Get rid of the alt-fire pistol attack. Instead, replace the push attack with the pistol fire and have it blast out in an arc similar to the buckshot from the bounty hunter ult, but at a much shorter range. Make it low damage but high stagger.
Now instead of having to balance an awkward, counter-intuitive, nearly useless attack, you get a stylish push attack that flows with melee combat and gives the rapier a flair that the more brutish weapons are lacking.
Woah there. I actually like the push-attack right where it is. It’s a top left to bottom right attack that resets your attack string to the first 2 hits and gives you 3 total head level attacks for half a shield of stamina.
I think, although poorly worded, he’s referring to the alt-pistol fire, not the push-attack. And there, I agree. The pistol shot should be changed. Great, it has unlimited ammo, but it also opens you up to take damage. It’s just too counterproductive, when you can be more effective just spamming block-push/left-click. It would be cool if it didn’t interfere with your combos.
If anything, the secondary pistol needs a bit better range, in my opinion. Far worse problem is that the Weapon Special is only used by the Rapier (to shoot the pistol) and by Waystalker (to change zoom). This leads to new players not even being aware of it, and even when people find it, never actually learning to use it. By adding more use for the button on different weapons and characters, there would be more reason to learn the whole mechanic, and through that to use the rapier’s pistol better.
A starting point could be adding an optional zoom to Sienna’s Bolt Staff and a few other ranged weapons too. A bit more creativity is needed for additional use on melee weapons, but axes (and pick) for example could well be used to hook shields, immediately throwing the opponent off balance but not doing any actual damage, thus (among other things) making a few weapons better at dealing with shieldvermin. A murder stroke on greatswords for dealing with armor might be fun too.
It is a Sidearm better said no competitor against a Crossbow besides the Pistol is pretty strong 3 Shots for an Mauler and you can interrupt attacks, if you 3-4 Meters near, from Specials like Maulers, Gunner/Flame everything below there tier.
I’d just like to see it return to having ammo, and actually packing a punch like brace of pistols.
It just seems so weird using rapier/brace of pistols combo and the rapier pistol just does nothing in comparison unless you make them stare down the barrel of the gun by standing close.
I barely, barely use it now. (The rapier pistol, but I use rapier plenty)
Would love to see the Sidearm with ammo again, i completely agree with you, in contrast to you i use it all the Time, its such a flow to stun/kill one and decapitate the other.
A Note for other WHC, if not already noticed, after firing you cant block for one Sec. but you can attack.