CHEAP Softcapped (almost) Broadsword/Shield Defense Build - What do you think?

Greetings! Mace Ironhead here. I'm fine, how are you? Would you care for a biscuit and a cup of tea?

I recently levelled my BS/SD scrapper up to 47, so it's time for a respec and some IO set goodness.

I've been reading a lot of what I could find on the boards about BS/SD, and I have seen a LOT of good builds that easily make, or exceed, the positional defense softcaps, and also have some excellent regen/recovery/+recharge scores.

I'd love to be able to adopt of one these builds, but my problem is ... the influence involved.

It seems that almost every build I've examined assumes that everyone has eleventy bazillion influence to play around with. In my experience, unless you're an evil market manipulator (in which case I shake my fist at you! *shake shake shake*), or just plain lucky on drops and sales, most players (and I'm one of them, even though I've been playing CoH almost since launch, and was in the beta for CoV), simply don't have hundreds of millions, or billions, of influence available to use the shiny, shiny builds available here on the forums.

That being said, I spent some time with Mids, and comparing prices at Wentworth's, and came up with this build. I tried to make it a levelling build, so that you could use SOs/common IOs until 40-ish, then start slotting up with IO sets.

The only expensive sets that I used (my definition of expensive = more than a million influence per recipe) were a single Touch of Death set, two Mako's Bite sets, five pieces of Reactive Armor, two pieces of Blessing of the Zephyr, and the Steadfast unique. Unless I'm horribly mistaken, this entire build can be had for just under sixty-five million influence - including salvage and crafting costs. ^_^

Right now, the positional defense stats are:

Phalanx Fighting inactive, Parry inactive: Melee 40.3%, Ranged 44.7%, AoE 38.5%
Phalanx Fighting inactive, Parry active: Melee 55.3%, Ranged 44.7%, AoE 38.5%
Phalanx Fighting active, Parry inactive: Melee 44.1%, Ranged 44.7%, AoE 42.2%
Phalanx Fighting active, Parry active: Melee 59.1%, Ranged 44.7%, AoE 42.2%

Recovery is at 174%, regeneration at 204%, and +recharge at 10%. (Yes, these should be improved, especially the +recharge, but I haven't quite figured out how to do that CHEAPLY yet.)

I'd like to invite build critiques, advice on slots/slotting/IO sets, general comments and heckling. One caveat, however: PLEASE do not suggest "Oh, you just need five LotG +recharges in there, and a few Miracle and Numina's uniques!" This is a CHEAP build, like it says in the title of the post.

Here's the build:

Hero Plan by Mids' Hero Designer 1.601
http://www.cohplanner.com/

Click this DataLink to open the build!

Officer Prime: Level 50 Technology Scrapper
Primary Power Set: Broad Sword
Secondary Power Set: Shield Defense
Power Pool: Leaping
Power Pool: Fighting
Power Pool: Fitness
Ancillary Pool: Body Mastery

Hero Profile:
Level 1: Hack -- T'Death-Acc/Dmg:40(A), T'Death-Dmg/EndRdx:40(3), T'Death-Dmg/Rchg:40(11), T'Death-Acc/Dmg/EndRdx:40(15), T'Death-Dmg/EndRdx/Rchg:40(31), T'Death-Dam%:40(42)
Level 1: Deflection -- RedFtn-Def/EndRdx:50(A), RedFtn-Def/Rchg:50(5), RedFtn-EndRdx/Rchg:50(5), RedFtn-Def/EndRdx/Rchg:50(17), RedFtn-Def:50(37), RedFtn-EndRdx:50(39)
Level 2: Slice -- M'Strk-Acc/Dmg:50(A), M'Strk-Dmg/EndRdx:50(3), M'Strk-Dmg/Rchg:50(11), M'Strk-Acc/EndRdx:50(15), M'Strk-Acc/Dmg/EndRdx:50(31), M'Strk-Dmg/EndRdx/Rchg:50(42)
Level 4: True Grit -- Heal-I:40(A), Heal-I:40(9), Heal-I:40(13), ResDam-I:50(17), ResDam-I:30(37), S'fstPrt-ResDam/Def+:30(50)
Level 6: Battle Agility -- RedFtn-Def/EndRdx:50(A), RedFtn-Def/Rchg:50(7), RedFtn-EndRdx/Rchg:50(7), RedFtn-Def/EndRdx/Rchg:50(39), RedFtn-Def:50(50), RedFtn-EndRdx:50(50)
Level 8: Parry -- Mako-Acc/Dmg:50(A), Mako-Dmg/EndRdx:50(9), Mako-Dmg/Rchg:50(13), Mako-Acc/EndRdx/Rchg:50(21), Mako-Acc/Dmg/EndRdx/Rchg:50(34), Mako-Dam%:50(43)
Level 10: Active Defense -- RechRdx-I:50(A)
Level 12: Combat Jumping -- Zephyr-Travel:50(A), Zephyr-Travel/EndRdx:50(40)
Level 14: Kick -- Dmg-I:50(A)
Level 16: Against All Odds -- EndRdx-I:50(A)
Level 18: Whirling Sword -- M'Strk-Acc/Dmg:50(A), M'Strk-Dmg/EndRdx:50(19), M'Strk-Dmg/Rchg:50(19), M'Strk-Acc/EndRdx:50(21), M'Strk-Acc/Dmg/EndRdx:50(34), M'Strk-Dmg/EndRdx/Rchg:50(45)
Level 20: Swift -- Run-I:50(A)
Level 22: Health -- Heal-I:50(A), Heal-I:50(23), Heal-I:50(23)
Level 24: Stamina -- EndMod-I:50(A), EndMod-I:50(25), EndMod-I:50(25)
Level 26: Disembowel -- Mako-Acc/Dmg:50(A), Mako-Dmg/EndRdx:50(27), Mako-Dmg/Rchg:50(27), Mako-Acc/EndRdx/Rchg:50(29), Mako-Acc/Dmg/EndRdx/Rchg:50(29), Mako-Dam%:50(31)
Level 28: Phalanx Fighting -- DefBuff-I:50(A)
Level 30: Build Up -- RechRdx-I:50(A)
Level 32: Head Splitter -- M'Strk-Acc/Dmg:50(A), M'Strk-Dmg/EndRdx:50(33), M'Strk-Dmg/Rchg:50(33), M'Strk-Acc/EndRdx:50(33), M'Strk-Acc/Dmg/EndRdx:50(34), M'Strk-Dmg/EndRdx/Rchg:50(40)
Level 35: Shield Charge -- M'Strk-Acc/Dmg:50(A), M'Strk-Dmg/EndRdx:50(36), M'Strk-Dmg/Rchg:50(36), M'Strk-Acc/EndRdx:50(36), M'Strk-Acc/Dmg/EndRdx:50(37), M'Strk-Dmg/EndRdx/Rchg:50(40)
Level 38: Tough -- RctvArm-ResDam/EndRdx:40(A), RctvArm-EndRdx:40(39), RctvArm-ResDam/Rchg:40(42), RctvArm-ResDam/EndRdx/Rchg:40(43), RctvArm-ResDam:40(43)
Level 41: Weave -- S'dpty-Def/EndRdx:40(A), S'dpty-Def/Rchg:40(45), S'dpty-EndRdx:40(45), S'dpty-Def/EndRdx/Rchg:40(46), S'dpty-Def:40(48)
Level 44: Conserve Power -- RechRdx-I:50(A), RechRdx-I:50(46), RechRdx-I:50(46)
Level 47: Physical Perfection -- EndMod-I:50(A), EndMod-I:50(48), EndMod-I:50(48)
Level 49: Grant Cover -- EndRdx-I:50(A)
------------
Level 1: Brawl -- Dmg-I:50(A)
Level 1: Sprint -- Run-I:50(A)
Level 2: Rest -- RechRdx-I:50(A)
Level 1: Critical Hit
------------
Set Bonus Totals:

• 12.5% DamageBuff(Smashing)
• 12.5% DamageBuff(Lethal)
• 12.5% DamageBuff(Fire)
• 12.5% DamageBuff(Cold)
• 12.5% DamageBuff(Energy)
• 12.5% DamageBuff(Negative)
• 12.5% DamageBuff(Toxic)
• 12.5% DamageBuff(Psionic)
• 9.88% Defense(Smashing)
• 9.88% Defense(Lethal)
• 8% Defense(Fire)
• 8% Defense(Cold)
• 12.1% Defense(Energy)
• 12.1% Defense(Negative)
• 3% Defense(Psionic)
• 14.9% Defense(Melee)
• 19.3% Defense(Ranged)
• 13% Defense(AoE)
• 10% Enhancement(RechargeTime)
• 3% Enhancement(Accuracy)
• 70.3 HP (5.25%) HitPoints
• MezResist(Held) 9.35%
• MezResist(Immobilize) 14.9%
• MezResist(Sleep) 6.6%
• MezResist(Stun) 6.6%
• 4% (0.22 HP/sec) Regeneration
• 6.3% Resistance(Fire)
• 6.3% Resistance(Cold)

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Personally, on a budget BS/SD I'd rely on Parry to softcap melee defense. This saves some money and means you can slot something other than Multistrike in shield charge; you really want ED-capped recharge to abuse this attack as much as possible.

If you're looking for cheap melee defense, you can 6-slot Titanium Coatings in Tough for 2.5 melee def. Get rid of the Reactive armor, the defense bonuses are small enough that they only really benefit typed defense characters.

Try to 6-slot Gaussian's synchronized fire control in Build Up for the 2.5 to all 3 positions. The Rech/End will be somewhat expensive, around 10m, as will the proc and the rare salvage you need, but it's well worth the slots elsewhere it will save you.

To softcap your AoE defense you can 6-slot Performance Shifters in stamina (as a bonus, the proc helps your endurance a little), or 3-slot Aegis if you are willing to get another resistance power to use as a set mule (One with the shield?).

Finally, your AD is not permanent and you need 1 more slot of recharge in it.

^^^
this

you can get expensive recipes for free, just run some TFs