Fang of Vog for Clockworks/mission runs?
lun, 07/22/2019 - 08:36
Just wondering how the FoV compares to other elemental swords when running Clockworks or grinding missions besides FSC. Assuming I know how to use the charge to its full effect and without disrupting my team, will I be holding my team or myself back significantly if I use FoV over other elemental swords in Undead and Construct themed levels?
jeu, 07/25/2019 - 19:01
#2
Many people (Bopp holds the popular opinion of the item) dismiss fang of vog on the grounds that it attacks slower and burns the user but it's perfectly useable and typically my go to for ghosts in the machine and I may try using it on ice queen/snarbolax shadow lairs sooner than later.
First, you don't want to spam the charge and second you want to stack ASI and damage on it rather than CTR because it doesn't matter how long it takes you to charge the thing when you only need to charge with it rarely. Rather, it is a weapon that you want to combo with your guns most of the time and let us not forget that guns and bombs, not swords, are the stronger weapon types at this point.
You want to charge against high priority targets when you can afford to lose health. This means healers like silkwings, deadnauts, trojans, rocket puppys and things of that nature where blitz needle is the competing option.
Why use it over blitz and/or combuster? For normal content like clockwork tunnels etc. you may not want to. For harder content like ice queen/rabid snarbolax status effects seem to be better than they used to be. And GitM? It's an option that's elemental and works, but other options are probably friendlier.
I wrote about the status effects on shadow lairs and am currently still experimenting- https://forums.spiralknights.com/en/node/122222
As for holding your party back it's no big deal and you'll be fine. On random runs, people tend to go ahead and clear the enemies asap with combuster/acheron/blitz, leaving slower options in the dust. The hold up tends to be harder moments, such as compounds and griever filled arena-- a good loadout with fang of vog enables the "carry" through whatever other levels are there as filler.
jeu, 07/25/2019 - 22:51
#3
pessimism level restored
To put it in the simplest form, FoV is a poor man's combuster with a unique charge attack. Much like the sleep vaporizer, it is an EXTREMELY situational weapon, using it in normal construct undead level are fine, though don't expect you can attack cancel some enemies due to its slower attack speed.
As for the situations Fehzor (promos-are-content) mentioned, a maskeraith with the right build can save you a weapon slot. Deadly Shadow cloak allows you to assassinate healers and heavies with any sword of your choice and hex+barrier combo will make mice meat of the 12 grievers in the final arena. All in the while not risk loosing health. And you can use that slot for something else, say wildfire/AoA/Torpo for IQ. You can also use shivermist for GiTM to trivialize bombies if pre planted at the right place.
Out of all the weapons from the vanaduke boss tokens, only the blackened crest is remotely worth getting. You can sell the rest as black embers.
ven, 07/26/2019 - 01:17
#4
Midnight DJ is sad because her family is dead. One day he woke up and they were gone. He looked for them, but they were no where to be found. She could not find the family, because they were dead. When you're alive you're trash but when you're dead you are starlight. Trash is made of starlight. That's what the goddess Science tells us. That's why we don't believe in Science.
This sadness is reflected on his views of fang of vog. He doesn't use the fang of vog because it reminds him of her family. He doesn't go on shadow lairs, or try to make it work. She just cries because there is a hole that will never mend. If Midnight DJ had a stronger heart then she wouldn't have to cry. But the family broke her heart and she does.
When Midnight DJ is alone at night and sees the stars and the wind blows in the Autumn he feels his family and knows that they are watching. Science says they aren't. That they were trash made of starlight and are now starlight made of trash. But that's why Science isn't real.
I have a detailed sword guide which directly compares the elemental swords with a focus on PvE play. As you can see there, FoV is weaker than other swords in regular attacks. However, if you have a lot of CTR and fire protection, then you can spam the charges quite powerfully. (But Divine Avenger and the elemental Brandishes also have powerful charge attacks.)
I haven't used it in a while, but as far as I recall, the knockback is much less than Leviathan Blade's. Maybe about like Cold Iron Vanquisher's? So it shouldn't disrupt your teammates much.