Spiral Knights - Swordsman wanting to become a gunslinger ( Need serious help )

Swordsman wanting to become a gunslinger ( Need serious help )

22 replies [Last post]

Fri, 04/06/2012 - 11:50

Leviance

Recently, I've gotten frustrated and bored of playing swordsman and would want to try out some of the firearms. I've searched a lot of load-outs and there were lots of situational fundamentals in being a gunner and thus most of the suggested load outs were different for many different people.

The reason why I'm asking for advice is because this is a new thing for me as I've never used guns before and I'm not planning to throw away my swordsman gear as I'm more of a collector. However, I would like to utilize two pieces of my swordsman gear: The owlite sheild ( Max elemental ) and my Divine Veil ( Max fire resist ). I also have a true shot trinket already prepared and all I really need is other pieces of the puzzle to help me manufacture my new gunslinger that will be using full guns.

My current load out plan:

-Armory
Divine Veil 5*
Owlite Sheild 5*
Justifier jacket
2x Elite Trueshot Trinkets.

-Guns ( Need to shop for these )
Polaris ASI Med - VH
Shadow Umbra ASI Med - VH
Callahan ASI Med - VH
------
Blitz Needle CTR Med - VH <---- I'll get this much much later. ( Rather save my CE )

Fri, 04/06/2012 - 12:06

Juances

You dont need such UVs. The med from justifier is enough, besides I would take CTR instead of ASI in some guns. Mainly blitz and alchemers.

Fri, 04/06/2012 - 12:11

Leviance

Thanks

Thanks for the feedback, at least I know the minimal criteria is not too much of a hassle but I rather go for the good things ( If I can ). Also I rather go for ASI for the alchemer as taking out gremlin healers among mobs can be deviously hard.

Fri, 04/06/2012 - 12:56

Somenubcake

armour shield and trinkets

armour shield and trinkets are rock solid. excellent defence spread.

guns:
if you are going to stick with 1 elemental gun, lose the polaris. it's ok for utility but its dps is horrid. I recommend an elemental alchemer instead (a nova if you are just going for 1 elemental gun, because it's got solid damage and works well everywhere). If you are just choosing a polaris because you want a different type of gun than a umbra driver, then go for an AP. AP's got great dps and is very easy to use.

callahan / blitz <-- keep in mind that these guns are not as good as piercing swords or bombs in general clockwork

Fri, 04/06/2012 - 13:08

Bopp

largely agree

I'm not an expert gunner, but I've tried loadouts like yours, and yours looks good. As Somenubcake says, you should probably replace the Polaris with another elemental gun: Nova, Storm, Magma, or Argent. (I find Hail Driver hard to use.)

Fri, 04/06/2012 - 13:36

Teh-Rawrcake

Callahan vs. Blitz Blitz, you

Callahan vs. Blitz

Blitz, you have to pay more attention.

Callahan, you can just derp about and things start dying.

As far as the armor goes, consider Perfect Mask of Seerus + Radiant Silvermail. When compared to your current divine veil / justifier jacket, you gain and lose:

- low ASI
- stun resistance
- freeze resistance
+ poison resistance
+ medium CTR
Swap the fiend medium for undead medium.

You'll retain both the shock resistance and the fire resistance.

What does this make? Well, you are a bit more useful in FSC as opposed to heavy fiend levels. You are considering both alchemers and a Blitz, so CTR is great for you, medium CTR definately > a low ASI. However, you won't have that much ASI.

Still, PMoS + RSM is something to consider.

Fri, 04/06/2012 - 14:16

Demonicsothe

Perhaps a full gunslinger set

Perhaps a full gunslinger set will benefit your guns more. Defence is, from my point of view, not as influential for gunners. Granted, the same is true for swordsmen, but they do have more of getting up close and personal situations. So what I am suggesting is, gunslinger hat or seerus mask instead of your divine veil.

I've played with all three weapon types, as pures. What I can tell you is, a piercing sword gives you so much more utility than blitz/calla. Especially against greavers. Blitz works, as long as you can hit them. Same goes for calla. Autoaim helps, but it is not recommended for other aspects of gunning. Another setback of pure gunning is lack of knockback. Unless you carry a valiance, being cornered is real dangerous. A toothpick will let you quickly throw out hits to create space.

Look into the swiftstrike buckler for guns. In T2, it can take most hits, and the asi helps very much.

Since you have an alchemer, practice getting ricochets off. 3* and above, each shot will ricochet to the left of your knight. You'll have to know how to properly position shots and yourself to ricochet as much as possible. This is the way they keep up in damage.

Fri, 04/06/2012 - 15:01

Leviance

So it all comes down to

So it all comes down to Polaris vs Storm Driver for me.

Fri, 04/06/2012 - 15:07

Espeonage

Polaris will allow you to

Polaris will allow you to lock-down Gun Puppies and Howlitzers, and provide ranged knockback.

Storm Driver will let you hit things that your Umbra doesn't hit as hard.

Fri, 04/06/2012 - 15:16

Demonicsothe

I echo the other posters

I echo the other posters thoughts on polaris. I myself have a gigawatt, and I only ever use it against turrets. My dps gun is storm.

Fri, 04/06/2012 - 16:01

#10

Leviance

I Like to think in...

I like to think in practical format, so will storm drivers be able to take out gun puppies as well as Polaris? Or maybe a little less effective?

Fri, 04/06/2012 - 16:23

#11

Demonicsothe

Storm can potentially out

Storm can potentially out damage polaris on gun puppies. But the utility of the knockback is extremely useful, expecially in places with more enemies than just one turret. And for a full gunner, it keeps you really safe, since that is your only source of knockback.

It's practical to run both.

Fri, 04/06/2012 - 16:44

#12

Leviance

Now I'm rather interested to see your load out o_O

Fri, 04/06/2012 - 16:51

#13

Demonicsothe

Full shadowsun Trueshot Gun

Full shadowsun
Trueshot
Gun Focus
Storm
Gigawatt
Blitz
Swiftstrike buckler

That's my gunner loadout, occasionally switching blitz for callahan.

Fri, 04/06/2012 - 19:55

#14

Soulstaker

Kilowatt pulsar and higher

Kilowatt pulsar and higher will interrupt the knock back because of it's shock. Idk about storm driver because I only have the 2*

Fri, 04/06/2012 - 19:58

#15

Demonicsothe

Voltech is rather unreliable

Voltech is rather unreliable for interrupting attacks. The best you can do is shoot it as fast as possible, using the shock that does happen on infliction to interrupt attacks. But shock ticks are unreliable for interrupting enemies. However, you could time your polaris shots to hit an enemy while shock does tick.

Most of polaris interruption lies in the massive knockback, not shock.

Fri, 04/06/2012 - 20:43

#16

Quasirandom

You do know that you can

You do know that you can carry swords and guns at the same time, don't you? And that you should? Going with just one type of weapon means you'll be gimpy whenever fighting mobs where that one type of weapon doesn't work very well.

Fri, 04/06/2012 - 21:06

#17

Bigfootm

What Dark Ritual?

If you ask me, one of the best gunner loadouts is:

Perfect Seerus Mask
Justifier Jacket/Nameless Poncho
Any Shield/Swiftstrike Buckler (For more "pro" gunners)
Hail Driver
Umbra Driver
Polaris
Any Sword/Piercing Gun
Two Elite Trueshots

So, with no UVs, you get VH CTR on all guns and VH damage, along with High/Max(Max if you use SSB) ASI.

For UVs with this set-Med CTR on the Alchs, Damage/ASI UV on the Polaris.

Lockdown, different story.

For me, in Lockdown, I use:

Seerus Mask
Chaos Cloak
Striker (Shield)
Hail Driver
Storm Driver
Umbra Driver
Gran Faust/Final Flourish
x2 Elite Trueshots

So, with this set, I get Ultra CTR/Damage with no UVs and Low ASI, but with my UVs I get Max CTR on my Alchs, makin it a nice sniper set.

For UVs-Low CTR UV on the Alchs

@Your Loadout

Why the split damage? Going all 4 defenses isn't really a smart choice, IMO.
For your Polaris UVs, got that right.
Umbra UVs, why? ASI is barely noticeable. Better off with CTR.
Callahan, meh gun to begin with, better off not getting it.
Blitz, got that right.

Have fun gunning,

-Foot

Fri, 04/06/2012 - 23:15

#18

Leviance

@bigfootmI understand that

@bigfootm

I understand that Blitz needles have been worthy tools for Vanaduke fights, however such capabilities are only unraveled against big and slow enemies like Trojans which can be managed with a Callahan that has a good ASI UV. In addition I have to dully note the idea that Callahans and Blitz needle fall in sub categories of the piercing branch of firearms in terms of situation.

To conclude my choice, I will get Callahan or Blitz depending on which one is better for me at the moment for example, if Callahans are being sold at a VH ASI, It will be applicable for my use against enemies as I mentioned before: Vanaduke, and big enemies like trojans, while if I can afford blitz needles that have a UV of Med-VH, I will more or less make a viable investment. Maybe perhaps, I can even go as far as making a decision to obtain both firearms.

Sat, 04/07/2012 - 03:45

#19

Regalya

I can suggest charger loadout

I can suggest charger loadout or all rounder loadout
perfect mask
Shadowsun/radiant silvermail
2x elite trueshot
blitz+umbra+magma/polaris (fsc only) (polaris could use ASI Low to get 2x3 1x3 combos on turrets)
Shield is your choice

or all rounder (i use this very and i'm happy with it)
nameles hat
radiant silvermail (you can use shadowsun for overall dmg isntead of ud aswell)
Dragon scale shield
2x elite trueshot
blitz+callahan+biohazard+polaris/magma

So i get fire,freze,poison and curse resistance...
armor types well rounded (fire added)
http://i.imgur.com/GlFLV.jpg

I given most of the stuff away when i quit but atm this loadout works awsome

Sat, 04/07/2012 - 08:19

#20

Leviance

Hmm I will get the polaris

Hmm I will get the polaris but I would like a clear decision over Hail Driver vs Storm Driver.

Sat, 04/07/2012 - 08:54

#21

Traevelliath

Storm

Storm Driver

I find Hail Driver tends to break its own freeze with ricochets.

Sat, 04/07/2012 - 14:18

#22

Bigfootm

What Dark Ritual?

@Traeve

I thought the same myself, with the Hail breaking its own Freeze with ricochets, until a guildie persuade me to make a Hail Driver. I'd like to say, it doesn't really unfreeze them as much as I thought it did.

So, go Hail instea of Storm driver, if you ask me. Plus, if you have a Polaris, you'll already get some shock there, so may as well get a Freeze gun as well.

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Swordsman wanting to become a gunslinger ( Need serious help )