graeberguinn Posted June 27, 2019 Share Posted June 27, 2019 Never played melee before, and I'm not a veteran player. Need help with my SS/bio brute, and melee in general. If melee has secondary defense powers, why do so many builds still take tough/weave, combat jumping etc? Do these add extra defense/resists, and more room for slotting? Can someone explain basic thoughts or concepts for a brute/melee build. Trying to muddle my way through. I enderstand why ranged would take these certain pool powers as they don't have a whole set dedicated to survivability. TIA Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Zumberge Posted June 27, 2019 Share Posted June 27, 2019 Melee ATs have defensive power sets, but if there's one thing that's better than having defenses it's having MORE DEFENSES. To that end, Tough is good for about 17% more S/L resist on Brutes and Weave for 6% defense to everything, plus as you said, they take IO sets so you get additional resists/recovery/defense/whatever. Combat Jumping's defense bonus is... quite low, but some sets (e.g. Dark Armor) have no protection against knockback, and since CJ counts as both a defense-granting power and a travel power, you can slot it with the knockback protection IO from either Karma or Blessing of the Zephyr. Generally with Brutes you want to slot for accuracy first. Brutes get a rising damage bonus as they attack or are attacked, which helps make up for the lack of damage slotting. If you've come into early money, two accuracy DOs is a good plan, then two accuracy IOs once you can make and use them at level 22. All melee defense sets have toggles which give status resists, and you're going to want to take them as soon as possible and keep them on, like, all the time. Unless it's an inherent that gives you status resists, in which case you also take it as soon as possible and then don't worry about it because it just works. As far as resist/defense toggle slotting goes, 1 EndRedux/1-3 Defense/Resist is a good thing to work towards. 5 slots is kind of the sweet spot for set IOs, but that's a ways away and once you're there you can easily afford respecs if you made a mistake. You said you've played ranged, but you've probably been on teams with a Tanker, right? So what happens when you're a Brute and there's no Tanker? Congratulations, you're the tank. Go in first, punch the strongest guy in the face, and the support classes will focus on taming the chaos which inevitably erupts. You'll get the hang of it eventually. All your attacks have a single-target taunt effect, so generally Elite Bosses and Arch-Villains will focus on you. Bio Armor is quite solid and you're going to want everything except Genetic Contamination (and even then GC isn't a bad power - it's expensive and the damage is low for a damage aura, but it's toxic, and it reduces enemy damage), but if you want to dip into Tough and Weave to get even more swole and girthy you're going to need either Boxing or Kick as a pre-requisite. My advice? Skip Jab, since Boxing is gonna kind of fill the same niche of a quick-recharging spammy move. Also, read the power descriptions. It's the kind of set that should come with a manual. Super Strength in general I know little about except that changes to Rage made people pretty cranky, Hand Clap causes more problems than it solves thanks to knockback, and Hurl's animation is too long and it kills your Rage as a Brute. As always, this information is subject to change (mostly due to corrections posed by other forum-goers, <3 you guys). As a Scrapper main I eat a steady diet of crayons and glue to keep my wits sharp and my reflexes honed. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Naturallymorbid Posted June 27, 2019 Share Posted June 27, 2019 I'm a brute player at heart, and to me, SS/Bio has been one of the most enjoyable sets for a number of reasons - some actually that matter some that are personal preference. In general SS/Bio Is a brute that dives in, and stays in up close and personal. Super Strength Solid Damage - While it isn't the hardest hitting powerset is snappy and has a good rhythm to keep your fury up and to produce solid damage overall, in most fights I never dip below 70% fury. Animations - Aside from Hurl (which I advise against taking since you want to be up close and personal as much as possible for multiple reasons), all the animations are rather short and to the point. On a personal note they also "feel" impactful and have a solid feel to them. Rage - Like I said Super Strength's damage is solid even without using rage but when you do use Rage you basically turn it up to 11 making you single target damage great and for a fairly long duration. At later levels when you also get a decent amount of AOE damage, when you get enough cooldown on your foot stop (I also too the Mighty incarnate power just because it fit so perfectly with it) , ya the "rage drop" is a bit annoying but you can still keep attack and keep your fury going and you learn how to just get used to it. Personally, when you finally get slotted up at level 50 I don't feel the need to use it all the time but it a nice ace in the hole when you need it for a tough fight - and unlike most damage buffs this will last you 2-3 mobs even when soloing. Hand Clap - I take hand Clap at a very late level but use it only as an "Oh shit im swarmed and I need a second to reposition" (this mainly happens with very certain mobs that Bio has a weakness to). Overall it's a great powerset that is always great regardless of your secondary. Bio Armor Overall great - Good Regen, solid resists and bit of defense to sweeten the deal - only being primarily weak to Psi damage. While might feel a tad bit squishy at first but it will pass once you'll hit later levels. Debuffs - Solid debuffs for damage (which just adds to the damage mitigation) and the regen Good "Panic" Buttons" - Personally I love powerset with good power that allows you to survive in sticky situations. While they all have a slight delay to them they are based on the number of enemies around you (but are still effective on 1v1 of AVs) - so if you jump in a mob and pop: ablative carapace + DNA syphon + Parasitic aura" you will outlive a stuff that a lot of other power sets wouldn't, and with fairly low cooldowns Adaptation - A great modular power that you can set however you like/need, Running low on endurance? Go for the efficient adaptation, the same goes for offensive and defensive. In most cases, I use defensive mostly but that's because I like the extra survivability Also a great all-rounder with good healing and resists. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jack_nomind Posted June 27, 2019 Share Posted June 27, 2019 If melee has secondary defense powers, why do so many builds still take tough/weave, combat jumping etc? Do these add extra defense/resists, and more room for slotting? If you have 25% Defense, you reduce incoming damage by half. If you add 12.5% more Defense to that, you reduce it by half again. In other words, the more of one type of mitigation you have, the more (not less) valuable a little bit more of it becomes. Combat Jumping on a melee can easily be more valuable than Scorpion Shield on a Blaster. Can someone explain basic thoughts or concepts for a brute/melee build. Trying to muddle my way through. The only time you should care about your green bar is if it's almost empty. Otherwise, your Fury and Endurance bars are far more important. You want to be punching as close to 100% of the time as possible, and you want to be getting punched not very much less often than that. No-Set Builds: Tanker Scrapper Brute Stalker Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gulbasaur Posted June 27, 2019 Share Posted June 27, 2019 I'm used to playing squishies and support (and peacebringer)... Brutes are lots of fun. It takes a while to get your defences to a place where you feel safe, but when you're there you stay there. Defence stacks really well, so if there are any powers that you're a bit indifferent to, dip into the power pools. Combat Jumping is a team-saver as it allows you to leap over one group of mobs and into another, which is great for pulling aggro off your teammates. The defence is also nice. Tough and Weave are decent boosts and worth getting. Aim to get get some resistance and some defence - they ramp up very quickly when you combine the two. Doctor Fortune Soulwright Mother Blight Brightwarden Storm Lantern King Solar Corona Borealis Blood Fortunado Dark/Dark Corruptor Rad/Rad Brute Gravity/Time Controller Storm/Water Defender Peacebringer Dark/Dark Tanker The Good Missions Guide: A Heroic Levelling Journey through Story Arcs Blueside Guide Easy IO Cheat Sheet The Mean Missions Guide: A Villainous Levelling Journey through Story Arcs Redside Guide Fortunatas are the Bestunatas Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Snarky Posted June 28, 2019 Share Posted June 28, 2019 I play a lot of SS. The rage crash is annoying but the damage is great Do take as much of the enemies attacks as you can. Another reason for taking tough and weave. As a brute when the enemies attack you, hit or not, they increased your damage by pegging your fury Defenses. Soft cap is 45. If you are I/o the build smash/lethal defense at 45 is a very fine goal. Have fun. Melee is about charging in and having fun. Whatever toon you are on should feel like the baddest mutha in the city Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Destlin Posted June 28, 2019 Share Posted June 28, 2019 Hero Plan by Mids' Hero Designer 1.962 http://www.cohplanner.com/ Click this DataLink to open the build! ``````````````````````: Level 50 Magic Brute Primary Power Set: Super Strength Secondary Power Set: Bio Armor Power Pool: Leadership Power Pool: Speed Power Pool: Fighting Power Pool: Leaping Ancillary Pool: Soul Mastery Hero Profile: Level 1: Jab (A) Superior Brute's Fury - Accuracy/Damage (3) Superior Brute's Fury - Damage/Recharge (3) Superior Brute's Fury - Damage/Endurance/RechargeTime Level 1: Hardened Carapace (A) Unbreakable Guard - +Max HP (7) Unbreakable Guard - Resistance (7) Unbreakable Guard - Resistance/Endurance Level 2: Inexhaustible (A) Doctored Wounds - Heal (9) Doctored Wounds - Heal/Recharge Level 4: Maneuvers (A) Luck of the Gambler - Recharge Speed (5) Luck of the Gambler - Defense (5) Luck of the Gambler - Defense/Endurance Level 6: Hasten (A) Recharge Reduction IO (21) Recharge Reduction IO Level 8: Boxing (A) Kinetic Combat - Accuracy/Damage (17) Kinetic Combat - Damage/Endurance (19) Kinetic Combat - Damage/Recharge (19) Kinetic Combat - Damage/Endurance/Recharge Level 10: Punch (A) Superior Unrelenting Fury - RechargeTime/+Regen/+End (13) Superior Unrelenting Fury - Accuracy/Damage/Endurance/RechargeTime (13) Superior Unrelenting Fury - Accuracy/Damage (23) Superior Unrelenting Fury - Damage/Endurance/RechargeTime (37) Superior Unrelenting Fury - Damage/RechargeTime (46) Superior Unrelenting Fury - Accuracy/Damage/RechargeTime Level 12: Combat Jumping (A) Luck of the Gambler - Recharge Speed (21) Luck of the Gambler - Defense (23) Luck of the Gambler - Defense/Endurance Level 14: Haymaker (A) Touch of Death - Chance of Damage(Negative) (15) Touch of Death - Damage/Endurance/Recharge (15) Touch of Death - Accuracy/Damage/Endurance (36) Touch of Death - Damage/Recharge (37) Touch of Death - Damage/Endurance (37) Touch of Death - Accuracy/Damage Level 16: Environmental Modification (A) Luck of the Gambler - Recharge Speed (25) Luck of the Gambler - Defense (25) Reactive Defenses - Scaling Resist Damage (27) Shield Wall - +Res (Teleportation), +5% Res (All) Level 18: Tough (A) Aegis - Resistance (27) Aegis - Resistance/Endurance (29) Aegis - Psionic/Status Resistance Level 20: Weave (A) Luck of the Gambler - Recharge Speed (31) Luck of the Gambler - Defense (31) Luck of the Gambler - Defense/Endurance Level 22: Knockout Blow (A) Touch of Death - Chance of Damage(Negative) (34) Touch of Death - Damage/Endurance/Recharge (33) Touch of Death - Accuracy/Damage/Endurance (33) Touch of Death - Damage/Recharge (33) Touch of Death - Damage/Endurance (34) Touch of Death - Accuracy/Damage Level 24: Adaptation Level 26: Ablative Carapace (A) Preventive Medicine - Heal/RechargeTime (34) Preventive Medicine - Heal/RechargeTime/Endurance (36) Doctored Wounds - Heal/Recharge (36) Doctored Wounds - Heal/Endurance/Recharge Level 28: Rage (A) Rectified Reticle - To Hit Buff (29) Rectified Reticle - Increased Perception (31) Recharge Reduction IO Level 30: Evolving Armor (A) Gladiator's Armor - TP Protection +3% Def (All) (39) Steadfast Protection - Resistance/+Def 3% Level 32: DNA Siphon (A) Preventive Medicine - Heal/RechargeTime (39) Preventive Medicine - Heal/RechargeTime/Endurance (39) Doctored Wounds - Heal/Recharge (40) Doctored Wounds - Heal/Endurance/Recharge Level 35: Genetic Contamination (A) Armageddon - Damage/Endurance (43) Armageddon - Damage (43) Armageddon - Damage/Recharge (46) Armageddon - Accuracy/Damage/Recharge (50) Armageddon - Accuracy/Recharge Level 38: Parasitic Aura (A) Preventive Medicine - Chance for +Absorb (40) Preventive Medicine - Heal/RechargeTime/Endurance (40) Preventive Medicine - Heal (45) Preventive Medicine - Heal/Endurance (45) Preventive Medicine - Endurance/RechargeTime (46) Preventive Medicine - Heal/RechargeTime Level 41: Gloom (A) Superior Winter's Bite - Accuracy/Damage (43) Superior Winter's Bite - Damage/RechargeTime (45) Superior Winter's Bite - Accuracy/Damage/Endurance (42) Superior Winter's Bite - Accuracy/Damage/Recharge (42) Superior Winter's Bite - Damage/Endurance/Accuracy/RechargeTime (42) Superior Winter's Bite - Recharge/Chance for -Speed & -Recharge Level 44: Super Jump (A) EmptyLevel 47: Foot Stomp (A) Superior Brute's Fury - Recharge/Fury Bonus (48) Superior Brute's Fury - Accuracy/Damage/Recharge (48) Superior Brute's Fury - Accuracy/Damage/Endurance/Recharge (48) Eradication - Chance for Energy Damage (50) Eradication - Damage (50) Eradication - Accuracy/Recharge Level 49: Tactics (A) To Hit BuffLevel 1: Brawl (A) Kinetic Combat - Accuracy/Damage (9) Kinetic Combat - Damage/Endurance (11) Kinetic Combat - Damage/Recharge (11) Kinetic Combat - Damage/Endurance/Recharge Level 1: Prestige Power Dash (A) EmptyLevel 1: Prestige Power Slide (A) EmptyLevel 1: Prestige Power Quick (A) EmptyLevel 1: Prestige Power Rush (A) EmptyLevel 1: Prestige Power Surge (A) EmptyLevel 1: Fury Level 1: Sprint (A) Run Speed IOLevel 2: Rest (A) EmptyLevel 4: Ninja Run Level 2: Swift (A) Run Speed IOLevel 2: Health (A) Doctored Wounds - Heal (17) Doctored Wounds - Heal/Recharge Level 2: Hurdle (A) Jumping IOLevel 2: Stamina (A) Performance Shifter - Chance for +EndLevel 20: Defensive Adaptation Level 20: Efficient Adaptation Level 20: Offensive Adaptation Level 0: Born In Battle Level 0: High Pain Threshold Level 0: Invader Level 0: Marshal Level 50: Assault Radial Embodiment Level 50: Void Radial Final Judgement Level 50: Reactive Radial Flawless Interface Level 50: Agility Core Paragon ------------ Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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