Wanted to try out the new Axe set but i have no idea on a secondary

[lokiie1984]

I messed around with a brute when Homecoming started up but I knew nothing about builds then. For that matter I know almost nothing about builds now. So figured I'd like to give the brute a go again, and play with the new revamped axe set at the same time. From looking through the forums I saw that it's really end hungry so it needs a secondary with some good recovery. 

 

Just to try it out and make sure I like the axe I rolled up a temporary axe/willpower to mess around with. So far axe is awesome and I don't mind willpower but it sounds like there are better choices. I just don't know what they'd be. I assume Bio would be good but I've done bio a number of times and would like to try something else. 

 

The thing that drew me to Willpower initially was that it's recovery is a toggle rather then a click. I've always liked more hands off secondary sets but if one of the others has a couple click powers that'd be fine too. 

 

Edit- So the wiki says that the Brute/Tanker version of Stone Armor doesn't have end recovery tied to Crystal Armor but the in game description says it does. Is the wiki just out of date? If so would a stone armor brute need to take Granite Armor? I've always hated that power. Otherwise, would a Axe/Stone Brute work well? 

 

Edited May 29, 2023 by lokiie1984

[Bellicose]

I paired mine with Shield. Used a lot of FF: +Rech to bring Shield Charge up frequently. But, it doesn't have the Endurance fixer. You might like pairing it with Rad Armor.

[lokiie1984]

1 minute ago, Bellicose said:

You might like pairing it with Rad Armor.

I've heard great things about rad armor but I've never been able to get past how it looks. If it had a minimal fx like some of the others, I'd be all for it. But i found the revamp notes for stone armor and and couple posts that may have been around the time of the revamp and it sounds like it would be pretty neat. Sounds like it can be built to avoid Granit and I like how the minimal fx look.

 

I tried it out on a stalker the other day and it seemed pretty neat. I've never leveled stone armor through all my years of CoH because I always thought you had to take Granit. So I think ill give axe/stone a try. 

 

New question: Do brutes normally take Tough and Weave? I assume I'd probably need to if I'm not taking Granit.

 

Generally my goals are to be able to tank if needed but if not be able to dish out damage. Generally i group more then solo but i also like to solo from time to time. However i dont farm. 

[Gobbledigook]

On 5/29/2023 at 12:15 PM, lokiie1984 said:

I messed around with a brute when Homecoming started up but I knew nothing about builds then. For that matter I know almost nothing about builds now. So figured I'd like to give the brute a go again, and play with the new revamped axe set at the same time. From looking through the forums I saw that it's really end hungry so it needs a secondary with some good recovery. 

 

Just to try it out and make sure I like the axe I rolled up a temporary axe/willpower to mess around with. So far axe is awesome and I don't mind willpower but it sounds like there are better choices. I just don't know what they'd be. I assume Bio would be good but I've done bio a number of times and would like to try something else. 

 

The thing that drew me to Willpower initially was that it's recovery is a toggle rather then a click. I've always liked more hands off secondary sets but if one of the others has a couple click powers that'd be fine too. 

 

Edit- So the wiki says that the Brute/Tanker version of Stone Armor doesn't have end recovery tied to Crystal Armor but the in game description says it does. Is the wiki just out of date? If so would a stone armor brute need to take Granite Armor? I've always hated that power. Otherwise, would a Axe/Stone Brute work well? 

 

Stone armor does have +end recovery in Crystal Armor, 20% i think. You can slot a performance shifter in there also.  SA can be endurance heavy but a good build will sort it.

Battle Axe would help suck those mobs into your Mud pots.

 

[Grimm2]

On 5/29/2023 at 4:15 AM, lokiie1984 said:

Edit- So the wiki says that the Brute/Tanker version of Stone Armor doesn't have end recovery tied to Crystal Armor but the in game description says it does. Is the wiki just out of date? If so would a stone armor brute need to take Granite Armor? I've always hated that power. Otherwise, would a Axe/Stone Brute work well? 

 

Stone Armor is great on Brutes. Yes, Crystal Armor has +Recovery, and as mentioned, is a great place for a Perf Shifter proc.

 

You can build Stone very sturdy without Granite. My Spine/ Stone is graniteless, with near I-softcap s/l/e/n def, 3k hp, ok resists, 54-60 hp/sec. I didn't go for softcap f/c def, but you could. You might consider slotting an extra end reduction in your attacks while leveling, maybe, i hear Axe is thirsty. 

[Sovera]

There are two problems with Axe. One is that the recharge times are awkward and you'll need to have four attacks to not have big gaps. One of those attacks can be subbed for a snipe, but since we need to take the T2 anyway it's what is usually used. So that means it wants more slots than the usual since not that many primaries call for four ST attacks and then have two AoEs on top of that.

 

Then it's pretty hungry since the crunch Axe has must be paid. So either be prepared to suffer while leveling until incarnate-d, or handpick a secondary with a top notch secondary in terms of endurance tools.

 

Where some people are mentioning Stone the truth is that Stone is ALSO endurance hungry. The extra slot for a Performance Shift proc and the added 0.30-ish endurance are in no way enough for Stone's needs less alone Axe's demands.

 

There are still plenty of other choices. Rad is the most obvious one since it overflows in endurance, then there is Energy Aura, Ice Armor, maybe even Fire Armor. Bio is a contender but prepare to not do the usual minimal slotting of DNA Siphon (which runs afoul with the lack of slots mentioned from Axe's demands).

 

But all of this depends on how much you care about the 44 and under game. If  not at all then pick something and rely on Ageless/Cardiac at max level.

 

 

While it is not the kind of talk appreciated in the Brute forums it may indeed be a good plan to go for a Tanker. Less slots will be needed to reach defensive goals thanks to both the ATO and the Tanker modifiers which leaves more for attacks. Plus the ATO and some creative slotting allows to not have Tough toggled on and still reach 90% which will help with the endurance drain.

[kelika2]

fire.  if only to pull things into burn

[Yomo Kimyata]

Axe went from an afterthought to top three power set with one fell swoop of power creep leap.  Pair it with something that benefits from recharge and that provides endurance mitigation.  But frankly, it'll work with anything now, although it will take some skill and planning for BA/DA to shine, endurance-wise.

[lokiie1984]

4 hours ago, Sovera said:

There are two problems with Axe. One is that the recharge times are awkward and you'll need to have four attacks to not have big gaps. One of those attacks can be subbed for a snipe, but since we need to take the T2 anyway it's what is usually used. So that means it wants more slots than the usual since not that many primaries call for four ST attacks and then have two AoEs on top of that.

 

Then it's pretty hungry since the crunch Axe has must be paid. So either be prepared to suffer while leveling until incarnate-d, or handpick a secondary with a top notch secondary in terms of endurance tools.

 

Where some people are mentioning Stone the truth is that Stone is ALSO endurance hungry. The extra slot for a Performance Shift proc and the added 0.30-ish endurance are in no way enough for Stone's needs less alone Axe's demands.

 

There are still plenty of other choices. Rad is the most obvious one since it overflows in endurance, then there is Energy Aura, Ice Armor, maybe even Fire Armor. Bio is a contender but prepare to not do the usual minimal slotting of DNA Siphon (which runs afoul with the lack of slots mentioned from Axe's demands).

 

But all of this depends on how much you care about the 44 and under game. If  not at all then pick something and rely on Ageless/Cardiac at max level.

 

 

While it is not the kind of talk appreciated in the Brute forums it may indeed be a good plan to go for a Tanker. Less slots will be needed to reach defensive goals thanks to both the ATO and the Tanker modifiers which leaves more for attacks. Plus the ATO and some creative slotting allows to not have Tough toggled on and still reach 90% which will help with the endurance drain.

I took axe/stone to 25 and yea I just cant keep the end in stock. I was over slotting the Crystal Armor and Stamina and I would still run out before I could kill a pack of even level mobs in a mission. So I'm going to take a look at radiation armor. I've never taken it very far before so it'll be worth it to see the powers. I just wish it had a minimal effects setting. Make a cool costume, now cover it in fluffy radio active spell effects. 

[Sovera]

3 minutes ago, lokiie1984 said:

I took axe/stone to 25 and yea I just cant keep the end in stock. I was over slotting the Crystal Armor and Stamina and I would still run out before I could kill a pack of even level mobs in a mission. So I'm going to take a look at radiation armor. I've never taken it very far before so it'll be worth it to see the powers. I just wish it had a minimal effects setting. Make a cool costume, now cover it in fluffy radio active spell effects. 

 

Stock up on Recovery Serums from the P2W vendor.. Unlike amplifier's multimillion costs Recovery Serums are so cheap you can pretty much decide to live 24/7 with them active. They cost something like 50k for 5 charges. So if you liked the Stone Armor build more you can still salvage it until incarnates where those can pick up the slack.

[Sanguinesun]

On 5/29/2023 at 8:15 PM, lokiie1984 said:

I messed around with a brute when Homecoming started up but I knew nothing about builds then. For that matter I know almost nothing about builds now. So figured I'd like to give the brute a go again, and play with the new revamped axe set at the same time. From looking through the forums I saw that it's really end hungry so it needs a secondary with some good recovery. 

 

Just to try it out and make sure I like the axe I rolled up a temporary axe/willpower to mess around with. So far axe is awesome and I don't mind willpower but it sounds like there are better choices. I just don't know what they'd be. I assume Bio would be good but I've done bio a number of times and would like to try something else. 

 

The thing that drew me to Willpower initially was that it's recovery is a toggle rather then a click. I've always liked more hands off secondary sets but if one of the others has a couple click powers that'd be fine too. 

 

Edit- So the wiki says that the Brute/Tanker version of Stone Armor doesn't have end recovery tied to Crystal Armor but the in game description says it does. Is the wiki just out of date? If so would a stone armor brute need to take Granite Armor? I've always hated that power. Otherwise, would a Axe/Stone Brute work well? 

 

 

Axe, especially once you get later game and if you decide you wish to get its recharge high, is going to be end centric.   

 

Axe does well with Rad armor for various reasons and if you're looking for a good brute with a solid spectrum of resistances.  

 

If you're looking for a more offense focused brute then fire armor with axe is very nice since you can pull mobs into the burn with cyclone.  Consume also helps with your end too.

[twozerofoxtrot]

I'm probably a broken record at this point but I'm here once again to tell you about BA/Regen on Brutes.

 

Slot FF+ first before anything else in your attack powers. Feel the synergies wash over you like a regen tick from Instant Healing. 

 

Upsides:

Actual MinFX! (seems like OP wants this)

Great for End Management while leveling 

 

Downsides:

Leveling Regen (unless you're an experienced hand, then it's fine)

[biostem]

On 5/29/2023 at 7:15 AM, lokiie1984 said:

play with the new revamped axe set

If you're willing to be a bit more flexible with your choice of AT, give Axe & Ninjitsu a try on a scrapper -  it makes for a fun and different combination!

[lokiie1984]

4 hours ago, biostem said:

If you're willing to be a bit more flexible with your choice of AT, give Axe & Ninjitsu a try on a scrapper -  it makes for a fun and different combination!

Hm, I've never done much with a scrapper. Way back before Villains released on live I made a Wolverine clone that lived for all of five levels lol. What makes axe/nin work better as a scrapper vs a brute? 

 

4 hours ago, twozerofoxtrot said:

I'm probably a broken record at this point but I'm here once again to tell you about BA/Regen on Brutes.

 

Slot FF+ first before anything else in your attack powers. Feel the synergies wash over you like a regen tick from Instant Healing. 

 

Upsides:

Actual MinFX! (seems like OP wants this)

Great for End Management while leveling 

 

Downsides:

Leveling Regen (unless you're an experienced hand, then it's fine)

FF... Force Feedback? Not sure if that's the right set but if it is wouldn't that make the knockback worse? I've actually never done anything with regen. I've always liked the idea of regen but how well does it scale when doing lower level content? 

Edit - I didnt realize Force Feedback had the recharge proc in the set. That could be handy. I've been playing off an on since before villains came out and i still know nothing about all the sets or how to build lol. Do you by chance have an axe/regen build i could look at? 

Edited June 1, 2023 by lokiie1984

[twozerofoxtrot]

2 hours ago, lokiie1984 said:

What makes axe/nin work better as a scrapper vs a brute? 

 

This combo is only available on Scraps. I'm playing one now and it's fun.

 

2 hours ago, lokiie1984 said:

Do you by chance have an axe/regen build i could look at?

 

Yes, Ill send it when I get home. 

[biostem]

3 hours ago, lokiie1984 said:

What makes axe/nin work better as a scrapper vs a brute? 

No Ninjitsu on brutes, I'm afraid to say...

[Ringo]

Ninjitsu lets you crit from hidden like you were a stalker.  Scrappers are already designed around crits, so this is fine.  Brutes, however, are not; and the thought of a Max Fury Brute having Crit-on-Demand is too beautiful and terrible to behold

[RCU7115]

On 5/29/2023 at 7:15 AM, lokiie1984 said:

I messed around with a brute when Homecoming started up but I knew nothing about builds then. For that matter I know almost nothing about builds now. So figured I'd like to give the brute a go again, and play with the new revamped axe set at the same time. From looking through the forums I saw that it's really end hungry so it needs a secondary with some good recovery. 

 

Just to try it out and make sure I like the axe I rolled up a temporary axe/willpower to mess around with. So far axe is awesome and I don't mind willpower but it sounds like there are better choices. I just don't know what they'd be. I assume Bio would be good but I've done bio a number of times and would like to try something else. 

 

The thing that drew me to Willpower initially was that it's recovery is a toggle rather then a click. I've always liked more hands off secondary sets but if one of the others has a couple click powers that'd be fine too. 

 

Edit- So the wiki says that the Brute/Tanker version of Stone Armor doesn't have end recovery tied to Crystal Armor but the in game description says it does. Is the wiki just out of date? If so would a stone armor brute need to take Granite Armor? I've always hated that power. Otherwise, would a Axe/Stone Brute work well? 

 

Willpower's end recovery power is called Quick Recovery & is an auto power. On e you get that at lvl 20 your end Bar should never move unless a Super Stunner or Sapper gets you.

[JasperStone]

On 5/31/2023 at 6:15 PM, biostem said:

If you're willing to be a bit more flexible with your choice of AT, give Axe & Ninjitsu a try on a scrapper -  it makes for a fun and different combination!

I have one and it pretty cool

[JayboH]

Can anyone point me to a Battle Axe/Stone build?  That sounds like fun.  I took one to 20 so far.  I am not running into end issues so far however I admit I am slotting acc/end in all attacks before even thinking about damage enhancements.  I'm just letting fury do its thing.

[JayboH]

On 5/30/2023 at 10:51 AM, Grimm2 said:

Stone Armor is great on Brutes. Yes, Crystal Armor has +Recovery, and as mentioned, is a great place for a Perf Shifter proc.

 

You can build Stone very sturdy without Granite. My Spine/ Stone is graniteless, with near I-softcap s/l/e/n def, 3k hp, ok resists, 54-60 hp/sec. I didn't go for softcap f/c def, but you could. You might consider slotting an extra end reduction in your attacks while leveling, maybe, i hear Axe is thirsty. 

Do you have a Battle Axe/Stone build by chance?

[Lioncourt]

Hey all.

Ok, since this thread is newbie friendly, I hope you all don't mind if I poke my head in and ask this here:

 

I am trying to build a Brute Battleaxe/Rad with perma haste, decent resists (not so decent defense) and fast recharging attacks.

I have played around in Mids and trying to build it on Brainstorm atm, but I would love (and need!) some feedback and advice for the build. I have a semi-limited budget, which is why the slots have a wide mix of things. I can rake in the inf and kit it out, but that means running my farmer for a couple of weeks (Yes, weeks, my farmer is terrible lol) but I am trying to aim for somewhere around 100-200 mil inf, counting on using conversions and catalysts as required.

 

Yes, no taunt. Meant more for durable DPS than tanking, i guess? Will mostly run solo as i run weird hours. Brute with big axe and rad more for feeling and concept, even though scrapper might be better for the role itself.

 

So, I sit here, blissfully ignorant of builds and combos currently in wise use. Share thine wisdom oh friendly community of brutes! 😉

Brute (Battle Axe - Radiation Armor)V2.mbd

[Sovera]

1 hour ago, Lioncourt said:

Hey all.

Ok, since this thread is newbie friendly, I hope you all don't mind if I poke my head in and ask this here:

 

I am trying to build a Brute Battleaxe/Rad with perma haste, decent resists (not so decent defense) and fast recharging attacks.

I have played around in Mids and trying to build it on Brainstorm atm, but I would love (and need!) some feedback and advice for the build. I have a semi-limited budget, which is why the slots have a wide mix of things. I can rake in the inf and kit it out, but that means running my farmer for a couple of weeks (Yes, weeks, my farmer is terrible lol) but I am trying to aim for somewhere around 100-200 mil inf, counting on using conversions and catalysts as required.

 

Yes, no taunt. Meant more for durable DPS than tanking, i guess? Will mostly run solo as i run weird hours. Brute with big axe and rad more for feeling and concept, even though scrapper might be better for the role itself.

 

So, I sit here, blissfully ignorant of builds and combos currently in wise use. Share thine wisdom oh friendly community of brutes! 😉

Brute (Battle Axe - Radiation Armor)V2.mbd 50.57 kB · 0 downloads

 

You don't need to farm for weeks on your farmer, unless you're enjoying it. Check the money making tips in my newbie guide.

 

Your build is all over the place but that's normal and nothing that can't be fixed. Real question here is if you're sold on Mystic Flight or would regular Fly and perhaps a mystical aura from the tailor suit you? Or perhaps you don't like to fight while hovering and would prefer to bunny hop?

 

 

Done a pass over it. I didn't want to mess with your power picks but you don't really need the Energy patron pool since Radiation already has a lot of endurance. Just remember to use Particle Shielding on cooldown (don't wait, just use it if it's up) since it gives recovery, a small heal and a big absorb shield that takes the hits for you. And then Radiation Therapy is slotted for healing but the proc in it will also suck endurance for you. So between that and Gamma Boost you should be sweating endurance without a need for the patron pool.

 

Ground Zero is only really worth using as its slotted right now. It's not slotted for accuracy but use Build-up first (their cooldowns coincide) to make up for that.

 

You might not believe me but it's a 'cheap' build. Just slowly buy stuff over time and replace what you have. Even if you later transition to a more expensive build you can save what you got and pass it to another alt (check how to make your own supergroup base to place your extraneous gear in the newbie guide).

 

 

Brute (Battle Axe - Radiation Armor)V2.mbd

Edited February 2 by Sovera

[Lioncourt]

1 hour ago, Sovera said:

 

You don't need to farm for weeks on your farmer, unless you're enjoying it. Check the money making tips in my newbie guide.

 

Your build is all over the place but that's normal and nothing that can't be fixed. Real question here is if you're sold on Mystic Flight or would regular Fly and perhaps a mystical aura from the tailor suit you? Or perhaps you don't like to fight while hovering and would prefer to bunny hop?

 

 

Done a pass over it. I didn't want to mess with your power picks but you don't really need the Energy patron pool since Radiation already has a lot of endurance. Just remember to use Particle Shielding on cooldown (don't wait, just use it if it's up) since it gives recovery, a small heal and a big absorb shield that takes the hits for you. And then Radiation Therapy is slotted for healing but the proc in it will also suck endurance for you. So between that and Gamma Boost you should be sweating endurance without a need for the patron pool.

 

Ground Zero is only really worth using as its slotted right now. It's not slotted for accuracy but use Build-up first (their cooldowns coincide) to make up for that.

 

You might not believe me but it's a 'cheap' build. Just slowly buy stuff over time and replace what you have. Even if you later transition to a more expensive build you can save what you got and pass it to another alt (check how to make your own supergroup base to place your extraneous gear in the newbie guide).

 

 

Brute (Battle Axe - Radiation Armor)V2.mbd 44 kB · 0 downloads

Oh thank you for the swift comeback!

 

The reason for mystic flight was because Arcane bolt is ranged force feedback trigger and space for another chance for build-up through decimation. I had 5 Force feedback +recharge as I am unsure of exactly how the PPM mechanic works and I wanted to make sure that I could always have it up, leading to perma haste, but in your example you use more LotG increased global recharge, and while it doesn't quite reach perma haste, (135 cd vs 120 duration) it's very close.

 

Good advice for the endurance and epic pool! What would you suggest replacing the energy patron pool with, keeping in mind the slot starving Battleaxe seems to enjoy? 😄

 

At first, I wasn't going to take ground zero but I figured the AOE would be helpful, and could even be slightly useful while teaming, on the rare occasions. I appreciate you not wanting to mess around too much with the powers, but can you show me an example of how you would build this instead, for something solo that can do AV's and the tough storylines?

Edited February 2 by Lioncourt
Forgetfulness

[Sovera]

25 minutes ago, Lioncourt said:

Oh thank you for the swift comeback!

 

The reason for mystic flight was because Arcane bolt is ranged force feedback trigger. I had 5 Force feedback +recharge as I am unsure of exactly how the PPM mechanic works and I wanted to make sure that I could always have it up, leading to perma haste, but in your example you use more LotG increased global recharge, and while it doesn't quite reach perma haste, (135 cd vs 120 duration) it's very close.

 

Good advice for the endurance and epic pool! What would you suggest replacing the energy patron pool with, keeping in mind the slot starving Battleaxe seems to enjoy? 😄

 

At first, I wasn't going to take ground zero but I figured the AOE would be helpful, and could even be slightly useful while teaming, on the rare occasions. I appreciate you not wanting to mess around too much with the powers, but can you show me an example of how you would build this instead, for something solo that can do AV's and the tough storylines?

 

The reason you see perma Hasten with your build is because you have the FF procs toggled on. If you were to detoggle all the FF procs in your build you'll notice Hasten is no longer perma. In my experience a single attack that does a good spam can shave a good 10-15 seconds off Hasten, but it can only do so much.

 

I would probably just keep the Energy Pool but swap Superior Conditioning for Focused Accuracy instead. It's not that you need more accuracy but it does protect against having it debuffed which sucks when it happens. And as you've pointed out there is not a lot of wiggle room because of the slot starvation, but since you might not like to use Ground Zero due to its huge cooldown you could consider picking Cleave which is Axe's big single target hitter and that is also ranged AND a small AoE.

 

Between Pendulum, Axe Cyclone and Cleave your AoE needs should be met. Cleave is also part of the ST rotation anyway. So you have both your ST and AoE well in hand.

P.S. Fly is taken super late but you can swap something else earlier on for it, but I prefer to just buy a 5k jetpack from the P2W vendor and use it until I can pick up Fly for the simple reason I spend longer fighting things than travelling between missions.

 

Brute (Battle Axe - Radiation Armor)V2.mbd

Edited February 2 by Sovera