Buffs and ideas for new Powers that encourage hit and run playstyles over hitstreak building

[Alfons100]

One theme with many powers is that all of the strongest ones are relates to hitstreak, which is how people get those 2000% crit mega multihit builds that melt bosses. But I notice that the powers that want to build as strong singlehits as possible all fall short in comparison. 

This can make runs feel a bit samey where all strong runs revolve around building absurd hitstreak with Attack Dice, Pew Pew and any power that scales with hitstreak, and also unfairly favors weapon that naturally build hitstreak well like Spear and Cannon. To remedy this I'm talking about buffing powers like Strong Start, Pong, Little Schemer and Good First Impressions and perhaps introduce new powers for hit-n-run playstyles. I have some ideas for buffing certain powers.

Lil Schemer is so close to being great but 5 seconds is just an impractical amount of time. If it were 3 seconds and upgrading it put it to 5, it'd be very viable to build around. As a quality of life it should also become charged every time you enter a new room.

Good First Impressions was nerfed due to how strong its upgrade was, I'd like to see it still have an upgrade that gives 100% crit for a more generous window, perhaps if they're above 80%. This still gives leeway for small bits of damage to a target from other sources instead of needing to be at precisely 100% (Risk of Rains crowbar works similarly, which by default gives more damage if enemy is above 90% health)

 

I also think theres potential for new powers that work with these kinds of builds. I have some ideas for new powers that synergizes with single-hit damage stacking playstyles:

Blunt Expertise: A power that is stronger the *less* hitstreak you have. Gives 50% more damage, but the power loses flat 5% of its damage per hitstreak until it reaches zero, so at 25 hitstreak it does no additional damage but below that it does more. Upgrading it gives it 100% more damage, but you lose 10% per hitstreak, so only until 10 hitstreak it gives more damage.

This is a power that adds some frontloaded damage incase you dont have many powers that are proportionate to hitstreak, and of course stacks with powers like Lil Schemer, Strong Start and so on.

Friendly Fury: If an ally has attacked an enemy, your next heavy attack will deal 50% more damage to that target.

This does that joining fights that your ally is busy with gives you a good damage headstart. Naturally more useful in co-op, but synergizes with summoner powers as well.

Wake-up Caller: If an enemy hasnt been hit by you in 4 seconds, your next attack will deal 25% more damage to that target. Upgrading it will raise it to 40% but increase the timer to 6 seconds. The beginning of every room starts with each enemies timer being full so you have to wait for the timer to occur.

Basically a combination of A Strong Start and Lil Schemer.

Explosive Finale: When your hitstreak ends, your next attack will deal 25% more damage. Upgrading it will cause the damage increase to scale with hitstreak, +1% per hitstreak

The idea behind this power is that unupgraded, it favors hit-n-run builds, while upgrading it, makes it favor hitstreak builds. So in a way this power synergizes with both kinds of builds well, depending on if you upgrade it.

 

I think with some buffs and introducing some new powers (and making some of these kinds of powers more common and unlocked earlier as it feels like Strong Start and Lil Schemer are strangely rare) it would improve viability to weapons like Hammer which specializes in strong single-hit instead of falling behind Spears and Cannons multihit shenanigans, and would improve run variety where some runs are about absurd hitstreak and others are about one-shotting enemies by stacking damage multipliers