Each Abductor in Freedom Wars Remastered boasts a health bar prominently displayed on its torso. Players utilize a diverse arsenal of combat items and weapons to deplete this health, ultimately securing victory. The game features various damage types, each with unique mechanics. While light melee weapons excel at severing specific body parts, Impact Damage plays a similarly crucial role in combat strategy.
Mastering Impact Damage significantly enhances Abductor takedown speed. This guide details Impact Damage's function and its effective utilization in Freedom Wars Remastered.
Impact Damage is primarily found on Heavy Melee weapons and some Ranged Weapons. While you'll see a numerical value alongside the Impact Damage percentage, this doesn't directly translate to increased overall damage. Instead, it represents non-elemental damage that boosts the force of your standard attacks, accelerating the Abductor's stagger rate. A full stagger meter results in the Abductor staggering, falling, or exhibiting unique reactions, creating prime opportunities to inflict substantial damage before recovery.
Unlike the readily visible health bar, the stagger meter remains hidden. The Abductor can stagger at any point once the rate reaches a certain threshold. This presents both advantages and drawbacks. Offline play allows for strategic charging of attacks, maximizing damage output. However, in online play, staggering an Abductor might hinder teammates' attacks. Some Abductors, such as Ramosa, react to staggering by moving backward, potentially complicating precise hit placement.
Increasing Stagger Damage requires unlocking the Weapon Development Facility. This facility enables crafting and customization of gear, offering extensive weapon enhancement options. Within the facility, the Manufacture Modules feature allows creation of various modules using gathered resources. The Stagger Damage Up Module requires Glassy Carbon, a common field resource obtained in Basic Operations. Acquired materials can be combined using the Synthesise Modules feature to upgrade effectiveness. After crafting, attach the module to your weapon to enhance its Impact Damage and improve staggering capabilities.
Because Impact Damage is non-elemental, prioritizing physical damage upgrades over elemental enhancements maximizes staggering efficiency. Modules like Stagger Damage Up are particularly valuable for users of heavy melee weapons or specific ranged weapons naturally adept at building stagger.