BrandX

Well, Cleave and Pendulum both continue to take Melee AOE sets, they don't take the Targeted AOE sets.

My Tanker has Mag 3 x2 from 4 set bonus of Gladiator's Armor and Mag 4 from Steadfast Protection and still get knocked back every now and again. Not ping ponged, but still...and those CoT and the like knock powers can get mean sometimes, so one more mag may help 🙂 Agree on the last statement. Though, I hope my Brute will feel tougher with the +HP aspect, which I believe will put my Brute up to my Tankers current live HP level.

Clickable almost half as often? Didn't they revert Burn's recharge back to what it was?

You know, I didn't even notice the power order change, as I just transferred over my Fire/Axe Tanker and did the testing there. I also wasn't paying attention to the damage, as they didn't mention anything about damage decreases in the notes. Power order was on me though, as it was mention. Damage, not sure why they haven't mentioned the powers damage change. 😕 Is it's damage decrease supposed to be made up by the shorter animations of the ST attacks? My thought on the changes, is I like the changes to making them essentially targeted AOEs. I feel it changes up the set, that while slightly different, still felt like WM.

As I posted earlier, I didn't see the idea of -Defense helping damage other than switching out one of the many damage procs one can slot for a -Resist one. The -Regen idea seems interesting. In fact, the -Regen for Fire Breath like you suggested, would give it a reason for me to pick it up besides just trying to fit it in, because I like the animation. Long animation and all. However, as you said the big -Regen makes it a great big ST attack while keeping the use as AOE for the lesser enemies. Then increase or add DoT to all the others, as then it's doing what Fire Melee is supposed to be doing...more damage. May even be able to take back the -Def.

Got to wondering if I should replace the ToD: Neg DMG Proc in Swoop and the -Resist Proc in Cleave with the +RCH Proc (I have one in Gash)

I don't farm with my Tanker, but I'd like even better ST with her of course 🙂 However, I feel I do fine farming with my Ice/Fire brute

I do have one slotted in one attack, but to keep my Tank at those capped resists, I can't put all those Force Feed backs in all my attacks. Though, I could replace one damage proc in Swoop with the +RCH. Cleave I could take out the -Resist Proc (it's pretty weak) for +RCH too.

I knew the basics there. I do have an Ice/Fire Brute farmer 😛 But I never paid attention to how much faster it helps me kill things between farms and regular missions. Just know, AOE damage kill groups faster 😛 As for the Bio vs Fire Armor, that was more for regular play and not farming, as yes, Fire Farmers build for fire protection. Regular play, would go a bit different. In regular play, what's the difference in them for damage and such? Bio is winning in ST for sure and feels more survivable.

See, helping me already! At 126.25% recharge and it's not even perma! 😞

I am convinced, now help me turn my Fire/Axe Tanker into feeling like a damage machine! 🙂 I don't feel like I kill faster than a Scrapper.

That's a thread I've pretty much ignored. Last I recall pretty AOE centric and Brutes still pulled ahead in ST while it was only certain sets that really benefited the tank, correct? Again, I've maybe skimmed it at most, right at the end looks like it's "Well these couple of primaries..."

I never once recall a Tanker out damaging a Brute.

A lot of the resist sets have damage auras (Dark, Fire, Electric all come to mind). Brutes Fury does more for those auras, than Scrappers, since Scrappers don't crit on them. I used one example because if it happens in one, the same is likely true for others. Also, I said I recall a time where Brutes out did Scrappers, and Brute players with the more survival balking at the idea of a hit to their Resist caps, something most wouldn't achieve on their own. However if the difference between EM/BIO Scrapper and Brute is 9 seconds, there likely wouldn't be to much of a difference between other Scrapper and Brute Combos they share. Then we go back to Brutes out surviving Scrappers. There's a reason we see Fire Armor Brutes farming Fire maps and not Scrappers. I know my Electric Armor Brute and Regen Brute survived better than my Scrapper equivalents.

I use attuned IOs and slot them as soon as my build allows (since they're attuned, it depends on the earliest level I can slot the enhancement). I also try to make some calculated choices on what to slow when. Sustaining Endurance for instance means I like those +Rec procs asap. 🙂 Heat Loss is an interesting choice, as it's still on a long recharge with IOs and lots of recharge bonuses 🙂 But such a power, would for example be nice on AVs one would run into on low level TFs, in that it will help take them down faster. I'd say most teams will get them taken down regardless.

No? They don't do better damage with Fire Melee? They don't do better with all the resist sets and their damage auras? And looking at pylon thread...EM/BIO Brute seems to be pretty equal to Scrapper and the one Scrapper version that did a bit better (9 seconds) has less defense on just being a scrapper. Though, with ATOs, Brutes look to have a mixture of one set damage and one survival (in regen and sustaining powers) in terms of the ATO Proc, while Scrappers are both for damage. However, if no Brute combo can out damage the equivalent Scrapper version, that should be playing as intended, seeing as how Brute version is for sure out surviving the Scrapper.

I've loved a lot of the HC changes myself, but I have to say, the "child, work and life now" people had that and played hardmode stuff before 😛 Well, maybe not the life part, though, to be fair on that one, friends move away! 😞

Yeah, I feel the higher HP and 90% resist caps being achieved by Brutes, gets forgotten because they think "Not doing Scrapper damage" When last I recall, don't they still equal or surpass Scrappers in DPS with some builds, while also making better use of all defense sets over Scrappers? I recall when it was all about Brutes doing more damage than Scrappers and the heavy Brute players balking at the idea of taking a 5% resist reduction. I don't know where that good balance between Tanks and Scrappers is supposed to be, but doing same if not more damage than Scrappers while having better survival doesn't seem it. Yes, I recall the "Why take a scrapper on the team when a brute can be buffed to tanker defenses and do scrapper damage" 😛

And really people seem to really only be looking at specific T9s. Not all T9's are equal. Most Defense Sets are skipped. Tankers get their T9 early? Scrappers got those T9's just as early before. Really, it seems the talk of T9s seem focused on the Nukes 😛 Defenders getting some power debuff may be nice at the lower level, but some of those seem more limited. So it's all about a few TFs. It'll be fine. If anything they may gain damage at the cost of defense. "We can't survive! We have early nukes, but no slotting and no way to defend ourselves!"

I don't recall Battle Axe ever being the big damage king. Only use it on my Tanker. However, it's not like the attacks got damage increases. Also, if you're hovering and using the cones, isn't that just like using a proper AOE? One of which is only 3ft radius now in terms of AOE. To use as you mention? Just curious on that. Or is it just the 40ft range on Cleave that allows this? Yes, the Axe Cyclone brings them in (never thought to do it with flying, which my Tanker can do)...bring them all into the air?

Seen it too with Detention Field, and honestly, it never felt needed. I'd say 99% of the time it felt like a waste of time to put them in it. I don't recall a good time, but I'll give it that 1% Can't speak of the name change. I mean, I don't know why they did it, but if they left the set the same and just did a name change, it's not like I'd go "You ruined the set" Static Damening Field, you mean, what is basically Force Field's version of Tar Patch now? Yup. Tar Patch is left behind. As for the two powers that basically got merged, again, hardly saw players use it in normal team play. Maybe if it was an all ranged team and the others hugged the Bubbler 😛

Nope, I've built for ranged defense on some Blasters, still didn't feel like Scrapper level survival in plenty of TFs/Missions. I'm not saying it doesn't feel more survivable than Blasters without, but maybe tough than that Regen scrapper due to that defense, I'll give you. 😛

Have to disagree. I mean, sure love a FFer on the team, but playing it, I'm sure many would like to feel like they're doing more than Bubble Up team, Dispersion Bubble and go! Not that some of the other powers didn't have their uses but it's not often you see them in play. Becomes a little more interesting to play imo with these change.

Well, I don't know if any hole was really filled in on Fire Armor, other than 1pt Knock Back Resist. Though, I'm not sure it should've had any change to Burn, in so much as, isn't Bio Armor more damage compared to Fire Armor and considered more survivable? I'm also not sure how different the Burn effects are for farmers and standard play.

If that's the case, I'd have to think, does the loss of damage feel equal to the gains in survival.