I'm a swordsman, planning on getting full Skolver and Vog sets for piercing and elemental defense, but what about shadow? Armor of the Fallen looks good with its ASI boost, but its penalty vs fiend kills it (fiends deal Shadow, so that is when you would use it). Valkyrie set is weak to fire. Divine set looks good with its elemental as well, but do you lose anything giving up Normal defense in T3 where nothing(?) deals Normal damage?
Best shadow suit for swordsman?
Mon, 10/17/2011 - 11:43
Mon, 10/17/2011 - 12:42
#2
It is sub-optimal for a
It is sub-optimal for a Swordsman to get to but, Deadshot set is a great choice for Normal/Shadow. It is Normal/Shadow Curse with a universal DMG vs Undead Buff.
http://wiki.spiralknights.com/Deadshot_Chapeau
Problem is 3* and 4* are Normal/Piercing with Handgun ASI buff. I am currently using a Sinister Skelly Set as my Undead/Fiend (but not FSC) gear. If the bars in this case are accurateish it has the highest Shadow defense compared to other sets, but its flammable and doesn't have a weapon buff. I am currently working on a Deadshot Mantle to try as part of my FSC gear, because it is at least fire neutral.
One note about Normal damage in T3. True you encounter more pure damage in T3, but there is a significant amount of Normal damage in FSC, which is currently what people are doing the most in T3. Think the duke's mace, slag guards, and trojans. The duke's mace is pretty much the sole reason the VPS is one of the most popular FSC shields.
Mon, 10/17/2011 - 12:58
#3
Some stuff in T3 still does
Some stuff in T3 still does split Normal. Rule of thumb, if the monster makes direct contact with you then the attack's damage is either pure Normal, split Normal, or pure Piercing. It's the same trend with swords and guns basically, a sword must have either a Normal or Piercing component and only projectiles can have pure Elemental or Shadow damage.
As for the gear, IMO either Valkyrie (maybe with fire UV) or wait for more shadow def gear to come out.
Mon, 10/17/2011 - 13:09
#4
The closest I ever get to
The closest I ever get to caring about shadow defense, and the suit I wear for any kind of t3 solo adventures (unless I take the time to really scout the gate layout,) is just a divine helm with skolver coat for the balanced defense route. If I make sure I'm not going to run into any devilites, I tend to prefer pure Skolver, as piercing gives me more problems than elemental generally, as far as what I get nailed by. Vog Cub I save for FSC type stuff.
So, personally, I never have full shadow resist. If I ever needed it though, I'd definitely go full divine.
Mon, 10/17/2011 - 13:18
#5
A split fallen/valyrie is a
A split fallen/valyrie is a nice set. The fire, curse and fiend buff/debuffs cancel out, leaving you with good poison resist and a low ASI.
Mon, 10/17/2011 - 16:29
#6
The best reason to get a
The best reason to get a shadow set is T3 fiend/undead stratums that AREN'T FSC.
Fallen is a nice set for FSC proper but it's not as good against Vana, which is why Vog and Volcanic stuff is more popular there. The damage penalty against fiends also makes it pretty rubbish on fiend stratums for obvious reasons. And Deadshot doesn't do you must good if you're not using guns.
So really you're looking Dread Skelly vs Valkyrie, with the possibility of Radiant Silvermail or Divine mixed in. Dread Skelly and Valkyrie are both nice, and I think it boils down to preference there. The damage boost of Valkyrie is nice but it doesn't have quite the defense of Dread Skelly. You can throw in Divine or Radiant Silvermail depending on if you feel you need protection from other damage types or status effects but keep in mind that it doing so would really cut your normal defense and a lot of shadow damage comes split so that might not always be the best idea.
Mon, 10/17/2011 - 17:02
#7
The fallen set is pretty good
The fallen set is pretty good in PvP since everyone has a GF, the ASI is pretty helpful, and the damage penalty doesnt matter
Mon, 10/17/2011 - 18:50
#8
"Its funy to kill skolversin
"Its funy to kill skolversin 2 hits with my Final Flourich" = Def in pvp = useless.
And now for pve the best option is Divine veil... becouse the only thing dangerous in shadow strata are devilities..
Mon, 10/17/2011 - 19:33
#9
Deadshot mantle is great, I
Deadshot mantle is great, I use it for FSC. The Med dmg vs Undead on each piece buffs ALL WEAPONS, not just guns.
Mon, 10/17/2011 - 19:36
#10
Heh heh heh.
Perhaps Deadshot is the best vs. normal+shadow armor because of its lack of fire weakness.
Sucks to be a swordie or bomber though, as you'll be forced to slog through two ranks of useless (for swords and bombs) gunslinger armor to heat it up. Once you get there, though, its undead damage bonus applies to any weapon.
You can always build a Valkyrie or Skelly but it will suck in FSC... and if there's any stage called "Blast Furnace: Infernal Path" or "Flame Lash Arena: Fiendish Fray" in your fiend gate, you will surely cry.
Of course there's Divine Set which fixes the fire and shock problem, but some people don't like dropping normal defense.
Hey i looked this up as i have the same question as u.. i do agree with your full skolvr and vog as i am currently working on vog.. and for shadow i thought of it like this.. when will u use it?? if u use it in t3 the divine is 100% for u its beautiful for t3 however in t2 u would get hit the half normal dmg which kinda is a pain consdering i rarely find myself doing a t3 run with fiends ( even in t2 i run like a little girl from them and avoid them if possible)... so depending on whereu will run t3 or t2.. for t2 i say valkyrie cuz the weakness to fire is unavoidable if u want normal/shadow, however how often does a fiend set u on fire i rarely rarely encounter the fire type ones its the regular ons tht run around.. soo up to u hope it helped i suggest if ur t3 go divine considering u would be a tank in pvp now lets be honest who doesnt run around with a DA or a GF these days :P