In fact the weapon refinery is almost at the opposite of what you could call powercreep. It's IS first retroactive patching instead of proactive (like Slaying weapons).
If you look at weapon only, now you could say that even the new legendary weapons (the most powerful one in fact) aren't as much stronger as they first were.
But enough speaking let's take an example :
Audhulma (Joshua's exclusive weapon) VS Slaying Edge++ (+Res)
16 Mt, -1 CD special, +5res VS 14Mt, -1CD special, +5HP, +4res
=> 2Mt + 1res VS 5HP
Conclusion ? The force isn't strong with this one. Another example?
Resolute Blade (Mia's exclusive weapon) VS Wo Dao++ (+Atk)
16Mt + 3atk + 10dmg on special VS 16Mt + 5HP +10dmg on special
=> 3atk VS 5HP
Conclusion: in fact it's arguably better to equip Wo Dao++ on Mia than her original weapon. The +5Hp help her more than the 3 atk but more than just that, she could trade the 2 extra Mt from the +Atk refinery for a +Spd (+3 spd) or a defensive one, and get even more raw bulk (instead of just being a glass cannon).
For people who likes those thinking path, let me give you one last example (for the pleasure of nourishing your minds) :
Fjorm's Leipr VS Berkut's Lance++ (+Res)
16Mt + Distant counter VS 14Mt + 5hp + 7res on defense + 4res
=> 2Mt + Distant counter VS 5HP + 7res on defense +4res
The fun thing here, is that you can notice Berkut's Lance++ is superior BY FAR if one choose to go for Warding Stance on Fjorm, while another lance user would take Distant counter and Berkut Lance++ just for the sack of the comparison :
You would get 2 less Atk, 1 more res on defense, 4 more res all the time and 5 more hp in total.
Fun how legendary weapons of the lastest legendary heroes now look so common :P hope you enjoy the bit of reading
I do like the refinery. It's made so many heroes far more viable. I'm working on a defensive Hana build myself. She'll have superior stats to Ryoma(just barely edged out in atk due to Raijinto's 16 mt compared to the 14 mt of the Slaying edge I plan for her) while lacking only Distant Counter cause I only have one Hector and he's not going anywhere.
Weapon with effect, especially those "%" effect are really strong because they just scale on with the general power increase.
Basically, Divine Tyrfing gives a charged Aegis on every first hit (magic) so it will remain strong whatever happens.
I'm glad you enjoyed the reading, I too, like to think that some old heroes can now compete again :)
I improved my B!Charlotte's First Bite+ with +Spd and found out that using her refined weapon effect (after combat) with Hone Atk 3 C-skill/Hone Spd 3 seal she can give 4/4/5/5 (+18) to bladetomes, preferably infantry.
My B!Charlotte is +Atk -Res so I refined her weapon to make her a powerhouse (Brave/Firesweep Lances are good but boring) and now she can be a useful support to tanks and bladetomes. It needs Reposition/Swap play but that's better if you use Drive skills and Ally Support.
Never expected that but it really gives you a lot of options to build units and teams. A lot of them are viable again and others are even more powerful. Weapon Refinery definitely provided the balance the game needed.
Yeah, one aspect I'm loving is the fact that Wo Dao++(spd) has helped mitigate some of the powercreep introduced by Ayra & Mia. It actually inspired me to build the 4 Karels that cockblocked me from getting even a SINGLE Ryoma into a pretty decent +atk/-res +3 unit. Was saving them for Wo Dao+ fodder, but all of my swordsmen have good prf weapons and that's the current trend, so yeah. The +3 spd helps offset his good-not-great speed without a boon compared to other sword lords. And the +5 HP (54 in total) gives him a semi-unique niche as an infantry pulse+panic ploy seal support unit.
My +spd/-res Athena also appreciates the boosts in a post-Ayra meta. Doesn't surpass her offensively or defensively, but at least I don't feel like a complete moron using her now.
Just wish they'd boost the rate at which we receive refining stones just a tad. Hopefully each round of the VG gives us enough or almost enough for an upgrade, like with Sacred Coins
Totally agree with that ^^ I think that's actually the best use you could make of Karel. Or maybe one very decent alternative would be to sacrifice entirely his Spd, equip him with Swordbreaker and give him a +Def refined Wo Dao++.
For Athena, indeed the best plan is still to try imitate Arya/Mia as much as possible.
While i do like the refinery a lot, and i do agree it has helped to close the gap between heirs with legendary weapons and common weapons . . . yeah no, sorry man, I'm just not buying this.
Prfs seem to be superior still, (tho not by a wide margin) if only because they give a better arena scoreing.
Also, there are many effects that the refining still can't match, distant counter being the prime example.
Buy there are also others like urvan's deflect, geirskogul's drive, mulagir and naga's vancel of buffs, etc
Dont get me wrong, the refining is a really good thing, i just don't think they are superior to their prf counterparts.
Chill bro, I never said they were superior, I said "it balances out". It's not quite here yet of course and I think it's just fine.
I mean, it would make no point in having a legendary weapon if you could get the same effect on any other character. Although it's almost the case for the weapon I used in my example and many other old legendary weapons (Cursed Lance, Divine Naga...)
In fact, Divine Tyrfing and Urvan remain really unique and strong in their exclusive effect. However, most legendary weapon effect can already be imitated.
As I said, distant counter can be imitated since you can inherit it as a A-skill and then use the weapon refinery to get a stat boost similar to a A-skill since it's about 9 to 11 extra stats (2atk, 5hp, +2 to 4 extra stats) which is just as much as Fury 3 but without the recoil. And some particular cases can even outclass it, like Berkut Lance++.
Even Geirskogul's drive great supportive weapon can be substitued by First Bite++ or Light Breath++, if not by some other legendary weapon like Ephraim's.
And Mulagir nullifies cavalry buffs, just like the new horsebane, zanbatoo, wolf tomes and so on.
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