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"no One Trusts Excalibur...maybe?" Or "a Case For Excalibur"


TheGuy08
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I once posted months back about the lack of trust in Loki. Since people have now gotten their golden trickster and I have moved on from the master race I have come to realize that many simply do not trust Excal......maybe. 

 

I say be because I have no real evidence so I am going on my perception alone and I may not have been playing enough to see the whole picture. In any case I usually do not see Excal in groups. On the odd occasion I do see one it is usually a new player MK1-Braton in tow trying to rip the world a new one. The truth is I really never see anybody playing Excal in higher content.I am forced to wonder why?

 

When Kubrows came out the first question I asked myself was, 'What frame would go best with one?". Many came to the conclusion that Trinity would be best due to healing or Valk (especially after leader and link mods) due to the scaling. My answer was Excal with a radial blind build. It seemed common sense to me from the time Helios came out with deconstructor. A melee sentinel needs a frame that can maximize melee for it. I figured I had cracked the code and embarked on my journey to level Excal and forma it. that first time with the sentinel I got to 1 forma and 15 levels before I quit. Why you ask?

 

Reason #1: Boring

 

Excal is as plain as white toast with butter. For all the flash that later frames have Excal is one of the most tame in terms of animation and effects. From the design of the frame to the skills he is like the most basic model.

 

Look at Excal

250px-Excalibur.jpg

 Gray, boring, plain as day.

 

Now look at the beautifully crafted Zephyr

250px-Zephyr.jpg

 

Colorful and Unique. Love her or hate her the design is detailed.

 

Reason #2: Anything you can do I can do better....sort of.

 

As most of us know Excal skills are the most basic of the basic. A dash, a jump, a blind, and AOE dps skill. The problem is other frames have very similar skills that can either do the same job or a better one. For example Slash Dash while great is a rather basic skill and in the games current form can be outshined by coptering, teleporting, and Rhino has a similar skill. Super Jump outshined by Tail Wind. Radial Javelin outshined by just about every other AoE dps skill. Radial Blind is not outshined it just has other CC skills that get more attention like Radial Disarm, Chaos, Stomp, etc.

 

Reason #3: He and you might share a bad past. 

 

For many Excal was their first frame. Now back before the new New Player Experience this guy was with you from the start and saw you eat more dirt than any other frame. While you walked around trying to get some footing in the hell of a game you spent your brutal learning experience with Excal. He saw you at your worst. Many of you may blame him for his S#&$ty skills and weak DPS. The minute you could get your hands on Rhino you dropped him and moved on to greener pastures. You may have even shot him out back so he wouldn't have to bare witness to your new love story ie you sold him.

 

I am being a bit romantic but basically he was your newb frame and your done with that.

 

Reason #4: "He will never be at his best." alternative title, "NO PRIME FOR YOU!"

 

Sore issue for some but that is about it. He is basic and you can't get the blinged out version so.....@#$# him.

 

 

Lots of reasons he could be hated. However, I think there should be some love for him.

 

IMHO: Why Excal is a good guy.

 

He is basic, a bit boring, and other frames outshine him. Despite all that he has one good CC skill and brings the game back to basic. I realized while playing Excal that I was doing nothing fancy or "OP". His stats are balanced he can run all content and brings the game back to basics for me. Using cover and a few mods he is the frame I think brings out the actual good player in people. Nothing he does is so strong he wipes the floor in a flash but he is so balanced that if you play smart he has no issues with anything. He is the frame that I need the most skill to play while using the least skills. Old fashioned, methodical, in my eyes he brings out the player that can do more than use one skill and own. Without criticizing that play style he literally makes you better at it by reminding you that things like cover and strategy exist.

 

 

TL;DR

 

Sorry this was meant to be one paragraph but, sh!t happens. I am not a Excal fanboy (my love is Nyx my first is Loki) but I think the old man gets less love than he deserves. He is solid in all mission types and still has decent stats. He is the guy that brought many to the party but he rarely gets a dance. I am not saying everyone should play him. I am just saying he might be sitting back there being awesome in his grey tweed suit. 

 

One last note I did manage to get 4 formas into him and it turns out he is great with dogs.

Edited by TheGuy08
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I think its more that there are so many other frames that are just overall better than Excal is. He is a good frame and I like him, but I think he is unfortunately forever to be set as the "new player" frame, whenever I do see an excal online, I usually check to see if its a new player. More often than not it is.

 

I think to many people think he is rather bad because he is one of the longest starter frames, even though thats false, excal is quite a strong frame, but others are strong also.

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Every time I team up with Ashes, they need to be carried, so I hate them.

 

It's kinda sad because he's among the top Soloing frames in my book. Yet in a team setting its true, they often are the ones dying.

He's incredibly powerful, very customizable, fast, durable, etc.

He is probably the ugliest creature to play with though, which is porbably the only reason I use him so infrequently.

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It's kinda sad because he's among the top Soloing frames in my book. Yet in a team setting its true, they often are the ones dying.

He's incredibly powerful, very customizable, fast, durable, etc.

He is probably the ugliest creature to play with though, which is porbably the only reason I use him so infrequently.

I enjoy Excalibur's appearance it's simple yet badass

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It's kinda sad because he's among the top Soloing frames in my book. Yet in a team setting its true, they often are the ones dying.

He's incredibly powerful, very customizable, fast, durable, etc.

He is probably the ugliest creature to play with though, which is porbably the only reason I use him so infrequently.

 

I'd prefer a Disarm/Invis Troki, a Booben, or a Rhino for solo.

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I'm sorry you're so wrong, but Excalibur is in fact the best looking frame.

 

While degenerative exploits as "features" like coptering undermine a lot of gameplay mechanics including mobility powers, Excalibur is only in competition with Zephyr as the most mobile frame. Superjump is only 10 energy, so it can be used way more often than tailwind, and combines with a duration extended slashdash, he can fly all over the map with ease. I even run him with intensity sometimes just for fun to really amp up superjump, even though I know it's not an optimal build.

 

Otherwise, yea. His powers do lack utility in late game, barring radial blind. But hammering radial blind over and over is pretty dull, and I do hope he gets some love at some point. I would start with letting slash dash build combos and letting the combo multiplier affect its damage.

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if you say that Cal's radial blind is outshined by other cc's, man you seriously and I mean very seriously need to remake your builds. (which other cc gives you 400 % melee bonus?)

Cal is all about mobility, but mobility that can get you out of rough situations, not cheap coptering.

Besides, zephyr is a terrible team player her skills worse than useless in a team and is worth only for trolling.

Aside from the hating, the idea behind tail wind and super jump is different.

 

Edit: also, a frame does not need to have grotesque forms to be considered cool. Both Cal and Nyx look awesome and guess what? They do look awesome. every armor looks good on them because of that and every alt hemet they have looks cool on them.

Besides, Cal is the FIRST frame, a.k.a the Orokin (or DE) were focusing on effectiveness, not looks. Nyx is basically a female cal, so yeah...

Edited by TMHowler
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Old fashioned, methodical, in my eyes he brings out the player that can do more than use one skill and own.
 
Bingo. People take the easy way out. If you cant just press 4 and win, people dont want to play it. And they suck horribly when you put them into a tight situation.
 
People need to learn to play.
Edited by Faulcun
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i kinda like excals look and radial blind is a pro move and i would say he is the 4th best when it comes to mobility out classed by zepher loki decoy/switch teleport combo and even valkyrs rip line is more mobility than super jump 

 

I'm sorry you're so wrong, but Excalibur is in fact the best looking frame.

 

While degenerative exploits as "features" like coptering undermine a lot of gameplay mechanics including mobility powers, Excalibur is only in competition with Zephyr as the most mobile frame. Superjump is only 10 energy, so it can be used way more often than tailwind, and combines with a duration extended slashdash, he can fly all over the map with ease. I even run him with intensity sometimes just for fun to really amp up superjump, even though I know it's not an optimal build.

 

Otherwise, yea. His powers do lack utility in late game, barring radial blind. But hammering radial blind over and over is pretty dull, and I do hope he gets some love at some point. I would start with letting slash dash build combos and letting the combo multiplier affect its damage.

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Why Excal? Because 1) Radial Blind. 2) His simple pattern allows for an awesome looking frame with the right colors.

 

And nope. Anytime somebody focuses on one ability only, they have much more room to improve as a player than they would like to admit.

 

When using all of his powers together with good weapon synergy and mobility, excal is almost unstoppable.

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Reason #1: Boring

 

Excal is as plain as white toast with butter. For all the flash that later frames have Excal is one of the most tame in terms of animation and effects. From the design of the frame to the skills he is like the most basic model.

 

Look at Excal

250px-Excalibur.jpg

 Gray, boring, plain as day.

 

 

Besides, Cal is the FIRST frame, a.k.a the Orokin (or DE) were focusing on effectiveness, not looks. Nyx is basically a female cal, so yeah...

 

Pretty much this. 

 

He was the 1st Warframe created. Think of him as a "prototype," if you will (kinda sorta).  Of course he's gonna be plain & sleek in design. 

 

It's kinda sad because he's among the top Soloing frames in my book. Yet in a team setting its true, they often are the ones dying.

He's incredibly powerful, very customizable, fast, durable, etc.

He is probably the ugliest creature to play with though, which is porbably the only reason I use him so infrequently.

 

I think Ash looks great. Next to Loki, he's my most used frame. Especially with the Locust/Scorpion helmet. 

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I always play on my Primealibur. Unless I'm just leveling up my other frames.

 

 

 

It's kinda sad because he's among the top Soloing frames in my book. Yet in a team setting its true, they often are the ones dying.
He's incredibly powerful, very customizable, fast, durable, etc.

He is probably the ugliest creature to play with though, which is porbably the only reason I use him so infrequently.

 

Well, I like Ash, but my Primealibur goes first, unless the mission is best used as a stealth mission/must rush fast.

Edited by Azsendi
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if you say that Cal's radial blind is outshined by other cc's, man you seriously and I mean very seriously need to remake your builds. (which other cc gives you 400 % melee bonus?)

Cal is all about mobility, but mobility that can get you out of rough situations, not cheap coptering.

Besides, zephyr is a terrible team player her skills worse than useless in a team and is worth only for trolling.

Aside from the hating, the idea behind tail wind and super jump is different.

 

Edit: also, a frame does not need to have grotesque forms to be considered cool. Both Cal and Nyx look awesome and guess what? They do look awesome. every armor looks good on them because of that and every alt hemet they have looks cool on them.

Besides, Cal is the FIRST frame, a.k.a the Orokin (or DE) were focusing on effectiveness, not looks. Nyx is basically a female cal, so yeah...

 

It was a lot to read I know. However, if you are going to read it then read it. " Radial Blind is not outshined it just has other CC skills that get more attention like Radial Disarm, Chaos, Stomp, etc." Careful wording is careful.

 

Zephyr,"Colorful and Unique. Love her or hate her the design is detailed." Once again careful wording.

 

Nyx is my main immortal skin armor and all. Too late to upload a Screenshot but I assure you I have said nothing about her style since I love it.

 

You seemed to read with angry eyes and missed the point I get it but it is kind of sad.

 

 

Too many aren't getting the point of my post but that happens some times.

Edited by TheGuy08
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In a way Excalibur is the "melee Warframe" of the game, you could definitely argue against that with the ninja slashing Ash and the berserking Valkyr, but with abilities like the iconic Slash Dash and his ultimate Radial Javelin which takes the spotlight in one of Warframe's trailers, he definitely does feel like the melee or at least blades specialist of the game.

 

What I think would be a cool buff to him would be to somehow implement melee weapon damage into his Slash Dashes and Radial Javelins, maybe include the elements as well or the damage types; I'd just be interested to see the melee weapon he uses have an impact on how his Slash Dash and Radial Javelin behave.

 

A very simple (but likely unrefined) way to do this would be to just add the melee weapon's damage onto the damage of Dash and Javelin, it would probably pump up those two skills by around 400-1000 damage.

Edited by Tyrannawn
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And nope. Anytime somebody focuses on one ability only, they have much more room to improve as a player than they would like to admit.

 

When using all of his powers together with good weapon synergy and mobility, excal is almost unstoppable.

You have to focus on one ability to make him effective. This is a matter of playstyle, what you are trying to say is like telling a nekros to stop desacrating and use more soul punch

Edited by RitaVrataski
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If I am not leveling frames or handling specific content (like booben for infested, nek / trin survival, mag prime T3 / T4 def, Nyx for extra special "clan" stuff etc), I usually choose between Loki and Excal.

 

Yes they are excellent for their role and are complete power houses. They can handle almost any kind of content.

In fact newbies usually ask me why me, a Mastery level 15 using the "newbie frames" ?

 

I usually tell em, those are far stronger than you think.

Edited by fatpig84
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Honestly, OP, I trust a high ranked player with Excalibur more than anyone else. Those guys I saw always knew what they did.

 

On the other hand, Excals design simplicity is appealing for some.

 

Beginner frame early on, hipster frame later. xD

Edited by SIDESTRE4M
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