BS/Shield Brute - Help

[Hawk Enforcer]

I am looking to improve my current build as i am kind of squishy. the only gimmick is the fly/hover pool that has to stay.  I appreciate any input 🙂 

 

Sidenote - I have never been good at making builds and usually just search for one but can't find any good ones with this powersets.

 

### *Build plan made with Mids' Reborn v3.6.6 rev. 3*

----

- **Primary powerset: Broad Sword**
- **Secondary powerset: Shield Defense**
- **Pool powerset (#1): Flight**
- **Pool powerset (#2): Fighting**
- **Pool powerset (#3): Leaping**
- **Pool powerset (#4): Experimentation**
- **Ancillary powerset: Energy Mastery**

----

# **Powers taken:**

**Level 1: Slash**
- A: Analyze Weakness: Chance for +ToHit

**Level 1: Deflection**
- A: Luck of the Gambler: Defense/Recharge
- 3: Luck of the Gambler: Defense/Endurance
- 3: Luck of the Gambler: Defense
- 5: Luck of the Gambler: Defense/Increased Global Recharge Speed
- 5: Aegis: Resistance
- 7: Aegis: Psionic/Status Resistance

**Level 2: Slice**
- A: Overwhelming Force: Accuracy/Damage
- 7: Overwhelming Force: Accuracy/Damage/Endurance
- 9: Overwhelming Force: Damage/Endurance/Recharge
- 9: Overwhelming Force: Accuracy/Damage/Endurance/Recharge
- 11: Overwhelming Force: Damage/Chance for Knockdown/Knockback to Knockdown

**Level 4: Battle Agility**
- A: Luck of the Gambler: Defense/Endurance
- 11: Luck of the Gambler: Defense/Recharge
- 13: Luck of the Gambler: Endurance/Recharge
- 13: Luck of the Gambler: Defense/Endurance/Recharge
- 15: Luck of the Gambler: Defense
- 15: Luck of the Gambler: Defense/Increased Global Recharge Speed

**Level 6: Fly**
- A: Invention: Flight Speed

**Level 8: True Grit**
- A: Impervium Armor: Resistance
- 17: Impervium Armor: Resistance/Recharge
- 17: Impervium Armor: Psionic Resistance
- 19: Impervium Armor: Resistance/Endurance
- 19: Miracle: Heal
- 21: Miracle: +Recovery

**Level 10: Active Defense**
- A: Invention: Recharge Reduction

**Level 12: Build Up**
- A: Encouraged Accuracy: To Hit Buff
- 21: Encouraged Accuracy: To Hit Buff/Recharge

**Level 14: Hover**
- A: Luck of the Gambler: Defense/Endurance
- 23: Luck of the Gambler: Defense

**Level 16: Against All Odds**
- A: Triumphant Insult: Chance to Disorient

**Level 18: Whirling Sword**
- A: Armageddon: Damage
- 33: Armageddon: Damage/Recharge
- 33: Armageddon: Damage/Recharge/Accuracy
- 33: Armageddon: Recharge/Accuracy
- 34: Armageddon: Damage/Endurance
- 34: Armageddon: Chance for Fire Damage

**Level 20: Taunt**
- A: Triumphant Insult: Chance to Disorient

**Level 22: Disembowel**
- A: Hecatomb: Damage
- 23: Hecatomb: Damage/Recharge
- 29: Hecatomb: Damage/Recharge/Accuracy
- 31: Hecatomb: Recharge/Accuracy
- 31: Hecatomb: Damage/Endurance
- 31: Hecatomb: Chance of Damage(Negative)

**Level 24: Phalanx Fighting**
- A: Luck of the Gambler: Defense/Recharge
- 25: Luck of the Gambler: Defense/Endurance
- 25: Luck of the Gambler: Endurance/Recharge
- 27: Luck of the Gambler: Defense/Endurance/Recharge
- 27: Luck of the Gambler: Defense
- 29: Luck of the Gambler: Defense/Increased Global Recharge Speed

**Level 26: Head Splitter**
- A: Superior Brute's Fury: Accuracy/Damage
- 34: Superior Brute's Fury: Damage/Recharge
- 36: Superior Brute's Fury: Accuracy/Damage/Recharge
- 36: Superior Brute's Fury: Damage/Endurance/RechargeTime
- 36: Superior Brute's Fury: Accuracy/Damage/Endurance/Recharge
- 37: Superior Brute's Fury: Recharge/Fury Bonus

**Level 28: Shield Charge**
- A: Superior Unrelenting Fury: Accuracy/Damage
- 37: Superior Unrelenting Fury: Damage/RechargeTime
- 37: Superior Unrelenting Fury: Accuracy/Damage/RechargeTime
- 39: Superior Unrelenting Fury: Damage/Endurance/RechargeTime
- 39: Superior Unrelenting Fury: Accuracy/Damage/Endurance/RechargeTime
- 39: Superior Unrelenting Fury: RechargeTime/+Regen/+End

**Level 30: One with the Shield**
- A: Panacea: Heal/Endurance

**Level 32: Boxing**
- (Empty)

**Level 35: Evasive Maneuvers**
- A: Luck of the Gambler: Defense/Endurance
- 42: Luck of the Gambler: Defense/Recharge
- 43: Luck of the Gambler: Defense
- 43: Luck of the Gambler: Defense/Increased Global Recharge Speed

**Level 38: Tough**
- A: Unbreakable Guard: Resistance
- 43: Unbreakable Guard: +Max HP
- 45: Steadfast Protection: Resistance/+Def 3%
- 45: Gladiator's Armor: Resistance
- 45: Gladiator's Armor: TP Protection +3% Def (All)

**Level 41: Weave**
- A: Reactive Defenses: Scaling Resist Damage
- 46: Reactive Defenses: Defense
- 46: Shield Wall: +Res (Teleportation), +5% Res (All)

**Level 44: Focused Accuracy**
- A: Adjusted Targeting: To Hit Buff
- 46: Adjusted Targeting: To Hit Buff/Endurance

**Level 47: Physical Perfection**
- A: Performance Shifter: EndMod
- 48: Performance Shifter: EndMod/Recharge
- 48: Performance Shifter: EndMod/Accuracy
- 48: Performance Shifter: Chance for +End

**Level 49: Combat Jumping**
- A: Luck of the Gambler: Defense/Endurance
- 50: Luck of the Gambler: Defense/Recharge
- 50: Luck of the Gambler: Defense
- 50: Luck of the Gambler: Defense/Increased Global Recharge Speed

----

# **Inherents:**

**Level 1: Fury**

**Level 1: Brawl**
- (Empty)

**Level 1: Sprint**
- A: Invention: Run Speed

**Level 2: Rest**
- A: Invention: Endurance Modification

**Level 1: Swift**
- A: Invention: Flight Speed

**Level 1: Hurdle**
- A: Invention: Jumping

**Level 1: Health**
- A: Preventive Medicine: Chance for +Absorb
- 42: Regenerative Tissue: +Regeneration
- 42: Numina's Convalesence: +Regeneration/+Recovery

**Level 1: Stamina**
- A: Performance Shifter: EndMod
- 40: Performance Shifter: EndMod/Recharge
- 40: Performance Shifter: EndMod/Accuracy
- 40: Performance Shifter: Chance for +End

**Level 6: Afterburner**

 

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[Zect]

You're squishy because your build has bad DDR (no 2x active def, no grant cover) and somewhat low def (only melee capped). While you have high resists with owts, its uptime is too brief to carry the mitigation all on its own. Since you're not cycling owts > rune of prot > melee core, you need to ensure your def is sufficient for your mitigation needs.

 

A shield brute should have:

• North of 45% def. The excess is a buffer against -def attacks and leadership from certain enemies. How much more is up to you, but I don't recommend more than 54% (i-capped with a defense amp).
• 70% -def resist before ageless. 91% with ageless radial. This is achieved by stacking active defense twice and taking grant cover (the -def res does affect you).
• As much HP and resists as you can assemble after achieving the above, without sacrificing offensive power

6 hours ago, Hawk Enforcer said:

**Level 2: Slice**
- A: Overwhelming Force: Accuracy/Damage
- 7: Overwhelming Force: Accuracy/Damage/Endurance
- 9: Overwhelming Force: Damage/Endurance/Recharge
- 9: Overwhelming Force: Accuracy/Damage/Endurance/Recharge
- 11: Overwhelming Force: Damage/Chance for Knockdown/Knockback to Knockdown

 

Underwhelming Farce is very weak. Outside of the proc, it has only a few very niche uses. You're better off with one of the good pbaoe sets and slotting just the proc separately.

 

6 hours ago, Hawk Enforcer said:

**Level 24: Phalanx Fighting**
- A: Luck of the Gambler: Defense/Recharge
- 25: Luck of the Gambler: Defense/Endurance
- 25: Luck of the Gambler: Endurance/Recharge
- 27: Luck of the Gambler: Defense/Endurance/Recharge
- 27: Luck of the Gambler: Defense
- 29: Luck of the Gambler: Defense/Increased Global Recharge Speed

 

Slotting phalanx fighting does not enhance the always-on portion. It only enhances the part you get when allied toons stand near you. Generally, the stronger enhancement should be in eg. weave, and you can mule the defense uniques in phalanx. Avoid heavy investment in phalanx where possible, because it is a lot of slots spent that you may not see a return on.

 

On a related note, I think you are overdosing on acc bonuses especially since you already have focused acc and 2 purple sets. Usual lotg slotting is either 3x or 5x (for the SL res), occasionally 6x if you need psi/tox res. You can afford to trim some acc bonuses and compensate with a kismet +tohit somewhere.

 

6 hours ago, Hawk Enforcer said:

**Level 1: Slash**
- A: Analyze Weakness: Chance for +ToHit

 

This means you only have 2 effective ST attacks. I am curious if this is a deliberate choice, or if you just ran out of slots.

 

Of the 2 level 0 attacks, Hack is the better by far. The best BS rotation that does not use epic or other attacks is headsplitter hack disembowel hack (small gap) repeat, requiring about 304% rech enhancement in hack to be gapless. If you're a hasteless build, you can mix in parry (weaker but gives melee def) or slash instead.

 

6 hours ago, Hawk Enforcer said:

**Level 18: Whirling Sword**
- A: Armageddon: Damage
- 33: Armageddon: Damage/Recharge
- 33: Armageddon: Damage/Recharge/Accuracy
- 33: Armageddon: Recharge/Accuracy
- 34: Armageddon: Damage/Endurance
- 34: Armageddon: Chance for Fire Damage

 

I wonder how important the psi/tox res from the 6th slot is to you. Generally, you do not need psi or tox res if you softcap positional def, since most psi attacks have a positional vector. Dropping the 6th slot would open up the possibility of putting offensive procs.

 

Here's an example of how you can softcap while achieving the same or more resistances. 5 slots left to go.

 

 

(Note the energy torrent replacing evasive. Despite the description in-game, etorrent does knock down, not kb. This is a good example of the power of set diversity - how having more categories of IO sets available to us lets us take advantage of the most slot-efficient options in each.)

 

This build is still 35% or so rech away from double-stacking AD. For that, you need agility alpha, more rech, or hasten. The choice is yours. I would personally drop the unrelenting fury and settle for lower res, permahasten and double -res procs in the ST rotation.

 

Making this really reminds me of why I prefer shield on scrappers. Scraps have the option of an easy 5% aoe def from their ATIO2 so there's just a lot more choice to play with.

 

 

bsshield.mbd

Edited April 13 by Zect

[Hawk Enforcer]

Thank you for your response. I can def see your point on not using 6 slots when its not necessary. I usually just put in 6 slots when i know its an important ability and then put in a higher tier set thinking that will be sufficient 😅 but i like your idea. slash i feel was just a weak starter attack so i didn't invest into it. i put the tohit buff hoping that if my other powers were on cooldown i could use that as a connect with a possible buff. for the phalanx fighting i think you are talking about grant cover? i slotted whirling because after the shield charge during knock down i get a significant hit to all enemies while they are knocked down and not away. then i slotted my heavy single then the rest are just top tier sets. i know im not a tank thats why im trying to find a healthy balance between the two 🙂

Edited April 14 by Hawk Enforcer

[Uun]

Here's the current build for my BS/Shield scrapper. Obviously the ATOs and Epics are different, but it may give you some slotting ideas. 

Uunicycle - Scrapper (Broad Sword).mbd

[Hawk Enforcer]

6 hours ago, Uun said:

Here's the current build for my BS/Shield scrapper. Obviously the ATOs and Epics are different, but it may give you some slotting ideas. 

Uunicycle - Scrapper (Broad Sword).mbd 45.49 kB · 1 download

some good info! preciate it!