you know what? my summoning build (Vordren the overseer) has 11 total minions, and so i like to use BOTH! i make my dragon short and have a small platoon of orbs. the dragon can go through walls, and on first look seems to travel much faster- the orbs are like a plague-bouncing around in front of my, latching on leaving bits of themselves behind as a dot. its a beautiful thing. i think they are made to work in tandem. the dragon has pierce which give him advantages over large enemies, but less effective against enemies who get invulnerability after being hit (moon lord) or have ridiculous defense (what good is a 3 segment dragon if they only hit for like 11 dmg each)
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thats where the cells balance it out- they don't get distracted like the dragon so the tend to go after more imminent threats, they target multiple targets and leave behind dots- so even if they are out numbered they are still hurting everything around them.
it seems to me like the dragon chases down shadows while my cells fill out the room, if theres an enemy they have difficulty wearing down- the stardust dragon zips right through them to finish them off.
stardust guardian- i haven't been able to test him out because i ALWAYS forget to deploy him during tough times, and i always forget to pay attention after i send him out. fun fact, dye in your pet slot will change his color, and some dyes can be really amazing.
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the sad part about end game is- whats the point in grinding when you already have everything you want? so my end game builds are not min maxed out for DPS, and i cant back up my claims with numbers, but i recommend trying out both of them- if your limit is 3, make one dragon and two cells, if you've got a summoner build, with 9 minions- try a three piece dragon and 6 cells. hell go for a summoner combo meal- 2 piece stardust dragon, a trio of cells, two deadly sphere staffs and a pirate! it offers a lot of versatility because each minion has its own AI and covers the area in a unique way. i also just love having a lonely pirate with me