Power set pairings that are optimal on a Scrapper?

[BuiltDifferent5]

48 minutes ago, Thraxen said:

Tw/ninja is super fun

+1 for a combo you can only run on a Scrapper. Also pretty funny being stealthy with a GIANT weapon 😂

[Due Regard]

31 minutes ago, BuiltDifferent5 said:

+1 for a combo you can only run on a Scrapper. Also pretty funny being stealthy with a GIANT weapon 😂

 

Hakawaii endorses this message.

 

[Riverdusk]

Don't forget broadsword and katana for scrappers both get an extra crit chance bonus for their tier 9 attacks (15% base).  You are critting quite a lot with your hardest hitting attack even before the scrapper ATO's kick in.  So either of those sets I think work well on scrapper and it helps put them further ahead of a tank/brute version.

[Yomo Kimyata]

On 2/10/2025 at 6:57 PM, BuiltDifferent5 said:

’m asking this because, in my experience so far, it just seems that many/most combos just seem to work better on a Tanker with their larger AOE’s and ability to abuse procs while being much tougher.  Not dying = being able to do more damage as well 😂

one way to look at this as an optimization problem is:  given a team size and difficulty setting, what results in the greatest rewards in the shortest time with the smallest probability of catastrophe.  And, for what I’ve seen of the meta, HC’s managers have had such a ridiculous hard on for tankers that it is difficult to make the argument that you can optimize with a scrapper over a tank for 8 person teams for any common sets. “Ability to abuse”indeed.  
 

However, I play solo mostly at high levels, and even though this isn’t exactly rocket surgery at any level, I find that my optimization is always scrapper focused.  I’m going to send Batman after the Joker, rather than have Superman throw him into the sun.  I’ll play chess, but I’m not going to waste my time trying to win a tic-tac-toe tournament.  So play what you will but homecoming made tanks into the tank mage class and that’s not going to change.  That said, I’ll pit my solo 4/8 times as a scrapper over anyone else’s tank

[Story Archer]

17 hours ago, BuiltDifferent5 said:

Ninjitsu is interesting to me. I can also see the potential to run burn out and rotate Nin's T9 with Unleashed Potential... just cycle those and be unkillable lol.

 

That wouldn't be the route that I would take, but it is certainly one way to go.

[Parabola]

17 hours ago, BuiltDifferent5 said:

Claws + Shield = UNLIMITED POWER haha.

I'm looking at Claws/EnA myself. Seems like it would be solid defensively and still do well on the dmg front. Still messing around with what I want to pair with Shield Defense.

Claws/nrg is indeed a great combo. Mine was one of my most accomplished characters until altitis bit again and she got parked.

 

As a partner to shield, dark melee is a classic for a good reason. There is huge synergy between the sets. It has to be said though that this combo also works brilliantly on tanks.

[Without_Pause]

On 2/11/2025 at 5:06 PM, BuiltDifferent5 said:

I'm looking at Claws/EnA myself. Seems like it would be solid defensively and still do well on the dmg front. Still messing around with what I want to pair with Shield Defense.

I like Claws on a Scrapper due to Spin having a shorter recharge and the crits help out Claws being Lethal damage at times. There's not enough alcohol for using Claws on a Tanker against a +4 boss of certain mobs types. 

[BuiltDifferent5]

3 hours ago, Without_Pause said:

I like Claws on a Scrapper due to Spin having a shorter recharge and the crits help out Claws being Lethal damage at times. There's not enough alcohol for using Claws on a Tanker against a +4 boss of certain mobs types. 

Yeah, I am messing around with a Claws/Bio in mids myself right now, as well as Dual Blades/EnA and Battle Axe/Shield. This discussion has got me thinking a lot, it’s been super helpful!

Edited February 13 by BuiltDifferent5
Spelling

[Stormwalker]

I can't speak to "optimal" as my Energy Melee Brute is still only level 28, whereas my Energy Melee Scrapper is level 50 and full T4, but I personally find the Scrapper version of Energy Melee to be a lot more fun than the Brute version.  The extra Short ET's (especially with Critical Strikes in ET so it leads to lots of TF "crits") make the set feel quite a bit faster, and it's more enjoyable to me.  Not that I don't like it on a Brute also, but I like it better on a Scrapper.

[Erratic1]

On 2/11/2025 at 3:24 PM, Story Archer said:

Now that I've gone Ninjitsu, I don't see myself going with anything else for Scrappers. Defense-based set, which is preferable, and a fantastic toolbox/toybox of things to play with. 

 

I enjoy a variety of Scrapper defensive sets, but you're right...once you've tasted Ninjitsu, it is hard not to come back to it. Had to force myself not to pick it on my most recent Scrapper and even then, there were times where I not quite regretted not having gone Ninjitsu as opposed to SR (and that with the character being perfectly fun and fine as SR).

[SableShrike]

The real secret sauce has been my Street Justice/Ninjitsu build.

 

With Combat Readiness, Shinobi, and Crushing Uppercut (with two purple procs), you are critting for a bit under 2,240 damage in one swing. (I remembered this wrong.)

 

Yeetus Deletus

Edited February 27 by SableShrike

[Story Archer]

On 2/12/2025 at 10:21 PM, Without_Pause said:

I like Claws on a Scrapper due to Spin having a shorter recharge and the crits help out Claws being Lethal damage at times. There's not enough alcohol for using Claws on a Tanker against a +4 boss of certain mobs types. 

 

On that point and as an aside, do you think that a more exotic power set like Dark Melee gains a noticeable advantage over the more commonly resisted S/L sets? Not against every mob, obviously, but over the life of the character?

 

To the OP, I am REALLY digging my Claws/Bio right now... she feels as strong or stronger than any scrapper I've played to date.

 

Edited March 6 by Story Archer

[One IV All]

On 2/27/2025 at 4:16 AM, SableShrike said:

The real secret sauce has been my Street Justice/Ninjitsu build.

 

With Combat Readiness, Shinobi, and Crushing Uppercut (with two purple procs), you are critting for a bit under 2,240 damage in one swing. (I remembered this wrong.)

 

Yeetus Deletus

I’m torn between StJ/WP or StJ/Nin for my Daredevil homage hero. That stealth crit with /Nin seems really sweet.

[venetiasilver]

My preferred primaries lean more to the launch ones.
Broad Sword / Martial Arts tend to rank as my favorites.
Regen / Shield happen to be my enjoyable secondaries.

[BuiltDifferent5]

8 hours ago, Story Archer said:

 

On that point and as an aside, do you think that a more exotic power set like Dark Melee gains a noticeable advantage over the more commonly resisted S/L sets? Not against every mob, obviously, but over the life of the character?

 

To the OP, I am REALLY digging my Claws/Bio right now... she feels as strong or stronger than any scrapper I've played to date.

 

Claws/Bio seems like a classic… for good reason. I’m torn between going Claws/Bio or Claws/Stone.

[Story Archer]

On 3/6/2025 at 7:33 PM, BuiltDifferent5 said:

Claws/Bio seems like a classic… for good reason. I’m torn between going Claws/Bio or Claws/Stone.

 

The two biggest consideration between those two options would seem to be 1) the playstyles feel very different imo, with one being super tanky and the other much quicker and offensive-minded (if I were to run a /Stone anything, it'd be on a Brute or more likely a Tanker) and 2) how you feel about the two power sets assorted visuals.

Edited Wednesday at 02:09 PM by Story Archer

[Without_Pause]

On 3/6/2025 at 12:26 PM, Story Archer said:

 

On that point and as an aside, do you think that a more exotic power set like Dark Melee gains a noticeable advantage over the more commonly resisted S/L sets? Not against every mob, obviously, but over the life of the character?

 

To the OP, I am REALLY digging my Claws/Bio right now... she feels as strong or stronger than any scrapper I've played to date.

 

I've only gotten a couple Scrappers to 50 using DM. I would still rather do more play testing on Dark, and this is me essentially logging into the forum for the first time in months, so no clue when I would be back in the game. I'm still trying to get Dark to be at a more happy place in terms of damage in part because it's raw DPS is on the low side. I would say I'm more happy with Claws, but it can get watching grass grow boring as where Dark is lesser, but it is just simply more consistent. As always, what you pair with things can alter performance, see Dark/Shield. I'm personally not a fan of Bio, but I have a Rad/bio Brute at 50. Damage isn't the issue. 

[Story Archer]

16 hours ago, Without_Pause said:

I've only gotten a couple Scrappers to 50 using DM. I would still rather do more play testing on Dark, and this is me essentially logging into the forum for the first time in months, so no clue when I would be back in the game. I'm still trying to get Dark to be at a more happy place in terms of damage in part because it's raw DPS is on the low side. I would say I'm more happy with Claws, but it can get watching grass grow boring as where Dark is lesser, but it is just simply more consistent. As always, what you pair with things can alter performance, see Dark/Shield. I'm personally not a fan of Bio, but I have a Rad/bio Brute at 50. Damage isn't the issue. 

 

It's funny how different people's play experiences vary. My first 50 was a SR/Dark Tanker and I thought that was the most boring character I'd ever played. The animations for Shadow Punch, Smite and Touch of Fear couldn't be more generic and I felt like I spent literally half the game rooted in the Shadow Maul animation. Meanwhile with Claws I have a ranged attack, a ranged cone attack, a melee AoE attack and a very cool animation heavy hitter in Eviscerate, plus I've been able to make some of the coolest costume options that I could never hope to have made with DM. Different strokes, I guess, but that's one of the things that makes this game so great.

Edited Wednesday at 02:09 PM by Story Archer