Bulwark Rework Thoughts?

#1

The first white I ever got playing realm was the Wand of the Bulwark. To this day, this item continues to be one of my favorite items but the fact that it has never been a really viable option is honestly upsetting. For the longest time it was technically the EP equivalent for wands and the highest DPS wand but with Lumiare this is no longer the case. I feel like if they increased the damage or RoF of bulwark that it would be used by a lot of people especially for top damage in O3 and would still be a niche item like EP. Honestly, this is one change that DECA hasn’t proposed yet which kind of surprises me.

#2

Honestly bulwark isn’t bad. It is usable in places where the boss remains stationary like snake pit, encore, theatre for the most part, etc. I don’t really think it needs a buff, but a buff would be cool.

#3

Comparing a endgame weapon to one that drops from snakepit is kinda… unfair? Most of the whites from early dungeons are outclassed in some aspects, so of course the endgame would be more versatile. For Doom Bow has one of the worst dps when it comes to single fire bows (compared to, lets say, void bow or leaf bow). Demon Blade also suffers from its true range, with Colo Sword, and many other swords, outclassing it without its penalty. Planewalker just adds the teleportation of the Trickster along with the invisibility at the cost of higher mp and a cooldown, which at that point just use Trickster.

Considering Bulwark comes from the most farmed dungeon (second Sprite World), getting a white bag that’d rival Doom bow and Demon Blade (imo, way harder to rush or clear), is pretty unfair.

Sure, some of these excel in certain situations (like EP found its new use in the staggers in O3, rather than destroying event chests), but near endgame, the other items should be replaced.

What does Bulwark excel at? Not at dps, nor rance, but being close to the longest lasting shots of any other item. Even if you “miss” with the shot, it has a chance of hitting the enemy again. Sure, the shot pattern and the shot speed make it impossible to aim, but with a bit of manipulation of your mouse, you can create shot pattern that concentrates on one point, and missing shots linger around, good for mob clearing.

DECA were prioritizing ray katana and kageboshi over bulwark since they were bad EVENT whites, which are the rarest of the rarest of whites. Reworking a white from a snake pit is probably not on their mind.

#4

I would say keep Bulwark as it is. IDK, it’s just me.

#5

I really don’t know if I would even consider it unfair aside from the lingering shots and piercing which like you said would probably be busted with a huge damage buff. But before Wand of the Fallen and OSanc bulwark was the EP of wands. I never used it to make minefields and I used to use it on shatters chests all the time because it carried DPS. All I’m saying is that bulwark (which I love) has been completely left in the dust while its staff-counterpart EP is now completely part of the meta as a swapout. Also even DBlade has endgame uses for melts and celestial chest phases.

#6

Idk I love it as it is too. But personally it hurts to never actually be able to use an item I really love. EP and Dblade are both usable in the meta of the game and in my opinion Bulwark deserves to keep up with that meta.

#7

hmmm, I agree that bulwark needs some changes, but making it outright better to the point where it can get top damage in O3 is too much. I think they should increase the speed and the amount of cycles the projectiles have, that way it is more consistent to hit.

#8

I almost consistently main bulwark. You can use it in every situation, you just have to be creative. I fully believe it is the most underrated and underappreciated weapon in the game.

#9

The only thing that I would change is allow the shots to hit the same target more than once.

#10

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