Spiral Knights - Arsenal Question

Arsenal Question

5 replies [Last post]

Wed, 12/21/2011 - 21:09

Braveearth

I am close to making my first five 5 star set complete, and before I really began to upgrade my gear I started to plan and acquire other weapons and recipes for when I would go into a more specialized route. I wanted to ask opinions about some of my choices and maybe get suggestions of things to add as well.

My current load out is
Nameless Hat
Ashtail Coat (Planning to make this Snarbolax Coat)
Barbarous Thorn Shield
Dread Venom Striker
Valiance

Other pieces in my possesion
Brandish (thinking Combuster with this and have obtained up to the 4th star for that line)
Snarble Barb
Catalyzer
Magnus
Prismatech Alchemer
Antigua (I had the Gems and I did not want to get the Sealed Sword)
Magic Hood (was my 2 * helm before I got the Gunslinger hat)

I've also learned the recipes for the Wolver Cap, Gunslinger Sash, the Night and Silent NIghtblade. I'm looking also at the Armor that forgoes Normal Damage for a Piercing/Shadow/Elemental Split instead but not sure yet...

Wed, 12/21/2011 - 21:29

Bopp

mixed swords and guns

So it seems that you're into both swords and guns. And am I correct to infer that you use two weapon slots?

Currently you're using two normal-damage weapons (DVS and Valiance). Normal damage is okay; no monster resists it, but no monster is vulnerable to it, either.

If you haven't already done so, read the wiki page on Damage and learn the monster vulnerabilities and resistances. You want to own a piercing weapon, an elemental weapon, and a shadow weapon, and carry at least two of them at a time. The addendum/wrinkle is that, if you're going to carry a gun, then it's useful for the gun to be elemental, because guns are useful against turrets, and all turrets are vulnerable or neutral to elemental.

A classic sword+gun setup would be piercing sword with elemental gun. So upgrade Snarble Barb to Barbarous Thorn Blade and the Prismatech Alchemer to Nova Driver. Great. Also pursue Nightblade/Acheron, and you have a pretty good set. Alternatively, you could go Combuster (Brandish) with Callahan (Magnus) and Acheron, but that is less good, tactically.

Antigua is weak because the two 5-star versions both do split non-normal damage. If you understand the rules of Spiral Knights in detail, this is undesirable. But the developers are currently considering changing this. So keep your Antigua, but do not upgrade it until we see what happens.

For armor, I hope that you know that Snarbolax armor can be crafted only in the Shadow Lairs. So it is not a good choice for your first 5-star armor. I recommend that new-ish players get a general-purpose armor set, and then get additional pieces to build specialized sets. If you get Nameless Hat with Skolver Coat, then you'll have normal, elemental, piercing, freeze, gun speed, and sword damage. Not bad.

Thu, 12/22/2011 - 10:54

Bopp

so in summary

So, in summary, I recommend this loadout:
* Nameless Hat
* Skolver Coat
* Barbarous Thorn Shield
* Barbarous Thorn Blade
* Nova Driver
* Acheron
You have two of these already, and you have precursors and recipes that help you toward the other four. So this is very practical. If you want to stick with just two weapon slots, then carry just two of the weapons at a time. By using them on the correct monsters, you can deal huge damage to 4/6 of monsters and moderate damage to the other 2/6; you're never dealing small damage.

Thu, 12/22/2011 - 11:10

Braveearth

The reason i chose a

The reason i chose a Snarbolax coat over a Skolver was a process of deliberation for me, I knew I didn't want the Skovler because with all the piercing enemies in T3 beyond Giant Lichen Colonies where they have absorbed enough brethren that they instantly knock back Melee I have little to no trouble with. Actually it's the Shadow Damaging Devilites, and Greavers that give me the most trouble with so I wanted to have a buffer accordingly. Also what I am aiming to do in the long game is to have multiple armor sets so I can more supplement parties, I do enjoy using guns and swords yes but I am not against putting one away for the sake of the team. So I eventually plan to get a Nameless Sash and a Wolver Variant 5 Star Cap but that is long game. Also I have amassed some extra weapon slots, but I haven't used them because I plan to craft my weapons up first, because it doesn't make sense to me to be leveling anything other than 3, 4 and 5 star weapons, and since I am still leveling up my first set that's more of a divide of heat.

Thu, 12/22/2011 - 12:31

Bluescreenofdeath

TL: skimmed

Ok, I just skimmed this, but Bopp gives reliable advice.

I would also have to agree that Snarbolax is a poor choice for a first 5* armor. Unless you have really good & well equiped friends/guildmates this will probably end poorly for you.

If you are having problems with fiends a complete Skelly line Set is great. I have a Sinister Skelly Set that I use for Fiend/Undead maps and I really like it. Recently I upgraded my Skelly shield to Dread & it has really turned me into a Shadow Tank. Also, a Dread Skelly set would be pretty well suited for running Ultimate Snarby. Though Radiant Silvermail is probably the most perfectly tuned piece of armor to run Ultimate Snarby with. That or you could craft a Skolver to get through Ultamate Snarby.

To run Ultimate Snarby and get to the alchemy machine you will also have to run the Unknown Passage which will throw all damage types at you. Bopp's fav general Divine Veil/Skolver Coat combo might be handy here.

That BTB that Bopp mentioned will change your life when it comes to dealing with devilites and greavers. An even bigger difference then having a full shadow armor set. I especially enjoy mine with good ASI and throw out swing 1/shield cancels like crazy. It is also super satisfying to charge up the the BTB, while running away, then turn and one shot a flock of greavers in one go.

One other note. I still like my Valiance for Beast and Gremlin maps as these guys are no fun to try to shot with elemental guns (though an Umbra Driver would fill this roll better).

Armor-wise, personally, I crafted a Vog set and a Sinister Skelly set along with a shield for each damage type Grey Owlite Shield, BTS, and Dread Skelly Shield. I am now working on heating up another Ash to take Skolver (or possibly Snarbolax depending on when I upgrade the rest of my Skelly set to Dread).

Fri, 12/23/2011 - 13:39

Bopp

agreed

Braveearth, I agree that shadow armor is more important than piercing armor (even since Three Rings upped the prevalence of piercing dealt by monsters a few months ago). Bluescreenofdeath recommends some good shadow armor, but his other solution to your fiend problem is even better: By getting a good piercing sword, you will be able to tear through fiends, so you may not need shadow armor at all against them.

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