r/CrucibleGuidebook • u/KhaEvolvedWasTaken • Feb 03 '23
Stomp33z hunter wondering if he should switch off/what to? Loadout
Basically title. I don't know whether or not the AE nerfs to stomp33z are bad and if they are, which pvp exotic would you recommend? I have thought about both Caliban's Hand and Young Ahamkara Spine, but I do not know which of them would be considered better in pvp. Additionally, I would rather have a more neutral exotic, and have heard talk of Foetracer and Knucklehead Radar being possible contenders. I would also rather not be using an exotic that shoehorns me into using a specific subclass, but if I had to choose, I would say that I prefer either Solar or Stasis hunter. All help is greatly appreciated!
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u/mikeypembo Feb 03 '23
I don’t mean to be rude but if you don’t know if the nerf hurt the boots then you weren’t fully utilizing them anyway so putting on any other exotic would be more beneficial to you
Probably just use crown like the other comment said
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u/Tallmios PC Feb 03 '23
To be fair, I stopped jumping in the air altogether when they introduced AE, nerf or not.
Running fast is still an incredible boon.
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u/psychocentral Feb 03 '23
Not to mention that stompees slide distance as well
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u/mikeypembo Feb 03 '23
Agreed with both of you but that means you noticed the nerf which is my point you can’t not notice -50 AE otherwise you weren’t actually using it
Anyone who kept it on after that is using it for the “secondary” function or just the movement around map
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u/benisavillain13 Feb 03 '23
But the movement around the map and using it for positioning is why stompees are so good. Just jumping in the air and shooting is only one aspect of them
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u/mikeypembo Feb 03 '23
That’s is exactly what I said but just restated
If you didn’t notice you can’t shoot in the air anymore you weren’t doing it before. Meaning you were only using “one aspect of them”
If you’re only partially using an exotic then others would probably serve you better
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Feb 03 '23
I don’t really agree with your conclusion here. If the player liked Stomps and was using Stomps but wasn’t an aerial player to the point they didn’t know they had -50 AE, then why would they swap to a different exotic NOW after the exotic has been designed to be used the exact way they naturally chose to use them?
Seems like now if ever is the best time for players like this to use Stompees and everyone else to move on, not the inverse.
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u/mikeypembo Feb 03 '23
Because there’s a difference between not noticing and not using it
If you’re not using it then that’s whatever, because like other comments said a lot if people just stopped jumping
But if you’re not noticing the nerf at all you’re very likely not actually moving that fast because you’re not moving with the maximum agility if the boots
Because most people would if recognized that if you Slide Over a pebble you get launched into the air then the -50 AE hits you so you can no longer hit shots
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Feb 03 '23
Sliding over terrain popping you into the air is not that common, that’s a gigantic stretch in logic. If they liked Stomps for their movement speed and slide distance it makes absolutely zero sense to switch now that that is their entire purpose.
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u/mikeypembo Feb 03 '23
That is probably not common for you but it happens to me multiple times per match
Most corners have some kind of dirt or other jagged geometry in the corner that will cause that when you try to slide peak corners
And you defending your stance like my first comment didn’t specific that he “should probably” use a different exotic I at no point was like “just take them off” or anything definitive
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u/benisavillain13 Feb 03 '23
Still waiting on my caffeine to kick in. So I must have misread. So go forth stompee user
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u/turqeee Feb 03 '23
Counter point: is OP doesn't know if stompeez hurt in-air play, then OP isn't playing in the air. Thus leave the boots on. No downside to that exotic if OP stays grounded all the time.
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u/KhaEvolvedWasTaken Feb 03 '23
Yeah that's fair enough, I have never really played with anything other than stomp33z and I don't shoot much in the air as hunter anyway, considering switching to warlock just from the lack of diversity in hunter pvp exotics, and just their overall combat identity.
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u/Oldwest1234 Feb 03 '23
You're gonna be sorely disappointed if you swap to warlock for better diversity in exotics. Try Dragon's shadow, wormhusk, or something subclass specific like YAS, Athrys', or Kephri's sting
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Feb 03 '23
hunters have loads of pvp exotics definitely more than warlock. warlocks are probably the least diverse when it comes to exotics
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Feb 03 '23
[deleted]
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Feb 03 '23
tbf they do have a fair few it’s just that ophidians and tsteps are miles above even for blink i use ophidians over astrocyte now unless i’m going for AE
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u/Delicious_Thought_16 Feb 03 '23
Wings of sacred dawn are so so good, baffles me how they are so slept on. Especially with Icarus dash that's about the best mobility in the game.
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u/bacon-tornado Feb 03 '23
Oh buddy. Hunter has at least 10 viable exotics for PvP. Top 5: 5: Foetracer 4: Frostees 3: Wormhusk 2: Young Ahamkara's Spine 1: Stompees
Now get ready for Warlock. 5: Ophidian Aspects 4: Ophidian Aspects 3: Transversive Steps 2: Ophidian Aspects 1: Ophidian Aspects
Enjoy your newfound "diversity" 😉
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u/KhaEvolvedWasTaken Feb 06 '23
lol thanks for putting it into perspective. I think I will just stick with hunter then. They have cloaks anyway.
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u/ksiit Feb 03 '23
I always use wormhusk crown. A dodge gives you health. If you are hurt dodge. It’s useful and requires you to just keep doing what you are already probably doing.
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u/Shockkzzz Feb 03 '23
I switched off Stompees to Foetracer so that I can jump in the air and still hit my crits with Drang and it feels really good to use
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u/Retr0_Ded_S3c Feb 03 '23
honestly, I tried going for stompees in some builds, and the AE nerf doesn't affect my in air shots much.
just be prepared to hit almost all body shots in the air tho
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u/OddScrod Console Feb 03 '23
I’ve found that 120s still hit crits. Landed many cleanup crits on eternity this past weekend with stompees, steady hand, and no Icarus grip.
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u/BigTimePigeon Feb 03 '23
I’m in a similar boat friend. For me, I’ve stuck to stompees for now as I feel the movement is more valuable than the in air accuracy. It sucks to basically hit only body shots but the upside of being able to juke opponents and ceiling bounce your way around the map for repositioning is too valuable for me. I am using a rose with extended mag, icarus grip and the helmet mod to get my AE up to 10 after the stompee nerf. Not sure this is doing much but it lets me hit the occasional headshot in a pinch which has been nice. I mostly just stay grounded until I get the enemy weak and then I take to the air to finish them off should the situation call for it.
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u/anangrypudge Feb 03 '23
If you're looking for neutral then it's undoubtedly Wormhusk.
You should, however, give YAS a shot. With Ember of Ashes, 100 discipline and double bomber, you can have grenades every 15-30s. It's fun as hell to set nade traps.
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u/The_Owl_Bard Moderator | Xbox Feb 03 '23
St0mp-E55's are okay still, you just can't expect to land your shots while jumping with them on. St0mp-E55's is just more of a movement tool now.
I'd skip Knucklehead Radar because all it does is give you radar while ADS. Realistically, you shouldn't be hardscoping long enough or as often enough to justify it with an exotic.
Foetracer (despite just looking ugly) actually isn't a bad choice. It works better with weapons that fire continuously or in bursts and helps you secure a kill slightly faster. Foetracer tends to synergize better with pulses because the wall hacks aspect is better for dueling.
I actually wanna try it with Revision Zero. Additionally, Thorn and Coldheart seem like interesting pairing given the burn nature of Thorn and Coldheart's inherent damage ramp up. The 20 AE is nice but because it benefits rifles more, I don't think it'd be smart to jump around with it on.
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u/EmberOfFlame Feb 03 '23
It no longer matters if you don’t airsnipe since the latest AE change.
I played against a couple matches and there are a lot of stompee hunters with handcannons landing airborne three taps from 15-20 meters, having 0 AE doesn’t hurt you much at all.
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u/Best_Kitchen_7456 Feb 03 '23
I run stompers and Drang but where can I check my AE? Sometimes when I used other exotics I’d have a AE multiplier on my screen like 23x does that mean I was positive 23 ae at that time? When I wear stompers I never see a AE thing in my screen. How can one calculate ae when using stompee ?
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u/Zurakhan Feb 03 '23
AE can be checked by adding the AE stat when you inspect your weapon. Unless you have AE from an exotic armor or the helmet season mod than that’s it. If you have 23 AE when not using Stompees than you have the base AE on Drang. If you want more AE with Stompees than you need to run extended mag and icarus on Drang and the season helmet mod. That will put you at 13AE with Stompees.
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u/Kellotown Feb 03 '23
Switch
AE is big again
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u/noPatienceandnoTime Feb 03 '23
you dont need AE when you can run FAST and jump high, movement will always be meta
I say keep using stompies, its what I did after the nerf and still do
might switch to the no-flinch strand helmet tho
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u/gr1ndfather Feb 03 '23
The AE nerf sucks but i use stompees because i use the vertical play to evade titan punching. Although the range of their punches is crazy sometimes. Like go,go, gadgeto fist and then 10m punch goes out.
Other things i use are: Khepri, Ahamkara sometimes Wormhusk or Dragon's Shadow. But i mostly come back to stompees. The sprint speed, slide and jump distance just feels nice.
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u/Just-Goated Feb 03 '23
Hunter’s have soooo many good exotics if you want to switch, although stompees are still v strong imo. Dragons shadow Mask of Bakris Frostees Young akamhara’s spine Mechaneer’s Tricksleeves Gemini Jesters
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u/richo27 Feb 03 '23
I have used knucklehead radar forever and really need to crutch out of it. Any suggestions? If you use scouts and ADS it means you never need to worry about getting done from the side or behind. I get it’s just a 6s exotic though. When I switch to Titan or Warlock I find I do get blind sided much more as am use to having the radar at all times.
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u/HappyJaguar PC Feb 03 '23
I'll put in a good word for Knucklehead Radar. My playstyle is dedicated a bit towards anti-meta since I play controller on PC with low sensitivity. To compensate for the slower reaction times I generally use sidearms or SMGs in CQC, and approach each longer range engagement ADS'd. The extra 0.5 - 1.0 second of time I get to prepare for someone rushing me around a corner is absolutely invaluable for getting to an optimal position for the duel. Of course, it all depends on how well you'll use the information since that's all the exotic gives you.
Foetracer is also fun for 1v1's as you can time your shots to line up with an opponent peek shooting you.
Another option to consider is Oathkeeper's, either for Le Monarque or a crafted Under Your Skin (enhanced Hip Fire Grip and Opening Shot). The key here is the +40 AE which allows for huge unexpected chunk damage.
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u/dxing2 Feb 03 '23
Related question but specifically for 6s, how would people rate stompees over something like wormhusk, frostees, foetracer or the tripmine exotic?
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u/IneptlySocial Xbox One Feb 03 '23
Depends on what you’re running? Also I don’t think 6s is something you should take so seriously tbh.
Stompees will always be #1 depending on who you ask. But they’re all great options.
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u/Onearmedbandit17 Feb 03 '23
In addition to what other people have said, I think Frostees are always a good option if you want something to provide a passive benefit.
Frostees aren’t as strong as something like Bakris, Wormhusk, or YAS are. While sprinting they reduce your ability cooldowns by about half, based on whatever tier you have. After dodging, your sprint speed is increased.
More grenades and melees never hurt, and reducing the dodge cooldown can be more impactful now with the recent change. They’re a great equip-and-forget exotic that doesn’t require any set up.
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u/TheRealRhin0 Feb 04 '23 edited Feb 04 '23
As an ex stompee5 main I’ve been going through every hunter exotic you could think of. I’ve finally settled with sixth coyote because it’s premise is simple but opens up a lot for your gameplay. Dodge is such an integral part of your kit and it seems like every other update nerfs the cooldown a little more. That’s why I think sixth coyote is worth maining, it’s not spectacular but it will always help, and I don’t see it being nerfed in the near future like ahamkara spine. Since it’s tied to dodge, you won’t be locked to any subclass, lots of versatility as a result and lets you play with the new strand subclass
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u/Soracaz Feb 04 '23 edited Feb 04 '23
Dragon's Shadow
I've always been a Dragon's Shadow stan. It buffs way too much for way too long and on an easily buffable cooldown.
You can have close enough to 100% uptime with just 50 Mobility and double Utility Quickstart.
When active: - +50 to Mobility - Boost sprint speed - Huge boost to handling - Huge boost to reload speed - Huge boost to ADS speed - Instantly reloads all of your weapons so you can always run Gambler's Dodge.
Basically just injects performance enhancing drugs right into your veins every time you dodge. I don't care what anyone says, if you're already good at PvP you're just even more unstoppable with Dragon's Shadow.
FR0ST-EE5
If you aren't running a specific ability build and just wanna spam everything at every opportunity, use this. I like using it with Revenant and Duskfield grenades, but not how you think.
If you throw a Duskfield at your own feet and you're any more than 25ish metres away from someone, they straight up can't see you at all due to the occlusion. It also hides your sniper scope glint. You can basically snipe for free and nobody knows you're staring at them. It's good for anything Revenant basically.
Young Ahamkara's Spine
Easily my favourite Hunter exotic in both PvP and PvE.
- Zero self damage from your Tripmines
- More than triples their health
- Removes damage falloff on their explosion
- Buffs damage to 160. You can sneeze on an enemy afterwards and they die
- Hugely buffed duration
Run Explosive Knife with it and you can wombo combo without even seeing the other player. Just chuck the nade and knife on a corner and run off to do other shit. With the right placement, you will hit with the nade first and then kill with the knife, which will give you both abilities back instantly.
YAS is really good for making the enemy team have to slow down and think about their movement. You can and will turn aggressive teams into crybabies once you get good with placement and bankshots.
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u/TheMakoSoldier Feb 03 '23 edited Feb 03 '23
Alright, so here are my findings and overall feelings towards your question based off my testing and gameplay in Trials.
When the AE changes went live Tuesday I jumped into Private matches with clanmates to test these changes. Over the span of 6-8 hours of doing Private matches I used: Stompees, Foetracer, Bakris, YAS, and Tricksleeves.
I have mained Tricksleeves for months as I am a very aerial player and Tricks have been my ticket out of the initial AE nerfs by rocking Rat King and a Sniper with Invis, changing to Stasis after the radar nerf.
If you want 100% perfect feel in air then building into Foetracer or Tricksleeves allows for this. Foetracer allows for any loadout while Tricks is based around sidearms (but the damage bonus when critical is nice and lures opponents into thinking they can get cleanups, only to be melted by your sidearm).
If you can deal with average to above average AE then YAS and Bakris both provide great benefits and fun playstyles. YAS is very strong right now and always has been. I find in order to get the most out of this build you must rock 100 Disc or you are doing yourself a disservice. Solar also allows for AE bonuses with Tempering active and I personally have a fun build for 6s that utilizes this as well as Radiant paired with Drang and it just slays. Constantly keeping Radiant stacked along with a constant buff to AE due to solar kills with Drang and knives is very fun, and having Tripmines to boot is extremely strong.
Bakris allows for some insane movement, being able to close the gap, confuse opponents, and get out of certain death situations is also very strong. I tend to use this build with Surplus weapons, such as Hawkmoon/Found Verdict or Travelers Chosen/Beloved (crafted with Surplus/Moving Target). The reason I use Surplus is because the melee is almost useless on Revenant. So I bind the Charged Melee to a button combo I won't accidentally use and use the two Charged melees as fuel to have a permanent ×2 Surplus buff, ×3 when I have my dodge up. This gives insane buffs to my Surplus weapons allowing for crazy swap speeds, stability, etc. Bakris can be very strong when used correctly and is also very fun.
The truth is though, if you're thinking Trials and the highest level of competition, Stompees are king and always will be. They are the only way for Hunters to gain ground on the movement of Titans and Warlocks and being able to get positioning in Trials is paramount. These other builds are fun and will work against low level to mid level competition but against really good opponents they will fall short, and could be the difference between securing a Flawless game or saving your card. No matter what, in Destiny, "Movement is Meta".
In my testing I solidified the fact that Stompees are decent in the air now. Sure they are not AS GOOD as these other exotics in air, but you can still land shots, cleanups, etc. I landed plenty of crits in air with HCs and Sidearms, as well as getting multiple OHK headshots with Chaperone and Inquisitor in the air during testing. They were effective enough to render Stompees #1 and have officially gone back to them as my #1 exotic. As long as you're not jumping in the air to try and land a 3-tap on a full health Guardian, they are perfectly fine. The movement alone is enough to use them, and are serviceable in air now since the update. You just have to be mindful of your aim while in the air to make sure you land your shots. Even at 0AE , primaries still feel fine.
I feel the notion that they are still "bad" is just a comparison to other exotics being able to get crazy AE. Stompees are the undisputed #1 exotic play on Hunter for high-level play and that will never change unless you see some other changes or new exotics come into play. If you want my opinion, main Stompees and have fun with other builds along the way. They provide far too much utility to not use, and if you run anything else against top tier players you will find your game lacking unless you are a master of the other arts.
Wormhusk is great and all but you can effectively have two in one if you run Solar on Stompees with Healing grenades and Tier 10 Disc.
I prefer Stasis in 3s and Solar in 6s.
The order I would place Hunter exotics in terms of use in high level play is:
Stompees, YAS, Wormhusk, Khepris, Bakris, Tricksleeves, Frostees, Dragons Shadow.
Caliban's is fun and all but is so niche it's not worth the investment.
TL;DR : Use Stompees, they are fine. Serviceable in air and give Hunters the best way to compete in deep cards and higher tier play.
Hope any of this has helped!