Katana Scrapper / Deciding on a secondary

[krj12]

I just created a new Katana/SR scrapper, but am having second thoughts about the secondary.  My end game goal for any scrapper is good dps in combination with excellent survivability.

 

Of  SR, WP, and Invuln secondaries which do you think is best at end game for survivability, or can they all be made fairly survivable with the proper IO sets?

Concept wise, my character should probably be either SR or WP, though I'm flexible for going with another secondary.

 

Also, is there a huge difference in dps between a Katana scrap and broad sword?

[Krazie Ivan]

despite half SR's DDR, Invuln can be built more sturdy than SR. the Resists can be pushed 2-3x higher, & Dull Pain can cap HP. both can reach icap Def, but Invuln requires being surrounded if you don't want to spend every set bonus on +Def. Invuln simply supplies a broader range of mitigation & provides more opportunity through varied sets. Psi is still the weakness, but 25-35% positional Def & Meld make it mostly trivial (as Psi doesn't hit too hard to begin with).

the best i've found to build SR is just barely cap positional Def, spend everything else trying to get all Res close to 45-50%, then go for +Rech with what's left. this will be golden for most 1-50 content & feel like a cakewalk. take Rune & Melee Core ...alternate them to cap yourself 3.5/4min ...then add Rebirth Radial for a heal/regen. use Divine as needed in Incarn content.

you can build +Def into WP, but w/o much DDR, it can all be stripped away quickly. Res levels can't be pushed nearly as high as Invuln, and the Regen can easily be overwhelmed. SR with some +Res & Rebirth Radial can handle far rougher content than WP.

^^^all that assumes the most dangerous mobs. avg content, all can perform well enough with even a below avg build. the Invuln & SR suggestions will out-survive most of the Brutes & Tanks randomly teamed with.

Kat is faster than BS. the biggest factor is animation time blocking you out of hitting a heal or oh-shi power fast enough.

Edited December 18, 2019 by Krazie Ivan

[krj12]

thank you

[Giocondi]

Just finished my Katana/Ninjitsu build and it's soft capped to all positionals and has over 60% resist to Smash and lethal. I can run +4/8 solo treading mindfully.

 

I'm satisfied with the performance but ther is definitely room to tweak it to maximize it even more.

[Heraclea]

The defense buff you get from Divine Avalanche is positional (melee) rather than typed (smashing, lethal, etc.)  The synergy is strongest with the defense sets that also offer position rather than type defense.  But since you can't run Shields with Katana, this basically leaves Super Reflexes and Ninjitsu as the obvious choices.  

 

You might also consider Regen, especially if you want a whole-game rather than an endgame character.  Characters like that are valuable additions to anyone's roster, even if they aren't good for master runs.  Build them for running Synapse and Citadel as fast as you can, with double inf/no XP when exemped.  Regen gets hardly any defense, so adding a layer of melee defense that's indifferent to type adds value. 

Edited December 27, 2019 by Heraclea

[Haijinx]

its both 

 

Melee and Lethal 

 

which is actually kind of nice, since most of the -Def you get hit with has a lethal component.   

 

Making Katana/BS/Staff parry powers synergize fairly well with Typed defenses (EA, InV, Ice .. lesser extent WP or IOs like Kinetic combat) 

 

TW is less good since its Melee and Smash 

 

[Haijinx]

WP can be made extremely survivable even without a parry power, so that is definitely a possibility. 

[Doomguide2005]

I believe all 3 can be very survivable.  Each has it's own strengths and weaknesses.  A player familiar with those strengths and especially the weaknesses can also make an already strong build even tougher.

[Haijinx]

44 minutes ago, Doomguide2005 said:

I believe all 3 can be very survivable.  Each has it's own strengths and weaknesses.  A player familiar with those strengths and especially the weaknesses can also make an already strong build even tougher.

This is true, and applies to all scrapper secondaries.

 

If blasters can be made survivable, than obviously a scrapper with access to a lot more survival powers can. 

 

 

[Haijinx]

Of those three listed-

 

SR can be made survivable with the fewest slots invested.  Those slots, plus the 20% recharge can help offense.   It lacks the layers of the other two, and the parry power is wasted most of the time once the build matures.   A primary with AOE knockdown actually helps a lot more.   Its hole is actually the level progression vs AOEs.  Which is not there on Brutes.

 

Invul is the toughest, since you can softcap many typed defenses AND cap S/L resist, with other resists decent.  DP heals and caps hp.  The parry power can protect you when def debuffed or exemped.   You do have that gaping Psi hole and attempting to patch that can eat a lot of slots.  

 

Willpower is nice in that it has no holes.  Its main weakness is slows, which hurt it offensively not defensively.  It doesn't survive alphas as well as the other two, but has the advantage that adding defense and resist through IOs both makes you tougher and shores that problem up at the same time.  You will get the most mileage of parry powers with WP.  From personal experience once you get the typed defs around 30% you are roughly equal to a softcapped SR for most content.

 

The question of Kat damage was brought up.  Its above average, but not one of the top performers.   It is better than BS. 

 

 

Edited December 27, 2019 by Haijinx

[cheezewezzel]

I'm having fun with radiation armor on a katana-armed scrapper.  It appears to be similar to willpower in some ways, and it's been fun up to level 22.  I gather some folks aren't fond of the FX but they can be recolored, and I think they're sort of cool.