How do I make Garlic work?

[Virgo]

I really enjoy using Garlic but it seems to fall off quite quickly. I'm motivated to make it work because it reminds me of RF in Path of Exile but my runs die early if I try going Garlic. Any Garlic chads have some advice ?

[Shadowdweller]

Garlic in the early game is good for tearing apart chaff so you have room to maneuver between the tougher enemies. Later game it's mostly useful for keeping things at bay while your distance weapons do the actual killing (and/or to push stuff into range of distance weapons). It has some advantages over the King Bible: Garlic comes online pretty much immediately; or with a second level-up at least. To get the King Bible to work properly it really needs some levels or projectile / speed increases. I find that Garlic/Bible is NOT a good combo. Neither deal much damage in the long run, and there are better ways to keep foes at bay.

I think my favorite character so far was a Porta (for the area increase) garlic-user. With Porta area increase, max area powerups, and candelabrador Soul Eater covers half the entire screen. (Combined in my case with evolved magic wand, Vandolier, Rune Tracer, Lightning rings, and Santa Water). Once the build got going I essentially couldn't find enough enemies until the last 30 seconds of the game. The build works because Garlic/Soul Eater and wand take care of or push back anything that wanders nearby, while lightning rings / birds / santa water destroy masses of enemies along the screen edges.

[KellyR]

Originally posted by Shadowdweller:

Garlic IS affected by cooldown. Or at least several garlic level-ups decrease it. Affects the rate at which damage / knockback from it ticks. I think.

Yes, leveling up Garlic itself increases its tick rate, but the game explicitly says that Garlic does not benefit from cooldown reduction. So the Empty Tome for instance, does nothing for it. Nor does Arca's ability. Only Garlic's levels work.

[Shadowdweller]

Originally posted by KellyR:

Yes, leveling up Garlic itself increases its tick rate, but the game explicitly says that Garlic does not benefit from cooldown reduction.

It does no such thing. Garlic - ignores amount (i.e. # of projectiles), duration, speed.

Speed is projectile speed, not cooldown.

[Etrusco]

Originally posted by KellyR:

Yes, leveling up Garlic itself increases its tick rate, but the game explicitly says that Garlic does not benefit from cooldown reduction. So the Empty Tome for instance, does nothing for it. Nor does Arca's ability. Only Garlic's levels work.

This is correct.

Originally posted by Shadowdweller:

It does no such thing. Garlic - ignores amount (i.e. # of projectiles), duration, speed.

Speed is projectile speed, not cooldown.

I have no clue what your are talking about.

[Shadowdweller]

Originally posted by Etrusco:

Originally posted by Shadowdweller:

It does no such thing. Garlic - ignores amount (i.e. # of projectiles), duration, speed.

Speed is projectile speed, not cooldown.

I have no clue what your are talking about.

Under the collections tab there are listings and descriptions of every single item you've unlocked. Each weapon lists any powerups that it ignores. Garlic notably does NOT ignore cooldown. Nor is it stated or suggested anywhere else in game that garlic ignores cooldown buffs.

[Enix Forever]

Originally posted by KellyR:

Originally posted by Shadowdweller:

Garlic IS affected by cooldown. Or at least several garlic level-ups decrease it. Affects the rate at which damage / knockback from it ticks. I think.

Yes, leveling up Garlic itself increases its tick rate, but the game explicitly says that Garlic does not benefit from cooldown reduction. So the Empty Tome for instance, does nothing for it. Nor does Arca's ability. Only Garlic's levels work.

Out of curiosity, where exactly does the game explicate say Garlic does not benefit from cooldown reduction?

I'm tempted to believe you, since I never tested to see if it actually works faster of not. The only reason I believe it does is because Garlic's upgrades have cooldowns. That and in collection Garlic says it only ignores Amount, Duration, Speed.
https://ibb.co/9cNZmQV
But I'm going to guess there is a lack of information and details in-game.