New Brute Claws/???

Hobbes · December 28, 2021

Starting a new Brute project. Want to be the best "all rounder" type of melee character. Would like to be able to hold Aggro when PUGing and enough ST DPS to solo many AVs in the assorted end game arcs, but also AOE for general clear speed. So, Claws for the attack set, Brute with Taunt for the Aggro control. Stuck on the secondary.

I've got a couple builds I've been tinkering with, soliciting any feedback on them. First up, Claws/EA "Hold my beer". This is a stupidly survivable character. Could easily have hit the Incarnate cap on multiple Defense types, but really, Overload is up about 1/2 the time so... ¯\_(ツ)_/¯ Two Endurance management powers so shouldn't need much help there. Could use more Recharge, depending on how often Forced Feedback procs in Focus?

Reveal hidden contents

For comparison, on the other side of the spectrum, "Hot Knife" inspired by one of @Sovera builds.

Reveal hidden contents

Burn Patch, Claw stuff, next spawn. Much more fragile but, I would think, silly damage output for any mob that sticks around in the Burn patch. Maybe because it fell down. Or it got Teleported there, and then fell down. Again. And Again.

Bill Z Bubba · December 28, 2021

I vote claws/bio. It gives you the option of extra damage output vs extra mitigation.

Edit: Yes, FA might let you dish out MORE damage, but a ton of slots have to be wasted on its various holes. I find it far more satisfying to spend less slots on better mitigation while dishing out enough to wipe out AVs in a tolerable amount of time.

Edited December 28, 2021 by Bill Z Bubba

subbacultchas · December 28, 2021

Probably Claws/Bio like Bill says. But also consider Claws/Stone, I've got a scrapper variant I love and have seriously considered porting to a brute.

Hobbes · December 28, 2021

I've tried /Bio on a couple of characters. I like the numbers on Bio, didn't care for the play. Possibly too many clickies? Takes me out of my zen button mashing.

Erratic1 · December 28, 2021

On 12/28/2021 at 4:17 AM, Hobbes said:

I've tried /Bio on a couple of characters. I like the numbers on Bio, didn't care for the play. Possibly too many clickies? Takes me out of my zen button mashing.

Expand

3 clicks (4 if you like to change stances--I don't but some do) of which 2 are purely, "Oh shit!!" situational and one which is best practice used (if you just ran into a large group).

FWIW, I'd suggest Claws/Stone though certainly Claws/Bio and Claws/EA would both be awesome.

Edited December 28, 2021 by Erratic1

Without_Pause · December 28, 2021

I would have added /rad but you think /bio has too many clicks. I haven't used /fire for non-farm content, but I love /ea on the Stalker and Scrappers I have used it on. Energize will be the dominate click you use as end usage can be handed rather easily.

Obsinious · December 28, 2021

On 12/28/2021 at 1:24 AM, subbacultchas said:

Probably Claws/Bio like Bill says. But also consider Claws/Stone, I've got a scrapper variant I love and have seriously considered porting to a brute.

Expand

On 12/28/2021 at 4:27 AM, Erratic1 said:

FWIW, I'd suggest Claws/Stone though certainly Claws/Bio and Claws/EA would both be awesome.

Expand

I thought brutes and tankers couldn't run Claws with stone. Was this changed?

Sovera · December 28, 2021

I wouldn't go Claws on a brute tbh. The set is great but loses its edge on a Brute and turns mushy between Follow-up and Fury not mixing well, and the extra recharge on Spin and Shockwave.

It's just min maxing though. Claws/Energy Armor has my vote.

Erratic1 · December 28, 2021

On 12/28/2021 at 8:15 AM, Obsinious said:

I thought brutes and tankers couldn't run Claws with stone. Was this changed?

Expand

You are correct, Scrappers and Stalkers can pull that off but not Brutes.

Well in that case Claws/EA vs Claws/Bio...given the OP's dislike of Bio I'd say go Claws/EA.

Hobbes · December 28, 2021

On 12/28/2021 at 5:45 AM, Without_Pause said:

I would have added /rad but you think /bio has too many clicks. I haven't used /fire for non-farm content, but I love /ea on the Stalker and Scrappers I have used it on. Energize will be the dominate click you use as end usage can be handed rather easily.

Expand

Tried /Rad as well and it didn't gel either. Claws/EA it is! Thanks all. Xx Hold my beer xX is now playing on an Indom near you! Have fun out there!

Without_Pause · December 28, 2021

Rad has been great on my Tank. I think Claws is fine on a Brute. The issue is it being better on a Scrapper since FU is better there and in a case where one is soloing, the resisted damage in Claws can be more annoying. This can less an issue on a Scrapper due to crits. Granted, my main here is a Claws/wp Brute.

subbacultchas · December 28, 2021

On 12/28/2021 at 8:15 AM, Obsinious said:

I thought brutes and tankers couldn't run Claws with stone. Was this changed?

Expand

Nope, damn. I second claws/ea too then.

Hobbes · December 29, 2021

Dinged 17, got a couple Kinetic Melee sets slotted, made a noticeable difference. Got Spin 5 Slotted with Avalanche, really feel the longer recharge on Spin. Minions just hang around longer than they should.

Only 17 so the secondary is pretty much /Inspirations, but I've been able to creep up the difficulty. Got some LotGs waiting at 22 though, so EA should start to matter soon. The leveling build is going to look a lot different from the planned build, that's for sure : ) Took Sorcery for Arcane Bolt and Mystic flight and do not not regret.

Without_Pause · December 30, 2021

How is the recharge on Spin long? It is 14 seconds, and a quick scan isn't showing anything quicker. A number of PBAoEs are at 20 seconds. I also never felt the need to add a filler attack for Claws in terms of attack chain even when leveling. You have a complete ST attack chain at 18. You already get a boost in recharge as well.

Bill Z Bubba · December 30, 2021

On 12/30/2021 at 1:23 AM, Without_Pause said:

How is the recharge on Spin long? It is 14 seconds

Expand

Compared to scrapper spin of 9.2. On my final builds, it's a difference of Followup, Spin, Shockwave, repeat on the scrapper vs Followup, Focus, Spin, Shockwave, repeat on brutes/tanks. I concur that it's noticeable. 🙂

Edit: Course... on a scrapper now and I'm REALLY noticing how much more punks run away.

Edited December 30, 2021 by Bill Z Bubba

Without_Pause · December 30, 2021

On 12/30/2021 at 2:28 AM, Bill Z Bubba said:

Compared to scrapper spin of 9.2. On my final builds, it's a difference of Followup, Spin, Shockwave, repeat on the scrapper vs Followup, Focus, Spin, Shockwave, repeat on brutes/tanks. I concur that it's noticeable. 🙂

Edit: Course... on a scrapper now and I'm REALLY noticing how much more punks run away.

Expand

Well I checked other Brute PBAoEs and Spin is on the shorter side which is why I made the comment.

Hobbes · December 30, 2021

I meant longer as compared to Scrapper, yes. My Homecoming main is a Claws/Invuln Scrapper, so that's what I was comparing it too. I've taken to grabbing the empowerment station buffs out of the SG base, they help a bit. Also as the build has gotten more durable the recharge buff from Entropic Aura gets stronger from more mobs.

Now that Focus is available I typically save Arcane Bolt for when the bonus damage is up. Or for runners. In general though Arcane Bolt is rarely a bad choice for leveling.

SeraphimKensai · December 30, 2021

I have a Claws/EA Brute and it works out pretty damn well. You won't be disappointed if you go that route.

Haijinx · December 30, 2021

Brutes got high recharges, so better relative damage numbers back when Brutes were closer to Scrappers and before ATOs

Seems less great now though.

Ankhammon · January 10, 2022

Does the extra time for spin to recharge open it up for better proc'tastic shenanigan's than the scrapper version?

Bill Z Bubba · January 10, 2022

On 1/10/2022 at 10:58 PM, Ankhammon said:

Does the extra time for spin to recharge open it up for better proc'tastic shenanigan's than the scrapper version?

Expand

Yea. Don't know by how much though.

Ankhammon · January 10, 2022

On 1/10/2022 at 11:03 PM, Bill Z Bubba said:

Yea. Don't know by how much though.

Expand

Just thought I'd see if anyone had crunched the numbers already cuz I just started one yesterday mostly cuz my new char look demanded some pretty lights.

... Wait. Bill, you didn't have all the answers at the ready before I asked em? 😄

Bill Z Bubba · January 10, 2022

On 1/10/2022 at 11:11 PM, Ankhammon said:

... Wait. Bill, you didn't have all the answers at the ready before I asked em? 😄

Expand

Not when it comes to procs. I tried a full procmonster build once on my claws/bio scrapper and found it far less than appealing.

Ankhammon · January 10, 2022

On 1/10/2022 at 11:25 PM, Bill Z Bubba said:

Not when it comes to procs. I tried a full procmonster build once on my claws/bio scrapper and found it far less than appealing.

Expand

Actually, that's an interesting answer. Honestly, I would have been looking for heavy proc's for spin but not much else.

On the EA side, I'm wondering if ppl keep the tier 9 or try to work around it? I think it's gonna be useful more as a Dull Pain kind of thing than for the Def bonus. You can get yourself near Max HP with it slotted and that's gotta be worth it.

Edited January 10, 2022 by Ankhammon

Bill Z Bubba · January 11, 2022

On 1/10/2022 at 11:48 PM, Ankhammon said:

On the EA side, I'm wondering if ppl keep the tier 9 or try to work around it?

Expand

I also don't do heavy crash T9s.

Sign In

New Brute Claws/???

Recommended Posts

Hobbes

Bill Z Bubba

subbacultchas

Hobbes

Erratic1

Without_Pause

Obsinious

Sovera

Erratic1

Hobbes

Without_Pause

subbacultchas

Hobbes

Without_Pause

Bill Z Bubba

Without_Pause

Hobbes

SeraphimKensai

Haijinx

Ankhammon

Bill Z Bubba

Ankhammon

Bill Z Bubba

Ankhammon

Bill Z Bubba

Create an account or sign in to comment

Create an account

Sign in

Browse

Activity

Game Account

Wikis