Rad Melee /Dark Armor Build Help

[The_Traveler]

Spoiler

 

 

Spoiler

Hero Tanker
Build plan made with Mids' Reborn v3.6.6 rev. 3
──────────────────────────────

• Primary powerset: Dark Armor
• Secondary powerset: Radiation Melee
• Pool powerset (#1): Speed
• Pool powerset (#2): Leaping
• Pool powerset (#3): Fighting
• Pool powerset (#4): Flight
• Epic powerset: Energy Mastery
  

──────────────────────────────

Powers taken:

Level 1: Death Shroud

• A: Fury of the Gladiator: Chance for Res Debuff
• 15: Fury of the Gladiator: Accuracy/Damage
• 15: Fury of the Gladiator: Damage/Recharge
• 17: Fury of the Gladiator: Damage/Endurance/Recharge
• 17: Fury of the Gladiator: Accuracy/Endurance/Recharge
• 19: Fury of the Gladiator: Accuracy/Damage/End/Rech
  

Level 1: Contaminated Strike

• A: Might of the Tanker: Recharge/Chance for +Res(All)
• 19: Might of the Tanker: Accuracy/Damage
• 21: Might of the Tanker: Damage/Recharge
• 21: Might of the Tanker: Accuracy/Damage/Recharge
• 23: Might of the Tanker: Damage/Endurance/Recharge
• 23: Might of the Tanker: Accuracy/Damage/Endurance/Recharge
  

Level 2: Dark Embrace

• A: Unbreakable Guard: Resistance
• 3: Unbreakable Guard: Resistance/Endurance
• 3: Unbreakable Guard: +Max HP
• 5: Unbreakable Guard: RechargeTime/Resistance
• 5: Unbreakable Guard: Resistance/Endurance/RechargeTime
  

Level 4: Radioactive Smash

• A: Gladiator's Strike: Chance for Smashing Damage
• 25: Gladiator's Strike: Accuracy/Damage
• 25: Gladiator's Strike: Damage/Recharge
• 27: Gladiator's Strike: Damage/Endurance/Recharge
• 27: Gladiator's Strike: Accuracy/Damage/End/Rech
• 29: Force Feedback: Chance for +Recharge
  

Level 6: Murky Cloud

• A: Unbreakable Guard: Resistance
• 7: Unbreakable Guard: Resistance/Endurance
• 7: Unbreakable Guard: RechargeTime/Resistance
• 9: Unbreakable Guard: Resistance/Endurance/RechargeTime
• 9: Gladiator's Armor: TP Protection +3% Def (All)
  

Level 8: Obsidian Shield

• A: Unbreakable Guard: Resistance
• 11: Unbreakable Guard: Resistance/Endurance
• 11: Unbreakable Guard: RechargeTime/Resistance
• 13: Unbreakable Guard: Resistance/Endurance/RechargeTime
• 13: Aegis: Psionic/Status Resistance
  

Level 10: Dark Regeneration

• A: Theft of Essence: Healing
• 29: Theft of Essence: Healing/Recharge
• 33: Theft of Essence: Accuracy/Healing
• 34: Theft of Essence: Accuracy/Endurance/Healing
• 34: Theft of Essence: Accuracy/Endurance/Recharge
• 34: Theft of Essence: Chance for +Endurance
  

Level 12: Hasten

• A: Invention: Recharge Reduction
• 36: Invention: Recharge Reduction
  

Level 14: Combat Jumping

• A: Reactive Defenses: Scaling Resist Damage
• 36: Shield Wall: +Res (Teleportation), +5% Res (All)
• 36: Luck of the Gambler: Defense/Increased Global Recharge Speed
• 37: Kismet: Accuracy +6%
  

Level 16: Super Jump

• A: Blessing of the Zephyr: Knockback Reduction (4 points)
  

Level 18: Spring Attack

• A: Force Feedback: Chance for +Recharge
• 37: Avalanche: Recharge/Chance for Knockdown
• 37: Avalanche: Accuracy/Damage
• 39: Avalanche: Damage/Endurance
• 39: Avalanche: Accuracy/Damage/Endurance
• 39: Avalanche: Accuracy/Damage/Recharge
  

Level 20: Cloak of Fear

• A: Cloud Senses: ToHit Debuff
• 40: Cloud Senses: Accuracy/ToHitDebuff
• 40: Cloud Senses: Accuracy/Recharge
• 40: Cloud Senses: ToHit Debuff/Endurance/Recharge
• 42: Cloud Senses: Accuracy/Endurance/Recharge
• 42: Cloud Senses: Chance for Negative Energy Damage
  

Level 22: Kick

• (Empty)
  

Level 24: Irradiated Ground

• A: Achilles' Heel: Chance for Res Debuff
• 42: Scirocco's Dervish: Chance of Damage(Lethal)
• 43: Scirocco's Dervish: Accuracy/Damage
• 43: Scirocco's Dervish: Damage/Endurance
• 43: Scirocco's Dervish: Accuracy/Damage/Endurance
• 45: Scirocco's Dervish: Damage/Recharge
  

Level 26: Tough

• A: Unbreakable Guard: Resistance/Endurance
• 45: Impervious Skin: Status Resistance/Regeneration
  

Level 28: Weave

• A: Luck of the Gambler: Defense/Increased Global Recharge Speed
• 45: Luck of the Gambler: Defense
  

Level 30: Atom Smasher

• A: Gauntleted Fist: RechargeTime/+Absorb
• 31: Gauntleted Fist: Accuracy/Damage
• 31: Gauntleted Fist: Damage/RechargeTime
• 31: Gauntleted Fist: Accuracy/Damage/RechargeTime
• 33: Gauntleted Fist: Damage/Endurance/RechargeTime
• 33: Gauntleted Fist: Accuracy/Damage/Endurance/RechargeTime
  

Level 32: Cloak of Darkness

• A: Luck of the Gambler: Defense/Increased Global Recharge Speed
• 50: Luck of the Gambler: Defense/Endurance
  

Level 35: Conserve Power

• (Empty)
  

Level 38: Soul Transfer

• A: Invention: Recharge Reduction
  

Level 41: Physical Perfection

• A: Power Transfer: Chance to Heal Self
  

Level 44: Super Speed

• A: Blessing of the Zephyr: Knockback Reduction (4 points)
  

Level 47: Fusion

• A: Gaussian's Synchronized Fire-Control: Chance for Build Up
  

──────────────────────────────

Inherents:

Level 1: Gauntlet

Level 1: Brawl

• (Empty)
  

Level 1: Sprint

• (Empty)
  

Level 2: Rest

• (Empty)
  

Level 1: Swift

• (Empty)
  

Level 1: Hurdle

• (Empty)
  

Level 1: Health

• A: Panacea: +Hit Points/Endurance
• 46: Numina's Convalesence: +Regeneration/+Recovery
• 46: Miracle: +Recovery
  

Level 1: Stamina

• A: Performance Shifter: Chance for +End
• 46: Performance Shifter: EndMod
• 48: Performance Shifter: EndMod/Recharge
• 48: Performance Shifter: EndMod/Accuracy/Recharge
• 48: Performance Shifter: EndMod/Accuracy
  

 

 

 

I am not a pro builder by any means.  i tried to build this on a brute first and couldnt figure out how to push past like 75% on S/L.  it was MUCH easier on Tanker.  

 

What I'd like to accomplish (IF possible) is... figure out which incarnates to use, push up energy resist and max hp, try to maintain high recharge (it shows 300% because both FFprocs are active... trying to have spring attack as the main engager, if not i can go back to combat TP).  there is an extra power slot and 2 enhance slots available and the epic pool power is not set in stone as im pretty sure the blue bar is fine without it.

 

any help is appreciated.

 

thanks

Tanker (Dark Armor - Radiation Melee).mbd

[Erratic1]

Your endurance recovery to expenditure ratio looks low.

 

FF proc is...well.... 

 

You know that if a power does not reset within the window of the proc's effect its recharge reverts to what it would have been if the proc had not gone off? This does not make the FF proc useless, but short of continuously staying within it, limits its valule somewhat.

[Onlyasandwich]

1 hour ago, The_Traveler said:

I am not a pro builder by any means.

Ah, but you use the magical spoiler tags! In my book, that makes you a master indeed. 

[Phlushot]

Ironic I was just fiddling with the same pairing over the weekend.  I think the End is probably going to be... well the end.  +1.2/s on your recovery is going to require constant management of your blue.  +2.5 is usually what I consider to be about the break even point.

 

Attached is where I got in my fiddling.  I picked Oppressive Gloom over Cloak of Fear because it has virtually no end cost, plus you get occasional stacking with Atom Smasher to stun more than minions.  I started out with Energy Melee for the stun stacking but wanted the double damage aura plus Whirling Hands' smaller radius meant stunned mobs regularly wandered outside of it.  Then considered running it as a Brute because that's my go-to if I'm looking at 2x damage auras but I find I can't get resistances high enough on resistance sets with Brutes so came back to the Tanker.

Tanker (Dark Armor - Radiation Melee).mbd

[Sovera]

2 hours ago, The_Traveler said:

  Reveal hidden contents

 

 

  Reveal hidden contents

Hero Tanker
Build plan made with Mids' Reborn v3.6.6 rev. 3
──────────────────────────────

• Primary powerset: Dark Armor
• Secondary powerset: Radiation Melee
• Pool powerset (#1): Speed
• Pool powerset (#2): Leaping
• Pool powerset (#3): Fighting
• Pool powerset (#4): Flight
• Epic powerset: Energy Mastery

 

──────────────────────────────

Powers taken:

Level 1: Death Shroud

• A: Fury of the Gladiator: Chance for Res Debuff
• 15: Fury of the Gladiator: Accuracy/Damage
• 15: Fury of the Gladiator: Damage/Recharge
• 17: Fury of the Gladiator: Damage/Endurance/Recharge
• 17: Fury of the Gladiator: Accuracy/Endurance/Recharge
• 19: Fury of the Gladiator: Accuracy/Damage/End/Rech

 

Level 1: Contaminated Strike

• A: Might of the Tanker: Recharge/Chance for +Res(All)
• 19: Might of the Tanker: Accuracy/Damage
• 21: Might of the Tanker: Damage/Recharge
• 21: Might of the Tanker: Accuracy/Damage/Recharge
• 23: Might of the Tanker: Damage/Endurance/Recharge
• 23: Might of the Tanker: Accuracy/Damage/Endurance/Recharge

 

Level 2: Dark Embrace

• A: Unbreakable Guard: Resistance
• 3: Unbreakable Guard: Resistance/Endurance
• 3: Unbreakable Guard: +Max HP
• 5: Unbreakable Guard: RechargeTime/Resistance
• 5: Unbreakable Guard: Resistance/Endurance/RechargeTime

 

Level 4: Radioactive Smash

• A: Gladiator's Strike: Chance for Smashing Damage
• 25: Gladiator's Strike: Accuracy/Damage
• 25: Gladiator's Strike: Damage/Recharge
• 27: Gladiator's Strike: Damage/Endurance/Recharge
• 27: Gladiator's Strike: Accuracy/Damage/End/Rech
• 29: Force Feedback: Chance for +Recharge

 

Level 6: Murky Cloud

• A: Unbreakable Guard: Resistance
• 7: Unbreakable Guard: Resistance/Endurance
• 7: Unbreakable Guard: RechargeTime/Resistance
• 9: Unbreakable Guard: Resistance/Endurance/RechargeTime
• 9: Gladiator's Armor: TP Protection +3% Def (All)

 

Level 8: Obsidian Shield

• A: Unbreakable Guard: Resistance
• 11: Unbreakable Guard: Resistance/Endurance
• 11: Unbreakable Guard: RechargeTime/Resistance
• 13: Unbreakable Guard: Resistance/Endurance/RechargeTime
• 13: Aegis: Psionic/Status Resistance

 

Level 10: Dark Regeneration

• A: Theft of Essence: Healing
• 29: Theft of Essence: Healing/Recharge
• 33: Theft of Essence: Accuracy/Healing
• 34: Theft of Essence: Accuracy/Endurance/Healing
• 34: Theft of Essence: Accuracy/Endurance/Recharge
• 34: Theft of Essence: Chance for +Endurance

 

Level 12: Hasten

• A: Invention: Recharge Reduction
• 36: Invention: Recharge Reduction

 

Level 14: Combat Jumping

• A: Reactive Defenses: Scaling Resist Damage
• 36: Shield Wall: +Res (Teleportation), +5% Res (All)
• 36: Luck of the Gambler: Defense/Increased Global Recharge Speed
• 37: Kismet: Accuracy +6%

 

Level 16: Super Jump

• A: Blessing of the Zephyr: Knockback Reduction (4 points)

 

Level 18: Spring Attack

• A: Force Feedback: Chance for +Recharge
• 37: Avalanche: Recharge/Chance for Knockdown
• 37: Avalanche: Accuracy/Damage
• 39: Avalanche: Damage/Endurance
• 39: Avalanche: Accuracy/Damage/Endurance
• 39: Avalanche: Accuracy/Damage/Recharge

 

Level 20: Cloak of Fear

• A: Cloud Senses: ToHit Debuff
• 40: Cloud Senses: Accuracy/ToHitDebuff
• 40: Cloud Senses: Accuracy/Recharge
• 40: Cloud Senses: ToHit Debuff/Endurance/Recharge
• 42: Cloud Senses: Accuracy/Endurance/Recharge
• 42: Cloud Senses: Chance for Negative Energy Damage

 

Level 22: Kick

• (Empty)

 

Level 24: Irradiated Ground

• A: Achilles' Heel: Chance for Res Debuff
• 42: Scirocco's Dervish: Chance of Damage(Lethal)
• 43: Scirocco's Dervish: Accuracy/Damage
• 43: Scirocco's Dervish: Damage/Endurance
• 43: Scirocco's Dervish: Accuracy/Damage/Endurance
• 45: Scirocco's Dervish: Damage/Recharge

 

Level 26: Tough

• A: Unbreakable Guard: Resistance/Endurance
• 45: Impervious Skin: Status Resistance/Regeneration

 

Level 28: Weave

• A: Luck of the Gambler: Defense/Increased Global Recharge Speed
• 45: Luck of the Gambler: Defense

 

Level 30: Atom Smasher

• A: Gauntleted Fist: RechargeTime/+Absorb
• 31: Gauntleted Fist: Accuracy/Damage
• 31: Gauntleted Fist: Damage/RechargeTime
• 31: Gauntleted Fist: Accuracy/Damage/RechargeTime
• 33: Gauntleted Fist: Damage/Endurance/RechargeTime
• 33: Gauntleted Fist: Accuracy/Damage/Endurance/RechargeTime

 

Level 32: Cloak of Darkness

• A: Luck of the Gambler: Defense/Increased Global Recharge Speed
• 50: Luck of the Gambler: Defense/Endurance

 

Level 35: Conserve Power

• (Empty)

 

Level 38: Soul Transfer

• A: Invention: Recharge Reduction

 

Level 41: Physical Perfection

• A: Power Transfer: Chance to Heal Self

 

Level 44: Super Speed

• A: Blessing of the Zephyr: Knockback Reduction (4 points)

 

Level 47: Fusion

• A: Gaussian's Synchronized Fire-Control: Chance for Build Up

 

──────────────────────────────

Inherents:

Level 1: Gauntlet

Level 1: Brawl

• (Empty)

 

Level 1: Sprint

• (Empty)

 

Level 2: Rest

• (Empty)

 

Level 1: Swift

• (Empty)

 

Level 1: Hurdle

• (Empty)

 

Level 1: Health

• A: Panacea: +Hit Points/Endurance
• 46: Numina's Convalesence: +Regeneration/+Recovery
• 46: Miracle: +Recovery

 

Level 1: Stamina

• A: Performance Shifter: Chance for +End
• 46: Performance Shifter: EndMod
• 48: Performance Shifter: EndMod/Recharge
• 48: Performance Shifter: EndMod/Accuracy/Recharge
• 48: Performance Shifter: EndMod/Accuracy

 

 

 

 

I am not a pro builder by any means.  i tried to build this on a brute first and couldnt figure out how to push past like 75% on S/L.  it was MUCH easier on Tanker.  

 

What I'd like to accomplish (IF possible) is... figure out which incarnates to use, push up energy resist and max hp, try to maintain high recharge (it shows 300% because both FFprocs are active... trying to have spring attack as the main engager, if not i can go back to combat TP).  there is an extra power slot and 2 enhance slots available and the epic pool power is not set in stone as im pretty sure the blue bar is fine without it.

 

any help is appreciated.

 

thanks

Tanker (Dark Armor - Radiation Melee).mbd 41.29 kB · 5 downloads

 

 

FF procs are a nice little bonus but should be kept turned off and not depended on.

 

As for the blue bar being fine, it's never fine if you're Dark Armor. You'll be wanting Cardiac with it and if everything is properly slotted you'll get it contained at least.

 

Tbh, and not to put a damper on your desire to play it, but Rad Melee needs a tune up since irradiated Ground got 'fixed' since that power propped it up. A fix done in vacuum means the set is now undertuned. There are only two real reasons to pick Radiation Melee and they are:

 

- Radiation Siphon. Only Dark Melee too has a heal. So it's a HP tool that also does damage and that allows things like picking up Super Reflexes or Shield, or Invulnerability, or any other strong armor set that lacks a heal. But you didn't rake Radiation Siphon.

- Irradiated Ground. It used to go off every 5 seconds which allowed shenanigans with procs and -res. It pushed the single target and AoE damage so it's loss crippled visibly the set.

 

 

As Plushot above mentioned you might as well take Oppressive Gloom instead of Cloak of Fear. You're already hurting for endurance and don't need one extra toggle. Frankly both are crap in the sense that both will only work on minions (which are inconsequential and the first to die in the first seconds of combat anyway) but at least Oppressive Gloom costs a negligible amount of HP per second.

 

Otherwise things are mostly alright with the build though it could do with a minmax pass. No reason to slot Stamina that much, Gauntled Fist should be in Death Shroud (and use the superior version of Gauntled Fist and Might of the Tanker), you forgot one of the +3% defense uniques, Spring Attack is really really bad as an attack but if you like it it's fine to use it, but that said you didn't take Devastating Blow that is the set's heavy hitter so you have neither the heal nor the heavy hitting skill, etc etc.

 

You can make an easy attack rotation with Radiation Siphon, Contaminated Strike, Radioactive Smash, Contaminated Strike. It won't win prizes but it's easy to make gapless and decently fast. The other attack rotation that is also easy is Devastating Blow, Radioactive Smash, Radiation Siphon, Radioactive Smash.

 

Since you have neither Radioactive Smash nor Devastating Blow things will be slow. But it's not difficult to change since you have extraneous powers such as two travel powers and extra slots such as from Stamina that can be scrounged.

 

 

I won't offer to make a pass until you're a bit more sure of what you'd like to do.

 

[Erratic1]

I have long joked Dark Armor/Radiation Melee was the combo for people who hate endurance. Every experience I have had with Rad Melee has marked it as endurance heavy and Dark Armor is infamous.

 

Another thing which seems slightly off is not taking Radiation Siphon, but that may be a matter of playstyle than efficiency.

[The_Traveler]

all very good input and much appreciated!

 

i did NOT know that's how FF worked but it makes sense that it would work that way.

 

i like the spoiler to keep the posts cleaner for scrolling 😃

 

I more or less like cloak of fear for the accuracy debuff, but it is rather weak for the investment.  i do like the idea of OG with the immobilize and could just add 1 more slot for the amazement acc debuff proc if i still wanted.  Phlushot, your build has given me some ideas on how to tweak.  I also have been playing with teleport powers.  i was trying to see if spring could replace combat teleport, but even with high recharge on FF procs, its still not frequent enough for my liking (and now i know id have to align it with FF procs to get the most use makes it a no go.  

 

i didnt grab rad siphon because the heal isnt really needed b/c  dark regen is so good.  playing with it feels better than devastating blow though.

I stuck with the lower tier single targets due to lower end cost and dpa and figured it would free me up to keep things in check.   (another reason i like the CoF/OG toggles... extra taunt).

I slotted heavy into stamina for more end, but looking at phlushots build, there is better ways to get more, so i can fix that.

 

I do appreciate the advice and ima test some things then make another attempt at it.  Rad/Fire was much easier for me to get a handle on... Dark just has that allure if you can make it work.  Who doesnt want 90% psi resist?

[Erratic1]

4 minutes ago, The_Traveler said:

i didnt grab rad siphon because the heal isnt really needed b/c  dark regen is so good.  playing with it feels better than devastating blow though.

 

The healing on Radiation Siphon requires you to hit a contaminated target, so can be a bit like whack-a-mole. It is not really a primary source of healing so much as a bit of extra from time to time. Radiation Siphon is primarily a damage power. I will note however it can be slotted with healing enhancements, and as such you can slot Theft of Essence: Chance for Endurance. Again, it is not something which is going to be firing off all the time, but on a DA/Rad character, every bit of extra endurance is an absolute godsend.

[Sovera]

We can get a good chunk of healing out of Radioactive Siphon since Fusion makes the Contaminated mechanic a 100% chance. Roughly 3 times in a row every 30 seconds if planned around.

 

But it's true that there is little need with Dark Regeneration. That said Dark Regeneration is heavy on the endurance, which is already lacking, so having fewer times needed to press that button will help with the blue bar.

 

There is not a lot of synergy between both sets.

 

 

If you feel like it consider a Stone/Radioactive Melee if you really want to stick to Rad. Stone is uber but lacks an actual heal since it relies on regen. With the Fusion trick above the HPS goes through the roof especially with Stone Armor's large defenses AND resistances AND regen. Who needs 90% resist to Psi when you got 45% defense to psi instead 😄

[Phlushot]

22 hours ago, Sovera said:

We can get a good chunk of healing out of Radioactive Siphon since Fusion makes the Contaminated mechanic a 100% chance. Roughly 3 times in a row every 30 seconds if planned around.

 

But it's true that there is little need with Dark Regeneration. That said Dark Regeneration is heavy on the endurance, which is already lacking, so having fewer times needed to press that button will help with the blue bar.

 

There is not a lot of synergy between both sets.

 

 

If you feel like it consider a Stone/Radioactive Melee if you really want to stick to Rad. Stone is uber but lacks an actual heal since it relies on regen. With the Fusion trick above the HPS goes through the roof especially with Stone Armor's large defenses AND resistances AND regen. Who needs 90% resist to Psi when you got 45% defense to psi instead 😄

 

Are you forgetting about Earth's Embrace?

[Sovera]

58 minutes ago, Phlushot said:

Are you forgetting about Earth's Embrace?

 

EE heals very little. About 250 HP-ish even fully slotted, every 40-ish seconds. It's a HP buff more than a heal, which makes sense since with more HP we regen more which is what Stone Armor does.

[The_Traveler]

i ended up testing a bit more on dark armor trying to slot 2 Theft of essence end procs (in rad siphon and dark regen) and 2 performance shifter procs (one in stamina and the other in physical perfection)... still not enough to keep blue bar up. maybe with incarnates... so its def a late game build, which kinda sucks. 

 

I switched over to test out rad/stone and actually enjoyed it more so ive been playing that char lately. ill stop back in when i do get my rad/dark his incarnates.