Basically, when wielding a dedicated melee weapon like a machete, fireaxe, etc, or while being a xeno, use a “toggle blade lock” verb to prepare an attack that will lock both you and your target in place for a moment, allowing for an emote and a great way to start off combat. If one of the targets is significantly more injured, or has a frac/broken arm, they will receive damage and be floored for a moment.
Both targets need to have blade lock active, and there could be an icon or something above your head to indicate you want to do it. This is purely a fluff/RP tool, because I think the idea of rushing a ravager in melee to buy time for my buddies to retreat is peak
Become the AP rocket you were destined to be. Though you will be riddled with bullet holes, your sacrifice to stun that rav will not be in vein.
As a charger I would have blade lock on. You manage to catch me at full speed charge? peak protag energy. Realistically 3 marines will chain blade lock me, but that’s the price you pay for peak cinema.
I’m assuming it would present like fistbumps/high-fives. Hit verb, clashed blades icon overhead. Difference being both players need to toggle the bladelock/clash verb, having icons, for it to work. If one clicks the other, half second stun and maybe a pre-made emote.
In a world where coders are paid and bountiful, I’d expand it in two ways.
1 - A stat dueling system.
Maybe tie it to endurance or melee or some such if preds have stats. (Base modifiers T3s > Survs-Preds > Officers-MPs > Riflemen? To workshop.)
Add a bonus to the person who lands the click to clash, and bonuses if another marine clicks to join during the stun. Your battle buddy jumps in to stop the pred from flooring you, you actually push the pred if you had first click and a teammate!
Maybe an intent based system too. Disarm throws the loser’s weapon, grab flings 2 tiles with no knockdown (small stun on wall hit and a brace emote?) Harm inflicts a 2 damage AP bleeding wound as you toy with your foe. (Eye target to temp blur vision?)
2 - Bladelock Verb Framework
Make the bladelock verb a new Alt-Unique Action (AUA) verb. AUA with a melee weapon or shield primes the bladelock/clash. (This excludes xenos, but that might not be bad for this feature.) AUA with a storage container holds it out, any marine who clicks you draws the last item -
Offering from a cigarette pack or MRE, or a flare bag to give the whole squad a box.
And ofcourse leaving the new verb for other uses later!
