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Heya, have recently wondered about making a tanker, as i'm interested in playing a more team-focused character than my scrapper (Kind of built to solo). However, two sets really grab my attention, Ice and Stone. I like the graphics on both, but i can't really decide which i want to play long term. Have tried two low level ones of both. (Both deleted now) and i still can't decide. Any advice?
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Only you can decide, try levelling them both to 10 and then see which one ya want.
He will honor his words; he will definitely carry out his actions. What he promises he will fulfill. He does not care about his bodily self, putting his life and death aside to come forward for another's troubled besiegement. He does not boast about his ability, or shamelessly extol his own virtues. - Sima Qian.
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Heya, have recently wondered about making a tanker, as i'm interested in playing a more team-focused character than my scrapper (Kind of built to solo). However, two sets really grab my attention, Ice and Stone. I like the graphics on both, but i can't really decide which i want to play long term. Have tried two low level ones of both. (Both deleted now) and i still can't decide. Any advice?
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Ice is much better team oriented, but Stone is better vs AVs generally.
No other tank will grab the aggro so easily preventing the team being attacked. Stone is practically unkillable after lv32, but its movement, recharge and damage penalties make it much slower in all terms.In terms of survavility stone beats all the other tanks, in terms of aggro management and safety for the team, ice is the best by far, if you can cope with the aggro that means.
Stone tanks do much better with a kin or, as a second choice, a rad in team that buffs its speed and recharge. Ice on the other hand really whine when teaming with ff or empath that boosts its defense
Greetings...
First of... what Dark said ;D... Second, I'm a Stone fan, I got taunt and mud pots running all the time when in team and it works well for me, mud pots for the melee ranged and taunt for the runners. The damage/movement/recharge reduction doesn't bother me... Damage: I'm a tanker = agro grabber and staying alive. - Movement: I tp self in Granite armor/rooted/Mud pots. - Recharge: Hasten/Build Up is 3 slotted with recharge and Taunt is 2 slotted, gets the job done.
Ice tankers are possibly my favourite teammates out of any AT. They're truly a blaster's best friend. I also have a level 30 ice/fire tanker and it's loads of fun to play. I would definitely say Ice, but then I'd loathe to be as slow as stone tankers, no matter how unkillable that made me.
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but then I'd loathe to be as slow as stone tankers
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Slow? as in movement or recharge? My tp self gets me around fast enough and my taunt is recharging fine in granite...
Ice tanker is too squishy for my liking.
Slow in movement and recharge 
. Sure TP lessens the movement effect, but it will never be as quick as ss/sj for herding/taunting as ice. But it's a matter of play style, just pick the one that suits better to your play style.
That said, I agree with Idris in that ice tankers are possibly the squishies best friend. Fire blasters can attack safely till exhaustion, and if fire ones do, all the others will. Stone is your best friend (apart from rads) when vs AVs tho
If ya did get to or past 10 on both toons pick a toon of which concept you like best and just play it. The disadvantages and advantages of both sets will be coped with, liked or loathed differently by you the player. I personally think the icetank is the easier one to have herding wise but would be more interesting to play versus AVs and stonetanks require a more patient team, less thought against AVs but alot of recharge and taunt in taunt whilst in granite to keep aggro. I dont see haste as a good to have recharge buff for taunt though as its not perma anymore cos what happens if you was relying on it and it runs out?
He will honor his words; he will definitely carry out his actions. What he promises he will fulfill. He does not care about his bodily self, putting his life and death aside to come forward for another's troubled besiegement. He does not boast about his ability, or shamelessly extol his own virtues. - Sima Qian.
Ice tankers' aren't all that squishy actually. They're generally at least comparable to INV tankers in terms of survivability.
With a normally slotted Ice tank, plus weave and Combat Jumping you'll be constantly sitting at just under 40% defense to Smashing, Lethal, Negative and Energy damage, and you'll hit the soft "cap" with Energy absorbtion. You also get "Dull Pain" and Chilling Embrace cuts incoming damage considerably.
I'd usually rather have an Ice tanker than an 'Inv tanker sans unstoppable' tanking AVs. My absolute favourite combo's got to be a Fire tank (with Taunt) teamed with a sonic defender though. Capped resistance to all but psi and a sweet heal... 
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I dont see haste as a good to have recharge buff for taunt though as its not perma anymore cos what happens if you was relying on it and it runs out?
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Hit "Geas the Kind ones"? Or ask to be AM'ed/SB'ed?
Or start using lower damage/higher recharge attacks for gauntlet?
You shouldn't be completely relying on it, a good tank's always in control of the situation.
(Or at least knows when to cut and run or take one for the team...)
I love Hasten, I've taken it on all my toons except my Mastermind.
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I dont see haste as a good to have recharge buff for taunt though as its not perma anymore cos what happens if you was relying on it and it runs out?
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I never rely on hasten as a buff for taunt. It's just handy when it's on 
Requiring AM, SB or AB is going towards being 'i am a good tank but only with a certain type of team'. You will NEVER hear me say "we need a kin or a rad would be nice, or if a trick archer comes to team - we need an empath" for me the 'whole' team needs to play to suit the type of defense set there is. I have no intention of relying on certain sets or ignoring someones powerset and the true magic of it as id rather try to raise my game and yeah firetanks with a sonic defender is well nice. The only thing with some defenders is how they slot their defender, the differences are more noticeable if your playing a tanker and i wouldnt make a rad to be a blaster, id make a blaster for that.
He will honor his words; he will definitely carry out his actions. What he promises he will fulfill. He does not care about his bodily self, putting his life and death aside to come forward for another's troubled besiegement. He does not boast about his ability, or shamelessly extol his own virtues. - Sima Qian.
Yep, but given the popularity of the rad and kin power sets it's unlikely that a 8-man team at higher levels would not have at last one toon with SB/AM.
And ignoring the fact that those powers are available is foolish if they will help you hold aggro more firmly.
This is all assuming that you've a problem holding aggro in the first place though.
When teamed with rads the debuffs are what i look for, AM isnt always available and when teamed with kins i ask to not get sb'd unless i am gonna deal with an AV. I dont ask for AM or SB in general cos i overshoot my mark.
He will honor his words; he will definitely carry out his actions. What he promises he will fulfill. He does not care about his bodily self, putting his life and death aside to come forward for another's troubled besiegement. He does not boast about his ability, or shamelessly extol his own virtues. - Sima Qian.
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And ignoring the fact that those powers are available is foolish if they will help you hold aggro more firmly.
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I dont ask for AM or SB in general cos i overshoot my mark.
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So then don't take them.
They'll generally help Granite Tankers considerably, and it was The_MD who mentioned hasten. YMMV.
My INV tanker likes Speed boost/AM and Hasten since it lets him have near-perma Dull Pain, not 'cause he has problems holding aggro (he doesn't, at least not to date on up to +5s).
Nobody holds the aggro like an ice tanker, they even take it off blasters. When I play my Warshade & there is an ice tanker in the team, I know I am in for an easy night :=) Ice ftw
The Good:
Krazy Mary L50 Kinetic defender
Uniqua L31 PeaceBringer
Black Annis L24 Warshade
Krystal L18 Ice Blaster
The Bad:
Frenzi L34 SS/Inv Brute
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Nobody holds the aggro like an ice tanker, they even take it off blasters. When I play my Warshade & there is an ice tanker in the team, I know I am in for an easy night :=) Ice ftw
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All tanks can hold aggro, if the tank is built and played around that then its just upto the team to allow them to do that. But icetanks can steal aggro from other tanks although fire despite needing acc can on occasion put up a fight for it.
He will honor his words; he will definitely carry out his actions. What he promises he will fulfill. He does not care about his bodily self, putting his life and death aside to come forward for another's troubled besiegement. He does not boast about his ability, or shamelessly extol his own virtues. - Sima Qian.
With Nakashi I can easily tank up to +5s even more with fort. I love ice because I never worry about end and aggro or even death. Im almost 40 and just earned my first debt badge.
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I dont see haste as a good to have recharge buff for taunt though as its not perma anymore cos what happens if you was relying on it and it runs out?
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Hit "Geas the Kind ones"? Or ask to be AM'ed/SB'ed?
Or start using lower damage/higher recharge attacks for gauntlet?
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None of them ideas are good enough to me. Thats now you saying Rad and Kin ftw!...or go get an accolade.
I have mine 2 rechg 2 taunt i can spam it about conserving endurance if i had too, without unherding a debuff zone and to keep high level AVs on me, a range slot is also nice as it can put you out of cone attack range on an AV limiting their damage output and choice of attacks.
Gauntlet is poo on an AV and GM and you can actually safely get through missions with either a trick archer, sonic, ff and a stormie if ya try and obviously more so if they didnt skimp on slotting the primaries.
He will honor his words; he will definitely carry out his actions. What he promises he will fulfill. He does not care about his bodily self, putting his life and death aside to come forward for another's troubled besiegement. He does not boast about his ability, or shamelessly extol his own virtues. - Sima Qian.
Well i just created an Ice/Axe tank and i love it. Its only lvl 8 but still think its as fun as my lvl 41 Stone/Stone tank.
But if you are in doubt, make one of each
I'm not sure that playing both sets up to lvl 10 will help you decide. I think you can get a pretty good idea of what ice is like as it doesn't change much but stone undergoes a pretty radical change after Granite.
I haven't played a stone tank but i've teamed with many and the set up to and after granite seems very different. I've known several people for whom the penalties of granite have proven too much, which is a pity after 32 lvls. Not to put you off at all, great set, just seems very different 1-31 and 32-50.
I miss him in the weeping of the rain;
I want him at the shrinking of the tide;
The old snows melt from every mountain-side,
And last year's leaves are smoke in every lane;
But last year's bitter loving must remain
~Edna St. Vincent Millay
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Thats now you saying Rad and Kin ftw!...or go get an accolade.
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As I stated before 6 posts above yours: It is rare to have a large team at higher levels without some kind of recharge buff, and if those powers are available it would be silly not to make use of them.
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Gauntlet is poo on an AV and GM
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Castle on the US boards, regarding the "Gauntlet" AV changes:
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It follows all the normal To Hit rules, so To Hit and Accuracy buffs and debuffs work normally.
Auto-Hit powers roll a To Hit check, but then ignore the result (ForceHit = TRUE) However, since the Gauntlet effect is ForceHit = False vs. AV's, that portion of the power still uses the To Hit check. So, Invincibility if unmodified in any other way, would have a 55% chance every second of having the Gauntlet effect take effect.
Honestly, though, the effect should be pretty transparent. If you have an aura on and are constantly attacking, there is a virtual certainty that you will be able to grab and maintain aggro on an AV or GM within a couple seconds of engaging.
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Emphasis mine.
Castle should play the game a bit more in that case
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Castle should play the game a bit more in that case
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Well, the changes only went live on US last week and, unless we've been patched today, have yet to go live this side of the pond. Unfortunately they broke gauntlet in the auto-hit auras in the process of putting this fix in.
Octavian Vanguard
@ohmsEU and @ohms 2
Badging character: Bimble on the Union server, Badgehunter.com and City Info Tracker.
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Castle should play the game a bit more in that case
[/ QUOTE ]He's discussing the change in next patch, not the current situation where AV's are immune to gauntlet.
Heya, have recently wondered about making a tanker, as i'm interested in playing a more team-focused character than my scrapper (Kind of built to solo). However, two sets really grab my attention, Ice and Stone. I like the graphics on both, but i can't really decide which i want to play long term. Have tried two low level ones of both. (Both deleted now) and i still can't decide. Any advice?