Links to Chthonic Conversations Index and Collection. Spoilers for hidden fist aspect. Potential spoilers in comments.

It's finally time to talk about the fists! I know u/bbblackballs has been waiting for 3 months now, but the time is finally here! Like many players, I really enjoy using this weapon. I tell you this up-front so you are better able to see the bias in my writing. Ultimately, weapon preferences are based on individual playstyles; fists are fun for me to just constantly be attacking and zip all over the place and behind enemies.

However, the fists do have a notable drawback in the lack of ranged options. Without Long Knuckle or Kinetic Launcher, hitting enemies hovering over a pit or in lava is nigh impossible. You have to resort to cast, usually, and that can feel pretty bad. I try to plan my route through enemies so I take out enemies that can hover, or ensure I knock enemies further into the playable area rather than out. It's hard to do, though.

For general playstyle, what I try and do is use dash-strikes frequently because of their higher damage (25 instead of 15) and rely on them and normal attacks to stun-lock the enemy I'm focusing on. When there are other enemies, I position myself as far from them as I can while still hitting my current target. If there are projectiles or attacks where spacing like that won't work, I try to save a dash to avoid those, making sure to release the attack button when I do so to ensure I have i-frames.

With armored enemies, mini-bosses, and bosses, I try and stay behind them, and then release attack and dash before I get hit. Same sort of thing, but you have to actually dodge attacks instead of just stun-locking everyone.

Special is interesting. The way I see it, it's for late-game scaling, because most good hammers buff the special rather than the attack. I use attack dominantly until my special is better, which usually happens around Elysium, though that varies. Also, did you know Dash-Upper gets bonuses from dash-strike boons? I didn't!

Pros:

• High dps
• Easy to build for
• All four aspects are usable
• Fantastic god gauge charge

Cons:

• Range
• Dangerous when fighting armored foes, mini-bosses, and bosses due to their lack of flinch
• Lack of powerful attack hammers

Aspects:

Zag fists are a little boring at first, but once you get to the end with all your dodge effects (which is the main reason to take this aspect, but it really shines here) and you have a ton of dodge, you become nearly invulnerable.

Truthfully, Talos is my least used fist aspect. I should definitely play it more, it seems interesting, but I just like the other gimmicks too much. I know a lot of people enjoy putting Poseidon special on and yo-yo'ing enemies back and forth, so if that's your speed, go for it. The utility of being able to pull enemies is also quite powerful, not to mention the damage bonus, small though it is.

Demeter fists are the default pick when following the 'damage is king' philosophy. However, there is no 'right' way to play the game. Demeter fists consistently deal the highest dps, sure, but this is a game, not a dps simulator. Play what you want to play! I just happen to really like dps, so... yeah I like using Demeter. These also pair incredibly well with some hammers like Explosive Upper and Flying Cutter.

Hidden fists are slow and chunky as opposed to the fast nature of the other fists. This is neither good nor bad, just different. However, what is bad is the pathetic amount of damage the dash-strike deals (20) compared to the the normal attacks (60) and even normal fists dash-strike (25), despite it's slowness. Like, sure, it's bigger than normal fist dash-strike, but so is the attack, and that does 60, so...

Rant about that aside, the aspect is fun. Having such a weak dash-strike (the only one in the game, really) means you're encouraged to either spam dash (which you can do by holding dash instead of tapping on this aspect) or stay in place with attacks. Both are valid strategies with the aspect, but I see more people using the latter with Poseidon dash and tearing Styx apart.

So, what do you think about fists? These seem to be one of the community's favorite weapons, so tell me what you think! What is your favorite part about the fists? Is the range too big of a drawback for you? What aspect do you favor? Give me your thoughts down below!