Hit 50

So I finally hit 50 with my Dual Blades / Ninjitsu Stalker today. Due to my chronic alt-itis and ADD (joke), it took me quite a while to get there. He started well before the Stalker changes, so I've experienced the game before and after the major shifts.

I can't say that, solo, there was a big difference. He was basically on "easy mode" the entire time. The rare times I got killed solo were due to lapses of attention or Elite Bosses who nullified my advantages (or both). I could count the number of deaths from 1-30 on the fingers of one hand. I ramped up to the equivalent of Invincible as soon as I had SOs, then scaled it down two notches when Heroes spawned rather than Elite Bosses in the 40-50 range. Solo, it's not that different from a Blaster: you have to use tactics to your advantage, but as long as you're intelligent about your fights, they should go like clockwork.

Teams were an issue before the changes, and they still are somewhat after, though less so. Being pure melee, I find I'm always a swing too late. I use Dual Blades's AOEs a lot on teams, but I'm usually at the mercy of spawns running in 15 different directions as to whether I hit much.

Although much ballyhooed as an issue, I never found "post-Assassin's Strike scrapping" when soloing to be much of a problem, either before or after the changes. Naturally, it was easier after, because everything can trigger a critical. Placate -> Vengeful Strike (Foe #1 being dead after the AS) usually dropped Foe #2 of a spawn. Solo, that typically left only Foe #3, and I always dropped Lieutenants with the AS, so Foe #3 is usually a minion. The slugfests were always with Bosses or Elite Bosses.

This makes my second melee character to hit 50, the first being an AOE-heavy melee/ranged Electric/Electric Brute.

All in all, I don't believe Stalkers every really had many issues solo--not the way Controllers and Dominators do. At least, I never did. Teamwise, however, they did and still do, in spite of the changes. I'm not sure how to address that problem, because the fundamental issue is the largely single-target and close-quarters nature of most Stalkers' damage (barring Spines and, to a lesser extent, Electric Melee).

Anyway, just some of my thoughts.

I have to agree on the less team-centric thing when it comes to stalkers, however, keep in mind that people rarely use stalkers abilities to their full potential when on teams. I remember a team I was on a few months back that used their stalker as an "early mob fix" person. He would take out Sappers, Illusionists or any troublesome mobs fast before they became a problem and it really turned the ide of battle. When it comes to teaming it really just depends on your playstyle and powersets. Elec Melee stalkers toss ridiculous AoEs all over the place, and I frequently take them on my teams, whereas my Claws/WP is more of a Scrapper than anything, great for spiking bosses and such, but not to good for anything else. Scrappers suffer a similar teaming issue, but lack the stealth utility. Both ATs make for good Melee DPSers, but survivability is the thing that really sets thm apart from the others. As far as buffing/Healing/support is concerned, a good scrapper/stalker, is one that doesntrequire their attention. If they can stay alive and DPS without need of constant heals/buffs/support then they're doing their job.

Try a support class if you like being active in a fight and good for teams. My Plant/Emp controller always has something to do, tossing around fortitude, mezzing groups, healing, never a dull moment. Or maybe a more Tanking-oriented character like a Tanker or a Brute (of the powersets that can actually tank well, somewhat). I've always found DPSing to be a bit boring, especially on my Kat/SR Scrapper. His Single-target nature makes him a good soloer and a sub-par team member.

What else do you have at 50?

Quote:

Originally Posted by BackAlleyBrawler you *******!!!!

I have several who were already at 50:

Electric/Electric Blaster
Electric/Electric Brute
Ice/Cold Corruptor
Mind/Psi Dominator
Gravity/Force Field Controller
Illusion/Trick Arrow Controller
Plant/Storm Controller
Necromancy/Dark Miasma Mastermind

Congrats on the stalker!

Personally, I never thought Stalkers were all that bad before the changes. They weren't Brutes but then few things are...

On teams, I find myself trying to use my touch of death to the team's advantage in taking out the Sapper, Tsoo sorcerer or taking a chunk out of the Boss that Brute would spend extra time cracking. For a Scrapper, I find they usually just kill whatever they want when they want. Less of a team aid and more a 'selfish killer' but they make up for it with the ability to taunt and tank.

I still haven't gotten my DB/Nin past mid-lvls but she seems like a great alpha killer thanks to demoralize + Sweep. I think I should get back on her after my Elec/Regen gets 50...

I was only half in love with my DB/nin until I realized what happened with an achilles heel proc in ablating strike.

Ablating strike on the stalker version has an aoe attached to it that hits on a separate roll from the ST attack. The aoe is always there for coding simplicity. However it only deals damage/KD when part of a combo string. The -def debuff doesn't transfer to it, but procs do.

Achilles heel was the beginning, now I have that, shield breaker, touch of death, lady grey and a kinetic combat proc. If I get hit with a lag spike I know that all I have to do is just spam that and 1k cuts and everything will be fine. It's cheap, recharges fast and haxxors.

If that stacked into the weaken combo doesn't make you feel more like an aoe machine then go reroll spines or elec melee. In fact I rolled this toon to be a more single target focused toon, then discovered how broken ablating strike is and haven't really touched my elec/EA stalker since.

Gratz on hitting 50

I imagine that will be fixed just like procs firing in a small AoE for Tankers due to Gauntlet was fixed. I'm not inclined to roll up a toon based on a mechanic I know is going away.