Quick follow-up after a bit of progress - it was indeed pure RNG that gave me the Stalker, and I have not seen the like since. This is a good thing - always keep a cash reserve in case you get luck like this coming along.
Having said that I've found that having a Stalker/Orion lead has been a trap. I stepped into tougher challenges, and my lighter mechs simply couldn't hack the amounts of damage incoming. Lost a Wolverine to a fast coring, tried to use the Orion as the vanguard for other matches to protect the mediums, only for it to get cored out in an unlucky strike too! Slow, steady progression is smarter than an uneven lance composition (NB apart from using a light as a scout of course).
Having said that I've found that having a Stalker/Orion lead has been a trap. I stepped into tougher challenges, and my lighter mechs simply couldn't hack the amounts of damage incoming. Lost a Wolverine to a fast coring, tried to use the Orion as the vanguard for other matches to protect the mediums, only for it to get cored out in an unlucky strike too! Slow, steady progression is smarter than an uneven lance composition (NB apart from using a light as a scout of course).