Machet vs. Sledgehammer

[InSanity]

In alpha 16 the sledgehammer was much more readily available than the machete and the same is still true as it's forged iron vs steel and in alpha 16 the sledge could triple as an axe, pick, and melee weapon when looting POIs but I was wondering what people are using in alpha 17. I started off with a club but once I found a sledge and put some points into strength and certain melee perks I could knock any zed down, 1 shot any normal ones and 2 shot the big ones but then I decided to buy a machete from the trader as it was higher quality and after putting some points into the "deep cuts" perk it's working like a charm. Now I've unlocked steel and don't know if I should make a new machete and invest more in perks related to that or go the sledge route and invest into perks such as "heavy metal". What have you guys been using so far, and what perks are you going for.

[Scyris]

I prefer the sledge for the same reason I used to prefer knives over clubs in a16: Multipurpose weapon/tool. For looting a poi all you need for melee is a sledge, and it can handle the job of a hard hitting melee weapon, a fire axe and a pickaxe all in 1. Saving 2 inventory slots you could use for loot instead of 2 tools you don't need to use for looting a poi. It did get nerfed a bit in its power attack block dmg from 150 to 99, but its still equal to the steel pickaxe.

 

The downsides? Stam use, and its much louder than using a pickaxe/axe in general. I do have a modlet that removes the power attack grunts, but still hitting things with the sledge in general draws more attention than the pickaxes/axes, was the same in a16 iirc.

[Whorhay]

I'm loving the Machete, I still have to carry tools but it swings so fast that missing a hit or two doesn't end in catastrophe.

[Teal]

Somebody touch-a my MACHET!

[InSanity]

Somebody touch-a my MACHET!

 

I hit post thread and as I hit it I realized I did not type it correctly, so don't touch-a my machet.

[SoberSean]

I played sledge last world and loved it, felt pretty powerful towards the end there, there's that flaming mod you can add that lights up the room when it's drawn and sets those bois on fire (mid air sometimes when they're flying from the impact!) Pretty cool stuff! Also the other points mentioned are a big plus it does free up inventory slots.

 

This world I'm using machete so I myself can get the feel for what I now prefer, I used to really enjoy the machete in A16 due to dismemberment but I don't know if that's in the game anymore at all so may not use machetes. I really liked that but I don't see a way to perk into that just bleeding and exploding heads, which is fine for sure but why take out dismemberment? A ratings thing? Unless it's in there somewhere I'm just not seeing

[SickPuppy]

dismemberment is still there, I think it's in the Deep Cuts perk, sth like 40% or 60% chance maxed out.

 

I was 100% blade on A16, absolutely loved it, kill any zombie, harvest, save inventory space. But A17 it just doesn't feel as good, the reach feels much shorter, hitboxes seems tighter on zombies now so it's harder to get head shots, bleed is nice but had a quick go on sledge and it feels soooo satisfying whacking zombies with it. Feels really well weighted.

 

Think I'll go sledge next map.

 

 

*Correction, it's 15% decap on Deep Cuts. But the machete does dismember I've cut off zombie arm and legs with it, just not very often early on.