I want to try a stalker but not sure which one
By
Angelxman81,
Posted on: 2012-04-25 18:12 in Stalkers
Quote:
What is it that makes Ice so amazing? I have never played it. The numbers have always looked meh to me in mids. Does it have DDR protection?|
Originally Posted by Microcosm
Ice (stalker version) and electric are my favorite two armors. They can both be unstoppable behemoths with the right slotting choices, and are probably the two best at most itrials. That said, ice beats electric slightly for most max survival scenarios, though I feel it also likes to have aid self. Electric's thing is its complete endurance drain protection, which can be a huge deal in those rare events when you need it.
For Granite, I would say make sure you use Caltrops at your feet, take/use kuji-in retsu and hibernate and you should have no problem with Romans. |
Thinking Staff/Ice
Virtue and Freedom
Hi, my name is Northman, and I am an Altoholic. No wait, I'm Lost Nova, no wait, Arc Havoc, no, Dragon Moon, no, Lord Fury......
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Ice makes up for it with Icy Bastion, though. Elec is pretty much the same as its counterpart on other AT's, apart from the regular stalker difference(hide).
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Originally Posted by Reppu
PS: Auroxis, no set kept their damage aura. Not even Ice. That argument has no ground for Stalkers, unless you acknowledge that Ice has the same 'flaw'.
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Mains (Freedom) @Auroxis
Auroxis - Emp/Rad/Power Defender Pylon Video Soloing an AV
Pelvic Thunder - SS/Elec/Mu Brute
Sorajin - Elec/Nin Stalker
Neuropain - Sonic/Mental/Elec Blaster
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I'll be the first to say, or likely not the first to say, that Icy Bastion was an illogical addition. That all said, Ice is definitely a great set, but I wouldn't weigh it any higher than Elec. At least, not at IO levels. At SO levels? Eh... Ice being typed always bothered me. SO levels or very minor IOing, I'd learn toward SR or Ninjutsu more. Or Energy Aura, since, if I recall, it has higher base defense numbers.|
Originally Posted by Auroxis
Ice makes up for it with Icy Bastion, though. Elec is pretty much the same as its counterpart on other AT's, apart from the regular stalker difference(hide).
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Hard to say, I guess. My BIGGEST woe for Ice Armor is Icicles really made the set look good with it's ice armor. With out it... it's just too blocky.
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Originally Posted by Northman
What is it that makes Ice so amazing? I have never played it. The numbers have always looked meh to me in mids. Does it have DDR protection?
Thinking Staff/Ice |
I have more than 2000hp with perma Hoarfrost. This, coupled with the pbaoe slow and -dmg aura (chilling embrace), really helps IA's survivability. The endo management from Energy Absorption really helps too, pre Incarnate.
I have Icy Bastion up every 66 seconds with Agless and perma-hasten (and it has 30 sec duration). I don't often find I need it all the time. Same with Shadow meld. Icy Bastion is just delicious icing on the cake.
Having said all that ELA with capped S/L is pretty dandy too.
MIDS says my build has 41.5% def debuff resistance, so it's in IA ... just not at major levels.
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I have an incarnate SJ/Ice. I'll list out why I think it's so good: |
Originally Posted by Northman
What is it that makes Ice so amazing? I have never played it. The numbers have always looked meh to me in mids. Does it have DDR protection?
Thinking Staff/Ice |
1. Chilling Embrace is my #1 reason why I love Ice Armor. CE debuffs damage by 15% (10 radius) but what's this really good for is to slow down runners, allowing you to finish them off much easier. Stalker doesn't have taunt and it is very typical that mobs start running away when their health is low. I find CE a both defensively and offensively power. Most people just think of it as a defensive power. CE helps you herd mobs together easier and help you finish them off easier.
2. It has Maxhp (Stalker's HP cap is higher now at 2000), some exotic resistance type and a great god mode in Icy Bastion. Icy Bastion is not just a typical god-mode. During 30s, you get 200% Recovery PLUS 400% Regeneration (enhanceable!). You can easily improve the +regen part so Icy Bastion becomes a good healing power and an excellent +resistance.
3. It has two ways to fill your endurance to full easily: Energy Absorption and Icy Bastion.
4. It's defense-based which has always worked better on Stalker.
5. It does not have a clicky anti-mez power.
Ice Armor does have a huge hole in Psionic damage, which is the same for Energy Aura. I have not respec my old Spine/EA but I enjoy Ice Armor more than EA. Overload is a very good god-mode but Icy Bastion is better because it offers +resistance. A mix of +resistance, +hp and +defense is always better than just huge +defense. Overload also has +maxhp but it has no +resistance and it crashes endurance bar.
What's left is to normalize all Assassin Strikes and improve Stalker's old sets (Claw, MA and EM)! You don't need to bring back the missing PbAoE attack. You just need to make the existing ones better! For example, make Slice a WIDER and LONGER cone.
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On my /nin stalker, one of the major reasons caltrops is so awesome is that I stuffed a ragnaproc in it and slotted for slow. Now when I toss it out, baddies get knocked *** over teakettle, and the ones that don't are running at the slow cap to get away from me. Then I get to pick and choose who gets the fistful of electric death without worrying that everyone and their dog is gonna try to break their foot off in my ***.|
Originally Posted by Auroxis
Could you explain how Caltrops is such a survivability boon? The fear effect, I presume?
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I really want to give Ice armor a shot on a stalker, but my static duo demands all my time lately.
Hmm for a new stalker.....I think I would recommend for the secondary either Willpower or Ninjutsu....because they are both very easy and straight forward in what they will give....you also dont need lots of toggles....and you would be dealing with easy defense types with Willpower giving you a combination of the two. Other sets work well but there mechanics I would say are for more advanced stalker players....because they rely more on being unhidden and utilizing other damage mitigation...like for example fear or something.
For the primary set...the Op said they didnt want to use staff...most attacks sets are good...but the ones that will keep you entertained the most are Street Justice and Kinetic Melee.
For team play...I recommend Recall Friend at level 4.....the reason is to speed up team play....you can warp them to the end...also for saving them...you teleport to a safe place.....also take hover...you want full movement and clear line of sight to find your targets and see what everyone else is doing....it also gives defense...can be slotted with defense items...like luck of the gambler and karma...
Depending on how much you use a market or how useful you want to be to a team....you might want to make sure to get the physician and professor day jobs...so you can get the free rez teammate ability.
What this all gets you....is the ability to run the Hollows trial with any group....teleport them to the click objects....super easy....this lets you at all levels go to the end of missions and recall the team there. This lets you go on missions like say the Hess Task Force....go into the destroy the computer one and destroy it....this lets you disarm the the bombs in the positron 2 Task Force from under the scafolding...taking no aggro...
I could keep listing....but I think you get the picture....
Another thing...use your inspirations...remember you get more and 3 of the same kind makes a different one.
This is realy important...sometimes a stalker isnt the best...but inspirations make it seam like it....cant tell you how many people I play with who whine and complain...yet dont use inspirations....I try to hand a wakie to them and cant...they are full.....conclusion...too many idiots who play and if you know who they are...ignore there advice...since they cant play anywise.
My argument was more of an IO based one, since IO's kept getting tossed around. And that Icy Bastion, while amazing, is not up often enough on any remotely practical build to warrant "Ice has amazing resistances, too!" as an argument.
PS: Auroxis, no set kept their damage aura. Not even Ice. That argument has no ground for Stalkers, unless you acknowledge that Ice has the same 'flaw'.