Bings 'Brutally Awesome' Hawkeye Guide (32s TTK. End-game/Brutal build) No longer updated

INTRO:

I've always liked to play the underdog in games so Hawkeye was the perfect fit for me in Marvel Heroes (This still applies to an extent even after our recent qol thankfully :P). I've played him to Cosmic Prestige and in total think I've spent over 400 hours on him. Whilst he's not god tier, he is great fun to play and can certainly contribute to any team.

Given the new harder content that has been introduced to the game to ensure we have the best set-up we now really need to use two builds, Brutal and Endgame. Brutal is great for tearing things up in the majority of the game content (Terminals, Story mode, Surtur Raid (Green and even Red when you get comfortable with the mechanics). End-game build has been created with Cosmic ICP/MM, Cosmic Danger Room and Axis (mainly encounter 1) in mind and with it I was able to clear Axis Sentinels with zero deaths and 100 stacks.

As you become more confident with the recent harder game content you can start to combine the two builds and pull over some of the dps gains from Brutal build (I'm not however going to create a third build for this ha ha :P Use your own judgement). The goal is to eventually get to a point where you can do the hardest content in the game with the Brutal build. This will take a lot of time and gearing but is worth the effort.

The guide will focus on the Brutal build (because who doesn't like big red numbers!) and alternatives will be given under each section in purple italics for the End-Game build. Brutal build manages a very nice 32 sec TTK.

STATS AND ITEMS BASE BUILD:

Brutal:

Endgame:

For the TLDR amongst us, I've provided a link to my builds on the Marvel Heroes Items Base below:

Brutal: http://marvelheroes.info/build/13907/

End-Game: http://marvelheroes.info/build/13912/

STATS:

My stats for Brutal build are 33k effective health, 270 spirit, 60% crit chance, 65%% brut chance, 320% crit damage and 900% brut damage! (hence the name of the guide!)

End-game Hawkeye stats are 51k effective health, 280 spirit, 55% crit chance, 60%% brut chance, 300% crit damage and 725% brut damage.

SKILLS & POWERS:

1.1 Powers Trees (Options provided for both End-game and Brutal builds)

1.2 Skills breakdown (Options provided for both End-game and Brutal builds)

1.3 Keybind setup & Multi-Spec (Options provided for both End-game and Brutal builds)

1.4 Skill rotation (Options provided for both End-game and Brutal builds)

1.5 Levelling strategy (Viable with both End-game and Brutal builds)

1.6 Videos of build in action (Misc, Terminals and Raids)

GEAR:

2.1 Gear, challenge bonus and Runes (Options provided for both End-game and Brutal builds)

2.2 Legendary (Options provided for both End-game and Brutal builds)

2.3 Artifacts, Blessings & Starktech (Options provided for both End-game and Brutal builds)

2.4 Misc Gear: Medallion, Uru, Insignia, Relic, Ring, Core affixes (Options provided for both End-game and Brutal builds)

2.5 Gear drop locations (Options provided for both End-game and Brutal builds)

MISC:

3.1 Pet Affixes (Viable with both End-game and Brutal builds)

3.2 Synergies (Viable with both End-game and Brut builds)

3.3 Team-ups (Viable with both End-game and Brutal builds)

3.4 Omega Points (Options provided for both End-game and Brutal builds)

3.5 Cosmic tips (Viable with both End-game and Brutal builds)

3.6 FAQ

3.7 Acknowledgements

1.1 POWER TREES: (Options provided for both End-game and Brutal builds)

Brutal build:

End-game build:

1.2 SKILLS BREAKDOWN: (Options provided for both End-game and Brutal builds)

Max points:

Three Arrow Burst: Main boss Killer. Great damage with 3 shots in quick succession. This will brut for around 350-450k. Try to keep this up as much as possible (pretty easy now we have spirit on crit). At lvl 50 it currently grants 14.8% crit rating for this skill. So with Brutal build you will be at essentially 75% CR and 62% BR. This works very well with our 910% BDR B-)

As our primary spirit spender this is also maxed in our End-game build

Rocket Arrow: High damage 8 seconds cooldown move. With WGA toggle on and charged up to 100% this will hit for up to and over 8m.

I split my spare skill points in to both this and loader for End-game build so that we are still able to maintain respectable damage numbers and survivability. When using in harder content, you want to drop a Flash bomb before to give you time to line up and charge your shot.

Speed Loader Volley: Nice burst damage move and the cooldown fits in perfectly with our Nerve Gas and Rocket Arrow moves. Tracking can be a bit wonky as it hits where you aim rather than the enemy you have clicked on (if the move), just bear this is mind so you don't waste it. It also has 50% mitigation on animation so you don't have to be as careful using this as you do when channelling Rocket Arrow. Make sure to use this prior to Rocket so that you have the Explosive Arrow vulnerability debuff.

Nice burst damage and we get mitigation during cast, split your spare points with this and Rocket Arrow for End-game build

Wave of Arrows: Not used in Brutal build.

This now adds 60% slow for 5 seconds at lvl 50 so I find that this is great for giving us some extra utility on top of Shrieking Arrow for our End-game build (taunted and slowed, yes please!). This will also proc your Trick Quiver so gives you additional chance to Freeze, stun, gas etc. which is great. Brutal build will use Electric Arrow in place of this.

World's Greatest Archer: Great passive. Damage rating, bleed, Accuracy buff, chance to pierce (100% at lvl 50) and 11 spirit restored per hit. You want to have this toggled on with Brutal build as it adds 100% damage to our Rocket Arrow. When fighting multiple bosses make use of the pierce and line them up and destroy them with 3AB.

This is also maxed and the toggle on in our End-game build.

1 Point Wonders:

None for either build in this tree.

Max Points:

Flash bomb: CC breaker, nice damage burst and 10% mitigation. You will want to max this in Brutal build to get the cooldown down to 9 seconds so you can mix it in with your Rocket Arrow, Speed Loader rotation. As well as this, make sure you are using it before firing off your sig and ult.

With End-game build this can be a very useful escape option and the mitigation from putting at least 1 point in it is vital.

1 Points Wonders:

Combat Training: Dodge, defence, projectile deflection chance, medkit buff and 8% chance to avoid all damage. Even though we don't make use of the melee damage it provides, this is great to have for either build. As we are now pretty point starved from all our new options, I've changed this to a 1 pointer for Brutal build as I don't feel I need the extra survivability (loss of 2% def, 6% dodge rating, 6% projectile deflection). I put the points I save from not maxing from it in Electric Arrow for more trash clearing damage.

You will want to put max points in to this for End-game as every little bit helps.

Fleet of foot: Nice travel power for getting around the map. No use putting more than one point in here.

Can be used in End-game build but will use up a skill bars slot that could be used for utility instead.

Ronin Lunge: Great travel power. Low spirit cost and nice damage as well. If you are really hurting for attack speed you can use Acrobatic Roll instead but buff aside (10% AS), it's inferior to Ronin Lunge in every way. Side note: If you have the Ronin costume, Hawkeye lunges forward with two katana's out, awesome!

Keeps us nice and mobile so essential for End-game build.

Max points:

Nerve Gas Arrow: Great aoe dot. Fire and forget (until 8 seconds later when you have to re-apply :P ). For a lot of content where the boss/enemies are largely static you can get away with using Loader to proc this saving you the time it takes to cast. As this has to be re-applied every 8 seconds over the course of a long fight this can actually make a pretty big difference with your damage.

Great dot and damage layer. I don't use this on my hotbar for End-game as I find shrieking Arrow/Freeze more useful. Between 3AB, Loader and WoA you will have this up the vast majority of the time despite not having it on your bar/casting. If you would however rather keep NGA on your skillbar, I'd recommend dropping Freeze for it on bar 2.

Starktech Claymore Turret: Great single target and aoe damage. This can brut for up to 1.2m a tick (6 sec duration) so can really deal some major damage. Try and always use Flash Bomb before this for a nice damage boost.

It's our sig! max this regardless of build.

Electric Arrow: I like to use this as my main trash clearer with the Brutal build. It may only have a 1.2 sec stun but when we're hitting for 910% Brut damage, enemies won't last for much longer than this :P If you're struggling for survivability with Brutal build, move your points from this in to Combat Training.

You want to use this as a one pointer (Trick Quiver proc only) in our End-game build.

1 Point Wonders:

Explosive Arrow: Whilst this can be maxed and used as your aoe for trash clearing skill, I prerfer the utility that both Electirc Arrow (1.2s stun) and WoA offer instead (60% slow for 5 secs). You do however want to put one point in this as this will allow it a shot a proccing with our Trick Quiver passive skill for a 10% vulnerability debuff. With the high number of times we hit per second along with Combat Rorschach Training you will have very high uptime for vulnerability (You can increase this further with Nano-Mines in the Omega system if you like).

As above you want to one point this for chance to add vulnerability without having to use a skill bar slot or cast time.

Freeze Arrow: Before our rework this had a 14 second duration, with the new scaling the duration goes from 4 secs to 6 secs at max points. Not worth investing full points in to in my opinion as we have a few other news skills that eat up our points and skill bar slots. I one point this so it has a chance to proc as a nice bonus when we are doing our normal rotation due to Trick Quiver.

I switch to this on occasion on our End-game build for when all trash mobs are killed and only the boss is left.

Shrieking Arrow: Not used in Brutal build.

Given the hit to duration of both our Electric Arrow and Freeze Arrow cc this is now pretty vital for our End-game build. I've put just enough points (11) in this for the uptime to be 7.9 secs. This makes it synergise great with both Rocket Arrow and Speed Volley Loader (8 secs cooldown).

Starktech Medical Arrow: Not used in Brutal build.

This is a nice utility skill (Mitigation and health regen for both you and your team mates in a large area bubble). Although the uptime (20%) is a pain it can be pretty useful in our End-game build which focusses on harder content (Axis/CMM/CICP).

1.3 KEYBIND SETUP & MULTI-SPEC: (Options provided for both End-game and Brutal builds)

Brutal build:

I like to use one hotbar for running about in MM/ICP nuking mobs (Electric Arrow & Fleet of Foot) and the other for farming bosses in terminals (Freeze Arrow and Flash Bomb). On my third hotbar I put my WGA toggle which is always on for Brutal build for buffing our Rocket Arrow damage.

End-game build:

In harder content I switch between the two often. The first for when I need to lay down some healing or distract mobs (Medical Arrow and Shrieking Arrow). The second hotbar for some extra boss damage and a nice CC (Flash bomb and Freeze Arrow) My third hotbar is used for our WGA toggle for bonus damage to Rocket Arrow. As mentioned earlier, if you would rather keep NGA on your skillbar, drop Freeze on skillbar 2 to make space for it.

Multi-Spec:

Couldn't be easier, one for Brutal build and one for End-game!

1.4 SKILL ROTATION: (Options provided for both End-game and Brutal builds)

Brutal build:

Trash:

FLASHBOMB > NGA > ELECTRIC will be enough to take out most mobs.

Bosses:

FLASHBOMB > SIG > NGA > LOADER > ROCKET > 3AB and repeat FLASHBOMB > NGA > ROCKET > LOADER > 3AB until sig is up again.

Do note that NGA is optional as you'll find that Loader will proc it anyway 9 times out of 10.

End-game build:

Trash:

FLASHBOMB > SHRIEKING > WOA will be enough to distract and wittle down any mobs due to WoA proccing trick arrows for us (NGA/FREEZE/ELECTRIC/EXPLOSIVE).

Bosses:

FLASHBOMB > SIG > FREEZE > LOADER > ROCKET > 3AB and repeat FLASHBOMB > FREEZE > ROCKET > LOADER > 3AB until sig is up again.

With the combination of WoA, 3AB and Loader will all proc NGA enough that we can drop this from both our skillbar/rotation and still maintain the dot for a high uptime.

1.5 LEVELLING STRATEGY: (Viable both End-game and Brutal builds)

We now get our main spirit spender (3AB) very early so this is great for nuking bosses. For aoe both WoA and Electric Arrow work well and are unlocked straight away (I would use whatever one you like the feel of). As we don't get spirit on crit until lvl 28 you will feel his spirit issues a lot. You can fall back on a basic until lvl 25 and then at that point equip a River of Souls and this will see you through until you get WGA and the spirit passive. From that point on you will have your sig and close to 100% uptime on 3AB so will be able to melt your way through content.

1.6 VIDEOS OF BUILD IN ACTION: (Misc, Terminal and Raids)

MISC:

Medium health Dummy: 32 secs: