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Guide to Energy Aura for Brutes
So, you want to play an Energy Aura brute do you? Well I hope to clarify and inform you on all the powers in the set, and also say whether or not a power is as nice as it sounds.
Let’s get started then shall we?
First off, this set is not as “tough” as the other brute sets. It is in a class of more of a “scranker” type of set. It has no self heal, a dull pain in the normal sense and no AoE toggle for damage or control. Why take it? Because it lets you focus on what brutes can really do, gain fury and deal lots of damage when mad. But it does have some tricks to it. Such as getting Energy Drain sooner than electric armor, and its last power Overload has a great boost to all defense (except Psionic, the big chink in the armor set) and comes with a small dull pain aspect to it, and the crash only consists of loosing all of your endurance for a moment. But since you have energy drain, if you time it right, you won’t even lose your toggles! Also, since its so defense based, it also has resists to defense debuffs.
• Kinetic Shield
o Does: Smash and Lethal defense, and a small amount of energy. Resist Defense Debuffs.
o Base defense of 12.8% to Smash and Lethal, 1.9% Energy
o Comments: The mainstay of the set. Always have it on, just about everything hits you with some kind of smashing or lethal damage, or at least is coupled with it.
o Slotting: 1-2 Endurance reduction, 3 Defense
• Dampening Field
o Does: Resistance to Smashing and Lethal damage
o Base 7.5% resist to Smash/Lethal
o Comments: An ok power, if it did more resist percentage, it’d be worth taking early, but leave it till late levels, or just skip them for something more appealing
o Slotting: 1-2 Resists
• Power Shield
o Does: Fire, Cold, Energy, Negative Defense, Resist Defense Debuff
o Base 15% defense to Fire, Cold, and Energy, Base 10.5% defense to Negative.
o Comments: This is your “exotic” damage shield. Covers all the other types of damage you’ll mainly take over your Bruting career. May hurt your endurance bar till post stamina and Energy Drain.
o Slotting: 1-2 End reduction, 3 Defense
• Entropy Shield
o Does: Resist Knockback, Repel, Disorient, Hold, Sleep, Immobilize, Teleport, Defense Debuff
o Comments: A great mezz protection power. Does all the basics of Hold, sleep, immobilize etc. but also does Teleport, and Repel. 2 powers not often protected against, and useful for any PvPer, especially when dealing with someone teleporting people onto mines, or hiding in a Force bubble.
o Slotting: 1 end reduction
• Energy Protection
o Does: Resistance to Energy and Negative damage
• Base 9% resist to Energy, 7.5% to Negative
o Comments: Same as Dampening Field would be more useful if it had a higher value. Wait till late levels or not take.
o Slotting: 1-2 Resists
• Energy Cloak
o Does: Gives Stealth and Defense to all types of damage
• Base 3.75% defense to all damage.
o Comments: The oddball of the set. Gives a small boost to your defenses. I didn’t have this for the leveling part of my career, but after having respec’ed into it, I wish I had it then. Also notable: you don’t disappear and reappear as normal with stealth.
o Slotting: 1-2 endurance reduction, 0-2 defense buffs (the boost to defense is debatable on being worth it or not, but 2 will give the most bang for your buck without losing too many slots)
• Energy Drain
o Does: Drains endurance from the enemies around you to refill your own endurance.
o Comments: An essential power to take, can’t stress it enough. Nothing worse than running out of endurance in the middle of a fight, or having it drained away from you by a sapper, freakshow, clockwork or carnie. Needs about 3 enemies to refill your bar back up to full, but one enemy, when its fully slotted, can refill it enough to keep you going till its back up again.
o Slotting: 3 Recharge, 3 Endurance Modification
• Conserve Power
o Does: Cuts the cost of all your powers for 90 seconds
o Comments: Never took this power, and didn’t have a need for it. Energy Drain covers all you main endurance needs, and there are no laws against popping a blue inspiration during a fight.
o Slotting: 3 recharge
• Overload
o Does: Boosts Defense to All Damage (but Psi), +recovery, +Max HP, Resist Defense Debuff
o Base 45% defense to all damage (But Psi), +40% to Max HP Special: Lose all endurance when it wears off.
o Comments: A great tier 9 power. Makes you hard to hit, much like Elude for scrappers/stalkers. And if you are hit, you’ve got more Health to take the hits with.
o Slotting: 3 Recharge, 2-3 Defense, 1-2 Heal
I won’t go into a lot of details about Power Pools, but I’ll give my recommendations for what to work in at the very least
Fitness pool: Take, and appreciate it. You may have 2 endurance modifying powers in the sets, but you’ll want some longevity in drawn out fights against Elite bosses and Arch-villains, or just even some tough bosses.
Medicine pool: Since you have no self heal or dull pain, you want at least SOMETHING to keep you going during a fight. Take Stimulant or Aid Other, doesn’t really matter too much. As for Aid Self, take it and six it with least 2 heals and 2 interruption reductions.
Travel Power Pools: Anything works for this set, its all personal preference; I took Flight since Air Superiority was more appealing than Hasten or Combat Jumping.
Fighting Pool: I have no personal experience using this set, but I’ve seen other energy brutes take it to at least augment their Smash/Lethal resistances
All in all it’s a unique set that keeps things interesting during your villainous career. My first level 50 villain was an energy melee/energy aura brute, and I loved the whole journey.
Hope this helps clarify anything you’d be wondering about if you give this set a whirl.
Good Luck and Stay Evil!
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