Building a Melee Support

[Pbuckley818]

So I have a project I want to start working on. I'd like to build a Melee Character with strong group support, without using a VEAT to do so. Obviously I want to make this niche build the best it possibly can be.

 

So what Archetype Tanker, Brute, Scrapper, or Stalker would be best to start with?

 

I am currently Looking at Shield for my Def, are their any others I may want to look at?

 

No idea what I will use for attack.

 

Outside of Leadership, (and MAYBE medicine) what other Power Pools should I consider?

Edited December 13, 2019 by Pbuckley818

[Call Me Awesome]

Well, the only Melee Support that comes to mind offhand is a Tank... support by controlling the attention of the mobs.  Shield is quite good at getting attention and keeping it while surviving until the team can eliminate the threat.

 

As far as a complement there's lots of choices and few bad ones so you're likely to be quite effective.  One caution is that Shield will tend to be a bit endurance heavy so you may want to consider a lighter endurance secondary.  I found that Shield/Fire worked quite well on Live.  I also found that the Scrapper Broadsword/Shield combo was very good albeit end heavy, I'd expect much the same as a tanker.  Of course the Scrapper numbers benefited much more from Parry than the Tanker version will.  Still, it's an iconic pairing, I'm playing the Scrapper version again here on Homecoming, a BS/SD barbarian named Gortak.

 

Basically pick a secondary you like and run with it.  Elec/SD is popular on Stalkers, Scrappers and Brutes and should work well on Tanks as well.  I use my Elec/SD Stalker to clear the Comicon Farm asteroid map in under 5 minutes even handicapped by not having a taunt aura.

[Troo]

Stone Melee has some quicker recharging PBAoEs that are more control than damage dealing. Ice Melee is sorta similar. Dark could be an option.

It sounds like you'll likely be leaning on the pool and epic powers to get support. Leadership, medicine maybe sorcery. Artic or Earth maybe for more controls.

It's likely going to be a fairly gimped build if you really go for it. In which case you could go all the way an do a Stone Armor Tanker.

[tidge]

You may want practice by running a Ninja Mastermind on Test...

[Lines]

You might consider playing a blapper instead? There are control options within there...

 

If you're after the melee ATs, Tank does make most sense. Stalkers could as well, thanks to not generating so much threat.

 

As for pools, there are team buffs within concealment, medicine and sorcery. Presence has a little bit of crowd control. Force of will has some debuffs going on. Tank epic pools can be crowd controlley.

 

All in all, you'll be relying pretty heavily on less effective buffing powers. A Guardian AT would be a welcome sight some day.

[Gulbasaur]

I think about doing this a bit and I'd suggest you actually reverse it and build melee into a support set.

 

Corruptors have the best melee modifiers and scourge does some extra damage.

 

The fighting pool attacks are actually pretty respectable when you have all three attacks. There are a lot of semi-decent melee attacks in the pools, too. Sorcery and the other new pool each have a very good defensive power at the end. Sorcery has Enflame, which is actually a good control power (it's my "thin the crowd" button because it makes the AI go into flee mode) and the ward is a teammate-saver.

 

Couple it with a midrange support set with a useful aura or buffs that affect you (kinetics, time? rad?) and you should be fine.

• Rad would work pretty well, actually, as the two debuff toggles work like a taunt aura in the amount of aggro they pick up and the -dmg and -tohit they do work like +Res and +Def. I'd argue that it has a few skippable powers layer on so you can pick up more melee.

• Kinetics basically works best in melee range and has a lot of -dmg, as well as some -recharge to help keep you alive, not to mention the ridiculous joy that is Repel. You can also give yourself a fairly large damage boost.

• Storm is actually a decent tanking set because you get defence and -tohit auras, although Hurricane in melee range is total chaos.
• Devices or traps or whatever it's called is decent as you can drop the buffs and debuffs and then go for gold in melee. It's very powerful, but needs you to stay roughly I'm the same area making it more solo friendly than team friendly.

For primaries... It's harder as they're all ranged. Sonic does -res, which is handy. 

 

[siolfir]

Tankers might eventually get a buff for their modifiers that affect the Leadership pool (getting Corruptor numbers for Assault, Maneuvers, and Tactics). That is, they'll get a buff if the patch ever goes live. It's been months. :(

 

If you're running Shield, you have Grant Cover for extra +defense to teammates around you.

If you're running Bio, you're a walking damage and resistance debuff with click -regen.

If you're running Ice Armor, mobs won't leave you alone. But that's what Tankers are for, right?

 

If I was going with a Corruptor or Defender, pick Time. It's fairly easy to softcap your defenses, you have a PBAoE debuff aura toggle, PBAoE +recharge/heal-over-time, and you can scatter around a single-target +dam/+rech/+regen buff that also makes your heals more effective.

 

/Stone or /Dark Dominators are also good in melee range, have a higher melee modifier than Blasters do, and can take Sleet at the same level as Corruptors.

[Pbuckley818]

On the Idea of a Melee Corruptor how bad would my damage take a hit to start using the melee power pool? I am pretty certain I can make one resilient enough (Definitely Kin or Time) provided I am not trying to make a tank. At the moment I just want to see how close I can get to a melee support before the character becomes useless.

 

The tanker (Possibly) getting a leadership buff sounds like good news, I guess that about settles it as far as that angle goes.

 

As far as the support angle is Corruptor really best, or would a Defender maybe work better? I know "Tankerminds" are a thing though whene I play a Mastermind, I wanna play a Mastermind, not a Tank.

 

Working on a Sonic/Kin Corruptor at the moment.

Edited December 13, 2019 by Pbuckley818

[Call Me Awesome]

Shield/Stone Melee would be effective; Stone feels like it hits harder than anything else and it has loads of soft control with knockdowns.  Fair warning, it's an endurance hog so you'll need to mitigate that in your build.  Grab the Miracle and Numina +recovery procs, a few recovery/+endurance set bonuses and you should be ok.

 

Personally I'm partial to Stone Melee but it isn't everyone's cup of Joe.  That said it DOES hit hard and has knockdown, knockUP, Stun and a Mag 4 HOLD.  Other sets will out damage it, some may offer more utility but it will get the job done.  Fault is one of the cornerstone powers... no damage but it's an AOE knockdown and it will take several damage procs.  It's recharge is enough that the procs tend to fire most of the time, I find it's a decent damage power on top of it's soft control once proc'd up.  If one proc hits you're getting roughly Stone Fist damage, two of them doubles that and I find more often than not they all hit.  Unfortunately Shield's taunt/+damage aura won't boost the damage of procs and Stone Melee is lacking in AOE damage ability outside of Tremor... which is mediocre damage with knockdown.

[carroto]

1 hour ago, Pbuckley818 said:

On the Idea of a Melee Corruptor how bad would my damage take a hit to start using the melee power pool?

Corruptors get the same damage modifier (0.75) for melee as ranged, so melee attacks are perfectly fine for them, generally.  The only problem is that power pool attacks tend to be low on the DPSA end of things.  They have long animations for their damage scale.  So you'd tend to do lower damage with melee attacks on a Corruptor than you would with ranged, but not because Corruptors do low melee damage.  Rather it's because they only have access to weak melee attacks.

[carroto]

Back on live I made a Scrapperuptor Corruptor with Rad blast/Sonic Resonance.  The idea was to be able to live in melee range as much as possible.  Rad blast gave me two AoEs that could be used effectively in melee range and Sonic Resonance gave me mez protection.  On top of that, with Tough, a patron/epic shield, and IOs I think it should be possible to cap S/L resistance if you wanted to go that route.  I think mine had 70% S/L and over 50% Energy resistance.  Tough in a lot of situations.

 

I also took Air Superiority for a melee attack.  Nowadays with some of the changes maybe Fighting pool attacks would be a better choice, I don't know.  After resistance I built for recharge and regeneration.  Also had permanently capped hit-points.  I could go toe-to-toe against enemies my other Corruptors couldn't, but even that build couldn't really compare to a Scrapper for survivability.  On the other hand though, I did have team buffs and debuffs.  It was a nice balance and was one of my favorite characters ever.

 

If I had it to do over again I think I'd not choose Rad blast.  The single-target attacks in that set for non-Blasters are just too weak to tolerate.  Still I will say from experience that playing a melee-focused Corruptor can be a great deal of fun.

[Lazarus]

IF ur looking at melee for a support I would go with tank.

IMO the best support armors are going to be

BIO: it has -dam.,,-res,..-regen

ICE: has -spd,.-recharge,..-dam.

RAD: has -def,..-regen,.and a pbaoe HEAL for team.

 

Then looking at secondary's

STONE MELEE had 2 aoe knockdowns one also being a stun

ICE had good aoe knockfown and -recharge

 

ALSO OF GOOD SUPPORT is the patron power pool SOUL MASTER

it has DARKEST NIGHT a toggle aoe -to hit and -damage 

 

just some thoughts

 

[Leogunner]

Best way to try out all these new ideas is to load up the test server and roll them up. Use the slash commands to put them in the level range you want and with as much inf as you need then start playing with it. 

[nihilii]

Shield Tanker with slotted Grant Cover and Maneuvers gives an impressive +20% def to all in a 15' radius as soon as level 22. Not too shabby for support on melee.

Throw in Stone Melee for constant knockdowns and you're set.

At the Incarnate level, getting Rebirth +regen compliments your own defenses well and adds a sizeable heal for your teammates.

[Caulderone]

Dark/X/Dark Sentinel

 

Aim + Blackstar (dark primary nuke) + Engulfing Darkness (dark ancillary pbaoe) = all minions within 15' dead.

Anything alive has -40% chance to hit.  You can do this once every 20-25 seconds depending on recharge/haste.

And you can still drop Dark Oblit (dark primary taoe), too.

 

Some mobs will resist the tohit debuff by a decent amount.  But still, it could be really nice.

 

edit:  Build I've been toying with.

Spoiler

Hero Plan by Mids' Reborn : Hero Designer 2.6.0.7
https://github.com/ImaginaryDevelopment/imaginary-hero-designer

Click this DataLink to open the build!

Level 50 Magic Sentinel
Primary Power Set: Dark Blast
Secondary Power Set: Regeneration
Power Pool: Flight
Power Pool: Speed
Power Pool: Fighting
Power Pool: Concealment
Ancillary Pool: Dark Mastery

Hero Profile:
Level 1: Gloom -- Dcm-Acc/Dmg:33(A), Dcm-Dmg/EndRdx:33(7), Dcm-Dmg/Rchg:33(9), Dcm-Acc/EndRdx/Rchg:33(9), Dcm-Acc/Dmg/Rchg:33(21)
Level 1: Fast Healing -- Prv-Heal:50(A), Prv-Heal/Rchg:33(29)
Level 2: Reconstruction -- DctWnd-Heal/EndRdx:50(A), DctWnd-EndRdx/Rchg:50(3), DctWnd-Heal/Rchg:50(3), DctWnd-Heal/EndRdx/Rchg:50(5), DctWnd-Heal:50(5), DctWnd-Rchg:50(7)
Level 4: Quick Recovery -- PrfShf-EndMod:50(A), PrfShf-End%:21(27)
Level 6: Abyssal Gaze -- Apc-Dam%:50(A), Apc-Dmg/EndRdx:50(19), Apc-Dmg/Rchg:50(21), Apc-Acc/Dmg/Rchg:50(23), Apc-Acc/Rchg:50(23), UnbCns-Dam%:50(25)
Level 8: Fly -- WntGif-ResSlow:10(A)
Level 10: Instant Regeneration -- Prv-Heal:50(A), Prv-Heal/EndRdx:33(11), Prv-EndRdx/Rchg:33(11), Prv-Heal/Rchg:33(17), Prv-Heal/Rchg/EndRdx:33(17), Prv-Absorb%:20(19)
Level 12: Dark Obliteration -- Rgn-Knock%:50(A), Rgn-Dmg/Rchg:50(13), Rgn-Acc/Dmg/Rchg:50(13), Rgn-Acc/Rchg:50(15), Rgn-Dmg/EndRdx:50(15)
Level 14: Hasten -- RechRdx-I:50(A), RechRdx-I:50(25)
Level 16: Dismiss Pain -- Prv-Heal:50(A), Prv-Heal/Rchg:33(29), Prv-Heal/EndRdx:33(48)
Level 18: Boxing -- Empty(A)
Level 20: Integration -- Prv-Heal:50(A), Prv-Heal/EndRdx:33(31)
Level 22: Tough -- GldArm-3defTpProc:33(A), UnbGrd-ResDam/EndRdx:33(40), UnbGrd-ResDam:33(40), UnbGrd-Rchg/ResDam:33(43)
Level 24: Weave -- Rct-Def:33(A), Rct-Def/EndRdx:33(34), Rct-EndRdx/Rchg:33(37), Rct-Def/Rchg:33(37), Rct-Def/EndRdx/Rchg:33(39), Rct-ResDam%:20(40)
Level 26: Stealth -- LucoftheG-Def/Rchg+:33(A), RedFrt-Def/EndRdx:33(45), RedFrt-EndRdx:50(46), RedFrt-Def/EndRdx/Rchg:33(46), RedFrt-Def:33(46), RedFrt-EndRdx/Rchg:33(48)
Level 28: Resilience -- StdPrt-ResDam/Def+:30(A), UnbGrd-ResDam/EndRdx:33(43), UnbGrd-ResDam:33(45), UnbGrd-Max HP%:20(45)
Level 30: Aim -- AdjTrg-ToHit/Rchg:33(A), AdjTrg-EndRdx/Rchg:33(31), AdjTrg-Rchg:33(31)
Level 32: Blackstar -- SprSntWar-Rchg/+Absorb:50(A), SprOppStr-Dmg/Rchg:50(33), SprOppStr-Acc/Dmg/Rchg:50(33), SprOppStr-Acc/Dmg/EndRdx:50(33), SprOppStr-Acc/Dmg/EndRdx/Rchg:50(34), SprOppStr-Rchg/+Opportunity:50(34)
Level 35: Smite -- Hct-Dam%:50(A), Hct-Dmg/Rchg:50(36), Hct-Acc/Dmg/Rchg:50(36), Hct-Acc/Rchg:50(36), Hct-Dmg/EndRdx:50(37), GldStr-%Dam:33(48)
Level 38: Moment of Glory -- LucoftheG-Def/Rchg+:33(A), RechRdx-I:50(39), RechRdx-I:50(39)
Level 41: Engulfing Darkness -- Arm-Dam%:50(A), Arm-Dmg/Rchg:50(42), Arm-Acc/Dmg/Rchg:50(42), Arm-Acc/Rchg:50(42), Arm-Dmg/EndRdx:50(43)
Level 44: Invisibility -- LucoftheG-Def/Rchg+:25(A)
Level 47: Hover -- ShlWal-ResDam/Re TP:10(A), LucoftheG-Def/Rchg+:25(50)
Level 49: Afterburner -- BlsoftheZ-Travel:50(A), BlsoftheZ-Travel/EndRdx:33(50), LucoftheG-Def/Rchg+:25(50)
Level 1: Brawl -- Empty(A)
Level 1: Opportunity
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: Sprint -- Empty(A)
Level 2: Rest -- Empty(A)
Level 4: Ninja Run
Level 2: Swift -- Empty(A)
Level 2: Health -- Pnc-Heal/+End:33(A)
Level 2: Hurdle -- Empty(A)
Level 2: Stamina -- PrfShf-EndMod:50(A), PrfShf-End%:21(27)
Level 0: Freedom Phalanx Reserve
Level 0: Portal Jockey
Level 0: Task Force Commander
Level 0: The Atlas Medallion
Level 50: Musculature Core Paragon
Level 50: Degenerative Core Flawless Interface
Level 50: Assault Radial Embodiment
------------

 

 

 

Edited December 14, 2019 by Caulderone

[Flashtoo]

I main a /Kin controller with the entire Fighting pool and he works well enough that I was once asked "how did you get a StJ controller" - Kin benefits from melee so it's a good choice, and with the double damage from Containment the Fighting stuff - and even Brawl - are pretty viable. 

[Pbuckley818]

That controller idea isn't bad. The Fighting Pool MIGHT even be a DPS increase, and the CC can act as a soft defensive set.

 

Half tempted to just build my Beast/Kin controller into a Melee, as Bodyguard adds a lot of survivability, but Beasts is one of the few where the attacks are still useful, and frankly I kind of like throwing birds at people. 

 

But I have also ben considering a Shields/Street Justice Tank As Street Justice comes with a few nice debuffs (Two of which are being -Res, both sadly single target) however it is decidedly more simple target than stone. It has two knockdowns one being Single target and the other aoe and two disorients, again one single target and 1 aoe.  Furthermore both disorients and the AoE knockdown are combo finishers, so I am not entirely sure how that will work out all in all.

 

So it's probably either Shield/Stone or Shield/Street. Can I get some informed opinions?

Edited December 15, 2019 by Pbuckley818

[Machariel]

I'd definitely suggest going for a controller with a close-range based support set - anything that focuses on PBAoEs or just something that works well in melee, like /kinetics or /time.  Some control primaries work very well in melee as well like, say, electric control. 

 

A melee focused dominator might be in your style as well.  they get enough melee attacks to feel like a melee character and you can make them pretty sturdy and lean hard on the primary powerset for active mitigation. 

[Heraclea]

On old live I had a Dark Armoe/Ice Melee tanker who I conceived as a melee controller.  On Homecoming i have an electric/electric blaster who is a short range defender type, basically a sapper on our side. 

[Replacement]

I would suggest ice melee/shield stalker. Ice patch, recharge debuffs, grant cover. Do it from strange positions (as a pseudopet summon, I'm guessing ice patch won't even break stealth).

 

Naturally, you would grab leadership and maybe some other supportive stuff from pools.

[DemonWithin]

Build a dark-elec-fire Defender.  I'll come back and post the build later.  Its defense and resistance are off the charts.  I chose some fighting pool and fire sword.  I drop Darkest Night on the boss, run right into the middle of the mob drain their endurance and start pummeling them at melee range, no need for a tank.  It becomes Un-killable after you fit in the alfa power that has Endurance reduction and Resistance buffs (can't remember the name).  Oh you also need clarion.  The only gap is toxic damage But you can choose the black scorpion armor instead, but then fire and cold become the gap (though you still have considerable fire/cold defense, so its less of a gap).  This was my favorite build back on Live and people who I teamed with often commented on the toon's ability to wade into +4x8, the mobs swing then miss like they are fighting a Super reflex scrapper.  The build is so tanky that I had a plan to work in Taunt from the presence pool but never got around to it.  I'm just about to lvl 50 now on Homecoming.  Name is Vittoria T, on Everlasting. Look me up if you need a tank!

[siolfir]

54 minutes ago, DemonWithin said:

Build a dark-elec-fire Defender.  I'll come back and post the build later.  Its defense and resistance are off the charts.  I chose some fighting pool and fire sword.  I drop Darkest Night on the boss, run right into the middle of the mob drain their endurance and start pummeling them at melee range, no need for a tank.  It becomes Un-killable after you fit in the alfa power that has Endurance reduction and Resistance buffs (can't remember the name).  Oh you also need clarion.  The only gap is toxic damage But you can choose the black scorpion armor instead, but then fire and cold become the gap (though you still have considerable fire/cold defense, so its less of a gap).  This was my favorite build back on Live and people who I teamed with often commented on the toon's ability to wade into +4x8, the mobs swing then miss like they are fighting a Super reflex scrapper.  The build is so tanky that I had a plan to work in Taunt from the presence pool but never got around to it.  I'm just about to lvl 50 now on Homecoming.  Name is Vittoria T, on Everlasting. Look me up if you need a tank!

Cardiac Alpha. I use it on a couple of my characters.

 

I tend to fight in melee with my Ice/Time Corruptor, and while it's more... interesting... than a Spines/Fire or even my Rad/Electric Brute on a +4/x8 Fire farm, it's also more than capable of surviving (I can't say the same about my Water/Kin Corruptor, who also fights in melee) - having a lot of +recharge and a pair of heals helps for the damage that gets through, and the resistance keeps it from being overwhelming. But I thought that the intent of the OP was to take a melee/primarily melee character and make them also provide good support, not a support character that can play in melee.

[HelenCarnate]

Now my personal favorite melee support set is actually a controller.  Fire/Dark/Shark.  Immobilize on your way in.  Then jump in the middle where hot feet burns everything.  Then pop Soul Absorption to crank up your recovery and regen.  Then Bonfire turns everything to popcorn while water spout causes more chaos and CC as well as debuffs.  I managed to cap out defenses to everything at 45%+ and have capped resists to S/L and almost for cold.  You also have one of the best heals in the game if you actually start taking damage.  

 

As far as if you need it to be a melee AT then a Dark/Rad tank would work.  Horrible endurance issues while leveling but you get 2 damage auras with the ability to slot -resist procs plus fear aura and/or stun aura.  The chance for stun in some of the Rad secondary stacks nicely. You can also pick up the Mu patron for an AoE imob to keep the stunned mobs from wandering off.

Edited December 19, 2019 by HelenCarnate

[Murcielago]

Just roll a Guardian AT, er wait, wrong server. 

[Pbuckley818]

1 minute ago, Murcielago said:

Just roll a Guardian AT, er wait, wrong server. 

Yeah I researched that, the Guradian is basically a gross mismatch of everything, somehow I feel I wouldn't be enjoy it.

Edited December 19, 2019 by Pbuckley818