Pierce weapon rank
Pierce is one of the weapon types assigned a letter rank on a character's weapon. In Cold Steel III, weapon ranks and enemy vulnerabilities contribute to the chance of unbalancing an enemy when the attacker has a combat link.
How it works
The supplied Cold Steel III and later excerpt lists base chances of SS 25%, S 15%, A 10%, B 5%, and C 3%, multiplied by the vulnerability star rating. Only the highest chance across the available weapon types is used; the windows do not map characters to pierce ranks.
When it helps
Check the enemy's pierce vulnerability alongside the party's available weapon ranks when seeking an unbalance.
The tradeoff
A rank alone does not determine the final chance; the enemy vulnerability and other listed modifiers matter.
Your next step
Compare the in-game vulnerability and weapon details before choosing an attacker.
Read the supporting references
Check the edition and source version for patch-specific details. Guide methodology.