It will be nice to see something other than ???/Nin.
Six stalkers in my crew currently, and not a single /Nin in the lot... I know that's heresy around here, but I really do prefer WP as a secondary for mine.
'Not sure if I'll like Ice or EA or not, but odds are good that I'll at least give them a try at some point.
@Brightfires - @Talisander
That chick what plays the bird-things...
I'll try Ice. I had one /Nin but ended up deleting it at 26. I play Dark Armor and Regen.
-Largo
Founder of A.G.O.N.Y. Supergroup on Victory
Member of Thought Sanctum VG on Victory
Member of St0rm Batallion SG on Guardian
I'll try Ice. I had one /Nin but ended up deleting it at 26. I play Dark Armor and Regen.
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Otherwise SR beats it in every regard. Providing AoE defense, lots of auto-powers, and it's easier to soft cap using only SOs. I have yet to find an effective way to softcap Nin without using IOs. Part of the death toll for my nin though is the Stalker syndrome that needs fixing, SR has it's draw backs as well since mobs with high ToHit probability will still needle through your DEF and chew you up (IE: The ITF).
I got a nin to 50 but I don't like it. The only things worth a squat is the click heal and the ability to deal -toHit while hidden. Smoke Flash blows since the effect takes too long and you can still die mid animation - it's not useful as a panic power like it should be intended for escape, at least not as a stalker considering you can drop from 50% to 0% in no time.
Otherwise SR beats it in every regard. Providing AoE defense, lots of auto-powers, and it's easier to soft cap using only SOs. I have yet to find an effective way to softcap Nin without using IOs. Part of the death toll for my nin though is the Stalker syndrome that needs fixing, SR has it's draw backs as well since mobs with high ToHit probability will still needle through your DEF and chew you up (IE: The ITF). |
Just using SOs, I've found that Ninjitsu is as effective - if not moreso - than Super Reflexes, and once you mix in some defensive set bonuses Ninjitsu only gets better. SR is great for softcapping easily, but that's all it has going for it - which is a far cry from "beating [Ninjitsu] in every regard". If you try to survive by turning on all of your toggles and wailing away on attack buttons until you either kill everything or run out of end, then sure - you might feel that Super Reflexes is better. But that's because you're trying to play Ninjitsu as a set that it's not meant to be - you're supposed to use the additional powers to help you out.
By the way, using Blinding Powder (slottable 7.5% -tohit, even ignoring the Confuse and/or Sleep) provides you more effective defense than the passive 5.63% in SR until you get to mobs +3 levels to you (it's 6% at +2). Just some food for thought before you try to make some silly claims about one set "beating the other in every regard".
it has gone from unconscionable to downright appalling that we have no way of measuring our characters' wetness.
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Ninjitsu provides AoE defense, and does so much earlier than Super Reflexes - it's rolled into the Ranged Defense toggle. Yes, SR has more defense debuff resistance but the tradeoff for that is the uninterruptible click heal, Blinding Powder, and Caltrops provides more mitigation than Smoke Flash due to how much it messes with mob AI.
Just using SOs, I've found that Ninjitsu is as effective - if not moreso - than Super Reflexes, and once you mix in some defensive set bonuses Ninjitsu only gets better. SR is great for softcapping easily, but that's all it has going for it - which is a far cry from "beating [Ninjitsu] in every regard". If you try to survive by turning on all of your toggles and wailing away on attack buttons until you either kill everything or run out of end, then sure - you might feel that Super Reflexes is better. But that's because you're trying to play Ninjitsu as a set that it's not meant to be - you're supposed to use the additional powers to help you out. By the way, using Blinding Powder (slottable 7.5% -tohit, even ignoring the Confuse and/or Sleep) provides you more effective defense than the passive 5.63% in SR until you get to mobs +3 levels to you (it's 6% at +2). Just some food for thought before you try to make some silly claims about one set "beating the other in every regard". |
EA BEATS THEM BOTH IN EVERY REGARD.
its pretty.
When something good happens to me, I can never enjoy it....
I am always too busy looking for the inevitable punchline...
BEHOLD THE POWER OF CHEESE!
Ninjitsu provides AoE defense, and does so much earlier than Super Reflexes - it's rolled into the Ranged Defense toggle. Yes, SR has more defense debuff resistance but the tradeoff for that is the uninterruptible click heal, Blinding Powder, and Caltrops provides more mitigation than Smoke Flash due to how much it messes with mob AI.
Just using SOs, I've found that Ninjitsu is as effective - if not moreso - than Super Reflexes, and once you mix in some defensive set bonuses Ninjitsu only gets better. SR is great for softcapping easily, but that's all it has going for it - which is a far cry from "beating [Ninjitsu] in every regard". If you try to survive by turning on all of your toggles and wailing away on attack buttons until you either kill everything or run out of end, then sure - you might feel that Super Reflexes is better. But that's because you're trying to play Ninjitsu as a set that it's not meant to be - you're supposed to use the additional powers to help you out. By the way, using Blinding Powder (slottable 7.5% -tohit, even ignoring the Confuse and/or Sleep) provides you more effective defense than the passive 5.63% in SR until you get to mobs +3 levels to you (it's 6% at +2). Just some food for thought before you try to make some silly claims about one set "beating the other in every regard". |
1. I thought Energy Aura was "ok" after they added some minor healing in Energy Drain. It wasn't much but it helped. I just really hate that repel aura. It serves no purpose. I am glad they broke the "cottage rule" and changed the power to stun aura. I just hope the stun aura doesn't have "self damage".
2. I never really like /ninjitsu that much but that's before I started getting into set bonuses. I can see /nin being better than /sr once you have set bonuses.
3. If I remember correctly, Ice Armor is typed defense too? It's harder and way more expensive to get set bonus for type defense but I think Ice Armor should do well because it has some +hp and some resistance. I think a mix of defense/resistance (or max HP) is better than just pure defense.
What's left is to normalize all Assassin Strikes and improve Stalker's old sets (Claw, MA and EM)! You don't need to bring back the missing PbAoE attack. You just need to make the existing ones better! For example, make Slice a WIDER and LONGER cone.
Typed defense is actually easier to get then positional because the sets are soo cheap (well most). You may need to tweak a build a bit more with typed Defense but on my DB/EA Brute I'm hitting numbers in the 50s to S/L and the 40s for F/C. My Neg/Psi are the lowest in the low 30s.
I have a long forgotten MA/Nin Stalker- I just don't like click Mez Protection but the set is one of the best performers because its a jack of all trades.
Ice is going to be interesting with Energy Absorption and CE. Hell it even has a auto Resist power for the Steadfast unique. I have a feeling a DM/Ice stalker will be sick.
"Well, there's going to be some light music and a short note of apology saying, 'The universe ended last week, we're really sorry, we don't know what you're doing here, didn't you get the message?'"- Steve Moffat
Typed defense is actually easier to get then positional because the sets are soo cheap (well most). You may need to tweak a build a bit more with typed Defense but on my DB/EA Brute I'm hitting numbers in the 50s to S/L and the 40s for F/C. My Neg/Psi are the lowest in the low 30s.
I have a long forgotten MA/Nin Stalker- I just don't like click Mez Protection but the set is one of the best performers because its a jack of all trades. Ice is going to be interesting with Energy Absorption and CE. Hell it even has a auto Resist power for the Steadfast unique. I have a feeling a DM/Ice stalker will be sick. |
What's left is to normalize all Assassin Strikes and improve Stalker's old sets (Claw, MA and EM)! You don't need to bring back the missing PbAoE attack. You just need to make the existing ones better! For example, make Slice a WIDER and LONGER cone.
For what it's worth, not all of my Stalkers are /Nin (although just under half are) and I'm mildly happy EA is getting some love but it's caused me to shelve my KM/EA Stalker just because I want to see how much +def Energy Drain is going to add - if they're going to clone Energy Absorption they could just say that now.
For the non-Stalker versions, I'm almost disappointed that they're adding a taunt aura to Entropy Shield. I've only ever taken the set on a Brute when I wanted the Brute to be sneaky, and while it was annoying when trying to hold aggro I didn't play those Brutes when I was expected to hold aggro (and used Taunt the few times I had to anyway). I'd rather they just make the defense debuff resistance slottable, like it is for SR and Shields.
it has gone from unconscionable to downright appalling that we have no way of measuring our characters' wetness.
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Really? Kinetic Combat is so expensive and so is Shield Breaker. Mako and Touch of Fear don't offer as much as typed? What's the "easier" way to get soft-capped type defense because Kinetic Combat and Aegis?
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But you don't have to- Smashing Haymakers will do just as good even with the lower percentage.
Here's a build for a EM/EA stalker using haymakers- out of hide I'm sitting around 50% S/L and 47% F/C.
Villain Plan by Mids' Villain Designer 1.942
http://www.cohplanner.com/
Click this DataLink to open the build!
Level 50 Natural Stalker
Primary Power Set: Energy Melee
Secondary Power Set: Energy Aura
Power Pool: Leaping
Power Pool: Fighting
Ancillary Pool: Body Mastery
Villain Profile:
Level 1: Energy Punch
- (A) Smashing Haymaker - Accuracy/Damage
- (3) Smashing Haymaker - Damage/Endurance
- (13) Smashing Haymaker - Damage/Recharge
- (15) Smashing Haymaker - Damage/Endurance/Recharge
- (36) Mako's Bite - Accuracy/Endurance/Recharge
- (36) Crushing Impact - Accuracy/Damage/Endurance
- (A) Defense Buff IO
- (45) Defense Buff IO
- (45) Defense Buff IO
- (A) Smashing Haymaker - Accuracy/Damage
- (3) Smashing Haymaker - Damage/Endurance
- (13) Smashing Haymaker - Damage/Recharge
- (21) Smashing Haymaker - Damage/Endurance/Recharge
- (34) Mako's Bite - Accuracy/Endurance/Recharge
- (36) Crushing Impact - Accuracy/Damage/Endurance
- (A) Defense Buff IO
- (5) Defense Buff IO
- (5) Defense Buff IO
- (21) Endurance Reduction IO
- (A) Smashing Haymaker - Accuracy/Damage
- (7) Smashing Haymaker - Damage/Endurance
- (7) Smashing Haymaker - Damage/Recharge
- (11) Smashing Haymaker - Damage/Endurance/Recharge
- (11) Mako's Bite - Accuracy/Endurance/Recharge
- (15) Crushing Impact - Accuracy/Damage/Endurance
- (A) Rectified Reticle - To Hit Buff
- (9) Rectified Reticle - To Hit Buff/Recharge
- (9) Rectified Reticle - Increased Perception
- (A) Endurance Reduction IO
- (A) Defense Buff IO
- (40) Defense Buff IO
- (45) Luck of the Gambler - Recharge Speed
- (A) Blessing of the Zephyr - Run Speed, Jump, Flight Speed, Range
- (46) Blessing of the Zephyr - Run Speed, Jump, Flight Speed, Range/Endurance
- (46) Blessing of the Zephyr - Knockback Reduction (4 points)
- (A) Recharge Reduction IO
- (17) Recharge Reduction IO
- (17) Recharge Reduction IO
- (A) Defense Buff IO
- (19) Defense Buff IO
- (19) Defense Buff IO
- (31) Endurance Reduction IO
- (A) Empty
- (A) Aegis - Resistance/Endurance
- (23) Aegis - Resistance/Recharge
- (23) Aegis - Endurance/Recharge
- (31) Aegis - Resistance/Endurance/Recharge
- (31) Aegis - Resistance
- (A) Defense Buff IO
- (25) Defense Buff IO
- (25) Defense Buff IO
- (37) Endurance Reduction IO
- (A) Smashing Haymaker - Accuracy/Damage
- (27) Smashing Haymaker - Damage/Endurance
- (27) Smashing Haymaker - Damage/Recharge
- (37) Smashing Haymaker - Damage/Endurance/Recharge
- (37) Mako's Bite - Accuracy/Endurance/Recharge
- (39) Crushing Impact - Accuracy/Damage/Endurance
- (A) Harmonized Healing - Heal/Endurance
- (29) Harmonized Healing - Endurance/Recharge
- (29) Harmonized Healing - Heal/Recharge
- (39) Harmonized Healing - Heal/Endurance/Recharge
- (39) Harmonized Healing - Heal
- (40) Endurance Modification IO
- (A) Steadfast Protection - Resistance/+Def 3%
- (A) Smashing Haymaker - Accuracy/Damage
- (33) Smashing Haymaker - Damage/Endurance
- (33) Smashing Haymaker - Damage/Recharge
- (33) Smashing Haymaker - Damage/Endurance/Recharge
- (34) Mako's Bite - Accuracy/Endurance/Recharge
- (34) Crushing Impact - Accuracy/Damage/Endurance
- (A) Recharge Reduction IO
- (40) Recharge Reduction IO
- (43) Recharge Reduction IO
- (A) Empty
- (A) Gaussian's Synchronized Fire-Control - To Hit Buff
- (42) Gaussian's Synchronized Fire-Control - To Hit Buff/Recharge
- (42) Gaussian's Synchronized Fire-Control - To Hit Buff/Recharge/Endurance
- (42) Gaussian's Synchronized Fire-Control - Recharge/Endurance
- (43) Gaussian's Synchronized Fire-Control - To Hit Buff/Endurance
- (43) Gaussian's Synchronized Fire-Control - Chance for Build Up
- (A) Endurance Modification IO
- (A) Stupefy - Accuracy/Recharge
- (48) Stupefy - Endurance/Stun
- (48) Stupefy - Accuracy/Endurance
- (50) Stupefy - Stun/Range
- (50) Stupefy - Accuracy/Stun/Recharge
- (50) Stupefy - Chance of Knockback
- (A) Empty
Level 1: Assassination
Level 1: Brawl
- (A) Empty
- (A) Empty
- (A) Empty
- (A) Empty
- (A) Healing IO
- (A) Empty
- (A) Performance Shifter - Chance for +End
- (46) Endurance Modification IO
- (48) Endurance Modification IO
| Copy & Paste this data into Mids' Hero Designer to view the build | |-------------------------------------------------------------------| |MxDz;1369;624;1248;HEX;| |78DA6D93DB6E12511486F770E80885526C29050A8596960A4AC1F6BE964323066A1| |31FA041196122010268EC95F5F0086AD5EA9DC757525FC1C31BE09AF56FA0937192| |C937FB9FB5FEB5F69AD9B5C7258F10A77B42F116DBF5C1E0F8CEB0DE7EA0F5D5C3F| |AF061BFDE16AA10222CC5E39AD6D6B46CB9A3F59B275844C6AF4ADA7DAD3398BCDC| |A7647FA5D3D2FA5A67981D3F788EBADD76B6AAD57B7AA7E9E5C581DE6C0D69E5E75| |5A5F3481FE877F5B63E3CF18D831B5A7FD0D27BA1724FBF972D741B54BA3E186AFD| |9371B3CBD4E306DD2F5D425E23A7A812D684ADC6F01C32E66E33D675425EAC37188| |569964DC458BA6AC22B0A50A4ADF23FDB45D8264CB645CAB273DAC86E8791C384C5| |04E335C539A5BB13EE33709F81BB1BEE6EB8CFC1FD8CB254D9B47A6E1362415C7A0| |F7C609429C085F2C2854A4B94300BC9368B1E5272A301C5409002BCD2D4FBDD6648| |D77E003F196FC8D427037C194E9D37A144017EB9693FBC2F9B10432B8A6AF488EE1| |64674093B2901643A02396E67290F5C67C476805D8683C283B25010D6CB262451E8| |1D351492D30D61BA614C378CE92631DD24A6BB89E9DEA4AC087FF39133B2474C899| |51BC03E63B3001419A938671D5056548E3C6A341715E724ADCAF2AB281F47F938CA| |C74DBF4E02E52B2E43C398D730D81490066EB9F0C31B9536787C4EBF105BA8EDDCF| |AC81FEBCA27E033F08591FE0A7C63A89495911D67B089B7649D951D679FF0ACB74F| |81A78CFC33E039F0029F838C72D228C70D451C9353355A993E1B4B7A9BB628398B9| |2B7283B1665D7A2542DCA9163727C85C2CA2F3729CA45E5CF4525C983F86D09FA3B| |556CCA19CE0586B60DB8E6E9C8CB3DFF030C21E6FD| |-------------------------------------------------------------------|
"Well, there's going to be some light music and a short note of apology saying, 'The universe ended last week, we're really sorry, we don't know what you're doing here, didn't you get the message?'"- Steve Moffat
3. If I remember correctly, Ice Armor is typed defense too? It's harder and way more expensive to get set bonus for type defense but I think Ice Armor should do well because it has some +hp and some resistance. I think a mix of defense/resistance (or max HP) is better than just pure defense.
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If they don't raise the Stalker HP cap I see little point in playing Ice Armor (since it has a Dull Pain clone) unless C. Embrace actually holds aggro and you wanna tank with a Stalker.
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Provided it actually stays in the set with its +defense component intact.
Given the history of stalker set ports and Edurance powers, however, I have some doubt that it will make it in as a direct port. Given that, it might be replaced with something COMPLETELY different, removing both the +end components and the +def components from stalker reach.
The Scrappers' Guide to Dark Melee | Kheldian Binds and Strategies
Two words: Energy Absorption
Given the history of stalker set ports and Edurance powers, however, I have some doubt that it will make it in as a direct port. Given that, it might be replaced with something COMPLETELY different, removing both the +end components and the +def components from stalker reach. |
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!
Err... Energy Drain is +end now. Come issue 21 it will also offer +def for Stalkers. So what would be the problem with Energy Absorption? I don't think there's a rule anywhere that Stalkers can't have endurance recovery powers. It's just been the case that when it came time to pick a power to make room for Hide, some of the sets lost their endurance recovery power just because it was thought to be least critical to survival of all the powers in the set.
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The Scrappers' Guide to Dark Melee | Kheldian Binds and Strategies
I am very honked off that I deleted my Elec/EA stalker, thinking the set would always be underperforming.
Where to now?
Check out all my guides and fiction pieces on my blog.
The MFing Warshade | The Last Rule of Tanking | The Got Dam Mastermind
Everything Dark Armor | The Softcap
don'T attempt to read tHis mEssaGe, And believe Me, it is not a codE.
It's typed but it offers very little in terms of resistance, and only to fire/cold/slow. If they don't raise the Stalker HP cap I see little point in playing Ice Armor (since it has a Dull Pain clone) unless C. Embrace actually holds aggro and you wanna tank with a Stalker. Unlike EA, Ice has no resists to s/l/n/e - that's why Ice Tankers are sometimes killed in seconds when they go a bit over the top. Buffed Lord Recluse is particularly fond of one-shotting them on STFs unless they use lotsa oranges.
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But in the realm of IOs, so long as Ice has no holes in its defenses (what, lower defense to fire?) you'll be building for +rech mainly. Getting IB up as often as possible and perma Hoarfrost is the PB&J of the set. High defense, capped HP, infinite endurance and a crashless MoG that boosts resistance along with foe slow and -dmg. It'll work.
The thing is, some good set bonuses for typed defense are available with only 3-4 slots. Smashing Haymaker and Kinetic Combat in 4, Rectified Reticle in 2, Reactive Armor in 3 and 4, Aegis in 3, Stupefy in 3...You don't need 5 of those bonuses, only a couple really sprinkled around and it adds up quick.
Really? Kinetic Combat is so expensive and so is Shield Breaker. Mako and Touch of Fear don't offer as much as typed? What's the "easier" way to get soft-capped type defense because Kinetic Combat and Aegis?
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I made a broot softcapped to all at 25 but... They have energy cloak which gives more def than Hide.
Villain Plan by Mids' Villain Designer 1.942
http://www.cohplanner.com/
Click this DataLink to open the build!
Level 48 Magic Stalker
Primary Power Set: Kinetic Melee
Secondary Power Set: Energy Aura
Power Pool: Leaping
Power Pool: Fighting
Power Pool: Leadership
Villain Profile:
Level 1: Body Blow -- P'ngS'Fest-Acc/Dmg(A), P'ngS'Fest-Dmg/EndRdx(13), P'ngS'Fest-Dmg/Rchg(15)
Level 1: Hide -- DefBuff-I(A), DefBuff-I(3), DefBuff-I(31)
Level 2: Smashing Blow -- S'ngH'mkr-Acc/Dmg(A), S'ngH'mkr-Dmg/EndRdx(3), S'ngH'mkr-Dmg/Rchg(5), S'ngH'mkr-Dmg/EndRdx/Rchg(5)
Level 4: Kinetic Shield -- DefBuff-I(A), DefBuff-I(7), DefBuff-I(7)
Level 6: Power Shield -- DefBuff-I(A), DefBuff-I(9), DefBuff-I(9)
Level 8: Assassin's Strike -- S'ngH'mkr-Acc/Dmg(A), S'ngH'mkr-Dmg/EndRdx(11), S'ngH'mkr-Dmg/Rchg(11), S'ngH'mkr-Dmg/EndRdx/Rchg(13)
Level 10: Entropy Shield -- Empty(A)
Level 12: Combat Jumping -- DefBuff-I(A)
Level 14: Build Up -- Rec'dRet-ToHit(A), Rec'dRet-ToHit/Rchg(15)
Level 16: Energy Protection -- S'fstPrt-ResDam/Def+(A), Aegis-ResDam/EndRdx(17), Aegis-ResDam/Rchg(17), Aegis-EndRdx/Rchg(29)
Level 18: Boxing -- P'ngS'Fest-Acc/Dmg(A), P'ngS'Fest-Dmg/EndRdx(19), P'ngS'Fest-Dmg/Rchg(19)
Level 20: Tough -- Aegis-ResDam/EndRdx(A), Aegis-ResDam/Rchg(21), Aegis-ResDam(21)
Level 22: Weave -- DefBuff-I(A), DefBuff-I(23), DefBuff-I(23)
Level 24: Maneuvers -- DefBuff-I(A), DefBuff-I(25), DefBuff-I(25)
Level 26: Burst -- Erad-Dmg(A), Erad-Acc/Rchg(27), Erad-Dmg/Rchg(27), Erad-Acc/Dmg/Rchg(29)
Level 28: Energy Drain -- Empty(A)
Level 30: Tactics -- Rec'dRet-ToHit/Rchg(A), Rec'dRet-ToHit(31)
Level 32: [Empty]
Level 35: [Empty]
Level 38: [Empty]
Level 41: [Empty]
Level 44: [Empty]
Level 47: [Empty]
Level 49: [Empty]
------------
Level 1: Assassination
Level 1: Brawl -- Empty(A)
Level 1: Sprint -- Empty(A)
Level 2: Rest -- Empty(A)
Level 4: Ninja Run
Level 2: Swift -- Empty(A)
Level 2: Health -- Empty(A)
Level 2: Hurdle -- Empty(A)
Level 2: Stamina -- Empty(A)
------------
Set Bonus Totals:
- 10.5% Defense(Smashing)
- 10.5% Defense(Lethal)
- 9.25% Defense(Fire)
- 9.25% Defense(Cold)
- 8.63% Defense(Energy)
- 8.63% Defense(Negative)
- 3% Defense(Psionic)
- 6.75% Defense(Melee)
- 5.81% Defense(Ranged)
- 6.13% Defense(AoE)
- 1.8% Max End
- 54.2 HP (4.5%) HitPoints
- MezResist(Immobilize) 4.4%
- 16% (0.8 HP/sec) Regeneration
- 10% RunSpeed
| Copy & Paste this data into Mids' Hero Designer to view the build | |-------------------------------------------------------------------| |MxDz;1004;466;932;HEX;| |78DA8592C14EDB40108667EDA4C121213801024DC8AD971E2C68B9574082088D01A| |90F6019B375565826B2DDAAE989F7685FB02DB47D837432B301A23D7425EBF3FE3B| |F3CFEC68FD2FFD1AC0DD3B10F5E324CCF3E043112637322BFB61AC22A80040574B8| |12F1329BDF72A95858A82C3A208A39BCEE2B02F3FCA3497DE2095593C0D0E3F65A1| |3B4CC7329369E12D7E6A97B7B7893792E144A5719D36272A1E17B86B2C8EAE65968| |FD5C4A5FD30FDAC7275A512554C9B83898ABCA324FC2A033FCC0B994DB7B1BD57F8| |5DB9A0D7CC825344076A43C2DA19E1C87916D043EC82C5E8312274101C608B11E55| |83EA174CEB8201CA3912DD8C8E6D4174BE86340590794595A59C23556AAE84A15AE| |54E54A55AE54E34A033472D8089C192ED8C2B455ADACB29944B33A9B89FA370BA00| |56BDF092798DEE060BBD11673C7F53DC63EA1FB8620D0D4D5937179744D1E5D9347| |6763404B5FA8C50E1BECB071402861C0A60ED8E4B6B696E062405B07B459DA5E428| |C0DECE891ECFCB0E6A62F7F327E11BAF78453873AA601746824ADCA3C9FEFBFCB17| |EFF11866FF5F9DD2E3A398759FFE8172E1B5A1EC19CABEA1BC359403431919CA65E| |9F1F58120C559C777A67B7BA8E2A9787EFAC7507E1BCA5F43F9076ADDDE95| |-------------------------------------------------------------------|
I have one Ninjitsu Armor Stalker...that i just dont play much...like level 30 something....kind of just puts me to sleep.
I am currently playing with Willpower/claws...and its interesting...with having a self heal and a power that increases your health points....I admit her attacks are not that great...but go figure...she is clockwork catgirl....so she looks cute.
I too have a Kinetic melee/Energy Aura Stalker.....though i dont know how the changes will effect game play with her....she plays just fine right now...and i find she sometimes uses alot of energy.....and with the changes....she might start having energy issues depending on what she is doing....which means i possibly wont be able to to keep up some of her attack chains int he future....but go figure.
I too have a Kinetic melee/Energy Aura Stalker.....though i dont know how the changes will effect game play with her....she plays just fine right now...and i find she sometimes uses alot of energy.....and with the changes....she might start having energy issues depending on what she is doing....which means i possibly wont be able to to keep up some of her attack chains int he future....but go figure.
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I only have one /Nin Stalker. I tend to like taking non-defense secondaries and building for defense.
I'll probably roll an /Ice Stalker just to have one, but it has the same problem as most typed defense sets, a gaping psi hole. Psi damage is way too common to be considered "exotic". The one tool Invuln and Ice get that helps with psi damage, Dull Pain, is of much less value for a Stalker. On an IO build If I don't make capping HP a high priority I still usually end up 50 to 100 points away from the cap after accolades.
So I don't see it being any different than it is for Regen Stalkers. It will be a heal on a very long recharge, which when you're getting hammered with psi damage will buy you a few seconds, and then you will be defeated.
The only set we have with a +HP click is Regen. I'd say, if a set like SR had a power like Dull Pain with its moderate defenses, it would be quite welcome even despite the low HP cap.
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Sure, the +hp part of any click power is pretty useless on a Stalker since my DM/Nin hit the hard cap on hp without any +hp powers and slotting in order to softcap... but Energy Aura also provides one - and one that's fully slottable for +hp, unlike Dull Pain.
it has gone from unconscionable to downright appalling that we have no way of measuring our characters' wetness.
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Overload says 'hi'.
Sure, the +hp part of any click power is pretty useless on a Stalker since my DM/Nin hit the hard cap on hp without any +hp powers and slotting in order to softcap... but Energy Aura also provides one - and one that's fully slottable for +hp, unlike Dull Pain. |
Mid's says both enhanced for heal to the cap would give you +79.7% hp although in the 'Totals' window I get different results - 1924 hp for Dull Pain and 2163 for Overload (of course if the cap weren't 1606 for Stalkers), but DP is slottable for heal, although if Mid's is correct on the hard numbers Overload gives more - on Brutes, 2395 for DP and 2692 for Overload (Brute base 1499). Non accolade numbers btw.
I've never cared much at all for only playing the more 'uber' powersets, so I've been happily playing all sorts of secondaries the whole time. I've always thought that Energy Aura worked just fine on a Stalker (it sure does on my Energy/Energy... I would say he's one of my top three favorite characters out of more than 115...)
As for Ninjitsu, it seems fine to me, but not zomgneverplayanythingelseeveragain good. My fourth highest Stalker has it, and I'd like to level them up more (they're only 26 at the moment.) Ahead of them is my 50 /Energy, my 41 /Willpower, and my 35 /Dark.
For me, this will just mean that my awesome character will get even more awesome. And that I have another secondary to try on Stalkers, so I'll need to make a new character to try Ice Armor.
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!
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Hello all! I feel that it is great that the devs decided to revamp energy aura and to port Ice armor over to stalkers. Ninja is great, but that's the only set that people take. It will be nice to see something else running around. Ice armor is going to be great! I'm excited. Also, energy aura is going to be beastly! It finally gets a real self heal!!! My EA stalker is already soft capped to all, and has 35% ranged defense for the psi so the defense buff to energy drain doesn't matter much to me, it will help lowbies though. The -recharge/end drain resistance to the auto power has me exited as well. It's going to be sweet. Anyone have any thoughts?