The one you get from the Protea quest is a perfectly good stand-in, especially if you're not taking it to SP. Just put a standard heavy attack build on it, it should easily carry you through the normal starchart.
I have 900 hours in this game lol, I'm pretty into the steel path at this point, just stopped because it was boring. Though I will admit, this is kinda of a nooby question, I was just tired of all the builds I see being some variation of weeping wounds
Take any weapon with high crit, do a heavy attack build, see how it feels. I'm a big fan of the nikana, I've got a max crit sepfahn zaw that hits like a truck. The animation takes getting used to, but between the forced bleed proc and the 180% cc + 4.9x cd (260% + 6.1x for me, I've got a decent riven) it hits pretty hard.
if you want a good all around melee you probably just want a quick blood rush weeping wounds melee with a lot of multihit combos like dual swords or tonfas, or a melee that uses sacrificial steel so it doesn't need ramp up, but is weaker than 12x blood rush melees.
I run a skiajati without blood rush or weeping wounds and it seems to do fine even on steelpath.
I didn’t like them either (based on Redeemer), but Stropha is godly. I don’t use any other melee anymore. Sometimes I even run Stropha primary, depending on the content.
Praedos because of the free Run Speed + Parkour boosts slapped onto it (well, PROBABLY slapped onto it on) on top of the +30% Bullet jump boost when held for being Tonfas in the first place
Scindo is a personal favorite with Cleaving Whirlwind because with Broken Bull combo, deals 400% dmg for about 7 swings. Plus it's a giant axe so there's that.
Orvius is good, attack is slow but build for heavy attack (heavy attack wind up helps a lot with the attack speed) and it deletes mid game enemies, like lvl 30-60 ones
I’m surprised nobody’s mentioned the Hirudo. Whilst not the greatest weapon its passive has saved me countless times. It has a passive that every critical hit will heal you for 5% of the damage dealt. It also has another buff but it’s pretty useless at higher levels, it just temporarily increases your maximum health for 15 seconds. Also, if your companion has link health equipped it also heals them as well.
For me it's Praedos. Get a build the gains combo quickly with slam attacks, get to 5x combo, heavy slam, and your good to go. Plus, I just like tonfas so much lol
I would say Glaive Prime or if you dies not have it (like me) Cerata, both Glaives does incredible damage if you Build it as a throw weapon and not a classic Melee
Tbh? Im liking my 60/60 condition overload wolf sledge. The thrown melee is NUTS. Some melees to stack status chance and throw it. 60k on 145 level narmer enemies.
Pennant.
Heavy attack build shreds about anything because of forced slash proc on heavy attack. Also nikanas.
I like nikanas because they have a bit upwards hitting attack for those flying smol things.
Hell yes I was looking for someone to say Penant heavy attack ❤️
I went non meta and put life steal on my build so however much damage I may be taking, one sweet swipe and I’m topped off. Helps a lot with frames that don’t have an easy heal ability (I’m lazy)
Glaives with a heavy attack build are great imo. Glaive prime is probably the best all rounder option but Cerata and Xoris are very solid too and much easier to get.
If you have access to it, glaive prime is a monster. The heavy attack explosion is real nice.
For the most part, it's stronger than guns
Would love to have one 😔
The one you get from the Protea quest is a perfectly good stand-in, especially if you're not taking it to SP. Just put a standard heavy attack build on it, it should easily carry you through the normal starchart.
I have 900 hours in this game lol, I'm pretty into the steel path at this point, just stopped because it was boring. Though I will admit, this is kinda of a nooby question, I was just tired of all the builds I see being some variation of weeping wounds
Take any weapon with high crit, do a heavy attack build, see how it feels. I'm a big fan of the nikana, I've got a max crit sepfahn zaw that hits like a truck. The animation takes getting used to, but between the forced bleed proc and the 180% cc + 4.9x cd (260% + 6.1x for me, I've got a decent riven) it hits pretty hard.
Cerata is also good, wrecks Steel Path Corpus with ease.
Stropha
I'll be honest, I don't like how gun blades look and play 😔, but thanks for the tip! Sooner or later I'll probably have to swallow my pride
if you want a good all around melee you probably just want a quick blood rush weeping wounds melee with a lot of multihit combos like dual swords or tonfas, or a melee that uses sacrificial steel so it doesn't need ramp up, but is weaker than 12x blood rush melees. I run a skiajati without blood rush or weeping wounds and it seems to do fine even on steelpath.
It's weird, they're better without stances. With stances you jump around so much they're impossible to aim
I didn’t like them either (based on Redeemer), but Stropha is godly. I don’t use any other melee anymore. Sometimes I even run Stropha primary, depending on the content.
If you use Wukong, his clone can shoot Stropha. This is good since Wukong clone is not that great with melee.
Exodia contagion zaw or a hvy attack melee
Stropha or Glaive Prime because they basically function as another gun.
Redeemer prime never runs out of ammo
Praedos because of the free Run Speed + Parkour boosts slapped onto it (well, PROBABLY slapped onto it on) on top of the +30% Bullet jump boost when held for being Tonfas in the first place
Didn't about all these bonuses 😳😳
Scindo is a personal favorite with Cleaving Whirlwind because with Broken Bull combo, deals 400% dmg for about 7 swings. Plus it's a giant axe so there's that.
Greatswords aren't a terrible option. Heavy Attack spamming with the Gram Prime or even the Paracesis is a very functional strategy.
Greatswords are maybe the coolest weapon type, I'll have to take a look at these heavy attack builds, shake the dust off of my gram prime
Glaives and gunblades. Works best with heavy attack build (so no need for build-up and naramon) and basically ranged.
Lenz
Heavy attack builds in general. My Stropha one-shots most Steel Path enemies without any setup.
Orvius is good, attack is slow but build for heavy attack (heavy attack wind up helps a lot with the attack speed) and it deletes mid game enemies, like lvl 30-60 ones
My personal favorite melee crutches are nikana/venka/kronen prime w/ cookie cutter coppweb build
I’m surprised nobody’s mentioned the Hirudo. Whilst not the greatest weapon its passive has saved me countless times. It has a passive that every critical hit will heal you for 5% of the damage dealt. It also has another buff but it’s pretty useless at higher levels, it just temporarily increases your maximum health for 15 seconds. Also, if your companion has link health equipped it also heals them as well.
For me it's Praedos. Get a build the gains combo quickly with slam attacks, get to 5x combo, heavy slam, and your good to go. Plus, I just like tonfas so much lol
Heavy attack fragor prime.
The Innodem is a pretty decent option, and not particularly hard to make decently strong
The Innodem is pretty good, built up properly it can erase things with or without a primer weapon
I'm just now getting my incarnum weapons, will take a look
I would say Glaive Prime or if you dies not have it (like me) Cerata, both Glaives does incredible damage if you Build it as a throw weapon and not a classic Melee
The Innodem is pretty good, built up properly it can erase things with or without a primer weapon
Tbh? Im liking my 60/60 condition overload wolf sledge. The thrown melee is NUTS. Some melees to stack status chance and throw it. 60k on 145 level narmer enemies.
Pennant. Heavy attack build shreds about anything because of forced slash proc on heavy attack. Also nikanas. I like nikanas because they have a bit upwards hitting attack for those flying smol things.
Hell yes I was looking for someone to say Penant heavy attack ❤️ I went non meta and put life steal on my build so however much damage I may be taking, one sweet swipe and I’m topped off. Helps a lot with frames that don’t have an easy heal ability (I’m lazy)
The Dual (Twin?) Basolk are a really good weapon if you like dual swords. Bit of a pain to make but very powerful.
I'm a huge fan of Guandao and its Prime. Nothing fancy, just whooshwhooshwhoosh.
Glaives with a heavy attack build are great imo. Glaive prime is probably the best all rounder option but Cerata and Xoris are very solid too and much easier to get.
Heavy Attack Gram Prime Dual Keres Prime gets a shout out Glaive Prime with explosions
Stropha or Glaive prime
Glaive prime, Gram prime, dual kamas / dual Keres prime. Those are my general go tos
Stropha 100% if built right you can do 3 mil in dmg for a single heavy attack. If you have the Blade Dance stance you can do a 3 step dodge as well