Tanking with both Ice staff and S&B Warden hybrid build (Details inside) best build I tanked with

Bigevilpeter · April 2018

This build I have made seems to be perfect in every single situation and it never runs out of resources while being extremely tanky, and works very well as a healer too. I haven't found any weaknesses for it yet. It basically relies on blocking with one resource then when it drops block with other one till it fills then switch back for unlimited blocking. I got a lot of praise for it from teammates.

First of all I play Argonian Warden, Argonians are great here since you will be using all 3 stats extensively so drinking a potion is a huge sustain boost.

Gear:

Plague Doctor/Ebon and in summerset you will be able to use full Lord Warden or Bloodspawn, currently just use I pieace Warden or Chudan

Front bar S&B with the standard S&B setup with extra Netch for magika regen and shimmering shields for Ulti generation and the Ulti: Healing Thicket/Enchated forest

Back bar Ice staff, ranged taunt/Spell symmetry then leeching vines/polar wind/Ice fortress and Ulti: Warhorn

Go tristat food and put 30 points into stamina/30 points into magika and 4 into health. Put magika regen in jewlery and get serpent stone for both magika and stamina regen, preferable keep stamina a bit higher as it is better at blocking so shards or orbs restore it.

Playing it is very simple apply buffs, Taunt and block with s&b, when stamina runs low switch to Ice staff when magika runs low switch back to s&b for effortless infinite blocking. If for some reason you drop on both resources drink a potion and you get extra block on both bars because of Argonian even if you don't drink tri stat potion. Spell symmetery is also amazing here since you have a ton of health and can sacrifice it very easily for magika

This build already gives you around 45k health and almost max resistances and also allows you to heal teammates pretty good so if your healer dies you have healing thicket, leeching vines and polar wind.

I really don't recall a situation where this build has failed me even on the hardest content.

Plodeoca · April 2018

Bigevilpeter wrote: »

I really don't recall a situation where this build has failed me even on the hardest content.

Are you talking about veteran trials too?
I am interested if so.

Bigevilpeter · April 2018

Plodeoca wrote: »

Bigevilpeter wrote: »

I really don't recall a situation where this build has failed me even on the hardest content.

Are you talking about veteran trials too?
I am interested if so.

Haven't tried the new ones, but it works on the Craglorn ones pretty well, it should work on the new ones you are extreemly tanky and have more block than you will ever need.

Plodeoca · April 2018

Bigevilpeter wrote: »

Plodeoca wrote: »

Bigevilpeter wrote: »

I really don't recall a situation where this build has failed me even on the hardest content.

Are you talking about veteran trials too?
I am interested if so.

Haven't tried the new ones, but it works on the Craglorn ones pretty well, it should work on the new ones you are extreemly tanky and have more block than you will ever need.

Thanks for the answer, i think i will do something like this, i like so much the ice tank system that i will do anything to improve that style.

Anastian · April 2018

I think this will be viable when the chain is moved to the Undaunted skill line - Right now DKs have the ability to pull mobs, which other classes lack. Otherwise, good job!

Bigevilpeter · April 2018

Anastian wrote: »

I think this will be viable when the chain is moved to the Undaunted skill line - Right now DKs have the ability to pull mobs, which other classes lack. Otherwise, good job!

Oh yeah silver bolt morph in Summerset just noticed that, that's the only thing that was missing this build perfect.

GreenhaloX · April 2018

Sure, it is functional if you like the ice staff, in general. However, I prefer having the lightning staff over the ice. I have a MagDK-based tank with S&B front and lightning staff back. I find it to defeat the purpose if you have the Ice and S&B, as you only need one taunt weapon. Thus, for tanking, I don't prefer ice staff for the reason it doesn't have Major Fracture as the Pierce Armor does. Again, if you're already using S&B on one bar with the Pierce Armor, why the need for heavy ice staff attack? If (and that is if) you're using ice staff and S&B build and just relying on the taunt of the heavy ice staff and not using Pierce Armor, then why?

The sole reason I prefer the Pierce Armor over the ice staff taunts is you get the Major Fracture with the Pierce; whereas, you do not with the ice staff. You also enchant Crushing with the sword for further fracture. I guess you can also enchant Cushing with the staff, but not having the Major Fracture with the ice staff is a big one. Sure, you can slot Ele Drain for the ice, but that is a slot potentially wasted, as another crucial skill can be slotted there. However, if it works for you and the group, hey, it's all good. I guess the advantage of ice staff is it can taunt at range, but again, not having Fracture with it, is less-than-desirable for me.

Yeah, I enjoy my MagDK tank. It is tearing up as dps as well as tanking. Well, same with your ice/S&B. It's all good. It's just another way to theorycraft or mix and match up toons in different variations.

Bigevilpeter · April 2018

GreenhaloX wrote: »

Sure, it is functional if you like the ice staff, in general. However, I prefer having the lightning staff over the ice. I have a MagDK-based tank with S&B front and lightning staff back. I find it to defeat the purpose if you have the Ice and S&B, as you only need one taunt weapon. Thus, for tanking, I don't prefer ice staff for the reason it doesn't have Major Fracture as the Pierce Armor does. Again, if you're already using S&B on one bar with the Pierce Armor, why the need for heavy ice staff attack? If (and that is if) you're using ice staff and S&B build and just relying on the taunt of the heavy ice staff and not using Pierce Armor, then why?

The sole reason I prefer the Pierce Armor over the ice staff taunts is you get the Major Fracture with the Pierce; whereas, you do not with the ice staff. You also enchant Crushing with the sword for further fracture. I guess you can also enchant Cushing with the staff, but not having the Major Fracture with the ice staff is a big one. Sure, you can slot Ele Drain for the ice, but that is a slot potentially wasted, as another crucial skill can be slotted there. However, if it works for you and the group, hey, it's all good. I guess the advantage of ice staff is it can taunt at range, but again, not having Fracture with it, is less-than-desirable for me.

Yeah, I enjoy my MagDK tank. It is tearing up as dps as well as tanking. Well, same with your ice/S&B. It's all good. It's just another way to theorycraft or mix and match up toons in different variations.

The whole purpose of the build is that when you block with the ice staff you use magika and not stamina so you can regen stamina then do the oppisite forever.

Also Ice staff increases the block damage reduction a lot, the lightning staff can work on non dlc dailies, but harder content that requires permablock you need to find a way to restore you stamina fast enough to block all the time, Dks have the earthen heart passive but the ice staff regenrate stamina much faster

Xelrick · April 2018

Good seeing S&B and Ice staff Tank becoming a thing. I threw on a Green Pact Ice staff on my back bar, a year ago...

People didn't like me running it. I always had to explained that it allows me to have reserved resources to block, and allowed quick stamina recovery, which is when I use potions, and grab shards. Also that the heavy attack taunt, I use when I need to range taunt and can't Inner Fire (lack resource or silenced).

I do ok on Vet Trials and Dungeons, if I remember mechanics... Though my Destruction Staff skill isn't 46 yet to get the full block reduction.

Probably my only struggle is the bar swap, as it sometimes doesn't swap right away or it'll double swap.

Lynx7386 · April 2018

I've been running a similar setup on my warden tank for a while now:

5x black rose (hands, feet, jewelry)
5x shackle breaker (head, chest, waist, legs, weapons)
1x domihaus (shoulders)
With summerset I'll swap the shackle helm for another monster set

Shield bar:
Pierce armor
Frozen device (silver leash in summerset)
Heroic slash
Leeching vines
Shimmering shield
Healing thicket

Staff bar:
Arctic blast
Elemental blockade
Gripping shards
Ice fortress
Bull netch
Northern storm

All tristat enchants and block cost enchants, atronach stone for magicka regen, and orzorgas red frothgar. I run around 38k health, 18~k magicka and stamina.

Bigevilpeter · April 2018

Lynx7386 wrote: »

I've been running a similar setup on my warden tank for a while now:

5x black rose (hands, feet, jewelry)
5x shackle breaker (head, chest, waist, legs, weapons)
1x domihaus (shoulders)
With summerset I'll swap the shackle helm for another monster set

Shield bar:
Pierce armor
Frozen device (silver leash in summerset)
Heroic slash
Leeching vines
Shimmering shield
Healing thicket

Staff bar:
Arctic blast
Elemental blockade
Gripping shards
Ice fortress
Bull netch
Northern storm

All tristat enchants and block cost enchants, atronach stone for magicka regen, and orzorgas red frothgar. I run around 38k health, 18~k magicka and stamina.

Black rose feels like a pvp set, also going full magika recovery means you wont regen stami a fast while blocking with staff

Wrecking_Blow_Spam · April 2018

Nice build, isn't plague doctor overkill though? What about Dragonguard or some other cool set like leeching just for fun

Azuramoonstar · April 2018

i'm new-ish to eso, and I'm setting up an ice mage tank. I honestly eso is cool for having a staff with a taunt and block ability. Not a lot of mmo do a magic tank build.

i can see the appeal to sword and board style as that is the tanking stereotype. Am happy eso mixes the formula up.

I'm playing a khajiit (not a fan of altmer which would be better pick) i'm just in firemoth isle atm but having a blast with the ice staff i found.

with khajiit i'm mainly gonna pull the weapon critical passive and the hp/stem passive. and staff passives.

Bigevilpeter · April 2018

Wrecking_Blow_Spam wrote: »

Nice build, isn't plague doctor overkill though? What about Dragonguard or some other cool set like leeching just for fun

The more health you have the more you can use spell symmetry also it can be handy at times, when you make a mistake or when you are ressing someone.

As a tank you need survivability, taunting and warhorns.

But ofc other sets can work too, but im at almost 20k stam an magika and max resistances so what more can I need?

Betsararie · April 2018

Interesting concept that, admittedly, sounds neat on paper-- And that is coming from someone who would like to see the ice staff reworked as a viable DPS tool.

I would love to see some footage of it in practice, to better ascertain how it compares to a traditional setup

DarkAedin · April 2018

U can do this with great success in torugs/alkosh

paulychan · November 2018

Rolling Torugs/ebon on my s/b - ice staff Argo warden tank. Torugs/PD was even better. I don't use the staff to taunt so I'm getting fracture from pierce. I do use it to block so i have 2 pools to block with. I run ice staff back bar thinking healers should roll lightning back bar, as mine do. It's a fun and capable tank with a lot of buffs, debuffs and CC. Use the silver bolts over frozen gate for gaps.
I have an Argo dk main tank and they play very different. My warden can supply heals to party, dk not so much.

josiahva · November 2018

I have been using S&B front bar and Ice staff back bar for over a year now...I love the extra versatility the ice staff brings...but I admit I rarely use the Ice Staff to block, its just not as effective as the S&B(mainly because my magicka pool is far smaller) but I use a DK, not a warden, and instead of healing I spam shields over the group with my sets of choice being Chudan/Imperium/Plague Doctor. A lot of people are disappointed with Murkmire, calling it nerfmire...but for that tank build, adding resistances to shields is a game changer...max shield strength when they are all stacked still exceeds 60k for the entire group, but now the shields are much tougher...in effect, anyone who stays near me has the survivability of a tank, especially if they bother to block every once in awhile.

P.S. Yes, I do use the staff to taunt in certain situations. IE, the Minotaur boss in vBF....jump onto a rock, turn and heavy attack twice while he throws his axe...keeps him easily perma-taunted. Same type of thing for last boss of vFH, and its even better for the Lord Warden's shadows in vICP...stand in the middle, constant heavy attacks and use the free magicka return to cast green dragon blood as needed, but of course pierce armor is still the best taunt in the game and is the go-to for any tank when you dont need a ranged taunt. When you need a quick ranged taunt, inner fire of course...but the slow ranged taunt of the ice staff does have its place, you just need to learn to use it correctly.

paulychan · November 2018

I was wondering how the shield tank build would work this patch. Thanks for that info