Dark Armor?

[Zakkon1]

I have a sort of hate hate hate relationship with dark armor, I played it before set bonuses were a thing and I played it shortly after they were released, and it never performed optimally for me (I was a SS/Dark Armor brute who never had an ounce of endurance to spare in a time before incarnates) but lately I've been thinking of trying to build it again. 

 

I haven't built a melee character with a resistance set in a few years, should I go for S/L defense cap on a Savage Melee/Dark Armor brute? Should I frankenslot for S/L resist bonuses instead? I've been playing with a couple builds but as I said, I've no idea how people build now a days and was wondering what some Dark Armor users thought.

[Snarky]

I think Dark Dark reaches its ultimate on the Brute.  It is easier to be survivable on the Tank but achievable on the Brute.  Like almost same survivability.  Then there is the fact that the Dark Armor “Tanks” really poorly.  Not in survivability, but in design.  Part of the survivability of Dark is the stealth field.  In survivability Def>Res>Heal.  Dark literally stands this on its head.   No defense or nearly none.  No defenses debuff resistance so worthless to build.  Instead Stealth, two toggles that do crowd control, massive to hit debuffs, and the best heal in the game.   But that stealth, non suppressed stealth.  Bad from a Tanker perspective.  Great on a Brute

 

this same statement will apply to Savage / Dark   play to Dark's strengths and be stronger, or twist it like taffy to make it invulnerability.  but in that case just take invulnerability.

[WanderingAries]

One of my early mains was D/D/D (and D/D before the last one was a thing :p). I remember her being pretty tanky early on, but over time, not so much. I can solo just fine, but I'm also not one to try and solo a TF. I'm far and away from being able to min/max, but I'll see if I can bring up an old Mids build.

 

*rummages*

 

Hero Plan by Mids' Hero Designer 1.962
http://www.cohplanner.com/

K'larh: Level 50 Mutation Scrapper
Primary Power Set: Dark Melee
Secondary Power Set: Dark Armor
Power Pool: Speed
Power Pool: Flight
Ancillary Pool: Darkness Mastery

Hero Profile:
------------
Level 1:	Shadow Punch			Acc(A), Dmg(3), EndRdx(9), ToHitDeb(31)
Level 1:	Dark Embrace			ResDam(A), EndRdx(7), ResDam(40)
Level 2:	Shadow Maul			Acc(A), Dmg(3), EndRdx(15), ToHitDeb(33)
Level 4:	Smite				Acc(A), Dmg(7), EndRdx(23), ToHitDeb(34)
Level 6:	Hasten				RechRdx(A), RechRdx(11), RechRdx(11)
Level 8:	Murky Cloud			ResDam(A), EndRdx(9), ResDam(40)
Level 10:	Fly				Flight(A)
Level 12:	Death Shroud			Acc(A), Dmg(13), EndRdx(13)
Level 14:	Obsidian Shield			ResDam(A), EndRdx(15), ResDam(43)
Level 16:	Touch of Fear			Acc(A), Fear(17), EndRdx(17), ToHitDeb(34)
Level 18:	Dark Regeneration		Acc(A), Heal(19), Dmg(25), Heal(46)
Level 20:	Siphon Life			Acc(A), Heal(21), Dmg(34), ToHitDeb(36), Heal(46)
Level 22:	Cloak of Darkness		DefBuff(A), EndRdx(23), DefBuff(43)
Level 24:	Confront			Acc(A), Taunt(25)
Level 26:	Dark Consumption		Acc(A), EndMod(27), Dmg(27), EndMod(46)
Level 28:	Cloak of Fear			Acc(A), Fear(29), EndRdx(29), ToHitDeb(37)
Level 30:	Soul Drain			Acc(A), Dmg(31), EndRdx(31), ToHit(37)
Level 32:	Midnight Grasp			Acc(A), Immob(33), EndRdx(33), ToHitDeb(37), Dmg(39)
Level 35:	Oppressive Gloom		Acc(A), Dsrnt(36), EndRdx(36)
Level 38:	Soul Transfer			EndMod(A), Heal(39), Dsrnt(39), Dmg(40)
Level 41:	Torrent				Acc(A), Dmg(42), EndRdx(42), KBDist(42), ToHitDeb(43)
Level 44:	Dark Blast			Acc(A), Dmg(45), EndRdx(45), ToHitDeb(45)
Level 47:	Night Fall			Acc(A), Dmg(48), EndRdx(48), ToHitDeb(48)
Level 49:	Tenebrous Tentacles		Acc(A), Dmg(50), Immob(50), ToHitDeb(50)
Level 1:	Brawl				Acc(A)
Level 1:	Critical Hit	
Level 1:	Prestige Power Dash		Empty(A)
Level 1:	Prestige Power Slide		Empty(A)
Level 1:	Prestige Power Quick		Empty(A)
Level 1:	Prestige Power Rush		Empty(A)
Level 1:	Prestige Power Surge		Empty(A)
Level 1:	Sprint				Run(A)
Level 2:	Rest				RechRdx(A)
Level 4:	Ninja Run	
Level 2:	Swift				Flight(A)
Level 2:	Health				Heal(A), Heal(5), Heal(19)
Level 2:	Hurdle				Jump(A)
Level 2:	Stamina				EndMod(A), EndMod(5), EndMod(21)
------------



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[WanderingAries]

Since @Snarky brought it up, here's my Brute alt. Seems this build isn't a Pure Dark like the other one, but that's probably a thematic choice.

 

Villain Plan by Mids' Villain Designer 2.22
http://www.cohplanner.com/

Shadow of Cygnes: Level 50 Mutation Brute
Primary Power Set: Dark Melee
Secondary Power Set: Dark Armor
Power Pool: Speed
Power Pool: Flight
Ancillary Pool: Soul Mastery

Villain Profile:
------------
Level 1:	Shadow Punch			Acc(A), Dmg(3), RechRdx(13), ToHitDeb(34), Taunt(37)
Level 1:	Dark Embrace			ResDam(A), EndRdx(5)
Level 2:	Smite				Acc(A), Dmg(3), RechRdx(15), ToHitDeb(34), Taunt(37)
Level 4:	Murky Cloud			ResDam(A), EndRdx(5), ResDam(46)
Level 6:	Hasten				RechRdx(A), RechRdx(11), RechRdx(11)
Level 8:	Shadow Maul			Acc(A), Dmg(9), RechRdx(9), ToHitDeb(34), Taunt(37)
Level 10:	Fly				Flight(A)
Level 12:	Obsidian Shield			ResDam(A), EndRdx(13), ResDam(46)
Level 14:	Siphon Life			Acc(A), Dmg(15), Heal(17), ToHitDeb(40), Taunt(40)
Level 16:	Death Shroud			Acc(A), Dmg(17), EndRdx(36), Taunt(42)
Level 18:	Taunt				Acc(A), Taunt(21)
Level 20:	Dark Regeneration		Acc(A), Dmg(21), Heal(23), Taunt(43)
Level 22:	Dark Consumption		Acc(A), Dmg(23), EndMod(25), Taunt(43)
Level 24:	Cloak of Darkness		DefBuff(A), EndRdx(25), DefBuff(48)
Level 26:	Touch of Fear			Acc(A), Fear(27), ToHitDeb(27), Taunt(43)
Level 28:	Soul Drain			Acc(A), Dmg(29), ToHit(29), Taunt(45)
Level 30:	Cloak of Fear			Acc(A), Fear(31), EndRdx(31), ToHitDeb(31)
Level 32:	Midnight Grasp			Acc(A), Dmg(33), Immob(33), ToHitDeb(33), Taunt(40)
Level 35:	Oppressive Gloom		Acc(A), Dsrnt(36), EndRdx(36)
Level 38:	Soul Transfer			Heal(A), EndMod(39), Dmg(39), Dsrnt(39)
Level 41:	Gloom				Acc(A), Dmg(42), ToHitDeb(42)
Level 44:	Soul Tentacles			Acc(A), Dmg(45), RechRdx(45), Immob(46)
Level 47:	Dark Obliteration		Acc(A), Dmg(48), ToHitDeb(48)
Level 49:	Summon Widow			Acc(A), Dmg(50), RechRdx(50), RechRdx(50)
Level 1:	Brawl				Acc(A)
Level 1:	Prestige Power Dash		Empty(A)
Level 1:	Prestige Power Slide		Empty(A)
Level 1:	Prestige Power Quick		Empty(A)
Level 1:	Prestige Power Rush		Empty(A)
Level 1:	Prestige Power Surge		Empty(A)
Level 1:	Fury	
Level 1:	Sprint				Run(A)
Level 2:	Rest				RechRdx(A)
Level 4:	Ninja Run	
Level 2:	Swift				Flight(A)
Level 2:	Health				Heal(A), Heal(7), Heal(19)
Level 2:	Hurdle				Jump(A)
Level 2:	Stamina				EndMod(A), EndMod(7), EndMod(19)
------------



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