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Deciphering the Dome: Bombs Away!


by stoicjohn

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Written with nightwind_292

Giant Ghostkerchief launches their Ghostkerbomb at you!

Bombs are one of your basic Battledome item types. Our definition: 1 - a bomb is going to be a weapon that you can only use once per battle 2 – it generally does more damage than your regular weapons. You don't necessarily need an expensive Ghostkerbomb; there are bombs of all price ranges out there and this article will help you select the right one for your special situation and show you how to use it. Whatever bomb you choose, you're going to use it to score that big hit on your opponent and knock them out when they least expect it.

Popular bombs
One-use Bombs
Now if you battle on a limited budget, there are several one-use bombs that you can buy for special occasions. You can find all sorts of Snowballs, Battlecards, Ornate Fighting Fans, or even Chocolate Chip Battle Biscuits for cheap that will do big damage for you. Water Muffins have always been a favorite for Battledomers trying to get their Defenders of Neopia trophies because they’re relatively cheap and can do 15 icons. You wouldn’t want to spend your neopoints using these all the time but if it’s a really important battle like trying to get a trophy, or an avatar, or maybe trying to beat your brother in the Battledome, then you should check into these throw away weapons; Sand Snowball, Snow Mudball, or the Gold Fernypoo Battlecard are some other good ones to start with.

Honey Potion
Eventually you’re going to want a bomb that is multi-use, whether you pick one up on the trading post or get it directly from Illusen. Most people's first bomb is going to be the Honey Potion. In a Neopia before Ylanas Blasters when the Battledome was ruled by 8 and 10 icon weapons, the Honey Potion was a powerhouse. It hits for 13 to 16 icons, so it could do some massive and unexpected damage. Most people for about the same price will pick up a Ylanas Blaster now (just under 13 icons). Since the Honey Potion can only be used once per battle, the multi-use Ylanas Blaster is going to be more useful in any battle that lasts more than one round, but if your main weapons are Golden Compass or Ice Club and Stone Clubs, then a Honey Potion is going to be a fun addition to your set.

Rainbow Clockwork Grundo
The next bomb upgrade comes from the Hidden Tower. This little Grundo probably won’t stay in your set for too long doing 16 to 20 icons, but it’s the perfect bomb until you’re ready to buy a Kelpbeards Trident or Sword of Skardsen. A lot of people will use this after their regular weapons are at the Ylanas Blaster/Wand of Reality level but before they're ready to commit to the higher priced Ghostkerbomb.

Jhudoras Potion
This is an odd bomb, but it has its place (we’re not just including it so we don’t make Jhudora mad *shifty eyes*). Jhudoras Potion is a kind of like a one-use Sword of Skardsen but averages just a few more icons. If you’re not using a Sword of Skardsen in your set, then you may be able to catch your opponent unaware when they’re not ready to block dark icons. Keep an eye on this weapon; the price has been steadily dropping for some time now, making it a more viable addition to your set.

Ghostkerbomb
Most people would consider this the ultimate bomb in the game and it’s one of only five weapons that can attack with or exceed 30 icons worth of damage. Once you have Hidden Tower class weapons in your set that can average 17 icons every turn, then you need to upgrade past the Rainbow Clockwork Grundo, and until you fill your set with those massively elite weapons, then the trusty Ghostkerbomb is going to be there for your bombing needs (even if you just need to use it to get a high Balthazar Basher score).

Techniques
Freeze bombing is the preferred method of attacking with a bomb. First your opponent freezes you and then unloads a massive bomb/constant/berserk attack on the next round when you can’t defend yourself. It’s not the most efficient way to use your bomb, but anybody who’s lost a battle this way understands the potential. Freeze your opponent and do big damage, but you can do even more damage with your bomb if your opponent isn’t frozen. Whenever your opponent uses a stance like Jump and Attack, Fierce, or Berzerk it makes your weapons do more damage too. So if you can catch them trying to put a big attack on you and you can bomb/fierce attack at the same time, then you can dish out some monster damage. You might take a lot of damage from them, but your bomb should give you an icon advantage and damage them for even more.

The second best time to use your bomb is the very first round. You should know how much damage you can do with your bomb and your best regular weapon plus Berzerk, if that damage is enough to beat your opponent then you should unleash the bomb. This is especially important against 1-player opponents (or better yet war/plot opponents) where every win counts. Always start off your attack with your bomb and best attack to get those precious one round victories.

Bomb Defence
If you’re frozen, there’s really no defence against a bomb attack, but you should keep an eye out for them the rest of the time. First and foremost, you shouldn’t be overusing the Fierce or Berzerk Attacks until you’re sure that your opponent has used their bomb or doesn’t have one. They will have the icon advantage on the round they bomb, so there’s no sense in adding even more punch to their attack by using your Fierce or Berzerk. Also keep a possible bomb attack in mind when you’re planning your healing round. If you only have 100 hit points left but your opponent has been hitting you for 80 with their regular weapons, how much damage could they do if they snuck a bomb in there? Could they knock you out with the added bonus of a bomb? Stop and do the math because your opponent is probably doing the same calculation on their end.

Elite Considerations: Hubrids Puzzle Box
What?! That's not a bomb. Hubrids Puzzle Box is an, um... box. But it does match our definition of a bomb: 1) one use per battle 2) deals a massive amount of damage. In fact, against the right opponents the puzzle box can deal more damage than any other weapon in Neopia (even your precious peas). You mostly see it in high-level 1-player battling where it can take away 1/3 of an opponent's hit points; that's more than 3,300 damage on a 10,000 hit point monster! But in 2-player battling it provides an unblockable bomb attack that can cut your opponent down to size, as long as you and your opponent have enough hit points to make it worthwhile.

If you have further questions about the dome, check out the other ‘Deciphering the Dome‘ articles or go here: www.neopets.com/~projectbootcamp

 
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