[markelphoenix]

So, I read that Str is now used for most melee conditions (i.e. trip, disarm, grapple type behavior). If this is true, what does it contest against? Strength as well? If so, is it straight, I declare I am tripping you, and I roll Str + skill vs your Str + skill, or do I have to make an attack roll of Agi + Skill against your Rea + Ini, then IF I hit, you do a contest to see if I successfully trip/grapple/tackle/disarm you?

[Stainless Steel Devil Rat]

The specifics vary by action.

However, with regards to disarming someone yes the Strength of that someone sets the threshold. It's unopposed.  So if you have 1 or 2 strength, people will literally just snatch your combat axe or whatever out of your hands.*

*while the test itself IS unopposed, eligibility to even attempt the test must past a high bar.  1) It's an edge action, and 2) it's an edge action that can only be performed as a follow-on to a successful action that is in turn reactive in nature.  So not only must edge have been spent, it also does still involve winning an opposed test before the disarm attempt can be made.

[markelphoenix]

The specifics vary by action.

However, with regards to disarming someone yes the Strength of that someone sets the threshold. It's unopposed.  So if you have 1 or 2 strength, people will literally just snatch your combat axe or whatever out of your hands.*

*while the test itself IS unopposed, eligibility to even attempt the test must past a high bar.  1) It's an edge action, and 2) it's an edge action that can only be performed as a follow-on to a successful action that is in turn reactive in nature.  So not only must edge have been spent, it also does still involve winning an opposed test before the disarm attempt can be made.

So, a person would Melee Attack, Succeed, then declare a reaction of choosing to Disarm their opponent with that attack?

[Stainless Steel Devil Rat]

Actually they have to attack you, you block it, then you can try to take the weapon away.  If you get as far as making the attempt, if they have low strength you'll succeed.

[Xenon]

Just like in SR5, when someone is attacking you with a attack you can declare that you try to Block it (in SR5 this was an interrupt action and in SR6 this is a Minor 'Anytime' action). This mean you add your skill rating to your defense test when trying to defend against this specific attack (in SR5 you would use your Unarmed Combat skill and in SR6 this is the Close Combat skill).

If you are successful then you can take an unopposed close combat edge action using your opponents strength as a threshold to knock the weapon away (or even grab it yourself).

Which mean that if you plan on using melee weapons then you should not neglect strength since it would probably be knocked away whenever someone successfully block you for the first time.

[Michael Chandra]

It also encourages Street Sams to take Ambidextrous so they can use their off-hand to block and wrest.