Ice Armor Scrapper

[StriderIV]

Hi heroes!

 

I’m interested in an Ice Armor Scrapper. Mostly because I don’t see many of them, and also because I hear it really shines on a scrapper.

 

That being said, any advice is welcome! What are the skipable powers? They all look good to me 😂

 

Any primaries you’d pair it with? I’m looking at Psi Melee because the blades look SWEET. Claws I hear is good, I know that is played quite a lot.

Katana seems to ALWAYS be a strong choice with it’s damage and +def. StJ also seems to lack AOE, and Ice Armor could help with that.

 

Any advice/suggestions would be great!

[SomeGuy]

Katana is a boss set. As for ice? I have no input.

[StriderIV]

13 minutes ago, SomeGuy said:

Katana is a boss set. As for ice? I have no input.

Haha Some, you are a Claws legend. How do you feel Katana compares? Also, do you feel Katana shines most on Scrappers, or is is about equal between Scraps and Brutes?

[Onlyasandwich]

Ice is a great secondary, and the Scrapper version with Icy Bastion is arguably superior to what Tanks/Brutes get.

 

Permafrost is easy enough to skip, but I wouldn't skip anything else. Even Permafrost is useful as a set mule.

 

As for synergies, nothing particularly stands out. I would just look for a set that matches a fun theme.

 

Katana is great on both scraps and Brutes. Scrappers get juicy crits, but Brutes benefit from its high DPA attacks and fluid chains, building fury quickly.

 

I don't think Ice Armor does much to make up for lackluster aoe, though a damage aura is always nice of course.

 

Personally, I'm rather fond of the thematic combo of Stone/Ice, with the Stone in crystal form. If you haven't played SM, Scrapper is a great place to start. 🙂 

 

 

[StriderIV]

12 minutes ago, Onlyasandwich said:

Ice is a great secondary, and the Scrapper version with Icy Bastion is arguably superior to what Tanks/Brutes get.

 

Permafrost is easy enough to skip, but I wouldn't skip anything else. Even Permafrost is useful as a set mule.

 

As for synergies, nothing particularly stands out. I would just look for a set that matches a fun theme.

 

Katana is great on both scraps and Brutes. Scrappers get juicy crits, but Brutes benefit from its high DPA attacks and fluid chains, building fury quickly.

 

I don't think Ice Armor does much to make up for lackluster aoe, though a damage aura is always nice of course.

 

Personally, I'm rather fond of the thematic combo of Stone/Ice, with the Stone in crystal form. If you haven't played SM, Scrapper is a great place to start. 🙂 

 

 

That makes sense on Katana. Seems like the same reason Claws is good on both.

 

You know, I never thought about stone! That is a cool idea though. Why do you like SM on a Scrap?

[Onlyasandwich]

1 hour ago, StriderIV said:

Why do you like SM on a Scrap

Scrappers just really match the extra smashy feel of SM. Whomp whomp whomp goes the hammer! I love it. Seismic Smash is a complete beast, super proccy, super fast, and holds as well. My SM/Ice is actually a Tanker (Ice/SM in that case) and one of my favorite characters, but I've had my eye on a Scrapper iteration since they proliferated SM.

 

SM also has very nice soft control with both aoe and ST knockdown, helping push beyond the weaker defenses of a Scrapper. Not to say that Scrappers are squishy, but their survival potential is otherwise lower than Brutes and Tankers. You can chain KD everything around you if you time Tremor and Fault correctly, and incorporate plenty of FFback into your chains.

 

 

 

 

Edited March 27, 2022 by Onlyasandwich

[DocMidknight]

Just a thought but what about a dark/ice scrapper

 

[StriderIV]

28 minutes ago, Onlyasandwich said:

Scrappers just really match the extra smashy feel of SM. Whomp whomp whomp goes the hammer! I love it. Seismic Smash is a complete beast, super proccy, super fast, and holds as well. My SM/Ice is actually a Tanker (Ice/SM in that case) and one of my favorite characters, but I've had my eye on a Scrapper iteration since they proliferated SM.

 

SM also has very nice soft control with both aoe and ST knockdown, helping push beyond the weaker defenses of a Scrapper. Not to say that Scrappers are squishy, but their survival potential is otherwise lower than Brutes and Tankers. You can chain KD everything around you if you time Tremor and Fault correctly, and incorporate plenty of FFback into your chains.

 

 

 

 

You just got me EXCITED Only 😂

[StriderIV]

5 minutes ago, DocMidknight said:

Just a thought but what about a dark/ice scrapper

 

So I love Dark Melee! In fact, my only other scrapper is a DM/Shield. I do hear it pairs nicely with Ice Armor though 

[StriderIV]

36 minutes ago, Onlyasandwich said:

Scrappers just really match the extra smashy feel of SM. Whomp whomp whomp goes the hammer! I love it. Seismic Smash is a complete beast, super proccy, super fast, and holds as well. My SM/Ice is actually a Tanker (Ice/SM in that case) and one of my favorite characters, but I've had my eye on a Scrapper iteration since they proliferated SM.

 

SM also has very nice soft control with both aoe and ST knockdown, helping push beyond the weaker defenses of a Scrapper. Not to say that Scrappers are squishy, but their survival potential is otherwise lower than Brutes and Tankers. You can chain KD everything around you if you time Tremor and Fault correctly, and incorporate plenty of FFback into your chains.

 

 

 

 

Honestly I though, I had never really cared for the hammer animations on Stone, but with the changes…..Ice Armor hero coming up lol

[Onlyasandwich]

17 minutes ago, StriderIV said:

hammer animations

I'm pretty sure they have "no hammer" animation options for all the powers now, so you're good. 😄 

 

However, you may find the hammers a bit more enjoyable with an icy theme.

 

My god, Icy Bastion looks so good! What an amazing power. I may have to share a build for this myself pretty soon.

Edited March 28, 2022 by Onlyasandwich

[StriderIV]

38 minutes ago, Onlyasandwich said:

I'm pretty sure they have "no hammer" animation options for all the powers now, so you're good. 😄 

 

However, you may find the hammers a bit more enjoyable with an icy theme.

 

My god, Icy Bastion looks so good! What an amazing power. I may have to share a build for this myself pretty soon.

I will be all eyes and ears for that build!

 

Is Stone Melee endurance heavy? I was thinking, if Ice Armor’s endurance was able to handle it, going Soul Mastery for Shadow Meld and being able to alternate that and Icy Bastion could be really spicy.

 

[Onlyasandwich]

20 minutes ago, StriderIV said:

Is Stone Melee endurance heavy?

SM is indeed pretty heavy on end.

 

/Ice is however well-equipped to handle it - Energy Absorption really is that good. Unlike some other +end powers, it comes back quickly, animates quickly, and you have other reasons to spam it anyhow (more defense).

 

Shadow Meld is indeed a really strong idea for rotation as needed. Alternately, you could find a way to fit in Rune. This depends on how much you find yourself needing the extra layer of mitigation and what you're trading off to get it. You might be happy enough with just Bastion alongside defenses and soft controls. 

 

 

Edited March 28, 2022 by Onlyasandwich

[StriderIV]

13 minutes ago, Onlyasandwich said:

SM is indeed pretty heavy on end.

 

/Ice is however well-equipped to handle it - Energy Absorption really is that good. Unlike some other +end powers, it comes back quickly, animates quickly, and you have other reasons to spam it anyhow (more defense).

 

Shadow Meld is indeed a really strong idea for rotation as needed. Alternately, you could find a way to fit in Rune. This depends on how much you find yourself needing the extra layer of mitigation and what you're trading off to get it. You might be happy enough with just Bastion alongside defenses and soft controls. 

 

 

EA seems amazing. In fact, all of Ice Armor’s powers seem to be good.

 

Just messed around in the hero creator. Love the animation options now!!! Giant Ice Fist for the win. Seems like, for the time being, it’s the Super Strength set Scrappers have been waiting for 😂

 

What are the attacks you recommend picking up for a solid attack chain? I’ll probably end up going the patron pool route to grab a snipe.

[Onlyasandwich]

1 hour ago, StriderIV said:

What are the attacks you recommend picking up for a solid attack chain?

I actually put together a bit of a rough draft build.

 

Note that there are two FFBack procs on, so turn these powers off if in Mids and wanting accurate recharge totals.

 

I'm sure there is as always more optimization, but here are the features:

• Softcap S/L/E/N defense (assumes only 1 EA target hit).
• Enough F/C def to hit softcap with Shadow Meld when needed. 
• Moderate baseline S/L resist, attempted to shore up Psi resist as the slots are available and it is otherwise not well covered.
• FFback incorporated into both ST and aoe chains.
• Very super mega proccy Seismic Smash. (Turn on build-up and swoon - what a power!)
• ATO proc in the relatively proctimized Heavy Mallet for good up time. Not sure if maybe it would be worth swapping it to Seismic and eating a proc there - Crit ATO placement is both crucial and a bit tricky for best performance.
• Max hit chance against +4's with everything but Fault, which is fine with +3's so good if considering incarnate shift.

Considerations:

• Will be sucking wind hardcore before EA. With EA, you will be spamming it on cooldown. If you're not okay with this, you may want to re-optimize for more end reduction. Personally I'm cool with it on Ice armor. When in Bastion you are fully juiced of course.
• When proccing fault, KB procs will hit the whole aoe, while targeted aoe procs only hit the tiny cone. Current slotting makes it an okay damage power, an accelerator for more Tremors, and good soft control.
• You could eat some global recharge and go more proc crazy on Moonbeam. I went for a more moderate approach here, but this leaves ~100 damage on the table.

 

Power strategy:

• In heavy aoe scenarios where you're having trouble with survival, fire off tremor right when mobs are leaning to stand up after your Fault - this will cause them to fall right back down as soon as they are on their feet. With FFback firing, you can continue this back to back. Your Fault target should be one of the tougher mobs, as it does more damage to the target and a small cone.
• Heavy Mallet > Stone Fist > Seismic > Stone Fist > Moon Beam is a good rotation, and Stone Fist is a pretty solid attack to fill gaps wherever needed if FFback isn't hitting in a given cycle.
  • Note the order here is important for squeezing in all damage possible for Crit ATO procs. The buff lasts 3.25 seconds, allowing the first 3 attacks here to be covered if fired quickly, with a slight bit of leeway for lag.
  • Maybe Heavy Mallet > Seismic > Moonbeam would be better in burst? This would have more gaps though, even with FFBack firing. A hyper-optimized chain might somehow pick up a heavily procced Dark Blast, or even Cross Punch, but at the cost of other slotting priorities.
• As you mentioned, rotating Shadow Meld and Bastion as needed should work pretty well. Shadow Meld also keeps you up for the alpha against Psi enemies. If attempting to face mass psi, you better get in there quick and establish KD control before meld wears off though.

 

The build:

Spoiler

This Hero build was built using Mids Reborn 3.2.17
https://github.com/LoadedCamel/MidsReborn

Click this DataLink to open the build!

Level 50 Magic Scrapper
Primary Power Set: Stone Melee
Secondary Power Set: Ice Armor
Power Pool: Leaping
Power Pool: Speed
Power Pool: Fighting
Power Pool: Leadership
Ancillary Pool: Soul Mastery

Hero Profile:
Level 1: Stone Fist -- SprScrStr-Dmg/Rchg(A), SprScrStr-Rchg/+Crit(3), SprScrStr-Dmg/EndRdx/Rchg(3), SprScrStr-Acc/Dmg(5), SprScrStr-Acc/Dmg/Rchg(50), SprScrStr-Acc/Dmg/EndRdx/Rchg(50)
Level 1: Frozen Armor -- LucoftheG-Def/Rchg+(A), RedFrt-Def/EndRdx(5), RedFrt-Def(7), Ksm-ToHit+(7)
Level 2: Heavy Mallet -- SprCrtStr-Acc/Dmg(A), SprCrtStr-Acc/Dmg/EndRdx/Rchg(9), SprCrtStr-Rchg/+50% Crit(9), Hct-Dmg/EndRdx(11), Hct-Dam%(11), FrcFdb-Rechg%(13)
Level 4: Hoarfrost -- Prv-Heal/Rchg(A), Prv-Heal/Rchg/EndRdx(13), Prv-Absorb%(15), DctWnd-Heal/Rchg(19), ImpArm-ResPsi(43)
Level 6: Build Up -- GssSynFr--Build%(A), RctRtc-ToHit(15), RctRtc-ToHit/Rchg(50)
Level 8: Chilling Embrace -- EndRdx-I(A)
Level 10: Wet Ice -- EndRdx-I(A)
Level 12: Fault -- SprCrtStr-Dmg/Rchg(A), SprCrtStr-Acc/Dmg/Rchg(21), SprCrtStr-Dmg/EndRdx/Rchg(23), HO:Endo(23), ExpStr-Dam%(25), FrcFdb-Rechg%(25)
Level 14: Combat Jumping -- ShlWal-ResDam/Re TP(A)
Level 16: Glacial Armor -- LucoftheG-Def/Rchg+(A), RedFrt-Def/EndRdx(27), RedFrt-Def(27)
Level 18: Seismic Smash -- HO:Nucle(A), Hct-Dmg(29), TchofDth-Dam%(29), NrnSht-Dam%(31), GhsWdwEmb-Dam%(31), UnbCns-Dam%(31)
Level 20: Energy Absorption -- Rct-Def(A), Rct-Def/EndRdx(33), Rct-EndRdx/Rchg(33), Rct-Def/Rchg(33), Rct-Def/EndRdx/Rchg(34), Rct-ResDam%(34)
Level 22: Hasten -- RechRdx-I(A), RechRdx-I(34)
Level 24: Boxing -- Empty(A)
Level 26: Tough -- Ags-ResDam/EndRdx(A), Ags-ResDam/Rchg(36), Ags-ResDam(36), Ags-Psi/Status(36), GldArm-3defTpProc(37), StdPrt-ResDam/Def+(37)
Level 28: Weave -- LucoftheG-Def/Rchg+(A), RedFrt-Def/EndRdx(37), RedFrt-Def(39)
Level 30: Maneuvers -- LucoftheG-Def/Rchg+(A)
Level 32: Tremor -- Erd-Acc/Dmg/Rchg(A), Erd-Acc/Dmg/EndRdx/Rchg(39), Erd-%Dam(39), Mlt-Acc/Dmg(40), Mlt-Dmg/EndRdx(40), Arm-Dam%(40)
Level 35: Icicles -- Erd-Acc/Dmg/Rchg(A), Erd-Acc/Dmg/EndRdx/Rchg(42), Erd-%Dam(42), Obl-Dmg(42), Obl-Acc/Dmg/Rchg(43)
Level 38: Icy Bastion -- Ags-ResDam/Rchg(A), Ags-ResDam/EndRdx/Rchg(43), Ags-EndRdx/Rchg(45), Ags-ResDam(45), DS:DSyncHealRech(45), ImpArm-ResPsi(46)
Level 41: Tactics -- HO:Cyto(A)
Level 44: Moonbeam -- Apc-Dmg(A), Apc-Dmg/EndRdx(46), Apc-Dam%(46), Apc-Acc/Dmg/Rchg(48), Apc-Acc/Rchg(48), CldSns-%Dam(48)
Level 47: Shadow Meld -- LucoftheG-Def/Rchg+(A)
Level 49: Permafrost -- ImpArm-ResPsi(A)
Level 1: Critical Hit 
Level 1: Brawl -- Empty(A)
Level 1: Sprint -- Empty(A)
Level 2: Rest -- Empty(A)
Level 1: Swift -- Empty(A)
Level 1: Hurdle -- Empty(A)
Level 1: Health -- Pnc-Heal/+End(A), NmnCnv-Regen/Rcvry+(17), Mrc-Rcvry+(19)
Level 1: Stamina -- PrfShf-End%(A), PrfShf-EndMod(17), EndMod-I(21)
Level 49: Quick Form 
Level 50: Musculature Radial Paragon 
------------

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Edited March 28, 2022 by Onlyasandwich

[StriderIV]

47 minutes ago, Onlyasandwich said:

I actually put together a bit of a rough draft build.

 

Note that there are two FFBack procs on, so turn these powers off if in Mids and wanting accurate recharge totals.

 

I'm sure there is as always more optimization, but here are the features:

• Softcap S/L/E/N defense (assumes only 1 EA target hit).
• Enough F/C def to hit softcap with Shadow Meld when needed. 
• Moderate baseline S/L resist, attempted to shore up Psi resist as the slots are available and it is otherwise not well covered.
• FFback incorporated into both ST and aoe chains.
• Very super mega proccy Seismic Smash. (Turn on build-up and swoon - what a power!)
• ATO proc in the relatively proctimized Heavy Mallet for good up time. Not sure if maybe it would be worth swapping it to Seismic and eating a proc there - Crit ATO placement is both crucial and a bit tricky for best performance.
• Max hit chance against +4's with everything but Fault, which is fine with +3's so good if considering incarnate shift.

Considerations:

• Will be sucking wind hardcore before EA. With EA, you will be spamming it on cooldown. If you're not okay with this, you may want to re-optimize for more end reduction. Personally I'm cool with it on Ice armor. When in Bastion you are fully juiced of course.
• When proccing fault, KB procs will hit the whole aoe, while targeted aoe procs only hit the tiny cone. Current slotting makes it an okay damage power, an accelerator for more Tremors, and good soft control.
• You could eat some global recharge and go more proc crazy on Moonbeam. I went for a more moderate approach here, but this leaves ~100 damage on the table.

 

Power strategy:

• In heavy aoe scenarios where you're having trouble with survival, fire off tremor right when mobs are leaning to stand up after your Fault - this will cause them to fall right back down as soon as they are on their feet. With FFback firing, you can continue this back to back. Your Fault target should be one of the tougher mobs, as it does more damage to the target and a small cone.
• Heavy Mallet > Stone Fist > Seismic > Stone Fist > Moon Beam is a good rotation, and Stone Fist is a pretty solid attack to fill gaps wherever needed if FFback isn't hitting in a given cycle.
  • Note the order here is important for squeezing in all damage possible for Crit ATO procs. The buff lasts 3.25 seconds, allowing the first 3 attacks here to be covered if fired quickly, with a slight bit of leeway for lag.
  • Maybe Heavy Mallet > Seismic > Moonbeam would be better in burst? This would have more gaps though, even with FFBack firing. A hyper-optimized chain might somehow pick up a heavily procced Dark Blast, or even Cross Punch, but at the cost of other slotting priorities.
• As you mentioned, rotating Shadow Meld and Bastion as needed should work pretty well. Shadow Meld also keeps you up for the alpha against Psi enemies. If attempting to face mass psi, you better get in there quick and establish KD control before meld wears off though.

 

The build:

  Reveal hidden contents

This Hero build was built using Mids Reborn 3.2.17
https://github.com/LoadedCamel/MidsReborn

Click this DataLink to open the build!

Level 50 Magic Scrapper
Primary Power Set: Stone Melee
Secondary Power Set: Ice Armor
Power Pool: Leaping
Power Pool: Speed
Power Pool: Fighting
Power Pool: Leadership
Ancillary Pool: Soul Mastery

Hero Profile:
Level 1: Stone Fist -- SprScrStr-Dmg/Rchg(A), SprScrStr-Rchg/+Crit(3), SprScrStr-Dmg/EndRdx/Rchg(3), SprScrStr-Acc/Dmg(5), SprScrStr-Acc/Dmg/Rchg(50), SprScrStr-Acc/Dmg/EndRdx/Rchg(50)
Level 1: Frozen Armor -- LucoftheG-Def/Rchg+(A), RedFrt-Def/EndRdx(5), RedFrt-Def(7), Ksm-ToHit+(7)
Level 2: Heavy Mallet -- SprCrtStr-Acc/Dmg(A), SprCrtStr-Acc/Dmg/EndRdx/Rchg(9), SprCrtStr-Rchg/+50% Crit(9), Hct-Dmg/EndRdx(11), Hct-Dam%(11), FrcFdb-Rechg%(13)
Level 4: Hoarfrost -- Prv-Heal/Rchg(A), Prv-Heal/Rchg/EndRdx(13), Prv-Absorb%(15), DctWnd-Heal/Rchg(19), ImpArm-ResPsi(43)
Level 6: Build Up -- GssSynFr--Build%(A), RctRtc-ToHit(15), RctRtc-ToHit/Rchg(50)
Level 8: Chilling Embrace -- EndRdx-I(A)
Level 10: Wet Ice -- EndRdx-I(A)
Level 12: Fault -- SprCrtStr-Dmg/Rchg(A), SprCrtStr-Acc/Dmg/Rchg(21), SprCrtStr-Dmg/EndRdx/Rchg(23), HO:Endo(23), ExpStr-Dam%(25), FrcFdb-Rechg%(25)
Level 14: Combat Jumping -- ShlWal-ResDam/Re TP(A)
Level 16: Glacial Armor -- LucoftheG-Def/Rchg+(A), RedFrt-Def/EndRdx(27), RedFrt-Def(27)
Level 18: Seismic Smash -- HO:Nucle(A), Hct-Dmg(29), TchofDth-Dam%(29), NrnSht-Dam%(31), GhsWdwEmb-Dam%(31), UnbCns-Dam%(31)
Level 20: Energy Absorption -- Rct-Def(A), Rct-Def/EndRdx(33), Rct-EndRdx/Rchg(33), Rct-Def/Rchg(33), Rct-Def/EndRdx/Rchg(34), Rct-ResDam%(34)
Level 22: Hasten -- RechRdx-I(A), RechRdx-I(34)
Level 24: Boxing -- Empty(A)
Level 26: Tough -- Ags-ResDam/EndRdx(A), Ags-ResDam/Rchg(36), Ags-ResDam(36), Ags-Psi/Status(36), GldArm-3defTpProc(37), StdPrt-ResDam/Def+(37)
Level 28: Weave -- LucoftheG-Def/Rchg+(A), RedFrt-Def/EndRdx(37), RedFrt-Def(39)
Level 30: Maneuvers -- LucoftheG-Def/Rchg+(A)
Level 32: Tremor -- Erd-Acc/Dmg/Rchg(A), Erd-Acc/Dmg/EndRdx/Rchg(39), Erd-%Dam(39), Mlt-Acc/Dmg(40), Mlt-Dmg/EndRdx(40), Arm-Dam%(40)
Level 35: Icicles -- Erd-Acc/Dmg/Rchg(A), Erd-Acc/Dmg/EndRdx/Rchg(42), Erd-%Dam(42), Obl-Dmg(42), Obl-Acc/Dmg/Rchg(43)
Level 38: Icy Bastion -- Ags-ResDam/Rchg(A), Ags-ResDam/EndRdx/Rchg(43), Ags-EndRdx/Rchg(45), Ags-ResDam(45), DS:DSyncHealRech(45), ImpArm-ResPsi(46)
Level 41: Tactics -- HO:Cyto(A)
Level 44: Moonbeam -- Apc-Dmg(A), Apc-Dmg/EndRdx(46), Apc-Dam%(46), Apc-Acc/Dmg/Rchg(48), Apc-Acc/Rchg(48), CldSns-%Dam(48)
Level 47: Shadow Meld -- LucoftheG-Def/Rchg+(A)
Level 49: Permafrost -- ImpArm-ResPsi(A)
Level 1: Critical Hit 
Level 1: Brawl -- Empty(A)
Level 1: Sprint -- Empty(A)
Level 2: Rest -- Empty(A)
Level 1: Swift -- Empty(A)
Level 1: Hurdle -- Empty(A)
Level 1: Health -- Pnc-Heal/+End(A), NmnCnv-Regen/Rcvry+(17), Mrc-Rcvry+(19)
Level 1: Stamina -- PrfShf-End%(A), PrfShf-EndMod(17), EndMod-I(21)
Level 49: Quick Form 
Level 50: Musculature Radial Paragon 
------------

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Rolling this tonight. This seems EXTREMELY solid (get it?) and fun. Rare combo as well I’m sure. Do you think you’d go Ageless Radial for endurance and some DDR?

Edited March 28, 2022 by StriderIV

[Onlyasandwich]

That would be a solid choice. Honestly it's a tossup. Barrier and rebirth would both add a lot here as well.