Ice/Storm/Ice power selection

[qwerty1971]

I plan on making a new controller that will be ice control and storm summoning with the ice mastery epic. What would be the must have powers to take from those groups and what would be the skippable ones? I expect to play both solo sometimes but mostly on teams. 

Many thanks

[Coyote]

Ice Control: take Block of Ice, Arctic Air, Ice Slick, and Jack Frost. Frostbite is also very useful with your secondary as it will keep mobs from running. If you're going to solo, personally I would tak Chillblain and put damage procs in it, for more single-target damage when soloing.

 

Storm: Gale is mandatory, so put a slot with the KB to KD IO, and another with the Force Feedback: +Recharge IO, and use it on groups of mobs to get a short Recharge boost. After that, Freezing Rain, Tornado, and Lightning Storm are the must-takes in the set, and Steamy Mist is very good (it's a place to slot the Resist unique IOs without having to take Tough). Thunderclap isn't bad while leveling up, and it can remain in an end-game build for exemplaring. It's a bit slow to use regularly once you have high Recharge and other powers are ready to use, but when you're waiting for something to do, Stunning minions isn't useless. Hurricane is a great power early, and a lot of people say they don't use it much later. I agree, but even with a single slot of To Hit Debuff/Endurance Reduction it's still a good panic button even in the end game, and in the middle game it's a game-winner in enclosed maps.

 

Ice Mastery: Frozen Armor is important and useful, and the main reasons to go into this pool are getting two good AoEs (Frost Breath and Ice Storm), so that's the important 3. But I think you need to take a filler power first, and I would take Hibernate and put the Preventive Medicine +Absorb IO there to get some use out of it. Unfortunately that pushes Frozen Armor to your last pick since the AoEs need 5-6 slots, and you can't put that many slots in your Level 49 power.

 

Skippables:

O2 Boost. Okay heal, but single-target heals aren't that useful, and it costs a lot of Endurance.

Snow Storm. It has its uses, but more at the lower levels. If you do take it, plan on dropping it later.

Shiver: See Snow Storm, but in a click form.

Flash Freeze: Sleep powers aren't much use except to stop an incoming ambush or over-aggro. It has some use in the lower levels, but at higher levels you'll have better tools and never use it.

Glacier: It's an AoE Hold. They don't get much use, but aren't bad powers. You can take it or skip it.

 

[oedipus_tex]

As an Ice Control Controller you will want mezz protection as you get into level 35 and above. Your main options are:

• Psi Pool, Indomitable Will
• Destiny: Clarion (only available from level 50 onward, and protection only up to Mag 3 for majority of the time)
• Sorcery Pool - I don't believe this can be perma'ed

 

Getting Arctic Air detoggled in the middle of a heated battle is the number one killer of solo Ice Controllers.

 

Indom Will is the most reliable source of mezz protection available to Controllers. Also, the attacks in the Psi Pool provide -recharge that stacks with your Ice powers. So if there is any way to pivot to an Ice/Ice/Psi build it may do you good in the long run. 

 

Note that Ice/Storm will need significant endurance support from the Alpha slot and or Destiny slot, so prepare for that too.

[qwerty1971]

@Coyote- many thanks for the info. Next Question- How would you slot the build? What IO sets to focus on?

 

@ Oedipus_Tex- I understand the Psi Epic pool, I use it on my mind controller, but I am more concerned with character theme.

[Coyote]

42 minutes ago, qwerty1971 said:

@Coyote- many thanks for the info. Next Question- How would you slot the build? What IO sets to focus on?

 

Hm. For my Ill/Storm, it was sets with Recharge bonus all the way. But most attacks go at the decoys, so I don't need that much defense. For an Ice/Storm, you will want Defense also, to avoid the mezzing and detoggling issue that Oedipus mentioned. So I like sets that provide both: Expedient Reinforcement x6 in Jack, the Controller ATO set that has Ranged Defense in a control... I like slotting up the single-target Hold and Immob for damage, so I would put the ATO set in either Glacier or Thunderclap.

 

Both Tornado and Lightning Storm should get a Force Feedback: +Recharge IO. Lightning Storm then goes with 5x Apocalypse, while Tornado has many options... the one I like the most is an interesting mix, as in the following build. I left in some of the power slotting that I used, though it's not fully applicable to an Ice/Storm:

 

Spoiler

Hero Plan by Mids' Reborn : Hero Designer 2.6.0.7
https://github.com/ImaginaryDevelopment/imaginary-hero-designer

Click this DataLink to open the build!

Kitsune: Level 50 Magic Controller
Primary Power Set: Illusion Control
Secondary Power Set: Storm Summoning

Level 1: Blind -- Thn-Acc/Dmg/EndRdx(A), GldNet-Dam%(3), GldJvl-Dam%(3), NrnSht-Dam%(5), GhsWdwEmb-Dam%(5), UnbCns-Dam%(7)
Level 1: Gale -- SuddAcc--KB/+KD(A)

Level 8: Flash -- SprWiloft-Rchg/Dmg%(A), SprWiloft-Acc/Conf/Hold/Immob/Sleep/Stun/Fear(33), SprWiloft-Conf/Hold/Immob/Sleep/Stun/Fear/Rchg(33), SprWiloft-EndRdx/Rchg(34), SprWiloft-Acc/Conf/Hold/Immob/Sleep/Stun/Fear/EndRdx(34), SprWiloft-Acc/Conf/Hold/Immob/Sleep/Stun/Fear/EndRdx/Rchg(34)
Level 10: Steamy Mist -- RedFrt-EndRdx(A), RedFrt-Def/EndRdx(19), RedFrt-Def/Rchg(19), RedFrt-EndRdx/Rchg(21), RedFrt-Def/EndRdx/Rchg(21), RedFrt-Def(43)

Level 16: Freezing Rain -- Ann-ResDeb%(A), SprFrzBls-Rchg/ImmobProc(36), TmpRdn-EndRdx/Rchg/Slow(43), PcnoftheT-EndRdx/Rchg/Slow(46)

Level 20: Hurricane -- DarWtcDsp-ToHitDeb/EndRdx(A)

Level 32: Phantasm -- ExpRnf-Acc/Dmg(A), ExpRnf-EndRdx/Dmg/Rchg(36), ExpRnf-Dmg/EndRdx(36), ExpRnf-Acc/Dmg/Rchg(37), ExpRnf-+Res(Pets)(37), ExpRnf-Acc/Rchg(43)
Level 35: Tornado -- OvrFrc-Dam/KB(A), SlbAll-Dmg/Rchg(37), SlbAll-Dmg/EndRdx(39), AchHee-ResDeb%(39), SprOvrPrs-Rchg/Energy Font(39), FrcFdb-Rechg%(40)
Level 38: Lightning Storm -- Apc-Dam%(A), Apc-Dmg/EndRdx(40), Apc-Dmg/Rchg(40), Apc-Acc/Dmg/Rchg(42), Apc-Acc/Rchg(42), FrcFdb-Rechg%(42)
Level 41: Hibernate -- Prv-Absorb%(A)
Level 44: Frost Breath -- PstBls-Dmg/Rng(A), PstBls-Acc/Dmg/EndRdx(45), PstBls-Dam%(45), PstBls-Dmg/Rchg(45), PstBls-Dmg/EndRdx(46), JvlVll-Dam%(46)
Level 47: Ice Storm -- Rgn-Knock%(A), Rgn-Dmg/Rchg(48), Rgn-Dmg/EndRdx(48), Rgn-Acc/Dmg/Rchg(48), Rgn-Acc/Rchg(50)
Level 49: Frozen Armor -- LucoftheG-Def/Rchg+(A), StdPrt-ResDam/Def+(50), GldArm-3defTpProc(50)

 

In particular, you may want to get the Resist globals into the build earlier in Steamy Mist, since you will want a LotG: Recharge in there. I didn't use it because I had enough Defense powers to put 5xLotG without it, but Illusion has a pair in the set. So you will probably want to put a mix into Steamy Mist. The Flash slotting can go into Thunderclap or Glacier. I also didn't have a single-target Immob so you can't see slotting one for damage, but if you put 3xThunderstrike in there (no Recharge) and 3x damage procs you won't be on the wrong path.