The Elite Bomber Thread
Thu, 02/02/2012 - 13:03
#752
I might play guardian but im
I might play guardian but im also wearing mad bomber so charge time is moot still but yeah i wasnty sure how much slower or how long the fuse time is but thanks just going to keep nitro for both
Thu, 02/02/2012 - 13:14
#753
I have a question...
Which
I have a question...
Which should I craft first for 4*?
Helm(Fused DEMO)
Armour(Fused Demo)
My vortex(G)
My hazes(Minus Haze MKII and Including Lightning cap)
My Iceburst
My Temp Cali
My TSC
Or my shield(s)?(Horned Owlite or Plate to 4*)
Thu, 02/02/2012 - 23:32
#754
Swordie mc. bomb-bomb
I love being a fullout bomber but am not yet skilled enough to be able to take all bombs out for a spin in party instances. I love using vortexes and freezers simply due to their utility during fights where the party gets 'cornered' (more like mobs themselves to death) and I can just lay a few vortex (electron was my first btw) and/or freeze then pull out a sword to mash in some skulls/jelly. (think I'll become better acquainted with the Freezing Sword Charge combo, if I can get the UV's anyway.)
My question was if a Mad bomber helm could be recommended for a person who incorporates swords into the bombing play.
Thu, 02/02/2012 - 23:46
#755
@Atrumvindex
Upgrade the
@Atrumvindex
Upgrade the vortex or hazes first. If you are farming JK right now the best one would probably be the Fiery Vaporizer.
@Skold
Most people would go with the Volcanic Demo Helm. Mad and Volcanic helm both give CTR Med and the damage bonus on the mad is not that great for vortexes and vaporizers. The Volcanic also gives you fire resist which is great in FSC unlike the status weaknesses that Mad give you.
Fri, 02/03/2012 - 06:17
#756
@Skold:
What I do is use Full
@Skold:
What I do is use Full Mad Bomber and carry a utility sword. The reason I chose Full MB over Volc/MadBomber is because with a bomb trinky that puts me at max/max, opening up a single trinky slot for sword damage, then I use a BTS, putting my swords at Damage:VH straight off the bat, with full max/max on my bombs. Carry a half-fast sword with an effect (I chose Glacius to work nicely with hazes) and you can chop hard/fast if you choose to, and still have maxed bombs for your other three slots.
However, this is, obviously, incredibly fragile of a build. The shield only covers piercing and not much of it, and the set is pretty flimsy with huge neg.res's, so it requires you being a mix of very aggressive in your actions, but also very careful in your positions.
Fri, 02/03/2012 - 21:25
#757
So, I'm newish to bombing,
So, I'm newish to bombing, but here's my current loadout:
Mercurial Demo Helmet
Mercurial Demo Suit
Dragon Scale Shield
2x Elite Bomb Focus (Probably swap one out for damage trinket once I max out all my bombs)
Ash of Agni
Graviton Bomb
Master Blast Bomb
Polaris/Callahan (depending on strata)
Should I make any changes? The armor is pretty much locked in, one: because I love it, and two: because I feel it is good armor.
Sat, 02/04/2012 - 00:59
#758
Change the shield; you can't
Change the shield; you can't afford to be wearing a flimsy shield as a bomber, it's your only lifeline.
If the merc.demo is staying then definitely switch out one of the trinkies for damage; you'll find your bombs not hitting hard enough; the main purpose of merc.demo is for when your bombs have decent CTR UVs, then spamming damage trinkies, but you can work around that for sure.
Since you only carry one dps bomb that shouldn't be *too* much of a problem. Vortex spamming can do any job safely, will just take a couple more vortexes, and AoA doesn't need damage, but the Nitro will need it badly. 5* it and use that or an appropriate replacement; usually for RSS or DBB as and when needed.
Utility weapon choices seem fine, generally always want somethin' that causes a wee effect or so to make it more useful, since it won't be around for dps.
You have:
DoT/Haze/Status
Control/Damage
DpS
Utility
Boosted movement from set.
Most important thing to fix is the shield and you should be good to go!
Sat, 02/04/2012 - 11:36
#759
Meh, I don't really think
Meh, I don't really think that dragon scale is "flimsy" I've been using it for a very long time, and don't notice it breaking must/any sooner then most other people's shields. But, what would you recommend as a replacement if I decided to? I've been a gunner for a long time, so the idea of just not getting hit and kiting things...well, those are idea's I have nearly mastered.
Also, I plan on getting those CTR UV's on my bombs, but they just don't want to seem to land. I'll also be willing to switch them out when my bomb's are 5*, and leveled up a bit so they don't natively charge so slow.
I'm still on the hunt to buy a RSS or DBB, I'm getting pretty tired of leveling stuff to 10 just to get it to 5*, so I'm hoping to just find one of the bomb's so I can buy it at 5*.
Sat, 02/04/2012 - 12:36
#760
TL;DR at bottom
It's easy to test shields; just do the bramble test or walk into a crowd of enemies. Most of the popular 5* shields will generally survive 30~60% longer than Dragonscale. Normal damage is present virtually everywhere, even on T3, so that's a whole section of damage you'll find yourself without defence against. The main problem is that the two defence types are those which you won't find together that often, meaning you're generally better with a two separate shields, one for each appropriate map.
I made a post about it some time ago here asking about it and got pretty helpful explanations (altough the end of the thread goes off on a complete tangent , it's the early posts we're focussing on) and have since tested it as many places as I can think to make use of it, but it just doesn't hold up.
As a replacement it depends on what your game plan is. Personally I use BTS/Swifty shields or Gray Owl. The Gray is good for FSC/Shock areas and keeps your base defences very high for when you need to shield a lot. The BTS/Swifty are for when I'm in full Mad Bomber and have a trinky slot dedicated to my utility weapon, allowing the shield to help boost that weapon as well so I can kill things with whichever weapon I choose; this is generally for maps that can afford to not have shields (unfortunately, FSC is one of those places ever since the Nerfstorm...). Fiend maps I tend to use Skelly/Gray Owls, and easier maps get the BTS/Swifty. If you're using guns and are particularly adept at dodging -especially if you find the Dragonscale to not be a hinderance- then a Swifty might be just up your alley, giving your gun a boost, since you obviously don't use your shield that much.
DBB doesn't change much at 5* actually. The rad gets a bit bigger, but so does the fuse, and the damage is relatively small. DBB and Nitro and probably the bombs least affected by 5*, but that's not to say it's not worth it. However, keep in mind that RSS caps at 4*, so is very cheap to craft, and can very easily run in the 5* league; RSS can destroy FSC; never need to use any other weapon at all in there.
TL;DR:
Dragonscale sucks, easily testable, link given to explain.
If you're not worried about high defence in shields, use a Swifty for your gun.
If you do want a defensive shield, Gray Owl is probably your best bet, covering you from shock.
DBB will be fine at 4* for the time being.
RSS caps at 4* and is basically as good as any 5* bomb.
Sun, 02/05/2012 - 16:28
#761
Which Bomb to Upgrade to 5* First?
I have a Mad Bomber Mask & Suit & a Couple of 4* Bombs. Which one would Benefit Me & Teammates More?
Irontech Bomb(Probably not...)
Master Blase Bomb
Plasma Capacitor
Spike Shower
Sun, 02/05/2012 - 17:27
#762
The plasma capacitor has
The plasma capacitor has great functionality in parties. However since the radius of the 4* has been buffed I might put off upgrading that first.
The spike shower is great for wolvers and devilites and it will receive a nice damage bonus from your mad bomber. It is also a lot more party friendly than the blast bomb lines (in general).
If you run solo (or duo) more often and you find that you don't hit wolver or devilite levels too often, then I would go for the master blast bomb.
So either the spike shower or the master blast bomb depending on what levels you frequent and how many people are in your party.
Sun, 02/05/2012 - 17:57
#763
So i've been trying to discover a decent PvP bomb loadout...
Lately I've been experimenting with a whole lot of bombs for pvp t2 and ive pretty much decided on a RSS with Plasma cap combo occassionally being replaced with a blast bomb. It probably what most bombers do. the only problem is the toothpick strikers. Some of the less skilled ones can be kite bombed with my Shards but others are harder. The combo of the range of the first swing and the speed makes it almost impossible to get a good number of bombs out to do some damage. has anyone found a way to fight agianst fighter tooth picks? im starting to believe a way doesnt really exist...
My current loadout
Fused demo helm
quicksilver mail
Shards/Nightblade/Sealed Sword
Plasma cap/Super Blast/Twisted Spine
Dual heart trinket
Dual heart trinket/Rock jelly band
Usually recon
I also have pretty much every 3 useful 3 star bomb besides stun and poison vap. I usually hit from 1.5k to 2.5k damage and about 3 or so caps. Is that pretty much going to be my max as a bomber in T2 PVP or is there another way
Sun, 02/05/2012 - 18:56
#764
Go recon with full
Go recon with full quicksilver. You dont need the demo helm since you already get Max CTR from lvl10 bombs and being recon.
I would definitely recommend getting the haze bomb mk2 since it slows down their attack and makes it easier to dodge the full combo. You could alternate the stun with some damage bomb though I would recommend using a sword.
Mon, 02/06/2012 - 17:01
#765
Best 2-bomb loadouts for
Best 2-bomb loadouts for FSC/JK/general use?
Both solo and party bomber please.
Mon, 02/06/2012 - 18:16
#766
2 Bombs and nothing
2 Bombs and nothing else?
Solo:
JK: Graviton + Ash/Vt
FSC: RSS + DBB/Shiver
General: Haze/Vortex + Appropriate dps (so for wolvers have DBB, for gremlins, Gravi+DBB, for construx use shiver+RSS etc etc)
Party:
JK: Graviton + Ash/Vt
FSC: RSS + EV/Shiver
General: Vortex + Haze/Appropriate dps
In FSC, the DBB is pretty much solely for Trojans; it can kill them fast and extremely safely, but if you're in a party you can generally let others do that, since it'll free up a slot for you allowing bombs that will be useful for more of the lair.
For general, a vortex is generally better for party play since it groups everythin' together and allows the whole group to lay into the mobs all at once. If people are inexperienced with workin' around vortex bombers though, then hazes are still a safe/easy bet and should never really cause any hassle. Worst comes to it, if your party is heavy geared around dps you can just roll with a haze+vortex.
Wed, 02/08/2012 - 00:29
#767
I am a pure bomber
I started out as a pure bomber, and i ended up as one... and i started because.. well... i like the bulky innocent look of the demo suit c: <3 Bur anyways, i am thinking i want to go for a mad bomber suit , bt not helm... idk why , but i can be careless at times ... i have a shiver , a nitro, some radiant sun shards, and a .... supernova XD .. im going for Voltaic Tempest next (lockdown purposes mainly) but what do you reccomend i go for next? i really want a mercurial demo suit .... and a bombhead of some sort .. XD ... but yeah ! id appreciate some input regarding what i should go for next! ..
Fallout you're my SpiralKnights idol , not only because bombers are scarce, not only because you are a good bomber, bt because i can tell you share the same enjoyment and love for them as i do ~
Blast-on Fallout!
Wed, 02/08/2012 - 12:28
#768
Um mm....
Should i go full bomber? What is the pros/cons? Is it smart if in snarbolax/IMF/graveyards and other places?
Is stagger storm useful for LD?
If i got blast bombs, Should I keep my Twisted Spine Cone? I blast bombs viable?
Wed, 02/08/2012 - 13:47
#769
@Diamon:
If you want all the
@Diamon:
If you want all the CTR of Mad Bomber but not the full neg.res, then the common option is Volc.Demo Helm, as that gives CTR:Med, better defence and fire res. Stack that with a MB Suit and you'll have CTR:VH, Damage:Med. An extra 5* trinky will cover the loss. That will also put you at a slight fire res positive and slightly higher base defence.
Merc.Demo is maybe not an option just because it's SL gear, and will take a while to get there to craft (or cost a fortune to buy from players) if you're after it.
@Atrum:
You should only if you want to and/or enjoy it. Although, even pure bombers should still carry around a spare utility sword/gun (with a 4-weapon loadout) as 4 bombs is generally un-needed in any one floor, and a spare utility can be unbelievably handy for quick situational requirements.
Bombers are amazing in GYs with a wee RSS, they can walk through RJP, FSC; most places can be done really easily as a bomber. Snarby maps can be done but Snarby himself is slightly slower as a bomber. I think the worst place to be a pure bomber is probably IMF. But all the really juicy exciting places, bombers excel at.
Pro/cons? Off the top of my head:
Pros:
(Assuming you're using at least 3 weapon slots) Lot of options and tactics available
Interesting and fun combat styles more than just swing,swing,swing...
Aoe all the way
You can virtually seamlessly switch between dps, crowd control, status afflicter or a mix...
(Since you'll have only bomber gear) you'll be able to launch of bombs much quicker than anyone else and spam things like VT/Shiver
Cons:
Typically low defence
The best sets come with harsh negatives, or are difficult/expensive to get
You rely entirely on charge timers which puts you in a constant state of vulnerability
Due to the "interesting and fun combat styles" you might also find them restrictive (i.e, not being able to use DBB against slimes etc)
Stagger is useful in PvP but requires some degree of spamming as it doesnae last very long. It's all but suicidal in the CW as stun is bugged there.
Blast Bombs are certainly viable; for Nitro you just need a lot of practice to really get used to how to run it in a team friendly manner (I have a bombs rundown here which includes a few mentions on how to run it in a way that most new bombers don't seem to think of, that's much more team friendly than randomspam) but despite that problem from the KB they're certainly still useful. Twsited Spine Cone turns into DBB which is essentially a pure-pierce Nitro, without the KB; it's also one of the most useful bombs in the game, letting you effortlessly destroy fiends and beasts (it has no KB, but still has a knockdown) in a completely team-friendly manner. Bombers are probably the fastest clearers of Wolver Dens with DBB.
Thu, 02/09/2012 - 13:07
#770
Should I get blast bombs?
I
Should I get blast bombs?
I got all my bombs(via two posts ago) but should I get RSS? A pro/con would be It only goes upto 4* so it would be easier.
Thu, 02/09/2012 - 14:10
#771
@Atrumvindex
Until they get changed (if ever) skip all but the Nitronome from the Blast Bomb line. All the other blast bombs have severe handicaps compared to the Nitronome. These handicaps are never make up for the slight benefits each bomb provides.
I personally like Dark Briar Barrage much more than Nitronome. It is less distruptive in team play and simpler to use since it has knockdown instead of knockback. However, if I'm solo or with my bombing buddies then Nitro does great crowd damage and is very fun to use - Nitro is the reason many of us got into bombing :)
RSS is fun to kill Zombies with. It does good damage to fiends too, but it is tricky/distruptive to hit them, I prefer DBB over RSS for them. Surprisingly good for PvP - if you lag less than your opponent then they going to have a hard time dodging the shards. I'd personally put that on a lower priority than other bombs, but definitely keep it on your list. You can always make a Crystal bomb to see how you like it then decide from there.
Fri, 02/10/2012 - 00:18
#772
my problem...
I started doing my 4* crafting and I may be put off from doing it via the blast bomb and crystal bomb because I am F2P.
Fri, 02/10/2012 - 13:27
#773
F2P just means the game lasts
F2P just means the game lasts longer dude. There's no real rush. Everything normal (concerning crafting) can be done as a F2P player. I would know. The only thing you can say you can't get is exceptional UVs or costume items (without mercanting or running FSC so many times you become as soulless as the zombies you fight).
Sun, 02/12/2012 - 04:29
#774
helmet
Hey, I want to ask. Currently I have a 4 star heavy demo helm with heat level 10 (complete). I was wondering if i waited for mercurial demo helm, or get volcanic demo or mad bomber. I like to use brandish swords alongside with freezing atomizer. Please consider
Sun, 02/12/2012 - 22:42
#775
@Supermind Go volcanic. A
@Supermind Go volcanic. A damage buff from mad or bombastic/mercurial will do nothing for your freezing atomizer.
Sun, 02/12/2012 - 23:09
#776
Aaaand the mewkat gets post
Aaaand the mewkat gets post number 777.
To stay on topic:
Is the graviton worth using on shadow resistant monsters, if only for the vortex effect? Assuming one is too lazy to obtain recipes of the electron from hours of LD grinding.
Sun, 02/12/2012 - 23:13
#777
~
It won't be absorbing kats, that's for certain. However, it can be used on zombies. Devilites I would not recommend, its slowdown effect makes you vulnerable to taking an armchair to the face. Greavers, idk... kinda risky I would assume, but most people go pierce or elemental weapons on Greavers anyways.
Sun, 02/12/2012 - 23:20
#778
You mean, it won't suck in
You mean, it won't suck in kats? I was under the impression that damage type didn't have a hand in cc.
Mon, 02/13/2012 - 08:41
#779
Almost all monsters will be
Almost all monsters will be sucked into a vortex. The few exceptions are Vana, the twins, and any turret type monster. Kats and greavers do get sucked in but due to the fact that their attack or movement includes a "charge to some point" they will get out of the vortex.
Mon, 02/13/2012 - 09:16
#780
Yea, my friend recently
Yea, my friend recently upgraded her graviton or whatecer to 4*. And I'm going to pressure her into buying a 4th slot.
So the graviton is good enough for zombie clumping.
Mon, 02/13/2012 - 09:19
#781
/facepalm
doublepostbump!
Mon, 02/13/2012 - 10:17
#782
Hmm
Amusingly, when vortexes were first released (maybe it was on the test server? can't recall) they sucked in turrets. So people would go to an arena and, for the lulz, move all the turrets to one corner.
Mon, 02/13/2012 - 16:55
#783
LULZ
@Culture if only they kept that, I would never stop being amused by that.
Mon, 02/13/2012 - 17:11
#784
~
Man if they kept that, I'd try making love puppies into my pets.
"Here doggy!"
*plants vortex*
Sat, 02/25/2012 - 15:32
#785
the predicament
hi again i got a plight
I buyed a demo helm with UV fire resistance med and months later I buyed a demo suit with UV shock med, at the plan with the demo suit was make a mad suit but I´m not sure about the helm (I have, a volcanic demo helm) if it is crafted in a volcanic demo helm it gonna give me a extra fire resistance and void the fire weakness of the suit giving me a good resistance in vana (actually I´m using mad suit and volcanic helm but the low resistance sucks) but for use only the helm with other armor is better to make it mad. Later the same predicament come with the armor if I make it a volcanic suit it gonna cover the fire and shock weakness of the mad helm (I know, the ctr bonus isn´t that good as the mad suit)
so what do you think is the best to do?
Sun, 02/26/2012 - 06:10
#786
Assuming I have correctly
Assuming I have correctly deciphered what you were trying to say, Volcanic Helm + Mad Suit would be the better choice since you'd end up with more fire resistance, the same amount of shock resistance and better CTR bonuses.
Sun, 02/26/2012 - 07:54
#787
What weapons would you take
What weapons would you take for candle-stick keep. That stage gave me real trouble today with those Kats flying around. Can't even hit them with RSS.
Anyway so far im thinking
RSS
Shiver
Anything else?
Btw i have Mad bomber suit and volcanic demo helm thanks :D
Sun, 02/26/2012 - 10:15
#788
Hmm
Voltaic Tempest works really well in Candlestick since the shock will repeatedly interrupt the Kats.
Other than that I like to use RSS. The trick is to stand by a wall, have the Kats charge toward the wall, drop the bomb and run. Since the Kats will stop and turn around at the wall, they won't overshoot the bomb.
You can also just spam the bomb such that they charge along the shard's line, that way it is unlikely to miss and you can keep your distance. In most cases a shard will do enough damage to interrupt them too, but might need a damage boost in a large party at a deep depth.
Sun, 02/26/2012 - 10:15
#789
Sigh,
Remember me? Regular poster here and now I have a question,
In HoH, if you have (insert Number)* clearance, you can buy the(insert number) * stuff, right? Well I need to get T3 clearance and Remi would be a good source, but to get the 4* bomber stuff, I need T3 clearance, right?
So, should I go Basil(First time since missions) and look for Heavy Bomber set, Horned owlite shield to do this or does having 3* clearance allow you to access 4*(I haven't unlocked the Second HoH mission yet)?
Sun, 02/26/2012 - 10:22
#790
There is 3 HoH missions.
There is 3 HoH missions. Presumably, 2*, 3*, and 4*. The last hall mission allows you to buy 4* recipes. There is currently no T3 missions as of yet. All you need is 4* equipment to finish it.
Sun, 02/26/2012 - 10:24
#791
So, Basil.
Well back to normal, huh.
*Uses Arcade tab for the first time since the missions.*
Sun, 02/26/2012 - 10:37
#792
No
You can get access to the
No
You can get access to the HoH to buy recipes but you wont be able to complete the mission without 4* stuff.
Sun, 02/26/2012 - 11:49
#793
Trying is correct. Also for
Trying is correct. Also for people with Spiral Spy, check out of the models for the 5* Hall of Heroes vendors, and be sad.
Mon, 02/27/2012 - 00:22
#794
Re: HoH
/me opens Spiral Spy
What the... really? x_x
Mon, 02/27/2012 - 11:27
#795
LOL!
BOMBASTIC!!!!!!!
THEY'RE PROMOTING BOMBASTIC!!!!!
Mon, 02/27/2012 - 15:20
#796
They know what makes us cringe.
^spoilers
Mon, 02/27/2012 - 21:58
#797
T2 LD bomber set advice?
Recently, for fun, I made a Sun Shard bomb for T2 LD, go recon, and spam a whole lot on one cap point, smiting opponents from afar and just annoying the heck out of them. Quite a refreshing experience actually. X3
So, I decided to let the Sun Shard be a secondary weapon, along with my Fireburst Brandish as my main (I still love swords).
What helmet and armour would you recommend to get in optimizing performance for both sword and bomb? My current loadout:
Spiral Demo helm
Wolver coat
Green Ward shield
Fireburst brandish
Sun Shards
2 Dual Heart trinkets (I tend to go guardian when there's a lot of toothpickers)
I'm aware that I need 3* equips, but I hope to seek advice from you guys before crafting. I don't want to waste crowns and CE again, now with the unstable economy in SK.
Also, should I just focus more on building a FULL bomber set and let the sword be a utility (or final defense when recon cloak breaks) one?
Thu, 03/01/2012 - 10:11
#798
So for those of you that
So for those of you that haven't seen yet, here is a video of the Dark Retribution in action. This is a phenomenal bomb, it tears nearly anything to shreds in seconds and we finally have a much needed rapid-dps weapon for dishing out damage against bosses (RSS can only go so far sadly). I still have yet to fully level it, but I can definately forsee this becoming a mainstay in every single one of my bombing loadouts that aren't designated for shadow themed stratums.
Thu, 03/01/2012 - 13:15
#799
Kurowolfe
I would recommend
Kurowolfe
I would recommend getting the quicksilver set since it has the most pierce resist and protects against shock. You dont need any bomber gear since the recon bonus already gives you max if your bombs are at max heat.
Thu, 03/01/2012 - 20:33
#800
Ah, thank you~
But... since I rarely do IMF missions (lag is awesomesauce), and I spent all that I have on the Shock bomb, that'll have to wait.
Speaking of the Shock bomb, I love it so much! I might be a full-time swordie, but the fresh change of pace of being a bomber is nice ^w^
@Echoez: Yeah, I've seen the bomb (and the rocket sword) in action yesterday, and I think it'll definitely be one of the main arsenals for bombers in the future.... well, those who choose to anyway. It does lag gameplay more than usual though, and even the user had mentioned that he lagged a bit more while using it.
The one gripe I have with it is what others had mentioned in the General thread: it'll tip the already unbalanced LD stages until they turn turtle. I had enough trouble trying to navigate/defend/strategize against toothpickers, now I'll have to think on how to repel off rocketeers and swirlers too =w='
Still, I guess that's the fun in LD: adapting to different circumstances in every game to win!
BAB has a higher movement reduction while charging and a longer fuse time; it's far easier for other players to avoid it and far easier for them to attack you and thusly cancel the charge. If you find Nitro hard to use against players, BAB will only be radically harder, and the damage most certainly not worth the extra effort and danger.
Nitro isn't really about being the high damage bomb in PvP, that's more just to control some areas, create knockback and spread random damage within groups. RSS is your damage bomb in PvP; you'll get all your kills with that.
Fair enough point about shiver, a lot of people will have decent resistance, but it still helps a huge amount; even if people run around the freeze or try to fly through it, or even the freeze doesn't last long, simply having the haze dropped will create an area control; people won't want to run into it, and it'll force folk to slow down and detour, and if you drop it within enemy CPs, they'll generally leave just to avoid it. This will apply to all hazes of course, but freeze has the ability to lock their turning, so you can run circles around them and stay safe. VT is also pretty good as most strikers don't tend to walk in with huge shock resistance, and they're the ones you'll be hazing the most.
Stagger will be good in the sense that no one really has resistance to it, but the natural timer on stun is pretty low and causes no damage, so you'll find yourself generally needing to spam the haze and let other teamies do the damage, or get very well practiced in switching from stagger to RSS, to stagger to RSS, while aiming your dps bomb and avoiding any potential damage and keeping your target within the haze. Freeze and shock have the ability to forcibly keep the target inside the haze, whereas stagger allows them to walk out of it.
Ofc, not sayin' Stagger is a bad idea at all, just pointing out some difficulties with it, letting you know your options. If resistance is what you're worried about though, then freeze/fire will be the most resisted. VT/VV will work on usually everyone pretty well.