Arcana vs. Alchemers?

Arcana is easier to handle. It's just a run of the mill weapon, but it can do above-average damage if used well.
It's charge shot offers better knockback to the Alchemer line.
Though... Arcana just feels lame. Three shot with no outstanding features. Unless you count the feature of not having outstanding features as one.

Alchemers involve your stupid switch shooting. I don't have the dexterity and speed for that sort of crap, but if you do then that's good for you.
Capable of ricocheting standard fire at a high enough star level.
Has some pretty lame knockback ability and it's pretty much a toy gun that shoots ping-pong balls without switch shooting.

Summary: Blaster-line guns are decent but not extremely powerful or fun. Alchemers are weak when used by novices, but very strong and interesting when used by experts. So blasters will get the job done, but I strongly favor alchemers.

Blasters always deliver a decent amount of damage and knockback. There is no status. The charge attack is a bigger version of the regular attack --- not any more interesting. They are dependable but rather boring.

Alchemers have no knockback but offer several statuses. Really they are interesting because of the ricochets. If you aim correctly, you can often get the ricochets to hit the shot's original target, greatly increasing the damage output of the gun. Novice users, who can't land the ricochets, often find that alchemers do less damage than competing guns such as blasters and antiguas. But expert players can get much more damage out of them. So they have a learning curve that rewards skillful play. The top end of the learning curve is the switching technique. It can be used on many weapons, but it's famously effective on alchemers. The charge attacks are also very powerful, with many more ricochets.

Only a novice will say a weapon is boring...

It's more like players don't know how to use their weapons...

and Arcana probably uses more skill and strategic setup more than Alchemers...

The game's designers were not infallible. They did not perfectly balance the items, either for power or skill or interest.

In my opinion, some of the more boring weapons are blasters, antiguas, Dark Retribution, and Ash of Agni.

Some of the more interesting weapons are Warmaster Rocket Hammer, alchemers, blast bombs, and maybe vortex bombs.

Since you already have two elemental guns, I recommend getting a piercing or shadow gun.

Unless you're going for PvP, then definitely Arcana.

This takes the original question off track, and I'm sorry for that.
I'm making Valience right now, but which is better in LD, Valience or Arcana?

Blaster is better because it has more bullets, and antiguars are twice as good as that!

@Smithia

Well let's think for a second

What is more prominent, normal defense or elemental defense? Obviously normal defense. Therefore, Arcana is better. That wasn't so hard was it?

Blaster is better because it has more bullets, and antiguars are twice as good as that!

That'll work fine with all the monsters that are able to absorb shots of energy.

>building blaster for ld
>not antigua
>not pulsar
>not DA, which has the greatest sword range ever seen

it's easy to tank, dodge, and endure the blasts from any blaster weapon, and in my opinion, unless you want to be a support gunner, you won't find a lot from this gun. it's knockback is better suited in PVE because it allows you to charge at mobs and distract, but it's stupid anywhere else because of DA's power.

Is your connection to SK near perfect, with a stable ping? Are you good at switching? Drivers are for you! (Read edit.)
Is your connection to SK good enough? Are you good at switching? Blasters are for you!
Is your connection to SK terrible, or are you not so good at switching? Antiguas are for you!

Experience from someone who has an obby carbine, a storm driver, and every flavor of blaster. (Maybe I'll collect more guns someday)

EDIT:
After crafting and heating a Nova Driver, I tested some numbers in T3 training hall.

Level 10 5* guns VS weak targets, with max ASI and max DMG, using single-switching:

Antigua -------------- 471.42 DPS
Antigua w/ poison: - 502.85 DPS (Basically, the DPS you'll get w/ obby carbine if it's poison is active)
Driver ---------------- 540.00 DPS
Blaster --------------- 657.14 DPS

Again, this info is posted on the off-chance anyone's still interested in this particular thread.

Lancer Knightz had an extensive project to compute DPS from full clips (without switching or even shooting incomplete clips). You can see various results at their data project. They didn't measure switching, because it's hard to get consistent among users. But of course expert users who can switch will be interested in your measurements with switching.

To clarify, your driver number doesn't include any ricochets?

Pretty sure none hit the target anyway.

Edit:
It should be noted that while the guns were single-switched, they were fired as many times as the clip-size would allow without reloading, before being switched (1 shot from alchemer, 2 from blaster, 5 from antigua).

IMHO , blaster lines are a little too good, extremely fast bullet speed, big bullets, and decent damage and range. Also easy to utilize and wield. Great for LD, and can be good in PvE as well, overpowered even.

Alchemers on the other hand have a steep learning curve, great potential for DPS, status effects. But the cons are rather somewhat slow bullet speed, rather small bullet size, somewhat of a lack of range with its normal shots. You somewhat have to get a little closer than what a gunner has to get close for comfort. In LD, these can be great, if you can predict where your opponents are gonna go, but be warned if you fire twice and reload, you'll take damage most likely, if the lag hits ya while you're switch shooting, you might screw up and reload, same can be said for any gun, but it's much more easier to screw up with alchemers than blasters.

So if you're looking for an easy gun, blasters are great. If you're looking for an experience, alchemers, you can make.