Stalkers and Teaming?

I don't think it's unfair to say that Stalkers are a very solo-friendly archetype. They're certainly very friendly to my style of solo play.

But... my experience with my Stalker (she's still only 24) has made me wonder what role a Stalker could play on a team. (I've soloed her almost entirely, and the teams I've done have been pretty much random pickup teams with friends, so it's been like 'oh, sure, lol, do whatever').


Soo... teamed stalkers, what do you DO? Do you just run along and do your own thing?

I play my Stalker markedly differently on a team than I do solo and I will freely admit that Stalker is not one of my favorite ATs, so perhaps others will be able to better address this, but...

When I am teaming I adopt much the same function on my Stalker than I do when I play a Scrapper - I identify the most dangerous targets in a given mob and then eliminate them with extreme prejudice. I also play watchdog to squishies on the team, taking on enemies that slip by the tank or that rez up behind the tank so that they do not run amok. Naturally there is also the stealth aspect, the Stalker is a natural choice for stealthing missions, but really any AT who takes the right powers can fill the role just as well.

Once I get into a rhythm with a team, I find that my presence takes out those annoying bosses or lts that would otherwise be speedbumps to the overall steamrolling of the team, and in my own way I keep the team rolling.

I am aware that some Stalker players play towards a more scrappy role with more time spent out of hide in the thick of things, but honestly I would play a Scrapper or Brute if I wanted to play that way, so I adopt a hit-and-run style that seems to work out just fine.

Dual Blades to me, so rewarding on a team. Sweeping an ambush that your team is not ready for, and taken the alpha until a brute or tank can come over is pure bliss. That is one example with a primary.

Or Dark Armor Stalker just dominating a horde of minions.

How about the AoE Electric Melee puts out that turns heads?

Stalkers are underrated on teams, but it ultimately comes down to your understanding of how the power sets work.

Some people really don't "get" caltrops, while for me personally, caltrops is the ultimate anti ambush tool in a team setting. I have used it that way since AR/DEV (well before it was nerfed into the ground pre-ED). Ever time I see a /Nin skip it I die a little inside.

Don't get me wrong, I *want* to see Stalkers on teams.
I just rarely do.
And I wind up mostly solo-ing my girl (she's claws/ninjitsu, for the record).

But once Freedom comes out I'll be rolling an energy melee/ice character, and would like for her to be more contributory than my current Stalker, who's basically just there for me to toy with.

I play a KM/EA/Pyre (She a dragon yo) with 97.% global recharge bonus and t4 Spirtual on Live.

What I do solo: AoE everyting to death with double stacked Build up Fire ball, Pyronic and Burst.

What I do Teamed: AoE everyting to death with double stacked Build up Fire ball, Pyronic and Burst.

My new Issue 21 build has 120+ % global recharge bonus.

Stalker teaming.. I've come to enjoy the fight by killing most Lieuts first. I know people love to setup Assassin Strike on a boss when they have the chance but I think most people go after the bosses anyway so I might as well kill off one or two lieuts as soon as possible during Build Up.

For example, Night Widow, Illusionist, Nullifers, Sorcerer (lower level)...they all need to die asap!

Discounting the EM discussion where I have no experience, I'm with Zem 100% on how to play in teams.

My dark melee finds big baddies or specially dangerous enemies and drops them fast. My spines glues himself to the brute/tank's back and spam's AoEs non-stop.

Both will break off to handle minor mission goals if I can complete them easily (like clicking altars in the final mission of the Cap Strikeforce).

With enough buffs, both have acted as a tank (Out of 6 people I play with regularly, only one other has a stable of melee characters the other 5 have one here or there and mobs and mobs of support). Though this was not an ideal experience for anyone involved. It was cool to run around with dual forcefields plus one set of sonic shields on a dark/dark stalker with hide turned off taking the alpha on each group and using dark heal just to get aggro. Heh.

If CoH was about minmaxing, hard content and optimised teams, Stalkers would have a strong spot into teams because they are the ultimate single target DPS (1.0 damage scale, 500% damage cap, 31% crit on a 8 man teamplaying team and top DPA attack chains).

But its not. Most of the time, even on good teams, everyone is ******* around, half soloing here and there because anyone with a descent build and a couple of incarnate is self-sufficient.
It doesnt mean you cannot contribute but most of the job you do can be done better by a scrapper.

I think the +crit is 30y range. Most squishy should still be in that range, maybe closer if they consider benefiting from AoE buffs and heals. But yeah thats only against big targets and even rarely happends.

Bane has lower damage cap. Pylon means something but in a full team Stalker will perform better than Bane because the difference between true damage dealers (Scrap/Blast/Stalk/Corr) and "hybrids" begins when you start hitting damage bonus caps.

As for indirect damage of course it counts but if you are going that way Kin/Sonic fender is the best damage dealer ever.

What does mew do?

Well if mew is a leader of a Task Force Team and is competing to try and complete a TAsk Force first before another team.....then mew starts by going along with the team and fighting with them....then if they seam competent she will go off and complete objectives.

If mew is just on a normal team without trying to race....
Mew tends to play a back up for the team.
What that means is that mew has hide.....and has recall friend at low levels....so no matter what the team is or task force....mew can usualy teleport the entire team where ever.
Mew can also teleport downed players out of the trouble areas....and using the day job power she can rez the person....

When playing with the group...mew usualy tries to play team minded....as in she looks for the targets with the most health and hits them down if she can.
If a Defender or Corruptor or Blaster is taking too much aggro...then mew goes to try to help the situation by eliminating the targets while the blaster, defender, corrupter, controller, whatever, does their thing.
This also goes for the Brutes and Tanks and such....sometimes they bite off more then they can chew....so mew goes into the middle of the group and helps thin it a bit.
(Mew is always told to stay back she is squishy blah blah blah, but mew handles her self and then gets complimented when she can stand inthe middle with the big burly tanks and dish out damage too)

Sometimes mew takes alot of aggro....stalkers have a threat rating of 2...super speed reduces threat...thus groups can all have super speed...and if mew doesnt she can start getting alot of aggro.....which happens alot....contrary to what others say. Mew plays alot and plays stalkers alot.

If you had to ask mew what specific role the stalker plays....that would be the Scout or the Puller...unless you have an illusion controller who pulls better.
But what happens in the game usualy...is if mew is pulling someone else usualy spoils the pull on purpose....and usualy there are people who think they can do better and fail miserably everytime. (remember stalkers have placate...if they get more then one they can placate others including archvillains on the statesman task force)

As an advanced scout....you should go ahead and check the area first...other players will do the same sometimes.....its a tough call....but if those other players get noticed....you may or may not go back to help them....mew usualy wont becasue too many times mew ends up taking tons of aggro from stupid players who think that their super speed is enough stealth and forget when they exemplar low enough they dont get the stealth effect from certain other things.

Only thing mew will suggest on play style is to stay with the team if you are battling rikti and knives of artemis since your powers will not work on them very well.
Also clockwork in the sysnapse task force and longbow and nemesis sometimes see you through your hide or ignore your placate attempts.
And Circle of Thorns on some misisons will get increased perception like the Cage Consortium and thus see you though your hide as well.

So i guess its best to make sure to expect to not be always hidden...and even if you are hidden expect that sometimes you will run into somethign that will see you anywise.

Oh yah and a role on keys trial....just try to perform the objectives.....you will die anywise but go figure..there is not much that can be done about that.