The problem with stalkers

[Solarverse]

47 minutes ago, Haijinx said:

I wonder how the chance for hide affects defense.

 

 

No affect sadly. As soon as you activate A.S., (or any other power for that matter) you lose your defense, even before it animates. Once you proc hide from A.S. (assuming that is where you keep the proc) you go back in to hide but lose the extremely high AoE defense that you get from your natural Hide.

Edited December 20, 2019 by Solarverse

[Wintercat]

The only problem with stalkers is that hide obscures my costume.

 

[siolfir]

6 hours ago, Haijinx said:

I wonder how the chance for hide affects defense.

The power Hide suppresses the extra defense on attacking, being attacked, or clicking objects. Hidden status (kMeter) isn't checked as it is in attacks (see Assassin's Strike for how it checks kMeter for hidden status); powers like Placate also set the kMeter, stealth radius, and translucency to mimic Hide without the extra defense.

 

1 hour ago, Wintercat said:

The only problem with stalkers is that hide obscures my costume.

 

True, but I've seen a lot of costumes where that's a bonus.

Edited December 20, 2019 by siolfir

[THEDarkTyger]

On 12/17/2019 at 7:28 PM, DougGraves said:

The problem with stalkers is that their tactics and strategy are at odds.  Your strategy is to stealth through missions to do them quickly.  Your tactic is to wait to have stealth, wait for assassin's strike to recharge, and maybe wait for build up to recharge.  So your strategy is go fast and your tactic is to go slow.

Your tactic, maybe. That's not the best way to play them. Maybe originally when CoV first came out back in the day, but they're much less glass-cannon these days. AS is good for opening a fight, but you don't need it for more than a big alpha strike. Once the fight is engaged, just play like a scrapper.

[siolfir]

7 minutes ago, THEDarkTyger said:

AS is good for opening a fight, but you don't need it for more than a big alpha strike.

...

 

AS outside of Hide is a 2.5 scale damage attack with an animation time between 0.67 seconds (Kinetic Melee) and 1.33 seconds (Broadsword, Ninja Blade, Dual Blades), with most primaries being at 1 second. With Assassin's Focus you can guarantee a critical, so let's call it a scale 5 attack in 1 second.

 

Energy Transfer was nerfed to oblivion and killed an entire powerset across 3 ATs because it did scale 4.56 damage in 1 second, even though it did damage to you also.

 

Sure, you don't need it. But only using it for a big alpha strike seems like a huge waste.

[MetaVileTerror]

I wouldn't say it's as simple as saying "play a Stalker like a Scrapper."  There's more nuance to it than that.  Stalkers have a toolkit with greater complexity at their disposal, so it's beneficial to learn the ins-and-outs of which Power to use in which moment.  I'd be a poor teacher, since I can't really explain it, but there's a "feel" to playing a Stalker where you find a rhythm that is more reactionary than the Scrapper's "hit, rince, repeat."  I fall asleep playing as a Scrapper.  Stalker keeps me engaged.

[gamingglen]

10 hours ago, Solarverse said:

I agree, I don't NEED to breath either, I can always just chose to die, but life would probably be a better experience if I keep taking breaths. IE, Stalker play is just a better experience with all of those procs.  😉

I can see YOU need them.  You also need some PROCs to write better posts.

[Solarverse]

30 minutes ago, gamingglen said:

I can see YOU need them.  You also need some PROCs to write better posts.

lol, okay. Settle down there, Procless. It's just a thread.  😄

[Machariel]

3 hours ago, siolfir said:

...

 

AS outside of Hide is a 2.5 scale damage attack with an animation time between 0.67 seconds (Kinetic Melee) and 1.33 seconds (Broadsword, Ninja Blade, Dual Blades), with most primaries being at 1 second. With Assassin's Focus you can guarantee a critical, so let's call it a scale 5 attack in 1 second.

 

Energy Transfer was nerfed to oblivion and killed an entire powerset across 3 ATs because it did scale 4.56 damage in 1 second, even though it did damage to you also.

 

Sure, you don't need it. But only using it for a big alpha strike seems like a huge waste.

I think he meant specifically the long-animation version of the attack.

[Yomo Kimyata]

The only problem with stalkers is that they may, in fact, be overpowered.  Certainly the best melee class, with the possible exception of VEATs.

[Call Me Awesome]

As has been mentioned Stalkers play like Scrappers who can stealth past mobs if needed.  Once combat starts it's Scrapperlock time... Stalkers are just as tough as most Scrappers so once you start combat it's KILL REND MAIM DESTROY!

 

I've played 3 of them to 50, one on Live and two here on Homecoming and I find them to play almost exactly like a Scrapper with a couple of additional tricks up their sleeves.  Aggro?  We ain't scared of no aggro once our defenses mature... just like our older cousins the Scrappers.

[Fan Mail]

I may...just may be be turned into preferring Stalkers to Scrappers.  Stalkers: The Kings of Criticals.  Or Queens (I'm not biased). 

[Leogunner]

Well well well, how did I miss this thread?

 

I've been playing Stalkers all the way back when they "sucked" and people actually subscribed to the whole hit-and-run style and gave that advice to other newbie Stalkers.  Even back then, it was bad advice.

 

First of all, you've got the whole situation wrong from the get go with the quote "So your strategy is go fast and your tactic is to go slow."

 

No, the strategy is to choose your battles and the tactic is to kill them quickly.  You choose your battles because you have stealth.  You can decide when to engage, who to engage or if you want to engage at all.  Killing them quickly can range from isolating a single hard target (EB/AV or just a boss that resists your damage) or simply know the foe and kill the one that will screw you over with some kind of debuff or ally buff.

 

The main thing that has changed from the beginning to now is that you can play a Stalker like a Scrapper and get rewarded for it on teams.  Solo, it's mainly dependent on your goals so who cares.

 

I would recommend picking up the ATOs.  I'm actually a fan of the BU recharge one on sets that have fast attack rates.  Put a Guassian proc in BU too and you're blowing holes through practically anything.  

[siolfir]

10 minutes ago, Leogunner said:

I would recommend picking up the ATOs.  I'm actually a fan of the BU recharge one on sets that have fast attack rates.  Put a Guassian proc in BU too and you're blowing holes through practically anything. 

Bah, running double-BU like that... you just like playing a Stalker with Fury.

[boggo2300]

On 12/20/2019 at 10:45 PM, Wintercat said:

The only problem with stalkers is that hide obscures my costume.

 

But (he asked cattily) IS that an actual problem 😄