Melee in a cluster

So I joined a team last night on my lowbie Brute (she's tons of fun) and I encountered what could be properly described as a large annoyance rather than a problem (maybe)

So full team of various ATs = big clusters of mobs.

Even running in right off the bat along side the tanker, once the fight got going it was really hard to move because everyone, mobs/people/pets were solid and i'd find myself boxed in by somebody's robots or demons.

I don't want to hang back because that isn't what my Brute is about, she likes to get in there and smash, heck, she needs to get in there and smash, but with the solid wall of bodies be they person, pet or enemy i'm having trouble getting into the range I need to smash.
I do try pressing F to put me in range then jumping but on occasion I run the risk of aggro'ing the next big group before time.

Are there any other player found tricks I might be able to try?

Is this something that will not be such a big deal as I get higher and hopefully missions in teams will be less chaotic?

Is there some super secret power that will let me push people friendly and hostile just slightly out of my way?

The biggest things that helped me with this problem were:
- Combat Jumping + Hurdle ; good, unsuppressable maneuverability, a quick small jump or two and I can get myself to where I want.
- smooth framerate ; a consistant 40 frames per second or above, and positioning gets a lot easier.z

Teaming with more people forces the game to add more mobs to the mission. There is no way around that. The XP is much faster on a team, so don't avoid them, but don't try to be the only person doing everything either.

Turn off your taunt aura if you are not tanking. If you don't have a survivable powerset, you can do your job better by avoiding aggro and staying alive.

What you have experienced so far is pretty common. Take Combat Jumping, but plan a build out first. Refer to other builds on the forums before you try to tackle one on your own.

What they said. Also, depending on your powersets, you can also use Hover to place yourself. Hell, even a well slotted Hurdle should let you move around enough.

I always bind the key 'G' to target nearest enemy, it's next to 'F' to follow if I"m playing melee, helps a ton. Also C. Jumping like they said (and Hurdle too but nowadays you get it as an inherent).

If there is already a "main/lead/primary" tank, or someone who looks like they're taking the tanking role seriously, then I would just scrap. Unless the other tank is having a hard time staying alive, I don't see a reason to fight for the role of main tank. Let the main tank manage the aggro and I'll keep an eye out on the support team mates.

If the team is handling the spawn groups well, then once the existing spawn group is thinned down about 2/3rds, I would go out to the next group and pull them into the killing field.

Kill stuff before it kills you....also makes mob smaller.

The more I think about it the more I think it's just greed If there's a group of mobs and right in the centre is the boss I just have to have it!

Wow... my Brute is a selfish girl


How do Scrappers compare to Brutes? I know that if it's me vs a Tanker in a group then the Tanker would most likely be holding the aggro and taking the hits but me vs a Scrapper? surely it's me right?

*Edit* There was going to be a big rant about some Scrapper I teamed with but that's my annoyance not yours.

Shield scrappers can pull massive amounts of aggro and, if they attack at full speed, will be likely to hold the aggro away from you.

Invul scrappers can also aggro if they engage the group before you.

Other than that, you should be fine... I think.

What you're experiencing is the joy of grouping with a Mastermind in a small enclosed area.




It never gets better.

Brutes taunt things that they hit with any of their damaging attacks. Scrappers only have taunt in a few auras, so most of them tend to not draw aggro. Taunting is extremely effective at holding aggro from those without taunts.

It sounds like you weren't sure about what role you would be playing on a team when you chose to make a Brute. What exactly do you want to do? Hit stuff while someone else tanks? Be the most survivable tank in the fight?

Welcome to City of Heroes

If there aren't any Tankers on the team, my recommendation would be to get to the spawn first and start wailing away. Preferably to the middle or the rear of the mob, this way you can draw their backs towards the rest of your team. With Brute defense and HP, you should be able to hold out before help arrives.

The best way I have found to avoid what you've described is to simply jump over the baddies to the far side of the clump. If you have/get aggro then it helps your team by directing AoEs away from them. If you don't have aggro then at least you aren't bumping elbows with something that you can't attack.

Just be aware of other spawns. Don't try this if there are multiple spawns close together unless you know your team can handle the extra enemies.

Well I chose ss/fire because i'd read that not only being a good farm combo, it was something good for beginners. She will be my cash cow for any alts I get and more importantly, my smashing girl for when I just want to feel downright powerful and smash things.

I don't mind being the tank on a team if none other is available and after finding myself in such a position last night, being at the centre of the cluster rather than at the edge trying to get in was fun!

Once I get into the game a bit more I can foresee myself having an army of alts with many many Brutes included just so I can try out more complex or challenging combos.

I do want to get a respec done on her though as my first build took handclap which I barely used and found I didn't like much and the other build while lots of fun needs a slot overhaul. That may take some time though because I just can't find a team for the level 24 respec and then after well over a hour of asking in Virtue LFG Beta someone kindly told me that not many people do it unless it's something I can't remember

Respec trials are rare unless it happens to be the task force of the week. Check the announcements for the weekly strike targets.