Str primary will fix some of that KB problem. My Devastator doesn't get knocked down that much that I remember. There is at least 1 device that gives KB protection, too.
There are a few tanks running around that are pretty impressive. They can round up the bad guys and keep their attention while everyone else does their thing. I'd like to have one of these.
I've been pretty happy with my melee. I know better now that I'm adjusting to CO, but when I made my first toon, Unleashed, I thought he was ridiculously OP.
I'd rather play my purpled, incarnated, accolade stat boosted Brutes, too, but I still have a lot to learn about toonbuilding with CO before I can give it too bad a rap.
So far I've always been able to feel at the very least, useful, playing my melee. Sometimes I get to be the star, sometimes not. Kinda like with my Brutes. Depending on the team/league and situation they could either be the star or just a useful cog in the wheel.
In Alerts, I'd say that Lee is a/the star more often than not now that he can tank them and he's just a lowly AT,