~~~Introduction~~~

Ohai! I'm Tri, founder of the Gunslinger Priests and frequent solo'ist. Since the game's release I've preferred challenging the Clockworks on my own to running in a group, and I have decided to share what little knowledge that I have with all the aspiring solo Knights.

To the casual observer, there really aren't any advantages to ridin' solo in Cradle. However, upon closer inspection, you'll find that there are indeed reasons why you should give solo'ing a shot.

>Pros to being a solo'ist:
+Every item or material that drops is all yours. No need to get jealous over the Sun Silver that dropped for your partner anymore!
+You don't have to worry about being dragged down by the weak player on a team. You don't have to waste your valuable life points continually resurrecting the friend that you really want to kick from the team.
+It's fun! Putting your skills to the test in the toughest climates is what it's all about.

Of course, solo'ing isn't all fun and games. There are a few reasons why the un-prepared player should stay away from solo play.

>Cons to being a solo'ist:
-Every death costs energy. Period. You don't have anyone to bail you out, so being careful is the priority.
-Maybe it's just me, but I start to get lonely shooting zombies all by myself in the fiery depths of Firestorm Citadel.
-One-sided characters get eaten up rather quickly when solo'ing. The solo'er has to be ready to put some crowns into making his/her weaknesses as small and few as possible.
-Although putting your skills to the test can be read as a pro, if you aren't skilled enough to endure the grind of a solo run your pockets are going to be hit pretty hard. I suggest taking time to learn the basic game skills and mechanics before heading out on your own.

~~~Tools of the Trade~~~

Some items in the game were meant to be used in groups, some not at all (looking at you, Cautery Sword), and some were meant for solo'ing. The latter are the ones that will be listed below.

Swords
[Calibur Line] Leviathan Blade - This is the premier solo sword. Levi is an easy-to-use, powerful, three hit combo with great shield compatibility. Of course, the real reason to pick up this weapon is for its charge attack. The Zelda-esque spin move is fantastic for any situation, whether you're getting ganged up on in a danger room or a teleporting T3 Wolver is really getting on your nerves. Versatility speaks for itself. On a side note, as cool as the chained Cold Iron Vanquisher sounds, don't get it. The knockback is much worse on the CIV, and even after being hit most Wolvers and Lumbers will still be able to hit you. Not ideal.

[Avenger Line] Divine Avenger - The purpose of most (pretty much all, actually) swords used by a solo'ist is to have a charge attack that excels at clearing out a bunch of enemies with one sweep. The Divine Avenger fits that bill. The three-pronged charge attack is more than enough to clear some space in a danger room, and proves to be a deadly force against a group of Slag Walkers in Firestorm Citadel.

[Faust Line] Gran Faust - Faust/GF is a fantastic Jelly killer, making it a great weapon in the Royal Jelly Palace. Like the Avenger, it has awesome knockback, so it can also be used to get out of a corner trap or a random mob of enemies. Also, Gran Faust's initials are "GF," which might remind you of your girlfriend. And make you happy (Someone posted that on the forums here, credit to whoever that was, not me).

[Snarble Barb Line] Barbarous Thorn Blade - A weapon called the Snarble Barb? That's good at killing Devilites, Bats, and Trojans? Yes. Any arsenal can benefit from a Thorn Blade, as some of the most annoying enemies in the game are weak to it. It also has a great charge move similar to that of the Divine Avenger... except there's more with considerably less knockback.

Guns
[Alchemer Line] Storm Driver/Magma Driver/Hail Driver - Guns are a godsend for any solo'er, as they allow you to safely attack from range without any worry of being nailed by an oncoming slime. Toss in a Shock or Freeze effect and you can really slow down an oncoming horde of enemies.

[Silversix Line] Argent Peacemaker - The Argent Peacemaker has one purpose, but fortunately that purpose is Firestorm Citadel, so this gun will see a lot of action. AP is strong against a good 90-95% of the mobs in FSC, has a 6 shot clip, full mobility while shooting/reloading, and can shoot through the white barriers easily. Don't leave this one at home if you're going deep delving.

[Pulsar Line] Supernova/Polaris - For the gunslinger solo'ist, the Pulsar line is his/her pseudo-sword. The large explosions provide excellent knockback, which can get annoying for teammates in group play, but in solo play the happiness of teammates isn't an object. Supernova provides normal damage, and Polaris provides elemental. Pick the one that your arsenal needs the most.

Bombs
[Freezing Vaporizer Line] Shivermist Buster - The definitive solo weapon. This incredibly powerful bomb freezes everything in its tracks, last a large amount of time, and covers a lot of ground. Even if you don't get around to hitting every frozen mob, the thaw damage released at the end is surprisingly high. Combined with the charge attack of the Leviathan Blade, you have a force that can't be stopped in the right hands.

[Fiery Vaporizer Line] Ash of Agni - The arena killer. With Ash of Agni you can simply run around the perimeter of any danger room or arena, laying AoA's behind you, and watch with satisfaction as Menders struggle to keep up with the burn damage, and masses of enemies start to hit the dust. A good choice for any bomber.

[Blast Bomb Line] Nitronome - Not necessary, but highly recommend to anyone with bombing gear. Most danger rooms/arenas can be cleared extremely fast by a smart Nitro chainer. Lay a Nitro, back away, let the mobs get hit by the knockback, lay another Nitronome, rinse and repeat. There are several videos on Youtube of Firestorm Citadel danger rooms being completely annihilated by Nitronome chains. Definitely consider this one.

Shields
[Owlite Shield Line] Grey Owlite Shield - Definitely the most popular shield in the game, and for good reason. The Owlite Shield covers nearly every key resist stat with Normal, Elemental, Fire, and Shock resist. Get a UV with Piercing or Shadow and you have a shield that can be taken anywhere.

[Plate Shield Line] Ironmight Plate Shield/Volcanic Plate Shield - These are good solo shields simply because they can take a lot of hits. Ironmight covers Piercing damage, while Volcanic gets Fire. Bring them to the Jelly Palace and FSC, respectively.

[Blackened Crest Line] Crest of Almire - Nearly the same as the Owlite Shield, except it gets Shadow resist instead of Elemental. It has good type coverage for FSC; get an Elemental UV if you want full coverage.

I won't be going over armors, as those are situational, depending on what section of the game you plan on running. If you want suggestions on what to wear, post below.

~~~Everything a New Solo'ist Needs to Know~~~

Like mentioned earlier, there is a certain amount of game knowledge required to be a successful one-man show. If you have any suggestions as to what I can add to this section, please don't hesitate to post.

1. You staying away from damage is more important than you dealing damage.
Somewhat self explanatory. You don't have to (read: don't do it) go berserk mode and try to kill the mobs before they kill you. You'll lose that battle every time, especially in danger rooms or arenas.

2. Your shield is your best friend.
The best suggestion I can give is to wire the shield button to the left-click. Best decision I've made in my life. My shield reaction times became so much faster after I did this and I can almost guarantee yours will too. One of the best techniques you can do with a shield is the shield bump. Against slow enemies (especially Slags in FSC), gun them to death while they walk towards you then shield tap them when they finally get there. Also, if you get cornered, you can shield bump enemies out of the way as a safe alternative to hacking and slashing your way out with an Avenger. As of right now, the best shield choice is the Owlite Shield, and when you get enough Almirian Seals get a Blackened Crest/Crest of Almire for Vanaduke runs.

3. Learn to kite.
Kiting is extremely simple and is a fantastic technique that most players develop on their own. With an Alchemer or Peacemaker you can run around the edges of the room and gun behind you while still keeping the mobs at bay. It may take a while, but it's almost a sure-fire way to beat that tough danger room. An alternate strategy is to keep a Calibur charged up, run around the edges of the room, and nail any monsters you come across with a spin.

4. Study each enemy's movement pattern.
This is probably the best advice you'll get from this thread. Learning to read a Kat's movement patterns can make the first, brutal floors of tier 3 much more manage-able. Whether it be by the signs it makes, or the cries it yells, learn how to predict when the Kat is going to circle behind you and spray poison pellets.

5. Tier 3 is about avoiding damage, not mitigating it.
You heard me. You can try to cover as many defenses as you can with your Skolver Coat and Divine Veil, but you're still gonna get hit for 5-7 damage each time that Slag hits you no matter what you're wearing. Stay away and gun or learn to shield tap. Learn the ways to keep the monsters away from you. When something goes wrong in Firestorm, things go wrong very fast.

6. 3 Dungeon item limit? Not a problem.
When you're about to step on a party button, and you know you left some valuable dungeon items behind (Health caps, in particular), drop the ones you have just past the gate and go pick up the stuff you left behind. Once you step on the party button you'll still have access to your dropped items. This trick is particularly useful on Arena floors, but can be used just about everywhere.

7. Use your surroundings.
This strategy is most helpful against projectile-hurling enemies such as Devilites or Gun Puppies. If you know a battle is about to take place, and there are breakable blocks around, don't break them! Devilites, which are in my opinion the toughest enemies in the game, are much easier to defeat if you take cover, jump out and shoot, run back behind cover, and repeat. This is useful in group play as well (as are most of these tips), but particularly useful when you don't have the sheer force of numbers to kill that pesky fiend.

8. Be a sheep dog. Metaphorically speaking.
Weapons like the Calibur or any bomb operate best when used against large groups of enemies. To get the most out of each charge attack/explosion, run in circles around groups of enemies, luring them together. Once they've rounded up nicely unleash your charge attack or drop a bomb. I've had Leviathan Blade hits go for more than 2,500 total damage (I hit 7 or 8 mobs, with a few mobs getting hit twice), when a normal hit might get 250. Big difference, no?

9. Don't rush into 5* gears.
The only items I really think "have" to be at 5* are your Helmet and Armor. Ash Tail to Vog Cub makes for a considerable upgrade. Wise Owlite Shield to Grey Owlite Shield does not. If you are a F2P player, or even a thrifty money player, don't feel like you need to have the 5* gears to be successful. Your Wise Owlite Shield, Gigawatt Pulsar, and Ascended Calibur will be fine.

Exceptions to this rule are (but aren't limited to):

Avenger > Divine Avenger
Blackened Crest > Crest of Almire
Freezing Atomizer > Shivermist Buster

These are the only ones that really "need" the upgrade to become useful; all other shields and weapons will be fine at 4*.

I'll continue to add tips as I think of them.

~~~But What Should I WEAR?~~~

I'll share what I recommend. Comments and/or critique are welcome.

Setup Fit for a Snarbolax:
Hat Wolver Cap/Spiral Demo Helm
Armor Wolver Coat/Spiral Demo Mail
^Wolver attire is for melee fighters, while Spiral Demo should outfit bombers.

Shield Defender/Owlite Shield
^I don't normally support the use of anything from the Cobalt set, but the Defender is cheap and provides Pierce resist (Wolvers do Pierce damage, if you didn't know). If you don't feel like throwing down one thousand or so crowns on a shield you'll never use, go ahead and start developing an Owlite Shield.

Weapons Calibur, Flourish, Voltech/Freezetech/Firotech Alchemer, Freezing Vaporizer
^This is a good, all-around solo set designed for both Wolver and Spiral Demo users. If you can afford it, get a Freezing Vaporizer with CTR: Low or Medium. You'll need all the charge help you can get. Flourish dominates Wolvers while an Elemental Alchemer eats up the Constructs. Calibur clears out everything else.

OR

Weapons Flourish, Voltech/Freezetech/Firotech Alchemer/Freezing Vaporizer
^Not everyone this early in the game can afford extra weapon slots, so I decided to put together a basic set that anyone can use. Wolver users should bring Flourish and an Alchemer, while bombers should pack Flourish and a Freezing Vaporizer. Flourish dominates most everything in the Snarbolax areas; the elemental weapons are for Kats and Constructs.

---

The Royal Jelly Palace Runner's Gear:
Hat Dusker Cap/Gunslinger Hat/Fused Demo Helm
Armor Dusker Coat/Gunslinger Sash/Fused Demo Mail
^By this point in the game you should have an idea of what kind of character you want to play. Melee fighters go with Dusker, gunners with the Gunslinger set, and bombers with the Fused Demo set.

Shield Horned Owlite Shield/Twisted Targe/Swiftstrike Buckler
^The first two shields aren't particularly effective here, but they're here for developmental purposes (a.k.a T3). Swiftstrike Buckler is even used by Tier 3 players, as you get a massive attack speed bonus from it.

Weapons Tempered Calibur, Vile Striker, Faust, Freezing Vaporizer Mk II/Shadowtech Alchemer Mk II (or any Non-Piercing Gun)
^Tempered Calibur is your jack-of-all-trades, Faust deals with Jellies, and the Vile Striker is for the Jelly King if you're attempting a solo run. Freezing Atomizer Mk II is a great do-everything bomb for any character class, while the Shadowtech is for gunning down Jellies.

OR

Weapons Super Blaster/Heavy Pulsar, Shadowtech Alchemer Mk II/Toxic Catalyzer, Kilowatt Pulsar/Voltech Alchemer Mk II, Filler Spot (open to suggestion)
^The Shadowtech and Catalyzer handle Jellies, Kilowatt Pulsar and Voltech are for the construct trees, and the Super Blaster or Heavy Pulsar clean up whatever is left. I couldn't make up my mind for what I wanted on the fourth spot, but I was thinking Magnus, Tempered Calibur, or Freezing Vaporizer Mk II. Suggestions?

OR

Weapons Tempered Calibur, Shadowtech Alchemer Mk II, Fiery Vaporizer Mk II/Toxic Vaporizer Mk II, Freezing Vaporizer Mk II
^This bomber set is fully capable of success with just a Shadowtech and a Fiery Vaporizer in the RJP (I've done it before), but a four slot arsenal is more ideal if you're planning to take on the King Jelly himself. Tempered Calibur and Freezing Vaporizer go hand-in-hand for dealing with large groups of enemies, Shadowtech picks off Jellies from a distance, and the Toxic Vaporizer is for the Royal Jelly. If you don't plan on going down to boss, bring the Fire bomb along instead.

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The End-Game Solo'ist's Attire:
Hat Vog Cub Cap/Volcanic Demo Helm/Mad Bomber Helm/Deadshot Mantle/Nameless Hat
Armor Vog Cub Coat/Volcanic Demo Suit/Mad Bomber Suit/Deadshot Chapeau/Nameless Poncho
^Both of these depend on what kind of player you are. If you are playing with two or more swords and play a melee oriented game, go with Vog Cub. If you prefer bombing but also prefer defense, go with Volcanic Demo. If you like all-out bombing go with Mad Bomber. Most bombers will go with a mix of the two sets. The Deadshot set is strictly for gunners in Firestorm. If you go gunslinging somewhere besides FSC, bring your Nameless set.

Shield Grey Owlite Shield/Crest of Almire/Volcanic Plate Shield
^All three shields are good in Firestorm. Grey Owlite is the better Vanaduke shield in phases 2 and 4, but the VPS is better in 1, 3, and 5 (the harder phases). The Crest is better against everything else there (i.e. Slags).

Weapons Leviathan Blade, Argent Peacemaker, Shivermist Buster, Nitronome
^This is the setup I'd recommend to anyone with bomber gear. As long as you have any kind of skill at all this set will get you through FSC.

OR

Weapons Leviathan Blade, Argent Peacemaker, Divine Avenger/Polaris, Shivermist Buster
^This set is most similar to the one I run (haven't got Shivermist yet, unfortunately). Run this with Vog Cub and you can get to Vanaduke solo easily. I've done it with an all 4* character with no Shivermist, so I think you can do it with 5*.

OR

Weapons Callahan/Argent Peacemaker, Storm/Hail Driver/Polaris, Valiance/Supernova, Shivermist Buster/Nitronome
^A gunner set. Nitronome is for keeping enemies away if you get cornered, Shivermist is stopping them in their tracks.

~~~Conclusion~~~

That's all I have for now. Of course, this is only a small fraction of what you can learn from this thread. In the posts that follow you should be able to find some great discussion on solo'ing and loadouts.

If you're looking to get your feet off the ground with Spiral Knights, please check out my FAQ/Walkthrough which can be found here (if off-site links are not allowed please let me know):

http://www.gamefaqs.com/pc/625993-spiral-knights/faqs/62809

Comments are welcome, and thanks for reading.

-Tri