Without_Pause

Storm has high end usage anyway. I got a Plant/storm to 50 so that's an easy suggestion. Ill/storm if you want true chaos, but I like having some control on keeping mobs on FR. Water or Dark for Def and Corr. Both offer a heal. Dark has added -tohit debuffs, and a way to immobilize. Not sure on MMs. Likely something which works at range since you can use Hurricane to keep mobs away.

Add in Containment and damage procs. Also, it has a slow aspect to it so mobs stay in it and your Tar Patch for longer. While it is an end hog, I can't fathom using Fire without it.

I was showing my wife my characters and designs here and this became a point of topic. I was using max width for waist on live, but hadn't here. Also did min chest size for both. My wife asked about the leg aspect as well. We went back and saw this discussion and I started to go through all of my female character and adjusting them.

I still think WP is good for a first timer, but I tried Kat and in a solo situation. The fact that Kat is lethal damage can make for rather boring soloing. I still love StJ, but the AoEs are small. Ice melee has been great with Ice Patch. Rad Armor with the Threat of Essence proc makes it super end friendly. Needless to say my Rad/ice has been super smooth to solo up to 29 so far, and that's not with optimal slotting.

Primarily because those ATs can soft cap meaningful def and res and have access to mezz protection and a number of them have self heals. The difference is stark? They get mezzed all the time? I got a Blaster to level 41 doing Hardcore. I have another Blaster and Def which I consider to be some of my easiest builds to keep upright since I expect them to flaceplant so little and neither are currently using IO sets. I'm honestly shocked when they do faceplant. If your Kintank can get mezzed all the time, then it isn't much of a Kintank. Maybe it is nostalgia, but I don't recall even my common IO built Kin/elec on live who lived in melee getting mezzed "all the time." One of the last PuGs I was on there was a Sonic Def who was running into mobs before everyone else with no problem at all. I've done alpha strikes on squishies and more so on Controllers countless times.

What an odd take from someone who is known for making tank versions of squishies.

I took Proton Sweep on any of my Rads outside of a farming build. I skipped Hand Clap on my one SS build, but I ultimately found SS to be boring in general, so I wasn't going to rank it that high anyway. I keep my SS/elec around so maybe I give it another go as it is already level 42. SS to me feels like you need to add in stuff to counter its shortcomings. Hand Clap which needs an KD IO, and a Stun to stack it with. Hurl can be skipped as maybe other pool attacks can fill in better(Gloom/Cross Punch), and has one AoE although at Holy Shirt Balls level. Plus the Rage crash. The best part of SS, FS, is even better on a Tank due to target cap.

Technically speaking, I might skip the T1 on a melee set for a Brute and likely the Taunt. Outside of that, I am likely taking everything else, and that's how I judge a melee set for a Brute. I don't go, "If I add in a (epic) pool power to help round it out." I look to see if something stands on its own.

If your T8 heavy hitter is bested by a epic pool ranged attack, then yeah, that's a problem. It is a problem with Gloom, but it is also a problem within the power set itself.

Back on live I had my main, but then I had the one I was most sentimental about. That one became my main here, and yet, it isn't even my most favorite build on HC. Even in my Top 10 50's, my most likely one to get completed first is my Fort(#2).

Likely due to theme pairing once you stop pairing FA with Spines and Rad.

Tank: 3rd. Scrapper: 16th, Brute: 8th.

Not really helping your case if you need to add in an epic pool attack. Not all builds can afford to do that, see SR and Shield.

I went and looked at the stats thread and Fiery Melee can rank decently in some ATs.

I double checked, there are few T8s which I would skip, and I don't feel like those sets are that impacted by doing so. Savage's ST damage isn't that great without Hemo as it should be the heavy hitter. Even if one wants AoE, it is at best third.

Call me crazy, but I don't deem soloing +4/x8 as normal content. I don't have a good standard for what is. I just try to find the ideal setting for builds where I can go maps with as little changing of my diff setting as possible. Certain missions just require lowering the diff setting and are found in various normal arcs, see keeping an NPC alive.

I just find Savage being listed as S tier when Hemo isn't worth taking as rather interesting.

It would start by giving it resistance to -regen. Giving it a way to deal with -recharge might be required as well.

Play hardcore and then so how small defeat feels.

I chill out the most on my Stalker. You can do as much content as you like since you can stealth as needed. I would say StJ, Ice, Elec, or EM paired with EA, Stone, or Shield. Elec and Ice are super friendly to Stalkers. Ice is better overall and on the defensive side as where Elec is the AoE king. Shield can take some time to get going since it offers no end recovery aid.

Dark Obliteration also requires taking another power so it might not be as simple as taking it over Ground Zero. I would take Ground Zero, but then I'm realistic about what I'm looking for from a utility power from a secondary. Meltdown can be a good place for one off IOs. GB and BD can be one slotted. GZ doesn't take much. You basically want to load up on everything else.

On a Brute, I only skip the T1 in terms of a non-farming build.

Either. EA is the better regarded of the two, but Rad is more than fine for general content. I have a Sav/rad at 23 who is only on hold due to me wanting to play alts. I have a level 29 Rad/ice tank and she's been a blast to play. I have a /ea Stalker at 50 and a couple /ea Scrappers getting there eventually as well, so both sets get a thumbs up from me. If it matters, slotting the Theft of Essence proc into Radiation Therapy makes Rad super end friendly earlier than what EA can manage.

I just grab attuned IOs. If I want to do a build where I get maxed out IOs with level boosters, I'm now looking at a second build for limited content which is going to cost even more. A character like that could easily cost 3+ billion to IO out. I have one that would be 4+ billion. I find IOed out builds with T4 Incarnates are overly good already. I don't see the need to drop 2+ billion on trying to squeeze so little out of a second build. The best case for a second build to me would be for farming or PvP. I've done farming builds with non-level shifted IOs and I can clear a map in fine enough speed.

On a basic level, I slot level 25 commons until I hit 50, and then decide how much I want to dump into a build. Some builds simply get retired. You can IO out a build for a few million this way, and they will play fine. I'm around 50% of my 50s not having full level 25 commons in them. It will be some time before I do another. I know enough to raise enough coin to IO out six 50s, but it still takes time. Second level is slotting one offs, ATOs, and some uncommons until I hit 50. I don't care if they are top tier or not. Getting any bonus is better than getting none. Third is doing the same, but around level 27 using a respec to get as close as I can to slotting as if I'm doing a final build sans those which can only be slotted at level 50. Finally is doing the third level, but actually slotting in those purples and whatever else. Which path I pick largely depends on my desire to do so and how much I like a build. No reason to drop 2 billion on something you are retiring anyway.