Thinking to Grind a Knight

[Tamui]

Title says it all. For some reason the class struck me and I wish to have one.
Now I've searched the forums, read old threads and this is what I have on summary for grinding;


Skills Knock-Downs as high as you can


Taunt is useful as it has range, -%Protection and Low Mana usage


Skill the Weapon tree damage spell and passive(except Dexterity/ Athletic) as high as you can.


Ok, I know that this class takes slow to grind, I'll take a shot at it.
Now I have some questions regarding grinding,war and spells themselves.

Is there a specific tree(Slash/Piercing/Blunt) which is best for grinding?
Should I aim for a fast, medium or slow weapon? Or it doesn't matter?
Which are the primary trees to focus on while leveling?
Should I focus a lot on Stone Temple whilst grinding? How about at war?

Troll Skin. When should I use it? Grinding, war or both? Versus a DoT or just cast it like any normal spell?

I've read somewhere that long time ago, a lot used level 1 spells such as Charge(1) or Gutting(1). I think it was mentioned for war, to have a little attack as a tanker/support. My question is;
Are they still viable? Do level 1 spells do more than your normals. Do you think the difference is huge in damage for a knight to have a damaging spell level 1 or 5?

Apart these questions, any tips/hints you might want to add?


Thanks!

[Awrath]

Is there a specific tree(Slash/Piercing/Blunt) which is best for grinding?

Go for which ever weapon you have with the most damage.

Should I aim for a fast, medium or slow weapon? Or it doesn't matter?

Again, go for whichever has the most damage. The difference in DPS isn't that great when grinding.

Which are the primary trees to focus on while leveling?

Max damage as much as possible, max knocks, max caution.


Should I focus a lot on Stone Temple whilst grinding? How about at war?

Stone temple can be useful, extra health means extra time spent grinding without resting and it also means faster health regen when resting.


Troll Skin. When should I use it? Grinding, war or both? Versus a DoT or just cast it like any normal spell?

I personally don't find troll skin very useful in war due to the number of MS and the incredibly long cool down. I've never used it in my grind set up.


I've read somewhere that long time ago, a lot used level 1 spells such as Charge(1) or Gutting(1). I think it was mentioned for war, to have a little attack as a tanker/support. My question is;
Are they still viable? Do level 1 spells do more than your normals. Do you think the difference is huge in damage for a knight to have a damaging spell level 1 or 5?

Level 1 spells do a teeny bit more than normals, but IMO, if you throw in GCD and the fact that they can't be piggy backed, you're probably better off having them higher than level 1 or sticking to normals.



Apart these questions, any tips/hints you might want to add?


:D I'm glad you chose to try a knight, I would say that a support knight is far more useful to a group than a knarb though both are quite fun, I prefer support myself.

WIth regards to grinding, yes, make use of taunt. I find you get more DPS with RoL than DS rings, so use them if you can. If you get any offers of help from conjus ask them to skill material wall 5, level 5 heals as well as bless weapon 5 and bear strength 5, then you can grind comfortably and fairly quick with offensive stance.

Try to find items with +STR bonuses (vespy pauldrons for example for when you reach 50) for grinding and make use of the passive +STR in the blunt and pierce trees. In the early stages grinding sucks :| but it does improve as you get more points for skills and higher damage (but still sucks).

Good luck!

[Evangeline]

Skills Knock-Downs as high as you can



You know Skit? he uses kick lvl 1 and it never failed, at least never failed on me always worked, bug or not its true ^.^

[71175]

Another useful note: if you only going to use normals for slow weapons ( assuming you have no RoLs) you need knocks lvl1/3/5 and for medium one lvl2/4.

[Tamui]

You know Skit? he uses kick lvl 1 and it never failed, at least never failed on me always worked, bug or not its true ^.^

I do. Those three points where for grinding though. I don't think it's viable to have them on 1 while grinding. Or am I wrong?

[VandaMan]

Awrath's pretty much got it right. I didn't find knight hard to grind at all, actually. Slower to kill stuff than a barbarian, but with the right armor plus knocks I was able to grind nearly nonstop, with no resting.

About the level 1 skills, the main reason they were used a long time ago is because level 1 skills used to cost no power points, if you had the tree leveled up to that skill. They do more than your normal hits (although not by much) and more importantly, you can't "phantom swing" on them. I'm not sure phantom swings are as huge of a problem now as they used to be, and you no longer get the first level of powers free... so if you're going to use charge or forceful blow or whatever, you may as well level it as high as you can.

[Hollow-Ichigo]

A good way to grind is to use lvl 5 knocks and offensive stance. That way you get the mob kill without losing hp unless its resisted, i preferred to use spear because some mobs cant attack from range 2, balestra usually helps with this.

[Enitharmon]

It's quite useless with knockdowns on level 1 while grinding, I don't even understand why it's mentioned in a thread with this title...

In some older thread DkySven mentioned this technique:
1) Taunt a mob
2) Cast Block
3) Wait until mob reaches you and does first hit - tap movement key to cancel Block, and then Kick/Feint. (personal addendum: if you time it right you may get a "free" hit in before you piggyback knockdown)

Then you normal hit the mob until it dies. If it will save you a hit, use Forceful/Charge/Gutting to finish it off. (After killing a few mobs of the same type you'll soon be able to estimate if you need normal or spell by watching its HP bar)
Since I don't like waiting for cooldowns while grinding, I knock a nearby mob with my second knockdown (the highest level, in case they differ) and kill it, while Taunt is on CD.
This way you can grind forever without resting, only getting hit the few times you get resist/mass evades.

I keep only lvl2/3 Taunt and Block, since they need less mana than higher levels. If I used a faster weapon, higher level Taunt would probably be better.

Since you have another char, get 2 x Ring of Lightning.

I never bother with the Str passives since the damage they add is neglible, and if you'll be grinding in the WZ you'll want the powerpoints for war/anti-ganker defense spells. Though if you have 1 spare power point, put it in Lethal Anatomy, at least you can carry more loot then.

With the technique described above you could theoretically be able to grind in Offensive Stance and/or without armour, however in my own experience this just adds more stress while not being much faster. If you get a knockdown resist you easily lose 1k+ HP, and your knockdown CD's limit your pace anyway.


All that said, the fastest way by far is to find a big party and leech off them with auras. I find solo grinding using the above method to be very relaxing, so I don't mind it being slower. Though if you care about racing to 60 as fast as you can, get a party.

[Imago-Thunderfist]

I love to grind knights (got 2 60 1 50 from Horus), and what helps enormously is the resists on your armor. That is the difference between grinding very fast and with pleasure and hell.

Since I barely know Syrtian grindspots and mobs for most levels I can't really help with that but there's 1 thing that is very very very important to know, when you get 35-6, get your hands on shop-bought Full Plate armor (at 36 you can get 1 of the most beautiful shields in RO, Protector I thought, Very Good to piercing as well), caution isn't that necessary in this case, and go to wherever Green Worker Wasps are. Even without caution these will hit 9-11 on you (crits are higher without caution) and you'll get from 35 to 38 without resting.

And when grinding a knight: Resists over Bonuses any time! Don't be afraid to buy shop armor, since it can make grinding fun and easy. Another plus about grinding knight: if you're doing it the right way and have the right resists your HP will be rarely below 70%, this makes you at 45+ hard to gank for hunters, just make sure you have Def Stance. I once even managed to kill a level 60 hunter when I was level 38, combination of the right resists and a tree.

Good luck!

[Tamui]

Thanks guys. Helps me understand better. Ok since Awrath answered most of my questions; I'm going to repeat one question.

About Troll skin. I see alot of people casting it. Those green fluff everytime they cast. Anyway, does anyone really use it? Or just crap who wants big hp number?

Another one; speaking of resists. I've seen a thread listing the known/think the mob damage is. I can't seem to find it. Anyone can help me out? :)

Thanks again guys. Feel free to post more :D

[Hayir]

Thanks guys. Helps me understand better. Ok since Awrath answered most of my questions; I'm going to repeat one question.

About Troll skin. I see alot of people casting it. Those green fluff everytime they cast. Anyway, does anyone really use it? Or just crap who wants big hp number?

Another one; speaking of resists. I've seen a thread listing the known/think the mob damage is. I can't seem to find it. Anyone can help me out? :)

Thanks again guys. Feel free to post more :D

You mean this?

http://regnumonline.com.ar/forum/showpost.php?p=1258106&postcount=1

[gluffs]

About Troll skin. I see alot of people casting it. Those green fluff everytime they cast. Anyway, does anyone really use it? Or just crap who wants big hp number?

Another one; speaking of resists. I've seen a thread listing the known/think the mob damage is. I can't seem to find it. Anyone can help me out? :)

Thanks again guys. Feel free to post more :D

Troll skin is a waste off points imo, if you have points to spend in that it is
better to put it in passive resists.

Another use for the points that you save from trolls is to use it on a second
dmg buff, by switching between 2 wepon types you can have constant dmg
buff.

I dont really know about mob dmg types, i just killed cats since they hit like a
fluffy bunny or golems since you can grind on them non stop with dual knocks
and not take any dmg at all.

[VandaMan]

I agree with most, troll skin isn't worth the points. It was a decent skill before the warmasters expansion and level cap increase, when mindsquash spam was much more rare. Now it's just a huge let-down, because once you cast it you can't recast for a long time after mindsquash or death and respawn. Most people who use it just like to brag about their max hp.

[LucianDeathshield]

I agree with most, troll skin isn't worth the points. It was a decent skill before the warmasters expansion and level cap increase, when mindsquash spam was much more rare. Now it's just a huge let-down, because once you cast it you can't recast for a long time after mindsquash or death and respawn. Most people who use it just like to brag about their max hp.


*cough* azn *cough* xD

[Imago-Thunderfist]

Hehe, I only use Troll's Skin when I'm in full support mode, the new cool down ruined it. Though when combined with passive resists and a lot of armor points 7003 Health rocks in war ^^

[Kitsuni]

Troll's skin on level 1 will usually let you absorb one extra hit (sometimes that matters). Otherwise, its not worth it.

I haven't used it seriously in over a year due to the high cooldown, as stated.

[Tamui]

So, I began my Knight he's 17 so far.

Some more questions;

Block is kinda like Dodge. Is it important for grind?

Offensive Stance alone. Yes? At which level?

Thanks Imago, the resist tip helps A LOT :D. Getting (4) as hits is amusing xD

[Imago-Thunderfist]

So, I began my Knight he's 17 so far.

Some more questions;

Block is kinda like Dodge. Is it important for grind?

Block, I have never used it for grinding myself. But since grinding a knight doesn't eat mana like marks, you could try it. Every hit less is less damage taken is more time until you have to rest.

Offensive Stance alone. Yes? At which level?


Offensive Stance, I only use this spell with a conjurer or when killing golems at higher level, with a medium weapon and some attack speed bonuses you can hit them twice before they got up, then knock them and deliver the last hits. With kick and feint both at level 4 this is a relaxed way of grinding. Level 5 is advised, since the malus is so extreme that I would recommend to get the best out of it.

Thanks Imago, the resist tip helps A LOT :D. Getting (4) as hits is amusing xD

It's hilarious, and you can keep grinding for so long without resting :D

[bois]

I have used block although at higher levels and only for those creatures that cast irritating spells like the beetle swarm and Rake.

At level 17 and before 30 its a bit tricky. If you have the points spare I would pair challenge with block. In this way you have 2 long range spells to pull mobs (useful when mobs are few and far between) and increase efficiency. Challenge does improve the effectiveness of block and evasion. At least it was so when I brought up my knight.

Based on some builds I looked at , you could probably do challenge 1 (all you really need all the time) and block 2. they are both cheap and buy your self some free hits on the mob without taking damage.
Offensive stance is exclusively for use with a conjurer in my view. Going solo with this dramatically reduces your efficiency. To use it at all, you need to be at a level where you can cast both knocks at level 5. I consider Solo Offensive stance grind build to be an expensive way to grind.

[Tamui]

Hey,
I reached 40. Maybe I'll reach 41. Anyway, since I reached 40, now I have access to RoLs.
So, what's the best way to grind?

Dual DS Rings?
One DS and one RoL?
Dual RoLs?

That and for amulet I'm using Master Warrior Amulet for grind. I switch for medal of Courage in certain occasions.
Also what rings should I use for war, both as a support and as a knarb.
For amulet I'm guessing Medal of Courage.

[Pnarpa]

If you can grind during the bonus, then consider just leeching your way to 50.

[Tamui]

41 \o/
If you can grind during the bonus, then consider just leeching your way to 50.
And when I'm alone?
Brings me to these questions again;

Hey,
I reached 40. Maybe I'll reach 41. Anyway, since I reached 40, now I have access to RoLs.
So, what's the best way to grind?

Dual DS Rings?
One DS and one RoL?
Dual RoLs?

That and for amulet I'm using Master Warrior Amulet for grind. I switch for medal of Courage in certain occasions.
Also what rings should I use for war, both as a support and as a knarb.
For amulet I'm guessing Medal of Courage.

[Eminoo]

Hey,
I reached 40. Maybe I'll reach 41. Anyway, since I reached 40, now I have access to RoLs.
So, what's the best way to grind?

Dual DS Rings?
One DS and one RoL?
Dual RoLs?

That and for amulet I'm using Master Warrior Amulet for grind. I switch for medal of Courage in certain occasions.
Also what rings should I use for war, both as a support and as a knarb.
For amulet I'm guessing Medal of Courage.

It depends at the mobs, for example ; take a look at how many hits you need with 2x ds rings, if you need the same hits as with 2 RoLs I would switch to Dual RoLs. Same for amulets.

[Awrath]

Can't help you with the rings I'm afraid, back when I grinded knight at 40 RoL wasn't around in Syrtis (And used level 45 scroll in Ignis). This being said, the 10% AS from RoL might not make a considerable enough difference in grind to be worth using them. If you find you can get enough hits in the duration of a knock, I would stick with DS rings for greater damage.

As a support knight in Syrtis, I always used 2 80 HP rings (P.S. NGD I miss these in Ignis!). If I needed some additional damage I used to switch to DS rings for knight. I've not really played knarb for a long while, so perhaps someone else can provide some more insight into that!

Congrats on 40 and good luck :p.

[Pnarpa]

Just go for the rings you kill mobs faster with.

We still have those rings here, Awrath.

[NotScias]

I'd say use at least 1 RoL if you use a slow weapon, it makes things slightly less slow, which is good too for wars.
Personally I use 1 RoL + 1 DSr when grinding, 1 RoL + 1 HP when warring.

(Btw thanks for this topic which convinced me to make my knight)

[Tamui]

I'd say use at least 1 RoL if you use a slow weapon, it makes things slightly less slow, which is good too for wars.
Personally I use 1 RoL + 1 DSr when grinding, 1 RoL + 1 HP when warring.

(Btw thanks for this topic which convinced me to make my knight)

I'll probably stick with this one, not sure :p

You're welcome.

[Imago-Thunderfist]

Glad to hear you're already 40+ :)

What has worked for me is 2 RoLs and 4/5% attack speed leggings. For me 14% attack speed bonus is enough to get 3 hits with a slow weapon in a level 4 knock, I think it was 3 anyway, haven't played for a long time :'(.

Soon you'll be able to grind on golems, hit once, knock, finish it: endless grinding :)

And always keep an eye on your resists, good luck!

[Tamui]

Glad to hear you're already 40+ :)

What has worked for me is 2 RoLs and 4/5% attack speed leggings. For me 14% attack speed bonus is enough to get 3 hits with a slow weapon in a level 4 knock, I think it was 3 anyway, haven't played for a long time :'(.

Soon you'll be able to grind on golems, hit once, knock, finish it: endless grinding :)

And always keep an eye on your resists, good luck!

Thanks.
Don't forget evades, Gaaaah!!!

[Hollow-Ichigo]

I'd rather part with £100 and scroll to 60 :3

Theres a reason NGD makes a long grind to the highest level, its not about the weapons or anything else. Its about learning the class and how to use it. If everyone used lvl 60 scrolls no-one would have any skill at all.

[Parasitic]

Knight is a tough grind and though dmg is key so is taking it resting as little as possible so make sure you keep your armor points high caution on as much as possible, I refrain from using offensive stance it's damage isn't as good as the increase mobs get on you, you will kill faster you will just rest more which at higher levels also makes you vulnerable.

I've grinded 2 knights to 50 (old max level) and scrolled a 60. I do however agree with ichigo that knight needs to be learned at this time I see a lot of knights spamming auras and never leaving def stance. Or south cross 5 and off stance with army of one.

There are very few people who play knight what I consider as properly which is cc's tank but make your enemy not want to get knocked by you either whilst providing support. I personally carry all weapon trees at 15 and use them all to their full effect. Only then will you be a formidable knight able to mind squash d limb and imoblize all on the same setup as well as having massive damage mitigation is awesome. Don't expect to hit 1k sc's (I personally use sc 3 but only because of the damage on my axe warrants it) but you can still tank and hurt without losing what it means to be a knight

[LucianDeathshield]

Theres a reason NGD makes a long grind to the highest level, its not about the weapons or anything else. Its about learning the class and how to use it. If everyone used lvl 60 scrolls no-one would have any skill at all.


Actually, you can learn a lot about how a class works just by playing with or against them.

[NotScias]

Knight is a tough grind

Alone I agree, even if the most difficult part is to find non-scattered mobs rather than the grinding itself.
In a party (especially of archers) I found it to be the easiest. During bonuses you can easily get 200k per hour doing nothing more than cycling Heroic Presence and Deflecting Barrier around the party.

[Parasitic]

Alone I agree, even if the most difficult part is to find non-scattered mobs rather than the grinding itself.
In a party (especially of archers) I found it to be the easiest. During bonuses you can easily get 200k per hour doing nothing more than cycling Heroic Presence and Deflecting Barrier around the party.

This is true and i have done this myself but it's pretty hard to get the party of archers together (well at least it is in alsius)

[Lebeau]

No, I don't use trollskin, but it's because I lack enough pp's to do so. Solo grinding a knight (or hunter) is the pits imho. Tbh, I've had the best luck grinding on knight with a small non-barb party; one's auras (I'm a full support knight) can allow for decent xp on their own if you stay positioned correctly & ofc., IF you can find a ju willing to regularly buff/heal/support your grind, it's worth it to skill off. stance to speed the process up a bit whether in a party or just with that ju. Either or both WILL produce more xp more quickly & it always helps to have friends (misery loves company?). Good luck anyhoo'....