DM/SD - Enough AoE?

Hello.

I am thinking of adding a DM/SD to my list of tried out combos. So far I am just early levels. DM appears to be more ST oriented, but I bet Shield Charge + AAO evens that out.

So, that's the rub, I am curious if having shield charge is enough AoE to compensate for the otherwise weak AoE of the set.

I am looking at Dark Consumption and Soul Drain and not wrapping my head around whether the whole package of DM/SD does decent AoE damage.

It seems like, on paper, that DM/SD should produce a character that *feels* pretty powerful when fully developed, however, to me, I don't get that feel unless I can AoE a pack down like a bad bad man (and of course there's AE too)

Thanks for any thoughts.

I don't think DM/SD has enough AoE on it's own, this coming from a person who has a lvl 50 SD/DM tank. On my tank I picked up Pyre Mastery to get Fire Ball and now it seems a whole lot better, so I'd suggest you to get Electric Fences and Ball Lightning from Mu Mastery.

On the other hand, a brute does much more damage with both Shadow Maul and Shield Charge, so with a high recharge build that has Shield Charge available at every spawn you might get away with that only.

Here's something I came up with. It's by no means a finalized build, but it might give you some ideas:

Villain Plan by Mids' Villain Designer 1,401
http://www.cohplanner.com/

Click this DataLink to open the build!

Level 50 Magic Brute
Primary Power Set: Dark Melee
Secondary Power Set: Shield Defense
Power Pool: Fitness
Power Pool: Leaping
Power Pool: Fighting
Ancillary Pool: Mu Mastery

Villain Profile:
Level 1: Smite -- Mako-Acc/Dmg(A), Mako-Dmg/EndRdx(3), Mako-Dmg/Rchg(3), Mako-Acc/EndRdx/Rchg(5), Mako-Acc/Dmg/EndRdx/Rchg(5), Mako-Dam%(9)
Level 1: Deflection -- LkGmblr-Rchg+(A), LkGmblr-Def(23), LkGmblr-Def/EndRdx(25), Aegis-ResDam(25), Aegis-ResDam/EndRdx(43), Aegis-ResDam/EndRdx/Rchg(43)
Level 2: Shadow Maul -- Oblit-Dmg(A), Oblit-Acc/Rchg(31), Oblit-Dmg/Rchg(31), Oblit-Acc/Dmg/Rchg(34), Oblit-Acc/Dmg/EndRdx/Rchg(37), Oblit-%Dam(39)
Level 4: True Grit -- Numna-Heal(A), Numna-Heal/EndRdx(40), Numna-Heal/Rchg(40), S'fstPrt-ResDam/Def+(40)
Level 6: Battle Agility -- LkGmblr-Rchg+(A), LkGmblr-Def(7), LkGmblr-Def/EndRdx(7), LkGmblr-Def/EndRdx/Rchg(9)
Level 8: Siphon Life -- T'Death-Acc/Dmg(A), T'Death-Dmg/EndRdx(11), T'Death-Dmg/Rchg(11), T'Death-Acc/Dmg/EndRdx(13), T'Death-Dmg/EndRdx/Rchg(13), T'Death-Dam%(17)
Level 10: Active Defense -- RechRdx-I(A), HO:Enzym(19), HO:Enzym(19)
Level 12: Hurdle -- Jump-I(A)
Level 14: Health -- Numna-Regen/Rcvry+(A), Numna-Heal(15), Numna-Heal/EndRdx(15), Mrcl-Rcvry+(17)
Level 16: Against All Odds -- EndRdx-I(A)
Level 18: Combat Jumping -- Zephyr-Travel(A), Zephyr-Travel/EndRdx(50), Zephyr-ResKB(50)
Level 20: Stamina -- P'Shift-EndMod(A), P'Shift-EndMod/Rchg(21), P'Shift-EndMod/Acc(21), P'Shift-End%(23)
Level 22: Super Jump -- Zephyr-Travel(A), Zephyr-Travel/EndRdx(46), Zephyr-ResKB(50)
Level 24: Phalanx Fighting -- Ksmt-ToHit+(A)
Level 26: Soul Drain -- Sciroc-Acc/Dmg(A), Sciroc-Dmg/EndRdx(27), Sciroc-Dmg/Rchg(27), Sciroc-Acc/Rchg(29), Sciroc-Acc/Dmg/EndRdx(29), RechRdx-I(31)
Level 28: Dark Consumption -- Efficacy-EndMod/Acc/Rchg(A)
Level 30: Kick -- Empty(A)
Level 32: Midnight Grasp -- Mako-Acc/Dmg(A), Mako-Dmg/EndRdx(33), Mako-Dmg/Rchg(33), Mako-Acc/EndRdx/Rchg(33), Mako-Acc/Dmg/EndRdx/Rchg(34), Mako-Dam%(34)
Level 35: Shield Charge -- Oblit-Dmg(A), Oblit-Acc/Rchg(36), Oblit-Dmg/Rchg(36), Oblit-Acc/Dmg/Rchg(36), Oblit-Acc/Dmg/EndRdx/Rchg(37), Oblit-%Dam(37)
Level 38: Tough -- Aegis-ResDam(A), Aegis-ResDam/EndRdx(39), Aegis-ResDam/EndRdx/Rchg(39)
Level 41: Electrifying Fences -- Enf'dOp-Acc/Rchg(A), Enf'dOp-EndRdx/Immob(42), Enf'dOp-Acc/EndRdx(42), Enf'dOp-Immob/Rng(42), Enf'dOp-Acc/Immob/Rchg(43), Enf'dOp-Acc/Immob(48)
Level 44: Ball Lightning -- Posi-Acc/Dmg(A), Posi-Dmg/EndRdx(45), Posi-Dmg/Rchg(45), Posi-Acc/Dmg/EndRdx(45), Posi-Dam%(46), RechRdx-I(46)
Level 47: Weave -- LkGmblr-Rchg+(A), LkGmblr-Def/EndRdx(48), LkGmblr-Def/EndRdx/Rchg(48)
Level 49: Grant Cover -- LkGmblr-Rchg+(A)
------------
Level 1: Brawl -- Empty(A)
Level 1: Sprint -- Empty(A)
Level 2: Rest -- Empty(A)
Level 1: Fury

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Thanks for the post and taking the time to work up a build. It looks really spot on, as far as the powers that make sense and I would want. Bravo there.

DM/SD appears to have this really great synergy on serveral fronts:

Defense + Self Heal
Defense + -ToHit
SD End use countered by End Tap
Two PBAoE + Shield Charge for great threat if tanking
SD's AOE Strength + DM's ST Strength & Self Sufficiency = Balance
As discussed, the ability to augment anyAoE hole with Patron Powers
(and I probably missed some!)

How hard is it to get Shadow Maul to work in packs? I really have traditonally hated trying to make it work, but in AE sized packs, I assume its going to hit some stuff.

I am super excited about this char to be honest, look forward to trying to make this work.

The OP is obviously a troll, because the self-evident answer to the question "Enough AoE?" is: you can't have enough AoE!

Well, so far so "so-so"

I am 27 and now have the attack chain of Smite, Siphon Life and Shadow Maul. I also have Dark Consumption, but that's on a very long cool down, is mostly for the end and not damage. Shadow Mauls cone is super narrow, so its barely an AoE.

Drain Soul is up next, and is also on a long timer, so I am viewing it as more of a buff as well, and less an attack.

When I do get Shield Charge it's on a pretty long timer until I can jack its recharge through the roof. I am finding this to be a definite uphill challenge on the AoE - and thus on holding aggro and feeling like I am contributing on packs. I wont really be able to have it make sense before those PP's.

You can really see the Single Target focus of DM. When I get to 600-750 range in DB, I already just eat bosses with Siphon Life.

I am really torn between pushing into the 40's to see if it works with the PP's or just rebooting the project. I think when I started this, I didn't quite realize just how long the timers on Dark Corruption and Soul Drain were, and that they' aren't really attacks that can be part of an AoE chain.