Comments about Shields:
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What powers are skippable?
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Phalanx Fighting, Grant Cover.
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Is it worth getting tough/weave and aidself?
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If you can fit them in, yes. Aid Self first.
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Will I have to have Hasten?
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No, Shields doesn't benefit greatly from Hasten.
Hint for leveling: Take True Grit ahead of Battle Agility.
I really should do something about this signature.
Phalanx Fighting is nice imo. it's a fixed 3.75% defense boost, which is quite helpful and free.
Well, Grant Cover gives DefDebuff and RechDebuff resistance.
Oh yeah, they are nice to have, but if you are going to skip any those are the ones you can live without. Ok, you could live without Shield Charge at a pinch, but would you want to?
And I don't think you could fit in PF, GC and Tough and Weave.
I really should do something about this signature.
Any levelling builds anyone can offer?
Well my toon is 42ish now and I've been loving playing him and fully intend to spec him out. Below is a dream build, but apart from the lotg+rch and the purples, I'm not actually that far of collecting all the rest of the build for him when he hits 47.
So any comments and suggestions on the build please. I will likely rarely solo with him much at 50, as I will mostly use him for SFs and co op content. Still not sure whether I can be bothered with Darkest Night, I might find a slot or two and put in aid self in there too.
So any comments about the build please and and suggested improvements would be welcome.
Villain Plan by Mids' Villain Designer 1.401
http://www.cohplanner.com/
[u]Click this DataLink to open the build![u]
Hardcore Prawn: Level 50 Mutation Brute
Primary Power Set: Super Strength
Secondary Power Set: Shield Defense
Power Pool: Fitness
Power Pool: Leaping
Power Pool: Fighting
Ancillary Pool: Soul Mastery
Villain Profile:
Level 1: Punch -- T'Death-Acc/Dmg(A), T'Death-Dmg/EndRdx(3), T'Death-Dmg/Rchg(3), T'Death-Acc/Dmg/EndRdx(5), T'Death-Dmg/EndRdx/Rchg(5), T'Death-Dam%(7)
Level 1: Deflection -- RedFtn-Def/EndRdx(A), RedFtn-Def/Rchg(7), RedFtn-EndRdx/Rchg(9), RedFtn-Def/EndRdx/Rchg(9), RedFtn-Def(11), RedFtn-EndRdx(11)
Level 2: Haymaker -- Hectmb-Dmg/Rchg(A), Hectmb-Acc/Dmg/Rchg(13), Hectmb-Acc/Rchg(13), Hectmb-Dmg/EndRdx(15), Hectmb-Dam%(15), T'Death-Dam%(17)
Level 4: True Grit -- Numna-Heal(A), Numna-Heal/EndRdx(17), Numna-Heal/Rchg(19), Aegis-ResDam(19), Aegis-ResDam/EndRdx(21), Aegis-ResDam/Rchg(21)
Level 6: Battle Agility -- RedFtn-Def/EndRdx(A), RedFtn-Def/Rchg(23), RedFtn-EndRdx/Rchg(23), RedFtn-Def/EndRdx/Rchg(25), RedFtn-Def(25), RedFtn-EndRdx(27)
Level 8: Knockout Blow -- T'Death-Acc/Dmg(A), T'Death-Dmg/EndRdx(27), T'Death-Dmg/Rchg(29), T'Death-Acc/Dmg/EndRdx(29), T'Death-Dmg/EndRdx/Rchg(31), T'Death-Dam%(31)
Level 10: Active Defense -- RechRdx-I(A)
Level 12: Swift -- Run-I(A)
Level 14: Health -- Numna-Regen/Rcvry+(A), Numna-Heal(31), Numna-Heal/EndRdx(33), Mrcl-Rcvry+(45)
Level 16: Against All Odds -- EndRdx-I(A)
Level 18: Rage -- GSFC-ToHit(A), GSFC-ToHit/EndRdx(46), GSFC-Build%(46), GSFC-ToHit/Rchg(48), GSFC-ToHit/Rchg/EndRdx(48), GSFC-Rchg/EndRdx(50)
Level 20: Stamina -- P'Shift-End%(A), P'Shift-EndMod(33), P'Shift-EndMod/Rchg(33), P'Shift-EndMod/Acc(34)
Level 22: Combat Jumping -- Zephyr-Travel(A), Zephyr-Travel/EndRdx(34), Zephyr-ResKB(34), LkGmblr-Rchg+(36)
Level 24: Super Jump -- Zephyr-Travel(A), Zephyr-Travel/EndRdx(36), Zephyr-ResKB(36)
Level 26: Boxing -- HO:Nucle(A)
Level 28: Tough -- Aegis-ResDam/EndRdx(A), Aegis-ResDam/Rchg(37), Aegis-EndRdx/Rchg(37), Aegis-ResDam/EndRdx/Rchg(37), Aegis-ResDam(39)
Level 30: Weave -- LkGmblr-Def(A), LkGmblr-Def/EndRdx(39), LkGmblr-Rchg+(39), LkGmblr-Def/EndRdx/Rchg(40)
Level 32: Foot Stomp -- Armgdn-Dmg/Rchg(A), Armgdn-Acc/Dmg/Rchg(40), Armgdn-Acc/Rchg(42), Armgdn-Dmg/EndRdx(42), Armgdn-Dam%(43), EndRdx-I(43)
Level 35: Shield Charge -- Oblit-Dmg(A), Oblit-Acc/Rchg(42), Oblit-Dmg/Rchg(43), Oblit-Acc/Dmg/Rchg(45), Oblit-Acc/Dmg/EndRdx/Rchg(45), Oblit-%Dam(46)
Level 38: Phalanx Fighting -- LkGmblr-Rchg+(A), LkGmblr-Def(40)
Level 41: One with the Shield -- S'fstPrt-ResDam/Def+(A)
Level 44: Gloom -- HO:Nucle(A)
Level 47: Darkest Night -- DarkWD-ToHitDeb(A), DarkWD-ToHitdeb/Rchg/EndRdx(48), DarkWD-Rchg/EndRdx(50), DarkWD-ToHitDeb/EndRdx(50)
Level 49: Taunt -- Zinger-Dam%(A)
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Level 1: Brawl -- Empty(A)
Level 1: Sprint -- Empty(A)
Level 2: Rest -- Empty(A)
Level 1: Fury
One thing which stands out to me is that you're not reaching the soft cap on defense.
I would say it doesn't need to. You would have to sacrifice a lot of effectiveness elsewhere to cap def, and the strength of Shield is offensive, not defensive.
If you wanted your brute to be the team tanker you wouldn't choose /Shield in the first place.
I do notice Active Defense only has one Recharge. Do you have enough recharge from sets to make it perma (i don't have access tO Mids at work)?
I really should do something about this signature.
According to my Mids, my melee and ranged defence is 46.3% def and my aoe is 47.6% def. You do have to correct Mids to make Phalanx fighting give you correct numbers when no mobs are around. but its a permanent deff buff when no one is around of about 3.75 (i think). 45% is the soft cap of defence, so its well into that without any outside help.
As for Active defence, with all the sets in it would have a recharge of 97.6 seconds, quite a way below the 120 sec recharge time.
In any case, even if defenses aren't soft-capped, I suspect SS/Shield would have superior defense via superior offense. It's capable of a huge amount of AoE spike damage, as well as having PBAoE knockdown powers.
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If you wanted your brute to be the team tanker you wouldn't choose /Shield in the first place.
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Cos its a Brute?
He will honor his words; he will definitely carry out his actions. What he promises he will fulfill. He does not care about his bodily self, putting his life and death aside to come forward for another's troubled besiegement. He does not boast about his ability, or shamelessly extol his own virtues. - Sima Qian.
I've been looking in Mid's at a SS/Shield brute, and while it looks tasty in terms of damage, I really have no idea how to build it. What powers are skippable? Is it worth getting tough/weave and aidself? Will I have to have Hasten?
If anyone could help me out with some advice I'de much appreciate it, the concept I have for the toon is great, and I don't want to waste him.
Any general levelling builds would also be appreciated. I am prepared to sink some inf into this toon with things like the steadfast unique, but will only really consider fully IOing him out when he hits 50.
All advice and help much appreciated!