Mundane Build Advice: DB/SR/??


Android_5Point9

 

Posted

I just cleared my Patron Arc (Ghost Widow) for my 37th level Dual Blades/Super Reflexes Stalker, and I started taking a look at where I wanted to venture with regards to power choices. So far I've taken all of the powers I could in both primary and secondary sets, although I'm not entirely sold on needing all of them. The problem I see is that I can pick essentially whatever I want before 35th level, but 35th is for Evasion, 38th is Elude, 41st is for the first epic power, 44th the second epic, 47th is likely a third epic, and then finally a wildcard at 49th.

Of the Dual Blades powers, the only one I can really see as a possible drop is Ablating Strike. Right now I use it as a finisher for the Sweep combo, when I start a packed mob with a BldUp-AsnBlds-AblSt, and as an attack chain filler. I use the other two standard combo chains and the other AsnBlds combo is too useful to ditch Placate. But what would I replace it with pre-35th?

Of the Super Reflexes powers, the only ones I think about not carrying are the auto-powers: Agile, Dodge, Quickness. But I think they're all useful, and I still don't know what I would replace them with.

If I stick with all of the primary and secondary powers, then I'm left with two mandatory power pool choices. I almost always snag Recall Friend on my Stalkers (as a good teammate), but I'm not entirely sure what to do with the other. Currently, I'm torn between Maneuvers (Leadership has Assault and Tactics as good additional team choices, but all are END hogs) and Combat Jumping (tiny END cost for nearly the same DEF boost, but nothing else I really need in the pool). If I go with just three powers from my epic power pool, I still have one more power choice to make; this increases if I don't take all of the DB and SR powers.

For the epic power pool, I'm looking first at Soul Mastery and then at either Body Mastery or Weapon Mastery. Soul Mastery intrigues me because of the burst defense power Shadow Meld and (if I read it correctly) the Crit-from-Hide snipe Moonbeam, along with the completely bad-***-looking Soul Storm. Body Master and Weapon Mastery both offer a +Regen/+Recovery power and an expensive +Acc toggle, but I don't know how useful the +5% END is or if either Shurikens offer Crit-from-Hide.

I'm not interested in grinding missions or working the markets to put together IO sets, so I'd prefer to stick to SO's or basic IO's for enhancements (no set mules for power choices). Whatever advice you can give would be greatly appreciated.


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Posted

I can't speak for Dual Blades at all, since I've never played the set.

However, for Super Reflexes, you definitely want to take every power. The two "optional" ones are Quickness and Elude. Quickness is a minor movement speed buff, and a considerable boost to your overall recharge speed which is actually very helpful. Elude will give you exactly 45% (soft-capped) defense, which means you'll only get hit 5% of the time. However, after the timer is up, you crash to 0 endurance and won't recover any endurance for a while unless you use inspirations. Some people like it, some don't. If you can manage to get to 45% defense without using Elude, then it's almost entirely worthless. Thankfully, it's very easy to Super Reflexes to do that. Three slotting the passives with defense SOs, putting at least three defense SOs in all your toggles and Hide, and taking Combat Jumping and Maneuvers with one or two defense SOs should get you slightly under 45%. Alternatively, you can look into the Fighting power pool, and take Tough and Weave. 3 slotting defense SOs into Weave, and putting 1 defense SO into Combat Jumping (or Hover) will put you at the softcap as well.

For your Epic Pool, Soul is an ok choice, but Shadowmeld isn't needed as Super Reflexes. Snipes on a Stalker are a terrible choice right now since they take forever to go off, and your target will likely be dead on a team by the time it does (they're getting re-evaluated overall in a later patch). A hold can be useful, and Soul Storm's is the best looking of the bunch.

The other two you mentioned are both good picks, so it's really up to you. Body Mastery's +end is enhanceable and very useful, and with the Stalker changes in Issue 22, the extra endurance and the extra Recovery from Physical Perfection would be pretty helpful since you'll be using Assassin's Strike more often. Focused Accuracy and Targeting Drone both have very high endurance costs, but it might be worth it depending on your build. Right now, some of the Epic Pools' attacks crit from Hide, but some don't. They're getting normalized in Issue 22, though. Single target Epic Pool attacks will have 100% chance to crit from hide, and AOE Epic Pool attacks will have a 50% chance.

Someone else will have to offer you advice on the Dual Blades stuff, but hopefully that helps some!


 

Posted

Quote:
Originally Posted by Android_5Point9 View Post
Someone else will have to offer you advice on the Dual Blades stuff, but hopefully that helps some!
Here is my advice on Dual Blades. It's been discussed several times why DB for stalkers suck. For example the Weaken combo when it would be most useful at lower levels is not achievable until level 32. How Attack Vitals offsets it's effectiveness by using the 3 weakest DPS powers in the set.

I recommend when i22 hits, drop Nimble Slash and Vengeful Slice. The only combo you will lose is Attack Vitals. No big loss. Assassin's Blade will be great on DB in regards to DPS and the combo system allowing DB to use Empower and Sweep without interruption. The Weaken combo is not needed when you're high level and IO'd but is available to you.

The best ST DPS attack chain for DB after i22 will be Ablating-Sweeping-Ablating-Assassin's-repeat with a slight pause between Ablating and Assassin's. It's also the perfect chain to easily integrate the Sweep and Empower combos. Toss in Build Up during the pause and it will perform the Sweep or throw in Placate after Assassin's for the Empower.


 

Posted

I do not recommend dropping Vengeful Slice given it is extremely useful even post I22.

I like DB on stalkers more than on scrappers or tankers. I think brutes leverage DB's combos the best.

Weaken = Don't like using on any AT regardless of level
Attack Vitals = Actually useful for other AT's but I think AV will no longer be needed for Stalkers post I22.
Sweep = Your cornerstone combo even after I22
Empower = Your backup plan if Sweep combo fails or targets are too scattered

Unlike other AT, opening from hide with OTC (One Thousand cuts) is a huge advantage.