Any pwer that does AoE damage will interrupt the stalkers AS and take him out of hide. Problem is you have to have an AoE power that is always on to do it. I know there are a few powers like this that are always on and will do damage. The way a stalker can avoid this is by using one of his knockdown powers on you before he gets into the AoE, then use placate to hide himself again.
The problem is that that AE power pretty much -has- to autohit - Hide grants a base 35% AE defense, while unsuppressed.
Dawncaller - The Circle of Dawn
Too many blasted alts to list, but all on Virtue.
Yup, forgot to throw that in there...auto hit is pretty much necessary.
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Any pwer that does AoE damage will interrupt the stalkers AS and take him out of hide. Problem is you have to have an AoE power that is always on to do it. I know there are a few powers like this that are always on and will do damage. The way a stalker can avoid this is by using one of his knockdown powers on you before he gets into the AoE, then use placate to hide himself again.
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Powers do not have to do damage to render you an unattractive target. There are at least a handful of dark and cold (storm or ice control) powers (please don't ask me what they are, I've only been on the receiving end of them, and can only identify the animations) that deal no damage to the stalker, but constantly friggin' interrupt their AS, making it pointless for them to bother.
One of two things happens when I encounter a target like that. Either I become annoyed and leave them alone...or I get so absolutely irritated that destroying them becomes my personal mission. I lean towards the latter, mostly.
The best things you can do to avoid Stalkers don't have anything to do with your AoEs. Continue moving, be part of a team (or at least standing near people - we can't tell if you're teamed or not, you know), and avoid the fringes of hotspots.
Why the fringes? Because Stalkers are squishy too, so we're not usually going to expose ourselves in the -middle- of the hotspot (too great a chance we won't make it out alive), but the fringes of the hotspots are great for stalkers. You're usually distracted and possibly already down some health (eliminating our need to hit you twice), and we can get in, get out, and get on with life.
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Powers do not have to do damage to render you an unattractive target. There are at least a handful of dark and cold (storm or ice control) powers (please don't ask me what they are, I've only been on the receiving end of them, and can only identify the animations) that deal no damage to the stalker, but constantly friggin' interrupt their AS, making it pointless for them to bother.
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I know Artic Air for Ice conrollers has it, but there are ways of getting around it if you know what you are doing.
Most of the damaging AoE auras have a tohit check and are unreliable against stalker's high AoE defense. These include Death Shroud, Blazing Aura, Quills, Orbiting Death, Icicles. I believe those that are autohit include Hurricane, Repel, Repulsion Field, Chilling Embrace, Mud Pots, Arctic Air.
BTW, am I the only stalker who cringes every time he sees one of those longbow wardens with that friggin' "Quills" power. When i see those damn spikes shooting everywhere I just wanna cry.
I have had so much trouble with Quills that I finally respecced it out last night. Not once have I ever had it stop an AS. I have had 2 accuracies in there and still nothing. So now I just never ever stop moving if I can help it.
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Most of the damaging AoE auras have a tohit check and are unreliable against stalker's high AoE defense. These include Death Shroud, Blazing Aura, Quills, Orbiting Death, Icicles. I believe those that are autohit include Hurricane, Repel, Repulsion Field, Chilling Embrace, Mud Pots, Arctic Air.
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Howling Twilight Ranged (AoE): Target Slow, -Recharge, Disorient, Ally Rez
Activating this power channels the power of the Netherworld to weaken your foes, in an attempt to revive all nearby fallen allies. You must stand near your defeated allies to revive them, then select a foe. The selected foe and all nearby foes will be Slowed, Disoriented, and drained of some life. Revived allies suffer no ill effects. The more enemy foes are drained, the more your allies will be healed. - Convalescent's Guide to City of Villains
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Just a thought, Howling Twilight might be an option as it autohit's slow the regen and disorients. The drawback is the animation time. Once you did get the stalker with Howling Twilight a hold could be thrown (Tar Patch, Fearsome Stare & Petrifying Gaze) followed by a Rain of Fire then a nice Blaze . There is also the Cold/* set. It does animate faster and give other follow up options.
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I have had so much trouble with Quills that I finally respecced it out last night. Not once have I ever had it stop an AS. I have had 2 accuracies in there and still nothing. So now I just never ever stop moving if I can help it.
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Don't get Quills for hitting Stalkers. Get Quills for the mind game and Slows while dueling/fighting. You're respeccing out of a great power, just put some endredux in it.
I can tell you that hot feet is fairly unreliable, but the combination of hot feet and repel on the other hand, is good good fun. =]
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Can someone help me better understand how to defend against a Stalker in PVP? I know all about perception but what I want to know is will AOE powers expose Stalker before they get the "Strike" off on you. For example Electric Field, Quials or Chilling Embrace will any of these or other powers like this help uncover the Stalker before he gets me? If so then what ones seem to work the best and how would you slot it to work the best? Any help would be appreciated.
MWD
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One thing not mentioned in your post is what AT/Powersets your character is that you're trying to work out a Stalker defense on. Tell us that and we can be more specific in tactics.
As far as personal experience though, the 3 chars I've run in PvP and actually have success with are two defenders (a rad/rad and a kin/elec) and a controller (grav/ff).
My rad/rad's approach to surviving Stalkers is movement, Choking Cloud, and a shot of Irratdiate every now and then. Granted I don't always hit the stalker, but occasionaly I do (it is somewhat funny to see them appear all of the sudden choking if the cloud gets them) and even if I do get hit, having a self heal is nice with Radiant Aura. 
The kin/elec mainly relies on slotted Tactics for perception help and using Short Circuit every now and then. Being able to shoot off Tranfusion can save me, but its never full proof. Movement is her best defense.
So far, out of the three, my grav/ff controller is the best defended against most anything. With Force Bubble not much gets near me unless its toggle gets dropped, but Dispersion bubble helps with defense. Usually the only thing that gets through ForceBubble are tanks with heavy knockback protection. Most Stalkers don't have a lot of knockback protection that I've seen. A Singularity running tends to catch a lot too.
So in all, my "squishy" chars do alright, my controller having the most success so far, but I've never felt as if I was undully gimped vs. Stalkers. There's ways to make any char work, even if some do better than others, but a lot is dependant on your AT and powers and how you play them.
global: @SuperSean
Undersecretary of Awesome
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BTW, am I the only stalker who cringes every time he sees one of those longbow wardens with that friggin' "Quills" power. When i see those damn spikes shooting everywhere I just wanna cry.
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No, most definately not. I avoid them like the plague.
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Just a thought, Howling Twilight might be an option as it autohit's slow the regen and disorients.
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Actually, the problem is that Howling Twilight needs a target. If you can't target the stalker or someone next to him, you can't use HT. AoE toggles or drops (like Caltrops) don't require that you even know the stalker's there.
Now, if you have the perception to see the stalker, it might be a good choice to start with.
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BTW, am I the only stalker who cringes every time he sees one of those longbow wardens with that friggin' "Quills" power. When i see those damn spikes shooting everywhere I just wanna cry.
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No, most definately not. I avoid them like the plague.
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What secondary are you two?
If I quote #'s, they're from City of Data.
Global: @Kazari
It was either Taunt or Purple Triangles of Doom. I stand by my decision!
-BackAlleyBrawler
1 Longbow have NPC accuracy. It's being fixed in I7 so that higher level mobs don't eat +DEF sets.
2 EA's Hide seems wonky against Quills.
Currently roleplaying, badgehunting, and laughing at the PvPers of CoX. lol, PvP.
Truedusk - Human Rogue
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BTW, am I the only stalker who cringes every time he sees one of those longbow wardens with that friggin' "Quills" power. When i see those damn spikes shooting everywhere I just wanna cry.
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No, most definately not. I avoid them like the plague.
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What secondary are you two?
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I'm Claws/regen. I suppose SR would be a little better for defending against AoE's but I'm just really not a fan of the set.
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BTW, am I the only stalker who cringes every time he sees one of those longbow wardens with that friggin' "Quills" power. When i see those damn spikes shooting everywhere I just wanna cry.
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No, most definately not. I avoid them like the plague.
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What secondary are you two?
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I'm Claws/regen. I suppose SR would be a little better for defending against AoE's but I'm just really not a fan of the set.
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I asked because my /ninjutsu doesn't have serious problems assassinating anything up to red-conned spine wardens.
[I don't remember trying a purple-conned one, but I run on vicious, so they would only show up when I'm teamed...]
I can see that /regen wouldn't even have the few seconds needed to pull it off, though.
If I quote #'s, they're from City of Data.
Global: @Kazari
It was either Taunt or Purple Triangles of Doom. I stand by my decision!
-BackAlleyBrawler
IMO, Stalkers own PvP way too much. Their chance of successfully striking you blind is so tilted in their direction it is amazing.
It should be dangerous for them too. It seems that heroes need glasses when they are around because we are all so blind. And, some AT should be impossible for Stalkers to A. Strike just as it is impossible for some ATs to do other things.
Yes, they can be overcome, I do it, but on the other hand... they run about nearly without fear. They strike n run making some ATs have a nearly impossible chance of reply.
A good example: Fire/Ice Tank - Warburg:
Fire/Ice - with ICE PATCH DOWN, AOE of Aura running, gets hit. Detoggled. Stalker... slips one or two times... gets off the patch and gets away. Fire/Ice rebuttons up, Stalker does it again and again and again. Stupid. I know, I have both types. The Stalker cannot kill the Fire/Ice and the Fire/Ice cannot even hit him before the Stalker gets away. What is the point? Besides, what other AT (the Tank) is so toggle heavy in it's primary with a wimpy secondary? And what is the deal with Stalkers always coming back just to prove what they could not do before?
All I can say is Hide, and Strike, and Placate allow Stalkers to run about PvP zones and pretty much have it their way... until they meet my Dark/Electric... Muh ha ha ha... I wish I could rename him "Stalker Killer".
I am Airman America... Super Hero... and I approve this message!
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IMO, Stalkers own PvP way too much. Their chance of successfully striking you blind is so tilted in their direction it is amazing.
It should be dangerous for them too. It seems that heroes need glasses when they are around because we are all so blind. And, some AT should be impossible for Stalkers to A. Strike just as it is impossible for some ATs to do other things.
Yes, they can be overcome, I do it, but on the other hand... they run about nearly without fear. They strike n run making some ATs have a nearly impossible chance of reply.
A good example: Fire/Ice Tank - Warburg:
Fire/Ice - with ICE PATCH DOWN, AOE of Aura running, gets hit. Detoggled. Stalker... slips one or two times... gets off the patch and gets away. Fire/Ice rebuttons up, Stalker does it again and again and again. Stupid. I know, I have both types. The Stalker cannot kill the Fire/Ice and the Fire/Ice cannot even hit him before the Stalker gets away. What is the point? Besides, what other AT (the Tank) is so toggle heavy in it's primary with a wimpy secondary? And what is the deal with Stalkers always coming back just to prove what they could not do before?
All I can say is Hide, and Strike, and Placate allow Stalkers to run about PvP zones and pretty much have it their way... until they meet my Dark/Electric... Muh ha ha ha... I wish I could rename him "Stalker Killer".
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So you're saying that this was a draw. How does that make stalkers overpowered in PvP? PvP is all about how you play your toon. I watched a dom the other day (supposedly worthless in PvP) take down a team of four singlehandedly.
I'm not attacking you here so don't take this the wrong way, but PvP is all about skill with your toon and selecting the right times and AT's to attack. The challenge is what makes it fun. I, for one, refuse to take on a tank or brute cuz everytime it the same crap: I give him the AS then attempt a knockback, but he's so incredibly knockback resistant he just laughs in my face. I then go for the placate, but in between laughing at me and making obscene gestures he's already managed to put me on my butt. While I'm trying to get up he ensures that all his armors are toggled jso even if i DO get the placate to work, my next AS will be pretty worthless. This is when the pummeling begins in earnest. I watch almost helplessly as my health bar drops at an alarming rate while I furiously pop off all my regen powers, now, out of heals i go to the last resort....MOG. That's right Moment of Glory, I'm Invincible!!!! but not really. So now the tank and I regard eachother warily, he knows he can't hurt me and I know it's really only a couple minutes til he CAN hurt me badly. My claws are no match for his armor but i continue stabbing at him, hoping he'll just keel over from sheer exhaustion, but his HP is maxed out, he chose Stamina wisely, and his armor toggles are quite a thing to behold. I type quickly in local chat, "SO, callit a draw?" This is a Tank though and the only response I get from him is "SMASH!!!!" I feel a bit like the Black Knight at this point. King Arthur has just chopped off my other leg and now I'm just posturing. The Black Knight did not, however, have teleport. I port myself away to save what little dignity I have left and to heal so I can go pick on Blasters.
The moral of this story, stalkers have a good survivability rate in PvP, but 'overpowered' they are not. We can be taken down by smart patient players (read blasters) or by dirty rotten Tanks with fifteen armor toggles and about a billion hit points ( exaggerated for humour, no flames please.)
In the end, you know who I like to pick on in PvP? Other Stalkers, yup you heard me. As a Stalker, I know where they like to hunt. I wait in the shadows for them to attack someone else and when they one or two hit some poor defender or blaster I sneak in and give it right back to em. I like to watch them stand there and gloat for a second before I jam my claws into their back. Of course there are the times when, just as I'm standing and gloating over my kill, some damned blaster snipes me from nowhere. Another trip to the hospital for me.
Sorry, this went way too long. So back on topic. AoE's are a pain in the Stalkers butt!!!!
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Just a thought, Howling Twilight might be an option as it autohit's slow the regen and disorients.
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Actually, the problem is that Howling Twilight needs a target. If you can't target the stalker or someone next to him, you can't use HT. AoE toggles or drops (like Caltrops) don't require that you even know the stalker's there.
Now, if you have the perception to see the stalker, it might be a good choice to start with.
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Something like Hasten running almost perma with Aim slotted for 3 recharge and 1 Accuracy would give you a large perception bonus in short bursts. Then run and Assault & Tactics for the always on +Acc + Dmg.
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So you're saying that this was a draw. How does that make stalkers overpowered in PvP? PvP is all about how you play your toon. I watched a dom the other day (supposedly worthless in PvP) take down a team of four singlehandedly.
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Problem is what you are saying doesnt apply to stalkers, you dont need much skill to play a stalker. My CoX's first toon was a stalker i easily built up 300+ rep without knowing much about the game all i did was run around AS+fcous+evi+placate. Where as while i working on building my brute and corr i find myself having to learn a lot more on things like pvp tohit buffs,resis,crits weaknesses of other AT ex..
Can someone help me better understand how to defend against a Stalker in PVP? I know all about perception but what I want to know is will AOE powers expose Stalker before they get the "Strike" off on you. For example Electric Field, Quials or Chilling Embrace will any of these or other powers like this help uncover the Stalker before he gets me? If so then what ones seem to work the best and how would you slot it to work the best? Any help would be appreciated.
MWD