Dark/Dark Stalker: Bad Idea? Or Worst Idea Ever?

Who has experience playing a dark/dark stalker since issue 22 went live? Is this the worst idea I've ever had? or merely a very bad idea?

I'm rerolling a steampunk "poison gas melee/poison gas armor" themed character, and because I love stalkers in general now, and because I prefer the scrapper and stalker APPs to the tanker/brute ones, I wondered if I would enjoy playing a noxious green/orange tinted negative energy aura surrounded, gas mask wearing, pseudo-Victorian inventor. Here's what I'm thinking ...


Hero Plan by Mids' Hero Designer 1.953
http://www.cohplanner.com/

Professor Broadleigh: Level 50 Science Stalker
Primary Power Set: Dark Melee
Secondary Power Set: Dark Armor
Power Pool: Fighting
Power Pool: Teleportation
Ancillary Pool: Darkness Mastery

Hero Profile:
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Level 1: Shadow Punch C'ngImp-Acc/Dmg(A), C'ngImp-Dmg/EndRdx(3), C'ngImp-Acc/Dmg/Rchg(9), C'ngImp-Acc/Dmg/EndRdx(11), C'ngImp-Dmg/EndRdx/Rchg(15)
Level 1: Hide Krma-ResKB(A)
Level 2: Smite C'ngImp-Acc/Dmg(A), C'ngImp-Dmg/EndRdx(3), C'ngImp-Acc/Dmg/Rchg(9), C'ngImp-Acc/Dmg/EndRdx(11), C'ngImp-Dmg/EndRdx/Rchg(15)
Level 4: Shadow Maul Oblit-Dmg(A), Oblit-Acc/Rchg(5), Oblit-Dmg/Rchg(5), Oblit-Acc/Dmg/Rchg(13), Oblit-Acc/Dmg/EndRdx/Rchg(17)
Level 6: Assassin's Eclipse C'ngImp-Acc/Dmg(A), C'ngImp-Dmg/EndRdx(7), C'ngImp-Acc/Dmg/Rchg(7), C'ngImp-Acc/Dmg/EndRdx(13), C'ngImp-Dmg/EndRdx/Rchg(17)
Level 8: Dark Embrace TtmC'tng-ResDam/EndRdx(A), TtmC'tng-ResDam/Rchg(27), TtmC'tng-ResDam/EndRdx/Rchg(29)
Level 10: Shadow Dweller LkGmblr-Def(A), LkGmblr-Def/EndRdx(31), LkGmblr-Rchg+(31)
Level 12: Murky Cloud TtmC'tng-ResDam/EndRdx(A), TtmC'tng-ResDam/Rchg(27), TtmC'tng-ResDam/EndRdx/Rchg(29)
Level 14: Build Up RechRdx-I(A)
Level 16: Obsidian Shield TtmC'tng-ResDam/EndRdx(A), TtmC'tng-ResDam/Rchg(46), TtmC'tng-ResDam(46)
Level 18: Siphon Life C'ngImp-Acc/Dmg(A), C'ngImp-Dmg/EndRdx(19), C'ngImp-Acc/Dmg/Rchg(19), C'ngImp-Acc/Dmg/EndRdx(21), C'ngImp-Dmg/EndRdx/Rchg(21)
Level 20: Dark Regeneration Nictus-Heal/HP/Regen/Rchg(A), Nictus-Acc/Heal(23), Nictus-Acc/EndRdx/Heal/HP/Regen(23), Nictus-Acc/EndRdx/Rchg(25), Nictus-Heal(25)
Level 22: Kick Empty(A)
Level 24: Tough TtmC'tng-ResDam/EndRdx(A), TtmC'tng-ResDam/Rchg(40), TtmC'tng-ResDam/EndRdx/Rchg(43), S'fstPrt-ResDam/Def+(43)
Level 26: Touch of Fear SipInsght-Acc/ToHitDeb(A), SipInsght-ToHitDeb(31), SipInsght-ToHitDeb/EndRdx/Rchg(34), SipInsght-Acc/EndRdx/Rchg(34)
Level 28: Cloak of Fear SipInsght-ToHitDeb(A), SipInsght-Acc/ToHitDeb(37), SipInsght-Acc/Rchg(37), SipInsght-ToHitDeb/EndRdx/Rchg(37), SipInsght-Acc/EndRdx/Rchg(40), EndRdx-I(43)
Level 30: Recall Friend Winter-ResSlow(A)
Level 32: Midnight Grasp Mako-Acc/Dmg(A), Mako-Dmg/EndRdx(33), Mako-Dmg/Rchg(33), Mako-Acc/EndRdx/Rchg(33), Mako-Acc/Dmg/EndRdx/Rchg(34)
Level 35: Oppressive Gloom Stpfy-Acc/Rchg(A), Stpfy-EndRdx/Stun(36), Stpfy-Acc/EndRdx(36), Stpfy-Acc/Stun/Rchg(36)
Level 38: Soul Transfer Stpfy-Acc/Rchg(A), Stpfy-EndRdx/Stun(39), Stpfy-Acc/EndRdx(39), Stpfy-Stun/Rng(39), Stpfy-Acc/Stun/Rchg(40)
Level 41: Torrent Posi-Acc/Dmg(A), Posi-Dmg/EndRdx(42), Posi-Dmg/Rchg(42), Posi-Acc/Dmg/EndRdx(42)
Level 44: Petrifying Gaze Lock-Acc/Hold(A), Lock-Acc/Rchg(45), Lock-Rchg/Hold(45), Lock-EndRdx/Rchg/Hold(45), Lock-Acc/EndRdx/Rchg/Hold(46)
Level 47: Night Fall Posi-Acc/Dmg(A), Posi-Dmg/EndRdx(48), Posi-Dmg/Rchg(48), Posi-Acc/Dmg/EndRdx(48)
Level 49: Tenebrous Tentacles Posi-Acc/Dmg(A), Posi-Dmg/EndRdx(50), Posi-Dmg/Rchg(50), Posi-Acc/Dmg/EndRdx(50)
Level 0: Freedom Phalanx Reserve
Level 0: Portal Jockey
Level 0: Task Force Commander
Level 0: The Atlas Medallion
Level 50: Cardiac Partial Radial Revamp
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Level 2: Swift Run-I(A)
Level 2: Health Heal-I(A)
Level 2: Hurdle Jump-I(A)
Level 2: Stamina EndMod-I(A)
Level 1: Assassination
Level 1: Brawl Empty(A)
Level 1: Sprint EndRdx-I(A)
Level 2: Rest RechRdx-I(A)
Level 4: Ninja Run

http://www.cohplanner.com/mids/downl...60FD0772A7F54C

It totals out to about 40% to 50% res(all), roughly 10% def(all), about 47% single target and 20% AoE to-hit debuff, plus the AoE life steal, plus both mitigation auras.

I'm spoiled: my nearly capped sword/reflexes stalker can almost comfortably tank +1x8 spawns. After playing that, am I going to be able to tolerate this? Or am I kidding myself?

Dark mellee is a pretty solid choice imo, good attack chain, one of the hightest damage output for stalkers and a self heal imbued into it.


dark armor is... dark armor.
It didn't get better, but with the new changes, non-def based sets are now viable. I'm not sure how effective is to play a dark/dark, but if anything, it's a better idea now than it was one issue ago.

Also, /dark depends on how much money you are willingly to put in the build. See /dark scrappers for exemple, they can go from bad to immortal after some billiions inf :P

I would recommend Standard softcap for SL and whatever Recharge you can jam in the build.

I also would recommend going Brute with this for the extra AOE in the epics.

Just at a glance, you'll want to slot up stamina more and put a Theft of Essence proc in Dark Regen.

I have no direct experience with Dark/Dark...personally, I never felt they were all that great together. Separately though...

Dark/ is pretty solid for ST dmg and good for taking down hard foes. It's not often resisted and can hit hard if built right. It'll lack in AoE, especially if you don't like Shadow Maul. Personally, I think Dark/ really shines for mix mitigation sets (mix of res/def, heal/res, etc) and sets with limited mitigation to shore up holes.

/Dark is fun but costly. It doesn't really have any holes. I don't like being in situations that force a /dark to engage in long combats, if only because it feels like the set gets weaker as it goes on (you have less endurance the longer you fight, you have fewer foes to draw health from, your mez toggles give less return the fewer foes it hits and the stronger the foes are...) I'd find AoE heavy sets to complement it better, dealing with hard foes directly while indirectly killing the spawn as well.

Dark/dark seems to be at odds to me. Dark/ is ST oriented and more for drawn out ST battles. /Dark is for AoE style combat, dealing with lots of foes at once but with a finite time limit. My Dark/WP fights fewer hard targets in his missions (which plays to Dark's strengths) and my Spines/Dark fights lots of weaker targets in his (playing to both Spines and Dark's strengths). What would you set a Dark/Dark at though?

Of course, if you build your Dark/Dark completely END independent, can drop Dark Regen constantly, pop any number of attacks without danger of running low and have no problem surviving single hard targets, the above is moot. But then any set with such capabilities is a 'good idea'. You just have to be willing to make the build for it.