It's pretty hard to tell you what toon you should make if we don't know what you want to do with it. Do you want to pvp, do you want to pve (farm build)?
A melee toon is great fun and keeps you more active than not. For a brute I am partial to a shield build such as fire melee/shield, electric melee/shield, super strength/shield. It has the most activity plus allows the brute to have multiple aoe attacks plus the def can be softcapped.
I haven't built one yet but a superstrength/ shield brute seems on paper to be the nastiest of the shield brutes as it's damaged can be close to cap depending on your situation. The toon would have to have rage and against all odds.
As for Electric/shield, this is a superfun toon to make and I know this because I have one. Not only does this toon have one extreme dmg aoe attack, it has 2 - Lightning rod and shield charge. With these 2 attacks the toon can farm as fast if not faster than a fire/psi dom and as an added bonus it can tank in strike forces fairly easily. If you want to pvp with this build then I suggest getting the medicine pool, in particular, aid self.
A fire/shield is just a cool build. You can have a dark elemental or rularuu (badge required) shield with a huge fire sword lol.
As for a stalker, you have a plethora of options to choose from. Personally, I would go with a regeneration or willpower secondary. They aren't as tough as the brutes but if you have self heals then you can stand in a mob longer and maybe just come out alive.
A regen stalker has some resistance and def but the main property of this toon is the regeneration factor. if you can get the regen to 1700 or so you are good to go plus you will have a self heal.
A willpower stalker has a good mix of resistance and defense and regeneration + it has a self heal as well. With these 2 secondaries, you would want your recharge to be fairly high so you can heal within 7 seconds. Take your tier 9's (especially for willpower)
I see alot of people opting for a dark/regen or a spines/regen which are both cool. Dark/regen would be more of a pvp toon as it debuffs and steals end and hitpoints from the target while adding to your own. No matter what you opt for make sure you have some epic/ patron powers such as one which would add to your end, add to your resistance.
I personally have a dualblade/willpower stalker. This toon is not for the faint of heart. You really have to know what you are doin with this toon because in order for this toon to be effective (and it can be really effective) you have to know your combo attacks. Needless to say, it is a superfun toon but i haven't tested it out in pvp yet.
Well, there you have it. I just gave you the gist of some good melee toons. I'd advise you to get a hero builder (mid's or suckerpunch) and begin to learn how to slot the toon yourself. not alot of people would want to give another their build. I post builds but they are basic builds and the secrets I keep to myself. Once you are done getting a toon to 50, I suggest rolling a widow (tehe) because they are just sick if you know how to slot them right!
