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Not too surprising. IMO, energy is probably the most dual-purpose blaster secondary. The melee powers are no-nonsense powerhouse attacks, but the click buffs are so powerful it's worth taking the set even if you only take a few powers from it (my ice/nrg blaster only uses energy boost, boost range, and buildup).|
Originally Posted by Intrinsic
That's pretty funny actually, because my favorite blapper was ice/energy. I'm not trying to turn you away from it, I just thought it was ironic.
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The only issue I could foresee, using energy for a blapper, is trying to decide what NOT to take. I didn't actually intend to go all-range when I made the character, but ended up settling into that because, with enough recharge, I had a complete, unbroken attack chain just using the 3 single target ice blasts. And when I use any buffs, AoEs, or holds, I can drop Ice Bolt from the rotation entirely. Not having to take a single melee attack freed me to take a ton of utility pool/ancillary powers.
Augur - lvl 50 Illusion/storm controller
Arctalus - lvl 50 Ice/Energy blaster
Crey Avenger - lvl 48 Fire/Rad controller
Augur Prime - lvl 41 Peacebringer
Spiky Whatsit - lvl 39 claws/regen scrapper
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At one time, meaning right after launch, Energy Manipulation was actually seen as the *worst* blaster secondary, at least by the more vocal proponents of blaster secondaries. However, it quickly became seen as the most all around good blaster secondaries: the jack of all trades secondary, particularly to support the two main factions of blasters: ranged blasters and blappers. You can blast with anything and you can blap with anything, but having said that the two best blapper secondaries were generally considered to be energy and electric, and the two best utility secondaries were generally seen to be energy and devices, and the best ranged support secondary was seen to be energy. When you show up on all three lists, that's a good secondary. Other secondaries have things that set them apart from energy: Ice with Ice patch for example, or Fire with all the PBAoEs, so its not like energy is the best, period. But in terms of general purpose secondary, energy tends to always be near the top.
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Originally Posted by The_Augur
Not too surprising. IMO, energy is probably the most dual-purpose blaster secondary. The melee powers are no-nonsense powerhouse attacks, but the click buffs are so powerful it's worth taking the set even if you only take a few powers from it (my ice/nrg blaster only uses energy boost, boost range, and buildup).
The only issue I could foresee, using energy for a blapper, is trying to decide what NOT to take. I didn't actually intend to go all-range when I made the character, but ended up settling into that because, with enough recharge, I had a complete, unbroken attack chain just using the 3 single target ice blasts. And when I use any buffs, AoEs, or holds, I can drop Ice Bolt from the rotation entirely. Not having to take a single melee attack freed me to take a ton of utility pool/ancillary powers. |
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Also, Stupefy is one of the best IO sets for a build focusing on Ranged DEF (+3.13% DEF, +6.25% Recharge). And, IIRC, all of Energy Manipulation's melee attacks can slot Stupefy, so in an indirect way even the melee attacks are good for a ranged build.
On a different note, I think Fire Manipulation is actually a very good secondary for ranged builds too, simply because Ring of Fire has monstrously good DPA.
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Originally Posted by Iggy_Kamakaze
Nice build
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This is false. Although Ice Patch is PBAoE, there's no rule that it can't be used in the path of an NPC you're about to pull or tp foe on top of. |
Originally Posted by Atomic_Toy_Guy
I can't recommend Ice as a secondary for the OP due to the fact that he didn't want a set where he would only take two powers. With ice on a pure ranged character your left with. Chillblain (Forced to take), Build Up, and Shiver. Everything else requires you to enter melee if you want to take them and use them. The OP specifically stated he didn't want a set with 2 useful powers.
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The secondary powers, from a ranged blaster perspective are used to either clobber the melee foe really fast, knockback the npc, or buy time (stun, hold) until the player can back away or solicit aid from a teammate(or pet).
I do understand what the OP is after, and it could very well be that ice/energy would be the solution.
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@Ukase
I know the OP has chosen but I have to give a shout out for fire manipulation, yeah yeah I know, but as one person has stated your forced choice power ain't shabby, there is build up, and hot feet can be used quite effectively as a defensive toggle, it forces most of the mobs to flee and then take pot shots at you. Plus the lack of choices is (IMHO) a good thing, because it allows you to take a few of the power pool powers alot of range players like to take (ie. medicine), and it makes building a layered defense easier as well.
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I find it amazing that to this day I can't convince a friend of mine that Energy is probably the best secondary for ranged blasters if not the best secondary for blasters in general. All he sees are the melee attacks and this makes him assume its a melee set. He still thinks Mental Manipulation is the best, although it is good, I've always felt that mental brings you into melee to take advantage of Drain Psyche and by entering melee you increase your odds of getting clobbered by a great deal. With those increased risks it completely negates any added benefit of drain psyche.
The Ice/Energy is at 24 now. (been very busy, company coming not much time to grind...plus I started him redside for concept reason, sigh)
I am very very happy with him. He is indeed, a ranged character. My one melee knocks the foes back to perfect blam range. My ST attack chain is strong, but not smooth yet. Still, almost tight, even with no global recharge slotted yet. The "Conserve Power" from nrg is very appreciated. I really love just picking the best range spot to fight from. I ran a dark/Mental up a couple weeks ago to 41. Very strong, but always having to pop into melee for Drain Psyche. I liked the power, but hated the 'extra' job of having to figure when to close.
Cannot wait to get to 50 and get "the build" put on him.
Ice/nrg is a fun combo.
Something I do(most of the time): 6 slot power thrust with Kinetic crash. You get a 7.5% rech bonus, 3 points of KB protection, and the best part, the foes you punch in the face will fly REALLY far compared to a power thrust with no KB slotting. It is rather good fun.
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Abysal gaze and Bitter Freeze Ray pretty much do identicle dmg. BFR has a higher endo cost(by a lot) but it's hold duration is like double of AG. |
Originally Posted by Necrotech_Master
the holds in ice do pitiful dmg compared to abyssal gaze, abyssal gaze is essentially darks answer to a "short range really high dmg attack" that most other sets have (ie its the cosmic burst of the set)
im not too fond of the nuke being pbaoe, but since it has a crash im very likely to just skip it or not use it much, but it is also very good with powerboost because it does a massive amount of -tohit (in a planned build i have slotted for some -tohit with powerboost it can reach the level of -71% tohit, which will floor just about anything) |
that said, i strongly prefer AG over BFR. probably the animation time combined with the (feels like) giant endo cost of BFR.
Liberty server
Eldagore lvl 50 Inv/ss, co-founder of The Legion of Smash
3.5 servers of alts....I need help.
May the rawk be with you.
Arc #'s
107020 Uberbots!
93496 A Pawn in Time
Got the Ice/Nrg to 33. (Very busy weekend particpating in a medieval feast + tourney)
Very happy with the power set. the second hold does take a while to animate, and the end cost is high. but.... between the 2 holds i can lock down some pretty nasty situations solo. On a team I can lock a Boss up that i wouldn't be able to blast quick enough, saving the team major pain.
We all know (I assume) that Ice has very good ST damage. Of course i'm happy there.
AoE is not good. But it's not horrible. Okay, maybe its near horrid, but it does AoE, and i am used to Brutes. Enhanced for damage Ice Storm is useful, and up very often. Frost breath's only problem is the short range, which Boost range will start to help at 35. Blizzard is suhweet. Pop a red, aim, BU, Ice Storm, Blizzard, sm blu, Conserve Power. Blast some more. Especually nice on any teams rolling with kin like powers. Pretty much what I wanted and expected.
Looking forward to adding all that defense, even if it gimps damage in some places. I love to just sit and plan what gets frozen next.
Only plopped in two LOTG Globs so far. I'll give another update when I start leveling way farther up and/or adding more stuff. I expect to be doing ITFs this week if I'm Lucky.
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I like /Mental because it gives you more AoE... much like you can skip the melee attacks on /Energy if you want to be pure ranged, you can also skip Psychic Shockwave and Drain Psyche (or at least not use them unless you have a good tank or lots of buffs) and just use Psychic Scream to add an extra cone. /Energy is probably my favorite overall Blaster secondary though unless I'm playing a pure melee range Blaster, and I'd definitely recommend it. Even on a pure ranged Blaster I'd take Bone Smasher though... occasionally things will reach melee and while it's fun to swat them away with Power Thrust it's even more fun to smack them in the face, quite possibly stun them, and then swat them away. |
Originally Posted by Atomic_Toy_Guy
I find it amazing that to this day I can't convince a friend of mine that Energy is probably the best secondary for ranged blasters if not the best secondary for blasters in general. All he sees are the melee attacks and this makes him assume its a melee set. He still thinks Mental Manipulation is the best, although it is good, I've always felt that mental brings you into melee to take advantage of Drain Psyche and by entering melee you increase your odds of getting clobbered by a great deal. With those increased risks it completely negates any added benefit of drain psyche.
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Cascade, level 50 Blaster (NRG/NRG since before it was cool)
Mechmeister, level 50 Bots / Traps MM
FAR too many non-50 alts to name
[u]Arcs[u]
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Power boost works great with ice effects, and also increases any defense buffs, and even hover speed, which is great because you'll probably want to usually be hovering. Then you can focus purely on ranged defense (which you can get a decent amount of by 6-slotting your holds with lockdown).
Also, boost range more than makes up for ice's lack of a sniper power.
Conserve power is great for leveling, but at 50 I'm getting enough +end/+recovery set bonuses that I don't actually need it (and that's even with a +damage alpha and clarion destiny slotted), so I specced out of it.
I also took flame mastery. A third hold (and much faster casting one than bitter freeze ray) works great against multiple bosses, and is nice for set bonuses. Also, Rise of the Phoenix lets you effectively kamikaze if you're about to die, because, as long as you keep your deaths to one every few minutes, death has absolutely no consequence, except for a nice reprisal blast when you get back up
I suggest taking the concealment pool, for the added defense/invis powers (for LotG's) and phase shift, which I've found very useful for not dying, and allowing a slightly more reckless playstyle otherwise.
I also took aid self, which goes great with phase shift.
Augur - lvl 50 Illusion/storm controller
Arctalus - lvl 50 Ice/Energy blaster
Crey Avenger - lvl 48 Fire/Rad controller
Augur Prime - lvl 41 Peacebringer
Spiky Whatsit - lvl 39 claws/regen scrapper