The focus gain on backstab and parry are tremendous. Blink is a great support rune for getting backstabs. Electric enchantment makes sense until you can find the lightning facet, though the focus gain is so high it would just allow for less maintenance. Piercing dodge feels useless. It doesn’t do all that much damage compared to regular attacks. I don’t get why it’s 100 focus. Lightning slam is cool but has a lot of recovery, so is a challenge to use in boss fights without taking damage. It feels like this weapon gains so much focus, but doesn’t have any good focus spenders. So I wonder if it’s supposed to be powerful on its own, or a support weapon for something else that actually has strong rune attacks. The stat requirements push you out of the obvious choice of supporting wands unless you want to game the system and find a lower level wand. There are no 2H weapons for dex int. The bows aren’t really that impressive, though they have decent runes at least. Also wondering the intent behind the sprint attack. It’s a single attack with lots of recovery. It’s almost always better to blink and do the neutral attacks.
With all that focus gain on parry, you don’t really have a decent rune attack to use right after since bosses will hit you after lightning slam. It’s one redeeming quality is the low focus cost for a slam.
Midnight Blade feels like the star of dex int, yet it seems like a better support weapon for something else, but dex int has so few weapon options for that something else compared to other stat combos.
The focus generation is its only unique feature, as the runes can be acquired randomly from Mr Manhole Cover or pestilence runs. I suppose the rather nice normal attack combo is another unique feature on daggers. The others mostly only stab (you could say they have a singular purpose).
Aside from getting two utility runes and a (useless) double-dagger rune, one could make a better Midnight Blade out of a non-unique weapon, and equip that with a focus spender. Stormpiercer is risk-free and massively strong, for example. I tend to generate enough focus on a meditative small shield parry or some light attacks to fuel any weapon’s needs.
So I agree with your thoughts. The best way to use the current Midnight Blade is to pair it with another weapon, of which Broken Forge is likely the strongest. There is strong competition in its niche even in Dex/Int: Tucked Falcon generates focus and builds stagger very quickly with the running attack and can be equipped with a safe focus spender.
I’ve also considered using Midnight Blade without meeting the stat requirements to generate focus for a build using other scaling attributes. The enchantments don’t care, you’ll just do low damage.
maybe it’s supposed to be used with “while full focus” gems and do damage with regular attacks more than anything else ? with lots of damage stacked on gear ? idk haven’t tested but was always curious
That could probably work. Maybe a lightning focused build. Would have a ton of build up and probably attack speed via chest speed enchant on lightning. Could be cool, but I worry it would feel one dimensional if avoiding using focus. I already have a lightning build like this using halberds, but it makes the gears turn in my head.