Stalkers are advanced combat units utilized by Null Sector, feminine in appearance and armed with a tractor beam and hair-like tendrils as their primary weapon. They are accompanied by three floating orbs, used to heal them when injured.^[1]

Summary

Stalkers are first encountered in Liberation, where they appear multiple times during larger encounters as an elite foe. They have also appeared as enemies in Underworld and during the Cosmic Crisis limited time event.

Their main weapon is a tractor beam that pulls a player into range of their tendrils, which will quickly down them.

Tactics

Stalkers have three combat phases:

Pull Phase: They activate their tractor beam. Failing to hit someone causes them to retreat. Hitting someone with the beam will pull that player towards them. Players are locked out of mobility abilities such as Blink or Fade if they are caught in the beam.

Attack Phase: If successfully able to pull in a player, the Stalker will repeatedly strike them with its tendrils for a duration or until that player is downed.

Heal Phase: After dashing, the Stalker will have a chance to become immobile and heal themself. During this phase, they are unable to attack.

There multiple ways to interrupt the Stalker during these phases and cause them to exit them early:

• Using crowd control abilities, such as Charge, Blizzard or Sleep Dart.
• Using an ability with knockback, such as Soundwave or Whip Shot during its Pull or Attack phase.
• Breaking the Stalker's line of sight from their target with Cryo-Freeze, Ice Wall, or Tree of Life during its Pull phase.
• Lifting the Stalker with Petal Platform or Ice Wall during its Pull phase.
• On easier difficulties, melee attacks can interrupt the stalker during their Pull or Attack phase. This includes Reinhardt’s Rocket Hammer.

Pull Phase:

• Players can be grabbed while helping a downed teammate. Additionally, Mercy can be grabbed during her Resurrect.
• Mei can free herself by using Cryo-Freeze, since it counts as breaking line of sight.
• Lifeweaver can use Life Grip to pull caught players out of the tractor beam.
• There is a brief delay before the Stalker fires their beam. Mobile heroes can easily dodge in the window it provides.

Attack Phase:

• During this phase, the Stalker remains still, making it easy for you and teammates to attack its weak points.
• Particle Barrier and Projected Barrier from can block the Stalker's attacks, which also grants Zarya Particle Cannon charge.
• Deflect can block the tendrils.
• Certain abilities can out-heal the damage, such as Coalescence or Take a Breather, though this becomes harder on higher difficulties and should not be relied on.
• The Stalker won't be able to kill its target if they're within an activated Immortality Field.
• Sound Barrier can apply enough health to protect you or your teammates in time for the Stalker to be interrupted or killed.
• Biotic Grenade can make it easier for supports to out-heal the damage.
• Since the Stalker's damage is scaled by the difficulty of the game mode, out-healing isn't recommended during this phase at harder difficulties. You're better off trying to interrupt the attack.

Heal Phase:

• Since the Stalker is unable to fight during this, you can take this as an opportunity to focus on other objectives or revive downed teammates. This can be risky, however, as you're leaving the Stalker to freely heal which could be problematic later.
• Attacks from Damage Heroes can apply their passive onto the Stalker, making it easier to out-damage their healing.
• Ana's Biotic Grenade can briefly deny the Stalker's ability to heal itself altogether.

Stalkers additionally have two abilities to watch for:

A dash that quickly repositions the Stalker either to find a place to hide and heal, or to set themselves up to attack a player.

• Flashbang can prevent this ability from being used.

A radial melee attack that knocks back anyone within range if they get too close.

• Deflect can block this attack.

Hero Matchups

The following is a set of advisements for heroes that face the Stalker in story missions or limited time modes.

D.va:

• The knockback from her Boosters can disrupt a Stalker in any phase.
• Stalkers can easily shred D.va outside of her mech, so always avoid them if it is destroyed.

Reinhardt:

• On easier difficulties, the knockback from Rocket Hammer strikes can interrupt a Stalker.
• His Charge will interrupt a Stalker while healing or attacking a teammate. However, it will not save Reinhardt himself if caught in the tractor beam.

Roadhog:

• Thanks to Take a Breather, he is one of the few heroes that can survive a Stalker's attack phase solo (though only on easier difficulties).
• Chain Hook and Whole Hog can easily interrupt Stalkers in any phase, and even knock them into death pits if aimed correctly.
• Though Stalkers have armor, his Scrap Gun can deal devastating damage to them at close range. In some situations, it may be worth being caught in the beam to close the gap if Chain Hook is on cooldown.

Mei:

• Both of her abilities can block a Stalker's tractor beam, making her valuable for preventing allies from getting pulled.
• She can easily take advantage of moments where a Stalker is standing still with her Endothermic Blaster's secondary fire or Blizzard.

Ana:

• Though especially vulnerable due to her lack of mobility, her long-range playstyle can provide her with safe passive cover. A well-placed and vigilant Ana can be virtually immune to a Stalker's attacks.
• She can easily stun Stalkers during their attack or healing phase with her Sleep Dart.
• Her Biotic Grenade can be crucial to help an ally survive a Stalker's attack, or to shut down one's attempts to heal.

Brigitte:

• Both her Whip Shot and Shield Bash can interrupt a Stalker's phases.
• Inspire's healing can help protect teammates from follow-up attacks.
• Due to Whip Shot's low cooldown and generous hitbox, it is easy for Brigitte to save herself from being pulled.

Lifeweaver:

• Lifting Stalkers with Petal Platform will break their tractor beam's line of sight if it goes through the platform, providing an effective way to deal with one quickly.

Gallery

• 
  The Stalker's icon.

Trivia

• At BlizzConline, they were called Wraiths in-game and Pullers in concept art.

References