“Stimpack!” Kaiden shouted at Thorne and her health swelled back to seventy-seven percent as she used the first of her three. He popped one as well and his own health was back to full as he sprinted forward to attack Moran from behind.
He still didn’t have any charge but Zelda had identified one of the body doubles and Thorne the other, so Kaiden managed to surprise Moran and land a hammer strike on his back for base damage. Moran’s health dropped by less than a single percent and Kaiden recoiled as a jolt of electricity jumped from the hierarch’s armor and zapped him for four percent damage.
“Improved Volt Field?” Titus asked. “Now he has shield warden abilities? What, does he have every melee warden ability?”
Kaiden wasn’t focused on that, though. He lashed out again, and this time landed a critical on the back of Moran’s head.
Critical hit!
+50% damage (Headshot)
+5% damage (Chrono Sledge ability, extra damage on crits)
Moran is slowed by 30% for 2 seconds
Improved Volt Field bit back at Kaiden for another five percent and at the same time, the warden hierarch’s health dropped by two percent. Not a good sign, Kaiden knew. His Chrono Sledge hammer had triggered on the hit, though, slowing Moran by thirty-percent for two seconds. And even more importantly, Kaiden’s Slayer passive had triggered because of the critical, so he’d gained five charge. An idea popped into his head at that.
“You won’t give me charge? Then I’ll make my own,” he said.
Five charge wasn’t enough to do anything, really, but it was enough to activate an ability that didn’t require any charge.
Ability: Dual Wielding
For a duration of 3 minutes, or until you cancel this ability, your shield reforms itself into a second hammer, which you may use alongside your normal weapon. While Dual Wielding you cannot block, your charge capacity is increased by 50%, and the effect of your Slayer passive is doubled, meaning each critical hit restores 10 charge.
He activated the ability and his shield warped and resolved into a mirror image of his hammer. Moran raised an eyebrow as if impressed. Kaiden gave him a wink.
Moran’s response came immediately.
Ability: Dual Wielding
His shield formed into a replica of his own already massive hammer.
“Have at it, then,” he said as Kaiden charged forward. Moran was just as fast. They met in the center of the room in an exchange of hammer strikes.
Kaiden swung his hammer in a downward blow from the right and Moran ducked under it – straight into the rising blow from the energy hammer Kaiden had sent in from the left.
The blow connected with Moran’s elbow.
Critical hit!
+25% damage (Shattered Elbow)
+5% damage (Chrono Sledge ability, extra damage on crits)
Moran is slowed by 30% for 2 seconds
The hammer flashed as it made contact and Kaiden also saw his own charge bar fill by ten. A good amount considering he hadn’t yet had to tank an attack on his shield – a bit difficult to do with his shield currently in the form of a hammer. His health dropped again from Improved Volt Field. This wasn’t a winning strategy, but Moran had no stimulant cooling chambers on his armor, which meant he didn’t have stimpacks.
I can afford to eat some damage here if it means building charge.
Moran lashed back and Kaiden dodged to the side, slipping around the blow, then barely ducked under the follow-up strike.
Riposte x1 gained!
Riposte x2 gained!
Was that surprise on Moran’s face? The debuff from Chrono Sledge must have caught him off-guard.
With a double riposte stack, Kaiden attacked back. He aimed for Moran’s head and just managed to land the hit. The extra damage from riposte poured in on top of the critical hit damage and Kaiden’s base damage
+50% damage (Riposte x2)
+50% damage (Headshot)
+5% damage (Chrono Sledge ability, extra damage on crits)
Moran is slowed by 30% for 2 seconds
Moran’s health dropped by a little under three percent this time, but Kaiden smiled to himself anyway as his charge bar jumped by another ten.
“If I keep landing crits, he’ll stay slowed,” Kaiden shouted through comms. “Hit him while we can!”
Kaiden and Moran exchanged more blows while the others charged in. Titus and Thorne joined the fray and between the three of them and the speed debuff, Moran started actually taking damage.
Ability: Improved Paralyzing Shot
Fires an electric blast that confuses the electrical impulses in the target’s muscles, deals 110% base damage and slows target’s movement by 60% for 10 seconds.
“How’s that?” Zelda asked as her shot caught Moran in the back and sent spasms through his body. She was the only one of them with any significant charge, thanks to Improved Atmospheric Charge, so she was the only one with access to consistent abilities. “Now you can really tear into hi—"
“Enough!” Moran shouted. He ended Dual Wielding and his energy hammer morphed back into a shield, which was immediately put to use in a Shield Slam that left everyone stunned for two seconds.
Ability: Embolden
An aura of rage surrounds you. For the next 5 seconds, you and allies within 20 feet deal double damage on melee attacks and take 50% more damage.
Ability: Gravity Sledge
You channel a massive amount of charge into your hammer. Your next attack deals 250% base damage and on a successful hit, knocks the target into the air. They take fall damage on landing.
Moran hit Thorne and her health dropped to fifty-four from the blow, then forty-nine as she crashed to the floor some distance away.
Ability: Improved Shield Break
You channel charge into your hammer. Your next attack ignores armor, staggers the target, and deals 250% of base damage.
Moran hit Titus next, dealing a massive dose of damage. The big man’s health settled at fifty-nine percent and he stumbled backward, trying to recover from the suddenness of the assault. Moran hit him again with a Debilitating Blow that sent his health reeling down to forty-six.
“Heads up, asshole,” Zelda said then hit Moran in the back with an Improved Warden’s
