BA/SD

[Samyrmancer]

I've gotten an axe/shield brute to 33rd level and am feeling rather underwhelmed despite really liking my concept: A rabbit revolutionary/anarchist who took over the farm when Farmer Brown instituted Rabbit Stew Wednesdays. I have combat jumping to get into battle as well as Shield Charge and Spring Attack. That part of the character is very fun and the axe is very colorful.

 

I am having the following problems, however:

 

1) Endurance - I run out of endurance very quickly if I have defenses running. I've slotted each with 1 end red + 3 def (or dam res) buffs but still run out quickly.

2) Damage - The damage seems really low. I like the knockdown when it works, but that's not always.

3) Miss rate - OMG! It frequently seems like I can't hit a dead whale lying on the beach despite 1 acc + 3 dam. I'm about to add another acc or maybe an end red to each one.

4) Rage - I don't know if it's me or what, but I have a lot of trouble keeping that rage bar filled past 1/3rd. This is made even more difficult with the endurance problem.

 

Put it all together and that's, well, everything! What can I do to salvage this concept?

 

PS: Made 40 today. Put another acc into every offensive skill. Every offensive skill now has 25-40 lvl IO 2 acc + 3 dam. Did an ITF and died about 10 times, way more than anyone else. Still have trouble with missing targets. I don't know what the problem is but it's really frustrating. Almost to 50 and char just doesn't seem to work.

Edited September 23, 2019 by Samyrmancer

[Yomo Kimyata]

Hmm.  Mine is right about 30.

 

1.  Your attacks are much more endurance hungry than your toggles, so I’d look there first.  My single target attacks at this point are 4-piece kinetic combat and a FF Proc. I usually have the rest after each fight or every other mob.

2.  I feel like the damage is pretty good?  It doesn’t feel as strong as war mace or as weak as staff.  What annoys me is the occasional Knockback but it’s not common.

3.  Hadn’t noticed accuracy problems but I’ll take him out for a spin later and look.

4.  Yeah, I can see this happening.  It’s a slow hitting set.

[Hyperstrike]

Also, are you still running on Generic IOs?
If so, this is gonna be part of your problem.

You're probably dying more because you're still generic-slotted, running with people who have heavily optimized toons.

For Endurance issues.

Health: Panacea Proc, Numina's Unique, Miracle Unique
Stamina: Perf Shifter Proc, Perf Shifter: Endurance (Optional 3rd Slot: Generic Endurance IO.



 

Villain Plan by Mids' Villain Designer 1.962
http://www.cohplanner.com/

Click this DataLink to open the build!

Level 50 Magic Brute
Primary Power Set: Battle Axe
Secondary Power Set: Shield Defense
Power Pool: Fighting
Power Pool: Leaping
Power Pool: Leadership
Power Pool: Speed
Ancillary Pool: Leviathan Mastery

Villain Profile:
Level 1: Chop -- Mk'Bit-Acc/Dmg:50(A), Mk'Bit-Dmg/EndRdx:50(40), Mk'Bit-Dmg/Rchg:50(40), Mk'Bit-Acc/EndRdx/Rchg:50(50), Mk'Bit-Acc/Dmg/EndRdx/Rchg:50(50), Mk'Bit-Dam%:50(50)
Level 1: Deflection -- LucoftheG-Rchg+:50(A), LucoftheG-Def:50(5), UnbGrd-ResDam:50(7), UnbGrd-ResDam/EndRdx:50(7), UnbGrd-Rchg/ResDam:50(9), UnbGrd-ResDam/EndRdx/Rchg:50(9)
Level 2: Battle Agility -- LucoftheG-Rchg+:50(A), LucoftheG-Def:50(13)
Level 4: Gash -- OvrFrc-Acc/Dmg:50(A), OvrFrc-End/Rech:50(43), OvrFrc-Acc/Dmg/End:50(45), OvrFrc-Dmg/End/Rech:50(45), OvrFrc-Acc/Dmg/End/Rech:50(45), OvrFrc-Dam/KB:50(46)
Level 6: True Grit -- UnbGrd-ResDam:50(A), UnbGrd-ResDam/EndRdx:50(11), UnbGrd-Rchg/ResDam:50(11), UnbGrd-ResDam/EndRdx/Rchg:50(13)
Level 8: Swoop -- Mk'Bit-Acc/Dmg:50(A), Mk'Bit-Dmg/EndRdx:50(40), Mk'Bit-Dmg/Rchg:50(42), Mk'Bit-Acc/EndRdx/Rchg:50(42), Mk'Bit-Acc/Dmg/EndRdx/Rchg:50(43), Mk'Bit-Dam%:50(43)
Level 10: Active Defense -- RechRdx-I:50(A)
Level 12: Kick -- Empty(A)
Level 14: Tough -- UnbGrd-ResDam:50(A), UnbGrd-ResDam/EndRdx:50(15), UnbGrd-Rchg/ResDam:50(15), UnbGrd-ResDam/EndRdx/Rchg:50(17), StdPrt-ResDam/Def+:30(17), GldArm-3defTpProc:50(19)
Level 16: Against All Odds -- EndRdx-I:50(A)
Level 18: Whirling Axe -- Erd-Acc/Rchg:30(A), Erd-Acc/Dmg/Rchg:30(19), Erd-Acc/Dmg/EndRdx/Rchg:30(25), ClvBlo-Acc/Dmg:50(31), ClvBlo-Dmg/EndRdx:50(34), ClvBlo-Dmg/Rchg:50(37)
Level 20: Phalanx Fighting -- LucoftheG-Rchg+:50(A), LucoftheG-Def:50(21), ShlWal-ResDam/Re TP:50(21)
Level 22: Weave -- Rct-Def:50(A), Rct-Def/EndRdx:50(23), Rct-ResDam%:50(23)
Level 24: Combat Jumping -- LucoftheG-Rchg+:50(A), LucoftheG-Def:50(25)
Level 26: Cleave -- Erd-Acc/Rchg:30(A), Erd-Acc/Dmg/Rchg:30(27), Erd-Acc/Dmg/EndRdx/Rchg:30(27), ClvBlo-Acc/Dmg:50(29), ClvBlo-Dmg/EndRdx:50(29), ClvBlo-Dmg/Rchg:50(31)
Level 28: Grant Cover -- LucoftheG-Rchg+:50(A)
Level 30: Maneuvers -- Rct-Def:50(A), Rct-Def/EndRdx:50(31)
Level 32: Pendulum -- Erd-Acc/Rchg:30(A), Erd-Acc/Dmg/Rchg:30(33), Erd-Acc/Dmg/EndRdx/Rchg:30(33), ClvBlo-Acc/Dmg:50(33), ClvBlo-Dmg/EndRdx:50(34), ClvBlo-Dmg/Rchg:50(34)
Level 35: Shield Charge -- SprBrtFur-Acc/Dmg:50(A), SprBrtFur-Dmg/Rchg:50(36), SprBrtFur-Acc/Dmg/Rchg:50(36), SprBrtFur-Dmg/EndRdx/Rchg:50(36), SprBrtFur-Acc/Dmg/EndRdx/Rchg:50(37), SprBrtFur-Rech/Fury:50(37)
Level 38: One with the Shield -- UnbGrd-ResDam:50(A), UnbGrd-ResDam/EndRdx:50(39), UnbGrd-Rchg/ResDam:50(39), UnbGrd-ResDam/EndRdx/Rchg:50(39)
Level 41: Hasten -- Empty(A), Empty(42)
Level 44: School of Sharks -- SprFrzBls-Acc/Dmg:50(A), SprFrzBls-Dmg/EndRdx:50(46), SprFrzBls-Acc/Dmg/EndRdx:50(46), SprFrzBls-Acc/Dmg/Rchg:50(48), SprFrzBls-Dmg/EndRdx/Acc/Rchg:50(48), SprFrzBls-Rchg/ImmobProc:50(48)
Level 47: [Empty]
Level 49: [Empty]
Level 1: Brawl -- Empty(A)
Level 1: Prestige Power Dash -- Empty(A)
Level 1: Prestige Power Slide -- Empty(A)
Level 1: Prestige Power Quick -- Empty(A)
Level 1: Prestige Power Rush -- Empty(A)
Level 1: Prestige Power Surge -- Empty(A)
Level 1: Fury
Level 1: Sprint -- Empty(A)
Level 2: Rest -- Empty(A)
Level 4: Ninja Run
Level 2: Swift -- Empty(A)
Level 2: Health -- Pnc-Heal/+End:50(A), NmnCnv-Regen/Rcvry+:50(3), Mrc-Rcvry+:40(3)
Level 2: Hurdle -- Empty(A)
Level 2: Stamina -- PrfShf-End%:50(A), PrfShf-EndMod:50(5)
Level 50: Agility Core Paragon
------------

 

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[Yomo Kimyata]

22 hours ago, Samyrmancer said:

 

 

PS: Made 40 today. Put another acc into every offensive skill. Every offensive skill now has 25-40 lvl IO 2 acc + 3 dam. Did an ITF and died about 10 times, way more than anyone else. Still have trouble with missing targets. I don't know what the problem is but it's really frustrating. Almost to 50 and char just doesn't seem to work.

Oh yeah, that's yer problem.  You set this doll to "EVIL".

 

Take out an acc or a damage and put an end reduction in there.  Try for full IO sets, like Kinetic Combat and Obliteration.  And as Hyperstrike says, get some +end proc in there as well.  You'll be right as rain in no time.

[Samyrmancer]

Okay, I'm going to take your advice. I'll take out one of the dam enh from each power and replace it with an end red. I'll report back what happens.

 

I have been using generic IOs. I usually level to 50 with an xp buff set for double. I keep putting IOs in slots as I get them that are my level so I wind up with a bunch of 25s, some 30s, 40s, etc. I then get my sets at 50 and see how the character goes from there. I've heard of people getting sets earlier, but it seems a waste of money. Don't you then have to replace them at 50? While my characters definitely get maxed out before I'm done, they're usually just IOs until 50.

[DanteTheStoic]

Id be happy to level you on Reunion if it's easy.

@8ngaherosandwich

[Yomo Kimyata]

13 hours ago, Samyrmancer said:

 

I have been using generic IOs. I usually level to 50 with an xp buff set for double. I keep putting IOs in slots as I get them that are my level so I wind up with a bunch of 25s, some 30s, 40s, etc. I then get my sets at 50 and see how the character goes from there. I've heard of people getting sets earlier, but it seems a waste of money. Don't you then have to replace them at 50? While my characters definitely get maxed out before I'm done, they're usually just IOs until 50.

One of the best things you can do with a leveling character, in my opinion, is use IO sets before 50.  If you are PLing, then it may be a waste of time, but never a waste of money.  And this is why I market on every alt.

 

if you buy your enhancements  attuned in the AH, they will level up with you until/if you decide to replace them.  And you can buy enhancement unslotters for under 100k if you want to reuse them.  I buy a fresh set of kinetic combat for every melee attack on every melee alt, install them at level 17, and don’t worry about them again until I’m in my 30s.

[SaintD]

By that level you really need to have played the Auction House for enhancement recipes.

There's a lot of potential for insane min/max lunacy with all the set bonuses, but honestly, you'll usually be perfectly playable, to the point that your ability to play the game matters more than your expensively optimized enhancement setup, by just frankenslotting piles of mismatched IO set enhancements that best maximize your basic acc/dam/end/rech/def/res attributes as much as possible.

Remember that all the builds and enhancement advice and conversations and stuff often involve at least a couple of people who have been involved with the game for literally a decade and a half at this point, and are basically Olympic athletes when it comes to game knowledge and experience. They min/max not because they're lunatic minmaxers, but simply because they've been doing this so long that absolutely everything is second nature and it's a big deal for someone to work out a way to squeeze out another 0.5% somewhere.

You just need to take the next step along and start looking on the Auction House at all those sexy, sexy IO sets with stuff like acc/dam/end enhancements you can mash together to end up with big percentages to a much wider array of your basic attributes than you can get with just SO and basic IO enhancements. When you're a Brute and you realise for the first time you can get like 80% on acc/dam/end/rech or something all at the same time on your attacks, you just start cackling like a psychopath. Frankenslotting like this is the gateway drug before you become an End Stage CoX Player who spends as much time on the character builder as in the game.

It's actually even easier as a Brute because you can just shrug and not give a damn if you don't quite cap out /dam while boosting everything else....because who the hell cares, I'm a Brute, I have attack bonus out the ass and hit like a truck anyway, and now I'm attacking even faster and barely spend endurance to do it. RAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAGE!

Edited September 26, 2019 by SaintD

[Samyrmancer]

Are all enhancements bought in the AH attuned? If not, how do you attune them? If you buy the formula, are they then not attuned?

 

And attuned means they level with you, correct?

[Shoulung]

To get attuned you have to click on attuned; the ah also has an option for crafted ones. Yes, attuned level with you.

[Yomo Kimyata]

15 hours ago, Samyrmancer said:

Are all enhancements bought in the AH attuned? If not, how do you attune them? If you buy the formula, are they then not attuned?

 

And attuned means they level with you, correct?

In the AH, there are two categories for enhancements, attuned and ?can’t remember what the category is named? Crafted?  Anyway, the crafted and attuned categories are fungible.  That means if someone offers a level 30 steadfast protection at 5mm, you can buy it for 5mm at level 10, or you can buy the attuned version for 5mm.  You can also attune one yourself with a catalyst, but that’s a waste of money.

 

Attuned level with you to the extent of the set’s level restrictions.  An attuned steadfast protection can be equipped at lvl 7 and will offer better benefits as you level until you hit 27, which maxes out the benefit.

[Samyrmancer]

I went and googled attuned enhancements and I think I understand them. They allow me to take them at their minimum level and will keep up with me until  the maximum level. So, if I buy a 10-50 set, I get the enhancement bonus of 10 that levels up to 50 with me but the set bonuses at the lvl 50 range from the beginning. So I can buy sets early and level them up. 

 

I also looked up enhanced sets. Those are sets that can get +1 - +5 based on number of times I enhance them. They don't change the set bonuses but increase the enhancement bonus by 5% each time I enhance them. Regular sets can be enhanced but attuned ones cannot. So attuned sets are great until you get level 50, then replace them for new ones and enhance them.

 

This is great! Not really because I'm interested in the attuned sets but I definitely am in the boosted sets.

 

I have 5 level 50 characters, 2 of them at 50+2-3. When i get a cool concept for a character, I make the character, get my xp 2x badge (I keep them going until 50th level) and go to DFB until lvl 16. I come out and do TFs, MSRs and Radios until 25 when I buy IO enhancements w/ a 2M grant from a lvl 50. I then go back to TFs, MSRs and Radios in PI. I buy further enhancements at level until level 50 when I respec out of powers I don't want and begin to buy purple sets. I never buy an orange set that I will want a purple for, but get by with IOs until I can afford the purples. By the time my incarnates are T3ish, I have my purple sets. I get my incarnates to T4 and by then I always have a new concept I want to try and so go make it. I bring out my higher level chars for Hamidon or Trials and then go back to alts.

 

My concern with BA/SD is not that it stinks at 40 as much as whether it will be bad at 50 with 400M influence in enhancements. I do not farm and while I spend money on purple sets, I am not so rich that 100M is easy to get. 

 

I have to state, for the record, that I make characters according to roleplaying concepts and not mechanics. 3 of my level 50s are fire/fire/fire based. I started with a fire/kin/mace controller but dropped it because that build is an up close build and I wanted a ranged character for my dulahan. So I remade her as a 50 Dom. This was better, but I thought a blaster would fit her even better still. She is now a 50+3 blaster, the others sit in storage and I have tons of fun with her. I then made my 50+2 BS/SD/Body stalker and loved that character the whole way. Now, I'm trying to make something that can tank that I can pull out of storage when a group can't find one. I'm therefore trying to get a brute with a cool concept, that does good damage, that can also tank, to 50. That's a lot to ask, but that's why COH is so fun. My current brutes are the 40 BA/SD anarchist Wabbit Wampage and a 20 DB/WP eco-terrorist sewer fairy. I am loving the DB much more than the BA, I must say.

 

I really appreciate your information. I see that I need to boost all of the enhancements on my two 50+2-3 level characters! Woohoo! Something new to do with them while I earn money for my Brute!

[Yomo Kimyata]

I went back to mine and got into the mid/high 30s.  

 

The endurance drain is the big problem.  Even with the Performance Shifter proc, Miracle proc, and Numina's proc, I was taking a knee after every other fight.  At level 35 I took Energy Mastery/Superior Conditioning and stuck a performance shifter proc in there.  It was not a game changer, but helped a lot.  It's sexy and fun to take Shield Charge at 35, but this seems a smarter move to me.  I'll take Shield Charge at 38 and Physical Perfection at 41.

 

I think BA/SD will be great at 50 with a good build and IOs.  I think that getting there without set bonuses or IO procs must be just awful.  I'm at 36 and over the soft cap on melee defense and over 30% on ranged and AoE.  Nothing hits me until I get in one of those DE situations where the spawn drops 3 Cairns and 1 Quartz.  Then I drop in seconds.

[Hyperstrike]

On 9/23/2019 at 10:33 PM, Samyrmancer said:

Okay, I'm going to take your advice. I'll take out one of the dam enh from each power and replace it with an end red. I'll report back what happens.

 

I have been using generic IOs. I usually level to 50 with an xp buff set for double. I keep putting IOs in slots as I get them that are my level so I wind up with a bunch of 25s, some 30s, 40s, etc. I then get my sets at 50 and see how the character goes from there. I've heard of people getting sets earlier, but it seems a waste of money. Don't you then have to replace them at 50? While my characters definitely get maxed out before I'm done, they're usually just IOs until 50.

I agree with this.
Go with a bit less damage, but keep the Acc.
You'll wind up doing more damage over time than you would doing the reverse.
Then use the slot for EndRedux.
In addition to the +End uniques, this should GREATLY cut your need to "take a knee".

[Yomo Kimyata]

On 9/27/2019 at 4:30 PM, Samyrmancer said:

 

 

My concern with BA/SD is not that it stinks at 40 as much as whether it will be bad at 50 with 400M influence in enhancements. I do not farm and while I spend money on purple sets, I am not so rich that 100M is easy to get. 

 

I recently made 50 on mine and it's great at 50.  I'm running around without an alpha doing content like Malta and Carnival at +3/+4 and having a grand old time!  Not fully IOed out yet (no purples, ATOs or winter os) but relatively nicely put together.  Soft capped at melee and ranged defense, close at AoE.  Resistance for s/l mid 60s, low 20s in just about everything else.  I even added Aid Self for a heal, which kind of felt necessary.

 

My only issue is that lethal damage really feels inferior to smashing, so I feel like a war mace would be outperforming.  Running Malta content, for example, on a WM/WP brute or a WM/DA scrapper feels a lot faster.  

Edited October 19, 2019 by Yomo Kimyata

[Frostweaver]

I would like to point out that a 'purple IO' build is not neccessarily a good one. And winter sets are rarely useful unless you are specifically hurting in fire/cold resist and defense.

Get your ato's. After that there are like 13 single IO's that make all the difference between a 'good' build and a crap one. 4-5 LOTG procs, steadfast +defense, Gladiator +defense, miracle unique, panacea unique, shield +res, a force feedback chance for recharge,  a single performance shifter chance for end, and a fury -res or achilles -res.

if you are lazy and buy them straight out of the AH, the lotg procs are gonna cost ya 40 million, the rest about 35 mil. about 75 mil total.

The rest of the stuff? common IO's, uncommon sets, rare (but inexpensive) sets, those will increase your efficiency, decent slotting can crank you up a difficulty rank, or shave a little time off your kill speed with a greater margin of error, but in the end those are all you really need.

 

[TheSpiritFox]

On 9/23/2019 at 10:33 PM, Samyrmancer said:

Okay, I'm going to take your advice. I'll take out one of the dam enh from each power and replace it with an end red. I'll report back what happens.

 

I have been using generic IOs. I usually level to 50 with an xp buff set for double. I keep putting IOs in slots as I get them that are my level so I wind up with a bunch of 25s, some 30s, 40s, etc. I then get my sets at 50 and see how the character goes from there. I've heard of people getting sets earlier, but it seems a waste of money. Don't you then have to replace them at 50? While my characters definitely get maxed out before I'm done, they're usually just IOs until 50.

Go to the auction house and look at the attuned sets. Attuned sets have no level, they are equivalent to whatever level you are, exemped or not. And they keep set bonuses down to the minimum level to slot the set. 

There are some uniques you need. Miracle +recovery and performance shifter +end procs to start. What's your recovery like? How much end/sec do you regenerate?