Warden - Frost Tank (RP Lite)

TankHealz2015

I've been looking to make a Warden Frost Tank, but never found a build or guide that really hit all the points I'm looking for:

1. an average skilled player should be able to tank Vet DLC dungeons and at least some Vet trials.
2. should be easy to swap gear (not CP points, not enchants, not etc.) to go questing and solo fun
3. bulk of skills and procs should be frost or ice -- i.e. lots of CC and chilled status
4. must have a total frost/ice themed outfit - gotta look sharp!
5. cannot be like every other tank wearing Ebon/Alkosh or etc... looking for a tiny bit of "special"

Luckily PTS is up and running, so I've been experimenting.

So here it is... still looking for some "tweeks" here and there to improve performance.

Warden Frost Tank

Health 30, Magika 20, Stamina 14 Explain: a nice balance of magika/stamina works great for my frequent bar swapping.

Sword & Shield front bar = charged with frost enchant

Frost Staff back bar = charged with frost enchant explain: i love bar swapping to block, taunt, maim, shield, with the ice staff...


Iceheart monster helm set = light shoulder and medium helmet = obvious choice. great ice themed set, grants a good size shield and procs an AOE frost DOT

5 pc, heavy, body armor set - is for swapping - depending on content

Ironblood = all heavy, 5 body pieces, all sturdy = the Ironblood poc turns your body a terminator-esque, shiny silver color which should look cool with the frost AoE stuff going down, plus this is a fantastic tanking set,

Bahraha's Curse = all heavy, 5 body, all sturdy = the proc places a blue circle emblem on the ground and provides a snare, magic damage DOT and healing HOT. A wonderful 3 way combo which compliments nicely the frost them

Hatchlings Shell = all heavy, 5 body, all sturdy = the shiled procs every 15 seconds and is great. the shield looks like a swirling blue ice ball shield -- great compliment to the Ice tank theme.

So many great tanking armor sets... but I find these two really compliment the total ice theme. For more options check this link:

https://elderscrollsonline.wiki.fextralife.com/Sets


For questing, solo, WB, and other fun stuff where you need a bit more damage:

Rattlecage = all heavy, 5 body, all divines = + health, + lots and lots of spell damage, and major sorcery at all times (+20% spell damage) Explain = i like this set, because it makes me a tiny bit tanky but adds to my ability to kill things... all pieces are Divines- so a quick Mundus Stone change and i can go from +damage to + resistance to + crit,,, or whatever...


Weapons and Jewelry: I narrowed it down to Winterborn and Ysgramor's Birthright = both are light armor sets only; i would not wear both at same time.

I choose: Winterborn = An ice pillar proc = looks cool for the overall theme. Plus, it procs very easily on frost skills and seems to have a very small or no cooldown. It also procs a 60% snare. Again frost tank with lots of CC, chilled and snares... Winterborn drops in Maelstrom Arena... but normal mode is not too bad.


Jewelry enchants = i keep it simple with 1 reduce magika cost and 2 reduce block cost. nothing fancy.


Skills = mostly all the Warden frost skills plus the Ice staff Wall of Frost, mangle, the sword and shield taunt and defensive block. Warden is very different from DK, so I'm still learning... Warden snowstorm ultimate and/or the ice staff snowstorm ulti. or the Mages Guild Ice Comet ulti.

Outfit: leave the Iceheart helmet and shoulders as they are. the body -- go all Ebony style and the shield too. The axe is Glass style and the staff is an unknown style that starts with a P -- the staff has like a serpent at the top. very coool.

The color - Stalhrim Chrome = new color = gives a reflective shiny frost blue - super awesome look.


:-)

Taleof2Cities

Vet Trials aren't (in your words) for "an average skilled player" ... especially in the tank role.

As you get closer to end game content, your Trial Guild(s) may call for your end game build to be closer to the Ebon/Alkosh setup that you're trying to distance yourself from. For group synergy.

Until then, however, you should be fine in those lesser Trials and Vet DLC dungeons.

Don't lose sight of a heavy Torug's crafted set ... which will work on both the tanking and off-tanking roles that you're describing.

TankHealz2015

Thanks for the comments.

Maelstrom Arena -- farming for Winterborn jewelry and weapons is proving.... a test of wills.

LinearParadox

I don't think you'd appreciate a wall of text detailing how each choice is sub-optimal, nor do I have the time to write one, so I'll just settle for this:
You are taking yourself far and away from what the meta is for tanks in this game. This will result in both a more difficult experience for you, and for your group (particularly your healer) because of the lack of group support.
As a quick example, your choice of a frost damage glyph instead of the much more efficient Crusher enchant to boost your DPS's damage output which is mathematically far more efficient.

Your setup will work for normal dungeons, some Vet dungeons, maybe even some normal trials... but Vet DLC dungeons and Vet trials? You're going to get kicked from the former and not even let into the latter.
No one wants a more difficult experience because of (or to carry, essentially) someone that insists on using a sub-optimal build just for themselves or for their own enjoyment.
If you're playing solo, do whatever you want man; if you can make it work, have fun!
Just understand that when you enter a group activity, there's a requirement for all parties involved to do their best to succeed, on behalf of the rest of the party. What you're doing is essentially being "that guy" that doesn't study for the group test because hey, they'll carry me through.

NOW, just real quick since I've already rambled too much... FOR THE RECORD... I WOULD like frost-tanking to work. I'd love it if there were more options for tanks, if love to see more variety and versatility in builds, but as of right now, the current implementation of frost staff tanking is woefully outclassed by the traditional sword and board Stam tanking. That's just the way it is.
There's a few ways you can try to narrow that gap, and sure you can make it work in certain situations (easy dungeons, or a stellar healer, getting carried, etc) but until they implement a more complete skill set for it, it's going to be tying an arm behind your back because the concept isn't properly fleshed out and finished.

TankHealz2015

Interesting insights.

Thanks!

Silufadumar

TankHealz2015 wrote: »

Thanks for the comments.

Maelstrom Arena -- farming for Winterborn jewelry and weapons is proving.... a test of wills.

I feel your pain... I swear the game seems to know the drops your after and deliberately gives you everything else.

TankHealz2015

Warden- Tank with sword & shield front bar and ice staff back bar.

He is running: Earthgore, Resilient/Defending Warrior, and Aspect of Mazzatun and NO HEALER!


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rHSX4ifIa6E&t=107s

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fzBIBoLS8Ww


Lots of people complain about ice staff....

This guy is inspiring.

Qbiken

TankHealz2015 wrote: »

Thanks for the comments.

Maelstrom Arena -- farming for Winterborn jewelry and weapons is proving.... a test of wills.

Took me 3 months to get my Winterborn ice staff......^^

TankHealz2015

I'm probably gonna change up the build a bit until I can get the Winterborn farming done...

Iceheart monster helm set

Innate Axiom - crafted, heavy, sturdy

Ysgramor's Birthright - weapons and jewlery - can buy in guild stores

Taleof2Cities

@TankHealz2015, don’t forget the Orsinium event is coming very soon ... double drops in Maelstrom Arena.

https://www.elderscrollsonline.com/en-us/news/post/26455?Midyear-Mayhem-Begins-&-Return-to-Orsinium-Soon