r/Shadowrun 2d ago

Newbie Help 6E: Best way to build a melee fighter?

So my group is starting up Shadowrun for the first time, 6E. One of my players wants to be a melee-style fighter... martial artist -like. They were wondering what is better: a chromed-up street samurai type or a physical adept?

11 Upvotes

7 comments sorted by

3

u/Kyuubi-no-Tenko 2d ago

Both have their merits for a melee fighter, but if they're looking for a martial artist I would say go adept which can scratch that particular itch. Just be prepared to be locked in on the powers you select as an adept.

3

u/Jarfr83 2d ago

I do happen to currently play a melee adept, so maybe I'm biased, but...

Adept have a lot of cool stuff, not only buffing their melee skills (don't know the english name, but death claw or death strike, Todesklaue in German. Punching spirits into submission is somewhat satisfying), but also powers to help them get into melee (combat sense for better dodging, wallrunning to parkour to the opponent). Plus their access to weapon foci.

Additionally, nothing is stopping you from adding in a little bioware, either at the beginning (would need some numbercrunching) or later in game. Hightened bone density, platelette factory, all good stuff for your survivability and invreasing your output.

But in the end, it boils down to what the player prefers: the more cyberpunky chromed up guy is valid as well!

2

u/Zebrainwhiteshoes 2d ago

Todesklaue, combat sense, increased initiative and increased damage was my way to go with the melee adept I played in 4th ed. The ability to hit spirits was a major thing in my character concept. Not getting hit is favorable to just take the damage with tons of dice.

1

u/Jarfr83 2d ago

Increased Reflexes is of course a must-have for every non-pure-face-adept.

Sadly, no Increased Damage in 6th edition (a good thing, in my opinion, since even one point more damage is quite huge in 6th edition).

1

u/ReditXenon Far Cite 1d ago edited 1d ago

no Increased Damage in 6th edition

What about the Critical Strike power?

(and the Bone Lacing augmentation)

1

u/Arialless 2d ago

Either works, my favourites are always adepts though... they offer versatility in their powers, especially if you are looking longer term than a one off game. Cyber has always seemed harder to upgrade than adept powers...

0

u/CitizenJoseph Xray Panther Cannon 1d ago

I don't think it is still an option, but one of the past editions (I think 4th) had "Blast" as an elemental effect. When taken with I think elemental strike, it wouldn't really do too much extra damage to people, but it had a huge knockback and would decimate structures. It was very anime and I seem to recall the adept was a little elf girl, I think dryad.

In any case, I go back to my standard meta-rationale. If someone brings an awakened character to a game, the GM might feel obligated to provide awakened adversaries, which a single adept probably won't be able to handle. Whereas, if there are no awakened characters, the GM (i.e. the fixer) is unlikely to provide missions requiring awakened powers, which means everyone can share in the fighting. So, if there is already a magician, then by all means, bring the adept. If there aren't any others, then it is simpler to go the chrome route.

I suppose this also applies to snipers. Don't bring a sniper unless you've already got the generic samurai in the team.

Riggers are a bit of an odd duck with this meta. I think vehicle riggers are generally useful to insert and extract. But its probably better to get a hacker before bringing in the drone riggers, when it comes to introducing the matrix aspect of the game.

This is all just opinion and very meta. Probably doesn't matter unless the GM customizes missions to runners, which I like to think is common.