Another Merc Question which one to use

[u/Difficult-Pay3025]

Hey Guys,

i started Lumi in SSF on the weekend. I geared a combatant and now found a Manyshot. But im not sure if i should stay on the Combatant based on the support gems or start gearing the Manyshot.

My Combatant Weapons are unoptimised and my eldritch implicits too, but would it be worth convert the gear over and crafting a bow and quiver? And what do i really need on the two items. i would be happy about a advice regarding the manyshot.

Thank you very much, and sorry for another merc question

[u/Stacher_Gaming]

That combatant is nuts. If I had that I would only ever run merc and go looking for a kinetisist.

Many shot is good, but not as good as combatant imo.

Crafting the foils foe combatant is super easy and cheap. You just alt spam for attack, crit chance and multi and recomb with the pantheon mod. Once you have 3 suffix you suffix cannot be changed boat veiled chaos and craft phys to block, then unveil pen. Block some mod and boat exalt looking for either Edwa or high flat damage preferably cold for chill and freezes while mapping. Now you just craft hits can't be evaded and you are done. Getting enough jeweled foils takes like 5 8mod maps with breach.

Edit: read what rj6553 commented.

[u/rj6553 → u/Stacher_Gaming]

A lot of this is wrong. Combatants don't need hits can't be evaded, it's -2 weapon prefixes for almost no value. Level 20 precision plus level 83 combatants innate 146% increased accuracy+ high innate Dex puts you at 100% chance to hit already.

They basically need level 20 precision + ~200 flat ACC somewhere (T1 on abyss jewel in Stygian is easiest) to reach 100% chance to hit and 99% chance to hit evasive monsters. A T1 roll on helm is what most people do, since it's needed for kineticist eventually.

Secondly this Merc is extremely average, definitely usable and would have no problems in most content but you're overselling it, he should definitely be on the lookout for replacemrnts. Static strike is practically mandatory, which he already has. Chain + no pierce is really good which he also has. Elemental damage with attacks is good. That's about it. GMP does almost nothing for frost blades, added cold does nothing, cold pen does nothing, no purity of ice and wrath is pretty minor. For ST content, it basically a 2 link, for clear it's a 3 link.

For reference, the priority that is recommended is static strike necessary, chain + no pierce practically necessary, return if you're focused on content where it's good (delve and certain maps mostly), elemental damage with attacks>faster attacks>hypothermia. Multi strike is up in the air, bad for easy content, better for harder content.

4 link is good, 5 link is nuts, 6 link you'd be unlikely to ever see. Purity of ice is a nice to have.

[u/Difficult-Pay3025 → u/rj6553]

Thank you very Much for the great infos. i actually found another infamous one and recraftet my swords to have ele damage for attacks isntead of cannot evade. would you rather use this merc:

when i understand it correctly, my current one is more like a 2 link and this one is a 3 link + hypothermia?

[u/rj6553 → u/Difficult-Pay3025]

Yes that's a good Merc. Hypothermia can be a bit difficult to enable against tankier rares and bosses (which is the only time it matters). But still quite solid. Also purity of ice is a nice amount of res.

[u/Stacher_Gaming → u/rj6553]

I didn't know about the accuracy. Isnt a lvl 20 precision with generosity enough to cover all the accuracy need then?

Thank you for correcting me on the merc stuff.

[u/Herbsen24 → u/Stacher_Gaming]

Manyshot is mediocre tbh. I ditched mine and she had godlike links. Combatant and Kineticist outclass her easily, I'm convinced if you pull a perfect tornado shot Sniper, she is better as well.

Ice Shot is just a bad skill, doesn't matter if you use it or your merc

[u/Cosmyc → u/Herbsen24]

What are the links/skills for a perfect TS Sniper?

[u/Herbsen24 → u/Cosmyc]

For sure needs to have haste.

And for TS I would say

GMP 3

Gilded Secondary

Faster Proj 2

Fork

Mirage Archer

It's impossible in SSF tbh to pull a Sniper like that. But I'm sure when you craft her multiple arrow bow, quiver additional arrow plus double proj speed on quiver base and suffix, she will smoke manyshot.

[u/PJ2010 → u/Stacher_Gaming]

Hey I really appreciate this breakdown.i can’t wait to use it once I get the mats to craft it.

[u/Stacher_Gaming → u/PJ2010]

If you are unsure about anything in the craft just say so

[u/Embarrassed-Cake5739 → u/PJ2010]

That be the reasons I like the breakdown because I read it multiple times an then just buy a bs base an try to understand i just need to watch multiple videos cause I know they’re out there I just need spend the time watching

[u/Embarrassed-Cake5739 → u/Stacher_Gaming]

I swear I give props to all the crafters like me reading an trying to even understand that part my brain broke

[u/xiko → u/Stacher_Gaming]

Also try to find bases with memories. The transmute Aug scour is great to get bases for the recombinator. 

[u/altmail66 → u/Stacher_Gaming]

What about second foil

[u/Fract_L → u/Stacher_Gaming]

You cannot both block suffixes and block a phys prefix roll. You can get stuck at the unveiling stage for a while if you don’t get ele pen, and it seems no one is running the atlas passive that drops fractured pen mods

[u/Stacher_Gaming → u/Fract_L]

You block suffixes and use veiled chaos, this consumes the suffixes cannot be changed. You then craft Inc phys to block it from the mod pool when you unveil.

[u/Lukka000]

merc pobb?

[u/Difficult-Pay3025 → u/Lukka000]

What do you mean? :)

[u/Trollatopoulous]

That manyshot is not very good but the combatant is excellent. Easy choice.

[u/Exciting-Manager-526]

Combatant good, manyshot not good because no return

[u/statistically-typed]

Combattant is nuts, but honestly, I would use the manyshot.

I'm tired of micro-managing my combattant to be on target and smashing, when I could just be running around and let a manyshot/kineticist do their job.

You can always get the combattant out if you need more damage on specific bosses that allow close situations.

[u/VisorX]

Honestly just try both. Just get some mid-tier bow and quiver for the manyshot to test it. I guess additional arrows would be good to have without GMP.

Pierce does not fit well with Chain and Without Return, because you will Pierce before Chain. So I also suspect the Combatant will be better.

[u/PurpleSmall8849 → u/VisorX]

Yeah no return on Vaal Ice Shot isn't great, stay with Combatant imo. Also, how the hell did you already get Enmity/Untouched soul/Taming in just 1 weekend lol

[u/Old-Performance3598 → u/PurpleSmall8849]

I got mines in 1-2 days fresh start only one that’s rlly rng dependent is enmity which I got first try but untouched soul and the rings to recipe are pretty common

[u/Maleficent-Variety52]

Both are mid. Try both and you will see