Soft-Cap Defenses?

[pauljima]

Regardless of difficulty to do so, is it better to soft-cap all damage types to 45%? Or all positional types? Not sure how it works... does Positional cover all damage types, so soft-capping those would be far more beneficial?

 

Also, a side question, there's no way to change your power sets, right? I have a pretty high level Brute that I wish I chose a different secondary power for, lol.

[Werner]

Roughly equal in practice. The game picks whichever defense is best against the attack - positional or typed. Some rare attacks lack a position, so would ignore positional defense. Some rare attacks lack a type, or are toxic, so would ignore typed defense.

 

No way to change your primary or secondary, right.

[Crysis]

Since you posted this in Brute forum, the general trend you’ll see on Brute builds posted here is positional Melee Def is softcapped and usually also S/L and maybe even Energy as well.  That’s because a lot of the melee IO sets will build these bonuses out for you.  
 

And honestly since you’ll spend most of your time in melee and S/L damage is the most common typed damage in the game that’s just fine.

[Hjarki]

It really depends on what the rest of your build provides.

 

If you're using a defense set, that almost strictly determines what type of defense you're pursuing. A Super Reflexes Brute would go positional; a Bio Armor Brute would go typed.

 

If you're using a resist set, you will almost always pursue typed defenses because they're far easier to cap due to the existence of Winter Sets and the Brute ATO. With Superior Blistering Cold and split ATO, a Brute can get +15% S/L using 12 enhancements (which are also pretty good for the powers they're slotted in). You also have common sets like Eradication and Aegis which give massive bonuses to typed defenses with only a few slots.

 

In contrast, positionals like Ranged tend to only come from attacks Brutes don't generally use much (ranged attacks, holds, etc.) or non-Brute ATOs.

 

There are also melee sets that explicitly buff S/M or L/M. Technically, such attacks favor positionals (since they only cover half of S/L but all of M). However, L/M tends to be more than sufficient on a character with otherwise soft-cap typed defenses and hard-capped Smashing resistance.

 

[Heraclea]

Also, soft capping just may not be a goal worth pursuing on some builds.  I have an electric armor brute, easily softcapped in resistance against smashing/lethal/energy, which are the three most important types.  I also have a tanking regen brute, not nearly as tough, but who benefits more from recharge and -recharge resistance than resistance or defense bonuses, which I have not ignored but not made the focus of the build.  On a regen brute they aren't easily in reach.  Reflexes and ninjitsu characters easily softcap defense. 

 

My advice always is to build and slot generic IOs while leveling based on perceived need: and then replace the generics with your chosen sets, but do not compromise core aspects of your build or respec to move slots around without considering why you put them there in the first place.  Especially do not compromise accuracy in your attacks to chase set bonuses.  This is why Kinetic Combat is a mainstay for me; you get the S/L defense bonus at four, which probably leaves you room for a generic accuracy or random Acc/Dam.  (And do not disdain the Chance for Knockdown, just as long as you don't stick it in a power that already does Knockdown.)

[pauljima]

Awesome, thanks for the replies, everyone! I’m working on a SS/SR build and was wondering if it was worth it because I pretty easily got up to 50+% on all positional defenses and perma rage and practiced brawler. I don't even need some toggles on, either. Relatively cheap build, too, especially since I already have 4 LotG Recharge IOs sitting in my emails. 😃

 

I love brutes, but I’m also a bit of an altaholic... so I want this one to be my main farmer so I can work on other builds. 😃

[Chelsea Rorec]

On 5/28/2020 at 6:53 AM, pauljima said:

Awesome, thanks for the replies, everyone! I’m working on a SS/SR build and was wondering if it was worth it because I pretty easily got up to 50+% on all positional defenses and perma rage and practiced brawler. I don't even need some toggles on, either. Relatively cheap build, too, especially since I already have 4 LotG Recharge IOs sitting in my emails. 😃

 

I love brutes, but I’m also a bit of an altaholic... so I want this one to be my main farmer so I can work on other builds. 😃

In your case i would take tough/weave to cap the def with weave and then put all set bonuses into S/L resists (and other resists) and recharge.