Requiem for the Moonstone Axe('s ability to block)

[SPRITENADO]

Dearly beloved, we are gathered here today to mourn the loss of someone very special to me. The block on the Moonstone Axe saw me through thick and thin. High fear and Low. Stopping enemy projectiles while I charged up the special and keeping me safe, if only for a moment more.

I'll always miss the satisfying clank of an attack bouncing off of it and the cute spinning animation it always had. The Black Cloak will never replace you in my heart, Moonstone Axe's block! You were the world to me.

[Neo NiGHTS ®]

Can I say that although I respect your feelings (and everybody's else who may share the same feeling as you) I've never used the axe to block?

There were two main issues with that:
1) The most obvious one: you simply did not know what you could and could not block.
Although I can imagine that after A LOT of trial and error you would learn. But that's just bad mechanic.

2) After charging the Omega Special, there was a gap between lifting the block and actually attacking leaving you wide open. More often than not enemies would take advantage of that gap.

I was a heavy user of the shield in the first Hades and always found the axe to be wonky, at best.


But I hope it gets its blocking ability again and the Black Mantle gets something else. First come first serve!

[webbut20]

shoutouts to you for sticking with the block long enough to miss it. i used it once and it felt too wonky with charge moves and just never pushed that button on axe again

[SPRITENADO]

Originally posted by webbut20:

shoutouts to you for sticking with the block long enough to miss it. i used it once and it felt too wonky with charge moves and just never pushed that button on axe again

The block was my homie. I used it sometimes even when I wasn't charging a special. The axe is slow and you can't destroy projectiles with your attack like in Hades 1, so that block saved my hide more than once :(

[SPRITENADO]

Originally posted by Neo NiGHTS ®:

Can I say that although I respect your feelings (and everybody's else who may share the same feeling as you) I've never used the axe to block?

There were two main issues with that:
1) The most obvious one: you simply did not know what you could and could not block.
Although I can imagine that after A LOT of trial and error you would learn. But that's just bad mechanic.

2) After charging the Omega Special, there was a gap between lifting the block and actually attacking leaving you wide open. More often than not enemies would take advantage of that gap.

I was a heavy user of the shield in the first Hades and always found the axe to be wonky, at best.


But I hope it gets its blocking ability again and the Black Mantle gets something else. First come first serve!

Thank you for your sympathy <3
And yeah, you're right about all that. No rebuttal, except now we're wide open for the entire omega special, instead of that brief window after the block

[BROLY 32]

I don't know what to do with the Axe's special.
Why is it still here, just to suffer...

[MONGREL INTRUDER]

at the very least i would like to see the devs tell us why block was removed - was it because the axe was too strong, or simply for the terrible reason that xinth blocks, or to try to give the axe a faster attack option but being unsure what to cut?

ngl i don't see any good reason among the options but would be nice to at least know that as the axe is pretty neutered now sadly. last patch speedup is nice but it does not solve the very unsafe nature of the axe now or the fact that the new special does pathetic damage

[🌸Mia 桜]

I feel the same. The axe wa my favorite till this patch and even though I switched around I kept using it. I enyjoed feeling protected by my sharp friend and being able to fight without to much fear. Even if I increased my modifier I felt comfortable with the axe by my side.

I really pray that we get the block back

[Crow Buddy]

I refuse to stop using the Moonstone axe, it's the canon main weapon of my Mel. It's still very good, especially after Omegas were sped up in the latest patch. Aspect of Thanatos is so awesome that even Chronos will comment on having a scythe vs. scythe death brawl.

While I miss the block a lot, it's also forced me to become a better player.

You can get something like Hermes Sprint, which blocks/negates/nullifies incoming attacks (several if you have the upgraded one) and just be ready to Hermes Sprint whenever you would have axe blocked. Takes some getting used to, but it works.

Or rather than standing stationary and blocking, instead anticipate deadly enemies and freeze/slow/CC them before they can launch their attacks. I realize this isn't possible sometimes on high fear, but controlling the room and being assertive is usually better than hanging back and blocking.

[Neo NiGHTS ®]

Originally posted by SPRITENADO:

Originally posted by Neo NiGHTS ®:

Can I say that although I respect your feelings (and everybody's else who may share the same feeling as you) I've never used the axe to block?

There were two main issues with that:
1) The most obvious one: you simply did not know what you could and could not block.
Although I can imagine that after A LOT of trial and error you would learn. But that's just bad mechanic.

2) After charging the Omega Special, there was a gap between lifting the block and actually attacking leaving you wide open. More often than not enemies would take advantage of that gap.

I was a heavy user of the shield in the first Hades and always found the axe to be wonky, at best.


But I hope it gets its blocking ability again and the Black Mantle gets something else. First come first serve!

Thank you for your sympathy <3
And yeah, you're right about all that. No rebuttal, except now we're wide open for the entire omega special, instead of that brief window after the block

I've been using Thanatos aspect for the 30% attack speed. Then, if I'm lucky enough, Hermes and/or hammer boons help further for omega/attack speed.

Then I make GOOD usage of the axe's reach and try to stay as far from the trouble as possible :p


I think that the same you managed to learn what you could block with the axe and the proper timing to not be hit when the blocking effect wore off, you can learn to predict enemies patterns, look for cover (especially against the shooting ones), drop an omega cast and run away and so on.
(and by that, please please please, I do not mean "GIT GUD N00B"! I'm being as much sympathetic as I can, because we've -mostly- all suffered with the change of the mechanics and are trying to adapt. Take my message as an encouragement 😊)

[Cunin]

Cronos foresaw the gods would do the axe (and by extension scythe) dirty, is what his entire revenge thing is actually about.

On my last trip down there He and Mel sat and reminisced about the good old days where an axe was an axe and a scythe was a thing.

Then they allied and beat the snots out of all the gods

[The Keck]

Sometimes I feel like I'm taking crazy pills. 😂 The axe is my all time favorite weapon and it's not for the block or the attack, but the omega special attack. I guess it's good that other people don't seem recognize it's power because I keep getting scared they'll nerf it. Aspect of Charon is the icing on the cake. Drop a free cast, obliterate everything that stands in your way, rinse, repeat.

[Sintonir]

Originally posted by The Keck:

Sometimes I feel like I'm taking crazy pills. 😂 The axe is my all time favorite weapon and it's not for the block or the attack, but the omega special attack. I guess it's good that other people don't seem recognize it's power because I keep getting scared they'll nerf it. Aspect of Charon is the icing on the cake. Drop a free cast, obliterate everything that stands in your way, rinse, repeat.

The block removal is the nerf for Omega Special too, though. Sure, it was always risky since there was a window between block ending and Omega Special firing, but now it is almost impossible to use Omega Special without getting hit.

[SunShine:D]

I feel like alot of people dont realize you can dash while charging yiur omega with axe, you just have to position better now. I honestly would rather the block but ive gotten used too it, and perfer it some cases now.

[hilfazer]

I vastly prefer dashing in the middle of omega special to blocking. I've tried both and was taking way more damage doing the latter.

BTW i'm talking specifically about blocking as a defense during omega special. Block on its own (regular special) was good.

[Sentient_Toaster]

Originally posted by BROLY 32:

I don't know what to do with the Axe's special.
Why is it still here, just to suffer...

Still seems useful for quickly applying a status effect like Blitz, or if you get the anti-armor hammer.