Cheap SD softcap

I'm on a limited budget and am after a cheap way (assuming I use merits for the bigger ticket items) to softcap my SS/SD brute.

My lack of experience leads me to think I'm going about this wrong. Additionally I'm over cap by .7 - 1.3 percent which leads me to believe I can probably cut costs somewhere. Would greatly appreciate any advise or help.

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

Click this DataLink to open the build!

Level 50 Magic Brute
Primary Power Set: Super Strength
Secondary Power Set: Shield Defense
Power Pool: Speed
Power Pool: Fighting
Power Pool: Leaping
Ancillary Pool: Mace Mastery

Villain Profile:
Level 1: Punch -- Mako-Acc/Dmg(A), Mako-Acc/EndRdx/Rchg(3), Mako-Dam%(3), Mako-Dmg/Rchg(5), Mako-Acc/Dmg/EndRdx/Rchg(5), Mako-Dmg/EndRdx(7)
Level 1: Deflection -- RedFtn-EndRdx(A), RedFtn-Def(7), RedFtn-Def/EndRdx(9), RedFtn-Def/Rchg(9), RedFtn-EndRdx/Rchg(11), RedFtn-Def/EndRdx/Rchg(11)
Level 2: Jab -- C'ngImp-Acc/Dmg(A), C'ngImp-Dmg/EndRdx(25), C'ngImp-Dmg/Rchg(25), C'ngImp-Dmg/EndRdx/Rchg(27), C'ngImp-Acc/Dmg/Rchg(27)
Level 4: Haymaker -- T'Death-Dam%(A), T'Death-Acc/Dmg/EndRdx(19), T'Death-Dmg/Rchg(21), T'Death-Dmg/EndRdx(21), T'Death-Acc/Dmg(23), T'Death-Dmg/EndRdx/Rchg(23)
Level 6: Hand Clap -- ExStrk-Dmg/KB(A), ExStrk-Dam%(45), ExStrk-Acc/KB(46)
Level 8: Knockout Blow -- T'Death-Dmg/Rchg(A), T'Death-Dmg/EndRdx(15), T'Death-Acc/Dmg/EndRdx(15), T'Death-Acc/Dmg(17), T'Death-Dam%(17), T'Death-Dmg/EndRdx/Rchg(19)
Level 10: True Grit -- Aegis-ResDam(A), Aegis-ResDam/Rchg(29), Aegis-ResDam/EndRdx(31), Numna-Heal(31), Numna-Heal/Rchg(31), Numna-Heal/EndRdx(34)
Level 12: Active Defense -- RechRdx-I(A), RechRdx-I(48)
Level 14: Battle Agility -- RedFtn-Def(A), RedFtn-EndRdx(36), RedFtn-Def/EndRdx/Rchg(36), RedFtn-EndRdx/Rchg(36), RedFtn-Def/Rchg(37), RedFtn-Def/EndRdx(37)
Level 16: Against All Odds -- EndRdx-I(A)
Level 18: Rage -- GSFC-ToHit/EndRdx(A), GSFC-ToHit(37), GSFC-ToHit/Rchg(39), GSFC-Rchg/EndRdx(40), GSFC-Build%(42), GSFC-ToHit/Rchg/EndRdx(42)
Level 20: Phalanx Fighting -- S'dpty-EndRdx(A), S'dpty-Def/EndRdx/Rchg(29), S'dpty-Def(39), S'dpty-Def/Rchg(45), S'dpty-Def/EndRdx(45)
Level 22: Hasten -- RechRdx-I(A), RechRdx-I(39)
Level 24: Boxing -- Empty(A)
Level 26: Hurl -- Thundr-Dmg/Rchg(A)
Level 28: Grant Cover -- EndRdx-I(A)
Level 30: Tough -- Aegis-ResDam(A), Aegis-ResDam/EndRdx(46), Aegis-ResDam/EndRdx/Rchg(46)
Level 32: Foot Stomp -- M'Strk-Acc/Dmg(A), M'Strk-Dmg/EndRdx(33), M'Strk-Dmg/Rchg(33), M'Strk-Acc/EndRdx(33), M'Strk-Acc/Dmg/EndRdx(34), M'Strk-Dmg/EndRdx/Rchg(34)
Level 35: Shield Charge -- M'Strk-Acc/Dmg(A), M'Strk-Dmg/Rchg(42), M'Strk-Dmg/EndRdx(43), M'Strk-Acc/EndRdx(43), M'Strk-Dmg/EndRdx/Rchg(43), M'Strk-Acc/Dmg/EndRdx(50)
Level 38: Combat Jumping -- Zephyr-Travel(A), Zephyr-Travel/EndRdx(40), Zephyr-ResKB(40)
Level 41: Web Envelope -- Empty(A)
Level 44: Disruptor Blast -- Empty(A)
Level 47: Weave -- S'dpty-Def(A), S'dpty-Def/EndRdx/Rchg(48), S'dpty-EndRdx/Rchg(48), S'dpty-Def/EndRdx(50), S'dpty-EndRdx(50)
Level 49: One with the Shield -- S'fstPrt-ResDam/Def+(A)
------------
Level 1: Brawl -- Empty(A)
Level 1: Fury
Level 1: Sprint -- Empty(A)
Level 2: Rest -- Empty(A)
Level 4: Ninja Run
Level 2: Swift -- Empty(A)
Level 2: Health -- Numna-Regen/Rcvry+(A)
Level 2: Hurdle -- Empty(A)
Level 2: Stamina -- Efficacy-EndMod(A), Efficacy-EndMod/Rchg(13), Efficacy-EndMod/Acc(13)
------------
Set Bonus Totals:

• 16% DamageBuff(Smashing)
• 16% DamageBuff(Lethal)
• 16% DamageBuff(Fire)
• 16% DamageBuff(Cold)
• 16% DamageBuff(Energy)
• 16% DamageBuff(Negative)
• 16% DamageBuff(Toxic)
• 16% DamageBuff(Psionic)
• 9.88% Defense(Smashing)
• 9.88% Defense(Lethal)
• 14.6% Defense(Fire)
• 14.6% Defense(Cold)
• 10.2% Defense(Energy)
• 10.2% Defense(Negative)
• 3% Defense(Psionic)
• 16.8% Defense(Melee)
• 17.4% Defense(Ranged)
• 16.8% Defense(AoE)
• 15% Enhancement(RechargeTime)
• 13% Enhancement(Accuracy)
• 5% FlySpeed
• 179.9 HP (12%) HitPoints
• 5% JumpHeight
• 5% JumpSpeed
• Knockback (Mag -4)
• Knockup (Mag -4)
• MezResist(Held) 8.8%
• MezResist(Immobilize) 15.4%
• MezResist(Sleep) 3.3%
• MezResist(Stun) 3.3%
• 4% (0.07 End/sec) Recovery
• 20% (1.25 HP/sec) Regeneration
• 4.41% Resistance(Fire)
• 4.41% Resistance(Cold)
• 15% RunSpeed

| Copy & Paste this data into Mids' Hero Designer to view the build |
|-------------------------------------------------------------------|
|MxDz;1357;649;1298;HEX;|
|78DA6593DB6E12511486F71E8622A752C4961EA815282DA752487B6FA2B589499BD|
|410BDD05644D885514211A6B1BDF30134F10DBCF1F82A9EF5527D050F4FE0B858FF|
|2E369909CC37FBDF6BADBDD73FB3B78F3642423CBA2864F072A73E18D42EF50F6DE|
|5DDAEB7AC86F009216659A86DAB8E52A5EA614FF56B55BBAFBA2DBB9DC0D486DA57|
|DD014DB62DD5699E0CA357BB6D457176E9E421B07370D029557B4A35C3FCB869B5D|
|AB6D56D8578B4A5EA3D1A444E064DD51FB4AD5EFC4ACF6A94F426EA8DE16D60ABFE|
|F134ED2D43FF9414FA72BC629FB02C0C0BB8CF30DBC03DC6588BF1969A16526745E|
|8A122C6C61967024090110801614652EA24E198F20E179AAE037719B30A6830D214|
|EBD15BF3D4583ABBC738B70BDC624CDD046E331629CB8B2CC3FBD01022268AC78C9|
|5234686027CBAAC0F85C651681CD527506F422F89B2EFA963BFEED8BFCEED242A8C|
|F365E03A5045ABD7181F282B882C192C88A1B40ABCA399B0AE17867569189986596|
|958B708231761EB47CA8AC8619A2322492EB44CA328246FF4B5C1C1CF194B2F18CB|
|AF18B937C04BC6272A14C3F266CC23871D262463C960141D6EBBF8979122C326751|
|F93686009903413879B22EED025B21437A39599671CF499569BD3D21CB6EDA1BC79|
|FD9AE6877ECE8B1518B9B2C6C8D17D41BFA6851EE75C7800F48101236903878C2FB|
|4524A67A5909543781EC97964E5115E41F2146D2683F68CCC37B8F61DF8C1D8A5EF|
|30AB1BC872977BA414B45260C5A422256D690926AEC2D255C1A8C0CB0AECFE4A3B2|
|DEB02E5381B90304767917EC39A79975276291597B2E652D65DCAA6393AC1CE966B|
|76C71C9D542159F14F8C0EA3F33340B3F2F4ECEFD3CA0D7E7FBF5C417FFE2B867CC|
|CBE869E004F19FF0054ADE6F6|
|-------------------------------------------------------------------|

Here's a tweak to save some money. Some points:

• I removed the two most expensive IOs from the build. Those were the Numina's special and the Zephyr KB Prot. That leaves the Numi's in True Grit and the Steadfast special as the most expensive items left.
• This required that I find a bit more AoE Def so I changed the slotting for Shield Charge.
• Since I felt the END usage was a bit much for a Brute (which I like to keep rolling), especially with Rage crashes, I switched to the Energy Mastery pool at the cost of losing the two Mace powers.
• I also re-ordered the powers quite a bit while considering what was needed and what wasn't. I decided you could do without Jab by slotting Boxing instead and did that. Then I added Energy Torrent in place of Hand Clap and replaced Jab with Taunt.
• I thought the slots in Phalanx Fighting could be used elsewhere better, so I used them to 6-slot Boxing and Weave to get some more Defense. Because SD doesn't have great Defense Debuff Resistance I like having that bit extra, but the Melee Def may be overkill.
• At that point the Zephyr's in Combat Jumping weren't doing a whole lot, so I put a Def IO there and used the extra slot to put a Force Feedback proc in Energy Torrent.

| Copy & Paste this data into Mids' Hero Designer to view the build |
|-------------------------------------------------------------------|
|MxDz;1366;650;1300;HEX;|
|78DA6593C96E1A4110867B58ECB043B0CD62BC8031D8C16CB1EF9112DB522423394|
|2B96443C8B48771102633430C39E5925B22E50D72C9FA2AD993F7C8F206A4A8BFED|
|203112FA7AFEEEAAFAAB86AE0D76FD423CBD2634DF8D4ED3B21AD7CDBE2DDDB5A66|
|E1C895921449285464D76A42CD5FB3D6936EAB629BBBADD4E616B571ECBAE459B6D|
|43765AE7AF919BDDB6A47376E97C11383C3DED94F60DBD6D1B5DDDCB6FF59E942D3|
|F2F0F64B3477AE8FCA5254DAB6DF4127B3DE3A8B4D795A63E6CD49A962DCD214CC6|
|C9DD3AFD329A50CFC82D8E0979E13080870C571B3861CCE88C8FD4B6D0545488165|
|53113645CF2023E86D70F04186B9A0AA228ADC1892EDF67CCDD03EE3216EE000F18|
|9FA99653D572DEE244CBB7813A23BDC3D8AA02158646E377AB5A6EE48B237B1CB59|
|2A89C44913CECAC53ECAC8A9AC5B920A282381E46AAB0728FE02FE4D003879AA720|
|C6E553C027DAF129EF3E0C680DE35A5323C180B2185716C3CB908580CA1740A21CF|
|095F285B4F1D64884D22CE5E92D02C91D79EFE034AF19B9378CFC3BC6E607E02DE3|
|1B258AA284882E732227559D575EE763B45812CB18690E032E62B2C56D46F92AC34|
|55131151583FD147ACAA3C32DB45644F76574BF405109553E81F2DFC9D1A29216D1|
|5A8E4D405A3A817D9256D4075AE9F1A9D5478009588CB40DF4193F28774645651EB|
|3B479C6B8320086C0134615C3FEE9C71519975FCFB2E48908B1A14C6EACB2E427A9|
|A0A402A4004925043A4BCFC8F79C289F11A2A23A00868C71A68A2A507985FF8DEBE|
|23AA2773235298DE8119529A53AA56C4F293B53CABEEBE2168F0E267731FE43D7C5|
|75151A0778C27415A18C7E796957F5AD1539E0CFA48481FD9E943658FAFB5F7268C|
|FF9ABFA5F002F19FF00ED2FCA42|
|-------------------------------------------------------------------|

You're a star! Thanks for your insight.

I was under the impression that 45% was the softcap? I assume going over a little is encouraged?

I should have noted that I left the alternate slottings for Boxing and Shield Charge in the build I posted. If you switch over that will trade off some of the extra Def to save some money. The Crushing Impacts and Multistrikes are cheap enough you could just stomp them later if you felt you needed more Def. You could also yank the Explosive Strikes out of Energy Torrent and put in something that enhances the power more effectively as a trade off against some Ranged Def.