I did factor elites and specials. Melee weapon damage doesn’t affect ranged damage so I question why you’d bother to mention it. Quick math using bloodshot to absolute optimal gameplay in absolutely ridiculous target rich environments, such as modded, true solos and cata twins:
Hagbane 75%: 7998
Hagbane 50%: 4204
MFB: 7950
If you want to start factoring in the additional impact of melee uptime it’s significantly lower than you would expect. Melee weapons cannot hit approaching targets, nor do they have massive area damage.
A slight on-paper nerf. In practice a single Crit on Shade that guaranteed a hunter proc could lead to ~250 bonus damage from that. The single boosted hit adds maybe 500 damage in the first place. Overall a ~30% nerf to Shade’s damage. Or the loss of guaranteed crits for fours seconds means no backstabs. Let’s say SV patrol on cata, killing 10 SV for ~900 damage. Loss of that in exchange for boosted damage to the faces of +300. A ~70% nerf to Shade’s damage.
Let’s just do damage math based on power level: 650*1.225(Isha’s Bounty, EP)*1.046(Radiant Inheritance (10% uptime, 20% attack speed, 20% power, 20% Crit power))*1.25(Murder of Spites)*1.2(Morai Heg’s assuming a 2x finesse modifier coupled with enough ults to sustain 10% uptime) =1250
How about comparing the melee prowess of Slayer? 650*1.15(Wielding 2 2 Handers)*1.075(EP)*1.225(Adrenaline Surge making ult uptime 50%, innate attack speed) =985
But muh Slayer is weak! Pick Grail Knight!!!
650*1.1(Knight’s challenge only affects the first target hit)*1.475(Virtue of the Ideal, EP, power quest)*1.05(Attack speed quest)=1105
buh buh buh buh but Slayer and GK have better temp health and damage reduction! Slayer can get 50%, GK can regenerate 50% of the damage taken if he avoids hits and potentially roll grim healing, but in this example I gave GK power, attack speed, and strength pots. However, SoTT has 25% increased team healing that then returns right back to her as overhealing. Something like a single Merc ult can heal her to full if she does something stupid.
But GK ult, that’s so good! Slayer has no damage on his ult, and can’t stagger monsters. Grail Knight has a delete button, can stagger monsters, but only in melee. Sister has 2 of these nukes, and they can hit many times the amount of enemies, all from the safety of range.
SoTT is ridiculously busted. So busted I think if she lost every level 10, radiant, every level 25, and thorn nuke, that she would still be a very strong choice for the team.