Nimbus Rod or Queen Spider Staff?

[Celator]

So, I'm trying to optimize a summoner character of mine, and I've got a bit of a question. Which do you think would be better for a summoner, the Nimbus Rod or the Queen Spider Staff? I don't want to replace any of my other weapons, so I only have room for one in my setup.

Of course, normally, the Nimbus Rod would be better, but keep in mind that this is a summoner character, so all of the buffs from my armor and accessories go toward summon damage instead of magic. On top of that, QSS has the bonus of homing whereas Nimbus Rod only does damage to things directly below it, not to mention QSS gives that nice Venom debuff, so I'm actually leaning more toward the QSS Staff. However, when it does hit things, Nimbus Rod has a far higher hit rate and therefore DPS. With my normal setup, the base damage for the QSS is 39 and the base damage for NR is 51 (but keep in mind QSS launches 3 projectiles at a time).

Also note that I've already got a Frost Hydra; this secondary summon weapon is supposed to be used alongside it for maximum damage. My other weapons are Death Sickle, Vamp Knives, Flairon, North Pole, and Tempest Staff, and my accessories are Fishron Wings, Pygmy Necklace, Papyrus Scarab, Necromatic Scroll, and Celestial Stone. Armor is Tiki armor (with Spooky armor to switch in when initially summoning minions, but since I'll be in Tiki armor whenever I'm actually fighting, it's not really important).

It seems to me that it really comes down to preference, but I'm not all that familiar with the QSS (I usually ditch it as soon as I get Frost Hydra on most playthroughs, and that's when I even play summoner), so if someone is more familiar with it your advice would be welcome.

[Retrolicious]

Ditch any non summoner weapon like sickle , vamp knives etc and use the QSS and nimbus rod. Would be much more fun. Most of the weapons you listed are for melee anyway. So your playing a hybrid ?
I really dont get your "summoner" question ...
If your really a summoner ethusiast ditch any weapon with melee or ranged damage and put in all 10 hotkey slots real summoner weapons. Thats how its done ...
Since summoner deals more passive damage he can focus on more dodging which means having vamp knives ( melee weapon ) doesnt make much sense anyway.
Besides if you got problems staying alive why not playing in a party ? Grab a tank , mage , ranger and you will go wonderful as summoner. True summoner !

GL on your tinkering with gear.


Ps:
since there can be only one active "tower" staff why not use the hydra instead of the QSS ?

[Celator]

You obviously don't play summoner... Summoner weapons are meant to be used alongside other weapons for best results. Besides, I can dodge and attack at the same time, so why waste DPS just dodging?

Also, any other summoning, non-turret weapons would override my Sharknadoes, so the most summon weapons I can use at once without sacrificing DPS is 3. I don't understand what you're talking about.

And no, you can have both Frost Hydra and QSS active at the same time. That is the entire reason I'm considering it. Obviously Frost Hydra is better than QSS, but both together are even better.

[Retrolicious]

Your not playing summoner when your using melee weapons for "additional" damage. Then you could just play melee. Doesnt make sense dude. But sure hybrid can be fun.
Summoner is only using his familiars and playing more relaxed. Maybe using magic weapons which summon tiny animals like bee gun or wasp gun but thats the biggest stretch. All else is not a summoner, but a hybrid.

Anyway since hydra and QSS can be used at same time now , why not use both ? Im sure your busy enough with the tower placement and dodging that knives etc just distract.
(it can be really interesting to play more "laid back" i.e. not using active weapons)
anyway good luck on your decision

[Celator]

Summoner is a class, not a theme. I'm going for the maximum damage possible using summoner armor with this setup, and that includes the use of other weapons. It's not your place to tell me how I should play my game. I asked a simple question, so please either answer it, contribute to the discussion regarding said question, or get out of my thread.

[Leaf]

Queen Spider Staff for sure. nimbus rod is great, but you already have sharknados so Nimbus will be kinda useless.

Originally posted by jack oldfield:

idiotic "Summon only damage type arguement"

You are a complete idiot. Summon type damage weapons are few and far between and you can only have a MAXIMUM 9 minions. Yes you can mix and match them but their AI and "leash distance" is abysmal. If a summoner can dodge effectively, they can use a weapon to add even more dps.

[Celator]

Originally posted by IG Shad:

Queen Spider Staff for sure. nimbus rod is great, but you already have sharknados so Nimbus will be kinda useless.

Why do Sharknadoes make NR useless?

[Leaf]

Originally posted by Over8001:

Originally posted by IG Shad:

Queen Spider Staff for sure. nimbus rod is great, but you already have sharknados so Nimbus will be kinda useless.

Why do Sharknadoes make NR useless?

Sharknados can wallclip and fire in an arc. They also do alot more damage/dps given how they slightly home in and aren't restricted to a small area in which to do damage. Sharknados and a QSS allow you to cover a heck of alot more area to deal damage in and the QSS has venom which alot of bosses AREN'T immune to so thats even more damage for you compared to the nimbus rod.

Also its clear that the QSS would be alot more effective for you if you gear everything towards damage and use summoner armor since you can stack +summon damage type bonuses.

[Celator]

Originally posted by IG Shad:

Sharknados can wallclip and fire in an arc. They also do alot more damage/dps given how they slightly home in and aren't restricted to a small area in which to do damage. Sharknados and a QSS allow you to cover a heck of alot more area to deal damage in and the QSS has venom which alot of bosses AREN'T immune to so thats even more damage for you compared to the nimbus rod.

Also its clear that the QSS would be alot more effective for you if you gear everything towards damage and use summoner armor since you can stack +summon damage type bonuses.

Hm, okay, that's basically my reasoning, too, although I'm still not sure what the Sharknadoes have to do with the NR since you can use both at the same time. But thanks, I think I'll go with the QSS, it seems like the better option overall.

[Leaf]

Originally posted by Over8001:

Hm, okay, that's basically my reasoning, too, although I'm still not sure what the Sharknadoes have to do with the NR since you can use both at the same time. But thanks, I think I'll go with the QSS, it seems like the better option overall.

You asked whether to use the QSS or the nimbus rod and my reply is to use the QSS over the nimbus rod because you already have things that can do a better job of defending you than the nimbus rod. But its your game, so use what you want mate.

[Chubblezap]

Seems like I'm the only one that gets what OP is asking. First off, the only other weapon you really need besides your summon stuff is the Vamp Knives to stay alive while your minions do your work. That being said, I'd ditch the Scythe and have your items as follows:
-Vamp Knives
-QSS
-Hydra
-Nimbus
-Best summon available (That's be the Tempest Staff if you've done Fishron already.)

Anything else is a waste of hotbar space, since you wouldn't be able to use it alongside the others. Notice how the Vamp Knives are the only ones that require you to keep using it from your hotbar.

[Celator]

Originally posted by IG Shad:

You asked whether to use the QSS or the nimbus rod and my reply is to use the QSS over the nimbus rod because you already have things that can do a better job of defending you than the nimbus rod. But its your game, so use what you want mate.

Wouldn't the same thing apply to the QSS, though? Nimbus Rod isn't purely for defense, so I don't see how it's any more outclassed than the QSS. I don't understand what you're trying to say.

Originally posted by The Hamburger of Ages:

First off, the only other weapon you really need besides your summon stuff is the Vamp Knives to stay alive while your minions do your work. That being said, I'd ditch the Scythe and have your items as follows:

Uh, what? Vamp Knives have very little DPS, they're just for healing when I need it. All the other weapons are there because they do more damage or are generally more useful.

I don't understand why people seem to think summoners can't also deal damage themselves; there's no reason I should have to rely on my summons just because I'm using them. I don't lose anything from using other weapons alongside my summons, so it'd actually be a waste not to be doing so.

Originally posted by The Hamburger of Ages:

Anything else is a waste of hotbar space, since you wouldn't be able to use it alongside the others. Notice how the Vamp Knives are the only ones that require you to keep using it from your hotbar.

Excuse me, but WTF are you talking about? I seriously have no idea.

[Chubblezap]

Originally posted by Over8001:

Originally posted by IG Shad:

You asked whether to use the QSS or the nimbus rod and my reply is to use the QSS over the nimbus rod because you already have things that can do a better job of defending you than the nimbus rod. But its your game, so use what you want mate.

Wouldn't the same thing apply to the QSS, though? Nimbus Rod isn't purely for defense, so I don't see how it's any more outclassed than the QSS. I don't understand what you're trying to say.

Originally posted by The Hamburger of Ages:

First off, the only other weapon you really need besides your summon stuff is the Vamp Knives to stay alive while your minions do your work. That being said, I'd ditch the Scythe and have your items as follows:

Uh, what? Vamp Knives have very little DPS, they're just for healing when I need it. All the other weapons are there because they do more damage or are generally more useful.

I don't understand why people seem to think summoners can't also deal damage themselves; there's no reason I should have to rely on my summons just because I'm using them. I don't lose anything from using other weapons alongside my summons, so it'd actually be a waste not to be doing so.

Originally posted by The Hamburger of Ages:

Anything else is a waste of hotbar space, since you wouldn't be able to use it alongside the others. Notice how the Vamp Knives are the only ones that require you to keep using it from your hotbar.

Excuse me, but WTF are you talking about? I seriously have no idea.

Look buddy, I've done a few summoners myself, even cleared wave 15 of the pumkin moon as one. I know what I'm talking about. You DO NOT need other damage items besides Vamp Knives. Everything else should be summons/Nimbus Rod, since you can just use at the start of a fight and switch back to Knives. Use Flasks of Ichor to boost all of your summon DPS as well as your own. And most importantly, stop being a smartass that can't take advice even though you asked for it.

[Venrez]

Simple answer. Both.

With max level gear I still use the Frost Hydra / Spider Queen / Nimbus Rod / Raven Staff all at once.

[Celator]

Originally posted by The Hamburger of Ages:

Look buddy, I've done a few summoners myself, even cleared wave 15 of the pumkin moon as one. I know what I'm talking about. You DO NOT need other damage items besides Vamp Knives. Everything else should be summons/Nimbus Rod, since you can just use at the start of a fight and switch back to Knives.

I may not need them, but I'll certainly be much more effective with them. And you still didn't explain what you were on about with that "can't use it alongside the others" business. Have you never heard of switching weapons?

Originally posted by The Hamburger of Ages:

And most importantly, stop being a smartass that can't take advice even though you asked for it.

First of all, just because I asked for advice doesn't mean I have to listen to everyone who comes along. This is a topic I'm familiar with, so I can recognize bad advice when I see it.

Second, you didn't even address the question I asked.

Third, am I not allowed to ask questions when someone posts confusing, contradictory "advice"? What you said seriously made no sense to me, hence why I asked for clarification.

Originally posted by Venrez:

Simple answer. Both.

With max level gear I still use the Frost Hydra / Spider Queen / Nimbus Rod / Raven Staff all at once.

That doesn't answer my question at all. However, I've since figured out a way to fit both of them on my hotbar at once, so this topic is for all intents and purposes resolved anyway.

[Venrez]

Originally posted by Over8001:

Can I equip 1 of these items or both? I dont want to remove items that I already have but I am asking a question that answers itself.

Originally posted by Venrez:

Simple answer. Both.

With max level gear I still use the Frost Hydra / Spider Queen / Nimbus Rod / Raven Staff all at once.

That doesn't answer my question at all. However, I've since figured out a way to fit both of them on my hotbar at once, so this topic is for all intents and purposes resolved anyway.

It answers your question. You asked 'either' and I answered both. Both can fit in your hotbar.

If you've got additional weapons you dont want to remove from your hotbar, thats your problem.