The thing to remember when starting an Ice/* Tanker is that Ice tanks function on DEFENCE, not RESISTANCE - so slot everything for Defence Debuffs not Damage Resistance. This isn't such a problem as it used to be, now that you cannot slot most of your DEF powers for RES (Glacial Armour being an exception - and that's only because it's bugged).
This guide is far from extensive, but it should help you decide which powers to take and which to throw away. Ouside of the Primary Pool, you will want Tough - it might only provide 23.6% RES when 3-slotted, but without it you'll have 0% RES (Chilling Embrace excluded).
Notes on Chilling Embrace. This power provides 38% pseudo RES vs All in melee range in the form of a 14% Damage Debuff and a 32% Recharge Debuff. However, this scales exceptionally badly against anything that isn't the same level as you, so don't rely on it too much. Note that because it's a mob debuff, it will also benefit everyone else on your team as well.
*** - Essential
** - Handy
* - Not so handy
Frozen Armor (+DEF [Smashing/Lethal], +RES [Cold/Fire])
Rating: ***
The staple of any Ice tanker's build, Frozen Armour is essential throughout the game as the vast majority of the damage you will receive is Smashing/Lethal. I've performed exactly one (proper level) mission without using it.
Recommended Slotting: 2xENDRED, 3xDEF
Hoarfrost (+RES [Toxic], +HP, +HEAL)
Rating: ***
Hoarfrost can be used in 2 different ways depending on the situation. It can either be used prior to combat to boost your maximum HP or it can be used in combat, for a massive healing boost (Around 50% of your HP unslotted). As of I5, you can no longer Perma Hoarfrost, but it is still an essential tool for your survival.
Recommended Slotting: 3xRCHG, 3xHEAL
Chilling Embrace (-Foe SPD, Foe -RECHARGE, Foe -DMG, +PBAoE Taunt)
Rating: ***
Chilling embrace is a bit of a double edged sword during the early levels. It slows foes down, making them easy to tank, but it also drains endurance very rapidly, which leaves you in danger of running out mid-battle. Once you've got your end management in hand, it can be very handy for holding aggro and slowing your attackers. As of I5, it also provides a 14% Damage Debuff (Base value against even level minions) to all mobs that it hits - this is essential to keeping you alive. Be aware that the effectiveness of both the Slow and Damage Debuff drop off rapidly as the relative level of the mobs increases - in addition, some mobs will resist the Slow & Damage Debuff.
Recommended Slotting: 2xENDRED
Wet Ice (+DEF [All but Psychic], +RES [Cold], +RES [Status Effects])
Rating: ***
The holy grail of the Ice Armours - Wet Ice offers near total status effect protection, which has only ever failed me twice, both times under extreme bombardment. With Wet Ice running you will be all but immune to holds, stuns, disorients & immobilisations. Wear this like a second skin and never take it off. As of I5, Wet Ice provides only 1% DEF and cannot be slotted with DEF enhancements.
Recommended Slotting: 1xENDRED,
Permafrost (+RES [Cold/Fire/Slow])
Rating:
Totally and utterly useless for the vast majority of the game. Not worth taking for any reason. Note that I5 has added Slow RES to Permafrost, however, it is still largely useless.
Recommended Slotting: 3xRES
Icicles (Lethal Damage [DoT], +PBAoE Taunt)
Rating: *
Looks nice, but does sub-par damage at a fairly high endurance cost. Really not the best choice of power for an already end-heavy powerset.
Recommended Slotting: 2xENDRED, 1xACC, 3xDMG
Glacial Armor (+DEF [Energy/Negative Energy], +RES [Cold])
Rating: **
Fairly ineffectual at first, Glacial Armour rapidly ramps up its usefulness as the number of energy and negative energy-wielding mobs increases (Council, CoT, Crey, Carnies, Malta, Praetorians, etc). Slot up as and when you can rather than as a priority and be aware of its longer than normal activation time, which can be a pain in the middle of combat.
Recommended Slotting: 2xENDRED, 3xDEF
Energy Absorption (+DEF [All but Psychic], Foe -END, Self +End)
Rating: **
Before Issue 5 went live, this was one of the most useful powers in the Ice Primary. It drains endurance from nearby foes, offering an 18.75% +DEF [All but Psychic] bonus for each mob drained capped at 5 mobs (93.75% Unslotted). However, now this has been changed dramatically to a 0.5% +DEF [All but Psychic] bonus for each mob drained capped at 14 mobs (7% unslotted). This makes it seemingly far less useful - however, that 7% is now 2/5 of your total DEF and essential if you want to stay alive. I5 has also added an Endurance Recovery element to EA, making it handy mid-battle. 2 recharge SOs will make it perma - Note that as with Wet Ice, it doesn't offer +DEF [Toxic]
Recommended Slotting: 1xENDRED, 2xRECHG, 3xDEF
Hibernate (+REGEN, +RECOVERY, Intangible, Immobilize)
Rating: *
Hibernate immobilizes you in a block of solid ice, rendering you invulnerable (Note that any DoT attacks in progress when you activate hibernate will continue to damage you). Your health regenerates rapidly and your end recovery is also slightly increased. Note that while you can Deactive powers while hibernating, you can't Activate any - so don't turn off all your armours if you're in the middle of combat. As of Issue 5, Hibernate is limited to 30 seconds of continuous use.
Recommended Slotting: 1xENDRED
Base Armour Effectiveness
All slotted numbers assume even level Single Origin Enhancements. All slotting is done based on the recommended slots above.
Frozen Armour
Smashing/Lethal: 17% DEF (26.96% slotted)
Cold: 30% RES
Fire: 30% RES
Wet Ice
Smashing/Lethal/Energy/Negative/Cold/Fire: 1% DEF
Cold: 30% RES
Glacial Armour
Energy/Negative: 17% DEF (26.96% slotted)
Cold: 30% RES
Energy Absorption (Per mob drained - Capped at 14 mobs)
Smashing/Lethal/Energy/Negative/Cold/Fire: 0.5% DEF (0.785% slotted)
Hoarfrost
Toxic: 20% RES
Maximum Defence Vaules assuming 14 mobs for Energy Absorption (Based on recommended slotting)
The thing to remember when starting an Ice/* Tanker is that Ice tanks function on DEFENCE, not RESISTANCE - so slot everything for Defence Debuffs not Damage Resistance. This isn't such a problem as it used to be, now that you cannot slot most of your DEF powers for RES (Glacial Armour being an exception - and that's only because it's bugged).
This guide is far from extensive, but it should help you decide which powers to take and which to throw away. Ouside of the Primary Pool, you will want Tough - it might only provide 23.6% RES when 3-slotted, but without it you'll have 0% RES (Chilling Embrace excluded).
Notes on Chilling Embrace. This power provides 38% pseudo RES vs All in melee range in the form of a 14% Damage Debuff and a 32% Recharge Debuff. However, this scales exceptionally badly against anything that isn't the same level as you, so don't rely on it too much. Note that because it's a mob debuff, it will also benefit everyone else on your team as well.
*** - Essential
** - Handy
* - Not so handy
Frozen Armor (+DEF [Smashing/Lethal], +RES [Cold/Fire])
Rating: ***
The staple of any Ice tanker's build, Frozen Armour is essential throughout the game as the vast majority of the damage you will receive is Smashing/Lethal. I've performed exactly one (proper level) mission without using it.
Recommended Slotting: 2xENDRED, 3xDEF
Hoarfrost (+RES [Toxic], +HP, +HEAL)
Rating: ***
Hoarfrost can be used in 2 different ways depending on the situation. It can either be used prior to combat to boost your maximum HP or it can be used in combat, for a massive healing boost (Around 50% of your HP unslotted). As of I5, you can no longer Perma Hoarfrost, but it is still an essential tool for your survival.
Recommended Slotting: 3xRCHG, 3xHEAL
Chilling Embrace (-Foe SPD, Foe -RECHARGE, Foe -DMG, +PBAoE Taunt)
Rating: ***
Chilling embrace is a bit of a double edged sword during the early levels. It slows foes down, making them easy to tank, but it also drains endurance very rapidly, which leaves you in danger of running out mid-battle. Once you've got your end management in hand, it can be very handy for holding aggro and slowing your attackers. As of I5, it also provides a 14% Damage Debuff (Base value against even level minions) to all mobs that it hits - this is essential to keeping you alive. Be aware that the effectiveness of both the Slow and Damage Debuff drop off rapidly as the relative level of the mobs increases - in addition, some mobs will resist the Slow & Damage Debuff.
Recommended Slotting: 2xENDRED
Wet Ice (+DEF [All but Psychic], +RES [Cold], +RES [Status Effects])
Rating: ***
The holy grail of the Ice Armours - Wet Ice offers near total status effect protection, which has only ever failed me twice, both times under extreme bombardment. With Wet Ice running you will be all but immune to holds, stuns, disorients & immobilisations. Wear this like a second skin and never take it off. As of I5, Wet Ice provides only 1% DEF and cannot be slotted with DEF enhancements.
Recommended Slotting: 1xENDRED,
Permafrost (+RES [Cold/Fire/Slow])
Rating:
Totally and utterly useless for the vast majority of the game. Not worth taking for any reason. Note that I5 has added Slow RES to Permafrost, however, it is still largely useless.
Recommended Slotting: 3xRES
Icicles (Lethal Damage [DoT], +PBAoE Taunt)
Rating: *
Looks nice, but does sub-par damage at a fairly high endurance cost. Really not the best choice of power for an already end-heavy powerset.
Recommended Slotting: 2xENDRED, 1xACC, 3xDMG
Glacial Armor (+DEF [Energy/Negative Energy], +RES [Cold])
Rating: **
Fairly ineffectual at first, Glacial Armour rapidly ramps up its usefulness as the number of energy and negative energy-wielding mobs increases (Council, CoT, Crey, Carnies, Malta, Praetorians, etc). Slot up as and when you can rather than as a priority and be aware of its longer than normal activation time, which can be a pain in the middle of combat.
Recommended Slotting: 2xENDRED, 3xDEF
Energy Absorption (+DEF [All but Psychic], Foe -END, Self +End)
Rating: **
Before Issue 5 went live, this was one of the most useful powers in the Ice Primary. It drains endurance from nearby foes, offering an 18.75% +DEF [All but Psychic] bonus for each mob drained capped at 5 mobs (93.75% Unslotted). However, now this has been changed dramatically to a 0.5% +DEF [All but Psychic] bonus for each mob drained capped at 14 mobs (7% unslotted). This makes it seemingly far less useful - however, that 7% is now 2/5 of your total DEF and essential if you want to stay alive. I5 has also added an Endurance Recovery element to EA, making it handy mid-battle. 2 recharge SOs will make it perma - Note that as with Wet Ice, it doesn't offer +DEF [Toxic]
Recommended Slotting: 1xENDRED, 2xRECHG, 3xDEF
Hibernate (+REGEN, +RECOVERY, Intangible, Immobilize)
Rating: *
Hibernate immobilizes you in a block of solid ice, rendering you invulnerable (Note that any DoT attacks in progress when you activate hibernate will continue to damage you). Your health regenerates rapidly and your end recovery is also slightly increased. Note that while you can Deactive powers while hibernating, you can't Activate any - so don't turn off all your armours if you're in the middle of combat. As of Issue 5, Hibernate is limited to 30 seconds of continuous use.
Recommended Slotting: 1xENDRED
Base Armour Effectiveness
All slotted numbers assume even level Single Origin Enhancements. All slotting is done based on the recommended slots above.
Frozen Armour
Smashing/Lethal: 17% DEF (26.96% slotted)
Cold: 30% RES
Fire: 30% RES
Wet Ice
Smashing/Lethal/Energy/Negative/Cold/Fire: 1% DEF
Cold: 30% RES
Glacial Armour
Energy/Negative: 17% DEF (26.96% slotted)
Cold: 30% RES
Energy Absorption (Per mob drained - Capped at 14 mobs)
Smashing/Lethal/Energy/Negative/Cold/Fire: 0.5% DEF (0.785% slotted)
Hoarfrost
Toxic: 20% RES
Maximum Defence Vaules assuming 14 mobs for Energy Absorption (Based on recommended slotting)
Smashing/Lethal/Energy/Negative: 25% DEF (38.68% slotted)
Cold/Fire: 8% DEF (11.99% Slotted)
Maximum Defence Vaules without Energy Absorption (Based on recommended slotting)
Smashing/Lethal/Energy/Negative: 18% DEF (27.69% Slotted)
Cold/Fire: 1% DEF
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