Concerned about Scrappers.

With the recent stalker changes I started looking at the niche roles the 4 melee archetypes are supposed to fill.

It seems to me that after stalkers got their (admittedly much needed) buff, scrappers are losing their niche.

I read a report of a Street Justice/Ninjitsu stalker soloing a Rikti Pylon in 3:52 with no temps, no inspirations, and no Incarnate powers. I've never heard of a scrapper doing it that fast.

So, now we have brutes surpassing scrappers in both survivability and high end damage output, especially with the sets that have damage auras and lots of AoE.

And with the stalker changes, we have stalkers surpassing scrappers in single target damage, while the survivability gap has been significantly closed. Not only that, but stalkers have the same inherent ability as scrappers and do it better (base crit chance of 10% as opposed to 5, increase to crit chance on teams, and the ability to autocrit when hidden)

Now, I'm not calling for a nerf to stalkers. Far from it, because I'm having a blast with my Electric/Energy stalker. I'm just concerned that the original "solo specialist" is being outshined by both of the two other ATs that do much the same thing. I'm not so sure that the higher base damage is enough to keep the playing field level, since brutes and now stalkers are both capable of outdamaging them with their lower base damage.

Maybe it's just a perception thing, but I feel that scrappers are getting a bit of a shaft here.

Anyone else feel similarly?

Scrappers don't really have any shiny tricks to their name. I think at this point that's the problem more than any major numerical deficit. The stalker buffs highlight that issue but beyond that it isn't as though anything has changed between scrappers and brutes per se, both retain the advantages and disadvantages that they've had for years before issue 22.

The question is, how do you give scrappers something unique and attractive without it being a multiplier of their already great numbers?

Scrappers have long been one of the best ATs in the game for general soloing and teaming, and that won't change with the Stalker buffs. That Street Justice Stalker going up against a pylon? Now take a similar Scrapper and see how well they do against +0/+8 groups. I bet the Scrapper comes out ahead. Now, take a Katana Scrapper against a Ninja Blade Stalker doing groups like that, and the Scrapper will come out way ahead.

Scrappers have nothing to worry about.

That's only because STJ has the Blaze of stalkers attack which can also auto crit unlike some other T9s. In any case it was t4 interface + t4 damage alpha so it wasn't no incarnate.

Perhaps because Aett's entire point was that the ATs have their pros and cons? Just a guess.

There is no need to be concerned about scrappers because another AT was buffed.

Scrappers can do everything they could do before the other AT was buffed and nothing has changed that.

Since scrappers were absolutely not having any trouble before, they are absolutely not having more trouble now because another AT was buffed.

On the otherhand people are more than happy to pay for a powerset that is weaksauce because it is shinny and new. People...Pfft.

Stalkers lack AoE damage.... in most of the game that matters a lot.

Stalkers lack survivability as well vs Scrappers.

Stalkers are kind of 1 trick ponies now... before they were 0 trick ponies... so that's a pretty big relative improvement... but they certainly aren't making anyone else obsolete.

Scrappers have never been #1 on the pylon test anyway.

I think Shred means that melee in general loses on pylons.

Back to the subject of the OP, since issue 22 came out what I've noticed is that I've gone from thinking "Ooh, a stalker!" when I get one onto a TF team because they're such a novelty to thinking "Ooh, a stalker!" because I know that we'll be having no trouble with the AVs. That has basically no impact on the fact that I like having scrappers around for the same reason plus they tend to be good at clearing spawns (but if they aren't, that's fine too). If I were the type to worry about this, the AT that I would be worried about post-22 is blasters.

Not worried about Scrappers from a performance standpoint. But it is true and annoying that this is the only AT that has nothing unique. Every aspect of the Scrapper AT exists in another AT.

I do not want buffs (for any Melee AT), but some I would love it if Scrappers got an utility power that didn't directly buff damage or survivability.

Not true. Tankers have Johnny Butane.

Would love is a very different than needs. Needs should drive power updates like they did for the other AT's that got them. Scrappers have not needed much since launch 8 years ago.

Not like everyone does not already know this fact.

I like scrappers *because* they dont have any utility effect or gimmick to leverage. They are simply golden. From zero to sixty in zero seconds flat.

Lewis.

My Tankers are playing this for Scrappers.

Nothing has happened to scrappers and any line about that is useless drivel.

JB this is for you regarding your Tanker and fury being stolen by Brutes:

Scrappers are perfectly fine.
I would even increase the base HP of stalkers a bit, they are low on HP.
I only play scrappers and brutes.