Pros and Cons of the "Stalker" ......

I'd suggest buying 4 Tarans, 4 Magnums, a Rhino and a Carnage before thinking about the Stalker.

Destrier vs Stalker
-Stalker can stealth +5
-Destrier is slightly more durable? (Check) -2
-Stalker is faster +2
Stalker is better by 5.

Gareth vs Stalker
-Stalker can stealth, granting 8 second almost-invincibility +5
-Gareth has a shield, which can be deactivated for speed or activated to block all weapons minus splash -7
-Stalker maintains its speed under stealth +1
-Stalker is faster (Check) +2
-Gareth is more durable (Check) -2
-Gareth has a medium hardpoint -3
Gareth is better by 4.

Cossack vs Stalker
-Cossack can jump, granting 4 second invincibility from parallel splash and when used correctly, homing missiles; refreshes cooldown almost instantly -7
-Stalker can stealth, granting 8 second almost-invincibility but with a long (16 seconds?) cooldown +5
-Stalker is more agile +1
-Cossack has the fastest speed in the game -2
-Stalker is more durable +2
-Cossack has a medium hardpoint, which complements its jump ability -3
Cossack is better by 4

Annoying in pairs or groups, but alone you just wait until the stealth is off and goodnight. Cossack, the poor mans stalker, is probably just as good. Plus there are other things worth getting before the stalker.

Don't really care for my Stalker, think its overated.

I also run cossacks, and it can't survive in open maps especially with current matchmaking where there are trebuchets, zeus around... turning my poor cossack to barbecue.

ok mate, furst things first. Stalker is better than destrier by 1,000,000. The stealth of the stalker is what makes the bot USEABLE. Next, the gareth is a higher risk bot, but also higher reward than the stalker. Using a taran/mag on a gareth enables for a temporary 3 magnum firepower (while the taran is loaded), and really you dont want to be gunning someone for too long at a time in such a small bot anyway. The stalker is a harasser, the Gareth (in the hands of a good pilot, is an actual pain in the 「bum-bum」 (till it gets ploughed by midrange that is). Cossack vs stalker isnt even a thing in gold. If you jump in a cossack in gold tier you will get gunned down. Aint no bot in gold that will be afraid of your 1 taran, especially since you are basically limited to cornershooting exclusively in a cossack.

you... you... poo poo head!

ya cossack lovin', stalker hatin', biased, closed minded, ignorant little sonofanapachehelicopter!

I have had great success with my stalker.

Taking the long route around a map and coming up behind campers stationed near their spawn point and blasting them from behind is so much fun! Many of them just stand there probably thinking that one of their team mates has died, respawned and that they are just taking friendly fire.

The stalkers stealth ability doesn't just make it so the enemy cannot get a target box around you, it also removes your indicator arrow off their hud unless they are practically facing you. This is an often overlooked feature of the stalkers stealth ability which gives it both long and short range applications.

If you're trying to brawl out in the open with a stalker (or any other light bot) you're simply using it wrong. Harassing, distracting, hiding, annoying and luring enemies away from their other objectives is how to get the most out of the little blue streak.

I run a Stalker lvl 8 - great buy for 7500 wsp. Great at bringing on the red mist. Fragile, you need to learn how to pilot the bot....i'm still learning but getting better. I tend to use it now as a late beacon capper or distraction - case in point this last game hit the red's beacon next to their spawn and entertained three reds to kill the match

technically, sonofahindhelicopter. Just saying.

This is true. You're better off prioritizing some things.

I have 8 Tarans, 18 Magnums, 3 Tridents, 2 Rhinos, a Carnage and a Fujin. Even then I didn't buy a Stalker, I won one in an event and never used it until recently.

I find that I like it. It's not a brawler but it can definitely affect the game if used properly. I have Magnums on mine and often start the game with it. I take beacons of course, but I also help my teammates take beacons by being distracting.

Also I can play counter-Stalker and harass enemy Stalkers.... Unless they're also armed with Mags they basically can't hit me but I can hit them, even when they're stealthed. Harassing/distracting enemy range is a fine aim as well and something your entire team can appreciate.

Lastly, altering your hangar balance a little more on the capping side of the capping/damage tradeoff, makes you more MM-friendly. (Of course you will have to decide for yourself whether keeping your matches easier to increase your in-match gold earnings is worth losing the potential benefits of rising to a higher league.)

I used to run a magnum stalker in trash/low gold and loved it. The key is you have to know what you're out there to do. Playing hide and seek in a 1v1 matchup is a waste of the bot. If you're using the stealth to pop out, hit someone a bit and then hide again you might as well use a Gary and do better damage. I found the most success changing targets frequently - pop someone a few times, stealth to cross open space and distance yourself from your first target while you look to get in behind or to the side of your next target. Flitting from target to target works because most slower bots will give up chasing you if you're on the move until you get close to their spawn or home beacon, and then when 2-3 bots finally gang up to try to take you out don't retreat back toward your spawn - retreat to cover toward their spawn. Holds 2-3 bots away from center for a bit while they coordinate to finish you off, leaving the rest of your team to cap center or push the battle line forward.
Not as effective going solo, as teammates have to recognize what you're doing and push to take advantage, but when squadded or with folks who understand what you're doing it can be pretty darn effective.
Of course on an open map or once you start seeing lots of tridents and especially zeus it loses effectiveness, but piloted well I think stalker is very underrated.

This, right here. If you are skilled enough to "hit-and-run", you will find yourself with several bots hunting you down. It's like that pesky fly at a BBQ. It's only a matter of time before you decide enough is enough, and start hunting that fly down. Just watch out on open maps. Tridents are a 1-2 hit KO before you can get to any cover.