Cath I would be really interested to see your Shield/Dark Build I am very new to COH as well as shields and I was justed really interested in what you had said about "I actually think Dark Melee is far and away the best set to pair with shields because you don't have to entertain the idea of picking up the Medicine Pool" I was just told that the medicine pool was mandatory on all build but again I am new and I am not to familiar with the dark power set.
Welcome to COH and the Titan Network, Hellvin!
Just to make sure we're on the same page, are you talking about the Medicine Pool or the Fitness Pool? I made the comment about the Medicine Pool because several people I know can't make a melee character without some form of self-heal. The Medicine Pool provides that option. With Dark Melee, you have a self-heal as part of your attack chain. As long as you keep fighting, you typically will keep standing.
The Fitness Pool is a different story. Some people (even me) have tried to make characters that utilize so many Regen and Recovery bonuses that the character doesn't require Health or Stamina. I've never been able to stick with a build like that. It stinks that you have to make some sacrifices to get them, but Health and Stamina are nearly a requirement for most builds.
In a few minutes, I'll post the Tanker and Scrapper builds I created in their appropriate forums. I'll link them here once I get that done.