Martial Arts ...

[Duck-Smokes-Quack]

My old main back in the day was a MA/SR super speed scrapper who I loved, upon reflection I think mostly for thematic reasons (only actual power was super speed)

 

 

The first thing I did (as many of you likely did) was to recreate 'the main'. I got him to level 30 but I am really struggling ...

I find martial arts to be really underwhelming. It doesn't hit very hard, has almost no AoE, is all smashing damage and is resisted by almost everything in the game. The only thing I think I like about the set is Dragons Tail.

 

I remember that Eagles Claw looks amazing, but from old forum posts once your +rech is good enough it was 'sub optimal' as part of the attack chain (iirc the prime attack chain for MA was: CAK > SK > CS > SK and repeat)

 

 

 

I don't know, I am just really not feeling it at all ... The games I have been playing in CoH absence have awakened the min/max demon that was always in me and its killed my main for me.

(But I remember /SR struggling in Incarnate content etc and thinking that I just unfortunately had two under-performing sets on my most loved toon)

 

 

I guess my questions are:

• What are you feelings about MA?
  
• Do you think MA/SR make a good pair + thoughts on /SR
  
• A good scrapper primary that actually does damage and is fun to play? I am thinking maybe Katana since I can make it fit thematically & the +Def can help hit the 'incarnate softcap' for defence
  

 

 

Thoughts on a post card please :)

I don't have anybody else to vent to

[Redlynne]

I too played MA/SR (from Issue 2) as a Scrapper ... but now with Issue 24+ that I honestly think a SR/MA Tanker is a superior choice.  One of the reasons why I think so is because you can get to the Incarnate Softcap of 59% Melee/Ranged/AoE, which you basically can't do as a Scrapper (or Brute or Stalker).

 

Also, you can put the Perfect Zinger damage proc into your attacks for AoE chance to proc on everything Taunted by Gauntlet (Punch-voke), which then makes up for the loss of Critical Hits while simultaneously increasing the "AoE-ness" of Martial Arts.  And that's not even including the Resistance debuffing of the Bruising effect upon hitting with your T1 attack as a Tanker (Thunder Kick, in this case).

 

So on balance, I honestly think that a SR/MA Tanker is superior in almost all of the ways that matter (most) to playing MA/SR as a Scrapper.

[Duck-Smokes-Quack]

Thanks for the feedback.

I just read through the SR/MA tank post you wrote. Very interesting and certainly food for thought.

 

For me personally and the lore of the character not being a big guy and being nimble and quick I think scrapper fits better.

 

You make a good point though about the Incarnate softcap ... maybe it is unrealistic.

I was thinking Katana had the answer in "Divine Avalanche" but i just read properly how that power actually works and I see it only provides a buff to Melee and Lethal defence ... so its not the easy solution to the incarnate problem that I thought it was.

 

 

I just don't know  :-[ something about MA just doesn't feel right and I can't shake the feeling

 

 

[StrikerFox]

MA is pretty good but for it to shine, needs to be built for damage. Slotting/procs, and +dam bonuses. Get enough recharge to run your attack chain, softcap to M/R/A and everything else focus on adding damage. Test the build and then work backwards to accomodate endurance.

 

Before shutdown, some players were getting an uptick in dps by using EC in their attack chain. EC had a boosted chance to crit and gave the attack, immediately following, an inceased chance to crit as well. I tested it myself back in the day. EC followed by DT in the center of a tight group of enemies. Always received 3-5 crits out of 8-10 targets. That was likely before the AT IOs as well.

 

I love SR. I've been able to make impossible builds that I couldn't achieve with other secondaries. I used a SR Stalker to solo 3 Paladin GMs simultaneously before shutdown. Also SR can be amazing in incarnate material if you're willing to carry a tray of small, purple inspira and take Rebirth as a heal.

 

 

It sounds like you might have an AoE fetish. Consider making something totally new with heavy AoE 1st/2nd/epic. Spines/FA/Blaze is the most AoE stacked combo I can think of.

[Duck-Smokes-Quack]

Wow that EC change sounds like it was specifically to help with AoE

 

following up with DT sounds promising! im gona wait until EC then before committing to a decision

 

 

Do you have any idea for the ideal attack chain ST for MA? or is it still too soon to say?

(also i guess having a chance to proc in DT would be great as well!)

 

 

Thanks! you've made me think a bit more positively about it  ;D

[EggKookoo]

• What are you feelings about MA?
  
• Do you think MA/SR make a good pair + thoughts on /SR
  
• A good scrapper primary that actually does damage and is fun to play? I am thinking maybe Katana since I can make it fit thematically & the +Def can help hit the 'incarnate softcap' for defence
  

 

I've run a MA/SR/SS Scrapper from day 2 (not quite my first CoH char but I mained him for years). First thing on Homecoming, I recreated him. I understand that he's not maxed or optimal, or at least so people say. Truth is, I've never noticed. I just have way too much fun jumping into a crowd of thugs, whipping around in a circle kicking things in all directions, and (almost) never getting touched.

 

Right now I mainly team up with my wife, who's playing a Blaster. She outdamages me, but that's to be expected. And she doesn't outdamage me by all that much, maybe 10-15% in practice. And now that I'm my 20s and I'm SO-slotting, I hit a lot more often. I still need to add more Def slots but that's coming.

 

He does lack nukes or single-hit bursts, which is noticeable against Elite Bosses and such. But Dragon's Tail is the great equalizer.

[StrikerFox]

Do you have any idea for the ideal attack chain ST for MA? or is it still too soon to say?

(also i guess having a chance to proc in DT would be great as well!)

 

 

Thanks! you've made me think a bit more positively about it  ;D

 

No problem, let me know how it works out. People were using SK-CS-SK-CAK. With EC, probably SK-CS-SK-EC-CAK or maybe SK-CS-EC-CAK. I sort of like the sound of the second attack chain with EC. EC could probably be used twice within one BU, which would be pretty nice if it crits both times.

[Duck-Smokes-Quack]

https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/u/1/d/19VuZ9zJ_8eKN11JytgaK9mt9Fy-8pjANopb-FGh68Uw/htmlview#

 

 

I suspect that this spreadsheet is accidentally exaggerating Katana's AoE capabilities mostly because of the tiny cone on Golden Dragonfly and the fact that its rarley going to hit 2+ mobs

 

I am really put off by how low MA seems to be on ST damage especially since it has the lowest AoE damage (apart from dark/)

 

 

Maybe I just expect too much AoE from a scrapper and its not really what they are about ...

 

I am thinking I can make either:

- Martial Arts

- Katana

- Electric Melee

 

Work with the Speedster /SR theme

 

- Martial arts seems to have high ST damage in game but the numbers on that sheet suggest otherwise. Poor AoE

- Katana looks amazing. The spreadsheet makes it seem amazing numbers wise and I enjoy the animations

- Electric Melee - I have zero experience with this set. I know Lightning Rod is god tier but not sure about the rest