Bio/Battle Axe Feedback

[Epicentr]

If anyone would like to offer any feedback on this PvE tank I would appreciate it. I normally build squishies and am confident, with melee toons not being in my wheelhouse (especially a hybrid regen-resist with toggles and clicks all willy-nilly. Please note that the powers aren't in order of selection here. Normally I'm super-picky about it; with this build I've just slapped all the powers into Mids, though the slotting reflects what I have.

 

Help with incarnates and a workable four-star build would be awesome too!

 

Spoiler

Epidermis PvE WIP - Hero Tanker
Build plan made with Mids Reborn v3.7.14 rev. 3
──────────────────────────────

• Primary powerset: Bio Armor
• Secondary powerset: Battle Axe
• Pool powerset (#1): Fighting
• Pool powerset (#2): Speed
• Pool powerset (#3): Leaping
• Pool powerset (#4): Teleportation
• Epic powerset: Energy Mastery

──────────────────────────────

Powers taken:

Level 1: Hardened Carapace

• A: Unbreakable Guard: Resistance
• 3: Unbreakable Guard: Resistance/Endurance
• 3: Unbreakable Guard: RechargeTime/Resistance
• 5: Unbreakable Guard: +Max HP
• 5: Impervium Armor: Psionic Resistance
• 50: Gladiator's Armor: TP Protection +3% Def (All)

Level 1: Chop

• A: Hecatomb: Damage
• 7: Hecatomb: Damage/Recharge
• 7: Hecatomb: Damage/Recharge/Accuracy
• 9: Hecatomb: Recharge/Accuracy
• 9: Hecatomb: Chance of Damage(Negative)

Level 2: Inexhaustible

• A: Numina's Convalesence: +Regeneration/+Recovery
• 11: Numina's Convalesence: Heal/Recharge
• 13: Numina's Convalesence: Heal

Level 4: Environmental Modification

• A: Luck of the Gambler: Defense/Increased Global Recharge Speed
• 13: Shield Wall: Defense/Endurance
• 15: Shield Wall: Defense/Recharge
• 15: Shield Wall: Defense
• 17: Shield Wall: +Res (Teleportation), +5% Res (All)

Level 6: Adaptation

Level 8: Ablative Carapace

• A: Preventive Medicine: Heal
• 17: Preventive Medicine: Heal/Endurance
• 19: Preventive Medicine: Endurance/RechargeTime
• 19: Preventive Medicine: Heal/RechargeTime
• 21: Preventive Medicine: Heal/RechargeTime/Endurance
• 21: Preventive Medicine: Chance for +Absorb

Level 10: Taunt

• A: Perfect Zinger: Threat/Placate/Recharge/Range

Level 12: Evolving Armor

• A: Unbreakable Guard: Resistance
• 23: Unbreakable Guard: Resistance/Endurance
• 23: Unbreakable Guard: RechargeTime/Resistance
• 25: Impervium Armor: Psionic Resistance
• 25: Steadfast Protection: Resistance/+Def 3%
• 33: Unbreakable Guard: Resistance/Endurance/RechargeTime

Level 14: Kick

• (Empty)

Level 16: Hasten

• A: Invention: Recharge Reduction
• 27: Invention: Recharge Reduction

Level 18: DNA Siphon

• A: Nucleolus Exposure
• 27: Perfect Zinger: Chance for Psi Damage
• 29: Touch of the Nictus: Chance for Negative Energy Damage
• 29: Superior Avalanche: Accuracy/Damage
• 31: Superior Avalanche: Recharge/Chance for Knockdown
• 31: Fury of the Gladiator: Chance for Res Debuff

Level 20: Tough

• A: Unbreakable Guard: Resistance
• 31: Unbreakable Guard: Resistance/Endurance
• 33: Unbreakable Guard: RechargeTime/Resistance
• 33: Impervium Armor: Psionic Resistance

Level 22: Genetic Contamination

• A: Superior Avalanche: Accuracy/Damage/Recharge
• 34: Superior Avalanche: Accuracy/Damage/Endurance
• 34: Superior Avalanche: Accuracy/Damage/Endurance/Recharge
• 34: Superior Avalanche: Damage/Endurance

Level 24: Swoop

• A: Superior Blistering Cold: Accuracy/Damage
• 36: Superior Blistering Cold: Damage/Endurance
• 36: Superior Blistering Cold: Accuracy/Damage/Endurance
• 36: Superior Blistering Cold: Accuracy/Damage/Recharge
• 37: Superior Blistering Cold: Damage/Endurance/Accuracy/RechargeTime
• 37: Superior Blistering Cold: Recharge/Chance for Hold

Level 26: Parasitic Aura

• A: Panacea: Endurance/Recharge
• 37: Panacea: Heal/Endurance/Recharge
• 39: Panacea: Heal/Recharge
• 39: Panacea: Heal

Level 28: Axe Cyclone

• A: Armageddon: Damage
• 39: Armageddon: Damage/Recharge
• 40: Armageddon: Damage/Recharge/Accuracy
• 40: Armageddon: Recharge/Accuracy
• 40: Armageddon: Chance for Fire Damage
• 42: Force Feedback: Chance for +Recharge

Level 30: Cleave

• A: Superior Gauntleted Fist: Accuracy/Damage
• 42: Superior Gauntleted Fist: Damage/RechargeTime
• 42: Superior Gauntleted Fist: Accuracy/Damage/RechargeTime
• 43: Superior Gauntleted Fist: Accuracy/Damage/Endurance/RechargeTime
• 43: Superior Gauntleted Fist: Damage/Endurance/RechargeTime
• 43: Force Feedback: Chance for +Recharge

Level 32: Weave

• A: Luck of the Gambler: Defense/Increased Global Recharge Speed
• 45: Shield Wall: Defense/Endurance
• 45: Shield Wall: Defense/Recharge
• 45: Shield Wall: Defense
• 46: Shield Wall: Defense/Endurance/Recharge

Level 35: Pendulum

• A: Superior Might of the Tanker: Accuracy/Damage
• 46: Superior Might of the Tanker: Damage/Recharge
• 46: Superior Might of the Tanker: Accuracy/Damage/Recharge
• 48: Superior Might of the Tanker: Accuracy/Damage/Endurance/Recharge
• 48: Superior Might of the Tanker: Recharge/Chance for +Res(All)
• (Empty)

Level 38: Super Speed

• A: Invention: Run Speed

Level 41: Combat Jumping

• A: Luck of the Gambler: Defense/Increased Global Recharge Speed
• 50: Reactive Defenses: Scaling Resist Damage
• 50: Winter's Gift: Slow Resistance (20%)

Level 44: Focused Accuracy

• A: Cytoskeleton Exposure

Level 47: Build Up

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

Level 49: Teleport Target

• A: D-Sync Provocation

──────────────────────────────

Inherents:

Level 1: Gauntlet

Level 1: Brawl

• (Empty)

Level 1: Sprint

• A: Unbounded Leap: +Stealth

Level 2: Rest

• (Empty)

Level 1: Swift

• A: Invention: Run Speed

Level 1: Hurdle

• A: Invention: Jumping

Level 1: Health

• A: Regenerative Tissue: +Regeneration
• 11: Panacea: +Hit Points/Endurance

Level 1: Stamina

• A: Performance Shifter: Chance for +End

Level 6: Defensive Adaptation

Level 6: Efficient Adaptation

Level 6: Offensive Adaptation

Level 38: Speed Phase

 

Epidermis PvE WIP - Tanker (Bio Armor - Battle Axe).mbd

Edited July 9 by Epicentr
Including screenshot

[Spaghetti Betty]

Good morning!

 

Welcome to Tanking! This is the land of easily achievable survivability thresholds and quality of life slotting! I did take a look at your build, and I have a couple of tips!

 

For any armor, you're going want to lean in its strengths instead of trying to shore up it's shortcomings! So, I'd advise against trying to build spread of resists where Bio doesn't have any. You should focus on capping your S/L resists, then training recharge afterwards! I could even argue that building up those defenses aren't very important either, as the set doesn't really have a whole lot of DDR!

 

As for the Battle Axe side of things, I think switching out Cleave for Gash would be highly beneficial. Forcing yourself to use Cleave as part of your normal rotation is a DPS loss if you aren't constantly hitting Cleave's target cap. With that in mind, swapping for Gash gives you an incredibly high-DPA ST attack, and we can pick up Dark Obliteration for another AoE if we don't mind trading out Teleport Target for an extra pick! Yay damage!

 

Now, I'm not very good at listing out changes I'd personally make in longform, so I just whipped something up instead!

 

Tanker (Bio Armor - Battle Axe).mbd

 

You said you're not very experienced with Melee toons, so I did lean a little bit more into defense than I normally would for a build, but this will still dish out exceptional damage. You just won't feel as pressed in a fight as a player might be when I usually hand them a build I make!

 

As for a 4-star iteration, there'd definitely be a lot of changes made to accommodate that sort of gameplay, and would require brand new build. I wouldn't mind working on that either, so just let me know!

[BurnTheWitch]

15 hours ago, Spaghetti Betty said:

Good morning!

 

Welcome to Tanking! This is the land of easily achievable survivability thresholds and quality of life slotting! I did take a look at your build, and I have a couple of tips!

 

For any armor, you're going want to lean in its strengths instead of trying to shore up it's shortcomings! So, I'd advise against trying to build spread of resists where Bio doesn't have any. You should focus on capping your S/L resists, then training recharge afterwards! I could even argue that building up those defenses aren't very important either, as the set doesn't really have a whole lot of DDR!

 

As for the Battle Axe side of things, I think switching out Cleave for Gash would be highly beneficial. Forcing yourself to use Cleave as part of your normal rotation is a DPS loss if you aren't constantly hitting Cleave's target cap. With that in mind, swapping for Gash gives you an incredibly high-DPA ST attack, and we can pick up Dark Obliteration for another AoE if we don't mind trading out Teleport Target for an extra pick! Yay damage!

 

Now, I'm not very good at listing out changes I'd personally make in longform, so I just whipped something up instead!

 

Tanker (Bio Armor - Battle Axe).mbd 42.05 kB · 2 downloads

 

You said you're not very experienced with Melee toons, so I did lean a little bit more into defense than I normally would for a build, but this will still dish out exceptional damage. You just won't feel as pressed in a fight as a player might be when I usually hand them a build I make!

 

As for a 4-star iteration, there'd definitely be a lot of changes made to accommodate that sort of gameplay, and would require brand new build. I wouldn't mind working on that either, so just let me know!

 

As always, @Spaghetti Betty showing how it is done.  I wanted to ask about the choice of soul mastery in this build.  Is there a particular reason you went with Gloom and Dark Obliteration, or would Mu Mastery suit the build just as well and you made a stylistic/ preferential choice?

[Spaghetti Betty]

2 hours ago, BurnTheWitch said:

 

As always, @Spaghetti Betty showing how it is done.  I wanted to ask about the choice of soul mastery in this build.  Is there a particular reason you went with Gloom and Dark Obliteration, or would Mu Mastery suit the build just as well and you made a stylistic/ preferential choice?

Gloom is a high damage attack that fits nicely in BA's attack chain and Dark Obliteration's damage is immediate, where Ball Lightning's is a DoT!

[Epicentr]

On 7/9/2025 at 6:10 PM, Spaghetti Betty said:

Good morning!

 

Welcome to Tanking! This is the land of easily achievable survivability thresholds and quality of life slotting! I did take a look at your build, and I have a couple of tips!

 

For any armor, you're going want to lean in its strengths instead of trying to shore up it's shortcomings! So, I'd advise against trying to build spread of resists where Bio doesn't have any. You should focus on capping your S/L resists, then training recharge afterwards! I could even argue that building up those defenses aren't very important either, as the set doesn't really have a whole lot of DDR!

 

As for the Battle Axe side of things, I think switching out Cleave for Gash would be highly beneficial. Forcing yourself to use Cleave as part of your normal rotation is a DPS loss if you aren't constantly hitting Cleave's target cap. With that in mind, swapping for Gash gives you an incredibly high-DPA ST attack, and we can pick up Dark Obliteration for another AoE if we don't mind trading out Teleport Target for an extra pick! Yay damage!

 

Now, I'm not very good at listing out changes I'd personally make in longform, so I just whipped something up instead!

 

Tanker (Bio Armor - Battle Axe).mbd 42.05 kB · 2 downloads

 

You said you're not very experienced with Melee toons, so I did lean a little bit more into defense than I normally would for a build, but this will still dish out exceptional damage. You just won't feel as pressed in a fight as a player might be when I usually hand them a build I make!

 

As for a 4-star iteration, there'd definitely be a lot of changes made to accommodate that sort of gameplay, and would require brand new build. I wouldn't mind working on that either, so just let me know!

Thank you so much for this!

I see what you're saying about not pushing defense or psi resist as strongly. The slotting looks way cleaner, somehow. I'll probably swap maneuvers for CJ (slotted alike). Otherwise, I really appreciate the new build! I'm speccing into it immediately! <33

 

Now where am I taking you for dinner? =P

[Spaghetti Betty]

26 minutes ago, Epicentr said:

Now where am I taking you for dinner? =P

 

[WuTang]

I take ALOT of my slotting ques from @Spaghetti Betty when it comes to anything HP regeneration related.

 

I run this exact combo and it's proved to be durable as all hell. If you plan on 4 star definitely proc out more than I did just to bump your DPS a bit, but this build puts out a decent amount even having not taken any epic powers. The FF +recharge proc is up 99% of the time. The double travel powers thing is for theme, but does give you insane mobility. Also the running speed is peggd out, which if you're not used to will have you pinging off walls, which I think is funny,

 

Any ways, hope you might find something useful within...

 

Have fun!

Tanker (Bio Armor - Battle Axe)1.5.mbd

[JayboH]

On 7/9/2025 at 7:10 PM, Spaghetti Betty said:

Good morning!

 

Welcome to Tanking! This is the land of easily achievable survivability thresholds and quality of life slotting! I did take a look at your build, and I have a couple of tips!

 

For any armor, you're going want to lean in its strengths instead of trying to shore up it's shortcomings! So, I'd advise against trying to build spread of resists where Bio doesn't have any. You should focus on capping your S/L resists, then training recharge afterwards! I could even argue that building up those defenses aren't very important either, as the set doesn't really have a whole lot of DDR!

 

As for the Battle Axe side of things, I think switching out Cleave for Gash would be highly beneficial. Forcing yourself to use Cleave as part of your normal rotation is a DPS loss if you aren't constantly hitting Cleave's target cap. With that in mind, swapping for Gash gives you an incredibly high-DPA ST attack, and we can pick up Dark Obliteration for another AoE if we don't mind trading out Teleport Target for an extra pick! Yay damage!

 

Now, I'm not very good at listing out changes I'd personally make in longform, so I just whipped something up instead!

 

Tanker (Bio Armor - Battle Axe).mbd 42.05 kB · 4 downloads

 

You said you're not very experienced with Melee toons, so I did lean a little bit more into defense than I normally would for a build, but this will still dish out exceptional damage. You just won't feel as pressed in a fight as a player might be when I usually hand them a build I make!

 

As for a 4-star iteration, there'd definitely be a lot of changes made to accommodate that sort of gameplay, and would require brand new build. I wouldn't mind working on that either, so just let me know!

Strictly glancing at your totals window in the pic, doesn't it seem that end use is kinda crazy vs recovery?  Wouldn't you drain fairly quickly?

[Erratic1]

36 minutes ago, JayboH said:

Strictly glancing at your totals window in the pic, doesn't it seem that end use is kinda crazy vs recovery?  Wouldn't you drain fairly quickly?

 

Efficient Adaptation should drop the endurance use by a chunk. Not sure if that is their plan, but I built my SS/Brute completely around Efficient. He's fine to leave it, but is built to never run out while in it.

[Uun]

I've got an Axe/Bio brute. Even with Agility Alpha, I have to shift to Efficient Adaptation when facing certain factions (i.e., Praetorians, Arachnos). I've also learned to use DNA Siphon proactively for the endurance/recovery buff even if I don't need healing.

[Spaghetti Betty]

3 hours ago, JayboH said:

Strictly glancing at your totals window in the pic, doesn't it seem that end use is kinda crazy vs recovery?  Wouldn't you drain fairly quickly?

You're not wrong! I'd normally take Vigor as my alpha to help with that, but I went Nerve so the defense made the build a little bit safer. It also has super speed, sprint, and offensive adaptation instead of efficient switched on. That's kind of a lot of superfluous drain that's easy to manage otherwise!

[fmacanadaguy]

For the OP, this is the Bio/Axe Tanker I made and used it against +4x8 content. It is pretty solid

Tanker (Bio Armor - Battle Axe).mbd

[JayboH]

15 hours ago, Erratic1 said:

 

Efficient Adaptation should drop the endurance use by a chunk. Not sure if that is their plan, but I built my SS/Brute completely around Efficient. He's fine to leave it, but is built to never run out while in it.

Yeah the build was set to offensive adaptation so I was basing it on that,; yeah you are probably right.  I was just going off the pic.

[WuTang]

Oh man I always run mine in Offensive

[Erratic1]

28 minutes ago, WuTang said:

Oh man I always run mine in Offensive

 

On a Tanker, I probably would build for Offensive.