Energy Melee?

[ceto555]

Anyone have experience with this? I was thinking of making an EM/ElecA Brute for solo leveling and missions, but I'd like to know how it is before committing too much time. Is the DPS ok? Will I have a fun time leveling or just frustration?

 

Thanks!

[Rylas]

My main for a while was an Ice/EM Tank. Personally, I really enjoyed EM, but felt that it ended up getting a bit of heavy handed nerf mid-way through the game's life. I think the issue was Total Focus and Energy Transfer were "too" powerful and made EM perform just a little too well in the single-target DPS area. The answer was slowing the animation for these powers to really bad speeds. I don't know what the right answer would be (or if one was really needed) but it kind of broke the set a little for me. EM is one of the lowest for AoE DPS, and I thought this was the perfect offset to it's single target domination. The fact that Energy Transfer causes damage to you too was another good off-set for the set.

 

Slowing down the punches just sucked for gameplay. I would have preferred a reduction in damage to that. The set *felt* fast with how quickly you handed out the punches. It certainly felt more energetic.

 

That's me though. I remember too much of how it was. Someone else who only played it post-nerf might have a better opinion of it.

[HelenCarnate]

If you are running just solo missions at normal spawn size EM is great while leveling due to its decent single target damage and stuns baked into everything.  If you are planning on being set for higher numbers the Elec is probably a good secondary as you have some AOE already baked in with your Lightning Field to help offset the lack of decent AOE in EM.  Its one AOE does pretty low damage and has the same radius as your punches but also adds stun.  All around it would be a decent combo for solo work unless you are planning on farming.

[Wenlocke]

From experience, whirling hands isn't spectacular for a brute. It really shines when used as a tank secondary for the ability to spread punchvoke far and wide. As a brute primary attack, it is merely "not bad"

[markofantares]

I ran a EM/WP Brute before shuttering. He was badass. Nigh unstoppable and could stun even the biggest, baddest Hero! Nothing more satisfying than stacking the stuns and getting that one hit that knocks down all defenses! Great soloing and for PvP.

 

Whirling hands is great; don't let anyone tell you otherwise! Especially if you slot to increase stuns with IOs. Also looks great while flying.

[HelenCarnate]

I ran a EM/WP Brute before shuttering. He was badass. Nigh unstoppable and could stun even the biggest, baddest Hero! Nothing more satisfying than stacking the stuns and getting that one hit that knocks down all defenses! Great soloing and for PvP.

 

Whirling hands is great; don't let anyone tell you otherwise! Especially if you slot to increase stuns with IOs. Also looks great while flying.

 

Looks are not everything.  There are 2 reasons (not counting looking pretty while flying) to take Whirling hands. You are leveling EM and it's your only AOE. You want the slots for pbaoe set bonuses.  Endgame EM is a beast against single targets. If you want aome AOE you are better off going into epic pools as they will hit a much larger number of targets and some do as much if not more damage.