Chilling Embrace in /Ice Pros/Cons

[Gammos]

Afternoon all!

 

I am currently really enjoying my Psi/Ice Stalker. I got him to 41 today and while i'm leveling and learning good play tactics for the AT, I had a question thats been on my mind...

 

 

Do people use CE in normal battle? If so, does it affect your ability to go back into hide often? I find myself having to move back until i'm back in Hide because while visible, CE affects enemies and keeps me from going back into hide.

 

I actually respec'd out of Placate for this reason. I found I wasn't using it enough and when I did use it, CE stopped it from really working. I love using CE now and I love /Ice's assortment of mitigation besides shields, but I want to be as efficient as possible in my role once I turn 50 (PvE and TFs). 

 

What say you, good people? Anyone with experience with /Ice on stalkers?

 

[Leogunner]

It's a good power.  As a Stalker, you're going to have to chase runners and CE makes that even easier and although it's a Knockup, sometimes Mass Levitate does cause foes to drift away from me a bit and CE is insurance that they don't get up and run off.  It also has -damage which can be very useful.  Also you don't have to really dedicate any slots to it which is nice if you want to conserve slots.

 

But you're also correct in that CE will stop you from returning to Hide and interfere with Placate.  This can jack up your opportunity if you're trying to stack hide-crit + insight on Greater Psi Blade on those resistant foes.

 

Funnily enough, my Psi/Ice Stalker is also 41 but he's been there for a couple weeks as I stopped playing to move and then when I got to the new place, started playing a NB/Regen concept character heavily.  Anyway, I tend to lean on "I'd rather have it than not" and just use it less like an armor toggle and more like a control, i.e. I turn it on when I know I won't be going into Hide anytime soon and turn it off only when I want to use Placate and GSB with insight.  It requires some extra foresight in my strategies but it's not impossible.  Also, you can cancel toggles during animations, if you're interested in trying that strategy.

[Gammos]

2 hours ago, Leogunner said:

 It also has -damage which can be very useful.

Yes i'm positive thats saved me more times than I know.

 

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But you're also correct in that CE will stop you from returning to Hide and interfere with Placate.  This can jack up your opportunity if you're trying to stack hide-crit + insight on Greater Psi Blade on those resistant foes.

Thats very true! Ok so great, i'm not crazy then. I was thinking maybe I wasnt using it properly. It's just the way its designed.

 

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Anyway, I tend to lean on "I'd rather have it than not" and just use it less like an armor toggle and more like a control, i.e. I turn it on when I know I won't be going into Hide anytime soon and turn it off only when I want to use Placate and GSB with insight.  It requires some extra foresight in my strategies but it's not impossible.  Also, you can cancel toggles during animations, if you're interested in trying that strategy.

 

Great point, thanks for your insight! I'll work on strategy.

[Clave Dark 5]

I know this thread is ancient, but I'm working up a Staff/Ice stalker and noticed Chilling Embrace could take a proc for +smashing dmg.  Has anyone here tried that yet?  Is that effect also suppressed by Hide, at least until you make your presence known?

[Sensor]

9 hours ago, Clave Dark 5 said:

I know this thread is ancient, but I'm working up a Staff/Ice stalker and noticed Chilling Embrace could take a proc for +smashing dmg.  Has anyone here tried that yet?  Is that effect also suppressed by Hide, at least until you make your presence known?

I tested on my psy/ice extensively to see if CE actively on a foe affected my hide, it did not. Assassins mark hide proc worked as normal! Not sure about the smash