[MakeshiftWalrus]

Guys, guys. While it's a 10-star weapon. Remember that it's a very rare Boss Drop. It doesn't fall in everyone's hands and therefore it should have the effects. So, my opinion on this is

Boss 10-star items are much more common than people think. They're not difficult to get at all, they just require a slightly more impressive attention span than the average gerbil.

I disagree ENTIRELY with the STR buff passive. It makes it worth the work.
The knockback okay as it is.
Knockdown with a chance of 2+UL (26%) on critical is fine too, it makes it on par with someone like Moonlight Mercy which has an instant kill if feared at a chance of 24% (If nobody knew of that effect.)

12 free point in a single stat is never okay. A Sanctity Vampire literally do not have to spec for this weapon, they hit 40 scaled without putting a single point into strength. You might argue that other items give stats, too. Yes, this is true, but not halfway to the soft-cap in a singular stat.

Moonlight Mercy's effect doesn't work on players as far as I'm aware, unless this was changed. Hands of the Giant does.

But try removing or nerfing down the effects?

Knockback by 1 tile every 8 UL?
On Critical Hit: 2+UL% Chance to knockdown the target?

I could see this working.

Do you forget that HotG has low accuracy and critical base stats to begin with? It's hard to build it to hit good every time and most people just use it for autohits. That new effect listed isn't even worthy of being on a Boss Drop 10-star. Let's compare it with the Polearm Deadly Smile.

If Feared: Knock down the target on hit.

Kensei/Monk, which is the thing you typically run it with unless you're a fire mage or Boxer, evens out the issues you mentioned.
Let's do some numbers, shall we?

Base: 5 crit
Upgrades: +6
Insect Remains: +8
Knuckle part - Elongated: +8
Wrist part - Weighted: +10 crit +5% crit damage
Serpent Strike: Ki-based, but often +30
Attrait: +30
In total: 92, not factoring in any of the Kensei passives, which only further boost it.

Duelist also gets a silly amount of hit-stacking, making the accuracy of the weapon barely relevant at all.

I'll just leave it at that and hope people see light in my opinion.

Your suggestion is fine, but I hope an elaboration of the shenanigans you can run with it spreads a bit more clarity.

[KhalidtheGrey]

I'm in favor of the KD being a 1+UL% Chance, 25% isn't very often and is even better than everything having On Guard. Normalizing the Str buff to be 4 or 6 on either hand would be nice.

I question the validity of an item being overpowered against PvE (short of 'It just kills everything in one round'), though KB+KD is gross in PvP.

Note: I'm using one as my off-hand for an MG/DH as a power fist. Plus the KD is situationally useful for my Wild Ride.

[Autumn]

Personally, I think effecting the STR buff effects too many builds currently, a few people I know (and me too personally) will need to restat simply if the STR buffed were reduced too much, I think the most it could go down to is 6 STR minimum, even then it still effects a lot of people.

Nerf in moderation, I'd say the knockdown effect is just way too strong, it controls matches, maybe halve the knockback, but I'd prefer the STR buff be left alone or not reduced terribly much if possible

[MakeshiftWalrus]

Personally, I think effecting the STR buff effects too many builds currently, a few people I know (and me too personally) will need to restat simply if the STR buffed were reduced too much, I think the most it could go down to is 6 STR minimum, even then it still effects a lot of people.

Nerf in moderation, I'd say the knockdown effect is just way too strong, it controls matches, maybe halve the knockback, but I'd prefer the STR buff be left alone or not reduced terribly much if possible

People already do that to anything else in the game, though. That being change their stats to fit the meta when things get nerfed. I don't think it's a poor idea, especially considering how good it is.

If the strength isn't removed from it, a good chunk of scaling should, to make up for it.

[Chaos]

I don't think we need to drastically nerf HotG to make it 'fair', much less drag it down just because a few other 10* weapons don't sport the kitchen sink.

That being said, I can see the following adjustments:

1. Knockdown effect is thrown out the window entirely
2. Knockback is decreased to 1~2 tiles maximum
3. +UL/4 STR; if it's the main weapon, and the hand slot doesn't have a weapon nor a shield in it, the bonus is doubled

If the strength isn't removed from it, a good chunk of scaling should, to make up for it.

Except that already happened with Staff of Eyes (which has a superior effect, if you ask me), and no one wanted to use it after it got hit. Let's avoid throwing this weapon into the trash outright, especially over a 'it has a really good stat boost' argument.

[MakeshiftWalrus]

Except that already happened with Staff of Eyes (which has a superior effect, if you ask me), and no one wanted to use it after it got hit. Let's avoid throwing this weapon into the trash outright, especially over a 'it has a really good stat boost' argument.

What? Do you know how many people still use it? It's basically the perfect spear for any standard Duelist worth their mettle. The effects of Staff of Eyes are still potent enough for people to off-hand it.

[Autumn]

as Walrus brought up, reducing the scaling for keeping the strength buff would be my preferred option, losing a bunch of strength is pretty harsh on any build, its not like scaling changes, it actively harms the rest of your build with it.

(Oh and the other aforementioned changes, MAINLY removing the oppressive asf knockdown on crit)

[MakeshiftWalrus]

as Walrus brought up, reducing the scaling for keeping the strength buff would be my preferred option, losing a bunch of strength is pretty harsh on any build, its not like scaling changes, it actively harms the rest of your build with it.

(Oh and the other aforementioned changes, MAINLY removing the oppressive asf knockdown on crit)

I'd argue that if your whole build's center point is the bonus stats given by HotG, that speaks wonders of why it needs to be less of a crutch than it currently is.

[Autumn]

And I'd argue you can do nearly the same thing with goods bands + fire/ice/geo/wind jewel, if not more if you're including bands of the chimera, the only difference here is that hands of the giant disallows two-hand but has really good effects as a result.

[Raigen.Convict]

My two cents is simply give it a 24% chance on crit to KD like everyone said and make the 12 str scale on U.L./2. A 10* regaurdless of how many have it should be good or we're just repeating the mistake Gearbox made with a lot of the weapons in the Borderlands series.