See my sig for an Ice Melee guide. There are a few critical changes I'd make to your build and they're mostly detailed in there (+Frost, -GIS).
For the WP portion, are you going for the E/N def w/your BotZ in SS? Your positionals are low enough that your IO sets aren't doing you a ton of good, but you could prolly do better w/your typed def w/some better concentration (my WP has S/L capped and pretty high exotics as well). Otherwise, it's a solid build--you'll survive fine in 8-man mish, esp w/Ice Patch, though you might have problems with AVs and higher.
An Offensive Guide to Ice Melee
Just as an FYI: Ice Melee isn't really the best at mowing through anything. While it's a decent AoE set, the ST attacks are pretty lackluster. It's fun, don't get me wrong, but it might not be the best for what you're looking for.
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"I was just the one with the most unsolicited sombrero." - Traegus
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Originally Posted by Aett_Thorn
Just as an FYI: Ice Melee isn't really the best at mowing through anything. While it's a decent AoE set, the ST attacks are pretty lackluster. It's fun, don't get me wrong, but it might not be the best for what you're looking for.
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I agree. Shield/Ice is ok because of the damage buff from AAO. Ice melee single target damage is just pitiful. Don't plan on soloing....
YMMV---IMO
Ice Ember
Sort of depends on what you consider a reasonable solo pace. As a tank, you have the freedom to herd large spawns of minions together to take advantage of the AoE output - and Ice Slick by itself is probably enough to allow you to recover from an alpha strike. Bosses and EB's are rather painful as Ice Melee has pretty lackluster ST damage, but it's more than enough to get the job done - it'll just be one you want to be paid by the hour.
I solo my Dark/Ice and WP/WM tank fairly regularly at +2/x8, and they're actually pretty close for solo speed; Ice's lack of single target damage against bosses is offset somewhat by the scarcity of mobs that resist cold damage. Being realistic, you'll do fine surviving solo, but the pace is not for everyone. You can certainly mow through minions and lieutenants pretty well, but bosses and other hard targets are going to take time.
willpower is amazing for survival with a few pool powers and IO choices, you don't need mitigation from the secondary very much. As such, Ice is a pretty bad choice IMO since the trade of for better damage is the increased control aspect of Ice powers - which you don't need on a WP tank.
I'd suggest choosing Axe/Mace/Fire instead.
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I did have my build slotted out with Kinetic combats before but i changed it to ToD's to deal with the damage that you lose from having lvl 35 ench's, i'm guessing the trade isn't worth it for Ice melee right?|
Originally Posted by Lohenien
willpower is amazing for survival with a few pool powers and IO choices, you don't need mitigation from the secondary very much. As such, Ice is a pretty bad choice IMO since the trade of for better damage is the increased control aspect of Ice powers - which you don't need on a WP tank.
I'd suggest choosing Axe/Mace/Fire instead. |
For the secondry, I have concepted my char to be a relation of my Fire/WP scrapper, so i thought ice would be good concept wise, but seeing as ice isn't really a good choise i would like to go for something element based thats not fire, so i don't get too much repetitivity. What would you suggest out of Energy/Dark/Elec?? I'm leaning towards Elec cos of the AoE and Dark because of the Buff AoE's and the -acc would supliment my def quite well, but i'm worried about end more so with dark. any advice??
also, for play style i like either lots of numbers (exp or damage wise) or speed, so that would probably change what would suit me best for this char =)
Thanx for all the help so far =)
Ice Melee is more than fine for plowing through hordes of minions & lts. Before I16, it was the 3rd best tanker AoE set, behind Fire & SS. I presume it's behind Elec too now, though FA recharges faster than LR, and Frost >> JL, but CI & TS prolly tip the scales for Elec (that and LR is flat broken 
). Also, cold damage is very little resisted, esp compared to S/L, and prolly even En. If you're looking to farm big maps w/few bosses, Ice is hard to beat. Add the mitigation aspect and IM is a top tier secondary that very few bother with for perceived low damage (or the actual craptastic ST damage, so this isn't the set to solo AVs with).
Of all my tanker secondaries (I play EM, SS, IM, Mace, Axe, Fire & Elec), Ice is really one of my favorites, and frankly outdamages all but Fire & SS (my ELM isn't very high level yet). Mace & Axe really get killed by the S/L resistances and the lack of a good PBAoE. If you can leverage the cones, Mace can come close or even surpass IM, but Ice still provides better mitigation.
If you're really set on no Ice, and no Fire also, there's still Elec for elemental themes, and prolly superior AoE damage. ELM has sorta weak ST damage too, but it'll be better than Ice. You just don't get that much mitigation with ELM tho.
An Offensive Guide to Ice Melee
Frozen aura comes at level 38. I've been leveling a WP/IM tank, and that felt like an eternity.
K i've kinda gone off of ice melee as a secondry.
And now i'm tied between Dark melee and Electric Melee as a secondry, which do you recon would be best for 8 man soloing? and why?
thanx
-NP
Dark Melee. The Slurp Heal and the -ToHit Debuffs will coordinate with Willpower most effectively.
It's the end. But the moment has been prepared for ...
Hey, i thought i'd try something new and go for a combination that would have real good damage mitigation but was reliable and i would enjoy playing. Willpower was my first thought as i love the regen idea, and how enemies can't do enough damage to defeat you, their attacks are like petty feathers and paper planes hahaha =P. Secondly i went for Ice melee as the -rech would help with the whole mitigation thingy =)
Now i have a couple Q's...
1) with the amount of def i have will i be able to solo x8 missions easily enough with the -rech and almost 100Hp/s with one enemy in range =D
2) how resisted is cold damage, because i don't want to end up taking a day killing each mob
3) as i plan to solo a lot will this build be nice and fun to play, concidering mowing through hundreds of ppl is fun to me =)
So here's my build =)
Hero Plan by Mids' Hero Designer 1.601
http://www.cohplanner.com/
Click this DataLink to open the build!
Level 50 Mutation Tanker
Primary Power Set: Willpower
Secondary Power Set: Ice Melee
Power Pool: Speed
Power Pool: Fitness
Power Pool: Leaping
Power Pool: Fighting
Hero Profile:
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Level 1: High Pain Tolerance RctvArm-ResDam/EndRdx(A), RctvArm-ResDam(19), RctvArm-ResDam/Rchg(19), RctvArm-ResDam/EndRdx/Rchg(21), Numna-Heal(21), Numna-Heal/EndRdx(23)
Level 1: Frozen Fists T'Death-Acc/Dmg(A), T'Death-Dmg/EndRdx(36), T'Death-Dmg/Rchg(36), T'Death-Acc/Dmg/EndRdx(36), T'Death-Dmg/EndRdx/Rchg(43), T'Death-Dam%(43)
Level 2: Fast Healing Numna-Regen/Rcvry+(A), Numna-Heal(3), Numna-Heal/EndRdx(3), RgnTis-Regen+(5), Heal-I(5)
Level 4: Mind Over Body RctvArm-ResDam(A), RctvArm-ResDam/EndRdx(23), RctvArm-EndRdx(31), RctvArm-ResDam/Rchg(33)
Level 6: Indomitable Will LkGmblr-Rchg+(A), LkGmblr-Def(7), LkGmblr-Def/EndRdx(7)
Level 8: Rise to the Challenge Numna-Heal(A), Numna-Heal/EndRdx(9), Numna-Heal/Rchg(9), Heal-I(17)
Level 10: Hasten RechRdx-I(A), RechRdx-I(11), RechRdx-I(11)
Level 12: Quick Recovery P'Shift-End%(A), P'Shift-EndMod/Acc(13), P'Shift-EndMod(13), P'Shift-EndMod/Rchg(15), P'Shift-EndMod/Acc/Rchg(15)
Level 14: Super Speed Zephyr-Travel(A), Zephyr-Travel/EndRdx(17)
Level 16: Ice Sword T'Death-Acc/Dmg(A), T'Death-Dmg/EndRdx(37), T'Death-Dmg/Rchg(37), T'Death-Acc/Dmg/EndRdx(37), T'Death-Dmg/EndRdx/Rchg(46), T'Death-Dam%(46)
Level 18: Heightened Senses LkGmblr-Rchg+(A), LkGmblr-Def(33), LkGmblr-Def/EndRdx(33)
Level 20: Ice Patch RechRdx-I(A)
Level 22: Hurdle Jump-I(A)
Level 24: Health Numna-Heal(A), Numna-Heal/EndRdx(25), Numna-Heal/Rchg(25), Mrcl-Rcvry+(27), Mrcl-Heal(27)
Level 26: Stamina P'Shift-End%(A), P'Shift-EndMod/Acc(29), P'Shift-EndMod(29), P'Shift-EndMod/Rchg(31), P'Shift-EndMod/Acc/Rchg(31)
Level 28: Build Up Rec'dRet-ToHit(A), Rec'dRet-ToHit/Rchg(34), Rec'dRet-Pcptn(34)
Level 30: Freezing Touch T'Death-Dmg/EndRdx(A), T'Death-Acc/Dmg(39), T'Death-Dmg/Rchg(39), T'Death-Acc/Dmg/EndRdx(39), T'Death-Dmg/EndRdx/Rchg(48), T'Death-Dam%(50)
Level 32: Combat Jumping LkGmblr-Rchg+(A), LkGmblr-Def(34)
Level 35: Greater Ice Sword Hectmb-Dmg(A), Hectmb-Dmg/Rchg(40), Hectmb-Acc/Dmg/Rchg(40), Hectmb-Acc/Rchg(40), Hectmb-Dmg/EndRdx(50), Hectmb-Dam%(50)
Level 38: Frozen Aura Oblit-Acc/Dmg/EndRdx/Rchg(A), Oblit-%Dam(42), Oblit-Acc/Rchg(42), Oblit-Dmg/Rchg(42), Oblit-Acc/Dmg/Rchg(43)
Level 41: Boxing RechRdx-I(A)
Level 44: Tough RctvArm-EndRdx(A), RctvArm-ResDam(45), RctvArm-ResDam/EndRdx(45), RctvArm-ResDam/EndRdx/Rchg(45), S'fstPrt-ResDam/Def+(46)
Level 47: Weave LkGmblr-Rchg+(A), LkGmblr-Def(48), LkGmblr-Def/EndRdx(48)
Level 49: Super Jump Jump-I(A)
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Level 1: Brawl RechRdx-I(A)
Level 1: Sprint Run-I(A)
Level 2: Rest Empty(A)
Level 1: Gauntlet