City of Heroes: Live Forum Archive

.::This is my Slice! A DB Stalker Pve/PvP guide::.

Bad_Wonka

By Bad_Wonka,
Posted on: 2008-05-19 06:54 in Player Guides

 

Posted

[u]This is my Slice! - A Stalker’s Dual Blades PvE/PvP guide[u]
By Lipe82

The Dual Blades set (or DB for short) is a very stylish set, allowing for weapon customizations and inspiring for many interesting concepts. Developers designed it to be a very fast set, and still with tactical elements in the forms of sequences (combos), which add secondary effects to your attacks.

This awesome looking set has serious flaws, however. Main one, its based on lethal damage, which is highly resisted (hell if I know where they measured an energy punch and concluded it was so much worse than a stab on your lungs - more on this below). And then we are stalkers.

Aside from people who simply don’t know how to play Stalkers (you’d be surprised), and the very exaggerated comments about it, the DB stalker has its problems, specially when it comes to PvP. With the exception of Energy Melee, DB seems to be in line with every other Stalker’s primary. Notice however that this is an admitted problem in designing of the AT, and fixes have been and will be proposed. Mainly of all, the set is playable, and properly done it’s a damn fun experience. Seeing the unsuspecting opposition going down in one deep stab speaks for itself.

If you know your limitations and your strengths, though, you can overcome them and actually enjoy the show, having fun with your blademaster killer. While you are far from the potential most of us would expect, you have potentials, and this is what this guide will try to put together for old and new lovers of the Archetype, or the set.

::[u]Dual Blade’s General Overview[u]
Combos - As a Dual Blades Stalker, you need to “think combos”. Treat combos as a whole attack on its own. While all Stalkers need to plan how to best apply their Assassin Strike, you will be planning your Sweep or Empower instead. Do not forget the particular features of your specific single attacks, but remember they were designed to be chained.

Every Power on Set – each combo consists of 3 powers, so to take advantage of the combo system, you will want every and each power from Dual Blades. Exceptions could be made but you will surely miss the combos they are part of (specially Nimble Slash for Attack Vitals).

Secondary Powers Selection – Due to the reason above, this is going to be a tight build, so you should have this in mind when selecting your secondary. A set that also asks for many powers (such as Super Reflexes) will be pretty hard to mature and manage. Specially if you plan on PvP, since your best PvP spot is Siren’s Call (a lv 30 zone, see pvp notes). Regeneration and Ninjitsu are popular, and considered to be “loose” sets. That said, the selection is up to personal tastes, concept and play style, as each set has a different something to offer.

Pool Powers - As with other Stalkers, there isn’t much to look for in the Pool Powers at all. If you’re the kind of player used with healings, it’s good to have a Secondary with some Self Heal as well, since you hardly will have room for Medicine (or any other Power Pool, actually). Leadership and Presence offers nothing to improve your performance noticeably. Depending on your secondary, Fighting could be interesting, if it wasn’t so costy to get to the good powers. If you plan on PvP at all, Stealth from Concealment is pretty mandatory, but useless otherwise. And fitness…

No Stamina? – Even without EndRed enhancements, all powers in Dual Blades are light on endurance. Also, a Stalker lacks survivability for long battles or sequences of battles - will hit-and-run a lot, often finishing it with a single hit. The “cooldown” and setup between fights (specially on PvP) should be enough to keep your Endurance alive, even without Stamina. If you can fit it in, though, it is very interesting for all the buffs the Fitness Pool offer. DB’s end-friendly powers still allows you to scrap some good two or three enemies on pve, with toggles running without endurance problems even without the often mandatory Stamina (managing which toggle you actually need instead of letting it all on helps a lot though).

Travel Powers – Since this is a tight build, you’ll probably be limited to only 1 travel power as well. Choose wisely and consider your needs and preferences.

<ul type="square">Teleportation: Teleport is the fastest (but tricky) travel form. Recall Friend with your ability to go unseen will help making Task Forces a lot easier and faster for your team by tp’ing them straight to the objectives without fighting everything on its way, but isn’t as practical as SS or SJ for PvP. TP Foe have its uses for pulling, or against flying foes, and makes for a few PvP “traps” (TP Foe – Placate – AS). Notice that Teleport is very disappointing out of the box, but with levels and enhancements, it works great.

Flight: Hover and Fly are good (even if slow) travel powers, and notice that it is possible to cast Assassin’s Blade while flying, which often comes as a surprise on PvP. Air Superiority is hands down the best attack from a power pool. Specially if you can fly, there shouldn’t be much need for it, but you can use it to strengthen the value of the many Knockdowns Dual Blades have to offer. Last but not least – Hover offers means to Assassinate that smart [censored] enemy that stays planted on his caltrops/traps all day.

Speed: Even if the set itself is pretty fast, for optimal times of self-heals, Placate, Build Up and so on, you might consider Hasten. Superspeed, while very cool and precise as a travel power (and great for pvp) can be less practical since CoV has many vertical obstacles such as buildings, walls, faults, and etc (and Gradville, one of the last zones, is pretty much a maze of steel walls). Whirlwind, specially for a Stalker, isn’t at all appealing, save for concept reasons if any. No need for a weak filler such as Flurry

Leaping: Jump Kick falls in the same category as Flurry. Now Combat Jump, besides offering a little bit of Defenses, can be made a “mini travel power” if coupled with Hurdle. It’s not even close however to the great mobility offered by Super Jump (and as a Stalker, chasing a target effectively is as important as getting away from the scene of murder), specially considering that slow effects barely affect it. Acrobatics makes a defense against Knockdowns, which many Stalker Secondaries lack, and while Issue 12 should bring a nerf to it, its proposed modifications should still save you from KD on most PvE situations.[/list]
Scrap Stalk – No stalker is designed to scrap in the open near a group of foes due to low HP and best attacks coming out from Hidden state. I will still use the term scrap here, referring specifically to fighting a foe till death without repeatedly hit-run-hide-repeat tactics. That said, DB offer greats potential on any form of scrapping, with its combos and side-effects.

Area Attacks, to be or not to be? – DB has great potential for Area attacks, as its last 2 powers are heavy hitters and have a manageable reach. Compared to other classes AoE however, ours aren’t that great. Besides, stalkers hardly have capacity to fight simultaneously five guys and survive all the returning fire as if they were a Brute. Mostly, your AoE will hurt a group (for a fair damage, compared with the attacks of this set), but requires you to hold tight afterwards, while by other means you could outright nullify a threat already and set up for next target. This is highly a matter of play style; the best suggestion is taking and experimenting the AoE if you aren’t sure how they work.

Lethal Damage – Dual Blade’s Lethal damage is highly resisted on high levels. Usually, even if a weakness, this isn’t completely crippling your firepower specially if you have a Damage inspiration for those crucial moments (it is still unfair, however – Energy Melee does pretty decent damage without the need of extra work). On Pvp however, this will highly restrict you (see below)!

::[u]The Powers[u]
Nimble Slash
Minor Damage, Very Fast Recharge (3s)
Enhancement Suggestion: 2 Acc, 3 Dmg
Available: Lv 1
A quick 2-hit, pretty weak attack. Its main use is as the 2nd move for the Attack Vitals combo, but since that combo won’t be available until level 18, you can skip it until you feel a need for a filler on your attack chain. As a first attack selection, Power Slice is a better choice (see below), but from level 18 onward, this power helps your scrapping needs.

Power Slice
Moderate Damage, Fast Recharge (5s)
Enhancement Suggestion: 2 Acc, 3 Dmg
Available: Lv 1
A 3-hit strike with great value as your level 1 power. Its Critical Hit will grant you a nice edge on your first fights before you get Assassin’s Blades, but it is still useful when it comes to scrapping, since it’s the opening move for Attack Vitals.

Ablating Strike
Moderate Damage, Fast Recharge (6s), Target -Def (7,5%)
Enhancement Suggestion: 2 Acc, 2-3 Dmg, optional1 DefDebuff
Invention Origin suggestion: Achilles’ Heel: Chance for ResDebuff
Available: Lv 2
Two horizontal hits with your blades, slightly less damage than Power Slice, and a Defense Debuff. A decent attack on its own right, specially when slotted properly, and the finisher for your first combo available (Sweep).With 1 DefDebuff, your target loses 10% of defense values for 10 seconds. While not a lifesaver, the Def Debuff is useful on fights against high defense foes (Bubbles, Super Reflexes, etc). The –Def component might not be too noticeable at lower levels; also, a second DefDebuff enhancement raises it to only 11%. So, slot only one and on your late teens if at all.

Slotting an Achilles’ Heel: Chance for ResDebuff reduces that Lethal damage issue a bit, effectively granting your attacks an extra 20% punch for a brief time – enough for you to land a full Attack Vitals combo on the now-less-tougher target.

Assassin’s Blades
Special Damage, Slow Recharge (15s), 1s Activation Time
Enhancement Suggestion: 1-2 Acc, 3 Dmg, 1 optional RechRed or EndRed
Available: Lv 6
Now we’re (s)talking. With this one charged, deep stab with both blades, you start enjoying being a Stalker. Used while Hidden, it will cripple or outright yellow mobs, or even above if properly slotted. Coupled with Build Up, it can kill yellow Lieutenants and some squishy players in one shot – about pvp by the way, Build Up + Assassin’s Blades is how you’ll start all your pvp encounters, and a Red Inspiration comes handy for this purpose. Inherent Accuracy Bonus here, so 1 Acc is enough (again, Build Up will pump it). Get (and slot!) this power asap.

Knowing how to apply this power (and mainly what to do next!) is the line between good Stalkers and lame Stalkers, so, a few tips. Pay attention to the activation time, if you move or get hit during it, the power is canceled. Don’t try it on targets over hostile caltrops, damage auras, etc, as you might be exposed before the hit. On PvE, even if you take down a Lieutenant in one hit, its Minions will still go after you. Like all stalkers, this is where you rely on your travel powers, group, and Secondary to avoid dying. As a Dual Blades however, you also have the option of the Sweep combo, knocking down the whole mob (and the eventual survivor) after the hit – more on it later on the Combos section.

Build Up
Self PowerUp (+ 20% Acc, +80% Dmg), Long Recharge (90s)
Enhancement Suggestion: 3 RechRed (pretty mandatory!)
Available: Lv 8
By the numbers above you can tell how Build Up is a great tool at your disposal. Besides empowering your combos, its optimal use is specially before your Assassin’s Blade. That’s right: it will make your Assassin’s Blade a lot deadlier. Once you get it, experiment and learn how/when to use it: you want it up before using Assassin’s Blade on a Boss, or higher level enemy, on every and all attempts of Assassin’s at PvP. However, make sure to not waste it on a target that already would die by Assassin’s Blade alone! While it makes Sweep combo available (if you also have Assassin’s Blades and Ablating Strike), getting this power right away may be a bit overkill, you can skip this power until later depending on the level of mobs that you are fighting.

Placate
Special, Long Recharge (60s)
Enhancement Suggestion: 3 RechRed
Available: Lv 12
The Stalker’s wild card. Effectively, what Placate does is Hiding you from the Placated target, so that you can use an attack (enjoying the usual Hide/Critical Hit system), cast an Assassin’s to put him out of his misery at once, or run like a little girl. On PvP its also useful for a set up that would require being out of Hide at first – such as Teleport Foe.

Warning - This power WILL NOT Hide you from everyone, only the Placated target! In middle of a group, the non-placated friends of the target will still want your blood. Also, if the target was in middle of an attack while hit by Placate, that attack will still get you and ruin your Hide. Finally, the DoT of Attack Vitals or secondary status (like Defense Debuff, Fear, etc) will count as an attack, revealing you to the target. Note that lag is a factor in all these examples.

It’s still a great move against tough targets nonetheless, PvE or PvP. Due to its tactical nature, it’s up to you when to take it (but surely around late 20s if you plan on Siren’s Call).

Vengful Slice
High Damage, Moderate Recharge (8s), Knockdown
Enhancement Suggestion: 2 Acc, 2-3 Dmg, 1-2 RechRed
Avaliable: Lv 18
Three slashes, the last one ending on an uppercut that can knockdown your foe. Good damage on its own, and the finisher for the Attack Vitals combo. An interesting aspect of this power is the Knockdown component: if vulnerable to it, you can keep your target on an almost constant Attack Vitals loop, hurting him, knocking him down, over and over. For that you will need Recharge Reduction enhancements on Vengful Slice, as many as you can fit. For PvE this can be a good tool, and for PvP it might help you (see “PvP Notes” section) keeping your foes where you want them. Get his power asap, it’s a good attack to keep you slashing through enemies as you level up.

If you have all the DB powers until here, you have already access to all combos except for Weaken. This should be your optimal tool set for Siren’s Call. Alternatively, you could sacrifice one of the movements above in favor of Sweeping Strikes, below, giving an AoE attack, and a heavy hitter (although not chained) earlier. A matter of style.

Sweeping Strike
Superior Damage (cone), Moderate Recharge (11s)
Enhancement Suggestion: 2 Acc, 3 Dmg
Avaliable: Lv 26
As you make a cross-slash with your both blades, Sweeping Strikes could be considered the first real “heavy hitter” from the stalker set, as it deals a good amount of damage on its own. AND it is an Area damage – its cone isn’t big, but easy to affect at least 2 other adjacent opponents. For those interested in area attacks, this is a great power, even more so when followed by One Thousand Cuts. If you have a consistent attack approach at level 26 and the build is too tight (both things should be true at this point) you can get this power later, as the combo it is part of (Weaken) is fairly inferior to the other ones already available for you up to this level.

Check the “AoE” observation aforementioned on this guide for additional information on when to take this attack, if at all. As a last note, while you get this power, your friend EM stalker has access to Energy Transfer (superior in every aspect). Go figure.

One Thousand Cuts
Superior Damage (cone), Slow Recharge (16s), Area Knockdown
Enhancement Suggestion: 2 Acc, 3 Dmg, optional 1-2 Rech (combo “loop” purposes)
Avaliable: Lv 32
Our last attack, on which the blades recklessly slash everything in front of you, pulling enemies away. Looks weaker than it actually is because its damage is applied in 11 (eleven!) smaller portions, with a last hit about 3 times these single ticks. If you make the math, this is the heaviest attack of the set, besides having a decent reach for AoE purposes, and a built in knockdown. Maybe the only lackluster aspect here is the combo it chains into (see The Combos section), but individually it’s great to reduce the HP of a mob, knockdown the eventual pack that’s giving the Team extra trouble (loose mob onto the squishies, for example), or simply a solid heavy hit to insert when your other attacks are recharging. This is specially true when activated as a Critical Hit! A great add to your arsenal, take it at 32 or around it.

::[u]The Combos[u]
The combo system is very simple to use – whenever you cast a power that is an opener for a sequence, the powers tray will highlight the next powers that can chain as a follow up, so that you don’t need to memorize them. As you get new powers and new combos, you might want to arrange your tray in order to get each attack already near its possible sequences.

Sweep
Sequence: Build Up, Assassin’s Blade, Ablating Strike (therefore available at level 8)
Effect: Lethal Damage plus Knockdown on the target and foes near to him.
When fighting large groups, after the usual Assassin’s Strike, Sweep will knockdown the target’s friends, giving you time to flee. Also, if you notice the team is having a hard time, knocking down a whole group can give them that little time to re-organize. Notice that using this usually drags the group against you so use it wisely! Learn to position yourself for best use of this combo. A nice idea is using Assassin’s Blade, and while it is still charging, targeting the next enemy and cueing Ablating Strike. Notice the –Def component of Ablating Strike only applies to its target, not the whole knocked down mob.

Build Up+Assassin’s Blades, while killer on PvE, most often will NOT finish another player in one hit, so Sweep can knock them down, dealing a bit of damage itself plus allowing you time for extra attacks while the target gets up – finishing them. Due to the “Knockdown vs Acrobatics” issue discussed on the “PvP Notes”, a hint is using Sweep against PvP targets that lack SuperJump.

Empower
Sequence: Build Up, Assassin’s Blade, Placate (therefore available at level 12)
Effect: Placates the target and buffs your Accuracy and Damage
The value of the Acc/Dam buff is assumed to be 10% on each, but regardless of the exact number, it is pretty low and almost unnoticeable. It’s only use would be on 1v1 PvE fights for that little extra firepower, little being the keyword. You’ll have this combo regardless, since the powers of its sequence are mandatory to any stalker.

Attack Vitals
Sequence: Power Slice, Nimble Slash, Vengeful Slice (available at level 18)
Effect: Knockdown the target, applying Damage over Time
The ultimate combo for scrapping – it will deal decent damage, knock the foe down and let him bleeding for a while. The DoT is composed of five “ticks”, each of them dealing half the damage of Vengful Slice. Build up will influence the whole chain, thus, the DoT as well. When you knock a target with Sweep, apply this combo before he/she gets up and you might lock them on the ground. It’s a great finisher for PvP and PvE after a Sweep.

You have 2 options here, depending on how you slot Vengful Slice. Either maximizing damage, for improved DoT, or sacrificing a damage slot and putting 2 Recharges, to reduce the gap between the “knockdown loop”.

Weaken
Sequence: Sweeping Strike, Power Slice, One Thousand Cuts (available at 32)
Effect: Target and its nearby allies are damaged and debuffed on Accuracy and Defense (and possibly knocked down by the One Thousand Cuts default effect)
This Area of Effect combo might look great at first, because it includes two decent AoE powers and tops it with an AoE debuff. Besides prone to drive attention to yourself, the debuff is very negligible, and hands down, this strictly PvE combo is the worse in terms of returns except maybe for the great AoE Attack chained into it. If your build it too tight you could skip/delay Sweeping Strike (thus skipping this combo), since as far as area attacks go, One Thousand Cuts is a pretty good one per se already, and it’s a lot better if used to break Hide instead of chained (thus making the combo obsolete).

::[u]PvP Notes[u]
All Stalkers, regardless of powersets, are targets that you can’t see until they hit you for a lot, but very fragile after they do so. On settings where players have room for many inspirations and damaging powers (like Recluse’s Victory), a Stalker is hardly a challenge for any experienced pvper; on low level pvp zones (such as Blood Bay) you lack a solid group of powers; finally, dueling a stalker is kinda silly altogether for obvious reasons.

Your best bet for a fun, competitive pvp esperience would be Siren’s Call. It’s level capacity is 30, and by that level the squishies are very squishy and there isn’t room for all the Lethal Defenses/Resists. And after some time playing around this zone, you’ll realize that all other Stalkers are on the same boat as you (again, EM being the dev’s-favorite exception for no logical reason). Claws, swords, kung fu, dark matter, what have we – its all about lurking, waiting, and striking from shadows.

You should lurk and stalk Controllers, Defenders and Blasters, waiting for the chance of a surprise Sweep + Attack Vitals (some don’t even survive through the Sweep). Tankers, Kheldians and most kinds of Scrappers are just impossible to take down alone. Keep an eye while they’re fighting though; with around 1/3 of HP, a nice Sweep or Empower with a few extra hits on these last targets can get you the kill and save a comrade from certain death.

Designed to be played with lethal damaging chained moves, Dual Blades will suffer on PvP. Aside from the Lethal Damage issue discussed above, on PvP, a single strong heavy hitter is better than a sequence of fast hits, even if the total sequence would deal a bit more damage in total. This happens because the of fast pace of fights, hardly allowing one to apply a full sequence of attacks before getting interrupted by holds, stuns, the sheer need to heal, or fleeing foes. DB has built in Knockdowns to counter that – but Acrobatics, a popular power on pvp, nearly nullifies it (Issue 12 will bring a nerf to Acro, however, hopefully making this approach more viable). A way to try and come on top of your limitation is popping a Damage inspiration before each Assassin’s Blade, and making best use of it after the hit. Don’t be greedy however, after a kill, your best bet is running away from the scene of murder, Hiding, and picking up a next target.

A last note, again for all pvp stalkers in general – you will need Stealth (Concealment Pool) and a Stealth IO. While useless for PvE, on PvP many players (most notably Blasters) have means to see through your Hide unless you stack all these. There is a version of this IO enhancement for each movement power, you should get the one that suit you and your wallet (a Jump +Stealth IO can go for around 20 millions!).

©Lipe82, May 2008.
This guide was made based on Issue 11 with aid of Mid’s Villain Designer
Special thanks to Fixer and Reiraku, for ideas, attention and feedback; and everyone in the community who helped me when I started my first stalker with a constructive or insightful comment or critic. The Meaning of Life video is a courtesy of Reiraku Inc.

Slash on!

No unofficial members of PWNZ were hurt in the making of this guide.

- Dual Blades Stalker Guide
- Mastermind guide to Pain Domination

 

Posted

Finally, my guide about DB is out. I'm reserving this post for any needed additional changes.

I'd like to invite any and all players new and old interested on the set to throw opinions and share your informations on the matters discussed above, since the guide is open for editing and constructive comments.

- Dual Blades Stalker Guide
- Mastermind guide to Pain Domination

 

Posted

Nice guide, thanks for writing this up.

 

Posted

I like how you said when the power becomes available at specific levels. This helps in the building and planning process. Big Thumbs up to your guide.

Be happy!

 

Posted

&lt;QR&gt;

Nice guide. Not too detailed that the reader loses interest, but enough that doesn't leave me guessing. Even has me thinking of giving DBs a try as a stalker, especially with the recent buffs they received.

Don't I know you???

 

Posted

Great guide, anyone out there have a build for a DB/WP?

 

Posted

Thank you for this guide. It was helpful.

 

Posted

Bumping, because I dont see any decent DB guide for stalkers out there. As of I13 apparently nothing changed too drastically on my guide, but what should I do if I wanted to edit/update it?

And yeah, if anyone like this guide nad would recomend for sticky, thanks.

- Dual Blades Stalker Guide
- Mastermind guide to Pain Domination

 

Posted

Not much out there for DB Stalkers, so I figure this is as good a place as any to post this...

This is my build I'm going for on my DB/ElA Stalker. Disclaimer: I mainly PvE and solo or duo a lot, so this may not be the right build for you.

Villain Plan by Mids' Villain Designer 1.401
http://www.cohplanner.com/

[u]Click this DataLink to open the build![u]

Raskle: Level 50 Natural Stalker
Primary Power Set: Dual Blades
Secondary Power Set: Electric Armor
Power Pool: Speed
Power Pool: Fitness
Power Pool: Fighting
Ancillary Pool: Soul Mastery

Villain Profile:
Level 1: Nimble Slash <ul type="square">[*] (A) Crushing Impact - Accuracy/Damage[*] (3) Crushing Impact - Accuracy/Damage/Endurance[*] (3) Crushing Impact - Accuracy/Damage/Recharge[*] (5) Crushing Impact - Damage/Endurance/Recharge[*] (5) Crushing Impact - Damage/Endurance[*] (7) Mako's Bite - Accuracy/Damage/Endurance/Recharge[/list]Level 1: Hide <ul type="square">[*] (A) Luck of the Gambler - Recharge Speed[*] (7) Luck of the Gambler - Defense[*] (43) Luck of the Gambler - Defense/Recharge[*] (43) Luck of the Gambler - Defense/Endurance/Recharge[/list]Level 2: Ablating Strike <ul type="square">[*] (A) Crushing Impact - Accuracy/Damage[*] (9) Crushing Impact - Accuracy/Damage/Endurance[*] (9) Crushing Impact - Accuracy/Damage/Recharge[*] (11) Crushing Impact - Damage/Endurance/Recharge[*] (11) Crushing Impact - Damage/Endurance[*] (13) Mako's Bite - Accuracy/Endurance/Recharge[/list]Level 4: Power Slice <ul type="square">[*] (A) Crushing Impact - Accuracy/Damage[*] (13) Crushing Impact - Accuracy/Damage/Endurance[*] (15) Crushing Impact - Accuracy/Damage/Recharge[*] (15) Crushing Impact - Damage/Endurance/Recharge[*] (17) Crushing Impact - Damage/Endurance[*] (17) Mako's Bite - Accuracy/Endurance/Recharge[/list]Level 6: Assassin's Blades <ul type="square">[*] (A) Crushing Impact - Accuracy/Damage[*] (19) Crushing Impact - Accuracy/Damage/Endurance[*] (19) Crushing Impact - Accuracy/Damage/Recharge[*] (21) Crushing Impact - Damage/Endurance/Recharge[*] (21) Crushing Impact - Damage/Endurance[*] (23) Mako's Bite - Accuracy/Endurance/Recharge[/list]Level 8: Hasten <ul type="square">[*] (A) Recharge Reduction IO[*] (23) Recharge Reduction IO[/list]Level 10: Static Shield <ul type="square">[*] (A) Aegis - Resistance[*] (25) Aegis - Resistance/Endurance[/list]Level 12: Hurdle <ul type="square">[*] (A) Jumping IO[/list]Level 14: Super Speed <ul type="square">[*] (A) Run Speed IO[/list]Level 16: Grounded <ul type="square">[*] (A) Aegis - Psionic/Status Resistance[*] (27) Steadfast Protection - Resistance/+Def 3%[/list]Level 18: Health <ul type="square">[*] (A) Numina's Convalescence - +Regeneration/+Recovery[*] (29) Numina's Convalescence - Heal[*] (29) Healing IO[*] (33) Miracle - +Recovery[*] (42) Regenerative Tissue - +Regeneration[/list]Level 20: Stamina <ul type="square">[*] (A) Performance Shifter - Chance for +End[*] (25) Performance Shifter - EndMod[*] (27) Performance Shifter - EndMod/Accuracy[*] (31) Performance Shifter - EndMod/Recharge[*] (42) Performance Shifter - EndMod/Accuracy/Recharge[/list]Level 22: Lightning Reflexes <ul type="square">[*] (A) Run Speed IO[/list]Level 24: Charged Armor <ul type="square">[*] (A) Aegis - Resistance[*] (31) Aegis - Resistance/Endurance[*] (31) Aegis - Resistance/Endurance/Recharge[/list]Level 26: Conductive Shield <ul type="square">[*] (A) Aegis - Resistance[*] (33) Aegis - Resistance/Endurance[*] (36) Aegis - Resistance/Endurance/Recharge[/list]Level 28: Vengeful Slice <ul type="square">[*] (A) Crushing Impact - Accuracy/Damage[*] (33) Crushing Impact - Accuracy/Damage/Endurance[*] (34) Crushing Impact - Accuracy/Damage/Recharge[*] (34) Crushing Impact - Damage/Endurance/Recharge[*] (34) Crushing Impact - Damage/Endurance[*] (40) Mako's Bite - Accuracy/Endurance/Recharge[/list]Level 30: Sweeping Strike <ul type="square">[*] (A) Scirocco's Dervish - Accuracy/Damage/Endurance[*] (36) Scirocco's Dervish - Accuracy/Damage[*] (36) Scirocco's Dervish - Damage/Endurance[*] (37) Scirocco's Dervish - Accuracy/Recharge[*] (37) Scirocco's Dervish - Damage/Recharge[*] (37) Obliteration - Accuracy/Damage/Endurance/Recharge[/list]Level 32: One Thousand Cuts <ul type="square">[*] (A) Scirocco's Dervish - Accuracy/Damage/Endurance[*] (39) Scirocco's Dervish - Accuracy/Damage[*] (39) Scirocco's Dervish - Damage/Endurance[*] (39) Scirocco's Dervish - Accuracy/Recharge[*] (40) Scirocco's Dervish - Damage/Recharge[*] (40) Obliteration - Accuracy/Damage/Endurance/Recharge[/list]Level 35: Boxing <ul type="square">[*] (A) Accuracy IO[/list]Level 38: Tough <ul type="square">[*] (A) Aegis - Resistance[*] (42) Aegis - Resistance/Endurance[*] (46) Aegis - Resistance/Endurance/Recharge[/list]Level 41: Build Up <ul type="square">[*] (A) Gaussian's Synchronized Fire-Control - Chance for Build Up[*] (43) Gaussian's Synchronized Fire-Control - To Hit Buff/Recharge[/list]Level 44: Dark Blast <ul type="square">[*] (A) Devastation - Chance of Hold[*] (45) Devastation - Accuracy/Damage[*] (45) Devastation - Damage/Endurance[*] (45) Devastation - Damage/Recharge[*] (46) Devastation - Accuracy/Damage/Recharge[*] (46) Devastation - Accuracy/Damage/Endurance/Recharge[/list]Level 47: Shadow Meld <ul type="square">[*] (A) Luck of the Gambler - Recharge Speed[*] (48) Luck of the Gambler - Defense[*] (48) Luck of the Gambler - Defense/Recharge[*] (48) Luck of the Gambler - Defense/Endurance/Recharge[/list]Level 49: Weave <ul type="square">[*] (A) Luck of the Gambler - Recharge Speed[*] (50) Luck of the Gambler - Defense[*] (50) Luck of the Gambler - Defense/Endurance[*] (50) Luck of the Gambler - Defense/Endurance/Recharge[/list]------------
Level 1: Brawl <ul type="square">[*] (A) Accuracy IO[/list]Level 1: Sprint <ul type="square">[*] (A) Celerity - +Stealth[/list]Level 2: Rest <ul type="square">[*] (A) Recharge Reduction IO[/list]Level 1: Assassination
------------
[u]Set Bonus Totals:[u]<ul type="square">[*]5.5% DamageBuff(Smashing)[*]5.5% DamageBuff(Lethal)[*]5.5% DamageBuff(Fire)[*]5.5% DamageBuff(Cold)[*]5.5% DamageBuff(Energy)[*]5.5% DamageBuff(Negative)[*]5.5% DamageBuff(Toxic)[*]5.5% DamageBuff(Psionic)[*]3% Defense(Smashing)[*]3% Defense(Lethal)[*]15.5% Defense(Fire)[*]15.5% Defense(Cold)[*]3% Defense(Energy)[*]3% Defense(Negative)[*]6.75% Defense(Psionic)[*]3% Defense(Melee)[*]3% Defense(Ranged)[*]13.9% Defense(AoE)[*]47.5% Enhancement(RechargeTime)[*]80% Enhancement(Accuracy)[*]10% FlySpeed[*]117.5 HP (9.76%) HitPoints[*]10% JumpHeight[*]10% JumpSpeed[*]MezResist(Held) 3.3%[*]MezResist(Immobilize) 11%[*]2.5% (0.04 End/sec) Recovery[*]74% (3.72 HP/sec) Regeneration[*]6.25% Resistance(Negative)[*]2.25% Resistance(Psionic)[*]30% RunSpeed[/list]------------
[u]Set Bonuses:[u]
[u]Crushing Impact[u]
(Nimble Slash)<ul type="square">[*] MezResist(Immobilize) 2.2%[*] 13.6 HP (1.13%) HitPoints[*] 7% Enhancement(Accuracy)[*] 5% Enhancement(RechargeTime)[/list][u]Luck of the Gambler[u]
(Hide)<ul type="square">[*] 10% (0.5 HP/sec) Regeneration[*] 13.6 HP (1.13%) HitPoints[*] 9% Enhancement(Accuracy)[*] 7.5% Enhancement(RechargeTime)[/list][u]Crushing Impact[u]
(Ablating Strike)<ul type="square">[*] MezResist(Immobilize) 2.2%[*] 13.6 HP (1.13%) HitPoints[*] 7% Enhancement(Accuracy)[*] 5% Enhancement(RechargeTime)[/list][u]Crushing Impact[u]
(Power Slice)<ul type="square">[*] MezResist(Immobilize) 2.2%[*] 13.6 HP (1.13%) HitPoints[*] 7% Enhancement(Accuracy)[*] 5% Enhancement(RechargeTime)[/list][u]Crushing Impact[u]
(Assassin's Blades)<ul type="square">[*] MezResist(Immobilize) 2.2%[*] 13.6 HP (1.13%) HitPoints[*] 7% Enhancement(Accuracy)[*] 5% Enhancement(RechargeTime)[/list][u]Aegis[u]
(Static Shield)<ul type="square">[*] 5% RunSpeed[/list][u]Aegis[u]
(Grounded)<ul type="square">[*] 2.25% Resistance(Psionic)[/list][u]Steadfast Protection[u]
(Grounded)<ul type="square">[*] 3% Defense(All)[/list][u]Numina's Convalescence[u]
(Health)<ul type="square">[*] 12% (0.6 HP/sec) Regeneration[/list][u]Performance Shifter[u]
(Stamina)<ul type="square">[*] 5% JumpSpeed, 5% JumpHeight, 5% FlySpeed, 5% RunSpeed[*] 22.6 HP (1.88%) HitPoints[*] 2.5% (0.04 End/sec) Recovery[*] 2.5% DamageBuff(All)[/list][u]Aegis[u]
(Charged Armor)<ul type="square">[*] 5% RunSpeed[*] 3.13% Defense(Fire,Cold), 1.56% Defense(AoE)[/list][u]Aegis[u]
(Conductive Shield)<ul type="square">[*] 5% RunSpeed[*] 3.13% Defense(Fire,Cold), 1.56% Defense(AoE)[/list][u]Crushing Impact[u]
(Vengeful Slice)<ul type="square">[*] MezResist(Immobilize) 2.2%[*] 13.6 HP (1.13%) HitPoints (Exceeded 5 Bonus Cap)[*] 7% Enhancement(Accuracy)[*] 5% Enhancement(RechargeTime)[/list][u]Scirocco's Dervish[u]
(Sweeping Strike)<ul type="square">[*] 10% (0.5 HP/sec) Regeneration[*] 3.13% Resistance(Negative)[*] 9% Enhancement(Accuracy)[*] 3.13% Defense(AoE), 1.56% Defense(Fire), 1.56% Defense(Cold)[/list][u]Scirocco's Dervish[u]
(One Thousand Cuts)<ul type="square">[*] 10% (0.5 HP/sec) Regeneration[*] 3.13% Resistance(Negative)[*] 9% Enhancement(Accuracy)[*] 3.13% Defense(AoE), 1.56% Defense(Fire), 1.56% Defense(Cold)[/list][u]Aegis[u]
(Tough)<ul type="square">[*] 5% RunSpeed[*] 3.13% Defense(Fire,Cold), 1.56% Defense(AoE)[/list][u]Gaussian's Synchronized Fire-Control[u]
(Build Up)<ul type="square">[*] 5% JumpSpeed, 5% JumpHeight, 5% FlySpeed, 5% RunSpeed[/list][u]Devastation[u]
(Dark Blast)<ul type="square">[*] 12% (0.6 HP/sec) Regeneration[*] 27.1 HP (2.25%) HitPoints[*] 3% DamageBuff(All)[*] MezResist(Held) 3.3%[*] 3.75% Defense(Psionic)[/list][u]Luck of the Gambler[u]
(Shadow Meld)<ul type="square">[*] 10% (0.5 HP/sec) Regeneration[*] 13.6 HP (1.13%) HitPoints (Exceeded 5 Bonus Cap)[*] 9% Enhancement(Accuracy)[*] 7.5% Enhancement(RechargeTime)[/list][u]Luck of the Gambler[u]
(Weave)<ul type="square">[*] 10% (0.5 HP/sec) Regeneration[*] 13.6 HP (1.13%) HitPoints (Exceeded 5 Bonus Cap)[*] 9% Enhancement(Accuracy)[*] 7.5% Enhancement(RechargeTime)[/list]

I skipped Placate, since it's pretty useless to me as a soloing Stalker, and the Chain isn't as important to me as it might be to others. The first 20-odd levels are rough without defenses or resists, but can be accomplished with strike and run moves, or duoing with a healer of some type.

It's a bit pricy, but not as pricy as some I've seen, since there's no purple IOs to buy, and it gives a good overall defense and resist amount in the final build. Feel free to comment or change as you see fit.

I hope this helps anyone who's been looking for a build! Enjoy!!

 

Posted

As you said, your build is a pretty specific purpose one. But even on that, I'd recommend taking Placate. As soon as the AS is recharged, placate and hit it.

Given, placate is a 1v1 thing. But on a Mob, should be possible to AS your first target, scrap some, and Placate+AS the last one. OR, in a nasty fight (say, against 2 red mobs), remove one of them from the fight while you kill his friend post-AS.

It's really a strategical move with some versatility.

- Dual Blades Stalker Guide
- Mastermind guide to Pain Domination

 

Posted

Thanks for a useful guide! I posted some questions in the stalker forum; if you want to go check it out, I'm sure you could offer some nice insight.

 

Posted

Great guide. I just made a DB/Nin and this really helped me decided where it will be heading in the future. Still not sure if I should take TP or SS since the stalker will be PvE.