[Test results] Overview of weapon movesets for each character, with some oddities.

So, this is my "other project": finding out the exact moves each specific weapon gives characters in SoRR v5.0a. Some surprising results... which I've underlined to help you find them quickly.

To keep things short, sweet & simple, I'll using the term "stick" to mean "pipes, planks, wooden and metal bats".

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Adam:
Sticks -- has a weapon blitz and a weapon special.
Knife/kunai -- has a weapon blitz; broken bottle does not (which is nice, because Adam's knife blitzes are not that good).


Ash:
Sticks -- has a weapon blitz.
Swords -- has a weapon blitz.


Axel (all versions):
Sticks -- has a "free" weapon blitz with these, which does not damage the weapon at all. (I know most people already know this, but it's in here for the sake of completeness).
Swords -- has both a weapon blitz and an invulnerable special.

Axel3 cannot use knives or kunais in melee combat, but will throw them instead. Axel3 will not throw broken bottles, however, and can use them in hand-to-hand combat!


Blaze (all versions):
Swords -- has a weapon blitz.
Knife/kunai -- has both a weapon blitz and a special. Bottles have neither (which might be an advantage depending on your playstyle.

Blaze1 stabs once with knives, kunais or broken bottles.
Blaze2/3 will do a two-hit combo attack with the knife, which deals good damage but leaves her stuck in place for its duration and is vulnerable to being interrupted by enemies.
However, using a kunai, Blaze2/3 will do a single stab instead of two that is much better, and she still gets the knife-type blitz/special too.


Elle:
Swords -- has weapon blitz.
Knife/kunai -- has both a weapon blitz and a weapon special; the bottle does not.
Elle can do a multi-hit combo with the knife and her whip, but will only do a single stab when using a kunai or bottle.


Max:
Pipe/plank -- has a weapon blitz. Metal/wooden bats do not, letting you keep your slide blitz-0. Nice to be able to choose which to use.
Swords -- has a weapon blitz that replaces the slide.


Roo:
Swords -- has a weapon blitz.
Knife/kunai -- has both a weapon blitz and a weapon special, the bottle does not.


Rudra:
Swords -- has both a weapon blitz and a weapon special.
Kunai -- the aerial kunai toss blitz damages the weapon on every use, even if she doesn't hit anything with it.


Shiva (both versions):
Swords -- has both a weapon blitz and an invulnerable special.
Knife/kunai -- has a weapon blitz, while the bottle does not.


Skate (both versions):
Sticks -- has both a weapon blitz and a weapon special. Weirdly enough, the metal bat has the special but not the blitz, giving you access to Skate's regular dynamite headbutt. Also note that Skate3 has a completely different (much faster and longer-reaching) "basic attack" animation for stick-type weapons.
Knife/kunai -- has a weapon blitz, bottle does not. Skate3 stabs faster than his SoR2 version with all three of these.


Zan:
Sticks -- has a weapon blitz.
Knife -- has both a weapon blitz and a weapon special. Unlike almost every other character who has knife specials, Zan does not have a blitz or a special for the kunai, which lets him do his normal (and much more useful) shield dash blitz-0 (same goes for bottles).

Just last night I found out that Adam has a weapon special with the stick-weapons. It doesn't use up the special-bar, which I think is a little broken/cheap, but oh well.

Axel3 can't use knives in melee combat? Really? I don't recall that.

Shadow Fist King wrote:Just last night I found out that Adam has a weapon special with the stick-weapons. It doesn't use up the special-bar, which I think is a little broken/cheap, but oh well.

Axel3 can't use knives in melee combat? Really? I don't recall that.

You mean the homerun swing? It uses up quite a lot of your weapon's "HP". (SoR3 weapon mode only, you do get infinite specials with SoR1/2 weapon mode). Same for the other weapon specials. You basically get a few powerful attacks and after that, the weapon breaks and it's back to the gauge. I generally avoid the weapon specials. Especially Axel/Shiva's sword specials that have so many invincible frames that enemies will dodge it with extreme prejudice, making it had to score a hit.

And yeah, try it. Grab a knife or kunai with Axel3 and try to stab an enemy with it.

Hmm.... forgot to put a note at the top that this weapon info applies to v5.0a ONLY.

I do seem to remember Adam's pipe/bat running special not draining the weapon's energy, even on SOR3 mode. I haven't tried it since v.5a though.

WillyTheSquid wrote:And yeah, try it. Grab a knife or kunai with Axel3 and try to stab an enemy with it.

Hmm.... forgot to put a note at the top that this weapon info applies to v5.0a ONLY.

Well, here's one reason for me NOT to switch to v5.0a (I'm currently still using v5.0 flat).

Shadow Fist King wrote:

WillyTheSquid wrote:And yeah, try it. Grab a knife or kunai with Axel3 and try to stab an enemy with it.

Hmm.... forgot to put a note at the top that this weapon info applies to v5.0a ONLY.

Well, here's one reason for me NOT to switch to v5.0a (I'm currently still using v5.0 flat).

hmmm... 50 bugs ... Axel3 can stab with a knife... 50 bugs... Axel3 can stab with a knife. What to do, what to do...

Seriously though, I played 5.0 for a few months before the patch came out and the game is so much better now it's mind-blowing.

Shadow Fist King wrote:Well, here's one reason for me NOT to switch to v5.0a (I'm currently still using v5.0 flat).

Actually, SoR3 Axel throwing knives and being unable to stab with them is his authentic behaviour from SoR3; I just tested this (he just hates using knives to fight with I guess). So with that and Offensive Specials for SoR3 characters being invulnerable again, he's pretty much as he was.

Slight correction to Roo - his weapon blitz is with swords (a 360 spin cut, not terribly good). He has no weapon special or blitz with pipes, bats, sticks as far as I can tell from testing.

bareknuckleroo wrote:Actually, SoR3 Axel throwing knives and being unable to stab with them is his authentic behaviour from SoR3; I just tested this (he just hates using knives to fight with I guess). So with that and Offensive Specials for SoR3 characters being invulnerable again, he's pretty much as he was.

Just did a little test of my own, and discovered why I don't recall SoR3Axel throwing away knives and being unable to use them in melee combat: I had my weapon settings configured to SoR2-style. So no life expectancy for weapons, and longer knife-holding for Axel.  

Did Zan's knife special have invulnerability frames in 5.0? I could have sworn it did, and it doesn't seem to anymore. I know I tried testing it by having him attack a character that was using a defensive special and I thought it was invulnerable like a few other weapon specials are (it'd explain the long startup delay), but it doesn't seem to be the case in the latest version.

bareknuckleroo wrote:

Shadow Fist King wrote:Well, here's one reason for me NOT to switch to v5.0a (I'm currently still using v5.0 flat).

Slight correction to Roo - his weapon blitz is with swords (a 360 spin cut, not terribly good). He has no weapon special or blitz with pipes, bats, sticks as far as I can tell from testing.

D'oh! That's what I get for copying and pasting. Thanks.

Something I keep forgetting when using weapons like with the running + special = standard Offensive Special (if you don't have a running special like Adam/Zan): all characters still have access to their Series attack (as far as I can tell) so you can use it to poke and finish off enemies to save weapon health, and sometimes it's quicker than swinging your weapon if they've only got a sliver of health.

bareknuckleroo wrote:Did Zan's knife special have invulnerability frames in 5.0? .

Not really, the start up frames in v5.0 is fully vulnerable to fast dash attack (Abadede Running punch, Hakuyo jump kick etc).