So, I was reading a discussion about MA/WP scrappers. The OP was looking for some build hints. Along the way, the thread diverged somewhat into a discussion of attack chains. The posters seemed to agree that the optimal ST attack chain was something like Crippling Axe Kick->Storm Kick->Crippling Strike/Crane Kick->Storm Kick. They bemoaned the fact that this is a very difficult chain to pull off seamlessly, as it requires a 225% recharge reduction on Storm Kick, which is difficult to achieve in an MA build. One of the considerations they had was that Thunder Kick, in particular, was seen to be an inferior choice for MA because it is not damaging enough to really warrant inclusion in a chain.
I started playing around with adding some different attacks into this "optimal chain" to see if I could solve the problem of the timing hole. Pool powers like Air Superiority and Jump Kick I ruled out immediately, as they have DPA less than half of Storm Kick and significantly less than Thunder Kick. Then, for some reason I can't explain, I took a look at the most laughed-at, the most despised, the butt of most of the power related joke in City of Heroes, Brawl.
Imagine my shock to discover that, not only does Brawl have a DPA that puts it firmly in the same class as these "optimal" MA attacks, it is actually the highest DPA attack of the lot, with a DPA that is more than 50% higher than Storm Kick, the highest DPA attack in the entire Martial Arts powerset. On my character, Brawl has a DPA of 150.13 and Storm Kick has a DPA of 98.94.
So, what am I missing here? This seems a total no-brainer. On first glance, all you need to do is to flesh out the attack chain with a couple of Brawls, and not only do you maintain your "optimal" ST attack chain, you actually raise the damage potential considerably. It can't be that simple, can it? Has everyone's total contempt for Brawl made them overlook its possible utility in a situation like this? The thing is, this would mean really integrating the attack. We are talking six-slotting the power and putting a decent set of enhancements into it. Now, I can see why most powersets would not be attracted by Brawl as a regular attack. They use some kind of weapon and sheathing and unsheathing the weapon would destroy most of Brawl's utility. Of course, this doesn't apply to MA, which is all barehanded attacks anyway. Not only that, but Brawl's low-damage, ultra-fast recharge style is an almost perfect match for the other attacks in the MA set, nearly all of which are lower damage, quicker recharge type powers.
Tell me why I have never seen anyone using Brawl seriously as an attack (obviously SOMEONE somewhere is using it, but it seems to be almost universally ignored by the community at-large). Unless there is some compelling factor that I am missing here, I believe that my MA scrapper may be throwing a few punches along with her acrobatic kicks and backflips.