Author: Shadowruler
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Stalker's Guide to Dark Melee for PvE
I chose to write this guide, because I see alot of people that say Dark Melee for Stalkers is a garbage set/bad clone of Dark Melee for Brutes. This is really a shame to see. This set was not just slapped together and called a stalker set, it really works quite well, if you know how best to use it.
Why do I think I have the right to make this guide? I have a level 44 Dark Melee/Regeneration Stalker on the Freedom server, and he's no pushover.
So, let's get started. This is not a guide that will just list the powers, I will do my best to explain how best to use each power, and how to slot them. This is a strategy guide after all. We'll examine each power one by one, determine if it is worth getting or not, and if it is, how best to slot it and utilize it.
Note: Keep in mind, all of these powers come with a -Acc effect, if they connect.
Shadow Punch
Rating: ***
Recommended Enhancements and Slots:
6 Slots total. 3 Damage, 3 Accuracy
This is your first power in the Dark Melee(DM) set. It's a pretty low damage attack to start off, but if slotted well can take off a good quarter of any minions health in the later levels. This attack has a pretty high chance of connecting even without Accuracy slots, but with them it will connect 90-95% of the time.
In the early levels, if executed from Hiding, this attack's guaranteed critical hit from Hide will shave off at least half health of an equal level minion. This is generally the only time you should use this attack to open a combat scenario with an enemy, in the early levels before you get Assassin's Eclipse.
Other than that, this attack will be used alot in your playing. It doesn't cost much endurance when executed either, and as a bonus, has that -Accuracy effect when it hits. Take it at level 1.
Smite
Rating: ****
Recommended Enhancements and Slots:
6 Slots total. 3 Damage, 3 Accuracy
This is the second power in the DM set. It does even more damage than Shadow Punch, and is great used in a combo after Shadow Punch, or vice versa, before Shadow Punch. It also has the -Accuracy effect, so enjoy watching enemies miss you frequently, as with the majority of the DM set.
This is another "bread and butter" power. It's pretty unskippable, as Shadow Punch is. If this attack is executed from Hide especially at early levels, it can take a good 3/4 of health if not all of any minions health. Very useful.
Take it at level 2 for sure.
Shadow Maul
Rating: ***
Recommended Enhancements and Slots:
6 Slots total. 3 Damage, 3 Accuracy.
And we come to the third power, Shadow Maul. This attack is notorious for it's long animation (about 5-6 seconds), and it really hurts when you watch this attack miss.
Specifically for this power, the first thing you should slot it with is Accuracy and upgraded to higher level enhancements as soon as possible. It has the lowest Accuracy% of any of the DM powers.
This attack is one of the few DM powers that has a rather low chance to critical if executed from Hide. If it does critical, this attack can actually finish off a relatively same level minion in 1 shot, but don't hold your breath.
This is also a unique power because its the only cone damage attack, meaning if you execute it on an enemy and there's someone standing right by him or behind him, they will get the same multiple strike damage as your target. Nice.
Use this whenever the enemy is at half health but be smart and save yourself time, and don't use it if their health is pretty low, unless you are fighting a boss or higher level enemy. Use Smite and Shadow Punch to finish them off from that point.
This power is one of those powers that you feel like you could probably live without taking it, but you find yourself using it alot anyway, just for the combo dmg used with Shadow Punch and Smite.
I do recommend taking it at level 4 if you are mostly doing PvE. It may not ever save your life, but combined with Buildup you can kill many enemies in just 1 hit.
Assassin's Eclipse
Rating: *****
Recommended Enhancements and Slots:
6 Total. 3 Damage and 3 Accuracy OR 3 Damage, 2 Accuracy, and 1 Recharge
Ahh the infamous Assasin's Strike power. For Dark Melee it is called Assassin's Eclipse. This is an absolute bonified must take power at level 6, and to be enjoyed for 44 levels after, and not just because the animation has a giant skull projected at your victim >=)
This should go without saying, but I'll put it anyway: Never ever use this power while you are not Hidden. The damage is pathetic, and it's a waste of your time to use it unhidden.
Once this baby is fully slotted, you can one shot almost any color minion in the game. Combine with Buildup for incredibly frequent 1 shot kills, Lieutenants and Minions alike.
There isn't much left to say about this. If you are reading this, you have probably had a stalker of another powerset and know how to use Assasin Strike powers.
This power must must must be taken ASAP if you want to be a true stalker.
Buildup
Rating: *****
Recommended Enhancements and Slots:
3 slots total. 3 Recharge OR 3 Recharge 1 Damage
Another essential power. This power allows you to massively increase your damage for all your attacks for about 6-7 seconds. Any lieutenant enemy or higher should always be approached, executed Buildup, then Assassin's Eclipse on. This is massive damage for any enemy to take. Throw a couple of Damage Inspirations for added fun, and you can one shot nearly any normal Boss.
Not much to say strategically here, normally you will use this before Assassin's Eclipse (AS) and that's it. However, if the AS doesn't kill your target, the Buildup will carry over to 2-3 attacks if executed quickly, normally finishing off the target. Buildup is also a good option to use before ASing in groups of minions, so when your first victim falls, the Buildup should allow to kill one more enemy fairly fast.
In the 1-10 range, the AS by itself will normally kill most targets, but I still recommend getting this ASAP as well.
Remember. Buildup+Assassin's Eclipse= Instant dead enemies.
Placate
Rating: *****
Recommended Enhancements and Slots:
3 total: 3 Recharge.
Placate is another of the essentials, and it's a cool "wow" factor power in concept. Basically for any stalker powerset, Placate is a hand motion that basically forces your target to believe you are no longer there, and forget about you. It also puts you in a semi-hidden state for a few seconds, then hidden again. In this semi-hidden state, you can use your AS for the same type of damage as if you were hiding normally. What does this mean? Yep, you guessed it. The perfect combo, that only Elite Bosses and Archvillians will survive.
You see, if you have the 3 recharges on Buildup and this power, they will pop back up relatively fast. You can be hidden, approach a target, AS him, and if he still has life, instantly Placate him, and AS him again relatively quick. This is a combination that as stated, most normal enemies and bosses will not survive.
Placate is yet another essential power to be taken as soon as possible. You won't ever abandon this. Unless you play another AT. ^_^
***Extra strategy I'd like to add specifically for soloing Elite Bosses(EB) as a stalker. Placate will save your butt so many times in a fight with an EB. You see, the idea is this: Buildup and AS the EB, placate him, run away from his aggro zone, recharge everything, go back, lather rinse repeat. Sure it may be "cheap" but stalkers are squishy and die easily. This is about the only way for us to solo an EB. On a team, you will pretty much use this same formula, though your teammates will aggro some of the EBs attacks so you can stay in the fight longer before having to leave.
Touch of Fear
Rating: **
Recommended Enhancements and Slots:
4 slots total. 2 Accuracy, 2 Enhanced Fear (if you must)
This rating would be vastly different if this weren't a PvE guide. But is is a PvE guide, and this power is nearly useless in my opinion. The fear attached to it is nice if it hits, which it doesn't that often, especially on higher level enemies. The fear effect cause the enemy to become partially stunned and unable to attack, and if they do attack, to be very very inaccurate.
It's just really hard to justify enough common scenarios where you would need to use this. If you find yourself in a crowd that often as a stalker, you are probably in a group where there are brutes/cors/Doms aggroing/distracting the enemies, or you are just crazy.
Sure it's a good power for single enemies, but honestly in PvE, there's most likely a secondary power you could take instead and be better off.
For PvP, this power can be a godsend since mostly you are fighting single enemies, but this isn't a PvP guide. Just thought I would mention it though.
If your secondary is not that great (which why wouldn't it be?) than this power is not a complete waste of your time, but if there's a decision that has to be made between grabbing this or a secondary, take the secondary.
Siphon Life
Rating: ***
Recommended Enhancements and Slots:
2 Accuracy, 2 Heal
Now Siphon Life is a very conditional power to take. If you are a /Regeneration, then you have enough heals and this power is pretty much a waste. If you are not a Regen though, this power can be very useful.
It carries the -Acc effect as well, and it drains life from your enemy to yourself if it connects.
It should be noted that this power should only be used to heal when you haven't taken much damage. The time to execute it if you are at critical health, coupled with the not so high heal effect of a successful hit, make it a bad choice to use in desperation.
But overall this is a half decent power, that should probably be taken UNLESS you are a /Regen build (which I am).
Midnight Grasp
Rating: *****
Recommended Enhancements and Slots:
6 Total. 3 Damage, 2 Accuracy, 1 Recharge.
Now here is the ultimate DM power, the final primary. Once you get this, you will wonder how you fought before having it. It's just insanely useful on pretty much any enemy in the game. It is a Damage over Time(DoT) power, with the -Acc as a bonus. This means that EB's or AV's that normally regenerate their health will not be able to as long as this power is effective.
This power does almost as much damage as an AS strike does if it's used from Hide, and then begins sucking life away to boot. A great way to dispatch minions and liuetenants fast, and a great power to use against bosses or higher class enemies.
Before having this power, the fast way to take out bosses was an AS, Placate, and then another AS. Now you can freely choose between either using AS or Midnight Grasp as your second attack after the boss is placated.
Take it, slot it, abuse it, enjoy it.
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So there you have it. My personal opinions on each power, and how they should be used. If this guide goes over well, I will make a PvP guide for Dark Melee as well.
Closing notes: Dark Melee is definitely not for everyone, but if you choose it, you wil not be disappointed. It works quite well as a stalker power set, contrary to what you may have heard from people that didn't give it a chance.
If you stick with it, I guarantee you you will have a blast with it, especially after you get the final primary attack.
I hope this was helpful to someone, and maybe I convinced you to give the set a shot.
If you want to see what the set is like in the later levels, find my 42 DM/Regen stalker on Freedom: Shadowruler.
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