The Ice Needle is an Ice-elemental sword available for Matt in Epic Battle Fantasy 4 and 5.
Description[]
In EBF4, the Ice Needle is a grey halberd with a spearhead made of blue ice. A curved, almost pincer-like blade is affixed to the shaft below the spear, with two small ice crystals clinging to the larger half of the blade. The other end of the halberd has a smaller ice spike.
In EBF5, the Ice Needle received a major redesign, now resembling a massive lance made of ice. It consists of a pointed ice crystal set in a metal brazier-like structure that acts as a crossguard and hilt. The largest point of the ice crystal appears to have been carved into a refined blade, with a few smaller spikes sticking out of it. The blade widens into the main mass of the crystal near the base, with a large metal point visible within; this is presumably the base around which the crystal was formed. A bit of ice can be seen on the bottom of the "crossguard", and a three-pointed crystal acts as the pommel of the sword.
The Ice Needle usually has the ability to Freeze the victims of its weapon-elemental skills, which can also unleash a physical Ice skill to increase its damage output and benefit from its elemental boost. It is usually resistant to Ice and Water.
Epic Battle Fantasy 4[]
The Ice Needle has decent (but not outstanding) offensive stats, as well as minor bonuses to Evade and Defence. Its main selling point is the ability to inflict Freeze with weapon-elemental skills; while the infliction chance is rather low, Matt can still potentially immobilize entire enemy waves with Swift Slash (even more so when combined with Cloudburst's Wet application). Additionally, it powers up Ice attacks, including its own Tundra unleash; unlike most unleashes in EBF4, this bonus skill has the same power as Matt's natural Tundra instead of being based on the strength of the weapon-elemental skill used to cast it.
The Ice Needle has resistances to Ice, Wind and Water. None of these become an immunity at Level 5.
Epic Battle Fantasy 5[]
Normal[]
The Ice Needle is a pure offensive weapon with strong Attack and decent Magic Attack. It has a modest chance to Freeze foes with weapon-elemental skills; these skills can also unleash Tundra, which benefits from its elemental boost.
Despite its potential to immobilize enemies and set up damage combos, the Ice Needle is vastly more useful for day-to-day offense. However, it's usually outclassed by the Sapphire Saint, which has identical attack while being available a little earlier and generally more efficient for an early-game offensive Matt build; on the other hand, the Ice Needle's resistances are reasonably useful for later areas like Rainbow River or the Frozen Valley.
The Ice Needle is resistant to Ice, Water, Wet and Dry, becoming immune to the latter two Level 5.
Equip Remix[]
The Alt Ice Needle has good Attack, poor Magic Attack, and a boost to Ice skills that Matt can easily exploit. It can summon an Icicle Creep between turns for some additional Ice damage, but its most notable trait is its ability to inflict Instant Death with its weapon-elemental skills; if that doesn't take, its Ice Needles unleash gives it a second chance at inflicting the status.
While the Alt Ice Needle seems to have potential for instantly killing vulnerable foes, neither of its Death triggers have a particularly high activation chance; the party has many more consistent options for this, such as the Alt Spine Snapper or an Alt Fat Fly build with status-boosting gear and Bad Luck support. It's technically Matt's best option for consistent Ice damage and usually outperforms the Alt Ultra Pro 9000X in this regard, but the Alt Sapphire Saint provides stiff competition; in exchange for marginally lower Attack, it has a second elemental boost, slightly better bulk, and great utility in Freeze combos.
The Alt Ice Needle resists Ice and Water, but is weak to Fire. Its resistances max out at 50%, but its weakness doesn't change even at Level 5.
Epic Battle Fantasy 4[]
The Ice Needle is found in Whitefall Town, in the left chest behind the Equipment Shop.
|
Ice Needle |
|---|---|
| May freeze targets. Boosts the power of Ice skills. May cast Tundra with certain skills. |
| Statistics | |||||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Stat Bonus | Resistance | ||||||||||||||||
| LV1 | LV2 | LV3 | LV4 | LV5 | LV1 | LV2 | LV3 | LV4 | LV5 | LV1 | LV2 | LV3 | LV4 | LV5 | |||
|
- | - | - | - | - | 
|
- | - | - | - | - | 
|
10% | 20% | 30% | 40% | 50% |
|
10% | 20% | 30% | 40% | 50% | 
|
- | 5% | 5% | 10% | 10% | 
|
10% | 20% | 30% | 40% | 50% |
|
10% | 20% | 30% | 40% | 50% | 
|
- | - | - | - | - | 
|
10% | 20% | 30% | 40% | 50% |
|
- | - | - | - | - | 
|
- | 5% | 5% | 10% | 10% | Element | 50%
| ||||
| Spells & Statuses | |||||||||||||||||
| Power | Chance Modifier | Attack Status | |||||||||||||||
| Auto Skill | -- | -- | 
|
5% | 10% | 10% | 10% | 15% | |||||||||
| Bonus Skill | -- | -- | 2x | 2x | 2x | 2x | 2x | ||||||||||
| Auto Status | -- | -- | - | - | - | - | - | - | |||||||||
| -- | - | - | - | - | - | ||||||||||||
| Forging Information | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Lvl | Requirements | Lvl | Requirements | ||||
| 2 |  x 2 |
-- | -- | 3 |  x 2 |
 x 1 |
-- |
| 4 |  x 7 |
x 7 |
-- | 5 |  x 1 |
-- | -- |
Tundra doesn't have the bonus skill power multiplier specified, and thus calculates independent of host skill's power, as if it was used as a normal skill — power depends on Tundra's level, defaulting to level 1's power (50) if it isn't learned.
Epic Battle Fantasy 5[]
The Ice Needle is found inside a chest in the eastern end of the Ice Cave. The chest is guarded by a battle that appears as a Viking Monolith; the player will have to navigate a large Slip-N-Slide puzzle to reach it.
|
Ice Needle |
|---|---|
A shard of piercing ice.
|
| Statistics | |||||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Stat Bonus | Resistance | ||||||||||||||||
| LV1 | LV2 | LV3 | LV4 | LV5 | LV1 | LV2 | LV3 | LV4 | LV5 | LV1 | LV2 | LV3 | LV4 | LV5 | |||
|
|
- | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | 
|
10% | 20% | 30% | 40% | 50% |
|
|
15% | 30% | 45% | 60% | 75% |
|
- | - | - | - | - | 
|
10% | 20% | 30% | 40% | 50% |
|
|
15% | 30% | 40% | 50% | 60% |
|
- | - | - | - | - | 
|
20% | 40% | 60% | 80% | 100% |
|
|
- | - | - | - | - |
|
- | - | - | - | - | Element | 50%
| ||||
| Spells & Statuses | |||||||||||||||||
| Power | Chance Modifier | Attack Status | |||||||||||||||
| Auto Skill | -- | -- | 
|
10% | 10% | 15% | 15% | 25% | |||||||||
| Bonus Skill | 80 | (33%) | 2x | 2x | 2x | 2x | 2x | ||||||||||
| Auto Status | -- | -- | - | - | - | - | - | - | |||||||||
| Defend Status | -- | -- | - | - | - | - | - | ||||||||||
| Note: Before the v2 update, had a -30% Fire weakness instead of resisting Ice. | |||||||||||||||||
| Forging Information | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Lvl | Requirements | Lvl | Requirements | ||||
| 2 |  x 3 |
-- | -- | 3 |  x 1 |
 x 1 |
-- |
| 4 |  x 3 |
x 2 |
x 2 |
5 | x 10 |
x 10 |
x 10 |
Statistics with Equip Remix enabled.
|
|
Ice Needle |
|---|---|
A shard of piercing ice.
|
| Statistics | |||||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Stat Bonus | Resistance | ||||||||||||||||
| LV1 | LV2 | LV3 | LV4 | LV5 | LV1 | LV2 | LV3 | LV4 | LV5 | LV1 | LV2 | LV3 | LV4 | LV5 | |||
|
|
- | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | 
|
-30% | -30% | -30% | -30% | -30% |
|
|
15% | 30% | 40% | 50% | 65% |
|
- | - | - | - | - |
|
10% | 20% | 30% | 40% | 50% |
|
|
10% | 15% | 20% | 25% | 30% |
|
- | - | - | - | - |
|
10% | 20% | 30% | 40% | 50% |
|
|
- | - | - | - | - |
|
- | - | - | - | - | Element | 50%
| ||||
| Spells & Statuses | |||||||||||||||||
| Power | Chance Modifier | Attack Status | |||||||||||||||
| Auto Skill | -- | (30%) | 
|
10% | 15% | 20% | 25% | 30% | |||||||||
| Bonus Skill | 100 | (35%) | - | - | - | - | - | ||||||||||
| Auto Status | -- | -- | - | - | - | - | - | - | |||||||||
| Defend Status | -- | -- | - | - | - | - | - | ||||||||||
| Forging Information | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Lvl | Requirements | Lvl | Requirements | ||||
| 2 | x 3 |
-- | -- | 3 | x 1 |
x 1 |
-- |
| 4 | x 3 |
x 2 |
x 2 |
5 | x 10 |
 x 1 |
-- |