If you're unimpressed by electric melee due to animation times, I don't think superstrength will be that much of an improvement. It doesn't get as slow as thunderstrike, though, if that's your only complain in that department.
SS is a fine pairing for willpower. The rage crash isn't a problem; it's more of a preference issue with being unable to do damage for 10s without using veteran attacks. I don't think anyone can tell you how much of an issue the lack of AE until 38 will be. In my preference, I can only stand leveling up superstrength on a character that has other sources of AE damage (damage aura, burn, etc). I like electric melee, but if it bothers you enough to stop the character and ask for advice, go ahead and try something else.
If you're more concerned about AE attacks due to taunt mechanics, as opposed to actually doing AE damage, stone melee is excellent. It has AE knockdown, disorient, and several relatively fast activating attacks. The fast activating attacks allow people to spend endurance faster than normal, but quick recovery and (eventually, optionally) stamina give plenty of fuel to enjoy what is otherwise a very effective and fun powerset.
Thanks for the thoughts. My issues with Electric Melee are mostly the animations and the long recharge of Lightning Rod. I'd much rather have a solid aoe available every 20 seconds (foot stomp) than an amazing one available every 90 seconds. I don't see most of those issues with super strength. Rage seems like it'd be fun to play with, too, and I don't mind the no damage issue every so often.
Kinetic Melee seems like a nice single-target alternative for a brute build I'm considering. For my next tank, I'll think I'll give 20 levels of Super Strength a try and make my decision as to what to level to 38 from there.
Ion Flow
In my experience, once you use the awesomeness that is Knockout Blow coupled with Rage, you'll be more than willing to trudge to lvl 38 for footstomp. Also, I think you're selling Electric Melee too short. For one, while Lightning Rod is on a 90 second recharge, the set still has other AoE attacks that you can occupy yourself with while you're waiting. Jacob's Ladder, Chain Induction, and Thunderstrike iirc.
Anyways, it's just a matter of which is more fun to play. If you're an AoE happy person like I am, than Electric melee is DEFINATELY the way to go here. Although, I still do giggle a bit whenever I punch the ground with my SS tank. But that's just me. 
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Try Warmace. It has Whirling Mace, Crowd Control and Shatter, all AOEs, all on reasonably quick recharge rates. Just spam AOE and you're fine with any secondary IMO.
Also make sure you use taunt.
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I'll second War Mace, but I'd also throw in Fire. War Mace adds great AOE and mitigation, while Fire also has AOEs, but trades mitigation for more damage. Both should be high-threat options.
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Originally Posted by BunnyAnomaly
Try Warmace. It has Whirling Mace, Crowd Control and Shatter, all AOEs, all on reasonably quick recharge rates. Just spam AOE and you're fine with any secondary IMO.
Also make sure you use taunt. |
Oh, a little more on topic to your actual original question:
No-one can really tell you how much you will 'suffer' if you choose Super Strength as your primary, because although it is pretty bad having 0 AOE capabilities until 39 or 40th level (Footstomp needs slots else it's rubbish), it is really a factor of how much patience you have and how much you want the end result.
From what I gather, you might be happier ending up with Super Strength as your secondary because most of your issues with it are this very same lack of AOE. If you get to 50, will you be disappointed you chose Electric Melee? I think that's a bad thing if you intend to play them a lot after hitting 50, but if you are just interested in the journey, then that's different again
Super Strength has a lot *not* going for it in the levelling up. Rage comes late, and until then your attacks are spectacularly weak - they are really balanced with Rage in mind, and until that you will find yourself very endurance hungry. All your attacks will do very little damage and you will have to whittle them down one at a time. Playing in large groups is probaby going to take a lot of that sting away.
If you can handle the grind, then I suspect you want to go with SS. Epics like Fireball are just incredible and help a lot for extra AOE. But only you know what your limit is to your own frustration. Once again, forcing yourself to always team and making your own teams when you can't find any is going to help you skip through a lot of the drudging.
Thanks again for the replies. I started a WP/SS tanker last night, and so far it's a lot of fun. I've found everything said above to be accurate. I got to 12 last night, and I'm hoping to get to 20 tonight. I don't solo a lot as a tanker--I prefer to play in teams, especially when I'm on my tanker. The team aspect helps a lot with the early limitations of SS.
This is a character I'd like to play for a long time at level 50--go the full IO route, etc. As such, waiting till 38 for my big AoE isn't too bad. I'll make it work with teams until then.
I've got a 50 Stone/Fire tanker, so I'd prefer to avoid Fire with this guy. Additionally, I don't like weapons. Just a theme thing for me. Even Stone as a secondary, due to the big mallet, is something I struggle with. Sooner or later, though, I need to give that up and try a weapon guy.
I appreciate all the responses. My SS tank is fun, and aside from Boxing sharing the same animation as Jab (lazy devs, shame on you), I don't have any issues with it.
Thanks,
Ion Flow
Electric is definitely a superior AoE powerset. It does require a bit of attention that disoriented mobs do not stray.
Also, for late game aggro holding, Salt Crystals is worth a look. Really. This one attacks up to 10 mobs in a 30 foot radius, which is more than you'll get otherwise, and applies the standard gauntlet effect on each. It sleeps them, which your teammates will promptly break, but like Lightning Rod it's good to get the immediate attention of a whole spawn.
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Thanks, Herculea. I've been reading your guides, and they've been a big help. I love the voice you used with the amazon guide. I'm pretty happy with Super Strength; the look and feel is more what I'm after. I just posted a sample build. We'll see what I need to tweak.
Ion Flow
Heyas all,
I love the idea of Willpower. My HUGE gripe, sadly, is its pathetic aggro issues. I'm working around that, though. It's the closest to a launch-regen scrapper I've seen, and as a recently-returned (and third account) character, it's something I've really, really missed.
Bottom line--I love Willpower. I'll figure out the aggro issues.
However, I'm really struggling with a secondary. I've leveled up two toons to the 22 range only to stop and pause. I started with Kinetic Melee, but it was just meh to me. The animations and slow feel, even if it wasn't slow in practice, were a turn off for Willpower. Repulsing Torrent was awful, and I'd never take it on a normal toon. I was really, really sad with Power Siphon, as well. It wears off about the time you reach a stack of 5. I wasn't impressed, sadly. It's a set that seems good, and I'm not insulting it. I'm sure a lot of you will really, really enjoy it. It just wasn't my style. I enjoyed fire (stupid swords, though) much more. Having said that, I don't want to repeat a tank with fire again as a secondary.
Electric melee seemed promising. However, some of the animations are meh. I'm a huge nitpicker, and Willpower's taunt issues are about the only big negative I want from this tanker. With electric melee, the animation of Thunder Strike drives me nuts. Also, although Lightning Rod seems amazing, it's recharge of 90 seconds is horrible. Aside from that, things are o.k. with Electric Melee and this seems like a potential winner. The AoE aspect, obviously, is incredibly helpful to Willpower's aggro issues.
The last set I'm thinking of playing around with is Super Strength. My main concern is the damage--it's all smashing and you don't get an AoE until 38. This seems awful for Willpower. However, having never played with SS, but realizing it's such a popular set, I'm wondering what this means to everyone else. Also, the rage crash makes me nervous. It seems like an amazing build up, though, and something to consider.
Basically, I'm looking for some help. It's a choice between Electric Melee and Super Strength. If any of you can drop some feedback, I'd love it. Willpower seems great; I just need some help with the smashing faces part.
Ion Flow