Armor sets that are not useful. Wrobel look at me!

Gan Xing · July 2017

I have a few gripes about the continuous addition of armor sets, especially when there are armor sets in game that nobody wants to use because they are not useful in any sense.

One big one is: Ice Furnace.

Ice Furnace has the potential to be a fun set, unfortunately, the current set up makes it extremely difficult for players to utilize this build. At the moment, the stats are (in gold):

(2 items) Adds 967 Max Magicka

(3 items) Adds 688 Spell Critical

(4 items) Adds 129 Weapon Damage

(5 items) When you deal direct damage with a Frost Damage ability, you have a 50% chance to deal an additional 1046 Flame Damage to all enemies within 8 meters around the initial target. This effect can occur once every 1 second.

However there are two ways that this set could be utilized, but becomes extremely difficult to do so.

1: As a Ice/Fire mage set. I'm sure this was the initial idea of this set at launch; However, that 4th item bonus provides weapon damage. Because staves don't scale off of weapon damage anymore, this bonus becomes useless, and takes away from the power that the set could have.

2. As a hybrid set that the Warden could use. When the Warden was revealed to have ice magic, I was hoping that I could finally run around utilizing this set with a 2h or sword and shield (and possibly a staff too) and use this set. However, once the Warden came out, I found that there is only 1 ability that could work with this set up in the Warden ice bar (and that is theoretical): the Crystallized slab.

3. This set is overall underwhelming compared to other proc sets. The additional 1046 Flame Damage to all enemies within 8 m around the initial target is underwhelming. If even doubled, this set could become more viable.

Considering that other sets that are underperforming have been updated, and sets that are over performing have been nerfed, this set could use some love. Please ZOS, allow us to pull this set out of the shelves and dust them off.

On the other hand, if players have other gripes about sets that they think needs an update, please comment below.

Gan Xing · July 2017

@Wrobel @ZOS_GinaBruno @ZOS_JessicaFolsom

https://forums.elderscrollsonline.com/en/search?Search=Ice+Furnace

So a quick look through the Forums indicates that players want to utilize Ice Furnace, but evidently at one point it was nerfed to be direct damage from frost rather than just frost damage.

ZOS, I implore you, please take another look into this set and update it so that it can be usable with skills that are not just the frost staff skills.

PS4_ZeColmeia · July 2017

Wow 2 ice furnace in a day. This is my go to trial set and is amazing. You guys lack imagination on how to use this properly.

Gan Xing · July 2017

@PS4_ZeColmeia I want to be able to use it with my warden and not need to use the frost staff or ice comet. As it is, anyone who wants to use it, is forced to use it with the frost staff. I have picked up 2h maul, axes, and shields of the Ice Furnace, but they are all basically useless if the only abilities that work is from the Ice staff or ice comet. The Warden has quite a few abilities that could synergize well with this set up, but as it is now, it doesn't work.

edit: mind you, I also run dungeons with my hybrid characters, so I am well aware of the potential this could have with a hybrid.

PS4_ZeColmeia · July 2017

Gan Xing wrote: »

@PS4_ZeColmeia I want to be able to use it with my warden and not need to use the frost staff or ice comet. As it is, anyone who wants to use it, is forced to use it with the frost staff. I have picked up 2h maul, axes, and shields of the Ice Furnace, but they are all basically useless if the only abilities that work is from the Ice staff or ice comet. The Warden has quite a few abilities that could synergize well with this set up, but as it is now, it doesn't work.

edit: mind you, I also run dungeons with my hybrid characters, so I am well aware of the potential this could have with a hybrid.

So I get they angst on the Warden synergy, I was pretty excited to roll a warden just to use this set because I have a full gold setup with it (I currently have a NB I've been using exclusively since PS4 launch). My thought tho is compare it to shadow of the red mountain (10% proc, 2 sec cooldown), or affliction (50% proc, 4 sec cooldown and then the ice furnace set has a 50% proc with a 1 sec cooldown.

With it's proc rate and cooldown in consideration, it's pretty clear why it doesn't work with a lot of skills, it would just be plain overpowered.

So I understand how you feel because I wanted to do that exact build. but its a trade for a set that has a very very low downside.

Gan Xing · July 2017

The proc rate and cooldown is fine, but it is the direct damage part that prevents it from synergizing with pretty much all of the Warden ice skills.

PS4_ZeColmeia · July 2017

Gan Xing wrote: »

The proc rate and cooldown is fine, but it is the direct damage part that prevents it from synergizing with pretty much all of the Warden ice skills.

No I get that too, but red mountain is any damage and their proc rate is low with low cooldown, affliction is any damage and is high proc and high cooldown. ice furnace has a narrow damage and element type but has a high proc rate and extremely low cooldown. That's the trade.