Most survivable scrapper

[Linea]

I have previously never subjectively liked* Stone.  But NOW I'm currently running an non-granite Stone tank.  ... and ... I LIKE IT. Darn it!

 

So Now ... Someone needs to give me a good /Stone scrapper build I can steal and test.   Maybe [EnM, Kat, RadM, Dual Pistols]/Stone ... I'm going to have to think about it more.

 

*Objectively stone has always been fine, this was a subjective dislike.

Edited Thursday at 05:03 PM by Linea

[Uun]

10 minutes ago, StriderIV said:

If we throw having a taunt aura out the window, how do you feel /Stone Armor and /Bio stack up to each other both in terms of toughness and offensive ability?

Both are good sets but I feel /Stone is sturdier than /Bio. With Bio I have to keep a close eye on my HP and not wait too long before using DNA Siphon (I can't count the number of times I've died while it was animating). I also keep Ablative Carapace on auto. Stone is mostly set and forget, with just the occasional use of Earth's Embrace or Geode. In terms of offense, I haven't compared the damage procs side by side, but Bio also has a 25% damage buff (both only in Offensive Adaptation). Note, scrapper Bio does have a taunt aura.

[SomeGuy]

3 hours ago, StriderIV said:

If we throw having a taunt aura out the window, how do you feel /Stone Armor and /Bio stack up to each other both in terms of toughness and offensive ability?

 

Toughness? Stone wins easily. Bio is a glass cannon if ran the way it's meant to be ran. Offense? No taunt aura so runners aren't a factor in this (and if something runs away from your PBAoE Aura you are doing zero DPS). They are actually both close to equal. Yeah. Stone Armour contributes as much to offense as much as Bio Armor (or close to).

 

5 hours ago, WuTang said:

 

Another is Spine/Stone/Psi. My son runs this combo and it's great DPS and dang hard to kill. I've got one up and coming with the same build. Slow rolling (sort of) and thus far it's proven to be everything my boy has shown me.

 

DPS *is* damage mitigation. Spines is horrible at DPS. ST and AOE. Is it better DPS then a Mind Controller? Yeah. Doesn't mean it does good DPS. 

Edited Thursday at 07:54 PM by SomeGuy

[Uncle Shags]

What is this, kindergarten? Do we have to have a lesson on treating others with respect and not attacking their opinions and preferences?

 

Even my 6 year old knows the saying "Different strokes for different folks." 

[SomeGuy]

35 minutes ago, Uncle Shags said:

What is this, kindergarten? Do we have to have a lesson on treating others with respect and not attacking their opinions and preferences?

 

Even my 6 year old knows the saying "Different strokes for different folks." 

 

 

Opinions and this thread are two different things. Fun is subjective. If someone is having fun with measurably the worst performing set combo? Good, keep at it. Not like this game is hard. But if someone is asking for advice on something survivable? Anecdotes and feelings aren't solicited.

[VoidSpawn]

I was discussing this with @Bill Z Bubba a few days ago. He informed me that, even though EM/Bio was great offensively, he thought that his toughest scrapper was in fact his EM/SD. This parallels his Tank selection, too. 

 

I agree that /SD on a Scrapper can be super tough. I've used my own modified version of @Murcielago's DM/SD Scrapper, and it performed seriously well. So did the DM/Inv Scrapper that I used to run. I also delved into IM/SD, and it is seriously rugged; hard to kill with all of its mitigation tactics. Did Spines/DA, and it's an interesting gimmick. I've done a variety of /Bio, too; fun, great offense, but always on the literal edge because, sometimes, they're just squishy. I've also used @Linea's EM/EnA build, and it will take you as far as you are willing to go, even in soloing advanced Star modes. 

 

I've played all of the Scrapper armors to 50 or beyond. I've soloed ITFs, Star content, and Incarnate DA at highest levels. The S-tier here might not be the top of a Primary and the top of a Secondary, IMHO; it's looking sorta nonlinear, if you factor what "survivable" actually means. I could play Fire/Fire/Paper Towels and it could Phase Shift/Inviso/Combat Teleport till the end of time, and simply joust everything to death. Is that survivable?  

 

And, yes, I was shocked [SHOCKED!] that Bill Z didn't list his infamous Claws/SR. I thought it was godlike. Apparently, he thinks otherwise. 

 

-void 

Edited Thursday at 11:18 PM by VoidSpawn
SM to DM

[VoidSpawn]

@Linea, I think your Primaries for /Stone are great, but please consider adding Ice to that list. EM is the keeper, but Ice is a sleeper. Especially with Stone pushing additional fire damage into the ice. Equinox FTW. 

 

Hell, I don't think I've done that combo. I might roll one now...

[VoidSpawn]

The more I'm looking into this, the more I'm thinking I need to play /PSI. It's one armor for Scrapper I've not actually played, contrary to what I stated earlier in error. If it's like the Tanker version... it could be the most survivable. 

 

[BrandX]

13 hours ago, VoidSpawn said:

The more I'm looking into this, the more I'm thinking I need to play /PSI. It's one armor for Scrapper I've not actually played, contrary to what I stated earlier in error. If it's like the Tanker version... it could be the most survivable. 

 

 

I love Psi Armor.  It's my favorite set of the armors.  Maybe just because it fits my concepts a lot or maybe because it has everything I love in an armor set (may have been better if it was positional defense set).

 

Not sure I think it's the most survivable, but...Fear and Confuse Protection?!  Slow Resist?!  +Perception?!  And Aura of Insanity is just fun!  And it's Devour Psyche, while not some big bit of -Regen, is still some -Regen I get to throw out there when I want to use that power anyways 🙂

[Bill Z Bubba]

18 hours ago, VoidSpawn said:

And, yes, I was shocked [SHOCKED!] that Bill Z didn't list his infamous Claws/SR. I thought it was godlike. Apparently, he thinks otherwise. 

 

He's a devil. He kills gods.

 

Edit: Shield > SR. Just by the math. And they won't let us have claws/shield. Which is dumb. I could have another set of claws grafted to the shield.
Nrg Melee > Claws on ST damage by far. Much < Claws on AoE.
Regardless, the EM/Shield is going to trounce AVs FAR faster and safer than the Claws/SR.

Edited yesterday at 05:27 PM by Bill Z Bubba

[Troo]

so many choices

 

[StriderIV]

7 hours ago, BrandX said:

 

I love Psi Armor.  It's my favorite set of the armors.  Maybe just because it fits my concepts a lot or maybe because it has everything I love in an armor set (may have been better if it was positional defense set).

 

Not sure I think it's the most survivable, but...Fear and Confuse Protection?!  Slow Resist?!  +Perception?!  And Aura of Insanity is just fun!  And it's Devour Psyche, while not some big bit of -Regen, is still some -Regen I get to throw out there when I want to use that power anyways 🙂

I do need to try /Psi Armor myself. Seems to have a lot of tools on it's toolbelt.

[BrandX]

1 hour ago, StriderIV said:

I do need to try /Psi Armor myself. Seems to have a lot of tools on it's toolbelt.

 

It's an active set, but I feel it only really feels that way when trying to get Psychic Barrier triple stacked (20% Slow Resist a stack).  When I want to do that, then after the third stack I have to keep it going.  Devour Psychic has the same duration, but I can easily keep it 10 stacked once I hit 10 and just dealing with one ability doesn't feel to much, but keeping TWO, well, feels a little more active to do 😛

[WuTang]

On 11/13/2025 at 1:52 PM, SomeGuy said:

DPS *is* damage mitigation. Spines is horrible at DPS. ST and AOE. Is it better DPS then a Mind Controller? Yeah. Doesn't mean it does good DPS. 

I guess you CANNOT play Spines as well as my son then. Sounds like a you have a skill problem that you mask by only using the strongest sets. Learn to play better??

Edited 8 hours ago by WuTang

[SomeGuy]

2 hours ago, WuTang said:

I guess you CANNOT play Spines as well as my son then. Sounds like a you have a skill problem that you mask by only using the strongest sets. Learn to play better??

 

 

Not what I was trying to convey...but you have no idea how hilarious this is to me considering things. 

 

As for the "strongest sets" comment...this is incredibly LOL to me. One of my favorite sets to play is Dark Melee. One of the measurably worst sets to play. That set is a big reason I've leaned even HARDER in to "play whatever the eff you want, as long as you're having fun". 

 

*It's not a skill thing I was referring to. Your son may actually be a skilled player. I'm not debating that. I'm just stating the fact that Spines is measurably less then mid when compared to other sets. And yes, I have played Spines. 

Edited 7 hours ago by SomeGuy

[WuTang]

6 minutes ago, SomeGuy said:

And yes, I have played Spines.

Doesn't mean you played it well.

You be you... peace out

[SomeGuy]

1 hour ago, WuTang said:

Doesn't mean you played it well.

You be you... peace out

 

 

Re-read what I wrote. You're trying to argue with someone who has solo started the MSR with every melee primary in the game. I've solo-ed every TF in the game except the villain Reischman one. I've solo-ed BAF and duo-ed other i-trials. I've solo-ed both i-TFs in their current iteration (used to be you'd scale up to +3). I took a Spines/*REGEN* to 50 and realized the set just does not have enough firepower to do what I want out of a set. I can eek performance out of a lot. I can look at someone's build and tell if it's optimal or just slotting ADHD.

 

I'm not saying your son isn't getting a lot out of the set. I am saying the set doesn't MEASURABLY perform as well as what you are trying to convey. 

 

Maybe you should take a look at my signature?

 

There's a few reasons why Spines isn't on that spreadsheet a lot. Nor has it ever torn up the charts for MPL (minutes per level).

Edited 5 hours ago by SomeGuy