By: FSQ

Welcome to the 2nd of 3 instalments of my extensive Epsilon Apex breakdown. After covering the not-so-interesting 25,000 credit Apexes, it’s time to move on to the interesting part of the series: the powerful ones.

DISCLAIMER: This list is by no means a definitive summary/ranking. There is indeed a lot of room for dispute depending on the kind of player you are and what ships you already like. However, I did attempt to be as objective as possible by trying every epsilon apex form I could get my hands on. Do also note that all apex forms are straight out buffs of their parent ships so getting/purchasing an apex automatically makes a ship better than it already is. Some buffs just synchronise better with some ships hence making their improvements much more tangible. Without further ado,

The ‘Middle-class’ Epsilon Apex Forms

Jn’dur (Extended Range – Mega Bomb)

Red Hot: Jn’dur’s Epsilon Apex is here to prove to the universe that it’s useful.

Now to the Apex Forms that actually have their uses. Due to the slow-moving main weapon projectiles, the Extended Range Apex really boosts our dear Jn’dur’s sit-back-and-relax playstyle. Gone are the days where you have to worry about missing the invaders at the very top because you’re too far below on the screen transferring shots to the next wave. Not bad, but not the best nor most game changing either.

2. Lorilou (Focused Beam – Mega Laser)

A Serious Stance: Lorilou’s Epsilon Apex employs a more aggressive paint finish as compared to its pure-looking base form.

I know I kinda dissed Focused Beam in my last article, but it’s actually pretty good when you’re able to use it right. The 30 damage boost from 170 to 200 allows it to really punch through all low-mid health Invaders with ease. This really aids the main weapon, which with 21.25 dps (the lowest possible in the game at max level) really needs that boost. However, while Phalanx may allow you to position yourself so that you can counteract the disadvantage of the thinner beam, you’ll probably still miss quite a bunch. Nonetheless, when used right it will definitely give Lorilou the speed boost it needs. Now if only the Epsilon Apex had Lorilou’s Gamma skin……

3. Sakura (Double Teleport – Teleport)

Sleek Finish: The curved body, grey base and pink accents give Epsilon Sakura a JDM sports car feel.

Sakura Squad where y’all at! I personally can’t testify to its effectiveness (I’m not the best teleport player by any means), but players like aluminumgum and Vain can do Armour MIRV missions at SSSS League difficulty with it, so it works. What the Double Teleport Apex does is that it allows you to teleport twice for the cooldown cost of only one teleport. Since teleport is already such an effective zen ability, imagine being able to teleport to one location that is rich in power particles , then jump to a safer location for absolutely no extra cost incurred , and with a full Barrier to boot . The second teleport also insta-charges upon landing from your first teleport, all the more adding to its power. It also allows for some crazy grazing techniques to take place, potentially leading to endless Barrier capability.

EDIT: the strikethroughs are from a comment by a reader; who pointed out I got the strategy wrong. Thanks Vain 🙂

4. Zephyr (Bullet Detonator – Point Defense)

Another Aggressive Attribute: Seething red with anger, Epsilon Zephyr is ready to literally delete Invaders with its Point Defense lasers.

I love Apex Forms that can boost the overall damage output of their ships, and Bullet Detonator does just that. Imagine having a bullet-clearing ability that also does 2 damage to Invaders per bullet cleared. Now also imagine that this ability literally never ends, and you can slow down time to dodge the bullets/lasers you can’t clear. Enter Epsilon Zephyr. With Kappa Drive, you basically have an almost never-ending Bullet Detonator, allowing you to deal more damage on a regular basis. Pair that with a cool paint job and you’ve got an Apex that yells ‘pick me!’.

Unfortunately, a more realistic view is that there are better Bullet Detonator and Kappa Drive ships out there, so Epsilon Zephyr finds itself in the middle class of the Epsilon group. A definite good choice for those interested in looking for more out of kappa dodging, however.

5. Exarch (High Capacity – Vorpal Lance)

Stealth Stingray: Epsilon Exarch Ver.

We now get to the manta ray in the Epsilon Apex family. Now I know it has gotten a BoB (that’s the Best of the Best badge, issued to the person who is in first place in SSSS league missions when they reset. If you don’t know, now you know.) before, but that was in a really niche situation that required 5 Vorpal Lances (VL) to succeed. Otherwise, Exarch benefits more from the improved main weapon that comes with its Omega (50,000c) Apex.

An argument for 5 VL slots is that you can worry less about wasting power, because with the usual 4 VL slots all extra power particles on screen are wasted and do not give you more lances. With the extra slot at least you put more power to use and generate 1 more VL from the otherwise excess power. So, it’s still a straight out buff, but not a very potent one. Thank you, next please.

6. Shogun (GRAZE – Blade Storm)

Cyberpunk Revolution: The sharp edges and neon highlights on Epsilon Shogun really fit its Blade Storm Apex.

Now this, this is a ship I really like. Sadly, I can’t place it any higher on the list because of its (kinda) lacklustre utility.

But first, holy heck this redesign. I’m a huge sucker for this Tron-esque colour scheme and cyberpunk look. Seeing it in high definition alone makes me want to drop 25,000 credits to get it.

The Apex ability, simply named Graze by the developers, increases Shogun’s grazing distance, allowing it to perform grazes easier (and by extension also allows grazing to occur more). It even awards more power too, so Blade Storm fills up quicker. Ideally, players should be able to use Blade Storm to no end with this apex, spamming it to the very end.

However, the reality is that it has yet to live up to the great expectations we have of it. Not having much experience with the Apex myself, I decided to ask a few player on the Discord (link below to join!) for their opinions (thanks Yig Devotee and Phrog, you guys rock). The general consensus: while possibly faster than the legendary Sigma Shogun (High Damage Reflex EMP), a player would have to be a grazing god to actually attain those speeds and get the most out of the Epsilon Apex. It’s simply (and sadly) overshadowed by its other Apex that’s much easier to utilise and get the best out of. I’d still buy it if I had 25,000c to spare though. So, so cool-looking.

7. Wrackr (Bullet Detonator – Point Defense)

Point Offense: Epsilon Wrackr turns its only defensive capability into another form of attack.

We’ve come to another Bullet Detonator (BD) ship. Except, unlike Zephyr, Wrackr is actually fast-paced. Very fast-paced. To the point where it’s actually scary.

Now, the problem lies in actually being able to use Epsilon Wrackr to its fullest potential. Unlike Wraith, which sports a similar no-defence Mega Bomb (MB) kit, Epsilon Wrackr requires an extremely close-up playstyle that unfortunately does not aid charging MB between waves at all, whereas Wraith gives you the luxury of charging from a distance most of the time. Wrackr’s main weapon is also rapid fire, which leaves a greater margin of error as to when an Invader might die, leaving you to take the chance and guesstimate (that’s guess + estimate) when it dies. Wraith, on the other hand, has a capacity (prolonged beam) main weapon, so you can begin charging MB as soon as the main fires. Unfortunately, the way its main weapon is designed plus the playstyle BD requires makes Wrackr runs pretty difficult to actually pull off, leaving only the hardcore experts like CIACONA being able to do the crazies with it.

8. Barret (Explosive Arrival – Teleport)

Explosive Arrival: Epsilon Barret makes it into the final spot for this list.

We’ve come to the eighth and final Epsilon Apex for Part II. I seriously contemplated having Barret in Part III and having Epsilon Dragonfly here, but I have my reasons as to why D-fly is better (you’ll catch that in Part III).

Before the Ion Cannon (IC) buff and despite having a terrible main weapon, Barret was considered to be the only viable IC ship because it had Teleport. Once IC got a buff and IC Apexes subsequently introduced, this quickly moved Barret out of the limelight, making it an average IC kit with an awful main (puny and slow).

This Apex turns Barret from an (I’m sorry Barret fans let’s be real here) overlooked piece of garbage to something that’s pretty reasonable. While not making up for the disgusting main weapon, Explosive Arrival gives the ship the speed and power boost it needs to push through some of the tougher waves in missions, making it clear Hull missions reasonably well now. IC further allows you to stun Invaders for more chances to play Super Mario with their faces.

As a passing comment, Epsilon Barret does get a nice design overhaul with an intense gunmetal and copper finish. The teal base form doesn’t cut it for me aesthetically.

CONCLUSION

That’s it for Part II; Part III will cover the remaining 8 (and most impactful Epsilon Apexes in Phoenix II). I’ll say there’s indeed more room for disagreement in this list of 8 as compared to the 5 in the first part; these were not easy to choose. Once again, you can find me on Discord and on Reddit if you’d like to ask questions or challenge my views. I’m all ears 🙂

Stay tuned, Part III’s coming up!

Other links:

Phoenix II Discord: discord.gg/YP5KcFc

Phoenix II Subreddit: https://www.reddit.com/r/Phoenix_2/

Firi Games: https://www.firigames.com/

Acknowledgements:

Apex Search (Phoenix 2, iOS). (2019, June 9). Retrieved June 12, 2019, from https://elegater.github.io/

Roc-Bot 😉

Members of the Phoenix II Discord who gave insightful input for this list