Whichever one you have most fun with would be the only answer worth paying attention to.
You can have the perfect build, perfect teams, and a fantastic Exp/minute rate. But if that toon isn't fun to play you're hardly likely to enjoy playing it.
A more complicated answer would be that there is no 'best' each seperate combination of power sets will have strengths and weaknesses, learning which combination is right for you is one of the biggest steps towards finding YOUR best PvE scrapper.
Veskit is very right here mate, in fact something similar was being covered on another topic here in the scrappers forum, bear in mind that the build choices that may work great for your playstile delivering not only an amazing scrapper but also tons of fun for you may look sub-optimal on paper or vice-versa, hence I would advise you to choose the powersets whose description appeals you the most. In my case I was lucky and I found my favourite scrapper at my first attempt, DM/SR, it's a matter of trying different things and select the one you enjoy most.-
Typically a scrappers role is too take down dangerous members of mobs - sappers, bosses etc. and most sets would do that. If you want more of a mob destroyer toon Spines/Dark is best but has poor endurance so maybe Spines/Regen will be more you style 
Claws is also a nice AoE set but lack the punch of spines.
thePhilosopher Martial Arts/Regen/Fire Scrapper
theRegulator Empathy/Energy/Soul Defender
Total Inertia Ice Blast/Kinetics/Psy Corruptor
Total Inferno Ice Blast/Thermal/Leviathan Corruptor
If you plan to solo alot or take up the role of "Boss Slayer" in a team then Broadsword, Katana or Martial Arts may be more suitable to your needs as they usually provide better single target and single hit damage than Spines or Claws (although Claws can provide a blistering attack rate).
Out of curiousity, what power combinations have you tried Ezzo_?
Heh i can't believe i am saying this but any one you want.
I have a MA/regen and BS/regen now. If i have to make a choice i only left Spines out because of its hideous looks. Playing a scrapper is entartaining experience. Try all of them. They look cool, not clumsy looking like tankers. They have good fxs not like defenders' or controllers' eye disturbing fxs. I feel like they are clean cuts of the ATs.
Ok I am going to bite the bullet a bit, if you like to keep the fights short and no end worries, then BS/Regen. If you like a steady build highly resistant with good damage output and few weak points then go Katana/Inv (good for all except toxic and psionic which are more uncommon than lethal/smashing). If you enjoy to see foes not being able to hit you then DM/SR or Claws/SR for lower endurance consumption. If you want to build the most accurate scrapper in game then go MA/Inv. If you want to go for very challenging builds but at the same time have protection for EVERYTHING then DM/DA, Claws/DA. If you like good AoE dmg then Spines/Regen or Spines/SR or Spines/Inv. If you like A LOT of AoE dmg then Spines/DA. And last but not least, if challenge is your second name, then go BS/DA all the way.
Personally I think /DA is a too challenging set for a first time serious scrapper (don't know if that's the case here), but that's only my humble opinion.
I hope this helps 
There is no answer.
The answer is more -
If you are a biggish team scrapper stuff as many AoE in as you can.
If you are a purely solo scrapper stuff as many single target effects in as you can.
Good AoE Potential
Spines
Dark Armour
(to a lesser extent) Claws
Bad AoE Potential
Regen
Super Reflexes
Martial Arts
(To a lesser extent) Dark Melee
Bear in mind this is POTENTIAL. You could, for instance, have a claws/dark scrapper with no AoE effects, or alternatively make a Martial Arts / Invun scrapper with both single target effects.
Why are Regen and SR on that list? They don't have any damaging powers, it's like saying Energy Melee has bad healing potential... 
I'd personally add Invuln to the AoE potential list.
Invincibility has a built in Taunt aura, and once mobs get close it boosts your accuracy and defence.
My Claws / Invuln scrapper loves this handy effect (which isn't noted in the power description, so not everyone knows about it) as it gathers things round nicely for Spin and Eviscerate.
If Invuln has AoE potential then SR does (Quickness increases attack rate) and so does Regen (Quick Recovery allows you to both fight for longer and slot for more recharge/acc).
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Why are Regen and SR on that list? They don't have any damaging powers, it's like saying Energy Melee has bad healing potential...
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AoE dosent have to mean damage. For instance, Dark has an AoE disorientate and an AoE fear / acc debuff. Both very useful.
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I'd personally add Invuln to the AoE potential list.
Invincibility has a built in Taunt aura, and once mobs get close it boosts your accuracy and defence.
My Claws / Invuln scrapper loves this handy effect (which isn't noted in the power description, so not everyone knows about it) as it gathers things round nicely for Spin and Eviscerate.
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Invun does indeed have an excellent AoE effect. It is, however, only one effect.
Invun has 1 AoE effect
Regen has none
Dark has stacks (umm... of top of me head, 4... at least)
SR has no direct AoE effect, but will slightly speed up the AoE recharges of your primary if you get quickness. Therefore its a little hard to judge. IIRC it speeds up recharge by about 20% so I suppose you could aproximate its "AOE potential" by multiplying your primaries "AoE potential" by 1.2 - although this is pretty crude.
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If Invuln has AoE potential then SR does (Quickness increases attack rate) and so does Regen (Quick Recovery allows you to both fight for longer and slot for more recharge/acc).
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They work differently, but I take your point.
Invun has one direct AoE power (invun) which is an AoE taunt and to hit buff. In fact, this power works both directly (by augmenting defence and taunting) and inderiectly (by augmenting your primary due to its to hit buff).
/SR and /Regen augment your potential for using AoE in your primary (IMO /SR augments moderately, and /Regen augments in slightly but thats subjective). So it depends on what your primary is. However, the link between /Regen and AoE is rather minimal - in the days of ED it seems entirely reasonable to have a 2xacc, 3xdam, 1xend slotted attack chain which wont leave you gasping for breath even if you are a spines scrapper. Of course, you could replace end with recharge. Sorry this is getting long winded... In essence, /SR and /Regen multiply your AoE potential in your primary (IMO not greatly) - a MA/SR still has terrible AoE potential, whilst a Spines/SR will have significant improvements to AoE potential.
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Personally I think /DA is a too challenging set for a first time serious scrapper (don't know if that's the case here), but that's only my humble opinion.
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My first character was Katana/Dark and it was a nightmare. Now I'm a bit wiser, it rocks but it does take some management to get over endurance issues. If I want a more pick up and play scrapper I'll take my Claws/Regen. Neither endurance or health are an issue and with Hasten in there, you can tear through mobs quite quickly. However, as in all of these 'recommendations', I always say play what gives you most pleasure. Good luck.
@Dante EU - Union Roleplayer and Altisis Victim
The Militia: Union RP Supergroup - www.themilitia.org.uk
Hmmm well the strongest secondary I've played is Regen, but I find SR much more fun. DM or Claws all the way for me as primaries, though I've always wanted to try a BS scrapper too.
But they're just what I enjoy. I wouldn't play a DA scrapper cause I have a DA brute and I know no primary could compare with fire. I wouldn't play a Inv scrapper cause I have an Inv tank, and the primary to secondry shift on powers always makes me wince. Hate losing out
"Well, they found my diary today.
They were appropriately appalled
at the discovery of the eight victims
They're now putting it all together.
Women wrapped in silk
with one leg missing
Eight legs, one body, silk,
spider, brilliant!"
Broadsword/Dark is really good fun. It took a bit of getting used to the way it can be used very differently once you get Stamina and then for me it became different again once I got the wonder that is Oppressive Gloom. OG for the minons, combined with BS damage on the bosses and Dark Regeneration/Soul Transfer for emergencies makes BS/DA a pretty amazing combination for solo play. And the straight-up damage and pretty good protection/mitigation work well on teams and big boss-heavy spawns. Run in, get more aggro than you want, minions get disoriented, kill one boss, Dark Regen when you notice your health, kill another boss, clean up :-D
spidermonster.
My experience whilst playing -
MA/REEGEN - great soloist - not as great on teams but fancy animations
Spines/DA - really the most damaging scrapper I've played - but really end heavy and shines best in big mobs with buffs from a support toon
BS/REGEN - good damage output - but really slow animations sort of take some of the fun away
DM/SR - the most fun toon (Period) I have played so far - its the only lvl 50 that sees activity after 50 - great solo, great team toon
...but as has been pointed out, its the fun you get from the scrapper that makes it good, rather than their powers.
Ok, my two cents worth...
DM/Inv.
Great solo or on a team. Very versatile scrapper with a tad of control and a couple of heals.
Dark Melee - gives a great early attack chain with the first three attacks.
Has -acc debuff in every attack.
Negative damage, not often resisted.
A self heal that also damages the bad guys a little.
An Endurance regen AoE.
Touch of Fear - the best non-damaging attack ever and useful in both PvE and PvP.
A nice looking if somewhat slow tentacle attack, you can't have enough tentacle attacks.
A lovely little AoE acc/dam buff
On the downside...
Shadow Maul is slow to animate.
The self-heal isn't spectacular.
It's endurance heavy.
Invulnerability - gives good all round defence/resistance
Has a great self-heal in Dull Pain that will save your back side more times than Jesus
Has an incredible last tier power the name of which escapes me that is akin to God Mode for a couple of minutes.
AoE accuracy buff that can act like a sort of little aggro magnet that doesn't make any difference solo but can be helpful in teams.
On the downside...
Fairly endurance heavy
The glowy thing. I mean, what's all that about then? The toggle effects are glowy sparkles that look very pretty but if your graphics aren't up to spec can cause lag. I know, it made my scrapper difficult to play on teams before upgrading, especially as my connection from New Zealand isn't always fantastic.
No Psi or Toxic defence.
Go with the fitness pool, a travel power of choice that involves flying and the Dark Mastery Epic Power Pool for a blast and a hold and even more tentacle loving and you're well on your way to a cracking scrapper.
"Pride is all well and good but a sausage is a sausage"
For Lent I gave up...
Hope
thanks for all that guys, im torn between regen and super reflexes, i have used regen and know how it works, i do like it (but borin a little) and i have never used SR. what is SR like using? how do you slot it? is it easy? fun? need all the powers? i have no idea lol
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thanks for all that guys, im torn between regen and super reflexes, i have used regen and know how it works, i do like it (but borin a little) and i have never used SR. what is SR like using? how do you slot it? is it easy? fun? need all the powers? i have no idea lol
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Personally /SR is my favourite set for a scrapper, combine it with Dark Melee and you will be the most difficult to be hit scrapper in game, /SR works well with any set bearing in mind that it is a bit high in endurance consumption.
In my humble opinion, all /SR powers are required. I usually slot them as follows:
Toggles: 2xendrdx / 3xdefbuff
Passives: 1xdefbuff
Quickness: 1xrunspeed (or flyspeed)
Practiced Brawler: 2xrecrate (enough to make it perma if SO's)
Elude: 3xdefbuff
So far it works for me, although there are many other ways.
so what would you recomend for someone who will be soloing alot, should i get all SR powers as soon as they are available?
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so what would you recomend for someone who will be soloing alot, should i get all SR powers as soon as they are available?
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That's what I do in all my /SR scrappers. The only ones I may not take as soon as available are the passives (dodge/agile/lucky) but definitely I take them as soon as possible.
thanks for the help guys im now torn between claws/sr and dark/sr or claws/invuln i jst dno bout the defences now for soloin PvE lol, im going to be roling him tonight so need to be sure im going to create the right one, all i want to be able to do is solo well,take damage (or avoid damage)
At the end of the day any secondary is fine for soloing, with Regen probably being the best. There's not much you can do wrong.
hi guys ive been trying out loads of scrappers for pve and i dont know which is best, could someone help please. what do you all think is best for pve?