Energy Melee for Tanker or Scrapper?

[VPrime]

What AT do you prefer Energy Melee on?

[Championess]

Stalker

[Maelwys]

Energy Melee is typically best on a Stalker (because the chain is missing a good filler whenever you're chaining TF + "Quick" Energy Transfer).

It can be made to work on a Scrapper; but you need an Epic Snipe and a lot of recharge and global recharge.
The basic attack chain is: Total Focus > Energy Transfer > Bonesmasher > Moonbeam/Zapp > Energy Transfer > Bonesmasher.
(You'll need to get the recharge times down to at least 2.76s for Bonesmasher, 8.05s for the Snipe, 3.03s for Energy Transfer and 6.86s for Total Focus!)
Stick the "Superior Critical Strikes" ATO proc into Energy Transfer.
Everything except the two "Energy Transfers" will fall into the Critical Hit buff window; so once the chain gets going Total Focus will often gain +50% chance to Crit (which grants 2x Energy Focus stacks making both Energy Transfers "Quick" - improving DPA and making the second Energy Transfer fall into the Critical Hit buff window as well!)
 

Edited August 11 by Maelwys

[Championess]

Yeah the 2 stacks of Energy Release you get for ET is big.  Stalkers get automatically the 2 if you lead with TF out of hide then follow with ET.  Plus then you get another beefy ST attack in AS.  Critting is less predictable on Scrappers and you won't get the 3rd beefy attack which you have to dig into pools for zapp/moonbeam.  Also Stalkers are coolest.

Edited August 11 by Championess

[Biff Pow]

I've played it on Scrapper and Tanker and I prefer Tanker because you get the toughness with a good damage output.

[Maelwys]

44 minutes ago, Championess said:

Critting is less predictable on Scrappers

It's not too bad with TF's improved Critical range (TF Crits don't care about critter rank, it's got a flat 10% base rate vs everything) plus the ATOS (+6% +50%).
Admittedly that's once the above chain gets going though - getting it to *BEGIN* critting at the start of the fight is why you pick /Ninjitsu...  💥 👊

A bit more seriously though: EM is stupendous for Single Target damage but is very much let down by horrible AoE damage potential. At least Scrappers get one semi-reliable AoE in Whirling Hands. The only EM toon I actually enjoy teaming with is a EM/Rad Scrapper for that reason - procced Ground Zero and Radiation Therapy solve a lot of issues!
 

Edited August 12 by Maelwys

[Psyonico]

My favorite Energy Melee toon is a Bio/EM tank.  It does very respectable damage and is quite survivable.

[LightMaster]

A job for a Tanker is to control, get as much Resist / Defense fo survive and maintain that control, and distribute AoE damage. Energy Melee doesn’t have much AoE, thusly while servicable on a Tanker it is not the AT I’d recommand using for optimal use of the Power Set unless you’re more into the thematic sides of things, or combine with Bio Armor for granting one self extra damage to clean low ranked foes, then grant extra Resists for dealing with the big guns.

 

Stalker is a common answer and for very good reason. Stalker are the most ST focused among pure Melee ATs* and thusly would love to use Energy Assassin Strike, Bone Smasher (optioanally), Total Focus and Energy Transfer as the single target damage chain. Although criticals work differently for Total Focus and Energy Transfer instead of a straightforward 2x danage, Total Focus Crits giving 2x Energy Focus means you have two Quick Energy Transfers, allowing for effective 2x damage on that power.

Edited Thursday at 07:57 PM by LightMaster

[Biff Pow]

2 hours ago, LightMaster said:

A job for a Tanker is to control, get as much Resist / Defense fo survive and maintain that control, and distribute AoE damage. Energy Melee doesn’t have much AoE, thusly while servicable on a Tanker it is not the AT I’d recommand using for optimal use of the Power Set unless you’re more into the thematic sides of things,

 

Energy Melee has two AoE attacks, plus AoE control from Taunt/Gauntlet

[WuTang]

I have a Dark/EM Tanker that is amazing at controlling mobs. Everything I touch is stunned. All the little ones are walking around looking for squirrels and bosses, once tapped a couple times, are doing the same. It also has, great ST on a Tank. Tanking is all about holding aggro, surviving, and DPSing - probably in that order, at least on teams.

 

I know OP asked Tanker or Scrapper, but IMHO, Energy Melee is best on a Stalker.