Heraclea

Congrats! My first level 50 was a tanker. And my second. And my third. (Fourth was a brute, I think).

They may be hard to get started, but in the end, nothing beats the feeling that "I'm going to get this done. And nothing is going to stop me" that you get from playing a tanker.

When you hit level 5, walk to the Hollows and talk to Wincott on your own initiative. You may either accept or ignore his story; entirely your option. Then the contacts will run their ordinary course of missions or refer you to someone other than Wincott. If all the contact is doing is sending you to some other active contact --- and you will have Wincott active after doing this, even if you don't have his book --- the game seems to be thinking that the contact has no more for you to do.

I wish we could get rid of the Security Chiefs, Visit PvP Zone contact, and Hero Corps Representative in King's Row that easily. I just started a new character; and decided I would run old contact material for gits and shiggles after getting the AP temp travel power. I ran into the same brick wall on two separate contacts: all they would offer me after a point were Security Chiefs or street hunts in Perez Park. No thank'ee, back to the radio.

If I want to tank on a scrapper, I always turn to my Spines/Willpower scrapper. Willpower has a weak taunt aura, but it doesn't make much of a difference.

Quills, RttC, and Caltrops all have a chance for -recharge on that character, which helps as well.

If you're just interested in exploring the power set, you will do that earlier on a tanker.

My shield tanker is quite adequate at 50. Like most defensive sets, it takes a while to build. You will have huge holes until you get all the armors and get them all slotted. It also does not exemp down well: run Posi while you are levelling or you never will.

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It's easier to add offense to a tanker than it is to add defense to a scrapper IMO.

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Can you elaborate? This is the opposite of my thinking so I'm interested to know where you're coming from.

When I look at the IOs and pool powers out there, I dunno, seems easier to add damage mitigation to a scrapper than damage to a tanker.

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True. On the other hand, if you want to approach defense caps from Scrapper base levels, you have to make a lot of compromises that you wouldn't have to by starting from Tanker base levels.

And this is assuming that you are starting from a defense base. There isn't a whole lot you are going to be able to do with a Fire or Dark or Regen scrapper; no matter what sets they have, defense bonuses will not add a great deal to their survivability. And resistance bonuses are harder to acquire. And some scrapper secondaries are pretty tough without defense bonuses. Add Tough and Weave to Willpower and you are quite adequately durable.

On the other hand, adding damage to a tanker is simple. You don't even need IO sets to do it. Since ED, throwing slots at the various armors is mostly counterproductive; most are well slotted with four. Slotting up your attacks is easy in the 30+ game.

If you're not sure, you're just messing with the set to see if you like it, go Tanker. You see more of it sooner, as noted above.

If soft capping is important to you, go Tanker.

My scranker-style shield/mace tanker hit 50 a month or so ago. My scrapper is languishing at 42. There are simply other scrapper styles I prefer (WP, Regen, SR). It's easier to add offense to a tanker than it is to add defense to a scrapper IMO.

In the first mission of the Sister Psyche TF, "investigate" does seem to mean "defeat all".

When the first mob is spotted: "We investigated. There are indeed Freakshow here. Call the contact."

I have three level 50 scrappers, each of which has a niche:

Fire / Regen,
Spines / Willpower
Dark Melee / Super Reflexes

If I wanted to solo an AV, I'd go with the DM/Reflex scrapper. But this one wasn't that much fun to play until I got all three endurance IOs equipped. Now she's soft capped three ways, and can sustain the offense. She runs exclusively on level 50 content: SR does not exemp well IME, since you suffer when you lose Weave and when you lose entire categories of defense.

If a team with a tanker or controller wanted help with an AV, I'd choose the Fire / Regen. This one is made for pure damage: superior single target and decent AoE. I have tried to focus purely on offense here; trying to focus on defense would not yield returns equal to the expense.

To run a tough MA mission, the Spines / Willpower is the one I'd choose. This is my herdswoman; she holds aggro, can take an alpha, and has three different ways to debuff mobs with -recharge.

The Spines / Willpower and Fire / Regen both have Task Force Commander. The DM/SR never will, and in any case benefits the least from hit point bonuses.

In my experience, the last four powers in Dark Armor are easily postponable, and likely skippable in favour of relatively early Fighting pool for Tough. Adding Tough to the basic three armors (Dark Embrace / Murky Cloud / Obsidian Shield) boosts your smashing and lethal resistance from below 50% into the high 60 / low 70s range. I usually try to rely on my primary and postpone additional pool power defenses into the 40s, but now I took Tough at 32 and it seems to make a world of difference.

I still frequently find myself using my AoE heal as an alpha; it is, after all, an AoE attack and gets aggro as well. Right now I have it frankenslotted with some Touch of the Nictus acc/end and acc heal, a couple Doctored Wounds heal/end and heal/end/rech, one accuracy and one endurance reduction IO. The base recharge is not too long, and that may be part of the problem

Dark Armor is not all that taxing so long as you are not running extra toggles like Cloak of Darkness and Cloak of Fear. I have Cloak of Darkness, but usually only turn it on for an alpha; I have postponed Cloak of Fear and may not take it; I had it and it seemed not to perform well for its cost, and had no synergy with the Ice secondary. It might be worthwhile for a Dark/Dark tanker, or if you regularly team with an Illusion controller.

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What's the best DPS chain for EM now?

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Air Superiority - Air Superiority - Air Superiority

Repeat as needed.

Melee attack:

Energy Melee. No longer the best single target set. Quite endurance inefficient for what's left of it. The stun is of little use: it no longer can stun a boss with a single blow. Because stunned mobs don't stand still, it does not help, and specifically harms some melee defense primaries (Fire and Willpower, especially).

Melee defense:

Depends on what your AT is. For scrappers and brutes, Invulnerability. The base figures just aren't high enough, and the toggles wear you down too fast. Still a good set for tankers, but can't hold a candle to Willpower if your primary job isn't to hold aggro and you start from lower base numbers.

(Super Reflexes is a pain to get started, but once it's fully made it is quite solid.)

Ranged damage:

Psi seems to have a bad reputation

Buff/debuff

This is heresy, but: Kinetics. Increased Density, the most useful power, is not taken by half of 'em. Speed kills.

Control:

Gravity? Dunno. It doesn't seem to have a good reputation among people I play with regularly.

According to Starsman's latest charts, Energy Melee is inferior to Fire as well as Stone in single target attacks, in both damage output and endurance efficiency.

I am not competent to question Starsman's assumptions or data. Numbers above twenty are witchcraft; so are fractions, and the less said about decimals the better.

Still, if those numbers are even partly true, it suggests that Energy Melee has lost its reason to exist. It was balanced around being the pre-eminent single target damage set. It has been usurped in that position by Stone, which has superior control and targeted AoE with control to boot. Fire Melee is its equal in single target damage as well as being the premier set for both AoE and endurance efficiency. The lackluster performance of the rest of Energy Melee also puts it well behind Fire Melee in endurance efficiency, despite the fact that Energy is supposed to take less endurance because it takes your health instead.

It wasn't broken before: it was balanced --- balanced around being a superior single target set with control good enough to take care of a boss, but the weakest performer in AoE. If Starsman's numbers are true, it now has no advantage at all to overcome its obvious disadvantages. In other words, it's now broken, no doubt about it.

And, by way of comparison, this is at least to my experience and way of thinking a much preferable build order. Travel power picks are of course up to you, so are ancillary pools, and some variation in the post-22 power order may be worthwhile. If aggro is a concern at lower levels, swap Taunt and HS.


Hero Plan by Mids' Hero Designer 1.401
http://www.cohplanner.com/

[u]Click this DataLink to open the build![u]

Hypsiste: Level 50 Mutation Tanker
Primary Power Set: Willpower
Secondary Power Set: Super Strength
Power Pool: Flight
Power Pool: Fitness
Power Pool: Fighting
Ancillary Pool: Pyre Mastery

Hero Profile:
Level 1: High Pain Tolerance -- ImpArm-ResDam/EndRdx(A), ImpArm-ResDam(3), S'fstPrt-ResDam/EndRdx(17), S'fstPrt-ResDam/Def+(37), Numna-Heal(37), Numna-Heal/EndRdx(43)
Level 1: Jab -- C'ngImp-Acc/Dmg(A), C'ngImp-Acc/Dmg/Rchg(3), C'ngImp-Acc/Dmg/EndRdx(37), C'ngImp-Dmg/EndRdx(46)
Level 2: Fast Healing -- Heal-I(A), Heal-I(5), Heal-I(7)
Level 4: Haymaker -- C'ngImp-Acc/Dmg(A), C'ngImp-Dmg/EndRdx(5), C'ngImp-Dmg/Rchg(7), C'ngImp-Acc/Dmg/Rchg(17), C'ngImp-Acc/Dmg/EndRdx(34), C'ngImp-Dmg/EndRdx/Rchg(34)
Level 6: Indomitable Will -- LkGmblr-Def/EndRdx(A), LkGmblr-Def/EndRdx/Rchg(43)
Level 8: Rise to the Challenge -- Numna-Heal/EndRdx(A), Numna-Heal(9), Dct'dW-Heal/EndRdx(9), DarkWD-Slow%(15), Taunt-I(15), Taunt-I(43)
Level 10: Air Superiority -- C'ngImp-Acc/Dmg(A), C'ngImp-Acc/Dmg/Rchg(11), C'ngImp-Acc/Dmg/EndRdx(11), C'ngImp-Dmg/EndRdx(36), C'ngImp-Dmg/Rchg(40)
Level 12: Quick Recovery -- EndMod-I(A), EndMod-I(13), EndMod-I(13)
Level 14: Fly -- Flight-I(A)
Level 16: Swift -- Run-I(A)
Level 18: Health -- Heal-I(A), Heal-I(19), Heal-I(19)
Level 20: Stamina -- EndMod-I(A), EndMod-I(21), EndMod-I(21)
Level 22: Knockout Blow -- Lock-Acc/Hold(A), Lock-Acc/Rchg(23), Mako-Acc/Dmg(23), Mako-Acc/Dmg/EndRdx/Rchg(31), Mako-Dmg/EndRdx(31), Mako-Dmg/Rchg(33)
Level 24: Mind Over Body -- ImpArm-ResDam/EndRdx(A), ImpArm-ResDam/Rchg(25), ImpArm-ResDam/EndRdx/Rchg(25), ImpArm-ResDam(33)
Level 26: Heightened Senses -- RedFtn-Def/EndRdx(A), RedFtn-Def/Rchg(27), RedFtn-Def/EndRdx/Rchg(27), RedFtn-Def(33)
Level 28: Rage -- AdjTgt-ToHit/Rchg(A), AdjTgt-ToHit/EndRdx/Rchg(29), AdjTgt-EndRdx/Rchg(29), AdjTgt-ToHit/EndRdx(31), AdjTgt-Rchg(34)
Level 30: Taunt -- Taunt-I(A)
Level 32: Strength of Will -- ResDam-I(A)
Level 35: Boxing -- Stpfy-Acc/Rchg(A), Stpfy-Acc/EndRdx(36), Stpfy-Acc/Stun/Rchg(36)
Level 38: Foot Stomp -- Sciroc-Acc/Dmg(A), Sciroc-Dmg/EndRdx(39), Sciroc-Dmg/Rchg(39), Sciroc-Acc/Rchg(39), Sciroc-Acc/Dmg/EndRdx(40), Sciroc-Dam%(40)
Level 41: Tough -- RctvArm-ResDam/EndRdx(A), RctvArm-EndRdx/Rchg(42), RctvArm-ResDam/EndRdx/Rchg(42), RctvArm-EndRdx(42), RctvArm-ResDam(46)
Level 44: Weave -- S'dpty-Def/EndRdx(A), S'dpty-EndRdx/Rchg(45), S'dpty-Def/EndRdx/Rchg(45), S'dpty-Def(45), S'dpty-EndRdx(46)
Level 47: Char -- G'Wdw-Acc/Rchg(A), G'Wdw-Acc/EndRdx(48), G'Wdw-Acc/Hold/Rchg(48), G'Wdw-Dam%(48)
Level 49: Melt Armor -- AnWeak-Acc/Rchg/EndRdx(A), AnWeak-Acc/DefDeb(50), AnWeak-Acc/Rchg(50), AnWeak-DefDeb/EndRdx/Rchg(50)
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Level 1: Brawl -- Empty(A)
Level 1: Sprint -- Empty(A)
Level 2: Rest -- Empty(A)
Level 1: Gauntlet

That is one right peculiar build, with several serious problems in terms of the order of selected powers. Mind over Body is not necessary at level 2. Stamina should be taken at level 20 just like everybody else does. Neither Tough nor MoB nor HS should be taken before Stamina is in place. I gather you have no ambitions to get Task Force Commander. Posi and Synapse would be most unpleasant given that sort of build order.

Not sure why you need Focused Accuracy on top of Rage, unless this were a PvP build; about that I know nothing.

I kept your power selections, except for swapping Hurdle in for Swift, which you probably want to do if you are a jumper. I did move some slots around, mostly out of some six slotted toggles, and out of Jab; I slotted up Rage, Health, and put an extra button into Taunt instead. Except for the healing sets, the sets I chose are for the most part relatively common and inexpensive.

Hero Plan by Mids' Hero Designer 1.401
http://www.cohplanner.com/

[u]Click this DataLink to open the build![u]

Uber-Dude: Level 50 Mutation Tanker
Primary Power Set: Willpower
Secondary Power Set: Super Strength
Power Pool: Fighting
Power Pool: Leaping
Power Pool: Fitness
Ancillary Pool: Energy Mastery

Hero Profile:
Level 1: High Pain Tolerance -- Numna-Heal(A), Numna-Heal/EndRdx(5), Numna-Heal/Rchg(7), TtmC'tng-ResDam(15), TtmC'tng-ResDam/EndRdx(34), TtmC'tng-ResDam/Rchg(46)
Level 1: Jab -- Stpfy-Acc/Rchg(A), Stpfy-Acc/EndRdx(3), Stpfy-Acc/Stun/Rchg(9), Zinger-Dam%(43)
Level 2: Mind Over Body -- TtmC'tng-ResDam(A), TtmC'tng-ResDam/EndRdx(3), TtmC'tng-ResDam/EndRdx/Rchg(7), TtmC'tng-EndRdx/Rchg(15)
Level 4: Haymaker -- C'ngImp-Acc/Dmg(A), C'ngImp-Dmg/EndRdx(5), C'ngImp-Dmg/Rchg(9), C'ngImp-Acc/Dmg/Rchg(11), C'ngImp-Acc/Dmg/EndRdx(31), Acc-I(42)
Level 6: Fast Healing -- Numna-Heal(A), Numna-Heal/EndRdx(13), Numna-Heal/Rchg(17)
Level 8: Indomitable Will -- RedFtn-Def(A), RedFtn-Def/EndRdx(34), RedFtn-Def/EndRdx/Rchg(34), RedFtn-Def/Rchg(36)
Level 10: Rise to the Challenge -- Numna-Heal/EndRdx(A), Numna-Heal(11), Dct'dW-Heal/EndRdx(27), DarkWD-Slow%(27), Taunt-I(37), Taunt-I(40)
Level 12: Quick Recovery -- P'Shift-EndMod(A), P'Shift-EndMod/Rchg(13), P'Shift-EndMod/Acc(25), P'Shift-End%(31)
Level 14: Boxing -- Stpfy-Acc/Rchg(A), Stpfy-Acc/EndRdx(36)
Level 16: Tough -- ImpArm-ResDam/EndRdx(A), ImpArm-EndRdx/Rchg(17), ImpArm-ResDam/EndRdx/Rchg(23), ImpArm-ResDam/Rchg(31), ImpArm-ResDam(36)
Level 18: Heightened Senses -- GftotA-Def/EndRdx(A), GftotA-Def/Rchg(19), GftotA-Def/EndRdx/Rchg(19), GftotA-Def(25), EndRdx-I(33)
Level 20: Knockout Blow -- Lock-Acc/Hold(A), Lock-Acc/Rchg(21), Mako-Acc/Dmg(21), Mako-Dmg/EndRdx(23), Mako-Dmg/Rchg(33), Mako-Acc/Dmg/EndRdx/Rchg(37)
Level 22: Combat Jumping -- LkGmblr-Rchg+(A), LkGmblr-Def(46)
Level 24: Super Jump -- Jump-I(A)
Level 26: Taunt -- Mocking-Taunt/Rchg(A), Mocking-Taunt/Rchg/Rng(48)
Level 28: Rage -- AdjTgt-ToHit(A), AdjTgt-ToHit/Rchg(29), AdjTgt-ToHit/EndRdx/Rchg(29), AdjTgt-EndRdx/Rchg(48), AdjTgt-Rchg(48)
Level 30: Hurdle -- Jump-I(A)
Level 32: Health -- Numna-Heal(A), Numna-Heal/EndRdx(33), Numna-Regen/Rcvry+(43)
Level 35: Stamina -- Efficacy-EndMod(A), Efficacy-EndMod/Rchg(37), Efficacy-EndMod/Acc(43)
Level 38: Foot Stomp -- Sciroc-Acc/Dmg(A), Sciroc-Dmg/EndRdx(39), Sciroc-Dmg/Rchg(39), Sciroc-Acc/Rchg(39), Sciroc-Acc/Dmg/EndRdx(40), Sciroc-Dam%(40)
Level 41: Focused Accuracy -- AdjTgt-EndRdx/Rchg(A), AdjTgt-ToHit/EndRdx(42), EndRdx-I(42), EndRdx-I(46)
Level 44: Laser Beam Eyes -- Dev'n-Acc/Dmg(A), Dev'n-Acc/Dmg/Rchg(45), Dev'n-Acc/Dmg/EndRdx/Rchg(45), Dev'n-Dmg/Rchg(45)
Level 47: Strength of Will -- S'fstPrt-ResDam/Def+(A)
Level 49: Weave -- LkGmblr-Def/EndRdx(A), LkGmblr-EndRdx/Rchg(50), LkGmblr-Def/EndRdx/Rchg(50), LkGmblr-Def(50)
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Level 1: Brawl -- Empty(A)
Level 1: Sprint -- Empty(A)
Level 2: Rest -- Empty(A)
Level 1: Gauntlet

A regen scrapper at level 10 is great fun. If new scrapper primaries are added, I will probably roll an X/Regen just to check them out at lower levels.

A regen scrapper at level 50 is nervous. Animation lag, system lag, and human reaction time lag can all get you killed.

I'd roll willpower instead. Yes, unlike Regen, your character will be difficult to play before level 22. Once you hit that level --- and you should have both Stamina and Quick Recovery at 22 to boot --- it's nothing but up, up, up. You will be just as prepared as the Regen scrapper to run Tough and Weave, and they will do a lot more for you. You won't have to worry about self-heals failing because some other animation is playing. You won't have to worry about self-heals failing because the system isn't recognizing them as recharged even though your toolbar says they are. You will have more layered survivability, with defense and resistance on top of regeneration, than the Regen scrapper gets.

This is the build I am working towards for my DM/SR. I still have not figured out how to get to 45% defense versus ranged, at least not without sacrificing other things, but most of the essentials are already in place now.

Hero Plan by Mids' Hero Designer 1.401
http://www.cohplanner.com/

[u]Click this DataLink to open the build![u]

Drusilla Claudia: Level 50 Magic Scrapper
Primary Power Set: Dark Melee
Secondary Power Set: Super Reflexes
Power Pool: Leaping
Power Pool: Fitness
Power Pool: Fighting
Ancillary Pool: Weapon Mastery

Hero Profile:
Level 1: Shadow Punch -- KntkC'bat-Acc/Dmg(A), KntkC'bat-Dmg/EndRdx(3), KntkC'bat-Knock%(5), KntkC'bat-Dmg/Rchg(17), C'ngImp-Acc/Dmg(37), C'ngImp-Acc/Dmg/EndRdx(39)
Level 1: Focused Fighting -- GftotA-Def/EndRdx(A), GftotA-Def/Rchg(7), GftotA-Def/EndRdx/Rchg(23), GftotA-EndRdx/Rchg(31), GftotA-Def(36)
Level 2: Shadow Maul -- Oblit-Dmg(A), Oblit-Acc/Rchg(3), Oblit-Dmg/Rchg(5), Oblit-Acc/Dmg/Rchg(17), Oblit-Acc/Dmg/EndRdx/Rchg(23), Oblit-%Dam(37)
Level 4: Agile -- DefBuff-I(A), GftotA-Def(7), GftotA-Def/EndRdx(15)
Level 6: Combat Jumping -- LkGmblr-Rchg+(A), LkGmblr-Def(19)
Level 8: Siphon Life -- Nictus-Heal(A), Nictus-Heal/HP/Regen/Rchg(9), Nictus-Acc/Heal(9), Nictus-Acc/EndRdx/Rchg(13), Nictus-Acc/EndRdx/Heal/HP/Regen(13), C'ngImp-Acc/Dmg(15)
Level 10: Practiced Brawler -- RechRdx-I(A), RechRdx-I(11), RechRdx-I(11)
Level 12: Hurdle -- Jump-I(A)
Level 14: Super Jump -- Jump-I(A)
Level 16: Dodge -- DefBuff-I(A), GftotA-Def(43), GftotA-Def/EndRdx(43)
Level 18: Health -- Mrcl-Heal(A), Numna-Heal/EndRdx(19), Numna-Regen/Rcvry+(46), Numna-Heal(50), Mrcl-Rcvry+(50)
Level 20: Stamina -- P'Shift-EndMod/Acc(A), P'Shift-EndMod/Rchg(21), P'Shift-EndMod(21), P'Shift-End%(50)
Level 22: Boxing -- Acc-I(A)
Level 24: Touch of Fear -- SipInsght-ToHitDeb(A), SipInsght-Acc/ToHitDeb(25), SipInsght-Acc/Rchg(25), SipInsght-ToHitDeb/EndRdx/Rchg(36), SipInsght-Acc/EndRdx/Rchg(40), SipInsght-%ToHit(40)
Level 26: Soul Drain -- Sciroc-Acc/Dmg(A), Sciroc-Acc/Rchg(27), Sciroc-Acc/Dmg/EndRdx(27), Sciroc-Dmg/Rchg(34), Sciroc-Dmg/EndRdx(46)
Level 28: Focused Senses -- RedFtn-Def/EndRdx(A), RedFtn-Def/Rchg(29), RedFtn-Def(29), RedFtn-Def/EndRdx/Rchg(37), RedFtn-EndRdx/Rchg(46)
Level 30: Lucky -- DefBuff-I(A), GftotA-Def(31), GftotA-Def/EndRdx(31)
Level 32: Midnight Grasp -- Mako-Acc/Dmg(A), Mako-Dmg/EndRdx(33), Mako-Dmg/Rchg(33), Mako-Acc/EndRdx/Rchg(33), Mako-Acc/Dmg/EndRdx/Rchg(34), Mako-Dam%(34)
Level 35: Tough -- S'fstPrt-ResDam/EndRdx(A), S'fstPrt-ResDam/Def+(36), ImpArm-ResDam/EndRdx(48), ImpArm-ResDam/EndRdx/Rchg(48)
Level 38: Dark Consumption -- Sciroc-Acc/Dmg(A), Sciroc-Acc/Rchg(39), Sciroc-Acc/Dmg/EndRdx(39), Sciroc-Dmg/Rchg(40), Sciroc-Dmg/EndRdx(43)
Level 41: Evasion -- RedFtn-Def/EndRdx(A), RedFtn-Def/Rchg(42), RedFtn-EndRdx/Rchg(42), RedFtn-Def/EndRdx/Rchg(42), RedFtn-Def(48)
Level 44: Weave -- GftotA-Def/EndRdx(A), GftotA-EndRdx/Rchg(45), GftotA-Def/EndRdx/Rchg(45), GftotA-Def/Rchg(45)
Level 47: Quickness -- Run-I(A)
Level 49: Caltrops -- RechRdx-I(A)
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Level 1: Brawl -- Empty(A)
Level 1: Sprint -- Empty(A)
Level 2: Rest -- Empty(A)
Level 1: Critical Hit

I'd suggest /dark melee for your secondary, and dark/, ice/, or willpower/ for your primary.

Dark melee gives you an opportunity to slot up several procs that are somewhat off the beaten path for melee sets, as do dark/ and ice/ armors.

Willpower is somewhat more conventional, but after they frankenslot for +healing and endurance, and get two generic Taunts in, Rise to the Challenge is a good place to stick the surprisingly affordable Dark Watcher Despair Chance for Recharge Slow proc. All of my high level WP characters get one eventually.

I have a DM/WP brute and a DM/SR scrapper, both 50s.

WP is probably a lot more fun to level than SR, is much tougher at lower levels, and as such is the build of choice for going back and revisiting lower level content. My purely subjective impression is that SR didn't really become fun to play until I had acquired all three of the Performance Shifter, Numina, and Miracle +recovery IOs, and they still aren't enough.

It is fairly easy to get SR to the defense cap for all three positions. Mine is capped versus melee and AoE; ranged seems to be harder.

One of the glories of DM is that you can frankenslot sets that you might not have considered, like accurate healing, immobilize, and to hit debuff. Frankenslotting is generally inconsistent with building to maximize defense, since too many of those bonuses require 5 or 6 of a set. The pursuit of defense bonuses also puts purple sets out of bounds; they seldom if ever feature it.

For Willpower, pursuing defense bonuses is an eccentric pursuit IMO. You want max HP and regeneration instead.

[ QUOTE ]
I admit I'm acting a bit dismissive of the complaints, but ever since I've seen people so adamantly defend the energy transfer animation change as a nerf to gauntlet,

[/ QUOTE ]

I don't recall anybody defending the energy transfer animation change as a nerf to gauntlet. The change to Barrage is also a substantial nerf to Fury for those unlucky enough to have an EM/ brute, but that's not really our concern either.

The set just plays like swimming in molasses now, and while I have breath and continuing interest in the game I shall continue to warn everyone away from it. My last respec to my fire/EM tanker picked up Air Superiority, just so I would have an attack chain without large gaps. First she lost her primary, then, her secondary.

The notion that Energy Melee needed to be nerfed was wrong in the first place. Like Stone Armor, its strengths used to be balanced by large weaknesses. Now the set no longer has its niche; it has no reason to exist, and probably just ought to be closed to new characters. The Barrage nerf probably achieves that in practice anyways.

You've never had a character go from almost full health to dead in the course of three seconds? It has happened to me more often than I care to admit.

[ QUOTE ]
You haven't identified a problem that fire/mace or fire/axe tanker didn't deal with for years.

[/ QUOTE ]

No, Energy Melee is not the only set with the problem, but it is a set where the problem is particularly bad --- to the point of seriously impacting the survivability, not only the damage, of the Fire/EM combination. Regen scrappers have it even worse, of course. Even if wasting Build Up was intentional, this looks very much like an unintended consequence.

When you click heals or the inspirations, they should do something. They fail to take effect in time, much, much too often.

My general rule of thumb is to take two of the first three powers of any tanker secondary, and skip one. You think that Ice Sword is better than Greater Ice Sword?

DM/WP is an excellent combination that can bring you tanker level survivability.

Quick Recovery at 20, Stamina at 22, and postpone Mind over Body to 24 and Heightened Senses relatively later, 30 or 35. You'll be quite adequately tough this way and enjoy playing the character a lot more.

I disagree that Stamina requires two useless power choices. Since regeneration is a large part of your survivability, you know you want Health as well as Fast Healing, so you'll be in the Fitness pool anyways. The two mentioned toggles just don't do enough before SO levels to justify taking them before, and trying to keep them up is still going to be a burden, especially since you don't get QR on a Scrapper until 20 anyways.

I may well decide to pick up Frost instead of Ice Sword when I hit level 50 with the character. I have Ice Sword now because the character has always had Ice Sword, probably because at level 4 you needed a faster recharging attack, and inertia is a strong force.

I did move Frozen Aura up in my live build; the character hit 41 in the wee hours of the morning today.

It's "broken" because it no longer works as efficiently as it used to, and the rhythm of the set is completely off. The changes wrought on the power set are indistinguishable from the effects of lag.

Now, the sequence Build Up - Energy Transfer - Total Focus lasts a minute of 7.14 seconds total, assuming the absence of lag and instant activation. AFAIAC this is a very long time to be unable to do anything else, especially for a relatively weak tanking set that relies on a self heal like Fire.

If they must "rebalance" the set by extending animation times --- which was balanced before, given its lack of utility and the problems inherent with stun as its only control --- then a number of problems resulting need to be addressed. These things seemed to be simply overlooked when the decision was made to use animation times to "rebalance" the set.

- The problem with click powers - self-heals, defensive click powers, and inspirations - needs to be solved. These things need to be instant and outside the attack chain. They can't port the set to Scrappers in its current form, unless they make EM/Regen a blocked option like Katana/Shield.

- When they made the animation times longer, they did not change the duration of Build Up to match. Now your two main attacks eat up 3/4 of the duration of the buff.