Pros and Cons of Knight Specialization?

Ladius

As a knight just starting out, I can't help but wonder which specialization I should pick. A towershield and sword is just as appealing to me as a bastardsword, but what do I gain and lose from one or the other?

Any other tips for a runewarden would be appreciated, but I would prefer to learn the above before anything else.

Addama

Ladius said:

As a knight just starting out, I can't help but wonder which specialization I should pick. A towershield and sword is just as appealing to me as a bastardsword, but what do I gain and lose from one or the other?

Any other tips for a runewarden would be appreciated, but I would prefer to learn the above before anything else.

Can't really say what's best for a Runewarden until Blunt runes happen (should happen soon, or something).

Shouldn't really comment on bashing either, as they're still adjusting those numbers.

As for combat:
S&B: Hindering and slow prep, most reliable kill sequence I've found.  But sloooooow.
Dual Blunt: Not really hinder-y at all, but the prep is faster than S&B and the damage is brutal.
Two Hander: Very reliable kill sequence if the opponent sits there, but as it is there's nothing keeping a victim from running away and resetting your prepwork in a matter of seconds, which sucks.
Dual Cutting: Old school.  Probably best affliction.  Rather similar to S&B with better damage/fewer options.  Also you get Lunge which is tremendous.

Jules

Lots of discussion on this, but would be awesome to hear consolidated pros and cons for these (other than that, just do your best to pick through the many comments in the existing threads).  

Antonius

The two I'm most familiar with:

SWORD AND SHIELD
Pros:
- Amazing affliction potential, best of the four specs
- Slightly increased physical damage reduction due to wielding a shield (especially as a Runewarden)
- Slow prep options for disembowel
- Solid PvP damage with the right afflictions
Cons:
- Momentum based for afflictions, Runewarden has no truly reliable room hinder
- Runewarden has no ability to truly capitalise on the affliction potential

DUAL CUTTING
Pros:
- Amazing affliction potential, not that far behind sword and shield
- Slow prep options for disembowel
- Solid PvP damage with the right afflictions
- LUNGE
Cons:
- Disembowel options are subpar compared to sword and shield
- Momentum based for afflictions, Runewarden has no truly reliable room hinder
- Runewarden has no ability to truly capitalise on the affliction potential

Sword and shield and dual cutting are pretty similar so there's a lot of overlap in the pros/cons. Both have great affliction potential and slow prep options to lead towards disembowel. Sword and shield probably has the advantage in both areas, however, due to only needing a single leg break to disembowel and having the balanceless strike for an additional affliction/effect occasionally and access to a few afflictions dual cutting doesn't (blackout, stun). Both also have fairly solid PvP damage if you can stick afflictions like sensitivity, darkshade and nausea (you probably can).

TWO HANDED
Pros:
- Basically nobody knows what they're doing defensively
Cons:
- You're slow
- Momentum based, Runewarden has no truly reliable room hinder
- Seriously, just so awfully slow
- I can't stress enough how slow you are

DUAL BLUNT
Pros:
- It looks cool?
- Powerful against not particularly tanky opponents
- Dual limb breaks
Cons:
- I found it to be incredibly boring
- May struggle against very tanky opponents

Addama

Worth noting that Dual Blunt is the only one with a true (e.g. non-DSB, Cleave or Skullcrush) insta-kill.

Antonius

The Isaz change mentioned elsewhere on the forums has sort of negated my cons about having no reliable room hinder as Runewarden, so ignore those I guess.

Andregor

Is S&B as good/better then DB?

Ernam

Andregor said:

Is S&B as good/better then DB?

SnB is arguably one of the most complex and fast-paced classes in the game now, whereas 2B strikes me as very simple.  They're both powerful classes.  The payoff for SnB is that more complex classes tend to be a lot more versatile and adaptable in high-end combat.  SnB has a lot more options for strategies, for example, but these options are generally a lot harder to pull off - particularly against players who don't die to simple damage stacking/dsb gimmicks.

One of the reasons I say that SnB is so complex is that unlike most affliction classes, you have to determine 2-3 afflictions per round, but they are all different attacks and have different options/requirements, and even different order, depending on the situation.  2C (dual cutting) has a comparable (but lower) affliction rate, but both affs are venoms, so the selection process (and input system) is far more straight forward.  One payoff for 2C in this regard, however, is that you actually have the option of two venom affs at a time (something that SnB doesn't have - notably slickness/anorexia).  SnB's prep time is also very, very, slow.

Andregor

Sounds fun, changed to SnB.