Did you already make this character? If no, will Katana fit into your concept. If so, switching to Katana/Dark is adviseable.
EDIT: All of your objectives are obtainable on BS/DA or KAT/DA.
Get Atlas and Portal Jockey ASAP.
Plan on Miracle and Numina's Uniques.
Purchase Theft of the Essense: +End PROC ASAP.
You're gonna need a lot of Kinetic Combats and Reactive Armors. (not cheap)
Strongly recommend you take CoF.
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Sword/Dark is a great combination, and my current favorite. I consider Katana the slightly superior variety, but not by so much that it would be worth abandoning or changing a concept. Soft cap is doable (mine is) but not strictly necessary if you're willing to chug purples from 32.5%. Soft capping is difficult and WILL dominate the build if you go that direction - anticipate low recharge, and if you're on a budget, accuracy issues vs. difficult content, and possibly sacrificing your mez aura. Sticking with 32.5% should allow a more balanced build, though probably not as survivable outside of inspirations and/or buffs. Using Barrier for the last 5% is also an option, but by the time you're talking about incarnate powers, you're probably talking about incarnate content, and 45% becomes "high" instead of "soft cap".
For Sword/Dark, while arguable either way, I'd go with positional defense instead of typed defense, which would rule out Kinetic Combats and Reactive Armors. That probably has you looking at things like Eradication, Gaussian and Aegis instead. I agree with everything else Desmodos said, though.
Reference builds can be provided if desired. I have high budget and "low" budget positional soft cap builds saved, and if I remember correctly Desmodos has a very nice typed defense build available. But I can understand wanting to work it out for yourself.
"That's because Werner can't do maths." - BunnyAnomaly
"Four hours in, and I was no longer making mistakes, no longer detoggling. I was a machine." - Werner
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Thanks for the encouragement!
I do not think Katana will fit my concept; I will have to check on that. But no; I have not yet made this character but plan to early next month. My current project should be done by then: he is level 45 now with about 70% of his build completed. I just like to have a clear goal in mind for the character when I start out.
In my experience, 32.5% defense on top of a resist set is sufficient for most of the time and being a single Luck from 45% is great for the tough stuff. I prefer positional to typed just because and, since this build's basis is neutral (that is, decent starting defense to all, discounting Parry), I can just as easily go for positional defense as typed. Counting Parry would push it toward Positional anyway.
I am willing to skip one of the mez auras and neither is preferred, for concept reasons, over the other.
I do not anticipate acquiring the necessary IOs to be a problem. I am by no means rich, but I can adequately fund a build.
Once I have had time to make a decent build, I will bring it here for improvement.
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I also have an old BS/DA who has been been gathering dust for quite a while - he still has an old pre inherent fitness build. I've been trying to rework the build for more defense, and struggling...
Three points:
1. I have to have Cloak of Fear for the character concept, so took that instead of OG. This may change depending on what the new "ghost" aura looks like.
2. I've never been that impressed with death shroud, most things are dead long before the minor DOT does that much damage.
3. I have the cardiac alpha and probably will take the Ageless incarnate set,
so endurance will not be an issue.
I'd appreciate any suggestions.
What I've come up with so far. Still a work in progress -
Hero Plan by Mids' Hero Designer 1.93
http://www.cohplanner.com/
Click this DataLink to open the build!
Level 50 Magic Scrapper
Primary Power Set: Broad Sword
Secondary Power Set: Dark Armor
Power Pool: Flight
Power Pool: Speed
Power Pool: Fighting
Power Pool: Leaping
Ancillary Pool: Body Mastery
Hero Profile:
Level 1: Hack -- Mako-Acc/EndRdx/Rchg:40(A), Mako-Acc/Dmg/EndRdx/Rchg:40(3), Mako-Dam%:40(3), Mako-Acc/Dmg:40(7), Mako-Dmg/EndRdx:40(7), Mako-Dmg/Rchg:40(11)
Level 1: Dark Embrace -- RctvArm-ResDam:40(A), RctvArm-ResDam/EndRdx:40(13), RctvArm-ResDam/EndRdx/Rchg:40(13), RctvArm-ResDam/Rchg:40(46)
Level 2: Slice -- Sciroc-Acc/Dmg:50(A), Sciroc-Dmg/EndRdx:50(5), Sciroc-Dmg/Rchg:50(5), Sciroc-Acc/Rchg:50(9), Sciroc-Acc/Dmg/EndRdx:50(9), Sciroc-Dam%:50(11)
Level 4: Murky Cloud -- RctvArm-ResDam:40(A), RctvArm-ResDam/EndRdx:40(42), RctvArm-ResDam/Rchg:40(42), RctvArm-ResDam/EndRdx/Rchg:40(42)
Level 6: Fly -- Zephyr-Travel:50(A)
Level 8: Build Up -- GSFC-ToHit:50(A), GSFC-ToHit/Rchg:50(21), GSFC-ToHit/Rchg/EndRdx:50(21), GSFC-Rchg/EndRdx:50(37), GSFC-ToHit/EndRdx:50(37), GSFC-Build%:50(37)
Level 10: Hasten -- RechRdx(A)
Level 12: Obsidian Shield -- RctvArm-ResDam:40(A), RctvArm-ResDam/EndRdx:40(25), RctvArm-ResDam/EndRdx/Rchg:40(25), RctvArm-ResDam/Rchg:40(36)
Level 14: Parry -- RedFtn-Def/EndRdx:50(A), RedFtn-Def/Rchg:50(15), RedFtn-EndRdx/Rchg:50(15), RedFtn-Def/EndRdx/Rchg:50(17), RedFtn-Def:50(17), RedFtn-EndRdx:50(36)
Level 16: Dark Regeneration -- Sciroc-Acc/Rchg:50(A), Sciroc-Acc/Dmg/EndRdx:50(45), Sciroc-Dmg/Rchg:50(45), Sciroc-Dmg/EndRdx:50(45), Sciroc-Acc/Dmg:50(46)
Level 18: Whirling Sword -- Sciroc-Dmg/EndRdx:50(A), Sciroc-Dmg/Rchg:50(19), Sciroc-Acc/Dmg:50(19), Sciroc-Dam%:50(23), Sciroc-Acc/Dmg/EndRdx:50(23)
Level 20: Cloak of Darkness -- LkGmblr-Def:50(A), LkGmblr-Def/EndRdx:50(43), LkGmblr-Rchg+:50(48), LkGmblr-Def/EndRdx/Rchg:50(48)
Level 22: Kick -- Empty(A)
Level 24: Tough -- Aegis-ResDam/Rchg:50(A), Aegis-ResDam/EndRdx:50(34), Aegis-ResDam:50(40), S'fstPrt-ResKB:30(43), S'fstPrt-ResDam/Def+:30(43)
Level 26: Disembowel -- Mako-Acc/Dmg:50(A), Mako-Dmg/EndRdx:50(27), Mako-Dmg/Rchg:50(27), Mako-Acc/EndRdx/Rchg:50(29), Mako-Acc/Dmg/EndRdx/Rchg:50(29), Mako-Dam%:50(31)
Level 28: Weave -- LkGmblr-Def:50(A), LkGmblr-Def/EndRdx:50(31), LkGmblr-Rchg+:50(31)
Level 30: Combat Jumping -- LkGmblr-Def:50(A), LkGmblr-Def/EndRdx:50(50), LkGmblr-Def/EndRdx/Rchg:50(50)
Level 32: Head Splitter -- Oblit-Dmg:50(A), Oblit-Acc/Rchg:50(33), Oblit-Dmg/Rchg:50(33), Oblit-Acc/Dmg/Rchg:50(33), Oblit-Acc/Dmg/EndRdx/Rchg:50(34), Oblit-%Dam:50(34)
Level 35: Super Speed -- EndRdx-I:50(A)
Level 38: Cloak of Fear -- SipInsght-ToHitDeb:50(A), SipInsght-Acc/ToHitDeb:50(39), SipInsght-Acc/Rchg:50(39), SipInsght-ToHitDeb/EndRdx/Rchg:50(39), SipInsght-Acc/EndRdx/Rchg:50(40), SipInsght-%ToHit:50(40)
Level 41: Super Jump -- Zephyr-ResKB:50(A)
Level 44: Conserve Power -- RechRdx-I:50(A)
Level 47: Physical Perfection -- EndMod-I:50(A)
Level 49: Soul Transfer -- Oblit-%Dam:50(A)
------------
Level 1: Brawl -- Empty(A)
Level 1: Critical Hit
Level 1: Sprint -- Empty(A)
Level 2: Rest -- Empty(A)
Level 2: Swift -- Empty(A)
Level 2: Health -- Mrcl-Rcvry+:40(A), Numna-Regen/Rcvry+:50(46)
Level 2: Hurdle -- Empty(A)
Level 2: Stamina -- P'Shift-EndMod:50(A), P'Shift-End%:50(36), EndMod(48), EndMod(50)
Level 4: Ninja Run
Code:
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131430 Starfare: First Contact
178774 Tales of Croatoa: A Rose By Any Other Name ( 2009 MA Best In-Canon Arc ) ( 2009 Player Awards - Best Serious Arc )
Quote:
I doubt you'll need Ageless. Cardiac does amazing things on its own.|
Originally Posted by Hercules
1. I have to have Cloak of Fear for the character concept, so took that instead of OG. This may change depending on what the new "ghost" aura looks like.
2. I've never been that impressed with death shroud, most things are dead long before the minor DOT does that much damage. 3. I have the cardiac alpha and probably will take the Ageless incarnate set, so endurance will not be an issue. I'd appreciate any suggestions. |
Death Shroud is great. As a rough guess, it's pumping out about 10% of your DPS, but as a PBAoE. If you fight crowds, it's going to be a significant percentage of your damage output. This can be confirmed with Herostats, and I believe has been by several people (I've never bothered). Plus, it gets that AoE damage for the endurance cost of a single-target attack. Damage auras are great, great powers.
That said, they're not unskippable if you don't like them, just like other AoE attacks aren't unskippable. You'll have to check how well it translates, but if you take this Katana/Dark, swap it for Broad Sword, put in Hack instead of Slash, and then move things around so that you replace Death Shroud with Cloak of Fear, you'll be very close to soft cap on all positions. Melee will be too high, and Ranged will be too low. So you'd just need to fiddle to fix that. I've also not checked recharge on the attacks to make sure you can pull off a good chain. Not that you'd play exactly this necessarily, but it can at least make a reference point for a budget soft cap build requiring only a single Parry to soft cap. I think it's a very good example of what it is, and the main debate is probably whether or not the soft cap here was worth the sacrifices (such as, in your case, Death Shroud).
This was not made by me. It was made by Ramia Angriffe with a couple modifications by Iggy Kamakaze.
Code:
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"That's because Werner can't do maths." - BunnyAnomaly
"Four hours in, and I was no longer making mistakes, no longer detoggling. I was a machine." - Werner
Videos of Other Stupid Scrapper Tricks
Quote:
If you want a defense build, I strongly recommend you keep CoF over OG. 2 specific reasons; 1) The to hit debuffs applied by CoF add directly to your defense. With low levels of defense, the to hit debuff is insignificant. At high levels of defense, they become extremely significant. Think of the difference between 40% defense vs 45% defense. 2) Many of the sets that can be slotted into CoF have large defense bonuses, and are extremely cheap.|
Originally Posted by Hercules
I also have an old BS/DA who has been been gathering dust for quite a while - he still has an old pre inherent fitness build. I've been trying to rework the build for more defense, and struggling...
Three points: 1. I have to have Cloak of Fear for the character concept, so took that instead of OG. This may change depending on what the new "ghost" aura looks like. |
Quote:
| 2. I've never been that impressed with death shroud, most things are dead long before the minor DOT does that much damage. |
Quote:
|
3. I have the cardiac alpha and probably will take the Ageless incarnate set, so endurance will not be an issue. |
Quote:
|
I'd appreciate any suggestions. What I've come up with so far. Still a work in progress - |
The distinction being the "Ramia Angriffe + Iggy" mod build actually achieves something for that sacrifice; soft cap with strong damage out put and easy endurance management.
My objections to such a build design is the lack of defense debuff resistance; since you've abandoned all of Dark Armor's strengths, when it occurs the build is obliterated.
You can build BS/DA for soft cap to positional or typed with out sacrifices the builds strengths. I prefer typed for the ease of slotting (it uses less slots), but either option works fine. I'll post and example of both shortly.
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Quote:
Vastly oversimplifying, a soft cap build takes half as much damage but heals half as fast as a something merely near the soft cap that can have much higher recharge. The approaches are roughly comparable until you get defense debuffed, and which point both are taking damage at roughly the same rate, and that sacrificed recharge is suddenly a HUGE issue.|
Originally Posted by Desmodos
My objections to such a build design is the lack of defense debuff resistance; since you've abandoned all of Dark Armor's strengths, when it occurs the build is obliterated.
|
All isn't lost, of course. Melee and lethal defense start much higher than the soft cap if you double stack Parry. Since many defense debuffs are lethal, cascading defense failure from moderate debuffs has a hard time getting started. When you notice defense debuffs, you can hit Parry more frequently. If that's insufficient, and you have it, you can hit Barrier, which should be plenty to interrupt at least one cascade.
On the other hand, if we're counting Barrier, then that build that was near the soft cap now spends much to all of its time AT the soft cap. Now you have to be taking on incarnate content for the soft cap build to matter... but wait, because in incarnate content, that soft cap build isn't so soft capped any more. And so it goes.
Basically, it's arguable either way, and you really need to get down to specifics about what you're fighting to figure out which one is superior in that specific situation.
But regardless, the soft cap approach DOES make the build less of a Dark Armor build, and more of something else. So gut hatred of the approach is perfectly reasonable, probably in comparison to your love for Dark Armor.
Quote:
|
Originally Posted by Desmodos
You can build BS/DA for soft cap to positional or typed with out sacrifices the builds strengths. I prefer typed for the ease of slotting (it uses less slots), but either option works fine. I'll post and example of both shortly.
|
But in the incarnate world, it's both too good and not good enough. With perma Barrier, it has too much defense for regular content, and still not enough for incarnate content. Mind you, it's fine for incarnate content in practice due to the number of defense buffs flying around, and the availability of inspirations, but I try not to consider those things. I'm hoping for solo incarnate content some day since I hate teaming.
"That's because Werner can't do maths." - BunnyAnomaly
"Four hours in, and I was no longer making mistakes, no longer detoggling. I was a machine." - Werner
Videos of Other Stupid Scrapper Tricks
Quote:
Yes and no. Outside of Incarnate content, defense debuffs are not that uncommon. Against say Cimmerorans, you can still rely Parry to sure up the debuffs. Even if debuffed thru parry, you still have significant amounts Smash/Lethal resistance.|
Originally Posted by Werner
Vastly oversimplifying, a soft cap build takes half as much damage but heals half as fast as a something merely near the soft cap that can have much higher recharge. The approaches are roughly comparable until you get defense debuffed, and which point both are taking damage at roughly the same rate, and that sacrificed recharge is suddenly a HUGE issue.
|
Now compare that to PPDs or Vanguard to a lesser extent. Many of their attacks have -defense and energy damage. While Murky Cloud offers very little energy resistance, you need every bit. At this point, the absence of mez toggle severely cripples your survivablity. Under slotted MC and no mez toggle means Dark Regeneration is your sole source of survivablity. Yes, this is the extreme end of the spectrum, but this occurs frequently to a lesser degree against Long Bow and Arachnos mobs.
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I do have and use Cloak of Fear on my personal build, but it doesn't seem that useful against Arachnos. Or maybe I'm underestimating how nasty it would be if I turned it off. The main problem is the Tarantula Mistresses, who I believe are using a non-positional psi massive defense debuff (my psi defense is 27%). I can usually soldier on if one hits. If two hit, I might as well run (or chug purples, or hit Barrier).
I do think the lack of Cloak of Fear is one of the main problems with Ramia's build. I understand why it was sacrificed (soft cap on a budget, conserve endurance), but it makes me a very sad panda. I'd almost rather sacrifice Death Shroud. Almost. Hopefully there's a low-budget way to fix it without sacrificing either. I suppose relying on perma Barrier is one easy fix. That frees up a ton of space in the build, I'm sure.
"That's because Werner can't do maths." - BunnyAnomaly
"Four hours in, and I was no longer making mistakes, no longer detoggling. I was a machine." - Werner
Videos of Other Stupid Scrapper Tricks
Hello,
I'm just about done with my tanker project and I'm thinking about working on a scrapper next. For concept reasons I am looking at Broadsword and Dark Armor and I'm wondering: What challenges will I be facing with this character? Obviously, endurance will be an issue. But beyond that, do these sets work together well? At least, do they avoid stepping on each other's toes?
I've done some reading on Dark Armor and I have a short list of must-have IOs; namely, some form of -kb, the +Recovery uniques and the +End procs.
As a goal, I will probably go for positional defense bonuses to 45% or, failing that, 32.5% to all. Then as much recharge as I can reasonably fit.
Is this too ambitious? Not ambitious enough? I would like to handle normal content at least +2x5, and do well on incarnate stuff. I don't feel driven to have necessarily the best build out there, but I would like to be capable of almost anything (within reason).
Note that I am not looking for a build, just some pointers. It will probably be next month when I start on this, as my wife is due to give birth to our third newb some time this week.
Thanks in advance.
-AYB
"If this is to be our end, then I would have them make such an end, as to be worthy of remembrance."
In-game at @AYB
Check it out: http://youtu.be/gAJlQ6o8p9g