What sets really shine on a Stalker?

One of my favorite nuances of the City is learning which Power Sets really shine in the hands of the different Archetypes they're available to. I am a huge altoholic, and come up with all kinds of different concepts, and I like to make them the best that they can be by using those built-in advantages to get the most mileage out of each of my characters.

That said, my Stalker experience is extremely limited; so, tell me, Stalkers, what sets really kick into high gear when you play them on a Stalker? Which ones make those Brutes and Scrappers green with envy when they see what you can do with the same powers they have?

And an even more important question is why?

I have heard that Kinetic Melee and Street Justice both have advantages on Stalkers when compared to the other meleers. Is this true? What creates these synergies with the archetype? What other sets have unique synergy as a Stalker (Primary, Secondary or Ancillary)?

Teach me your ways, stealthy ones!

I24 Proc Chance = (Enhanced Recharge + Activation Time) * (Current PPM * 1.25) / 60*(1 + .75*(.15*Radius - 0.011*Radius*(360-Arc)/30))
Single Target Radius = 0. AoE Non-Cone Arc = 360.

Yes KM is really good on Stalkers, even moreso with the recent stalker changes.

-Burst has a 100% chance to crit from hide.
-CS will insta recharge your BU on "crits"
-The Stalker ATO proc in AS will set up Burst and CS for 100% crit aoe or BU recharge, respectively


I haven't played StJ, but the big thing is that Crushing Uppercut hits like a truck, and with the stalker ATO you're going to be critting with it every single time.

The stalker ATO is a complete game changer, seriously, and KM and StJ are one of the best abusers of the proc.

I started up a StJ stalker recently and yes, Crushing Uppercut does amazing damage on criticals. The damage is nearly equivalent to an AS in hide. As mentioned, with the ATO proc you can guarantee on hitting a critical uppercut everytime. It really is an amazing thing to behold.

Plus, with 2 combo levels for every AS, you can get a lot more out of finishers.

Recently got an Elec/Ice to 50 and I have some insights on the character.

Firstly, electrical benefits from the change in a different way than many of the other powersets. Without Assassin's Strike, single target dps is below all the other pools. The AS buff brought single target burst back into the game for electric, which really rounds out its profile.

I coupled with ice for maximum survivability, and it has meshed pleasantly well. I sometimes wonder if WP would have been a wiser decision. I'll elaborate more on that if you wish.


Electric's playstyle breaks down as follows, at least for me:

Build Up
Lightning Rod into middle of group (This doesnt break hide)
Thunder Strike (Striker's Guile Proc is here)
AS the closest boss (From hide if above procs)
Then I use the other attacks as fillers until TS and AS come back up.

The playstyle is a bit stifled. If you're in a very quick group, your cooldowns might not recover in time for a seamless playstyle. When the cooldowns are up, you can level a group effortlessly.

Marital Arts

I'm pretty certain stalkers are not the best at marriages, else they wouldn't be Stalkers anymore now would they?

Primary Sets:

1. Electricity Melee - you don't lose any key powers and you have one of the best ST attacks in the game now.

2. Street Justice - you don't lose any pbaoe and AS gives two combo points and Uppercut hits like a truck.

3. Kinetic Melee - I know many people do not like the knock back cone attack. If you don't care much for it, then Stalker's version may suit you better. You get a high damage pbaoe in Burst, great AS and refreshing Build Up features.

4. Spines - You don't get Quills but Stalker's version isn't bad because Throw Spines gets 50% critical chance from hidden. The new change gives Spine Stalker an excellent ST attack that Scrapper doesn't have.


Secondary:

1. Ice Armor - well, Scrapper doesn't have it yet. It's a very good set, trust me!

2. Willpower - it doesn't have the +regen toggle but it has a single heal which some people may like better.

3. Energy Aura - More offensive than Ice Armor due to 20% +recharge. It's a very good defensive set. Overall, Stalker is better suited for Defensive Sets than Resistance or Regeneration based because Stalker has lower base health. It is better to avoid hits.

You don't crit every time with Crushing Uppercut. But when you do, woo! Like 800 damage on a single hit.

Ice Armor is also a wonderful set. Very survivable. High HP, easy to softcap.

ATOs are a must, if you can get them.

Quick question about /wp on stalkers, do they still get QR? Looks like they don't but i've never heard anyone mention it so maybe it got rolled into another power?

How does the DPS of KM compare to StJ? Just looking at the sets it seems like StJ should be the top dog by miles because of how the combo system interacts with the new AS, and the fact that KM's tier9 doesn't do extra damage on crits.

I24 Proc Chance = (Enhanced Recharge + Activation Time) * (Current PPM * 1.25) / 60*(1 + .75*(.15*Radius - 0.011*Radius*(360-Arc)/30))
Single Target Radius = 0. AoE Non-Cone Arc = 360.

I was hitting over 200 DPS with KM without any +DMG Alpha or Interface Proc damage, and that wasn't witht he best attack chain either.

I'd guess with BU becoming an almost constant +80% damage increase, it'd put KM ahead. It can't slot -Resist Procs, but it's not purely smashing damage either.

My quick calcs agree with Auroxis's: Stj should be far ahead of km.

What are the optimal attack chains for StJ on a Stalker, and what levels of recharge are needed to hit them?

I24 Proc Chance = (Enhanced Recharge + Activation Time) * (Current PPM * 1.25) / 60*(1 + .75*(.15*Radius - 0.011*Radius*(360-Arc)/30))
Single Target Radius = 0. AoE Non-Cone Arc = 360.