Why does it seem like medium builds can easily trade shots with heavy builds in PvP?

[SoundsOfNight]

So I made it to A with a tank build. I'm constantly adjusting to the newer and better competition.

But I feel like I'm slamming my head against the wall - when I go toe-to-toe vs a medium build, it seems like all the extra HP and stability doesn't matter AT ALL as the medium build can easily trade. Back and forth and then I get staggered just as easily as the medium build.

I'm sure I'm missing something. Or maybe I'm getting too old for this **** haha.

[KillMaimDevour7]

Heavy builds seem to have the most difficulty in AC vs AC combat in general. I usually run an extremely light build with lots of speed and high burst damage weapons that deal a lot of stagger in one go.

[SoundsOfNight]

I made some adjustments which are working out better. I still have problems against kite builds but I'm learning.

Ive accepted I can't "poise" through melee attacks like Souls which was my PvP BnB. Bait and attack, overpower and overconfident adversary, and then go on the hyper aggressive offensive to catch runners. A bit different here.

[ImHelping]

There were a TON of buffs to light and medium parts over time. in particular, stagger and RECOVERY TIME. This actually had a side effect of making phase 1 of the true final boss more annoying too.

At launch nobody wanted to listen to more honest lights explaining "I can literally just walk backwards at 380 and most shotguns and revolvers will just deflect on me." But also back at launch the pre nerds super heavy AB focus thrusters would let my fat ass marathon turbo burn long enough to catch featherlights when their baby generators ran out of power at times,

Now this, along with kick nerfs, make things real awkward so medium and heavy is more "Chance to survive their first nuke combo to get your win" and even then my fattest successful things are 300 speed minimum "Giant tech snail torso with medium legs and medium/light limbs" (For a fun PvE example of kick nerf proof. I just let sulla kick me now if he tries. AI still thinks that will stagger my light mech, not "Let me recover from non stagger flinch and kill him with a bazooka, before his input lockdown after kicking me let him fire HIS bazooka. yes, landing a kick can let your target hurt you more these days.)

Not related to winning specifically, but my current favorite light arms are the light knife elbow arms. which got super buffs so now they have at least 100 recoil, roughly tied for 2nd best firearms, and 2nd best melee. Basho arms are in the trash for me. Like, ♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥ those arms have zero flaws except for having less durability.

A tank can still be a good time against most builds, but the game is literally not designed to be able to handle high speed vertical change missile kites. Because not even a laser is fast enough to hit a target moving in a straight line with top shelf firearm stats (which is why my best laser use in PvP is "laser pistols have the range of a physical rifle" spam. my old man hands don't handle charged shot spam as well these days)