Unstoppable!
By
A Man In Black,
Posted on: 2011-06-18 17:09 in Archetypes and Powers General Discussion
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It is important that your character is very tough, very destructive, or can keep going without pauses? All of these things are "unstoppable", but different sets specialize in each. I'd recommend a brute, in any case; the way Fury works, you're encouraged to keep fighting and wrecking things to maintain your ability to wreck things. That doesn't mean a tanker can't work; tankers are tougher by default (and tend to be somewhat tougher, even at the high end), and they're encouraged to be attacking everything (if not actually defeating everything themselves) and shrugging off the retaliation.|
Originally Posted by Antares_NA
I want to make an unstoppable killing machine in the vein of Bane, Killer Croc, Metallo, Darkseid, etc.
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For a very tough character, Invulnerability is your best bet. (The only set that's tougher is Stone Armor, but Stoners are sloooooooooow.) Invuln is a bit slow to develop, but once you have all the key powers slotted it's a juggernaut. A nice bonus is that you're harder to kill the more enemies are around you. Invulnerability contributes no damage, however, so between that and Stone Melee you're not going to do a lot of damage.
For a very tough and destructive set, there's Dark Armor. Dark Armor is respectably tough, and has an aura that damages enemies who approach you and self-rez that does a huge stun to any enemies near your body when you get up. The downside is that it's a huge endurance hog, and paired with Stone Melee (which is also an end hog), you're going to need either careful IO slotting or endurance breaks.
For a destructive character that keeps going and going, I suggest Electric Armor. Electric Armor is also respectably tough and has a damage aura, plus it has two nice tools to keep endurance use in check. You also get runspeed and attack speed boosts. It's going to feel really, really end-heavy early on, though, since you don't get your first endurance tools until level 28 as a brute. (I do love ElA, though. I'm working on a comprehensive guide to it here.)
Willpower has well-balanced defenses and some of the best endurance tools in the game, so you can keep going and going and going. The set is based on regenerating damage faster than you take it, with an aura that heals you even faster when you're surrounded. Also, it doesn't involve any clicky abilities, so you never feel like you have to "play" it when you'd rather be attacking. The only caveat is that, as a regen-based set, a lot of damage all at once can overwhelm you.
Shield Defense is destructive (with a shield charge nuke and an aura that increases your damage when you're surrounded) and tough at the high end, but feels very squishy at low levels. Fiery Aura is exceedingly destructive but very end-heavy and can often feel squishy at all levels. Super Reflexes and Energy Aura don't seem to fit your description at all.
In any event, any of these powersets can solo as either a brute or a tanker. Brutes solo better, as they do more damage, but tankers can also solo, usually by fighting larger groups and AOEing them all down (if slowly, in some cases). The worst soloer would probably be an Inv/SM tanker, not because it can't defeat things, but it defeats them by erosion rather than smashing.
Stone/invuln would be pretty freaking unstoppable, all right. Can it solo too? It sure can, in the sense that the foes laid before you have no way to prevent you from eventually reaching and smiting them. One might say that a glacier is unstoppable in much the same way. If you're a tree in the valley beneath it, there isn't a lot you can do about it. Think happy thoughts about global warming, mainly.
However, if you want to solo fast, you probably will want to go for stone/elec or elec/stone, of the two. Fault adds survivability to any set, but invuln is strong enough all by itself. Elec can also be plenty strong with no primary mitigation but it doesn't hurt either, and you get a damage aura that will do far and away more aoe damage than anything in stone melee can ever dream of. I also suspect that an elec/stone tanker would solo a good deal faster than a stone/invuln brute.
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Tankers solo well, if slower than scrappers.|
Originally Posted by Antares_NA
I want to make an unstoppable killing machine in the vein of Bane, Killer Croc, Metallo, Darkseid, etc.
I've already decided on Stone Melee. Should I go /Invulnerable or /Electric Armor Brute OR Should I go Invulnerable/ or *something* Tanker? (Do Tankers solo well?) |
I've got a Willpower/Stone Melee, and the only thing that keeps me at +0/x3 is the fact that I have no AoE yet. I imagine that once I get tremor slotted, things will speed up a bit. I really like the set, though. It just feels like it hits hard. I've played sets that do more damage, but they feel weaker.
The advantage of a brute is getting Tremor at level 32 instead of level 35. Not a huge gap there.
Willpower is one of the stronger sets for brutes because the more hit points you have, the more regeneration does for you. And it has resurgence, which seems classic for a villain. Sure, you think you've beaten Metallo, but the moment you turn your back, he gets right back up.
Invulnerability/Stone Melee wouldn't be a bad choice, but it is 35 levels without AoE. Also, it'll ache for endurance. My Willpower/Stone has Quick Recovery 3 slotted, Stamina 2 slotted, and about 30% Endurance reduction on all my attacks and I still run low on endurance now and then. Without any slots for endurance reduction, with the Willpower toggles plus Tough and Weave costs 1.48 end/sec while the Invulnerability toggles plus Tough and Weave cost 1.38 end/sec.
Electric Armour at least gets you AoE at level 1, and a little bit of endurance management at 12 with more at 26.
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*chuckle* |
Originally Posted by PleaseRecycle
One might say that a glacier is unstoppable in much the same way. If you're a tree in the valley beneath it, there isn't a lot you can do about it. Think happy thoughts about global warming, mainly.
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We really need more .sig space.
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I disagree. An attack that misses does no damage, and Invincibility adds +ToHit for each enemy near you.
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Originally Posted by A Man In Black
Invulnerability contributes no damage, however
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@Roderick
Stone/elec because /elec deals with the two biggest issues Stone has, slower recharges and end cost. It also gives Stone additional AoE. Stone brings nice mitigation to /elec as well.
I'll agree that Stone/Elec will likely get you what you want, but I will say my Inv/Stone is just ridiculous, even without set bonuses.
They ALL float down here. When you're down here with us, you'll float too!
@Starflier
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Your attacks should be properly slotted for accuracy by 28. It's only helping you against the occasional high-def enemy or against to-hit debuffs, and at that point you can argue that Ice Armor's resistance to slow helps your damage, Elec's resistance to end drain helps you continue attacking, or that defense sets' tendency to avoid miscellaneous debuffs helps your damage, etc. Technically true, but not a noticeable contributor to damage in the vast majority of situations and not what most people would think of when they read "more damage".
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Originally Posted by Roderick
I disagree. An attack that misses does no damage, and Invincibility adds +ToHit for each enemy near you.
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As a person whose first 50 was an invuln/SM tanker, I must say this: QFT. |
Originally Posted by A Man In Black
The worst soloer would probably be an Inv/SM tanker, not because it can't defeat things, but it defeats them by erosion rather than smashing.
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I soloed him 80% of the time, too. It took me over a year to hit 50.
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Agreed. They mesh very well together. To add (a little)....as a brute in smash mode +run speed in ELA is a nice perk too.
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Originally Posted by Amy_Amp
Stone/elec because /elec deals with the two biggest issues Stone has, slower recharges and end cost. It also gives Stone additional AoE. Stone brings nice mitigation to /elec as well.
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My pick would be electric armour to go with it. Power Sink is just freaking epic, and of course, you get lightning reflexes to boost recharge.
With tough from the fighting pool, you can hit about 80% smashing and lethal resist. With cardiac you can then take it to just short of 90% and there must be some set bonuses to hardcap you to smashing and lethal.
Stone attacks pack a mean wallop and so will not lack damage, but they need the End to carry them off. Electric Armour can sort that for you. The downside is, Elec has no defence, at all. So you're going to need to spend spend spend, on those sets to get defences. You'll definately need weave from the fighting pool, and you'll also need manouvres too from leadership if possible, and maybe something else from the pool set to squeeze out a bit more defence.
I have an elec / WM tank and an Invul / SS Tanker, and I project and anticipate, when I am finished with my Elec, she will be a bit more powerful over all than my Invul / SS will be and Im not trying to make that happen either. The Invul he is a beast, he is nigh unstoppable himself, and packs some mean damage output, enough to make an SO scrapper take note.
Electric Armour is an expensive power set to roll with to really get that genuine unstoppable feeling, but, I don't think you'll be disapointed with it. The only thing, stay well away from the Devouring Earth, that toxic damage, its really gonna hurt you!
Invulnerability on the other hand, as far as taking physical damage goes its unmatched, its fire, cold, energy, negative and toxic resistances are rather poor though, without any kind of bonuses or sets, you'll maybe squeeze 32% for each of them. Though I did manage to boost my Invul's fire and cold resistance to about 40% thru the sets and Cardiac Alpha's secondary damage resistance effects. I've got about 40% ish, defence for fire and cold, so, using a few lucks and small oranges I can fire farm with him. Not to the level a fire aura tanker can, but I can be passable at it. Plus when the exrement meets the fan... there is always Unstoppable. But I tend to avoid using that as the crash is just nightmarish.
With either, you're going to go through enemies like a bird goes through fresh air. But I would lean toward electric personally, power surge, your final power that is a monster of a crash also, but, its as good as Unstoppable on Invul.
Invulnerability is a late bloomer, becoming really powerful after Invincibility and Tough Hide (AKA moar DDR). Once you got those powers are very tough to take down.
Willpower is also an amazing choice but it doesn't feel unstoppable, it feels unflinchable.
Whining about everything since 2006.
Ammo switching for Dual Pistols was my idea:
http://boards.cityofheroes.com/showthread.php?t=135484
Bah, I hate you all.
Picked up the name Thunderground and had to make a Stone/Elec brute.
They ALL float down here. When you're down here with us, you'll float too!
@Starflier
I'd go stone/elec because stone melee uses a lot of endurance, and electric and help with that.
I gotta make pain. I gotta make things right. I gotta stop what's comin'. 'Least I gotta try.
It's not Strong and Pretty, why even play it?
Whining about everything since 2006.
Ammo switching for Dual Pistols was my idea:
http://boards.cityofheroes.com/showthread.php?t=135484
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Stone Melee is solid damage, not the best, but still good. More importantly, it just feels right. The screen shake works better for stone than it does for Super Strength, when I hit something with Stone Melee, it just works.|
Originally Posted by Vel_Overload
It's not Strong and Pretty, why even play it?
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And with power set customization, it can be pretty.
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It will bloom late(Energize at 28, Power Sink at 35), but once it kicks in....
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Originally Posted by Starflier
Bah, I hate you all.
Picked up the name Thunderground and had to make a Stone/Elec brute. |
elec armor single handedly fixed my altitis, true story 
my km/eleA brute is awesome, i've been working on a sm/wp, but it's a little slow going compared to elec armor, hadn't thought of that combo at all.
Oh yeah, that was the time that girl got her whatchamacallit stuck in that guys dooblickitz and then what his name did that thing with the lizards and it cleared right up.
screw your joke, i want "FREEM"
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And *whooosh* goes the joke.|
Originally Posted by MajorDecoy
Stone Melee is solid damage, not the best, but still good. More importantly, it just feels right. The screen shake works better for stone than it does for Super Strength, when I hit something with Stone Melee, it just works.
And with power set customization, it can be pretty. |
"STRONG and PRETTY" = Mace/Energy Aura Brute. Forum meme, and referenced by the BAF badge.
http://www.fimfiction.net/story/36641/My-Little-Exalt
I want to make an unstoppable killing machine in the vein of Bane, Killer Croc, Metallo, Darkseid, etc.
I've already decided on Stone Melee.
Should I go /Invunlerable or /Electric Armor Brute
OR
Should I go Invunlerable/ or *something* Tanker? (Do Tankers solo well?)