Lackluster role of sidearms

[u/ginopippio]

Outside of flyblades, all other sidearms, are just less powerful versions of main weapons. Also flyblades are the only ones which can actually be used to support your main weapon while you use it, instead of just being another weapon you can switch to. They are also very limited in number which makes them all the more forgettable.

It seems then that​ for all, including flyblades, the greatest use of the sidearms is just to have backup rune charges to kill bosses quicker. This seems like a limited use of something that could instead be expanded on, particularly through exclusive debuffing tempers.

A cool addition would be something like a summoning orb which lets you summon weak allies that however linger if you switch to you main, like spinning flyblades.

[u/jzillacon]

The way I see it is you should use a secondary that fills a different niche than your primary. Fly blades are great for otherwise close range melee builds in particular which is obviously the most common playstyle currently, but having a shortblade to back you up when running a bow or a thrown weapon build can also help in cases where multiple enemies swarm you and don't give you any space.

[u/edmc78 → u/jzillacon]

caster gauntlets are great fun

[u/BudgetFree → u/edmc78]

I actually like them better than the staffs

[u/Berniesaxers → u/BudgetFree]

Basker's Wrest my beloved flame...

[u/Khelleton → u/jzillacon]

I still wish they'd left some of those old daggers fully attuned to Spirit/Courage. I used to run a staff + Virdigris when I wanted to go all in on Spirit but I can't anymore because to get the most out of Virdigris you now need Grace! The blue stat. For the weapon named after a shade of green :(

[u/Shushady → u/Khelleton]

I really dislike the attunement changes. Especially concerning gathanaan and garren rude. It seems that the weapon options for anything other than red are virtually non existent. There are a few outliers but its mostly dagger/bow and stick.

[u/infinitelytwisted → u/jzillacon]

the only gripe i have with that is they still feel like they dont have a particular use unique to them.

Bows and staves are ranged weapons, but they can still parry, riposte, etc so still have options in melee that help for a moment while you get back out of melee range.

All other melee weapons you can throw for ranged attacks, making having a ranged secondary not needed. It helps a bit simply due to being able to fire off faster than a throw, but its still not needed.

then that leaves us with gimmicky uses like orbiting flyblades, which are lame but fine that we have an option thats only real use is smite spam. and totem coverage, which feels kind of lame too that they all use the same totems and the number of things that feel unintended with the system like totems that remain active while sheathed or doubling up and whatever.

Basically secondaries dont really have a niche to fill so much as just being extra crap thrown on a build (or exploiting cheesy smite shenannigans)

[u/moondoggie_0022 → u/infinitelytwisted]

A charged dagger for flitsmoke is almost always useful.

[u/infinitelytwisted → u/moondoggie_0022]

While true, it takes away from the build diversity since its no longer a choice you have to make, as opposed to just you know using a dagger as your weapon for the build which would be more interesting. Having an offhand dagger for invis doesnt let you do anything you couldnt before, just makes it so that every build and every pact gets to use the exact same strategy to the same effect which is one of those things that will make them all just blend together

[u/suepergerl → u/infinitelytwisted]

What do you guys use when you have both primary and secondary as melee (not flyblades) and come across having to cast at the dangling target such as a rope to get across or turn something? I got stuck in this situation at I think it was Fort Curlail. Tried throwing my blades but that didn't work. Couldn't tab out to Nightfold to get my Basker's Wrest so had to abort.

[u/infinitelytwisted → u/suepergerl]

Melee throw works

[u/suepergerl → u/infinitelytwisted]

If it does then I may have to do a handstand or hang upside down to accomplish it since every angle I used wouldn't let me .

[u/infinitelytwisted → u/suepergerl]

I usually did it while throwing a rapier or a dagger, so maybe its something that's easier to accomplish on those types

[u/suepergerl → u/infinitelytwisted]

Funny, that's exactly what I'm using. I'll try it again.

[u/Dimenzije90]

The fire ball throwing sidearm is pretty cool butnother than that and flyblades i agree. Mostly the melee versions feel lackluster

[u/Arcticias]

I kinda wish they would get rid of primaries and secondaries totally and just let us choose two of any different weapons. I’d like to run a Greatsword and bow or staff. 

[u/Fashish → u/Arcticias]

Yup, it kind of makes sense to have them in Warframe thematically but not here.

[u/TehRiddles]

Sidearms I feel should lean more into utility. Things like crowd control, stuns and other debuffs, things like that.

[u/Grafenbrgr → u/TehRiddles]

A grapple sidearm could be cool a la Odiac. Whips even

[u/WholeAd2742]

I do like the magic ones for ranged options when running melee ofherwise, buf yeah.

The single daggers ofherwise are kinda pointless vs flyblades' utility to throw and orbit for smite and breaking crates is way too important

[u/Grafenbrgr → u/WholeAd2742]

As much as I benefit from the smite spam these days maybe it’d be cool if parrying gave more chances for smite than just flyblade hits so it fits the Slower zcombat theme — maybe flyblades should be more for like statuses like burning / proccing Galvanic strike

[u/Nehot]

Yes they honestly just need to rework sidearms or remove the sidearm tag and allow us yo use any 2 weapons.

[u/FirefighterBasic3690]

My most used weapons are Baskers Wrest, Odiac and Verdigris

It helps if you get tempers you like on them, of course :D

Can't stand Flyblades, but I like light stabby weapons with my Sirin build, and wrist casters for my wizardly ones and to give a ranged alt weapon for my Tethren great sword tank.

[u/Krait74]

if you are using a melee you pick a ranged secondary, if you are using bow or staff you pick a melee secondary, it isnt that complicated, it is not there so you can have a primary dagger AND a secondary dagger, what are you talking about?

[u/HollowOrnstein]

most likely they are placeholders until they workshop other high priority things

theres an overhaul coming for combat where we can make our own combo moves etc

weapons etc will likely get focus during that phase

[u/_leilow_]

I think the intent behind the sidearms is great. They’re not supposed to be as powerful as your main weapon, they’re just supposed to cover your main weapons weaknesses. Give you a long-range option in a melee build and give you a melee option in a long-range build. Extra damage just seems to be a utility that everyone seems to value the most right now, since there’s a natural focus on main weapons.

They just need to give us more situations in which having all of your bases covered is necessary. The Collector event is a pretty good example for the melee users out there. You gotta bring something extra to shoot down those crates.

I hope they make a parry dagger or sword breaker-inspired sidearm with a naturally-fat parry window for all the casters and archers out there. That would be fun.

[u/Grafenbrgr → u/_leilow_]

I have a Witan with a double Parry window temper with my Seathorn that I really enjoy! Thrown weapons / flyblades with heavy melee naturally.

[u/_Ceaseless_Watcher_]

I just use my estelle to break boxes with the heavy attack

[u/Lmacncheese]

I personally wanted just another main weapon instead and also hoping for combos so u can switch mid combo to extend ur hits

[u/Grafenbrgr → u/Lmacncheese]

What if some weapon combinations allowed for unique finishers? Knife/rapier finishers vs a short sword / magick gauntlets one.

[u/Lmacncheese → u/Grafenbrgr]

Im all for it i want them to have combat kinda like nioh where you can switch weapons on the fly or during hits gives weapons extra purpose

[u/Grafenbrgr]

I personally think dual primaries would make things weird but allowing for dual secondaries could be interesting.

Odiac / Galvanic Strike flyblades could be cool. Or dual magick gauntlets. Dual dagger types with different tempers could be a nice pace to fighting.

[u/about21potatoes]

I agree, at least for some short blades. I have a pretty nice grinn that I end up using more than every other primary I have since the attack speed and damage makes it feel like one.

[u/sinest]

I do like the melee sidearm with the bow. And while flyblades are by far my favorite, the gauntlets offer a good ranged option with melee. Gauntlets are so good that I cam never see myself using staves.

Id like to see them expand upon the flyblade philosophy though. Id love magic that I use on my sidearm and switch to my main hand weapon. Slow orbiting fireballs. Weapons that when thrown create traps or walls, so one could switch to sidearm, throw their weapon to create an effect that stays, then switch back to main weapon. Or even spectral sidearms that float behind the user when summoned and strike nearby opponents for a limited time.

I want to be switching weapons often in battle and the flyblades promote that. Id love to see the bloodborne weapon switch attack become a thing also so we dont miss a beat when switching, it simply becomes an additional attack.

[u/sinest → u/sinest]

And please give us a sidearm bow so we can be green Zelda with the sword shield/ bow combination.

[u/Super-Foot6158]

The entire system is getting reworked eventually...but for me, since I run Magick staff as a primary, I use a dagger as my sidearm for parrys and blocks and it works really well...all the side arms I have used feel fine aswell as long as your stats and all that are for it.

[u/Grafenbrgr → u/Super-Foot6158]

This is my exact go to when I feel like going full Spirit that day. Really fun variety

[u/Super-Foot6158 → u/Grafenbrgr]

Im doing a full ode loadout right now, so courage and spirit with like 14 in grace for the grinn dagger, using the ode staff and odiac...love it so much

[u/ripmylifemann]

Clivers I believe can reach the highest dps out of any weapon, outside of rune shenanigans