With an improved Laser sword (namely the crippling challenge), I wonder: would you think Laser sword is good for a Power Armor build?

Yes, we all know of Pulsewave guide on PA, but he seem to be thinking of mechawarrior instead of mobile suits. Even as a ranking up build, I find that the laser sword with the particle acceleration is good for a Pet build... but what about a PA build?

Laser Sword doesn't do much for Power Armor. It improves the particle-based toggles, but those aren't PA's best toggles most of the time. There are trick builds you can pull with Electric Form that can generate a lot of Chest Beam damage, but those builds are also a lot more fragile than one would think Power Armor is supposed to be, and not as flexible. In no case is Laser Sword the primary attack. Electric Form with Super Dex and Form of the Tempest is about as close as you're likely to get to beam sabering folks, and even then the beam saber's best for setting up a monster Chest beam or Orbital Cannon. Something like:

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: Level 40 Champion

Superstats:
Level 6: Super Dexterity
Level 13: Super Endurance

Powers:
Level 1: Wrist Bolter
Level 1: Laser Sword -- Rank 2, Particle Acceleration
Level 6: Energy Shield -- Laser Knight
Level 6: Jet Boots -- Rank 2
Level 8: Electric Form -- Rank 2, Rank 3
Level 11: Mini Gun -- U-238 Rounds
Level 14: Unbreakable
Level 17: Chest Beam -- Rank 2, Rank 3
Level 20: Form of the Tempest
Level 23: Invocation Of Storm Calling
Level 26: Orbital Cannon -- Rank 2, Anvil of Dawn

Talents:
Level 1: Absolute Zero
Level 6: Impresario
Level 9: Accurate
Level 12: Shooter
Level 15: Daredevil
Level 18: Worldly
Level 21: Amazing Stamina

And go from there. You've got gigantic Chest Beams and Orbital Cannons once you've stacked up the debuff train Power Armor gives you, and the debuffs from Chest Beam, U-238 Rounds, and Storm Calling can stack up with Focus to slash down enemies with the Laser Sword if ye want. That's about as close as ye're gonna get to a Laser Sword-centric build, which also just so happens to be an Orbital Cannon/Chest Beam-centric build.

I put together a laser sword build a while ago just for fun. I was putting out 1.4k/swing and over 2k/crit, with 12 swings on a full energy bar. This was back when passives scaled with stats and all that. Thread here: http://forums.champions-online.com/s...d.php?t=115980

Build:

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: Level 40 Champion

Superstats:
Level 5: Super Dexterity
Level 13: Super Endurance

Powers:
Level 1: Electric Bolt
Level 1: Chain Lightning -- Lightning Helix
Level 5: Ionic Reverberation
Level 5: Acrobatics -- Rank 2, Rank 3, Versatility
Level 8: Electric Form -- Rank 2, Rank 3
Level 11: Electric Sheath -- Matter - Energy Union
Level 14: Gigabolt -- Rank 2, Rank 3
Level 17: Energy Shield -- Rank 2, Laser Knight
Level 20: Laser Sword -- Rank 2, Rank 3
Level 23: Bountiful Chi Resurgence -- Rank 2, Resurgent Reiki
Level 26: Thunderbolt Lunge -- Nailed to the Ground
Level 29: Form Of The Unleashed Tempest
Level 32: Lightning Reflexes
Level 35: Masterful Dodge -- Unfettered Strikes
Level 35: Teleport
Level 38: Assault Rifle -- Rank 2, Rank 3

Talents:
Level 1: Absolute Zero
Level 6: Accurate
Level 9: Martial Training
Level 12: Bodybuilder
Level 15: Impresario
Level 18: Martial Focus
Level 21: Relentless

Waste of a power for most PA builds. Useful as a main attack or a rebuff for builds not focused on PA attacks. Don't forget that Targeting Computer ignores Laser Sword. So its only good for Electric Form-ish builds.

I enjoy the Laser Sword for flavor. I've got a couple of toons with it for a signature weapon. I wouldn't waste the 3 points for Crippling Challenge. If you're seriously using it, you need those points going to it's damage.

Now with the Particle Acceleration advantage and Laser Sword Rank 2, The damage between 3 stacks of acceleration and Rank 2 don't seem to be too far off from a straight Laser Sword Rank 3. At least at levels 21-25.

The difference however, comes when you add in some other "energy" damage(particle, sonic, electric). Which Particle Acceleration increases the energy damage a target takes. If you're not focusing much on other energy damage, I'd just go with Rank 3.

Also primarily using Laser Sword with Particle Acceleration requires a good deal of Intellect and Endurance to cover the escalating cost of using the power. Endurance for your max power and Intellect to push the cost of using the sword down.

My character that uses it the most I crafted around using the sword primarily, so I went with Defiance as a passive for energy when attacked, and protector role to fill up with a quick block.

Damage is ok, but I'm highly considering a respec to build up on Dexterity so I can pick up a martial art form for the "All Melee" buff from focus.

I've been speculating on using Quarry since it provides a secondary buff to non-physical damage. It also works off your Intellect, which you're still going to need a fair amount of if you're using Laser Sword heavily. Even without Particle Acceleration, it's kinda energy hungry. Also Quarry boosts your dodge and avoidance so you could use Form of the Master to build Focus from dodging. Thus buffing your sword's damage.

I wouldn't recommend it for PvP much, but could be a fun build. If it's fun, play it.

If you aren't using it to buff other Particle attacks, you need to take Rank 3 instead of Particle Acceleration. The energy cost goes up by 50% with the Particle Acceleration advantage. Your DPE will go way down relative to Rank 3, so if you need to stop and build energy more often, your DPS probably will go down as well. I can imagine a situation in which proper use of energy unlocks like a Form toggle and MSA could make the advantage a better choice, but test for a good minute-plus against a test dummy to figure out which gives you higher DPS.

From experience, it sucks to level up tap spam a melee ST attack as your main goto attack. You need a solid aoe to clear out mobs if you're going to do that, and electric doesn't have one early on. Yes, you could do a maintain, but a maintain would defeat the purpose of laser sword, because you'll likely convince yourself to keep maintaining (looking at you venomous breath).

It would be far more useful if laser sword had more power options, (a EB, a tap spam AoE like cleave, or a maintain like EotS, an ST charge) If laser sword EB and one of the other options I listed existed, then laser sword would make a good build, but then, why not take DS attacks. I'm sure that's what the devs are thinking.


However, I have some interesting thoughts on this.

Since PA is focused around toggles, consider this.

Laser lance: ST Toggle: Throw your laser sword and it sticks in one foe doing X damage per second, but with an upfront cost instead of a maintain cost (Hand slot).


Now we're talking something new, different from Dual Swords, adds a lot to power armor (since it's a hand slot that functions like the shoulder missle), and brings laser sword into the ranged arena, but allows it to be melee as well. Yeah, sure you COULD fire off mini gun... but electric form, laser sword tap, laser eyes, and laser lance would be a lot of particle damage, without a constant drain on your energy, allowing you to CHARGE chest beam while slots are going off (GASP).

It's far more of a Gadgeteering attack than it is a Power Armor attack. There's absolutely nothing about Laser Sword that makes sense for PA. It's not attached to your suit the way other PA attacks are. It's shown as a device that you wave around in your hand, not an integrated piece of your suit. It's a Gadget, case closed. It even works much better with Gadgeteering attacks like Particle Mine and Orbital Cannon than it does with PA toggles. And not working with Targeting Computer is particularly ridiculous.

It's not a big deal really, since it's a low level power in an open build system. But it's definitely a misplaced power.

Sparkstorm is a perfectly good mob-clearing AoE.

Honestly? Conceptually, Gauntlet Chainsaw and Laser Sword should switch places. The chainsaw's shown to be an integrated piece of gear while the blade's something you can clip on your belt. Gauntlet Chainsaw doesn't make sense anywhere, but Pulsewave's right in that Laser Sword works far better in Gadgeteering than it does in Power Armor, whereas Gauntlet Chainsaw...kinda stinks no matter where you stuff it. At least in PA it'd have the advantage of looking like a Power Armor attack. Y'know, like how the Viper Armor guys use it as a PA melee attack.