PLVRIZR

Because Infl. is SOOOOO easy to get, even at low levels, I begin to slot "set" pieces ASAP. The proc ATOs, as early as 2nd or 3rd level. Then the sets at 7th, 12th, etc., etc., whenever available. SOs in all powers, and upgraded every level. Always.

If you go that direction, here's an idea: NUTCRCKR v6.0_I27p5 update - Tanker (Invulnerability).mxd

Yeah, bummer for me, too. I was going to bring NUT (my sturdiest Inv/SS), so anyone with a Hyperstrike or Infinitum-based build should do OK.

And that's the best part of this game. You can tailor your build to whatever you deem important. You'll also note that @Sovera is a class act, and recognizes that, rather than those who just immediately jump on the opportunity to show how only their opinions and build theories should be followed/respected. I focus on survival, rather than single target damage. So to try to soothe the damaged souls 😆, here are my philosophies and reasons. -I'll start by agreeing that the BotZ KB prot. enhancement was overkill, so I moved it to Taunt and added the sixth piece of Mocking Beratement for another +7.5% recharge. My KB target is 12 pts. and back when this was built, I was hooked on KB numbers. Not really necessary now and 10 is OK. Remember, slow resistance and recharge are key, as you will need Energy Absorption up, as much as possible. With this change, the recharge is 26 sec., which is less than half the time of it's unslotted time. Using Recovery Serums is an option, but after you hit 22, it shouldn't matter. When CoH started, there wasn't much soloing with tanks and your job was to survive and hold aggro, thereby letting the true damage dealers (Blasters and Scrappers) kill things. Your kills were (are in teaming) just gravy. I rarely take both T1 and T2 attacks, on any tank. T1 is a fast recharging and constant attack, so Gauntleted Fist goes there, for lots of +absorb activations. Absorption shields are the same as "free hit points". Many builders don't like the ATOs in AoEs, but I've found that with Icicles (or Blazing Aura and the like), I have one stack, consistently. Rarely, if ever, two stacks, but since I focus on survival (Res. and Def.), I don't need it. -Kick: The perpetual controversy. It's slotted with a Force Feedback +recharge. No I don't often use it, unless exempted. What hurts my soul is to see empty slots in Mids', so it's an easy fix to fill with FF. -Seismic Smash: The bonuses from Char are just too good to pass up. Resistances (including recharge resistance), tasty defense boosts and a sprinkling of end recovery. Wait, and there's another +absorb proc? Sold! Definitely a team approach, rather than solo or as a max damager. -Combat Jumping: Same as what Sovera said and it (usually) is a mule for some of the defense uniques. Since Ice is a defensive set, those go in Frozen Armor, instead. -Taunt: Normally, I one slot it with the Perfect Zinger +psi damage proc, since it's auto-hit and has a base recharge of 10 sec., doesn't need recharge. In this build, it's a full set of Mocking Beratement, for the set bonuses. End, resistance, defense and, most importantly the 6th slot for the aforementioned 7.5% recharge enhancement. -Energy Absorption: Targets and target numbers determine how much end you refill and since you're always at the center of the mob(s), you should refill fully, each activation...so...more defense for me. The bonuses for LotG (Regen, HP, Accuracy and Resistances - especially the Toxic/Psi for the 6th piece) are more important (to me). -Salt Crystals: Yes, required pick for Quicksand (not many are, but I'm a fan of the 'sand) and Stalagmites, but the -Rech proc is valid, once it hits. Having said that, it's usually reserved for bosses and isn't in the regular rotation. Quicksand gets Ice Mistral, mostly for the 5th piece and 6.25% recharge, but also has HP, Accuracy and Recharge debuff resistance. Stalagmites gets Ragnarok for chance of KD and 6% fire resistance. Part of this build's art is that Earth Mastery perfectly fits the theme. AVALNCH: A nearly indestructible muddy snowball that will slow you, knock you down, stun and hold you before pounding you into oblivion. May take a bit longer than a procc'd out damage monster, but when you've got damage around you, the team is incredibly safe. (numbers with no incarnates and one stack of MoT and one mob in EA): And with Incarnates (Resilient and Melee Core - 1 mob):

My favorite ice toon is Ice Armor/Stone Melee. This is a leveling build, but also fully kitted out at 50. As with almost all my builds, it is not the absolute maxx, as some of the decisions to eek out that last 1% of whatever, goes against my thematic or fun factors (or just personal preferences). AVALNCH_4.0 - Tanker (Ice Armor).mbd Ice's endurance recovery offsets stone's thirsty attack chain. Stone melee's controls complement Ice's slows and vice versa. Recharge and slow resists are key, as you are dependent on refilling your end bar with Energy Absorption (lvl 22)...which also gives you a +def, for every target in range. If you don't want to continuously get your "butt whooped", take Yomo up on his offer, follow @Sovera's money making tips (in his sig), and buy the handful of uniques, as they become available. You can buy the tanker ATOs immediately (at least get the Might of the Tanker +res and Gauntleted Fist +absorb), as those sets boost your stats immensely. Other uniques come on at various levels starting around lvl 7. Look at the build in Mids' and see those items that are unique. Not dying alot, especially as a tank...when the rest of the team is counting on you being upright, is worth adding those pieces in, early. 😆

Here's mine. He's a 2021 build, but he's still very effective at +4/8 and I run the Big Mobs Tunnel fire farm for which the swords do have -def... FRMRBRWN v3.0.mxd

Does the Brute version not get Earth's Embrace? (my titular toon is Stone, albeit a tank, and I haven't run stone armor on a broot)

Mine is Crimson Prototype in the Market Crash Trial. Some ridiculous mag 100-something KB, if he picks you. Hate having tanks, that *never* get knocked down go flying...

We had a blast. We ran +2, +4 then +3 and finished in 40 min. flat. The +2 was too easy and the +4 took awhile, because about half the team were non-50s (and we had ICHS disease). After that, the remaining four tanks did the first mish of the Unai arc and pounded the Banished Pantheon for another 30-ish minutes, at +2/8. @ZemX and I both made 50 (and ended at VL1), on the night and one of our team members got 10 levels? (I lost count of the dings), starting at 31. Great fun was had by all and a special shout-out to @Big Gotter, who joined in the fun. If you've done the "Big Mobs" tunnel fire farm(s), he is the architect of those. See you next week for the Excelsior Hami event!

I have never liked the elemental swords (to the point of taking heat for not having the greater versions on my ice and firey melee tanks), but the ice shield and frozen swords sounds amazing. Damn you, @Xandyr, for fueling my altitis 😆

I used the 3.6.6 and chose "custom". Only problem I still have is exporting builds, in the Mids' format. You can load previous .mxd builds (using the Legacy Build option, and it seems the bonuses all translate), then re-save as an .mbd file.

Electric Melee adds another teleport AoE and Shield's defenses are so good, you hardly notice the Rage crash, with SS...so two more to consider.

This could give you some ideas. Numbers are without any procs, gimmicks or incarnates. Never could warm up to the "glowing pom-poms", though, so haven't played him much past 50. Don't really need incarnates to be effective, for sure: FACESMSHR v2.0.mxd

Which maps have no -def?

Wouldn't that be "d00m" 😆

Thanks and I'm happy to help. I probably posted the tank version (Voltaic Thunderbolt), because he's who I *really* reach for, when it's gonna be a fight. Not much dropoff in damage but much, much sturdier.

I have both Elec/Elec and EM/EnergyAura brutes. For some reason, I always reach for the Elec/Elec. Granted, I haven't done the Elec/EA combo, and that sounds like it would be amazing. If you want to check out the Elec/Elec (which I use for S/L farming and general content, with great success), here's the build: (an older .mxd build, but still valid): ZZAAPPP_v3.0 - Brute (Electrical Melee).mxd

And when someone asks your opinion, you should give them a thoughtful/personal response, right? Even better if you have actually done it, right? Regardless, the OP titled the post as "New Player....looking for a smashing(sic) guide". Nothing is more "smashing" on a tank than Super Strength, IMHO. New Player = avoid complex primaries like Bio, Rad and Dark. Considering the request of "a tanker who can run through enemies, smashing away" = Inv/SS, regardless of your opinion of its weaknesses. Bottom line, in this game, you can't really go wrong with a tank. @AncientReaper, let us know what you decided on and "tell us how you do"! 😆

It was truly my pleasure, as always. It was 19 degrees in Baton Rouge, last night, so my camera was frozen....i.e. no screenies. We finished in 43 minutes with 7 tanks and two were not incarnated. I sandbagged at +2/8, for the first mish, to see how it would go, but this team rocked the hizzy and we finished the last three at +4/8. In hindsight, we could have easily done a 1* at +2/8, but oh well.

Whilst running a Kin/Dark Defender, in 2004 (retail, pre-I1), I had my first opportunity to team (two man) with a SS tank. We were both 20-ish and I was absolutely hooked on the wind-up animation of Knockout Blow. SS stole my heart and, long before the invention system was even a sparkle in the devs' eyes, I immediately made my titular toon, a Stone/SS tank. I even waited until level 38 (IIRC) to get Foot Stomp. Still the most satisfying project to-date, in the 12+ years I've played this game. Was it a grind? Absolutely. Did it have "poor damage and endurance issues", I guess - with only access to DOs and SOs....oh and Fitness was not inherent. Was it fun...Hell yes! It was (and is) a blast. I don't disagree that with all the bells-and-whistles, the game offers now, that might seem mundane and boring, but I stuck with it. Maybe he would, too (and I soon realized that Inv was a better choice than Stone 😆).

Hey, I fixed it! I should just stick to the tanker forum, anyway...

First answer depends on how fast is your Dragon's Tail recharge? Super Strength has only one AOE, but when it's up every 5 seconds, do you need more than Foot Stomp? Once you hit level 20, you can also slot a Force Feedback +recharge, to keep it going (and going). At level 25, you can put Luck of the Gamblers' global recharge in any defensive power. They're not unique, so drop as many in as you can fit (don't exceed the "rule of five", however). You did take Combat Jumping, right? 😆 Hasten is your friend, as well. Don't forget that you'll also be spamming Storm Kick, for that +def goodness. Whether you pick a boss to whittle down or take out minions and lieuts with Crane Kick, adding a damage proc makes that thunderous side-kick sound file even better, by doing extra damage (use a Sudden Acceleration or Overwhelming Force knockback to knockdown, to keep them from flying away from you). Next would be pick a secondary that has AOE built in. Fire, Rad and Bio armor all can fit that bill. I haven't done a Brute version, but @Sovera's "Brunker" build is amazing on a tank (Fire/MA). Finally, if you're already taking the Fighting Pool, Cross Punch is AOE, which not only gets bonuses for already having Kick, Tough and Weave, but fits the martial arts set, thematically. Then you've got Ancillary/Epic pool choices and Incarnates...many with AOEs available.

New player? I'd recommend starting simple, yet classic. Invulnerability/Super Strength. There is little in this game as satisfying as Foot Stomp.

Yeah, whoops, had Mids' opened to the wrong toon. YES, Rad Therapy it is!!!

@StrikerFox has a great list. With Rad Armor, I would add the Theft of Essence +End proc in Radiation Therapy.