Advice on a Gareth beacon capper & Galahad load out...

I favor the full plasma setup for both. Extra 50m range over the rockets.

Gareth isn't exactly for attacking in any case. TarMag is better because you can corner shoot and stay out of range of DBs. Oh, and don't make the same n00b mistake I did and just rush a beacon. Go for the low-hanging fruit or go with teammates.

I suppose. It's better at guerilla tactics and hit'n'run.

Just wait, till your Gary is lvl9. Then he got his maxed speed. That is fun!!!

I'm a plasma user myself, run about at range, putting a few hits into this red, supporting that blue, all from a distance. When I get into trouble it's because I've closed the range too much or concentrated too much on a single target or beacon. Take a look at Lloyd Le Mar's video: Tactician/Survivalist gameplay...

Tactician/Survivalist Gameplay

That said, there are arguments to be made for the rocket Gareth and the hybrids. Just be aware that they each play differently.
I wouldn't drastically mix ranges, though. Tulumbas/Punisher seems like it would be poor at all ranges.

Basically the same goes for Galahad, they are pretty much all good builds on a good 'bot.

Yes, it's highly useful if you know how to use and position your bot correctly.

I am by no means an expert on the Gary... but... from my perspective the shield is as good as gold.  Bear with me as I am in a bit of a hurry so thoughts will be typed as I go, no organizing!  You have the right of it to a degree... but it's not like you will be facing non-stop rockets in Gold or Diamon on Android.  There are still plenty of bots that you will be able to fight, effectively.

From getting away from Plasma Griffs to Thunder Carns to Thundorkan Lances... the shield can help to keep you in good health when otherwise you would be dead.  You may be asking why I included Thundorken Lances... well they provide a good example, because if you are using Gary correctly, you are not getting into his rocket range anyway, and only his Thunder will be able to hit you.  The shield, while not completely stopping the spread, will stop the majority of it at 350m... which is close enough to do an unshielded bot a LOT of damage.... especially a light unshielded bot.  Everyone knows Thunders really shine when closer than 200m, but the percentage of health that a light bot loses to a 350m Thunder shot in relation to its total HP pool... is significant compared to the same shot on a Leo.  Gary feels those, relatively, less damaging shots a lot more than other bots.  Even Thunder Carns can be overcome with the shield in an all plasma Gary, but you had better be able to keep them at 350 to 320 and utilize cover and maneuverability or your shield will pop extra fast. 

Sniper shots on SF and Yam and Canyon when taking the opening beacons can be completely negated... just point the shield to the red in question while it is not engaged and run... but you had better know the map enough to be able to be looking away from where you want to go and still get there! The fact that you can still use the shield with it not engaged, to me, trumps the Stalker's Stealth ability. 

As far as Stalker's speed... yes, 2 Km/h faster... but in the scheme of things that is rarely a factor unless racing someone to a beacon.  You don't have to worry about the stalker chasing you... as most stalker pilots will run from a Gary, and rightly so... the Gary was almost a direct counter to the Stalker.

Does that mean the Stalker is junk?  Not at all... quite the opposite.  Even in Gold and Diamond there are still a good bit of Stalkers.  I know several peeps who still love them and use them in Expert.  They can be quite the nuisance and are more than adequate for late game beacon grabbing.

No, the Stalker is definitely still good... but the Gary just fits me better.  You just have to go with what works best for you.

I think the best way I know how to break it down, simply, is:

Gary: is similar to the Gala in the way that it best handles confrontations... they both can outrun Orks, and dodge Aphids, and circle slower enemies, and deploy/angle that shield for plasma/bullet negation, so they are more geared towards surviving stand up fights if they get forced into action.  Both are set up with all their weapons on the right side to easily be able to corner-shoot for a reason: it is an awesome tactic that they are literally made for.  Add Gary's 64 Km/H speed into the equation of shield and well placed decent firepower, and it is one hell of a solution to a lot of problems! 

Stalker: is a bot unto itself... the amount of frustration and nuisance that this thing can cause far outweighs the damage it can cause.  Never underestimate a red stalker running past the front line towards your home and side beacons.  I've seen one guy tie up 4 enemies before... leaving the rest of the battlefield wide open.  That stealth is tough to use well, but once you figure it out... it's extremely helpful.

In conclusion... the Gary's shield is definitely worth having and, IMHO, better than the stealth ability.  I have a level 9 of both bots and I can honestly say I rarely, if ever, use the Stalker anymore.  If I do throw it in... I am usually asking myself "why, again, I am not using the Gary in the light bot slot?" by the 3rd or 4th game lol.

Sorry, but this topic has been done extensively, so I am not going to elaborate (too busy playing the event), but check out these threads, they will answer almost any question you have about the Gareth:

A Guide to Gary: What you need to know about the Gareth

Gareth is the best bot in the game