Hello!

I am completely new to freeform PvP, and pretty new to CO in general. I would really appreciate some help setting up a PvP build for Heavy Weapons (if such a thing exists) so I can get start getting my feet wet in the arena. I suppose my problem is that I really do not know where to start. I have looked at WillBlack's freeform guide and KenpoJuJitsu3's RELIC build to try to help me get a sense of what HW has to offer, its synergies, etc, but this left me with more questions than answers and no build of my own.

Here they are for reference:
http://forums.champions-online.com/s...26&postcount=8
http://champions-online.proboards.co...lay&thread=626

They certainly showed me how HW can be built, and in very different ways, but I am not sure how I can transform that into something that is PvP viable. Should I try stacking enrage and aggression with heavy use of eruption? But then how do I fit in (necessary?) defensive powers? KenpoJuJitsu3's build seems really cool since it focuses on crit and also has some self support. Does that work for HW in PvP though?

As you can see, I am running in circles. Anything to get me started on the right foot, be it suggestions, sample builds, whatever, would be incredibly helpful.

And, if they see this, thanks to WillBlack and KenpoJuJitsu3 for providing such great, easy-to-read builds. They really did provide me with a framework for HW, I just don't know where to go now. ^.^"

Build by championBuilder 0.4.1

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: Level 40 Champion

Superstats:
Level 6: Super Strength
Level 13: Super Constitution

Powers:
Level 1: Bludgeon
Level 1: Eruption -- Crippling Challenge
Level 6: Brute Strike -- Concussion, Rank 2
Level 6: Acrobatics -- Rank 2
Level 8: Electric Sheath -- Matter - Energy Union
Level 11: Arc of Ruin -- Challenging Strikes, No Quarter, Rank 2
Level 14: Annihilate -- Rank 3, Rank 2
Level 17: Energy Shield -- Laser Knight
Level 20: Decimate -- Nailed to the Ground
Level 23: Molecular Self-Assembly
Level 26: Defiance -- Rank 2, Rank 3
Level 29: Aggressor -- Rank 3, Rank 2
Level 32: Enrage -- Rank 2
Level 35: Unbreakable -- Better You Than Me
Level 35: Teleport
Level 38: Bionic Shielding

Talents:
Level 1: Superhuman
Level 6: Physical Conditioning
Level 9: Relentless
Level 12: Quick Recovery
Level 15: Healthy Mind
Level 18: Body And Mind
Level 21: Negotiator

Not exactly sure about some of the advantage point placements right now. Defiance might not need rank 3, so two points from it could go into Unbreakable (or to get rank 3 of Enrage).

I didn't put this together with an eye on levelling, so no worries about that. Sprime's might guide has me on the fence about Unstoppable as the slotted passive. Should I go with Invuln like I see on a lot of people? I dunno.

Edit: The build in this post will reflect the suggestions I have received.

PvP HW is all about control since you can't match the damage of MA users with their DEX/EGO builds. Skills you should go after.

Brute Strike w/ adv - Stun + Heal debuff
Arc of Ruin w/ adv- Disorient + Damage Resist Debuff
Eruption - Enrage refresh and knock up for interrupting
Anhialate - Follow through after Eruption as a finisher or KB for another interrupt with damage.

Thanks for the reply! I went back to the drawing board with your points and came up with this.

Build by championBuilder 0.4.1

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: Level 40 Champion

Superstats:
Level 6: Super Strength
Level 13: Super Constitution

Powers:
Level 1: Bludgeon
Level 1: Cleave
Level 6: Brute Strike -- Rank 2, Concussion
Level 6: Teleport
Level 8: Eruption -- Crippling Challenge, Rank 2
Level 11: Arc of Ruin -- Challenging Strikes, No Quarter, Rank 2
Level 14: Annihilate -- Rank 2, Rank 3
Level 17: Energy Shield -- Laser Knight
Level 20: Decimate -- Restraining Order, Nailed to the Ground
Level 23: Vicious Descent -- Relentless
Level 26: Invulnerability -- Rank 2, Rank 3
Level 29: Aggressor -- Rank 2, Rank 3
Level 32: Inertial Dampening Field
Level 35: Molecular Self-Assembly
Level 35: Acrobatics -- Rank 2
Level 38: Bionic Shielding

Talents:
Level 1: Superhuman
Level 6: Physical Conditioning
Level 9: Relentless
Level 12: Quick Recovery
Level 15: Healthy Mind
Level 18: Body And Mind
Level 21: Negotiator

I don't have much experience with these defensive powers, and whether they would actually keep me alive to fulfill the control role. Any tips on that end would be great from anyone. Also, is it overkill to have Vicious Descent and Decimate? It seems to me like Decimate could be used to open, hopefully root, and then use Vicious Decimate to start the cycle of knockdown/knock up. Just conjecture on my part since I can't test this right now.

I recommend against stacking IDF with Invuln. If a PvPer can hurt you with the defensive combo you have, another 70 flat reduction isn't going to help enough to make it worth the energy penalty and power slot.

Your attacks aren't 100% redundant, but they're redundant. At rank 1, Cleave looks wasted (you can remove it early on and put a different power in there).

You may want an active offense, active defense or something to help guarantee enrage stays up (there are two active defenses that help with enrage).

Thank you! I have cleaned up the build further, opting out of IDF and adding Enraged to make sure stacks stay up. I made Cleave rank 2, but I don't know if it is even necessary to have. Any thoughts on what could replace it?

And from now on (if need be), I'll just update the build in my first post.

As you indicated, Cleave is probably not necessary. You've chosen your single target attacks and a melee aoe. You may want to test at this point and see how energy is working out. If it's in theme, Electric Sheathe+adv is pretty handy. I figure it might be, since you have Energy Shield in there. Chest Beam could be a fun and functional ranged addition, but you may not have the energy or look for it.

Cleave is out now, and Electric Sheathe is in, hopefully helping with energy. I'll have to wait to test it fully, since the character isn't prepared level wise. Thanks again!

Electric Sheathe has a really nice advantage, make sure you take it. The description sounds ominous, but don't worry about that - try it out and see the nice forcefield it puts on you.

The AoE on Eruption is handy, grab that instead of R2, the skill is situational and not something you will be using regularly, ideally i'd just leave it with CC. There is no point to Viscous Decent in your build, only reason to use it would be if the target is kiting and Decimate is in cooldown. If you have SS CON, Defiance is better, given it takes a few hits to get full stacks, but at 6 stacks of Defiant you get more resistance than Invulnerability. Works great with Enrage too.

For PvP you need an active defense, consider Unbreakable with adv, quick Enraged stacks. Your basic, OH CRAP button.

Whoops! I meant to put the advantage points into Matter-Energy Union. I was able to test this up to level 32, and energy was okay overall. It could probably be better, but I'll see what happens closer to 40. I changed some advantages around as well. Since Decimate should be used whenever it comes up, CC seems fine on it to me, but if that is not the case I'd be happy to know. Enrage is a problem right now, especially without Vicious Descent. The stacks I do get are easy to maintain, but it is a slow process in building them up. I can't say if Vicious Descent would even help, but I'll definitely pick it up at 35 to see.

Edit: Oops again, new information popped up as soon as I posted the first part of this. Changing the build a bit right now.