Table of Contents
Introduction
In this article, I'll review Zack's newest weapon, the Black Whiskers. This weapon shares a banner with Glenn's Pumpkin Lamppost . I will break down its abilities and support materia slots, explore some potential builds in which it might be used, discuss sub-weapon use, and consider its future-proofing.
Black Whiskers
Black Whiskers: Zack [Gacha]
[PATK: 225] [MATK: 173] [HEAL: 164] (90 OB0)
[PATK: 540] [MATK: 415] [HEAL: 229] (90 OB10)
[PATK: 562] [MATK: 432] [HEAL: 246] (90 OB+20)
Swirl Drop (4 ATB)
54 Boost PATK / 36 Boost Water Pot.
PATK Boost I
ATK Boost (Water) I
▲ Sigil Boost I
Base Stats
[PATK: 225] [MATK: 173] [HEAL: 164] (90 OB0)
[PATK: 540] [MATK: 415] [HEAL: 229] (90 OB10)
[PATK: 562] [MATK: 432] [HEAL: 246] (90 OB+20)
"Black Whiskers is Zack's second-highest physical damage weapon. The first is Zwiehander, which isn't as good as this one. It ranks eighth in magical attack and sixth in heal potency. It is clearly a physical damage-dealing weapon designed for DPS/debuffer builds.
C-Ability
It command abilities are as follows:
Ruinra Smash [Phys. Non-elem.]
400% Phys. Non-elem. Damage [Range: Single Enemy]
Swirl Drop [Phys. Non-elem.]
340% Phys. Non-elem. Damage [Range: Single Enemy]
20s PDEF Down (+6s) (Mid) [Range: Single Enemy]
10% Crit Rate [Range: Single Enemy]
20s Water Resistance Down (+6s) (Low) [Range: Single Enemy]
Swirl Drop [Phys. Non-elem.]
390% Phys. Non-elem. Damage [Range: Single Enemy]
22s PDEF Down (+7s) (Mid) [Range: Single Enemy]
10% Crit Rate [Range: Single Enemy]
22s Water Resistance Down (+7s) (Low) [Range: Single Enemy]
Swirl Drop+ [Phys. Non-elem.]
480% Phys. Non-elem. Damage [Range: Single Enemy]
26s PDEF Down (+8s) (Mid) [Range: Single Enemy]
10% Crit Rate [Range: Single Enemy]
26s Water Resistance Down (+8s) (Mid) [Range: Single Enemy]
Swirl Drop++ [Phys. Non-elem.]
540% Phys. Non-elem. Damage [Range: Single Enemy]
30s PDEF Down (+10s) (Mid) [Range: Single Enemy]
10% Crit Rate [Range: Single Enemy]
30s Water Resistance Down (+10s) (Mid -> High) [Range: Single Enemy]
What's unique about its skill is that it debuffs physical defense along with elemental resistance. It is the first weapon in the game to do this. I expect more weapons to come with flavors like this one, but this weapon is a must-get, especially for water-weak bosses such as Ramuh.
R-Abilities
For its R abilities, it has 32 points of physical attack boost and 9 points of water potency boost at level 90. At max level overboost, it gives 54 points of physical attack and 36 points of water boost. It's a perfect blend of offensive R abilities that don't conflict with the purpose of the weapon. I'm quite happy with it.
Sub-weapon use
As a sub-weapon, it is amazing, on par with the likes of Tifa's Motordrive and Lucia's Bald Eagle. This will be a mainstay sub-weapon for physical damage dealers for months to come.
Support Materia Slots
As for support materia slots, all of them are awesome! It has one physical attack +20%, one 30% water boost, and a triangle sigil boost slot. It's a similar structure to Lucia's Bald Eagle, which also has an elemental boost support and a sigil boost slot.
Build
For a theoretical build, you could equip Black Whiskers as his primary weapon and another physical attack-boosting weapon, like his Falchion, as his off-hand weapon. You would only need 11 more points of physical attack boost to cap it, which his new gear, the Black Hound, can almost provide. You can just equip a 24-point physical attack-boosting weapon like the Murasame to cap it.
It'll look like this:
Future-proofing
Is this weapon a good investment of resources? Will it be powercrept in a short amount of time? I speculate that it'll remain relevant in physical damage builds for a long time. Not only is it a great weapon for Zack, but it's also an excellent sub-weapon for physical damage dealers. Investing resources to get it to level 90 and beyond won't be a waste.
Gear
Black Whiskers pairs well with Zack's new gear, the Black Hound. It provides 10 points of HP boost and 10 points of physical attack. I would target this gear instead of Glenn's for the 6-stamp reward. It is Zack's best gear so far.
Conclusion
In summary, Black Whiskers is more than just a weapon in the world of Ever Crisis; it's a game-changer. Its prowess in enhancing Zack's physical damage output and unique debuffing abilities make it a formidable choice for players. Moreover, its compatibility with Zack's other equipment, such as the Black Hound, elevates its value even further. Black Whiskers is indeed a remarkable addition, destined to remain a powerful asset for a long time to come.
