Snarky

Yeah. Someone asked me today how an Invul Brute could be low on end. I have run various Invul brutes and a few Inv tankers. I was like wtf? How do you explain to someone how the ocean can be wet? I do not know what reality they live in but Invul eats end. I pair it with SS. My first 50 back in the day and with Dark. Dark solves a lot of the end issues. Stir just writing SS/Inv makes me want to alt another one and smash. It is late. I will dust off one or roll a new one. Because. Smash. Can someone email me some blues?

Actually keep it simple. Teleporters. I thought a vault would be easy since there is one in pocket d and a few other zones everyone can use. Workbenches for convenience. And. That. Is. All 99% of a bases usefulness is those teleporters. Let us not over complicate things. No extra coding needed. That exists. Access to more than your Sg base already exists. Hard coding the name and access code into the base portal memory cannot be rocket science. I have not coded in thirty years and I bet I could figure it out in less than an hour with zero knowlege of the game code going in. This is not 1337 Haxxor stuff. Just putting up an existing base zone that everyone can access with really basic services The SG base system exists. Teleporters to all zones exist the salvage storage exists in the base and is already coded personalized. No enhancer storage or inspiration storage or any item that requires base permissions. This would be A base just big enough to hold the teleporting an organized fashion and a little workroom

So back on live I had a few huge bases. Mostly for my alts. Ran some busy SGs for a few months. Never kept them going. Bases in the new game, from what I can tell, follow the same pattern. A number of super large active groups using a base and then a bunch of personal bases I suggest a generic SG that everyone can always use. Even if they are in a normal SG. This locker room SG would have all the regular amenities you normally cram into a base. Teleporters to all zones, workbenches, vault storage etc I propose a small map. Maybe half of the largest base currently available maybe even smaller like the smallest of the instance maps just a few rooms. Something that is very easy for a new user and versatile enough to be useful to a veteran. The benefits? Ease of use for players and fewer back End resources used by the game creating dozens of SH maps when most people just want to run through the same facilities The cost? Maybe an hour of a GMs time creating the base. Because. Drum roll the base shows up at every base portal and everyone has access to it with no code. Basically like a team members base Simple solution proposed

As far as I can remember DE do not drain endurance or otherwise mess with your end. Other than being tough as snot my guess is they would make a Sentry feel like a glass blaster by stacking immobs holds and stuns but that is a guess. They do not cut through a willpower’s defenses significantly more than other end game content. Some -def that is pretty normal. No -end or -rec. I am very curious how you are running a willpower’s brutes end bar down. The only toggle you have I do not normally run is the +acc one. I have never had a struggle with a Willpower Brutes End. I do ALWAYs put 2 End red in the 2 fighting toggles and put the equivalent or near so through sets in the Willpower toggles. Those enhancers exist for a reason. Willpower has top notch end recovery that does not mean it is endless. Cut down what is grinding away at your end where you can.

Chaos United is insanely active. I alt too much to be in it. They do not have room to warehouse alts. They are an active SG with a hyperactive network of alliances. They regularly host late game content from RWZ to iTrials to Hami to you name it. If you are dedicated to one character and want a TON of teaming this is where you want to be. Good luck

I do not understand how a pimped our Willpower Brute is short on end. Unless you are running all of leadership toggles as well as fighting toggles on top of willpower’s toggles. I honestly do not get that. Do you fight freak show are farms only? Because your problem may not be the build but where you are putting the character

Isn’t focused accuracy a bit of an end hog? Not sure Acc has two components. Not sure how it works but they are separate in combat attributes. There is a proc kismet + acc I think it’s called. It costs zero end

I have done this Redside back on live. I think like three times. Once on a SS/Inv and twice on SS/Will if memory serves. I never succeeded Blueside. I think 30s was as high as I got. I am talking every available story arc and all content. I have chosen a Dark/Will Brute for the attempt this time. I am glad the game is back. I never had an official badger and never siloed Blueside. So here I go. Dark/Will Brute is about the easiest character in the game in my opinion. Now I just gotta grind lol

There are the PROC enhancers I/o health class 2 of them give you constant inflow of added endurance. I do not have them memorized but they are way to find. Numina Regen Tissue and err another. And I get them mixed in my head which does what. Get them slot them be happy

11.5 hour work yesterday so very little gaming. Did get a SF and beat Dumay. Level 35. Still almost no attack slots. Started soloing Ghost Widows arc. Set at -1 for speed (I have been doing Mayhems all the way through). The PBAoE toggle confuse is impressive to me right now. Not sure if it’s effects on tougher mobs and more peeps but for a minimal Self damage it motivates a ton of incoming attacks. Which does not help Fury but I have the +Fury ATO in my tier 1. In easy environments I use the PBAOE +heal and the PBAoE +end as attacks instead of bar management. Usually right after my PBAoE +buff. It is a cheesy little chain that added with my toggles can really soften up mobs. In tough Environment (the first few missions in last nights SF were +4) Darks ability to chose how much agro it gets is very nice. At these levels it is almost surgical. Doubt it will be that smooth in Itrials

I like it. I just made up a new zombie hero Snarkrot and will be trying to solo all Blue content with him. I think I will go with this build as the leveling build thank you. He will be bathing in merits if I keep at it so should be able to pay as he goes

At 32 now. I am pretty broke in the new game. Been back on almost 2 months. Invested nearly everything I got into this build. +3 res def 2 kB procs 4 Brute ato in tier 1 attack dark Regen frankenslotted 3 theft of essence and 3 Nicky’s. A kismet +acc. Numina Regen tissue. Etc blah blah blah. At 32 with all this on it is very playable. Have very little slotting in attacks because toggles are taking all slots. Still it is starting to be fun. Will keep on it

I run A Lot of Brutes. I posted here why taunt is not worth taking for me on a Brute. So, here I go, showing once again I am wrong. But I am right. Except when I am wrong I am starting to level a Dark/Dark Brute. Very rare for me have not run one since a year or two before live shut down. Very rare because they do everything opposite of the way I run Brutes. I run Brutes as JagdTigers. As much as I can. Basically a tank with one huge attack and defenses so locked in there is no turret just more armor. One way to win. Face the enemy and hit the enemy. Dark armor is not that armor. Dark Armor is semi squishy (which does not feel like Bruting to me). I farmed a dark/fire brute back on live but did not like it. I ran a couple incarnate Blasters on live. I ran a dozen or so Sentinels (I like) to 20-30s since I been back. So... I am running this Dark Armor as a zero range squishy that has the tools to survive if played smart. One of those tools is taunt. Dark armor has stealth. In a brute. That means mobs outside my AoE toggles usually will not deal with me. Better things to do which to them are closer. That helps me survive. But if I am happily roasting a few mobs and can draw some to me without moving? Yep. Taunt. Notice it is not to tank. It is not to save a blaster. It is to make my life easier. Just telling some Superstunner to fly over and get their but kicked. That way I don’t have to chase them. Add a nice enhancer in there (need to pick still) and I get a set mule maybe Do Taunt. If it works for you. My deathly magical Dark/Dark will taunt. My Tankiest Dark/Invul and SS/Willpower will not. They just jump into a mob and start punching. But having a magical power that controls a mob into dying? So fits my Death Dark/Dark theme!

Def > resist > healing. But that has many qualifiers. I agree you do need the unique procs for *3 res and + 3 def Invul has very good def debuff so good defenses are very supported on Invul Now for the qualifiers. Everything counts (only) in large amounts. Take a standard Invul brute with no sets. Take one small purple insp and jump into a huge ugly mob. The purp helped a little. Take 4 purps 1st. It is way better than 4xthe effect. Same with resist 80% + resists are way way better than 4x 20% resists. And healing. I am currently on a dark armor that has two heals that cycle near constant. One can fill the whole bar. He needs it he is squishy as a sponge. I think unstoppable is a great power but you have to memorize the game enough so that you know what is going to happen in theee minutes and have a plan for surviving it. Otherwise it is just a delayed death sentence. Fun but short Enjoy the bruting

Conceptually I love Dark Armor. I tried it back in the day and it just did not give me what I wanted I have done nothing but alt since the game is back up so... Dark Melee Dark Armor Brute Good news. Played for 5 or 6 hours and hit 25. I ran him in 4 DFBs while running each mayhem up to Sharkheads first mayhem. I ran 2 DiB and got all those badges. I picked the End and Acc bonuses. The bad news. Worst Posi 1 I ever was in. 1:37 minutes. It was just stupid at the end. I did a Posi 2 after clearing a Mayhem. It was not horrid but not smooth. They had it set at +2 levels and that of course slowed everything down. Oh well at least my morning task forces went great Posi 1 and 2 Synapse and yin all on last alt the dark/will brute now parked at 38. Earned almost two hundred merits on that build in a couple days Struggling with enhancing the Dark. Currently putting nearly all my slots into armor. I have gathered my best enhancers. All 12 of them and started buying a few more. But they are good ones. 4 Brute ATO in my tier 1 attack. Regen and End procs in healing. Glad shield and armor +3 res and +3 def. univ travel kB prot. And that is mostly it. A couple other ransoms that may stay Of course it is squishy. The heals are great if you are not in a shadow maul animation when everyone decides now is the time to kill the DA in the room. I regularly flee like a Sentinel especially in the last mission of Posi 2. Did not die there. But ran away cooked 4 times at least Theft of essence for dark Regen? Also the mez prot seems less than I am used to with Inv and will. Can that be fixed with enhancers? Thanks for any tips

Okay I have never played this combo. SS/Will many times even soloing all redside content on two different ones. Dark/Invulnerability oh yes. My first and only 50 now that we are back. Ran many back on live.but dark/will? Waste of power no synergy and not enough armor were my first three thoughts. Because Dark can power Invul I always felt it was a waste to use it in the slightly squishier willpower basically. You get more armor and are therefore tougher. Um right? I can’t stop Alting so I decided to find out. For good measure I put Brutes Fury in tier 1 attack 4 enhancers including Fury builder. To really make it nuts I put 3 heal procs in Health for more End and Regen. Then I took shield wall glad armor and steadfast prot procs and aim aiming for S/L def cap and as much resist as I can easily cram in. Some +arc in kismet proc and looking for more down the line in future set bonuses. Incarnate trials are tough after all The idea behind the build is gloriously simple. Have lots of health and endurance with some dodge until the defense debuff cut through Willpower’s limited debuff resists. Then have a decent to good amount of resists to cut the pain. Then Regen health and endurance faster than the damage comes in Almost all of the mechanics are not “in play” with toggle managent it clicks stuff. Darks heal is part of the normal attack chain and the end rec AoE is up about as often as an unenhanced tier 9 blaster power. It is good for a once in a while end recovery or just a random attack when a End is endlessly flowing (easy stuff or with a kin) The build does not overly benefit from global Rech, unlike dark/Invul which needs as much as possible At 33 now. Have run both Posi and Synapse. Feels tangy with a small blue or two if soloing large mobs and team followed the real tank while I just Brute Be interesting to see what the beast is like at 50 Any ideas for procs and enhancer sets to help would be nice Going to badge ouroband see how he does soloing hard stuff too

Dark melee has that END recovery power. Be aware of moving to a different melee set that may not have that. How much do you use that? Because dark armor is an end pig

I have always been a Brute player. Overwhelmingly my alts and projects have some combo of SS and Dark attack and Invul or Will armor. My first (and only) 50 in the new world is a Dark/Invul Brute. A few of my favorite variations in the 40s Been a tough week at work and so when I logged in last night I just created a simple character for smashtastic fun. After looking around I chose Energy/Willpower as it seems the build with the least thought involved. Even in late game no worrying about huge crashes or planning things out 2-3 minutes ahead After 2 DFBs Atlas got momentarily quiet but I got on a 50 team running the war hulk mao. I now have a level 27 Brute lol I am looking forward to Getting to 50 because I have never runEnergy past mid 30s What is with the Energy Transfer thing. How much damage do you actually do to yourself. How should it be slotted? Recharge yourself into the ground. Lol Anyways just posting random Brute stuff. Any input on Energy melee is appreciated though. Thanks

I am running a couple Ice/.... Sentinels. On my current an Ice/Invul I am really noticing how I can use Ice storm to pull and confuse mobs. Not confuse as the power but just flat out lose focus. Freak show tank smashers start running away like sissy’s when I drop the storm So... how can I slot this to get more out of it. Are there procs or frankenslotting that make this better or should I just slot regular enhancers? Also what do I slot for? Damage? Maybe on a blaster but it does take seem to be used as a damage power so much as a “made you stupid” power Thanks

Everyone has a different way of playing. I normally take a Brute and run storylines. Sometimes I do the entire game. Have done redside a few times but Blueside only up to about 35. Did gold 3-4 times. Not since I been back. Highest is 29 redside every story arc on a dark/Invul Brute. I have never done this on other AT. I tried once o a blaster and an EB at 20 left me an emotional wreck lol Can a Sentinel do this? At +0/+0 standard settings. Of course I “Brute ghost” most of these running to the Boss at the end. And the kill all’s? Well Brute on. I suppose the only thing to do is try it Any suggestions or thoughts are appreciated

I am not knowledgeable about the exact numbers. I have done rough comparisons by eye in the character creator power info screen. Doesn’t look horrid. I have played a couple dark blast Sentinels to 20-35 with different secondaries. The one I have that uses the high end KB to KD that increases KD % is particularly fun. Does not ‘feel’ underpowered unless I compare it to Energy Blaster

Yeah. I run in pickup groups exclusively and alt a lot. Was running my Brute Snarkenstein on the TF where you fight the freak show in the generator station at the end. Yin? Not sure. Anyways I am of course saying silly things in character Mostly about how pretty the AV was. The group was into it and it flowed nicely. Again tough fight so it was flavor between waves. That is the extent of my rp in game. I would love to get into a regular group. There was a sg invite in broadcast about to rp. I sent a tell got back a few questions and no invite. And I have been playing to since the original d&d Not ad&d. So.... not sure about it at all I do know I like building my characters from backstory to costumes to powers and wandering through CoX having a ball again. Gl

Thanks Sunsett. I took a glance at your guide. I will need to really sit down with it obviously to absorb it Off the top I am lost on what you mean by enenrgyydefense has more tech so it is better. Beautifully written guide. I will dig into it. I think Sentinels are my new Brutes. Tough time for anyone to take away that top spot

I do not know so here I am asking. How good is this? We all know that except for the Psi hole and being pretty unsexy invulnerability is a good solid set. Possibly the best for surviving if you do not cherry pick mobs but run everything But how good is this set in a Blaster. Er Sentinel I tried a few Sentinels with Will and time then finally 50d a Dark/inv Brute. Always a favorite. Now I am back on Sentinels. I really like them. This time I got to thinking about running them at 50. So. Building for defense is always first priority with most of my builds. How good is this armor at Def Debuff resistance? Is it leaps and bounds better than other Sentinel armors at keeping that hard bought defense? Slightly? I am currently pairing this with Dark and Ice. I would like ice to work so then I can stay pure ranged. Even if the range is just the outside edge of the roflstomp madness it still counts as ranged defense

I never take taunt and I Brute a LOT. That said I have a lot of practice Bruting without taunt. One of the reasons is back in the day we had to get fitness and travel powers were a 2 power investment. So that always hurt The second reason is Brutes we’re not designed to tank. I have seen Controllers tank but that does not mean they were designed for it. CoV vision was for MMS to tank. Brutes were envisioned as heavyweight scrapers. In reality Brutes are a straightforward impatient lot and will not stand behind a wall of robots. They charge in eat the alpha strike peg fury and have fun So.... Redside teams learned to work around Brute players by accepting the unchangeable. Brutes charged in then Dons and Corruptirs started locking people down and killing. If you agro it off the Brute do not expect help. Kill it. So the ROFLSTOMP redside teams were born I still run Brutes75% time. I do not take taunt. I aim for the Super Sappers and CoT worst mage I can find or any Boss in general get right up on them and kill them. I run misty Invul and Will armor which I feel is best suited to my favored stupid tactics. No need to taunt. They seem to get the point