Abilities

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The idea behind this build is for new 50's to be able to jump into Veteran Adventures and Dungeons. It only uses 41 Ability Points and 45 AMP points, which is all you'll have at 50 until you unlock more by spending vast amounts of Elder Gems.

Stalker Tanks use a Priority system instead of a fixed Rotation, meaning you will use abilities as-needed or on-proc, instead of on set timers.[/color]
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1 - (T4) - Whiplash is our filler ability. Use when everything else is on CD. T4 means you always have a Dash available.

2 - (T8) - Nano Field generates threat via damage, and heals you. It is also your "Panic Button" when you take spiky damage. Enable "Hold to Continue Casting" (HtCC) in your settings to get the most benefit. Combo this with Stealth for extra mitigation.

3 - (T8) - Neutralize is a big threat builder for Vet tanking. Not only does it do fantastic damage, but it doesn't have the on-crit proc requirement that Punish does. Just be advised it uses a LOT of Suit Power. So use it 3x, Stealth for the bonus, then use 2x more for maximum benefit & T8 damage proc.

3 - (T8) - An alternative to Decimate. Punish may seem like an odd choice over, say, , but that's because threat is a big issue for new tanks (esp. against Warrior or 'Slinger DPS). T8 Punish not only helps you hold aggro, but it also restores suit power. Problem is, it requires a critical hit to activate, which will be few and far between as a tank.

4 - - Steadfast provides mitigation via Deflect. Stalkers are Evasion tanks, so this should be used upon CD.

5 - - Razor Storm is your taunt. It has a shorter range and longer CD than . However, it's a circular AOE taunt that matches threat. Reaver only taunts mobs infront of you, and does not match threat.

6 - - Stagger is here mostly for the Interrupt Armor (IA) and Stun benefits. Feel free to swap it out with whatever the encounter may call for, especially if you are usually grouped with DPS who have IA to spare.

7 - - Collapse not only helps keep mobs close, but it does decent damage for added threat. It also consumes 1 IA and costs no Suit Power. Feel free to replace if you want, but it may help you keep trash packs from scattering if threat is an issue.

8 - - Pounce is good for movement-intense fights, escaping deadly telegraphs, and snaring trash. Also grants Swiftness, which is helpful since Stalker tanks are always on the move.

Note: You will have 1 Ability Point left over -- use it wherever you want. I put it in Razor Storm for the added taunt time and threat.
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AMPs

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Tier 1

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[color #CCFFCC]- STRIKETHROUGH I, II, III - Because getting deflected is BAD.

- DEFLECT I, II - You'll eventually want to max this with extra AMP point unlocks.
- SUPPORT POWER I, II, III
- DEFLECT CRITICAL HIT I, II, III - Helps you hit the 12%/15% caps for Vets/Raids.

- MAXIMUM SHIELD CAPACITY I, II, III

- COOLDOWNS I, II, III - Lowering CD by 15% is huge for threat & mitigation.[/color]


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Tier 2

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[color #CCFFCC]- STEALTH MASTERY - Stealth more often, providing added mitigation from Nano Skin: Evasive.

- EMPOWERED ATTACK MASTERY - Restores Shield every time you hit an enemy in Nano Skin: Evasive.

- DASH FOR HEALS - Increases heals received every time you dash.
- TECH MASTERY - Chance to increase Tech/Support Power (ie. threat) every time you Deflect.[/color]


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Tier 3

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[color #CCFFCC]- LAST STAND - Grants invulnerability & provides big heals if your health drops below 1%. No tank should be without this.
- THAT'S ALL YOU GOT? - Reduces all damage by 10% when above 70% health.[/color]


[color #B19CD9]If you're wondering why I didn't take some of the self-healing AMPs in T2 and T3 (Regeneration, Forebearance, and Staying Afloat), it's because current theorycrafting shows these heals to be inferior to other AMPs when compared point-for-point.

The only one I might consider is Regeneration, because it can proc so frequently and gives big heals. But if you trust your healers, and your own mitigation, those 4 points are better spent elsewhere (until you unlock more AMP points with Elder Gems, of course).[/color]

Stats

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(NOTE: Everything in this section is based on current speculation & theorycrafting. It may or may not be 100% accurate and is subject to changes, hotfixes, patches, bugs, etc.)[/color]

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By The Numbers

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- Veteran Bosses have a 7% chance to Deflect. You will need 7% Strikethrough to never miss an attack or taunt in Vet Adventures/Dungeons.

- Raid Bosses have a 10% chance to Deflect. You will need 10% Strikethrough for Raids. Anything above is wasted.

- Veteran Bosses have a 12% chance to Crit. You will need 12% Deflect Crit to be un-crittable in Vet Adventures/Dungeons.

- Raid Bosses have a 15% chance to Crit. You will need 15% Deflect Crit to be un-crittable in Raids. Anything above is wasted.[/color]


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Stat Priority

As a newly-minted level 50 Stalker tank, you will want to prioritize the following Stats.[/color]
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- INSIGHT (DEFLECT / DEFLECT CRIT) - Stalkers are evasion tanks, and Insight provides both Deflect % and Deflect Critical %. We get more benefit from Insight than Warriors or Engineers. Stack Insight or Deflect Crit until you reach cap.

- DEFLECT CHANCE - Stalkers also have a lot of abilities that improve Deflect on-use. Just the same, aim for 20%+ Deflect as a baseline.

- ARMOR - Armor is great because it mitigates ALL damage, including Magic and Tech. Diminishing returns on armor is around 55%, or roughly 10,200 armor. For Vets, you should be OK with 7k-8k Armor.

- MAX HEALTH - A no brainer. But not to be confused with Grit, which has non-scaling Milestones and is therefore "meh".

- MAX SHIELDS - Aim for 10-11k for Vets, and 15k+ for Raids.

- TECH / SUPPORT POWER - The jury is still out on how much Support Power you actually need. This is because Support Power only serves to increase threat, and is therefore entirely situational. If you are losing aggro often, I'd say bump this up on the priority list above Armor. If threat isn't an issue, let this stat grow organically with your gear. I personally don't stack Support Power on any gear except my Claws.[/color]