En1gma's Guide to Throwing Knives
Apr 10, 2015 10:41:47 GMT -5
John Robinson, Kanly, and 1 more like this
Post by En1gma on Apr 10, 2015 10:41:47 GMT -5
/Cue the 50's style instructional movie music.
Oh, hi there, I didn't see you. 'What are those', you say? You mean these throwing knives? Oh, just a little something I picked up at the local blacksmith. What? You mean you've never tried them before? Oh, ho, then just have a seat right there and let me show you what these babies can do!
Throwing knives are a very special type of weapon, one that only the hero Kincaid can wield without putting an eye out. Sure, they appear weak and useless at first glance, but once you get used to them, I think you'll find that they are actually some of the most powerful weapons in the game. That's right, these little blades can actually do more damage than any other weapon because of their low cost to use. Let's talk Action Points, otherwise known as AP. Take the Vrotta Dagger here: this beauty does 18-36 Damage, for two AP. These here are called Bladesman Knives, and for just one AP, they do between 11 and 19 damage. Time for some math: at most, the Vrotta Dagger will do 108 damage, and that's if you get a full three attacks. Now take these Bladesman Knives; at most, they can do 136 damage if you can get all 7 shots in. That's 28 more damage than the Vrotta Dagger will do, if all attacks hit.
Throwing Knives are able to be used from up to 4 squares away (only with the 2 AP versions), but the majority of knives that are found are only useable at 3 squares. This leaves Kincaid with a MASSIVE area of influence, and he can affect many enemies per turn when he uses the 1 AP versions. I honestly consider Darting Steel a type of Area of Effect talent, because of the amount of targets he can affect in a single turn.
Now I know what you're thinking, and it's OK: 'But En1gma, what about armor?' Great question, and it brings me to my next point. While yes, the enemies you are sure to meet in your journeys will have more armor than you think you can handle, this doesn't mean you can't use throwing knives! To be able to make sure these babies do enough damage to justify using them, we come to our first rule!
*******************************************
RULE NUMBER ONE: To use Throwing Knives, you MUST utilize an ARMOR CURSE** (I'll get to Strickening Later). Now, I didn't mean to scare you, but if you don't take armor away from your enemies, then you are wasting your time. Because they do relatively low amounts of damage by themselves, enemy armor can easily absorb an entire attack. My personal favorite curse to pair with throwing knives happens to be Kjartan's Choking Ash, because not only does it remove armor from everything it touches, it makes enemies easier to hit. One other way to do this is with the lovely Selen's Punishing Blades. She might not be able to curse as many creatures as Kjartan can, but she looks much better doing it.
RULE NUMBER TWO: If you aren't using an armor curse, you need to be using either Strickening AND/OR Energy Storm to remove enemy resistances. And in order for this to work, Elemental Damage MUST be added by Burning Blades, Thundering Blades, or by gear that adds Elemental Damage.
It is here, with these two rules, that Throwing Knives become the best weapons in the game. When using the two rules in conjunction, Throwing Knives are able to deal INSANE amounts of damage, for only a single AP. Even Boosting groups in, at level 17, my Kincaid consistently deals 40-60 damage per Throwing Knife. This is done with Punishing Blades, Thundering Blades, and Strickening (Other configurations will deal more or less damage, but I chose these for the right balance...). All for a single AP. Once you begin factoring in critical hit damage, keeping in mind that ALL different types of Elemental Damage get their OWN INDIVIDUAL critical roll, damage can quickly become overwhelming for anything these vicious Throwing Knives become stuck in.
RULE NUMBER THREE: Making a group that uses Throwing Knives requires that the build be built specifically to utilize them. If your group doesn't include amenities to the first two rules, then honestly don't waste your time with them, as they will be rendered useless by enemy armor and resistances. Using TK is an art in its own right, Kincaid must be everywhere at once, and must be constantly repositioning himself so that he will be in range not only your current turn, but the next turn as well. Which brings us to:
RULE NUMBER FOUR: In order to be most effective, +MP (Movement Points) MUST be used. Even a single MP can mean the difference between an enemy dying, or surviving to land more hits on your team. Live by the Blade is a great way to do this, and will be your only way to add MP until you find gear that gives it.
RULE NUMBER FIVE: The ENTIRE point of using TK is to use them as a force multiplier. By not wasting MP on closing the distance to your enemy, Kincaid is able to remove weakened enemies from the battlefield, or set up a follow-up attack from a teammate, all without moving from where he stands. One of my favorite uses for TK is just running up to a group, tagging all of them, then retreating back to the frontlines. Doing this allows your teammates to land hit after hit, increasing everyone's effectiveness.
RULE NUMBER SIX: If you're using a 2 AP Light Blade, equip a 1 AP TK. If you're using a 1 AP Light Blade, you can use either a 1 or 2 AP TK. When using TK, you are able to MAXIMIZE your AP usage- as long as you are clever with your positioning, more often than not, you will be able to use EVERY single AP, assuming you are within range. If you have a 2 AP Light Blade AND Throwing Knife, then you will almost always have left over AP, which is bad.
***************************************
Still with me? Great! Now, there are still more ways to increase the amount of damage that the amazing Throwing Knives can dish out. One of the most effective ways to do this is by raising his attack talent, Darting Steel. Each point of Darting Steel will raise the talent's attack power, its accuracy, and will allow the Throwing Knives to cripple your enemies more effectively. You see, when an enemy gets a dagger embedded in itself, it becomes much easier to hit with melee attacks, as well as ranged. As a matter of fact, Darting Steel is the most effective curse of its class, when the number of Talent Points are tallied. For a total of 3 points (Darting Steel 4), you get a -5/-5 Parry/Dodge curse! Choking Ash 5 only gives -5/-4 Parry/Dodge, and Pinning Shot 5 gives -5/-6 Parry/Dodge.
You technically don't even need to bring it past its first level if you don't need the curse, but the added damage is always nice! In my humble opinion, it is most effective at level 4, as the boost in damage is noticeable, as is the curse. However, if you want to keep it cheap, just leave it at level 1 or 2.
Now that we have covered increasing Base Damage, let's move on to my personal favorite: Stacking Elemental Damage. Stacking Elemental Damage is most effective when used in conjunction with Holy Strickening and/or Energy Storm.
--My current group is running Kincaid with Darting Steel 4 (+6 Accuracy, +12 Damage, -5/-5 Dodge/Parry curse) using Throwing Knives that deal 12-31 Damage at 3 range. --Stacking on top of this is Thundering Blades 5, adding +4 Acc, and +16 Lightning Damage. Vincent is also using Energy Storm 4, which curses with -10 Lightning Resist. --Fyona is utilizing Strickening 4, which strips 3 Dodge, and 10 Resistance over a 9-Block.
--Selen is using Punishing Blades 4 which strips 15 Armor.
Now, with Darting Steel 4, plus damage gear, Kincaid's Throwing Knives are dealing 12-49 Damage with a 14% critical chance. On top of this, he has that +16 Lightning Damage, 10 of which is doubled by Energy Storm's curse effect. Using PB, ES, and Strickening, we are able to bring many enemies down to under 5 Armor and Resistance.
--Let's look at MAX damage here on a single 1AP TK: 49 Base, +16 Base Lightning, +10 Weakness to Lightning Damage. This comes to 75 Damage if every hit rolls at MAX Damage against fully debuffed enemies. Times 7, this comes out to 525 Damage in a single turn, at most. This is astronomical, considering this isn't figuring ANY CRITS, and that he can do it from 3 squares away.
--This damage only increases, as Strickening, Energy Storm, Punishing Blades, and TK become stronger. Also increasing the damage will be better Crit gear and higher levels of Cunning Footwork (Which adds Crit %)
************************************
Let's talk positioning! Throwing Knives are meant to make Kincaid function effectively from much further than pure melee characters, which means that when he uses them, Kincid SHOULD NOT maneuver like he isn't wielding them. Frequently you will need to make the decision to close the distance, or just continue throwing them. This is entirely situational, and is a decision best left up to you at the time. If moving would mean that your defensive lines would be broken at the end of the turn, DON'T RISK IT! I would suggest that you just continue the onslaught from the safety of your battle lines. {MORE PICS HERE (Battle Lines)}
Here is a perfect example of team positioning- note that Kincaid is able to reach every enemy from where he stands, but if need be, he can close the distance to peel enemies from the others.
As said earlier, I believe the use of TK is an art form. I say this not that it is a thing of beauty (But just wait until you get your first crit for 125 Damage! Now that's beautiful
) but because it fundamentally changes the way you play Kincaid as a character. Instead of running right up to your enemies and swinging away like a barbarian, you treat movement with him almost like a game of chess. Since you only have 7 possible attacks, and 1, 2, or 3 (Or more) Movement Points to spend on his turn, you must utilize them all as best as possible. Decisions will be forced on you, especially when you are against enemies who finish off their MP at the end of the turn to rush the back lines. Frequently, this will move enemies adjacent to Kincaid and you are faced with the choice to swing with your weapon, or retreat a step and throw a knife. Again, this is entirely situational, and as long as the enemy has been debuffed, Kincaid will still deal great damage with his Light Blade, at the expense of the Parry/Dodge curse. If the enemy most likely will not die this turn, I typically retreat the step and tag it with the curse, then reposition the team to deal with the attackers in the midst of the group. If the creature is low on HP, and there aren't many creatures in range, he starts swinging and brings the mob down.
I'll begin concluding now, as there isn't too much else to say. Throwing Knives are honestly my favorite way to play as Kincaid. Yes- he WILL sacrifice SOME single target damage, especially against the highest Armor/Resistance enemies, but with the flexibility that they grant, I find that I am able to grind down my enemies with the whole team, and then finish everything off with a volley of TKs, or vice-versa. I have seen turns where Kincaid is able to take out 3-5 (Weakened) enemies in a single turn. When used properly, they expand his area of influence, multiply his damage and enemy removal, and provide a valuable support curse for the rest of the team, -5/-5 Parry/Dodge from Darting Steel 4 is actually very effective, keeping in mind that the widely used Choking Ash 5 only gives -5/-4 Parry/Dodge.
I hope that all this has at least convinced some of you to give them a shot, and I'm sure that if you keep these rules in mind, remember that he plays COMPLETELY differently than when he Dual Wields, and treat his moves like a chess game, you too will be able to unleash the raw, unbridled fury of the venerable Throwing Knives!
Thanks for reading, and if anyone has any questions, or topics they would like to see covered, Let me know and I'll do my best to help.
En1gma
Oh, hi there, I didn't see you. 'What are those', you say? You mean these throwing knives? Oh, just a little something I picked up at the local blacksmith. What? You mean you've never tried them before? Oh, ho, then just have a seat right there and let me show you what these babies can do!
Throwing knives are a very special type of weapon, one that only the hero Kincaid can wield without putting an eye out. Sure, they appear weak and useless at first glance, but once you get used to them, I think you'll find that they are actually some of the most powerful weapons in the game. That's right, these little blades can actually do more damage than any other weapon because of their low cost to use. Let's talk Action Points, otherwise known as AP. Take the Vrotta Dagger here: this beauty does 18-36 Damage, for two AP. These here are called Bladesman Knives, and for just one AP, they do between 11 and 19 damage. Time for some math: at most, the Vrotta Dagger will do 108 damage, and that's if you get a full three attacks. Now take these Bladesman Knives; at most, they can do 136 damage if you can get all 7 shots in. That's 28 more damage than the Vrotta Dagger will do, if all attacks hit.
Throwing Knives are able to be used from up to 4 squares away (only with the 2 AP versions), but the majority of knives that are found are only useable at 3 squares. This leaves Kincaid with a MASSIVE area of influence, and he can affect many enemies per turn when he uses the 1 AP versions. I honestly consider Darting Steel a type of Area of Effect talent, because of the amount of targets he can affect in a single turn.
Now I know what you're thinking, and it's OK: 'But En1gma, what about armor?' Great question, and it brings me to my next point. While yes, the enemies you are sure to meet in your journeys will have more armor than you think you can handle, this doesn't mean you can't use throwing knives! To be able to make sure these babies do enough damage to justify using them, we come to our first rule!
*******************************************
RULE NUMBER ONE: To use Throwing Knives, you MUST utilize an ARMOR CURSE** (I'll get to Strickening Later). Now, I didn't mean to scare you, but if you don't take armor away from your enemies, then you are wasting your time. Because they do relatively low amounts of damage by themselves, enemy armor can easily absorb an entire attack. My personal favorite curse to pair with throwing knives happens to be Kjartan's Choking Ash, because not only does it remove armor from everything it touches, it makes enemies easier to hit. One other way to do this is with the lovely Selen's Punishing Blades. She might not be able to curse as many creatures as Kjartan can, but she looks much better doing it.
RULE NUMBER TWO: If you aren't using an armor curse, you need to be using either Strickening AND/OR Energy Storm to remove enemy resistances. And in order for this to work, Elemental Damage MUST be added by Burning Blades, Thundering Blades, or by gear that adds Elemental Damage.
It is here, with these two rules, that Throwing Knives become the best weapons in the game. When using the two rules in conjunction, Throwing Knives are able to deal INSANE amounts of damage, for only a single AP. Even Boosting groups in, at level 17, my Kincaid consistently deals 40-60 damage per Throwing Knife. This is done with Punishing Blades, Thundering Blades, and Strickening (Other configurations will deal more or less damage, but I chose these for the right balance...). All for a single AP. Once you begin factoring in critical hit damage, keeping in mind that ALL different types of Elemental Damage get their OWN INDIVIDUAL critical roll, damage can quickly become overwhelming for anything these vicious Throwing Knives become stuck in.
RULE NUMBER THREE: Making a group that uses Throwing Knives requires that the build be built specifically to utilize them. If your group doesn't include amenities to the first two rules, then honestly don't waste your time with them, as they will be rendered useless by enemy armor and resistances. Using TK is an art in its own right, Kincaid must be everywhere at once, and must be constantly repositioning himself so that he will be in range not only your current turn, but the next turn as well. Which brings us to:
RULE NUMBER FOUR: In order to be most effective, +MP (Movement Points) MUST be used. Even a single MP can mean the difference between an enemy dying, or surviving to land more hits on your team. Live by the Blade is a great way to do this, and will be your only way to add MP until you find gear that gives it.
RULE NUMBER FIVE: The ENTIRE point of using TK is to use them as a force multiplier. By not wasting MP on closing the distance to your enemy, Kincaid is able to remove weakened enemies from the battlefield, or set up a follow-up attack from a teammate, all without moving from where he stands. One of my favorite uses for TK is just running up to a group, tagging all of them, then retreating back to the frontlines. Doing this allows your teammates to land hit after hit, increasing everyone's effectiveness.
RULE NUMBER SIX: If you're using a 2 AP Light Blade, equip a 1 AP TK. If you're using a 1 AP Light Blade, you can use either a 1 or 2 AP TK. When using TK, you are able to MAXIMIZE your AP usage- as long as you are clever with your positioning, more often than not, you will be able to use EVERY single AP, assuming you are within range. If you have a 2 AP Light Blade AND Throwing Knife, then you will almost always have left over AP, which is bad.
***************************************
Still with me? Great! Now, there are still more ways to increase the amount of damage that the amazing Throwing Knives can dish out. One of the most effective ways to do this is by raising his attack talent, Darting Steel. Each point of Darting Steel will raise the talent's attack power, its accuracy, and will allow the Throwing Knives to cripple your enemies more effectively. You see, when an enemy gets a dagger embedded in itself, it becomes much easier to hit with melee attacks, as well as ranged. As a matter of fact, Darting Steel is the most effective curse of its class, when the number of Talent Points are tallied. For a total of 3 points (Darting Steel 4), you get a -5/-5 Parry/Dodge curse! Choking Ash 5 only gives -5/-4 Parry/Dodge, and Pinning Shot 5 gives -5/-6 Parry/Dodge.
You technically don't even need to bring it past its first level if you don't need the curse, but the added damage is always nice! In my humble opinion, it is most effective at level 4, as the boost in damage is noticeable, as is the curse. However, if you want to keep it cheap, just leave it at level 1 or 2.
Now that we have covered increasing Base Damage, let's move on to my personal favorite: Stacking Elemental Damage. Stacking Elemental Damage is most effective when used in conjunction with Holy Strickening and/or Energy Storm.
--My current group is running Kincaid with Darting Steel 4 (+6 Accuracy, +12 Damage, -5/-5 Dodge/Parry curse) using Throwing Knives that deal 12-31 Damage at 3 range. --Stacking on top of this is Thundering Blades 5, adding +4 Acc, and +16 Lightning Damage. Vincent is also using Energy Storm 4, which curses with -10 Lightning Resist. --Fyona is utilizing Strickening 4, which strips 3 Dodge, and 10 Resistance over a 9-Block.
--Selen is using Punishing Blades 4 which strips 15 Armor.
Now, with Darting Steel 4, plus damage gear, Kincaid's Throwing Knives are dealing 12-49 Damage with a 14% critical chance. On top of this, he has that +16 Lightning Damage, 10 of which is doubled by Energy Storm's curse effect. Using PB, ES, and Strickening, we are able to bring many enemies down to under 5 Armor and Resistance.
--Let's look at MAX damage here on a single 1AP TK: 49 Base, +16 Base Lightning, +10 Weakness to Lightning Damage. This comes to 75 Damage if every hit rolls at MAX Damage against fully debuffed enemies. Times 7, this comes out to 525 Damage in a single turn, at most. This is astronomical, considering this isn't figuring ANY CRITS, and that he can do it from 3 squares away.
--This damage only increases, as Strickening, Energy Storm, Punishing Blades, and TK become stronger. Also increasing the damage will be better Crit gear and higher levels of Cunning Footwork (Which adds Crit %)
************************************
Let's talk positioning! Throwing Knives are meant to make Kincaid function effectively from much further than pure melee characters, which means that when he uses them, Kincid SHOULD NOT maneuver like he isn't wielding them. Frequently you will need to make the decision to close the distance, or just continue throwing them. This is entirely situational, and is a decision best left up to you at the time. If moving would mean that your defensive lines would be broken at the end of the turn, DON'T RISK IT! I would suggest that you just continue the onslaught from the safety of your battle lines. {MORE PICS HERE (Battle Lines)}
Here is a perfect example of team positioning- note that Kincaid is able to reach every enemy from where he stands, but if need be, he can close the distance to peel enemies from the others.
As said earlier, I believe the use of TK is an art form. I say this not that it is a thing of beauty (But just wait until you get your first crit for 125 Damage! Now that's beautiful
) but because it fundamentally changes the way you play Kincaid as a character. Instead of running right up to your enemies and swinging away like a barbarian, you treat movement with him almost like a game of chess. Since you only have 7 possible attacks, and 1, 2, or 3 (Or more) Movement Points to spend on his turn, you must utilize them all as best as possible. Decisions will be forced on you, especially when you are against enemies who finish off their MP at the end of the turn to rush the back lines. Frequently, this will move enemies adjacent to Kincaid and you are faced with the choice to swing with your weapon, or retreat a step and throw a knife. Again, this is entirely situational, and as long as the enemy has been debuffed, Kincaid will still deal great damage with his Light Blade, at the expense of the Parry/Dodge curse. If the enemy most likely will not die this turn, I typically retreat the step and tag it with the curse, then reposition the team to deal with the attackers in the midst of the group. If the creature is low on HP, and there aren't many creatures in range, he starts swinging and brings the mob down.I'll begin concluding now, as there isn't too much else to say. Throwing Knives are honestly my favorite way to play as Kincaid. Yes- he WILL sacrifice SOME single target damage, especially against the highest Armor/Resistance enemies, but with the flexibility that they grant, I find that I am able to grind down my enemies with the whole team, and then finish everything off with a volley of TKs, or vice-versa. I have seen turns where Kincaid is able to take out 3-5 (Weakened) enemies in a single turn. When used properly, they expand his area of influence, multiply his damage and enemy removal, and provide a valuable support curse for the rest of the team, -5/-5 Parry/Dodge from Darting Steel 4 is actually very effective, keeping in mind that the widely used Choking Ash 5 only gives -5/-4 Parry/Dodge.
I hope that all this has at least convinced some of you to give them a shot, and I'm sure that if you keep these rules in mind, remember that he plays COMPLETELY differently than when he Dual Wields, and treat his moves like a chess game, you too will be able to unleash the raw, unbridled fury of the venerable Throwing Knives!
Thanks for reading, and if anyone has any questions, or topics they would like to see covered, Let me know and I'll do my best to help.
En1gma
