Hello again! Today I'll be going over the first half of a rather large set of weapons in VoltAge:Genesis - SIDEARMS! Sidearms are small (generally one-handed) guns that usually deal [Pierce] damage and have solid (but not extraordinary) stats. One of their most useful features is their ability to use gun mods (with a few exceptions), giving wielders the option of branching out into various elemental damage types not normally available to them. For now, we'll be focusing on the two more "vanilla" sidearm subcategories (handguns and revolvers), with the other two (magic guns and SMGs) to come in a future post.
Nolan, Stark, and Nyla are all able to use both Handguns and Revolvers, meaning that a party with two or even all three of them may see some competition for the better weapons in the category...that being said, you will have to think very carefully about what each character's core strengths are and how you can take advantage of those strengths using these weapons. For all three characters, these weapons offer a solid, accurate attack option that can allow him to branch out into elemental attacks (using gun mods) while still being able to take advantage of his shield slot...because Stark has a third accessory instead of a shield slot, he can theoretically equip all three gun mods once you have them, giving him access to all nine (!) elemental shot skills...however, that would also mean his stats will lag behind in other areas as a result.
While they may not be too flashy, the handgun / revolver family does have a few interesting standouts...here are my picks for "best in class" and why:
1) S9 Togusa - The S9 Togusa isn't flashy, but it can easily carry you through a good part of the early game based on its unusually high attack power (for a tier 2 weapon) due to being manufactured by Alton Defense Solutions (ADS). It's easily obtainable upon starting the game (if you know where to look), and is compatible with every gun mod in the game. As a handgun, its 2% HIT bonus will help early on as well, when evasive enemies like the Deathwasp can be a real headache.
2) Maalik - Immaculate Military Industries (IMI) weapons are extremely hard to come by, but tend to pack nice stats and unique damage types when you find them...and the Maalik is no exception. While only slightly more powerful than the S9 Togusa, it naturally deals [Fire] and [Pierce] damage, and has a nice +15 Luck bonus tacked on for good measure. Easily the best feature about this weapon, however, is the fact that its wielder gains the ability to use the "Consecrate" skill, causing a [Holy] HP Drain effect on enemies to the tune of 10% of their Max HP per turn! Even after you have gotten more powerful weapons, you should definitely keep this weapon handy for its typing, and so you can use "Consecrate" to cancel out the HP Regen effects of some late-game bosses.
3) Stone Handgun - Like all "Stone" weapons, the Stone Handgun weighs 50% more than the standard for its weapon class, but carries an 8% chance to "knock down" opponents...but really, the thing that makes this weapon worthy of mention is its +35 Men bonus. Before you get too excited however, I have to tell you that it is not compatible with any sort of gun mod, limiting your ability to take advantage of that bonus. Stark and Nyla however, this bonus can still be quite useful due to the fact that they each have several natural skills which could benefit from a MEN boost (especially Nyla, whose healing skills are affected by her MEN stat). Towards the end of the game you can find a couple of weapons in the "magic gun" category that are better, but at the point you get the Stone Handgun, it will make a fine upgrade.
And there you have it! For more information about the other two sidearm categories (magic guns and SMGs), check out the post titled SIDEARMS (PT.2). As always, I hope this information will prove useful, and until next time, stay safe out there! The Deadlands are a dangerous place, after all...