Claws has two ranged attacks that offer mitigation for an alpha strike. Claws feels to me like it is a more versatile set that will be easier in a way for a new player since they aren't dealing with combos. DB flows so well. It's the first of the flashy sets that have been added and part of it's fun is because of that. If Claws is my favorite set, DB and Kat are next.
Claws and Dual Blades may seem similar at first, but they play very differently, IMHO. I really like both sets, but the ranged aspect of Focus and Shockwave completely changes how I play Claws vs Dual Blades.
The combos for Dual Blades are very cool, but at times I find them rather limiting. You're pretty much locked in to a specific play style or you sacrifice a significant amount of damage. While Blinding Feint + Attack Vitals has some leeway, Sweep combo is extremely tight. Trying to pop off a few skittles or a "oh ****" power mid combo is dicey at best.
By comparison, Claws feels considerably more versatile. I can easily jump in with ST attack chain and switch to AoE carnage with out any real compromise. Focus can be used to lessen an alpha or snag a runner. Shockwave can be used to eliminate the alpha, AoE carnage, or as an "oh ****" power, in some cases all three simultaneously.
Both sets are great, though I would admit to favoring Claws. From my perspective, in any comparison, even numerical, the superiority of one over the other would be rather situational.
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Hrm, you don't sound like a Scrapper....|
Originally Posted by Motley_Cruel
I don't want to start any sort of battle or anything
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isn't claws like the best DPS set?
While it's possible that dual blades out damages claws (I haven't ran a side by side comparison, just saying), claws still has lower recharges on all their powers compared to other sets, so claws will attack more often. That and claws has two ranged attacks: One single target and one cone. Dual Blades has no ranged abilities at all outside of power pools.
DB does flow together nicely, though.
However Motley, if you can list a pro of DB being "not a wolverine clone" then I can list a pro of claws being "Not a deadpool clone." Fair?
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@Pinny
I wasn't trying to hate, Pinny 
My current main is a claws toon who is certainly not a wolvie clone, and my second is a DB who is certainly not a deadpool clone. All I meant was that I believe the claws set was what started the lawsuit against this company way back in the day, due to its similarity to a very well known character, and frankly, I can name a lot more people who fight with swords than with claws, and it feels less copyright infringe-y.
Still love both sets though.
There isn't much different from either set damage-wise other than the ranged attacks for Claws. Having played both the only thing I dislike is when part of an attack combo misses for Dual Blades, if you use combos. I like both, I just like Claws a lot more.
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Oddly enough the first article I ever read on CoH showed how easy it was to make Hulk and included an image of their knockoff.
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Originally Posted by Motley_Cruel
All I meant was that I believe the claws set was what started the lawsuit against this company way back in the day, due to its similarity to a very well known character
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My two favorite scrappers for the past year or more have been a DB/WP and a DB/claws! |
Originally Posted by Motley_Cruel
I don't want to start any sort of battle or anything, but I was just curious about all y'all's opinions on which of these two sets wins head to head (In terms of math or in terms of flava)
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[Edit: Okay, that should have read "...have been a DB/WP and a claws/WP!" I was apparently looking forward to playing one in-game instead of actually proofreading. Doh!
]Like most of my characters, I've worked them up to level 47 with [almost exclusively*] single origin enhancements before investing a billion or two in IO's once I decided I was going to play them a lot after 50.
With both SO's and VERY similarly slotted IO builds, it's my perception that the claws scrapper can eliminate a _/x8 spawn a little bit faster thanks to the higher damage from Spin, but that the DB scrapper can survive a higher level/x8 spawn thanks to the knockdown mitigation from Attack Vitals and Sweep.
With Dual Blades, if I alternate those two combos, focus on the boss and let my AoEs handle the rest of the mob, I can potentially knock the boss down with 3 of 6 attacks and knock down a bunch of minions with 2 of 6. Since they're simply knocked down and not away from the character, Rise to the Challenge keeps healing, whereas if they're knocked away with my claws scrapper's Shockwave, they're not.
And if the boss and/or some of the bad guys are knocked down and getting back up, they're not attacking me either, meaning I can usually set the difficulty one level higher with my DB scrapper.
Admittedly, I play the DB scrapper the most, and I've had a couple of claws/WP scrappers point out that if I used Shockwave and a nearby wall more often, I might get similar results.
Just my observations, with only willpower as a secondary. Your mileage may vary.
[*Since I've got way too many alts, I normally don't spend much time working on low-level IO builds as I'm levelling, preferring instead to throw some "Quality of Life" unique IO's into the build as needed. -KB for squishies, a lowish level Miracle or Numina's proc for endurance, and maybe a Performance Shifter proc or two as needed. If I decide I like the character at 47 or 50, I'll swap those out for some higher level ones and recycle the lower ones to a new alt; if the character never even looks like it will make it to 50 I just yank them, delete the character, and start anew.]
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30 level 50's: 12 scrappers, 7 other random melee types, 11 blaster/blapper/support squishies, two accounts, and a TON of altitis since 4/28/04
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Well, gee, a DB/Claws seems to settle the argument.. Why choose one when you can have both |
Originally Posted by Eldorado
My two favorite scrappers for the past year or more have been a DB/WP and a DB/claws!
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Nope. Kind of middle of the road, at least at the high end. Not sure about leveling and the like.|
Originally Posted by Pinny
isn't claws like the best DPS set?
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In a top end hyper-recharge build, Dual Blades beats Claws for DPS, while its medium recharge chain isn't too far behind Claws' hyper-recharge chain. Both will do just fine, though. I think of the sets as equal but different. I only have a Dual Blades at 50, but watching Claws in action, it looks like it could be more fun if you like to include movement as part of your mitigation and attack strategy.
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Because DB/claws would be a whirling juggernaut of total destruction, but with no defenses whatsoever? |
Originally Posted by _BAS_
Well, gee, a DB/Claws seems to settle the argument.. Why choose one when you can have both
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[Yes, that should have read "...have been a DB/WP and a claws/WP!" -- fixed it above, too. Ooops.]
"But it wasn't anything some purples and oranges and lots of screaming in fear couldn't handle." -- Werner
30 level 50's: 12 scrappers, 7 other random melee types, 11 blaster/blapper/support squishies, two accounts, and a TON of altitis since 4/28/04
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It sorta drives me nuts about DB's BF+AV chain (a very medium recharge chain) that the 2nd BF drops off just before the last SS and there's nothing you can do about it (outside of giving up AV). I find the better DPS chains just require too much global recharge, and it's hard to fit it in while trying to, say, maintain various def caps (for WP, as an example). Prolly a lot easier w/something like a DB/SR build.|
Originally Posted by Werner
In a top end hyper-recharge build, Dual Blades beats Claws for DPS, while its medium recharge chain isn't too far behind Claws' hyper-recharge chain. Both will do just fine, though. I think of the sets as equal but different. I only have a Dual Blades at 50, but watching Claws in action, it looks like it could be more fun if you like to include movement as part of your mitigation and attack strategy.
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My Claws isn't very high yet--only 25 or so. Seems there's more flexibility in the playstyle, not worrying about combos, and front loading either your highest DPA attacks after Follow Through, or Spin, or I guess a cone later on depending on the situation.
An Offensive Guide to Ice Melee
I really like my DB/SR, but, man, talk about tight builds. Also, he's not very IO'd yet, so he chews through an end bar in a hurry. I really like the style built into DB, and the damage is pretty hot if you line everything up correctly. Though, as mentioned above, misses really suck, so I find myself investing more into accuracy and to-hit than I would normally.
I don't want to start any sort of battle or anything, but I was just curious about all y'all's opinions on which of these two sets wins head to head (In terms of math or in terms of flava)
I chose these two sets because they are mechanically very similar.
For example
Claws:
Cheaper on the blue bar
Great animations
Nice mitigation
Better AoE
DB:
Better single target dmg (I think)
Combos are fun AND useful
More weapon customization
Not a wolvie rip-off
I have more for each, but I'd really love to see some numerical comparisons too