TOOTHBRUSHDUCK.9035

I look forward to seeing what the mastery tree provides It, I assume it'll provide more abilities for pilot and gunner, but atm it's very fun, but definitely feels like it's only part 1 of the mount with just the slam and mortars.

Even as a pure PvE player, I voted bad mostly cos it needs to be modified a fair bit, not because it's necessarily bad, but it's still just largely unsatisfying in pve due to the long channels that are interrupted by every enemy in the game immediately

Probably not realistic, but I did a lot of thinking while running around as a bladesworn so far and have had loads of ideas. This overhaul focuses on the gunsaber, and turning it into more of a 3 handed weapon of great potency. First change, is when you have the bladesworn elite spec selected, one of your weapon sets is designated as the gunsaber. Initially, you can place in a sword and a pistol, from which it gets the benefits of the sigils and stats, but otherwise functions the same as it does currently. Dragontrigger would return to being F1, and when activated would swap you to the gunsaber automatically (no needing to be on it), and it doesn't trigger the cooldown again after slashing. Then the more intense part. Replace one of the trait tiers with 3 new traits, which all directly modify the gunsaber (and thus everything else to do with it). There are 3 options: Great Saber - changes the Saber to be a Greatsword and a pistol, getting benefits of both (probably slight reduction to the benefits, but idea is it's a 3 handed weapon). The attacks are buffed for more direct attacking, and while wielding it it counts as a greatsword, benefiting from the trait that buffs greatswords. The slashes remain slow, are short ranged, and do heavy hit damage. Cannon Saber - changes the Saber to be a sword and Rifle, getting the benefits of both (probably slight reduction to the benefits, but idea is it's a 3 handed weapon). The attacks are shifted to ranged attacks and better ranged options, keeping a melee chain still, and when wielded it counts as a ranged weapon for trait buffs. The slashes become longer ranged, with less cleave but pierce instead, but charge slowly still. Gun Saber Master - the Saber remains sword and rifle, but the attacks become noticeably faster and more mobile. When wielded it counts as a sword, and the attacks remain similar, but generally faster, trading raw damage for speed and mobility skills. The slashes charge quickly, and remain versatile if unexceptional, but you can move slowly while charging (better than not at all). The next idea is disconnected, but mostly made with that one in mind, but is in regards to cosmetics, and assumes that you can at least access a blade/firearm for cosmetics. Let the gunsaber be sheathed, but also leave the sheath there when it's not the active weapon, as a mark of being a bladesworn. Make the cosmetics for the gunsaber modular. That meaning, you can select a skin for the blade and a skin for the firearm seperately, and they simply are both on the skin. The skins would have to be made with this in mind, but would much more limited than what we have for weapons currently, with probably only a few non-legendary options. As for legendary options though, each one should have a skin option for each legendary that can be put there (swords & greatswords, pistols & rifles in this case). It doesn't apply the exact skin, but you get the passive cosmetic benefits and the skin is more inspired by it. If both are legendary, you only get the passive cosmetics from the 'larger' one, ie Greatsword, sword for sword/pistol, and rifle. This would massively increase the variety in appearance for the gunblades across the playerbase. I realise this suggestion is probably way too massive of an overhaul, but it's mostly me throwing every idea I have for it at once, both cosmetic and design in general. It would also hopefully make the locking out one weapon set less disruptive, since it would become just a flat weapon option. It may also give it more versatility, as essentially a new weapon, and let people just have a more fun time with it's fashion.

The idea of the bladesworn is really cool, but the execution feels... like it comes short. Having the gunsaber replace your other weapon set when you can't customise or control it all just feels weird, especially since we have no way to build it up more. Maybe it could benefit from greatsword and ranged skills? And the flow builds up extremely slowly, and the actual charge for the dragon trigger is even more horrible, especially since every CC and most skills or movement take you out of it with no refund, makes it incredibly punishing, but the reward is good at least. Maybe have it increase crit chance with charges, and excess crit change becomes crit damage? That way a full charge would more reliably hit hard, and not have a chance to just hit for a bunch of damage with not much else. Only used the pistol a tiny bit, and I have to agree that it's range is pathetic, it felt like it was essentially a dagger. Perhaps with the elite spec, one weapon set becomes the 'gunsaber', in this case a greatsword and pistol, so you can equip them up with sigils and the bonuses you want, but also swap to a normal weapon. Then the F2 could simply automatically swap you to that weapon, in addition to activating the charging, which still needs some love. Overall, most of the time it felt like a downgrade to use the gunsaber instead of, say, a greatsword for simply attacking enemies in the open world, and it's damage is simply mediocre, with extremely slow skill recharges.