Snowlock's Ice/Storm Guide Version 2.0!
As my original guide seems to have been lost I have rewritten it, making it better, faster, stronger! What I do is go through each power in the ice and storm sets and give you a general idea how to use them, and how to slot them.
For those wondering, I have every ice and storm power and have played around with all of them so I have a pretty good idea what they do. I also took hover, fly, hasten, swift, health and stamina. If I had to respec I'd take out some of the powers(flash freeze and tornado) and take manuvers and tactics probably.
At the end of the post is a sample build that may or may not work.
Ice Control Powers:
Chilblain, level 1
A single target immobilize. If you need a damage power early on this is a good choice, as it is faster to use then Block of Ice. Later on your damage will fall way behind the damage dealers so it becomes pretty useless. Use at high levels would be to make sure something is immobilized by stacking this with frostbite.
If you plan on using it to deal damage it should get damage, accuracy and endurance slots. If you just use it as a backup immobilize, go with accuracy.
Block of Ice, level 1
A single target hold. This should be one of your staple powers and I'd suggest getting it to start. You will be using this early on to hold annoying mobs, and later on to hold bosses that glacier doesn't hold. It also deals enough damage to get by with at the start, with the bonus that guys don't attack back.
Slot this to six with a majority of hold durations, and some accuracy as well.
Frostbite, level 2
A multietarget immobilize. This is a very good power that will lock large groups of enemies in place. As melee attacks are generally much stronger then ranged attacks this is a good strategy to keep yourself and parties alive at low level. At later levels you get more tools that will do similar things, but it still remains pretty solid.
Three to six slots are probably good. Get enough accuracy to make it hit everything and throw on some immobilize duration or endurance reduction for good measure.
Arctic Air, level 6
A point blank area of effect toggle. It inflicts slow and -recharge on all enemies around you and has a chance to fear or confuse them as well. Some people swear by this power while others just swear at it. I found the high endurance cost and the need to stand close to the enemy to be a downside. If you like getting in the melee mix this may be the power for you. If you want to stand back and control from a distance you should probably skip this.
If you want to use this, I'd put in three endurance reductions. Confuse and fear durations aren't much use as the base duration on them is so short. Slow duration enhancements aren't much use, as they only make guys move slower.
Shiver, level 8
A large cone slow and -recharge power. This power will hit a huge cone of guys and will slow their movement and attacks way down. Downside is that it can miss, and the duration of the power isn't that long. You are able to stack it though, and it will slow guys to the maximum amount if you do. It can also be combined with other slow/-recharge powers to hit the cap as well. I consider this to be the best slow/-recharge power availalbe, for the huge cone and self stacking benefits.
Doesn't need a lot of slots to be effective, just enough accuracy to hit realiably.
Ice Slick, level 12
A placed slow and knockdown power. This power creates a circular area on the ground that slows people walking through it, as well as having a chance at knocking them down or back. Rule of thumb is guys above your level will be knocked down while guys your level and lower will be knocked back. This makes it more effective when used on higher level guys as knockback usually spreads guys out. very useful to block off corridors in missions. Later on it becomes less usefull as you get more tools, but still a quality pick.
Doesn't really need to be slotted to be useful. Throw in a recharge to get it to come back before it goes away.
Flash Freeze, level 18
An area of effect sleep. Sleep is currently the least useful control power out there, and Flash Freeze is a bad sleep because it aggroes guys before they get put to sleep. If sleep is changed this power may be ok, but until then I would stay away from it.
If it becomes useful, a mix of sleep duration and accuracy should be best.
Glacier, level 26
A pointblank area of effect hold. This is a great power that you should get as soon as possible. Only small downside is you need to be next to the enemies to use it. Still, it should be used in almost every fight if you can work it.
Slot it out all the way, with a mix of accuracy, hold duration and recharges.
Jack Frost, level 32
A summoned pet. Jack is an OK pet. Once you have him slotted up you should be able to solo missions without too many problems. He's not going to do enough damage fast enough to kill medium to large groups though. He has four attacks which he cycles through. Two ice sword attacks, a short range cone attack and a single target hold. He also has about the same hit points as you, so he won't be that great of a tank.
Slot him out fully, with a mix of damage, accuracy and recharge.
Storm Summoning
Gale, level 1
A power you have to get, but it isn't that good. I'd resign myself to having to get it and move on. You have other powers to keep guys away from you.
Put an accuracy in it and forget about it. Doesn't deserve more slots.
O2 Boost, level 2
A small heal, as well as a stun and sleep resistance boost. Won't make you into a main line healer but is enough to save people occasionally, as well as reducing downtime. The stun and sleep resistances are also very good later on when guys tend to use them more frequently. Definitly pick this power up sometime in your career.
If you have some spare slots to spare you can give them to this. Slot it with heals or endurance reductions. It's effect lasts much longer then the recharge so no need to slot recharges.
Snow Storm, level 4
A ranged toggle slow/-recharge. Generally a very good power in the storm set, it gets overshadowed by arctic air and shiver. If you have to chose between these powers I'd go for shiver first. If you feel you still need more slowing you can pick this up, but I'd probably hold off getting it.
It doesn't need many slots to be useful. Just stick an endurance reduction in it and you should be ok. Slow enhancmenets only reduce movement speed, and since you can immobilize target isn't that great.
Steamy Mist, level 10
A point blank stealth, defense, resistance toggle. A very good power to get sometime in your career as it provides a bunch of useful buffs. The stealth buff is good for sneaking up to guys to use glacier. The defense buff isn't all that great, but still OK. The damage resistance is to cold, energy and fire, which aren't all that common, but can still come in handy. Pick it up once you feel you can run it all the time without too much trouble. It also slows your movement speed, but this can be fixed with swift, sprint or super speed(stack with super speed to make yourself really hard to see).
Somewhere between 3 and 6 slots. One endurance reducer isn't bad and the rest can be defense or resistance buffs.
Freezing Rain, level 16
The ultimate in ranged area debuffs. It damages guys(not for a lot though), reduces their defense, reduces their resistance to damage, and slows their speed and recharge. This is a must have power in the storm set you should get as soon as possible. Goes well with frostbite and glacier, as guys will try to flee out of the rain. Is useful when you get it and remains useful your entire career.
I'd go with six slots for this power, but the choice of enhancements is a bit variable. If you want to make sure it is always available, fill it with recharges. Putting some defense debuffs in will also be useful.
Hurricane, level 20
A pointblank toggle that does a bunch of things. It pushes guys away and knocks them back. It also debuffs their accuracy a great amount. Can be used to move guys around, or to keep them away from you and friends. Keeping the accuracy debuff on guys is hard unless you have a handy corner to push them into. A solid power that you should get eventually, just not right away.
Four slots is probably sufficient for this power, one endurance reduction and three accuracy debuffs.
Thunder Clap, level 28
A pointblank area of effect disorient. It is a decent power, but since Ice has no disorient in the main line it will only be useful for taking out minions and LTs. It recharges much faster then glacier, so you can use it more often. I'd get this power eventually, but not right away as it won't be usefull till slotted heavily and you will be slotting glacier around this time. Can be used in a pinch when glacier hasn't recharged.
Slot it mainly with accuracy and disorient duration. Recharge reduction doesn't hurt either.
Tornado, level 32
Summons a tornado. Sounds impressive, but it really isn't. The tornado deals almost no damage and throws guys in all directions. Only get it if you are at a complete loss of a power to take and want to be amused occasionally. It breaks up clumps of guys really well, but as you want to keep guys clumped up for AoE attacks this is a bad thing. Some people say it's a good run away power, but thats really stretching it.
No clue how to slot it as I have yet to find a good use for it.
Lightning Storm, level 38
Summons a startionary cloud that shoots lightning. Again sounds cool, but the damage isn't all that hot even with six slotted damage. Still, it's the second best damage power you can take(Jack is first) so pick it up if you have the power slots.
Put six slots in if you plan to use it. Slot mostly with damage, but the endurance cost is about half your endurance so one or two endurance reducers doesn't hurt.
Power Pool Powers
Here are some power pool powers that you may find helpful.
Hasten - A must have power, it is about the equivalent of two SO recharges in a power. This makes your LONG recharge powers(glacier, jack, freezing rain) shine and allows you to slot them with other things. Try to have this 6 slotted with recharge reducers by level 28 when you get glacier.
Super Speed - A travel power that goes well with steamy mist as the stealth effects stack and make you very hard to see. Can be taken later in your career if you like a different travel power, or can be your primary one since you'll want hasten. Doesn't need more slots unless you like traveling faster.
Swift - An OK power pool choice that will help you out if you want to move around at normal speeds while using Steamy Mist. Also can be used to get stamina.
Stamina - A very good power pool choice, it will increasae the amount of endurance you regen. I didn't get stamina until past 40, so it is possible to survive without out it, I just wouldn't advise it. It isn't necessary to get it exactly at 20, but try to fit it in when you have the space. Also make sure to slot it up to six with endurancy recovery when you have the slots.
Manuevers - Another OK power pool choice, it will boost your defense and those around you. No need to get it early as you have enough things to drain your endurance, but pick it up later once you have stamina slotted. If you have the slots it wouldn't hurt to six slot it with five defense and one endurance.
Tactics - A good power pool choice, it will allow you to replace some of your accuracies with other enhancements. Again this is a late game kind of thing when you have the power slots for it.
Sample Build
Archetype: Controller
Primary Powers - Control : Ice Control
Secondary Powers - Buff/Debuff : Storm Summoning
Slot[01] Level 1 (Starting Primary) : Block Of Ice /Hold,Hold,Hold,Hold,Acc,Acc
Slot[02] Level 1 (Starting Secondary) : Gale /Acc
Slot[03] Level 2 : Frostbite /Immob,Immob,Immob,Acc,Acc,Acc
Slot[04] Level 4 : O2 Boost /Heal
Slot[05] Level 6 : Hasten /Rchg,Rchg,Rchg,Rchg,Rchg,Rchg
Slot[06] Level 8 : Shiver /Acc,Acc,EndRdx
Slot[07] Level 10 : Swift /Run
Slot[08] Level 12 : Ice Slick /Rchg
Slot[09] Level 14 : Super Speed /Run
Slot[10] Level 16 : Freezing Rain /Rchg,Rchg,Rchg,Rchg,Rchg,EndRdx
Slot[11] Level 18 : Hurdle /Jump
Slot[12] Level 20 : Stamina /EndRec,EndRec,EndRec,EndRec,EndRec,EndRec
Slot[13] Level 22 : Steamy Mist /EndRdx,EndRdx,EndRdx,DefBuf,DefBuf,DefBuf
Slot[14] Level 24 : Hurricane /EndRdx,HitDeb,HitDeb
Slot[15] Level 26 : Glacier /Hold,Hold,Hold,Acc,Acc,Rchg
Slot[16] Level 28 : Thunder Clap /Dsrnt,Dsrnt,Dsrnt,Acc,Acc,Rchg
Slot[17] Level 30 : Maneuvers /EndRdx
Slot[18] Level 32 : Jack Frost /Dmg,Dmg,Acc,Rchg,Rchg,Rchg
Slot[19] Level 35 : Tactics /HitBuf,HitBuf,HitBuf,HitBuf,HitBuf,HitBuf
Slot[20] Level 38 : Lightning Storm /Dmg,Dmg,Dmg,Dmg,Dmg,EndRdx
