Yomo Kimyata

This was a ?Council? warehouse mission titled something like "Get Weapon X". Entered the warehouse and ... nobody! I ran to the back room where the glowies always are, and not a soul in the warehouse except for me. Clicked on the desk and mission was over.

I just took out my Stone/Dark scrapper through an ITF, and I was surprised at how well she stunned even given the boss mez protection shouts. Now this was on a full team, but I kept running off into a new group, Folded Space, Fault, and everyone below boss level was stunned before any of the bosses could shout. And then they were all dead. On my scrapper, I've got four pieces of Absolute Amazement in Fault and used Razzle Dazzle for OG. Gets you a little melee defense and chance for immobilize doesn't hurt.

Every level 50 I run has at least 50% slow protection. Best ways for me are to put the universal travel 20% slow protection in a travel power, and then I usually run a few sets of Winter-Os, but there are other sets as well: https://homecoming.wiki/wiki/Category:Sets_that_improve_Slow_Resistance

Sounds like a plan. I love the stacked mezzing of dark armor (and Darkest Night is so good it feels like cheating) but you propose a good strategy that I would consider making a specific build just for ITFs!

Exactly my point! I love running mez effects on melee alts, but soloing a +4/x8 ITF while relying on mezzing Cimerorians is a tough row to hoe.

Well, in general yes, but maybe not for ITF. Do not forget that Cim bosses have this, which provides stun protection: https://cod.uberguy.net/html/power.html?power=romans.praefectus.shout_of_command&at=boss_grunt

this

This sounds like the title of a black comedy movie about the Greek Mafia.

I was partial to "Over The Top." I was pitching to make a sequel where he becomes a hairdresser, but is called back into arm wrestling after his friend is killed in an organized crime-related arm wrestling incident. I call it, "A Little Off The Top."

It's probably a generational thing. I'm a solid Gen Xer, and I was having a conversation with a millennial and I referenced Alice from the Brady Bunch. I apologized, "Oh, you may not recognize that reference," and he replied, "No, I know the Brady Bunch! I really liked Alfalfa." I lost it completely.

I got it all. 145 full sets of Trap of the Hunter.

I'm kind of back after a hiatus, and I enjoyed reading this post. I've got a baby scrapper with this combo and Violent Beauregard as a brute who I just took out for a spin (just dinged 35). I started this for pretty much the same reasons as you: endurance reduction from the primary matched with a high endurance cost secondary. I'm hardly an expert on Savage Melee but I have a bit of experience, and I know Dark Armor quite well. Here are some of my thoughts which probably have little to do with your current build. Primary: I'm still mixing up Savage Melee and Street Justice, and I don't LOVE either one of them. On my recent spin, I noticed that damage felt pretty lackluster, especially single target damage. I'm still working on maximizing the blood thirst mechanics, but usually I find myself trying to hit Rending Flurry before I get five stacks because I am not a fan of the lockout period, but I'm not micromanaging it. Hemorrhage can be controversial, but it's a great proc delivery vehicle, and I think I'm theorycrafting it late in the build with two lvl 53 Nucleoses and 3-4 damage procs, so only skipping Maiming Slash and Taunt. I'm very happy with Dark Armor as long as I can get enough defense bonuses, and by splitting Brute's Fury 3-3 and with 5 pieces of Blistering Cold and Avalanche, I'm at or about 45% smashing/lethal/melee defense (and 50% slow resist). Secondary: I never liked the defense powers from Dark Armor and Energy Aura since I don't want to be hidden, but defense is defense. Dark Regeneration is wonderful and up constantly, so I don't bother slotting it for healing since I'm generally getting plenty even with no heal slots, so I use it as an AoE attack/proc bomb. Oppressive Gloom is a cheap stun, and although on its own it only hits minions, at least it hits minions and you can also focus on the lts and bosses. It's also a great place for the Absolute Amazement proc, and I generally 5-slot it with pieces from that set (skipping Stun/Recharge). Cloak of Fear is fun when you can afford it; it's really expense endurance-wise and has terrible accuracy. I aim for end game 6 slots with 2x lvl 53 Endoplasms, 2x lvl 53 Enzymes, a +5 boosted Nightmare A/E, and an Unspeakable Terror proc. That last one can stack stun mag by 2, so when it triggers you will see bosses get a little dizzy. In this build I'm skipping Death Shroud and Soul Transfer. Epic: I'm wondering if I absolutely need Energy Pool for endurance and the answer is "probably". Regardless, it's cheap slot-wise to get Superior Conditioning and Physical Perfection and just put the Perf Shifter proc in each of them as a base slot. Boy I wish Scrapper Energy pool was as friendly as the Brute/Tank pool. Pools: Combat Jumping from Leaping; Kick, Tough, Weave from Fighting; Hasten from Speed. I am also a big fan of Force of Will, where I take Mighty Leap, Weaken Resolve (which helps with hard single targets), and Unleash Potential (which I use to add significant defense to all and endurance recovery and is up almost 1/3 of the time).

One of the few characters that I can remember from Live was a Fire/Ice tank I named Invisible Fist who did nothing but farm Dark Astoria for arcane common salvage like Luck Charms. Good times.

Sure you can. The salvage still exists and you can sell it back for inf, maybe even (gnaws finger menacingly) for MORE than you paid for it!