I've so far been using a sword (spur) and gun (blaster) but I prefer gunning so I want to switch to a 2 gun setup.
The question is, which 2 to carry? I keep seeing posts about how straight elemental damage is better than split, and I can follow the math there.
What I'm trying to figure out is which 2 guns to carry. Which 2 elements would cover all my bases so I'm always hitting somethings weakness. I'm thinking a pair of alchemizers, but which 2? fire/ice? shadow/thunder? Whats a good mix here? I am only tier 2 and am a free player so cant buy more slots or trinkets yet. Any suggestions would be awesome.
Newb gunner, which guns to carry?
Sun, 09/04/2011 - 14:11
Sun, 09/04/2011 - 15:11
#2
Where to start
Well, you want two different full damage type weapons if you're going two guns.
This means: Full Elemental, Full Shadow, or Full Piercing; pick 2.
For easily attainable choices early off, you have a number of options. The alchemers are nice weapons, though in the long term they end up being the less desireable ones. I suggest getting an alchemer or two to start off with, but don't bother getting them past 4 stars. Some nice starting options are:
Full Shadow: Shadowtech Alchemer - This is decent damage weapon, fires 2 shot clips (which is annoying, three shot weapons are better). I started with this one, it was my old reliable. Find a recipe from Basil, the vendor who shows up in the middle of dungeon runs, or from the auction house and craft one. It shouldn't be very expensive. Use this weapon against Slimes, Gremlins, and Beasts. Essentially anything that isn't "evil" (undead/fiends)
Full Elemental: Voltech Alchemer - Another decent damage weapon, fires 2 shot clips. The damage isn't the highest but the extra damage and stunning from shock will make up for it. Use this against Construct, Undead, and Fiends. Easy to find recipe from Basil or the AH, craft one, level it up as you go.
Full Piercing: If you only have two guns, avoid this. You can get average damage on fiends/beasts with the other weapons, and the options in this category can be clunky and dangerous for the inexperienced gunslinger. If you just have to get a weapon in this category, or you end up taking three weapons, take the Magnus and level that sick puppy up. It's slow, but it hurts like hell and it's satisfying to use.
When you get the chance, run the Roarmaulus Twins (spelling?). After a few (5) kills on them you will have enough of their tokens to pick up a Pulsar, or a Catalyzer. If you are using two guns up to 4*, or 5*, your best two options are the Polaris and the Biohazard. Upgrade these weapons as follows to get them.
Pulsar > Kilowatt Pulsar > Gigawatt Pulsar > Polaris
Catalyzer > Toxic Catalyzer > Virulent Catalyzer > Biohazard
Besides being generally better weapons, the key advantage to both of these guns is that they have three shot clips. This means you can fire twice, run, fire twice, run, etc, etc. As you get better at it you'll realize you're taking a lot less damage and still keeping a steady stream of damage.
Sun, 09/04/2011 - 15:28
#3
OK I just found the damage
OK I just found the damage chart listing what monsters are weak to what. I see what you are saying now about elemental/piercing/shadow. This means I cant possibly cover all 3 with 2 weapon slots. As for carrying a sword, with only 2 slots that would not only make this entire thread meaningless, it would turn me from hopefully versatile gunner into a one trick shot pony.
At this point I am thinking one of the alchemizers, probably cryotech, and the blaster. At least that would give me one weakness and normal for the rest, and the cryotech freeze is porbably the most useful status infliction of the 3 elementals.
Sun, 09/04/2011 - 15:32
#4
Alchelmer + frezze ? No...
Alchelmer + frezze ? No... just no, ricochet break frezze targets, get a Storm driver or polaris instead.
Sun, 09/04/2011 - 16:45
#5
If you're going to carry just
If you're going to carry just two guns, you'll need a magnus by the time you get to tier 3. It's the only gun that's consistent for dodging enemies - gremlins, wolvers, devilites. If you can't get a magnus, then you're going to have to carry a sword that's good for them (any flourish or snarble barb). Simple as that.
That leaves your second slot for either an elemental or shadow gun - most popular ones are the kilowatt pulsar -> polaris line for elemental and toxic catalyzer -> biohazard for shadow. Then there's the alchemers, which until those two guns came out were the standard for elemental/shadow guns.
Out of everything, if you're going to just have two slots I'd suggest a Polaris in the second slot. Nice damage for a gun, but most importantly it has high knockback - as a pure gunner you'll come to realise just how useful that is.
Sun, 09/04/2011 - 18:30
#6
1) Polaris
The staple
1) Polaris
The staple elemental gun, it combines high damage with high knockback.
2) Blitz needle/Toxic Needle
Both of these do insane amounts of damage (3k in a single charge) The Toxic needle is more of a support gun however, as it poisons enemies.
3)Valiance
All-around gun, can't go wrong with this.
4) Leviathan blade
As for shadow damage, I presonally don't like the catalyzer or shadow tech alchemer but that's personal opinion.
Another note- Don't get the gunner armors. They provide meager defense, and the bonuses are extremely small. It's better to go with something like the magic set and get some ASI trinkets.
Sun, 09/04/2011 - 21:09
#7
As a newb gunner, I carried a
As a newb gunner, I carried a Shadowtech Alchemer and Cryotech Alchemer. The Shadowtech I used for all gremlins, jellies, and beasts. Cryotech covered undead, fiends, and constructs. I found the freeze effect of the Cryotech to be extremely useful on things like kats, devilites, and phantoms because it helped me to control the situation better. If one of those would get frozen I would leave it alone and work on other enemies so the freeze would cause damage when it broke. Nowadays I don't need the control as much, so I favor the storm driver (voltech).
Back then there wasn't a pulsar or catalyzer though, so in light of that... I'd recommend the elemental pulsar over an elemental alchemer since it has amazing functionality. I hear good things about the shadow catalyzer, but after playing with the normal version of the gun I couldn't see it working well in a party situation. The swordsmen in my party would clean up before I could take advantage of the charged shot, and since I already had the shadowtech it didn't seem like it was worth running the boss again just to try it out. Seems like it would be great for solo play or in a party of gunners, though.
When you're more established and comfortable with the game, you should consider getting a pure piercing gun to round out your arsenal. They're useful but difficult to learn, especially coming from playing with a blaster which has excellent mobility. Even with only two weapon slots, it's important to have different weapon types so you can switch them out based on the levels you're running.
Mon, 09/05/2011 - 09:33
#8
I would avoid the Cryotech
I would avoid the Cryotech Alchemer, and there's a good reason why a dedicated gunner shouldn't use a normal damage gun like a blaster. If you're going to use two guns, look at it this way:
I have 6 possible creature types, I can use a normal gun and a specialist (Elemental, Shadow, or Piercing) gun and get bonus damage against 2 types, and normal damage against 4 types. Or I can use two specialist guns and get bonus damage against 4 types, and normal damage against 2 types.
As for the cryotech, it's less damage than the prismatech, and its status will often break from hitting it with the bounce or another shot. If you want an elemental gun, go Voltech or Prismatech. And once you can afford it, get the Pulsar.
Mon, 09/05/2011 - 15:13
#9
If you are going pure
If you are going pure gunslinger then I would recommend two guns that deal special damage. Special damage = shadow, piercing, and elemental type damage. This way you can deal the maximum amount of damage (for a gunslinger) while still being effective in all situations. Make sure the two guns deal different kinds of damage. If you carry two guns that deal the same type of damage, then you'll be rendered ineffective against certian enemies.
If you are going hybrid (gun/bomb, gun/sword), then I would avoid weapons that deal special damage and take a weapon that deals normal damage instead. If you carry a gun that deals special damage plus one other weapon (say a sword) then your gun will be ineffective against certain types of enemies.
I would avoid the autogun series as those make you stand still for 2+ seconds when you fire them. That can easily get you killed post T1.
Tue, 09/06/2011 - 01:52
#10
For beginning:
Voltech
For beginning:
Voltech Alchemer
Magnus
Endgame:
Callahan
Polaris
Biohazard
Blitz Needle
mfg :) Abathur ig
Tue, 09/06/2011 - 06:08
#11
Elemental
-Polaris/Storm
Elemental
-Polaris/Storm Driver, I personally prefer Polaris because of the knockback.
Shadow
-Umbra Driver/Biohazard, they are the only shadow guns right now. I prefer Umbra Driver because Biohazard's bullets are just to slow.
Piercing
-Blitz Needle/Plague Needle/Callahan. Callahan is the best gun for dodging enemies, then there is the Blitz vs Plague debate since they are quite similar, I would suggest that you get Plague if you go group a lot, but Blitz if you go solo a lot.
Normal
-Valiance/Iron Slug/Volcanic Pepperbox. I prefer Valiance since it has a bit of knockback. Volcanic Pepperbox can cause fire.
Tue, 09/06/2011 - 06:32
#12
You wont need ... no ... you
You wont need ... no ... you MUSTN'T carry a normal damage gun. Its a waste of money, due gunslinger allways use an effectiveness gun against mob X.
Blitz vs Plague, Blitz deals about 30-50% more dmg. Biohazard is for poison way better, due the high splash dmg an umbra never will reach. You don't need fast bullets against jellys and blitz is still better than umbra against gremlins, and if their in mass and have healer, again biohazard with splash and poison saves the day. there is no reason for an umbra.
Tue, 09/06/2011 - 13:43
#13
I agree with Xyonon. Perfect
I agree with Xyonon. Perfect set for beginners would be Voltech Alchemer and Magnus. Of course it won't do any good against Royal Jelly or Roarmulus Twins but generally will work fine against all regular enemies.
Tue, 09/06/2011 - 16:26
#14
IMO for beginner a Fiery
IMO for beginner a Fiery Alchelmer is better for Roarmulus (Quicksilvers and other shiets), then change it for a pulsar and a catalyzer.
Wed, 09/07/2011 - 01:15
#15
There is nothing wrong with
There is nothing wrong with the Cryotech Alchemer. I use one myself. Most people tend to freak out if the freeze gets broken as if it were the end of the world. Each of the Alchemer status effects (Fire, Shock, Freeze) have their uses. It is all a matter of preference and what best fits your playstyle.
Wed, 09/07/2011 - 06:24
#16
Totally agree with
Totally agree with Velops:
Freeze -> immobility for enemy is a major status, also deals not bad damage if freezed free by time
Fire -> superior damage over time - thats all
Shock -> good damage over time - blocks attacks, shocks allies (other enemies)
First, all alchemers except for the Shadow one deal the same kind of damage. The only real change is the status affliction (or in the case of Prismatech, extra damage over the others). What they meant is the ability to use a single elemental gun, and the other being either a normal damage gun (Blaster ain't bad so long as you upgrade), piercing or shadow. The downside to all this: while one gun will hit a vuln most of the time, the other one may just be useless in that stratum, meaning that you'll have to rely entirely on a single weapon.
My recommendation? Gunslinger or not, carry a sword. Calibur works well.