New Proposal: Iai Blade

I've been putting a lot of thought into this (a LOT of thought). I've been doing a lot of observation since I first suggested a powerset like this several years ago and think I finally found a decent compromise.

Seeing Titan Weapons in action got my creative juices flowing again and I've decided to revisit the idea for a quick-draw sword style. I took my influences from fighting game characters such as Ukyo Tachibana, Baiken and Setsuka and also looked at anime such as Ninja Scroll and Battle Arena Toshinden.

Iai Blade would be similar to Titan Weapons in that it would have two sets of animations for most of the powers in the set. However, it would have two different stances: one holding the sheathed sword and the other holding the sheath and sword separately (which I will refer to as its "Release" form. It would have the weapon held with the sheath in the right hand with the blade drawn by the left. Like Titan Weapons, the initial portion of the first attack would seem slow, but then speed up for several seconds using the second set of animations.

The stylistic idea behind it is for the swordsman to sort of coil up and then spring forward, drawing his sword, release a blinding flurry of attacks and then sheath his weapon again. The effect is to make the set feel precise, deliberate and just plain quick. Unlike Titan Weapons, Iai Blade is primarily lethal damage, mostly single target and operates with more damage over time than burst damage (emphasizing a speed-over-power approach).

I'll lay out the attacks below, giving my thoughts on both the mechanics and the animation and feel of them.

1) Razor Wind: This is a basic initial attack. Weapon is drawn in a backhand (right-to-left) horizontile arc or a forehand arc if already in Release form.

2) Twin Vipers: Another basic attack that hits harder than Razor Wind but does more damage. The weapon is drawn and swung twice to the left and then back to the right (or reversed if in Release form), similar to the tier 1 power in dual blades.

3) Earth and Sky: This stronger attack draws the sword in a swooping, vertical arc that launches the target upward (Knock Up) while doing good damage. Release form uses a simple upward swing.

4) Vengeful Raven Strike: Much as an angry raven, you go for your opponents eyes (or optic center, or viewing ports, etc.) in a singular lunge. This attack decreases perception and accuracy for the target. This attack requires the sword to be in Release form to use.

5) Release the Spirit: This power, when activated, immediately brings your sword into Release form and adds a good amount of damage and a small amount of accuracy for a brief time. (This power basically mimics Titan Weapons' 'Build Momentum' for purpose of effect.)

6) Lion's Tail Lash: Borrowing and improvising from battoujutsu, this attack swings the sheath in the right hand, smacking the opponent before it is then pulled away and the then exposed blade thrust into them. Release form would simply strike with the sheath and then stab with the sword. This attack can stun an opponent briefly.

7) Thousand Stinging Hornets: One of the two cone attacks in the set, the sword bearer stabs and thrusts the sword repeatedly in quick succession, causing damage to all enemies in its area of effect (similar in size to Shadow Maul). This attack requires the sword be in Release form to execute.

8) Fate is Sealed: This attack can only be achieved in Release form. The attack itself is deceptively weak, but holds a hidden secret power. The swordsman can choose to open previously unseen wounds by exerting his will through the sword. There is an additional amount of damage it can deal based on other attacks done in release mode. The attack is a simple flourish followed by sheathing the sword. This prematurely ends Release mode. Every attack done during Release form before activating Fate is Sealed adds to the additional damage (much in the same way as the critical system used in Street Justice). (Note: I took my influences from Baiken who had a finishing move that used this, causing her to slice once and then sheathing her blade causing the opponent's death. Setsuka has a similar maneuver that is also highly damaging, though not a finisher.)

9) Flight of the Dragon: Moving with blinding speed, the swordsman blurs toward a group of foes, slashing in a broad arc, possibly knocking them down. This is a teleport maneuver that uses the lightning speed anime swordsmen have (i.e. flash step, etc.). The horizontal attack arc is right-to-left if the sword is sheathed or reverse if it is in Release form.


There you go. I hope you like it. If you don't, let me know why. Thank you for your time.

I support this on the basis that it's IAI STYLE. Which is freaking awesome. Do want.

Me gusta. I get the feeling that this would be a speed and accuracy set, enhancement-wise.

/signed.

I am totally secure in NOT being a geek. Seriously, has anyone who isnt (I assume) a hard core fan of manga and comics heard of ANY of those things you are basing the set on?
It does all sound very cool though.

Signed for the most part, but I do agree we have plenty of swords already.

Not a bad concept.

I like battojutsu as it's one of my main character's skills but I'm with the others who say we have enough sword sets as it is.

Now animations? I don't think we can ever have enough of those. If the devs ever want to make more animations, they *SHOULD*. But add them to existing sets. I'm sure people would even pay for them (and Katana is already a free set, so some more $$$ in that wouldn't be a crime).

I'd say, create a whole new set of animations (7 to be exact) for the Katana set called 'Iaijutsu' which have various ways of drawing the blade, striking, then returning the blade back to the sheath. Upside would be, these animations cause no redraw, so you can pick various powers outside the set to use and never worry about redraw. Or just pick 2 or 3 attacks that would use the Iaijutsu animation so that, if you click a heal or something, you can use the drawing technique then lead into your other attacks.

Just an alternate idea

Tech:
Mitsurugi has a stance and a few attacks with his sword sheathed and Setsuka uses the style with a short sword concealed in an umbrella.
RE: Iajutsu. I love me some Iajutsu, but I'm going to have to agree that I'm pretty much good on sword melee sets.

Yeah, that's the one. Mitsurugi's sheathed-sword attacks were really damn nice. I often used one of them as the finisher just because it looked so cool

Quote:

Originally Posted by Zwillinger GG, I would tell you that "I am killing you with my mind", but I couldn't find an emoticon to properly express my sentiment.

Quote:

Originally Posted by Captain_Photon NOTE: The Incarnate System is basically farming for IOs on a larger scale, and with more obtrusive lore.

So, essentially, you want an alternate katana set that's just a series of iai draw-cuts?

Maybe as an alternate animation for basic katana. But I'm having a really hard time trying to figure a justification for a completely new set.

Clicking on the linked image above will take you off the City of Heroes site. However, the guides will be linked back here.

just to play devil's advocate and gripe my personal gripe

Folks Love Street Justice.

I honestly keep thinking of Vergil from Devil May Cry.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gt_geVFj4fs

And I've already made a Dante toon before >_>. The powerset would be double wicked cool if we had something like that teleport cut.

rurouni kenshin

I approve of the idea.

/Sign

Ah got it, in the ancient days of D&D we called this iaijutsu and had iaijutsu masters.

You youngsters will no doubt tell me how this is wrong, but we didn't care, hell we even put it in a book called Oriental Adventures.

I approve of this power set as long as its not constrained to some namby pamby katana.

Namby pamby!?

And what the heck is wrong with Katana?

It cuts nimbly pimbly from tree to tree, meow?