T3 or T4 melee item - Brawler's Dance

[John Citrous]

Currently heavy melee attacks are extremely predictable and easy to punish with obvious visual AND audio cue, discouraging most players from using it entirely without first applying a stun effect like Haze's Sleep Dagger or Abrams' Shoulder Charge at T2 upgrade, etc...

This item idea aims to be a remedy for heavy melee attack's disadvantages and encourage players to use it more by converting it into a 3 hit combo attack with less wind-up time and prevents enemy from parrying in the middle of the combo, with heavy melee's cooldown increased to keep DPS in check.

 

[SteveS]

I don't think Guard Down could work as an effect because of rejuv. It would be extremely strong.

 

[John Citrous]

I don't think Guard Down could work as an effect because of rejuv. It would be extremely strong.

Guard Down effect's entire purpose is to keep enemies from parrying you in the middle of the combo attack so it will only apply after you land any hit of the combo on an enemy, with the duration short enough to let just the combo attack go through.

While I forgot to mention in the original post, the first 2 hits are considered light melee attacks so they won't let you claim Rejuv, only the last hit is a heavy melee attack that does let you claim it.

 

[SteveS]

Right, but it still forces someone who is securing the rejuv to parry early. Since the combo prevents parrying, and the final hit in the combo can secure the rejuv, any defender would need to parry way before the rejuv has landed.

 

[John Citrous]

I would really not find that as a problem as in practice it would really only slightly change the timing and anticipation, most of the time a full team will be there to secure the Rejuv so there're 6 parry turns. As Guard Down effect will only apply to enemies who take the damage, others can go in and dash parry your 3rd hit or simply just parrying your first strike altogether, providing that being parried stuns you for 3s.