Purely Damage Focused Ice/Fire Blaster build

[DoomBanana]

Before I get to the build I want to emphasize I purposely didn't build for defense or resistance.  There may be a little here and there but I was looking to build a glass cannon.  I don't plan on soloing and if I put myself in a position to be taking hits, that's on me.  Unleash Potential is a favorite of mine but also there as a panic button.  After damage, I was looking for accuracy/to hit, slow resist, and lastly recharge.  This build is being made with a lot of assumptions on the teams I'd be running with.  I wasn't going to try and reach the damage cap (though I did grab Build Up and Aim) or well manage my endurance.  Most sorts of defenders can cover those holes in the build.  Sure, I can't always depend on that, some can't, and it probably won't always be as effective as a more generally even built blaster.  But that's kinda the point in playing a blaster, right?  If I wanted damage and survival, I'd play a scrapper again.  I thought this time I'd lean in, do what I could to make damage potential the highest priority.  I know normally the go to damage blaster is fire/fire but with the amount I was intending to use procs, I think Ice was the way to go. 

I didn't include any incarnates or lvl 50 enh because they don't change the build in any radical way.  Damage, accuracy, and recharge go up but Blasters don't get Contagious Confusion.  So presenting the build as a "leveling build" acts the same as an endgame build.  Let me know if there's something I overlooked there.

The last couple levels is where I'm a bit less confident in my choices.  Vengeance isn't used much in the higher levels, at least as far as I've seen.  I'm not a big fan of hover though many people swear by it.  Aside from Bitter Freeze Ray which comes online a bit late, the rest don't change the build too much.  I would have really liked that Build Up proc sooner and I'll probably move all the slots from Bitter Freeze Ray to Freeze Ray while leveling until that small respec.

I am currently playing this build and I'll probably change the enhancement levels as I go so those are there where they are legal, not exactly ideal.

 

Advice and criticism welcome.  Again let me know if I overlooked anything.  I don't usually play blasters.  I was very used to builds that had capped defenses and crazy recharge and this build needs a defender standing next to it to be anywhere near a fight.

 

Blaster (Ice Blast - Fire Manipulation).mbd

Edited December 3 by DoomBanana

[Frozen Burn]

Heya!  An Ice/Fire Blaster was my first toon I ever made when the game launched and has been my main and namesake ever since.  Love the combo and this Blaster!  🙂  

 

I don't believe in a ton of procs - that's just me.  I'd rather go for the set bonuses.  You do you.  But below is my build.  I solo +4x8 and incarnate content.  I also will farm with this build when I need.  And you'll see, I don't have much def or resistance either.  Ice/Fire/Fire is just awesome.  😄  And this is a build that one can level with as well and it being the final.

 

Frozen Burn - Blaster (Ice Blast - Fire Manipulation).mbd

[Nemu]

20 hours ago, DoomBanana said:

I didn't include any incarnates or lvl 50 enh

Don't slot membranes or any HOs in any power if that's the case.

 

Freeze ray is criminally underslotted. If there were ever powers that deserve a lot of damage procs it would be freeze ray and bitter freeze ray because they can take so many.

 

Your endurance management is also going to be iffy, hotfeet drains a lot of end and you don't have any redux in your epic shield/leadership toggles. This is compounded by the fact that you are trying to proc out some of your bread and butter powers at the expense of accuracy (which we will get to) and endurance redux on those powers. Are you planning to turn on those leadership toggles or are they just mules for uniques?

 

I don't see any benefit to unleash potential for this build, it's not perma and the defense you get isn't going to help you in any meaningful way. You are better off going sorcery for rune of protection for some guaranteed mez protection and resist increase.

 

On accuracy look at this:

 

less than 80% chance to hit +3s without outside buffs. Build up and Aim aren't up all the time and tactics is a level 47 pick, the decimation proc in bitter freeze ray also comes in late and has a poor proc rate. And bitter ice blast is one of your bread and butter attacks.

 

What makes proc builds work is that set bonuses help cover Recharge/Accuracy and to a much lesser extent endurance recovery to offset you not slotting those in powers you want to fully proc out. If you are gun-ho about fully proccing out stuff like BFR, BIB, and I would also recommend FR then you need to adjust the build accordingly, or take a hit and dedicate 1 slot for Acc/Dam and fill the remaining slots with procs.

 

I'd slot ice storm with 5 piece posi blast or 5 piece ice mistral to cut back on budget and also improve recharge/acc set bonuses. Procs are a mixed bag in rains like that

 

I strongly believe you need better combat mobility if this is the type of playstyle you want to adapt to. Just because you took hot feet and the PBAOEs from fire doesn't mean you NEED to stand still in the middle of the pack getting hit with all the collateral mob AoEs. Sometimes you need to GTFO and you have no means to do that quickly when shit hits the fan. Combat jumping offers complete protection to immob and superior mobility and for builds like this it would be a very early pick to ensure I don't have to suffer through needing a break free every time something immobilizes me. Getting that early also means you can stuff a kismet unique in it to elevate your to hit and thus acc against stuff.

 

Below is a quick rework of the build that offers a build progression conducive to your chosen playstyle.

Blaster (Ice Blast - Fire Manipulation).mbd

 

Here is some light reading on Ice/tactical Arrow where I highlight synergies for proc builds and how to build one on a budget
 

 

Edited December 4 by Nemu

[Gerswin]

I made an ice/fire pure AOE damage build for farming the april fool's day mapserver event. It also works well for nemesis, rikti, ToT, and zombie invasions. It is pretty much just spamming blizzard, ice storm, FSC and Burn while using consume to regain end and letting the damage auras tic.  I find little use for frost breath. The damage optimization comes from the balance of -res and damage procs.  You can also fire farm with it, but not afk.  It is surprisingly survivable with slows and the ragnarok proc in ice storm and blizzards natural KD. It was also easy to level using artillery , thunderstrike, obliteration, and other cheap sets.

 

I focused all on AOE, and only took ice blast, BiB, and procced freeze ray for single target, and I don't feel like I missed out on anything.

 

Everyone plays different, but I would feel very clumsy and slow playing your build for regular content because of the long animating powers like bitter freeze ray and frost breath and the lack of ss and CJ. Trying to line up cones for frost breath would just be tedious. Unslotted hover is painful.   Even with SB, trying to maneuver without CJ is awkward. and very few kins take and use IR. Ice/fire is a great combo, and if that build fits for the way you like to play, go for it.

 

 

[ScarySai]

Torchblight Prime - Blaster (Ice Blast - Fire Manipulation).mbd

 

If your goal is to be a kamikaze murder machine that's fueled by inspirations, temp powers, and the sheer urge to kill, this one will cover all your needs.