Energy/Shield build - thoughts

[MoonSheep]

i'm looking to roll a new alt having not made anything new since january 2023 which was an elec/shield stalker

 

this time round i'm going to see how energy melee is for speed runs and similar fast paced content. a shame to not have crits on ET (and TF?) but should still deliver some powerful hits against bosses

 

as someone who spends a lot of time commenting on other builds, i'm keen to get thoughts and ideas on this one

 

@Uun @Maelwys@Ston

 

some build notes:

- will always use def insps during gameplay, seeking to balance good damage with a sensible amount of base defense for a small purple insp to supplement

- could consider just using teleport as my primary travel power with combat jumping, may feel a bit janky though

- not wedded to any particular mastery, i tend to forget about them on a stalker. fireball + shield charge could fill the AoE gap nicely

- will prob go with musc alpha

 

ENERGY SHIELD  - Hero Stalker
Build plan made with Mids Reborn v3.7.14 rev. 3
──────────────────────────────

• Primary powerset: Energy Melee
• Secondary powerset: Shield Defense
• Pool powerset (#1): Leaping
• Pool powerset (#2): Teleportation
• Pool powerset (#3): Teleportation
• Pool powerset (#4): Speed
• Epic powerset: Fire Mastery
  

──────────────────────────────

Powers taken:

Level 1: Energy Punch

• A: Mako's Bite: Accuracy/Damage
  

Level 1: Hide

• A: Luck of the Gambler: Defense/Increased Global Recharge Speed
• 17: Luck of the Gambler: Defense
• 39: Luck of the Gambler: Defense/Endurance
• 39: Luck of the Gambler: Defense/Endurance/Recharge
• 40: Luck of the Gambler: Defense/Recharge
• 50: Reactive Defenses: Scaling Resist Damage
  

Level 2: Bone Smasher

• A: Superior Assassin's Mark: Damage/RechargeTime
• 3: Superior Assassin's Mark: Accuracy/Damage
• 3: Superior Assassin's Mark: Accuracy/Damage/RechargeTime
• 5: Superior Assassin's Mark: Damage/Endurance/RechargeTime
• 5: Superior Assassin's Mark: Accuracy/Damage/Endurance/RechargeTime
• 15: Superior Assassin's Mark: RechargeTime/Rchg Build Up
  

Level 4: Deflection

• A: Luck of the Gambler: Defense/Increased Global Recharge Speed
• 17: Luck of the Gambler: Defense
• 37: Luck of the Gambler: Defense/Endurance
• 43: Luck of the Gambler: Defense/Endurance/Recharge
• 46: Luck of the Gambler: Endurance/Recharge
• 48: Invention: Resist Damage
  

Level 6: Assassin's Strike

• A: Superior Stalker's Guile: Accuracy/Damage
• 7: Superior Stalker's Guile: Damage/Recharge
• 7: Superior Stalker's Guile: Accuracy/Damage/Recharge
• 9: Superior Stalker's Guile: Damage/Endurance/Recharge
• 9: Superior Stalker's Guile: Accuracy/Damage/Endurance/Recharge
• 13: Superior Stalker's Guile: Recharge/Chance to Hide
  

Level 8: Super Jump

• A: Invention: Jumping
  

Level 10: Build Up

• A: Invention: Recharge Reduction
• 11: Invention: Recharge Reduction
• 11: Gaussian's Synchronized Fire-Control: Chance for Build Up
  

Level 12: True Grit

• A: Gladiator's Armor: TP Protection +3% Def (All)
• 13: Steadfast Protection: Resistance/+Def 3%
• 37: Invention: Healing
• 43: Unbreakable Guard: +Max HP
  

Level 14: Battle Agility

• A: Luck of the Gambler: Defense/Increased Global Recharge Speed
• 15: Luck of the Gambler: Defense
• 39: Luck of the Gambler: Defense/Endurance
• 40: Luck of the Gambler: Defense/Endurance/Recharge
• 40: Luck of the Gambler: Defense/Recharge
  

Level 16: Active Defense

• A: Invention: Endurance Reduction
  

Level 18: Power Crash

• A: Armageddon: Chance for Fire Damage
• 19: Armageddon: Damage
• 19: Obliteration: Chance for Smashing Damage
• 21: Scirocco's Dervish: Chance of Damage(Lethal)
• 21: Eradication: Chance for Energy Damage
• 23: Nucleolus Exposure
  

Level 20: Against All Odds

• A: Invention: Endurance Reduction
  

Level 22: Total Focus

• A: Hecatomb: Chance of Damage(Negative)
• 23: Mako's Bite: Chance of Damage(Lethal)
• 25: Touch of Death: Chance of Damage(Negative)
• 25: Gladiator's Strike: Chance for Smashing Damage
• 27: Invention: Damage Increase
• 33: Nucleolus Exposure
  

Level 24: Placate

• A: Invention: Recharge Reduction
  

Level 26: Energy Transfer

• A: Hecatomb: Damage/Endurance
• 27: Hecatomb: Damage
• 33: Hecatomb: Damage/Recharge
• 33: Hecatomb: Damage/Recharge/Accuracy
• 34: Hecatomb: Recharge/Accuracy
• 34: Touch of Death: Chance of Damage(Negative)
  

Level 28: Shield Charge

• A: Obliteration: Damage
• 29: Obliteration: Accuracy/Recharge
• 29: Obliteration: Damage/Recharge
• 31: Obliteration: Accuracy/Damage/Endurance/Recharge
• 31: Obliteration: Accuracy/Damage/Recharge
• 31: Obliteration: Chance for Smashing Damage
  

Level 30: Teleport

• A: Invention: Range
  

Level 32: Combat Jumping

• A: Luck of the Gambler: Defense/Increased Global Recharge Speed
• 34: Shield Wall: +Res (Teleportation), +5% Res (All)
  

Level 35: Char

• A: Basilisk's Gaze: Accuracy/Hold
• 36: Basilisk's Gaze: Accuracy/Recharge
• 36: Basilisk's Gaze: Recharge/Hold
• 36: Basilisk's Gaze: Accuracy/Endurance/Recharge/Hold
  

Level 38: Fire Blast

• A: Decimation: Accuracy/Damage
• 42: Decimation: Damage/Endurance
• 42: Decimation: Damage/Recharge
• 42: Decimation: Accuracy/Endurance/Recharge
• 43: Decimation: Accuracy/Damage/Recharge
  

Level 41: Combat Teleport

• A: Invention: Endurance Reduction
  

Level 44: Fire Ball

• A: Javelin Volley: Chance of Damage(Lethal)
• 45: Positron's Blast: Chance of Damage(Energy)
• 45: Bombardment: Chance for Fire Damage
• 45: Nucleolus Exposure
• 46: Nucleolus Exposure
• 46: Ragnarok: Damage
  

Level 47: Fold Space

• A: Invention: Accuracy
• 48: Invention: Recharge Reduction
  

Level 49: Hasten

• A: Invention: Recharge Reduction
• 50: Invention: Recharge Reduction
  

──────────────────────────────

Inherents:

Level 1: Assassination

Level 1: Brawl

• (Empty)
  

Level 1: Sprint

• A: Invention: Run Speed
  

Level 2: Rest

• (Empty)
  

Level 1: Swift

• A: Invention: Run Speed
  

Level 1: Hurdle

• A: Invention: Jumping
  

Level 1: Health

• A: Miracle: +Recovery
• 48: Numina's Convalesence: +Regeneration/+Recovery
  

Level 1: Stamina

• A: Invention: Endurance Modification
• 37: Invention: Endurance Modification
• 50: Performance Shifter: Chance for +End
  

Level 1: Energy Focus

Level 8: Double Jump

 

ENERGY SHIELD - Stalker (Energy Melee - Shield Defense).mbd

[Groovy_Ghoul]

Not an EM build but Fiery Melee/Shield Defense to give you some ideas. I like Psionic Mastery because Shield is an endo hog. This build has soft cap defense to all positionals (M/R/A) and decent resistances. No purples as it is a leveling build.

 

Don't skip out on Grant Cover as it provides Defense Debuff resistance and is a great LoTG mule. Active Defense can stack Defense Debuff resistance which is why I have 2 slots with recharge reduction.

Stalker (Fiery Melee - Shield Defense)Leveling.mbd

[Uun]

I've got an EM/EA stalker and a BS/Shield scrapper. The major difference in Shield between a scrapper and a stalker is that Phalanx Fighting is replaced with Hide (losing 1.875% defense in the process) and Against All Odds loses its taunt aura. I understand your philosophy regarding inspiration use, but you could definitely soft cap your defenses if you took the Fighting pool and a few additional set bonuses (instead of %dmg procs). 

• Don't skip Grant Cover. It provides a big chunk of your DDR, as well as 30% resistance to recharge debuffs.
• Recommend putting Superior Assassin's Mark in Total Focus instead of Bone Smasher. Because of the Energy Focus mechanic, TF is going to be your opening move 99% of the time.
• Slot Super Jump with the Winter's Gift 20% slow resist.
• Consider adding another heal IO and/or the Preventive Medicine absorb proc to True Grit.
• Active Defense should get 2 recharge IOs (the DDR stacks).
• Slot Combat Teleport with the Rectified Reticle increased perception global. 
• Consider swapping LOTG for Shield Wall in one of your defense powers for the 4-piece 4.5% E/N resist bonus.
• Since you're skipping the Fighting Pool, I wouldn't skip OWTS. The crash is minimal and it provides significant resist and hp buffs.

[Maelwys]

And I'd advise against doing this:

or this:



That said, at present since your Total Focus is currently recharging in 8.02s and you don't have any Snipes; it looks like your attack chain is going to be something like:
TF > ET (Fast) > AS > PC > ET (Slow) > AS ...which is workable; if not optimal.
However if TF crits then the second ET will be fast and you'll need to fill in with Fireball before/after it otherwise the second AS and next TF won't be recharged in time.

[Uun]

3 minutes ago, Maelwys said:

That said, at present since your Total Focus is currently recharging in 8.02s and you don't have any Snipes; it looks like your attack chain is going to be something like:
TF > ET (Fast) > AS > PC > ET (Slow) > AS ...which is workable; if not optimal.
However if TF crits then the second ET will be fast and you'll need to fill in with Fireball before/after it otherwise the second AS and next TF won't be recharged in time.

If you want fast AS to have 100% crit chance (3 stacks of Assassin's Focus), you'll need to use PC or BS before AS. 

[Maelwys]

4 minutes ago, Uun said:

If you want fast AS to have 100% crit chance (3 stacks of Assassin's Focus), you'll need to use PC or BS before AS. 

Their PC doesn't have the recharge for it (6.43s it looks like); and their BS isn't procced at all so I make using it to push for 3x stacks to be a net loss in average DPS.

(Team Crits will factor too I guess, and at least with the "chance for hide" in AS their TF will be getting a Crit a smidge more often; which will allow for a few more Fast ETs... but the lack of a Snipe and all that recharge aspect in Build up gives me the Jeebies) 😛

[Uncle Shags]

8 hours ago, Maelwys said:

I'd advise against doing this:

 

Can you explain? You want the proc, but not the set? The other 5 elsewhere? What would you slot instead? 

[Maelwys]

3 hours ago, Uncle Shags said:

Can you explain? You want the proc, but not the set? The other 5 elsewhere? What would you slot instead? 

 

(I) The Chance for Hidden proc has a ten second lockout period. This means that to get the full benefit of it, whatever attack you stick it into should be cycling at just over once every ten seconds.

 

 

 

(ii) AS is typically one of your best attacks, so using it as a 6 piece set bonus mule is incredibly inefficient. Work out what the bare minimum recharge is for your chosen attack chain, then get that plus ED capped damage aspect and fill the remaining slots with damage procs.

 

 

 

 

 

[MoonSheep]

useful as always, thanks guys. def agree with the point around the snipe @Maelwys, looks like i hadn't checked the numbers on fireball much - pretty terrible damage. think i'll go with ice mastery for some reasonable damage snipes, blast and cone powers. i'm an ice fan so it'll be a nice addition

 

will put the AS ATO set in TF instead, haven't played energy with the new focus mechanic, will see how things go with using TF as an opener 

 

@Uun softcap? don't make me tap the signature 😛 helpful comments on the slots thanks - that'll polish it off nicely. i'll see what i can sacrifice to fit grant cover in too

 

i made the alt on halloween for the 20 year anniversairy of CoV, currently at the mighty heights of level 1.5 but will get it moving properly later today

 

 

[Maelwys]

20 minutes ago, MoonSheep said:

will put the AS ATO set in TF instead, haven't played energy with the new focus mechanic, will see how things go with using TF as an opener 

 

That can work, assuming TF is cycling at just over the 10s mark rather than just under it (e.g. if it cycles every 9.9s then you'll regularly encounter streaks where the proc is only half as effective as it could be). But don't immediately follow TF with ET (use the snipe instead!) otherwise the Hidden Crits will be wasted.

 

You could also keep the proc itself in AS and just drop some of the other superfluous set IOs.

 

The main thing is to look carefully at your attack chain timings so that the Chance-for-Hidden ATO's 10 lockout period isn't having a needlessly harsh impact on you. This can be especially tricky on Energy Melee as your chain timings will differ depending on whether or not TF Crits (when ET becomes fast twice in a row and you lose nearly 2s from your chain's cycle time!)

 

Edited 19 hours ago by Maelwys

[MoonSheep]

5 minutes ago, Maelwys said:

 

That can work, assuming TF is cycling at just over the 10s mark rather than just under it (e.g. if it cycles every 9.9s then you'll regularly encounter streaks where the proc is only half as effective as it could be). But don't immediately follow TF with ET (use the snipe instead!) otherwise the Hidden Crits will be wasted.

 

You can also keep the proc itself in AS and just drop some of the other superfluous set IOs. The main thing is to look carefully at your attack chain timings so that the Chance-for-Hidden ATO's 10 lockout period isn't having a needlessly harsh impact on you. This can be especially tricky on Energy Melee as your chain timings will differ depending on whether or not TF Crits (when ET becomes fast twice in a row and you lose nearly 2s from your chain's cycle time!)

 

 

good point - i think TF will regularly recharge under 10s as i mostly play in teams with kins and similar. i'll factor in an attack chain to avoid spamming it too often

[Auroxis]

FYI every single top-end EM chain i've seen has AS being used every 5 seconds or so. Yes there's a 10s lockout on the hide proc, but AS is too much of a powerful attack to not use it whenever possible even if you don't have it at maximum focus stacks.

[Uun]

8 hours ago, MoonSheep said:

@Uun softcap? don't make me tap the signature 😛 helpful comments on the slots thanks - that'll polish it off nicely. i'll see what i can sacrifice to fit grant cover in too

I was only half serious, but I'm a sucker for defense armors. I don't bother soft capping other armors and skip the Fighting pool most of the time.

[Frosticus]

The best EM is to use 2x  fast AS and 2x fast ET for every TF.

 

Hide proc goes in power crash

 

Don't mule AS. Ever.

 

Builders know not to  6pc critical strikes, yet continue to 6pc stalkers guile...

Edited 9 hours ago by Frosticus

[Troo]

9 hours ago, Auroxis said:

FYI every single top-end EM chain i've seen has AS being used every 5 seconds or so.

 

Hmm.. did you mean Energy Transfer instead of Assassins Strike? 

 

There are definitely spike attack chains and then sustained attack chains.

@Frosticus is correct thinking of getting 2x Assassins Strikes and 2x fast Energy Transfers with each Total Focus (this is more of a sustained style attack chain that may or may not be available while leveling)

 

====== == ======

 

Interesting some of the other comments.

 

11 hours ago, Maelwys said:

AS is typically one of your best attacks, so using it as a 6 piece set bonus mule is incredibly inefficient. Work out what the bare minimum recharge is for your chosen attack chain, then get that plus ED capped damage aspect and fill the remaining slots with damage procs.

 

I agree with this for many Stalker sets.

New Energy Melee is a bit of a different animal though. Hint: How many Energy Transfers can fit into a Build Up window?

 

I can't remember if it was GB or CP who referred to the new Energy Melee Stalkers as "a walking punch-nuke"

 

Stalkers specialize in burst damage, leaning in on this specialization can lead to some different prioritizations. Being able to Hide three different ways also creates a lot of variety.
 

Spoiler

 

@MoonSheep For Energy Melee, what a player wants to do BEFORE Total Focus can really dictate where the Hide ATO Proc goes. Secondaries vary as do playstyles.

 

 

Spoiler

I like burst chains mixed in with sustainable chains.

 

Example burst chain:

[something], hidden TF, BU, fET (do anything for < 3 seconds), fET again, (do anything again for < 3 seconds), Long ET

 

Heaven forbid a Build Up ATO Proc fires in there..

 

These are just my opinions and should not be read as otherwise.

Edited 8 hours ago by Troo

[Maelwys]

2 hours ago, Troo said:

How many Energy Transfers can fit into a Build Up window?

 

Build up with Gaussian Proc window, surely? 

 

Which (after accounting for Build Up's ATBE) is just under 5.458s.

 

Subtracting 1.188s (from the first ET) leaves 4.27s. Therefore as long as your ET has a ~4s recharge you can fit two of them within the Gaussian buff window, regardless of whether the second ET is Fast or Slow.

 

Fast AS is 1.188s

Power crash is 1.98s

Bonesmasher is 1.452s

Energy Punch is 1.056s

Fast Snipes are 1.584s

 

So after a Build Up you could technically just about fit in Fast ET > Fast AS  > Fast Snipe > Bonesmasher (5.412s) before queueing up another ET and still have them all (including the second ET) be Gaussian buffed. But that leaves only 0.046s wiggle room in the buff window; and the less wiggle room the less margin for error you'll have regarding lag etc. I've encountered issues getting chains with 0.064s of wiggle room to consistently work (see here). A more reliable spike chain would be substituting Bonesmasher for Energy Punch (5.016s) or a low-Arcanatime Epic Blast like MuBolts/BallLightning/DarkBlast/IceBolt.

 

If your ET comes back up fast enough to let you skip that last attack (2.772s recharge time or less), fantastic... although then that second ET has to be Fast or you'll miss out on your next attack getting the effect of the Gaussian buff.

 

⚖️

 

Edited 5 hours ago by Maelwys