Super Steel Spears are pretty disappointing.

[Jean-Luc]

Super Steel, quality 128: http://oi67.tinypic.com/vghilj.jpg

TiChrome, q124: http://oi68.tinypic.com/2mmtmph.jpg

Tungsten, q112: http://oi64.tinypic.com/20f2et4.jpg

Same str req like TiChrome and regular steel but no lower ap cost like TiC and -1% crit chance compared to regular steel. Crit power is the basic 100%. Damage range on SS is tigher but no better on average compared to TiC or Tungsten.

It's also vastly more expensive, you have to wait for it and you're rolling the dice on quality. My first set of SS had 97 quality while I was recently able to buy Tungsten plates with 151 quality and TiC with q143.

Maybe this is nothing new, maybe SS is meant for armor only and has always sucked for weapons but I expected better. The icon for the SS spear looks pretty cool I guess.

[Morgian]

The main point of supersteel - for me, that is - was that I could use it to make infused leather for awesome leather stuff. I usually went with the two ancient rat hound furs you can get, but the expansion seems to offer more high quality leathers (haven't infused one yet).

[Urthor]

Tichrome has always been better for melee weapons because reduced AP cost is OP

[meiam]

Originally posted by Urthor:

Tichrome has always been better for melee weapons because reduced AP cost is OP

Is it in this case? I'd rather 20% crit damage than going from 20 to 18 AP cost

[Serendipitous]

You forgot that it's also lighter))

Well, for me acquiring 150+ quality super steel is easier than it is for other plates. In fact i don't remember getting something of that quality outside of DC (obviously with Expedition that can change).

But i agree than many super steel melee weapons are kinda meh. Like ordinary steel with a slightly different damage spread.

Is it in this case? I'd rather 20% crit damage than going from 20 to 18 AP cost

Well, i'd say it's not the case for other weapons either. What you can do with chrome spear is wearing tabis and that would leave you with 2 attacks and a 16 AP left which is enough for a grenade throw. As a side weapon if you already wearing tabis and have grenades it's not bad.

[Jean-Luc]

I use a TiChrome spear to activate Sweep, Expose Weaknes and for generic attacks usually and a Tungsten one for Impale and Throwing since throwing cost doesn't change.

With tabi boots a TiChrome spear costs 17ap to attack with. This isn't enough for 3 attacks by default but when you use Temporal Contraction for +20ap it's enough to provide that 1ap missing for a 3rd attack and also allow a 4th. 5 attacks if you add an adrenaline shot. It's pretty neat.

I've gotten so addicted to Temporal Contraction that it's hard for me to imagine playing without it. It's almost like a free adrenaline shot with no drawbacks that you can always use.

Partially ninja'd by carashi. :P

[Serendipitous]

That psi haste is so op. Another reason for me to avoid the psi entirely.

[hilfazer]

It blocks more damage.

As for lower crit chance - it might be a bug (on machetes too) because knives and sledges have same crit chance if made of SS as they have if made of regular steel.

[Serendipitous]

Yes, since blocked damage is based on your minimum damage, it would block more than ordinary steel of the same quality. Thanks for reminding.

[meiam]

Haven't done it yet but spear throw specialization is supposed to reduce the AP cost to 10 if the wiki didn't lie to me. So 20 AP let you do 2 normal attack and 1 spear throw, whereas 18 AP let you do 2 attack and a throw and have 4 AP leftover (6 with temporal for +1 attack).

edit: nvm just double check wiki and it has been decrease to 16 AP at minimum... sigh I guess that'll teach me for planning a build using the wiki right after patch comes out. My build is such trash sigh...

[Jean-Luc]

Spear throwing specialization has been nerfed in the latest patch. It now reduces the cost by 3 so the minimum is 16.

[King Fossil]

Originally posted by carashi:

Well, for me acquiring 150+ quality super steel is easier than it is for other plates. In fact i don't remember getting something of that quality outside of DC (obviously with Expedition that can change).

I don't know if Styg changed things or if I got super lucky just now, but Leonie in Foundry just sold me some ridiculously good metal. 139 quality tungsten, 147 quality steel, 151 quality titanium, all in stock at the same time. I'd happily take 151 titanium over 160 super steel, especially since getting high quality super steel is such a pain.

[hilfazer]

Component quality went up with the expansion so SS has lost its quality advantage.

Infused leather doesn't go above ~145.

[bankster]

Originally posted by hilfazer:

Infused leather doesn't go above ~145.

Thats usefull to know, thanks.

[Morgian]

Still the only way to get solid leather, even if metal stays ahead. The leather I found in the Black Sea wasn't better than ancient rathound thus far. The psi-crab shells are much better than psi-beetle carapaces, though.
I found in the Black Sea components in the 140ies, especially the old ruins. There is also a complete set of psi-training devices and an extensive set of recipes to be found. Still looking for some of the recipes, there have to be some for medicines and plasma grenades.

[Josip Broz Tito]

The best components i managed to get this far are from special stock from vendors and mercantile.
One of the oligarch vendors, oculus and kevin in foundry so far sell things so insanely good you might even skip points in lockpicking. I never got better from locked containers, especially electronics. I already have 150+ shield components, laser emmiter, amplifiers and efficiency convertors.
As for supersteel - i got 150+ sheet and it was a bit worse than tungsten of about same quality for maximum damage. Also lower crit damage modifier, but less damage spread. So yea it blocks more, but deals less damage and with machete it's noticable.