/Ice Armor Sentinel Question/Bug?

[Renatos1023]

Hi all,

 

Rolled my first ever sentinel as an Ice/Ice, I've always loved ice blast and wanted to give Sentinel's version of Ice Armor a try. However, I recently got the Moisture Absorption power. It says that it is a targeted AoE, with an 8ft radius, and a max target of 5. The ability also seems to be auto-hit, as it can't slot Accuracy.

 

Every time I use this power it only hits 1 target, no matter how close the targets are herded/grouped. From its description it seems as though it would be a 'Consume'-esque power...giving a certain amount of endurance and defence per target hit (up to 5). I have never gotten it to give me more than its base defense at 1 target (somewhere around 2.7/2.8% I think). 

 

Is this a known bug? Does this power really only affect one target? Does it give a defense buff only based off one target (would seem to be much less useful if so)?

 

Please let me know if I am doing something wrong.

Edited June 2, 2022 by Renatos1023

[Luminara]

4 hours ago, Renatos1023 said:

I recently got the Moisture Absorption power. It says that it is a targeted AoE, with an 8ft radius, and a max target of 5. The ability also seems to be auto-hit, as it can't slot Accuracy.

 

All of that is correct, according to City of Data.  Auto-hit, 10' range (just a little further than melee range), targeted, 8' radius, 5 target cap.

 

4 hours ago, Renatos1023 said:

Every time I use this power it only hits 1 target, no matter how close the targets are herded/grouped. From its description it seems as though it would be a 'Consume'-esque power...giving a certain amount of endurance and defence per target hit (up to 5). I have never gotten it to give me more than its base defense at 1 target (somewhere around 2.7/2.8% I think).

 

Comparing it to the original version of the power, Energy Absorption, I see two +Def buffs, one which functions like this one (replaces existing buff), and a second with a stacking buff per enemy hit.  Looks like the second buff, the one which stacks, was removed when Energy Absorption was ported to sentinel, but the total +Def provided by the first buff was increased (from scale 0.1 to 0.4 (Melee_Buff_Def modifier)).  That implies that it was intentionally left non-stacking.  That the stacking buff wasn't used instead of this one is also indicative of intent.

 

4 hours ago, Renatos1023 said:

Does this power really only affect one target? Does it give a defense buff only based off one target (would seem to be much less useful if so)?

 

The Endurance parts is flagged to stack, so it's useful as a means of filling your blue bar or emptying those of enemies within the AoE.  As for the Defense, it can be enhanced, and will ramp up as high as 4.41% at 50 (using 5/6 Red Fortune (all but End/Rchg)), 4.81% with an Alpha which affects Defense buffs (same slotting).  With a duration of 100s, base recharge time of 60s and being auto-hit, it's perma out of the box and a guaranteed buff to all typed Defense except Psi and Toxic, so whether that justifies taking and using the power is up to you.

 

If you're asking for an opinion, I'll say that the same slot expenditure using a Winter set will only give you 5% Defense to two damage types.  This gives you almost as much as one Winter set, to all types (again, except Psi and Toxic).  I'd hit it for that alone.

[Renatos1023]

Thanks for that breakdown! I had assumed it would work as the original tanker version and that the defense buffs would stack. I guess I would more so look at this as an endurance bar refill power that gives 4.4% defense to all once slotted.

 

Thanks again!

[Underfyre]

Honestly, even if it gave a 5% boost I'd on the fence with it being a click power. Unless Ice could easily get to 45% without the power, then I'd view it a little more favorably as an endurance filler that also has the bonus of pushing me over 45%.