Question about set bonuses, Does Damage buff matter?

I have this SS/WP Brute I've been playing for over a year now, and it's unstoppable with my possible weird slotting. I am amazed how well it does. Still there is brief moments some stuff gets through, but it's extremely hard things I create in the Mission Architect usually.

Anyway, does DamageBuff matter much? Look at below, it's what I currently have:

Set Bonus Totals:
11.5% DamageBuff(Smashing)
11.5% DamageBuff(Lethal)
11.5% DamageBuff(Fire)
11.5% DamageBuff(Cold)
11.5% DamageBuff(Energy)
11.5% DamageBuff(Negative)
11.5% DamageBuff(Toxic)
11.5% DamageBuff(Psionic)
4.88% Defense(Smashing)
4.88% Defense(Lethal)
9.25% Defense(Fire)
9.25% Defense(Cold)
6.13% Defense(Energy)
6.13% Defense(Negative)
6.75% Defense(Psionic)
6.75% Defense(Melee)
7.38% Defense(Ranged)
10.8% Defense(AoE)
2.25% Max End
43% Enhancement(Accuracy)
12% Enhancement(Heal)
12.5% Enhancement(RechargeTime)
5% FlySpeed
269.9 HP (18%) HitPoints
5% JumpHeight
5% JumpSpeed
MezResist(Held) 12.1%
MezResist(Immobilize) 8.25%
14% (0.23 End/sec) Recovery
100% (6.26 HP/sec) Regeneration
1.58% Resistance(Fire)
1.58% Resistance(Cold)
3.13% Resistance(Negative)
10% RunSpeed
2.5% XPDebtProtection


If I build it in another way, I get these buffs with higher Regen, Smashing/Melee (see below). Would that be better? I mean do I need the DamageBuffs from above? Also my current build can survive with occasionally close calls on Endurance in long fights. With the New build, I would use more endurance. It's like 4 slots in Weave which turns .88 cost (globally) to .98, for my specific build. I'm already having some trouble. Anyway here is the bonuses re-slotted.. I like other than the DamageBuff and HP change.. unless those things don't matter?

Set Bonus Totals:
7% DamageBuff(Smashing)
7% DamageBuff(Lethal)
7% DamageBuff(Fire)
7% DamageBuff(Cold)
7% DamageBuff(Energy)
7% DamageBuff(Negative)
7% DamageBuff(Toxic)
7% DamageBuff(Psionic)
8% Defense(Smashing)
8% Defense(Lethal)
7.69% Defense(Fire)
7.69% Defense(Cold)
6.13% Defense(Energy)
6.13% Defense(Negative)
6.75% Defense(Psionic)
11.1% Defense(Melee)
7.38% Defense(Ranged)
7.69% Defense(AoE)
2.25% Max End
43% Enhancement(Accuracy)
12.5% Enhancement(RechargeTime)
12% Enhancement(Heal)
213.6 HP (14.3%) HitPoints
MezResist(Confused) 1.65%
MezResist(Held) 8.8%
MezResist(Immobilize) 7.7%
13% (0.22 End/sec) Recovery
130% (8.14 HP/sec) Regeneration
1.58% Resistance(Fire)
1.58% Resistance(Cold)
3.13% Resistance(Negative)
5% RunSpeed


I'd post the full build but people would tell me to do different things probably when I've been fighting insane amounts of bosses and ebs at the same time fine. Like I said occasionally things get through, and I was wondering if I can improve it if the DamageBuff bonus really isn't necessary?

The end cost difference bothers me as I said. So mostly asking about bonus advice. Not sure if anyone will be able to help.


Oh and does Strength of Will need the damage reduction or is the steadfast unique fine?

Damage buff is handy to have but not needed. It helps a bit before your fury is built up, but after that it is quite a small difference.

If you can swap damage for defence/recovery/endurance without losing anything else that might be more valuable (like HP), then I'd say go for it.

what about this, seem like a better middle ground between the two? i just worry about endurance, but the recovery is higher now so it probably will make up for it (i think)

Set Bonus Totals:
7% DamageBuff(Smashing)
7% DamageBuff(Lethal)
7% DamageBuff(Fire)
7% DamageBuff(Cold)
7% DamageBuff(Energy)
7% DamageBuff(Negative)
7% DamageBuff(Toxic)
7% DamageBuff(Psionic)
6.75% Defense(Smashing)
6.75% Defense(Lethal)
7.69% Defense(Fire)
7.69% Defense(Cold)
7.38% Defense(Energy)
7.38% Defense(Negative)
6.75% Defense(Psionic)
10.5% Defense(Melee)
8% Defense(Ranged)
7.69% Defense(AoE)
2.25% Max End
7.5% Enhancement(RechargeTime)
36% Enhancement(Accuracy)
12% Enhancement(Heal)
241.8 HP (16.1%) HitPoints
MezResist(Held) 8.8%
MezResist(Immobilize) 7.7%
17% (0.28 End/sec) Recovery
130% (8.14 HP/sec) Regeneration
1.58% Resistance(Fire)
1.58% Resistance(Cold)
3.13% Resistance(Negative)
5% RunSpeed

On a brute, damage buffs from IO sets are pretty meaningless. One punch and you have a higher damage bonus than an IO set can give you. Much better to slot for more HP, Def or regen to keep you alive.

For example. KO blow slotted for damage and with fury at 85% and rage going will give you damage of about 667. Slotting for another 11.5% damage will bring that to 683. Not a big increase. Also footstomp in the same senario would put out an extra 6 damage.

As stated, damage buffs on Brutes are probably the least desirable form of set bonus. This AT has the lowest base damage and relies on massive amounts of +damage from fury. Adding +damage thus provides a fraction of the benefit it would for Scrappers, Blasters, Stalkers, and Dominators-- which are the only ATs that I will actively seek +damage on.

Thanks for the info, all of you. I wasn't sure. Well you saw the third build I had, some sets I can't change cause I already have them slotted, It's a wp brute though, do you think the final bonuses I posted look the best then?

I'd say the 2nd or 3rd builds are the best because they have the highest +max HP out of them all. That said, you could probably focus purely on +max hp/regen and get better numbers than what I'm seeing posted here.

I usually build WP Brutes to softcap SM/L or to stack +HP and regeneration. Those are the two avenues you probably want as a WP Brute. Recharge is only benefiting your primary with Willpower, and +damage is wasted on a Brute.

Tried other ways with other sets but this was (with what enhancements I have already) the best I could do. I could get more hp by switching one thing, but then the lethal, smashing and melee dropped low, so I thought where it is now, Is probably good. The hard part being able to afford the 3 purples I used.

Yeah, that's true. Things can get really pricey for what amounts to marginal benefit at times. I usually split the Apocalypse purple on Hp/regen builds into two parts for 6% max HP and 32% regen, pairing it with Devastation for 4.5% max hp and 24% regenration. That's some big numbers right there, but it only works on Claws, SS, or Stone with their extra ranged attacks and the Patron attack (usually Gloom).

The short answer is no, IO damage bonuses don't matter. Or at least, aren't worth prioritizing over other bonuses.

In the second build, you've nearly doubled your melee defense. What will help you survive and kill the 15 bosses you're standing in the middle of, a meaningful impact on the amount of incoming damage (especially given WP's regen) or a 5% damage bonus that starts looking pretty insignificant compared to the +250 or so percent that you already live at in those situations? That 5% probably doesn't mean that it takes even one fewer footstomp to kill them all off anyway.

thanks for these replies, it's helping me a lot.
what about this one as the final?

Set Bonus Totals:
4.5% DamageBuff(Smashing)
4.5% DamageBuff(Lethal)
4.5% DamageBuff(Fire)
4.5% DamageBuff(Cold)
4.5% DamageBuff(Energy)
4.5% DamageBuff(Negative)
4.5% DamageBuff(Toxic)
4.5% DamageBuff(Psionic)
8.63% Defense(Smashing)
8.63% Defense(Lethal)
7.69% Defense(Fire)
7.69% Defense(Cold)
6.13% Defense(Energy)
6.13% Defense(Negative)
6.75% Defense(Psionic)
8.63% Defense(Melee)
7.38% Defense(Ranged)
7.69% Defense(AoE)
2.25% Max End
7.5% Enhancement(RechargeTime)
27% Enhancement(Accuracy)
12% Enhancement(Heal)
5% FlySpeed
275.5 HP (18.4%) HitPoints
5% JumpHeight
5% JumpSpeed
MezResist(Held) 6.05%
MezResist(Immobilize) 8.8%
23.5% (0.39 End/sec) Recovery
130% (8.14 HP/sec) Regeneration
3.13% Resistance(Negative)
10% RunSpeed

with this it goes from 1.20 end consumption to .96 on my build. More hp too. Does this one seem the best way to go if anyone has an opinion on it?

oh yeah for strength of will, just putting that unique steadfast in there is enough, right? I mean the power will still work well when activated without any other enhancements?

That last one looks pretty nice, assuming that you aren't using anything outrageously overpriced to get those up there. Of course, it'd be impossible to know for sure how solid the build was without looking at the enhancement values in the places that matter.

As for Strength of Will, using it for the Steadfast unique would be fine, though I'd personally try to squeeze a bit more +Res out of it unless I absolutely couldn't spare any slots. It can't be affected by recharge and there's little reason to slot it for +recovery, but squeezing out some more +res could help for those ugly encounters that you take SoW to prepare for in the first place.

For reference, a brute using HPT, MoB, and Tough (all three-slotted for +res) will have 52% S/L resist - unslotted SoW brings it up to 72%, a Steadfast res/def will take it to 74.5, and three-slotting it for +res gives 83%. If you don't take Tough, then subtract ~17.5 from your totals. Determine your own priorities from that.