Overall, I feel the VEATs were designed exceptionally well and you can't go wrong with any one you pick. I would always recommend a VEAT if you can make one. Only side note is that it is a little rough until 24 when you can finally choose your path of training. After that, you are a beast of a toon.
For me, I have a 50 widow, which has become my favorite toon (out of 17). Widows have a lot of powers that work great both solo and teams (well all the VEATs do). She is primarily melee but has some ranged attacks. There are really no bad powers and I tried to take them all by not taking any travel (I only have swift, health, and stamina outside of my primary and secondary and no PPPs either). My style is sorta a stealthing scrapper. My slotting for sets focused on recharge (currerntly ~63%) and run speed (~53 MPH with sprint on).
I have not made a dual build yet for a fortunata, I plan too. They are more ranged/controller like, but pretty powerful from what I have seen on teams.
For the other side, I have started a crab, but only level 10.
My friends I play with have leveled up a crab and bane to 50. The bane is similar to widow, but gets pets. He liked the toon very much and we had a lot of fun with widow/bane combination. The crabs are what I consider more of ranged attackers and have more ranged attacks. Again, like widows, they have a lot of options and powers and really no bad choices for power picks.
I strongly recommend VEATs. They are hands down the best AT I've seen villain side. They're a lot of fun to play and offer good buffs to the team. I've seen several ways to play them and build them. I play my night widow just like I do a scrapper and I'm having a blast with her. I've seen both played as ranged characters and melee, just build it to your preference.
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I enjoyed my Night Widow quite thoroughly, which is somewhat unusual, since generally I don't enjoy the redside content all that much. But that character levelled very quickly to 35, after which she rocketed to 50 in short order. The combination of being a fairly tough (although relatively low HP) melee DPS character with team buffs made it easy for me to find teams.
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Night widow are in my opinion the most powerful of all 4-5. The power you need to make her work are 4 or 5, all his secondary power are excellent in the most typical situation in this game.You have a lot of good IO's set option for your build.Can be soft capped def with a few million. Overall performer is second only to Master Mind.
I want /Fire stalker. Because nothing says stealth like dumping a can of gasoline on yourself and lighting a match. -Morac
I freaking love my crab. I've been playing him pretty much exclusively since I rolled him up. Vorpal Wolf(my crab) has reached level 47 now, and I got my last pet.
Crabs are great for AoE destruction, and when you slot Tactical Training: Maneuvers, they can take their pain as well.
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I'm going to be dinging my first 50 villain in the next couple days, and I was wondering which VEAT is more popular, and why. Or, which do you like better to play, and why?
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There are actually 5 VEAT types, all of which work well (you can do a proper bane spider, or pick bane, but take almost only powers that use the pre 24 gun, often referred to as a wolf spider).
I have 50 NW, played a fortunata in the beta, 40 crab, 39 wolf and I like them all. Just depends on your playstyle.
NW can be scrapper or stalker style, bane is closer to stalker, the other 3 are like blasters with mez protection.
And whichever type you take, take your maneuvers 
It's true. This game is NOT rocket surgery. - BillZBubba
Can you run a crab or a widow like a stalker? Do they have stealthing ability like them?
Crabs are great for ranged and AoE..Disruptors add to yor damage a lot and they can be made perma pretty easy. Good ranged defense and almost unstoppable when used as a ranged blaster with hover or flight.
Banes are more melee focused and a little less survivable than all the others, they get a couple good debuffs and can be played like stalkers.
Widows are the most fun fro me so far even though mine is only 26. Forts are good as well...more like psy/sr blasters..
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Love the straight Widow I have. Fastest villain I've played and mainly solo'd it. Not sure I want to delve into the Fortunata as it appears more controllerish than damage based, and I've had my fill of trollers.
Crab is in the mid 20s and it's "okay" so far. Already disappointed in one of the AoE range attacks, but in teams won't be too annoying. Thinking it can be a good tankish character once it has IO sets in the later levels.
By comparison through the mid-20s level, the widow is better so far.
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Can you run a crab or a widow like a stalker? Do they have stealthing ability like them?
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Bane or widow, not crab, and yes.
It's true. This game is NOT rocket surgery. - BillZBubba
Hi Viv, and pre-gratz on your lastest 50.
Here is what I've found playing the different VEATs.
NightWidow- Melee a few ranged attacks but you will find yourself mostly in melee. Great def (as others have stated, easily softcapped). I would slot it almost like a SR type character and consider picking up aid self for those instances where the baddies break through your def. I think this "form" excels at pvp and does ok as a scrapper-type in pve.
Fortunata- Almost like a dom with def. Great psi attacks. It has a confuse, a hold, an immob, a knockback and a pbaoe. Lots of nice powers to pick up "cheap" purple sets and other sets that give really nice bonuses. All in all, this is my favorite "type" of VEAT.
Crab- Blaster-ish with def. Crazy fun to play, omega maneuver is one of best looking attacks in the game. Tons of AoE damage with Frag grenade, venom grenade, supression, arm lash and frenzy. Pretty decent pet support as well.
Bane- (don't hate me all you bane players out there) My least favorite of the VEATs to play. It plays stalkerish with some nice melee attacks and a few ranged but it lacks the wow factor of some of the other "forms".
As Minotaur stated some people play a "wolf" form honestly, if I wanted to be a gun blaster with high def I'd go with AR/traps.
I'm going to be dinging my first 50 villain in the next couple days, and I was wondering which VEAT is more popular, and why. Or, which do you like better to play, and why?