Elec/something is probably the way to go, then. It's the stalker primary with more or less the best overall AoE, which is what is most important on teams. You might also consider spines.
Lightning rod, as a pseudo-pet summon, unfortunately does not crit. However, it also doesn't break hide, so you can lightning rod -> thunder strike and still get a crit off of TS.
@MuonNeutrino
Student, Gamer, Altaholic, and future Astronomer.
This is what it means to be a tank!
I've never had people 'hate' me for being a Stalker on a team... a good stalker can be a boss-killer. On a big team, being single-target can feel like you're not doing as much, but on smaller teams I've never had any complaints... /em shrug
If you are looking for AoE, Electrical Melee is definitely the way to go. Build Up + Lightning Rod + Assassin Strike the biggest thing in the group while they're all knocked down, or Thunder Strike... mmm. 
Proud member of Everyday Heroes (Infinity Heroes), Dream Stalkers (Infinity Villains), Devil Never Cry (Freedom Heroes), Enclave of EVIL (Pinnacle Villains), Phobia (Infinity Villains), Les Enfant Terribles (Freedom Villains), Gravy Train (Virtue Heroes), and more!
Full, detailed character list
Dual Blades also has good AoE capability, and the combos allow some creative ways of messing with the mobs, mostly via chainable knockdowns. If you want Ninjitsu as a secondary, try the Sweep combo and chuck caltrops on them while they're down.
Good luck!
Quote:
The funny part about this is the following: If you don't feel like you're doing much on a large team because even the bosses are being obliterated before you can Assassin Strike them (an oft repeated complaint on these forums) the truth is that being an AoE stalker on such a team wouldn't make much difference either. They are already overkilling everything. Being AoE would make you "feel" like you were doing more but in truth the enemy is so overmatched you may as well /em newspaper or something.|
Originally Posted by Patteroast
I've never had people 'hate' me for being a Stalker on a team... a good stalker can be a boss-killer. On a big team, being single-target can feel like you're not doing as much, but on smaller teams I've never had any complaints... /em shrug
|
On teams that are not Fulcrum Shifted into next week, however, bosses do not die that quickly. A level 50 boss has about six times the health of a minion and it's really the minions that are being swept up in all those glorious orange AoE numbers. Meanwhile the bosses are left standing. Perfect place for a Stalker to contribute, even one that has just single-target damage. Take a DM stalker on an LGTF at +3/4. There will be plenty of bosses to kill and they all love negative damage.
I've also never had a problem with Stalker hate. The ones that hate probably don't invite Stalkers in the first place. On teams, even with my Nin/Nin the only coments I get about my involvement on the team are positive. The thing is, people expect so little it's easy not to disappoint them. Just don't do any of the stereotypical "bad stalker" things like stealthing glowies without being asked, hit-and-run, or just plain dying too much... and you'll be fine. Play whatever you will find fun.
That said, Elec should be a lot of fun.
Villains: Annie Alias, Dr. Amperical, Shade Golem, Knight Marksman
Heroes: The Clockwork Mime, Soccerpunch, The Fissioneer, Samurai Houston, Oversteer
Join The X-Patriots on Virtue!
I've done fine with all my stalkers in PvE.....you just have to play such that people don't associate you with the bad experiences with stalkers in the past.
My EM/Ninj kills the boss/EB/AV
My BS/Elec pretends she's a scrapper and takes the alpha
My Spines/Dark does wicked AoE attacks and self-heals and self-rezzes so even if I do die with all the aggro nobody cares.
Just don't take your stalker and run off to do your own thing and leave the group without your services and most of the time you're going to be fine in PvE.
Quote:
/\ This /\
|
Originally Posted by Enyalios
Just don't take your stalker and run off to do your own thing and leave the group without your services and most of the time you're going to be fine in PvE.
|
Quote:
This. As I responded to the OP in a PM, I hate elec melee on brutes and scrappers because it takes forever to kill bosses. |
Originally Posted by Muon_Neutrino
Elec/something is probably the way to go, then. It's the stalker primary with more or less the best overall AoE, which is what is most important on teams. You might also consider spines.
Lightning rod, as a pseudo-pet summon, unfortunately does not crit. However, it also doesn't break hide, so you can lightning rod -> thunder strike and still get a crit off of TS. |
But I'm loving it on my Stalker. You can use LR and even AS with impunity after (I use TS because my elm stalker is regen, but on a defensive set you can even use AS and complete it most of the time in the middle of a mob).
Even at low levels, if you position yourself from Hide with Jacob's Ladder and hit say, 3 guys, it's very possible JL will crit on one or two, making it worth already, since JL has high damage and ST attack end cost and recharge. Melee cones can be beautiful with practice. Chain Induction is also great to use from Hide since iirc it always crits on the target and you still get the jumps to other mobs, although CI costs more end and does less damage than JL.
Does it exist?! For some reason Elec/Nin came to mind. Does L-Rod benefit from the hide-crit?
I want something that can handle AoE on top of single target, and something that will actually be able to pull its weight so people don't all hate me.