Elec/Dark vs Stone/Dark

[Flurry]

Hi Brutes! I have a concept that I'd like to turn into reality as a Brute. Conceptually, Elec/Dark and Stone/Dark could both work but I could use some of your advice with the differences between them. Does one set synergize better than the other? How do the primaries compare damage-wise, both single target and AoE? Which works best before IO sets and after, etc.? Basically anything you can tell me about them. Thanks!

 

[Flurry]

No opinions or advice from anyone? Are they both terrible choices?

[Nemu]

Stone/dark is typically perceived as safer but that pairing is not for the faint of heart because it will absolutely wreck your end bar. You really need to invest in end recovery/end reduction if you are to make the combo work so depending on your budget for IOs, it may be a painful slog to 50. It does offer more single target damage than Elec/Dark at the cost of AoE, and the only AoE damaging power is available late at 32.

 

Elec/Dark can be just as safe as Stone/dark except people usually skip lightning clap, whereas stone melee has fault which is an analog that people usually don't skip. Between Thunderstrike, Lightning clap and oppressive gloom you have a good chance to keep mobs around you flopping/disoriented. Elec is generally regarded as having more AoE potential, but the single target falls way behind stone melee.

 

If you can stomach the leveling pains and have the budget to invest I'd go Stone/Dark.

If you want to venture off the beaten path go Elec/Dark

 

[Flurry]

Thanks Nemu. Stone sounds like a better (but harder) way to go but is it easier to generate fury with Electric's additional AoE potential? Is /Dark's damage aura good for generating Fury?

 

[Nemu]

I don't think you'll see any practical difference in fury generation, you could argue that if you are spamming fault constantly as mitigation that'll cut into your fury generation because mobs aren't attacking you as much. There was a similar thread on Ice Armor which was notorious for lowering fury generation back on live, in which various posters dismissed that long standing claim with the fury changes on HC.

[Obus Form]

@Flurry I'd like to systematically outline several pros/cons, some of which @Nemu already mentioned:

 

Stone (pros):

- Higher mitigation from attacks: Nearly all attacks have chance to stun/knockup

- Fast animations and high single target attack damage (Stone Mallet, Heavy Mallet, Seismic Smash)

- Cool animations: Stone creates a stone mallet (Stone Mallet, Heavy Mallet) or coats your hand in stone (Seismic Smash, Tremor) before hitting things.  Also leaves small stone pebbles on the ground after all of your attacks

 

Stone (cons):

- Higher end consumption than electric attacks.  This can be mitigated if you have $$ to buy end-game enhancements (that reduce % end consumption through set bonuses, or the brute-only IO giving stacking global end %discount), grind the 2 passive accolade powers that passively increase end amount, roll an Alpha slot that reduces end consumption or boosts end regen, and actively toggle off your travel power when fighting

- AOE damage (Tremor) is slow animating (3 seconds)

- Less AOE damage than electric melee (Thunder Strike, Lightning Rod, Chain Induction), though to be fair, electric melee aoe is either 8radius (Thunder Strike), or 30radius (Lightning Rod) on a native 90second CD, or you chain damage to other guys (Chain Induction)

 

Electric Melee (pros):

- Less end consumption (thus doesn't require tons of $$, doesn't require passive accolades, doesn't require you to toggle off travel power when fighting)

- Also fast animations for single target damage

- More AOE damage options (Thunder Strike at level 8, Chain Induction at level 18, Lightning Rod at level 32) than stone (Tremor at level 32 on at native 16second CD that takes 3 seconds to animate).

 

Electric Melee (cons):

- Lower single target damage than stone melee

- Medium AOE power (Thunder Strike) is somewhat slowly animating and requires good targeting because it's only 8radius

- Large AOE is on a native 90second CD (which can be brought down to 22.5+ seconds CD if you aim for perma Hasten)

 

Actual play:

I only play brutes using /Dark Armor and have rolled each attack powerset/Dark Armour.  I would always take Stone Melee over Electric Melee if you have the following

1) Enough $$ to buy end-game build enhancements AND have a proper build

2) Achieve your passive accolades to get more endurance

3) Actively toggle off your travel power when fighting

4) Use Cross Punch in your DPS rotation.  You should actively have Cross Punch in nearly all brute builds because it's now considered a good DPS power provided you take kick + punch

 

Let me know if you need a build for Stone Melee/Dark Armor 😃

[Flurry]

Thank you @Obus Form. This is very helpful. The stone pebbles are definitely a selling point!

[Obus Form]

1 hour ago, Flurry said:

Thank you @Obus Form. This is very helpful. The stone pebbles are definitely a selling point!

If you turn up graphics you can see tons of pebbles laying on the ground that bounce/shake/etc.  Really neat visual!  😀