A Generic Hero Build?

bdragon4co

So I was working on a more generic, unarmed hero build with some energy-ish powers, but I can't seem to get it the way I like. Here's where I'm at so far:

b]PowerHouse[/b] (Link to this build)

Name: Cosmic Power

Archetype: Freeform

Super Stats:
Level 6: Strength (Primary)
Level 10: Constitution (Secondary)
Level 15: Recovery (Secondary)

Talents:
Level 1: Inhuman
Level 6: Mighty
Level 9: Enduring
Level 12: Tireless
Level 15: Quick Recovery
Level 18: Indomitable
Level 21: Relentless

Powers:
Level 1: Righteous Fists (Rank 2, Drunken Master)
Level 1: Thundering Kicks (Floating Lotus Blossom, Accelerated Metabolism)
Level 6: Inexorable Tides (Rank 2)
Level 8: Invulnerability (Rank 2, Rank 3)
Level 11: Force Shield (Rank 2, Rank 3, Force Sheathe)
Level 14: Crushing Wave (Rank 2, Disruptive Force)
Level 17: Form of the Tiger (Rank 2, Rage of the Beast)
Level 20: Havoc Stomp (Cry Havoc)
Level 23: Overdrive
Level 26: Dragon Uppercut (Rank 2, Rank 3)
Level 29: Force Cascade
Level 32: Shockwave
Level 35: Energy Wave (Hardened Particle Matrix, Reverse Polarity)
Level 38: Energy Storm

Travel Powers:
Level 6: Flight
Level 35: Mach Speed

Specializations:
Strength: Swole (3/3)
Strength: Physical Peak (2/3)
Strength: Quick Recovery (2/2)
Strength: Juggernaut (1/3)
Strength: Overpower (2/3)
Vindicator: Aggressive Stance (2/2)
Vindicator: Initiative (2/2)
Vindicator: The Rush of Battle (3/3)
Vindicator: Modified Gear (2/2)
Vindicator: Mass Destruction (1/3)
Brawler: The Glory of Battle (1/3)
Brawler: No Escape (1/3)
Brawler: Penetrating Strikes (2/2)
Brawler: Ruthless (1/2)
Brawler: Finishing Blow (2/3)
Brawler: Setup (2/2)
Brawler: Flanking (1/3)
Mastery: Strength Mastery (1/1)

I've been running into a problem with Form of the Tiger in that in only works with other powers within the martial arts group. I'm also stuck in deciding between Invincible and Unstoppable as passives. I love the damage I can do with Unstoppable, but then I have no defense. Any suggestions?

flowcyto

WotW is generally better than Unstoppable. Unstoppable's main advantage is the energy gain on knocks, which can somewhat be worked around or not necessary even for some Enrage builds, and giving some some knock resist- which is decent but not enough of a defensive benefit in itself imo.

FotTempest (unranked) will prove more versatile than FotTiger. Also, you took a focus/Dex scaling toggle, but have no Dex SS.

Other issues: ranking up the energy builder is usually a waste, and Overdrive as an EU doesn't really work w/ most of the build being instants or charges. I'd also avoid Energy Storm, since its not a very good ultimate, and you lack elementalist debuffs to make it better. You'll also prob want a lunge if ur using a melee energy builder.

Specs could also use some cleanup- Brawler/Warden w/ Setup can be good, but only if ur using Thundering Kicks (or any other combo) pretty regularly to proc Setup.

A bit of a re-tooling of the build. Dropped some of the attacks that didn't work that well w/ the rest of the build, but left the last 2 slots open to w/e if ya wanna add anything else in:

PowerHouse (Link to this build)

Super Stats:
Level 6: Strength (Primary)
Level 10: Dexterity (Secondary)
Level 15: Constitution (Secondary)

Talents:
Level 1: The Hero
Level 6: Covert Ops Training
Level 9: Acrobat
Level 12: Physical Conditioning
Level 15: Martial Focus
Level 18: Quick Recovery
Level 21: Impresario

Powers:
Level 1: Righteous Fists
Level 1: Thundering Kicks (Rank 2, Rank 3)
Level 6: Way of the Warrior (Rank 2, Rank 3)
Level 8: Form of the Tempest
Level 11: Mighty Leap
Level 14: Conviction (Rank 2, Rank 3)
Level 17: Molecular Self-Assembly
Level 20: Havoc Stomp (Rank 2, Rank 3)
Level 23: Dragon Uppercut (Rank 2, Rank 3)
Level 26: Energy Wave (Reverse Polarity)
Level 29: Ego Surge (Rank 2, Nimble Mind)
Level 32: Force Shield (Force Sheathe)
Level 35:
Level 38:

Travel Powers:
Level 6: Flight (Rank 2, Rank 3)
Level 35: Mach Speed

Specializations:
Strength: Swole (2/3)
Strength: Physical Peak (3/3)
Strength: Brutality (2/2)
Strength: Juggernaut (2/3)
Strength: Overpower (1/3)
Warden: Fortified Gear (2/3)
Warden: Slaughter (3/3)
Warden: Ruthless (2/2)
Warden: The Best Defense (3/3)
Brawler: The Glory of Battle (1/3)
Brawler: Penetrating Strikes (2/2)
Brawler: Ruthless (2/2)
Brawler: Finishing Blow (1/3)
Brawler: Setup (2/2)
Brawler: Offensive Expertise (2/2)
Mastery: Strength Mastery (1/1)

bdragon4co

Thank you!
That makes much more sense to me.
I didn't know about Conviction or Ego Surge. I'll have to remember those two.
I think replaceing 'Invincible' with Way of the Warrior would be best, since I get both Offensive and Defensive bonuses from DEX.

Thanks!

aiqa

flowcyto wrote: »

FotTempest (unranked) will prove more versatile than FotTiger. Also, you took a focus/Dex scaling toggle, but have no Dex SS.

More versitile yes, but when you use only (mostly) charge attacks FotTiger is more relyable.
When using slow attack powers (fully charged single target attacks), even with a high crit chance, FotTempest will now and then drop it stacks due to unlucky non-crit streaks.
Also since this build is not great on energy, the far more relyable energy gain from FotTiger is a nice advantage over FotTempeset.

flowcyto

Yeah, FotTiger works on my remake better than on the original build, since there's less instants, maintains, and ranged attacks. But w/ a Rush ability, MSA, Physical Peak, and high enough crit, energy shouldn't really be an issue either way, tbh. Main adv to FotTiger here would lie in being able to build stacks out of combat, but it won't gain stacks on TK use either. He also has Slaughter on TK for higher crit. If he wants FotTiger on my version of the build, though, he's free to.

Main problem I have w/ FotTiger builds is ya pretty much need to use charged melee AoEs for them, since the toggle won't work well otherwise. Not many good charged melee AoEs out there- stomp isn't really one of them, but its passable.

aiqa

Agreed on the charged AoE difficulties.
I've used a nw/FotTiger build with sword cyclone + adv build in the past, that worked quite nice.
One-shotting pretty much any group of enemies when comming out of stealth is fun.

flowcyto

Indeed, NW + Butcher Blades is nice for a stealth opener- just need to have good energy/equilibrium for it since even half charges (to build stacks) are pretty expensive.