'ello all! I would like some advice on harnessing alchemer ricochets before I get to the point where that knowledge will be useful or even needed.
I am a tier 2 (basically) gunslinger with a shadowtech, a prismatech, and a kamarin (to get greavers off me...it does the job nicely:) ) Anyhow, since the guns are the 2 star versions they have yet to start producing ricochets on the normal shots; however, I'm not the best at using the ricochets from the charged attack. Have any advice on effective ricochet usage?
I'd like advice on how to use the alchemers effectively...
Mon, 08/19/2013 - 05:23
Mon, 08/19/2013 - 06:41
#2
Advice based on personal
Advice based on personal experience:
- Avoid the lesser star alchemers if possible; use 4 star or 5 star. That's when they are most tolerable since they move at a higher speed and chance for double ricochet.
- Make sure damage numbers are enabled and practice shooting monsters the way Bopp said above until you see multiple numbers appear in a single shot. You kind of want the shot to clip the monster hitbox on its side.
- Make sure auto target is OFF. You'll rarely get the multiple hits by hitting the monsters dead center.
- Practice alchemer switch shooting. The sequence is: Shoot Alchemer 1 > Switch to Alchemer 2 > Shield cancel > Shoot Alchemer 2 > repeat. Get into the rhythm and timing, first while standing in place and shooting, then practice strafing in a circle around a monster to do so. Slow monsters are the best to practice this against (Lumber, lichen colony)
- Look into the status alchemers instead of just both shadow and prismatech. Spreading statuses around helps big parties overall since it's rare that a single gunslinger will be killing entire mobs solo before other party members rush in to attack them. For this reason I'd recommend the Fire/Shock alchemers for PvE and Shock/Freeze for PVP. Freeze alchemer is nice in PvE to crowd control while solo, but can be difficult to make use out of in large parties when everyone's attacking everything.
Mon, 08/19/2013 - 13:30
#3
Thankx for the advice.
Thankx for the advice. Although as I am only a knight getting the 4 star and 5 star alchemers is going to take a while...
Mon, 08/19/2013 - 14:09
#4
Something else to keep in
Something else to keep in mind, monsters have hitboxes. For example, shooting slightly off center of a zombie will ricochet more often than slightly off center of a lumber. And for jellies, you need to literally clip them on the edge. Different monsters, different places to shoot. Alchemers are all about practice.
This has been discussed in many threads. Try searching Google for something like "spiral knights forum alchemer ricochet".
Here are the key points. The bounce directions are somewhat, but not entirely, random. Your goal is to have all of the ricochets hit monsters. If you are trying to take out a single monster, then you'd like the ricochets to bounce "inside" the monster, for massive damage. To do this, you need to have some idea of where the ricochets will bounce. The vocabulary is a little confusing, so I will give explicit examples.
On regular attacks, a single ricochet is emitted. Its direction is roughly, due to randomization, 90 degrees counterclockwise from the direction of the original shot. For example, if your original shot was to the north, then the ricochet bounces roughly west. Therefore, to inflict high damage on a single monster, you should land the shot on the east side of that monster. For then the ricochet goes west, into the monster. For another example, if your original shot was to the east, then the ricochet bounces roughly north. So aim for the south side of the monster.
On charge attacks, two pairs of ricochets are emitted. Their directions are roughly 90 degrees counterclockwise and 90 degrees clockwise from the original shot direction. In other words, the charge ricochet is like a two-sided version of the regular ricochet. To kill a single monster, aim the original shot for either side of the monster, so that one of the ricochets bounces into it. To kill two monsters standing close together, aim for the space between them.