Ice Armor?

I'm looking to get a Stalker started as an off project so I can play it more frequently when I22 rolls around. I'm looking to have it close to 50 in fact, so I can try out some of the new DA's redside content. Looking at the sets, Ice Armor is interesting because it is different from the Tanker version. Is it an effective set in actual gameplay? Also, what primary and patron powers would you pair with it?

@Rorn ---- Blue Baron ---- Guardian

Ice Armor can be good. It has interesting aoe slow plus damage debuff and it is a mix of defense and some resistance. Stalker is better off on a defensive set. The lvl 38 power looks very interesting too.

Now, as for primary, Kinetic Melee and Ice Armor can produce a lot of -damage but there is one draw back, Chilling Embrace. CE is so good that you want to run it all the time if you can but it can also interrupt your Placate + Concentrated Strike for build up refresh. I've been playing my SJ and you can get off an attack before you get interrupted but CE's debuff tics a lot more frequent than Dark Armor's offensive toggles. I think Kin/Ice is a natural good combo.

SJ/Ice is not bad either because SJ's pbaoe is kind of small and it is nice to have CE to keep the mobs together.

I also think Ninja and Broadsword / Ice can be really good because you have Parry to improve your defense even higher.

Patron set depends on your primary. If you are MA/EM, you definitely want a patron/epic with good aoe.

I have been having a lot of fun with an ELM/ice stalker. He is only level 28 but I have been very surprised how survivalble he is. There is no particular synergy, but I like the AoE options in ELM and AS helps with ELM's lack of single target damage. The knock downs also help out.
I like the idea of KM/ice for the -damage but the interaction of placate and CE hurts KM for the reason Jibika mentions.I am actually planning to lose placate in a respec as I find myself not using it much.

Ice has some interesting tools (chilling embrace/ energy absorbtion), immunity to recharge debuffs and a potent T9. I think something also to consider is that it has hoarfrost, which unenhanced will add 400 hps to your cap... which ATM means squat but come I22 will be a big deal as the devs specifically mentioned a 400 hp bump for stalkers who use dull pain and hoarfrost ---> this will make the +900% regen from ice's T9 even more potent.

It's a good set.

I just found out today that Tanker's Chilling Embrace only debuff damage by 14%, while Stalker debuffs 15%? lol I thought Tanker's version is always better?

This makes Stalker Ice Armor even more attractive! Imagine 2 or more Ice Armors running around for massive slow/damage debuff.

Yes. lol. Such an amazing set. On Beta I played my Elec/Ice like a brute! The T9 Icy Bastion is amazing. If your defense is failing you just keep poping Hoarfrost and IB...your Heal + Recharge will make you a god.

I just made a Spines/Ice Stalker because this was the only Archetype that had the combo I was looking for. I drink Cactus Coolers and so far this seems to be a pretty fun toon.

Yeah, Spine/Ice will cause some major -recharge/slow. I thought about this combo as well but I am sick of Spines at the moment. I already have a 50 Spine/EA and 41 Spine/Nin.

Sorry, not gonna play Ice Armor until we get a compelling primary to go with it. I paired Spines with Dark Armor, Electric with Regen, Dark Melee with Willpower, Kinetic Melee with Energy Aura, Dual Blades with Ninjutsu (then there's my EM/EA and MA/WP too). Since my main is a Katana scrapper and I hate Broadsword I got nothing left.

Concept for Street Justice is reserved so none of that (just haven't gotten to making the character)...

We haven't gotten any good primary proliferation in forever (the last one was BS which is BS!)...I'd really like a chance to make an Ice melee stalker!! That's what I really want to make, but I'd bet a Titan Weapons/Ice Armor would be devilish...anything that comes near you is slowed long enough for you to back away then swing at em with cone Knockdown goodness....

The argument about Chilling Embrace will no longer exist after Issue 22, since you will be able to use AS in combat regularly.

Except that the complaint is that CE prevents you from getting an Assassin's Strike after Placate. Which won't change with i22. CE will still prevent Assassin's Strikes, because it will still break the pseudo-Hide created by Placate. However, it does NOT prevent criticals with normal attacks, provided you queue them while Placate is animating. The changes in i22 will make Stalkers better, yes, but it won't fix the issues with Placate and debuff/status auras. Specifically, Ice and Dark Armors.

Any word on when ice melee will hit stalkers?

I suspect it'll be in the next set of proliferations. Possibly I22 or 22.5 if there is one. If not then I23 seems just as likely.

And it had better still have frost and frozen aura. :P

I imagine that if Ice Melee is ported to Stalkers, it will lose Taunt (obviously) and Ice Patch for Assassin's Freeze and Placate. Either that, or it will keep Ice Patch but lose Frozen Aura, which would be a big mistake, I think.

I'm kinda hoping I22 Ports Ice to Scrappers as well, since we all know that's the only way sets ever get looked at.. and that can only benefit Stalkers

well since Ice Melee will never come to Brutes, id love it on Stalkers, and for the love of GOD they need to change the Tanker's Ice Melee "Greater Ice Sword" to "Ice Slash" because GIS sucks so bad, not to mention the Dom's Jack Frost pet even has a stronger Greater Ice Sword than Tankers, given that one is called Jack's Greater Ice Sword

but if they make Stalkers have Ice Melee in I22, please to god give us Ice Slash and dont remove Freezing Touch/Frozen Aura/Ice Patch/Ice Sword