Quote Originally Posted by Arcon View Post
Except for when SA/TA aren't up, which is a lot, especially when soloing, which is usually where you're interested in damage. I don't think you covered that in your post, but a bare Mercy Stroke is sadly not too impressive.
If not stacking, I assumed the comparison would fall back to Exen vs DE/Evis, though I'll grant that I did consider it from the perspective that stacking was a reasonable option at least a fair amount of the time. I do almost nothing in game as solo, since I find it an irritating hassle; I'm almost always at least in a duo.

So yes, in a situation where stacking is just not a viable option, Exen will go back to being a decently advantageous weaponskill over the alternatives even for a Mandau owner.