Savage Melee vs Psi on /Bio

[Dr Causality]

**Update**

 

I stuck it out to 30 and then fully kitted out a leveling build.   The added survivability and recovery from the IO's, plus the damage increase from leveling and slotting up Hemorrhage completely tipped me.   I'm having so much fun with the set now, especially all the aoe, that I think I want to stick with Savage.  (I've been able to run +2/+8 Radios w/ bosses with moderate inspiration use.)    So the question has now changed to do I want to stick with Bio or reroll as Shield Defense?

 

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I was planning on making a Psi/Bio stalker but on a whim rolled my first Savage Melee instead.     I'm in the mid 20's now it was a fun ride.      But I'm wondering about the longterm Pro's and Con's vs Psi on a /Bio Stalker?

 

My thoughts are:

 

Overall Savage Melee has significantly more aoe and will be much easier to level.   But I'm wondering if once they're lvl 50,  a fully tuned Incarnate Psi/Bio will out perform Savage?        My thinking is Savage attacks have no mitigation, and no chance to use/abuse ForceFeedback.   Once Psi is fully tuned it should be able to have very good uptime on the FF proc, making it's effective Rech way ahead of Savage.   More Rech matters because it makes Bio sturdier since you can use Ablative, DNA Siphon and Parasitic more often, which also can help solve any endurance issues.     Psi also has two decent sources of KD for mitigation.  Seems like Psi should also have slightly better single target dmg.   Meanwhile at high level Savage will end up using it's stacks of +Rech and -End Reduction buff charges while cycling attacks.          So what Savage will have going for it is more AOE and a source of -Res proc slotting.      Both will have damage types that are fairly highly resisted at high levels, so probably a wash there.

 

Finally, I'm trying to think through how best to make use of 'Savage Leap.'  Seems like a really fun power and like Frosticus says, looks like you can get a lot of mileage from procs.    But since it breaks you from hide and also need maximum travel distance for dmg, when do you use it?    If you use it as an opener you give up your free Crit.    But if you use while already in a mob, then you give up the damage since you're not traveling full distance?    So when do you use it?

 

Building on that what's great about Savage Leap on paper is 40s base recharge is high enough to give good proc chances, but low enough to actually be up quite often on high recharge build -- giving you good return on proc slots.   The problem I see is when it's up again mid fight, you'll already be in melee range so won't get much damage from it.   So overall it seems like a fun novelty, but will be most useful when spawns are spread out or to get to the sapper/healer. 

 

So now I'm starting to think maybe I should re-roll my Savage as a Shield Defense.   Then also make the original Psi/Bio I was originally planning.  🙂         

 

Savage/Shield seems like it could make better use of Savage Leap, since you can open with Leap for good proc chances, then follow up with Shield Charge, which has KD mitigation and reliable FF proc.   That combo seems like it would easily be worth giving up the opening Hide Crit.  

 

 

Savage Melee

 

Pro's

• Easier to level, especially solo because you get
  • More aoe overall, and at much earlier levels
  • Inherent +Rech and -Endurance reductions from attacks
• Has slot for Achilles -Res, which can also take Fury -Res.  

Con's

• Not much mitigation
• No opportunity to abuse the FF proc
• S/L damage type is frequently resisted in later game
• Savage Leap difficult to make good use of on Stalkers, since it needs max range for damage, but isn't a good Opener since it breaks Hide depriving you of your guaranteed Crit opener... 
• Blood Frenzy stacks will be lost during optimal attack chains, so you can't count on the +Rech or End reductions buffs.

 

 

Psionic Melee

 

Pro's

• While leveling some early ranged mitigation from Bogle (very useful for instance on Sappers...)
• Decent Knockup Mitigation and chances for FF procs from Telekenetic Blow (once you hit 21 and can slot FF)
• Good aoe Knockup mitigation and chances for FF procs once you get to lvl 33+ so you can Slot Mass Levitate
• Good single target attacks chains and damage

Con's

• Slow solo leveling due to
  • Only one aoe attack
  • That you don't get until lvl 32 !@##$
• Insight Mechanic doesn't seem that useful
• Psi damage is highly resisted by some enemies in later game

 

Edited February 5, 2020 by Dr Causality

[SeraphimKensai]

Having a psi stalker that's incarnate and an incarnate Savage Melee brute, psi all the way. You want that burst and with bio it's gonna be burst.

[Frosticus]

I have a 50 sav/bio that is t3 incarnated. 

 

I open with an epic aoe. When I switched to a shadowmeld build I just opened with savage leap. Who cares when it does so much damage whether it crits or not? 

 

Given that you should ideally have 3-4 damage procs in the power there is no reason to hold off using it mid combat. It still does a lot of damage, plus often resets buildup.

If I desire I might combat jump+hurdle straight up, or back and then fire it. Given that it is nearly instantaneous it works pretty well. But more often I'll just fire it point blank if I need it mid fight. 

 

That said, I personally didnt feel my sav/bio was sturdy enough, partly because I built it too aggressively and partly because sav offers no mitigation beyond great aoe. I feel bio really benefits from an attack set that can mitigate even a little bit of incoming damage.

 

Ultimately I rerolled as sav/shield, which is now T3'd as well. It is beyond compare how much sturdier it is than the sav/bio. Which I dont view as a shortcoming of bio really as even a little bit of breathing  room makes the set very tough. 

 

I've never played psi high enough to really comment on that aspect.

 

[Dr Causality]

On 2/2/2020 at 7:47 PM, SeraphimKensai said:

Having a psi stalker that's incarnate and an incarnate Savage Melee brute, psi all the way. You want that burst and with bio it's gonna be burst.

Good to know.   I'll probably test Psi on Beta server.  But I stuck it out a bit and am really liking the AOE and playstyle I'm getting from Savage right now at 30. 

[Galamane]

On 2/4/2020 at 11:16 PM, Dr Causality said:

Good to know.   I'll probably test Psi on Beta server.  But I stuck it out a bit and am really liking the AOE and playstyle I'm getting from Savage right now at 30. 

So how did your psi/bio work out?