Stalker or Scrapper on your team?

Usually if forced to pick I would take the Scrapper. But I have in the past intentionally picked a Stalker over a Scrapper just to irk annoying know it all team members.

I never turn down a stalker in favor of a scrapper. At least when I pick Stalkers I know what to expect, and that is bosses dying very quickly.

I don't like turning down a player on principle, but if I could magically arrange one rather than the other to appear and offer to group, I'd pick the scrapper. Generally more surivival, and AoE and sustained damage is generally more usefull than ST burst.

And at least a 12.67% lower chance to have an irritating PvP inspired name.

Edit: for the record, I'd be strongly in favour of PvE mechanics that would strongly favour stalkers.

A good stalker player is much better than a bad scrapper player. I see the hide as a plus on some missions (as long as the stalker has recall or assemble the team! ;-) ) I do think , however in general that stalker shine best solo. The few times I have played my stalker on teams i scrap ( as well as a scrapper), there the AS interrupt is a bother because that power is a one pony trick.

I do not know if it is possible but they should get rid of the interrupt when you want to use As in a normal fight. ANd make the damage high instead of moderate. In general AS is less usefull in teams (especially steamroller teams) due to its interruptability (is that an actual word?) quite often i simple I do not have time to set up AS. EB and AV yes if they don't have to many hide interupting AoE's. So I usually scrap when on teams as a stalker. I do think that the stalker damage should match (maybe dare I suggest even esceeds) the scrapper damage due to it's squishiness.

ALthough with a lot of buffs and debuffs AT's on the team this entire discussion is moot anyway!

PS. A stalker has a higher chance of critical strikes than scrapper btw (as long as they are in hide)

I'd pick whichever asked me first, but I do prefer Scrappers. They have better AoE, are more survivable and generally the players are more aggressive, which is a good thing for most things. From my experience, Stalkers often like to hang back and then approach the boss, melt him and then placate and retreat. Scrappers on the other hand, well, they often just charge into a spawn before anyone else and start beating stuff up. I don't find that problematic if I know the Scrapper can do it.

The Stalker.

Why?

Scrappers don't do Anything better than anyone else. Stalkers do One thing better than anyone else, even if it's not hugely useful all the time. This is a statement of opinion (obviously).

And

Scrapper players are routinely terrible because they don't pay attention to the rest of the team.

There is one thing that Stalkers have over Scrappers, and that's the ability to stealth almost any mission and use a team port. If I'm going to run a speed TF, then I want as many people who CAN stealth on the team as possible.

I'm also a huge fan of /Nin Stalkers. They may not have the raw numbers that other builds enjoy, but two of their three utility powers are great both solo and on teams. Smoke Bomb has limited use, in my opinion, but Blinding Powder is awesome, and Caltrops can actually do fairly impressive damage when proc'd out, aside from its control.


When it comes to straight-out teaming, I'd probably prefer Scrappers. They run in, set a steady stream of damage down on enemies, and are great for hopping back and forth between killing enemies around the tank and protecting squishies from anything going their way. I mostly see them as interchangeable with Brutes (despite what people think, most brutes CANNOT act as a surrogate tank without the right buffs), though maybe with less AoE and more ST damage.

I don't like saying this because I team regularly with Stalkers played by friends of mine, and I've seen what they can do to a mob of enemies with just one round of Assassin Strikes. There are some VERY cool Stalker builds out there, but Stalkers need time to Placate or go back into Hide before they can unleash a big critical attack while Scrappers just keep hitting things.

Anyone that knows me knows that my response is always:

Rule Five: Any build, any budget, no exclusions.

If asked for my preference:

Quote:

Originally Posted by Jibikao Stalker or Scrapper?

Neither, thanks. We'll do fine without.

Quote:

Originally Posted by Jibikao I don't want answers like I only take "experienced" players or whoever PM me first. If you run a full team and already have other areas covered (buffs/debuffs/tanking) and you are forced to pick one melee dps, who would you choose and why? Stalker or Scrapper?

Ok, under said ridiculous restrictions, scrapper every time.

I'm not going to turn anyone away just because they're playing a Stalker. Okay, the Scrapper will do more AoE damage. So will a Blaster, so under those circumstances my choice would be "neither". But I'd never turn a way a Scrapper or Stalker because I would only take a Blaster, either.

I understand the stalker vs scrapper debate. Scrappers win 99% of the time when looked at unbiasly, and I see that as a problem, and belive stalkers need to be buffed.

However, if the OP's evidence is that they went to the zone where the weekly strike target TF starts, and broadcast for a team for awhile with no success, then switching to a scrapper isn't going to help them. First, I don't believe anyone is saying hrmm... there's a stalker available, but we're going to hold out for a scrapper. Second, most of the teams aren't forming in broadcast, they're forming in global channels and SG/coalitions. Third, when a team does start to broadcast looking for specific members, 9 times out of 10 it's not a melee damage toon they're needing... it's a healer or a tank.. possibly someone with holds, if they're planning to use that stategy or doing a LGTF. So being a stalker isn't any different then being a scrapper in that case.

All that considered I believe the OP's unstated premise that scrappers are repalcing stalkers on TF's is just wrong.

If I HAD to choose, I'd usually pick the Scrapper every time. Although, I really don't care what people bring on my teams ever. I always tell people who ask, to play whatever they want to play. It's not like Stalkers can't contribute to teams, I mean I've had some tank Recluse in the STF, but generally a Scrapper can do more.

Neither.

After Trying to get on teams for years with My stalkers, I no longer play them. And since I am petty, when I form teams I don't invite scrappers.

Brute.

... what, I have to choose one of those two?

Fine. Scrapper. I expect only two things from a melee dps in this game: to hit things until they fall down (both do this) and to hold as much aggro as they can survive, since the tank is probably over the cap or has enemies out of gauntlet's area or taunts radius.

Scrappers can hold aggro (some MUCH better than others). Stalkers are at their best when they get to shed it via placate for a big crit as often as possible (hopefully while scrapping it out if I nabbed them for DPS).

The holding of overflow aggro is why I would choose a brute over either when looking for melee dps.