An unusual question: Most colorful build?

Not only does that build skip Dark Embrace, it also skips Obsidian Shield, the mez protection in DA. "Interesting" is one word for that build, but the ones I would choose would be lot less charitable.

I would definitely consider Dark Embrace and Obsidian Shield to be mandatory if you actually want to tank, or do anything the least bit challenging.

And although I'm all for trying no-Stamina builds--I got a Stamina-less Claws/SR scrapper to the 40s--for DA Stamina is pretty much mandatory. Note that in the build you referenced, there is barely enough recovery to cover the toggles without FA running; there's no way in hell you could use attacks or Dark Regen without bottoming out on endurance.

My opinion is that you should only take the fear aura (costs a lot of endurance) or the stun aura (costs a bit of health while running) if you have something in your attack set that has some synergy with them. I skipped them both happily on my dark/ice tanker. My impression is that alone, both are rather weak in magnitude. If your secondary adds to what they do, take them.

For Dark/Dark, this means you might want to take the fear aura, since you do have a single target fear in your attack set. If you take that attack, you should also take the aura. That attack is also skippable, though, but I've never skipped it on any of my dark melee characters. It has the biggest to hit debuff of all the attacks, as well as the fear.

You most definitely need Obsidian Shield and your damage aura.

<《 New Colchis / Guides / Mission Architect 》>
"At what point do we say, 'You're mucking with our myths'?" - Harlan Ellison

My thought about the stun aura is that it might do fairly well at mitigating the first five seconds of a large mob, after which it'd be unneeded. There's a brief moment when all the minions are still standing, then they're gone.

Anyway, I'm gonna go have another look at this Real Soon Now. There's way too many things I sorta want, so I clearly can't have all of them. I usually do hover/fly, but hover is worse for melee than it is for ranged, as I recall. So I should pick a travel power. Super jump doesn't look very fun to me, although maybe I should try it before making any crazy decisions. Hasten/SS could be viable.

This is the build I'm working towards on my Dark/Dark tank. She's not fully IO'd and is currently sitting in the mid to upper 30% on S/L defense, and it is by no means a perfect build. The attacks could be slotted a little better. I do use Oppressive Gloom to slow down the minions attacks, and if there's a troller around they don't wander so far.

I tend to run all the toggles, which includes Tough, Weave, Combat Jumping and Super Speed most of the time. In longer drawn out fights I'll turn off SS as I can't over come the end usage. I usually make that decision mid group if I see my end bar dropping down below 50% and Dark Consumption hasn't recharged yet, or if I'm down to a single tough boss/AV.

Take a look at it and see if you get any ideas. There are certainly things I'd do slightly different if I had more slots to play with, but for now this is what I'm going with.

Hero Plan by Mids' Hero Designer 1.707
http://www.cohplanner.com/

Click this DataLink to open the build!

Interruption: Level 50 Magic Tanker
Primary Power Set: Dark Armor
Secondary Power Set: Dark Melee
Power Pool: Speed
Power Pool: Fitness
Power Pool: Fighting
Power Pool: Leaping

Hero Profile:
Level 1: Dark Embrace -- RctvArm-ResDam/EndRdx(A), RctvArm-ResDam(5), RctvArm-ResDam/EndRdx/Rchg(17), RctvArm-ResDam/Rchg(19), S'fstPrt-ResDam/Def+(31), S'fstPrt-ResKB(42)
Level 1: Shadow Punch -- KntkC'bat-Acc/Dmg(A), KntkC'bat-Dmg/EndRdx(3), KntkC'bat-Dmg/Rchg(7), KntkC'bat-Dmg/EndRdx/Rchg(15)
Level 2: Smite -- KntkC'bat-Acc/Dmg(A), KntkC'bat-Dmg/EndRdx(3), KntkC'bat-Dmg/Rchg(7), KntkC'bat-Dmg/EndRdx/Rchg(17)
Level 4: Murky Cloud -- RctvArm-ResDam(A), RctvArm-ResDam/EndRdx(5), RctvArm-ResDam/EndRdx/Rchg(19), RctvArm-ResDam/Rchg(40)
Level 6: Hasten -- RechRdx-I(A), RechRdx-I(46), RechRdx-I(50)
Level 8: Shadow Maul -- Erad-Dmg/Rchg(A), Erad-Acc/Dmg/Rchg(9), Erad-Acc/Rchg(9), Cloud-Acc/ToHitDeb(31), Cloud-Acc/EndRdx/Rchg(31), Cloud-ToHitDeb/EndRdx/Rchg(40)
Level 10: Obsidian Shield -- RctvArm-ResDam(A), RctvArm-ResDam/EndRdx(11), RctvArm-ResDam/Rchg(11), RctvArm-ResDam/EndRdx/Rchg(40)
Level 12: Taunt -- Mocking-Taunt/Rng(A), Mocking-Taunt/Rchg/Rng(13), Mocking-Taunt/Rchg(13), Mocking-Rchg(15)
Level 14: Super Speed -- EndRdx-I(A), Zephyr-ResKB(46)
Level 16: Hurdle -- Jump-I(A)
Level 18: Health -- Mrcl-Heal(A), Mrcl-Rcvry+(33), Numna-Regen/Rcvry+(43)
Level 20: Stamina -- EndMod-I(A), EndMod-I(21), EndMod-I(21)
Level 22: Death Shroud -- M'Strk-Acc/Dmg(A), M'Strk-Dmg/EndRdx(23), M'Strk-Dmg/Rchg(23), M'Strk-Acc/EndRdx(33), M'Strk-Acc/Dmg/EndRdx(42), M'Strk-Dmg/EndRdx/Rchg(42)
Level 24: Dark Regeneration -- Nictus-Acc/EndRdx/Heal/HP/Regen(A), Nictus-Acc/EndRdx/Rchg(25), Theft-Acc/EndRdx/Heal(25), Theft-Acc/EndRdx/Rchg(34), Theft-+End%(37)
Level 26: Siphon Life -- Nictus-Heal(A), Nictus-Heal/HP/Regen/Rchg(27), Nictus-Acc/Heal(27), Nictus-Acc/EndRdx/Heal/HP/Regen(34), Nictus-Acc/EndRdx/Rchg(37)
Level 28: Soul Drain -- Erad-Acc/Dmg/EndRdx/Rchg(A), Erad-Acc/Dmg/Rchg(29), Erad-Dmg/Rchg(29), Rec'dRet-ToHit/Rchg(34), Rec'dRet-ToHit(37)
Level 30: Boxing -- KntkC'bat-Acc/Dmg(A), KntkC'bat-Dmg/EndRdx(46), KntkC'bat-Dmg/Rchg(48), KntkC'bat-Dmg/EndRdx/Rchg(50)
Level 32: Cloak of Darkness -- GftotA-Def(A), GftotA-Def/EndRdx(33), Krma-ResKB(43)
Level 35: Dark Consumption -- P'Shift-EndMod(A), P'Shift-EndMod/Rchg(36), P'Shift-Acc/Rchg(36), P'Shift-EndMod/Acc/Rchg(36)
Level 38: Midnight Grasp -- KntkC'bat-Acc/Dmg(A), KntkC'bat-Dmg/EndRdx(39), KntkC'bat-Dmg/Rchg(39), KntkC'bat-Dmg/EndRdx/Rchg(39)
Level 41: Combat Jumping -- GftotA-Def(A), GftotA-Def/EndRdx(43)
Level 44: Tough -- RctvArm-ResDam(A), RctvArm-ResDam/EndRdx(45), RctvArm-ResDam/EndRdx/Rchg(45), RctvArm-ResDam/Rchg(45)
Level 47: Weave -- GftotA-Def(A), GftotA-Def/EndRdx(48), GftotA-Def/EndRdx/Rchg(48), GftotA-Def/Rchg(50)
Level 49: Oppressive Gloom -- HO:Endo(A)
------------
Level 1: Brawl -- Empty(A)
Level 1: Sprint -- Empty(A)
Level 2: Rest -- Empty(A)
Level 1: Gauntlet
Level 0: Ninja Run

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ignore grey squirrels build, it will get you killed. He was attempting to get positional defense softcapped.

I have a positional defense build that is softcapped and makes more sense, but I havent tested yet as I don't feel like spending the money on it at the moment.

Send me a PM, and I will send you my current DA/DM build, I have to dig it off my other hard drive, or I would just post it here now. The build is softcapped to s/l, is pretty sturdy. Not terribly expensive.

OK I looked at that build first off I have more s/l res on my squishes, second there is to many attacks for a tank, and not enough def on it. It will be hard to get KBed but you will die very fast. My lower lvl toons has more def res then that build, if u want a good tank do not I repeat do not use that build. BTW this is coming from a guy who still gets confused on using mids.

Poking at that a bit, I may well use it. Either as-designed, or swapping death shroud and smite (since DS seems to do very well for me, enough that I can survive without a second click attack for a while). The rest... I kept trying to think of ways to make it "better", and consistently failed.

Necroing the thread to pass on: Finally got to level 20, took my I18 freespec to get Stamina because I was really having a rough time without it, now having a blast. Also, the colorful, it's AMAZING. I have cloak of darkness set to turn me into an indistinct ball of neon pink and yellow, with blue Omega aura flames, blue and green dark embrace, bright yellow ball for obsidian shield... It's blinding. It really is.

I'm SO happy.

If anyone wants to see what Captain Chroma looks like, ping me in game sometime (@Seebs Dot Net) and I can probably log him in and punch some things so you can see how awful it looks in play. It's really amazing -- I have all the Dark Melee stuff set to impose different colors of neon fire tohit debuffs on enemies.