Kinematics
Hero
Well, you don't have to make it a strategic choice. One of the first Brutal Strike options is knockback, and you don't need any strategic use for that to just be a fun mechanic. Wading into a crowd of foes and just sending them flying as you swing your weapon around helps, not hinders, the "hit stuff hard" feel of the class.
Anyway, I updated my spreadsheet to figure out how this affected damage rates. Here are two graphs, one for a 60% base accuracy and one for an 80% base accuracy, using the Wild Heart subclass (ie: no extra damage factors from the subclass). The X axis is level. If it seems necessary, I can revise things to provide chart vs AC instead of by level.
The build is PAM/GWM/Charger for feats, at levels 4, 8, and 12, respectively. The weapon is a glaive with Graze.
EDIT: Fixed an error in the graphs.
All four options are using Reckless Attack. The purple (4th) line is not using Brutal Strike. The red (2nd) line is using Brutal Strike. The green (3rd) line is using Brutal Strike with a secondary source of advantage. And the blue (1st) line shows how Brutal Critical compares.
At 60% base accuracy, purple and red are nearly identical until level 17. At the higher 80% accuracy, red has gained more of an edge. This shows that Brutal Strike should usually be at least as good as the default advantage that Reckless Attack would give, and is an improvement at higher base accuracy and higher levels.
Brutal Critical is better in raw damage than Brutal Strike at low accuracy, between levels 13 and 16. Brutal Strike is about on par with it outside that range, and generally better if you can get a secondary source of advantage.
Edit 2:
Berserkser would get a little bit more out of Brutal Critical because of the extra Retaliation attack it can perform. Here's a graph for that:
Anyway, I updated my spreadsheet to figure out how this affected damage rates. Here are two graphs, one for a 60% base accuracy and one for an 80% base accuracy, using the Wild Heart subclass (ie: no extra damage factors from the subclass). The X axis is level. If it seems necessary, I can revise things to provide chart vs AC instead of by level.
The build is PAM/GWM/Charger for feats, at levels 4, 8, and 12, respectively. The weapon is a glaive with Graze.
EDIT: Fixed an error in the graphs.


All four options are using Reckless Attack. The purple (4th) line is not using Brutal Strike. The red (2nd) line is using Brutal Strike. The green (3rd) line is using Brutal Strike with a secondary source of advantage. And the blue (1st) line shows how Brutal Critical compares.
At 60% base accuracy, purple and red are nearly identical until level 17. At the higher 80% accuracy, red has gained more of an edge. This shows that Brutal Strike should usually be at least as good as the default advantage that Reckless Attack would give, and is an improvement at higher base accuracy and higher levels.
Brutal Critical is better in raw damage than Brutal Strike at low accuracy, between levels 13 and 16. Brutal Strike is about on par with it outside that range, and generally better if you can get a secondary source of advantage.
Edit 2:
Berserkser would get a little bit more out of Brutal Critical because of the extra Retaliation attack it can perform. Here's a graph for that:

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