Energy Melee

[Ukase]

Energy Focus? What is it? Using TF gives me a white circle around Barrage. So what? Energy released? So what? 
I don't see Barrage doing more damage by using TF first. I don't notice anything special other than the red words flashing on my screen. What is Energy Focus? Why is it good? Or is it bad? HC Wiki has nothing about this that I could find. Maybe I missed it. 

[DarknessEternal]

Look at the text of Barrage.

[aethereal]

Energy Focus makes Barrage do a guaranteed stun instead of a chance to stun (and also some -regen which won't be relevant unless you're fighting a GM or AV, and some -special which is unlikely to be very noticeable).  It can also be consumed by Power Crash (increases possible number of target), and most notably by Energy Transfer (reduces the cast time from 3 seconds to 1 second).

[Troo]

1 hour ago, Ukase said:

Energy Focus? What is it? Using TF gives me a white circle around Barrage.

 

It's the hack job that was done to Energy Melee in Issue 27: Second Chances, Page 1. Yep it's half ass, but the nUmb3rs work. 

Player are forced to take Total Focus and as you've noticed Total Focus triggers the Energy Focus effects.

 

 Energy Focus

• Energy Focus is consumed when casting certain Energy Melee powers in order to provide bonus effects (Energy Focus is not consumed if the power misses)
• Energy Focus expires after 15 seconds

Here are the effects:

 Barrage: If used with Energy Focus: 100% chance for stun and applies a weakening (-special and -regen) effect to the target

 Power Crash: If used with Energy Focus: Target cap increased to 10 targets (16 for Tankers)

 Energy Transfer: If used with Energy Focus: Cast time reduced from 2.67s to 1.0s

 

Note: Energy Focus is granted even if Total Focus misses.

Note: If Total Focus crits, 2 Energy Focuses are granted. (I believe this is limited to Stalkers and Scrappers)

Note: Once granted Energy Focus is not consumed if the NEXT consuming power misses (Barrage, Power Crash, Energy Transfer) but it will expire if the timer runs out.

 

Powerset Revamp: Energy Melee

Spoiler

Energy Melee has received a series of changes aimed at improving the performance of the set. Total Focus now acts as an opener for three different Energy Focus combos, including a Total Focus > Energy Transfer combo which provides fast, potent single target damage. Stun has been reworked into Power Crash, a cone attack, in order to provide a small amount of additional AoE capability to the set.

 

Power Changes

•  Barrage
  • If used with Energy Focus: 100% chance for stun and applies a weakening (-special and -regen) effect to the target
•  Energy Punch
  • Recharge increased from 4s to 5s
  • End cost increased from 5.2 to 6.032
  • Damage increased from scale 1 to scale 1.16
•  Bone Smasher
  • Cast time reduced from 1.5s to 1.27s
•  Power Crash (Replaces Stun)
  • Power Crash is now a minor cone that can hit up to 5 targets (10 for Tankers)
  • No longer takes melee damage sets, now takes PBAoE damage sets (any existing enhancements will remain slotted until the character respecs)
  • If used with Energy Focus: Target cap increased to 10 targets (16 for Tankers)
  • If you previously had Stun in your build, you'll now have Power Crash
  • Stalkers only:
    • This power has a 16s recharge (instead of a 9s recharge for other ATs), with proportional damage and endurance cost increases per the standard damage formulas
    • As Stalkers do not have Whirling Hands, they rely entirely on Power Crash for AoE damage
•  Whirling Hands
  •  Damage increased from scale 1 to scale 1.1819 (it was slightly below what the damage formula dictated)
•  Total Focus 
  • Cast time reduced from 3.3 seconds to 2.53 seconds
  • Total Focus grants a charge of Energy Focus (even if power misses)
  •  Energy Focus
    • Energy Focus is consumed when casting certain Energy Melee powers in order to provide bonus effects (Energy Focus is not consumed if the power misses)
    • Energy Focus expires after 15 seconds
  • Stalkers / Scrappers only:
    • This power only crits for 28% additional damage, but when it crits, it will also generate a backup Energy Store that will re-activate Energy Focus after the current Energy Focus is used or expires (essentially it provides two stacks of Energy Focus)
•  Energy Transfer
  • Energy Transfer self damage is now 10% of base max HP for all ATs, and no longer costs any endurance
  • Damage is now 100% energy
  • Recharge lowered from 20s to 10s
  • If used with Energy Focus: Cast time reduced from 2.67s to 1.0s
  • Stalkers / Scrappers only:
    • This power only crits for 28% additional damage, but when it crits, it will not only avoid the self-damage, it will actually heal you for 10% of your base max HP

 

Folks can check out the 55 pages of beta discussion from October 2020

 

 

 

 

[Ukase]

8 hours ago, DarknessEternal said:

Look at the text of Barrage.

Yeah, I last looked at Barrage coming out of the Costume Creator into Outbreak. And I apparently forgot about the term "energy focus". 

This seems like an interesting powerset - but so far, I can't tell if I like it or not. But, I'll keep playing it at least until 40, see how it goes. 

[Erratic1]

26 minutes ago, Ukase said:

Yeah, I last looked at Barrage coming out of the Costume Creator into Outbreak. And I apparently forgot about the term "energy focus". 

This seems like an interesting powerset - but so far, I can't tell if I like it or not. But, I'll keep playing it at least until 40, see how it goes. 

 

Get Energy Transfer before deciding.

[Ukase]

1 hour ago, Erratic1 said:

 

Get Energy Transfer before deciding.

That will likely be tomorrow. And even then, it'll need at least a couple of slots to give it any chance of being impressive. I like the looks of the npcs when they're stunned. I just don't like the idea of slotting a stun in lieu of a damage, acc or recharge. Stuns are just mitigation, but really, the character shouldn't need much mitigation. So far, at level 25, my plant controller was clearing 0/8 more safely than this guy clears +1/1. Soon, though, Whirling hands needs a few more slots. 

[Erratic1]

9 minutes ago, Ukase said:

That will likely be tomorrow. And even then, it'll need at least a couple of slots to give it any chance of being impressive. I like the looks of the npcs when they're stunned. I just don't like the idea of slotting a stun in lieu of a damage, acc or recharge. Stuns are just mitigation, but really, the character shouldn't need much mitigation. So far, at level 25, my plant controller was clearing 0/8 more safely than this guy clears +1/1. Soon, though, Whirling hands needs a few more slots. 

 

On my Energy/Elec Brute, of the options for using  Energy Focus, the stun gets the least use.