Aracknight

Hmmm. Like maybe how on Ice Armor you can be seen inside your translucent icy armors, you could be seen inside a translucenty "aura" of a squid or a lobster?

Can't say I'd be sad if Storm Kick got the same defense bonus Tanks got (Or Parry in Broadsword, for a direct scrapper analogue). I'd also not mind it if they turned Storm Kick into a small cone that could hit, lets say up to 3 mobs at once if you line it up just so (also like Slice in Broadsword). I really don't think Martial Arts is broken, not since Cobra Strike got it's damage put in anyway. But a tweak to make it a little more aoe-y or some mitigation wouldn't suck. The soft controls are cool, and the damage is "okay" (we all want more damage, just admit it).

It wasn't 04 for me. It was I8. I was a veteran of MUD-style text dungeon games and SWG. I read about CoH, and that I would need to get off dial-up to make it work well. While I waited, I read the manuals, read the forums, and devoured everything I could about it. I was a MA/SR Scrapper because I read "On the care and feeding of your scrapper (which I reposted elsewhere)" and a MA guide that said: "So you may be asking yourself, "What is Martial Arts good for?" Well, a few facts are in order to answer this question... 1. MA Scrappers are mammals. 2. MA Scrappers fight ALL the time. 3. The purpose of the MA Scrapper is to flip out and kill people." I was a MA/SR scrapper before I was a MA/SR scrapper. It sounded bad-ass. Like everyone else, I spent too much time perfecting my costume, believing that I just had to have a piece from every option (shoulders, etc) before learning sometimes less is more. A huge Spider-Man fan, CoH helped me bring the Aracknight to life, and I was cah-rushed when it was shut down. I straight up copied Spidey's actual costume, ran a +4/x8 Council warehouse police band mission, and refused to log back on even though there was a month to go until shutdown. I was so heartbroken I couldn't actually bring myself to be here at the end. Then I found Homecoming ( a recent Spider-man movie title) with a shard named Excelsior (the recently departed Stan Lee's catchphrase) and I was indeed home. And my main (and truth be told, at this time ONLY) character, is that MA/SR Scrapper that I was before, during, and after I was an MA/SR Scrapper. I'm very grateful.

Revisited this for the first time in a while. MA/SR. My Attack chain was SK->CS->SK->CK. I use Musculature Core Alpha, Diamagnetic Radial Interface, and Assault Core Hybrid (did not use). Did not use Lore or Judgment. I was able to get down to 7:32 with a DPS of 212. I think I could have been faster had I not tried to slip in Eagle Claw for the first few rotations at the beginning. I also didn't use build up, but I do have Gaussian's chance for build up in Tactics, which I forgot to turn on for the first couple of minutes. I also need to get better at timing Practiced Brawler so I don't get randomly knocked back because I let it lapse. But that's a 2 minute improvement with only minor adjustments (Changed from Support Hybrid to Assault) and no real skill at doing this yet. I think I've learned that this sort of thing not only takes some solid Mids-Fu, but some skill as well. There's some timing and focus involved as well to work more efficiently. I solod Bat'zul at the end of Virgil Tarikoss last weekend, so I thought I'd give this a whirl, though I did use an envenomed dagger or 30 on Bat'Zul, lol.

Why not split the difference and make it a mag 1 taunt with 0 range. That way, if you want to slot it for taunt or range you have the option, and if you don't nothing changes? Is that a thing that's possible?

:/ A taunt aura for scrappers would be a damned nice QOL situation. Chasing bad guys down can be a pain.

Does Zapp really do that much less damage than Moonbeam and Mace Beam? Mids Reborn and Pines both have Zapp doing less than half the damage of the other two.

Oh, and my favorite is what I roll to this day. MA/SR. A guide I read years ago written by wiser people said that "The purpose of the MA Scrapper is to flip out and kill people." It was right then, and it's right now. SR keeps me standing when others fall down. I keep Practiced Brawler tied to my "Target Enemy Near" bind to keep it up as I move between targets. I have Storm Kick on autofire, loaded with the Critical Strikes ATO. Storm Kick sets them up, and when that Critical Strikes text flies, whatever attack I have ready next takes them out. SR is cruise control for Scrapperlock, and Scaling Resistance backed with the....Scaling resistances IO and some other set bonii (is bonii the plural of bonus?) fill the gap if my destiny heal isn't up. I've only been knocked down a couple of times since I full rebuilt back in July, to the Hamidon, to Lady Winter, and to those blue circles in the MoM trial. Martial arts may not hit as hard as other sets, but it looks cool doing it, and the soft controls and constant target cycling makes me a whirlwind saying "NEXT" every time something gets defeated. /ahem. So yeah, MA/SR.

I did not author this. I remember reading this, and I found it reposted elsewhere. But, someone asked for it and I remembered it very, very fondly, so I went looking for it: On the Care and Feeding of Your Scrapper (V2.0) So, you've decided to make a scrapper a part of your team, congratulations! Not everyone is suited for the time and care required by a scrapper, however, so it is necessary to understand your scrapper in order to gain the most appreciation and enjoyment from your association. So, before you enter into such a commitment, do your research! Make sure this is the right thing for you! Section 1: Varieties Many people will tell you that the most important choice in a scrapper is his inherent powers. Some will tell you a Spines is better than one with Claws, or those who demonstrate tool-using abilities are favored over those who simply use the gifts of Nature in their work. Still others will argue that the scrapper's gifts of survival are more important; that those who can reduce or avoid damage are inferior to those who have learned the abilities to heal more rapidly (and thus, reduce trips to the vet for cases of the snuffles). This is, in a word, untrue. The scrapper is a creature which, by nature, thrives in the madness of melee combat, and the method of that survival is irrelevant provided they have learned HOW to survive. The different varieties of scrapper, therefore, are more a psychological matter than physiological. In general, there are three main varieties of scrapper: 1. The Wild or Savage Scrapper (Scrappus Devastatus, sometimes known as Scrappus Solous): The Wild Scrapper is a truly unique creature, and the second most rare type of scrapper. Scrappus Devastatus is the scrapper which has never teamed to any significant degree, and is utterly unprepared for the dynamic of a team. The Savage Scrapper is so completely rare due to the nature of Task Forces and Trials: situations which force a team experience upon anyone who attempt to take them on. The solution for Scrappus Devastatus is obvious; he can opt to avoid them entirely, which is more common, or, in a particularly aberrant and extreme example, will ask others to join him solely for the purpose of starting the Task Force, which he will then proceed to finish alone. A similar difficulty for Scrappus Devastatus is the existence of the Arch Villain, that most notorious of opponent. These adversaries are inevitably met by one of three responses: He is either avoided entire, much to the scrapper's annoyance; he is taken on in a straight up-fight, which will either send the scrapper to the hospital, repeatedly, or else serve as a point of pride throughout the scrapper's career, or he will be outlevelled and summarily trounced. Note that this creature is not stupid by any stretch of the imagination. Due to experience as a young hunter, Scrappus Solous has little difficulty knowing when to retreat from a losing battle, and will do so if he feels it necessary. 2. The Feral Scrapper (Scrappus Paranoicus): This variety of scrapper is, by far, the most common of scrappers. The Feral Scrapper is that creature which has soloed for the vast majority of his career, only teaming for one of three reasons. Firstly, a Feral Scrapper may have felt the call of the Task Force, and thus joined in a team fora greater cause. Second, a Feral Scrapper may have run across an Arch Villain and, lacking the patience and utter and complete psychosis of the Savage Scrapper, chose to take the simpler solution and call together a team for the purposes of taking out this annoyance. Third, the Feral Scrapper is not completely without compassion, and he may have taken pity on another archetype which is unsuited to combat without assistance. As a result, the Feral Scrapper often has a good idea of the proper behavior in group settings, though he may take some time to adapt to the new settings. 3. The Civilized Scrapper (Scrappus Domesticus): The Civilized Scrapper, sometimes referred to derisively by the other varieties of scrapper as the "pet" scrapper or the "housescrapper," Scrappus Domesticus is the rarest breed of scrapper, although he is somewhat more likely to be noticed than the other two varieties. Whereas Scrappus Devastatus and Paranoicus avoid teaming unless there is some overriding compulsion, Domesticus has spent his entire career surrounded by other heroes and thrives in social settings. As a result, this breed has developed a "team sense" far in advance of his contemporaries, and is willing to do whatever is required for the good of the team. He is equally content playing the role of tanker or melee powerhouse as he is protecting the less resilient members of the team from stray villains, and whatever role he is given, he will likely still maintain this "guard dog" mentality, should any villains manage to escape him and go after the less offensive members of the team. A note of Caution: It is IMPERATIVE that you determine exactly what form of scrapper you have adopted. It is not always a simple matter to determine from superficial appearances or short-term experience. There is many a Wild Scrapper who has been mistaken for a Civilized simply because he displays patience in the initial stages of team forming, or is capable of chatting amiably to pass the time. Likewise, it is possible for a Civilized to be mistaken as a Feral or even Savage due to impatience in beginning the task, simply because he is so eager to prove his worth. Note also that it is possible for a Scrapper to spend time duoing extensively and still maintain his Wild nature. The dynamic of a duo is radically different from a full team, and that a scrapper participates in a long-term, successful duo is only proof that even a Wild Scrapper is capable of adapting to the particular idiosyncrasies of the partner he has taken as his own. Indeed, it is not at all uncommon for the Wild Scrapper, in a display of paternal or maternal instinct, to "adopt" another scrapper or even a "lesser" archetype for protection and guidance. Section 2. On the Care of Your Scrapper. Note that Scrappus Domesticus is an inherently team-oriented creature, and most of the following information is, therefore, inapplicable. However, it should be noted that all scrappers are capable of fulfilling many roles, from bodyguard and "boss assassin" to light tanking duties. Therefore, one should not assume that even a Civilized Scrapper automatically knows what you expect of him; in ANY team setting, it is imperative that all members know the proper tactics and roles of all members. Scrappers tend towards loners and soloists; indeed, many aspire to solo even archvillains by themselves. This is not due to any inherent antisocial nature, rather it is a state of independence and self-sufficiency. Properly cared for, a scrapper can be quite jovial and friendly. The result of this nature, though, means that scrappers are, in many cases either unwilling or unable to admit the need for support on a team. In recognition of this unusual nature, it is important to follow several guidelines. 1. First one in. In this case, should you have a Tank in your team, it should be made clear to the scrapper that the Tank is the point man. Scrappers are used to being the ONLY person on a team, so when they are ready, everyone is. Likewise, they are used to being the sole point of attention, and many regard themselves as a form of tank, or, more often, as a living blender. In this case, communication is required. Note that this is more pronounced among the Wild Scrappers than the Feral. Ferals will usually take the time to check everyone's health and endurance before charging in, although they will likely be out-of-practice in the beginning of the team experience. Watch your scrapper in the early stages of any team and make sure he knows not to leave until you are ready. It is best to prearrange a signal (such as "ready") so that he will not mistake a pre-fight checkup for being prepared to assault. 2. Defined roles. Also resulting from the scrapper's tendency of soloing is his tendency of thinking of himself as the "everything man." He grabs aggro, destroys bad guys, and in many cases, takes care of healing and buffing himself. In teams, therefore, it is not unusual for a scrapper to play exactly as he would outside a team. Again, communication is critical. First, the scrapper must know what you expect of him, and you must find out what he expects of YOU. This might seem obvious, but I have found that in many teams, the players are so used to the roles of different ATs being so well-defined that the wild-card nature of the scrapper is overlooked. Note that this rule applies even to the Civilized Scrapper, and is a cardinal rule of teaming with a Scrapper of any breed. 3. Scrapperlock. This, then, is probably the most important aspect of the scrapper to account for in a team. Scrapperlock is a nearly-constant and utterly incurable condition. This condition ranges from the need to be smashing thugs nearly constantly to gunning for that ONE GUY that put him down regardless of the cost. As a result of this condition, it is necessary to allow the scrapper to cause havoc in his own fashion. In many cases, this is simple: Scrappers are designed to take on bosses, so let them handle the boss. However, the issue arises when there is no boss in a particular fight. In this case, blasters take especial note, a scrapper will choose a "lesser" target, usually a Lt, and designate it has his own. It is imperative that no one else fire upon this target AT ALL. This is "the scrapper's;" terminating it or assisting can injure the self-sufficient pride of the scrapper. If "assistance" is rendered repeatedly, disgruntlement can be fostered leading the scrapper to do something dangerous, such as hare off on his own, simply so he can find and terminate a target without interference. Note that there are three conditions where firing upon the target of a scrapper may be forgiven. A. If a target is nearly terminated and it would be a waste of both time and endurance to finish the target, it is permissible to finish the target of a scrapper. In many cases, this tendency will around the scrappers paternal or maternal nature; it is not uncommon for scrappers to come to an informal agreement, sometimes unspoken agreement, with a defender for the purposes of terminating nearly-defeated targets. The defender feels that he is contributing to the team, while the scrapper spends more time taking care of the important targets. B. If a scrapper is taking a long while about terminating his target, to the degree that it is impeding the team, then it is permissible to join in. Note that the scrapper will become annoyed if there are a number of targets still active when a person decides to "help out." If there is another target to engage, do not attack the scrapper's target! Not only does it waste team resources, but a scrapper who is repeatedly "assisted" in this manner will begin to feel that he is not trusted to finish his own chosen targets. This lack of trust can be fatal to a team's cohesiveness. C. If a scrapper is in extreme danger and may be defeated by his chosen target, it is permissible to fire upon the scrapper's target. Note that it is rare for a scrapper to be outmatched by a single target, and he is more likely to run into trouble by being outmatched by a great many targets. In this case, it is generally more efficient and acceptable to terminate those targets the scrapper is NOT engaging over the one that he is. Regardless, saving a scrapper's butt is rarely something to foster discontent. Addendum: Massive targets, such as monsters and Archvillains, are fair game. Few scrappers save the most utterly Wild will consider "claiming" one as his own. Section 3: Misconceptions. 1. The primary misconception for scrappers is "they don't care about debt." There is nothing further than the truth; scrappers of all types are as frustrated and annoyed by debt as anyone else. However, there are some mitigating factors. Firstly, scrappers tend to be used to debt. The joke is that blasters are used to debt, but a smart blaster can quickly learn the art of "snipe and run." in this manner, any blaster can whittle down an overwhelming pack over time to something more manageable with minimal risk. The same cannot be said of scrappers. In the early game, a scrapper's defenses are no better than a blaster's, and while he may have more hit points, it is nowhere near a tanker's level. Thus, a relatively defenseless scrapper has to charge headlong into melee with multiple enemies and hope he comes out on top. This can produce a wisdom of when to cut and run for a scrapper, as well as how to hunt down the villains on the fringe of a group. It should be noted that this tendency can be a dangerous affair for a Wild scrapper. Unused to the team dynamic and knowing that "running away" is a workable solution, Scrappus Devastatus will often take this solution. This can, obviously, both take the scrapper away from the support of his team and draw bad guys straight toward the team members they should be kept from. Be aware. However, on teams, scrappers are capable of amazingly heroic feats. Ferals and Civilizeds are usually aware that experience flows heavily on teams, and are thus more willing to make a personal sacrifice for the good of the team, especially since they tend to be more familiar with debt than other types. In truth, it is the time kept from combat that annoys a scrapper more than dealing with debt. A teammate who can teleport and resurrect will go a long way towards ameliorating this issue. 2. A secondary misconception of scrappers is that they're all "freaking psychotic." To that, I can only say, it's true. But it's not true that they're stupidly psychotic; a Scrapper will rarely attempt anything that is beyond his capability. A scrapper, by nature, is a creature that pushes the limits of his capabilities, so he often knows exactly what he is capable of. When he dives into a group of bad guys that should be well above his capabilities, teams often fear for his safety, and rightly so. But on the razor's edge is where a scrapper, especially Devastatus and Paranoicus, belong, and that is where they truly shine. So it is important that a team learn the strengths and nature of their scrapper, as well as the reverse, and learn to trust his judgement. When a scrapper tells you to stand in a certain spot and "let him try something," you might just be surprised. If you follow these guidelines, you AND your scrapper will lead a longer, healthier, fuller life! Disclaimer: while this post is intended to be informative and useful, it is also intended to be humorous. Laugh a little.

Make it so i can reduce TF AV's to EB's and i would play it solo in its current form until the heat death of the universe.

On a recent Ice Mistral Strike Force, I was cautioned by a scrapper-canny team leader to "Watch out for Archus agro" while I was engaging a group of mobs nearby. I responded with "pfft, Archus had better watch out for Aracknight aggro." After some lols and predictions that I'd die first, Archus did not in fact watch out for Aracknight agro. He also died first :) I also think Scrapperlock transcends the game, and is a player power.

I'm MA and keep storm kick on auto, with the scrapper +critical strike chance. Then i follow it with whichever attack is up next, whether dragon's tail, eagle's claw, cobra strike, or crane kick. Very few minion and even LT rank require a third atack. Switching to the next target lets me keep PB up with a single keystroke, and i dont find i need hasten with Quickness and 5 LOTG recharge bonuses. To each their own tho. I have a good time with my Scrapper, which is whats important 🙂

Me too! It's exactly why I added PB to my target_enemy_near bind lol.

I added a powexec practiced brawler to my target enemy near keybind and it did wonders for making me less annoyed with clicking PB. Since im always hitting the target button anyway, i can now basically assume its on or even double stacked. Have fun.

Has anyone considered this minor thematic twist on "adjusting" Stone Armor? Generally I mean, like the myth of Antaeus, where if the giant was on the ground, he was invincible? Specifically I mean: Make Earth;s Embrace only able to be used when on the ground. Make Mud Pots only work when on the ground. (I always thought earthquake would be cooler, but whatever.) Remove the speed and travel power restrictions from Rooted and...make it only work when on the ground. This at least gives an opportunity to Stoneys to be a little more flexible and not be as slllloooowwww as they are now. .02 inf. Have a nice day.

Why not split the difference, and give mag 4 as a passive for having the power, and add 6 when you click it, and still allow it to stack? This way you dont get annoyed by low level cc, and still have the "breakfree" and stacking options for tougher fights? I'm sure ddr can be adjusted in a similar fashion.

My Scrapper's (blueside) main costume is fairly basic, black and white colors and an official-style belt, all tights no cape. Then I have a Vanguard variant (purple and gray) with the Vanguard symbol on my chest for when I do MSRs, a red and white Longbow costume when I'm feeling especially heroic or like trolling bad guy npc's when I adventure redside. After that is a variant of my main costume with Cimeroran armor, helmet, and cape over it for ITFs, and then a civilian casual outfit. Row 2 starts with a red and black variant of my main for when I side switch and go badging redside when I finish blue. After that I intend to make a Santa style suit over my main costume for the winter holidays, a shredded battle-damaged version of my main, an armored-style costume for when things Get Serious, and I'll leave the last slot open for trying new pieces or just as something to keep open for a costume or theme party. Or a really basic dark costume for Hami raids. I read that somewhere that helped lag. Suddenly feels like less options, now that I describe it more, heh.

I believe that if the point was to modify a power to provide a to-hit and damage bonus to Tanks in order to give them a more meaningful DPS with a possible tradeoff to survivability that I haven't missed it at all. Solutions aren't binary. There isn't a single magic bullet for this issue. If there was, the past or present Developers would have fired it long ago.

Why not make a toggle power called "Scrap" to replace build up and rage? It could increase damage by x% to equal that of a Scrapper, but conversely lower resistance and defense and possibly hit points to Scrapper levels as well while running. It could cost endurance to run and still add To Hit or Accuracy. This could conceivably address the "do more damage at a cost of taking more damage" concept as well as have a trade off that isn't quite a "crash." It'd be more situational, more controllable and easily planned for, and may make soloing a little faster also. Conversely, you could replace the "lighter taunts" of Scrappers and make a toggle power called "Tank" for them that did the exact opposite (lowered damage but increased Def/Res/Hit points), and added a Taunt aura instead of To hit/Accuracy. Then Scrappers could tank better if they wanted to allow a group of other Pet Archetypes team with them :P

Well, anagramming Walker Texas Ranger gave me Karate Sex Wrangler and Extra Large Wankers, so Caveat Emptor I guess.

Or Action Figure variants, like the billion Cowboy, Astronaut, Samurai, Accountant Ninja Turtles and Batmen they made in the '90s and '00s. My brain had those wired just as different Costumes instead of possibly different Archetypes. There's enough overlap between Martial Arts (/Assault), Mu/Electric, and Super Reflexes to cover most things I'm comfortable with and keep me having fun while maintaining the integrity of my overall theme and enjoyment. What else is defense-y flavored that isn't SR? Force fields/Bubbles? Oh, and what's the Character name limit these days? I seem to recall 19? Sorry for all the questions, but this was all super helpful and inspirational and whatnot guys and gals. I'll try some stuff out and report back.

Steampunkette gets me! That's just what I was going for but trying to avoid name stuff. Is there a list of what special characters like * ( - etc are allowed in names anywhere? Google and Bing were unhelpful in that search. Thank you so much for the advice. I *really* am ridiculously happy to be home in Paragon City. I tried to fill the void with Marvel Future Fight on my phone, but what has always set Heroes apart for me is the community. You guys are so helpful and forthcoming with advice and numbers and just anything anyone needs, even at the Dev/Admin levels. Thank you guys for being....you guys. From the Department of Redundancy Department lol.

I played Galaxies, but forgot about it, until you mentioned it, and that is sort of the model I had in mind subconsciously I guess. Galaxies and Heroes were the only games I could ever get into. Really glad the universe saw fit to give us back Heroes. Anyway, thanks for the replies. Appreciate it.

Not sure if anyone has mentioned this before. Sorry if it has already been crapcanned. Unlike a lot of players, I really only enjoy playing my MA/SR scrapper main. I'm just invested that way emotionally, and I have trouble connecting or enjoying other characters on any real level, much less coming up with names and costumes for them. At the same time, I've also been that MA/SR Scrapper since I8, and sometimes I do want to try out other things, but I run into the aforementioned disconnection/disenjoyment. For example, I'd like to learn how to Tank... as a Tank. Those guys that know what they are doing are friggin' amazing. I'd also like to see how I'd perform as a Stalker, or even a Brute., Or try out Sentinel. Who knows, but you get the idea. Would it be possible, or even desired, to use the Alternate Builds system to function as a different Archetype? I'm not as familiar with non-melee powersets, but I do know that proliferation has been pretty good to melee toons, and it'd be neat to able to switch gears depending on need. Need a tank? Change your build to Tank. Something stealthy? Switch it to Stalker. And so on. I've seen some players with toons with the same name with an extension like Bob the Scrapper or Bob the Tank or whatever to differentiate, but that sort of breaks my immersion. Just a thought. Have a nice evening.

Okay! Got home and tried it out. Yes, you can set a snipe to auto. Also, with the new "Fast snipe" enhancement, it doesn't get interrupted when you move, although you were correct that without that enhancement it would suffer from interruptions. I imagine that test server junkies already knew this, but hey, whatever :)