Viable PVE DPS Ice Build?

Enemy-of-Coldharbour

I would like to try an all ice (as much as possible) PVE DPS build. Are their any viable builds/tips anyone willing to share?

Glurin

There pretty much isn't one.

You can make one with a warden that kinda sorta works, but there's a very noticeable discrepancy in damage between ice and fire/lightning. ZoS seems dead set on the whole "Ice is tanking" bit, despite the many cries for a viable ice mage.

SaintSubwayy

None

You're welcome, Hf and good luck

Enemy-of-Coldharbour

That's what I thought. Thanks for the answers.

ccmedaddy

I just use VMA frost staff with my normal DPS build (Necro+Master Architect). It's not the pure ice build you're looking for but it's still fun to root and slow everything in sight with Ice Blockade+Winter Revenge, and it's also vet dungeon ready (43k ish DPS on a dummy).

MuchShock

ccmedaddy wrote: »

I just use VMA frost staff with my normal DPS build (Necro+Master Architect). It's not the pure ice build you're looking for but it's still fun to root and slow everything in sight with Ice Blockade+Winter Revenge, and it's also vet dungeon ready (43k ish DPS on a dummy).

As long as you run 2/2 Trifocus passive and heavy attack with that build you will be OP

ayu_fever

warden.
magicka oriented race or argonian.

all attributes in magicka.
vampire optional.
the apprentice mundus stone.
withmothers potent brew food buff.
spellpower pots.

2 iceheart (1 medium 1 heavy)
5 winterborn
5 ysgramors birthright

2 ice staffs both infused. one frost dmg enchant the other weapon/spell dmg enchant.
all armor divine, with tristat enchants on helmet, chest and legs. max magicka on the other pieces.
jewelry: necklace protective with mag recovery; rings infused with spell dmg.

front bar:
ice staff infused with frost dmg enchant-
crushing shock
arctic blast (or ele drain)
inner light
living trellis
shimmering shield (or elusive mist)
ice comet

back bar:
ice staff infused with weapon/spell dmg enchant-
blockade of frost
winters revenge
inner light
blue betty
ice fortress
permafrost

56 ironclad
10 spell shield
40 bastion
10 light armor focus
31 thick skinned
43 hardy
43 elemental defender
37 quick recovery
44 warlord
7 siphoner
25 sprinter
23 bashing focus
43 arcanist
43 tenacity
28 shadow ward
56 tumbling
1 befoul
19 blessed
23 elfborn
43 elemental expert
43 spell erosion
35 staff expert
81 master at arms
26 thaumaturge

GreenhaloX

Oh Lord, no..!

TBois

Just make sure you never heavy attack on your ice staff though

LordGavus

TBois wrote: »

Just make sure you never heavy attack on your ice staff though

As long as you don't put points into the tri-focus passive, you can heavy attack all you want.

DocFrost72

Viable for what? Normal dungeons? Do those naked.

Vet dungeons? Yep.

Vet DLC? Yep.

Trials? Yep.

Vtrials? Dunno, likely but I will admit I've not tested.

pod88kk

Nope don't do it, go sit in the corner & think about what you did

JazzyNapkin

To answer your question, Ice is definitely viable, as long as you don't spend skill points in the tri-focus passive which turns the ice staff into a taunting/tanking weapon. I used this build, but in terms of champion points and passives with some exceptions, so credit does go to dottzgaming. https://dottzgaming.com/build/the-shaman-magicka-warden-pve-build/

Now for sets; Good sets for a pure ice mage are Siroria (obviously), Law of Julianos, Ysgramor's Birthright, Iceheart, Mother's Sorrow, Scathing Mage and for monster sets, Skoria and Zaan as well as a Maelstrom Ice Staff Backbar. I personally like Scathing Mage, Skoria and Ysgramor for the mobility tbh. (edit: a set I forgot to mention was spell strategist)

Some Screenshots showing parse results from ice as well as an image of some of the gear tested, this was in the pts, note that I slotted inner light for bird of prey on the back bar, this way you have minor berserk at all times. You can also slot Icy rage for Ice Comet if you like.





Hope this helps in some way. I personally enjoy being an ice mage/cryomancer, a nice change from all the fire and lightning, lol!

MaxJrFTW

Just look up t3hasiangod on youtube. Anyone saying ice isn't viable is a brainless parrot repeating something they heard.

Is it optimal? No. Is it viable? 100%

Dottzgaming

JazzyNapkin wrote: »

To answer your question, Ice is definitely viable, as long as you don't spend skill points in the tri-focus passive which turns the ice staff into a taunting/tanking weapon. I used this build, but in terms of champion points and passives with some exceptions, so credit does go to dottzgaming. https://dottzgaming.com/build/the-shaman-magicka-warden-pve-build/

Now for sets; Good sets for a pure ice mage are Siroria (obviously), Law of Julianos, Ysgramor's Birthright, Iceheart, Mother's Sorrow, Scathing Mage and for monster sets, Skoria and Zaan as well as a Maelstrom Ice Staff Backbar. I personally like Scathing Mage, Skoria and Ysgramor for the mobility tbh. (edit: a set I forgot to mention was spell strategist)

Some Screenshots showing parse results from ice as well as an image of some of the gear tested, this was in the pts, note that I slotted inner light for bird of prey on the back bar, this way you have minor berserk at all times. You can also slot Icy rage for Ice Comet if you like.





Hope this helps in some way. I personally enjoy being an ice mage/cryomancer, a nice change from all the fire and lightning, lol!

Ayyyy 40k DPS! nicely done

The_Lex

JazzyNapkin wrote: »

To answer your question, Ice is definitely viable, as long as you don't spend skill points in the tri-focus passive which turns the ice staff into a taunting/tanking weapon. I used this build, but in terms of champion points and passives with some exceptions, so credit does go to dottzgaming. https://dottzgaming.com/build/the-shaman-magicka-warden-pve-build/

Now for sets; Good sets for a pure ice mage are Siroria (obviously), Law of Julianos, Ysgramor's Birthright, Iceheart, Mother's Sorrow, Scathing Mage and for monster sets, Skoria and Zaan as well as a Maelstrom Ice Staff Backbar. I personally like Scathing Mage, Skoria and Ysgramor for the mobility tbh. (edit: a set I forgot to mention was spell strategist)

Some Screenshots showing parse results from ice as well as an image of some of the gear tested, this was in the pts, note that I slotted inner light for bird of prey on the back bar, this way you have minor berserk at all times. You can also slot Icy rage for Ice Comet if you like.





Hope this helps in some way. I personally enjoy being an ice mage/cryomancer, a nice change from all the fire and lightning, lol!

I'm bookmarking this because I reeeaallyy want to play as a cryomancer. I don't have Maelstrom Ice Staff yet so, my DPS will suffer a bit. I'll get it eventually, I guess. lol

O_LYKOS

Best off using a heavy attack build using a ice staff.

Diminish

No

Lab3360

So is it best to run a lighting staff heavy attack build by spec into Taumaturge, Staff Expert, and Elemental Expert?

FrancisCrawford

JazzyNapkin wrote: »

To answer your question, Ice is definitely viable, as long as you don't spend skill points in the tri-focus passive which turns the ice staff into a taunting/tanking weapon. I used this build, but in terms of champion points and passives with some exceptions, so credit does go to dottzgaming. https://dottzgaming.com/build/the-shaman-magicka-warden-pve-build/

Now for sets; Good sets for a pure ice mage are Siroria (obviously), Law of Julianos, Ysgramor's Birthright, Iceheart, Mother's Sorrow, Scathing Mage and for monster sets, Skoria and Zaan as well as a Maelstrom Ice Staff Backbar. I personally like Scathing Mage, Skoria and Ysgramor for the mobility tbh. (edit: a set I forgot to mention was spell strategist)

Some Screenshots showing parse results from ice as well as an image of some of the gear tested, this was in the pts, note that I slotted inner light for bird of prey on the back bar, this way you have minor berserk at all times. You can also slot Icy rage for Ice Comet if you like.





Hope this helps in some way. I personally enjoy being an ice mage/cryomancer, a nice change from all the fire and lightning, lol!

Is the Burning just coming from Elemental Weapon? I'd like to think that if there's a spammable in the build, then Birds would work because it buffs all damage on its bar. But somehow that never seems to be supported by the magden builds people post.

JazzyNapkin

@FrancisCrawford, the burning effect is a combination of elemental weapon and Zaan... I have tried Screaming Cliff Racer a few times as well, but unlike elemental, it does just magic dmg, which doesn't apply a random effect on the target. The skill is still a decent spammable, but I just prefer elemental weapon is all since you can apply status affects such as burning if you're not using Zaan and so forth.

ArchMikem

5pc Ysgramor's Birthright, 5pc Winterborn, 2pc Iceheart.

Ysgramor's can be farmed in The Rift, or bought from traders, but good luck finding the pieces as it's not an in demand set. Winterborn, sadly, has to be farmed in Maelstrom Arena. Because of that I suggest only farming the body pieces in Normal difficulty, and making your weapons part of the Ysgramor's set. Iceheart is your typical Monster set, from VetDirefrost and Glirion's Chest. If you really don't want to farm Maelstrom Arena for Winterborn, then just replace it with Julianos.

Your parse isn't going to be amazing in any sense of the word, but it gets you by AND it's pretty fun to play. Using just two skills you snare mobs upward of 90% if not immobilizing them completely.

Also, since sustain is your worst nightmare on a pure Frost damage build, you should be an Argonian. Getting a ton of resources back by popping a potion really helps.

ESO_Nightingale

Ice definitely needs more dps skills and the destruction staff needs a buff to be considered a main tanking weapon rather than a backbar. Or even a decent dps weapon. Ive suggested a resistance reduction to enemies to help the groups of ice dps and ice tanks on tri focus so dps can take it, and move taunt and give major fracture to elemental succeptibility instead of what it is now. That way you have arguably more sustain and a great option rather than just inner fire 24/7. But still. The real problem is warden's lack of ice dps skills as it only has one viable option along with a decent ultimate.

WuffyCerulei

Just make sure ya don't put the points into the passive that allows you to taunt with a heavy attack. Better safe than sorry!

FrancisCrawford

JazzyNapkin wrote: »

@FrancisCrawford, the burning effect is a combination of elemental weapon and Zaan... I have tried Screaming Cliff Racer a few times as well, but unlike elemental, it does just magic dmg, which doesn't apply a random effect on the target. The skill is still a decent spammable, but I just prefer elemental weapon is all since you can apply status affects such as burning if you're not using Zaan and so forth.

Technically, Elemental Weapon does magic damage too, right? Of course it applies conditions, and to the extent it applies Burning, that's fire damage.

Chaos2088

Like others here I have an ice mage warden and well I love playing it, but I don’t do what’s considered end game content with it as it’s not pulling its weight as other classes/playstyles

Make ice dps, great!

Aka make ice staff a proper destruction staff, and get some decent ice dps sets and we are good to go! 😁

The_Lex

I really love Cryomancers and have been playing them in TES games since Oblivion. For Skyrim, I used the Ordinator perk mod for amazing results.

I really wish ZOS would not think of ice as solely crowd control and tanking. I mean, it has that feature, but ice damage is a feature in TES lore.

Johngo0036

ayu_fever wrote: »

warden.
magicka oriented race or argonian.

all attributes in magicka.
vampire optional.
the apprentice mundus stone.
withmothers potent brew food buff.
spellpower pots.

2 iceheart (1 medium 1 heavy)
5 winterborn
5 ysgramors birthright

2 ice staffs both infused. one frost dmg enchant the other weapon/spell dmg enchant.
all armor divine, with tristat enchants on helmet, chest and legs. max magicka on the other pieces.
jewelry: necklace protective with mag recovery; rings infused with spell dmg.

front bar:
ice staff infused with frost dmg enchant-
crushing shock
arctic blast (or ele drain)
inner light
living trellis
shimmering shield (or elusive mist)
ice comet

back bar:
ice staff infused with weapon/spell dmg enchant-
blockade of frost
winters revenge
inner light
blue betty
ice fortress
permafrost

56 ironclad
10 spell shield
40 bastion
10 light armor focus
31 thick skinned
43 hardy
43 elemental defender
37 quick recovery
44 warlord
7 siphoner
25 sprinter
23 bashing focus
43 arcanist
43 tenacity
28 shadow ward
56 tumbling
1 befoul
19 blessed
23 elfborn
43 elemental expert
43 spell erosion
35 staff expert
81 master at arms
26 thaumaturge

Thats pretty much my ice warden, but the most fun is in cyrodiil.... alll that ice

see I need to update my footer

jazsper77

Can I farm just a certain MA section for 5 body pieces of Winterborn. Ty

EphemeraCrawford

If you want to play Ice, play ice. Don't listen to people who want you to pursue 'optimum' instead of having fun.

The_Lex

jazsper77 wrote: »

Can I farm just a certain MA section for 5 body pieces of Winterborn. Ty

I just took my Warden into normal and got 3 pieces. Iirc, I got them in the first four rounds, but I know they'll drop in any of them. But there are 3 other sets that drop there too.