Been having an episode of Zaw Brain again and looking through my collection. I'd love to hear some other Tenno's "wishlists" for zaws you'd make different variants of if forma, time, and inventory weren't considerations. Or maybe if you could time travel and go back and build them differently.
Here are some candidates I've been considering:
Cyath. Currently an Ekwana II Jai/Seekalla variant. Twirling Spire has an initial slam on the moving block, so it's a good Hunt candidate, and can throw out some juicy slashes, especially with Boreal's Contempt. Considering a Vargeet II Jai/Peye variant since it's the slashiest Machete Zaw. (Unless you do a -impact Kronsh riven.)
Plague Kripath. My first two zaws were the Plague Star zaws and they're both messes that I never use. I want to do a Vargeet II Jai/Plague Akwin variant so I have another rapier for my collection. Dehtat has better dispo, but it also looks stupid.
Dokrahm. Currently using an Ekwana Jai II/Seekalla variant for the Hunt memes. I want a Vargeet II Jai/Seekalla so I have a good Contagion hybrid for Hildryn and Vauban fashionframe... although I think I can fix it with a CC riven, so this is a low priority one.
“ but it also looks stupid.” Skins work on Zaws now. For a while.
My take on zaws is first that DE needs to fold rivens for them back into the larger pool of melee rivens. SO MANY zaw rivens.
But they aren’t going to do that, so my second recommendation is to not build any zaw until you get a riven. Then build a zaw not only for that strike, but to maximize whatever you have rolled the riven to be. This is how my Cyath polearm has 199% crit.