My dream set is

Perfect Mask of Seerus
Nameless Poncho / Justifier Jacket
Swifstrike Buckler
Elite Trueshot
Elite Trueshot

VH damage
Max ASI
Med CTR (VH at heat 10)

Then, get Med type damage on guns that have poor charge shots, Med CTR on alchemers and autogun series. I feel like you sacrifice too much with full Shadowsun for it to be really worth it.

Max damage and Ultra ASI might be more optimal, but I'm not exactly pro at dodging so I prefer a more well-rounded build. To each their own. I've relied a lot on Demonic's advice in an earlier thread, so his build is definitely top tier, just too risky for me.

/shrug

I thought I edited my post after I read it again, didn't notice it on the post topic.

And yea, you're right. Don't know what I was thinking. Guns have a fast shield time, thus asi would not benefit you a huge amount when you are using it defencively.

Damage, on the other hand, helps out guns very much. Since guns are pure typed, each increase in damage is increased further when used against the proper enemy, which most gunners do.

Since you seem to enjoy being ctr based:

Seerus mask+asi armour
2x trueshots

Vh ctr
High asi
Vh damage.

Or, you could substitute a trueshot for quick strike:

Ultra asi
Med damage

What's the status resist on those? I say pick depending on those. You're a gunner, dodge those attacks. If in doubt, nameless.

For LD, you need justifier. Full justifier and 2 trueshots, or you won't deal enough damage to harm anything.

I do notice that most dodging mobs are beasts and fiends. Which is unfortunate because my piercing gun is a Strike Needle, and it completely sucks against dodgers.

Shields have no effect in stats in lockdown. They are replaced by your class mods. They do affect the tier you are put in.

Have you a callahan? Terrible for damage, but fun for the dodging monsters.

Honestly, if you do not use Alchemers and you are not in your Blitz loadout, you should not use the mask. A Nameless Hat would be more beneficial unless you need the positive status resistances on the mask. The positive status resistances on the mask is enough of a benefit for someone to use it in FSC if they haven't gotten used to dodging everything.

Right now there isn't a "Best Loadout" because you have to switch according to what you are doing.

A. Swiftstrike buckler... You can easily hit very high asi with armor and hat, then another ASI bonus from a UV. This can make the swiftstrike buckler almost useless of a buff, and extremely weak. Personally, I get low ASI uvs on antiguas, then medium ASI uvs on alchemers because both are pretty cheap and inexpensive. Doesn't take ridiculous work, and is a good little bonus.

When it comes down to it, there are many situations that you do not want to use a swiftstrike because *GASP* you cannot dodge everything 24/7. Some people either don't want to accept that you cannot dodge everything all the time and sometimes might make a slip because you are a human being or something else. We are humans, humans make mistakes even in video games. I doubt you have never been hit, in fact, a lot of the time I am finding shielding very important on Vanaduke because of his charges with fire orbs. It's a simple shield, sometimes you have to shield it, and if you do not shield you suffer fire which sucks. There's a way you can avoid it, though it takes more moving around and less shooting. Having to mash AP in his face now kind of makes more shooting more important now that they don't give us a mobility piercing gun............................. (Or you can solo blitz if you have mastered knowing when he charges vs. smashes. Ugh, it takes so much more work).

Anyways, your shield should be Royal Jelly Shield (preferrable Royal Jelly because we shield mostly pure piecing attacks), Crest of Almire because most shadow attacks are split normal and shock and fire is more devastating than freeze and poison (Comparing to Dread Skelly Shield) in my opinion, then finally Grey Owlite which doesn't have competition.

All three, get a shield for shadow attacks, piercing attacks, and elemental attacks. Before you were even supposed to get an Ancient Plate Shield for gremlins, but not necessary with them and other things like scuttle bots dealing split elemental now...

For your armor, get both Nameless and Justifier for the ASI. You will want both for piercing content (current or future, doesn't matter). You will also want to grab a Mask for blitzing, as all gunners should be getting a Blitz or Plague because of the crazy utility / damage for specific situations. Shadowsun is not as beneficial, explained soon.

Damage bonus and ASI are toe to toe on which is more beneficial for single target DPS. The way to determing which you want is that ASI helps in survivability and damage bonus may in some situations be more beneficial or not beneficial at all (it takes 2 hits instead of 3 to kill something, but damage bonus may sometimes regardless make something take 3 hits and be not extremely helpful bonus).

With that said, ASI seems more desirable, and a low damage bonus is underwhelming.

Now for guns

Survivability:
1. Elemental - Argent Peacemaker in most situations, possibly an Alchemer if you are AoEing packs of zombies.
2. Shadow - Sentenza for gremlins, and either Umbra or Sentenza for slimes based on preferrance. Umbra can take out packs of slimes better. Sentenza is unanimously better for gremlins, not to mention great for mortars.
3. Piercing - Blitz for party utility and bosses, Callahan for survivability.
4. Fourth gun is for utility or survivability, possible damage, but its personal preferrance. I go with Polaris for gun puppies.

All of the above can completely change due to content / the level you are on, switched around in your preferrance to suit the level best.

For trinkets, it's pretty much a given to get damage bonus trinkets for the reasons of ASI being UV-ed and on armor medium per piece, and CTR is generally not worth trinketting.

What does this mean? In order to have the "Best" loadout, you will need a tooooon of guns and armor and trinket slots since this game promotes a wide arsenal for specific content.

So, get to it :3