Katana and Inv or WP? What do the Pros choose?

[Redzone008]

What would you choose... Inv? or WP?

 

I'm looking to roll a new natural Katana Scrapper, and I am on the fence between Invulnerability vs Willpower (for thematic purposes).  I come from the Blaster/Sentinel world and am looking to dive into a long term Katana scrapper for my next "main."  I'm hooked on the Katana primary and have played around with some other Secondary powers on Alts, but I'm leaning towards Inv or WP for potential long term.  By way of background, I mostly solo contact missions and looking to start out in the Going Rogue (I haven't done that content yet).

 

What is your experience with Invulnerability?  Willpower? Pros and Cons?

 

Are there any skippable powers in either Secondary Sets?

 

As for power pools, I presume Fighting (tough and weave) should be taken in the 14-20 levels, along with a travel and maybe leadership soon thereafter.  Sound about right?

 

Thank you in advance and look forward to running this new Alt.   

 

 

[nihilii]

I'd choose Invul.

Invul and WP used to fill very similar niches. Over the years, Invul got a stream of small buffs while WP got nothing.

 

Plus, indirect changes to the game (i.e. inherent Fitness, easy IOs, easy incarnates) were a bigger plus for Invul than WP (where Quick Recovery used to be a defining advantage).

 

I find it hard to justify WP these days - especially against Invul or Bio.

 

Invul is simply sturdier. It has more resistances. It has better defenses. It has more DDR. It has more slow res. It even has a little bit of psychic defense and resistance these days, its old Achilles Heel removed.

For Invul, you'd generally skip Unstoppable and take everything else.

 

For WP, Resurgence can be skipped. Maybe Strength of Will as well (but this is opinionated).

I wouldn't rush Fighting personally (I never do, YMMV). Lots of goodies in the primary and secondary. I'd sooner grab Hasten for attacks. In a pinch, at low levels, spamming Divine Avalanche will likely carry you better than Tough/Weave would do.

 

[SomeGuy]

Inv

[Yomo Kimyata]

Invulnerability has much more upside in difficult situations. My “main” and first character on Live and here is BS/INV and although I don’t find a lot of synergy between the sets, he can handle it all.

[PLVRIZR]

Since we're talking Scrap, the focus on def. (and DDR) is paramount, as the scrapper cap for resistance is 75% (rather than the 90% Tanks and Brutes get).  With Inv, you won't even need Tough to get there.  Back on live, I made a Dual Blades/Willpower scrap, since those sets were released at the same time.  Remade him on HC and, outside of being massively def debuffed, he's nearly unkillable, even without Katana's +def.  

 

Having said that, I too recommend Invulnerability...and not just because I'm an invul. fan boy (see sig) 😆

Edited April 13, 2023 by PLVRIZR
75%, duh

[TurboRaptor]

5 minutes ago, PLVRIZR said:

the scrapper cap for resistance is 70%

It's 75%.

 

Also the choice between WP and Invuln depends on how much extra effort you plan to put into building it up.

 

WP is ez mode but it only really shines vs a big group for RttC to do its thing.  Even then it's still good.

Invuln takes a bit more work but you cap max hp with 0 effort and you can do some cheese with Invincibility and the gaussian's chance for build up proc.  Since it'll have a chance to go off per target effected.  Because of that I'd say go invuln, because scrapper, and scrappers love damage.

 

Personally I'd go neither and go energy aura tho.  Flashy and Pretty.  The lesser known but still amazing cousin to the Strong and Pretty WM/EnA brute.

Edited April 13, 2023 by TurboRaptor

[PLVRIZR]

16 minutes ago, TurboRaptor said:

It's 75%.

 

Of course, I stand corrected.

[vyath]

On 4/13/2023 at 8:48 AM, PLVRIZR said:

Since we're talking Scrap, the focus on def. (and DDR) is paramount, as the scrapper cap for resistance is 75% (rather than the 90% Tanks and Brutes get).  With Inv, you won't even need Tough to get there.  Back on live, I made a Dual Blades/Willpower scrap, since those sets were released at the same time.  Remade him on HC and, outside of being massively def debuffed, he's nearly unkillable, even without Katana's +def.  

 

Having said that, I too recommend Invulnerability...and not just because I'm an invul. fan boy (see sig) 😆

Would you be able to provide build advice for a DB/WP scrapper to get him unkillable like you say? I never played on Live and just got my first character to 50, a DB/WP scrapper. I've received build advice from a couple people and built the character out with Set Enhancements and Procs and all that, but I keep getting rolled at +0/x6. Doing the Dark Astoria story arcs. I understand trying to avoid DDB and picking out problem enemies in a group like the '____ of Sorrows' in Banished Pantheon, but can't shake the feeling I'm doing something wrong. I always see people saying they don't consider a character good unless they can solo +4/x8, and it seems like I'm not even in that realm...

[PLVRIZR]

Are you incarnated?  My guy is some T3 some T4 , but here are the "aces in the hole":

 

 

You can cycle between Melee and Vorpal, to keep your defenses near capped (41-45% in Melee, S/L, F/C) and while resistance isn't all that great (S/L tops out at 67%), with RttC saturated you're running 1,300+% Regen!  Also, Diamagnetic keeps them from hitting you and Ageless (radial) covers the DDR.  Gotta watch for red defense numbers, when down though (see my previous comment about being "massively debuffed".

 

Here is the data link for SLICRDICR:

https://www.midsreborn.com/builds/download.php?uc=1711&c=749&a=1498&f=HEX&dc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

 

Here are the totals:

 

[vyath]

18 minutes ago, PLVRIZR said:

Are you incarnated? 

Appreciate the reply! I've unlocked three of my incarnate slots but haven't slotted them yet as I'm still figuring out the system ... I have a forum post pulled up for reference but have yet to dive in. I guess I'm underestimating the degree of difference Incarnate slots will make in power level. 

 

Will boot this up in Mids when I get home from work later and compare to my totals, this is really helpful! Thanks again!

[PLVRIZR]

56 minutes ago, vyath said:

Appreciate the reply! I've unlocked three of my incarnate slots but haven't slotted them yet as I'm still figuring out the system ... I have a forum post pulled up for reference but have yet to dive in. I guess I'm underestimating the degree of difference Incarnate slots will make in power level. 

 

Will boot this up in Mids when I get home from work later and compare to my totals, this is really helpful! Thanks again!

My pleasure.  Let us know how it goes 😁

[ClawsandEffect]

10 hours ago, vyath said:

Appreciate the reply! I've unlocked three of my incarnate slots but haven't slotted them yet as I'm still figuring out the system ... I have a forum post pulled up for reference but have yet to dive in. I guess I'm underestimating the degree of difference Incarnate slots will make in power level. 

 

Will boot this up in Mids when I get home from work later and compare to my totals, this is really helpful! Thanks again!

 

You should really have at least your Alpha slot to tier 3 before you start the Dark Astoria arcs. It gives you a level shift and makes you effectively level 51. 

 

That part of the game is meant to be more difficult in order to give Incarnate characters something more challenging to do.