Polar Giant (Ice/Energy Tanker)

[Grae Knight]

Okay Tanker dudes..I made a Ice/Energy Tanker. Are there any must have powers of the Ice primary? I got a pretty good idea what to take on the Energy Melee secondary. I took Chilling Embrace for an aura taunt and slow and seems to be a pretty effective power. What about permafrost? Was planning on skipping it. Any input is welcome.

[Astartus]

Skip Permafrost. Frozen Armor and Wet ICe are must haves, as is Energy Absorption.

If you want to go "Feature of the Month" way and PvP, take Hasten and Hibernate.

[Impact]

Seconded. Get Glacial Armor too. Chilling Embrace (IMO) can replace taunt, and of course take Hoarfrost as it's your version of dull pain.

[Laurentide]

After the changes in I5, actually, several Ice Tanker powers got changed significantly. If you go by the old guides they won't be as helpful. A breakdown of the changes (and some build/slotting recommendations) are as follows:


Frozen Armor (Toggle, Smash/Lethal/Cold/Fire Defense): One of your bread and butter defenses, you'll pretty much leave it on the entire time when actively fighting since these are the most common attack types in the game. Also provides defense against fire and cold damage (17%, 30%, 12.5% bases respectively). Take it early. With ED, a good slotting pattern for this armor is 3def1endred (the latter may be skipped if you plan on stamina).


Hoarfrost (Click, Self-Heal, Toxic Resistance): Take it. TAKE IT. Slot it. Love it. Ice tanks thrive on regeneration, and this power provides our only protection against toxic damage (Vahzilok, anyone?). Can be used as a boost to total hit points before battle, but I prefer using it in alternation with Hibernate to survive tough fights. Recommended slotting 3recharge3heal.


Chilling Embrace (Toggle, PbAoE Slow, PbAoE -dmg, Taunt Aura): This power got a lot of looking at when Ice tankers were reevaluated by the devs. Take it very early, because it isn't an expensive toggle and the slow effects (less attacks from the mobs) and -dmg debuffing ability together will provide a great deal of extra surviveability to your young tank, almost like another armor. Pity you can't enhance the debuff ability. Recommended slotting 1endred1-3slows1taunt.


Wet Ice (Toggle, Status Protection): Once upon a time, back in the old dark days pre-stacking armors, Wet Ice gave minor (slottable) defenses to pretty much everything except Psi. These days it primarily provides status protection, but also gives 1% (unenhanceable) defense against everything but cold, which it grants an extra 30% defense to. Slot with one endredux, perhaps 2 if you have extra slots in a stamina-free build.


Permafrost (Passive, Cold/Fire/Slow Resistance): After the gutting of Wet Ice this is our main protection against fire, which is still one of the most common damage types in-game after Smashing/Lethal (did someone have a blowout sale on Flamethrowers or something?). Provides 20% base resistance to cold and 12.5% resistance to fire. It can be skipped but I'd recommend taking it with at least one slot for damage resist. Me, I severely felt the increase in damage from fire after the defense reductions in my other armors ("DEAR GOD IT BURNS!") and went a bit overboard with 4 resists. Recommended slotting 3dmgresist.


Glacial Armor (Toggle, Energy/Neg Energy/Cold Defense, +Perception): The other half of your typed damage armors, essentially. I've heard recommendations that this can be left until the mid-20s, but with the increasing elemental damage at lower levels - and, of course, Clockworks, with their annoying energy ranged attacks - I'd say take it as soon as it becomes available at level 18. The perception boost in this armor seems to be very strong since I've periodically startled Stalkers with it, especially in Bloody Bay ("I can seeeeeeee youuuuuu. . ."), but damn if I know what it's for outside of PvP. Base defenses are 17%, 17% and 30%. Slot as for Frozen Armor.


Icicles (Toggle, Lethal Damage Aura): What? No cold damage? This is one of the more exhausting auras in the game, up there with Fire Armor's Blazing Aura, but I'd still recommend taking it for solo use or for total aggro control. Good for killing minions while otherwise occupied with bosses or lieutenants. Be careful about the exhaustion factor when running this pre-SOs or pre-Stamina. Recommended slotting 2endred1acc1-2dmg.


Energy Absorption (Click, Endurance Recovery, Defense Boost, Slow Resist): Poor Energy Absorption! Once the crown of the set, it's been turned a bit inside out since the Arenas came out, with an original hard cap of five minions (now 17) and a severe undercutting of the defensive boost it grants. It's not really useful as a endurance drain power due to the lack of a -recovery debuff, and the defense return isn't great and generally not worth slotting for. Endurance recovery is awesome, though, as this power can fill your bar using only three minions (unenhanced). Plus, tap a few minions with it and you'll be able to get off that carpet of caltrops. Recommended slotting 3recharge1endred2endmod (alternately: 3 recharge3endmod).


Hibernate (Timed Toggle, Endurance Recovery, Health Recovery, Intangibility, Immobilize): So the top-tier power of this set is. . . a glorified version of Rest. Still, don't knock it - since the activation time was fixed in I5, it's become a very useful (and unfortunately necessary) recovery power for long, drawn-out fights. The toggle will only last 30 seconds, so don't count on turtling under it while someone goes to get help. Good for alternation with Hoarfrost during long AV battles or tough boss fights. If tanking for a group, be sure to fire off a Taunt before curling up for a nap; if you do, the mobs will generally continue flailing at your icicle in vain the whole time you're in there. A definite must power these days. Recommended slotting 3recharge1-2heal.


In addition to these primary powers, you've taken two of the more endurance-intensive sets (Energy Melee and Ice Armor), so you'll definitely want to go with the Fitness Pool powers to get Stamina. One thing I cannot emphasize enough: TAKE HEALTH. Take it and slot it fully. It's the glue that helps hold an Ice Tank together; since we feel the full force of any blows that get through, it helps if we can recover the damage as quickly as possible between lucky strikes. Some people also recommend the fighting pool for Tough and Weave. Since you don't have any resistances to cap (except cold, maybe) I think Tough probably won't be as useful as it would be to a Fire/ or Invuln/, and I can't say I've ever missed it myself. Weave's been reduced too much and had its endurance costs boosted too much for me to recommend it as a source of additional defense, you'd probably be better off with Combat Jump at that rate.

You've taken a late-blooming set, and it might be a bit discouraging in the lower levels. Still, I think you'll be pleasantly surprised by the mobility and surviveability of Ice, especially once you reach the SO levels and the I7 Defensive Changes go through. Good luck with your tanker!

- Laurentide

(Edited because i kan spel!)