just a quick bump
Nice guide, I would like to see your build. I just dinged 40 with my ice/ele last night. I have been building mine for PvP and I have found that it is somewhat gimping my PvE xp. I skipped FR & BFR mainly because 95% of PvPer have BFs or status protection greater then my mags of holds.
I am looking forward to the Epics and not exactly sure which way I want to go. I am thinking of respecing into a little more PvE friendly build as it seems I am spending less time in PvP now days.
You guide help me understand the control part of the set better and I think I will try to work more control into my PvE respec.
So, is it wrong to necro your own guide? Well damn it, I say its not! This was written before IO's and defiance 2.0, so if you aren't familiar with these concepts, check them out and apply them accordingly. Either way, happy con-blapping!
Sam's Guide to the Ice/Elec Con-Blapper
Six months have passed since I hit 50 on my main and wrote my first guide (which is linked in my signature). I've since played a variety of ATs and power sets, only to find myself let down at on point or another. Some I've gotten as high as 44 while others were already doomed by the time I made it to The Lost on my opening sewers run. Eventually I became bored and set my account for deactivation, but on the final days of activity I came across this build. A month or so later I picked the game back up and I dedicated my in-game efforts to developing a strong play style only to find that I had come across a one man army.
What's a con-blapper?
To understand what a con-blapper is (also referred to as a blap-troller), you have to first understand two things: a) a blaster is, and b) what a blapper is. If you understand both concepts, please skip the rest of this paragraph. Blasters, defined by their ranged primary set, are essentially an offense driven creature. They do the highest amount of damage while recieving the smallest amount of protection. Once a player decides to play a blaster,they can either choose a melee set to add fire power, or Devices which sacrifices damage in order to fill in some of the holes that blasters lack in survivability. A blapper, there for, is a blaster who ignores Devices and not only chooses a melee set, but utilizes several attacks from that set as well. With out having access to any natural defenses until level 41 this is a very dangerous path to take, but the offensive output can be outrageous.
Now a con-blapper not only combines the use of blasting and melee attacks, but by adding holds and debuffs they gain the added element of control. If played intelligently a con-blapper will not only be able to solo any mission they come across on invincible settings, but they are also a great asset to any team they come in contact with.
Why Ice/Elec?
This is simple. For starters you get excellent single target ranged and melee attacks that will make you an asset on PvP, AV, and GM teams. You get 2 self boosts, with Aim and Build Up, that send your output through the roof. There is a quick, safe, and easy 4-power chain to help maximize your nuke. You also have access to 2 ranged holds, 1 melee hold, and 1 ranged immobilization; added to this your powers can (and will) have the added effects of Slow, Disorient, Stun Endurance Drain, Endurance Return, - Recharge Rate, and there's even a ToHit Debuff in there. On top of all of that, most of these effects stack with each other making you a nightmare in PvP!
Final Note Before I Get Started:
I didn't attach my skeleton build on this character because I build the way I build because of the way I play, not the way you play; and if you pay attention you should be able to come up with a rough idea of the way I like to do things anyway. This is not to say it will necessarily work for you, nor should you necessarily want it to. I like to write these guides because when I first decided that I wanted to be a solid CoH gamer I did a ton of research and read guide after guide to familiarize myself with what different builds are capable of. In turn, the toons I play the most are ones that I have found to be very worthy of playing, but seriously lacking info on. My only hope is that this will help shed some light on a build that I would venture to call fun.
Ice Blast
Ice Blast
type: Click, Ranged
Cost/Recharge: 8.53/8
Effects: -20% JumpHeight Enhancement to Target for 10 seconds, -20% Speed, -20% RechargeTime
Slotting Recommendations: A(ccuaracy): 1-2, D(amage): 3, RR(recharge rate): 0-1 ER(endurance reduction): 0-1, S(low): 0-2
This is the staple of your early blast attacks, and will continue to be a piece of the puzzle the whole way through the game. It's a very basic attack, but offers side-effects that are only the beginning of your opponents hangover.
Ice Bolt
Click, Ranged
5.2/4
-20% JumpHeight Enhancement to Target for 6 seconds, -20% Speed, -20% RechargeTime
A: 1-2, D: 0-3, S: 0-3, ER: 0-1
Ok, so I've never been big on taking the mini-blast power in any set, but there is just no way around taking one of the next two powers; neither of which are overwhelming. If you are a PvP oriented player my suggestion would to be to grab this one over the next and slot it for 2 acc and 2-3 slows. It doesn't really do much damage, so having a power that you are almost positive is gonna hit and slow a foe down can be a nifty tool for stalking your prey or making a quick get away; this also goes for anyone facing a +3 or a +4 boss. For everyone else, Ice Bolt is a quick shot to start stacking your secondary effects. It is on a quick recharge timer that isn't worth slotting for as soon as you work Hasten into your build (more on that later).
Frost Breath
Click, Ranged, Cone AoE
15.18/16
-20% JumpHeight Enhancement to Target for 10 seconds, -20% Speed, -20% RechargeTime
A:1-2, D: 3, RR: 0-1, ER: 1, S: 0-1
This is the other half of the dubious duo. Frost Breath carries a hefty endurance cost, a long animation, and a fairly long recharge time for being a moderate damage attack, though it can hit several foes at once slowing them all down. If you plan on PvP, I would think that you would skip this attack all together. I'm not a huge fan of it, but I have found it useful in bringing down pesky Freak tanks that don' want to die. When every other attack in the arsenal seems to bring them right to the level where they should die, only to watch them quickly regenerate some HP, the second tick on this 2-tick attack usually puts them down for the count. Other than that....eh.
AIM
Click, Self, Buff
5.2/90
37.5% ToHit to Self for 10 seconds, 62.5% Damage Buff
RR:1-3, TH(tohit buff): 0-2
This is the first of the two natural self buffs that you will receive. Make sure that you take this for a damage modifier if nothing else. 62.5% is like adding 2 SOs to your attacks for 10 seconds, so use it wisely. For PvP use, or any use I suppose, adding 2 ToHit Buffs in here will ensure that you can hit just about anything that moves.
Freeze Ray
Click, Ranged, Hold
6.86/10
9.536 second Held (magnitude 3) to Target, 10000% Resistance(Knockback) to Target for 10 seconds
A: 1-2, H(old): 0-3
Sweet, you made it to your first hold. By the point you receive this power you should be on your way to con-blapper status. The hold here is strong enough to lock down minions and lieutenantts. To lock down a boss you either need to apply it twice, or match it another hold from either your arsenal or from a teammate. For PvE, I suggest learning how to quickly scroll through a mob and recognizing what target you should take out of the action before you engage. There is a tiny amount of damage dealt by this power, but it is so insignificant I can't see a way to justify wasting a single slot on it. Let's call a spade a spade, shall we?
Ice Storm
Click, Ranged, AoE
15.6/60
500% Avoid to Target for 0.75 seconds, -40% Speed to Target for 0.5 seconds over 72 tics, -10% RechargeTime to Target for 0.5 seconds
A: 1, D: 0-3, S:0-3 ER:0-1 RR: 0-1
This is more or less a smaller version of your nuke doing roughly 70% of the damage (according to hero builder) of Blizzard and leaving you with plenty of endurance. On the down side if taken at an early level, most tanks can't control the amount of aggro that you will be breaking. Skipping it until your mid to upper 20's is wise. Ice Storm carries with it the second strongest application of slow, so make sure to 6 slot this power accordingly. A quick pointer on using Ice Storm: if you use this as an alpha attack you just might find yourself pushin daisies if you don't get out of their line of sight. Duck a quick corner, wait 2-3 seconds for your teammates to pull their attention, then take out their remains. With all that debuffing, their second and third wave of attacks won't be coming for a while, so just don't let 7 or 8 first waves take you down.
Bitter Ice Blast
Click, Ranged
13/12
-7% ToHit to Target for 6 seconds, -20% SpeedJumping to Target for 12 seconds, -20% RechargeTime
A: 1-2, D: 3, THD(tohit defuff): 0-2: S: 0-2, RR: 0-1,ER: 0-1
This is the granddaddy of your single target attacks. While it isn't an insanely powerful blast, it certainly gets the job done. Give some serious consideration to adding a ToHit Debuff in this powers makeup, as it is 1 of only 2 chances to reduce your opponents accuracy.
Bitter Freeze Ray
Click, Ranged, Hold
15.18/20
9.536 second Held (magnitude 3), -20% Speed to Target for 18 seconds, -20% RechargeTime, 10000% Resistance(Knockback) to Target for 10 seconds
A: 1-2, D: 0/3, H: 0-3, S: 0-1, RR: 0-1, ER: 0-1
Here comes your second hold. It takes a little longer to recharge, and the animation is too long to use in a crowd once the party gets started. You will find very good, but not great damage to match the hold, so itis up to you how you want to slot this this. I personally slot it towards control and use it as an opening attack into bosses while quickly stacking Freeze Ray to lock them down. In the case of 2 leiuts I like to combine Bitter Freeze Ray with Freeze Ray to take them both out of play.
Blizzard
Click, Ranged, AoE
20.8/360
-1000% Recovery to Self for 20 seconds, -100% Endurance to Self, 500% Avoid to Target for 0.75 seconds, -50% Speed to Target for 5 seconds over 12 ticks, -30% RechargeTime, -60% FlySpeed, 0.1 Knockback to Target (8% chance), -20% ToHit
A: 1, D: 3, RR: 0-2, TDB: 0-2, S: 0-1
Welcome to your nuke, and...ummm...yeah, sorry bout that. Itis pretty underwhelming in my opinion (most things are after Nova), but fear not my friends, there's good news and better news here. The good news is that if you've gotten to this point you've undoubtable learned how to become the one man army I talked about earlier. Locking your opponents down and taking them out with the precision of a LASEK surgeon will be second nature to you, and you'll simply find this to a worry free alternative every odd group or so. The better news is that there is a "DUH!" combo worked into this move that greatly improves it effectiveness. Simply follow this chain: Aim + Build Up + Ice Storm + Blizzard to watch a group start to melt at your teammates feet. If you're all alone, take advantage of the fact that this is a ranged chain debuffing their speed by dropring it, then ditching them around the next corner. By the time you're ready to fight you'll find that the few survivors will be seriously gimped. Game on!
Electric Manipulation
Electric Fence
Click, Ranged, Immobilize
7.8/4
11.92 second Immobilize (magnitude 3), -3% Endurance to Target for 6.2 seconds, 10000% Resistance(Knockback) to Target for 15 seconds, -100% Recovery to Target for 2 seconds (20% chance).
A: 1-2, EM(endurance modification): 0-3, I(mmobilization Duration): 0-3
Here ya go folks, the one power you're stuck with. It might not seem like a lot at first, but it does help with an extra measure of soft control on yet another singled out foe. I like slotting this for an endurance drain, later on, as it can it most squeeze out your opposition's stamina with just a few quick applications. Having a quick recharge time, low endurance cost, and a quick animation time make this a winner in my book for something that I'm stuck with.
Charged Brawl
Click, Melee
10.19/10
11.92 second Sleep (magnitude 3) to Target (after 0.25 second delay) (20% chance), -7% Endurance, -100% Recovery to Target for 2 seconds (20% chance), Toggle Drop (5% chance), 5.1 Endurance to Self (30% chance)
A: 1-2, D: 3, RR: 0-1, ER: 0-1, EM: 0-2
This is the start of your blapper attacks. You get a decent recharged time, and a fair quick animation for this solid damage attack. Get in, pop this off, then get out. Once you aquire Havoc Punch, you've got a great 1-2 combo before you have to back out of melee range.
Lightning Field
Toggle, PBAoE
1.56/10
-2% Endurance to Target
"Yes! I want a 20ft low damage aggro-field surrounding me at all times! Please tell me how!" NO! I honestly cannot express in words how absolutely brain-dead you would have to be to think this power is a good idea. The best way to blap is not to let any foes know that you're about to kill them; this, however, grabs the attention of everything in sight. Remember that you are a squishy and leave the aggro for the tanks. The lone exception to this rule would for a strictly PvP toon, where as you will have the ability to drain any melee ranged foe's stamina at a rate just slightly quicker than the cost of using it (if slotted and timed perfectly). This, in my book, is still not worth it though slightly less insane.
Havoc Punch
Click, Melee
13.52/14
17.88 second Sleep (magnitude 3) to Target (after 0.25 second delay) (50% chance), 1.558 Knockback to Target (30% chance), -10% Endurance to Target, -100% Recovery to Target for 4 seconds (30% chance), Toggle Drop (22% chance), 6.76 Endurance to Self (30% chance)
A: 2, D: 3, EM: 0-1, RR: 0-1, ER: 0-1
Blapper attack #2. Havoc Punch comes with a longer animation and recharge time than Charged Brawl but it also comes with a bigger pop. Trust me on slotting it up twice for accuracy no matter if you plan on PvP or PvE. I learned that from running HeroStats, over the course of time this was the least accurate attack in the build (second being Bitter Freeze Ray). If you've decided to work the endurance drain angle with your other secondary attacks, dont stop here as you're sure to get a great return on your investment.
Build Up
Click, Self, Buff
5.2/90
15% ToHit to Self for 10 seconds, 100% Damage Buff
RR: 1-3
Now's your chance to bring the pain. Stack it on top of Aim to get 162.5% damage increase on your next several attack, or by itself for 100% boost. Use it smart, but use it often.
Lightning Clap
Click, Melee, PBAoE
13/30
9.536 second Stun (magnitude 2) to Target (50% chance), 2.077 Knockback
A: 1-2, SD(stun duration):0-3
I'm not in support of this power since it delivers no damage and only has a chance at stunning. The only time I ever had it in my build, I dropped it almost as quickly as I picked it up so I'll be brief here. If you take it you should slot it, but I find that one of the best parts of /Elec is that you don't need to take all of the powers for it to be effective.
Thunder Strike
Click, Melee
18.51/20
5.96 second Stun (magnitude 3) to Target (50% chance), 6.231 Knockback, -100% Recovery to Target for 4 seconds (40% chance), 4.154 Knockback to Target (80% chance)
A: 1-2, D: 3, SD: 0-1
This is a great example of a power that works better in some builds than in others. When I had Thunder Strike on my Nrg/Elec blaster I found that the animation was so long that I would wind up collecting debt before I finished this big attack. Well between the holds and the speed debuffs you get through out this build, Thunder Strike can become a VERY valuable attack to help bring down the nastiest of the nastiest. If you can find room for it, shift your build's strength in it's direction; between your holds, Bitter Ice Blast, and Thunder Strike you'll be a force to be reckoned with.
Power Sink
Click, PBAoE
13/60
-35% Endurance to Target, -100% Recovery to Target for 4 seconds (30% chance), 25 Endurance to Self (after 0.25 second delay)
RR: 2-3, EM: 2-3
When you activate this power, you drain all nearby foes of endurance, and transfer it back to yourself. This lets you pop a blue after you drop you nuke, get near the crowd, and fire this off in order to get you up and running again; just make sure that someone else has got their attention first. Even on non-nuking occasions its an incredible way to keep yourself from running out of gas. Power Sink even takes a huge chunk out of your opened endurance, which can make this a strong offensive debuff as well.
Shocking Grasp
Click, Melee, Hold
18.2/15
9.536 second Held (magnitude 3), -7% Endurance to Target for 8.1 seconds, -100% Recovery to Target for 4 seconds (50% chance), 9.1 Endurance to Self (30% chance)
A: 1-2, D: 3 EM: 0-2, H: 0-2, RR: 0-1, ER: 0-1
To me, this is a power begging for available HO's before you take it. None of the 3 ways you can take this power are monumental in its own right, but with just a couple of HO's you can build in all 3 directions making this power a personal favorite. Sadly it also makes it skippable until respecing very late in the game.
Epic Powers
You should choose your epics according to where you want to see your toon go from here as several interesting choices present themselves. Early on each set will give you access to your first real armor. Force Mastery is for those who are interested in as much defense as possible. Munitions Mastery will also enable you with a 3rd ranged hold, an AoE sleep, and another strong ranged attack. Elecrical Mastery provides a 3rd ranged hold, a decent attack and a PBAoE endurance drain. Cold Mastery gives you an AoE sleep, an AoE speed debuff, and the best "Oh Crap!" button on the market; while Flame Mastery is equipped with an AoE KB, a 3rd ranged hold, and a self-res. This is the fun part of making your toon your own. If you made it this far, you deserve it
Travel Powers
I'll make this simple and tell you exactly how I view these choices. I want Hasten from the speed pool asap. The leaping pool is the best route for a blapper because it not only provides a great vertical travel power, but it also comes with Defense, Resist Immobilization, and Resist KB/Holds. I don't waste too many slots on Combat Jumping since neither the defense nor the endurance cost is much to think twice about. I put 2-3 ER in Acrobatics wich is the heftier of the two toggles. When I was looking to PvP, I grabbed Super Speed to keep enemies in range.
Other Pools
Fitness is a must. I take Hurdle to work with my travel power, health, then the almighty stamina at 20. On a side note, I've noticed quite a few people skipping Health and doubling up on Swift and Hurdle. While Health isn't a huge boost, there have been enough times where I've found myself under 20 HP to deem it important to me; yet after crunching a few numbers (which I can only hope are based on 100% accurate data) its worth 2 slotting, but not 3. Stamina is a 3 slotter, don't think twice about it.
Fighting is a pool that I would try and work in the build if you take an Epic route other than Force, but the endurance cost of running both Tough and Weave may be too much for an active blaster to bare. Leadership is also an endurance heavy set that gives low returns to blasters, so beware. Provoke isn't such a bright idea for a squishy, but stealth isnt bad at all if sneaking around is your sort of thing. Medicine is a common pool for PvPers out there, and matching it with Force you can Aid Self inside of your Personal Forcefield just incase you need a mini-time out, however I have never endorsed the set because of its interruptible nature.
Conclusion
Well if you made it this far I want to thank you for adding this guide to your knowledge database. My hard numbers come from City of Data (UK) and I hope that they are not only accurate through I-7, but remain so. This is a very strong build, but it requires a skilled player to pull it off. If you are new to the CoH community, you might want to get your feet wet by trying the Energy or Fire primaries before giving this a try.