Spiral Knights - The Elite Bomber Thread

The Elite Bomber Thread

1027 replies [Last post]

Wed, 04/20/2011 - 06:28

Fallout

I'm tired of seeing bombing threads that make me cringe by reading them.... and then the same kind of bombing thread over and over.
So here i am making the elite bombing thread... with all the bombing information you need. (yeah it'll need some help, but i got blast bombs covered =D )

Don't tell me off for not knowing how to bomb.... trust me iv'e been doing this since 09... and my name is Fallout...

This thread is about spreading the word of 'bombs', and breaking away from the mainstream vog cub hack 'n slashers.

Very big sprosions and you.
I am a pure bomber, and own all blast bombs (or am following the alchemy path to the better versions) and currently own a master blast bomb, irontech, Heavy decon, freezing atmoizer and a couple of random super blasts. basically I am working towards a Nitronome , an angry blast with any UV probably at least high gremlin or something, Irontech Destroyer (its terrible =D), A heavy Decon with High construct damage (hehehe bhuai-bye lumbers) a shivermist buster to switch to for soloing (low charge bonus but yeah) and perhaps a ionized salt bomb ftl. basically idc what demo suit i have... V demo would be nice.... but i would rather be equipt with a top hat and monocle and something resembling tesla armour. Who shields when you've got a bomb?

Being a bomber.
being a bomber is one of the most satisfying tasks in a party. You range from shielding others from freakishly annoying wolvers, shielding yourself from freakishly annoying wolvers.... and flailing in a corner just out of reach of gun puppies. Sure it doesn't sound fun, but if you have picked up a bomb, you will understand that evil laugh, that prods anyone into becoming a mad bomber.

First step to being a bomber, is overcoming the spam randomly thing.
As soon as you pick up a bomb, you feel the need to run circles in a room... this makes things frustrating using a blast bomb as enemies fly everywhere and more often then not, into you - mid attack. one simple strategy is to place a bomb, run towarsds your enemy, make a sharp U-turn and place another bomb in the same spot. this results in successful spamming.

Second is caring about you party members.
the blue screen of death..... thats what people tell me as i spam nitronomes everywhere. And as when the eerie blue cloud dissappears everyone is dead.... and everyone blames Fallout. Blast bombs are great for Soloing, but in a party, your group will begin to tire of not being able to see enemies, and have constant jellies fly into them mid attack. it might be fine for you standing at the epicentre of your bomb..... however try to thing of your fellow knights. The only real way to effectively blast bomb in a party is to follow members closely if they have a gun, or just heard enemies into a corner for your swordies to make their move. And if you Don't blast.... great you can skip everything here apart from the blue screen of death business. And being a pain in the neck with ash + oilers or ironized + quicksilvers isn't nice.

3rd is to know party pad placements.
Dungeon knowledge is key in bombing. knowing where to place a bomb before running to the party pad will mean you and your party can last that much longer. Devs have been evil, as spawn spots now change quite a fair bit. Don't worry about the jeering you'll recieve from fellow knights after placing a bomb that does'nt hit, just make sure its a vaporizer.... at least then you can say you're pre-firing.

4th is dealing with range mobs.
there is essentially not a lot you can do being just pure bomber against gun puppies or devilites (etc). blast bombs wont help, and unless your skilled with crystal bombs your out of luck. the only way to get anywhere is to freeze or poison them when you have the chance.... otherwise be me and sit in a corner while waiting for Njthug and Riodaisho to sort things out for you.

tactics
remember this thread is for pure bombing.,.. none of that sword or gun business. there are a few ways to be a major help in danger rooms or bosses, and it might take time to learn them, but they work.

Corner shielding.
One of my favourites is to grab a big radius blast bomb, sit in a corner while the rest of your team guns. it keeps melee mobs distant and your teamates will thank you when a zombie starts noming on their face.

Graviton + Freezy + Fire + Nitro.
if you can afford four weapon slots, and still be pure bomber, this is essential for clearing out rooms solo. basically heard your mob crowd with you graviton, stick them in one place with a freezy. drain their damage with fiery then blow the bajeebus out of them with a well placed Nitro. this is serious fun, and can be minimized if a party all puts in for one bomb type - all stand in one place and let it rip.

Kamikaze.
situations can unfold where you'll have to take one for the team. a prime example is against spiny toxilargos, where poison really demoralizes he team. simply place freezies next to him risking running through the poison field as the status affect of the bomb is all that matters.

More will be added...with possible diagrams.

~----------------------------~

Wed, 04/20/2011 - 08:04

Riodaisho

PROMOTIONS! Awesome thread,

PROMOTIONS!

Awesome thread, but I have to disagree.

I love it when the blue cloud disappears and everybody is dead, but the lagg makes it annyoing :<

Still, keep it up with your bombs, it's awesome to have a good bomber in your team

Wed, 04/20/2011 - 16:21

CrashFu

Legacy Username

Or you can just use something

Or you can just use something from the crystal bomb series, which when leveled up and used with two pieces of bombing gear, result in a charge time little more than some of the guns take to reload. Then you basically just pretend you've got a gun that shoots in eight different directions at a time. And does as much damage per hit as some of the swords. And if placed carefully (read: CLOSELY) will hit one target two or three times at a time. I was doing like 210 damage per bomb to alpha wolvers back when I was still confined to the tier 1 dungeon depths \:D

Probably why nobody has ever actually taunted me when I'm using bombs...

Wed, 04/20/2011 - 16:45

ajericho

Legacy Username

This is a lovely post. And

This is a lovely post.

And now I no longer feel so bad waiting in the corner away from the gun puppies—I really ought to hunt down the second half of the Fused Demo set, the elemental protection will help when I run out from my corner to play medic and then hide again. And now I definitely don't feel bad about the need to plant some of the bombs close to enemies. (Honestly, I do try not to need to do that, but non-crystal bombs are melee weapons, after all....)

... mind you, I still hang onto Khorovod and run three bombs. I haven't made the full plunge.

Wed, 04/20/2011 - 17:03

Njthug

Fallout

This kid is one of the best bombers easily he actually got me into bombing, and well I am not a pure bomber, but I do a pretty good job. If you get two nitro bombs its very useful in runs if you have two bombers it will clear all monsters easily.

I had all the bombs in preview stage, and I have to admit I have a list of bombs I dislike and bombs I like.

Uv's the main uv's you want on your bomb are charge time why you ask?

Okay lets say your bomb does high damage vs construct its a (Blast bomb)....yes, you will own construct, but your charge time will be 3 seconds, but now if you have a medium charge time reduction + the Medium already + V-Demo Helm your charge time will take about 1 Second = about 3 big blasts in 3 seconds instead of one.

Some other strategy:
Blast Bombs (Nitro) - What you should do against construct run around them and place the bomb never run in front of them.
Gun Puppies - Same thing just confuse them and lay the bomb down, and put up your shield and run around them again.
Freeze Bombs - These are some of the best bombs for parties if you have great charge time reductions what I recommend doing is, freeze them then take out a new bomb and do some damage =).

Personally the bombs I dislike using:

1. G-Vortex
2. Venom Veiler

Side-Note:

There are other slow bombs (Big Angry etc, but the blast damage is crazy so they are worth having when you are going up against a lot of monsters to help out the party)

Wed, 04/20/2011 - 17:22

Awesomest

Legacy Username

Epic thread.

One bomber with Shivermist + one with Ash; thank me later.

Also, BOMBER RUN GO! I'M IN.

Wed, 04/20/2011 - 17:44

Npasq

Legacy Username

Question for the Bombers: I

Question for the Bombers: I want to get a bomb to backup my sword. I think I've narrowed it down to either Haze or Venom (I want something that sets up damage over time. No knockback, don't want freeze, just want something that I can switch to, lay in the center of everything, and give the party a bit more damage potential.

Thoughts on one over the other? Or should I go in an entirely different direction? I've been on teams with Haze bombs, and they help a ton. Haven't seen any Venom bombs though. Which I find a little confusing.

Wed, 04/20/2011 - 17:52

Fallout

@npasq basically only bombs

@npasq basically only bombs that will do damage over time is the ionized salt bomb with its shock chance and ash of agni. venom is alright its just one of those bombs that aren't fun to use. and really all venom veiler is good for is to stop healing happening....

Wed, 04/20/2011 - 17:56

Fallout

Also feel like doing a pure

Also feel like doing a pure bomber run right now....
any suggestions on gates? and whose up for one

Wed, 04/20/2011 - 18:26

Shani

Legacy Username

Poison Effect

In addition to preventing them from healing, poison also lowers their attack and defense. That's a pretty solid form of giving the party more "damage potential", unless I'm reading your intention very incorrectly.

Wed, 04/20/2011 - 18:28

#10

Datareaper

I was in arena with a bomber,

I was in arena with a bomber, and we were surrounded by ice jellies.
They got ahead of us and I thought we were done for, and this guy just starts droppin it like its hot with those bombs.
THOSE BOMBS MAN, THOSE BOMBS.
Needless to say me and my pistol felt very inferior at the moment, and I shield screened for him so his bombs could wreak havoc.

Wed, 04/20/2011 - 22:11

#11

Fallout

o_0 just used that fiery

o_0 just used that fiery blast bomb from tier 1..... so much win against tier3 lumbers.

Wed, 04/20/2011 - 22:18

#12

ajericho

Legacy Username

Firecracker is the best 1*

Firecracker is the best 1* bomb, and even outclasses some of the 2* ones.

Wed, 04/20/2011 - 22:32

#13

Negimasonic

No love for the cold snap? It

No love for the cold snap? It was what inspired me to try freezing vaporizer...

Thu, 04/21/2011 - 15:16

#14

Fallout

OK so I'm feeling easter

OK so I'm feeling easter sunday --> at firestorm citadel for a pure bomber run.

Ill be equipped with:
V demo suit (shame i hate it >.<)
heavy demo helm (UV fire resistant)
Freezing vaporizer +charge time reduct (shivermist if i can afford it by then)
Master Blast bomb (no UV = better radius)

and i am deciding between irontech (be quiet haters, i love it), gravidos or a shard bomb.

Thu, 04/21/2011 - 19:12

#15

culture

Legacy Username

Irontech usage?

I finally found the Irontech recipe and will craft one once I get all the parts. I was wondering though, what situations would you use it instead of the old trusty Master Blast bomb?

Sat, 04/23/2011 - 00:53

#16

Fallout

basically i only use it when

basically i only use it when there is easy mobs but a lot of them.... just cus the knockback and damage is that much better.... using it on lumbers sometimes helps as irontech catapults them away from you a lot more than master blast.

Sat, 04/23/2011 - 00:59

#17

Leviathan

Legacy Username

Let's say that I can only

Let's say that I can only have one bomb, as backup to a usual arsenal.

Let's further say that I'm probably not going to be super-skilled with it; I'll have it charged when a fight starts, plant, move, switch weapons. I'll be fighting with a swordie.

What bomb should would you recommend?

Sat, 04/23/2011 - 01:02

#18

Pawn

Question about setting multiple bombs

I've only been bombing for a day now, using a 3 star master blaster, and no bomber armor :( But i have to say it's a lot of fun, and really seems to add to the survivability of the party. I really feel like i can dominate with just the easy crowd control dynamic of it.

Anyhow, i noticed a weird thing that happens sometimes if i'm getting hit right as i put down the bomb, it will make the shield block sound, and instead of setting down one charged bomb i will instantly set down 2 or 3 or 4 bombs at once. Anyone else notice this happening? Is it something you can do intentionally?

Also, a master blaster bomb with UV is always a smaller blast radius? :( I hope not, since so far it's my only alchemy to proc a UV and it was the one i was hoping wouldn't!

Sat, 04/23/2011 - 01:44

#19

Fallout

@ leviathan well, if all you

@ leviathan well, if all you are using a bomb for is to start with on party pads, you'd wither want a nice big bomb with good damage(even a nice dmg UV) as you aren't worrying about charge time. so maybe Irontech, however if you like to get a headstart use a freeze bomb. but remember you will need to learn spawn spots for using these.

@jeburk i am guessing some latency problems.... and about the master blast bomb, yeah im afraid if its any damage UV itll drop the radius a bit. but don't worry if its a high UV... if its anything lower its probably not worth it.

Sat, 04/23/2011 - 18:28

#20

Zolb

What's the prevailing theory

What's the prevailing theory on 5* armor ?

Mad Bomber - worth the risk ?
Volcanic - is the res ideal ? It certainly looks cool.
Bombastic - What's the big draw here ?

Thanks for your input.

Sat, 04/23/2011 - 18:58

#21

Green-Lantern

What exactly does the 5 star

What exactly does the 5 star Irontech Destroyer bomb do? What makes it different than the Nitronome save for being a bit slower to drop? Also, does anyone have a video of Big Angry and Irontech Destroyer exploding? I just want to see what they look like... the screenshot isn't enough lol.

Sat, 04/23/2011 - 20:19

#22

Fallout

@burntgerbil well mad bomber

@burntgerbil
well mad bomber is basically the best option if your not doing firestorm, as it has med damage and charge bonus -definately worth the risk
volcanic.... helm looks terrible (no offence boswick) and the set only gets you a high charge bonus... compared to mads very high.
and bombastic.... just don't bother - looks to much like fused and yeah doesn't do to much for you.

@deckardcain basically if you don't have a lot of crowns or energy, stick with nitronome - sure i love irontech.... it just has no benefits apart from the knockback, which also gets annoying for party members. big angry is nice.... just nitro is still better. for irontech the time after placing the bomb is about double that of a regular blast bomb... and it looks like a firecracker just bigger. angry screams.... thats basically it.

Sat, 04/23/2011 - 20:36

#23

Kalarix

Legacy Username

Bomb Combos

How would graviton + another bomb work?
e.g. Graviton plus freeze, do they get blown out then freeze? Frozen then blown out of freeze?
or
e.g. Graviton plus any of the blasters?

Sat, 04/23/2011 - 21:43

#24

Fallout

Graviton and freeze is great,

Graviton and freeze is great, as freeze lasts a while after place... so if you place a freeze bomb before gravidos does its blast, it will refreeze the mobs.
graviton however isn't really great, and i find it hard to use it at opportune moments. freeze essentially does the same thing but better - keeping bombs in one place

Sun, 04/24/2011 - 17:34

#25

Huntr

Hey Fallout, the wiki says

Hey Fallout, the wiki says vocanic and mad bomber mask give medium reduction. I take it that it upgrades at higher levels? If so cool!

Sun, 04/24/2011 - 17:41

#26

Fallout

the v demo suit gives a low

the v demo suit gives a low charge time reduction and the helm gives a medium.... and no they don't increase over levels. i think i was saying the full v demo set (helm and suit) gives high charge reduct overall wheras mad bomber gives very high.... something like that anyway. yeah it sucks =(

Sun, 04/24/2011 - 22:19

#27

Huntr

Ahh you meant in terms of

Ahh you meant in terms of whole sets. Ok I get it. Even if the set overall gives a high charge reduction, keep in mind that the bomb will get a medium reduction eventually. So OVERALL you'd be one under max or at max without considering any UVs.

Mon, 04/25/2011 - 00:30

#28

Njthug

@Gmhuntr7

Most people who try the mad bomber set like the overall attack bonus as well for bombs especially on those blast bombs. Personally, I use the sword and bomb combo so my best bet is the v-deom helm, but the mad bomber set does give great stats to your bombs.

Btw Fallout my nitro and Ash are completed now...time to get the shiver? Lol <3 you

Mon, 04/25/2011 - 01:44

#29

Sick

Legacy Username

Sparta

Worship the Mohawk. We demand an army

Mon, 04/25/2011 - 01:53

#30

Pupu

Legacy Username

Anyone got a comparison in lvl 10 damage between nitro/angry/iron ?

This is a mission for Fallout (?)

Also, I saw someone with a purple mohawk and Dread Skelly Shield. Looked intimidating.

Mon, 04/25/2011 - 05:11

#31

Fallout

mm tant ask Nj [stuffyou

mm tant ask Nj [stuffyou richboy jk<3].... he has angry and nitro...while im to poor and havnt been playing to much recently..... i almost got irontech des though.

Mon, 04/25/2011 - 05:18

#32

Pupu

Legacy Username

I would, but I think he hasn't leveled any to 10 except for Nitro.

Mon, 04/25/2011 - 06:27

#33

Colt

Bravo

Nice to see a thread about this. And thanks for the tips. I usually solo, and Sun Shards makes nice work of packs/danger rooms/arenas.

But yea, in a group setting, that might not be such a hawt idea :p I remember blowing someone up with explosive blocks because my shards were flying all over the place.

Mon, 04/25/2011 - 06:55

#34

MrToby

Legacy Username

Blast Bomb UV

So I hit a very high damage vs gremlins on a blast bomb. What should I develop it into?

Mon, 04/25/2011 - 11:05

#35

Njthug

@MrToby

I would recommend a Nitro only because the big angry may be far too slow...lets wait for Fallouts view point.

@Tan - Yes, my big angry is just for show right now its nothing I am rushing to level up have a lot more on my plate (Need to get my shiver, level up my ice gun once i get it..., V-sala armor, Royal Jelly Shield/Crown, and umm V-helm, shield, and armor sooner or later....=0. Oh and I should get an argent peacemaker...

Mon, 04/25/2011 - 12:53

#36

Patito

UVs and blast bombs

Hey, thanks for the thread. I'm nearly to building my nitronome and loving every second of it. BUT this is the first I've heard of UVs affecting blast radii. Is this all UVs, or only dmg UVs? Is this only for the blast bomb line or are other bombs affected as well? So, most importantly, will a nitronome with UV CTR have a smaller blast radius? and if so how much smaller? Any word on whether this is intended and might be fixed at some date? Again, thanks for the info!

Mon, 04/25/2011 - 15:06

#37

Fallout

@mrtoby i had ultra damage to

@mrtoby i had ultra damage to gremlins last preview on my nitronome and absolutely loved it. just be prepared to make another nitro just for the radius.

@patito basically im unsure whether CTR uvs do anything to radius.... and if anything they do minimal amount of reduction to the radius. but i know that damage UVs used to reduct the radius to the previous star levels which got quite annoying. and usually all UVs limit another aspect of the gear its on so im assuming this is intended. Perhaps i need some confirmation?

Mon, 04/25/2011 - 16:43

#38

dreampod

Legacy Username

Fallout, I'm trying to get

Fallout, I'm trying to get better with Bombs and I'd love the chance to see a master at work. Would you mind FRAPsing a run and tossing it up on Youtube for some basic instruction?

Mon, 04/25/2011 - 19:09

#39

Fallout

i would if i had a good

i would if i had a good capture cam.... know any good free programs?

Mon, 04/25/2011 - 22:42

#40

gamegeared

Legacy Username

One thing im trying to figure

One thing im trying to figure out is what to take with me into Firestorm. Since everything is fire there my ash of agni is a wasted slot. My Venom Veiler and shivermist bombs are able to be used to great effect. I have considered getting the nironome but i really dont like the huge knock back it has. I'm starting to think maybe i should take a gun of some kind since there is no undead centric bomb. (though if they add a holy handgrenade to this game i will love them forever) Anyone have any suggestions? Im thinking getting a argent peacekeeper might be prudent.

Tue, 04/26/2011 - 01:37

#41

Fallout

MrToby, yes i think the size

MrToby, yes i think the size of the radius on the vh damage bomb will be the size of master blast instead of nitronome.... and if it doesn't end up like that notify me =)

@gamer yeah i noticed your vaporizer focused, which i myself find quite hard to manage while you used them great. however you'd probably benefit from a blast bomb to clear paths... as really ash shiver and veiler wont save you stuck in corners, they're really not that bad just remember to run back to the epicentre after the blast to place another one ;). and if you do go for a gun... don't ask me i stepped towards a silversix and sold it because i didn't like it.

Tue, 04/26/2011 - 01:38

#42

dreampod

Legacy Username

Camstudio is a pretty good

Camstudio is a pretty good video capture program. camstudio.org

Tue, 04/26/2011 - 05:08

#43

Fallout

....i don't trust that

....i don't trust that dreampod cus last time i tried it with spiral knights my computer started flashing blue and green and i couldn't close it cus i could not see anything..... but i guess i can give it another try

Wed, 04/27/2011 - 00:49

#44

SrBlackDove

Legacy Username

Tough decision

Ok, I've got my basic demo suit and demo helm to level 4-5 or so. I'm packing a Calibur, and a Cyrotech Alchemer since they're very straightforward choices.

Now, I'm able to go to T2, but in the last levels I'd flagged as yellow-orange-red. While other people are maybe blue or green. I'm usually hanging back and freezing targets by single-shotting with the cryo-alch at a different target with each shot, hoping for the low end chance to freeze triggering.

The question I have is this; what is a really solid starting bomb choice for the player who can't get higher than one of the 3* bombs?

I'm contemplating the following:

-freeze: damage+ CC
-toxic: damage (?) + DeBuff
-super blast bomb (raw dps)

Right now, the toxic seems decent b/c it's good for JK and I'm in a large enough guild to usually get carried through a JK run. I want to pull my weight more in the mobby fights and with JK specifically.

Wed, 04/27/2011 - 03:13

#45

Fallout

well if you planning to do a

well if you planning to do a lot of JK runs, and you need to pull your wait in more mobby fights...... i have to tell you that there is nothing more satisfying then blowing the bajeebus out of jellies with a blast bomb. however if you like to be more team based go for poison.... freeze makes JK a mess and teamates hate you as they can't break from the crowd of jellies during JKs rampant stage.

Wed, 04/27/2011 - 07:14

#46

Syor

Legacy Username

JK Run

Shivermist/Ash of Agni - venom veiler - Ionized Salt bomb repeat? I'm asking if that's possible for soloing

Wed, 04/27/2011 - 08:38

#47

Icee

Blasted!

I haven't played with the ionized salt bomb since preview, but back then it pissed me off. The charge time was incredibly long, the damage done to enemies was rather underwhelming, and the shard nature meant it rarely hit more than 1 or 2 enemies when a blast bomb would have hit far more. Also, having an option that can significantly disrupt crowd movement (knockback or suck-in) is a good idea at all times, but especially when soloing. I love my Master Blast Bomb and can't wait until I have enough crowns to get the Nitronome (not any time soon - I have 7K out of the 45K for the recipe).

I'm not a "pure bomber" since I carry a sword to finish off stragglers, but if I were I would carry Fire/Freeze, Poison, and Blast in my three slots choosing which to put in the first slot based on level types in the gate I'm entering. I just found a graviton recipe, so I'll have to see how that works in practice. It might be worth using instead of or with the blast bomb on non-graveyard levels.

Thu, 04/28/2011 - 21:03

#48

MrToby

Legacy Username

Requesting feedback from the experts :)

I'm on my way to gearing up. Based on my crafting luck, my plan is to probably end up with:

Dread venom (UV Medium Speed)
Shivermist
Ash
Nitronome (UV Very High to Gremlin)
Volcanic Demo Helm (UV poison resist low)
Volcanic Demo Suit (UV fire resist low)
Aegis

Any thoughts? I really like the posts I've been reading in this thread. Alas, I am a poor boy and hence must plan without experimenting.

Sat, 04/30/2011 - 15:16

#49

MrToby

Legacy Username

Another UV related question

while upgrading my freezing, I hit a UV of undead bonus low. should I abandon it for the increased range, or just keep it for some extra damage (which doesn't make TOO much sense since shiver is mostly for cc)?

Sat, 04/30/2011 - 15:54

#50

Eeks

Toby, The haze line just

Toby,
The haze line just deals elemental in a small ring around the bomb so dmg bonuses aren't as useful as others. The shivermist is kind of a special case though where damage bonuses are even less useful because after your first drop, it is unlikely that you'll be hitting a large group with elemental damage again since it is usually used to keep freeze rather than deal damage. On the other hand, undead are the second easiest units to hit with the haze bomb line imo (the easiest being construct) but I don't think low dmg is significant enough to matter, especially when you're probably going to hit them with your first bomb if you do. If you're going full volcanic, I would try to get low CTR to max out CTR when you get to level 10 (shivermist med + volc helm med + suit low + uv low). I would probably reroll and test your luck. Having NO UV on the shivermist is pretty much the same as low dmg to undead so there is not much to lose.

Also UV fire resist low on your suit isn't helping you since you max out fire resist with both pieces of volcanic.

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The Elite Bomber Thread