Spiral Knights - Would like some Tier 2 advice please.

Would like some Tier 2 advice please.

10 replies [Last post]

Thu, 08/11/2011 - 15:50

zeritor

Legacy Username

Hi, I'm a new player that's only been playing a few days. I've so far used my crowns and energy to make a Wrench Wand, Blaster, Cobalt Helm/Armor and a Defender shield. This works only for the first part of Tier 2 but I can't get very far down (even in a party). When I get hit, I lose about 5 whole bars, status effects like fire/poison absolutely destroy me and it takes me a lot of hits to kill anything.

I tried looking at upgrading to 3* items but there's so much choice... I don't know what makes a 'good' or 'bad' weapon. I went with my weapons/armor as they have high normal attack as I wasn't confident on aiming at elemental weapons in case monsters were resistant to it. I also wouldn't want to waste any energy or crowns on making something I regret. I've seen people using bombs and they seem pretty powerful, but I have no idea where to start.

Any items I do like the look of, require a weapon in the craft. That means I have to buy multiple recipes and then do multiple crafts to get to the item I want, but that will be expensive so I don't want to make a bad choice.

Finally, as a mini-rant. Are there any guilds for... Competent players? I have worse gear than a lot of people in the random parties I get put in, yet they all seem to die before me. None of them block, they don't target enemy healers and they always hit all the crystals/switches and release every enemy at once, rather than taking them on in manageable waves.

Regards,
Zeritor

Thu, 08/11/2011 - 16:44

Icee

Buy and try lots of 2* before upgrading.

Your blaster is a decent weapon, so you can upgrade that and increase its usefulness. My favorite gun line is the cryotech alchemer, though. Elemental does extra damage to constructs and freeze keeps them from aiming at you. Plus, the enemies strong against elemental - beasts and gremlins - dodge gunfire anyway.

The wrench wand is a neat looking sword, but it stops at 2*, so you'll have to pick something else.

For swords, I like the flourish lines (I carry a fierce flamberge). The snarble barb is just like a flourish but the charge attack is better, so I'd get that if I were you. You don't even need a recipe - just beat up on Snarbolax a few times and trade the tokens to Brinks.

I also like the cutter series, specifically after it gains the ability to poison (vile striker and dread venom striker). I like fast swords. Others prefer the slow heavy variety. The good news is that 2* swords are cheap in the auction house or to craft for yourself, so you may as well get a bunch and see what you prefer.

My favorite weapons are bombs. Start with the blast bomb and get fiery vaporizer, and freezing vaporizer lines.

For armor/helm, the Cobalt line is not bad, but it's not good either. If you like guns, go gunslinger so you can shoot faster. If you hate being on fire or being shocked, get magic for the resists (stun weakness isn't a big deal). If you're a bomber, demo. If you want to do extra sword damage and look just like everyone else, go wolver. Actually the best thing to do is mix and match. I have been having a lot of success playing an alt in tier 2 with a miracle cloak and gunslinger hat, vile striker and cryotech alchemer mk II. It's been a great setup for the Ironclaw Munitions Factory and has everything I need for the Royal Jelly Palace, too.

Thu, 08/11/2011 - 19:13

Aziraphaile

Legacy Username

Tier 2 is where defensive

Tier 2 is where defensive play becomes a necessity, which can be a bit of a culture shock for players accustomed to going through Tier 1 just swords-a-swingin'. Glad to hear you have the right idea there.

Best advice I can give you right now is that you should go and take a look at the Wiki as soon as you can. You can find a great deal of information there on various monsters and what the totem-pole on each gate can tell you, in addition to all the gear available. Most importantly the Alchemy paths, which will tell you which items upgrade to which other items, so you can make some long term plans.

The second best bit of advice I can give you is to stick to T1 runs for a bit until you've got a good reserve of crowns and/or CE built up. Strata 2 (2nd half of T1), will payout much, much better than Strata 3 (1st half of T2), so you're not really doing yourself too many favors if you can't go much past Basil. If you can hack in in Strata 4, then by all means, go ahead.

The armor and shield you have right now, I'm sure you've noticed, have a combination of Normal and Piercing defense. The damage you're taking from various monsters will reflect that. You'll find that Wolver and Jellies don't hurt you very much, while Gunpuppies and other enemies (Devilites mostly, with the current gate loadouts) will probably gouge some hefty chunks out of your hide. For now, you'll want to take extra care around such enemies, and perhaps try and specifically run levels with lots of Beasts or Slimes in them, against which you're safest. The good news is, you're in good shape to deal with the Jelly Palace, which is usually the most profitable set of levels in T2, barring a lucky gate loaded with arenas.

Weapon-wise, I'm afraid you've chosen some bad ones. Thankfully, there's a really easy fix. The Blaster is what any non-gunner would call "adequate". Guns deal sub-par damage in SK, and you really need to take advantage of enemy weaknesses if you use them as a primary weapon. If you're looking for an emergency back-up piece to deal with enemies when it's unsafe to approach (across a chasm), or to kite while you're low on health, it's fine though. Unlike the Wrench Wand, it at least has an upgrade path that runs all the way to 5*, and the recipes are easily available from Kozma, in the Bazaar.

Speaking of Kozma, so long as you're using swords as your primary weapon type, you're in luck. The Calibur is a good sword with an astoundingly good charge attack that also upgrades to 5*, and all the recipes on the path are also available from the aforementioned Spiral Quartermaster. I'd recommend grabbing a cheap 2* one off the AH first, and then upgrading it yourself later. Like the Blaster, it only deals pure Normal damage, but the Charge attack is so good that the sword is often more effective than its more specialised brethren. Basically, everyone needs one.

Other good blades to perhaps look out for are the Flourishes, or the Snarble Barb. Both are Piercing damage weapons that are highly effective on the Beast and Fiend families of enemies. The Brandish starts out as a normal damage sword, but has a total of 4 upgrade paths (we do not speak of the Cautery Sword) that just either deal Shadow damage, or deal Elemental damage along with a status effect.

If you're tempted to explore the world of gunnery, I can highly recommend the Alchemer series, of which there are 5 in total. One deals shadow damage (good for gremlins and slimes), one (which I suggest you ignore) deals pure elemental damage, and the other three deal elemental damage with a chance of inflicting a status effect. Not to say that these are the only "good" choices, but they are good weapons that are easily obtainable without farming a boss somewhere.

Armor-wise you can stick with the Cobalt set for now, or you could get something more specialised. The Wolver series comes with a boost to sword damage, which is useful if you use swords for the majority of your offense. There are several other armor lines dedicated to other weapons as well. You may eventually want to track down and start using armor and/or shields with Elemental or Shadow defense, so that you have something more effective to use if you expect to encounter enemies that deal those kinds of damage.

Thu, 08/11/2011 - 19:26

zeritor

Legacy Username

It's late so I won't leave a

It's late so I won't leave a large reply now. Thank you for you're replies. Aziraphaile, especially as you explained what Strata meant, I kept seeing this word and had no idea what it meant!

I have only made it to Strata 4 once, as the people in the party were very strong. I guess I'll stick to running T1 right now (so I don't waste energy with levels I can't beat or rezing). Would it better for me to solo these or go in a party?

Also, I have no idea how to target what levels I want to do. The elevator seems to be random and I don't know what the symbols in the tubes mean, so I can never tell what monsters I will face.

As for the advice on the gear, I think I want to stick with swords but try out bombs, or maybe use a freeze gun to deal with larger groups. As for obtaining these and the Wolver armour, what is the best way to go about this? I only have about 200 energy and 15K crowns, so I'm not sure whether to craft or buy from the AH?

Thu, 08/11/2011 - 21:14

Arctic-Fern

Solo only means you get all

Solo only means you get all the materials (and any gear IF they drop). Heat, minerals and crowns are shared in a party.

Check this out if you want to know the symbols at a gate:
http://wiki.spiralknights.com/Gate

And this will help you plan out future upgrades for your gear:
http://wiki.spiralknights.com/List_of_alchemy_paths

As for buying from the auction house, over 2k is pretty good for 2-star item, while over 11k should be about good for a 3-star item. (Exception: Boss token items are far more expensive.) This is compared to crafting it yourself, which costs 50 energy for 2* while 200 energy for 3*.

Of course, if you craft mostly with mist energy, items become arguably cheaper, but do you want to wait for it to regenerate to get your item and start kicking !@#$?

Finally, check out forum threads on what's the most optimal gear. Some 5-star items are inadequate for the current state of the game, and you'd better avoid them if you want to also avoid pulling out your hair...

Thu, 08/11/2011 - 21:52

Aziraphaile

Legacy Username

Firstly, if it's 2*

Firstly, if it's 2* equipment, you're generally better off buying it from the AH. People repeatedly craft the starting items for many popular alchemy paths in the hope of getting a good UV bonus on it, and the ones that have no UV get sold at or below cost most of the time. You should be able to find a basic Calibur, Wolver Coat and Wolver Cap in the AH for between 2000-3000 crowns apiece, unless something drastic has happened to the market since I last looked. You might also be able to find an Alchemer for a decent price. The freezing status on the Cryo Alchemer isn't really a dependable thing for crowd control, but can be useful. The Firo Alchemer is probably a better investment at this stage, as Fire status directly leads to more damage.

There's basically 2 kinds of bombs you'll be interested in. The Blast Bomb series is a plain direct-damage bomb, and a good place to start if you're now playing around with bombs for the first time. The Vaporizer bombs don't do as much damage, but they leave a mist in their blast radius for a short time, which inflicts various status ailments on enemies in the area. The Freezing and Firey ones are probably the best ones to start with if you go that route. There's a pretty large variety of bombs, and they're all generally good at what they do, but I think there's a few other topics that go into it in far more depth than I'm capable of, as I've basically ignored that branch of weapons myself.

As for picking levels:

There are always 4 active gates in the Arcade, and each gate has a "totem pole" behind the elevator console. The 6 symbols on each totem pole indicate what the general theme of each stratum is. If it's a particular creature family, then the stratum will be mostly populated by creatures of that family. If it's an elemental theme, then the stratum may be populated by a variety of different creature types, but they will mostly be the variants associated with that elemental theme, and many will inflict that status with their attacks.

Once you activate a gate, before you descend you will be presented with a Gate Map, which will tell you which particular levels are actually present in the gate. (For the record, these are the symbols that show up on the elevators when you reach the end of each floor.) Particularly for the elemental themed strata, perusing this will give you a better idea of what you'll be facing as you venture forth. There will (more often than not) be multiple levels at each depth, only one of which you will actually see as you descend to that particular depth. The symbol for each level tells you what kind of level it will be, the background color informs you of any elemental theme present, and the color of the actual symbol is determined by the prevalent creature type.

You can also access the Gate Map once you're inside a gate, via your main menu. At this time, there will be a line to indicate which of the levels on the next depth you will be advancing to. However, this isn't predestined, as the Clockworks move in real-time. If you wait long enough instead of descending immediately, the next level will change. If you have time to spare, you can use this to pick those levels that wish to clear. The only time you can't do this is if you're advancing to a depth where there is a Graveyard present, in which case the level selected when you descend at the elevator will always be random.

There are several reasons to choose particular levels over others. You can deliberately avoid difficult levels (or in elemental themed strata, levels for whose creature types you aren't properly equipped), choose levels that will generate more crowns and heat (Clockwork levels may have Danger Rooms, Arenas are a very good return on your elevator fee), or even choose levels based on the material drops you're particularly hunting for.

This Wiki Page explains the Gates in more detail:

http://wiki.spiralknights.com/Gate

The Solo vs Party thing is a harder decision. The biggest advantage to going Solo is that all the material drops are yours, period. However, every death costs you energy. In a party material drops are distributed randomly, but you have the advantage of support from your teammates, and so long as one person is alive you can be ressed without energy. Personally, until you have a more solid set of gear, I'd advise running with other people more often than not. That way if you encounter something you're not prepared for, you may be able to rely on someone who is. It'll also give you an opportunity to see other weapons in action, often at the 4* level, which is were some previously lackluster weapon lines suddenly become quite good.

Once you have more experience with the various levels and enemy types, you may find yourself doing better solo. Particularly after you have a more solid gear selection. There is no one "best" outfit in SK, and you'll find yourself later on with several different armor sets, shields and weapons that you'll switch between to suit different Strata and levels as they turn up. (Remember that you can change gear in the Terminals and Towns between each Strata, and not just in Haven. There's a reason for that.)

Thu, 08/11/2011 - 21:59

Quasirandom

"When I get hit..." I think I

"When I get hit..."

I think I found your problem. Don't get hit. Now, that's easier said than done. But getting better at the game is mainly a matter of learning not to get hit.

As for gear, figure out what five star gear you want eventually, and work towards it. I'd also recommend upgrading a lot of things to four stars before you move anything to five stars, so that you can have the proper versatility. The right four star tool for the job will work better than the wrong five star tool.

Fri, 08/12/2011 - 08:19

zeritor

Legacy Username

I've got a 2* freezing bomb

I've got a 2* freezing bomb and the 3* Calibur now, as well as the wolver set. I'm liking it. I wasn't sure what shield to get so I got an Owlite because it was cheap and I liked the look of the resists.

Now, I noticed I have enough tokens to buy some stuff. I was thinking, as I don't plan to craft; what is the best material to buy (high demand, high price? I know economys don't work that way though :P) with each token so I can sell it on the AH? I imagine it's best saving up to about 10T and buying a 4* crafting mat?

Edit: Also, I notice a lot of gear on the AH that is obtained through tokens only (according the wiki) but these items come pre-bound? How do people have things like Snarble Barb on the AH?

Fri, 08/12/2011 - 11:53

Aziraphaile

Legacy Username

The Owlite is a good shield.

The Owlite is a good shield. Most importantly it's an elemental defense shield, which makes it useful in many places (particularly in T2) simply because Gunpuppies (turrets) can show up just about anywhere, regardless of the level theme. Most mechanical enemies deal elemental damage too, so it should serve you in good stead. Just note that while it might be capable of blocking several successive Gunpuppy shots, it will break much more easily under the assault of other creatures, like Wolver and Devilites. You may actually find your old Defender more useful in Beast and Slime themed levels, depending on whether those enemies give you more trouble than the turrets. (Ultimately, btw, you'll find yourself using both. It's good to have a variety of gear to switch between depending on where you're going.)

Re: Unbound token gear. There's a pair of gremlins near the token vendor (just a bit East, in fact), and one of them will unbind items. The service costs Energy though, although I don't think the cost is particularly prohibitive for 1* and 2* items. Personally I'd just get the tokens for the Snarble Barb myself (and the shield, if you're a swordie), but if you're doing well enough to finish T2 runs now and you've abandoned T1 altogether, it might make sense to buy them off the AH rather than go back to the relatively low-profit first Tier again.

Re: Tokens and Sparks. You will be crafting, I'm afraid. Short of buying other people's unbound cast-offs at freakishly prohibitive prices, it's the only way to get 4* gear. You've noticed already that many 3* recipes require a pre-made 2* weapon or armor. Most 4* recipes require not only the previous 3* item of the path, but also require that it have least 5 levels of heat on the item. The only way to Heat (level) an item is to equip it when you're diving, and equipping it binds it to you. (For the record, 5* recipes require the previous 4* item as well, and require said item to be level 10(!) before you can upgrade.)

You could also use your tokens to buy materials to sell on the AH, and it is certainly a viable way of turning sparks into cash, but you'll probably find that the profit margin on 3* and 4* mats to be miniscule. Certain 5* mats may fetch a premium, however. Personally, I'm just sitting on mine at the moment while I finish heating the last few 4* items I'm using to level 10. At that point, I'll be ready to think about upgrading stuff to 5*. Should I find the recipes I'm looking for before I find the materials I need, I'll hopefully be able to get them with my Sparks rather than paying an arm and a leg in the AH. My honest recommendation would be to do the same, but if you can turn the tokens into enough cash to buy the lower level mats you need, and still turn a profit, by all means go ahead.

Fri, 08/12/2011 - 14:03

dantemirror

Legacy Username

I will to make a very quick

I will to make a very quick post to resume what you be needing:

1.- Learn to push enemies with your shield, very useful to escape mobs (arena)

2.- Get a calibur and drop the wand, don't forge any more 1* weapons, none of them upgrade to 5* and you will need to respend money

3.- As soon as you can drop the cobalt line for the wolver or magic series, cobalt is a standard armor that is not as helpful, if you are a swordman go for wolver line, bomber, go for the demo line, if you are a gunner... though luck :P

4.- Try to evate more than to block, also learn to keep enemies at distance.

5.- Help your teamates at every chance

6.- Last point so this is not extended, do as many tier 1 runs as you can to practice, once you can complete a few runs without getting hit, it will be much easier.

Fri, 08/12/2011 - 13:51

#10

GodVolcanon

Legacy Username

Also, just throwing this out

Also, just throwing this out here, don't get the Drake Scale Shield family recipes or the shields themselves. You will be paying an arm and a leg just trying to craft or buy one with a UV in normal defense as they don't have any normal defense but have high health and high elemental defense. I know from experience but it will be an asset in fire strata and vana with it's resistance to fire.

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Would like some Tier 2 advice please.