High Efficacy Snow Globe Frost Prime Build (Critique)

[Xish001]

Moderator disclaimer:

I thought this was a good place to post this after I typed it up for Warframe Builder, but I'm a bit of a forum noob (first post), so please excuse me if this is the wrong locale.

 

Introduction:

Big thanks to DE for starting the unsealing of Prime Vaults! I only began playing after U17, so upgrading my beloved Frost to Frost Prime was going to be a healthy bit of platinum otherwise. I really enjoy the utility frame meta, Trinity and Frost being two of my favorites. I thoroughly enjoy the theorycrafting aspect of Warframe, but more importantly testing said theories.

 

THE BUILD: http://goo.gl/CuX9Qk

 

Disclaimer:

Currently testing on T4 Defense and Sortie defense missions as they arise.

 

Note on polarization (forma usage):

This build may be accomplished with NO FORMA by using the default D aura polarity with Rejuvenation; regular Flow in lieu of Primed Flow; and ignoring the Exilus mod slot (including the new U18 Exilus mods).

 

Intended build usage:

The idea was to create an "end game" defensive Snow Globe build that was sustainable without sacrificing survivability nor necessity. There may be a better build for those aims, but I've yet to encounter it, although I encourage its discovery (or rediscovery)!

 

A MAX strength globe build is achieved with maxed ranked Intensify, Blind Rage, Transient Fort., Steel Fiber, and Armored Agility mods. This nets you a 20.8k base health globe for 77.5 energy. The build linked above (referred to as THIS) build nets a 12.3k base health globe for 15 energy (170% efficiency). Using primed flow, total energy is 425. Assuming you have all of said energy (which conservatively speaking, you won't) you may cast the MAX strength globe 5 times. This would yield a base health globe of 104k. THIS build would allow you to cast globe 28 times for a 344k base health globe. Keep in mind in either case, you will be getting a globe strength increase by waiting 4 seconds between casts and soaking up bullets during the invulnerability phase.

 

That may not the most accurate comparison. Consider the energy cost of THIS build with only 1 person using Energy Siphon. 15/0.6 = 25 seconds to generate 1 globe cast versus over 2 minutes with the MAX build.

 

Yet another comparison could be the MAX build uses 5 mod slots just for globe strength versus THIS build using 3.

 

The negative duration from Fleeting Expertise and Transient Fort. hurts Avalanche pretty heavily. As enemy level increases, that max powered Avalanche damage starts to count for a lot less. The armor debuff on Avalanche is still extremely useful (especially when maxed), but when targets remain frozen without subsequent Freezes or Avalanches for under 3 seconds, efficacy and efficiency are out the window. Snow globe is the primary skill around which this build orbits. The other 3 skills should be used when time and energy permit.

 

Explanation of mods used:

The inclusion of Intensify, Transient Fortitude, and Steel Fiber are explained at length above. It goes without saying that Steel Fiber also helps Frost's effective health.

 

Stretch increases globe size to just large enough where standing in the middle will avoid getting you knocked down by Corrupted Bombard shots. This could be replaced with Chilling Globe given your team's strategy and playstyle. This is easily the most flexible mod slot. Its degree of flexibility would directly depend on your team's coordination.

 

Primed Flow is a premium mod, but at least Flow would be necessary to keep globe casts occurring as often as needed. It also allows usage of your other abilities with less concern. One could argue Primed Flow is a must if you choose to use Quick Thinking over Redirection (see below).

 

Fleeting Expertise - Rank 3 and Streamline bring power efficiency to 170%. This is how globe cost is kept manageable so it may be spammed for invulnerability and/or stacked for high health values. There may be an argument to push Fleeting Expertise to Rank 4 for 180% (which would truncate to 175%) with a reduced rank Transient Fort. if you only intend to use globe for the invulnerability.

 

Redirection is a preference with the following rationale: Frost prime has the highest shield potential (as of U18.1). Redirection plays to his strengths. Frost's high shields are a fast regenerating source of effective health. Frost has 4 abilities to freeze enemies and a giant bullet sponge globe. Those are a rather large number of defenses you can control to buy yourself time to let your shields recharge. At the build's design difficulty, survival tactics outside of abilities on all frames is a skill worth being honed.

 

That being said, Quick Thinking is a solid alternative to Redirection. It arguably gives more effective health. Substitute at your discretion. One thing to consider: your base shield is meaty, then enemies need to go through a maxed Steel Fiber health pool, then they get to eating into your energy which you're presumably using to spam globe with a sprinkling of the other abilities. Boosters and your teammates' frame selections could make for a totally viable strategy. Or copious amounts of energy drops, which is wont to happen when you choose Redirection over Quick Thinking that one time.

 

Vitality would be my last choice as a substitute for Redirection. The rhetoric is similar to Quick Thinking although health globes do not drop naturally in the void, so you would specifically need teammates to pick up frames that could heal (or Nekros). I feel this forces a utility build to expect additional utility builds, and that seems like a less effective team. Potentially a less fun team when you twist someone's arm to play a Desecrate spamming Nekros who doesn't like doing so.

 

Notes on Auras:

If you're running T4, Corrosive Projection is a great boon. It would be beneficial on Sortie Grineer/Infested Defenses as well.

 

D polarity aura Shield Disruption might be a choice for a Sortie Corpus Defense, but I feel like that would remove a huge opportunity for a Mag in the party to destroy targets in lieu of weakening them (see Shield Polarize). Using Shield Disruption would be one less forma on your Frost Prime and would free up the need of a Mag, however.

 

Once Coaction Drift and Corrosive Projection start behaving correctly (presumably), Frost could be a candidate to run Energy Siphon as it was shown above that he can benefit from 1 player using it in a party.

Source on CD/CP issues: https://goo.gl/sZRq0d

 

Notes on Exilus Mods:

This build shows a Rush being used as Frost's base speed is low. The U18 drift mods are highly desirable as they're basically Nighmare mods for the Exilus slot. I've yet to begin my farm of those yet, but they may be useful in further fleshing out the aims of this build.

 

Search disclaimer:

For the person(s) doing a google search(s) for Frost Prime builds a year from now when this is presumably obsolete, this guide was written for update PC 18.1.2.

[Naftal]

At high levels the globe hp is irrelevant and you rely on the 4 second invulnerability duration. You should max your efficiency and not leave it at +70% to be able to better spam globe if it's needed every 4 sec.

 

Ehp mods shouldn't be needed if your job is to cast globe.

[MajesticPinecone]

personally id try and get blind rage on IF you have a EV trin

 

also id switch out redirection for vitality since frosts armor + steel fiber gives his health stat to me more viability then shields unless shields do something new im unaware of

[ThorienKELL]

Personally I've yet have to see frost globe needed to be recast every 4 seconds due to insane mob damage and I play 40min+ T4 and sorties regularly. You do have a party that cc-es and tonkors approaching mobs, do you?

 

Few notes on frost stats;

Efficiency imo is not top priority for frost. You can either go by Flow + streamline or with 170% from streamline and R3 fleeting. 

Unless you feel need to spam ult. But then you need some duration too. Maybe it's my playing habits but I never run out of energy on frost. 

 

Strength, 180% min, all clear there

 

Range, basic stretch. Hate small globes frosts.

 

Chilling globe - only against infested.

 

Duration, well depends on what you expect or require. You can forfeit duration fully and invest in high efficiency frost who will spam his damage powers, personally I love to have at least near 100% duration.

 

So you either go duration but then just flow +streamline, not much spammy but longer cc

 

Or high efficiency low duration, up to you.

 

And, yes, use vitality, with this armor it's better choice then shields.

[(XBOX)R3d P01nt]

Wouldn't Armored Agility also help boost the strength of the snow globe?

[Xish001]

Thanks for all the advice! Very much appreciated.

 

I am starting to see that Streamline + Flow + r3 Fleeting Expertise is a bit overkill. I'll try taking out Flow and adding some duration. I would love the idea of being able to globe effectively and having at least 100% duration for Avalanche.

 

As I mentioned, the Redirection choice was personal preference, and assuming the worst. I don't like assuming I'll have an EV Trin. Vitality with Steel Fiber or Primed Flow with Quick Thinking net by far better EHP, the issue being neither of those regenerate while shield does. And with frost's CC, there are ample opportunities to escape and generate.

[Xish001]

Wouldn't Armored Agility also help boost the strength of the snow globe?

 

It does, you are correct. I had omitted it because I was using Steel Fiber and Rush in the Exilus slot and felt my globe was strong enough.

[-InV-Ivara_Prime]

Personally for things like T4 Defense where you quite often need that extra defensive utility, I drop power strength completely and build purely around the 4 seconds of invincibility, no worries about shield health at all but can still be used like a regular frost on earlier levels, I run:

Corrosive Projection Aura (As to be expected for endurance missions)

Primed Flow - Maximise the size of my energy pool so I dont have to worry about having EV Constantly pumping out energy

Steel Fibre - Had an extra space, this isnt actually needed at all but allows for easier gameplay on lower levels because you can treat it like a regular snowglobe setup

Fleeting Expertise (R4) + Streamlined (R4) - Max efficiency for max spammability

Overextended + Stretch + Cunning Drift - I'd like to see Bombard splash damage reach the cryopod through 50m of chilly shielding

Transient Fortitude + Intensify - Counters the strength reduction from overextended, not really necessary but allows for further shield health on early gameplay when you arent spamming, these can be swapped out alongside steel fibre for extra duration (Primed Continuity) and perhaps Chilling globe for a bit more CC

 

The point of this setup is purely for defensive capabilities at the cost of enjoyment of the game. this is a setup for a macro or waterbird to play for you, it will never go down, and you'll launch anything that does get inside back out where it belongs, but by god it is monotonous, make sure you move from the cryopod every 4 minutes and 50 seconds to keep your rewards.