FM/FA What am I missing?

So after watching all the current episodes of Avatar: The legend of Koraa I was inspired to make something like a fire bender. I have tried fire multiple times over the years, and even managed to get a Fire/Fire brute to 38. I decided to do an end game build in mids, which may ever happen depending on the release schedule for new sets.

I have people rave about this combination of powers for years now, and I just do not get it. I was frustrated working on the end game build. It is not something I plan to be a serious character, so I wanted to take some fun stuff towards the end of the build. Things like Afterburner. So that threw building for +def right out the door.

The best I can figure is it is designed to just kill mobs so fast that they didn't feel it needed to be great at resistance or defense. Any way, here is what I may do. I will +5 all the recharge IOs if I do end up building this.

Please point out the magic for me, because I am missing it. I am a bit frustrated because Fire is a concept that I actually like. I just can't seem to hit upon a build that does it for me.

Hero Plan by Mids' Hero Designer 1.956
http://www.cohplanner.com/

Click this DataLink to open the build!

St Michael's Flame: Level 50 Magic Scrapper
Primary Power Set: Fiery Melee
Secondary Power Set: Fiery Aura
Power Pool: Flight
Power Pool: Fighting
Power Pool: Speed
Ancillary Pool: Body Mastery

Hero Profile:
Level 1: Scorch -- C'ngImp-Dmg/EndRdx(A), C'ngImp-Dmg/Rchg(3), C'ngImp-Acc/Dmg/Rchg(3), C'ngImp-Acc/Dmg/EndRdx(5), C'ngImp-Acc/Dmg(31)
Level 1: Fire Shield -- TtmC'tng-ResDam(A), TtmC'tng-ResDam/EndRdx(11), TtmC'tng-ResDam/Rchg(11), TtmC'tng-ResDam/EndRdx/Rchg(27), S'fstPrt-ResKB(29), ResDam-I(50)
Level 2: Fire Sword -- SScrappersS-Acc/Dmg(A), SScrappersS-Dmg/Rchg(5), SScrappersS-Acc/Dmg/Rchg(7), SScrappersS-Dmg/EndRdx/Rchg(7), SScrappersS-Acc/Dmg/EndRdx/Rchg(9), SScrappersS-Rchg/+Crit(9)
Level 4: Fly -- Flight-I(A)
Level 6: Cremate -- Mako-Acc/Dmg/EndRdx/Rchg(A), Mako-Acc/Dmg(13), Mako-Dmg/EndRdx(13), Mako-Dmg/Rchg(15), Mako-Acc/EndRdx/Rchg(15)
Level 8: Healing Flames -- Numna-Heal(A), Numna-Heal/Rchg(17), Numna-Heal/EndRdx(17), Numna-Heal/EndRdx/Rchg(29), Numna-EndRdx/Rchg(34)
Level 10: Temperature Protection -- TtmC'tng-ResDam(A), TtmC'tng-ResDam/EndRdx(19), TtmC'tng-ResDam/Rchg(19)
Level 12: Breath of Fire -- Posi-Acc/Dmg(A), Posi-Dmg/EndRdx(21), Posi-Dmg/Rchg(21), Posi-Dmg/Rng(23), Posi-Acc/Dmg/EndRdx(23)
Level 14: Boxing -- Acc-I(A)
Level 16: Plasma Shield -- TtmC'tng-ResDam(A), TtmC'tng-ResDam/EndRdx(25), TtmC'tng-ResDam/Rchg(25), TtmC'tng-ResDam/EndRdx/Rchg(27), S'fstPrt-ResKB(33), ResDam-I(42)
Level 18: Fire Sword Circle -- Oblit-Dmg(A), Oblit-Acc/Rchg(39), Oblit-Dmg/Rchg(40), Oblit-Acc/Dmg/Rchg(40), Oblit-Acc/Dmg/EndRdx/Rchg(40)
Level 20: Consume -- Efficacy-EndMod(A), Efficacy-EndMod/Rchg(34), Efficacy-EndMod/Acc/Rchg(34), Efficacy-Acc/Rchg(36), Efficacy-EndMod/Acc(36)
Level 22: Tough -- Aegis-Psi/Status(A), TtmC'tng-ResDam(43), TtmC'tng-ResDam/EndRdx(43), TtmC'tng-ResDam/Rchg(46)
Level 24: Build Up -- GSFC-Rchg/EndRdx(A), GSFC-ToHit/EndRdx(45), GSFC-ToHit(45), GSFC-ToHit/Rchg(45), GSFC-ToHit/Rchg/EndRdx(46)
Level 26: Incinerate -- Mako-Acc/EndRdx/Rchg(A), Mako-Acc/Dmg/EndRdx/Rchg(46), Mako-Acc/Dmg(48), Mako-Dmg/EndRdx(48), Mako-Dmg/Rchg(48)
Level 28: Burn -- Oblit-Dmg(A), Oblit-Dmg/Rchg(33), Oblit-Acc/Dmg/EndRdx/Rchg(39), Oblit-Acc/Rchg(43), Oblit-Acc/Dmg/Rchg(50)
Level 30: Hasten -- RechRdx-I(A), RechRdx-I(36)
Level 32: Greater Fire Sword -- Mako-Acc/Dmg(A), Mako-Dmg/EndRdx(37), Mako-Dmg/Rchg(37), Mako-Acc/EndRdx/Rchg(37), Mako-Acc/Dmg/EndRdx/Rchg(39)
Level 35: Conserve Power -- RechRdx-I(A)
Level 38: Fiery Embrace -- RechRdx-I(A), RechRdx-I(50)
Level 41: Physical Perfection -- P'Shift-End%(A), P'Shift-EndMod/Acc(42), P'Shift-EndMod(42)
Level 44: Hover -- LkGmblr-Rchg+(A)
Level 47: Afterburner -- LkGmblr-Rchg+(A)
Level 49: Rise of the Phoenix -- RechRdx-I(A)
Level 1: Brawl -- Acc-I(A)
Level 1: Critical Hit
Level 1: Prestige Power Dash -- Empty(A)
Level 1: Prestige Power Slide -- Empty(A)
Level 1: Prestige Power Quick -- Empty(A)
Level 1: Prestige Power Rush -- Empty(A)
Level 1: Prestige Power Surge -- Empty(A)
Level 1: Sprint -- Run-I(A)
Level 2: Rest -- RechRdx-I(A)
Level 4: Ninja Run
Level 4: Swift -- Flight-I(A)
Level 4: Health -- Mrcl-Rcvry+(A), Numna-Regen/Rcvry+(33)
Level 4: Hurdle -- Jump-I(A)
Level 4: Stamina -- P'Shift-End%(A), P'Shift-EndMod(31), P'Shift-EndMod/Acc(31)
Level 50: Cardiac Core Paragon
Level 50: Spectral Core Flawless Interface
Level 50: Ion Core Final Judgement
Level 50: Polar Lights Core Superior Ally
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I'll set aside the fact that this particular combination is, IMO, much better on the Brute and assume you would rather play scrappers, which is cool. You post enough on the forums to know what you are probably getting into and the pros and cons of each. Just keep in mind that setting aside the ability to keep foes in Burn, the 90% cap for Fire resistance is really nice. Okay that's out of my system.

I know it sounds weird, but I don't think chasing recharge is the way to go in this build. Your main attack chain will be interrupted by repeated use of Burn, and the only other thing recharge gets you is more use of your heal which eats your DPS.

Instead I would focus on building for S/L defense, then for E/N defense. You are very resistant to Fire already, which only leaves a hole for Cold which is fortunately somewhat uncommon. I would figure out an attack chain where you can drop one of the lower level attacks entirely for slots and go for 45 S/L, 32 E/N and decent resists.


With the addition of the Scrapper set you can get an extra 5% S/L which really helps.

One other thought; yeah I have the fiery wings too and love the concept of a flying fire character, but Flight is terrible for /Fire.

First, Hover costs a more endurance than Combat Jumping if you are stacking defense. You want to build towards a position where you can drop Consume.

Second, you'll want Combat Jumping's Immobilization protection. You don't want to waste a whole cycle of Burn because some Galaxy dropped a Immobilization effect on you as you are closing.

Third, you can't drop Burn while hovering so you end up losing valuable defense.

If damage is important to your concept, be a brute with this combo.

Seriously.

Fire armor is very squishy on a scrapper, and fire melee has no mitigation at all to help out. Yes, the damage is...BEYOND epic. But either have a friendly defender, or count Phoenix as part of your attack chain.

I know of what I speak: I have a claw/fire at 50. I love that toon, but three things conspired to make me set him aside:

1) Redraw of claws. It's small, but ever-so-slowly it started to drive me mad.
2) EVERYTHING RUNS. (aaaarrgrrhhbblarghble!)
3) So incredibly squishy. It's just a nerve-wracking existence.

Brutes are better, and on a fire toon, they are much MUCH better. More damage (omg, the damage on a fire brute is astonishing), more survivablility (although still not great), and more fun.


Honestly, for a concept toon and if damage is not critical to how you want it to run, if you want to have a fun play experience, make it a fire/fire tanker. The damage is still top notch and a tankers additional sturdiness will make it a much more fun experience.

I know Z and he prefers scrappers and he wants to do flight so he looking for help in fix holes in the build, not the go with brute advice.

I actually just recently dusted off my old fm/fa scrapper who got parked at 38 awhile back. So much fun! But yes, the mobs do scatter. BU + FE + all the red insps i got and any boss goes down in 3 seconds, not even considering criticals. So nice. But yeah, i felt like i couldn't even use FSC unless it would finish the mob off or i'd have to chase them down. Seemed like they would even run if i used consume..


But either, so much fun. Planned on going musculature just for giggles, but i did get tired of the no taunt aura and rolled another as a brute. Hopefully it will be as fun as my scrapper but i much prefer crits to fury so i understand completely with wanting a scrapper.


But anyways, Fly for /fire could work. But i would recomend finding some way to get CJ in there for some immob protection. Also, i've been thinking about throwing air superiority into my build for some mitigation vs harder targets while solo, /fa is squishy and can use any amount of mitigation it can get when HFs is down.


What to build for, i'd go with either s/l def, +rech, or maybe +hp. The only other experience i have with /fa is with my claws/fa brute who has soft caped s/l def. It's nice, but i'm sure there are better ways to build fm/fa toons. Really, i think i'll do as much +rech as possible for my brute, the kill them before they kill you idea actually seems to work well for /fa.


Anyway, just my 2cents. It is a really fun concept for a scrapper but i think it is just generally better for brutes, which sucks something fierce.

Needs some freem

Nope. They just need to adjust the AI a bit. Not all armor sets need a taunt.

I'm just thinking... are you sure FM/FA is what you want? MA/FA/Blaze might be truer to theme.

Could also try Soul Mastery too..for shadow meld. Which would also benefit from a stack of rech.

What about the kinetic combat (which you will be using a lot of, if going for s/l def) chance for knockdown? I tried it out on an Stj and Staff toon..it works quite well. And if you have 3-4 of them..you should get 'some' mitigation out of it.

Another idea Darth K suggested, was using Air Supp to keep bosses flopping around. Proc it up, and you can at least keep on target unable to hit back..and in Burn.

To Planet J..
..how does the presence of somebody mean that normal people (those same normal people you were just saying SHOULD be running) will now happily stand in a patch of fire? Unless they are frothing, insane madmen, it is not realistic at all to stand in fire. Assuming you arent a demon (why dont behemoths have huge fire resistance again?).

Burn + no taunt aura = ?