Another weapon damage analysis: this time focusing on the Pandemonium running, end game fixer. How does the various good SMG’s perform at the peak of Fixer Power?
For simplicity I have used stats close to my own as a lvl 215 opifex fixer as basis for the comparison. These figures may or may not be relevant for you – other stats and equipment will certainly change the damage numbers, but the relative strengths and shortcomings of each weapon should still apply.
Base Stats:
Attack skill: 1900
Burst skill: 1350
Skill lock modifier: -11 (left hand QL 220 symbiant and Headband of Haste)
Combat duration: 60 seconds
Damage modifiers: + 300 damage pr shot
Base ranged init: 1570
Ranged init with 1/1 guns: 1200 (using a 8% crit scope)
Ranged init with slower guns: 1750 (using TIM scope)
A few things to keep in mind when calculating weapon damage at high skill values:
1) Extra damage for attack rating over 1000 points is reduced compared to the formula used for calculating damage up to 1000 points of attack rating. The damage reduction varies from class to class, but for fixers the following seem to apply:
@1200 attack rating : Extra damage is reduced to 33% of normal
@1350 attack rating : Extra damage is reduced to 33% of normal
@1500 attack rating : Extra damage is reduced to 33% of normal
@1700 attack rating : Extra damage is reduced to 28% of normal
@1900 attack rating : Extra damage is reduced to 25% of normal
The above figures are the result of measuring Crit damage vs zero AC mobs (leets!) at various skill intervals, using a MTI - Russian Good Day – Deluxe and a Premium Michael Patriot Ffi 29B as test guns (both of which have 2500 Max Beneficial Skill, ensuring that MBS would not screw with the results)
2) Ranged init above 1200 is only 1/3 as effective in improving weapon speed as Ranged init below 1200 points. This fact gets very interesting when trying to get guns slower than 1/1 to fire at full speed when going full 0% aggressive.
3) Skill lock reduction values can affect the recharge of specials of a weapon. How it works is explained in this thread. The effect of skill lock reduction items is incorporated in the damage figures below.
4) I realise that the The Lord / Lady of Envy has wield requirements waaay higher than the skill values used in the comparison. However, I don’t want to use higher skill values for the comparison, since I don’t have reliable data for damage reduction past 1900ish attack rating as explained in 1) above. So for the sake of this thread, just assume that you have somehow managed to twink the Lord / Lady of Envy on, and thereafter gone back down to the above figures once the twinking gear was put aside.
For anyone interested, a comparison of weapon damage for a Title level 6 fixer can be found here.
Comparison:
Blinded Blackbird (dual wielded) vs Zero AC opponent
Primary hand damage: 20 reg shots @ 1338 damage, 8 bursts @ 3681 damage
Off hand damage: 20 reg shots @ 1338 damage
Total damage: 82 968 points @ 0% agg
Blinded Blackbird (dual wielded) vs Unlimited AC opponent
Primary hand damage: 20 reg shots @ 611 damage, 8 bursts @ 1734 damage
Off hand damage: 20 reg shots @ 611 damage
Total damage: 38 312 points @ 0% agg
Superior Perennium Beamer vs Zero AC opponent
Primary hand damage: 30 reg shots @ 1603 damage, 8 bursts @ 4422 damage
Total damage: 83 466 points @ 0% agg
Superior Perennium Beamer vs Unlimited AC opponent
Primary hand damage: 30 reg shots @ 1055 damage, 8 bursts @ 2955 damage
Total damage: 55 290 points @ 0% agg
Conflagrant Syndicate Messenger Gun vs Zero AC opponent
Primary hand damage: 30 reg shots @ 1665 damage, 8 bursts @ 4098 damage
Total damage: 82 734 points @ 0% agg
Conflagrant Syndicate Messenger Gun vs Unlimited AC opponent
Primary hand damage: 30 reg shots @ 1381 damage, 8 bursts @ 3339 damage
Total damage: 68 142 points @ 0% agg
Metropolis Blaster / Influencer vs Zero AC opponent
Primary hand damage: 30 reg shots @ 1740 damage, 8 bursts @ 5013 damage
Total damage: 92 304 points @ 0% agg
Metropolis Blaster / Influencer vs Unlimited AC opponent
Primary hand damage: 30 reg shots @ 620 damage, 8 bursts @ 1815 damage
Total damage: 33 120 points @ 0% agg
Lord / Lady of Envy vs Zero AC opponent
Primary hand damage: 30 reg shots @ 1413 damage, 8 bursts @ 4098 damage
Total damage: 75 174 points @ 25% agg
Lord / Lady of Envy vs Unlimited AC opponent
Primary hand damage: 30 reg shots @ 1360 damage, 8 bursts @ 3948 damage
Total damage: 72 384 points @ 25% agg
Lord / Lady of Envy vs Zero AC opponent
Primary hand damage: 25 reg shots @ 1413 damage, 8 bursts @ 4098 damage
Total damage: 68 109 points @ 0% agg
Lord / Lady of Envy vs Unlimited AC opponent
Primary hand damage: 25 reg shots @ 1360 damage, 8 bursts @ 3948 damage
Total damage: 65 584 points @ 0% agg
A few observations based on the above figures:
- The Metropolis Blaster / Influencer is the best fixer weapon for use vs low AC mobs. In fact, the only weapon that is lagging behind vs low AC mobs is the Lord / Lady of Envy which suffer due to low maximum damage and a not too impressive crit modifier.
- Vs high AC mobs the Lord / Lady of Envy is the best, followed very closely by the Conflagrant SMG. The Superior Perennium Beamer also does well. The Blackbirds and the Metropolis Blaster / Influencer do very poorly vs high ac mobs – not surprisingly considering their low minimum damage.
- It will be really hard to get the Lord / Lady of Envy to 1/1 speed at full defensive - a whopping skill of 2550 Ranged Initiative is required. The Lord / Lady of Envy are therefore listed twice.. once at 25% agg (which gives 1/1 speed with 1750 RI), and once at 0% agg (which gives 1,44/1 speed).
- Considering how hard it is to get the Lord / Lady of Envy, and its very high wield requirements I must say I am disappointed by its relative performance. The Conflagrant SMG does close to the same damage, is much easier to acquire and is self equip able.
Techno mumbo jumbo for the above calculations (in case anyone wonders): Base crit chance is 3%. A regular shot is an average incorporating damage from critical hits. A burst is 3 bullets at average damage, but with no crit chance. Higher attack ratings will produce more crits, favouring weapons with good crit modifiers such as the SMG. Dual wielding a gun provides 33% more shots, with each hand doing 50% of the shots. Reload times are taking into account where applicable.