MA is NOT so strong

So I’ve got 32 levels of MA/SR behind me. I’d like to take some time to be totally redundant with other historically posted opinions on the subject and list out some tweaks that MA seems to need.

Thunder Kick is a bit on the weak side. I’m thinking either increase the damage or make the stun 100%...if not both.

Due to the slower animations, DPS is on the lower end. I’m thinking MA should have an increased chance of doing a crits. If memory serves, crit chances are currently something like 5% minion else 10%. I think these could be doubled for MA to 10% and 20%.

OR

Paired with SR (And I imagine a few other sets as well.) Endurance is quite a problem. Less so as you get things slotted up and 3 slots in stamina, but even at level 32, I get tired pretty fast. I’m thinking that MA needs a bit of an end discount. Not sure how much, but maybe even use the same code associated with electric blast---I’m not that familiar with it, but it’s something like “Chance to recover end” with every attack that lands…or something.

My point is not necessarily that MA is mega teh loozer gimp. But it seems to lag other sets in that it seems to have more significant weaknesses and less significant strengths. Secondary affects of stun is not incredibly useful unless if it’s dependable and high mag. Also, it’s no secret that smashing damage is heavily resisted and that’s all MA has. Along with these issues; Slow animations, one AOE and higher endurance costs; all factor together to make the set less effective as a whole. I thinkt some, if not all, of these issues need a bit of tweaking.

Yes, MA has an inherent 0.05+acc. But that is really only useful early on before you have SOs slotted. After that, the 0.05 is borderline meaningless-especially taking into account IO bonuses these days.

On a more positive note, MA may not be so strong, but it sure is pretty.

One last thing. Moar animation options please.

Well, lethal damage is at least as highly-resisted as smashing, and there are a lot of lethal sets. But yeah, Martial Arts seems lackluster. Not bad, just not particularly good either. To me, the main thing it needs is more consistent secondary effects. Maybe replace Crippling Axe Kick's immobilize with stun, and add stun to Storm Kick and Crane Kick. I don't want to use a useless attack (Cobra Strike) just to get some reliable secondary effects. Still, if they're porting over Energy Melee some day, maybe they don't want to have two stun sets. If so, Martial Arts just needs some general buffing to make up for the mess of mostly-useless secondary effects.

Was going to say that they get a nice fast recharging attack with an increased chance of crit as well as the top level one and that their end use is not really any worse than any other scrapper primary but beaten to it

I've been on the V side fro some time so the H side has been dead to me until rencetly. I didn't even know about the extra chance to crit. I've slotted no Inventions yet but fully slotted out on levl 25 and 30 IOs. At 31 I got a full 2 slots dedicated to end-red in crain kick and storm kick. It made a difference, but still get winded when the toon can't take a break.

It's proabably for the best though. If there were no endurance issues, there would be nothing to think about at all.

Thunder kick continues to disappoint though. Might switch it out for boxing since I'll probably get that pool anyway. (I dislike AS as the Captain-Kirk-Double-Fist animation looks so silly to me.)

Of course Thunder Kick is lame. It's a level 1 attack. I picked it up as well as Storm Kick because I needed something to bop baddies with while I was under level 8, waiting for Crane Kick.

My 50 doesn't use TK anymore. I do still use Air Sup to buy a little time. It's often more reliable for that than Dragon. Air Sup's numbers aren't bad and generally when they are down you can Crane w/o worrying about kicking them next door.

I don't feel my MA/Inv is as powerful as she could be. But she is what she is.

Endurance has to be managed in one way or another. I think she's capped on Stamina and Phys Perf, but still loads endred where needed.

sure it aint the best or most powerful but it does have the most style and flare which is why I love it.

I've always felt the end usage of MA was a little high, but I don't really track that sort of thing or look at numbers much, so it's only my opinion.

According to this thread, MA damage is pretty decent. Certainly not an aoe beast, but more than respectable in the ST game. And the mitigation from DT is the big reason I take it. Keeping most of a spawn on their ***** while disassembling their buddies at your leisure is nice.

I think an across the board 10% minion crit chance (maybe 15 for Eagle Claw), would be a thematic and subtle boost to the set.

[QUOTE=_Uun_;2342897]MA's animations were tweaked a few issues back. They are not slow by any measure, with the possible exception of Eagles Claw. Storm Kick is one of the highest DPA attack available to a scrapper. In terms of ST damage, MA trails Fire and is roughly even with Katana and Dark Melee. Also, Storm Kick and Eagles Claw both have higher chances to crit (10%/15% for SK and 15% for EC).[QUOTE]

Dark Melee is one of the best Single Target sets around, I wouldn't say MA is close to it at all.

Last I remember, for being such a ST oriented set, it fell behind alot of the other sets in the numbers department.

Well, entirely subjective post here, but...

Recently I started an Electric/Electric scrapper. Pretty much from the start I was disappointed with him. Seemed like he missed more than he hit, and when he did manage to hit something, the damage was laughable. He could generally handle two or three even-con minions, but not always. Anything orange or above was almost always suicidal unless he got really lucky. You know that mission you get early on to defeat ten CoT in Perez? Before he could take out ONE, he was dead.

Then I rolled an MA/Regen - mostly because of the new animations, which I think are cool. Pretty much from the start I was in awe of this character. It was like she couldn't miss! Even when using the Vet attacks. She was rounding up Contaminated in Outbreak eight at a time and dispatching them quickly and with ease. On the streets of Atlas Park, on the way to her very first mission, she clobbered everything in her path including a pair of red-con lieutenants. When she got that CoT mission, she took out three or four Cot before running away to rest, then came back and took out three or four more, until she had all ten - and they never defeated her. In fact, she remained undefeated until I got a little TOO bold in the Hollows and tried to take on a rather large group of Outcasts.

That's why the MA/Regen is now level 23 and the Electric/Electric is lagging behind at level 12. So, right now I'm gonna have to say that MA is NOT so weak, if for no other reason than the attacks seem to hit more often, and I'm glad I didn't keep holding out on rolling this character waiting for SS for scrappers.

But now that I've posted this, Castle will see it and probably nerf Regen or something.

I have 2 Ma/Regen Scrappers at level 50 and no they aren't as devastating as my Katan or my Dual Blades ... But they are effective. The latest just made 50 a few weeks ago running solo missions from Marie in PI and taking on the likes of Marauder, Mother Mayhem, Bob Cat, etc. Okay NO I am not completely insane they were Elite Bosses not AVs but still very powerful and put up a good fight. From what I have heard Claws and Spines are the two most powerful sets.. I am testing Claws now and at level 14 (Does seem to be very effective). I Have a Spines at level 17 but, LOL, I hate to admit it it Appearance is important to me and I just can't enjoy playing her when I run around half the time looking like someone super glued bananas to my costume. Dark Mellee is excellent and I have a DM/SD at 50 that also soloed a LOT of Preatoran EBS along the way. Broadsword also offers outstanding damage and I have a Valkyre BS/SD Shield Maiden I love in the 30s right now.

Will I ever make another MA? I doubt it but mainly because I have "Been There and Done That" not because I hated playing the two I have.

I like this game but the biggest problem with this game over the years have been the whinny threads like this...All it has achieved over the years are powersets that all in general way to powerful and a game that keeps getting too easy and watered down.