First: https://steamhost.cn/steamcommunity_com/workshop/discussions/18446744073709551615/601897517437717514/?appid=440
Previous: https://steamhost.cn/steamcommunity_com/workshop/discussions/18446744073709551615/591764935569128185/?appid=440

This is part four, If you haven't read part one, I'd recommend doing that first as it covers the objectives of these posts.

Overall I try to make the weapon fit it's name, that way it is more intuitive on how it's meant to be played. Here's all the things I would change, big and small, new and old. Changes are in Bold Upsides will be marked by '+' and Downsides by '-' Neutral effects are listed with 'θ'

Pyro
I'm going to be honest, a major reason I took so long is I didn't want to talk about Pyro, but in order to get to the more interesting classes I have to get thought the mumbling arsonist. fire particle physics are jank and afterburn is everyone's favorite debuff, that said he? has a lot of controversial weapons but honestly her? flamethrowers shouldn't be any of them, they are all in a good spot, even the phlog as if you can get support (read uber) you can do ungodly amounts of damage with it, it is a situational sidegrade, the only problem being the fire particles themselves and I don't think anybody knows source spaghetti well enough to fix that. The secondaries and melees are a different story with it? having both direct upgrades and compleatley underpowered weapons, sometimes at the same time. The weapons most in need of help are the Man-Melter, Scorch Shot, Gas-Passer, Sharpened Volcano Fragment, Third Degree, and Hot Hand.

Manmelter:
Simple buff, and not an original one, have it be able to suck in all debuffs not just afterburn, there needs to be something to prevent infinite crit farming from continually applied debuffs like the Escape Plan's marked for death. also fix the graphics so that players can see when it has recharged.
Proposed Stats Are:
Scorch Shot:
I don't know anyone that will honestly say that this is a fun and balanced weapon, the stun, double hit, and minicrits are what people think are the most annoying, to maintain its identity as the "blast" flaregun I recomend removing it's ability to minicrit burning players and letting players airstraif like the new airblast.
Proposed Stats Are:
Gas Passer:
Not sure if this is an original idea, but having doused players take additional fire damage would be a worthwhile sidegrade to the flare's garenteed crits. I'd also halve the damaged to fill it with the condition that the bonus damage on doused players cannot help charge it.
Proposed Stats Are:
Sharpened Volcano Fragment:
Fire damage is pretty worthless on a pyro melee, bonus flamethrower or flaregun damage however is great as pyro likes combo weapons, so marking players for death makes it a reverse-axtinguisher and the slower swing speed deincentivises pyro from going on melee only rampages.
Proposed Stats Are:
Third Degree:
Only direct upgrade and it still sucks, lets make it hit all players connected by buffs, also give it a debuff. now it's usable in more situations and the Pyro has to commit to the attack but is rewarded with hitting EVERY player being buffed.
Proposed Stats Are:
Hot Hand:
A meme weapon but it's not good enough to have a large fanbase like the fish, ham shank, or unarmed combat, increasing the attack speed would fit the current concept as what everyone who uses it just wants to slap as much as they can anyways.
Proposed Stats Are:

Are these worthy tributes for the mute maniac, or am I living a delusion?

Next Up: Demo