I have to disagree we often had the scenario where most of the player base only have picked OP weapons which can handle everything. If you give single target weapons cleave you would exactly have this scenario again. They just need to be better at doing single target stuff, so that they would be a legit sidegrade pick and not being straight up better.
I hesitate to label popular weapons as ‘overpowered,’ especially given the current balance. In my view, most players gravitate toward versatility because games are played for enjoyment, not as a chore. Weapons that excel in specific areas but struggle in others often get relegated to ‘niche’ picks, as using them can feel like extra effort. Gamers generally prefer gear that can handle most situations, which explains why ‘jack-of-all-trades’ weapons tend to be more popular. Instead of seeing them as OP, we should recognize that they’re favored for their balance between effectiveness and ease of use.
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I see a viable use of 1h axes as super-armour-assassin killers, with some buff to horde clear.
There’s already a buff for WP to take down CW faster, the same thing might work for 1h axes. 1h axe 1-hit hook rats, globadiers, gunners, flame rats. And have a buff vs super armour would put it in a nice niche, with a minor buff to horde clear to give some THP gen without needing to rely on ranged to clear hordes.
Who wouldn’t like to 1hit hook rats at cata with a heavy swing? …cue someone posting vid of onehitting hook rats…
You get the idea, close range special anihilator.
Yeah, if DD can be effective on a Horde with their attack speed and 0 Cleave despite being specialized into assassination, I see no reason why a slight attack speed buff to 1h axe to help it on hordes won’t put it in the same boat.
“Suffer” is a massive overstatement considering Dual Hammers have really effective Heavy attacks and a hidden 4th light attack which lands easy head shots and also comes with decent AP, not to mention the heavies hit twice.
As far as melee weapons go it’s very hard to think of any weapons that truly suffers against heavy armour. Maybe Dual Swords against individual super armoured does, but even then they have the means to snipe their heads with a push attack, or its heavy attacks all having HEAVY LINESMAN.
No particular attack on any 1-h axes are any good against hordes in contrast. Not even a push attack.
Most egregious is Kerilian’s axe post-rework when FS decided to make it’s first two light attacks perfectly horizontal swipes for some reason.
But the point I was initially trying to get at is that pretty much all weapons are all-rounders capable of handling hordes as well as elites. Nearly all other melee can do more than one thing.
The axes suffer a case of this…
They do one job well, but it’s not that well, certainly not well enough to justify its inability to do anything else. It’s got an anti-armour elite killing attack and the same thing but better.
That’s it’s own redundant can of worms that can be discussed in another thread, suffice to say the weapon is questionable as well.
Yeah you’re right, it’s an argument, but it’s NEVER been a reality because you still see some people bring the dual daggers along in lower difficulties and occasional cata.
But the objective fact remains that one of the two weapons in this relationship is very clearly off-balance, either the dual daggers is too weak or SnS is way too good at everything or a bit of both. And people are free to start a thread to discuss that imabalance…in fact I’m considering starting a thread discussing the problem with Mining Pick and it’s relationship to Coghammer.
Well the fact that people also pick axe on lower difficulty and cataclysm and deal with hordes just fine, it seems your entire argument is “I don’t like axe because it’s not as good at hordes as other weapons.” which is fine. You do you, mate.