It’s just not the raw numbers, it’s that the feel of it has changed dramatically when you have to energise it every swing unless you are lucky. People only focus on the blessings (power cycler) because it lessens the unfun part of the sword a bit.
If it had started that way, it would just be an annoying weapon to use, analagous to the chainsword, but because a previous version of a weapon has been literally taken away from us does it feel as bad as it does to a lot of us (unless you’re lucky). It’s not satisfying hitting things with an unpowered power sword because a big draw of the power sword is the audiovisual component.
It was fun, but players had a hard time understanding how a catachan/atrox/combat knife, does less damage then a technologically advanced sword that is coated in an energy field that allows it to cut thru anything like a hot knife cuts thru butter.
So the developer nerfed all the high tier weapons, so those players could use those low tier weapons.
I get that. If they brought it back how it was, they’d have to lower the top-end damage, cleave, impact, and innate rending properties so it’s capable of spamming more swings.
I don’t think it’s an annoying weapon to use. It definitely took a bit getting used to, going from instant horde clear to some maneuvering and alternating shoves and activates. I’ve been using it since launch and post-nerf it’s still one of my most-used Veteran melee weapons.
The chainsword does just fine as a hybrid cleave/assassin weapon. Mine can nearly 100 - 0 a Mutie on a single activate in Damnation, and I think it gets there with a crit (which you can guarantee with a blessing).
A bit irrational and nonsensical. It was overperforming by such a massive margin that no other melee weapon could compete with it. I’m also not sure what other “high tier weapons” you’re referring to.
If what you’re saying is true, they would have nerfed the Combat Axes, because they’re unanimously one of the strongest general-purpose weapons in the game that can kill just about everything in a few swings, effortlessly horde clear with Brutal Momentum, stagger all enemies, penetrate armor…