Thought this was going be yet another EM/ stalker guide... *rolls eyes smiley here*
But now that I have read it I can say that I like it.
Liked the "AS is NOT our only attack" part the best. Seen so many stalkers AS>run away>come back>AS>repeat(do note I have seen this at every lvl(from lvl 6 of course) with and without Placate).
*edit* lvl 6 ofcourse *Edit*
Amen.
Nice guide 
- @DSorrow - alts on Union and Freedom mostly -
Currently playing as Castigation on Freedom
My Katana/Inv Guide
Anyone who doesn't take truth seriously in small matters cannot be trusted in large ones either. -Einstein
I do like this guide.
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.
Nice guide, now if only everyone read it :P
Great guide Mime, really enjoyed the read even tho i dont have a stalker.
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Shedding aggro is great for your health, but your squishy partner, might not appreciate it.
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This made me laugh since i remember it happening on Cool, might have been duo with you or with Torin or someone else in SG. Fighting off off mob all goin good, me taking a few hits to many as usual but surviving, one lieut left with full health starts pounding on stalker. Stalker with plenty of health left placates and the mob turns around and kills me dead! Jaw-dropping moment of suprise, no hard feelings tho whoever that stalker was ^^
generally a good guide but a few points i disagree with
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AS is an awesome attack, I still love seeing "Assassin Strike" appear. However it's slow, interruptible and end heavy. Use something else in the midst of a fight, unless you only have one mob left. Running and hiding to use AS again is fine when you are solo, but in teams, it just isn't as efficient
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it really aint that end heavey especially with a set in (which is the best way to slot it)
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Know your enemy. What are their powers? What havoc can they cause? Do people hate, loathe and fear them? Knowing your enemy means you know whom to target first. We are snipers. The tactical kill done quickly, can change how a battle goes. Learn what mobs people want taken out first. Mostly these are Lts and Minions. Bosses such as Wardens everyone hates, but unless you have 2-3 stalkers on your team, you can't one hit them. Take them out only if there is nothing else of concern.
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i dunno many occasions when its better to take out minionsbefore bosses (only ones that comes to mind is sappers or when fighting those boss ilusionists that intange every 10 secs)
bosses have much higher acc therfore knock you out of as/hide alot more
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Use placate to get back into hide quickly in the midst of a fight, but don't expect to get another AS from it, use your most powerful quick attack, often best if its a single target one. This can massively increase your damage output. Also, stick to one target. One dead target is better than 3 targets with any amount of health.
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this i really dont think is right during a big fightt (6 + mobs) i definetly get 2 AS if not 3 placating not only hides you but once your back in hide you get the awesome def of your hide power which makes it really hard for you to be hit and with /ninjitsu you got a PBAoE placate which yea dont hide you but it does stop them atacking you
which is when you need to be careful about your fiend's aggro :P
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If you have a "Stop X from escaping" mish, bring back up, lots of it. These are a pain to fail. We do not have the sustained damage output and ability to stop a mob that other Archetypes have. Beware of these types of mish, they are perhaps the most frustrating for a stalker.
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never failed this mission.... dont see how you can unless your trying to stop an EB bosses are dead after 4 hits
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Learn how a stalker interacts with other Archetypes. Another Stalker is a great companion. Double AS is a truly awesome thing to behold. Masterminds provide great cover. Dominators provide holds and control. Brutes and corrupters are rarely good duo partners. A Brute is a sledgehammer, a Stalker is a scalpel. It can work, but be prepared for the fast pace. Duos with a Corrupter often end with a dead Corrupter. If you want a Corrupter, try getting a larger team together, so they have someone to look after them.
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my stalker (level 46) is best in a duo with brutes the brute takes alpha 10 seconds later the mob is dead if its a big mob then the brute now has full fury and can hit for twice as much as me for the last few enemies (dont try that with ralaruu...)
Gohan:
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it really aint that end heavey especially with a set in (which is the best way to slot it)
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AS is end heavy when you dont have the sets in it, ie at low lvls. There is no doubt about the end cost of this power. yes it can be lessened, but its still end heavy.
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this i really dont think is right during a big fightt (6 + mobs) i definetly get 2 AS if not 3 placating not only hides you but once your back in hide you get the awesome def of your hide power which makes it really hard for you to be hit and with /ninjitsu you got a PBAoE placate which yea dont hide you but it does stop them atacking you
which is when you need to be careful about your fiend's aggro :P
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It largely depends on the minions. There are many pesky minoins and LTs out there. I think it depends on the type of stalker you have. If your EM/Nin, then you will fight differently to a DM/SR. But the point remains quite valid. A stalker is better vs few enemies. Reducing the number of them quickly by taking out the minions and Lts, means you can take your time with the boss. I found this a much more tactical way to play it, especially when solo. Of course if your /nin it might be different, but there are other sets other than /nin out there.
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never failed this mission.... dont see how you can unless your trying to stop an EB bosses are dead after 4 hits
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The stop X from escaping Mishs are easy to fail if your not EM/ as you have no way of stopping them from running away. There is mish from a contact in Grandville where you have to stop an EB from escaping. Took 2 domies in domination to stop him. A boss is easier, but then if your EM/ so is everything. The rest of the primaries dont have this luxury.
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10 seconds later the mob is dead
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As I said, a brute-stalker team can work, its just fast paced, and from what you said, you just proved my point.
However, as I said in the first paragraph. This is by no means a definitive guide. Each set has its different play styles. However few play their stalkers well. If you play it well and are effective, good, but many dont.
firstly if my post gave you the idea (or infact i said it) that yours hasent got validity i am sorry i was just saying it from the way i see it. and my stalker is solo/duo only i rarley team with other stalkers and if i do its usually not on me stalker
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10 seconds later the mob is dead
[/ QUOTE ] As I said, a brute-stalker team can work, its just fast paced, and from what you said, you just proved my point.
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yes ... i never disputed this ..dont get this
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never failed this mission.... dont see how you can unless your trying to stop an EB bosses are dead after 4 hits
[/ QUOTE ] The stop X from escaping Mishs are easy to fail if your not EM/ as you have no way of stopping them from running away. There is mish from a contact in Grandville where you have to stop an EB from escaping. Took 2 domies in domination to stop him. A boss is easier, but then if your EM/ so is everything. The rest of the primaries dont have this luxury.
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yea i said i would have problems with EBs would have to be a case of caltrops and /mako tornado thingy (hmmm) but as you have said only my build could do this and i sence a note of anamosity towards em/nin let me put your mind at ease i 90% solo and 0% PvP i did not build this char to be uber i built it because it sounded the best when i started to make it (a week after CoV was released)
i think the real point i am making is that your PoV is abit biased toawards your expeirences (well obviously) there are many other ways stalkers (purhaps your right and its only em/nin) can be played
Sorry Gohan if I sounded a bit off and harsh, bad day yesterday, so probs sounded more put out that I really was.
My personal feelings on EM aside (a whole other rant), I realise that each type of stalker is played differently. Spines with Impale will behave differently. EM/Nin has a different playstyle to every other set. EM/ being insanely overpowered, it makes your playstyle different. no matter what secondary. I think I just felt like you were attacking what I wrote so felt the need to defend it, as I said, bad day (dentists are just professional sadists afterall)
This guide was just intended as a way or helping those who dont get stalkers playstyle to understand them a bit better, and to help the numerous poorly played pve stalkers I see out there. They get into a certain mindset, name that of a scrapper or brute, and ignore the finesse that a stalker can be played with, rather than the sheer power and brutality of scrappers and brutes. These are basic guidelines, not rules. There will always be adaptations to be made to any guidelines, ways you have found that work better, or where this doesnt work for you. But to know how to improve on this, you first need to know better than this. For all those that do, great, do what you do. For all those that dont, or would like to know, I think this guide accurately reflects how a pve stalkers should be played.
I shall leave with this. Adaptability is key to survival, for the rigid tree is blown over in the wind. However, a tree with out roots and a base, can never reach the lofty heights. Learn to adapt when you need to, but know your purpose and your place.
omg you should write a book or summat your very well spoken:P your completly right i accept it nice guide 
Lol gohan, I try and make things as clear as I can, as I don't much like the illegible jibberings you sometimes find on here. As to being well spoken, was kind of trying to make the guide sound like an ancient piece of wisdom passed on by the kung-fu masters Much more poetic, and nicer to read. Also, try reading Sun Tzu's - Art of War sometime, or any other Tao and ... or Zen and the art of ... type stuff, might see some similarities
Mime!You lil rascal i really enjoyed the guide.Really nice going
cool guide
@ExtraGonk
Mimes dont talk!!
This guide is stupid - it doesn't say how many slotz to put in my AS?!
Lol Novie, gerrorf my thread you potato eating thread hijacker you!
goes and rolls a stalker...
It's a nicely written guide.
My question is this: is there anything a stalker can bring to a PvE team that can't be done as well or better by another AT?
I really should do something about this signature.
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It's a nicely written guide.
My question is this: is there anything a stalker can bring to a PvE team that can't be done as well or better by another AT?
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Annoyance? 
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It's a nicely written guide.
My question is this: is there anything a stalker can bring to a PvE team that can't be done as well or better by another AT?
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Annoyance?
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Lol. If played well, a stalker can bring something to a team thats usefull. Be it ghosting ability, point man, scout, sniper or just damage dealing. It's just most people have little or no understanding of the way to use a stalker in a pve team. But as a class, stalkers are generally hated by all that dont play them.
But who you invite to your team is up to you. Neglecting a player just because they are a stalker is a good way to ensure that the stalker never learns how to play on teams effectively. Do your bit for stalkers today, Invite one to your PuG! 
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Remember: "Stalkers do it from behind"
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Having read that one line, I think I now realize why I chose a Stalker as my AT to get to LV50.
Golden_Girl will get it.
And on topic, an awesome guide. I like the way it's written. It makes you sound like some wise, old ninja who sits with his legs crossed, floating several feet above the ground, teaching all the noob Stalkers what to do.
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Even the best stalkers I have teamed with end up being distinctly sub - par. Aside from the fact they are outdamaged by every other AT (including dominators) in team PvE (due to lack of AoE), they do almost nothing in terms of damage mitigation (worse than every other AT) except for their own protection, but conversely generate the least amount of aggro of any AT.
THe combination of unperformance and aggro dodging makes me highly disinclined to say the AT does anything other than raise the debt and diffulty for the rest of the team.
TO an extent, this is reasonable given the AT is a solo-freindly AT - but I think its overboard. Its one of the biggest balance issues in the game, I think.
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Lol. If played well, a stalker can bring something to a team thats usefull. Be it ghosting ability, point man, scout, sniper or just damage dealing.
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But stealth is so easy to come by for non-stalkers, especially with the addition of Stealth IOs. Any AT who wants the ability can ghost or scout. I know stalkers have a higher cap, but just about any mob that can penatate stealth can also see the stalker, so it's really no advantage.
As for damage, for a stalker it is all front loaded, so they will do good damage in a short fight. However in an extended fight a brute will do more damage. Short fight = easy fight, extended fight = difficult fight, where you need the extra bit of damage. So a stalker does good damage when it's not needed, a brute does good damage when it is.
I really should do something about this signature.
In addition, stalkers take TIME to do the good damage, and a steamroller team wont give them it.
Plus, with the exception of the almost non-existent PvE spines stalker, stalkers have almost entirely single target damage. Which means they actually end up to doing less damage than other ATs in large teams. I suppose Claws has a few AoE attacks now I think about it.
After spending 50 levels of playing a stalker, and a few other stalker alts, playing alongside stalkers as other Archetypes, reading the forums, listening to the rants and complaints against and by stalkers, I decided to write this guide on learning the way of the stalker. Much of this is taken from my own opinion, and isn't by any means definitive. I will also welcome other useful pieces of info that stalker vets can pass on to others.
[u]The Tao of the PvE Stalker[u]
A Stalker knows why the shadows hide us, for the dark is our ally.
Hide is a great level 1 choice to have to have. It allows us to pick our battles. Where we choose to fight and most importantly, whom we choose to fight, is a choice given to us by Hide. This power is essential to our being. Learn to love the shadows, for they will learn to love you.
A Stalker favours a dagger to the back, for it is more effective than a punch to the face.
Hide allows us to choose where we fight. Choose to fight behind your target. We get no actual real bonus from this, but we do get something else: Time. If you stand in front of a target and hit them, then they have a chance to fire off an attack at you before they die. Even if you have one hit them, they can still do this. Standing behind a target, minimizes this chance, as you are not in their line of sight, and so don't attack you. Unless of course they hit a PBAoE, this split second it takes for them to turn around and target you can mean the difference between you getting set on fire, or smacked in the face. Remember: "Stalkers do it from behind"
A Stalker must know his enemy well. A Stalker must know himself better.
Know your enemy. What are their powers? What havoc can they cause? Do people hate, loathe and fear them? Knowing your enemy means you know whom to target first. We are snipers. The tactical kill done quickly, can change how a battle goes. Learn what mobs people want taken out first. Mostly these are Lts and Minions. Bosses such as Wardens everyone hates, but unless you have 2-3 stalkers on your team, you can't one hit them. Take them out only if there is nothing else of concern.
The second thing to know is this; CAN you actually take them out quickly? Without Build Up, you won't take an LT out in one hit. Even with BU, mobs like Mu can't be taken in one, without reds. Be prepared for this. Have a follow up attack queued up and ready.
Knowing what mob to take out first is one of the main roles of a stalker on a team. Leave the bosses to the brutes and others to take out, unless there is nothing else of concern, or there are enough stalkers to take them out in quickly.
The sniper who shoots first reveals his position. The sniper who shoots second is but another sound to be heard. A Stalker reveals his position only when ready.
In teams, we are not alpha soakers unless in god mode. As entertaining as it can be to take the alpha away from the brutes, try and avoid it. We are of no use dead, unless someone has vengeance. Let others know when you are ready. Tell them to charge in when you hit BU if you like, but refrain from attacking beforehand. Unless of course, you are aiming for those debt badges.
A Stalker is more than the pony with one trick.
[u]AS is NOT our only attack[u] . We do have others. Yes we make poor scrappers, but we CAN still scrap. Our secondary effects (stun, KB, slow, -acc etc) are noticeable. We can do damage to foes out of hide. Your damage output is still relatively high compared to some Archetypes. Use placate to get back into hide quickly in the midst of a fight, but don't expect to get another AS from it, use your most powerful quick attack, often best if its a single target one. This can massively increase your damage output. Also, stick to one target. One dead target is better than 3 targets with any amount of health.
AS is an awesome attack, I still love seeing "Assassin Strike" appear. However it's slow, interruptible and end heavy. Use something else in the midst of a fight, unless you only have one mob left. Running and hiding to use AS again is fine when you are solo, but in teams, it just isn't as efficient.
A Stalker knows where the darkest shadows are.
In teams, troublesome mobs are often ranged and like to be slightly away from the fray. This is where you can carefully select your targets, and take some time with them. They are alone and vulnerable. Not a good place to be when a stalker is around. Pick off your targets from the outside in, unless you are going after something very specific. In the midst of battles, AoEs, Cones and all sorts are going off. This is bad for a stalker's health and wellbeing. Being on the outside means we can get behind that flamethrower and not be a target. The Darkness is our friend.
The darkest area is at the edge, in the corner, or just where your target can't see you.
From Chaos comes Order and from Order comes Chaos. A Stalker is the Order amidst the Chaos.
While soloing, the effective use of placate is essential to our survival and efficiency. These tactics can be used in Duo's, but beware. Shedding aggro is great for your health, but your squishy partner, might not appreciate it.
You have 3 mobs. You can take out one pretty fast, and probably take out the second pretty fast, but that third, or fourth will likely spoil your day. Learn to use placate effectively. There are many bad ways to use it, but below is how to use it right.
AS mob A (An LT preferably, or just the most potentially annoying).
While your doing your AS potty dance, select mob B. This should be either a boss, 2nd Lt, or a mob further away from you, but still in range of placate.
Once mob B is placated, select mob C, preferably one very close to you. If you have time, use AS again, otherwise use your second most powerful attack, and finish off mob C quickly. Hopefully this will be before placate runs out on mob B.
With mob B left wondering where his mates went, you can either run or get back into hide, use AS if you didn't before, or whatever. But with one mob left, you are able to take your time.
If there are 4+ mobs, then you might have to scrap 2 mobs, or use hit and run tactics. Placating a Boss or nasty LT is often a good way to escape if you are using hit and run. One less mob chasing after you is always helpful.
Leave the boss or higher till last. By removing all other threats, there is little left to knock us out of hide, or just generally cause us hassle. We can focus on the 1 on 1, something a stalker excels at.
Using placate in teams is rarely worth it unless the mob is very small. Placate mobs on the edge, or those causing you grief. Don't use it just to get another AS off while in a team. You will be lucky if you manage it. If you do use placate on large teams, fire off your most powerful quick attack, its more effective.
Tactical withdrawal is a valid option. It is not cowardly to live to fight another day. A Stalker may retreat, only to come back stronger.
Hitting and running solo is fine. Hitting and running on a team, especially towards your unprepared teammates, will likely get you yelled at and booted from a team. Running should only be used in a team situation, when your team is wiped and you're not looking too good yourself. If you're in god-mode, then you are more likely to stay and fight, but otherwise, run and save your insps for a more worth fight. Running and hiding during a fight in a team where its going well, will just leave people wondering where you went and likely getting annoyed at you. Remember, AS is NOT your only attack.
When soloing, things are different. Hit and run is a nice way to thin out a crowd, especially if it's a little too big for you. 3-5 mobs can be dealt with depending on their type and your level. Any more than that, or when you are low level without the survival skills, then run.
Learn how far you need to run to lose aggro. Running down a lift works great, or out of the mish door. Otherwise, learn roughly how far you need to run from them for them to leave you alone. Once aggro is lost, and you are re-hidden, run back to the now disinterested mob. They are often walking back to where you first engaged them. This creates easy pickings for you as you take out the stragglers. Be careful though, don't draw too much attention to yourself when doing this, or you just might get the whole lot coming back on you.
A Stalker is like a ghost. Unseen, unheard, a silent whisper of the wind.
Ghosting your stalker is an effective way to quickly complete mishs. Got to defeat X? Find him and kill him, and if that isn't enough, anyone around him. Easy. Got to find a glowie? Find it, click it, do your happy dance.
Things aren't always that easy though. That glowie might be surrounded by a mob. This is where Line Of Sight is your friend. Can you hide behind something? A corner, a piece of equipment? You don't have to stand right in front of it to click it, stand to the side, stand back, wherever, just so long as you still get the blue hand coming up. This becomes especially useful in store raids in Mayhems. A nice way to avoid those pesky search lights and the ambushes they trigger.
Also be aware of those that can see you. Rikti Drones and those big floating eyes of the Ruluruu can see you no matter how much stealth you have. Either get past them very quickly, or do your best to avoid them. If seen and discovered, be prepared for a very nasty fight, or be prepared to run, very fast.
You should also be aware that if you have ghosted a mish, running is not always the best option. There will more than likely be mobs along your escape route. This can make things go from bad to face planting very very fast.
The downside to ghosting is missing out on all those nice enhancements and salvage drops. So if your solo and you see a lone Lt, take them out. It's fast, it's fun, and adds to your rewards.
Scouts are useful. Information can be vital. A wayward Scout-Stalker is just someone lost.
Stalkers make great scouts. "He's here guys!" is great for a team to know which way to go, especially if they don't want to clear the whole map. Also things like "2 wardens and 3 nullifiers spotted" is useful for a team to know. Try the bind:
/g "team $target Spotted!"
It comes in handy for identifying problem mobs, especially when facing things round corners that others will likely blunder into. Try and stay ahead of the team to maximise this info. Often not possible with a brute in fury lock, but try at least.
Scouting out the entire map while your waiting for team mates, running off and going to the end, jumping up and down saying "Boss here" without Recall Friend to make you of use, or just generally leaving your team without any purpose other than it will keep you entertained, is a good way to get kicked from a team. This sort of behaviour just annoys people. Uncovering the whole map leads to people running into rooms and not paying attention to the 20 longbow stood waiting for them.
If you are asked to scout by the team leader, do it, especially when you are short on time. Taking Recall Friend can be very, very useful in this situation. However, do this when asked, or if you have asked and the leader says ok. Otherwise your team are fighting a man short, and likely just get annoyed at you.
A Stalker knows timing is the key to unlocking their potential.
Do you know how long it takes you to get back into hide? If not, learn. Count to yourself. 1 Elephant. 2 Elephants. 3 Elephants. If you learn to time it right, you can use your AS the second that you are back in hide. You don't have to be in hide to use it, just so long as you are back in hide by the time it goes off. Learn this timing. It maximises your damage output and minimizes your kill times. There is nothing quite as satisfying as timing this perfectly so that you barely are back in hide as it goes off.
A Stalker knows an enemy held is an enemy facing a swift death.
Held foes are doomed. When a stalker is around, they are doomed faster. We get a chance of critting while out of hide off held and slept foes. Remember this. It can really help maximise your damage output while out of hide.
Be Villainous. Be Vicious. Be Relentless. This is the mindset of the Stalker.
The above difficulty levels are where you want to be training at. Villainous for those low levels or when you want to do all your contacts. Vicious when you want to take on something harder. Relentless for when you really want a challenge.
These difficulty levels are perfect for stalkers. Smaller mob sizes, just higher level. The other diff levels you get more mobs. This is bad for stalkers. Large mobs = death. Small, but higher level mobs = good bonuses and still quick kills.
When the hunter is hunted, he is often easy prey. A Stalker is easy prey.
Ambushes are the bane of a stalker's life. Kidnaps, store robberies, rescues, anything that triggers an ambush to come your way will always cause you a problem. To help with this it's good to know a few things.
Many ambushes are location based. They are triggered when you click a glowie, or hit a certain point. The ambushers will then come to this point. If you are not there, they ignore you. Simple. Just move away from where the ambush is triggered, and it's likely they will leave you alone.
If you have a pet/captive in tow, things get tougher, especially if you have to keep them alive. If they can be left, leave them and come back for them later. If they can't and need to be babysitted, stick close to them. If they are fighting, help them. Just keep an eye on them and keep close. Failing these kinds of mishes is a pain.
A Stalker is a solitary creature by nature, but knows when to seek the company of others.
Stalkers make great solo toons. Many mishs can be ghosted for fast exp. However, some mishs you will need help with.
If you are facing an EB, either bring back up in the form of teammates or Shivans, or be ready for a long fight. Against an AV, get a team, get Shivans, get your pet hamster/dog/cat/monkey, get anyone. We can't solo an AV/Hero. Ever.
If you have a "Stop X from escaping" mish, bring back up, lots of it. These are a pain to fail. We do not have the sustained damage output and ability to stop a mob that other Archetypes have. Beware of these types of mish, they are perhaps the most frustrating for a stalker.
Duos are good for stalkers, as are small teams. 4 is about the max you can have in a team, and still remain true to your stalker nature. Teams of 5-8 often lead you to feeling useless or just like a poor scrapper. That is not to say avoid them totally, just be aware that your play style should change to fit a large team.
Learn how a stalker interacts with other Archetypes. Another Stalker is a great companion. Double AS is a truly awesome thing to behold. Masterminds provide great cover. Dominators provide holds and control. Brutes and corrupters are rarely good duo partners. A Brute is a sledgehammer, a Stalker is a scalpel. It can work, but be prepared for the fast pace. Duos with a Corrupter often end with a dead Corrupter. If you want a Corrupter, try getting a larger team together, so they have someone to look after them.
This is the Tao of the Stalker. Learn the Tao. Learn yourself.