Memphis_Bill

Please go to the revised (2.0) guide here. This guide has been cleaned up and updated to incorporate the many changes made since it was first written and has been reposted in a new version. Thank you.
-Memphis_Bill 9/11/2010





Look at this less as a guide than an overview. There won't be any build, and this is working off of feel and experience, not hard numbers. With that said...

Fiery Aura is one of the four classic Tanker armor sets (the others being Ice, Stone, and Invulnerability, Willpower and Dark being the new and shiny ones at time of initial writing.) As such, it's seen quite a few changes over the years COH has been out.

Fire is usually called the most offensive of the tanker sets. This is true (and part of why it's popular for Brutes, and was long overdue coming for Scrappers.) With this offense, it gains a few weaknesses - tradeoffs hotly debated even years after Enhancement Diversification and the Global Defense Nerf, herding changes and AOE changes.

Strengths

As mentioned, Fiery Aura is a very offensive set. Four powers in it do damage of some sort without leaning into IOs - Blazing aura, Burn, Consume, and Rise of the Phoenix. It also has a fast-recharging heal and an END recovery power (Consume.)

Also, unlike some of the other "purer" Tanks, Fiery Aura is a resistance set, not a defensive set. You will get hit, make no doubt about it - but you'll be hit for less damage typically. This, combined with the fast heal and mitigation through damage (dea... er, 'arrested" foes don't fight back) make for a very capable tank.

Weaknesses

Fiery Aura has a couple of weaknesses that the player must be aware of.

First, the Fire tanker has no inherent knockback (KB) protection. Unlike every o ther set (except Dark armor,) which usually gain KB protection with their status effect protection, Fire requires outside help, through teammates, inspirations, power pools or Invention Origin (IO) enhancements for this.

Secondly,it has no resistance to slows. EDIT: No longer true, since Issue 13 Temperature Protection has provided 20% resistance to movement slows and recharge time.

Last, Fire's Immobilization (immob) protection comes from Burn - which may seem ok at first, until you realize how late it comes (18 for tanks, later for others) and how situational the power is. Edit: However.... Issue 18 made some. See below.

Edit: Last last, from Combat's comments below:
Agreed. But I also have to admit, I *love* fighting Carnies.... Just pay attention.

Powers overview

What'cha get and when. We'll get into detail in a bit. I'm not going to give a build here - everyone's going to have different goals, and your secondary can make a big difference on how useful (or not) some of the primaries are. Levels given are tank levels. Scrappers get them later.

Quick 'n Dirty List from Paragon Wiki
Now, one at a time:

Blazing Aura
Open at: Lvl 1
PBAOE, Damage over time

Your fire damage aura. You'll have this early, most likely, though I prefer to take it after Fire shield. You can't hurt things from the hospital, after all.

Fire Shield
Open at: Lvl 1
Toggle, Res (Fire, Lethal, Smash, Cold, Disorient)

Your first, basic shield, covering both thematic (fire, cold) and common (smash/lethal) damage, as well as resisting Disorients. Early on, slot for End reduction (especially pre-Stamina, pre-Consume.) As you get into DOs, SOs, and IOs, slot resists. Never forget the END reduction though. This will be on constantly.

Healing Flames
Opens at: Lvl 2
Self heal, +Res (Toxic)

Another "Grab ASAP" power. Not only is it your heal, but early in your tanky career you'll be facing Vahzilok at some point - so the Toxic resist helps a little. It's a big part of your mitigation - at some point, you may even find you have it on autofire, though I personally found it wasn't needed that way after a while.

Temperature protection
Opens at: Level 6
Resist Fire, Cold (Auto)

Ahh. The first - let's call it "controversial" power in the powerset. FA already can build up to very respectable fire and cold resists - not that these are huge issues in game. And it comes at level 6, the same time your first power pool choice becomes available.

Most fire tanks skip, or respec out of Temperature Protection.

So why should you take it? There's exactly one reason - another place to stick a knockback IO. IF you have one at 10, you can slot it in for four points of KB protection (which can cover most of the game's knockback.) Other than that - skip it. (Even then, the IO fits into so many other powers, it's just not an issue.) If you have anything at all you want more - Jump kick, Flurry, Walk Small Poodle - take it instead.

Edit: Note, after Issue 13, this is no longer true! While still not a "Take the second it shows up" power, it still provides 20% slow and recharge time resistance. You will feel the difference when you start hitting Cryo tanks and the like. Try to fit it in. (And if you can get the Winter's Gift unique, you'll have another 20%.)

Consume
Opens at: Level 8

Take it. Don't argue. While it does some damage (remember the "Offensive Tank" idea,) it's usually best to slot this for Endmod and Recharge, with a touch of Accuracy. You'll still want Stamina (And after issue 19 will have it inherently) - an active tank burns End like mad - but this will help keep you going.

Plasma Shield
Opens at: Level 12
Toggle: Res(Energy, Nega tive, Fire, Hold, Sleep)

Yet another "take it now" power. This is your status resistance, after all. Again, early on, slot for END over resistance, as every bit helps.

Burn
Opens at: Level 18
Click: AOE damage, +Res (Immobilization)

Ahh, burn... Back in olden days, this helped make Fire tanks overpowered killing machines. Mobs would stack, it had no fear effect, and huge, stacking herds could be melted away with little to no effort. This is one of the reasons Fire tanks are considered "Offensive."

That's not quite true these days. For one, we have AOE and taunt limits. For another - Burn has a Fear effect that will cause mobs to turn and scatter, getting out of the Burn patch.

So, should you take this? Good question. If you're a brute reading this, or a Fire/Ice tank - yes. If you'll team regularly with anything that can keep mobs rooted in place, definitely consider it. You'll get an AOE immobilization in your Patron pool as a brute. If you're an /Ice tank, you'll get Ice Patch, which does a very nice job of keeping mobs in the burn patch.

If none of the above applies to you? Copy your character over to test, and try it out. I respecced out of it, quite frankly, as the fear and scatter made tanking (and fighting in melee) much more irritating. Even with Taunt, having them run in and out of it just was more trouble than it was worth to me. Some people like having it as a damaging "keep away" power, scattering mobs if things get too hot and heavy. It's personal preference.

Edit for Going Rogue and Issue 18: Oh yes. It's back, baby. It's damage without fear. Try to fit it in. (Expect an adjustment, I think, but really - try to fit it in. I'm taking a hard look at my Fire/SS tank to figure out where to put it.)

Fiery Embrace
Opens at: 26
+Damage

This, to me, is an odd power. It's a sort of build up - it increases the damage of all your powers, which is good - but it specifically increases the damage of fire powers more, and for longer.

If you're a Fire/Fire tank (or brute,) consider it a "Must have." More damage is good. If you're Fire/*/Pyre mastery, strongly consider it. Anything else? Keep it on the short list of "really really want, but isn't entirely needed," since most secondaries will have Build Up. (And if you're Fire/SS, it's even less needed thanks to Rage, IMHO. Fire/SS was my first Fire tank, just so you see where my "Not an instant pick" mentality comes from.)

Rise of the Phoenix
Opens at: 32
Self Rez, +Special (temp invulnerable, Disorient)

"I do not like being dead. It's most... inconvenient."

If you want to start a fight in the Tanker boards, bring up Rise of the Phoenix. "I want a power that makes me godlike, not something I have to be dead to use!"

At first, this looks like a valid argument - it IS a self rez, and to many Tanks, this means they've failed. However, I wouldn't trade it for anything.

Looking at other Tier 9 powers, you've got Hibernate (which speeds up your healing and recovery, but otherwise leaves you in a state like phase shift - unable to affect or be affected by anything,) Granite (high Resists and Defense, but with penalties to speed, recharge and defense,) Unstoppable and Strength of WIll (high Resists to everything but Psi, with a nasty crash at the end.)

Fire already has mitigation which is quite good, solid resists, and a powerful, fast recharging heal, on top of damage, damage, and more damage. If you get brought down, this brings you right back up, invulnerable for a time, with a good chunk of health and with whatever brought you down now staggering about disoriented, just asking to be defeated, instead of attacking you or your team.

Yes, even though I don't find myself defeated often enough to use it *much,* I still consider it a very useful tool.

Pools

Two pools leap to mind (appropriately, in one case) when it comes to Fire/ tanks.

Leaping

The first thing that most Fire tanks think of with this is Acrobatics, to cover knockback. Even post-I 12, where it was reduced to "only" 9 points of KB protection (from an overkill of 100,) it's more than enough to deal with the majority of the game.

Knockback's not the only reason to consider this pool, though. Combat jumping, at level 6, not only provides some vertical movement and defense, but gives Immobilization resistance 12 levels before you can select Burn - and it lasts as long as the power is toggled. Plus Superjump is just fun.

Quick power overview:
(6) Combat Jumping - +Def, +Immob protection. Slot for End reduction. Also takes a KB Resist IO.
(6) Jump Kick - Attack. Cheesy. Skip.
(14) Superjump. Very fun travel power.
(20) Acrobatics. KB protection (9pt,) slight status protection. Slot for End Reduction.

Fitness

One word. Stamina. you're a tank, you're running toggles constantly. Stamina will help tremendously. This is pretty much ae must have, unless you want to delve into IOs - some of which get quite pricy.

(6) Swift - Move a bit faster. Boosts Fly, too.
(6) Hurdle - yay, jumping!
(14) Health - +Regen. Always useful.
(20) Stamina - +Recovery. 3 slot with endmods. You're a tank.

Edit: As of Issue 19, this will be inherent. Start singing joyfully. You'll still want to slot Stamina.

Other power pools:

Flight
If you don't care about Burn, Flight is a very viable choice. Hover provides a sort of KB protection (you flip, and post-I12 you can't do anything while flipping, but it's still pretty quick,) plus it resists -fly. And Air Superiority is a decent single target attack. Fly's a fun, but slow, travel power. Then there's group fly... yeah, no.

Speed
If anything, you'll take this for Hasten, and possibly Superspeed as a travel power. Flurry's - ok, I suppose, and Whirlwind... just no.

Concealment
You're a tank. Quit hiding, wimp. If you want phase shift, get it for doing a patrol in Warburg, or craft Etherial Shift.

Presence
Everything you do taunts, and the fears... eh. not worth it to me.

Fighting
Popular with many fire tanks to add Resists or Defense (Tough or Weave.) Grab a quick attack (Boxing or Kick,) and Tough - then slot the heck out of it for END reduction. I don't see it as *necessdary,* honestly, but every bit helps if you can fit bit in. It's worth considering.

Medicine
You have healing flames, and you're not a Defender. If you need Aid Self as well, you're doing something wrong, IMHO. Besides, Aid Self is interruptable. Healing Flames isn't.

Leadership
Do you REALLY want more toggles? Besides, Defenders get more benefit from this.

Teleport
While I kind of like Teleport as a travel power (and Stone tanks swear by it,) it's purely up to you. Recall Friend and TP Foe can be useful - as well, surprisingly, as Group Teleport in some situations. Bring a friendly KIN to fulcrum shift as soon as you arrive in the middle of a spawn.

Builds
I'm not going to list builds. Not only does Fire interact differently with each Secondary (Burn being more useful with Ice, for instance, or Fiery Embrace giving more of a boost to Fire Melee,) but everyone's playstyle is different. Besides, part of the fun is trying things out.

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