🔻Sword Pierce

A term for piercing sword block to deal full damage.

Sword Pierce Types

Sword Pierce is an intended game feature that was not finished nor scrapped by Respawn. It was left in game files, and it basically lets you pierce sword block in different spots and angles. It's very consistent with most weapons, mainly hitscan bullets.

There are 2 main ways to pierce sword lock, named them “soft pierce” and “hard pierce”. Soft pierce refers to spots that can be pierced by certain weapons, so, somewhat consistently, of about 50-90% depending on weapon and spot. Hard spots are difficult-to-reach spots that offer 100% pierce consistency to all weapons; heck, even explosions.

You can tell it's sword pierce when you see a hitmarker on your shot. This page is based off Second Part (Includes Sword Block & Defensive Kits).

Soft Pierce

Refers to spots that can be pierced by certain weapons, so, somewhat consistently, of about 40-90% depending on weapon and spot. Ofc there are some exceptions, like the cluster missile that pierces like once or twice during the whole explosion animation.

It seems to be straight behind the Ronin, with up to 80 degrees to his right. The left side can't be pierced at all. There's a second soft pierce spot on the underside of the right heel. The heel spot is a soft pierce but will be a hard pierce spot if the Ronin is on elevation or you're using satchels.

Angles for Soft Pierce (Backside vs. Underside of the Heel)

Backside

Underside of the Heel

Soft Pierce Damage Output (Approximate)

• Splitter Rifle = 40% more damage.

• Laser Core = 70% more damage.

• T-203 Thermite Launcher = like 90% more damage. (if Ronin's right heel is touching the droplet)

• Flame Shield = 70% more damage.

• Flame Trap = 5%? (saw like only 2 hitmarkers when Ronin around in the thermite, similar to cluster missile in terms of performance; setting up the canister higher doesn't help)

• Firewall = 30% more damage. (this abomination WORKS ONLY if the Ronin walks along the path of the Firewall, from the start point towards the end point while looking in that direction; otherwise, it'll never pierce)

• Cluster Missile = 5%? (Saw only 1-2 hitmarkers)

• Rocket Barrage = 10-50% more damage. (requires a specific angle for 80-95% more damage)

• Salvo Core = 90% more damage. (fairly easy to do with airborne core)

• Predator Cannon and XO-16 = 40-50% more damage. (due to long-range mode having less spread than XO-16, it's a lot easier to get 50% on long-range mode)

• Smart Core = 30-40% more damage. (aims for body center)

• Rocket Salvo = 10-20% more damage.

Can't Soft Pierce

• Laser Shot, Tripwire.

• Flame Core.

• Railgun, Flight Core.

• 40 mm Cannon

• Close-range and long-range Power Shot

• Energy Siphon (referring to damage, not shield drain)

• Pilot weapons: SMR, EPG, Cold War, charge rifle, MGL, etc.

Soft Pierce vs. No Soft Pierce

Ion

Splitter Rifle

Laser Shot (No Pierce)

Laser Core

Scorch

Northstar

Ronin

Tone

Legion

Monarch

Pilot

Hard Pierce

Well, aside from melee damage, you can pierce Ronin for 100% consistency in 4 ways. Either being underneath the Ronin and shooting from below him. Piercing his right foot with wave attacks on a chest-height obstacle requires Ronin in a special block animation. Piercing his right foot on the ground with a satchel.

It works on all weapons, but yeah, it depends on the spot.

The Four Hard Pierce Methods

• From beneath Ronin. (free range to shoot anywhere so long as you're directly below him)

• From underneath Ronin's left arm during special block animation. (requires you to be close, can even hit the crit spot)

• Wave attacks can pierce both feet on chest-height obstacles if he's in his special block animation. (if you actually manage it in an actual game with Flame Core, message me the video)

• Satchels being the only explosive able to pierce the right foot. (up to 5 meters in front of and near it)

From Beneath Ronin Hard Pierce

Strangely enough, it's not just about shooting below the feet but just being at the angle below the Ronin. You can hit him anywhere from below, even his face and weak spots.

Underneath Ronin's Left Arm Hard Pierce

Ronin changes his block animation to 3 different types when getting damaged while blocking. Here is the screenshot of the animation that is required for the sword pierce from below his left arm to be possible. He cycles through those animations randomly, and it's not dependent on where you hurt/shoot him; it's random.

Ronin can ofc just unblock and block again to revert the sword block animation to a different one. But this lets you pierce him with anything up close.

Huh, apparently if Ronin looks up, then you can get from underneath to shoot him there. Will a Ronin ever look up instead of you? Maybe to shoot a pilot. Is this actually useful? No.

Wave Attacks Feet Hard Pierce

If Ronin is standing on a chest-height object and he is in his special block animation like shown below. Then you can aim for his feet with arc wave or flame core and pierce his sword block. For some reason it doesn't work with the Firewall; don't ask me why.

Satchel Right Foot Hard Pierce

Yeah, so apparently Respawn created a patch to prevent explosive projectiles from piercing sword block when aimed at the feet, like long-range Power Shot. Furthermore, not even frag grenades can pierce the feet from above. But satchels can, so it seems like satchels are a form of entity that isn't an actual projectile and so managed to evade the patch.

At least that's my theory, but basically, you can very consistently sword-pierce Ronin's right foot with satchels, whether behind, on the foot, or heck, even 5 meters in front, it'll pierce easily.