/Rad vs /Shield

[Mythcreatio]

Super new to stalkers and wanted to give them a try. I've been thinking of playing Elec/Rad and Elec/Shield!

 

Is Elec/Rad fluid overall to play together? Also can the /rad mini nukes crit?

 

Can you guys list some of the benefits of playing one versus the other? Also I assume both of these secondary's would have no issue going into a farm to help out as a hitter clearing everything right?

 

Another questions is it worth to play these two as stalkers or should I go Scrapper?

[Gobbledigook]

I don't like /Rad on a Stalker as it loses Beta decay with no compensation anywhere else in the set. No +recharge, -to hit or Defence debuff anywhere. Usually when a power is lost some of it is added somewhere else, certainly the +recharge could have been easily, but it wasnt. An oversight I reckon.

Edited December 18, 2020 by Gobbledegook

[Machariel]

4 hours ago, Gobbledegook said:

I don't like /Rad on a Stalker as it loses Beta decay with no compensation anywhere else in the set. No +recharge, -to hit or Defence debuff anywhere. Usually when a power is lost some of it is added somewhere else, certainly the +recharge could have been easily, but it wasnt. An oversight I reckon.

Stalkers usually swap the damage aura in defense sets for Hide with 'no compensation' . . . that's pretty standard.  In fact the only Stalker set I can think of that compensates for losing a power for hide is Invulnerability, which combines Resist Elements and Resist Energies into Environmental Resistance.

 

I like Rad Armor on stalkers because Rad Therapy + Ground Zero provides a ton of AoE to an archetype that often lacks for it.  Neither of those powers can crit, but most of the damage comes from damage procs anyway.  But, you could do that with any other AT if desired and as the above poster noted stalkers lack Beta Decay.

 

Elec/Shield will be a smoother ride overall.  It is a classic stalker combo as Lightning Rod + Shield Charge gives you 'enough' AoE and imo going into Rad would be overkill.  Rad also has a few drawbacks like the fact that it has no defense and is a clicky set, and if rad therapy is slotted out for damage then you might be a little low on sustainability, whereas getting to the defense softcap with Shield is much easier. 

 

Elec Melee is by far at its best on a stalker as swapping Thunder Clap (a useless power) for Assassin's Shock (a good power) is a pretty sweet deal. 

[Gobbledigook]

7 hours ago, Machariel said:

Stalkers usually swap the damage aura in defense sets for Hide with 'no compensation' . . . that's pretty standard.  In fact the only Stalker set I can think of that compensates for losing a power for hide is Invulnerability, which combines Resist Elements and Resist Energies into Environmental Resistance.

 

I like Rad Armor on stalkers because Rad Therapy + Ground Zero provides a ton of AoE to an archetype that often lacks for it.  Neither of those powers can crit, but most of the damage comes from damage procs anyway.  But, you could do that with any other AT if desired and as the above poster noted stalkers lack Beta Decay.

 

Elec/Shield will be a smoother ride overall.  It is a classic stalker combo as Lightning Rod + Shield Charge gives you 'enough' AoE and imo going into Rad would be overkill.  Rad also has a few drawbacks like the fact that it has no defense and is a clicky set, and if rad therapy is slotted out for damage then you might be a little low on sustainability, whereas getting to the defense softcap with Shield is much easier. 

 

Elec Melee is by far at its best on a stalker as swapping Thunder Clap (a useless power) for Assassin's Shock (a good power) is a pretty sweet deal. 

Yes i was thinking about Energy aura set for example really. It still kept the +recharge even though it lost entropic aura. I think Rad should have had the same added elsewhere also.