Dark/Ice ? or make a Tanker

[Duck-Smokes-Quack]

I know people like to say theres no reason to play Brutes ... but i would kind of like one

I was thinking this might be a good combo? but maybe a tank does it better im not sure
 

Pro Brute

• Def (mainly) set, less about resists
• Double taunt aura = fury
• skip shadow punch

 

Pro Tank

• More HP benifits Hoarfros and Siphon life
• Bigger AoEs (is this correct?)
• Bigger resists

 

What do we think?

[Bill Z Bubba]

1 hour ago, Duck-Smokes-Quack said:

but i would kind of like one

 

Then you should make one.

[Parabola]

I'm something of a dark melee on tanks advocate and if it's a straight choice between the two I can't recommend going brute. The aoe sizes is a factor (and an important one with DM as it really benefits) but an even bigger factor is soul drain and how it interacts with damage scalars. I advise anyone making this choice between tank and brute for this set in particular to build sample characters in mids and then have a look at what soul drain does to their relative damage levels.

 

This highlights a general point about where brutes and tanks are; tanks benefit disproportionately more from moderate damage boosts. Sure, if you are at the caps like when farming the brute is still more damaging, but at more regular levels of +damage the tank often outdamages the brute (and hits more enemies, slots more procs and is tougher). Trying to pin down a sensible level to set fury to as an average is of course a variable in all this but it takes very high levels of fury indeed to compete when soul drain is hitting more than a couple of enemies.

[Erratic1]

4 hours ago, Parabola said:

I'm something of a dark melee on tanks advocate and if it's a straight choice between the two I can't recommend going brute. The aoe sizes is a factor (and an important one with DM as it really benefits) but an even bigger factor is soul drain and how it interacts with damage scalars. I advise anyone making this choice between tank and brute for this set in particular to build sample characters in mids and then have a look at what soul drain does to their relative damage levels.

 

This highlights a general point about where brutes and tanks are; tanks benefit disproportionately more from moderate damage boosts. Sure, if you are at the caps like when farming the brute is still more damaging, but at more regular levels of +damage the tank often outdamages the brute (and hits more enemies, slots more procs and is tougher). Trying to pin down a sensible level to set fury to as an average is of course a variable in all this but it takes very high levels of fury indeed to compete when soul drain is hitting more than a couple of enemies.

 

According to Mid's the break-even point assuming Soul Drain hits 6 target's is 87 Fury--an amount which, from experience, sits right at the practical upper limit of where one would be able to sustain Fury (I typically assume 85 Fury when considering Brutes). However when Soul Drain is not up the break-even point is roughly 60 Fury--an amount it should take very little time reach and blow past.

 

While I am greatly annoyed that any time Brute vs Tanker comes up the thread devolves into Tanker fans denying Tankers are remotely overpowered or displacing Brutes in the game but then will swagger into every build consideration to declare, "Its better on a Tanker!", I will say that while the initial consideration might suggest a rough parity between the two ATs it leaves out the consideration of Tanker greater AoE sizes and how often Soul Drain can be available. If raw damage is otherwise equivalent, hitting more targets favors the Tanker. While Soul Drain is not always going to be up hitting more targets by default somewhat makes up for it when not looking at fighting solo encounters. In addition, one is going to be slotting and building to minimize how often Soul Drain is not available.

 

The final factor which favor's the Tanker is Icicles. Due to it being a primary Tier 6 power for a Tanker versus a secondary Tier 8 power for Brutes, the usual favoring of Brutes when it comes do DoTs is turned on its head since the Tanker will have Icicles available as a choice at level 12 whereas the Brute will have to wait until level 35 to get the power (contrast with Soul Drain where there is only a two level difference when the power comes available).

 

So in this case I must agree, go Tanker.

[Snarky]

Let me cut through the BS for you.  Tanks are tougher. Brutes do more damage