Gonna make an Energy Melee Scrapper...

[Azari]

EM is great if you love Scrappers that play like Stalkers.  It has some of the worst AOE in the game.

[Story Archer]

2 hours ago, Ukase said:

So, I'm playing an EM/EA scrapper currently. Not using 2xp for reasons that escape me. I probably think I need more time to learn the nuances of playing in melee and the specifics of playing a scrapper, as opposed to what I imagine are countless hours of playing a blaster or a corruptor or defender, or even a controller. But usually a blaster or corruptor. 

Story Archer, did you try using Cross Punch as slotted against a pylon? I'm curious as to how the procs are working. It's only lately I'm realizing that just because a proc says it's 3.5PPM doesn't mean it works that way in game. The math says it's highly unlikely those procs are going to fire, but who knows except you in this specific case? 

I don't know that I'd use the Numina unique in this build, or the Power Transfer in Stamina. I'd have to see how the character is handling what paces I put it through. Given what looks like a desire for more energy/negative energy resistance, I might forgo the Numina (which anecdotally doesn't seem to do much - I can talk more about that, but it might derail the topic) and give dodge the 4th of the Shield Wall set. 

Lately, I've come to realize, that at least in the end game, there's so many buffs happening, that slots spent on pursuing resistance and defense can be overdoing it. But you have to be your own judge of that. 

Totally unrelated - but your power selections - are they in this order in game? I would think you'd want to get those LotG recharges in the build sooner; but that could just be my own preferences. 

 

Hey - thanks for responding. Yeah, this power combo definitely represents a departure in playstyle from my previous 50 Scrappers (Kat/Will, Dual Blades/Ninjitsu & Claws/Bio), especially the Claws/Bio with all of its lightning-fast activations and AoE goodness. I'm still struggling with the adjustment from that standpoint. So far it feels like a two-step between Total Focus and Energy Transfer with Build Up as often as possible in between, ignoring opportunities at AoE to seek out and focus on the hardest targets.

 

I've gotten a ton of quality use out of a proc-heavy Cross Punch through the years, though that's more often been on Tankers. I've never 'tested' it, but it always seemed to hit as hard as any other filler attack with the added benefit of occasionally popping 2-3 foes at once. I'm still leaning on Mids for numbers (a mistake at times, I know) and I haven't had a build that used it for a while now, so if there's been some sort of changes to how procs fire off, I can't say. FWIW, the build I posted is set for the 'average' damage over time with procs firing at whatever rate they're supposed to, and the buffs it gets/gives from also selecting Boxing and Kick is actually considerable.

 

Power Transfer was intended to help offset the damage taken from constant Energy Transfer use and I added in Numina because the build just seemed to be using a lot of Endurance on paper. I'm actually not overly worried about E/N Resistance, I was more interested in the bonus additional health and since I already had 3 it seemed that 4 was an easy enough accommodation - plus the additional enhancement actually nudges me over 45% defense vs. Ranged & AoE (I chose to cut it pretty close). Your point about mixed and layered defenses over squeezing that last ounce of perfection in one particular area is well taken - Bio really taught me that - but I tend to solo a good bit, probably 75% of the time, so I never want to rely on the buffs of others. Incarnates do make a big difference though.

 

I do a lot of Flashbacks and post 40 (if not post 50) content, so I'm more concerned with a build that gives me a nice selection of the key powers at lower levels than when certain global buffs kick in.

[Story Archer]

1 hour ago, Azari said:

EM is great if you love Scrappers that play like Stalkers.  It has some of the worst AOE in the game.

 

Yeah, between activation times and it's lack of AoE, there's been a HUGE adjustment from Claws/Bio...

[aethereal]

Huh, I was just glancing at Cross Punch, and does it only get 5% chance to crit for Scrappers, no 10% for LT's/Bosses?  That's mildly annoying for it.