SS/FA: One Build For Everything


Aneurysmo

 

Posted

So, recently I started a thread asking what archtype and powersets they felt could do everything. So far there have a been a variety of answers, but the largest porition seem to agree that SS/FA/Soul or Mu brutes are the best way to go.

I have tons and tons of characters. I have several just for farming, a few just for fun, and some just, because I was curious.

I find myself in the position where I'd really like to have one character I can dedicate myself too and do as much as I possibly can with it. I'd like to be able to solo the ITF, TFs/SFs, farm, solo AV's, and GMs. I'd like to do this with one character with one build.

I know that seems like a lot to ask, but I'd like to see if it is at all possible. I've looked in to SS/FA builds and I've seen quite a few, but it seems most of them are soley dedicated to farming or just PvE.

So, I've worked to see if I could piece together a build that might be sufficent for everything. My main concern with the build, currently, is that the build may not have enough HP or recharge. Everything that I've placed in the build are things I already have, I plan to purchase purple sets to improve the build more later.

What I am interested in right now, is advice on my slotting and IO choices and whether or not there is anyway I can make this build better for an all purpose build. I've posted the build below. I appreciate any and all assistance. Thank you very much.

Villain Plan by Mids' Villain Designer 1.942
http://www.cohplanner.com/

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Catch All Build: Level 50 Technology Brute
Primary Power Set: Super Strength
Secondary Power Set: Fiery Aura
Power Pool: Leaping
Power Pool: Speed
Power Pool: Fighting
Power Pool: Concealment
Ancillary Pool: Soul Mastery

Villain Profile:
Level 1: Punch

  • (A) Kinetic Combat - Accuracy/Damage
  • (3) Kinetic Combat - Damage/Endurance
  • (3) Kinetic Combat - Damage/Recharge
  • (5) Kinetic Combat - Damage/Endurance/Recharge
  • (48) Crushing Impact - Accuracy/Damage/Endurance
Level 1: Fire Shield
  • (A) Reactive Armor - Resistance
  • (5) Reactive Armor - Resistance/Endurance
  • (7) Reactive Armor - Endurance/Recharge
  • (7) Reactive Armor - Resistance/Endurance/Recharge
  • (9) Steadfast Protection - Knockback Protection
Level 2: Haymaker
  • (A) Kinetic Combat - Accuracy/Damage
  • (9) Kinetic Combat - Damage/Endurance
  • (11) Kinetic Combat - Damage/Endurance/Recharge
  • (11) Kinetic Combat - Damage/Recharge
  • (48) Crushing Impact - Accuracy/Damage/Endurance
Level 4: Healing Flames
  • (A) Doctored Wounds - Heal
  • (13) Doctored Wounds - Heal/Endurance
  • (13) Doctored Wounds - Heal/Recharge
  • (15) Doctored Wounds - Heal/Endurance/Recharge
  • (15) Doctored Wounds - Recharge
Level 6: Blazing Aura
  • (A) Eradication - Damage
  • (17) Eradication - Accuracy/Damage/Recharge
  • (19) Eradication - Accuracy/Damage/Endurance/Recharge
  • (19) Eradication - Damage/Recharge
  • (21) Endurance Reduction IO
  • (21) Endurance Reduction IO
Level 8: Knockout Blow
  • (A) Kinetic Combat - Accuracy/Damage
  • (23) Kinetic Combat - Damage/Endurance
  • (23) Kinetic Combat - Damage/Recharge
  • (25) Kinetic Combat - Damage/Endurance/Recharge
  • (48) Crushing Impact - Damage/Endurance/Recharge
Level 10: Combat Jumping
  • (A) Luck of the Gambler - Defense
  • (25) Luck of the Gambler - Defense/Endurance
  • (27) Luck of the Gambler - Recharge Speed
Level 12: Temperature Protection
  • (A) Steadfast Protection - Resistance/+Def 3%
  • (29) Steadfast Protection - Knockback Protection
Level 14: Super Jump
  • (A) Blessing of the Zephyr - Knockback Reduction (4 points)
Level 16: Plasma Shield
  • (A) Reactive Armor - Resistance
  • (17) Reactive Armor - Resistance/Recharge
  • (27) Reactive Armor - Resistance/Endurance
  • (29) Reactive Armor - Endurance
Level 18: Hasten
  • (A) Recharge Reduction IO
  • (31) Recharge Reduction IO
Level 20: Rage
  • (A) Adjusted Targeting - To Hit Buff/Recharge
Level 22: Consume
  • (A) Performance Shifter - Accuracy/Recharge
  • (33) Performance Shifter - EndMod
  • (33) Performance Shifter - EndMod/Accuracy/Recharge
  • (33) Performance Shifter - EndMod/Recharge
Level 24: Boxing
  • (A) Kinetic Combat - Accuracy/Damage
  • (31) Kinetic Combat - Damage/Endurance
  • (42) Kinetic Combat - Damage/Recharge
  • (50) Kinetic Combat - Damage/Endurance/Recharge
Level 26: Tough
  • (A) Reactive Armor - Resistance
  • (34) Reactive Armor - Resistance/Endurance
  • (34) Reactive Armor - Endurance
  • (34) Reactive Armor - Resistance/Endurance/Recharge
Level 28: Burn
  • (A) Obliteration - Accuracy/Damage/Endurance/Recharge
  • (36) Obliteration - Damage/Recharge
  • (36) Obliteration - Accuracy/Damage/Recharge
  • (36) Obliteration - Accuracy/Recharge
  • (37) Obliteration - Chance for Smashing Damage
  • (50) Obliteration - Damage
Level 30: Weave
  • (A) Luck of the Gambler - Defense
  • (31) Luck of the Gambler - Defense/Endurance/Recharge
  • (37) Luck of the Gambler - Defense/Endurance
  • (37) Luck of the Gambler - Recharge Speed
Level 32: Foot Stomp
  • (A) Obliteration - Accuracy/Damage/Endurance/Recharge
  • (39) Multi Strike - Accuracy/Damage/Endurance
  • (39) Multi Strike - Damage/Endurance/Recharge
  • (39) Obliteration - Accuracy/Damage/Recharge
  • (40) Eradication - Accuracy/Damage/Endurance/Recharge
  • (40) Force Feedback - Chance for +Recharge
Level 35: Fiery Embrace
  • (A) Recharge Reduction IO
  • (40) Recharge Reduction IO
Level 38: Stealth
  • (A) Luck of the Gambler - Recharge Speed
Level 41: Gloom
  • (A) Decimation - Accuracy/Damage/Recharge
  • (42) Decimation - Accuracy/Damage
  • (42) Decimation - Accuracy/Endurance/Recharge
  • (43) Decimation - Damage/Endurance
  • (43) Decimation - Chance of Build Up
Level 44: Rise of the Phoenix
  • (A) Endurance Modification IO
Level 47: Invisibility
  • (A) Luck of the Gambler - Recharge Speed
Level 49: Grant Invisibility
  • (A) Luck of the Gambler - Recharge Speed
Level 0: Born In Battle
Level 0: High Pain Threshold
Level 0: Invader
Level 0: Marshal
Level 50: Spiritual Core Paragon
Level 50: Barrier Core Epiphany
------------
Level 1: Brawl
  • (A) Empty
Level 1: Fury
Level 1: Sprint
  • (A) Empty
Level 2: Rest
  • (A) Empty
Level 4: Ninja Run
Level 2: Swift
  • (A) Run Speed IO
Level 2: Health
  • (A) Miracle - Heal
  • (43) Miracle - Heal/Endurance
  • (45) Miracle - +Recovery
  • (45) Numina's Convalescence - Heal
  • (45) Numina's Convalescence - Heal/Endurance
  • (46) Numina's Convalescence - +Regeneration/+Recovery
Level 2: Hurdle
  • (A) Jumping IO
Level 2: Stamina
  • (A) Performance Shifter - EndMod
  • (46) Performance Shifter - EndMod/Recharge
  • (46) Performance Shifter - Chance for +End
  • (50) Performance Shifter - EndMod/Accuracy


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Posted

Your ST attacks need 5 slots so that you can make up for what Kin Combats lack for. Punch can be an exception to this as your goal long term is to run the Burn Gloom Haymaker KoB Gloom Haymaker chain with Footstomp as needed so Punch doesn't need optimal slotting.

Lose the Regen Tissue Unique, it is the biggest waste of money in the game. If your trying to cram as much +hp as possible in then 3 each of Numina and Miracle works very nice in a 6 slotted health.

You only have 4 pt's of kb protection. You want to get to 12 pt's to be able to avoid 99% of the kb in the game. 4pt's leaves you open to a lot of things that will piss you off when you have to wait for your Brute to get back up and dust themselves off.

Using Oblits in Blazing Aura and Footstomp is absolute murder on your end bar. If you go that route you are almost certainly going to need to go ageless destiny to at least tier 3 to be able to fight non stop forever.

Darkest Night is going to exasperate the End issue for you. Darkest Night to me is the biggest personal choice in a SS/FA/Soul build. If you want it for max durability so be it. When I get to a hard target 1 purple and a medium orange give me just about the same buff for 0 end cost and it isn't resisted all to hell like the toggle is.

Healing Flames only needs 5 slots. You could drop the Endurace/Recharge and only lose .3 seconds of recharge time. or Drop the Heal/Endurance. Either way whatever you lost from that slot can be more than made up if you go Spiritual Alpha.

You didn't get to 32.5% S/L Def. I assume this is because your going to count on Darkest Night to make up the diff. If you end up keeping Darkest Night I recommend still getting to 32.5% so that you can use DK as psedu -def debuff resist.

You have two travel powers, I prefer none but if you only keep one that lets you swap in another concealment power for a LotG mule. You can also swap out the rez for this and drop another 6 seconds off of hastens recharge.


Global: @Kelig

 

Posted

Thanks, Joebartender. Your post is exactly the kind of response I was hoping for.

I actually don't know too much about incarnates as I haven't played in a couple of years. I'm pretty much working off what I knew then.

Darkest Night, was something I put into the build simply, because I thought it would be very useful for AVs. However, I have no experience with the Fiery Armor set at all and really don't know much about the ins and outs of making it do what it suppose to do.

I don't quite understand why 32.5% S/L is a magic number since I'm not certain what DK stands for.

As for the superspeed and self-rez, I'm not certain why I put those in there. They weren't suppose to be there. They were suppose to be stealth and invisibility to mule in the other two LTG 7.5% enhancements.

I had thought about going up to a mag 8 KB protection using steadfast, I had assumed the KB protection enhancements were unique, so now that I know they are not, I do need to work in 12 mag KB protection as you said.

I used obliterates in Footstomp and Blazing Aura for the 5% recharge buffs only. I would much rather frankeslot those to the greatest effect, but I figured that fire would need as much recharge as possible to keep healing flames on the lowest recharge as possible and to keep footstomp at a lower recharge as well.

My eventual plan was to slot an armagedon set in either burn or footstomp when I collected them all.

Dropping darkest night should free up plenty of slots to 5 slot my attacks and I can replace the rez in there if I like. I'm usually ok with not travel powers as well, since ninja run works well enough, but I will keep at least one just for the hell of it, unless I see a need to drop it to replace it with another useful power or enhancement mule.

I made those changes and I think that the build improved for it.

I can trade out the oblits in footstomp and possibly frakenslot it for more desirable results, but I'll have to give up 5% recharge and 9% accuracy (felt that my build my be lacking some). Unfortuantely I don't how I can replace the oblits in burn, since I used those to get to 32.42% S/L defense. I'm hoping that .08% isn't somehow critical, because I don't see any easy way to get any more defense.


 

Posted

Quote:
Originally Posted by Gospel_NA View Post
Thanks, Joebartender. Your post is exactly the kind of response I was hoping for.

I actually don't know too much about incarnates as I haven't played in a couple of years. I'm pretty much working off what I knew then.

Darkest Night, was something I put into the build simply, because I thought it would be very useful for AVs. However, I have no experience with the Fiery Armor set at all and really don't know much about the ins and outs of making it do what it suppose to do.

I don't quite understand why 32.5% S/L is a magic number since I'm not certain what DK stands for.

As for the superspeed and self-rez, I'm not certain why I put those in there. They weren't suppose to be there. They were suppose to be stealth and invisibility to mule in the other two LTG 7.5% enhancements.

I had thought about going up to a mag 8 KB protection using steadfast, I had assumed the KB protection enhancements were unique, so now that I know they are not, I do need to work in 12 mag KB protection as you said.

I used obliterates in Footstomp and Blazing Aura for the 5% recharge buffs only. I would much rather frankeslot those to the greatest effect, but I figured that fire would need as much recharge as possible to keep healing flames on the lowest recharge as possible and to keep footstomp at a lower recharge as well.

My eventual plan was to slot an armagedon set in either burn or footstomp when I collected them all.

Dropping darkest night should free up plenty of slots to 5 slot my attacks and I can replace the rez in there if I like. I'm usually ok with not travel powers as well, since ninja run works well enough, but I will keep at least one just for the hell of it, unless I see a need to drop it to replace it with another useful power or enhancement mule.

I made those changes and I think that the build improved for it.

I can trade out the oblits in footstomp and possibly frakenslot it for more desirable results, but I'll have to give up 5% recharge and 9% accuracy (felt that my build my be lacking some). Unfortuantely I don't how I can replace the oblits in burn, since I used those to get to 32.42% S/L defense. I'm hoping that .08% isn't somehow critical, because I don't see any easy way to get any more defense.
Bad typing on my part. DK was meant to be DN for darkest night.

Using Oblits in burn doesn't hurt becase burn has such a low end cost you don't have to worry about it. Base is only 5.2 end.

Getting to 32.5% S/L def is range that one small purple inspiration takes you up to the soft cap. If you keep Darkest Night then you have it's 16% tohit debuff as pseudo def but that debuff gets resisted so you can't count on it to carry you to the soft cap.


You should be able to find several good builds on here. Anything from Fiery Enforcer or Ultrawatt is going to be very solid. My own mid budget all around build is in a thread here somewhere also. Though I just caved into temptation and started purpling him out.


Global: @Kelig

 

Posted

Yeah, I found a version of your build a little while ago.

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I'd like to see Ultrawatt's build, but if he had it posted somewhere he must have removed it. I can't seem to find it. I did a search and started looking through his post history, but I don't see it.

I'll have to look through Fiery-Enforcer's stuff as well.


 

Posted

Overall, looks like a very solid build. What I'd tweak it more for is better endurance management so that you are free to take spiritual alpha (with which you'd be able to almost perma-hasten, around a 7 second cooldown) and one of the more defensive destinies (barrier or rebirth, both very useful in tough battles) instead of being forced into either ageless or cardiac.

Take the +end proc out of Consume, it's useless - it will only fire when you use the power and the very use of the power will fill your end bar anyway. Instead, move that slot to Stamina to max out your end mod there. Also switch out the EndMod/Accuracy in Consume for EndMod/Recharge, with rage you really do not have to worry about accuracy.

Then, switch out the Oblit set in Blazing Aura with Multistrike, or Frankenslot for maxed endurance and damage. Personally, I am fond of 4 Eradication for maxed damage, +max HP and +max end, and then 2 endurance reductions.

Of course, now you lost 1,8 s/l defense, so take out the third slots out of Firey Embrace/hasten (They provide very little benefit) and the slot out of Rage. Put those 3 into Boxing and 4-slot another kinetic combat. Rage could be slotted for pure Tohit or recharge, or both, whatever you prefer.

End result should be something like this

http://www.cohplanner.com/mids/downl...C7FF00B1B7E888


 

Posted

That does look quite a bit better, Riora.

I appreciate your input as well.

I went ahead and frankenslotted footstomp to be as efficent overall as I could manage. I don't think I lost much doing it this way, at worse I lose 5% recharge, I believe.


 

Posted

Here's what I'm currently using. It provides >32.5% defence to all positions and thus a full tray of small purple inspirations (bought from nurses) pushes you past softcap. Its endurance starts to run low precisely as Consume recharges and, due to its +recharge procs, it generally has around perma hasten in constant fighting.

It's very expensive, but well worth it. It can solo the ITF (I solo'd Requiem and Romulus and the entire platform simultaneously in around 5 minutes) and, with all the incarnates at T3 or higher, it can stay upright and respectable throughout trials.

http://www.cohplanner.com/mids/downl...26F81F0279F265


 

Posted

Here's my question, why are people stacking typed defense instead of positional such as melee? Wouldn't it be better to max out your melee defense so that it includes all types of melee rather then limiting yourself to just smashing/lethal?


 

Posted

Quote:
Originally Posted by Ultimus View Post
Here's my question, why are people stacking typed defense instead of positional such as melee? Wouldn't it be better to max out your melee defense so that it includes all types of melee rather then limiting yourself to just smashing/lethal?
The reason for this is that smashing and lethal are the two most common damage types in the game. You can encounter that type of damage from any type of attack, as well, whether it be melee, ranged or AoE. Given that these are such a common damage types, defense against them help a great deal. Why, you might ask, is it so valuable?

I'll give a simple as to why it is good. Say an opponent is trying to hit you with an energy punch. Now, energy punch is an attack which has elements of energy damage AND smashing damage, but it also happens to be a melee attack.

To my understanding, the system will then make a determination as to which of your defense values is highest (Smashing defense, energy defense or melee defense) and will then make a check against the attack. The reason why it is good is that if you can pass any one of these checks, you avoid the attack completely. As in, if you can avoid the attack by virtue of simply having smashing defense, you can avoid the whole thing, regardless of the fact that it was a melee attack or it had an energy damage component.

Because a lot of sets have split damage in the attacks (explosion-like attacks deal smashing/fire, for example, energy blasts/punches are smashing/energy...etc.) you can avoid a much greater proportion of the damage you're going to encounter in the game than if you simply shot for melee defense. In addition to this, it is also easy (if a bit pricy sometimes) to rack up the S/L defense bonuses. Some good examples of this are the Kinetic Combat set, the Reactive Armor set, the Rectified Reticle set, and the list goes on. To get melee defense usually requires more IOs of a single set in a given power than 4-slotting a kinetic combat for a 3.75% S/L defense bonus. Luckily, slotting for melee defense ALSO usually gives half of that bonus in terms of S/L defense, making sets like Obliteration that much better.


@Kalen on Virtue

 

Posted

Quote:
Originally Posted by Ultimus View Post
Here's my question, why are people stacking typed defense instead of positional such as melee? Wouldn't it be better to max out your melee defense so that it includes all types of melee rather then limiting yourself to just smashing/lethal?

In addition to Ionic's comments, as far as I know, there are not many (if any) pure typed damage melee damage attacks. Getting 45% S/L is going to cover you on melee and most of ranged.

As nice as it would be to have every mob always hitting from melee, the reality is you are going to be getting hit by a fair amount of ranged attacks. People go for ranged defense on blasters and the like because it is relatively easy to make sure you are always at ranged (especially if you are a flier).

Fire has no inherent defense, so whatever you go for you will have to seriously slot for. In this case I think you'll maximize your potential by going S/L and a decent amount of E/N. My build is capped to S/L and 30.6% E/N. I'd like 32.5% E/N, but I'm a little too much of a damage ***** to give up what I need to get it.


 

Posted

Quote:
Originally Posted by Ultimus View Post
Here's my question, why are people stacking typed defense instead of positional such as melee? Wouldn't it be better to max out your melee defense so that it includes all types of melee rather then limiting yourself to just smashing/lethal?
On melee characters, typed defense is probably more slot-efficient.

The large positional defenses tend to be 5/6-slot bonuses (oblit, t-strike, perf shifter), while there are quite a few large typed defense bonuses at 3/4 slots (kin combat, eradication, aegis).


 

Posted

Quote:
Originally Posted by Prime313 View Post
My build is capped to S/L and 30.6% E/N. I'd like 32.5% E/N, but I'm a little too much of a damage ***** to give up what I need to get it.
Curious to see this. What APP and alpha did you choose?

Best,
MT


Global: @Master Templar on Freedom.
"This here's my demon face. You see I'm Satan's onion...s-scallion.. 'Minion?' no, not that."

 

Posted

Quote:
Originally Posted by Ultimus View Post
Here's my question, why are people stacking typed defense instead of positional such as melee? Wouldn't it be better to max out your melee defense so that it includes all types of melee rather then limiting yourself to just smashing/lethal?
All of the things said before pretty much cover it. I would add that Ranged defense is probably the second most important after S/L. Alpha strikes are almost entirely ranged and many attacks that aren't pure S/L are ranged. If you can cover both S/L & Ranged, you're in great shape. The only attacks that get through at that point are pure E/N/F/C AOEs and maybe a couple melee attacks. You'll pick up quite a bit of melee defense going for S/L bonuses and E/N going for Ranged bonuses, so you cover a lot of ground with just those two.

You can usually get away with pure S/L blueside. When running mixed or redside content, things get a little more risky. I tend to notice the additional pure Energy & pure Psi damage most, both of which tend toward Ranged.

Also, just because a bonus isn't optimized for positional defense doesn't mean it isn't useful. It's nice to get 3.13% E/N defense from 3pcs of Eradication, but don't forget the 1.56% Ranged that comes with it. Stacking smaller bonuses on fewer slots can still be very effective - and it'll help cover the typed defenses.


 

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Ok one other question, what Alpha do people usually take? The Damage Alpha? The End Reduction which also gives the bonus of more resistance?


 

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My SS/FA is Alpha'd with damage, purp'd to the gills, and relies on one thing only - doing damage to everything around it ASAP. He is fun, and while I regularly break down toons for parts, he will probably be in my stable for years to come, even though he costs way too much.
Even when he dies, it just works out worse for the enemies. He has huge global recharge (all those purps, sigh), and when he dies Rise of The Pheonix is always available. So much so it's almost part of the attack chain lol.
He is definitely not 'tanky', but he is much more survivable than I thought he would be when I built him. I have read a lot about defense, and resists, and what all the numbers mean in the game mechanics. But you know what works really really good for survival? Killing EVERYTHING around you really quick.


 

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Quote:
Originally Posted by Ultimus View Post
Ok one other question, what Alpha do people usually take? The Damage Alpha? The End Reduction which also gives the bonus of more resistance?
I took Cardiac on mine, even with Consume you can start to run low on end if you punch out damage at full speed. Spiritual would be the other good option, recharge is always nice. Musculature isn't worth it on a Brute.


[U][URL="http://boards.cityofheroes.com/showthread.php?t=251594"][/URL][/U]

 

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Quote:
Originally Posted by Ultimus View Post
Ok one other question, what Alpha do people usually take? The Damage Alpha? The End Reduction which also gives the bonus of more resistance?
I went Spiritual because I also have t3 ageless so I don't have end issues anymore. I also have a Cardiac crafted just in case,but never used it.

The damage one is garbage for a Brute.


 

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I was wondering, would it be possible to do a similar build (aka, one for all stuff), with Claws / FA ?
I'm new to the game, and i very much like this playstyle.
I haven't yet digging the IO system, hence won't attempt to create a build myself, so I would really appreciate advices with that build, if that's not too much asking.