Concept: Major focus on self-buffs to increase speed, accuracy, damage and overall effectiveness. The Ice/Energy lines work well together for this concept, especially when combined with the Leadership power pool. Here is the spec along with an explanation at the end. Bare with my wordiness.
Mr. Blizzard
Level 1. Ice Blast / Power Thrust
Level 2. Frost Breath
Level 4. Build-up
Level 6. Aim
Level 8. Freeze Ray
Level 10. Combat Jumping
Level 12. Ice Storm
Level 14. Super Jump
Level 16. Assault
Level 18. Bitter Ice Blast
Level 20. Conserve Power
Level 22. Tactics
Level 24. Swift
Level 26. Health
Level 28. Stamina
Level 30. Hasten
Level 32: Bitter Freeze Ray
Level 35. Blizzard
Level 38. Total Focus
Explanation:
I took Ice Blast at level 1. It?s slow, but has nice damage. In combination with your later abilities, it?s awesome damage. Next I took Frost Breath for an AOE (Cone) attack. Since I?m not taking another damage ability till level 8, I wanted the ability to take on multiple foes. Level 4 gives us Build-up. Take this RIGHT now. It makes your Ice Blast, Power Thrust and Frost Breath do a LOT more damage. Combined with AIM at level 6, mobs will be hard pressed to continue breathing. Now comes Freeze Ray. The description says minimal damage, but so what. It freezes a bad guy to keep him out of the fight a bit, or just slow him down so you can run. Very nice.
Level 10. Here?s the big decision. What travel power do you want? I went with Leaping for very specific reasons which I?ll state now. The travel powers come with a defensive ability. Super Speed is ok for land travel, but I want to be able to get just about anywhere- high or low. This means Flight or Super Jump. Now, the defense ability for Flight is Hover. Sure, it lets you ?float? into the air. But come on, you?re so slow the bad guys will get at LEAST two volleys on you before you get away. The bottom line is that Hover restricts your mobility FAR too much to make it a great defense power as far as I?m concerned. Combat Jumping, on the other hand, gives a real nice defense bonus with very little endurance cost and actually HELPS your mobility. As for the travel powers themselves? Flight costs a LOT of endurance. Did I mention a LOT? Plus, Super Jump is just plain fun.
At level 12 I take Ice Storm for it?s offensive AND defensive capabilities. Since it?s Ice, this ability can effectively slow a group of mobs which makes getting away easier, or setting up mobs for other AOE damage abilities like Frost Breath, ect. Do not overlook the defense capability of this power. On an indoor mission, drop this in a hallway to cover your groups retreat or drop it directly on your group when things get hairy to make the mobs flee away from you.
Level 14 is your actual travel ability. As stated above, I went with Super Jump. To each his own? but don?t knock this one till you try it.
At level 16 you begin to work on your overall badass-ness. Your major powers are in place, and you?re learning how to use them. Time to make them more effective. First off is Assault. This ability works nicely in conjunction with Aim and Build-up with the added benefit of also helping out teammates. If another teammate has the ability it stacks even more. Get ready to amaze your friends with the damage output.
I take Bitter Ice Blast at 18. The damage output from this ability, combined with your earlier powers, will literally stun you. With Aim and Build-up running (you DID put Accuracy enhancements into Build-up, right?) you?ll be hitting consistently for death-dealing damage every time. At 20 you get Conserve Power which helps make up for the fact that you don?t have Stamina yet. It?s also an important ability to offset the power drain of your offense/defensive abilites like Aim, Build-up, Assault, ect.
Tactics at 22 for better accuracy. Not just for you, but with others in the group as well. Teams will love you? and mobs won?t. Try not to kiss the screen, it?s only a game.
At 24, FINALLY, we work towards Stamina. Levels 24, 26 and 28 are reserved for this purpose. Swift, Health and Stamina respectively. Since these abilities are self-explanatory I won?t waste your time here. However, on a side note, I went with the Leaping pool so I did NOT take Hurdle here for that reason. (Just in case you missed that somehow.)
At 30 I decided on Hasten. Why? Because why not. Now that you have Conserve Power and Stamina, it?s not such a time-stopper anymore to throw out your abilities like mad. Become a power-wielding maniac at this point. It?s fun, and there are no mental institutions for Heroes in Paragon City. Knock yourself out.
The last levels: 32, 35 and 38 are just gravy powers. Very high level, very unnecessary overall. Especially Total Focus since it leaves you vunerable as hell. However, if you?re with a team and/or combined with our augmentation powers, this ability can decimate a group of mobs like some sort of Wrath of God. Activate your other powers like Aim, Build-up, Assault and Tactics then lay down an Ice Storm and BAM, hit them with Total Focus. Yay, fun. Bitter Freeze Ray may take the place of Freeze Ray in your attack bar, but that?s about it. No real need for both since freezing one mob just before it keels over dead is enough.
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