My DM/FA is still sitting at 35 after a year, mostly due to an extended stint on Kheldians and a DP blaster, but the SL/Healing Flames combo in conjunction with DM's -tohit were very synergistic. Throw in a winter's gift slow resistance and use Healing Flames proactively and you should be good to go with a scrapper. I don't have enough experience with brutes to tell you which would be better, however.
I can't remember off the top of my head, but wasn't the fear removed or lessened from burn? Bah, I don't remember, but in any case with the front-loaded damage I'd guess that the value of Tenebrous Tentacles has gone down before the raw power of a scrapper-thrown Fireball.
hmm... great. Now I've got to dust off that scrapper and test out the changes for myself.
So many alts.. .so little time...
The Scrappers' Guide to Dark Melee | Kheldian Binds and Strategies
I've had one at 45 for a while. Only reason i stopped playing him was cause i also had a DM brute.
Like Smiling_Joe mentionned, SL/HF makes it very survivable. SPecialy if you had a bit of defence. Obviously you won't be softcapped, but i had around 20% to melee and it made some difference.
With the new changes, i'd take scrapper, specialy considering you'll have both soul drain and fiery embrace to buff your high base damage.
"It's a scrapper. If he can't handle it, no one can." -BrandX
I have a DM/FA brute sitting in the low 40s. I started finding her very frustrating to play in the high levels. I have no reliable way to deal with trouble enemies like Sappers. With no defense to speak of, it's also unlikely that they'll miss me with their debuffs.
Personally, I would recommend either something with reliable control to pair with Fire (Super Strength, Earth Melee) or something with defense to pair with Dark Melee (Shields, Super Reflexes).
Doesn't the buff to Consume give Fire end drain resistance at last? Sappers should be MUCH easier to deal with.
If we are to die, let us die like men. -- Patrick Cleburne
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The rule is that they must be loved. --Jayne Fynes-Clinton, Death of an Abandoned Dog
Last questionÂ… in order to for a Blue AT to access the Patron pools, I would have to go Red to get the Patron arc, then switch again if I want to return to Blue side?
I'll probably go with the Scrapper, because I probably don't want to deal with that.
Yes, and bear in mind that starting with a brute will give you different app's and ppp's than starting a scrapper and going redside and back to get the ppp's, so if you're wanting to get a specific power like shadow meld or waterspout you should plan accordingly (go scrapper).
The Scrappers' Guide to Dark Melee | Kheldian Binds and Strategies
DM/FA will definitely do better on a Blueside Scrapper: the AT mods make a Burn and BA, with FE and fully saturated soul drain, melt mobs in record time. Also, Redside content is harder, so /FA is very squishy without significant IO investment.
That said, /FA really benefits from an active mitigation primary. I have a DM/FA brute who has become an IO mule because he was too squishy. Even with the buffs, he just doesn't do it for me. On the other hand, my SS/FA brute is AMAZING. Bar-none, the most fun brute I've ever had and he melts groups in record time.
Rage + FE + Burn + Footstomp is a beautiful combo to behold. I can't wait to add Dark Obliteration to the mix (currently lvl 41.9). Footstomp also makes him less squishy because everyone is on their backs 
You can make a Fire/SS tank if you want to stay Blueside. Another option would be to make a praetorian SS/Fire brute and go blue. You will not be disappointed with that combo!
I am considering rolling a DM/FA Hero to try out the FA changes, but haven't decided on a Scrap or cross-over Brute, and I'm basically weighing the Scrapper's up-front Damage vs. the Brute's HP, as well as Scrapper Blaze Mastery vs. Brute Soul Mastery.
What makes the decision difficult for me is FA's lack of inherent Defense, and the fact that I will not likely get very close to soft-cap, so I'm wary of the squishiness factor. I have tried this combo as a Scrap, up to high 20s, but deleted it to make room for other alts. From what I remember, it was a bit squishy so I'm leaning towards Brute, but wanted to gather some input. Would the additional HP make a noticeable increase in survivability, given that the set has no inherent Defense?
As for the Epics, I think Tenebrous Tentacles would be more useful now with the Burn and FE buffs, and Darkest Night would help survivability. I am interested in Blaze Mastery for straight up damage, particularly Fireball.