Spiral Knights - Not a MASTER Gunslinger, but Ask me Anything

Not a MASTER Gunslinger, but Ask me Anything

48 replies [Last post]

Fri, 07/29/2011 - 05:39

timanth

Legacy Username

Previous threads made by talented gunslingers:
Revolver: http://forums.spiralknights.com/en/node/13420
FossaFox: http://forums.spiralknights.com/en/node/5286

Since Revolver seems to have poofed, I'll try fielding some more questions since the discussion in that other thread has gotten quite disjointed.

I'm a pretty avid forum-browser myself, and since I've committed to this thread, I'll follow through. I'm on PST time zone (up extremely late this morning for some reason, maybe insomnia?) so if you ask at weird hours of my night, I might not be readily available to answer. Otherwise I'll be checking the thread every half hour or so I'm at the computer (which is a lot...I do too much data analysis >.>).

But enough about that. Why am I qualified to answer your questions?
Well, I'm probably the best example of "the gear does not make the player" there is out there.
I'm a complete gunslinger, and I've never picked up a sword higher than 2*.

Currently (due to a lucky streak in Hinigashi's trivia contest *Shameless Plug*, I <3 you Hini) I am wielding:
Sunset Stetson
Sunset Duster
Wise Owlite Shield
Biohazard
Polaris
Callahan

Before the lucky break, I was wielding all 4* weapons of the same equipment. None of my equipment has any UVs. I have duoed with a friend (Also in 4* gear) down to the core quite a few times (without energy rezzing!), and have successfully taken first time T3'ers down there as well.

In my most recent full run from Emberlight to the Core Terminal, I earned the Gold Survivor achievement, and I've also got Silver and Bronze as well (although those aren't quite so qualifying). No, I didn't chicken out and take easy gates, I pretty much always went to the last stage of arenas if they were available, did challenge rooms, etc.

I've successfully soloed the Snarbolax and the Roarmulus Twins, killed the Jelly King in less than 30 seconds, and just tonight had my first time in Firestorm Citadel (Successfull Vanaduke Kill!). It was one experienced player taking me and another first-timer along though, although I have to say that I wasn't a water-boy and did quite abit of damage to Vana in each of his phases. I kind of object to all the glitches that the guy did, although I understand they make the place much more manageable (on the grounds that when the devs do fix the bugs all the people used to gliching are gonna be screwed). Either way, we had to energy rez once or twice (because I had no idea that throwing water at Vanaduke's extinguished mask made it damage teammates O_o, totally my fault) just at Vanaduke himself, and nowhere else.

I'm by no means a master gunslinger, but I hope to provide a point of view on your questions that Revolver and FossaFox might not have covered. Ask away!

Fri, 07/29/2011 - 06:03

Azureus

Legacy Username

Current loadout

Current loadout is:
Gunslinger Hat/Sash
Owlite Shield
Kilowatt Pulsar
Normally a Shadowtech Alchemer mk. II, but currently a Needle Shot because it's so fun to use.

Which do you think I should work on upgrading first:
Gun
Shield
Armor
?

Edit:
Also, should I work on getting a Catalyzer, too? (to upgrade it into the toxic)
I'm a decent amount of the way there already, though I was originally planning on just buying something and then selling it on the AH.

Fri, 07/29/2011 - 06:05

timanth

Legacy Username

@Azureus Definitely your

@Azureus

Definitely your shield, currently. It looks like all your other stuff is 3*, but your shield is only 2*. I'd get it to a Horned Owlite Shield first before looking at your other stuff. Once that's at 3*, it's pretty open ended on what you should upgrade first. IF you find yourself dodging pretty well and not relying on your shield/armor getting you through hits, I'd go ahead and upgrade the guns first. Everything gets a pretty big nerf if it's 4* or above in T2, so either way you're not losing out on much. I think the first priority is T3 access, though, so upgrade one weapon first, then the rest of your armor/shield, then the rest of your weapons.

Fri, 07/29/2011 - 06:32

Meld

Legacy Username

Have you ever tried using a

Have you ever tried using a Swiftstrike Buckler with guns? In the description it reads like it's supposed to boost melee speed only, but the wiki says that it actually increases gun attack speed as well (bug???). I've been meaning to get one, but Basil really has it in for me. I'm wondering how noticeable the difference is, and also how important attack speed is for guns in general.

On a related note, what path are you going to take in terms of armor upgrades?

Fri, 07/29/2011 - 08:24

IceMilkTea

Legacy Username

Anything?

Are we human?

or are we dancer?

Fri, 07/29/2011 - 08:35

nox2go

Legacy Username

Polaris vs. Alchemers

Your thoughts on this?

Fri, 07/29/2011 - 09:29

Tenkii

swiftstrike

Swiftstrike does work with guns, and I hope it stays that way.

Attack animations definitely go through quicker, but personally, I don't feel like IAS is much of a noticeable trait, especially with reloading being unaffected by it. But for those times when you need to shoot-shoot-shield-push, it's.. fair.

Fri, 07/29/2011 - 13:23

Ipatuss

@IceMilkTea, Whoa! That

@IceMilkTea, Whoa! That sounds so familiar. What's that song's name again?

@timanth, Any Way... What I plan to have is a

Biohazard
Callahan
Polaris/Hail Driver/Storm Driver

Polaris: Seems like an elemental missile launcher that can shock enemies. Sounds pretty cool
Hail Driver: People say it's good for crowd control because you freeze every thing and then you just finish it off
Storm Driver: Sounds good for Kiting, because you're just shooting anything chasing you and weakening it.

Which one should i take? The Polaris sounds the coolest, but if i go with that set up then................
All my armor will start at 3*, I'll Have to beat the Roarmulus Twins 14 TIMES!!!!!!! and my only other gun will start at 3*. I COULD handle that though, if it's worth it.

Also...Would it be worth it to get an AP for the FSC?
What about the auto-guns? Should I grab one of those???

Sorry I know that's a lot of questions.

Fri, 07/29/2011 - 13:46

Nubbcrafts

How did you kill Jelly king

How did you kill Jelly king in <30 seconds with just guns?

Fri, 07/29/2011 - 13:55

Toksyuryel

@Dilbert77: Why 14 times? You

@Dilbert77: Why 14 times? You only need 15 tokens o.O

@sarevok9: I was with him on that run, it wasn't solo we had a full party of four. He was the only gunner in the party. And it was glorious.

Fri, 07/29/2011 - 14:24

#10

Ipatuss

How do you delete a comment?

Fri, 07/29/2011 - 14:25

#11

Ipatuss

@Toksyuryel, Oh. I assumed it

@Toksyuryel, Oh. I assumed it was 20 like a sealed sword or antigua and didn't bother to check. 10 TIMES THEN!!!!!!!!

Fri, 07/29/2011 - 14:38

#12

Alchemystic

@Meld: I wouldn't recommend

@Meld: I wouldn't recommend the Swiftstrike Buckler because it has very short term usefulness. A good shield can save you from really bad situations through blocking or shield bumping. The defensive stats on the Swiftstrike Buckler make it a paper shield to the majority of attacks in T2 and T3.

@Dilbert77: You really need a lot more practice if you only get 1 Bark Module for every Roarmulus run. With enough experience, you can get 3 Bark Modules per run as long as you don't die.

Fri, 07/29/2011 - 14:50

#13

Ipatuss

Nooooo i mean 10 times to get

Nooooo i mean 10 times to get Catalyzer AND Pulsar. The only way i could get one Module is to join right at the boss level, right?

Fri, 07/29/2011 - 15:46

#14

timanth

Legacy Username

@MeldIt does work with guns.

@Meld
It does work with guns. However, I wouldn't recommend it. There are some places where you have like 4 gunpuppies shooting a spread of 5 bullets each at you. The Swiftstrike doesn't defend against anything except normal damage, and has pretty low health (And can't be upgraded to 4 or 5*). So unless you are extremely good at dodging, stick with a defensive shield (Too bad we can't switch shields like we switch guns, eh?)

As for what armor I'm going with, I plan to go with the Nameless Set. This is because elemental damage is one of the most common damage types in endgame, and for most guns, an increase in attack speed is going to be better than an increase in damage (you get about the same DPS output except you are given more flexibility in movement, shooting, etc. because of the lower delay after you attack)

@IceMilkTea
Neither. We're the Killers

@Dilbert77
I personally recommend the Polaris, although it's got a very mixed function. People seem to want to use the expanded bullets all the time and that's the wrong way to use it. You actually get LESS damage than an alchemer that way. The only times you should be using the expanded bullets are to push mobs away (frequently used in FSC) and to deal AOE damage to a large group of mobs (also frequently used in FSC). All other times you should be closer and using a 3-clip of nonexpanded bullets to deal maximum damage.

The Roarmulus areas have really really made me hate the alchemer guns. It's a place where hitting a switch at the wrong time can get your party killed, and thus even if you're fighting a mob in the corner sometimes the ricochet bullet will bounce back and hit a switch, killing someone with a rocket.
And, well, once you get the hang of it, the Roarmulus areas are actually quite soloable. They're not as monster-heavy as the Jelly King levels are, just lots of traps. If you're careful, you can do it with ease.

My opinions on the Argent Peacemaker are...divided right now. The person I ran FSC with yesterday used it to glitch past a lot of things and to be honest I really don't approve of such things. I'm going to be doing a bugless run tonight with a group of good people who don't own Divine Avengers or Argent Peacemakers, and I'll let you know how it goes. OUTSIDE of FSC though...the AP sucks. Don't use it XD.

Regarding the autoguns; It is your choice. I personally have never liked them because I don't like standing still. But they can put out a ridiculous amount of DPS if you don't mind having to leave yourself vulnerable for long periods of time. The problem is this: to deal maximum damage with the autoguns, you need to be close to your enemy. However, to leave yourself vulnerable to attack and still be safe, you want to be far from your enemies. Therein lies the dilemma.

@Sarevok9
We had a group of people with swords, and me with just guns. However, most of the work comes from the poison/fire/curse vials that you pick up.

@Dilbert77 AGAIN
You can't actually join on a boss level. But you have a chance of getting only 1 if you join at the 2nd IMF level. But yes, 10 times to get the Catalyzer AND PUlsar, which is what I ended up doing.

Fri, 07/29/2011 - 20:04

#15

Ipatuss

OOOOOOOOOOOOOONE MORE QUESTION!!!!

Alright, Thanks! so ONE more question. While I'm getting the modules, I hear you have to protect against elemental damage, so i was thinking magic cloak and hood, owlite shield, and because they're almost all constructs, a wrench wand. unlike the elemental brandishes, it's only 2 stars so it's easy to obtain. sound good?

Oh yeah, the song is Human. Now i remember

Fri, 07/29/2011 - 20:24

#16

timanth

Legacy Username

The Owlite shield is a good

The Owlite shield is a good choice, as well as the magic cloak and hood since that area has lots of shock. However, if you are planning to be a serious gunslinger, when you go for your 3* armor you will want to switch over to the Gunslinger set.

The wrench wand isn't a gun, and is not upgradeable. If you don't feel like using a sword at all past this point then the wand should serve you fine until you get a gun that you want. However, your time in the Iron Munitions Factory will be greatly eased by getting a 2* elemental alchemer, like the Cryotech or the Voltech.

Good luck!

Fri, 07/29/2011 - 20:42

#17

Soulstaker

Should I get a pepperbox for

Should I get a pepperbox for JK?

Fri, 07/29/2011 - 21:45

#18

timanth

Legacy Username

The pepperbox is neither

The pepperbox is neither ineffective NOR especially effective against the JK. The only up factor is the fire it can inflict, and even then a Firotech Alchemer can do the job just as well. If you can compensate for standing still and shooting, the pepperbox is not bad, but from experience with various people they don't seem to like standing still to shoot.

Sat, 07/30/2011 - 05:02

#19

Ipatuss

What?????

Wait... didn't you tell me NOT to bring an alchemer into the IMF because the bouncing bullets will hit a bunch of switches which might kill me?

BTW Yeah, im only wearing hood and cloak for the factory

Sat, 07/30/2011 - 05:22

#20

timanth

Legacy Username

@Dilbert77 The Alchemer guns

@Dilbert77
The Alchemer guns only start to bounce their bullets when they hit 3* (aka Mk II). If you have the 2* version, as long as you avoid using the charge shot, it will be fine.

Sat, 07/30/2011 - 05:25

#21

Ipatuss

Oh, ok. Thanks for all your

Oh, ok. Thanks for all your help!

Sat, 07/30/2011 - 05:40

#22

timanth

Legacy Username

No problem. Good luck!

Sat, 07/30/2011 - 13:35

#23

Fradow

multi purpose gun ?

Thanks for the initiative, i have a question for you.

I have currently a 3* sword stuff, but i still have a 2* blaster as a second weapon. I don't really want to change that setup (sword + gun), but i need a more powerful gun. So i need a multi-purpose gun (probably with normal damage) that allow me to kite and dodge.

What would be your recommendation ?

Sat, 07/30/2011 - 14:59

#24

timanth

Legacy Username

@Fradow This is kind of a

@Fradow

This is kind of a tough question because honestly, with a normal damage gun, you're not going to be doing as much damage as with typed damage guns. If you don't care about that and just want something to kite with, though, I'd recommend either the Blaster series or the Pulsar series (normal damage line, so Heavy Pulsar -> Radiant Pulsar -> Supernova).

A lot of people keep the Argent Peacemaker as a sidearm, which I think is fine (although I definitely don't recommend it for pure gunslingers), although it will not really do any more damage than a normal damage gun.

Sat, 07/30/2011 - 17:49

#25

Toksyuryel

As a swordsman who keeps a

As a swordsman who keeps a sidearm around myself, I have to say that the kilowatt pulsar line works out the best because it's strong against the types of things one would be inclined to pull out a gun for (typically constructs and in some cases undead) and the targets it's weak against are things a swordsman would not want to shoot anyway (namely, beasts and gremlins). On top of that it can occasionally inflict shock which is great for stunning a gunpuppy out of its firing pattern or stopping a lumber in its tracks. When you consider the sort of targets you'd be inclined to shoot rather than stab, it rapidly becomes less important for the sidearm to deal normal damage.

Sat, 07/30/2011 - 23:16

#26

Fradow

Thanks for both your

Thanks for both your responses.

I think I'll go with a Blaster, but one last question : what is the difference between the Blaster and Pulsar lines ?
I don't really understand the explanation of the wiki : are you supposed to be far to do more damage, or the small "pellet" (as it is called on the wiki) do more damage ? And which one of the two shoot the farthest ?

Sat, 07/30/2011 - 23:20

#27

Toksyuryel

The normal shots from the

The normal shots from the pulsar do the same damage as the blaster, while the exploding shots do a bit more. Distance is required to get the exploding shots.

Sat, 07/30/2011 - 23:27

#28

timanth

Legacy Username

In addition, the blaster's

In addition, the blaster's bullets are faster, and each shot has a slight knockback. However, the pulsar has considerably more knockback and the bullets are slower.

Sun, 07/31/2011 - 02:49

#29

Fradow

Thanks a lot, I'll still go

Thanks a lot, I'll still go with the Blaster, as I checked the wiki, and I just can't get a Pulsar right now ...

Sun, 07/31/2011 - 13:34

#30

Novium

Dual Guns

I already have a needle shot to deal with wolvers/devils. I have a snarb barb but getting close to devs in T2 dosen't just work out. So i was thinking about 2 combos
i) needle shot + Freezing Vaporizer
ii) ( i think that this is a better idea) needles + alchemer, was thinking about freezing or shock or shadow.
PS fighting alpha wolvers at close range dosen't seem safe due to that triple attack. What should i do with the snarb barb?

Sun, 07/31/2011 - 14:31

#31

timanth

Legacy Username

Personally I use the Callahan

Personally I use the Callahan to deal with wolvers and fiends because it's a guaranteed knockdown on them up to stratum 5. The needle shot seems nice as long as you don't spam it and know how to avoid taking damage.

With the snarble barb, you kind of want to swing once then run and try to bait them into a triple attack, then run behind them and combo them while they're doing the attack animation.

Hope that helps!

Mon, 08/01/2011 - 00:40

#32

Novium

Alchemer

Which of the 3 alchemers will go bets with needle shot?

Mon, 08/01/2011 - 02:24

#33

Arctic-Fern

Cryotech, because you can

Cryotech, because you can freeze them, then unload a full Autogun charged shot when their back is turned.

EDIT: Also, there are five different alchemer flavors.

Mon, 08/01/2011 - 04:35

#34

timanth

Legacy Username

Mmm. Although if you are

Mmm. Although if you are looking for reliable freeze you really sould be going with a Shivermist Buster. I wouldn't bother with the alchemers for an elemental gun. Get the Polaris. Your teamates will bow down to you in FSC.

Mon, 08/01/2011 - 19:39

#35

Rangerwillx

Good thread!

I have a gigawatt pulsar which I have been loving recently, and in FSC I really like it. But even though my teammates don't say anything, I think that they are kind of annoyed. I also have a crytech alchemer MK11, which I could upgrade to the cryo driver. Do you think I should upgrade my cryotech or keep with my gigawatt for the Citedel? Thanks.

~Rangerwill~

Tue, 08/02/2011 - 01:15

#36

timanth

Legacy Username

The gigawatt's great for

The gigawatt's great for Citadel if you know how to keep zombies away from your teammates. If you don't want knockback, just get closer. It's as simple as that. Learn how to use the Polaris line properly and it will far outshine any alchemer.

Tue, 09/20/2011 - 12:59

#37

Irokwe

hi, i know that guns arent

hi, i know that guns arent good for jk, but isn't biohazard ideal(shadow damage + poison)

Wed, 09/21/2011 - 04:49

#38

Altstav

Currently thinking to change aligment

I'm a swordsman who always carrys around a Combuster and an Acheron, a Haze Burst and a Polaris. Also, two sword trinkets and a Barbarous Thorn Shield. The above combination enables me to do ridiculus amounts of damage even in Tier 2. This is satisfying indeed, but I've always envied the gunslingers in the party so I'm thinking to also try this path to see if it fits me.

So, Which gear should I aim for?
My current gun lineup is
Valiance (sadly underpowered so it remains unused)
Polaris CTR Med
Antigua Level 5
Magnus

I now also have a Divine Veil, a Miracle Cloak (soon to be Divine Mantle), Azure Guardian Helm & Armor, Aegis, Grey Owlite & Barbarous Thorn Shield
and a Dark Thorn Blade, but there are other loadouts for those.

Current idea is 1) to get the gunslinger suit to 4* and see from there, 2) Make the Magnus into a Callahan and 3) the Antigua into a Sentenza.
I Also have an ASI Low Tempered Calibur which I think it would be a good company (once heated into a Leviathan Blade) as the only equipped sword since normal damage affects everything the same.

I will then have a Gunslinger Loadout consisting of:
(Gunslinger Hat) (Divine Veil for now)
(Gunslinger Sash) (Divine Mantle for now)
Polaris
Sentenza (Antigua)
Callahan (Magnus)
Leviathan Blade (Tempered Calibur)
Grey Owlite Shield or Aegis or Barbarous Thorn Shield
2 Elite Quick Strike modules

Do you recommend any change on that?
I also have a Firotech Alchemer recipe, but after trying it I decided that fire is not the desired status effect I want to impose. I like stun or freeze better.
Other than that I haven't really tried the Alchemer line but I might concider it if you talk me into it.

Wed, 09/21/2011 - 13:31

#39

Michaelb

Why did you change the name?

my question:

I already have a radiant pulsar. I'm thinking of getting a Polaris, what should I do?

I don't think I need it; I already have a Prisma Driver and a Radiant Pulsar... But I think it might be good to have one to give an extra weapon slot.

And I thought that you said that your weapons were a lot better on my thread that you told me to stop...

Wed, 09/21/2011 - 14:16

#40

Darkmoonshoadow

question

i currently am a gunslinger

i have these gears:

-dusker set
-silversix
-ascended calibur
-needle shot
-magnus

should i try to get a pulsar? or should i upgrade my weapons?

pls help

-DMS

Wed, 09/21/2011 - 14:36

#41

Valor23

Legacy Username

Weapon set

Ok, so I'm looking to get into gunning. My eventual goal is:
Full Nameless
-Pulsar
-Magnus
-Umbra Driver
-Sudaruska

Sound good?

Wed, 09/21/2011 - 18:15

#42

Somenubcake

replies!

since no experienced gunners are replying, so i'll offer some help.

@irokwe: if you can get your whole team to biohazard/virulent cat charge hit the JK, then sure... but remember that the orbiting charges disappear after around 2minutes. so bottom line: swords are simpler and easier. and jk is just neutral to shadow

@stavorg: for the magnus, very high asi is a big, very noticible jump from medium asi (heck even high and very high is very noticible). And the sentenza is bad for fighting against monsters (when you compare it with other guns). So i would rather aim for a umbra driver or a biohazard for shadow damage guns (the biohazard is superb). for the trinkets, keep the gun damage boost ones in mind too (if you are going primarily gunning, then yes i'd rather get those instead of the quick strikes).

@michael: just build one from a 2* pulsar it's cheaper that way

@moonshadow: yes by all means, try it. it's pretty easy to get. and of course, replace that silversix with it. and if you are going to be primarily a gunner, you may want to swap armour (sword damage doesn't really help). and upgrade the weapons to 4* (make sure u learn how to use the needle shot line if you are going to make it your primary piercing gun)

@Valor: sound good. but you may want to give the catalyzer line a try.

Thu, 09/22/2011 - 07:01

#43

BabyTheEnd

Legacy Username

Guns are so much fun~

Alright, so somewhat recently I decided to become a full-on gunner after deciding that guns are more suited to my play style.

My current setup is:

Mercurial Helm
Miracle Cloak [will be Divine Mantle]
Wise Owlite Shield [will be Grey Owlite Shield]
Gigawatt Pulsar [will be Polaris]
Biohazard
Callahan
Hail Driver [with a total CTR of Maximum!]

My reasoning behind the non-gunslinger armor is that based on what I've read and heard from friends playing the game, for the most part the gunslinger armor is really ineffective and is easily substituted with the new gun modules and armor of your choosing. With the Mercurial Helm and Divine Mantle, I'll have all damage types covered, as well as Shock, Fire, and Curse. I also plan on adding two Elite Trueshot Modules to that to add some much-needed damage bonuses. However, I'm not sure that having Polaris and Hail Driver is necessary, but would crafting a normal damage gun like Valiance be an acceptable alternative? Do I even need a fourth weapon slot available?

Thu, 09/22/2011 - 09:22

#44

Abathur

Well if you have such a great

Well if you have such a great Hail Driver you can forgeth the Biohazard (Hail is Shadow right?? XD)

I still would take a gunslinger ASI equip, it does more than you think. Get DMG tinkers. I got everything on very high, and it's so amazing! DMG is great anyway (for example normal Blitz Needle deals 144 to Vanaduke with charge, I deal 194 with very high, and that x15), and ASI will let you block earlier ^^

Thu, 09/22/2011 - 10:00

#45

Rangerwillx

WRONG THREAD..

I'd like to direct people to this thread. Ask questions on this one please, copy and paste on this thread.
http://forums.spiralknights.com/en/node/22206

Thu, 09/22/2011 - 11:30

#46

BabyTheEnd

Legacy Username

Um...

I don't think you're timanth, first of all. Second, he made this thread because the last one kinda died. Most recent post was from 10 days or so ago.

Sat, 09/24/2011 - 14:10

#47

Irokwe

thanx for the reply, but i

thanx for the reply, but i didn't really get it........ please explain. and i mean the whole run (palace + boss)

Sat, 09/24/2011 - 14:54

#48

Somenubcake

biohazard in JK runs

it's good for the run but not so good for the boss.

the boss constantly spawn little jellies and normal jellies, making hitting the actual boss with a gun difficult. Also the boss constantly regen his HP, so you need as much damage per second as possible. thus, swording him is the simplest and easiest way to kill him.

It would be very difficult to biohazard him to death. normal shot spam may not deliver enough damage per second, etc etc. a theoretical way to kill him is to keep putting charges on him and then detonating them all at once (i.e. one hit kill him that way). that way you can get around with his hp regen. but this hasn't been tested...

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