Help: High-End Rad/Rad Brute Build for AV/Giant Monster/Trial Soloing Budget isn't an issue.

[Vindicate]

Hi everyone,

 

I'm looking for assistance from the community in creating an optimized, high-performance build for a Radiation Melee / Radiation Armor Brute. My goal is to solo Archvillains, Giant Monsters, and Trials, as well as comfortably handle x4/x8 solo content and run some old taskforces. I want something that can push the limits of what a brute can do solo, so budget is no concern — I'm open to purple sets, winter IOs, and any high-end enhancements that will squeeze out every drop of efficiency, power, and survivability.

 

I'm particularly interested in maximizing:

• Survivability vs hard-hitting AVs and mobs

• Efficient AoE and ST damage chains

• Strong endurance management

• Softcapped or near-softcapped defenses (if possible)

• Fast recharge for key powers

 

Unfortunately mids isn't my strong point If anyone has experience with top-tier Rad/Rad builds or suggestions on where to find a decent build to push it to its peak potential, I'd really appreciate your input. Thank you in advance!

[Maelwys]

Radiation Armor got hit with the nerf bat recently - Radiation Therapy's Proc activation rate and Ground Zero's target cap both got drastically reduced (although they've since fixed a bug with Ground Zero's Proc activation rate being lower than it should).

 

Radiation Melee is more of a utility powerset than a powerhouse (although due to its damage aura and hefty PBAoE it has a bit of a niche in AFK "passive" farming) and does not particularly lend itself to soloing AVs/GMs nor to clearing large groups of foes particularly quickly.

 

I'd happily still recommend Radiation Armor since even with the nerfs it still has reasonable levels of AoE damage output, provides +Recharge via Beta Decay and Radiation Therapy inflicts a decent -Regen debuff... but are you dead set on Radiation Melee? Could (for example) Martial Arts, Titan Weapons or Firey Melee work instead?

[Vindicate]

Hi and thanks for taking the time to read and reply — it’s genuinely appreciated!

 

I should probably start by saying I've recently returned to the game after a long break. My main comfort zone has always been my fully IO’d Fire/Fire/Fire Blaster, which I’ve used to tackle alot of content in the past. It’s a beast and a blast to play, but I’m looking to shake things up and try something new — specifically, a Brute (or possibly a Tanker) built for challenging solo content. I'd like to be able to take a hit complete opposite of my blaster. 

 

To be totally honest, I’m still learning the ins and outs of what makes an optimal Brute build, especially for soloing harder encounters like Giant Monsters, Archvillains, old Task Forces, Trials, and other endgame content. I’ve got a healthy in-game bankroll, as stated so budget isn’t an issue.

 

What draws me to Brutes is the aggressive, high-damage play style. The idea of smashing through enemies with Fury ramped up while still being able to stand toe-to-toe with AVs really appeals to me. I’ve also been looking at Tanker options, but I’m not sure if they can handle this kind of solo content without turning into a slow slog — survivable, yes, but I still want to feel powerful and engaged.

 

As for power sets, I’m deliberately steering away from Fire — I’ve played enough pyromancer to last me a while. Radiation has caught my eye, both for its visual style and the strong -regen debuffs, which seem ideal for AV and GM fights. I’ve also considered Dark/Dark, since I know it's incredibly tanky, but I’m unsure how well its damage holds up once fully IO’d and loaded with procs. I know it's tough as nails!

 

I do have a few other characters lying around — a level 50 Bots/FF Mastermind I never really developed, and an old SS/Invul Brute, but my current interest is in finding a fresh powerhouse to push content solo and shine in group content too. Something aggressive and satisfying — not really into Martial Arts, though...

 

Aesthetics matter to me as well, so I’m partial to matching primaries and secondaries (e.g., Rad/Rad or Dark/Dark), but I’m not absolutely locked into that. 

 

Ultimately, I’m looking for a high-performance character I can really invest time and effort into. Something that can solo old and new content, take on difficult fights. I’m excited to get back into things and appreciate any guidance or suggestions you can share!

[Maelwys]

4 minutes ago, Vindicate said:

What draws me to Brutes is the aggressive, high-damage play style. The idea of smashing through enemies with Fury ramped up while still being able to stand toe-to-toe with AVs really appeals to me.

...

As for power sets, I’m deliberately steering away from Fire

...

my current interest is in finding a fresh powerhouse to push content solo and shine in group content too. Something aggressive and satisfying — not really into Martial Arts, though

...

Ultimately, I’m looking for a high-performance character I can really invest time and effort into. Something that can solo old and new content, take on difficult fights. I’m excited to get back into things and appreciate any guidance or suggestions you can share!

 

Since Firey Melee and Martial Arts aren't your cup of tea, I'd probably recommend either Battle Axe or Titan Weapons.

 

Battle Axe can deal very high damage in both ST and AoE, and Axe Cyclone knocking things flying (yet towards you via inverse repel!) is a thing of mayhemic beauty. But it is also very endurance heavy. /Rad provides multiple recovery tools.

Titan Weapons has a simple combo mechanic (building momentum) and solid smashy ST and AoE damage. It also provides an easier route to Softcap your Melee Defense via Defensive Sweep.

 

If neither of those options speak to you... then Street Justice, War Mace or Ice Melee etc. would IMO all still provide a better mechanical starting point than Radiation Melee. Honestly the only time I could recommend Radiation Melee (other than AFK farming!) would be if you really want an offensive powerset with a self-heal - Super Reflexes is sometimes paired with either it or Dark Melee for that reason.

 

Honestly almost any Brute powerset combo can be built to solo at +4x8 and survive indefinitely against AVs/GMs. However many of them will struggle to produce enough Damage and/or -Regen debuffs to defeat the tougher AVs/GMs without Lore Pets and Envenomed Daggers.

[Story Archer]

Claws, man. I can't break my addiction to Claws. Two incredibly strong and quickly recharging AoE's, two excellent ranged attacks, smooth fast activating attack chains... all the knockback provides a shocking amount of mitigation when played well and you need a minimum number of powers, freeing you up to really delve into additional pool options. I call my Claws/Bio Scrapper a 'Scrapster' because she actually has a potent ranged attack chain which comes in handy way more times than you'd expect. Once you find your rhythm, it'll be hard to pick anything else.