You are going to feel very squishy on your Fire/Shield brute, and be incredibly reliant upon inspirations. Fire has no mitigation, such as knockdown, in order to reduce the amount of incoming damage. On top of that, you won't be looking at softcapping your character until at least 47 (and then it sounds like you have limited funds).
With all that said, you can make it work. Here are the first tips:
1) Buy and carry around plenty of [Luck] inspirations. This will help you hit the softcap and drastically increase your survivability as you level up in the game.
2) You're going to want to team with support characters, especially those that can give you extra survability, such as forcefield and ice characters.
Alright, in the subsequent posts (done for ease of organization) I will be discussing these three stages:
1) On the way to SOs (to 22)
2) Cheap inventions (around 35)
3) End Game
Quote:
Your goal here will be pushing forward to stamina and SOs. Luckily enemies don't hurt too bad - yet. Your travel power is basically already a given, since it offers a small defense bonus, to start you on the way toward decent defenses. That's right, you'll be a jumper.|
Originally Posted by Tonality
1) On the way to SOs (to 22)
|
We also will be taking Aid Self to minimize down time between encounters, and to make the overall leveling up experience less painful. Just remember, the power is interruptable, so you'll not usually want to try this in the middle of a fight.
If you are certain you will not be doing any soloing and will have teammates to help deal with the incoming damage, you can choose to skip aid self. Otherwise, your life will be easier with this.
If you notice, I've chosen to slot accuracy and endurance reduction first. This will help your blue bar so you can concentrate on maintaining fury. You will be slotting for damage soon. Don't worry!
I also have slotted active defense with 3 recharge SOs. This will allow you to make sure your mez protection is permanent.
Villain Plan by Mids' Villain Designer 1.401
http://www.cohplanner.com/
Click this DataLink to open the build!
Level 23 Magic Brute
Primary Power Set: Fiery Melee
Secondary Power Set: Shield Defense
Power Pool: Leaping
Power Pool: Fitness
Power Pool: Medicine
Villain Profile:
Level 1: Scorch
- (A) Accuracy
- (3) Accuracy
- (7) Endurance Reduction
- (11) Damage Increase
- (17) Damage Increase
- (A) Defense Buff
- (5) Defense Buff
- (15) Endurance Reduction
- (A) Accuracy
- (3) Accuracy
- (7) Endurance Reduction
- (11) Damage Increase
- (17) Damage Increase
- (A) Defense Buff
- (5) Defense Buff
- (15) Endurance Reduction
- (A) Empty
- (A) Accuracy
- (9) Accuracy
- (9) Endurance Reduction
- (13) Damage Increase
- (13) Damage Increase
- (A) Empty
- (A) Empty
- (A) Empty
- (A) Empty
- (A) Healing
- (19) Healing
- (19) Endurance Reduction
- (A) Endurance Modification
- (21) Endurance Modification
- (21) Endurance Modification
- (A) Recharge Reduction
- (23) Recharge Reduction
- (23) Recharge Reduction
Level 26: [Empty]
Level 28: [Empty]
Level 30: [Empty]
Level 32: [Empty]
Level 35: [Empty]
Level 38: [Empty]
Level 41: [Empty]
Level 44: [Empty]
Level 47: [Empty]
Level 49: [Empty]
------------
Level 1: Brawl
- (A) Empty
- (A) Empty
- (A) Empty
Quote:
At this point you can begin examining the market for affordable inventions and slowly wean yourself off of SOs. Given that IOs at this level are more effective than SOs and that there are many IOs that can be acquired at very affordable prices, you can save money in the long run, rather than having to upgrade your SOs every 4-5 levels.|
Originally Posted by Tonality
2) Cheap inventions (around 35)
|
I have provided a sample build using what I believe to be cheaper IOs currently available on the redside market. In any case, you'll be able to find some that cost around 5,000 inf to buy, even if the particular ones I chose from the set are less common.
Villain Plan by Mids' Villain Designer 1.401
http://www.cohplanner.com/
Click this DataLink to open the build!
Level 40 Magic Brute
Primary Power Set: Fiery Melee
Secondary Power Set: Shield Defense
Power Pool: Leaping
Power Pool: Fitness
Power Pool: Medicine
Villain Profile:
Level 1: Scorch
- (A) Focused Smite - Accuracy/Damage/Recharge: Level 35
- (3) Smashing Haymaker - Damage/Endurance/Recharge: Level 35
- (7) Smashing Haymaker - Accuracy/Damage: Level 35
- (11) Focused Smite - Damage/Endurance: Level 35
- (17) Mocking Beratement - Accuracy/Recharge: Level 35
- (40) Mocking Beratement - Recharge: Level 35
- (A) Serendipity - Defense/Endurance: Level 35
- (5) Serendipity - Defense: Level 35
- (15) Red Fortune - Defense/Endurance: Level 35
- (25) Red Fortune - Defense: Level 35
- (A) Smashing Haymaker - Damage/Endurance: Level 35
- (3) Smashing Haymaker - Damage/Endurance/Recharge: Level 35
- (7) Focused Smite - Accuracy/Endurance/Recharge: Level 35
- (11) Focused Smite - Accuracy/Damage/Recharge: Level 35
- (17) Mocking Beratement - Accuracy/Recharge: Level 35
- (37) Smashing Haymaker - Accuracy/Damage: Level 35
- (A) Serendipity - Defense/Endurance: Level 35
- (5) Serendipity - Defense: Level 35
- (15) Red Fortune - Defense/Endurance: Level 35
- (25) Red Fortune - Defense: Level 35
- (A) Empty
- (A) Focused Smite - Accuracy/Damage/Recharge: Level 35
- (9) Focused Smite - Accuracy/Damage: Level 35
- (9) Smashing Haymaker - Damage/Endurance: Level 35
- (13) Smashing Haymaker - Accuracy/Damage: Level 35
- (13) Mocking Beratement - Taunt/Recharge: Level 35
- (31) Mocking Beratement - Recharge: Level 35
- (A) Empty
- (A) Empty
- (A) Empty
- (A) Healing IO: Level 35
- (40) Healing IO: Level 35
- (40) Healing IO: Level 35
- (A) Harmonized Healing - Heal/Endurance: Level 35
- (19) Harmonized Healing - Heal/Endurance/Recharge: Level 35
- (19) Harmonized Healing - Heal: Level 35
- (A) Endurance Modification IO: Level 35
- (21) Endurance Modification IO: Level 35
- (21) Endurance Modification IO: Level 35
- (A) Recharge Reduction IO: Level 35
- (23) Recharge Reduction IO: Level 35
- (23) Endurance Reduction IO: Level 35
- (A) Endurance Reduction IO: Level 35
- (A) Multi Strike - Accuracy/Damage/Endurance: Level 35
- (27) Multi Strike - Damage/Endurance/Recharge: Level 35
- (27) Multi Strike - Accuracy/Damage: Level 35
- (29) Multi Strike - Damage/Endurance: Level 35
- (29) Mocking Beratement - Accuracy/Recharge: Level 35
- (34) Mocking Beratement - Recharge: Level 35
- (A) Empty
- (A) Recharge Reduction IO: Level 35
- (31) Recharge Reduction IO: Level 35
- (31) Recharge Reduction IO: Level 35
- (A) Focused Smite - Accuracy/Damage/Recharge: Level 35
- (33) Focused Smite - Damage/Endurance: Level 35
- (33) Smashing Haymaker - Damage/Endurance: Level 35
- (33) Smashing Haymaker - Accuracy/Damage: Level 35
- (34) Mocking Beratement - Recharge: Level 35
- (34) Mocking Beratement - Accuracy/Recharge: Level 35
- (A) Multi Strike - Damage/Endurance/Recharge: Level 35
- (36) Multi Strike - Damage/Recharge: Level 35
- (36) Multi Strike - Accuracy/Damage: Level 35
- (36) Multi Strike - Accuracy/Damage/Endurance: Level 35
- (37) Mocking Beratement - Recharge: Level 35
- (37) Mocking Beratement - Accuracy/Recharge: Level 35
- (A) Healing IO: Level 35
- (39) Healing IO: Level 35
- (39) Healing IO: Level 35
- (39) Empty
Level 44: [Empty]
Level 47: [Empty]
Level 49: [Empty]
------------
Level 1: Brawl
- (A) Empty
- (A) Empty
- (A) Empty
Quote:
At this point we can start looking at soft-capping the build. This is not cheap to do, and will take some time. Many of these sets will cost you a good amount of infamy to acquire.|
Originally Posted by Tonality
3) End Game
|
I'm not comfortable offering a soft-capped build because there are two variables:
1) Do you want a patron power pool? If so, who?
2) How much are you willing to spend?
3) Do you want hasten to increase your recharge?
With that said, IO sets that will help you on the way to softcapping, in order of their usefulness:
1) Steadfast Protection 3% defense
---3% defense to everything for one slot? Yes please.
---It's going to cost a bit.
---Slot it in a spare slot in true grit to make life easier.
2) Blessing of the Zephyr (travel powers)
---In 3 slots, it offers 3.13 defense to both Range and AoE.
---Typically placed in both Combat Jumping and Superjump or Superspeed
3) Gaussian's Synchronized... (to-hit buff)
---In 6 slots it offers 2.5 defense to all positions
4) Obliteration (PBAOE)
---The ever-popular set. 5% recharge and 3.75% melee def? yes please!
---It isn't very helpful to an endurance bar
5) Touch of Death (single target)
---3.75 melee defense for 6 slots? Wonderful!
---It's risen in price over the past 3 months, due to increased demand.
6) Thunderstrike (ranged)
---3.75 range defense for 6 slots?
---Quite an affordable set to get.
7) Scirocco's Dervish (PBAoE)
---3.13% AoE defense? Sure.
---Much cheaper than the other sets. It works nicely 5-slotted in Shield charge with a generic recharge IO in it because procs don't work well in shield charge.
8) Mako's Bite (single target)
---3.75% ranged? Not bad if you need it.
---Quite a cheap set to get, because not many people want it. Keep it in mind, though hardly the first choice.
Perhaps some can pick up where I left off in this. I'm not comfortable offering an end-game build for fire/shield. I am a fan of dark/shield, due to siphon life, soul drain, and dark consumption, coupled with the -to-hit to help shield along. Not to mention that shadowmaul is a great place to stash an obliteration set...
But a concept is a concept, and you can make a fire/shield character quite powerful.
However, here is a rough end-game build. It is hardly complete, but it will get the job done.
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: Fiery Melee
Secondary Power Set: Shield Defense
Power Pool: Leaping
Power Pool: Fitness
Power Pool: Speed
Power Pool: Fighting
Ancillary Pool: Soul Mastery
Villain Profile:
Level 1: Scorch
- (A) Touch of Death - Accuracy/Damage: Level 40
- (3) Touch of Death - Damage/Endurance: Level 40
- (7) Touch of Death - Damage/Recharge: Level 40
- (15) Touch of Death - Accuracy/Damage/Endurance: Level 40
- (17) Touch of Death - Damage/Endurance/Recharge: Level 40
- (31) Touch of Death - Chance of Damage(Negative): Level 40
- (A) Luck of the Gambler - Recharge Speed: Level 50
- (5) Luck of the Gambler - Defense/Endurance: Level 50
- (19) Gift of the Ancients - Run Speed +7.5%: Level 40
- (25) Gift of the Ancients - Defense/Endurance: Level 40
- (A) Touch of Death - Accuracy/Damage: Level 40
- (3) Touch of Death - Damage/Endurance: Level 40
- (7) Touch of Death - Damage/Recharge: Level 40
- (11) Touch of Death - Accuracy/Damage/Endurance: Level 40
- (17) Touch of Death - Damage/Endurance/Recharge: Level 40
- (23) Touch of Death - Chance of Damage(Negative): Level 35
- (A) Luck of the Gambler - Recharge Speed: Level 50
- (5) Luck of the Gambler - Defense/Endurance: Level 50
- (19) Gift of the Ancients - Run Speed +7.5%: Level 40
- (25) Gift of the Ancients - Defense/Endurance: Level 40
- (A) Blessing of the Zephyr - Run Speed, Jump, Flight Speed, Range: Level 50
- (40) Blessing of the Zephyr - Run Speed, Jump, Flight Speed, Range/Endurance: Level 50
- (40) Blessing of the Zephyr - Knockback Reduction (4 points): Level 50
- (A) Mako's Bite - Chance of Damage(Lethal): Level 50
- (9) Mako's Bite - Accuracy/Damage/Endurance/Recharge: Level 50
- (9) Mako's Bite - Accuracy/Endurance/Recharge: Level 50
- (11) Mako's Bite - Damage/Recharge: Level 50
- (15) Mako's Bite - Damage/Endurance: Level 50
- (23) Mako's Bite - Accuracy/Damage: Level 50
- (A) Jumping IO: Level 50
- (A) Recharge Reduction IO: Level 50
- (13) Recharge Reduction IO: Level 50
- (13) Recharge Reduction IO: Level 50
- (A) Blessing of the Zephyr - Run Speed, Jump, Flight Speed, Range: Level 50
- (43) Blessing of the Zephyr - Run Speed, Jump, Flight Speed, Range/Endurance: Level 50
- (46) Blessing of the Zephyr - Knockback Reduction (4 points): Level 50
- (A) Numina's Convalescence - +Regeneration/+Recovery: Level 50
- (34) Numina's Convalescence - Heal: Level 50
- (46) Miracle - +Recovery: Level 40
- (48) Miracle - Heal: Level 40
- (A) Recharge Reduction IO: Level 50
- (A) Performance Shifter - Chance for +End: Level 50
- (21) Performance Shifter - EndMod: Level 50
- (21) Performance Shifter - EndMod/Recharge: Level 50
- (37) Performance Shifter - EndMod/Accuracy: Level 50
- (A) Recharge Reduction IO: Level 50
- (A) Empty
- (A) Obliteration - Chance for Smashing Damage: Level 50
- (27) Obliteration - Accuracy/Damage/Endurance/Recharge: Level 50
- (27) Obliteration - Accuracy/Damage/Recharge: Level 50
- (29) Obliteration - Damage/Recharge: Level 50
- (29) Obliteration - Accuracy/Recharge: Level 50
- (40) Obliteration - Damage: Level 50
- (A) Luck of the Gambler - Recharge Speed: Level 50
- (A) Adjusted Targeting - Recharge: Level 50
- (31) Adjusted Targeting - To Hit Buff/Recharge: Level 50
- (31) Recharge Reduction IO: Level 50
- (A) Touch of Death - Accuracy/Damage: Level 40
- (33) Touch of Death - Damage/Endurance: Level 40
- (33) Touch of Death - Damage/Recharge: Level 40
- (33) Touch of Death - Accuracy/Damage/Endurance: Level 40
- (34) Touch of Death - Damage/Endurance/Recharge: Level 40
- (34) Touch of Death - Chance of Damage(Negative): Level 40
- (A) Scirocco's Dervish - Accuracy/Damage/Endurance: Level 50
- (36) Scirocco's Dervish - Accuracy/Damage: Level 50
- (36) Scirocco's Dervish - Damage/Endurance: Level 50
- (36) Scirocco's Dervish - Damage/Recharge: Level 50
- (37) Scirocco's Dervish - Accuracy/Recharge: Level 50
- (37) Recharge Reduction IO: Level 50
- (A) Steadfast Protection - Resistance/+Def 3%: Level 30
- (39) Numina's Convalescence - Heal: Level 30
- (39) Numina's Convalescence - Heal/Endurance: Level 50
- (39) Numina's Convalescence - Heal/Recharge: Level 50
- (A) Thunderstrike - Damage/Endurance/Recharge: Level 50
- (42) Thunderstrike - Accuracy/Damage/Endurance: Level 50
- (42) Thunderstrike - Accuracy/Damage/Recharge: Level 50
- (42) Thunderstrike - Damage/Recharge: Level 50
- (43) Thunderstrike - Damage/Endurance: Level 50
- (43) Thunderstrike - Accuracy/Damage: Level 50
- (A) Detonation - Accuracy/Damage: Level 50
- (45) Detonation - Damage/Endurance: Level 50
- (45) Detonation - Accuracy/Damage/Endurance: Level 50
- (45) Detonation - Damage/Recharge: Level 50
- (46) Detonation - Damage/Endurance/Range: Level 50
- (A) Aegis - Resistance: Level 50
- (48) Aegis - Resistance/Endurance: Level 50
- (48) Aegis - Resistance/Endurance/Recharge: Level 50
- (A) Luck of the Gambler - Recharge Speed: Level 50
- (50) Luck of the Gambler - Defense/Endurance: Level 50
- (50) Gift of the Ancients - Run Speed +7.5%: Level 40
- (50) Gift of the Ancients - Defense/Endurance: Level 40
Level 1: Brawl
- (A) Empty
- (A) Empty
- (A) Empty
Holy crap Ton, thanks SO much for the information. This is my first brute, and I am newly returned and am still figuring out IO's, so this is EXACTLY what I was hoping for.
I really appreciate the help!
Having never played a Brute I am unsure of what powers to select while leveling (with no infamy other than what I earn). Can someone post a decent leveling build for me?