BrandX

It seems some are forgetting, Cold also provides lots of SLOW!

So not only is it pumping up the defense, it's slowing down the attacks, so the defense isn't being hit as often.

Mind you, I'd still bring either one to the team. For mid-late gameI just prefere the one.

What does that mean? It means, if I'm looking through the search window, I'd likely send a tell to the COLD looking for a team before the FF.

If it helps in this discussion, I'd usually send a tell to either of them before the empath. But I've run into lots of "rock the aura, I have one attacks" I know they're not the majority, but for a PuG, I've seen it before. *sigh*

Was made worse on the Emp/Archery, who had the first blast, but skipped RoA! I mean really?! Skip RoA!?!?!?

I disagree as well.

What it means, is showing us a Superman like we see in the animated movies.

It's showing us the scenes he did in Superman Returns. Awe inspiring heroics. No kid. A romance with Lois...one where she starts out for Superman, then slowly falls for Clark, making her struggle between the two, untill she figures it out herself, and waits for him to tell her himself, all the while dropping hints that she knows and wants to hear it from him. Then he finally tells her and BOOM!

Possibly the end of the trilogy!

I wish they'd do that for Dual Blades

Sorry, I was just going by Mids that has unslotted TF doing about 5-7 more points of damage than an unslotted CS. If that's wrong, my bad.

I also didn't mean to say it was a big difference as in 20 points. I just meant to say it did a bit less (again by mids...so if that's wrong...whooops).

Okay, Total Focus does a bit more damage than CS, gets only 30% of it's damage to crit, but also increases it's chance to crit when teamed.

Eagle's Claw, does a bit less damage than CS, but gets a full crit on it's damage, while at the same time gets an increased chance to crit when teamed.

CS doesn't do extra damage when it crits, instead it recharges build up, but it's a static 20%.

Now, I like the insta BU recharge gimmick. Seeing CS crit three times ina row for lots of BU usage is great. But Ive also seen where I didn't crit on CS for 10 straight uses (in a chain btw...not just straight uses of CS).

So why is it, that CS's crit rate has to stay static when teamed, just because it's double damage on a crit is replaced with insta BU recharge?

Now mind you, I'd likely continue playing the set without Burst having a 100% crit from hide, and CS's crit stayed static.

But that doesn't mean I like what they did (mind you, I think Total Focus should do a full crit, instead of 30% of it's damage)

Well, then, works for me!

I see the year, I figure that means that's the year they're planning the release.

While I think you're free to quit the team, I'll have to say, I disagree on one little part...

"and there was no way we were getting through the final two missions with play like that"

...the AV fights and regular part of the mission (at least for that TF) are completely different. I've been on teams that steamrolled through the fodder, only to struggle on the AVs, and teams that struggled on the minions and melted the AV.

Obviously, it sounds like that team needed people to stay together, I just want to point out, that team could of been a great AV team.

I have level pacted to a friend who doesn't care to level much, so they could play a brute, but not be stuck in praetoria or red side (she likes the blue side and RP).

That actually helps. Allows for teaming, allows you to not miss the arcs.

I had to streetsweep just to get to level 4, and I was killing everything in the missions.

I felt bad that I teamed my way through Praetoria on my DP/Sonic Corr, just because I needed the second costume slot for concept! That's how fast I leveled with 8 man teams. It was all BOOM 20! I would of been out of Praetoria sooner, but I wanted the seer badge (didnt hunt enough of them on the teams) and all the other badges before I left.

Whew! Teaming is just that quick in Praetoria to level 20!

That's what I thought to. CS doesn't do more damage, and it's crit range doesn't increase on a team.

If they took away the 100% crit, would they give the increased crit for teaming on CS that it lacks?

If the answer is no. I think it's fair to call Burst 100% crit, a Kin Melee feature.

If they find it works for all the other sets too, more power to the other sets! \o/

Wait. You mean, you have to fight certain enemies to not be a noob?

We'll choose to disagree on that. Not that I wouldn't mind seeing that on all Stalker AOEs. I never liked that AOEs didn't have a 100% chance to crit from hide.

But I think it can be given to one set as a feature (even if accidental) and not the others and be fair.

That said, I'd just rather see it given to all stalkers. If they're the burst damage specialists, let them decide between that single target nuke or 100% AOE crits!

Both mean additional burst damage!

What I think this would hurt, is MA and EM, who lack any sort of AOE/Cone.

This could easily be fixed on EM by putting Whirling Hands put into Stuns place.

Claws' Eviserate got turned from a Cone into a ST attack, so I don't see this as breaking the cottage rule, as WH would continue to allow stun enhancement.

MA on the other hand would lose out most likely. :/

Hmmm...all Build Up powers getting the Fiery Embrace treatment could be an interresting tweak.

+DMG, +ToHit, an additional 20-25% DoT of Toxic (or possibly Toxic for straight up S/L sets, an additional DoT of the other exotic damage type for things like ELM, EM, DM, KM, ect) could be an interresting way to do things.

It'd be like coating the weapons (fists, gloves, hitting chi points) with poison (or whatever people want to RP it as).

BU staying BU, but with that new mechanic added on top of it would be awesome.

But either way, it gives the only thing I see Stalkers needing more of! DAMAGE!

I haven't gotten around to BU + AS on a lvl 40 Fake Nemesis, HOWEVER, I did check out a Call to Justice (+40% DMG) + AS on a level 40 Fake Nemesis (with my Level 50 Stalker).

I had to follow up with an additional attack to take him down.

Doing that makes me go "Where's my damage!?" This is a single target nuke! Let's nuke those pesky lvl 40's (when we're level 50 of course).

Another idea is to have Placate give a +Def (possibly unenhancable) component, that way when you do Placate, you're less likely to get interrupted on a follow up AS. Make it +DEF for 5 seconds.

That leaves a Placate + AS a chance better chance to get through, but still be interruptable.

Hmmm...I feel a bit of a difference from starting the fight and continuing the fight, when you have your max amount of -DMG stacked on them.

However, it alone won't be enough, you'll need that defense to just basically not get hit.

Mine is KM/WP. Going up against Infernal, this doesn't give alot of Fire Resist, and my Fire Defense isn't close to being softcapped, but I do find I have a bit of breathing room, as long as the RNG works in my favor (curse that monkey!).

SoW, I also find useful. In my experience, it works great for AV fights. Now, AV fights with lots of other enemies around, not so much, but with just one hard target, I find it goes a long way.

Also of note, is I use level 33 IO sets (for exemping purposes) for the most part, those who use lvl 50 IO sets, will likely find AVs (while still likely difficult) easier than I do, with a bit more resist, do a bit more damage, even better ENDrec...ect...ect.

Won't be by much, may not even be noticable outside of the endurance concerns and a few more additional points of DPS.

I have yet to see why it wouldn't be possible for a Stalker to not solo AVs, blasters have done it, and they're squishie. Stalkers are kinda squishie, but still tougher than a blaster.

However, I started trying for Pylons. I think I need the gapless chain complete. I should have the DPS, and I was surviving the Pylons damage easily, but it was feeling slow.

My DB/WP scrapper clocked in at 155 DPS (25mins on pylon), and doing the math for KM/ on stalkers works out to be 155-166 DPS (BB - BS - FB - BB - BS - CS - Repeat) so it should be doable for stalkers to solo a pylon. I will know for sure when I get the last 3 pieces of Armageddon. I just don't feel like testing that out further untill I do (155 DPS works out to 25mins of button smashing...that's why I'll wait to do a full test on it )

Also, versus AVs, Assassin Strike may be a good substitute for FB (Placate + AS should be better DPS than FB), how I can say on Infernal and a few other AVs, getting it off even with softcapped S/L defense on Lethal using AVs, has not been a cake walk, and it just seems like I'm better off using my DPS string and ignoring AS.

That gave me the biggest chunk out of Infernal before that mutation incident.

I hope instead they say "let's give all sets with an AOE or Cone a 100% chance from hide crit" instead of taking away Burst's.

Or keep it as a feature of Burst. A lot of times on teams, I just find it better to open with burst for the crits and chance for knockdown, than an AS.

Even placating and then a Burst for the same effect.

Makes for an enjoyable experience. Do I AS or Burst!? Choices!

Doing the numbers with Mids, Focused Burst loses a bit of DPS over using Quick Strike, but not a whole lot to make a difference.

If you're going strictly for DPS, Quick Strike is the better pick. I however love the range of FB, and it just adds to the super feeling of the set, so I use FB over QS.

Currently trying to solo Infernal as a level 50 AV. I had a nice chunk out of him, all was looking good (not using inspirations, but do make use of the mutation power from the mutant pack), I had the +Defense option from mutation going (which basically replaces the +3% Defense PvP IO I'm still missing (I'm working towards it with hero merits, but slowly, if I was trying harder for it, I'd have it by now), when I hit mutation and wouldn't you know it...I reclick it to turn into a Rikti monkey! Grrrrr...

Still missing 3 Armageddon IOs and the PvP IO from my build to have a gapless attack chain. And I'd beable to increase my DPS, if I could move the IOs in CS (5 Hecatomb's) into BB or BS, for the proc to go off more often, but haven't figured a way to get CS to recharge fast enough outside the current slotting.

My build also lacks Hasten.

When i19 hit, I'm sure to improve on the AV soloing build.

So far against Infernal however, I haven't seen a need for tactics to be used against Infernal, which saves on the end (59.62-62.19% slotted ACC in my attacks, with 42% Global Acc in set bonuses, and a Kismet unique seems to be enough to hit Infernal with no real notices in misses).

Infernal is a tough one for Scrappers however, so I figure it'll be a bit tougher for Stalkers.

You might get more out of DM's heal than KM's -dmg. However, if memory serves, you'll need less recharge for KM's chain, thus freeing up room to improve your defenses.

Martial Arts I have no doubt has the DPS for AV soloing, but the stuns won't get through enough to be a big enough factor (in my experience with KM at least, which I have stunned Infernal, but it never lasted long to give lots of regen room).

DM's -tohit and self heal, or KM's -dmg, will probably help more in this area.

And remember, defense! That's the important part.

Also as a note for when you start, Infernal see's through Hide and a Stealth IO. Makes getting off a starting AS difficult at times.

I've tried it on more than one occaission, can never get it to a high level to really, so maybe at high end, it's better, but it feels so lacking compared to the other versions, and the combos seem so off (to me), that it just feels...SUCKY!

this isn't helped by a SG member with a DB/NIN Stalker, who says it does suck, but fits the concept.

[EDIT: As an add on, I personally would of prefered Typhoon's Edge of 1k Cuts as well]