i have a problem with flurry and thats its action time and low level of damage id of chose hasten just to get other attacks out quicker (hasten as a clickie now not auto'd i like my practised brawler auto'd), its a good build though as for build up u can survive without unless u r gonna end up sayin to urself "if i had done more damage i would of survived" alot. pick ur powers to suit ur needs as u lvl up just know how to slot it
He will honor his words; he will definitely carry out his actions. What he promises he will fulfill. He does not care about his bodily self, putting his life and death aside to come forward for another's troubled besiegement. He does not boast about his ability, or shamelessly extol his own virtues. - Sima Qian.
Personally I feel a Stalker can survive without anything except Hide and Assassins stike. Placate is almost a requirement too.
I don't hvae build-up in my build. I considered Stamina too important so Build-up was dropped. I'll probably try respeccing (on test) when Endurance SOs are availble to me, and see if I can survive without it. For the moemnt though , at level 22 I don't have it and havent really missed it, and a I don't feel gimped since I've soloed Elite Bosses a couple of times.
To me it looks like your making a scrapper. A stalker is not a scrapper.
Its not about attack chains, its about front load damage.
IMO you should get crippling axe kick and build up and loose flurry and thunder kick.
A Paragon Defender
In my opinion, you can rather skip you COMPLETE secondary (except Hide of coures) than skip Buildup. Seriously, you secondary is like to live a few seconds more or less. You might even aviod 1 or 2 hits, but you cant take many hits anyway. But buildup/AS is the one that drops a red Lieutenant. When you just get him down to 50%, its not worth nothing, cause the other 50% you can't do by scrapping it out.
I need flurry so I can get my travel power and flurry is quite good at lower levels, if you look at the build you can see I take very few attack powers (6 in all) If I was making a scrapper I would have taken alot more. I won't take Crippling axe kick because it immobilises and as a Stalker, If my target decides to run away I'll let it do so I can regain my hide
I may be able to avoid just a few hits but if I'm trying to stay hidden and am detected whilst using AS if they miss me I'm more likely to still get the critical
White Magik lvl50 Defender
Commander of the Shades of Darkness
Swift lvl50 Stalker
Board director of the League of Scoundrels
Our Forum
I survived without Build Up until level 24.
Build Up is probably not essential but it is one of the better powers. It is also probably worth getting earlier than I did when it makes more difference.
However as someone said earlier, this looks like a scrapper build not a Stalker build.
I would delay or even forgo a passive to get Build Up.
@Unthing ... Mostly on Union.
[ QUOTE ]
I need flurry so I can get my travel power and flurry is quite good at lower levels, if you look at the build you can see I take very few attack powers (6 in all) If I was making a scrapper I would have taken alot more.
[/ QUOTE ]
Flurry is bad imo, i'd ather have hasten 1 slotted and click i when i need the extra boost
i have 6 attacks on my scrapper.
i find 4 attacks on my stalker enough to be good, i will get my lvl 32 attack, just for more damage to finish off +3 bosses 
, but i hardly use 2 low level attacks anyway
edit:
ahh and to answer the question, i'd say 100% yes you need it
If u plan to PvP with your stalker then i'd say Build up is a must, without it more times than not you aint gonna do enuff damage to out and out kill anyone before they kill you.
And besides, without it you aint gonna 1 shot anyone, missing out on the satisfying [censored]! from your oponent 
As a stalker, I wouldn't think of not getting AS, Placate and Buildup as soon as they become available. I've taken Flurry (and Hasten), Flurry because I just like it as a power, and it suits my characters, but also because of the very low endurance cost and it's nice to have something with damage inbetween a primary attack and brawl for if an enemy only needs that. Then again I don't have any fitness, so makes a little more sense for me. I don't worry about my secondaries too much, as as a stalker this is not what will keep you alive for the most part.
The Smoking Demon
Ash/Tar Corruptor
Union
@The Smoking Demon
Everytime you take flurry over hasten, god kills a kitten.
Definately need build up. Build up and AS is awesome - I one shotted someone in Bloody Bay with it last night, which was fun!
Last night I got stamina which I foolishly forgot to add earlier, an amazing difference. And placate is essential too - hasten next
uh? stalker must have : AS,placate,build up.. and whats that flurry? get hasten indeed, by the time you flurry someone you die...
stamina isnt necessary.
I have only chosen Flurry because its a good move to get at lower levels, and it seems to be working out fine, I don't PvP so one shotting other players isn't really an issue, the whole point I posted the question is, can you make a workable stalker without choosing Build up, It just means slotting Assasins Blow carefully, and from what I've found out yes you can 
White Magik lvl50 Defender
Commander of the Shades of Darkness
Swift lvl50 Stalker
Board director of the League of Scoundrels
Our Forum
[ QUOTE ]
I posted the question is, can you make a workable stalker without choosing Build up nd from what I've found out yes you can
[/ QUOTE ]
actually u cant for very simple reason. Leave PvP aside. In later levels the use of a stalker and his role within teams is the surgical removal of key elements within a mission such as bosses and AV's. Especially in large scale missions and TF's where the spawns increase a stalker will be called to perform AS within mobs that pack bosses etc...Not having build up will require you to hit more than once which will be lethal for you and maybe the team as you will run back for heals. So being a stalker without build up you will be just semi efficient only for soloing and still u will ask for help at occasions due to inability to perform as you should. I duo with a stalker up to level 36 in beta and his build up allowed us to deal with the mobs while he was surgically removing boss threats from the spawns...
Im sorry mate but the short answer is No, you cant survive without build up. 
I reccommend taking it, 3 slotting it asap with time reductions, and using it alot.
Put simply the role of the Stalker imo is to deal dmg in bursts.
The combo of Build up + AS + Placate + high dmg attack I think is essential to the stalker. Take away build up and that sequence does half dmg. 
[ QUOTE ]
The combo of Build up + AS + Placate + high dmg attack I think is essential to the stalker. Take away build up and that sequence does half dmg.
[/ QUOTE ]
yeah but what if I use Damage inpirations? because I tend to cycle through my inspirations more than most characters I always have damage ones on me, not a dramatic increase in power, but enough to take down a boss
White Magik lvl50 Defender
Commander of the Shades of Darkness
Swift lvl50 Stalker
Board director of the League of Scoundrels
Our Forum
[ QUOTE ]
yeah but what if I use Damage inpirations? because I tend to cycle through my inspirations more than most characters I always have damage ones on me, not a dramatic increase in power, but enough to take down a boss
[/ QUOTE ]
well yes they help but id use them as well as build up.
Its all relative. If you dont have build up then yes you can use 2 reds and that combo i said to take down a boss.
But use 2 reds and build up and you can take down a boss 2 lvls higher.
Or you can use reds when your build up is recharging.
You have made a good point tho, by buying inpsirations you can imitate the effect of build up, but you still havent given a good reason NOT to pick it.
this is how id change your build
1- Thunder Kick
1- Hide
2- Storm Kick
4- Focused Fighting
6- Focus Chi (Build up)
8- Assasin's Blow
10- Hasten
12- Placate
14- Super Speed
16- Practiced Brawler
18- Hurdle
20- Health
22- Stamina
24- Focused Senses
26- Agile
28- Crane Kick
30- Quickness
32- Dodge
35- Eagle's Claw
38- Elude
You will find that hasten will make your attacks recharge fast enough that you dont need another melee attack.
The cooldown on hasten is annoying so i recommend slotting recharges in it.
Once you get crane kick you definetly wont worry about not enough attacking powers.
hope this helps
In that case, where do you put it? I run ninjitsu, and literally, by 14, I have 2 attacks, travel+preq, AS, Placate, my two defenses. None of those is nonessential. Even fitting it in later is annoying in the extreme (short of getting it at level 35).
This is the trouble with everyone sayign "Oh, suchandsuch is essential". There has to be a choice somewhere.
Do not go gentle into that good night.
Rage, rage against the dying of the light.
[ QUOTE ]
In that case, where do you put it? I run ninjitsu, and literally, by 14, I have 2 attacks, travel+preq, AS, Placate, my two defenses. None of those is nonessential.
[/ QUOTE ]
I would disagree, as a stalker and not a scrapper id say your two defense toggles are BOTH non-essential. If theres too many just run, come back 5 secs later and AS one.
If youd looked at my second post you wouldve seen i didnt include ninja reflexes until later in the build.
Respectfully, I disagree. With the current aggro rules being what they are, you have to run a long way and wait a long time to get away from a mob of any size. Assuming you've placated someone, that's still one or two left to follow you. Once you AS and decloak, to me, you need to be able to survive at least long enough to make sure you have no more aggro, which simply running away doesn't help with. Thats why you need the defense.
Difference in playstyle, maybe.
Do not go gentle into that good night.
Rage, rage against the dying of the light.
The main reason I took super reflexes as a Stalker is because when I'm down to last the last few, I can just stand and do nothing as the bad guys attacks miss me, let hide come back again and AS them (quite funny to watch really), if you don't take your defence powers its no wonder you have to take build up early because you have to kill them before they kill you, when CoV's level limit goes to 50 I might have enough power slots to take build up then, but at the moment anyhow I'd rather keep the defence
White Magik lvl50 Defender
Commander of the Shades of Darkness
Swift lvl50 Stalker
Board director of the League of Scoundrels
Our Forum
[ QUOTE ]
With the current aggro rules being what they are, you have to run a long way and wait a long time to get away from a mob of any size.
[/ QUOTE ]
You make a good point but in response id say if you play in a team(which tbh you should), and kill the enemies near you, you dont need to run.
[ QUOTE ]
if you don't take your defence powers its no wonder you have to take build up early because you have to kill them before they kill you
[/ QUOTE ]
Lol, if you're not planning to kill the enemy before they kill you, you mite want to reconsider your tactics
But jokes aside, imho i think youve missed the essence of the stalker.
I dont want to be one of those people who says you have to play like this: blah blah blah, im just trying to use my stalker experience to answer your question as best i can.
Would you agree that stalkers are supposed to be the most pure DMG dealing AT in city of villains? I would argue in the whole game.
They have very low health, can perform no holds, and must (generally) get very close to harm an enemy.
From experience i really do believe Stalkers outdmg any other AT in CoV, even in longer battles. And the damage gap widens as they reach higher lvl. The downside is they are quite weak; but due to good use of stealth and running they dont die any more often than anyone else.
My current Stalker for example is lvl 28 and can drop 1 red leutenant and 1 orange minion in 5 seconds. Due to hasten and recharges she can pull off the combo roughly every 15 seconds. In between this combo she has to scrap, but by fighting on the fringes can avoid taking much dmg.
The build FYI
It really is alot of fun, and respectfuly i would say its how the stalker is meant to be played.
[ QUOTE ]
[ QUOTE ]
The combo of Build up + AS + Placate + high dmg attack I think is essential to the stalker. Take away build up and that sequence does half dmg.
[/ QUOTE ]
yeah but what if I use Damage inpirations? because I tend to cycle through my inspirations more than most characters I always have damage ones on me, not a dramatic increase in power, but enough to take down a boss
[/ QUOTE ]
4 small red insp = build up. I hope your contact is close to the mission.
A Paragon Defender
I think the meat of this point has been convered, but since so many related points have been made, I'd like to respond anyway, and on a more general basis:
Katy, in particular, makes many good points about stalking, but her ideas on stalking are very specific, and won't be to everyone's taste (This isn't a stab at you, luv. I'm just going to attack this from another angle.)
I have a lvl 36 EN/Nin Stalker, so I've pretty much run the gamut of powers at my disposal: I don't think I've sacrificed any of my DMG output. I can easily accomplish the same feats Katy described.
However, I have all my defensive powers, and they're slotted to max. It's a concious decision I made early on, to see how effective those powers would actually be, and because I come from scrapping in CoH. I was aware enough of my own playstyle to know that a little defense would keep me alive long enough to learn the Stalker AT properly.
At lower levels, I found it to be more draining than useful, except against AoE, and the perception boost from Danger Sense has served me well in PvE, and on one occassion in PvP so far. I would take Danger Sense (or it's equivalent) early on, and slot it with end reduces to begin. At higher levels, with 3 +def SOs slotted, these powers become quite useful. I've tanked +2 longbow bosses and their minions. Granted I had to use 1 medium luck (+DEF insp), but all that did was improve the effectiveness of my existing defense by 33%. So I was most of the way to tanking them already. Once I get my ultimate secondary, I won't even need the luck anymore, and then I'd be quite keen to stand toe to toe with a regen scrapper running DP and IH, and see how long it takes for that insufferable grin to drop from his smug male face. (Well, a girl can dream right? :P)
I would say that it ultimately depends on your playstyle, but build up, and Kuji-in Rin are key to your survival at lowe levels. Mez protection and the doubled dmg output are simply too big to ignore. I mean, you can live without them, but do you want to?
I am currently making a Martial Arts/Super Reflexes toon and I am finding the power choices quite tight, so my question to you guys is, can you make a decent build stalker and not take build up, this is the map out for my Stalker so far
1- Thunder Kick
1- Hide
2- Storm Kick
4- Focused Fighting
6- Focused Senses
8- Assasin's Blow
10- Flurry
12- Placate
14- Super Speed
16- Hurdle
18- Health
20- Stamina
22- Practiced Brawler
24- Agile
26- Dodge
28- Quickness
30- Crane Kick
32- Eagle's Claw
35- Evasion
38- Elude
I'm not taking Hasten as I need another attack power and I've chosen hurdle instead of swift because I need the height it gives but this doesn't really matter because Quickness gives me run speed and recharge
White Magik lvl50 Defender
Commander of the Shades of Darkness
Swift lvl50 Stalker
Board director of the League of Scoundrels
Our Forum