My Noodling: Psi Melee/Invulnerability/Energy Mastery

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Sharing my final build for a Psi/Invuln/EM Stalker. I played this up to 50, and made some modifications along the way.

 

I think there is a better Stalker to be made with this Primary/Secondary choice, but I like where this one landed with respect to the specific powers I wanted to have.

 

Spoiler

 

 

Primary Power Set: Psionic Melee

Secondary Power Set: Invulnerability

  Power Pool: Force of Will

  Power Pool: Teleport

  Power Pool: Leadership

  Power Pool: Leaping

Epic Pool: Energy Mastery

 

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Level 1:                 Psi Blade             

 (A) Superior Assassin's Mark - Accuracy/Damage

 (*) Superior Assassin's Mark - Damage/RechargeTime

 (*) Superior Assassin's Mark - Accuracy/Damage/RechargeTime

 (*) Superior Assassin's Mark - Damage/Endurance/RechargeTime

 (*) Superior Assassin's Mark - Accuracy/Damage/Endurance/RechargeTime

 (*) Superior Assassin's Mark - RechargeTime/Rchg Build Up

 

Level 1:                 Hide      

 (A) Kismet - Accuracy +6%

 

Level 2:                 Resist Physical Damage

 (A) Steadfast Protection - Resistance/+Def 3%

 (*) Aegis - Psionic/Status Resistance

 

Level 4:                 Mighty Leap      

 (A) Blessing of the Zephyr - Run Speed, Jump, Flight Speed, Range/Endurance: Level 50+5

 

Level 6:                 Assassin's Psi Blade        

 (A) Superior Stalker's Guile - Accuracy/Damage

 (*) Superior Stalker's Guile - Damage/Recharge

 (*) Superior Stalker's Guile - Accuracy/Damage/Recharge

 (*) Superior Stalker's Guile - Damage/Endurance/Recharge

 (*) Superior Stalker's Guile - Accuracy/Damage/Endurance/Recharge

 (*) Superior Stalker's Guile - Recharge/Chance to Hide

 

Level 8:                 Project Will        

 (A) Apocalypse - Damage: Level 50+5

 (*) Apocalypse - Accuracy/Damage/Recharge: Level 50

 (*) Apocalypse - Accuracy/Recharge: Level 50

 (*) Apocalypse - Damage/Endurance: Level 50+5

 (*) Apocalypse - Chance of Damage (Negative): Level 50

 

Level 10:              Dull Pain              

 (A) Preventive Medicine - Heal

 (*) Preventive Medicine - Heal/Endurance

 (*) Preventive Medicine - Endurance/RechargeTime

 (*) Preventive Medicine - Heal/RechargeTime

 (*) Preventive Medicine - Heal/RechargeTime/Endurance

 (*) Preventive Medicine - Chance for +Absorb

 

Level 12:              Placate

 (A) Mocking Beratement - Threat/Recharge

 (*) Mocking Beratement - Threat/Recharge/Range

 (*) Mocking Beratement - Accuracy/Recharge

 (*) Mocking Beratement - Threat/Range

 (*) Mocking Beratement - Recharge

 (*) Mocking Beratement - Threat

 

Level 14:              Wall of Force     

 (A) D-Sync Guidance (Accuracy/Range): Level 53

 (*) Javelin Volley - Chance of Damage (Lethal)

 (*) Positron's Blast - Chance of Damage (Energy)

 (*) Bombardment - Chance of Damage (Fire)

 (*) Explosive Strike - Chance of Damage (Smashing)

 

Level 16:              Unyielding         

 (A) Unbreakable Guard - Resistance

 (*) Unbreakable Guard - Resistance/Endurance

 (*) Unbreakable Guard - Resistance/Endurance/RechargeTime

 (*) Unbreakable Guard - +Max HP

 (*) Unbreakable Guard - RechargeTime/Resistance

 

Level 18:              Concentration  

 (A) Gaussian's Synchronized Fire-Control - To Hit Buff

 (*) Gaussian's Synchronized Fire-Control - To Hit Buff/Recharge

 (*) Gaussian's Synchronized Fire-Control - To Hit Buff/Recharge/Endurance

 (*) Gaussian's Synchronized Fire-Control - Recharge/Endurance

 (*) Gaussian's Synchronized Fire-Control - To Hit Buff/Endurance

 (*) Gaussian's Synchronized Fire-Control - Chance for Build Up

 

Level 20:              Environmental Resistance           

 (A) Gladiator's Armor - Resistance: Level 50+5

 (*) Gladiator's Armor - End/Resist: Level 50+5

 (*) Gladiator's Armor - Resistance/Rech/End: Level 50+5

 (*) Gladiator's Armor - TP Protection +3% Def (All)

 

Level 22:              Greater Psi Blade            

 (A) Hecatomb - Damage: Level 50+5

 (*) Hecatomb - Accuracy/Damage/Recharge: Level 50

 (*) Hecatomb - Accuracy/Recharge: Level 50

 (*) Hecatomb - Damage/Endurance: Level 50+5

 (*) Hecatomb - Chance of Damage (Negative): Level 50

 (*) Unbreakable Constraint - Chance of Damage (Smashing): Level 50

 

Level 24:              Invincible            

 (A) Luck of the Gambler - Recharge Speed

 (*) Shield Wall - +Res (Teleportation), +5% Res (All)

 (*) Shield Wall - Defense/Endurance: Level 50+5

 (*) Hami-O Cytoskeleton (Endurance/Defense/ToHit): Level 53

 

Level 26:              Mass Levitate   

 (A) Superior Avalanche - Accuracy/Damage/Endurance

 (*) Armageddon - Chance of Damage (Fire): Level 50

 (*) Eradication - Chance of Damage (Energy)

 (*) Scirocco's Dervish - Chance of Damage (Lethal)

 (*) Obliteration - Chance of Damage (Smashing)

 (*) Explosive Strike - Chance of Damage (Smashing)

 

Level 28:              Tough Hide        

 (A) Defense Buff IO: Level 50

 (*) Luck of the Gambler - Defense: Level 50+5

 (*) Luck of the Gambler - Defense/Recharge Speed

 

Level 30:              Combat Teleport

 (A) Blessing of the Zephyr - Run Speed, Jump, Flight Speed, Range/Endurance: Level 50+5

 

Level 32:              Unleash Potential           

 (A) Reactive Defenses - Defense

 (*) Reactive Defenses - Defense/Endurance

 (*) Reactive Defenses - Defense/RechargeTime

 (*) Reactive Defenses - Defense/Endurance/RechargeTime

 (*) Reactive Defenses - Scaling Resist Damage

 (*) Reactive Defenses - Endurance/RechargeTime

 

Level 35:              Superior Conditioning   

 (A) Endurance Modification IO: Level 50+5

 

Level 38:              Temp Invulnerability     

 (A) Unbreakable Guard - Resistance

 (*) Unbreakable Guard - Resistance/Endurance

 (*) Unbreakable Guard - Endurance/RechargeTime

 (*) Unbreakable Guard - Resistance/Endurance/RechargeTime

 

Level 41:              Physical Perfection         

 (A) Numina's Convalesence - +Regeneration/+Recovery

 

Level 44:              Maneuvers        

 (A) Luck of the Gambler - Recharge Speed

 

Level 47:              Combat Jumping             

 (A) Luck of the Gambler - Defense/Recharge Speed

 

Level 49:              Unstoppable     

 (A) Impervium Armor - Psionic Resistance

 

Level 1: Assassination    

 

Level 1: Brawl    

 (A) Empty

 

Level 1: Sprint   

 (A) D-Sync Acceleration (Endurance/Travel): Level 50

 

Level 2: Rest      

 (A) Interrupt Time IO: Level 50

 

Level 1: Athletic  Run     

 

Level 2: Swift     

 (A) Run Speed IO: Level 50+5

 

Level 2: Hurdle 

 (A) Jumping IO: Level 50+5

 

Level 2: Health  

 (A) Panacea - +Hit Points/Endurance

 (*) Miracle - +Recovery

 

Level 2: Stamina               

 (A) Performance Shifter - Chance for +End

 (*) Performance Shifter - EndMod

 (*) Power Transfer: %Heal

 

 

I rather like how the Force of Will pool matches (graphics-wise) the Psi Melee primary. It wasn't within my specific character concept to use the Psi Mastery Epic pool, but I can see layering that set on top of the primary AND Force of Will to make a certain type of character. Invulnerability fit the concept better than most other choices, as well as being something of an easy set to run with.

 

My play style choices and slotting preferences are on obvious display. I wanted Wall of Force as early as possible for two reasons:

• The single-target focus of a Stalker can be frustrating from the perspective of RNG missed attacks, so AoE mitigates that bad feel
• Runners, or critters otherwise not in melee range

 

Normally I'd take Combat Teleport much earlier (to mitigate that second bullet point). Specific to the type of low-level content I play, I'd be pretty comfortable swapping the level pick of Dull Pain (level 10) with Combat Teleport (level 30).... as shared above, the progression of my Invulnerability power choices more-or-less allows for "one man stands" in level-appropriate PUG content.

 

I find Project Will to generally be an inferior pick of ranged attack, but (a) it offered set bonuses I wanted and (b) it was a choice between that or Weaken Resolve. Weaken Resolve is a common choice for me, and takes no more than one extra slot... so if a player is focused more on higher-level content exclusively I would suggest the following changes:

 

Level 8: Weaken Resolve

(A) Analyze Weakness Accuracy/Recharge 50+5

(*) Achilles' Heel %-Resistance

 

5-slots in either the single-target or cone Epic ranged attacks. I don't think this Stalker needs two cone attacks, but I won't argue against having more AoE for larger spawn sizes. I'd slot Energy Torrent just like Wall of Force, so that would be a loss of some set bonuses for me. If the loss of 10% Global recharge hurt too much, that second slot from Weaken Resolve could be used elsewhere for a fifth LotG mule.

 

Pull one slot out of Unyielding to make the slot math work out. Weaken Resolve will help against some particularly high HP targets, although I am reasonably satisfied with single-target damage (despite the concentration on Psi damage).

 

Spoiler

I also feel like noting: This build pretty much was only a direct Inf cost of maybe 200M, mostly for some Hami-O/D-Syncs and recipe crafting fees. Almost every enhancement in the build was a leftover piece, or crafted from earned or otherwise leftover merits/catalysts/boosters. Those leftovers/extras could have been turned into Inf (so "waste" on my part)... but with just a couple of different slotting choices, this build would have had a net cost of well under 100M.