Ok, more questions for the helpful community! I've got my new clockwork archer/scientist to dungeon level 6, and my smithing and tinkering are both at 7. My question is, how do people generally deal with encrusting? What levels are (reasonably) safe (in GRPD)? Do you try to stack one damage type as high as possible on a weapon, or just throw a variety of good encrusts to get the most possible damage on it? What are some favorite encrusts and what stats should I be focusing on? Also, as a sidenote, the bolt eruptor alone carried me from level 3 to 6. With a little fire resist to remove the drawbacks of point-blank fire, that thing is a beast.
Bolt Eruptor is pretty much the go-to weapon, and it's even better for mages and whatnot. I love that thing. I used mine from floor 4 up until floor 12, where I found an Eldritch Crossbow enchanted with 20 in a Dwarven Express Post room. y usual encrusting strategy is to just focus on one or two good encrusts per item, and try to spread them out from there. A little bit of everything, and not too much of anything. I usually do ONE Gaudy Baubling on my bow, and try to add a second once I've got a good backup weapon. If the encrust gives an instability, sell the weapon and get something new. There's always more material, especially once you get to floor 8. You'll end up with Clockwork (Everything) and enough AA to tank it up like no tomorrow. I add in melee power encrusts mainly, with a couple of Gaga's Glazes thrown onto my armor. Helmet gets two flashlight encrusts. I save Bronze Ingots for two Offensive Shielding encrusts on each of my shields. If you're lucky enough to find a Hat of Bergstrom along with two Ring of Secrets or whatever they are (they all give 1) you have enough Wandcrafting to make Really Holy Shield encrusts, so you can swap out one Offensive Shielding for those (if you're using shields, that is). So... yeah. I use a little bit of everything, but just one or two encrusts per item. Always have a backup item in case you get a bad instability. But pay attention to the instability you get, because it might not be that terrible.
I now have to choose between Eldritch Crossbows, Bolt Eruptors and the Clockwork Rail Launcher. I'm imagining Bolt Eruptor for groups and Rail Launcher for single guys... maybe keep an Eldritch on hand to throw the debuff on bosses I run into. Wish I'd picked up wandcrafting now, the rail launcher's effect looks to scale off of it as well.
This is an excellent idea for a thread! I've often wondered if there are any synergistic crusts other players have discovered. As I've played around with CotW, I've noticed the following: [Assuming All Craft Requirements are Met] - Always encrust your boots. There is only one encrust for boots (Rocket Boots) atm, so the only choice is how many times you want to encrust them. I go for once, personally. - Always encrust your belt. Again, there is only one encrust for belts currently, so slap it on! - Encrusting allows you to fill in weak points in your exotic resists. There is a low-risk medicated encrust, which gives you 2 Acid/Put/Toxic resist (I think). You an apply this to your gloves and your main armor. Similarly, the black pearl inlay allows you to acquire some resist.
Ok, heres the down low: I got this stuff pretty much figured out. If the Instabilty chance is over 10, only upgrade twice, otherwise upgrade three times. Exception if you can use multiple different encrustments, then you can add one more. Head: Heads up Display x2 OR Serpentine Filigree x3 Neck: Service Pack x2 Body: Medicoating x3 OR Serpentine Filigree x3 OR Diamond Crust x2 Pants: Black Pearl Inlay x3 OR Serpentine Filigree x3 OR Diamond Crust x2 Belt: Sassy Banding x2 (or 1 if unlucky) Hands: Medicoating x3 OR Serpentine Filigree x3 OR Diamond Crust x2 Boots: Rocket Boots x2 Rings: Service Pack x2 each Weapon: Ultimate Rearden Crust x2 (risky but worth it for existence resist.) Shield: Really Holy Shield x2-4 (totally worth stacking during late game) Bow: Gaudy Baubling X2 (extra stunning! yay! also holy damage) Altogether required proficiencies: Alchemy 6, Wandcrafting 3, Smithing 5, Tinkering 6 (4 without gaudy baubling) Total Resistances with first picks 12 12 21 12 12 12 12 10 10 6 10 (it does make a significant difference) 8 10 10 and that includes EVERY non-basic attack type damage you can receive, minus piercing damage. If you're feeling lucky, stack on some extra serpentine filigree or diamond crusts on things for extra AA and piercing resist. Heads Up Display also gives some extra trap finding and sight radius, which is also very important. also note it IS possible to get wandcrafting 3 without taking the tree late game, if you find a hat of Bergstrom and two of the rings which boost wandcrafting, or a diggle shrine of secrets. This does, however, make the game incredibly boring, and a breeze to beat even on the hardest difficulty settings.
not everyone can use the encrusting system to its fullest potential Not even if you get all the stat bonuses you can have for equipment. Also, Diggle god of secrets gives the wand burn stat, and not wand lore, so that's out of it.
sorry, I had edited it a bit to improve the overall performance. you're right about that last part too, my bad.
Maybe I've just had really bad luck, but I've acquired nasty instabilities from encrusting items just twice- with different crusts that were each 10 or less. Do you just expect to have to junk multiple items and eventually luck out? (Also, nice summary!)
Just rotten luck. It rolls a d100 vs. your total instability, if it goes under, you gain instability on the item.
Just got my first instability - easy target curse on some gloves with medicoating, filigree, and diamond crust. Got double rocket on boots, double HUD on helm, double holy on shield, need to either get more skill or better gear for the rest. Is it better on legs/pants to do one of each, or do the same one repeatedly? Also, is it worth trying to sneak the lifesteal on weapon? I really appreciate all the advice... and Dynamod, that list is exactly what I was hoping for. =)
Ive tried the lifesteal on both weapons and bow, to my personal experience though, the -2 on holy resistance just isn't worth it, the effect procs barely EVER. its like 3% or something. I might have been missing something though, so if you want, try it on a throwaway item first. As far as getting debuffs with low instability, sometimes the RNG just craps all over you. make sure to have some reagents set aside in case you need to try multiple times, and sometimes all you can do it hope for something manageable.
I managed to squeeze three gaudy baubles on a clockwork rail launcher, so I think I'll stick with that for my single-target needs for the foreseeable future. =)
I currently have a crusted-out armored archmage robe set. With no instabilities (didn't scum to get it this way, honest!). This is hilarious. Combined with the crusts it has, it's almost as good as imperial boilerplate without the huge malus to magic power and nimbleness, for the low cost of -1 voltaic and -4 sneakiness. Suddenly, wizards got good at tanking hits. edit: the only crust missing is rune weapon, which I'll eventually add once I start buffing wand lore.
There's no need to stack the Filigree or Diamond Crust repeatedly. Use 1 Copper, 1 Iron, 1 Steel, 1 Filigree and 1 Diamond crust and you'll have defence stats that are just as good, which a much much lower instability risk.
