| User |
Message |
thedarkarsenal
Posts: 118
Joined: 06/19/2007
Credibility: 0 pts
|
So I've decided to remake my Ice Tanker (not a fan of War Mace) and I'm trying to decide whether to choose Energy Melee or Super Strength. I'd did a little testing (up to 4) and have read up on the powers, and It looks like the Energy Melee attacks do more damage. I'd like to to be versatile enough to dish out damage and take it as well, so any opinions on which to choose will be greatly appreciated :)
|
| 01/22/08 16:55 |
Login to rate this user's post! |
Deadman54
GameAmp Staff
Posts: 3
Joined: 06/06/2006
Credibility: 0 pts
|
Having played a SS tank to 50, and an EM tank to 40, I can say that EM does do more damage. SS does do a nice job in later lvls with slotting and such, whereas EM does a nice job right out of the box. Biggest difference I've seen is that mobs that resist smash dmg don't resist the eng dmg that EM puts out. I'd personally go EM for the versatility and inherent stun in most EM attacks.
In defense of the SS set though the animation times do seem to be a tad quicker among the heavy hitter in both sets. Depending on what server you'll be on if you'd like I can run with you and you can see 1st hand the pros and cons of both sets. I'm on Triumph most nights after 6pm EST send me a tell @Deadman54 :)
Si vis pacem, para bellum
|
| 01/22/08 17:18 |
Login to rate this user's post! |
Warron Peace
Posts: 0
Joined: 06/06/2006
Credibility: 0 pts
|
Big difference between the sets is when they bloom. EM becomes the big hitter in the late 30s, with 2 superior damage attacks, each of them on a 20s base recharge schedule. SS picks up sooner, with its big damage attack coming available at level 20, being superior damage and on a 25s recharge schedule.
In my experience, SS has more reliable mitigation. KO Blow does almost guaranteed knockup (only time it doesn't is if the mob resists knocks). This, plus the hold attached to it, makes for a great start to the fight, taking out a potentially problematic foe (Sappers and such) out of the fight right off the bat, and leaving minions within 2 hits of death. Haymaker is also pretty reliable to do knockdown, which can be handy for mitigation purposes. SS also has access to Rage. Rage gives the equivalent bonuses to damage and tohit as Build Up. (80% more damage, 20% Tohit, enhanceable up to approximately 30%, no laughing matter) The difference, however, is Rage lasts for 2 minutes, and has a 4 minute base recharge. That means that with 3 Recharge SOs in it, it is almost permanent. With Hasten up, it can actually stack for approximately 30 seconds, resulting in an even larger tohit buff and significantly more damage while stacked. I've literally killed +2 minions in one shot with stacked Rage. =D
The downfall to Rage is that after 2 minutes, it has a crash that lasts for 10 seconds.. Currently this crash is set at -25 endurance points, -20% defense, and "Only Affecting Self." This is going to change, however. The new crash will consist of -25 end, 0.00% recovery, and "Damage=-999%." The idea behind the crash in all forms has been to prevent you from attacking. However, the current, unchanged status prevents you from managing aggro, as it shuts off taunt auras and your ability to use "Taunt" if you have that power. One of the other, more important side effects of the "Only Affecting Self" period is that powers like Invincibility and Rise to the Challenge no longer work to mitigate damage. The new crash of Rage still limits your ability to attack for 10 seconds, making it so you do no damage and have less endurance to use, while still allowing your taunt aura to function and allowing you to use Taunt, which has no end cost.
Long-winded, eh? I feel that if you want an early damage dealer and better mitigation, go with SS. If you don't mind waiting for your damage and having less reliable mitigation, take the time to level up EM, as it does do more single target damage than any other set in the late game.
W.P.
***THIS POST HAS BEEN EDITED***
my current project: Spine/Will farmer, Quillpower, on Virtue.
|
| 01/22/08 17:53 |
Login to rate this user's post! |
Epsilon Unit
Posts: 3
Joined: 08/22/2007
Credibility: 0 pts
|
Also i'ld like to mention that EM is a almost sololy single target set and that SS has some of the better damage migitation esspecially in big cramped spaces spamming foot stomp will result in everything almost constantly in the air combined with Hand Clap, which i think has been under-rated, can keep most mobs off their feet, stunned and dead
Although people make the arguement that death is the ultimate debuff and em does that faster but lacks the AoE damage migitation that SS does
Triumph Man Come Join The party:
Epsilon Assassin, lvl 50 spines/regen
Winters-Fury, lvl 50 Ice/Kinetics
EpsiIon Assassin, lvl 43 EM/Ninjutsu
Sigil Incarnate, lvl 21 Fire/Psi Dom
Total Purple Drops: 9 and counting
Some people think outside the Box, most think Inside the box, i think inside an outside of a triangle, remember that as you try invain to comprehend my insanity
There is a method to my madness!!!
|
| 01/23/08 00:40 |
Login to rate this user's post! |
Solarix
Posts: 32
Joined: 08/13/2006
Credibility: 0 pts
|
also, doesn't EM cost way more end?
My DeviantART
City of Heroes
Global Name: @Lethal Dose
Virtue
Lady Arya - lvl 50!! D3 defender(main)
Luna Moonlink - lvl 27 Peacebringer
Ethereal Phoenix - lvling Fire/Kin Controller
Aurelei - lvl 28 Warshade
Amazing Alice - lvl 21 Dark/WP Scrapper
Clara Wink - lvl 30 claws/regen scrapper
Imamu - lvl 24 sonic/ice blaster
Phoenix Android - lvling Psy/Fire Blaster
SpecOps Psion - lvling Psy/Mental Blaster
SpecOps Aether - lvling Dark/Energy Tanker
Arya Android - lvling Robots/Dark Mastermind
and various others...
Freedom
La Psypathe - lvl 34 FF/Psy Defender
True Psight - lvl 28 illusions/empathy controller
Tru Element - lvling Ice/Thermal Controller
Plus, I play Guild Wars.
|
| 01/23/08 15:32 |
Login to rate this user's post! |
Lightfoot27
Posts: 1
Joined: 01/16/2007
Credibility: 0 pts
|
Not way more, but definitely noticable. It does however off the highest burst dmg available. It really is on par with most scrappers dmg output. Currently though, I am working on a willpower/em toon precisely to negate that heavy endurance use, so I should have phenominal burst dps without having to worry much about end management.
BEST TEST ANSWERS EVER!
"Who was responsible for inventing the cotton gin?"
"I'm unable to divulge that information as it may compromise our agents in the field."
"What was the date of Columbus' journey to the americas?"
"I do not believe in linear time, the past and future are one, existence in the temporal sense is illusionary... this question is therefore meaningless and impossible to answer."
-Calvin and Hobbes
|
| 01/23/08 15:53 |
Login to rate this user's post! |
Warron Peace
Posts: 0
Joined: 06/06/2006
Credibility: 0 pts
|
| QUOTE | | also, doesn't EM cost way more end? |
Yes and No, it depends on the circumstances. When you compare base damage at level 50 (unenhanced, no buffs) versus Endurance cost of each attack, the first three powers of each set are almost exactly the same.
Attack Damage/Endurance
Barrage 8.53
Jab 8.56
Energy Punch 8.56
Punch 8.56
Bonesmasher 8.55
Haymaker 8.55
Then take the AoEs of the sets, Whirling Hands and Footstomp. (Handclap is left out, as it is a pure mitigation tool with no damage)
Whirling Hands 3.42 DPE
Footstomp 3.42 DPE
Footstomp does more damage than Whirling Hands, but its Endurance is cost is exactly proportionate to the amount of damage it does, when compared to WH.
Lets take the signature, *BIG* hits. This is where the endurance cost changes significantly at base values.
Knockout Blow 8.56 DPE
Total Focus 8.56 DPE
Energy Transfer 19.89 DPE
Wow. Because of the fact that Energy Transfer takes a small chunk of your HP with it, it does the most damage per endurance point used of any attack in either set. The only attack left out of Super Strength is Hurl, which does 7.79 damage per endurance point used.
When we add up the DPE for each attack and divide by the whole to get an average damage per endurance for the entire set, we see:
Energy Melee 9.585 Average Damage per Endurance
Super Strength 7.573 Average Damage per Endurance
Amazing. For the same amount of endurance used, Energy Melee does, on average, the same or more damage overall.
So no, at base values, EM is not more expensive. The attacks all use approximately the same amount of endurance as similar attacks in SS. In the late game, you'll actually get more damage for your endurance usage over all, once Energy Transfer is taken into account.
However, I said in the beginning that its a Yes and No situation. At base values, EM does more damage per endurance than SS. But there is one big thing that must be taken into account, and that is Rage. With the fact that Rage can be made close enough to permanent, SS in the late game pretty much has an additional 80% damage all the time its attacking. When this is taken into account on the overall average damage per endurance, Super Strength winds up having an average damage per endurance of 13.630, nearly 50% more than Energy Melee's numbers. Super Strength will get the kills faster with Rage active, resulting in less endurance used, total. This is at the cost, however, of 10 seconds of being unable to do any damage, as well as a good chunk of your endurance bar being taken away. That will occur every 2 minutes, and can result in toggles dropping at the most inopportune times.
Really, the sets are very similar in how much endurance they use overall. SS will do more damage with its endurance than Energy Melee, but EM also has a Higher overall damage per second. It really does balance itself out, in the long run. If I took into account Damage per Second per Endurance point, I'm sure it would be very close, so close as to not make a huge difference. So in the end, it comes down to whether you want better mitigation and earlier damage, or greater damage per second in the late game, at the cost of less reliable mitigation.
Either set will do the job you want, which is killing enemies. It's just a matter of style, really.
W.P.
my current project: Spine/Will farmer, Quillpower, on Virtue.
|
| 01/23/08 17:29 |
Login to rate this user's post! |
|
|
