As stated.

-Assess whether Java is still the best option for the game, and if you can afford to change. (if you've not already)

-When you attack then press the Shield button during the animation, it cuts off a bit of the tail end of the animation. A side effect is that if you use an attack during the time where you would activate the next attack animation, you instead "reset" the animation, and use the first one. With a 3-hit combo weapon it allows attack orders like: 1,1,1 and 1,1,3. Also to note with this suggestion is that if you hold down the attack button as if to charge an attack it does the same thing. Rather, it cuts off the animation at the end and allows you to move while charging. It does not, however force attack animation 1 to be used, so if you attack again within the required time it will continue the combo. This allows some mobility while continuing the combo.

That was a bit of set up for the suggestion, which is: It would add a level of depth and choice, while being simple to the player, if you were to make different "paths" for the combo attacks. That is to say, If you shield-cancel the attack, your next attack will be a less damaging, but more defensive attack. Example: a swipe that causes you to step back with a Rapier, a parry with a Brandish (takes reduced damage and counters damage for the duration of the animation), or maybe bashing with the pommel of a Sudaruska for insane knockback in a small area.

The other combo line would require Attack-Canceling (holding the attack button as if to charge) and would deal more damage Per-Hit and have some other beneficial effect; generally movement based. Example: A Rapier's movement hit does no knockback, but allows you to ignore collision boxes of foes, essentially allowing you to strike through them. A brandish would leave a small energy mine behind it, leaving some nice explosives for the 'splosion sword. A Sudaruska would have a very wide, very far, high knockback spin that has a decent dash for positioning.

Those were examples of the middle hit of a combo. (except for the Suda) You could finish the combo as any of the three options, but that would require committing to that particular Blow.

So if a 3-hit combo sword is 1,2,3/1,d,D/1,m,M
And a 2 hit is 1,2/1,D/1,M
This system would allow all sorts of timing based combos, allowing them to be versatile in multiple situations.

1,d,M
1,2,D
ect

This would also give the striker line a very imposing versatility, as you could combo 1,m,m,d,M and so forth.

-While having several different damage versions of a weapon is neat, I would urge you to take ones that are not meant to be the "same" per-say, and give then different mechanics or perhaps hitboxes. The Rapiers are a fine example: all piercing, differing status ailments. And the Magnus line is also well deserved: Piercing or Impact. While I feel that the Sudaruska and Volcanic Pepperbox really kinda don't fit in too much as just a "normal version" of a typed weapon. Differentiating these and other weapons would provide easy ways to have more versatility within the gear system.

-(note, I have about 50 ping when playing)The visibility of the hitboxes is very, VERY bad. It may look like I hit something, because My sword went through it, but because of the hitbox, it did not register as a hit. This is VERY bad for weapons that rely on the knockback to keep you safe, or the damage to kill it fast enough that you don't get hurt.