Spiral Knights - The Lockdown Gunner Guide

The Lockdown Gunner Guide

41 replies [Last post]

Wed, 11/23/2011 - 22:06

Kentard

Hi all, sorry for my long period of absence.
In that time I've been experimenting with using a gunner for LD (yes, a pure gunner), and I did come to a few interesting conclusions, which I'll put down here.
Anyone is welcome to add to the guide some of their interesting (and potent) LD strategies, or to correct me if I'm horribly mistaken.

The Lockdown Gunner Guide
Generally, I've noticed that few actually resort to guns in LD (at least, T2 LD), and even fewer play gunners with extreme potency.
These days, while the priority for quite a few of us may just be killing off the opposite team and capturing as many points along the way, do remember that Lockdown is a team game - and with sufficient teamwork, a good gunner can make all the difference in a single team (I kid you not).

Cons of a Gunner
1. You have very bad damage.
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More often than not (particularly in the lower tiers) gunners are not respected on the team because their damage output is mediocre - good gunners can clock in about 2k on average in a T2 match.
That being said, though, just like bombers, low damage doesn't necessarily mean they are useless. I'll get to this point later.
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2. Gunners are priority targets for the enemy team.
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You WILL draw a lot of attention to yourself should you use a gun - same applies for bombs.
Once you are out of the way, the battle becomes a lot smoother for the enemy - so be cautious when playing, and try not to be overly aggressive.
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3. No teamwork = useless gunner
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Probably the most fatal flaw of all, if your team isn't willing to work with the gunner, or if you find yourself alone a little too often, you won't make a significant difference to the match no matter how good your gunning skills are.
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Pros of a Gunner
1. You can hit things that are normally out of others' reach, or considered too dangerous.
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When you have 2 or more Guardians camping on a point, the last thing you'd want to do is to whip out your sword and charge in blindly. This is where the Gunner comes in handy - whip out a gun to disperse them with ease. If you're fast enough, you can even wipe both of them out before their shields have time to recharge.
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2. Good gunners become extremely intimidating in-game.
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Just like a Bomber, a viable Gunner can easily disperse crowds, effectively area cancelling all the entrances to a capture point.
And I think all of us would know better than to charge through a wall of bullets - with a gun, you can force Guardians to keep their shields up, prevent recons from sneaking around you, and even keep poised Strikers at bay.
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3. Gunners are extremely versatile.
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With the right combination of guns, your gunner can effectively switch roles to become a disabler (that is, dishing out debuffs to players), an area canceller or even a DPS (this is mainly in T3, though).
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Basic Rules for a Gunner

1. Teamwork. Always stick with your team.
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As a good gunner, your main focus in-game should be the whereabouts and strategies of your team.
Remember that a gunner mainly serves to complement the team - and done right, you can make your team far more effective in pushing for points.
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2. Always keep moving.
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Sounds a little daft, but trust me, the last thing you want to do as a gunner is to keep still for long periods of time.
That being said, if you're using a gun that forces you to stay still to fire, you're probably better off with something else.
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3. Always shield cancel.
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I always notice that mediocre gunners almost never shield cancel when gunning.
Reloading presents a window of opportunity for an enemy to attack - so if possible eliminate any of these windows.
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4. Play smart, not aggressive.
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I stress this again: as a gunner, your main priority is not damage. Going aggressive with a weapon that deals significantly less damage than swords is probably a very, very bad idea that gets you killed most of the time.
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The Gunner's Arsenal - Good or Bad?
Note though, this is just my opinion - you're welcome to share yours if you like.

Pulsar
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A very popular choice in-game - and I can see why.
The Pulsar's shots make for a good area denial weapon, effectively turning you into a mobile 'bomber'.
The potency of this weapon is amplified with the Kilowatt Pulsar line, as the shock can do wonders with disrupting the enemy's attacks.

NOTE: When using the Pulsar, always try to keep your enemy at the optimum range of the weapon - that is, just when the shot expands. It's tricky, but it pays off when done right.

Advanced Tips
- Take advantage of the exploding shot to manipulate your foes' positions - while blindly firing towards them works, you can fire just to the side of them to knock them towards a hazard right beside them.
- Shots automatically explode after travelling their maximum distance; again don't waste these shots, take advantage of the position where they blow up to reposition your enemies.
- If multiple guardians are camping at a point, you can fire in between them to disperse them, then move in quickly and plant bombs, or push them to a corner and suppress them at that corner to prevent them from recapping the point. However, I do not recommend the latter for long; if you must, have a teammate with a good sword take care of them.
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Alchemers
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Versatile in many ways - but make sure you upgrade it to at least 3*.
The Alchemer's strength lies in moderately fast bullets and decent dps - particularly at later levels when the bullets break off more.
With elemental Alchemers, you can be an efficient disruptor/dps without the hindrance of slow bullet speeds. Personally I have no preference for the elemental ones, as they all seem to do their part relatively well.

NOTE: Using the Prismatech/Shadowtech lines effectively limits you to a dps role.

Advanced Tips
- 3* Alchemers and above have bullets that ricochet randomly to the left.
- The Charge Attack splits into normal bullets at about 45 degrees from the left and right of the original trajectory, flying back to the player. This makes the shots more predictable than the normal shot.
- If aiming fails, try to lure enemies into a corridor and fire at the wall - hopefully your ricochets will bank off the wall and hit the target.
- Position yourself so that the ricochets hit as many enemies as possible.
- The trick about this gun is unpredictability - smarter players will shy away from these as they will not know if the ricochets will hit them for massive damage.

- Firotech Alchemer: Proc your shots carefully - generally I would try switching to another weapon once your target is on fire, or in the rare case where you are going up against several opponents, try to set others on fire once you've done the same for the first target.
- Cryotech Alchemer: This weapon pairs very well with sword users, as you can unleash a powerful charge attack from behind (not recommended when there are multiple opponents). The optimum time to do so is when they have just escaped the freeze effect, however note that strikers may dash away if you are not fast enough.
- Voltech Alchemer: Shock makes for an effective disruption status, and taking advantage of the small window of time when the opponent spasms can vastly increase your damage output with relatively little risk. This is particularly useful on strikers, as the spasms make targeting them much easier.
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Autogun
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Another popular choice among gunners, though personally I do not recommend this.
The fact that the Autogun forces you to stay still to shoot turns you into a sitting duck for enemy players - ESPECIALLY gunners. Once you've pointed your gun, it's fairly easy for anyone to dodge you unless you're firing on a narrow corridor. In fact, I recommend you only use this along narrow corridors.
If anything, the only uses for this gun would be to spot cloaked recons or to deliver the coupe de grace on weak enemy players, but seriously, you're better off with a sword.

Oh, and if you must get an Autogun, don't get the Toxic Needle. Poison is a debuff that you don't particularly need in LD.

NOTE: Charge attacks will leave you extremely vulnerable, so do not use them.

Advanced Tips
- The Charge Attack fires 15 bullets in a sweeping motion 7 squares wide - 2 squares wider than the normal shot.
- The Needle Shot's attacks do not pull your enemy towards you.
- For people with very bad latency, this can be decent in spotting Recons - but I do not recommend this for offensive play as the damage per shot is very minimal.
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Antigua
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A fairly useful gun for PVP, albeit limited to a non-DPS role.
Its primary advantage lies in the fact that it has 6 rounds in a clip - use this to lay down a barrage of shots and scare off attackers.
Advanced Tips
- Staggering your shots so that temporary invulnerability wears off gives you optimum DPS, especially since you don't need to worry about bullet speed.
- Alternatively, fire 5 shots in quick succession to area-cancel.
- The upgrade line you choose for this gun is irrelevant, although if you are a serious PVP gunner you can opt for Sentenza since less players have strong shadow defence; in contrast elemental defence equipments are plentiful in-game.
- If possible, do not use the Charge Attack - the temporary invulnerability negates your final shot that deals far more damage. Otherwise, try to position yourself so that only the final shot lands; this is a difficult tactic especially for enemies that don't move in a straight line; i.e. almost anyone.
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Catalyzer
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I personally do not recommend this.
The weapon's rounds are even slower than the Pulsar - and that says a lot.
Worse still, it's main power lies in its charge attack, which can be very difficult to pull off. Sure, the idea of blowing up several high-damage charges sounds tantalising, but remember that the projectile speed is terrible, so landing one of these charges on an enemy is already a feat, nevermind blowing it up.
The Toxic Catalyzer line doesn't seem to help much either. Poison is a pretty bad disable in LD; if anything it lowers the damage of the enemy, and that's that. But the damage done by Fire/Shock/Freeze would certainly be much more potent.

Advanced Tips
- Close-range striking seems to work moderately well with this gun, although caution must be taken to avoid getting hit. Get close enough so that you can land the charge shot with ease, but not close enough to get hit by the other party's weapon.
- This gun works wonders in breaking up several camping Guardians; however it has limited function besides that.
- Don't get cocky with your charge shots; if you land one, land just one more and fire. Don't be tempted to stack numerous shots; in the end you need just enough to wipe off a fair chunk of their health.
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Magnus
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This gun is something that requires you to keep your distance - but when played right, it can make killing off a tough guy a lot easier.
However, the "standing still to fire" leaves you extremely vulnerable. 'Nuff said about that.
The bullets stun, and travel at a high speed. When using this gun, you're better off standing far away and becoming a 'sniper' for your team.

NOTE: Never, EVER, use the Charge Attack. Once you're knocked down, you're essentially dead.

Advanced Tips
- If you attempt to get up close with this gun, always carry a sword with you. The stun/slash combination is potent (kudos to a T2 gunner, of whom I have forgotten your name - my bad!), so long as you are capable of sidestepping incoming attacks. Also, never use this against a group of enemies.
- Try sniping a striker or a guardian before your teammates attack him; you'll save the team a lot of trouble, especially if they are not particularly adept at dodging strikes. And don't worry about dodging; chances are the bullet's so fast that enemies will have a hard time avoiding it.
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Blaster
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If you have one of these guns on you, I seriously question your sense of judgement.
That being said, you won't really get anywhere with this one.
Firstly - normal damage. I.e. the most pathetic damage of all guns.
Then there's the debuff - oh wait, there's none, save for an itty bitty knockback upon bullet impact.

tl;dr, if you are using one, I sincerely hope it's only to taunt the enemy team, and not as a serious gunner loadout.

Advanced Tips
- You're joking right? Advanced tips for THIS gun?
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Wed, 12/21/2011 - 01:31

Kentard

Oh, And...

The Classes in Lockdown

Recon
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I imagine most gunners would go here - and why not? You get a cloak, you get an ASI increase on guns. It's the perfect class for a harassing disabler.
Basically here are two of my favorite strategies to this guy:
1. Stalking a target and harassing it to no end.
2. Flanking the enemy and disabling them.

Just remember the following, though:
1. Keep your distance, even though you're a recon. If possible, get close enough just to apply the debuff, then skedaddle and fire from a distance.
2. Shield's down, you're dead. Avoid being hit at all costs; you're best off hiding behind some teammates.
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Guardian
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Another popular choice for gunners, especially those who love to area deny or disable. Also boosts your survivability, and when moving with your team, you can make taking down enemies a lot easier for them, or even intimidate incoming enemies.

1. Stick with your team. The only time you should stray from them - well, there isn't any time. Even if it means getting up close and personal.
2. Prioritise shielding your teammates from deadly attacks over harassing enemies.
3. If you are solo defending (which I really don't recommend as a gunner), get a sword as a sidearm just in case.
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Striker
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Some good strikers carry a gun. Rarely, good strikers ONLY carry guns.
This build not only grants you increased mobility, making you particularly harassing, but it can also allow you to defend bases quickly.

1. Don't focus on damage, even though you're a Striker. You're a gunner first, DPS second.
2. Before charging in to attack, always make sure you have a full boost bar. As a gunner, you're going to be dodging a lot more than other Strikers.
3. Particularly for Strikers, never forget to shield cancel/stagger and dash out of the way at the same time. Remember, reloads slow you down a lot.
4. Keep your movements erratic. This makes it a lot harder to hit you - so never dash in the same direction consistently when dodging.

Advanced Tips
If you're reading this by now, you should know that a Gunner is essentially a team's tactician.

1. Always be aware of your team's strategy and movement. If necessary, do step in to coordinate this movement. Keep your team informed about certain hazards - e.g. one particularly potent striker or a group of Guardians camping at one point.

2. Always gauge the optimum range of your gun. This is where firing your shots will give the minimum amount of time for the target to dodge, without putting you in the target's melee range. In the case of the Pulsar, this is fairly obvious.

3. Practice. I can't stress this enough - playing against actual people is tough. To play as a gunner is even tougher.

4. Familiarize yourself with your weapon's functions, and know when would be the best time to use them in different scenarios.

5. Vary your styles. If possible, get at least 3 weapon slots and at least 2 guns - and for god's sake make sure they are not of the same base weapon (e.g. Cryotech and Firotech Alchemers). This allows you to adapt your style to any changes in the enemy strategy rather than relying on one weapon throughout - making you highly predictable.

6. If you are playing offensive, it won't hurt to get a good sword as a sidearm. If you're going defensive, then get a bomb.

7. Get used to the guns' projectile speeds, and make sure you are comfortable alternating between them. This allows you to lead your shots far more effectively.

8. If possible, familiarize yourself with the enemy's strategy - some players have very repetitive styles, and you can take advantage of that almost too easily. The easiest way to do this is to look at their weapons - GFs and rapiers are usually DPSes who will relentlessly hunt down hapless victims. Shivermists are usually for area denial - but guns are tricky to predict because each gun can have multiple functions; and some guns can effectively cover all tactical functions in-game.
When playing many games over time, try to figure out all the possible loadouts enemies will use - some will change their loadouts according to your strategy. The best teams can manipulate the enemies' loadouts to their advantage, e.g. forcing them to go all out on DPS while your team plays defensive and harasses them to no end.

That's all from me now, feel free to comment with suggestions, and hope you guys can turn the tide of the battle in your favor with just a gun!

Wed, 11/23/2011 - 22:37

No-Thanks

Zelda

ive played some lockdown recently, 2 points u mentioned i can confirm being deadly(i wasnt gunning, i was being the victim)
-teamwork
-at least a sword

u should make a tldr version btw imo, just sayin

Wed, 11/23/2011 - 22:39

Ampersand-Italic

I can't wait until blueflood

I can't wait until blueflood weighs in on this. Thanks for the lowdown - i am not a gunner myself (though i do carry one in ld to harass bombing guardians), but your posts seemed very incisive.

Thu, 11/24/2011 - 01:45

Twiddle

3. Avoid

3. Avoid reloading.
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I always notice that mediocre gunners reload when gunning.
Reloading presents a window of opportunity for an enemy to attack - so if possible eliminate any of these windows.

Fix'd.

Shield canceling does not speed a gunner up much. It's better to avoid reloading altogether. You will take a hit on your dps, but not reloading will allow you to respond faster to enemy movements, etc.

Thu, 11/24/2011 - 02:29

Poopsie

hmm...

Recon's Death Mark and gun combination is very scary. I was guardian and got wasted with argent peacemaker/sentenza pretty fast when my shield break.

Thu, 11/24/2011 - 08:26

Kentard

Few Responses

I have to add though that the guardian role has a low attack speed decrease for guns - i can't see being a guardian and choosing to primarily use guns because of this. Please correct me if you disagree though!
Actually you're right, though low ASI penalty doesn't make too big of a difference... then again neither does med ASI increase.
In any case, the durability will help if you're going defensive and if nobody else wants to play guardian.

Shield canceling does not speed a gunner up much. It's better to avoid reloading altogether.
I usually stagger my shots when nobody's around so as not to waste my shield. Not so much the case when they start pouring in, though.

Recon's Death Mark and gun combination is very scary. I was guardian and got wasted with argent peacemaker/sentenza pretty fast when my shield break.
Precisely why a Recon is technically an ideal gunner class - once defences are down, even guns can be potent. Very, very potent.

u should make a tldr version btw imo, just sayin
Aw, come on, mate. I've already made it less of an eyesore to read. :P

Also, if anyone's interested, for a pure gunner a somewhat accurate gauge of equivalent damage to sword users would be to multiply your damage by 4, since swords do about 4 times more damage than guns in PvE.

Thu, 11/24/2011 - 10:52

Orbwanter

Armor question

Thu, 11/24/2011 - 11:04

Bigfootm

What Dark Ritual?

"...good strikers only carry GUNS."

*Good gunners use striker, i.e Blueflood.

Blueflood is by far one of the best gunners in LD I've seen.

Teamwork: From what I've seen, the good gunners go alone. (Again, Blueflood. Blue goes alone alot.)

Bad Damage: I've seen gunners get 5-10k+ Damage in T3 (Blueflood again, is one of them. He's the only really good gunner I've playe I can think of ATM.). I've also seen 5k or so in a T2 match.

Good guide though.

Thu, 11/24/2011 - 11:11

Thyme-Stealer

How do you shield cancel? Reload on Mag is ridiculous. I actually QUIT gunning on a certain knight because of my uselessness.

Thu, 11/24/2011 - 15:21

#10

Twiddle

Recon's Death Mark and gun

Recon's Death Mark and gun combination is very scary. I was guardian and got wasted with argent peacemaker/sentenza pretty fast when my shield break.

Interesting. I'll remember that in my next lockdown match.

Thu, 11/24/2011 - 16:08

#11

Dirty-Harry

A few things

Some things to clear up. Catalyzer bullets move at the same speed as the Pulsar line, just that the Pulsar's hit radius is much larger. The autogun charges do minimal damage because the player gets a moment of invincibility after getting hit. I don't see very many guardian gunners, and I say they should stray from that class since it does give a decrease in gun attack speed low (though a minor issue), but the biggest issue I see with the class is that it forces you to shield to effectively work, and once you shield you allow the sword user to get close to you and once that happens, as a gunner you're stuck.

Shield canceling is the exact same thing as waiting for your gun to go back to it's "rest position" (where you hold the gun up). With a 2 shot gun, if you were to shoot, shield, then shoot again in a shorter time than it would take for your gun to go back to the rest position, it will reload (so yes there is an amount of time you need to wait even when shield canceling). If you're a striker and you don't need to move, don't shield cancel, instead wait for your gun to reset so you don't waste your boost meter. Same thing goes with recon.

To further your tips, as a recon using a 2 shot weapon (aka Callahan/Driver) you should fire 1 shot and begin moving in a direction while you cloak. Immediately after cloaking move in a different direction. Any experienced LD player can guess where you will be if you aren't playing smart. Afterward wait till they swing blindly and counter fire, then repeat. Mix it up by going in the same direction if you feel that the opponent is reading you. With a 3 shot gun shoot twice then cloak.

As Striker you should make the opponent move more than you do. Your movement shouldn't follow a pattern, but mix up how much you move. The opposing striker (if they use a sword) will try to intercept you, so when doing short boosts they will be moving longer distances to get in front of you. Whenever you see them miss a swing, punish them for it. Even stopping boosting altogether can be a mind game tactic when in 1 v 1 situations (never do this when against multiple people.)

Thu, 11/24/2011 - 17:32

#12

Evanti

I've seen gunners get 5-10k+

I've seen gunners get 5-10k+ Damage in T3 (Blueflood again, is one of them. He's the only really good gunner I've playe I can think of ATM.)

Wait, 5-10k damage is what Blueflood gets? In that case I'm just as good a gunner as he is. I saw that 16k damage video and figured that was normal for him. IIRC my max score is around 14-15k.

Thu, 11/24/2011 - 17:54

#13

Nodocchi

Most gunners I see don't seem

Most gunners I see don't seem to notice this but it is really annoying. There is a period of invincibility after a player takes any kind of damage and my god are guns annoying when they trigger it. First of all it makes any swordies who may be also attacking deal no damage due to the invincibility essentially trading in good sword damage for crappy gun damage but as well if the opponent is a guardian and he has his shield up he can immediately counter. This is really devastating if the sword user was expecting the guardian's shield to break from the sword hit but instead finding him/herself killed because one teammate decided it would be a good idea to snipe with a gun and have the sword user deal no damage.

Fri, 11/25/2011 - 06:40

#14

Kentard

Moar Responses

Most of what I hear about the Gunslinger set is complaints about how minor the bonuses are. Is it worth bothering to get them, or is it better to go with more defensive armor like Quicksilver or Boosted Plate?
Mostly the grievances were towards the Shadowsun set, which gives only a med damage increase when the full set is equipped. The rest still give VH ASI.
Frankly your build is your preference, and if you're like me (and don't particularly find the ASI of any help) and just want to max out damage, get a full Shadowsun with 2 Elite Trueshot Modules to get a max DMG increase.
Otherwise, your call. :)

There is a period of invincibility after a player takes any kind of damage and my god are guns annoying when they trigger it.
Then it's probably best that you use a gun that either inflicts a status or deals a considerable amount of damage. And frankly if I was a sword user, I wouldn't mind if someone was backing me up with a Polaris. Sure, that might happen, but I'd rather risk it so as to take advantage of the shock.
If you are using a gun like the Antigua, it's probably best that you take on enemies solo. As for me, I usually fire before the sword users move in for the kill, and preferably not interfere afterwards, mainly because I don't want to drive the target away with gunfire.

I've seen gunners get 5-10k+ Damage in T3 (Blueflood again, is one of them. He's the only really good gunner I've playe I can think of ATM.)
Eh, not entirely impossible. We probably need Blueflood to write this, not me. :P

How do you shield cancel? Reload on Mag is ridiculous. I actually QUIT gunning on a certain knight because of my uselessness.
I sincerely hope you're joking; if not, here's the link: http://wiki.spiralknights.com/Shieldbearer_Guide
And if you don't like to shield cancel, just stagger your shots (i.e. don't shoot the entire clip out at once).

I don't see very many guardian gunners, and I say they should stray from that class since it does give a decrease in gun attack speed low (though a minor issue), but the biggest issue I see with the class is that it forces you to shield to effectively work, and once you shield you allow the sword user to get close to you and once that happens, as a gunner you're stuck.
True, but it's completely doable so long as you have a close range weapon and you're a mobile Guardian (i.e. following the team and shielding on the go rather than camping at certain areas).

When using the Polaris and you are capping points, fire at high-traffic entrances to wall off people and allow more time to capture. Never fire 3 shots to wall off, you can usually make do with firing a steady stream of shots without reloading so that there isn't windows where some strikers can slip through.
Essentially this is area-denial, yes. Best done with a guardian/recon if you do intend to do this, since they allow for shield cancelling. Staggering gives a pretty big window sometimes, so personally I'm not too keen on that.
And many thanks for the addendum, by the way.

Fri, 11/25/2011 - 08:25

#15

Thyme-Stealer

Your sincere hopes are

Your sincere hopes are incorrect. If you use your clip, you can't shield while reloading! I don't get it! @~@

Fri, 11/25/2011 - 08:57

#16

Bigfootm

@Evanti

"+" +=More.

Blueflood normally gets more then 10k when I've been with him. :P (Or her.)

Fri, 11/25/2011 - 12:05

#17

Sypsy

@Thyme-Stealer As Dirty-Harry

@Thyme-Stealer

As Dirty-Harry said, you're shooting too soon after the first shot. Even if you shield cancel the 1st shot and your 2nd shot is close enough to the first, you will reload.
The time you need to wait is ABOUT the time it takes your knight to put the gun back down. Just test it out in training hall or something to see how quickly you can steadily shoot without reloading.

Sat, 11/26/2011 - 12:15

#18

Good-Spirit

Style

Everyone has their own play style.

Being a pure gunner is a hard road with little reward. I find it kinda fun though! There's nothing like wading through 4 players of the opposite team and taking out at least 3 of them before going down.

Because of latency, you get to see if you're a good guesser, can read people, or make people run into your bullets. Always be aware that anyone with a rapier and high asi will just more then likely dominate you, as their lack of latency will cut through any setup you have. Sometimes your best bet is to just run from them and surprise them later.

I like the detail you give about the pros and cons of gunning. Unlike the common but lethal setup of your typical striker swordsmen, your arsenal should totally depend on the circumstance (ex - spamming polaris might be cheap, but a great idea if you can use it trick an enemy into chasing you near the fire in the Furnace level, then knocking them into it with a bullet you fired 2 seconds earlier).

I could elaborate on every single gun like Kentard did if you guys want. (props for spending the time on this! good stuff for gunners trying to handle LD!)

That's all for now though, later!

Wed, 12/21/2011 - 01:39

#19

Kentard

Whew, back again.

Anyways, many thanks to Blueflood's endorsement, haha.
I've been spending my time trying to adapt the guns to varying styles, and I've had some surprising revelations - the top 2 posts have been updated as well, with advanced tips for users more familiar with the guns.

I might be working on a guide to PVE gunning next, although most of it is pretty self-explanatory. We'll see how it goes then.

Unlike the common but lethal setup of your typical striker swordsmen, your arsenal should totally depend on the circumstance
Being a pure gunner is a hard road with little reward.
It's definitely not easy being a pure gunner, but it certainly is more enjoyable if you prefer improvising at various points in the game over mindless hack-and-slash (no offense to swordies, of course). The beauty of gunning is that you can have numerous variations in gameplay styles with just a few guns; try it out if you don't believe me.
However, one vital quality a gunner needs (IMO) is the ability to improvise. This is particularly so for PVP when your enemies are nigh unpredictable, and unlike PVE where there's an optimum set for certain levels, almost every gun has a function to aid the team in PVP, and you'll be surprised what guns can do in the hands of a spontaneous player.

Blueflood normally gets more then 10k when I've been with him.
Interesting, I might try out T3 LD again once I've gotten everything to 5*. Hopefully I'll clock in about 8k, not being too ambitious here.

Your sincere hopes are incorrect. If you use your clip, you can't shield while reloading! I don't get it! @~@
Don't use the whole clip.

Sun, 01/22/2012 - 02:25

#20

Fraxur

I am mostly a pure gunner but

I am mostly a pure gunner but I almost never only use guns in LD except when I know if that the other team is not good. The problem I have with pure LD gunning is that I never seem to be able to escape fast enough (I don't really like Recon so I go with Striker) and if I use only guns around good strikers like Sr-Fists and Blazefury, I get torn apart very quickly. Any tips on avoiding them?

Sun, 01/22/2012 - 05:14

#21

Arquebus

Tier 2 Observations

One thing I'd add from my own personal experience is not to try DPS gunning in t2. You can kill somebody chasing you in t3 with three or four hits from an alchemer. With the best buffs and weapons you can get there (fully leveled Shadowtech Mk II, wearing a Cyclops Cap :/ ), it took me SEVEN shots to kill a striker in all 3* gear, and no pendants (I asked him later to confirm this). It's just not worth it trying to kill people primarily with guns there. Area annoy and status application are still effective, though.

Sun, 01/22/2012 - 05:47

#22

Shue-Donnym

Wat

I've been trying to deathmark people before filling them up with needle shot. So far only one person stood still long enough for me to successfully kill him.

Sun, 01/22/2012 - 10:57

#23

Icycloud

There is always no need to go

There is always no need to go for a distance at recon. Strike them down when they are least unexpected, woulnt go into details of how to do.

recon - sniper - camper - one shot one kill.

Sun, 01/22/2012 - 13:13

#24

Blaze-Breaker

What gun should I use if I

What gun should I use if I spend a lot of time as a Recon? I'm planning on working with a Stagger Storm, so I don't think even those guys with Max Shock Skolvers will be much of an issue. I really don't want to use a Polaris out of distaste for the gun, so the way I see it, I'm down to
1) An Alchemer
2) Sentenza
3) Valiance (I don't think normal damage would be an issue, what with the death mark)
Which one should I use?

Sun, 01/22/2012 - 16:21

#25

Good-Spirit

You're just going to use one

You're just going to use one gun?
I'd go with sentenza. It's the most versatile gun - recon or striker.

Sun, 01/22/2012 - 19:11

#26

Neodasus

I like how one of the first

I like how one of the first things in this guide is "If you solo with a gun you are not going to do diddly"

Sun, 01/22/2012 - 19:25

#27

Traevelliath

Antigua...

Personally I think you are missing some stuff in the Antigua section.

Wed, 03/14/2012 - 02:57

#28

Kentard

Heyo, I'm back~

Sorry for the long delay; just here to answer a few questions.

The problem I have with pure LD gunning is that I never seem to be able to escape fast enough (I don't really like Recon so I go with Striker) and if I use only guns around good strikers like Sr-Fists and Blazefury, I get torn apart very quickly. Any tips on avoiding them?
.
Generally I try to keep my distance from those that wield fast weapons, particularly anything along the Flourish line. That being said, try to keep your dash bar at full to get out of sticky situations; kite if you must, but I really do not recommend this against anything more than one opponent.
In addition, if you must escape, try not to go in a straight line, or try to get a teammate to take the heat off you momentarily.

One thing I'd add from my own personal experience is not to try DPS gunning in t2.
I agree, most serious dps gunners are only found in T3. That being said, however, remember that LD is a team game, and like you mentioned, yes, area cancelling and harassing is still crucial to delaying enemy attacks and holding off a point.

I like how one of the first things in this guide is "If you solo with a gun you are not going to do diddly"
Sad truth is gunners still need a lot of love. But if you really do want to solo with a gun, you'll need a lot of practice; not just with the gun, but with experience of various combat situations in LD.

Personally I think you are missing some stuff in the Antigua section.

I mainly use it to disrupt or check for recons. If you hit someone with an Antigua shot, they flinch slightly, which slows them down and messes up their attacks. This can ruin any bomber or someone relying on charge attacks. Also, a quick 5 shot (never all 6) spread on a point can send most recons fleeing or left exposed.
.
Made a few changes, thanks again for the input.
I don't particularly recommend it as a DPS gun (possible, but it takes many shots and sustained fire on one target; an alchemer does the job better), but it can be a useful support tool; primarily to area cancel, as you said.

Wed, 03/14/2012 - 03:11

#29

Gwenyvier

My experience at being a

My experience at being a Gunner in Lockdown is restricted to Recon, and I'm a sub-par Gunner at best. I use the shoot and poof method mentioned above. The best Gunner I've seen is actually a Striker. Bighondo kicks my butt more often then I care to admit with his Alchemers. I do not think I've actually fought Blueflood or it might be him for the best Gunner I've seen. Boost, shoot, boost, shoot, dead Gwenny.

~Gwen

Wed, 03/14/2012 - 13:10

#30

Tenkii

Catalyzer and some misc

Don't even seriously try to use the charge shot unless you're firing into a group of people, and even then, don't expect it to land lol.

Their fast fire rate and slow bullets act as 'walls' that mentally push people to move to the side. If you're clever, you can use that to push opponents into more predictable locations. It's more of a retreating gun than an offensive one both in PvE and PvP.

I don't play too often anymore, but playing as a mediocre Recon (guns/heavy swords):
- Shield-cancelling is so good. You can cloak-ping, shoot, then cloak again and still get the death mark.
- Speaking of death marks, Valiance is absolutely heroic with death mark. 3 bullets with decent fire rate and (death marked) damage lets you use at least 2 to punch them before 'pausing' to chase, dodge, or what have you.
- Moving unpredictably after peeking in to shoot can't be emphasized more. For example, many people assume that after you shoot, you'll either circle sideways or run directly away from them. If you can predict their movements, you can dodge (yes, recon can dodge strikers lol) and counter.
- Status guns (storm driver as my favorite) are really nice for support / first attacks.

Wed, 03/14/2012 - 13:05

#31

Tennis

I disagree with everything

I disagree with everything written about the Blaster line.
Just because it inflicts normal damage doesn't mean it's horrible.
And the Valiance actually has a very useful knock back that isn't "itty bitty".

Here's Thisnameisinuse's damage using Umbra, Valiance, and a Polaris.
http://img14.imageshack.us/img14/8418/amazingld.png

That guy inspired me to make my own Valiance and test it out.
After only a few hours of using it, I already felt the need to place it in my main gunning loadout.

I do hope you change what's written about the Blaster line.
It's definitely not nice to publicize false information.

"As it is often said, a knight need not have courage; just Valiance."

Wed, 03/14/2012 - 15:27

#32

Bighondo

I second Tennis. Most people

I second Tennis. Most people don't have very positive perceptions of the gun, so it's sorta understandable that you described the Valiance the way you did. Can't always judge something by its cover though, which is why you gotta test it out (with an unbiased perspective) for yourself.

Wed, 06/13/2012 - 16:12

#33

Flluttershy

Gunner Damage

I know being a gunner in LD isn't really about dealing vast amounts of damage. But I have always wondered what would be considered good, and relatively decent damage for a T3 gunner?

Wed, 06/13/2012 - 16:31

#34

Dukeplatypus

Somehow, Fluttershy with a gun would still be cute...

I'd say around 8k on average if you see a decent amount of action.

Wed, 06/13/2012 - 16:41

#35

Traevelliath

...

In my experience, decent Gunners get about 6.5k to 9k damage per game. The good gunners do about 10k average, 12k - 15k if they are having a good day.

Wed, 06/13/2012 - 16:52

#36

Atacii

T3 gunner damage.

7~8k is decent. 9~13k is good. 14~18 is very good. You get much above that, and you are probably one of the best gunners in the game. Highest scores I have heard of are 22~23k( not counting the bug).

Wed, 06/13/2012 - 17:00

#37

Dukeplatypus

The only way you can get 20k

The only way you can get 20k is if everyone is a moron and just charges you blindly in a nice mob for a driver, or you go manhunting and forsake caps. If you're an amazing gunner, you tend to average around 10k on good days. Anything higher is usually an exception. I've had days where I get like 10k-12k a game and then just plummet to 4-5k because you just don't see anyone.

Thu, 06/14/2012 - 01:09

#38

Atacii

...

The only time I was able to break 20k was during the bug. The other team wasn't horrible, but they clumped on spawn points a couple times, and the damage from that antigua spam pushed me over the hump.

I have no idea how you'd get it otherwise...by being better than me, I suppose.

Thu, 06/14/2012 - 04:54

#39

Bigfootm

Oh god why.

...This is such an old thread, especially reading the crap I had posted in this back then. Lordy, I'm breaking 15-20k gunning myself.

..How bad was I at the time? .-.

Thu, 06/14/2012 - 09:23

#40

Dukeplatypus

You wrote that before the

You wrote that before the Shadowsun and gun damage buffs, Bigfoot.

Thu, 06/14/2012 - 13:02

#41

Addisond

Yeah...

I disagree with what you said about the valiance, I've seen recons (tennis), hybrids (namewithnumbers), and pure gunners (thisnameisinuse) all use valiance perfectly well. As a skolver clone myself, I can tell you that the knockback is incredibly annoying, especially when multiple hits land, since it messes with your screen, disorienting players. It lacks the statuses and damage of alchemers, sure, but it has special application when it comes to repulsion.

Also, striker is by far the preferred gunner class, though a few choose to use recon. Good gunners often work alone, and since they tend to be highly evasive they are capable of distracting key players for extended periods.

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