Spiral Knights - Drake Scale Armour Set

Drake Scale Armour Set

16 replies [Last post]

Fri, 07/22/2011 - 12:41

Smokah

Legacy Username

I just recently purchased the recipes for all the Drake Scale Armour set. However, I dug up some information whilst studying the viability of this set in later tiers. Unfortunately, I am sad that I just purchased this set before hearing about the flaws in its design, but originally I purchased the recipe because it looked neat. I have also already learned these recipes as well, so I can't sell it away to make back my money and change sets.

It just doesn't block normal damage..

Currently rocking 2 star equip and a Nightblade.

What are my options right now? And is this set absolutely not playable in later tiers? OR what? I'm planning to grab the Omega shield as well in later tiers.

Any items that would work well with it or alternatives to surviving with this set? I've already read up about the angelic combo as well.

Fri, 07/22/2011 - 12:53

Gigafreak

Legacy Username

"...because it looked

"...because it looked neat."

Wear it in your costume slot instead of your real armor slot. Problem solved. :D

Fri, 07/22/2011 - 13:31

Shadownox

you know how you can unbind

you know how you can unbind swords and stuff now? well, why not be able to unlearn recipes too! sure, it would ruin the economy, but doesnt unbinding a sword and then selling it back ruin the economy as well? besides, it is a computer game! who cares about the economy!Problem solved! (now we just have to convince OOO...)

Fri, 07/22/2011 - 13:44

Smokah

Legacy Username

I was thinking of making it

I was thinking of making it my costume, but right now, I have to fork out another hefty batch of crowns just to get a new line of armour. Should I stick with it?

I was thinking of grabbing the chroma set instead now. What's the opinion on that line of armour? I really want to avoid commonly used lines of armour only because I've seen enough fur already and I just started playing roughly 2 weeks ago.

Fri, 07/22/2011 - 17:44

antipodes

Legacy Username

The drake scale set can be

The drake scale set can be very useful, but like many of the armor sets you need to mix pieces with something else to balance out strengths and weaknesses. Crafting up to dragon, they can lend high elemental/piercing resistance to a piece from another set that only has normal resistance, for example. Still, not something you want to wear a full set of unless, as previously mentioned, as an armor costume (because, let's face it, it does look really cool).

Fri, 07/22/2011 - 19:34

Smokah

Legacy Username

Hmmm, thanks for all the

Hmmm, thanks for all the input so far guys, but I'm still kind of off-sided with this decision. Should I keep it or not? If I do, which piece should be switched out for normal defense purposes?

Also, like I asked before, what are the opinions on switching over to the Chroma set?

Fri, 07/22/2011 - 19:40

Ilikebread

Keep it. 3 Star armour is

Keep it. 3 Star armour is cheap to make with tier 2 runs.

Fri, 07/22/2011 - 19:50

Prisega

Well this is odd to say

Well this is odd to say the least, I've been looking about this set all day and was about to post a topic on it. I was wondering why neither of the pieces are ever mentioned as recommended gear. It has that ever helpful Fire resist and Elemental Defense helps a lot too. It lacks normal defense but just how much normal damage comes in Tier 3 anyway? I actually wanted to play around with the Radiant Silvermail too when I get time to craft new armor lines since I love the look and the Curse resist can help with a Gran Faust. Its clear that the Vog Cub gear has some clear advantages but it seems like the Dragon Scale items aren't even looked at as alternatives.

As for the Chroma set its a good piece of armor (I'm assuming you want Salamander) but honestly both of these armors are outclassed by the Vog Cub (unless you NEED Piercing defense) set except in the situation where you don't use Swords. I use the Salamander set currently and really like it, I feel much better having it over the very popular Vog Cub items though I'm taking a loss of sword speed increase.

Fri, 07/22/2011 - 19:56

antipodes

Legacy Username

Seconded--keep it. Chroma set

Seconded--keep it.
Chroma set offers the same dmg resist as the wolver set, but the bonuses at the upper levels are all for slimes instead of the sword dmg/ASI bonuses of skolver and vog cub sets--not as widely applicable as the skolver and vog bonuses, but they also carry across all weapon types instead of just swords. Especially if you're considering adding a bomb to the mix for JK runs, the dmg bonus can be a big help. I have a v. salamander set that works very well for JK runs--dmg bonuses and gives you enough elemental resist to weather the odd gun puppy or lumber if you don't get your shield up in time.

Sat, 07/23/2011 - 10:03

Baines

Combine It

There has been other discussions on the boards about combining the armor with the Angelic Raiment helm. While looking up the spelling, I had an idea that I might even want to try out:

Drake Scale = +Piercing +Elemental +Fire
Boosted Plate = ++Normal +Stun -Sleep (no major drawback in game at the moment)
Swiftstrike Buckler = +Normal +Attack Speed Increase (High)

Or, as mentioned:

Drake Scale = +Piercing +Elemental +Fire
Angelic Raiment = +Normal +Shadow +Poison +Curse -Fire
Shield X = Choice of shield for affect that is wiping you out (Horned or Twisted probably in my case)

Thoughts?
Baines

Sat, 07/23/2011 - 10:09

#10

Tenkii

IMO it's more effective to

IMO it's more effective to specialize your armor set to match the strata you're playing.

I place more importance on skill and offense, so I really only choose armor sets based on their bonuses, and rely on spacing and shield for defense.

If you're planning to be a beast-killer, that's what the drake scale set might be useful for. Just show up to beast strata and eat everything.

Not too related, but I actually use a dragon scale shield as my preferred shield at the firestone citadel. It's a terrible shield in tier 2 due to the normal defense, but it's slightly better in the more elemental themed areas in T3, and moreso if you're fighting elemental beasts and jellies.

It's a really situational set.

Sun, 07/24/2011 - 12:09

#11

Smokah

Legacy Username

Thanks for the feed back, is

Thanks for the feed back, is it in anyway at a huge loss vs the vog cub set? Or is ASI significantly noticeable?

Sun, 07/24/2011 - 21:25

#12

thriller

Legacy Username

ASI is over rated

I was lucky to make an avenger that has UV medium attack speed increase. I also have a regular gran faust. The speed difference isn't noticeable. For an experiment I equiped a swiftstrike buckler with ASI high and my medium ASI avenger for speed increase ultra, swung it a bunch, then unequiped the shield and used the faust straight up. couldn't really tell much difference, certainly not enough to effect my game play. Maybe I could shield after striking a TINY bit faster? Don't know. Doesn't seem to be worth much

So I think the Vog Cub ASI is over rated. I wouldn't lose any sleep over it. if you like the volcanic salamander better or dragon scale better It's the elemental and fire resistance that is the most useful for vanaduke levels. You still need some normal though. You could run one peice of dragon scale and one peice of salamander and do pretty well in the FSC. Having a good sword and shield and being able to avoid taking damage is more important.

I also have stone tortise, wise owl, and dark thorn shields. They all stop attacks, If I'm taking so many hits that they break it usually means i'm surrounded by way too many enemies anyway and either way and the extra bonus from having the "correct" one wouldn't have helped much anyway. I mostly only use the thorn shield now for the little extra damage bonus.

Mon, 07/25/2011 - 15:31

#13

culture

Legacy Username

On ASI

I have to disagree with thriller's point on ASI being dismissible. Each level of ASI is going to increase your speed by about 4%. Thus full Vog is going to give you about a 16% increase in speed. This isn't game changing, but the advantages are very noticeable. Enemy actions in the game are timed about the normal speed of knights, so attacking 16% faster means it is easier to interrupt enemies, faster to dodge and faster to shield.

Mon, 07/25/2011 - 15:43

#14

mosonofbo

Legacy Username

With PvP coming up, it may be

With PvP coming up, it may be wise to inure yourself to the population of players wielding fast-hitting Flourishes and Antiguas.

Tue, 07/26/2011 - 02:31

#15

Ryoga124

Legacy Username

I like the Drake line. I have

I like the Drake line.
I have a Dragon Scale Helmet (with High Freeze resist) and (soon to be Radiant) Silvermail. I have a Dragon Scale Shield with Normal Resist Medium, too, but I am selling it because I have a Blackened Crest now.

Tue, 07/26/2011 - 03:16

#16

jooozek

Legacy Username

What i noticed with Vog Cub

What i noticed with Vog Cub set + SSB is that i get hit even more due the phantom shield issue (visually you have the shield up but you get hit anyway, almost always i have two bars in the connection bar). But thats just my experience from 30 minutes of playing with it and can't really say how much lag spikes contributed to it.

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Drake Scale Armour Set