Quote:
I'd have to say yes, since I've found the major demarcation bet. meh & omg!awesome of DA is getting that +end proc in Dark Regen. I'm sorta exaggerating, but prior to getting the proc, I was almost afraid of using the best heal in the game due to end problems. Afterwards, I was almost firing it off to gain end, even if I didn't need the heal (okay, rarely, but I've done it once or twice). For me, Dark Regen makes the set, esp if you don't use the pseudo-control powers, which I don't.|
Originally Posted by Basilisk
IO sets probably won't come into the picture on this character to any significant degree either, at least not immediately since I have a lot of resources currently going to a number of other builds. Will this be a significant handicap?
|
I'm sure someone else can explain the uses of CoF, OG, etc, cuz I hear they are very good esp combined w/IM's own controls (which, even though they won't stack, are complementary). I can imagine CoF/OG + Ice Patch will keep you pretty darn safe, and you can lock down Lts w/Freezing Touch (bosses too if you pick up an epic hold). BTW, I'm sure you have IM down cold (get it?), but I do have a guide in my sig if you're interested.
Bottom line, and I know many will argue otherwise, but I find the resist sets (Dark, Fire & Elec) all very lacking w/a SO-level build. IO'ed up and they're rather awesome. Which is to say, all sets are awesome w/IOs, but I find they help the resist-based sets more.
An Offensive Guide to Ice Melee
For the most part I agree with dave. Dark Armor is ******* on end until you start IOing, altho I think the proc in Dark Regen isn't the be all, end all, once you get fully setup.
As far as being gimped only using SOs, well, if you make use of the soft controls in DA in combination with the soft control in IM, I have this odd feeling it wouldn't be too bad. In fact, I think the toon would be far more fun in SOs, as IOs tend to make the soft control powers in DA kinda lame and pointless, I can assume it would be similar with IM, but that is merely speculation on my part. With just SOs, ice patch + OG would keep you rather safe for the most part, with death shroud to wittle down the minions while concentrating on the bosses/lts.
If you keep up with the toon, would be interesting to see how it played out.
Dark Armor is like that kid you knew in school that didn't know when to shut up, and no matter how bad he got beaten down, he got right back up again and kept on talking.
Ok, that's good to know. For the record, I do plan on getting a few set IOs in the build, such as a few -kb (#&$*in knockback...) and probably the +end proc from Theft of Essence. However, I probably won't get many set bonuses in to make a defence build or anything, at least not for some time.
My story arcs: #2370- Noah Reborn, #18672- The Clockwork War, #31490- Easy Money
Sartre once said, "Hell is other people." What does that make an MMO?
The +end proc is what will make you awesome, but KB protection is also needed. If you can only get 4 points, that'll cover most stuff. If you can't get 12, don't bother with 8. I've found that KB comes in magnitudes of about 1 or about 10.
It's my personal opinion that Dark Armor has the most potential. It's a resist based set with the best heal in the game and has no real hole in protection. End drain won't affect you, psi damage won't affect you, and you even have toxic resistance. IOs add defense easily, which has a multiplicative effect on your survivability since you're layering on top of resists.
Also, the name of the video in my signature is contradictory to what the video shows.
Where to now?
Check out all my guides and fiction pieces on my blog.
The MFing Warshade | The Last Rule of Tanking | The Got Dam Mastermind
Everything Dark Armor | The Softcap
don'T attempt to read tHis mEssaGe, And believe Me, it is not a codE.
Quote:
I tried this combination, and found it .... difficult. |
Originally Posted by Basilisk
Well, I got bitten by the concept bug again last night, and made myself up a brand new Dark/Ice tank, and I was wondering what I'm getting myself into with this. I tend to prefer the defence based sets, so this is a bit of a departure for me.
|
On paper it looks like it has a lot of potential. I found its performance generally adequate even without a lot of defense bonuses, and it was absolutely a lot of fun running through the Freakshow and Council based TFs from 20-35.
The chief issue I ran into with that particular combination is simple. Once I hit level 35, I run ITFs. A lot of ITFs. It's the main thing I do getting a character to 50, especially with melees. Now, in the rest of the game, Dark/Ice is surprisingly tough and versatile. But a lot of your toughness, especially without defense bonuses, comes from your ice patch. And the Roman yell means that the Cimerorans are immune to your ice patch and will not fall over or be held. Your fear will only work on minions if you took it; you have nothing to stack with it.
This is the main reason I found the character hard to level.
<《 New Colchis / Guides / Mission Architect 》>
"At what point do we say, 'You're mucking with our myths'?" - Harlan Ellison
Quote:
If Basilisk's build has room for it, there's always the Presence Pool. Stack Cloak of Fear's effect with Invoke Panic and apply Intimidate where needed.
|
Originally Posted by Heraclea
Your fear will only work on minions if you took it; you have nothing to stack with it.
|
Winteriel Ice/Fire/Soul Tanker | @TBoxer Global | City of Heroes R.I.P. (2004-2012)
Quote:
No, your toughness comes from being a resist-based set w/an uber heal. You should be able to tank Romans just fine w/o IP, since the rest of us who aren't Ice Melee manage it, even w/o defenses (which, against Romans, get put into the negative pretty fast regardless of IOs).
|
Originally Posted by Heraclea
But a lot of your toughness, especially without defense bonuses, comes from your ice patch.
|
An Offensive Guide to Ice Melee
Well, because I simply love to play around with Mids', I threw together two IO builds.
Build 1:
Code:
Build 2:| Copy & Paste this data into Mids' Hero Designer to view the build | |-------------------------------------------------------------------| |MxDz;1413;711;1422;HEX;| |78DA9D93594F135114C7EFB453DA4EA7BBB4504A5790D511DE5C1E0CB11A496C528| |1F0A4D652461819A666A631F286F1D5AFE09BEBB30B5BD46F6122F16BF8E452CF72| |69427C7342FFBFDB73CF9CFBE79CDEFAE39A2EC4EE15A1E857ED96E735575ACE96E| |906EAAD0DAB1DAF5BEB8EB5B1D92DAD5A9ED571824288614E68D6CCFBA6E39946AD| |E56E3517DCED8E9B913B75D3364D63B16DF22AB9E86C9AAEE9748D9345A4D1E9D8C| |6751B2BEBBCB6BA8EE97951F905E296B391A46F8BCE23387BCDB2ADEE4EFADA43AB| |6D2CB8EDAED56ED65B5ED7747786C0D3147CF6C3200A7C444F1505584C085F91305| |0226865C2508590D3847C20BD01A808DF2D82BE44C82F13AAEB807931A2C9E290AE| |70BACA7903FC5682D34B9C7E0066FCD28C9FCDA86C26C66662A7CC1C427A80D37D8| |10C2C46C57496314BF58E2021A828542F98F2E34E28EBC79D508690B8418552CB84| |3CB80D4BB7E1F75441FB40D0DF11721F09A53D4204E61AE1742572ECC3D0F9EF840| |0EC44D998885629B900B5E39C1C88BFA0AC89978473AF18AFB9C21BC65BC227B093| |948E925F150CA5BE11CE1C330EB9D43E2108E7A6E5B9E9554A08416850F668B0445| |632A7500463593E42646728B407A70E73C8376CF37FBE4DC83B04058A8EC8774672| |DC130DBBCB4E4779D2051E7181075E9093FE414EFD50A128275DE4499779D2659E7| |499275DE54997357C97D32B5CBDCAD5C7B8FA18571FBB47662A903E2E9B3DFE930E| |3CFB8BF19BF187DBD6E3D60BFA31A8E069923D052635EADE5484A133A284E918613| |64EF80CCD9A91CD9A79C23BBB8CA7842F9060C86619DCE051F037C721FFDC267998| |B7180F183621AFF66F1BFCC1236EFE1369A8FD2B26148A4CA9FD2BDD0B27E08AF0E| |EFF3E07FAC991E125BCFD2B280D945594DB287750EEA2B450D650DA28BDA3FEDBF1| |0BE8EB22CA2594CB2883E04F3CC3CC205EA5088A8E124589A1C451122869941CCA7| |394DE5FD6FFF6ED| |-------------------------------------------------------------------|
Code:
| Copy & Paste this data into Mids' Hero Designer to view the build | |-------------------------------------------------------------------| |MxDz;1408;711;1422;HEX;| |78DA9D934B53D35014C76F9A94D0247D406981026D5A40A840809D8F85C38838CC5| |0ACC8B0526B8CB18D949449BAD09D1FC0AFE0CE17EA5E11FD22EAD770C6191FF53C| |42671C7766DAFF2F39F79F73CECDBDB7F670DD10E2F125211997DB761836766D7FD| |F0DE235BBE939E99A77CFF79AADAEB9E7855EC7578510E36C68ACBBF75D3F74AD75| |3BD86FAC05079D201F8DD4DCB6EB5A9B8ECB77439B7ECB0D5CBF6B9DDE18F54EA76| |D6DB9F6A1E737757AD86863191ED8F0BABE1B86C9E801E260CB5E39F41C6B2D70BA| |9ED3A8D961D70D1E8D413B55F8BF4F8048F0173D4514E1664EC44A8401933058269| |42B848226A2AB278B3AA02262D709DA0EA1708330A1455921ADC43E857D03EC1B66| |DFC81DC0AA38862EE4A80B99BB50B80B83BBC8FCD5C507B0C7D91E8B8FC1CD94C88| |F12961729DF249457A3F2EA1185065F13526F0899B784C27E0C7102F9129244F6C4| |B08C89B49C8C23469E307C95EA8E6C4BF89487D43A9797F4EF02ED4B5F29910E234| |9AE2B253F5328F58550848ED23C124F3FA3D0DC73C60BC2D9978C578C23421CF20D| |712531344D2DAB10CA46A1EC0C4F0D42B9A89F9C49A13CE31D4C6C94ABC646DB141| |A3B60F88412B435CE0631BE40A14FF0CE44B416132A4D7F72909120CC680C8320A9| |387FDE1153BCD2455EE922AF749157DA844AA568494AEC33D967B2CF645FF91BCDB| |CACE103DB2B5B34325D636C33AE11661C6ABA02F6D9E8F3CEFEA00C677E327E317E| |F3C7EE119605F52E43EFF33C55799EB75D95B75D95F75B95F79B02BE05F6C51734D| |A038B3AC36024094B29469AF0113EA4152D8B55A436971953D0ED4AF4CD565AD4D1| |AAC778C068132695FE69831F5C62EB9F485DE99F342151A4AAF48F742F918193C2A| |3FF7B1D1BA725133B78FA7751EA287B2837516EA1DC46B151EEA23828BD93FEDBE9| |73D8D779940B28175172D09F78824E5507D1510C94244A0A258D9241C9A214509EA| |2F4FE00E054F028| |-------------------------------------------------------------------|
While I'd love to set both of them up for dual builds and have the best of both worlds, I don't even know if I'll have the commitment to set up one build, much less two. So all things being equal, what is the better way to go? Or is there an even better option?
My story arcs: #2370- Noah Reborn, #18672- The Clockwork War, #31490- Easy Money
Sartre once said, "Hell is other people." What does that make an MMO?
If the concept can handle it, look at what Ice/Dark gives you. Very sexy combo, that one.
I found the combination a slow start. End use was a pain and Ice damage is less than oither sets. Ice's mitigation was great though. I felt powerful until I went to Cimerora. All that fine mitigation was wasted and my tank got shredded.
The character is around 37 so I can't say much about the end game.
Quote:
I've never found OG to be particularly useful on any of my toons I've taken it on. W/good defense, I don't think DA, esp w/IM secondary, needs OG. If you're not going for a def build, it might be really handy. However, you can easily fit it in your 2nd build by dropping GIS (for reasons why, see the IM guide in my sig). Really, really useless attack, that. Better yet, pick up an epic hold & blast for better control & damage in your attack chain. In fact, it's almost a crime for IM not to take an epic hold since that allows you to insta-hold bosses.|
Originally Posted by Basilisk
While I'd love to set both of them up for dual builds and have the best of both worlds, I don't even know if I'll have the commitment to set up one build, much less two. So all things being equal, what is the better way to go? Or is there an even better option?
|
Also, if you're going to take Taunt, you may as well 6-slot it for the Zinger or Beratement bonuses. 4xBeratement is nice, but man, I'd want that 7.5% +recharge. And Death Shroud needs more slotting for dam & end redux. Oh, and I'd switch CoD w/CoF in order, and in fact would drop CoF altogether. Drop GIS & CoF, pick up Block of Ice & Ice Blast (this is on your 2nd build, btw), unless you really wanna play w/all your aura controls, then just drop GIS for OG and call it a day.
An Offensive Guide to Ice Melee
Well, I got bitten by the concept bug again last night, and made myself up a brand new Dark/Ice tank, and I was wondering what I'm getting myself into with this. I tend to prefer the defence based sets, so this is a bit of a departure for me.
I have a Level 41 WP/Ice tank, so I think I've got a pretty decent grasp on that side of things, but The only character I have so far with Dark Armour is a level 26 Spines/Dark scrapper who is essentially shelved because of a lack of interest.
IO sets probably won't come into the picture on this character to any significant degree either, at least not immediately since I have a lot of resources currently going to a number of other builds. Will this be a significant handicap?
My story arcs: #2370- Noah Reborn, #18672- The Clockwork War, #31490- Easy Money
Sartre once said, "Hell is other people." What does that make an MMO?