Since I usually dont mind supporting the games I play I decided to kick in a few bucks for crystal energy.. Naturally the first thing I did with it was sell it for crowns and buy a Sword of Vog. However, I've noticed that it takes -forever- for this weapon to level up. The question I have:
Is it better to use gear "star" level close to what I should be, Or continue to use the sword of Vog, despite the slow leveling speed. Is there performance differences either way?
Thanks.
When I first started I looked at the FoV in Brinks' invitory and became very excited. To me the FoV is the biggest disappointment in the game. It has a couple of niche rolls it can fill, but in general it is just not very good. The speed bar lies. The FoV's attack speed is much slower then a calibur's, almost as slow as a Sealed sword. I could go on about the FoV, but I'll stop and address your question instead.
High level gear is nerfed at lower levels, but it is still more powerful then using gear that corresponds with the level (example a 5* Levi is still going to hit harder then a 3* Calibur in Tier 2). Look at this damage table to see how the depth will effect your FoV's damage:
http://wiki.spiralknights.com/Fang_of_Vog
It is taking forever to level because it is a 5* item and you are likely not playing in tier 3. In general higher tiers will offer higher heat especially the stratum past the terminal. So, even strata 2, 4, & 6 offer the most heat and crowns with stratum 6 being the best. Higher star gear takes more heat to level. Vana runs and stratum 6 arenas tend to be the best for getting heat.
Speed at which 5* gear levels is not a big deal though because there is not 6* gear to be crafted. In general I never heat 2* gear, it goes straight to the alchemy machine to get crafted into 3* gear which is unbound and can be used or sold. 3* gear I do not heat past Level 5 if I can help it, because this is all you need to be able to craft to 4*. 4* has to be heated all the way so that you can craft it 5*. 5* I don't worry about, it will heat through use.
If swords are going to be your thing I would recommend getting a Piercing and a Shadow blade to complement your Elemental one (you may also want to consider a Brandish or DA to replace that FoV as well). Star level you get is not a big deal, but i is much cheaper to craft or buy 2* & 3* items then craft them to 4* & 5* then to buy them outright. If you are going to throw around that much CR/CE at least spend it on UV'd items like a Brandish with really good CTR for PvE or a sealed sword with ASI for PvP.
I'll admit.. The shinieness and charge were pretty much the reason I picked it, beyond it was also 5 star. For piercing i planned to craft using the weapon you get for the 1st boss's tokens, and from then idk.. I figured FoV Would be fine for slimes and what not, it destroys undead and constructs.. So the only place its really been lacking so far is with beasts. But thanks. I'm glad at least it wasn't a total waste.
You'll want to consider an anti-slime weapon, if only to use against oilers.
Beasts are resistant to Elemental, weak to Piercing and neutral to Shadow (use your pointy sword on them). Here is a good sword breakdown written by Bopp:
http://wiki.spiralknights.com/User:Jdavis
The FoV's charge is useful for one shotting Trojan's and Slags (fire protection recommended). The Snarby sword is a great choice for Piercing (I love mine). I would recommend the the Archeron for a shadow sword (CTR if possible), Brandish -> Nightblade -> Silent Nightblade -> Archeron.
Higher rank items take more heat to level, and each level requires more heat to reach than the previous one. Deeper depths provide more heat, levelling your equipment faster. While 5 star equips aren't at their full potential at shallow depths, they're usually still more powerful than a comperable item of a lower rank.
Your weapon's level only makes a minor difference in its effectiveness, unless you rely on its charge attack a lot.