[Request] Dual Blades/Dark Armor help

[Gauntlet_Prime]

So here is my concept.  I am a dark elf immigrant from one of Portal Corps many adventures into other realms.  My character helps an away team make it back to Paragon Prime and I ask to join them.  As thanks for rescuing and guiding them to safety they bring me back and Numina herself sponsors me, finding my mix of dark magics and combat prowess interesting.  Visually I like everything that is going on there.

 

Here is the thing:  I haven't touched DB since well before the fall of live.  I am hoping that there are some skip-able powers here because I am starved for slots.  What combos should I be focusing on?  Right now I am only 18 and Empower feels ok but the animation investment is a little rough for psudo-buildup I think.  Weaken is also somewhat bland feeling.  I certainly don't feel more survivable when the mobs are "WEAKENED!".

 

I really only need the general DB advice but seeing as the title is searchable posting builds for future readers would also be a welcome way of forwarding discussion on the topic.

 

Thank you for spending the time to read this.

 

[Microcosm]

DB and Dark don't have any particularly special synergy, so just grab what you want from both. As far as combos go, if you are looking at leveling advice, just take what seems fun and if you get a combo to land then that's a bonus. Many people get turned off by the DB combo system because they get focused on that, but a single miss will instantly derail the combo. It's better generally to focus on your good powers, and if you see an opportunity for a small buff/debuff from a combo, go for it. The really "good" powers are Ablating Strike, Blinding Feint, and Sweeping Strike. I generally just go with Empower and Sweeping Strike while leveling, or the Sweep combo for its knockdown.

 

At the top end, you will be much better off maxing recharge and using your best attacks without combos. You can alternatively proc your build out and still use a combo for overall better dps. Either way I tend to keep Sweep around for AoE as it's just good mitigation. I don't know that I would recommend a proc build with /dark though, as proc builds do better when they don't have to slot as much for endurance or accuracy, etc., and dark doesn't really give you that option.

[Gauntlet_Prime]

Thanks @Microcosm for the info.  Good to know the best attacks to focus on.  And I think I will go with you on just ignoring the combos unless they just happen and slashing like a madman. 

[Nightmarer 2]

3 hours ago, Gauntlet_Prime said:

Thanks @Microcosm for the info.  Good to know the best attacks to focus on.  And I think I will go with you on just ignoring the combos unless they just happen and slashing like a madman. 

Blinding Feint + Vitals combo happnes to be 2nd best attack chain for Dual Blades. Truth is it offers less synergy with DA than similar themed sets such as katana since the only DB attack that does -Def is Ablating Strike and it is single target  but on the other hand, Dual Blades is a good and fun poewrset plus everything /DA is fun anyway so double win here 🙂

Edited March 18, 2020 by Nightmarer
Typos, typos everywhere

[oldskool]

I have this combo at 50. 

 

My DB/DA doesn't bother with Hasten.  I have 82.5% global recharge which is enough to run Blinding Feint - Attack Vitals (Ablating Strike, Vengeful Slice, Sweeping Strike) on repeat.  That combo takes 5.28s to animate (with Arcanatime) and with some boosters in the Dmg/Rec in Blinding Feint its gapless (BF for me recharges in 5.24s).  Dark Regen is available every 12-ish seconds which is fine.

 

I also took the Sweep combo (Power Slice, Typhoon's Edge, One Thousand Cuts), but I do not need it.  Typhoon's Edge is a decent enough AOE plus Death Shroud plus Sweeping Strike.  I happen to like 1k Cuts though so I have it in my build. 

 

I skipped Cloak of Fear and Oppressive Gloom for my own reasons though they are easy to fit in to the build if you want them.  Soul Transfer is conceptual so I took it.  

 

The rest of the character build is devoted to plugging mitigation holes to make it more tanky.  With Cardiac Alpha I cap Smashing/Lethal resist, nearly cap Psi and hit over 60% Fire/Cold/Negative.  Energy and Toxic land at 40%.  Defenses are all in the 30+ range and I didn't take Shadow Meld (which is a great option too).  

 

The pairing works very well regardless of your level of optimization desires. BF-AV combo is enough damage and it is incredibly easy to build for.  DA is just a solid secondary that can be pretty flexible too.  

In practice this pair is a really hard one to build "wrong".  Hell, everything about my character is designed around "just enough".  Just enough defense that a small purple will soft-cap or nearly soft cap all positionals (AoE is 2% shy of that).  Just enough resistance except Energy/Toxic - both hard ones to plug for non-Tankers.  Just enough recharge to make my attacks seamless.  

Edited March 18, 2020 by oldskool

[MrWallace]

HI I main a DA/DB tank and love it to bits. Below is my build which does decent damage, and softcaps Def to s/l/e/n with solid resitance to s/l/n/f/c/p . It might help with some ideas.

 

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

tank leveling : Level 50 Magic Tanker
Primary Power Set: Dark Armor
Secondary Power Set: Dual Blades
Power Pool: Speed
Power Pool: Fighting
Power Pool: Leaping
Ancillary Pool: Energy Mastery

Hero Profile:
------------
Level 1:    Dark Embrace    
 (A) Reactive Armor - Resistance/Endurance: Level 40
 (3) Reactive Armor - Resistance/Recharge: Level 40
 (3) Reactive Armor - Resistance/Endurance/Recharge: Level 40
 (40) Reactive Armor - Resistance: Level 40
 (40) Steadfast Protection - Resistance/+Def 3%: Level 30
 (48) Steadfast Protection - Knockback Protection: Level 30

Level 1:    Nimble Slash    
 (A) Kinetic Combat - Accuracy/Damage: Level 35
 (11) Kinetic Combat - Damage/Endurance/Recharge: Level 35
 (21) Kinetic Combat - Damage/Endurance: Level 35
 (21) Kinetic Combat - Damage/Recharge: Level 35
 (37) Touch of Death - Accuracy/Damage/Endurance: Level 40

Level 2:    Murky Cloud    
 (A) Reactive Armor - Resistance/Endurance: Level 40
 (5) Reactive Armor - Resistance/Recharge: Level 40
 (5) Reactive Armor - Resistance/Endurance/Recharge: Level 40
 (45) Reactive Armor - Resistance: Level 40

Level 4:    Death Shroud    
 (A) Eradication - Accuracy/Damage/Endurance/Recharge: Level 30
 (15) Eradication - Damage/Recharge: Level 30
 (15) Eradication - Accuracy/Damage/Recharge: Level 30
 (19) Eradication - Damage: Level 30
 (19) Scirocco's Dervish - Accuracy/Damage/Endurance: Level 50

Level 6:    Obsidian Shield    
 (A) Reactive Armor - Resistance/Endurance: Level 40
 (7) Reactive Armor - Resistance/Recharge: Level 40
 (7) Reactive Armor - Resistance/Endurance/Recharge: Level 40
 (13) Reactive Armor - Resistance: Level 40

Level 8:    Dark Regeneration    
 (A) Touch of the Nictus - Healing: Level 50
 (9) Touch of the Nictus - Heal/HitPoints/Regeneration/Recharge: Level 50
 (9) Touch of the Nictus - Accuracy/Healing: Level 50
 (11) Touch of the Nictus - Accuracy/Endurance/Heal/HitPoints/Regeneration: Level 50
 (13) Touch of the Nictus - Accuracy/Endurance/Recharge: Level 50
 (27) Theft of Essence - Chance for +Endurance: Level 30

Level 10:    Hasten    
 (A) Recharge Reduction IO: Level 50

Level 12:    Cloak of Darkness    
 (A) Karma - Knockback Protection: Level 30
 (46) Karma - Defense/Endurance: Level 30

Level 14:    Super Speed    
 (A) Blessing of the Zephyr - Knockback Reduction (4 points): Level 50
 (50) Blessing of the Zephyr - Run Speed, Jump, Flight Speed, Range/Endurance: Level 50

Level 16:    Typhoon's Edge    
 (A) Eradication - Damage: Level 30
 (17) Eradication - Damage/Recharge: Level 30
 (17) Eradication - Accuracy/Damage/Recharge: Level 30
 (23) Eradication - Accuracy/Damage/Endurance/Recharge: Level 30
 (23) Scirocco's Dervish - Accuracy/Damage/Endurance: Level 50

Level 18:    Boxing    
 (A) Empty

Level 20:    Tough    
 (A) Reactive Armor - Resistance/Endurance: Level 40
 (31) Reactive Armor - Resistance/Recharge: Level 40
 (31) Reactive Armor - Resistance/Endurance/Recharge: Level 40
 (31) Reactive Armor - Resistance: Level 40

Level 22:    Weave    
 (A) Luck of the Gambler - Defense/Endurance: Level 50
 (43) Luck of the Gambler - Defense/Endurance/Recharge: Level 50
 (48) Luck of the Gambler - Defense: Level 50

Level 24:    Ablating Strike    
 (A) Kinetic Combat - Accuracy/Damage: Level 35
 (39) Kinetic Combat - Damage/Endurance: Level 35
 (39) Kinetic Combat - Damage/Recharge: Level 35
 (40) Kinetic Combat - Damage/Endurance/Recharge: Level 35
 (37) Touch of Death - Accuracy/Damage/Endurance: Level 40

Level 26:    Taunt    
 (A) Mocking Beratement - Taunt: Level 50
 (27) Mocking Beratement - Taunt/Range: Level 50
 (39) Mocking Beratement - Recharge: Level 50
 (34) Mocking Beratement - Taunt/Recharge/Range: Level 50

Level 28:    Vengeful Slice    
 (A) Kinetic Combat - Accuracy/Damage: Level 35
 (29) Kinetic Combat - Damage/Recharge: Level 35
 (29) Kinetic Combat - Damage/Endurance/Recharge: Level 35
 (34) Kinetic Combat - Damage/Endurance: Level 35
 (43) Touch of Death - Accuracy/Damage/Endurance: Level 40

Level 30:    Blinding Feint    
 (A) Kinetic Combat - Accuracy/Damage: Level 35
 (34) Kinetic Combat - Damage/Recharge: Level 35
 (33) Kinetic Combat - Damage/Endurance/Recharge: Level 35
 (33) Kinetic Combat - Damage/Endurance: Level 35
 (33) Mako's Bite - Accuracy/Damage/Endurance/Recharge: Level 50

Level 32:    Soul Transfer    
 (A) Eradication - Accuracy/Recharge: Level 30
 (37) Eradication - Damage: Level 30
 (45) Eradication - Accuracy/Damage/Recharge: Level 30
 (48) Eradication - Damage/Recharge: Level 30

Level 35:    Sweeping Strike    
 (A) Eradication - Damage: Level 30
 (36) Eradication - Damage/Recharge: Level 30
 (36) Eradication - Accuracy/Damage/Recharge: Level 30
 (36) Eradication - Accuracy/Damage/Endurance/Recharge: Level 30
 (46) Scirocco's Dervish - Accuracy/Damage/Endurance: Level 50

Level 38:    One Thousand Cuts    
 (A) Eradication - Damage: Level 30
 (42) Eradication - Damage/Recharge: Level 30
 (42) Eradication - Accuracy/Damage/Recharge: Level 30
 (42) Eradication - Accuracy/Damage/Endurance/Recharge: Level 30
 (43) Scirocco's Dervish - Accuracy/Damage/Endurance: Level 50

Level 41:    Power Slice    
 (A) Kinetic Combat - Accuracy/Damage: Level 35
 (45) Kinetic Combat - Damage/Endurance: Level 35
 (46) Kinetic Combat - Damage/Endurance/Recharge: Level 35
 (50) Kinetic Combat - Damage/Recharge: Level 35
 (50) Touch of Death - Accuracy/Damage/Endurance: Level 40

Level 44:    Conserve Power    
 (A) Recharge Reduction IO: Level 50

Level 47:    Physical Perfection    
 (A) Performance Shifter - Chance for +End: Level 50

Level 49:    Combat Jumping    
 (A) Defense Buff IO: Level 50

Level 1:    Brawl    
 (A) Empty

Level 1:    Sprint    
 (A) Empty

Level 2:    Rest    
 (A) Empty

Level 1:    Gauntlet    
Level 4:    Ninja Run    
Level 2:    Swift    
 (A) Run Speed IO: Level 50

Level 2:    Hurdle    
 (A) Jumping IO: Level 50

Level 2:    Health    
 (A) Miracle - +Recovery: Level 40

Level 2:    Stamina    
 (A) Endurance Modification IO: Level 50
 (25) Performance Shifter - EndMod: Level 50
 (25) Performance Shifter - Chance for +End: Level 50

Level 1:    Prestige Power Slide    
 (A) Empty

Level 1:    Prestige Power Dash    
 (A) Empty

Level 1:    Prestige Power Quick    
 (A) Empty

Level 1:    Prestige Power Surge    
 (A) Empty

Level 1:    Prestige Power Rush    
 (A) Empty

------------
------------
Set Bonus Totals:
29.25% Defense(Smashing)
29.25% Defense(Lethal)
3% Defense(Fire)
3% Defense(Cold)
24.25% Defense(Energy)
24.25% Defense(Negative)
3% Defense(Psionic)
16.13% Defense(Melee)
14.57% Defense(Ranged)
3% Defense(AoE)
12.6% Max End
9% Enhancement(Accuracy)
5% Enhancement(Heal)
7.5% SpeedFlying
407.6 HP (21.75%) HitPoints
7.5% JumpHeight
7.5% SpeedJumping
Knockback (Mag -12)
Knockup (Mag -12)
MezResist(Confused) 26.25%
MezResist(Held) 26.25%
MezResist(Immobilized) 26.25%
MezResist(Sleep) 26.25%
MezResist(Stunned) 26.25%
MezResist(Terrorized) 26.25%
1.5% (0.03 End/sec) Recovery
10% (0.78 HP/sec) Regeneration
8.25% Resistance(Smashing)
8.25% Resistance(Lethal)
7.5% Resistance(Fire)
7.5% Resistance(Cold)
7.5% SpeedRunning

 

[Gauntlet_Prime]

Excellent. Thank you everyone for the excellent bits of info and guidance.  This is very helpful.