Should I stick with the Cutter line or go with something else?
I've had my eyes on the Sealed Sword line though so what should I pick?
Also, if I do stick with the Cutter, what should I upgrade to, the Hunting Blade or Vile Striker?
TY in advance.
Upgrade Cutter?
Sun, 12/11/2011 - 18:38
Sun, 12/11/2011 - 20:28
#2
I agree with the box on DVS
I agree with the box on DVS over WHB, but personally I hate the Cutter. The charge is mostly worthless, the swing arc is narrow, and the damage is pure Normal. It is a powerful sword vs a single opponent, but not very good for mobs. I really tried to like it because it looks cool & I liked the idea of how fast it is and a 10 hit combo sounds great in theory. If you want a Normal damage sword the Calibur line is way better. You will not see many players using Cutter line swords in T3, because they are more tedious and dangerous for crowd control. Not to say that there aren't skilled players out there that use them in T3, because there are. The only place in T3 I would ever really want one is a DVS for the Mask phases of the Vanaduke fight (speed runners often do this). It just isn't worth it to me to shave that time.
Sealed swords will be a shock to your system and take some time to get the hang of, but they can provide you with Elemental/Normal and Shadow/Normal damage types. Just throw in a Piercing blade and all three damages are covered. I highly recommend getting some ASI (Attack Speed Increased) for use with heavy 2 swing swords (Sealed and Troika lines). This could be from trinkets (Quick Strike Modules), armor (Vog cap/coat), shield (Swiftstrike Buckler), or UV. I had a lot of fun with a Troika and a Swiftstrike buckler in T1 & T2. Now I like to bump my Avenger up to ASI Max with a Vog set and Elite module (I don't recommend the SS buckler for T3 unless you just about don't need a shield for protection at all).
Recommended sword reading:
Heavy Sword tips -> http://forums.spiralknights.com/en/node/13083
Sun, 12/11/2011 - 20:54
#3
well lot's of people are
well lot's of people are going to hate me for saying this but...
stay away from the troika line (for now) it realy needs a buff (and switching between gran faust and divine avenger will give you roughly the same damage output) i wanted to get the troika because i wanted something to make up my lack of piercing sword (i hate the 4 piercing swords) but now i just use the sealed swords for what ever i lack piercing for (GF for beasts and DA or levi for fiends)
Sun, 12/11/2011 - 22:16
#4
Hmmm... did not mean to plug
Hmmm... did not mean to plug the Troika. There are a number of reasons mine is still 2* and gathering dust (and lacking the recipes is not among them). I don't regret trying it out at 2* though, it showed me that heavy swords are really fun. There are people out there that are great with the 5* versions of the Troika, I just don't think it can compete with the sealed swords (unless we are talking a single weapon loadout) in terms of damage output.
I love the piercing swords though (or at least the Dark Thorn Blade).
Mon, 12/12/2011 - 06:22
#5
frequently asked question
The "DVS or WHB?" question is frequently asked. I specifically address it in my Sword Guide, which you may find useful.
I agree with the other posters that the Cutter swords are not great, and that the Troika swords are not good. I myself made the switch from DVS to Sealed long ago. It takes a little adjustment, but I strongly feel that any player can get accustomed to any sword feel.
Mon, 12/12/2011 - 14:43
#6
Nice. I added that to my Read
Nice. I added that to my Read the Wiki thread & recommended it to be added to the new recruits sticky.
http://forums.spiralknights.com/en/node/31049#comment-227165
http://forums.spiralknights.com/en/node/10297#comment-227261
Mon, 12/12/2011 - 15:09
#7
thanks a lot
Thanks, Bluescreenofdeath, especially since you yourself are a person who gives good advice around here.
Tue, 12/13/2011 - 14:19
#8
So over all
Thanks everyone.
So over all should I stay with the cutter or move to a different 2 star weapon?
Tue, 12/13/2011 - 15:00
#9
You should probably move on
You should probably move on to a different weapon, for the reason that the Cutter line swords only deal normal damage.(As Blue already mentioned.) You want to have an edge against most of the monsters, so having weapons that deal a particular type of damage(Shadow, Elemental, Pierce.) so you can inflict more damage to a particular race of monsters.(Such as Undead being weak to elemental damage.) Although, I would still keep your Cutter, in case you get bored one day with all your higher gear, and decide to craft it up into it's later stages.
I would try getting yourself a Sealed Sword first, since it's technically "free" in a sense that all you really have to do is grind for Jelly Gems, and practice using it in some clockwork runs. This will give you a feel for it, to see if you want to continue on with the Sealed Sword lines or not.
If you don't like the Heavier swords, you could try the Brandish lines instead. The brandishes can go through different lines, mainly elemental that deal status conditions(Such as the Fire/Shockburst Brand lines, that can deal burn and shock status conditions with their charge attacks.) but there is a shadow variant of the brandish too.(Nightblade line.) Just don't bother with Cautery Sword. It's normal damage(Or atleast, I'm pretty sure it's normal damage only.) and it stops at 3*.
Tue, 12/13/2011 - 20:58
#10
^^ Agreed
Yup Brandishes and calibers are a good in between if you don't want the slowness of the sealed sword, but yet want some decent speed from the cutter. I recommend brandish over caliber just cuz the shadow/ elemental is really usefull, and in my opinion, cailber line is only good as a side weapon for pure gunners. However, you may also want to try the flourish/ snarble barb lines for their fast attacks and awesome piercing power. The only downside to them is that constructs and jellies are practically immune to them. My suggestion: Elemental brandish + flourish. You get one elemental and status dealing sword and a piercing one for the things that brandish users hate (wolvers -___-).
Tue, 12/13/2011 - 22:51
#11
^ He speaks like a god
Dark-Flare... you are a genius.
That is the exact loadout that I love going. For clockwork diving, I go Boltbrand and Swift Flourish, and for T2 lockdown I just switch the Boltbrand for the 3* version, Shockburst Brandish. I have always had a sword to use against any type of monster with this loadout, and if you think you need a gun for explodey thingies, think again. The flourish has a massive swing, and it is easy to stand far away and blow up the boxes. Also, for mob control, backing away and charging up the Boltbrand works extremely well as the explosions from it push monsters away as well as the knockback and wide swing radius, and for flourishes you can just swing shield swing shield swing shield to get the wide sweep. Both of these areas are where the cutter line is not so good, as it has a short range, not a lot of knockback, and is not very good for large numbers of enemies.
Thu, 12/15/2011 - 13:59
#12
Pure opion.
If just want a pure opinion answer...
Drop the cutter and go with almost any other sword(s).
If that other sword is not a Calibur, then you need to make at least 2 other swords (& ideally three) so that you can hit at least neutral on all enemy families (again ideally 3 swords so you can crit on all families).
Try all of the 2* & 3* items you can. So you can figure out which ones you like. Grab a Snarble Barb, super easy grind & will change your life when it comes to dealing with fiends & beasts.
Calibur vs Brandish is not a good comparison. In a one sword loadout the Calibur wins every time. It is Normal damage (weak to nothing) and has one of the most powerful charges in the game (if used well). The Brandish shines when you craft out a Shadow line (Acheron), an Elemental line (Glacius, Voltedge, or Combuster), and combine them with a Piercing sword (BTB or FF). Of course you don't need all three damage type swords for every dive, but you do need all three in your arsenal.
So the comparison really should be: 1 Normal sword vs 3 Non-pure-normal swords (Elemental/Normal, Shadow/Normal, & Piercing). In which case the 3 sword option is going to perform better for the most part (my Asc Cal still beats my Voltedge for turret destruction). Of course it will have 3 times the cost & take 3 times as long to craft and level, but wtf am I going to do when I run out of gear to craft and level? (probably quit)
You can do anything in this game with a Leviathan and a Valiance, however, it is a ton of fun to use specialized (non-pure-normal) swords and higher damage outputs can be obtained.
Thu, 12/15/2011 - 15:13
#13
but isnt FoV one of those
but isnt FoV one of those cutter style fast swords and that thing is pretty damn good. so if you emjoy using that cutter, go for it! upgrade the sh** outta that thing and love it. go on, its a good sword also.
Thu, 12/15/2011 - 15:20
#14
FoV looks like a Cutter, but doesn't act like one
Fang of Vog looks like a Cutter, but it doesn't act like one. Its combo uses only three swings, and these swings are slower than those of a Brandish-line sword. Its charge attack is nothing like Cutter's, either.
Fri, 12/16/2011 - 09:48
#15
Lol, yeah the Brinks item
Lol, yeah the Brinks item that takes the most tokens to earn is a total mutt mash-up.
If you stick with your cutter, go for Vile Striker (poison decreases enemy attack, defense and they can't heal - way better than a high buff on damage to beasts)
It's hard switching from the fastest sword and moving to the slowest sword