Icy Spear

> "*Hurl ice thorns that cause continuous AoE DMG.
> ? Retrieve all ice thorns. Returning thorns deal guaranteed crit DMG after piercing an enemy.*"
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Primary fire throws an ice thorn that pierces any enemy in its path. Upon hitting a solid surface or reaching its maximum effective range, the ice thorn will begin spinning, dealing constant damage to any enemy within its area of effect. After 4 seconds, the ice thorn will disappear.

The  Weapon Skill? recalls all ice thorns to where you are looking, then returns them on a straight path back to you, passing through solid surfaces. This allows you to hit an enemy twice with the same ice thorn, or gives a thorn that missed a second chance to hit.

Throwing out multiple ice thorns at once then recalling them will bring them all to where you were looking. Enemies between you and the place you were looking will take a hit from every single ice thorn, dealing massive amounts of damage.

When ice thorns are being returned, the first enemy hit will take normal damage, unless the thorn hits their weak spot first. Every enemy afterwards will take guaranteed critical damage, regardless of where they're hit. Paired with the weapon's high CritX, this makes targeting lines of enemies extremely effective.

## Impactful Inscriptions

* **Rate of Fire** is extremely effective, increasing damage output at a 1:1 ratio and increases the maximum number of ice thorns in the battlefield.
* **Critical Procs** are very effective because of high accuracy and decent fire rate.
* ✦ *Spores*(full text) can be used to a surprisingly powerful degree with Icy Spear due to ice thorns on the ground counting as a hit from Icy Spear, which triggers an explosion, even if you're holding or firing the other weapon.

## Ineffective Inscriptions

* **CritX** improvements have diminished returns due to the high base CritX.

## Possible Exclusive Inscriptions

Icy Spear is a weapon which has more than one weapon-specific exclusive inscription:

Stub*This page is in early access. You can help Gunfire Reborn Wiki by upgrading it!*TODO: Does the second exclusive inscription still only apply base weapon damage?
* ◈ Increase total weapon DMG by 10% for each enemy passed through; Increase final weapon DMG by extra 50% for returning ice thorns is **multiplicative**. Allows recalling ice thorns to deal even more damage to enemies, allowing them to easily shred enemies if multiple are recalled at once.
* ◈ Up 50% weapon damage, on the next shot for every ice thorn returned only applies to 1 shot and increases base weapon damage, diminishing its usefulness with higher levels. Average damage is increased equivalent to 3.33 weapon levels.
* ◈ Increase total AoE over time increases the damage of spinning ice thorns by up to +83% over 2 seconds, then remains at that for the last 2 seconds.

It may instead have a common inscription:

* ◈ *Elemental orb on crit*(full text) can be used to trigger different fusion effects if the weapon has an elemental damage inscription. It can also very reliably create elemental balls when recalling thorns since every hit besides the first will be a critical hit.
* ◈ Projectiles +1, Consumption +100% increases damage output by +100%, gaining maximum benefit.
* ◈ *+65% DMG vs any elemental effect*(full text) is unreliable due to having no native elemental effect and low elemental effect chance per second with ◆ *Elemental DMG convert*(full text).
* ◈ +10% Lucky Shot Chance for 3s whenever hit an enemy (up to 150%). can stack extremely quickly if enemies are repeatedly hit by the area of effect.

## Notes

* Icy Spear's magazine automatically refills instead of reloads, causing reload-related bonuses have no effect.
* Breakable objects such as pots and explosive barrels will count as the first enemy hit for returning ice thorns. Hitting a breakable object first will let ice thorns deal critical damage to **all** enemies hit.
* When being returned, ice thorns return from their maximum effective range, even through walls. This allows you to hit enemies through solid objects where they would otherwise be protected.
* An unorthodox yet powerful way of using the spear is to fire each thorn at your feet. When you recall them at an enemy, each thorn will pass through the enemy, then pass back, dealing twice as many hits and guaranteeing at least 1 critical hit per thorn. If used while moving, understanding of the weapon's maximum range is necessary to still hit enemies twice.
* The damage from the ice thorn while it's spinning is boosted by skill damage.
* Due to the way  Energy Blade works by boosting all shots until you hit an enemy, many ice thorns can be thrown on the ground while the buff is active, then recalled at enemies for massive damage. This however does not work for  Fatal Current, though Fatal Current can still boost a spear already on the ground while Energy Blade cannot.

## Update History

* 06/01/2023 update:
	+ Exclusive inscription "+50% DMG of returning ice thorns" changed to "Increase total weapon DMG by 10% for each enemy passed through; Increase final weapon DMG by extra 50% for returning ice thorns".
	+ Exclusive inscription "+50% weapon base damage on the next shot for every ice thorn returned" changed to "Up 50% weapon damage, on the next shot for every ice thorn returned".