Should They Bring The Old Sawmen Back?

[Othergrunty]

I've been playing this game for some month now and that made me, as i see it, fortunate enough to have witnessed the original version of the Grineer Sawmen.

 

For those who are newer. The original version of the Grineer Sawmen were, fitting to their name, carrying buzzsaws in their hands as their weapons. When they were not in alert mode you could hear the faint spinning of the blade and when they were attacking you they would roar.

 

However some month ago they were changed to wielding the cleavers they have now, which makes it quite strange that they didn't gave them a new name seeing how they weren't wielding saws anymore.

The reason for this is actualy quite reasonable. With the loud noise, players would always hear the Sawmen comming, meaning the players were prepared for melee attacks. Powerfist wielders in turn were silent and therefor more likely to get close to players to punch them. In theory.

 

However, i never felt the new Sawmen to be really that much more dangerous than the old version. Infact without the saw sound i actualy have a easier time killing them before they can even hit me. The reason for this is that their cleavers don't do much damage and i know that. So i don't get alarmed seeing them. I just shoot them.

 

Now the old Sawmen weren't that much stronger, but the sound of their saws still created a "watch out" atmosphere, since pop culture and other video games have taught us that the sound of a loud saw comming at us is bad news. So while they weren't particular strong, they still created a bit of terror to take them down quickly.

 

This can be compared to the loud screams Scorpions give when they are about to attack you with their grapling hooks. Because you connect that sound to the annoying memory of getting hooked and pulled to the ground. You are trying to find the source of the sound ASAP and take her out.

 

Because of this i think it would actualy be kind of cool if they would bring the old Grineer Sawmen back in a way.

 

Here are 3 ideas how this could work:

1. Bring them back as "Elite Sawmen" on higher levels with a improved design similar to the Elite Lancers and stronger shields.

 

2. Give the Flame Blades the buzzsaws. God knows the Flame Blades finaly deserve having their own weapons instead of having to wield the prod. Infact i think they should change it so disarmed Grineer are pulling out cleavers instead of prods. Also what's scarrier than a Grineer with a flaming buzzsaw suddently appearing behind you with a teleport?

 

3. Bring them back as special ground forces on Phobos.

[Zakalwe]

I actually liked the sound of the buzzsaws from a distance, it was kind of creepy.

[General_Krull]

I like your number 2. Also make them tough and fast. 

[Renathy]

Stupidly, I had no idea they were even gone.

[notionphil]

I'd love it if they came back as heavily armored melee troops with a louder saw, so you'd be sure to see them coming.

 

The game needs some fast-ish moving heavy melee troops. Ancients etc are slow. Chargers are weak. Grineer melee are light.

[Archistopheles]

The Sawmen frighten easy, but they'll be back, and in greater numbers.

 

 

I bet when we get a sawblade melee weapon they'll make a triumphant return.

[Hayden11121]

I say Machete should be the base model for all Grineer when a Loki uses Prova, and the Scorpion girl can get a sawblade.

 

Think of how creepy that'd be, a half mutant girl using a grapple rope to pull you closer to her buzzsaw. Scary stuff, man.

[Revel72]

Yes please. The current sawmen are boring and frustrating to deal with lower level weaponry.

[Cortot]

I've joined this game recently so I wish I could encounter the buzzy sawmen everyone miss!

[Madotsuki]

Yes I would prefer they bring back the old Sawmen, and that means having buzzsaws and being non-shielded. The sounds of their saws increased the atmosphere, and it also made them seem a lot more threatening, both due to the sound and because they had their hand amputated to fit a saw on instead. The switch to cleavers was a bad move, it made the Sawmen much more generic, and also lost that gameplay effect of warning players of their presence. With the addition of personal shields, they became even worse, as they're now incredibly hard to stealth kill (shields block stealth attack bonus damage) and even tankier than Lancers on low-mid levels!

 

Seriously, just bring back the old Sawmen (though they could have a damage buff) and give the cleavers to Flameblades (potentially with added fire element effect :D)