Claws/SR Brute

To start, I'm new to this game (not to mmo's) and I'm still searching for a play style I love. I'm a melee DPS guy historically, and I love soloing since I have a full-time family. Still searching for a play style that I love. I love Rogue's in WoW, so I assumed I'd love stalker's in CoH, but I was wrong. What I loved about rogues was control, and 0 damage coming in with very high damage going out. Scrapper's are nice, but my first brute attempt (DM/WP) was so much fun. I will probably keep playing him, but I wanted to try a couple other things first before I push to 50 on my DM/WP. And thus a concept character is born (and as far as I can tell a non-standard combination).

I love claws, conceptually. My favorite line I ever heard about fighting is "speed wins". I like the idea of not getting hit. Thus, claws/sr... Female... Think Lady Deathshrike (faster/female wolverine).

I'm level 8 now, and I have my attack chain (first 3 + build-up) and combat jumping (quicker travel low endurance boost to defense for early level), and here's my current thought process.

Now, so far I'm a little squishy. I'm looking at the powers and I think I want everything. But since sr blooms late I'm putting off some of SR for right now, to build the attack chain first. I'm eyeballing Air Superiority, Combat Jumping, Aid Self, and Boxing->Tough->Weave to help mitigate the squish factor in SR while I'm building. I'd prefer to have it strong all the way through for Exemplaring after I'm all the way up. Rather not have to respec. I'm willing to use the 2 build system for an uber-50 build, and a second that's a exemplaring/time-travel build.

Here are my intentions :

Priorities
1. Attack chain
2. Endurance
3. Mez Prot
4. Damage mitigation via defense
5. Healing for defense failure/squishiness at early levels (Aid Self...)
6. Travel powers

Attack Chain

• Gotta hit to do damage, so accuracy is a must, but fury is your damage boost until you don't have other priorities for your slots.
• Build Up is a force multiplier, make sure it hits 2-3 acc, and 1 recharge to ensure it's on all the time.
• With DOs replace an acc with endrdx in basic attacks
• Add slots for damage later when they aren't necessary elsewhere

• Basically, I need enough recharge to run the SR toggles full time + mez prot + run my attack chain without running my endurance to 0 therefore :
• Stamina -> 3 EndMod
• toggles/attack chain endrdx

• Get it immediately at 10!

• If endurance is tight get autopower
• Otherwise get a toggle delay these till DOs/SOs
• Pick up combat jumping early for a nice boost to go with the Melee toggle, spec out later if necessary
• Early endrdx > defbuff on toggles
• As endurance gets looser defbuff > endrdx
• No more then 3 slots on auto
• No more than 4 slots on toggles

• Air Superiority > Combat Jumping for damage mitigation? I like this idea because it gives soft control and can replace an attack power early
• Boxing -> Tough -> Weave for defense purposes in the middle between SOs and IOs/Sets (16->30 range)?
• Aid Self early to mitigate squish factor in DO levels (14-25).

It seems like your prior MMO experience has you focusing on the right things in this build. Having played claws/sr to 50 (it's not as uncommon a combination as you might think), I just had a few thoughts. I'll randomly insert them below...

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Originally Posted by Warknite I'm level 8 now, and I have my attack chain (first 3 + build-up)

Don't skip Spin. It's an amazing attack to have at such a low level. I only have two of the first three single-target attacks (skipping Swipe, never missed it). Spin gives so much "oomph" throughout your playing career that you'll love it.

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and combat jumping (quicker travel low endurance boost to defense for early level)

It remains a great boost to defense for the cost. It's not, however, really worth slotting for jumping (which you mention later on). As a defense set it can take a lot of other very worthwhile IOs, though, like a LotG 7.5% recharge global and a Kismet +6% to-hit. The mobility it provides you is also great for setting up your cones.

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Now, so far I'm a little squishy.

All defense sets are, prior to getting fully slotted. That's why Spin is such a godsend; dead enemies don't do much damage.

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I'm looking at the powers and I think I want everything. But since sr blooms late I'm putting off some of SR for right now, to build the attack chain first.

I ended up skipping Swipe (as noted above) and Taunt (may pick it up when I respec to take advantage of inherent fitness, or may not - I haven't decided). I have everything from /SR, but almost never use Elude because I'm soft-capped to all positions without it. With /SR, that's not terribly hard to do, and you've got a lot of the pieces already in your plan (Tough for a Steadfast Protection 3% defense unique, Weave for more defense to all, and Combat Jumping for more defense to all). From there it just becomes a matter of leveraging IO set bonuses.

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I'm eyeballing Air Superiority, Combat Jumping, Aid Self, and Boxing->Tough->Weave

The only issue with Air Superiority is redraw. That, and you'll have enough other attacks that you really won't need it - and Focus (level 18) has amazing knockdown already. It's one of my single favorite attacks in the game. Aid Self... I leveled without it, but will pick it up when I respec for inherent fitness. Folks who solo AVs and Pylons with this combo seem to swear by it. The thing with Aid Self is that it's actually better at later levels, when your defenses are fully slotted. The reason is that it's interruptible, so counting on it when you're at your early squishiest is when you're most likely to try firing it off and get it interrupted by an incoming attack. Just something to think about. I'll let someone who actually took it while leveling comment on the optimal time to pick it up.

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1. Attack chain

You can almost have 2 separate attack chains with this combo - one single-target, and another pbaoe/cone. It's crazy-flexible.

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2. Endurance

Claws is one of the most end-friendly primaries I can think of.

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3. Mez Prot

2 recharge reducers (level 30 or above IOs) and set it to auto-fire. Excellent mez protection.

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4. Damage mitigation via defense 5. Healing for defense failure/squishiness at early levels (Aid Self...) 6. Travel powers

A reasonable priority list all the way around. I never took a real travel power, myself. I use Combat Jumping + Hurdle, and bought the pack with Ninja Run in it, so swap to Ninja Run when actually running around zones.

Your attack chain ideas also look good. You'd be fine with a melee damage set like Crushing Impact in Follow Up, though. With 5 pieces you've got 2 SO's worth of accuracy, 3 of damage, and one each of recharge and end reduction. You can then use the 6th slot for more recharge and/or accuracy, using some acc/rech/x piece from another set. Put differently, you don't have to skimp on damage to make Follow Up work really well for you.

Everything else looks like you've got a good grasp of the mechanics, so a lot of it from there will be "build to taste". Have fun with it - I know I did!

Hello, I've closed this thread due to being an accidental duplicate. Any further replies should be posted to this thread:

http://boards.cityofheroes.com/showthread.php?t=246263