I don't know how viable either one of those builds will be with common IOs to farm with. Keep in mind, SS/WP is farmable on common IOs, but neither /SD or /FA is to the same degree. Not saying it can't be done, but they will not be sturdy without a sizable investment.
Words to the wise aren't necessary- it's the stupid ones that need them.
"You're right...I forgot...being constantly at or the near the damage cap is a big turn off. Definitely not worth it."
- Vitality
Well, there's always the possibility that by the time I get them to 50, I'll be in a position to Set IO them out...
So, if that's what it's going to take to get a decent farming build, I guess I'd make sure I start saving... 
[ ProTip: The banner is a link to art refs!! | The Khellection | The HBAS Repository | Brute Guides (4/16/10) | How To Post An Image - A Quick Guide ]
Biggest Troll on the forums? I'll give you a hint:
Quote:
Start your savings- neither of those is particularly inexpensive to set up for farming. Don't be discouraged, both will be fun and faster to farm than your SS/WP, but it doesn't come cheaply.
|
Originally Posted by Kheldarn
Well, there's always the possibility that by the time I get them to 50, I'll be in a position to Set IO them out...
So, if that's what it's going to take to get a decent farming build, I guess I'd make sure I start saving... |
Words to the wise aren't necessary- it's the stupid ones that need them.
"You're right...I forgot...being constantly at or the near the damage cap is a big turn off. Definitely not worth it."
- Vitality
Heh. Figures. 
So, then, when compared via Sets, which one is the better choice?
[ ProTip: The banner is a link to art refs!! | The Khellection | The HBAS Repository | Brute Guides (4/16/10) | How To Post An Image - A Quick Guide ]
Biggest Troll on the forums? I'll give you a hint:
Really, either would be a good choice. The /SD will be tougher on your blue bar without having Consume. If you use the Demon Farm, SS/Fire will definitely have 0 problems with it since it's mostly fire damage and well the /SD will do just as well or better against anything short of Nemesis.
[U][URL="http://boards.cityofheroes.com/showthread.php?t=251594"][/URL][/U]
So, what you're saying, then, is make both? I'll do it... I will!!
[ ProTip: The banner is a link to art refs!! | The Khellection | The HBAS Repository | Brute Guides (4/16/10) | How To Post An Image - A Quick Guide ]
Biggest Troll on the forums? I'll give you a hint:
You have to take into consideration what enemy types you are playing against. I have and love both my /SD and my /FA, but if I am going against Nemesis, I would never take my /SD into the fray. I think both are WOMD, but they both have different flavors. I say make one of both and alternate!
Words to the wise aren't necessary- it's the stupid ones that need them.
"You're right...I forgot...being constantly at or the near the damage cap is a big turn off. Definitely not worth it."
- Vitality
Looks like I'm gonna be double fisting it...
[ ProTip: The banner is a link to art refs!! | The Khellection | The HBAS Repository | Brute Guides (4/16/10) | How To Post An Image - A Quick Guide ]
Biggest Troll on the forums? I'll give you a hint:
Whichever you find more fun ... Demon farm on SS/FA will be trivially easy with your capped Fire Res, and SS/SD can basically do any of them, and maybe adapt to more challenging content if you plan to do the occasional TF or something.
@Fail (Used to be @Tux) and @Tuxedo Infinitus Defiant/Freedom/Champion
Favourite Toons: Prosper [Ill/Rad] Controller :: Infinitus [Fire/Elec] Blaster :: Pocket Dynamo [Fire/Shield] Scr :: Fast [Cold/Sonic] Def ::
Inspire [Plant/Storm] Controller :: Quality - SS/Fire Brute :: Double Down [DP/Kin] Corr :: Pwnz [Fire/Cold] Corr :: Fail [Fire/Son] Corr
Quote:
Don't call it that.
|
Originally Posted by Kheldarn
Looks like I'm gonna be double fisting it...
|
"You don't lose levels. You don't have equipment to wear out, repair, or lose, or that anyone can steal from you. About the only thing lighter than debt they could do is have an NPC walk by, point and laugh before you can go to the hospital or base." -Memphis_Bill
We will honor the past, and fight to the last, it will be a good way to die...
Quote:
I disagree here. When was the last time you took any shield defense character onto a Nem farm? They slice through defense like hot butter. Sure, capped defense has its way of making one untouchable, but there are (thankfully) mobs that keep it from being overpowered and completely unstoppable. A good /FA build with strong resists, good defense and a fast heal offers multilayered mitigation and versatility that you might bot be able to find in a SD build.
|
Originally Posted by _Tux__EU
... SS/SD can basically do any of them...
|
Words to the wise aren't necessary- it's the stupid ones that need them.
"You're right...I forgot...being constantly at or the near the damage cap is a big turn off. Definitely not worth it."
- Vitality
If your bringing your brute over to blue-side to farm, then comparing SS/FA and SS/SD comes down to your budget in my opinion. As magikwand stated /SD's weakness is the fact that a slight raise in +ToHit such as Nemesis tears /SD apart. Another thing, it's somewhat tricky but achievable to softcap an /SD brute and go a little over for safety. It can be done, mine has it but it was a bloody nuisance to get it there.
- BM Farm: SS/SD should rip through them.
- Demon Farm: SS/SD same again, they have a small resistance to fire but you have a capped res to fire too.
- Council: I say SS/SD again.
If your not going with set bonuses, obviously go with SS/FA, but bonuses included I'd advise SS/SD. If you make your SS/SD correctly, you won't have a problem with end. Even if you do you can always respec into the AAP: Power Mastery for the +recovery when GR releases. Foot Stomp with FF proc is more than enough an AoE imo.
A quick point, didn't the Freak' farm get nerfed? And last I heard FM/SD for a scrapper is a big bank buster. I hope you pick the right one!
Fury
Quote:
Right, Nemesis == Sheild Breaker. Thankfully, I don't know of any Nemesis Farms blueside... |
Originally Posted by Wondering_Fury
If your bringing your brute over to blue-side to farm, then comparing SS/FA and SS/SD comes down to your budget in my opinion. As magikwand stated /SD's weakness is the fact that a slight raise in +ToHit such as Nemesis tears /SD apart. Another thing, it's somewhat tricky but achievable to softcap an /SD brute and go a little over for safety. It can be done, mine has it but it was a bloody nuisance to get it there.
|
Quote:
|
Originally Posted by Wondering_Fury
|
Quote:
|
Originally Posted by Wondering_Fury
Reason being, I find SS/SD much more easier to farm with than SS/FA because it's safer. If your farming +4's with /FA on a brute, it won't be hard for an alpha hit to wipe you, especially if for example a BM boss or Council boss melees you. However having said that, you can ensure that /FA will keep your 'Fury' bar pumping, /SD you just need to keep mashing out the attacks.
If your not going with set bonuses, obviously go with SS/FA, but bonuses included I'd advise SS/SD. If you make your SS/SD correctly, you won't have a problem with end. Even if you do you can always respec into the AAP: Power Mastery for the +recovery when GR releases. Foot Stomp with FF proc is more than enough an AoE imo. |
Quote:
|
Originally Posted by Wondering_Fury
A quick point, didn't the Freak' farm get nerfed?
|
Quote:
|
Originally Posted by Wondering_Fury
And last I heard FM/SD for a scrapper is a big bank buster.
|
Hmm... thanks for the tip... Guess I'll be doing Claws/WP. At least, until I can afford a FM/SD... Thanks for the input, all.
One last question: Which one is most viable for Farmin' The Wall in Cim?
[ ProTip: The banner is a link to art refs!! | The Khellection | The HBAS Repository | Brute Guides (4/16/10) | How To Post An Image - A Quick Guide ]
Biggest Troll on the forums? I'll give you a hint:
Quote:
You gain fury by attacking or being attacked. The attacks do not have to hit for you to gain fury.|
Originally Posted by Wondering_Fury
However having said that, you can ensure that /FA will keep your 'Fury' bar pumping, /SD you just need to keep mashing out the attacks.
|
As far as the original post goes. I'm not much of a farmer but I do like my SS/Fire a lot. Worked fine on SOs and common IOs before I got sets slotted. Then again I don't run +4/x8 or anything. SS/Fire seems like it would be cheaper to IO out that SS/SD would be too.
Out of the 3 farms listed above, SS/Fire should do fine with them also. As you said, +4's would be difficult, but I sure hope you won't be farming +4's solo with anything.
[U][URL="http://boards.cityofheroes.com/showthread.php?t=251594"][/URL][/U]
I use +2/x8 for farming.
[ ProTip: The banner is a link to art refs!! | The Khellection | The HBAS Repository | Brute Guides (4/16/10) | How To Post An Image - A Quick Guide ]
Biggest Troll on the forums? I'll give you a hint:
Quote:
Battle Maiden. Several missions from Maria Jenkins send you up against her troops and their weak ranged attacks and fondness for melee make them popular farming targets.
|
Originally Posted by Kheldarn
Erm... What's BM again? Bacon Monsters?
|
Oh yeah. I always forget about her...
[ ProTip: The banner is a link to art refs!! | The Khellection | The HBAS Repository | Brute Guides (4/16/10) | How To Post An Image - A Quick Guide ]
Biggest Troll on the forums? I'll give you a hint:
Quote:
Great info- one question though. Is this information confirmed? I will probably redeem my SS/SD if he can, in fact, go to the Blue APP pools.
|
Originally Posted by Wondering_Fury
Even if you do you can always respec into the AAP: Power Mastery for the +recovery when GR releases. Foot Stomp with FF proc is more than enough an AoE imo.
A quick point, didn't the Freak' farm get nerfed? And last I heard FM/SD for a scrapper is a big bank buster. I hope you pick the right one! Fury |
Words to the wise aren't necessary- it's the stupid ones that need them.
"You're right...I forgot...being constantly at or the near the damage cap is a big turn off. Definitely not worth it."
- Vitality
Confirmed? No. It comes from the fact that at the start of the I17 CB, some players found their Stalkers (I think it was Stalkers, anyway...) suddenly had access to the Hero Epic Pools. It only affected one AT, and apparently was fixed pretty quickly.
Since then, it's been speculation that we'll have to use the opposite side's Epic Pools when we switch, which I hope isn't the case. I really hope GR will bring standard Epic Pools to Villains, in addition to the existing Patron Pools, and bring Heroic Patron Pools to Heroes, in addition to the existing Epic Pools. Frankly, I strongly dislike the Villain Epics, because they're not on par with the Hero ones.
[ ProTip: The banner is a link to art refs!! | The Khellection | The HBAS Repository | Brute Guides (4/16/10) | How To Post An Image - A Quick Guide ]
Biggest Troll on the forums? I'll give you a hint:
Still no official word on how rogue/vigilante APPs/PPPs will work, unfortunately.
A friend of mine who went to HeroCon asked if Brutes will ever get Fireball and apparently one of the devs said yes, with GR.
Assuming his info is good, there are still a number of ways it could go. Brutes could get Scrapper APPs, Tanker APPs or some new Brute APPs. Who knows. But if Brutes are getting Fireball, it's likely they'll get an APP with Physical Perfection.
That said, I still wouldn't drop Blaze/Fire/Soul Mastery for Body Mastery. Footstomp is great AoE, sure, but Fireball/Dark Oblit are still very solid AoEs and not worth skipping. There are tonnes of IO and slotting options for endurance management, you can't get a second solid AoE from IOs.
Edit: my personal hope is that the devs don't take the lazy route out and just give Villain ATs their roughly-equivalent Hero ATs APPs. I'd like new APPs for Villains, even if you don't go Rogue. I've wanted elemental masteries for villains since forever
The one thing sustaining my hope for this is that if Brutes got Scrapper or Tanker APPs, there'd be doubled powers. I mean, okay, sure, it's only Conserve Power from /EA which no one plays, but you know, still
Support Guides for all Corruptor secondaries and Fortunatas
The Melee Teaming Guide for Melee Mans
The Melee Teaming Guide for Melee Mans
Quote:
I forgot it doesn't matter whether it's hit or miss, however I still believe Fury on a SS/Fire is pretty much maintained at maximum or near-enough. The PBAoE helps quite a lot, I find my SS/SD drops Fury more so than a SS/Fire.|
Originally Posted by Silver_Tooth
You gain fury by attacking or being attacked. The attacks do not have to hit for you to gain fury.
As far as the original post goes. I'm not much of a farmer but I do like my SS/Fire a lot. Worked fine on SOs and common IOs before I got sets slotted. Then again I don't run +4/x8 or anything. SS/Fire seems like it would be cheaper to IO out that SS/SD would be too. |
To be honest, it's down to your build/budget and personal preference. I've always been a fan of my SS/SD. He does have Dark Obliteration, but really only for the bonuses and the odd AoE. I say that cause while it's a good AoE to have with a melee toon, I find my attack chain pretty fast and on high settings you need to focus on the bosses.
Any problems with the SS/SD give me a shout!
Fury
For the scrapper go Fire/SD, it's got massive aoe with SC, FSC, and go fire epic for fireball. It's also got a great single target chain for hard targets.
For the brute SS/SD sounds great, but it's gotta be murder on the blue bar. And while SS/SD would definitely be better for farming in most cases, you could farm almost anything (albeit a bit more slowly) with an SS/WP thanks to WP's more layered defenses (as others have mentioned, nems absolutely shred my SD's, while my wp's have little problem with them). And with wp you'll have much better end recovery to deal with rage crashes. And on top of that, it's a lot cheaper to make a SS/WP work than a SS/SD. If you get FS recharging fast enough, the mobs in a farm go down pretty quickly anyway.
Yeah, I pretty much settled on Fire/Shield for the Scrapper, though that does mean I'll have to bypass the Television Farm, since it's Nemesis...
And for Brute, SS/WP wasn't an option. Either SS/SD or SS/FA.
At this point, I'm almost ready to just go ahead and make all 4: Claws/WP and Fire/SD Scrappers Gone Rogue/Villain, and SS/SD and SS/FA Brutes Gone Vigilante/Hero. Of course, I may scrap those, and do KinMelee, depending on how it turns out.
[ ProTip: The banner is a link to art refs!! | The Khellection | The HBAS Repository | Brute Guides (4/16/10) | How To Post An Image - A Quick Guide ]
Biggest Troll on the forums? I'll give you a hint:
Come July, when Going Rogue comes out, I plan to make both a Scrapper and a Brute whom I will run the gamut with, taking them to the opposite side, and unleashing carnage as I go.
I've narrowed it down to either Claws/WP or Fire/SD for the Scrapper (and leaning towards Fire/SD). For the Brute, I know I wanna do SS as the Primary. However, I'm not sure if I should pair it with /FA or /SD. I've heard that both are excellent for farming, but that's also for farming redside...
At this point, I'm planning to use the Brute to farm blueside. Sure, I could make a SD/ or FA/ Tanker with SS, but I've been jonesing to take a Brute to Paragon ever since I got my SS/WP to 50, before GR was more than just another thing on our wishlist, like Power Customization...
So, which Secondary would I benefit the most from when farming the standard Hero Farms (Council, Freakshow, Demons, etc.)? /FA or /SD? I'm mainly interested in which will perform better with Common IOs at 50...
[ ProTip: The banner is a link to art refs!! | The Khellection | The HBAS Repository | Brute Guides (4/16/10) | How To Post An Image - A Quick Guide ]
Biggest Troll on the forums? I'll give you a hint: