Dark Brute

I want to make a dark brute but not DM/DA (because I already have one). I've been reading the boards and have seen favorable comments on DM/WP and SM/DA. Pros & cons? Any other suggestions? For Pve, mostly solo. I already have a nrg/wp, fire/wp, claws/wp, and just deleted a mace/da. And did I mention I like to S-M-A-S-H?!

If DM/DA is what you want to make then I suggest doing that because it's what you want to do and you will have more fun playing a toon you want to play in the first place.
But many people think one would have trouble building fury w/ a DM/DA brute because the -To Hit of each DM attack means less incoming damage and the stuns/fears in the DA set also mean less incoming damage. But against larger groups of mobs, solo, you should still have no trouble building fury, especially considering the quick attack chain of DM. So if that is the toon you want to play, then go ahead and roll one.
DM/WP will be one of the most survivable brutes out there (DM/Invuln probably takes the cake besides a /Rock in Granite) due to the awesome regen you have from WP and the -To Hit in the DM attacks essentially acts as defense. That and the fact that the heal in SL which just enhances WP's regen makes for an altogether a very sturdy toon.
SM/DA would be the king of mitigation b/c of the coupling of OG from DA and fault from stone to pretty much keep everything around you unable to attack. This could also cause problems building fury but once again against large groups that has never been an issue for me on any brute (though I do not have a DA brute, so I'm just educated guessing). The end management on a SM/DA brute would be pretty terrible though until you get IO's unlike a DM/WP and DM/DA which both would offer endurance recovery tools (WP having the better of the two. QR>Dark Consumption).

My DM/DA is lvl 50. I had fun getting her there and the survivability is good. But her damage is low. SM/DA sounds fun. Which other primary would work well?

Heh, woops. Misread that part about you already having one. Besides SM I'd say Claws would for AoE goodness, though it would possibly be a little squishy since there is no mitigation in claws outside of Shockwave. Also War Mace would work well since it has a lot of disorient in its attacks and (so I've read) it recently got buffed making it a very good set. Just a few thoughts but pretty much every set could work with IO's.

So you say you like to SMASH? That, to me, means Stone Melee, Super Strength, or War Mace. The thing is that all SMASH sets are endurance heavy...so their is a price for being able to SMASH. If it were me....I'd go SS. It's different and yet it's damage is exceptional.

I'm surprised nobody has mentioned DM/Shield. :3

You get to pummel opponents silly with DM, and if there's too many, SHIELD CHARGE 'em all!

Shield can also boost damage output as well.

DM is the willpower of the primaries. It goes well with any secondary.
Heal
End regen
Very solid damage buff
One of the best ST damage rotation.

DM/FA FTW...is so sweet.

I started a thread here once, old forum incarnation, entitled "End Sucking Pig" It was about my SS/DA brute. All anyone would say is the DA powers are "situational" :P

My dark/dark brute does a ton of damage and the only brute I have had so far that I feel very safe almost all of the time soloing +1/+8 and it is fairly easy so I know I could go higher and be fine. I just have an IO build with some expensive unique added in. The only thing I would change is I would drop OG now for soul transfer. I took OG just to try some procs and I only ever use it for fun atm. Once I get the AoE Immobile I can see it having a lot more uses in groups. (I did not show to 50 since I am not 50 yet lol) I also think tough for a dark/dark brute is not needed at all. I just don't think the end consumption is worth what you get personally, I tried it with and without and I do just as good without and save a lot of end and I don't have to take the useless punch. OH and I also suggest for most DM builds that they do not take shadow maul, just imo it slows down my damage and honestly gets me killed sometimes.

The only mobs that give me major trouble atm would be CoH and there huge accuracy/to hit de-buffs since all my stuff needs a check, so they kick the crap out of me most of the time and make me want to add more accuracy to my attacks and soul drain/dark consumption which normally are fine with nothing. When I add in more sets I should be fine with them though. This is just my leveling build atm basically.

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

Click this DataLink to open the build!

Magic Brute
Primary Power Set: Dark Melee
Secondary Power Set: Dark Armor
Power Pool: Fitness
Power Pool: Flight
Power Pool: Speed

Villain Profile:
Level 1: Smite -- Acc-I(A), Dmg-I(3), Dmg-I(5), Dmg-I(34), EndRdx-I(36)
Level 1: Dark Embrace -- ResDam-I(A), ResDam-I(15), S'fstPrt-ResDam/EndRdx(17), S'fstPrt-ResKB(33)
Level 2: Shadow Punch -- Acc-I(A), Dmg-I(3), Dmg-I(5), Dmg-I(34), EndRdx-I(36)
Level 4: Murky Cloud -- ResDam-I(A), ResDam-I(7), S'fstPrt-ResDam/EndRdx(7), S'fstPrt-ResKB(33)
Level 6: Hurdle -- Jump-I(A)
Level 8: Siphon Life -- Acc-I(A), Heal-I(9), Heal-I(9), Dmg-I(11), Dmg-I(11), EndRdx-I(37)
Level 10: Obsidian Shield -- S'fstPrt-ResDam/EndRdx(A), S'fstPrt-ResDam/Def+(33)
Level 12: Air Superiority -- Acc-I(A), Dmg-I(13), Dmg-I(13), Dmg-I(34), EndRdx-I(36)
Level 14: Health -- Numna-Regen/Rcvry+(A), Mrcl-Rcvry+(15)
Level 16: Dark Regeneration -- Theft-+End%(A), Theft-Heal(17), Theft-Heal/Rchg(19), Theft-Acc/EndRdx/Rchg(19), Theft-Acc/EndRdx/Heal(21)
Level 18: Death Shroud -- Acc-I(A), Dmg-I(21), Dmg-I(27), EndRdx-I(31), EndRdx-I(31)
Level 20: Stamina -- EndMod-I(A), EndMod-I(23), P'Shift-EndMod(23), P'Shift-End%(25)
Level 22: Cloak of Darkness -- Ksmt-ToHit+(A), LkGmblr-Rchg+(29), EndRdx-I(29), EndRdx-I(31)
Level 24: Hasten -- RechRdx-I(A), RechRdx-I(25), RechRdx-I(37)
Level 26: Soul Drain -- RechRdx-I(A), RechRdx-I(27), RechRdx-I(37)
Level 28: Cloak of Fear -- SipInsght-%ToHit(A), SipInsght-Acc/ToHitDeb(39), SipInsght-ToHitDeb/EndRdx/Rchg(39), SipInsght-Acc/EndRdx/Rchg(39), Abys-Acc/EndRdx(40), Abys-EndRdx/Fear(40)
Level 30: Dark Consumption -- RechRdx-I(A), RechRdx-I(40), RechRdx-I(42)
Level 32: Midnight Grasp -- Acc-I(A), Dmg-I(42), Dmg-I(42), Dmg-I(43), EndRdx-I(43)
Level 35: Oppressive Gloom -- Stpfy-KB%(A), RzDz-Immob%(43), RzDz-Acc/Stun/Rchg(45)
Level 38: [Empty] -- Empty(A)
Level 41: [Empty]
Level 44: [Empty]
Level 47: [Empty]
Level 49: [Empty]
------------
Level 1: Brawl -- Empty(A)
Level 1: Sprint -- Empty(A)
Level 2: Rest -- Empty(A)
Level 1: Fury

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Thanks for all the help!

[QUOTE=_Deth_;2910947]

Cloak of fear is amazing and we must be playing different games because in my game I use my damage aura and cloak of fear and most mobs are feared over 50% of the fight, they get hit, instantly feared again ... NOT hitting me.

I will keep my heals in my "LEVELING" build tyvm...

Shadow Maul is personal preference, but imo it lowers overall dps and gets me killed like I said before. I would much rather have air superiority.

Tough is so useless imo on DA.... Cloak of fear keeps me alive way more than tough/weave ever would. You talk about end cost of CoF, but you want me to take tough AND weave? AND waste a slot on punch? No way! I will be in your thinking "Less survivable" and since I almost never die now doing +2/+8 I am not sure where I am in the survivable range without tough/weave?

I think most people just see builds by these others posters who do these amazing things with the super builds and just want to jump on the bandwagon. I just want to play the game. I don't need tough/weave to do that. I am not going to solo an AV or a Pylon.

On /DA brutes, the Cloak for fear is strong enough to work on lieutenants. On others, it's minion-only. I always wondered why people said it was crud...but I was playing a brute /DA where all but the boss cowered. It works well, keeps stuff in punching range, disrupts/reduces incoming damage. I can crank my difficulty, and go to town as all the stuff dumb enough to get near stws woozy/cowardly, ready to feed my heal.

For /DA I know there's a lot of dislike for EM/, but I still like my EM/DA stuns anything but AV's, and delivers damage quite well.