The bulldog is this overwhelming, cheesy, campy aspect of Last Spartan Standing that I feel should be reserved for either a special super drop or as the last tier weapon.
I think the Hydra would be a balanced alternative. It’s a solid weapon for several situations, but doesn’t have a shockingly fast kill time you can’t fight back from. It still has a nice one shot + melee combo so it can fill that cqc slot if you really need something to, but it’s not as fast and easy to use as the Bulldog so you have to think more when you use it.
I think the sword being in the match is a really STUPID idea personally. Nothing counters it other than being well out of range, or being lucky enough to find a Repulsor MAYBE, and only then if you’re smart in how you use it.