i went with my ice/ice over my fire/electric. i like my characters to be themed, and pure to that theme.
Don't worry too much about being able to "trick them out". I can do so at level 32-ish for a few million. I can make that few million very easily at Wentworth's, which is full of inf because people with several hundred million don't care if they drop a few hundred K extra. If you want guides, the Market section is full of them. . . but it's embarassingly easy to make a million or two extra.
As to the choices: I prefer fire/ice, because ice/ice has so many defensive tricks that is is possible to spend all your time holding, slowing, and annoying people- and none of your time actually doing damage. Fire can do both AOE and single-target damage exceptionally well, but where Ice pulls ahead is that every attack slows the enemy, and that translates directly into increased lifetime.
Either way, welcome to City of Heroes, and hope you have fun!
Mini-guides: Force Field Defenders, Blasters, Market Self-Defense, Frankenslotting.
So you think you're a hero, huh.
@Boltcutter in game.
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I prefer fire/ice, because ice/ice has so many defensive tricks that is is possible to spend all your time holding, slowing, and annoying people
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To be fair, let's point out that most of the defensive trickery you speak of can be found in Ice Manipulation, not Ice Blast. So Fire/Ice is no different - in that sense - than Ice/Ice.
Ice/Ice can suit you whether you want to control mobs or just flat out throttle them.
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I see a lot of people talk about both, but not a lot of different builds posted. Or maybe I'm just blind.
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PM me if you like and I'll forward you my build.
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I prefer fire/ice, because ice/ice has so many defensive tricks that is is possible to spend all your time holding, slowing, and annoying people and none of your time actually doing damage.
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To be fair, let's point out that most of the defensive trickery you speak of can be found in Ice Manipulation, not Ice Blast. So Fire/Ice is no different - in that sense - than Ice/Ice.
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I put back the bolded part of the quote you left out, which I think is very relevant to his original post, i.e. Ice/Ice can do so much mitigation, you sometimes forget to output the damage, which Fire/* excels at. Ice/* also gives you 2 holds and a slow effect in all its attacks, so it's hardly */Ice alone that gives you all the mitigation. Being able to insta-hold a boss before epics is no mean feat.
Having said that, I happen to think Fire/Ice is one of the best combinations of damage & mitigation available to blasters. I paired my own Ice/* blaster w/MM instead to give a bit more AoE damage from the seconary, since Ice excels w/ST damage & control, but isn't the best for AoE damage (doesn't suck, just isn't one of the top sets for it). Fire/Ice will give you almost as much damage output as you'll ever get (admittedly, Fire/Fire will get you more), while getting you a ton of control, esp after epics.
Ice/Ice is a fine combo and is certainly thematic (but so is Fire/Ice if your concept is a temperature controller), and you'll do ample damage with any blaster build. I just like the balance that comes w/Fire/Ice.
An Offensive Guide to Ice Melee
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Ice/Ice can do so much mitigation, you sometimes forget to output the damage,
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Only as much mitigation as you allow it to do. You shouldn't be overloading your build with mitigation powers from your secondary, even as an Ice/Ice Blaster.
My main build only carries 3 powers from IM, 2 of which are BU and Chilblain (a super-spammable damage dealer). I personally don't ever "forget" to do serious damage and don't see any good reason why an Ice/Ice Blaster should forget.
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I personally don't ever "forget" to do serious damage and don't see any good reason why an Ice/Ice Blaster should forget.
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When the Tank is taking significantly more damage than they normally do, or when extra mobs are pulled, or when you feel like doing something different for a little bit...just because you can. Granted, you're still going to throw your blasts around, but taking a few seconds to Shiver a group and then run in next to the Tank to drop Ice Patch then run to the extra group aggroed by the absent-minded Scrapper* and dropping Frozen Aura before going back into DPS mode can, and will, make a big difference when things go south.
*Because we know Blasters never pull extra aggro. 
-= idspispopd =-
[size=1]Arc ID: 3155 - Project Prometheus (Seeking Feedback, now with less invalidation)[/size]
Both are very good, I would say it is a matter of preference. Concept, damage type, damage orientation, secondary effects, and player experience all could play a major factor in choosing which one. I have an Ice/ice blaster and I love him, he excels in PvE and PvP.
Virtue: @Santorican
Dark/Shield Build Thread
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when you feel like doing something different for a little bit...just because you can.
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I hear you there. I'm one of the 3 people who like, and use, Snow Storm.
I'm all for the tricky stuff, when it fits the task at hand.
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I'm all for the tricky stuff, when it fits the task at hand.
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That's how I play my Ice/Ice. I have attacks. And I have control/mitigation powers. With a bit of recharge, I can attack non-stop. Or I can use control powers non-stop. Or mix and match both.
It depends on the situation. On a large team with lots of buffs/debuffs/control, I just focus on pure damage. On a smaller team or solo, I use my control stuff more.
That's why I like Ice/Ice, because it has a lot of options. And while Ice is better at single-target damage, it does have Frost Breath and Ice Storm, which ain't bad attacks.
@Acyl
VIRTUE
Blue: Realpolitik, Leading Lady, Glass Lass, Superball, Alec Kazam
Red: Battery Acid, Obsolete, Bugfix
i actually tend to bite it more on my ice blaster than i do on my fire blaster. i used to joke that a fire blaster isn't working right if it's not face down 50% of the time...i wonder how true that is anymore since i spend about that much time face down on my ice blaster and my fireblaster can nearly solo citadel TF. (all those council line up in nice neat groups that i can AOE AOE AOE) That said the two are 10 levels apart so maybe the one isn't doing well simply cause it is a lower level. There's really no limit on characters so roll both and see which you like better.
Roxy On DA...Finally!
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when you feel like doing something different for a little bit...just because you can.
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I hear you there. I'm one of the 3 people who like, and use, Snow Storm.
I'm all for the tricky stuff, when it fits the task at hand.
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I loved snow storm, but I found that Flash Freeze was a lot more useful then Snow Storm.
Virtue: @Santorican
Dark/Shield Build Thread
Flash Freeze is nice. I biotched loudly when they tried to remove FF as they were adding Hoarfrost to CM (even though I like Hoarfrost better).
But I just have a thing for Snow Storm.
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i actually tend to bite it more on my ice blaster than i do on my fire blaster... that said the two are 10 levels apart so maybe the one isn't doing well simply cause it is a lower level.
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You answered your own question.
Actually I'd much prefer the fire/ice combo. They compliment each other so much better.
/ice is terrific mitigation, small ST damage, and no aoe.
Ice blast itself is pretty low on the aoe side for blasters, which i'd beg to differ is the main reason for having trouble on the ice/ice blaster atm is creating aggro without killing off the minnions without both aim and build up normally.
Shiver is great on both builds, but especially shines when used in conjunction with rain of fire which offers more damage than ice storm. And in general with fire having fireball in addition to frost breaths counterpart fire breath.
The extra aoe makes a HUGE difference between having all the minnions dead, and sometimes lts, vs not with the ice/ice combo.
ice blast already has 2 holds in it for double stacking on bosses so thats not much of the issue there for needing it to pair with /ice.
In general throughout the game, the offset of most any fire/ice or ice/fire combo's throughout the game are intensely cooperative pairs for any AT as they mix high mitigation from ice of any kind, with high damage from fire of any kind.
I love my fire/ice, and will be respectively doing ice/fire in lieu of the ice/energy i originally wanted to do. Ice is just too low on aoe to do with a secondary that does not have an aoe attack IMO.
Plasmic's Guide to Sonic/Mental
Plasmic's Guide to Regeneration
Plasmic Fire - 50 Fire/Rad Victory Server
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Ice blast itself is pretty low on the aoe side for blasters, which i'd beg to differ is the main reason for having trouble on the ice/ice blaster atm is creating aggro without killing off the minnions without both aim and build up normally.
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Typically, Aim+BU+Ice Storm+Frost Breath (aimed correctly) = no minions left standing. You can still be effective when alternating Aim & BU for the sake of moving faster.
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Ice blast itself is pretty low on the aoe side for blasters, which i'd beg to differ is the main reason for having trouble on the ice/ice blaster atm is creating aggro without killing off the minnions without both aim and build up normally.
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Typically, Aim+BU+Ice Storm+Frost Breath (aimed correctly) = no minions left standing. You can still be effective when alternating Aim & BU for the sake of moving faster.
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This.
Until you get blizzard, then it's Chilblain+Blizzard+Catch a Breath on the off chance something escaped you. I have never had a problem mowing down minions. A friend of mine (who plays a fire/fire btw) calls my ice/ice blaster "The Reapsicle".
Be effective, well any team would welcome some AOE. But yes as mentioned it would take aim/bu together to do so. Which at least IMO defeates the purpose of taking both outside of nuking.
Thats why i like the fire/ice combo better, you can alternate aim and build up each mob and still take them all out.
A big issue i have in general is ice storm is honestly just too weak for its recharge. Frost breath is AWESOME its one of my favorite aoes. But as the set in whole ice storm needs something more to spice it up either better damage or someknockdown or something. I just don't feel that its small 10% -rech is worth the tradeoff for how much lower damage, and half lethal, it is.
As in general across the board again, there isn't an Archetype in the game i can think of where fire/fire or ice/ice is better than the alternate pairing of fire/ice and ice/fire.
Closest thing that comes close is a fire/fire tank but only in a pure damage farm-type situation of course. In general effectiveness practices, fire/ice and ice/fire >>> fire/fire and ice/ice.
Plasmic's Guide to Sonic/Mental
Plasmic's Guide to Regeneration
Plasmic Fire - 50 Fire/Rad Victory Server
My ice blaster doesn't have build up, and I still have never had a problem with minions.
I have inspirations for damage boosts.
There's a difference bet. "not having problems" and being really freakin' good at it. "Not having problems" will get you by solo or on slow teams, but for fast moving, fast killing teams, Fire's & Ice's AoE potentials do not compare, and if they did, it'd be grossly overpowered for Ice considering its mitigation effects.
Frost Breath is actually pretty comparable to Fire Breath. Slightly lower DPA, but wider cone and adds a slow. Same for Ice Storm vs. Rain of Fire--bit lower DPA, better slow effect, but honestly, if this is up for every fight, you're killing too slow. Now add in Fireball and Fire pulls far, far ahead. If you're satisfied with Ice's AoE for your style of play, more power to you, but it's pretty silly to say that Ice is in any way comparable for AoE damage to Fire.
Not even going to get started on not having BU (and Aim) on a blaster...
BTW, I happen to think Ice primary is perfectly balanced for its damage & mitigation. It's very good at what it does, as are most blaster primaries. I just happen to think that Ice/Ice is too much mitigation for a blaster combo and that Fire/Ice gives you more than enough to survive while doling out a whole lot of AoE (and ST--Fire's the damage king, period, not just AoE) loving. My own Ice blaster I paired w/MM for a bit more AoE oomph and it works out great. Ice/Fire would've been fine too, or Ice/Elec or EM if I wanted to be a pure ST specialist. Ice/Ice is just a bit too much of a good thing.
An Offensive Guide to Ice Melee
I have a great fondness for Fire/Ice, because they complement so well. Like a couple of others said.
I also have an Ice/Ice, and I do like it. It seems, though, that for me the levels of mitigation of the Ice/Ice is kind of overkill. It's more than I need. The Fire/Ice trades off some of that for additional damage. Whether that tradeoff is worth it is probably a matter of personal taste.
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My ice blaster doesn't have build up
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Mizzer, wow...why not? No matter how well things go for you now, BU would make it all better.
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I have a great fondness for Fire/Ice, because they complement so well. Like a couple of others said.
I also have an Ice/Ice, and I do like it. It seems, though, that for me the levels of mitigation of the Ice/Ice is kind of overkill. It's more than I need. The Fire/Ice trades off some of that for additional damage. Whether that tradeoff is worth it is probably a matter of personal taste.
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And thus, all the character slots. You have to love the variety of choices not just between this AT or that AT, but in all of the power options available within each. There are no right or wrong ways to play them, and even the "weakest" power sets can be great if used strategically.
I'll add another vote for fire/ice. They are very nice when paired up together.
Im trying to decide between either a Fire/Ice or an Ice/Ice blaster. I'm new to the game so cannot afford to trick them out yet and I tend to mostly solo with some grouping once in a while. From reading on the forums here, I understand fire/ice is great at Aoe and Ice/Ice is great for single target damage so they are two vastly different play styles. Which would you all recommend for more soloing fun?
Does anyone have a good build for the two that I could reference? I've found a couple here and there but most of them seem to be rather old and perhaps outdated. I see a lot of people talk about both, but not a lot of different builds posted. Or maybe I'm just blind. lol
Thank you blasters.
Drent Darkstar