This idea once sprouted into a PvE-only tool for each stat route, but we couldn’t find any reasonable enough argument as to why the other three stats need it. The idea was scrapped, and this is what remained.
Strength route is having issues in PvE.
Fighting Styles are a fun combat option. Close-ranged and quick, they got great variety in their techniques and are noteworthy in PvP. However, almost all their skills are united in the fact that they are not ranged.
Of all their moveset, only Shot, Axe-Slash and a few Cannon Fist-exclusive moves can be reliably used to deal damage at a distance. This becomes a problem, when more and more enemies are added with gimmicks that would heavily punish coming close to them. Krakens release ink in the water that does rapid damage, dragons are flying and have powerful melee attacks, not to mention the armour breaking, which shouldn’t have been added to begin with, and Allanon has multiple placed and self-explosions at his disposal, as well as the 2000 damage grab (who approved that?). Strength users should not be forced to use Cannon Fist in order to play the game. Hybrids can get by with using other routes, but Berserkers are unable to do that.
Range is supposed to be Strenght’s weakness, and it is balanced around that. This much is fine. It isn’t Strength, but the enemies that must be changed.
Enemies and/or bosses that rely on projectile spam, or are otherwise extremely dangerous to approach will receive downtime periods in their movesets, or abilities that are safe to wait out close to them.
The list is: adolescent+ dragons, krakens (+ Omen), Lord Elius, Allanon, Ormolu, King Caesar, Rear Admiral Amelia.
Alternative solution: Tidestone Tridents.
After you receive your first awakening at Poseidon’s temple as a Strength user, you will be able to grab a bundle of old, engraved tridents from a small pile of offerings in the corner, with Poseidon’s permission. These tridents will appear as a tool, and are only accessible to Strength users. The tool will do no damage to players. This is a PvE-only assist, it doesn’t impact PvP in any way. Strength must keep its weakness of being close-ranged.
The tool can be thrown as if using Polearm Throw weapon skill, although it won’t interrupt the user’s momentum. The damage equals that of the user’s selected fighting style’s melee attack, and the fighting style’s own stats also alter the trident’s parameters. The style selected is your first by default, but if you have learned more than one from an awakening, you can switch them in the same way you would imbue them. Styles with meters, such as Thermo Fist, will charge off of landing the tridents. Cannon Fist has no special interactions with the tool, and instead behaves ordinarily.
The purpose of these tridents is to give Strength a semi-reliable option to damage enemies at range. The explosion area of this trident landing would be equal to that of Blast spell, however the hitbox is as thin as a thrown polearm of Weapons. Not the greatest assist, but it is at least something Strength can do against a flying reptile with percentage-damaging claw swipes or a giant octopus will killaura. Brainless? Yes. Spammy? Yes. Necessary? Yes.
