to be underperforming just respec it out.
And you can always feel free to look me up ingame, I am these days playing my thugs/poison mostly and I'll be happy to lackey you for a couple of missions.
Thanks for the offer, but its the first lvl 50, want to "properly" level it 
I played around a bit with the char planner and i think i found my build now.
Concealment will have to go. Too little effect really to be worth it. Besides it alaways seems to run out exactly when i need it, would be interesting if it was a perm buff.
Thanks for your feedback on it.
Sorry I cant be any real help with pool questions.
But if you have any question about your secondary or primary set I'll be here all week 
But the answers usually are:
Yes the Bruiser is an idiot and his AI messed up.
And
Yes Poison Trap is useless and does not in the least compare to /Traps Poison Trap
ok, that will be what i will respec into.
I tried to find a balance slotting moneywise.
It has a few expensive procs but all in all it should be realistic, given that i dont expect to have it all at 50 right away.
Would be a great help if you could comment on the slotting for the primary secondary powers.
Villain Plan by Mids' Villain Designer 1.30
http://www.honourableunited.org.uk/mhd.php
Level 50 Magic Mastermind
Primary Power Set: Thugs
Secondary Power Set: Poison
Power Pool: Fitness
Power Pool: Leaping
Power Pool: Medicine
Power Pool: Leadership
Ancillary Pool: Mu Mastery
Villain Profile:
Level 1: Call Thugs <ul type="square">[*] (A) Damage Increase IO: Level 40[*] (3) Damage Increase IO: Level 40[*] (3) Accuracy IO: Level 40[*] (5) Touch of Lady Grey - Chance for Negative Damage: Level 50[*] (5) Achilles' Heel - Chance for Res Debuff: Level 20[/list]Level 1: Alkaloid <ul type="square">[*] (A) Doctored Wounds - Recharge: Level 39[*] (7) Doctored Wounds - Heal: Level 39[*] (7) Doctored Wounds - Heal/Endurance/Recharge: Level 39[*] (9) Doctored Wounds - Heal/Recharge: Level 39[*] (9) Doctored Wounds - Endurance/Recharge: Level 39[*] (11) Doctored Wounds - Heal/Endurance: Level 39[/list]Level 2: Envenom <ul type="square">[*] (A) Accuracy IO: Level 40[*] (11) Recharge Reduction IO: Level 40[*] (13) Defense Debuff IO: Level 40[*] (13) Endurance Reduction IO: Level 40[*] (15) Endurance Reduction IO: Level 40[*] (15) Recharge Reduction IO: Level 40[/list]Level 4: Weaken <ul type="square">[*] (A) Dark Watcher's Despair - Chance for Recharge Slow: Level 40[*] (17) Accuracy IO: Level 40[*] (17) Recharge Reduction IO: Level 40[*] (19) Recharge Reduction IO: Level 40[*] (19) Endurance Reduction IO: Level 40[*] (21) Endurance Reduction IO: Level 40[/list]Level 6: Equip Thugs <ul type="square">[*] (A) Recharge Reduction IO: Level 40[*] (43) Endurance Reduction IO: Level 40[/list]Level 8: Hurdle <ul type="square">[*] (A) Jumping IO: Level 40[/list]Level 10: Neurotoxic Breath <ul type="square">[*] (A) Endurance Reduction IO: Level 40[*] (21) Recharge Reduction IO: Level 40[*] (23) Accuracy IO: Level 40[/list]Level 12: Call Enforcer <ul type="square">[*] (A) Accuracy IO: Level 40[*] (23) Achilles' Heel - Chance for Res Debuff: Level 20[*] (25) Touch of Lady Grey - Chance for Negative Damage: Level 39[*] (25) Damage Increase IO: Level 40[*] (27) Damage Increase IO: Level 40[*] (27) Accuracy IO: Level 40[/list]Level 14: Health <ul type="square">[*] (A) Healing IO: Level 40[*] (46) Healing IO: Level 40[/list]Level 16: Combat Jumping <ul type="square">[*] (A) Jumping IO: Level 40[/list]Level 18: Gang War <ul type="square">[*] (A) Recharge Reduction IO: Level 40[*] (29) Recharge Reduction IO: Level 40[*] (29) Recharge Reduction IO: Level 40[*] (31) Endurance Reduction IO: Level 40[/list]Level 20: Stamina <ul type="square">[*] (A) Endurance Modification IO: Level 40[*] (31) Endurance Modification IO: Level 40[*] (31) Endurance Modification IO: Level 40[/list]Level 22: Super Jump <ul type="square">[*] (A) Jumping IO: Level 40[/list]Level 24: Aid Other <ul type="square">[*] (A) Doctored Wounds - Recharge: Level 39[*] (33) Doctored Wounds - Heal: Level 39[*] (33) Doctored Wounds - Heal/Endurance/Recharge: Level 39[*] (33) Doctored Wounds - Heal/Recharge: Level 39[*] (34) Doctored Wounds - Endurance/Recharge: Level 39[*] (34) Doctored Wounds - Heal/Endurance: Level 39[/list]Level 26: Call Bruiser <ul type="square">[*] (A) Explosive Strike - Chance for Smashing Damage: Level 20[*] (34) Accuracy IO: Level 40[*] (36) Disorient Duration IO: Level 40[*] (36) Disorient Duration IO: Level 40[*] (36) Damage Increase IO: Level 40[*] (37) Damage Increase IO: Level 40[/list]Level 28: Paralytic Poison <ul type="square">[*] (A) Recharge Reduction IO: Level 40[*] (37) Recharge Reduction IO: Level 40[*] (37) Accuracy IO: Level 40[*] (39) Endurance Reduction IO: Level 40[*] (39) Hold Duration IO: Level 40[*] (39) Hold Duration IO: Level 40[/list]Level 30: Aid Self <ul type="square">[*] (A) Healing IO: Level 40[*] (40) Healing IO: Level 40[*] (40) Recharge Reduction IO: Level 40[*] (50) Endurance Reduction IO: Level 40[/list]Level 32: Upgrade Equipment <ul type="square">[*] (A) Recharge Reduction IO: Level 40[*] (42) Endurance Reduction IO: Level 40[/list]Level 35: Assault <ul type="square">[*] (A) Endurance Reduction IO: Level 40[/list]Level 38: Noxious Gas <ul type="square">[*] (A) Recharge Reduction IO: Level 40[*] (40) Endurance Reduction IO: Level 40[*] (42) Recharge Reduction IO: Level 40[*] (42) Endurance Reduction IO: Level 40[/list]Level 41: Charged Armor <ul type="square">[*] (A) Resist Damage IO: Level 40[*] (43) Resist Damage IO: Level 40[*] (43) Endurance Reduction IO: Level 40[/list]Level 44: Electrifying Fences <ul type="square">[*] (A) Accuracy IO: Level 40[*] (45) Immobilisation Duration IO: Level 40[*] (45) Recharge Reduction IO: Level 40[*] (45) Recharge Reduction IO: Level 40[*] (46) Endurance Reduction IO: Level 40[*] (46) Endurance Reduction IO: Level 40[/list]Level 47: Electric Shackles <ul type="square">[*] (A) Accuracy IO: Level 40[*] (48) Endurance Reduction IO: Level 40[*] (48) Recharge Reduction IO: Level 40[*] (48) Recharge Reduction IO: Level 40[*] (50) Hold Duration IO: Level 40[/list]Level 49: Tactics <ul type="square">[*] (A) Endurance Reduction IO: Level 40[*] (50) To Hit Buff IO: Level 40[/list]------------
Level 1: Brawl <ul type="square">[*] (A) Empty[/list]Level 1: Sprint <ul type="square">[*] (A) Empty[/list]Level 2: Rest <ul type="square">[*] (A) Empty[/list]Level 1: Supremacy
------------
[u]Set Bonus Totals:[u]<ul type="square">[*]+8% Enhancement(Heal)[*]+10% Enhancement(RechargeTime)[*]+MezResist(Terrorized) (Mag 4.4%)[*]+2.52% Resistance(Fire)[*]+2.52% Resistance(Cold)[*]+2.52% Resistance(Toxic)[*]+2.52% Resistance(Psionic)[/list]------------
[u]Set Bonuses:[u]
[u]Doctored Wounds[u]
(Alkaloid)<ul type="square">[*] +MezResist(Terrorized) (Mag 2.2%)[*] +1.26% Res(Fire, Cold)[*] +4% Enhancement(Heal)[*] +5% Enhancement(RechargeTime)[*] +1.26% Res(Toxic, Psi)[/list][u]Doctored Wounds[u]
(Aid Other)<ul type="square">[*] +MezResist(Terrorized) (Mag 2.2%)[*] +1.26% Res(Fire, Cold)[*] +4% Enhancement(Heal)[*] +5% Enhancement(RechargeTime)[*] +1.26% Res(Toxic, Psi)[/list]
<font class="small">Code:[/color]<hr /><pre>| Copy & Paste this data chunk into Mids' Hero Designer to view the build |
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</pre><hr />
Ok this is what I would change:
Equip Thugs and Upgrade Equipment I would not add the second slot. I dont hink 1 slot makes such a difference for when things turn bad in a hard fight and at the start of the mission buffing up doesnt take that long really.
I think those two slots would be MUCH better (with the capital letters ) used in Neurotoxic Breath.
I also would not add the two End Reductions in Noxious Gas.
Now:
Envenom/Weaken:
Envenom's and Weaken's normal recharge is shorter than their DeBuff duration. Which means even without a single recharge reduc, you can still keep a boos/eb etc perma envenomed/weakened.
I have 3 Acc and 3 of the respective DeBuffs in each and it works great.
Neurotoxic Breath:
Has a longer recharge than duration. I therefor have it slotted with 2 Acc, 2 Recharge Red and 2 Slow.
I am considering taking the disorient durations out of my own bruiser by the way. Its only one of his attacks that dissorient and though it triggers reasonably often enough (when the bruise hasnt decided to ignore my shouting and stand ina corner hurling rocks) it annoys me a lot because pets will not attack dissoriented foes while in bodyguard mode (yes I know easy to get around by I get annoyed easily)
Just dont forget:
bruiser = brute with a fury bar so if you want to maximise that, slot him so he builds fury fast.
arsonist = fire corruptor with scourge
Thanks for the feedback. I took out the "commodity slots" in the buff skills and reallocated them to breath.
Does look better. I took out one of the end redux in noxious gas to put in a recharge io.
For envenom / weaken i think the 3rd debuff io is too much.
You get maybe a 1.5% increase. At least if the numbers in mid's are correct.
The bruiser ai IS a pain, i simply dont give him the 2nd upgrade.
Now as soon as i get Electrifying fences i will send in the bruiser and cast fences at the same time as it has -kb.
Bruiser's first attack on a group is mostly clap.
Immob + Disorient = cool hold
Though its just an idea on paper, lets see if it works out.
when I get back from work I'll have a look at my MM, I was having some plans of IOs to put into my debuffs, but cant remember what I was planning
Just changed servers recently and started a thugs/poison.
It started slow but after crossing the lvl 32 mark its like cutting through butter with a hot knife.
I can't decide though if taking leadership or concealment.
Reason is :
1) Invisible Bruiser + Noxious Gas is better for maximising effectiveness as long as i dont have Web Envelope as i can get him real close without anyone running off or knocking him back etc before he is close.
2) +Def, though i am not sure its worth enhancing, would love some feedback on that one.
3) More buffing but the possibility to stealth minions through missions and minimize agro.
The question is :
Apart from the additional buffing time, do the above mentioned pro's of Concealment make up for the lost benefits from not taking leadership ?
Thanks in advance for your feedback.