It's time to improve Broadsword

In terms of how Broadsword differs from Katana in cinema and comics, Broadsword is a punishing, bone-crunching weapon that leaves grevious wounds, as opposed to Katana (whose victims tend not to realize they have been cleanly bifurcated until right before they fall over).

Hence; a "bleeding" DoT of lethal damage, and a small Chance to Knockdown on most powers.

If I could get away with it, I'd add a small Chance to +Recharge into their Build Up, although I'd really rather swap it out for a 'Berserker' style power that buffs Recharge and Damage and debuffs your own Defense...but that would probably break the Cottage Rule.

Despite my almost overwhelming prejudice for PnP DnD weapons, I've always thought that Broadsword should have a higher crit chance than any other Scrapper Primary, with the exception of Axe. Perhaps an increase of crit chance with it's attacks could set it apart. Obviously this doesn't address those classes that don't have a crit chance. And of course I could be a complete tool for such a suggestion.

The problem lies in making the increased crit rate apply differently for Brutes and Tanks. It's easy for Brutes by saying, add Fury gain. Tanks not so much (well, looking into the future for Tanks at any rate).

I like Arcana's idea, but perhaps with a tweak.
Broadsword Build-Up changed to Beserk. Once activated, each successful attacks adds additional damage (like Blaster attacks do). Once the Beserk effect wears off, the user is tired, and can not gain endurance for a short while and also suffers a -damage penalty.

If the + damage numbers were right Broadsword could do some incredible burst damage in a short period of time. Like Arcane mentioned, 30 seconds. If the down time between recharge were at the appropriate amount as to not allow the effect to be sustained, it would keep Broadsword seperate from Katana, except perhaps at that peak moment of performance where it would pull ahead. The damage pentalty would even this out so that over a period of time, the two sets could perhaps be identical, whereas Katana was sustained damage, Broadsword would wax and wane as it were.

I would do something along the lines of a long duration (15s to 30s) max stacks 1 per player bleed effect (~8 dps @ Lvl 50, unresistable, unehanceable) on both AoEs. The unresistable part making it darn useful, especially on +4 Minions, or anything with a T9. Can't kill em, fine, make em bleed. You'd have a new and potentially interesting niche.

Unresistable damage in PvE was at a time an oft requested ability for quite a few ATs. It primarily popped up in the Blaster forum. Unless something has changed, the last word we have on it is that unresisted damage in PvE breaks things to the point where it can't be done.

It appears that I'm in the minority of the posters, but I don't like the idea of -resist or -defense or DoT or a berserk fury that builds or anything else that builds up over time. I think what distinguishes Broad Sword right now, and only barely, is that it had good burst damage. I don't mean good damage AFTER five or ten or fifteen seconds, I mean hit Build Up, hit someone with Head Splitter and Disembowel, and see some huge orange numbers. Replacing Build Up with an effect that actually has to build up over time makes Broad Sword LESS of a burst damage set, not more, even if its damage peaks higher than Katana's before dropping back down again. Now it seems to have NO advantage. Its slowly building build up keeps it from doing as much damage as Katana in short fights, and Katana's superior DPS keeps it ahead in long fights. Perhaps there's some tail end of medium-length fights where Broad Sword might be slightly ahead, but *yawn*, boring. I mean woo, I get to do slightly better damage during the clean up phase of a fight, when the Tanker has already decided everyone is OK and is running to get control of the next group.

If we're going to have a damage effect that changes over time, I'd want it going in the opposite direction, with monstrous damage from the first hit decaying over time. THAT would distinguish it from every other Build Up or Fury effect, and keep the set what it already is - a burst damage, smashy set. Basically, I want it to slap Katana around for ten seconds, and then for Katana's Superior DPS to pull ahead maybe around twenty seconds. For short fights or wiping out a critical target, you want Broad Sword. For long fights, you want Katana.

Now, given that the DPS is already fairly close, for them to pull even at around the 20 second mark doesn't leave much room for a super Build Up effect. I'm even OK with them nerfing attack DPA to give us something exceptional on the burst damage front.

You're not alone, I'd rather keep BS as a burst damage set.