Acquisition
Stats
The Steflos has relatively balanced but not exceptional stats. 14%/2.2x Crit is usable but not great, and similarly 22% Status Chance is solid. Base Impact damage doesn't do much besides being a multiplier for Galv Savvy, but base Heat is quite beneficial for any Viral/Corrosive + Heat builds.
A Fire Rate of 3 is relatively high with a Mag Capacity of just 12, and a Reload Time of 2.4 results in a fairly poor Reload Ratio of 1.67.
Ammo Max of 36 and Ammo Pickup of 12 are not very high, but due to the AoE nature of the Steflos, are quite manageable if used smartly in high enemy density.
The Steflos fires a large wave-like projectile. Like with other weapons of this projectile type, the projectile has innate infinite body Punch Through, allowing it to pass through and damage any number of enemies. The outer edge of the projectile also has some innate Punch Through for objects, however the centre of the projectile does not.
As with other weapons of this projectile type, the Steflos does not benefit from the standard 3× headshot multiplier.
The Steflos has a base Range of 12m. Additionally, it has Damage Falloff starting at 8m, decreasing to minimum damage of just 20% at 16m.
Uniquely, the Steflos' projectile grows in both size and maximum Range as it connects with and damages enemies. With sufficiently high enemy density, this can allow it to exceed its maximum Damage Falloff range of 16m.
When wielded by Citrine, the Steflos has increased Projectile Speed and thus Range and Damage Falloff ranges.
Augments
None.
Builds
Basic 0-Forma
The Steflos has a single native V polarity. This gives reasonable space for a basic build with a good number of elements. This above build shows the standard Point Blank and Hell's Chamber, with three elemental mods, and still having space for more.
I've included Vicious Spread here as an example filler mod. If you don't have Primed Point Blank yet, Vicious Spread is a decent boost to damage, and the Accuracy/Spread penalty is minimal since the Steflos fires a huge projectile. Once you get Primed Point Blank, and especially once you start getting +Damage Arcanes, Vicious Spread becomes completely obsolete.
Primed Elements 0-Forma:
If you do have Primed Point Blank, it will comfortably fit for a solid damage boost, while also making Vicious Spread significantly less desirable. I'd also suggest looking at 60/60 elemental mods instead of 90%, as extra Status output is almost always helpful.
Vigilante Armaments is an alternative filler mod that offers no-fuss extra Multishot. It isn't the strongest mod, but it is relatively low drain, cheap to max, and fairly easy to acquire. It becomes obsolete once Galv mods enter the picture.
For any build using the appropriate elements, Chilling Reload (Cold) and Blaze (Heat) can be worth considering over their regular counterparts. Chilling Reload offers +Reload Speed, which can be quite helpful for the Steflos due to its relatively poor Reload Ratio. At this level of build, the extra +Damage from Blaze offers significantly more overall damage than any other +Heat mod. Again however, that becomes largely obsolete when +Damage Arcanes enter the mix, at which point you are best off with the other +Heat mods.
Primed Crit 0-Forma:
If you have Primed Ravage and Critical Deceleration, a Crit build can be worth doing as well. The Steflos' above-average 2.2× Crit Multiplier is greatly beneficial to its Crit viability. Such a build is not worth doing without both aforementioned mods, as the regular Crit mods Blunderbuss and Ravage do not offer enough damage.
The Steflos' base Heat is very helpful for any Heat-based build, however it also limits options. Viral is the usual catch-all element that is effective against most targets, mainly due to its damage multiplying proc working on most enemies' Health. It combines very well with Heat's armour reduction and damage-over-time. Corrosive is much stronger against specifically Ferrite-armoured targets due to its multipliers, and is generally good against all Armour thanks to its proc. It also deals great direct damage to most Infested heavies, especially those on the Cambion Drift who are immune to Viral procs.
The usual go-to for unarmoured Corpus is a pure Toxin build, as it bypasses their Shields entirely. Unfortunately, with base Heat the only way to do so is by slotting in elemental mods to combine the Heat into Radiation. This isn't the worst thing as Radiation has an especially strong multiplier against Alloy-armour, which most armoured Corpus use as their Armour type, and who are the main Corpus units who will resist a pure Toxin build most strongly.
Magnetic could be used against the select few enemies whose Shields are especially tough, but such targets are few and far between and Magnetic is mediocre to awful against anything unshielded.
Recommended Setups: Viral + Heat vs everything, Corrosive + Heat vs Ferrite-armour, Infested, Radiation (+ Toxin) vs Alloy-armour, Corpus, Magnetic + Heat vs strong Shields
General Purpose 3-Forma:
A +Fire Rate mod like Shotgun Barrage is a strong Burst DPS increase, as well as comfortably offsetting the penalty of Critical Decel. Of course this comes at the cost of significantly faster ammo consumption and more frequent reloads, which is not ideal.
For maximum overall damage increase, a (Primed) Cleanse is the best option for +Faction Damage. Of note is that it will apply twice to damage-over-time procs for a massive damage increase. However I generally find that for all except the absolute worst weapons, Faction Damage mods are total overkill for any content that a typical player may experience.
There are a few conditional Crit mods that can be used, with Shrapnel Shot being the strongest for its +Crit Damage. Laser Sight and Motus Setup both boost Crit Chance, which is much weaker because of the magnitude of Crit Decel.
For any build with Electric or Cold damage, Primed Charged Shell or Primed Chilling Grasp respectively are major direct damage increases, and will also significantly shift damage type biases.
Hunter Munitions is always worth discussing on any weapon that considers slotting Crit mods. It allows the Steflos to inflict Slash procs, which is normally impossible. Even with Crit Decel however, the Steflos' Crit Chance is not great so it is frustratingly inconsistent at doing so. In medium-level content (e.g. level 80-100 or so) where enemies will typically die within a few shots, HM is not worth including as it is too inconsistent and slow to deal its full damage. Additionally, Slash procs are not notably effective against unarmoured targets. Focusing on elemental damage and procs is a lot more reliable at this level and below, and perhaps even into Steel Path. HM only becomes worth consideration at extremely high levels against armoured enemies.
(Primed) Ammo Stock/Tactical Pump can offer some nice quality-of-life to reduce downtime, but can be difficult to justify fitting in.
For the Exilus slot, there are several solid options worth considering. An Ammo Mutation mod like Vigilante Supplies or Shotgun Ammo Mutation can eliminate any potential ammo concerns. Counterbalance can be used to negate any recoil issues, which can be useful for rapid fire as the Steflos kicks up surprisingly hard. Finally, Fatal Acceleration is a very strong option as +Projectile Speed also increases Damage Falloff distances and the Steflos' base range (from 12m to 16.8m).
Recommended Setups: see above. Also consider: Viral + HM vs heavily armoured enemies
Galvanised Build and Arcane
Galv Hell.
Galv Savvy is a must-include. On the Steflos, it applies multiplicatively to other +Damage effects, rather than additively as it "should". This gives it far higher damage potential than it would otherwise have.
Galv Acceleration is a very strong competitor for the Exilus slot. As mentioned previously, +Projectile Speed effects will also increase both Range and Damage Falloff ranges. Galv Accel will almost double the minimum Range to a much more respectable 22.8m when fully stacked, giving the Steflos much more opportunity to hit enemies to travel and grow even further.
Since Galv Savvy is multiplicative on the Steflos, a good +Damage Arcane will be a lot stronger than Primary Frostbite. Pure Cold damage is also difficult to get on the Steflos due to its innate Heat.
Fractalised Reset can be used to cut the Reload Time to almost nothing, however the loss of damage is far too great in higher level content.
The new Primary Plated Rounds operates on an unusual Damage boost based on both maximum Mag Capacity, as well as fraction of capacity reloaded. With a base Mag Capacity of 12, the Steflos will gain up to around +116% Damage, far smaller than the standard +Damage Arcanes (360%). As such, I wouldn't recommend it personally.
Both Primary Deadhead and Merciless are good options. Pri Deadhead offers higher peak damage with its headshot damage multiplier, can stack faster requiring only 3 headshot kills, and the Recoil reduction can be very beneficial for rapid-fire. On the other hand, Pri Merciless triggers on any kill including from all damage-over-time procs, and the increased Reload Speed is helpful.
My Builds
Combat Use and Summary
The aforementioned lack of strength is a much bigger issue against singular, heavier enemies. The Steflos' Burst DPS is not particularly high, especially when considering it does not benefit from the standard 3× headshot multiplier. It relies on building up Status procs like Viral and Heat on heavy enemies to deal good damage, however this makes it significantly less efficient than typical single-target weapons. Naturally, it is especially ineffective against any enemy who is Status-resistant/immune.
While the Steflos is capable of stacking Viral/Corrosive + Heat procs reasonably reliably, it does not do so quickly. Such procs are essential for effectively dealing with armoured enemies, whose colossal Armour damage reduction blunts the Steflos' direct damage even more. As such, it can take quite a few shots for the Steflos to max out Viral/Corrosive procs and stack up a respectable Heat proc, putting it at a major disadvantage to weapons that stack procs faster.
Hunter Munitions can help in this regard, as Slash procs bypass armour entirely, however as mentioned previously the Steflos is not a great user of it. Its Crit Chance even when significantly enhanced is not particularly high, and neither is its base Fire Rate. While the Steflos can inflict strong Slash procs with HM, it is rather unreliable in doing so, and it can take several shots just to get a single Slash proc on.
The Steflos' recoil is surprisingly high and can be quite troublesome in rapid fire. This is largely compensated for by the sheer size of its projectile, as there is a good chance it will still hit enemies even with aiming slightly upwards. Nonetheless, it is quite a sharp recoil and is worth keeping in mind if recoil bothers you.
Ammo Max of 36 is relatively low, however as an AoE weapon, the Steflos is usually efficient enough to sustain itself on ammo drops from kills.
Overall, the Steflos is a solid crowd cleaner. Its large projectile that grows as it hits more enemies excels at wiping out groups, and indeed becomes even better as it does. However, it is somewhat lacking in the firepower and stats to effectively take down heavier targets.
Additionally, as discussed below, it competes directly against the Arca Plasmor family which is very strong. With those in mind, I have not found the Steflos to be notably better than the best options in the game currently. It is by no means especially bad or weak, but in a game where there are many hundreds of weapons, it is just one of many that falls into the "not-the-best" bucket.
For where and when you can acquire it (MR8, on Mars), the Steflos is a solid weapon and can definitely support you well on your path to stronger weapons. Once you've got access to said stronger weapons however, it is largely outclassed.
Taking into account the Sister damage bonus, the TAPlasmor's higher base damage, forced Impact procs and higher Status Chance balance out its drastically slower Fire Rate. From there, its higher Crit Chance gives it even higher damage output, as well as more consistent use of Hunter Munitions. Additionally, the TAPlasmor has a significantly better Reload Ratio.
Scores
Vs Trash Mobs: 5/5 - The Steflos fires a large wave projectile that grows as it hits more enemies, making it exceptional at killing groups of enemies.
Vs Unarmoured Heavies: 3/5 - The Steflos only has moderate Burst DPS by Shotgun standards. Its inability to benefit from the headshot multiplier is a major disadvantage.
Vs Armoured Heavies without Forced Slash: 3/5 - The Steflos can reliably inflict a couple of Viral/Corrosive procs when built for it, but is not great at quickly maxing them out for full benefit. It will reliably stack decent Heat procs, but its overall mediocre DPS means that even its stacked Heat procs will not be especially strong.
Vs Armoured Heavies with Forced Slash: 3.5/5 - HM is usable on the Steflos but not great. Its Crit Chance is not very good even with Critical Deceleration, making it frustratingly inconsistent. Depending on level of content, a pure Viral/Corrosive + Heat build may be more consistent and effective.
Vs Variants
None.
Competitors
The Steflos' projectile style is rather uncommon, and there are few other weapons that can compare. Unfortunately, one of said weapons is the very powerful MR16 Tenet Arca Plasmor.
However, there is one other very big advantage that the TAPlasmor has - unconditional Range. Without hitting enemies, the Steflos has a base Range of just 12m, which is quite short by Warframe standards. On the other hand, the TAPlasmor has a base Range limit of 36m - enough for most combat. The Steflos can match and exceed that with sufficient enemy density, but it is exactly that - conditional.
While the Steflos can reach comparable and even superior anti-crowd capabilities compared to the TAPlasmor, the TAPlasmor is just simpler and easier to use, while also being stronger against single targets.
Interestingly however, the base MR10 Arca Plasmor is significantly weaker than its Tenet variant, and the Steflos actually solidly competes with it. The base APlasmor has lower base Damage, Crit Multi, and even Range compared to the Tenet. As such, the Steflos will achieve superior Burst DPS. The APlasmor still has better Reload Ratio and base Range, but not as much as the Tenet has.
Rivens
As a new weapon, the Steflos starts as usual at a minimum 1/5 (0.5) Riven Disposition. Given it goes up directly against the very popular (Tenet) Arca Plasmor line, I would not be surprised to see the Steflos fall by the wayside in usage. I'm expecting its Disposition to rise as a result, to at least a low 3/5 (0.9) or so, possibly even higher. While not a bad weapon by any means (certainly above-average for its MR), I don't think it offers anything notable over the TAPlasmor.
+Damage/Multishot/Crit Chance/Crit Damage are the standard positives. Of the four, +Damage/Crit Damage will be the strongest due to Galv Chamber making +Multishot less valuable, and Crit Deceleration outclassing any other +Crit Chance. Normally +Damage would be weak as well due to Arcanes, but the interaction with Galv Savvy makes it a better option than most weapons.
+Elemental Damage can save a mod slot and/or shift elemental biases around. +Faction Damage is a very strong multiplier of damage-over-time procs, most useful against the Grineer. It is great for endurance runs, but largely overkill for anything most players will experience. +Mag Capacity/Reload Speed can be very nice quality-of-life. +Projectile Speed is a major buff as it also increases the Steflos' max Range. -Recoil can be nice if you struggle with the recoil. +Punch Through allows the centre of the projectile to pass through certain solid objects, which can be helpful in cluttered environments.
As the Steflos deals base Impact damage, its Rivens are capable of rolling the Physical Damage types. -Puncture/Slash have no effect whatsoever, so are purely beneficial stats to have. -Impact cuts down base Damage significantly, but it isn't a very good damage type in the first place so that is of limited concern. -Faction Damage against weaker targets (mainly Infested, arguably Corpus) is manageable with good positives, and of course is of no consequence against other targets. -Ammo Max in small amounts can be manageable if your ammo economy is good. +Recoil can be a good negative if you handle recoil well.
No comments:
Post a Comment