Long Boring MA/WP Story

tl;dr: I've played 3 martial arts/willpower scrappers to 50 in the last six months. The end.

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My name is Organica, and I'm not just addicted to playing scrappers, I'm addicted to playing Martial Arts scrappers.

As everyone says, there are no bad scrapper primaries, but on a purely practical level MA has little to reccommend it. It has only one AoE, with average damage; one of its two big-gun single target attacks comes with knockback, and in general while all of the stuns are nice, they don't make up for the lack of sheer killing power in other sets.

And yet there's no lack of MA scrappers out there. I run into them constantly. Also, I'm on the verge of increasing my stable of level 50 MA scrappers from one to four. That's a bit much, even for me, but purely asthetically, MA is one of the most fun sets in the game. ^_^

My first level 50 scrapper was katana/regen. Still an awesome character to play. My second level 50 scrapper was fire/SR. Also tons of fun to play. With the nictus broadsword in mind, I also managed to level up a broadsword/regen scrapper to 50. Also lots of fun.

But along the way I also got Shinobu Dragonheart to 50. This is my MA/Invul scrapper on VIrtue. With soft-capped smashing/lethal defenses she can take on as many freaks, council, etc you want to throw at her and not break a sweat. She takes longer to kill those enemies, but she's never in danger, and seeing her spin and fly about, leaping up and backflipping over a crowd of enemies is a blast. I have more fun playing her than just about any other character.

So I decided I had to play up a second MA scrapper, with a different defensive set. Say, Willpower, a set I'd yet to play to 50.

This was last September. I already had several low-level MA scrappers, including a level 25 MA/Willpower on Freedom named Nina Ballerina. I liked the idea of a ballerina scrapper, given all the high kicking. But I mostly play on Virtue, and didn't have plans to play Nina all the way to 50 anytime soon, so I started a new MA/Willpower on Virtue and named her Tiffany Blackheart. (And just for variety, I used most of the alternate punches on Tiffany.)

I also picked up a very good MA/Willpower guide from these forums, and followed it. I bought level 30 IOs only so I could exempt down more easily. While I was at it, I pacted her with a broadsword/shield scrapper on my other account, so I could level two up at once.

Everything was going well. Then October rolled around and we had a double experience weekend. Tiffany was in her late 20's, and I was trying to work through the Striga arcs and then the Croatoa arcs, and I didn't want to outlevel my contacts. But I wanted to take advantage of the double experience. I was also having fun with MA, so I decided that I should play up Nina Ballerina. Only I wanted to stay on Virtue... so I recreated Nina there. I really didn't want to make a second MA/Willpower on the same server as Tiff, but given that Nina's a ballerina I needed something that looked natural, and I already had two regen scrappers at 50. With some reluctance, I made my Virtue Nina an exact duplicate.

In just a couple of weeks, and taking full advantage of double experience weekend, I got the new Nina up to level 47. I used the same MA/Willpower guide to build her out (only substituting some Smashing Haymakers for Kinetic Combats to save money). Then I went back to Tiffany, and worked her up to 42. At this point, I stopped to IO out my broadsword/shield defense scrapper pacted to Tiffany, and discovered the joy that is shield charge for myself. ^_^ I quickly got the pair of them up to 47.

However I've begun playing on Freedom again... and I really had no scrappers on Freedom, aside from my level 25 version of Nina. The idea of having a Tiffany Blackheart-like on Freedom was intriguing -- that build made for a very durable scrapper, and I still loved MA. She was tons of fun to play. But I really had no desire to play not just the same set, but the exact same character to 50.

However, I'd discovered that the name Jalia was available on Freedom. This is a name I've used in every MMO I've played, going back to my a shaman I played in Everquest. Using two server transfers, I changed the name of the original Nina to Jalia, then completely remade the look of the character. Yesterday, Jalia hit level 49. Her build is nearly complete, and she's as much fun to play as Tiffany or Nina.

(In fact the build's durable enough that I attended a hami raid on Friday when I was only level 46, showed up just as they were starting, couldn't find a team, had no Essence of the Earth inspirations, but I joined in with the other scrappers attacking yellows anyway and managed to avoid getting myself killed. Although I suppose any willpower scrapper could have done that. ^_^)

I figure by the end of the week I'll have all four scrappers to 50. Then I can focus on something else. I think I'm probably done creating MA scrappers at this point though. Four is enough! ^_^

Also: whoever posted that MA/Willpower build, I think the file is listed as "Zen Foo Do's ma/scrapper build", just letting you know it's such a great build that I've duplicated it three times.

Heh.

MA takes a lot of abuse, and honestly, on the damage numbers it looks a bit weak, but the sheer FUN of it makes it one of the most popular sets out there.

Plus, it helps to recall that MA is perhaps the most defensively oriented scrapper primaries: Paired with a strong secondary like willpower, you can achieve astonishing levels of durability.

Here's to MA! I almost hope it never gets a buff, because I don't want the number crunchers playing it.

I need to get back to leveling my Martial Arts/Fire, Dead Black. I created it to be the worst possible combination, but dang if it hasn't been a lot of fun so far. Mind you, that WAS the point. I figured I could level up the "worst possible combination", and still have a blast doing it, because all Scrappers are awesome. That and I've never played Martial Arts or Fiery Aura, so I figured it was high time I did. But I haven't had a lot of play time recently, and most of what I do get has been going to Alexei. I love playing my 50s. It makes it hard to level.

I have two level 50 MA scrappers, and I love playing both of them.

My first is "Mr. Twilight" who, after moving him to Freedom from Pinnacle, had to be renamed "Mr. Twilite". Not happy about it, but so be it. He's MA/Regen, and is for all intents and purposes, my "normal guy" hero. He uses gadgets and such to get around, but has no travel power. He's got sprint, combat leap, swift, and hurdle to get him around. He has done quite well doing so, but now the Ninja leap has taken it to all new levels. SO much fun not being subject to pauses in combat since there are no travel powers to slow him down.

My second is "Lone Sentinel", which is my MA/Shields scrapper. Again, lots of fun and does quite well defensively.

Martial arts may not be the best from a DPS standpoint or whatever, but it sure is a lot of fun. The attack chain smoothly fits together. Enemies end up on their butts often and to great effect. And, I LIKE the kb on the crane kick. It's one of the most comic-booky attacks in the game. All good fun and a blast to play.

Worst possible combo, ha, I sumbit to you...

THIS...

IS...

A SCRAPPER!

Scrappers possess all that is needed to upload mass amounts of groovy damage into the motherboards of any criminal gang!

There was someone who once said "I'm a scrapper...and we ARE an AoE".

Best quote Evah. With the exception of Spines, I have used each of the Scrapper primaries and secondaries at least once.

If there is a worst combo, it is becuase it was not built right. I should know, I used to be a noobOMGFLURRYISAWESOMEMUSTSIXSLOTWITHDAMAGENAO!

Couldn't figure out when I first started playing 54 months ago why my SR scrapper spent so much time mez'd or knocked down. I picked practiced brawler and activated it....didn't know I had to get it perma and continuously re-activate it :O

I have played my MA/SR for a few years sank over 12 billion into him and never get tired of playing him. It's almost like meditation for me.

There should be a Martial Arts tourney for all the MA's (per server of course). I am on Freedom and it would be great fun to have a MA only tourney in Pocket D for fun, share some tips and maybe some good natured trash talking.

Two go in one comes out

I love my MA scrappers.

I have a level 50 MA/Regen which I haven't played in a long time, but was always a ton of fun and surprisingly durable.

My last scrapper was a MA/Fire that hit 50 not long ago. Worked towards a high recharge build and the satisfying damage it put out with BU+FE+BA.

Have a level 37 MA/WP that I play because I like the character concept. Not exactly an exciting powerset combo, but gets the job done.

Have a few other MA characters (couple of stalkers, a few lowbie scrappers), but I'm trying to try out other sets and AT's.

Truth be told I'm as burnt out on MA scrappers as I am on Inv tankers. Just ridiculous how many of those two sets I have.

Shinobu and Tiffany

Nina and Jalia

Just having a little fun playing with the Council

I'd be up for that, on either Virtue or Freedom. (Well... in February I could travel for it too of course.)

Hey, since folks are talking about interesting secondaries...

Am I a deranged Captain America-impressed fool for thinking about MA/shield at some point? Or just wasting my time in a more boring way?

And wow do I need to try that pegleg look in an alternate costume slot...

I have a MA/SD at 37 or so and the addition of Shield Charge is worth the price of admission alone. A second AoE and a Superior damage attack to boot. It's just not nearly as easy to soft cap as MA/SR

See, they could buff MA a little but if Blue Steel got any stronger it might break reality...