pierce either, really, at the very least until you hit flame arrow. Probably don't want to use it on fire bows, though. Used to much prefer pierce or catapult or whatever, but then I noticed that bounce can take even a 0 strength shot from one end of the screen to the other, and is absolutely beautiful on the pyramid arrow - with that thing, if the projectile doesn't actually hit anything it can basically end up poisoning the whole screen. Probably the biggest play change I've noticed while I've been playing lately is I've ended up with a hella' larger appreciation for reflection cards, particularly on snipers.

Just hit submarine and finished farming for quick cards on the priest and mage, both of which are currently mostly using freeze weapons. Priest got range to 150 with a non-long staff, mage is one level away from hitting 75 dex, after which it'll be splitting between strength and magic, whipper is aiming for a non-gemmed 70 mag (but did take a detour to pick up some dex), after which it'll probably pump dex for a while, glad's hit 40 mag and is now putting into str/dex at whimsy. Currently idling on the beaches and occasionally ramming their skull into the pyramid boss. Lv 54: Double priest, both raw strength and nothing else, using long staves, then a sniper (45 mag, been putting everything else into strength) and gunner (20 mag, now 1/1ing into dex and strength). Currently poisoner staff farming desert 3 for staff stones. Angels are identical 30 dex, everything else is going into magic until it hits 100, then I'm probably going to try to get another ring out of them and put whatever's left into either strength or LP (or just 1/1 both *shrugs*). One priest got dex to 50, other pumped strength until the first did, now both are doing 1/1 into strength/magic. These ones are meandering around the snowfields and occasionally smashing its face into the brick wall that is mountaintop (I really want that indra arrow _ ). Boxer usually runs a freeze build (diamond/vampire), mage does whatever's needed (though it's mostly using electric shock right now, 'cause that thing does pretty monstrous damage), sniper alternates between pyramid and flame arrow as needed. Lv 70: Priest (Str/mag), sniper (got mag to 45, now splitting level ups between str and dex), mage (Got range to around 200, split between dex and mag for a while, currently pushing dex up until it hits 75), boxer (26 dex to flatline agi, split str/mag for a while, now pushing up to 100 or so, for the end-game cestus). Even for other things if there's a bunch of stuff on the screen. Can set most of the screen on fire, and the damage with a ruby slotted isn't bad at all, for a priest. Icicle/freeze is pretty good for slowing things down for the snipers to rain death on, and I've been toying with the inferno staff for the last couple stages. They've actually started using offensive staves instead of just being walking stat buffs. Got their strength high enough to hit 150 range, pushing it up to 210 now) that's just hit the snowfields on the computer. Lv 57: 2 priest (Both strength, with some magic for range) 2 sniper (One dex, one magic to 50, now going dex.

anyway, yeah, I've been playing this probably way too much lately. Both have plenty of fire and physical, and no cold. Bows have poison, but only one thunder (that's in a ridiculously brutal place), while gunners lack poison but have much better thunder access via lasers. Elemental variety's about the same, though. Snipers are nearly comparable, probably a bit more flexible, and definitely less management, but still. Though yeah, the big thing with gunners is that they honestly hurt more than snipers do, and often by a fair amount. Pure strength priests, obviously enough, though I forget if the gunners had any dex investment or not. Though someone did crunch the numbers on it, apparently - seems like 2-2 is the way to go to maximize raw damage, instead of 3p-1g. At least in terms of raw DPS, there's literally nothing without a priest that can beat a comp with a strength priest in it. 1-3 priests and 3-1 gunners is the way to go if you're going pure gun. Missile launcher'll deal with the rest, ha. Four gunner is an absolute pain early, but once you get around submarine or so the price is negligible, especially if you either compo for magic or invest a little - 20'll get base sniper rifles to cost $1, and those hurt plenty to deal with most things up till cavern or so.

Stick ranger angel