Epic for Ice Ice Baby!?

[VV]

Howdy all. I am working on my first ever Sentinel. I have settled on Ice Blast / Ice Armor for the primary / secondary. But, I was looking at the various Epics and it seems like really thin pickings. They don't seem to add much to the primaries, and don't close a lot of holes. I am hoping it is just my inexperience talking. Anybody got tips?

 

Also, is anything skippable in Ice Armor? It all looks good, but I need a little wiggle room.

[oldskool]

What were you expecting to find?  What kind of holes did you think the epics need to fill?  

Sentinel epics all have the same theme.  They provide crowd control and melee options; both single target and area.  These two features aren't prevalent in the primaries.  Many of the these sets also have a final wild card power that influences defensive mitigation in some form.  That can be additional direct defense like Link Minds, a debuff like Darkest Night, or a heal like Warmth.  Patron pools follow the same kind of trend in all other ATs with a final summon power.  

Several Sentinel epic powers begin with AoE soft control.  This could be Frostbite which is an AoE Immobilize.  AoE Immobilize may not sound like much but in practice it is amazing to have as an option.  Sentinels do not have any kind of aggro aura.  Enemies will disperse and run when you AoE them.  However, that changes if you lock them in place with an AoE immobilize.  Yeah, you need to slot it for it to be effective, but thems the breaks.  

Several of the single target melee powers are high DPS options that can increase damage output.  Any AoE melee power expands your IO set options dramatically.  Single target holds may not sound like much on paper either.  However, all Sentinel primaries are variant versions of the ranged attack powers.  Ice Blast may be known to have several holds on other ATs.  Well, that doesn't happen here.  In order to get your extra hold you have to dip into the Epics.  Many of the CC powers in the Sentinel realm were converted to true damage powers at the expense of their CC potential.  So these powers lack that former utility for better damage.  You pick that former utility back up in the epic pools.  If you want to abuse procs, then those same hold powers are quite powerful.  That isn't unique to Sentinels but adding more damage does in fact plug a perception hole of the AT.  

Ice Mastery has some potential for theme with your power choices.  If you opt to use Ice Storm, then having Frostbite seems like a natural enhancement to that power.  You can decide after that if any of the other powers are worth while.  Keep in mind too, Sentinels have a lot of tight balancing.  Their epic choices aren't the mandatory picks for raw power gaming that other ATs may have.  You can absolutely power game through proc abuse, but the basic powers themselves aren't intended to work that way.  

Psi Mastery is probably the all around winner for usefulness.  Mass Hypnosis can have some value in solo play and some TFs.  However, it is Mind Probe that is the real gem out of the two choices. Mind Probe is a fantastic ST power.  Dominate is one of the best holds we have access too both as a real CC power or as a converted damage increaser.  Dominate animates and recharges rather quickly vs many of the alternatives.  Psi Shockwave is "meh" on damage per target but the target cap is higher than Frost Breath.  More targets hit = more damage dealt.  The damage type here also diversifies the kind of damage you deal.  Link Minds is just more defense for you and your team.  On top of that there is a minor +to hit bonus.  

What can you skip in Ice Armor?  The entire set? -- I kid... I kid... (kinda).  

Frigid Shield in its current state isn't worth using.  This is utterly shameful and disappointing.  Whatever code error exists here needs to be fixed as it doesn't contribute to your survival in any meaningful way.  Keep this power in mind if they ever buff it, but for now you can dump it.  

Frost Protection gives you additional slow protection, but that is about it for where its value lies.  Hoarfrost alone can help you cap hit points as well as Accolades and set bonuses.  Frost Protection's additional passive HP becomes a complete waste.  The Cold resist is also likewise lost in an ocean of +resist to that type.  

Permafrost may be of some value to you for holding a resistance set, but the benefits of the power itself are kind of "meh".  

Take any of the +defense powers.  You need all of them.  You will need to supplement these with additional pool powers anyway.  From there you can use set bonuses to raise defenses into the low 30's or even possibly into the 45% soft-cap range.  You don't *need* 45% defense for all the things, but it is helpful.  

Icy Bastion is a T9 that is worth having.  It pretty much makes Ice Armor playable in 50+ content and it works well layering other effects like Barrier Destiny.  



 

[VV]

Awesome, thanks for the tips! Very much helps.

[Yomo Kimyata]

On 1/7/2021 at 4:51 PM, VV said:

 Anybody got tips?

 

 

Stop, collaborate, and listen.

[VV]

1 minute ago, Yomo Kimyata said:

Stop, collaborate, and listen.

Uh.... that's what I'm doing.

[Yomo Kimyata]

1 minute ago, VV said:

Uh.... that's what I'm doing.

It's the lyrics from the beginning of "Ice, Ice Baby"...

 

[VV]

2 minutes ago, Yomo Kimyata said:

It's the lyrics from the beginning of "Ice, Ice Baby"...

 

Oh LMAO. Appropriate.

Edited January 8, 2021 by VV