Swordmaster Guide
From SpiralKnights
Note: To be edited from base copy of the Gunslinger Guide.
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The topic of this article or section is subject to personal opinion, and does not represent any one absolute truth. |
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Introduction
Swords are the bread-and-butter of SK, but to utilize their full effectiveness, one must become a Swordmaster. Specializing as a Swordmaster is fun, and very useful. In most fights, using Swords is the fastest way of getting rid of single enemies or small groups. Using swords the right way will allow you to face nearly any danger in SK.
The Basics
Swords have superior damage, but using them puts you in range of melee enemies. This means, that while fighting recklessly, your HP bars will deplete fast. The first thing you need to learn as a Swordmaster is correct use of shielding.
Shields have two main uses:
- Blocking: This is the basic way of using your shield, just activate it before enemy lands a hit or projectile strikes you
- Shield Bumping: You will notice that activating shield while you're close to an enemy will push them back, the more the closer you are. Chaotic shield bumping will disrupt your team, and may even put them in danger. This should only be used in three cases.
- When it will allow you to avoid an attack (eg. bumping a charging Mecha Knight that would otherwise heavily damage your shield).
- To clear you path when surrounded. This is a bit harder, but will allow you to escape really dire situations (eg. being surrounded by 4-5 T3 Gremlins in the corner of a danger room). The key is to click the shield button quickly several times, holding it only to block most damaging attacks and concentrating on escaping.
- Simply to move enemies without damaging them, when you want to delay spawn of a next wave of enemies
The second most important thing for a Sword master are the attack patterns. You need to memorise attack rhythm and timing of both your swords and enemies. This will enable you to land as many hits as possible and shield before enemy retaliates or, when timed correctly, cancel their attacks using knockback and never stop attacking. Sword patterns will be covered later in this article, but enemy attacks are covered in specific enemy articles and should be learned in-game anyway.
Damage types
Controls
Controls are important because unlike a swordsman, a gunslinger will more often move and attack in different directions. And unlike a bomber, our attacks have direction. With that in mind here is an example of how you could set up your controls to help you be an effective gunslinger:
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Techniques
There are situations when you just can't afford to take damage. At times like that, it is important for a gunslinger to avoid reloading so they stay out of danger, still able to move at normal speed and shield. In this case, it is best to follow a shot pattern as follows to avoid reloading:
- shoot all but one bullet->pause->shoot all but one bullet->pause
You can avoid having to shoot before charging your weapon by using this pattern:
- shield->hold attack key->release shield
Quick weapon switching can be accomplished by using this trick to cancel the switching animations:
- switch->shield
If your shot hits between two monsters who are directly next to each other, you can do damage to both. To do this it helps to turn off your autotarget, which by default you can do by pressing and holding your left shift button.
Weaponry
Generally the handguns that deal a single damage type are best to use. This is because if a weapon (like Silversix) does split elemental and piercing damage, it will only do 50% critical damage against enemies that are weak to elemental or piercing.
If the enemy is neutral against the other damage type, than you will get less damage total than if you had used a weapon that solely deals what the enemy has a weakness to.
If the enemy is strong against just one of the two damage types, your damage output will be crippled by a 1/2 resistance.
In the end it might be a good idea to use a weapon that does split damage if you have just one or two weapon slots for guns, but to maximize damage it is best to equip three guns, one of each specialized damage type.
Alchemers
Alchemers are a line of handgun which are altogether useful. There are five alchemers, four of which deal elemental damage and one which deals shadow damage. As you upgrade your alchemer to higher star levels, the bullets begin to break and ricochet around upon impact or reaching maximum range. The ricochets of an alchemer have a chance to cause a status effect just like the first shot.
It is important to note that the mark II alchemers will always ricochet to the left of the direction your character is facing.
Elemental Damage Handguns
Elemental damage is good against constructs and undead. Gremlins and beasts are strong against elemental.
Cryotech Alchemer
Cryotech Alchemers deal elemental damage and also have a chance to freeze its targets. Ricochets however may break the freeze.
Be Aware
Firotech Alchemer
Firotech Alchemers deal elemental damage and also have a chance to light its targets on fire.
Be Aware
Polaris
The Polaris has a three shot clip, and can shock its targets. It shoots bullets that expand and deal significant AoE damage, knocking back enemies.
Be Aware
- This gun has slow bullets.
Prismatech Alchemer
Prismatech Alchemers deal elemental damage, but have no status effect. In exchange they deal slightly greater damage.
Voltech Alchemer
Voltech Alchemers deal elemental damage and also have a chance to inflict shock on its targets.
Be Aware
- Can supercharge Quicksilvers
Shadow Damage Handguns
Shadow Damage is good against slimes and gremlins. Undead and devilites are strong against shadow.
Biohazard
This gun can poison your enemies. It has a three shot clip. Its charge attack fires a bullet that 'sticks' to and orbits an enemy, which can be detonated by its normal attack, causing a sizeable explosion for each orbiting charge.
Be Aware
- This gun has very slow bullets.
Shadowtech Alchemer
Shadowtech Alchemers deal shadow damage, and have no status effect. They deal damage comparable to the Prismatech Alchemers.
Piercing Damage Handguns
Piercing damage is good against devilites and beasts. Slimes and constructs are strong against piercing.
Blitz Needle
The Blitz Needle is one of two five star versions of the Autogun. Blitz Needle shoots in rapid bursts, and can fire two bursts before reloading. The bursts are a tight random spread of 6 fast piercing bullets. The charge attack fires 15 shots in a sweeping pattern and is followed by a reload animation.
Be Aware
- You cannot move or turn while firing this gun.
Callahan
The Magnus line shoots very fast bullets that have a chance to cause stun. It can interrupt attacks, and sometimes knock back enemies. However, the shooting animation leaves you standing still for a fraction of a second. At the five star level there are two guns that come from the Magnus line. One is Callahan, which deals piercing damage and has a chance to stun. Its charge attack launches the user backwards and is followed by a reload animation.
Be Aware
- You cannot move while firing this gun.
Normal Damage Handguns
These weapons are less popular for dedicated gunslingers, but work well as a fourth weapon for gunslingers or as a sidearm for swordsmen or bombers.
Iron Slug
Iron Slug has a two shot clip and requires you to stand still a moment to shoot. It has some splash damage when bullets impact an enemy or reach maximum range. Its charge attack launches the user back, and may stun the user as well as the enemy. This gun is also from the Magnus line.
Be Aware
- You cannot move while firing this gun.
- Charge attack may stun you.
Neutralizer
Neutralizer fires bullets with a clip size of 3. Its charge attack fires a bullet that 'sticks' to and orbits an enemy, which can be detonated by its normal attack, causing a sizeable explosion for each orbiting charge.
Be Aware
- This gun fires very slow bullets.
Supernova
Supernova has a three shot clip. It fires bullets that expand and deal significant AoE damage to all nearby monsters, as well as knocking them away from the center of the explosion.
Be Aware
- This gun fires slow bullets.
Valiance
Valiance shoots up to fast bullets in the form of small, bright blue energy orbs. The charge attack releases a very large orb of energy that can hit multiple enemies. It has a clip size of five.
Volcanic Pepperbox
The Volcanic Pepperbox operates like the Blitz Needle, but its attacks deal normal damage and have a chance of inflicting fire. Its charge attack will draw an enemy in towards the source so that more damage can be dealt to the targeted enemies. Although it can works quite well with gunslinger, the Volcanic Pepperbox works better with a Gunner-Bomber setup.
Be Aware
- Can ignite Oilers.
- You cannot move or turn while firing this gun.
Split Damage Handguns
These guns are much less popular for dedicated gunslingers, as split damage will always deal less damage to a target than a specialized weapon. For this reason, when carrying 2-4 guns, you are almost always better off with a specialized handgun.
Argent Peacemaker
This gun shoots fast bullets that deal piercing/elemental damage, and has a clip size of six (6).
Be Aware
Sentenza
This gun shoots fast bullets that deal piercing/shadow damage, and has a clip size of six (6).
Be Aware
Armor
Gunslinger
Gunslinger protects against normal and piercing damage. It has a low handgun attack speed bonus.
Sunset
Sunset protects against normal and piercing damage, and offers a low handgun attack speed bonus.
Deadshot
Deadshot protects against normal and shadow damage. Each piece offers a medium damage vs undead bonus as well as a maximum resistance to curse.
Justifier
Justifier protects against normal damage and piercing. It has a medium handgun attack speed bonus.
Nameless
Nameless protects against normal damage and elemental. It has a medium handgun attack speed bonus.
Shadowsun
Shadowsun protects against normal and piercing damage. It has a low handgun damage bonus, but maximum weaknesses to both curse and poison.
Special Stats
Handgun Attack Speed
Handgun attack speed increases the speed you can get shots off. It does not affect the speed at which you reload your weapons.
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| Starting Out | New Player Briefing | User interface | Useful Links |
 Bombing Guide |  Gunslinger Guide |  Swordmaster Guide
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 Shieldbearer Guide
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 Hybrid Guide
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