Broadsword/Electric Armor

Returning Vet, and was wondering how this set is, I mean I dont really see this combo, but would think that there are a couple good things going on with the set

Lightning Reflexes + recharge, good for BS recharge times
ELA is resistance, Parry gives you great defense boost
BS is lethal (i think), and Lightning Field provides energy damage, etc...

Am I missing something, or is this like the best kept secret?

I don't think you're missing anything. I think it'd be a great combo, and I plan to start a Katana/Electric once I get through some of my current crop of alts. I'm guessing that a lot of people are still running on their Shield Defense high.

You're missing one:

Power Sink. You'll never run out of endurance in the middle of a fight again.

I just 50ed a katana/wp and I've started a BS/SR...this makes me think that the next of my sword people should be a katana/electric.

Edited to ask: In the electric secondary, skip nothing?

Katana probably gives more DPA (or at least seems to be more popular), but I went Broadsword/Electric as well. Not only do I get to use cooler swords (like a glowing one at Level 1), I feel like I'm getting more out of the Endurance management and recharge reduction.

I would skip power surge. I also skip grounded, I jump around a lot, if you don't it's nice, but if I am gonna slot KB prot IOs anyway...

Powersink is not necessary, but damn is it nice. On my elec/elec brute, I don't have stamina, and I don't need it. PS recycles fast, and fills the bar up pretty much every time. If you get the recharge on Energize high enough to make it perma, you definitely don't need stam with PS. Plus, PS can keep minions end bars empty, which is nice too.

BS/ElA sounds like it would be a wonderful combo. My kat/DA is working out famously, and I am no longer holding my long standing grudge against scrappers. I have a spines/ElA, but may reroll BS.

Power Surge is junk on scrappers, in my opinion.

Consider :

Thanks to scrapper resistance cap, PS only brings you to 75%.
S/L res, you're already at ~60% with Charged Armor and Tough, a 15% boost can help but isn't all that much.
EN res is already capped, PS doesn't do anything for it.
Psi res isn't boosted by PS.
That leaves PS significantly boosting F/C/N/T resistances, which aren't encountered nearly as often as the above damage types.

Add to that the crash leaves you at 10% hp, 0 end and -recovery for 20s. Thanks to Power Sink you can mitigate the end crash... But if you do that, you're going to be at 10% hp for a few seconds ; and if instead you heal up right as you crash, you're not going to recover end fast. The power can be worth it villainside for a brute with the 90% resistance cap, but on a scrapper going to 75% just isn't worth the headache. Pop lucks instead of Power Surge and save yourself the trouble of having to convert these into an awaken once you crash.

Everything else is worth getting, although at high level I like going for CP/PP rather than Power Sink, to save enhancements slots and animation time.

I started a Broadsword/Electric Armor scrapper recently myself. I like it so far, but having never built an /ela character, it's going to be a learning experience.

i have a kat/elec at 50 it is a very nice combo and really can shine if you IO to the hilt (literally) - achille's heel is good, FotG if you can get one for the aura or GD, lots of options. Havent tried any AV's but dont really care to. Not to mention the animations for the armor ROCK. I think it's better than being on fire! I'd immagine a similar experience with BS. I skipped Power Surge, grounded has the steadfast unique slotted.