Hi Necropolis. Welcome to the Stalker AT, it can be a lot of fun, and also a lot of hassle.
Check out the guide in my sig on a general PvE guide for stalkers.
Yeah, check out the guide, 'tis helpful and well written.
We have been discussing the problems stalkers have contributing effectively in large teams, where large spawns mean aoe damage is king. In order to pull your wieght, you, as a player, are going to have to work twice as smart as the other players.
My thoughts:
1) Make sure you pick up Recall Friend so you can help your team ghost to the boss.
2) Stay with the team unless asked to scout ahead or ghost.
3) Aim to take out the most dangerous foe in a spawn. Malta sappers are a prime example, but any mezzer is also a good target depending on team composition.
4) Stay with the team so the corruptors and MMs can buff you.
5) Keep your eyes open for mobs that escape to the perifery of the battle, out of the aoes of the other players. Take them out.
6) Stay with the team.
7) you are likely to be the last man standing after a team wipe: take wakies or the res from the medicine pool.
8) Don't wander away from the team.
9) Pair up with a dominator, to take advantage of your critical against slept/held foes.
10) Don't run on to far ahead without your team.
11) When scouting, be proactive in calling out hidden threats, such as mobs hidden around corners, but remember not to get to far from your team.
I really should do something about this signature.
Hm, are you trying to say he should stay as far away from the team as possible?
@Jay Leon Hart
Kerensky: this has nothing to do with underwear
Zwillinger: I put on my robe and wizard hat...
Synapse: I had to resist starting my last post off with "Yo dawg!"
You for forgot the 
Jay :P
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9) Pair up with a dominator, to take advantage of your critical against slept/held foes.
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Oh you forgot about to have a good laugh when placating a boss too 
isn't my style, 
is ... ... see?
[Edit] Hm, Legend am I? That does not bode well.. [/Edit]
@Jay Leon Hart
Kerensky: this has nothing to do with underwear
Zwillinger: I put on my robe and wizard hat...
Synapse: I had to resist starting my last post off with "Yo dawg!"
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9) Pair up with a dominator, to take advantage of your critical against slept/held foes.
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Oh you forgot about to have a good laugh when placating a boss too
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Hehe, I acutally mention in my guide about being careful when using placate when you have squishies around. Fun if they have annoyed you though
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9) Pair up with a dominator, to take advantage of your critical against slept/held foes.
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Oh you forgot about to have a good laugh when placating a boss too
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Hehe, I acutally mention in my guide about being careful when using placate when you have squishies around. Fun if they have annoyed you though
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I know of a domi in particular that would react like the crazy German kid
Basically gimp your stalker build so that everyone loves you!
Taking Recall Friend isnt really gimping your build as a stalker, its just very hard to find room for it before till around lvl 30+, and is only really usefull if you team with people who dont mind missing out most of the map and drops. It has its uses, especially for Strike forces though. Its a power thats nice to have, but there are others that come first.
Put the other end of your blades into the enemy.
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Put the other end of your blades into the enemy.
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To quote 'The Mask of Zorro'
"Do you know how to use that thing at your side?" (points to sword)
"Sure, the sharp end goes into the other person"
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Taking Recall Friend isnt really gimping your build as a stalker, its just very hard to find room for it before till around lvl 30+, and is only really usefull if you team with people who dont mind missing out most of the map and drops. It has its uses, especially for Strike forces though. Its a power thats nice to have, but there are others that come first.
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Yeah because we all know stalker builds are tight as it is, why not throw in the rez from the medicine pool and maybe flurry for banter!
If you don't intend to PvP you don't need Stealth, so if you intend to have superspeed or TP as your travel power you can get recal friend quite early. You can also postpone Stamina if you make good use of set IOs.
I really should do something about this signature.
Personally, I think making a Stalker that pulls its weight in a big team is virtually impossible. Hence, its something I have been trying to do.
My limited thoughts:
1. Build will be tight, like for any stalker.
2. Teleport is the only travel power to take, because you get recall freind with it.
3. AoE attacks will be your freind. Meaning Dual Blades, Claws, or (ideally) Spines.
4. AoE effects will be your freind. Meaning Ninjitsu, Energy Armour, or (ideally) Dark Armour.
5. Whilst damage is important, debuffing or damage mitigation for your freinds is more attractive. Dark Melee, Claws spring to mind but not a vast amount in it.
6. You are looking to be a scrap-stalker. A large team simply wont hang around for you to AS every enemy. AV's aside, you arent going to get more than one AS per enemy mob in a reasonable team - if you are lucky. You need to scrap.
7. Play with Dominators and maybe Masterminds or Corruptors. Brutes will play a "Steamroller" game, which forces you largely into "second class scrapper" mode.
My thoughts on ideal team Stalker.
Recall Freind / Teleport is the "must" travel power.
Overall this would be my order of Team goodness:-
1. Spines / Dark (But will be end heavy)
2. Spines / Ninjistsu
3. Claws / Dark (more balanced end than Spines / Dark)
4. Claws / Ninjitsu
5. Dual Blades / Dark
6. Spines / Energy
7. Claws / Energy (Very end light - may not need stamina, which could push it up list)
Sets you should avoid:
Primary: Martial Arts, Energy Melee
Secondary: Regeneration, Will Power, Super Reflexes.
NB: This all applies to team PvE. PvP is a totally different ball game.
Hmm, looking at the above list, Spines/nin would be a very team friendly build I think. Spine burst + Caltrops would add some nice slows, and smoke flash would probs be fun with spine burst too.
However, Spines/Dark, while end heavy, especially if you get scrappy would have some great team effects, though if teamed with a kin, then you would be ok.
Guess it would come down to personal preference and concept at the end of the day.
I do think though, that making a scrap-stalker just to keep up with the brute just aint worth it. Brutes are sledgehammers and we are scalpels. I personally see no problem with a brute taking on a whole spawn and us just taking out a few, especially if they are the mobs that would end up getting the brute killed. Though I will admit, on fast flowing teams, I do tend to get very scrappy, and often end up with end problems when I do this, so picking something a bit more end light might help with this. Ide Spines is most team friendly primary, as for secondary, probs /nin.
I have had some very team-friendly experiences with my dark/dark stalker. It's a kind of stalk-o-troller who dishes out high burst damage at the beginning of a fight to take out the most troublesome mob, then controls enemies with ToF, Mako's hold and - if necessary - OG while scrapping (and critting). It's fun and provides nice support for the team. There were several occasions where I even had to "pseudo-tank" when the brute ran for the hills (or the elevators in most cases 
) or an ambush was targetting the backline and I did so with great success (in one case despite repeatedly having the teleport prompt pop up in the middle of the screen because the brute downstairs was trying to teleport me to safety ).
I think a stalker can be useful for even a good PvE team if he is well-played and more than a burst damage one-trick-pony. It's a pity that there are so many who are not.
If it has eyes, you can blind it, if it has blood, you can make it bleed, if it has a mouth, you can make it scream.
Dark/ Imo is the best PvE primary solo and teams due to the control it gives you with the debuffs and the fear. Secondly, ToF has a really good acc debuff, combined with your attack's debuffs and damage you have a beast. It can rip through anything without much problem. Its damage is smash/negative, Midnight grasp is only negative which says it all, you got 2 damage types and is far more enjoyable than most of other sets in my opinion. Now for secondary, i suggest ninjitsu for pve and pvp. Dark/Nin works great for both. SR brings a lot less to the table that it used to since its gem is quickness (20% Recharge and +running speed). Ios can cover that now. Although generally SR is better for IOs and especially with the i11 purple sets it can achieve really high recharge times. Ninjitsu lacks KB protection, although it offers resistance to Psi and fear. Willpower and Regeneration will both give you a really hard time in low levels since they lack defense and you get hit out of hide ALOT. If you plan in pvp, the powersets tree is Energy melee > Dark melee > Claws in my opinion. Secondary powerset pvp everything but dark armor works. Some people say that Energy aura sucks, but with IOs it can skip the end drain and stamina and bring Conserve power's recharge to a great level, almost perma. If you have any further questions, ask.
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I think a stalker can be useful for even a good PvE team if he is well-played and more than a burst damage one-trick-pony. It's a pity that there are so many who are not.
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QFT Sitriel!
Remember folks, A.S IS NOT, I REPEAT, NOT YOUR ONLY ATTACK!
Dark Melee with ToF does mean you can control quite a lot, with 2x SB on me once and Hasten up, I managed to use it on several mobs all at once, I wish I had a screenie of it, 6 or so mobs just standing there wetting their pants while I danced around in front of the boss.
Stalkers are often either the very first to die cos of a mis-timed AS, or the only ones left standing after everyone else has faceplanted and are left to solo the remaining spawn to avoid an entire team wipe. The amount of times I have been the last one standing, and done this is quite a few, and often when I get bored on lvl 50 teams when the diff aitn high enough, ile just wander off and take a spawn solo. Always funny when the brute tries to 'help' me though
Phrases like "Last man standing" are not, IMO, particularly good indicators of a well oiled team
Even good teams get wiped occassionally.
I really should do something about this signature.
Agree, but nevertheless it should be occassionaly, very occassionally. I.e. You shouldnt build or plan for it. And being "last man standing" is cold comfort to the rest of the team.
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Agree, but nevertheless it should be occassionaly, very occassionally. I.e. You shouldnt build or plan for it. And being "last man standing" is cold comfort to the rest of the team.
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No one plans for team wipes, but it doesnt stop people taking heal and rezz powers. The inevitable will always happen (less you are doign the MLRSF).
Also, why is it that scrappers are often the last man standing, and see them selves as godly, but a stalker does it and pulls it off, and its cowardly, noobish, annoying for the rest of the team and gives us a bad name. OK fair enough if the last man standing is the stalker cos he legged it when things started to go wrong, but for a player that sees his team mates fall, and carries on regardless, goes scrap-happy and avoids a total team wipe, isnt that something to be admired for?
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Agree, but nevertheless it should be occassionaly, very occassionally. I.e. You shouldnt build or plan for it. And being "last man standing" is cold comfort to the rest of the team.
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Oh, does that mean I shouldn't plan for the Spanish Inquisition either? 
That's my build out the window! 
I really should do something about this signature.
So I finally get around to creating my first stalker (dual blades/Regen) and have been running him around for a few days.
I find that I am enjoying the character and am having fun with the fights. I am also finding that it seems to be quite easy to get overrun if a mob turns its aggro my way.
So I am wondering if anyone can give me play tips as to how they think a stalker should play. I know its not the same as a brute, because bruting as a stalker will only get me killed.
Please help as I don't want to be one of those guys who everyone hates because he cripples teams instead of helping them.