sword dome is trash

[zodiac]

need burf

[Purple]

burf

[zimny5811]

Sword dome is as good as Laser dome right now, if not stronger. On top of prestige: Endless Mode, Countdown and Fixed Cobalt (and Miner Mode) is Sword. All 4 prestige variants.

But it takes longer to learn for sure. Maybe you are doing something wrong or just need to try it out for longer?

[Cass Kong]

I'm really enjoying the long sword. I ignore the slashing upgrades until they are cheaper compared to everything else, but even then I only get it so I can buy the heavy sword upgrade which improves stabbing damage.

[ll7809united]

Honestly, The sword dome requires greater skill than the laser because it's 'dynamic', which means that it's good for multiple situations at the cost of complexity. A good tip with both domes is to prioritise mid to high health creatures for stabs and mid to low health creatures for swings (2 out of the 3 'NOW THAT'S A LOT OF DAMAGE' category monsters, the scarab and the beetle, never come into contact with your dome). long stab is good because you can do combos and absolutely pickle the mid health monsters with the fully upgraded stab (160 due to arrowhead increase, 100 bomb damage which is a shaped charge, so it will also hit anything behind the contacted monster and either 82 or 180 stab damage depending on the sword type). It boils down to experience. I recommend long stab and long sword for beginners, as the long sword will bounce off of terrain and you can do course correction with long stab, which all in all requires less control at the cost of effectiveness.

[Cutty Flam]

Originally posted by zimny5811:

Sword dome is as good as Laser dome right now, if not stronger. On top of prestige: Endless Mode, Countdown and Fixed Cobalt (and Miner Mode) is Sword. All 4 prestige variants.

But it takes longer to learn for sure. Maybe you are doing something wrong or just need to try it out for longer?

Pretty sure that laser dome outscale sword one in the long run. Best scores in Endless prestige run are done with laser. It's just better for surviving late game waves (40-50). Can't tell for countdown and fixed cobalt but I guess early game is easier with sword. I think sword dome need cooldown buff for both stab variant abilities. And maybe some additional upgrades.

[zimny5811]

Originally posted by Cutty Flam:

Originally posted by zimny5811:

Sword dome is as good as Laser dome right now, if not stronger. On top of prestige: Endless Mode, Countdown and Fixed Cobalt (and Miner Mode) is Sword. All 4 prestige variants.

But it takes longer to learn for sure. Maybe you are doing something wrong or just need to try it out for longer?

Pretty sure that laser dome outscale sword one in the long run. Best scores in Endless prestige run are done with laser. It's just better for surviving late game waves (40-50). Can't tell for countdown and fixed cobalt but I guess early game is easier with sword. I think sword dome need cooldown buff for both stab variant abilities. And maybe some additional upgrades.

"Best scores in Endless prestige run are done with laser." - On Endless the top1 is is with Sword (confirmed run), there is huge disproportion in top10 between Laser and Sword since Laser is easier to play (not stronger), also people are used to play with Laser since it was stronger before. I expect it to change with time.
"It's just better for surviving late game waves (40-50)" - On Endless both domes can do well on those waves and they are not an issue for both of them, runs end on waves +60 because at this point both domes are falling behind difficulty curve.

[Ame-kun]

I think if I would increase anything for sword it'd be stab damage, or possibly stun rating. Mostly just in endgame, though. Laser can destroy all projectiles, aim both ways at once and cause huge stun, even if it takes a while to kill larger targets. Sword can deflect bullets way earlier and is better for melee enemies, but it just doesn't have the sheer power Laser has, since you can't upgrade every path at once.

[I>U]

Guys, I'm not touching the scary Prestige mode (don't hurt me, please), but from Brutal Relic Hunter's mode perspective..

Why can't you use Sword Dome as the Laser one? Go Fast Stab 1 first - for 5 Iron you get Laser with 2nd speed upgrade, close combat functionality and minor projectile deflection. Imagine fighting 2 Sandworms from both directions with Laser: you need at least 12 Iron worth of speed+power upgrades for that or skipping some rocks comming from one of the sides.

I don't know how monster HP's scale in Prestige, but on the said difficulty of RH, ONE HIT on Fast Stab 1 is enough to make Sandworm withdraw without lobbing and hitting stone with just a tip is sufficient to destroy it.

With my signature midboss gadet (I use Shield exclusively), I can play with no damage to Dome on Fast Stab 1 up to 7-8 wave and up to 11-13 with Fast Stab 2 + Shield Strenght 1 and no other upgrades.

After that, things are getting hairy. Javelin got DMG buffed, so it one shots Bolter now and kill Jumper in 2 hits. That's great improvement, but, somehow, I'm able to better perform with gadgets\Shield upgrades and Fast Stab 2, still. I get the idea that Javelin is freeing your hands to use Reflection pad, but it's kind of ruining my routine. So Sword doesn't scale as great as Laser for me, that is true. [likely, because I'm too used to Laser and trying to shape Sword into my favourite Dome].

Yet, the intial bonus of having an uber-Laser with 5 and 10 Iron upgrades should be apparent.

If there is a problem with balancing, it only exists between Prestige mode when every monster is possible and Relic Hunt, when enemies come in the known patterns.

[zimny5811]

Originally posted by I>U:

Guys, I'm not touching the scary Prestige mode (don't hurt me, please), but from Brutal Relic Hunter's mode perspective..

Why can't you use Sword Dome as the Laser one? Go Fast Stab 1 first - for 5 Iron you get Laser with 2nd speed upgrade, close combat fucntionality and minor projectile deflection. Imagine fighting 2 Sandworms from both directions with Laser: you need at least 12 Iron worth of speed upgrades for that or skipping some rocks comming from one of the sides.

I don't know how monster HP's scale in Prestige, but on the said difficulty of RH, ONE HIT on Fast Stab 1 is enough to make Sandworm withdraw without lobbing and 90 degrees arc of completely unupgraded melee is sufficient to destroy an incoming stone.

With my signature midboss gadet (I use Shield exclusively), I can play with no damage to Dome on Fast Stab 1 up to 7-8 wave and up to 11-13 with Fast Stab 2 + Shield Strenght 1 and no other upgrades.

After that, things are getting hairy. Javelin got DMG buffed, so it one shots Bolter now and kill Jumper in 2 hits. That's great improvement, but, somehow, I'm able to better perform with gadgets\Shield upgrades and Fast Stab 2, still. I get the idea that Javelin is freeing your hands to use Reflection pad, but it's kind of ruining my routine. So Sword doesn't scale as great as Laser for me, that is true. [likely, because I'm too used to Laser and trying to shape Sword into favourite Dome].

Yet, the intial bonus of having an uber-Laser with 5 and 10 Iron upgrades should be apparent.

If there is a problem with balancing, it only exists between Prestige mode when every monster is possible and Relic Hunt, when enemies come in the known patterns.

I'm like 99% sure hp of monsters on every difficulty and every mode is the same.

[I>U]

Originally posted by zimny5811:

I'm like 99% sure hp of monsters on every difficulty and every mode is the same.

Then it only adds to my statement, lol. Drive your inner Laser out.. in a Sword Dome. With Fast Stab. And some style.

Though that post needs some proper editing *keystrokes*

On a serious note, it's probably wave compositions that make some people preffer double anti-projectile Laser, because it's supposed to be effective against everything at once ("supposed" because I barely had these two together and separately those upgrades don't make up for their cost).

[LavA]

erm actually sword dome is great

[I>U]

Since this is already Sword's topic...

How do you deal with Squids, mates? It require rather precise timing to slice them and on later on the game they spawn quite assymetrically (different sides and different delay between them).

So far, my only saviour was Electro Blast, but is there a special technique for Sword itself?

[zimny5811]

Originally posted by I>U:

Since this is already Sword's topic...

How do you deal with Squids, mates? It require rather precise timing to slice them and on later on the game they spawn quite assymetrically (different sides and different delay between them).

So far, my only saviour was Electro Blast, but is there a special technique for Sword itself?

Best solutions are either Electro Blade (as you pointed out, Long Blade is better path upgrade anyway - at least in my opinion) or just use stab attack (of course Fast Stab path works better here) and yes it requires a good coordination and precision.

[Coin786]

nah sword is good