Am I missing something in the KM set?


Amy_Amp

 

Posted

I rolled my first KM scrapper (actually only my 2nd scrapper in almost 5 years so I'm by no means an expert) and I'm not sure if I'm doing something wrong with this set so far. The reason I think this is because of my total lack luster damage, which becomes very evident when I play with other scrappers. Does the KM set blossom later and start to shine, or is it always a mid level damage character?

I'm on my mac at work so I can't post my build, but here is a quick run down of my powers at lvl 12:

Quick strike (3 slotted)
Body blow (3 slotted)
Smashing Blow (3 slotted)
Repulsing Torrent (Just got it, and very unimpressed thus far)

WP powers:
High Pain Tolerance (2 slotted)
Mind Over Body (2 slotted)
Fast Healing (2 slotted)

Fitness:
Swift


 

Posted

You didn't take Power Siphon.

Power Siphon makes the set.

You took Repulsing Torrent.

Repulsing Torrent breaks the set.


Comrade Smersh, KGB Special Section 8 50 Inv/Fire, Fire/Rad, BS/WP, SD/SS, AR/EM
Other 50s: Plant/Thorn, Bots/Traps, DB/SR, MA/Regen, Rad/Dark - All on Virtue.

-Don't just rebel, build a better world, comrade!

 

Posted

the damage will seem poor until you start using power siphon. After that you'll see how high it can ramp up.

I felt the exact same way, btw (km/inv) - very weak out of the box.


Quote:
Originally Posted by Iggy_Kamakaze View Post
I hate to be the bringer of bad news... but Willpower sucks!!! you're better off rolling a regen
http://boards.cityofheroes.com/showthread.php?t=260718
^Professional Katana/regen build thread

 

Posted

Well...

Quick Strike is a really fast recharging attack, It's not going to deal heaps of damage.

Body Blow is also fairly fast, it does similar damage to other attacks at this level (In my experience)

Smashing Blow seems like any other T3 melee move.

Repulsing Torrent is known to be terrible damage and is often skipped.

You haven't got Power Siphon, which is the unique part of the set that gives you lots of +damage...


 

Posted

I'll get out of RT and into Power Siphon and see how it works out.

Thanks for the heads up


 

Posted

Most importantly for a KM scrapper is that the Tier 9 attack does not get a chance to crit, instead you get a chance to auto recharge siphon power. That means you want to use it a lot to take advantage of this auto recharge. Once I found this out on my scrapper and changed my playstyle up a bit, I noticed a big difference.


 

Posted

The other thing that helps KM for scrappers is that Concentrated Strike, instead of critting, has a 20% change to recharge Power siphon. So that gives PS an even better uptime. This obviously doesn't kick in until your 30s though.


 

Posted

Don't fear the cooldowns

It might help to think of them as being an average increase in damage over time. Suddenly Power Siphon turns from a two minute cooldown to a 12.5% damage bonus (guessing that 3 attacks = 3 stacks of 25% over the 20 sec duration). If that's still not enough, compare to 11% on Build Up (which is what most Scrapper sets get, excepting claws, dual blades and dark melee, the former two of which get basically permanent 37.5% through a 12s cooldown attack, the latter of which gets a mechanic I don't understand, never having used).

If you really want the knockback from repulsing torrent (and I know it's saved my hide on my scrapper more than a few times), pick up some temp powers. Grenades and plasmatic tasers especially spring to mind (AoE, alright damage, and do knockback).

EDIT

This is all stuff I pulled off City of Data and may be outdated.

Basically, cooldowns are good, cooldowns are your friend. They want to help you. Use them with reckless abandon.


 

Posted

Quote:
Originally Posted by Gulanzon View Post
Don't fear the cooldowns

Basically, cooldowns are good, cooldowns are your friend. They want to help you. Use them with reckless abandon.
Who calls them "cooldowns" outside of WoW land? O.o


Quote:
Originally Posted by Iggy_Kamakaze View Post
I hate to be the bringer of bad news... but Willpower sucks!!! you're better off rolling a regen
http://boards.cityofheroes.com/showthread.php?t=260718
^Professional Katana/regen build thread

 

Posted

1. You are level 12 and have them at best 3 slotted. At 12 this means 2 acc, and a end reduc at DO level. At least, based on how I slot early on.
2. You don't even have the heavy hitters yet.

Add in the previously well mentioned lack of Power Siphon and it's really not surprising you find it lack luster.


 

Posted

Aside from missing the best powers in the set, you're level 12. Complaining at level 12 is like saying the movie sucks while the previews are playing. Calm down, take a breath, and enjoy a set that kicks some serious ***.


They ALL float down here. When you're down here with us, you'll float too!

@Starflier

 

Posted

Quote:
Originally Posted by Elegost View Post
Who calls them "cooldowns" outside of WoW land? O.o
An ex-WoW player? Is there a problem, officer?


 

Posted

Quote:
Originally Posted by Starflier View Post
Aside from missing the best powers in the set, you're level 12. Complaining at level 12 is like saying the movie sucks while the previews are playing. Calm down, take a breath, and enjoy a set that kicks some serious ***.
There is no panic as of yet Star, so no need to cool down. I was just wondering what I was missing and if I was doing something wrong, which I found I was in fact doing something VERY wrong. Since switching I've found the set to be better. I understand that at lvl 12 I can't judge the set, but other scrappers and brutes I've played were dishing out far more damage at a similar level and given that I haven't seen a ton of complaints about this set, I knew it must be me, not the power set.

Someone earlier said something about the set having a "heavy hitter" but when I check future powers there isn't anything that does extreme damage. is this due to PS making it extreme damage?


 

Posted

Quote:
Originally Posted by Deathstroke33 View Post
Someone earlier said something about the set having a "heavy hitter" but when I check future powers there isn't anything that does extreme damage. is this due to PS making it extreme damage?
You need to look at the tier 9 again. Outside of Lightning Rod, I think it does the most damage with a single click of any scrapper attack set. Concentrated Strike deals 20% more damage than Head Splitter.


Why Blasters? Empathy Sucks.
So, you want to be Mental?
What the hell? Let's buff defenders.
Tactics are for those who do not have a big enough hammer. Wisdom is knowing how big your hammer is.

 

Posted

Quote:
Originally Posted by SynakulOne View Post
Im not sure what a cooldown is because im a coh player. Its like saying you want a coke when you mean pop in the north because a coke in the south means something different than coke in the north. Pop Vs Soda map.
everything is a Coke... it just has different flavors. Like Dr. Pepper....


YMMV---IMO
Ice Ember

 

Posted

Quote:
Originally Posted by StratoNexus View Post
You need to look at the tier 9 again. Outside of Lightning Rod, I think it does the most damage with a single click of any scrapper attack set. Concentrated Strike deals 20% more damage than Head Splitter.
But lacks the crit ability, which puts the others (at least a few) ahead, does it not?


BrandX Future Staff Fighter
The BrandX Collection

 

Posted

Quote:
Originally Posted by SynakulOne View Post
Im not sure what a cooldown is because im a coh player. Its like saying you want a coke when you mean pop in the north because a coke in the south means something different than coke in the north. Pop Vs Soda map.
Does Soda-Pop fall into the "Other" Category? I just call them soda, but I've heard people call them soda-pop! If I hadn't heard people call them soda-pop, I might have been thrown for a loop when I moved to "Pop" country!


BrandX Future Staff Fighter
The BrandX Collection

 

Posted

Quote:
Originally Posted by BrandX View Post
But lacks the crit ability, which puts the others (at least a few) ahead, does it not?
CS will never do extra damage true. A critical on other sets single target tier 9s will indeed outdamage CS. CS is still a big hitter and still an extreme damage attack.

The 20% chance to recharge Power Siphon is pretty nice too (and probably better than a true critical in the long run).


Why Blasters? Empathy Sucks.
So, you want to be Mental?
What the hell? Let's buff defenders.
Tactics are for those who do not have a big enough hammer. Wisdom is knowing how big your hammer is.

 

Posted

I've got a KM/SD to 50 and I can tell you I never had an issue with the power other than the animation (which, imo, looks bad with one or two hands). The damage has always been good, and being able to stack +150% dmg sooner (or keep it up that high, if desired) instead of critting is pretty great. I actually really like the power.


 

Posted

Quote:
Originally Posted by SynakulOne View Post
Im not sure what a cooldown is because im a coh player. Its like saying you want a coke when you mean pop in the north because a coke in the south means something different than coke in the north. Pop Vs Soda map.

Bahh that map is obviously a bunch of whooey. Here in New Orleans its all "Cold Drinks" youd think we'd get at least "other"


 

Posted

Quote:
Originally Posted by Stolid View Post
I've got a KM/SD to 50 and I can tell you I never had an issue with the power other than the animation (which, imo, looks bad with one or two hands). The damage has always been good, and being able to stack +150% dmg sooner (or keep it up that high, if desired) instead of critting is pretty great. I actually really like the power.
Hey, at least two-handed KM doesn't have missing frames like with one hand.

*car noises* OH **** SON MY HAND JUST TELEPORTED TO YOUR FACE


 

Posted

What still bugs me about KM is the long wind-ups make the attacks seem fake. Even though the activation times are no longer than the other sets, the impression is alot of hand-flapping for weaker damage. As for power-siphon, it seems weaker than say Soul Drain at least at lower levels. My question, does all this go away with faster recharging later on or does it always seem like weak damage-hand flapping?


Quixotik

"I did not say this. I am not here." -Guild Navigator

 

Posted

Quote:
Originally Posted by Quixotik View Post
What still bugs me about KM is the long wind-ups make the attacks seem fake. Even though the activation times are no longer than the other sets, the impression is alot of hand-flapping for weaker damage. As for power-siphon, it seems weaker than say Soul Drain at least at lower levels. My question, does all this go away with faster recharging later on or does it always seem like weak damage-hand flapping?
On teams especially, you won't get the full effect out of it because of others killing your ramp fodder before you can fully exploit PS. Solo, however, and after you get some recharge in the build (hasten alone will make a huge difference), it should start pushing ahead and stop feeling so weak. This is also of course after you get CS and get some slots in it, as stated multiple times now.
It gets much better. promise


Quote:
Originally Posted by Iggy_Kamakaze View Post
I hate to be the bringer of bad news... but Willpower sucks!!! you're better off rolling a regen
http://boards.cityofheroes.com/showthread.php?t=260718
^Professional Katana/regen build thread

 

Posted

If your Siphon Power gets recharged while you already have a Siphon Power chain going should you wait till the chain wears off or use it immediately>?