DM/WP Stalker vs. Brute

I've decided that I want to make a DM/WP, but I can't decide between a Brute and a Stalker. I know from friends of mine that a DM/WP Brute is a monster, but how does a Stalker compare? I'm looking mostly for a ST PvE toon, but I'm thinking this toon would be pretty decent for some occasional zone PvP.

The only problem I really run into making a Stalker build for this is that I can never find a way to get quite all the powers I would like (I usually end up picking between Tough and Shadow Meld), and I get Stamina a bit late for my taste (at 35, I usually like to get it ASAP, even on Stalkers because I Scrap more than some). It's the opposite with slots; I end up with way more than I really need.

Here's the Stalker build I'm looking at (I made it in like 10 minutes, so don't mind the slotting too much, just the power picks). Feel free to point out a thing or two, but the question I am still looking to be answered the most is how a DM/WP Stalker and Brute compare.

And this is obviously what I would use for PvE, a zone PvP build would need a few key changes.

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

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

Level 50 Magic Stalker
Primary Power Set: Dark Melee
Secondary Power Set: Willpower
Power Pool: Speed
Power Pool: Fitness
Power Pool: Fighting

Villain Profile:
Level 1: Smite -- Acc-I(A), Dmg-I(3), Dmg-I(3), Dmg-I(13), RechRdx-I(37), ToHitDeb-I(40)
Level 1: Hide -- DefBuff-I(A)
Level 2: High Pain Tolerance -- Heal-I(A), Heal-I(31), ResDam-I(42), ResDam-I(43), Heal-I(43)
Level 4: Reconstruction -- RechRdx-I(A), RechRdx-I(5), Heal-I(5), Heal-I(17), RechRdx-I(39), Heal-I(42)
Level 6: Assassin's Eclipse -- Acc-I(A), Dmg-I(7), Dmg-I(7), Dmg-I(9), RechRdx-I(9), EndRdx-I(11)
Level 8: Build Up -- RechRdx-I(A), RechRdx-I(11)
Level 10: Shadow Punch -- Acc-I(A), Dmg-I(15), Dmg-I(17), Dmg-I(25), ToHitDeb-I(39), ToHitDeb-I(40)
Level 12: Placate -- RechRdx-I(A), RechRdx-I(13)
Level 14: Mind Over Body -- EndRdx-I(A), ResDam-I(15), ResDam-I(34), ResDam-I(46)
Level 16: Indomitable Will -- EndRdx-I(A), DefBuff-I(37), DefBuff-I(40), DefBuff-I(50)
Level 18: Siphon Life -- Acc-I(A), Dmg-I(19), Dmg-I(19), Heal-I(23), Heal-I(25), RechRdx-I(31)
Level 20: Hasten -- RechRdx-I(A), RechRdx-I(21), RechRdx-I(21)
Level 22: Heightened Senses -- EndRdx-I(A), DefBuff-I(23), DefBuff-I(37), DefBuff-I(48)
Level 24: Super Speed -- Run-I(A), EndRdx-I(43)
Level 26: Touch of Fear -- Acc-I(A), Fear-I(27), Fear-I(27), ToHitDeb-I(29), ToHitDeb-I(29), RechRdx-I(31)
Level 28: Hurdle -- Jump-I(A)
Level 30: Health -- Heal-I(A), Heal-I(36)
Level 32: Midnight Grasp -- Acc-I(A), Dmg-I(33), Dmg-I(33), Dmg-I(33), RechRdx-I(34), EndRdx-I(34)
Level 35: Stamina -- EndMod-I(A), EndMod-I(36), EndMod-I(36)
Level 38: Strength of Will -- ResDam-I(A), ResDam-I(39)
Level 41: Fast Healing -- Heal-I(A), Heal-I(42), Heal-I(46)
Level 44: Boxing -- Stpfy-Acc/Rchg(A), Stpfy-EndRdx/Stun(45), Stpfy-Acc/EndRdx(45), Stpfy-Acc/Stun/Rchg(45), Stpfy-KB%(46)
Level 47: Tough -- EndRdx-I(A), ResDam-I(48), ResDam-I(48)
Level 49: Weave -- EndRdx-I(A), DefBuff-I(50), DefBuff-I(50)
------------
Level 1: Brawl -- Empty(A)
Level 1: Sprint -- Empty(A)
Level 2: Rest -- Empty(A)
Level 1: Assassination

I don't know enough about PvP to comment with all of these changes happening. Either one will make a solid PvE toon, though.

The DM/WP Stalker loses Rise to the Challenge and Dark Consumption, two powers that rapidly boost the recovery of health and endurance. The powers rely on the number of enemies near you, though, so they aren't really fit for a Stalker. It's still durable and has plenty of effects attached to its attacks to boost the effectiveness of your defense, however, and you can heal yourself with Siphon Life. Oh, and Soul Drain is replaced with Build up, giving you more burst damage, but a shorter buff duration.

The DM/WP Brute is like a cranky pro boxer crossed with the freaking energizer bunny. It keeps going and going, pummeling every enemy in front of it down one by one, and it thrives in the middle of a huge pile of enemies.

Either AT would make for a good character. Just decide which one to make.

I have both and both are good. As a stalker you will not have some of the popular powers from both sets but you will be able to pick your fights whenever you want and you will will be at the hp cap without accolades or IO bonuses. You also will have 2 heals that will help alot also.

I've been reading some of the posts re: DM/WP and DM/Nin stalkers. What makes DM so great? I had a DM/DA brute. She could stay in the fight but her attacks were a bit weak. Why would those powers be different on a Stalker?

Dark melee and stalkers got a damage buff a while back. The changes to Siphon Life and Midnight Grasp in Dark melee with the ability to crit outside of hide made it the best single target set stalkers have. Stalkers do random crits and crits on demand so unless you have a brute with full fury its gonna be hard to compare brute damage to stalker damage depending on the secondary.

ahhhhhhh.... *keeping DM/WP stalker* and *stealing enhancement sets from DM/DA brute*

[ QUOTE ]
I've been reading some of the posts re: DM/WP and DM/Nin stalkers. What makes DM so great? I had a DM/DA brute. She could stay in the fight but her attacks were a bit weak. Why would those powers be different on a Stalker?

[/ QUOTE ]

DM Stalkers have some powers that offer more burst damage, and they don't need time to rev up their engines like brutes, so they're doing top damage at the start of every fight. With the recent changes to Dark Melee and its impressively short attack animations, that means you can spam single target hits right after a big Assassin Strike.

Also, Dark Melee attacks debuff enemy tohit. With a DA Brute, that might not mean a whole lot, but to a Stalker using a defense set instead of a resistance set (And most Stalkers prefer defense sets or WP these days), it's like extra armor protecting them from being whacked by baddies.

ALSO, DM has Touch of Fear and Midnight Grasp, powers which keep the enemy occupied and unable to attack. For a Stalker with fairly low HP, keeping enemies from attacking, or at least keeping them out of range to melee you, can go a long ways towards keeping you alive.

See the appeal now?