Beginning Ice/Battle Axe Build - comments please

Overconfidence · 02-26-2006 12:39 PM

Build up to lvl 20:

---------------------------------------------
Exported from Ver: 1.7.3.0 of the CoH_CoV Character Builder - (http://home.comcast.net/~SherkSilver/index.html)
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Name: Snowbeard
Level: 21
Archetype: Tanker
Primary: Ice Armor
Secondary: Battle Axe
---------------------------------------------
01) --> Frozen Armor==> EndRdx(1) EndRdx(5) DefBuf(15) DefBuf(19)
01) --> Gash==> Acc(1) Dmg(3) Dmg(7)
02) --> Chop==> Acc(2) Dmg(3) Dmg(7) Dmg(17)
04) --> Hoarfrost==> Rechg(4) Rechg(5) Rechg(9)
06) --> Wet Ice==> EndRdx(6) EndRdx(9) EndRdx(13)
08) --> Combat Jumping==> EndRdx(8)
10) --> Beheader==> Acc(10) Dmg(11) Dmg(11) Dmg(17)
12) --> Chilling Embrace==> EndRdx(12) EndRdx(13) Slow(15) Slow(19)
14) --> Super Jump==> Jump(14)
16) --> Swift==> Run(16)
18) --> Health==> Heal(18)
20) --> Stamina==> EndMod(20)
---------------------------------------------
01) --> Sprint==> Empty(1)
01) --> Brawl==> Empty(1)
01) --> Gauntlet==> Empty(1)
02) --> Rest==> Empty(2)
---------------------------------------------

Any recommendations so far?

"If there's anything worse than being sacrificed, it's being sacrificed incompetantly."

Cognito · 02-26-2006 06:16 PM

Get chilling embrace before wet ice - id swap 'em

Status effects are rather rare before teens (and you have some innate tanker res anyway), so wet ice dosent add a whole lot until level 12

On the other hand, chilling embrace is your single best aggro grabber and protection and you should get asap. No tank can compete with ice tanks for sucking aggro like nothing else, and its down to CE. Combine that with slow and -damage, it is your get asap, slot asap power.

When to get taunt is a whole lecture in itself. IMO ice tanks can get away with leaving it a bit later due to CE excellence in aggro management, but you will be needing it by around early 20's. IMHO a tank without taunt isnt worth a whole hill of beans, and to be blunt wouldnt be welcome on my team. Again, I might make an exception for a skilled ice tank due to CE.

bigboy_EU · 02-26-2006 07:38 PM

I'm not going to get into the taunt debate again, there are plenty of threads for that but from my build you can see that the earliest I'd get it is 18...

Would you mind only having 2 attacks instead of 3? Just I would be akward and prefer...

---------------------------------------------
Exported from Ver: 1.7.5.0 of the CoH_CoV Character Builder
---------------------------------------------
Name:
Level: 22
Archetype: Tanker
Primary: Ice Armor
Secondary: Battle Axe
---------------------------------------------
01) --> Frozen Armor==> Empty(1)
01) --> Gash==> Empty(1)
02) --> Hoarfrost==> Empty(2)
04) --> Chilling Embrace==> Empty(4)
06) --> Wet Ice==> Empty(6)
08) --> Combat Jumping==> Empty(8)
10) --> Beheader==> Empty(10)
12) --> Hurdle==> Empty(12)
14) --> Super Jump==> Empty(14)
16) --> Health==> Empty(16)
18) --> Glacial Armor==> Empty(18)
20) --> Stamina==> Empty(20)
---------------------------------------------
01) --> Sprint==> Empty(1)
01) --> Brawl==> Empty(1)
01) --> Gauntlet==> Empty(1)
02) --> Rest==> Empty(2)
---------------------------------------------

Glacial armour can be swapped with chop/taunt depending on your style.

Jiaozy · 02-27-2006 02:31 AM

Imo in a tanker the power you have to pick asap is your status protection, in Ice Armor you can get that power at lvl 6 (Wet Ice)and even if the mez aren't that much(not completely true as clocks have tesla cage, trolls can knock you back, up and sideways while stunning you and the lovely Frostfire can hold you)you'll need it if anything for traveling in a more safe way, without the risk of being knocked down by a boulder of a troll and ganked by his mates

BB's build looks like what I would go for(and like what I've done, except I have energy melee)and it's a pretty solid build.

Cognito · 02-27-2006 07:04 AM

I agree. A generic build might go something like:

1: Frozen Armour + Secondary Attack
2: Hoarfrost
4: Chilling Embrace
6: Wet Ice
8: etc.

(Make sure to get fitness pool though, very needed for all those toggles).

THe taunt question is a whole other debate. Many tanks leaving it to mid 20's which is just about as long as you can hold it off and still be a tank.

One of the most important decisions is always scrank vs. tank. Ie how much do you want to fight / cause damage. If the answer is little/you want to team more, id get taunt early.

Just a personal observation that there are so few good tanks out there at the moment (most are scrankers) that as a good aggro sucking ice TANK (not scrank) you will end up on many peoples freinds lists.

Cognito · 02-27-2006 07:04 AM

I agree. A generic build might go something like:

1: Frozen Armour + Secondary Attack
2: Hoarfrost
4: Chilling Embrace
6: Wet Ice
8: etc.

(Make sure to get fitness pool though, very needed for all those toggles).

THe taunt question is a whole other debate. Many tanks leaving it to mid 20's which is just about as long as you can hold it off and still be a tank.

One of the most important decisions is always scrank vs. tank. Ie how much do you want to fight / cause damage. If the answer is little/you want to team more, id get taunt early.

Just a personal observation that there are so few good tanks out there at the moment (most are scrankers) that as a good aggro sucking ice TANK (not scrank) you will end up on many peoples freinds lists.

Unthing · 02-27-2006 07:19 AM

Ice tankers are the FOTM at the moment it seems.

Remmeber that the planners do not take into account the recent move of taunt to a tier 4 power and move a good attack to tier 3.

I took

1: Frozen Armor
1: Jab ( Tier 1 attack, gash equivalent )
2: Chilling Embrace
4: Haymaker ( Tier 3 attack, beheader equivalent )
6: Wet Ice
8: HoarFrost
10: Combat Jumping
12: Taunt
14: Super Jump
16-20 fitness
etc...

I would swap Hoarfrost and Wet Ice for a starting build if I did it again. Jiaozy says that a tank needs to get the status protection power ASAP but Ice tanks can get it 2 levels earlier than other tanks and a rarely available self heal is going to help your early survivability more than a status protection which you are only going to use for travelling and against occasional tricky enemies as it costs too much endurance unless you are teaming. The levels 6-8 go pretty fast anyway.
I would recomend Chilling Embrace at level 2, it is better on damage mitigation + aggro control than Hoarfrost.

@Unthing ... Mostly on Union.

Overconfidence · 02-27-2006 07:28 PM

[ QUOTE ]
Ice tankers are the FOTM at the moment it seems.

[/ QUOTE ]
Well I have to admit it was thinking about the coming Def changes that got me started.

A rethink:
---------------------------------------------
Exported from Ver: 1.7.3.0 of the CoH_CoV Character Builder - (http://home.comcast.net/~SherkSilver/index.html)
---------------------------------------------
Name: Snowbeard
Level: 31
Archetype: Tanker
Primary: Ice Armor
Secondary: Battle Axe
---------------------------------------------
01) --> Frozen Armor==> EndRdx(1) EndRdx(5) DefBuf(7) DefBuf(15) DefBuf(19)
01) --> Gash==> Dmg(1) Acc(3) Dmg(13) Dmg(21)
02) --> Chilling Embrace==> EndRdx(2) EndRdx(3) Slow(7) Slow(17)
04) --> Beheader==> Acc(4) Dmg(5) Dmg(13) Dmg(27)
06) --> Hoarfrost==> Rechg(6) Rechg(11) Heal(17) Rechg(19)
08) --> Wet Ice==> EndRdx(8) EndRdx(9) EndRdx(9)
10) --> Air Superiority==> Acc(10) Dmg(11) Dmg(15)
12) --> Swift==> Run(12)
14) --> Fly==> Fly(14) Fly(21)
16) --> Health==> Heal(16)
18) --> Taunt==> Taunt(18)
20) --> Stamina==> EndMod(20)
22) --> Swoop==> Acc(22) Dmg(23) Dmg(23) Dmg(27)
24) --> Glacial Armor==> EndRdx(24) EndRdx(25) DefBuf(25)
26) --> Energy Absorbtion==> Rechg(26)
28) --> Whirling Axe==> Acc(28) Dmg(29) Dmg(29)
30) --> Build Up==> Rechg(30)
---------------------------------------------
01) --> Sprint==> Empty(1)
01) --> Brawl==> Empty(1)
01) --> Gauntlet==> Empty(1)
02) --> Rest==> Empty(2)
---------------------------------------------

Anyone want to comment on the relative merits of Air Superiority and Jump Kick as Power Pool attacks?

"If there's anything worse than being sacrificed, it's being sacrificed incompetantly."

Cognito · 02-27-2006 08:49 PM

I wouldnt bother with either to be honest, given that you will have to draw / redraw your battle axe...

Options might be:

Go the haste / superspeed route

Combat Jumping to eke out a bit more defence and to add range to your attacks (wont realy need the status protection as an ice tank)

Hover a bit pointless it must be said! (I guess ekes out a tiny bit more defence but pretty pointless)

Teleport other / Teleport for always fun for any character.

My ice/ice went CJ/superjump for concept reasons. I like to squeeze out all the defence i can i suppose.

Just bear in mind air superiority and combat jump will mean a lot of battle axe draw/withdrawing

Axewrath · 02-27-2006 11:17 PM

I've got the same sets. For a start both Hibernate and Cleave are great choices. Hibernate roots you to the spot and makes you invincible while you heal. People argue that this ability gets the team killed, but a live tank is better than a dead one. A live tank can jump back in and help rather than faceplant.
Cleave is the most powerful of your Axe attacks. It is a godsend when finishing off that difficult boss. Every power in the ice primary line is great bar permafrost. Permafrost give res to cold and fire. The extra fire protection is nice, but only if you have a power choice left imo. You can max out your cold res by getting all the armours, but cold damage is rare outside pvp anyway.
You lack much area of effect damage as this type of tank. If you want more get whirling axe. It can help weaken all foes around you, as well as provide a nifty knockdown chance to all foes, helping you defend yourself a bit better.

aaaARMSaaa_EU · 02-28-2006 09:41 AM

what's your normal attack chain for the Axe?

PRAF68_EU · 02-28-2006 09:49 AM

I would go with BigBoy's build.

Frosty Robot has Hover and Fly. Hover is useful when you are close to the def cap but not quite there.

I really should do something about this signature.

Overconfidence · 02-28-2006 05:15 PM

[ QUOTE ]
Hover is useful when you are close to the def cap but not quite there.

[/ QUOTE ]
Is there a Def cap? I mean I know there is a practical limit since everyone gets 5% minimum to-hit, but I didn't think there was an official cap. What is it?

"If there's anything worse than being sacrificed, it's being sacrificed incompetantly."

bigboy_EU · 02-28-2006 08:53 PM

I got bored and so did a build up to 49, after 20 the choices are mostly personal so feel free to ignore this .

---------------------------------------------
Exported from Ver: 1.7.5.0 of the CoH_CoV Character Builder
---------------------------------------------
Name:
Level: 49
Archetype: Tanker
Primary: Ice Armor
Secondary: Battle Axe
---------------------------------------------
01) --> Frozen Armor==> Empty(1)
01) --> Gash==> Empty(1)
02) --> Hoarfrost==> Empty(2)
04) --> Chilling Embrace==> Empty(4)
06) --> Wet Ice==> Empty(6)
08) --> Combat Jumping==> Empty(8)
10) --> Beheader==> Empty(10)
12) --> Hurdle==> Empty(12)
14) --> Super Jump==> Empty(14)
16) --> Health==> Empty(16)
18) --> Glacial Armor==> Empty(18)
20) --> Stamina==> Empty(20)
22) --> Taunt==> Empty(22)
24) --> Swoop==> Empty(24)
26) --> Energy Absorbtion==> Empty(26)
28) --> Whirling Axe==> Empty(28)
30) --> Build Up==> Empty(30)
32) --> Hibernate==> Empty(32)
35) --> Cleave==> Empty(35)
38) --> Pendulum==> Empty(38)
41) --> Block of Ice==> Empty(41)
44) --> Aid Other==> Empty(44)
47) --> Aid Self==> Empty(47)
---------------------------------------------
01) --> Sprint==> Empty(1)
01) --> Brawl==> Empty(1)
01) --> Gauntlet==> Empty(1)
02) --> Rest==> Empty(2)
---------------------------------------------

Axewrath · 02-28-2006 10:10 PM

[ QUOTE ]
what's your normal attack chain for the Axe?

[/ QUOTE ]
This may change, but what I've had for ages is Pendulum, Cleave, Swoop, Chop, Gash. When I can activate buildup, I perform these attacks in this order so the most powerful three strike while buildup is still active.

MaXimillion_Zero · 03-01-2006 05:55 AM

[ QUOTE ]
[ QUOTE ]
Hover is useful when you are close to the def cap but not quite there.

[/ QUOTE ]
Is there a Def cap? I mean I know there is a practical limit since everyone gets 5% minimum to-hit, but I didn't think there was an official cap. What is it?

[/ QUOTE ]Well, there's technically cap at few hundred %, but it's practically impossible to hit.

Cynic · 03-01-2006 06:34 AM

How do you hit it impractically?

"Well, they found my diary today.
They were appropriately appalled
at the discovery of the eight victims
They're now putting it all together.
Women wrapped in silk
with one leg missing
Eight legs, one body, silk,
spider, brilliant!"

Unthing · 03-01-2006 07:18 AM

[ QUOTE ]
How do you hit it impractically?

[/ QUOTE ]

Spend 500 influence on 20 Lucks and pop them all at once.

Someone mentioned that the reason that resistance insps are so low is so that it would take the same amount to hit the resistance cap (95%) with the same number of inspirations (19) as Lucks to hit the defence cap. Whether that is true or not I don't know.

@Unthing ... Mostly on Union.