Bravo! Encore! AUTHOR!
That helps alot. Thanks
i can add in that in SC if you attempt on a Regen Scrapper, pray to drop him in 2 hit or he will have enough time to pop his heals and then it a 1v1 scrapper fight that the stalker has 2 options stand and fight and die or run. your choice
I agree. As I have a lvl 40 spine/ninj stalker, and I have a lvl 43 claws/regen scrapper. All I have to do with my scrapper, is wait for the crouch of the AS, cover my heal, and as soon as I get the AS, I pop a heal, and then it is death to the stalker.
As for playing the stalker, I have hide, stealth, and invis. If there is a defender around, I have to run up with invis on since they can see you a mile away even with hide and stealth. Now we all know you can't attack in invis, so how do we kill then.......Well, bind to a key where invis goes to stealth, and then have the same key start AS. Therefore, as you are getting to your target, hit BU. Then when you are next to him, double click your bind. This should put you from invis to stealth and in AS mode in less then a second. At this point, anyone with a CM cast on them from the defender, already saw you even when you were in invis. The problem is, they tend to freak and try and run. It is natural to try and get that safe distance back. Well, it is just too late. As they are running away, your AS should land at no matter what distance they gained from running. Well, how do we get the finishing blow? Simple. While you are crouched in AS mode, have a ranged attack qued up. Like my spines, I have impale qued while I am in the AS animation. Then wait and watch. The only other good tidbit I can say, put an extra range in your range attack.
Now as you noticed, I only talked about PvP. As for PvE, stalkers are becoming obsolete. Watch the next time a RSF is forming. Notice the corrs and brutes getting invites left and right. Then look to see all the lonely solo stalkers. It is sad to say, but after 40, there is really no point in continuing.
I know, I sound a bit one sided here, but if stalkers had a bit more hit points, then maybe they would be worth while. Yeah, the AS does great damage, but after that, you are screwed. Placate is not always that great. Once again PvE, it helps skim through the mobs, but it still takes too long. PvP, if you do hit me with placate, you will never damage me enough before it wears off. Anyhow, that was my two cents.
[ QUOTE ]
As for playing the stalker, I have hide, stealth, and invis. If there is a defender around,
[/ QUOTE ]
"Empath." Not "Defender," Empath. And CM isn't a long-duration buff.
[ QUOTE ]
Now as you noticed, I only talked about PvP. As for PvE, stalkers are becoming obsolete. Watch the next time a RSF is forming.
[/ QUOTE ]
One instance does not = obsolete AT. It's like saying "look at all the sports cars on the roads, semis are becoming obsolete." Yes, Stalkers and Doms have a harder time with the RSF - but there's a lot more to the game than that SF.
the biggest thing i have seen with stalkers is that you have to be ready to run if you can't get the quick kill, 99% pf the time that i have seen a stalker stand and fight he has lost cause they lack the hit points to get into a slug fest. this is very noticable verse scrappers and tanks and less so vrs trollers and blasters.
[ QUOTE ]
"Empath." Not "Defender," Empath. And CM isn't a long-duration buff.
[/ QUOTE ]
Ok sorry for not being specific with the empathy (Defender). And second, you can stack CM so that it seems to always be around, especially if you have a pocket emp.
[ QUOTE ]
One instance does not = obsolete AT. It's like saying "look at all the sports cars on the roads, semis are becoming obsolete." Yes, Stalkers and Doms have a harder time with the RSF - but there's a lot more to the game than that SF.
[/ QUOTE ]
Besides running the arc till they run out, or soloing paper missions, not really. My main point was, if you ever plan on getting HO's for your stalker, you better hope your SG helps you out, or you buy them from someone becuase you just aren't going to find your way onto the TF team.
I think Stealth+Hide+grant Invis gets you to where they have to get to percep cap to see you?? So make friends with a grant invis buddy (or stalker teams each with grant invis hehe). For PvP I find SJ a must have..I have seen flying stalkers do well also (that crit you get from a hidden flying spines lol).
One thing I have found is with my spines/Nrg boy - he can as through the pff - when a snotty def stands on the railing at SC villain base saying "I attack when I feel like it" I stand right next to em and BU-AS-Impale Bu bye. Spines have to be careful with impale when knocking down fliers - You run in with placate going and forget DoT cancels that...ah if they only all stood still :lol - the best are the traps. The ones who stand still and wait for you to get in crouch thinking "HA they can't see me" and whammo! you got serverd 
....
I still hate when people call you cowards "why do you run//??"
"well let's see your spines/regen I BU/AS/Placate/Impale and you did not die, hit DP and IH..umm I am doomed if I stay."
funny how they run when they get as'ed lOl
Thanks for the guide. I was looking for some pointers about placate, and how best to use it.
Malakim
Malakim
-Playing since COH beta and still love the game!
I'd like to thank the OP for posting this simple yet accurate little essay on the techniques employed by successfull stalkers.
Now in no particular order I would to address various points brought up in the thread.
* With BU and double slotted accuracy, I have never dependabley been able to attack through PFF. Sure, sometimes it happens, but in this game you're always guarenteed at least a 5% chance to hit.
*TP FOE, STUN, PLACATE, ASSASIN STRIKE, ENERGY TRANSFER is enought to give people nightmares in PVP
* Stalkers after 40 are like Pierce Brosnons charecter in The Matador. Sure, you used to be a superstar in PVP, but now most PVP'ers, post 40, have learned how to deal with stalkers while you Patron Power Pools haven't done anything to make you a more effective Assasin. In PVE your all fine and dandy untill your friends are all doing the RSF 4 nights a week, collecting SHOES, while you are soloing Storey Arcs or attacking people in the 2 minutes that your Tier 9 Defensive power keeps you alive in PVP. Sure, your not useless or anything, it's just that most everyone else is MORE usefull than you are in this range. The only real reason to play a Stalker past 40 is that you love the charecter soo much you want to see them get to 50, no matter how cold and lonely a path that is 
* Fighting Regen Scrappers seems to come down to doing enough damage to them that they can't click their heals fast enough to save themselves. Having played a Regen Scrapper as well, let me tell you this happens rarely. If I have Dull Pain and Instant Healing running, it's downright hilarious to duel with a Stalker, especially if he isn't Energy Melee.
Centinull
I have no idea what you are talking about saying that stalkers are dead after an assasination if they dont kill: retsu, overload, and elude etc. are for this very issue. Also regen and nin has heal and my dm/nin has two heals so the fact remains that scrapping is not an issue, and -acc (stacked) is obviously not part of your consideration.
I hope you figure that out, with my nb/ea stalker i stand toe to toe with tanks and drain the crap out of their end. I dont always win but man i have had some long scrappy battles.
Hi there. This simple guide came about because of an incident that happened to me recently. There are several stalkers in my VG with two of them higher in level than myself. I recently grouped with these two higher-level stalkers and after the first mission they were asking me how I was doing what I do. I just assumed all stalkers played the same way but I was mistaken.
The following guide is for those that are either new to stalkers or new to the tactics that placate and hide open up.
I'll skip the basic stuff and assume you have the Assassin Strike for your build (also known as AS), Hide, Build-up and Placate.
To maximize the amount of MoBs you can take out quickly in PvE there are several options open to you. I'll demonstrate the technique I use but there are others.
1. With hide running (duh) stand next to the biggest target you are able to take out in one hit (MoB A) and select him.
2. Hit BU and AS and wait for you to crouch.
3. Select a MoB thats further away and hit Placate (MoB B).
4. Wait for AS to kill MoB A. You will now start to turn and placate MoB B.
5. While you are Placating MoB B select MoB C and hit your next most damaging attack (if MoB C isn't in range you'll have to run into range (duh)
6. Kill MoB C if you didn't one hit him. Build-up should drop right about now.
You are now left with 2 dead MoBs and another who is just standing there scratching his butt ignoring you (unless he's run off to kill your friends). You can alter the sequence to attack a Boss by using all your attacks on the one target and either placating another MoB to minimize the incoming damage or to placate the boss.
There are several things to know about Placate.
1. If the MoB (or player) has an attack queued when you placate them the attack will still fire off killing your placate.
2. DoTs count as an attack. This is mainly something Spines need to be aware of. If you have your toxin DoT running on a MoB and you placate him the DoT will cancel out the placate.
3. Placate only stops the placatee (is that a word?) from seeing you. Your next attack will crit no matter whom you hit with it but the other mobs can still see you. Think of it like you threw sand into the MoBs eyes.
4. The quasi-hidden state you find yourself in after a placate has no great AoE defense until you hear the hidden state kick in again.
There are several things to know about Hide.
1. If you hit AS in an unhidden state and the hidden state kicks in just before the AS connects, you still get the damage bonus. I used to count to 5 in my head and hit AS knowing it'll hit after Hide kicked in but now I have the timing down pat.
2. If a MoB is aggro'd to you and hide kicks in it'll still attack you. You need to run away and wait for him to lose interest in you. If you havent hit him he will lose interest quicker (don't hit a mob and then run. Just run, you'll be back quicker ready to kill him)
PvP in Sirens is a bit different, as you'll need to adjust to the conditions and the fact that heroes wont stand still for you. Many builds have auras and other powers that will interrupt AS and even knock you out of hide. Don't get discouraged; just learn what powers affect you and how to deal with them (it's half the fun). I'll put the basics down as I see them.
Defenders and Controllers:
1. Stand next to your intended target with hide (and stealth if you have it) running and select them.
2. Hit Build-up and AS.
3. That's it target should be dead.
Blasters:
1. Stand next to your intended target with hide (and stealth if you have it) running and select them.
2. Hit Build-up and AS
3. Wait for the crouch and hit your next biggest attack.
4. If the blaster is still alive you can either placate and attack or just scrap him/her to death.
Scrappers and Tankers:
1. Stand next to your intended target with hide (and stealth if you have it) running and select them.
2. Hit Build-up and AS
3. Wait for the crouch and hit Placate.
4. Wait for the Placate animation to start and hit your next biggest attack. (EM stalkers may not need to hit placate first)
5. Scrap them to death
Human Form Kheldian:
1. Stand next to your intended target with hide (and stealth if you have it) running and select them.
2. Hit Build-up and AS
3. Wait for the crouch and hit Placate.
4. Wait for the Placate animation to start and hit your next biggest attack. (Some stalker builds may not need to hit placate first)
Remember that in the real world the hero isn't going to stand there while you placate and hit him again. Like I said this is just the basics.
Several Stalker builds have differing tricks to spice things up. For example Impale from the Spines set is a ranged immobilize with -Fly tacked on, EM gets some nice stuns and Claws has a nice ranged attack with knock down. You will need to use these powers to your advantage because the above techniques will never work the way they've been written. Remember that a stun will turn off those annoying auras freeing you up for a placate and AS. A flying blaster can be knocked out of the sky and immobilized with Impale allowing you to hit BU as you run up to him to placate / As or just AS if you are going to slip into hide before AS hits. Many PvP builds are using TP foe to great advantage and some interesting results have been seen using the presence pool.
I hope this guide was useful to some of you budding stalkers out there.