01-basics.Rmd

# Knight I: The Basics

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  <img src="imgs/miecz.png">
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## The knight class

There are three classes in KAG: the archer, the builder and the knight. The knight is arguably the strongest class of the game. A good team in Capture The Flag (CTF) or Take The Halls (TTH) should be mostly composed of knights protecting the builders and archers. In Team Deathmatch (TDM) the knight is often the most played class.

As a knight in CTF and TTH, your role is to help the team advance forward and capture the enemy flag or hall. This chapter is mostly the very basics, so if you've already played KAG for a bit you could pretty much skip to the 2nd chapter.

## Mechanics

As a knight, you can utilise your sword and shield to do the following things:

### Jab

The simplest attack - simply click the left mouse button. Does 1 heart of damage.

<video style="display:block; max-width:100%; height:auto;" src="webm/01-basics/1.webm" controls loop="loop" preload></video><br>

For now you should keep in mind that if you jab a shield, you will get stunned for a short while. Try avoiding jabbing a shield because you can get counter jabbed during the stun, or in some cases even slashed.

<video style="display:block; max-width:100%; height:auto;" src="webm/01-basics/6.webm" controls loop="loop" preload></video>

<video style="display:block; max-width:100%; height:auto;" src="webm/01-basics/7.webm" controls loop="loop" preload></video><br>

### Slash

A charged attack, takes half a second to charge. A slash does 2 hearts of damage and stuns the enemy for a short time. If the enemy is shielding, you will break their shield, stunning them (but for an even shorter time) but the enemy will not get damaged.

Being able to do a slash as fast as possible is important when playing a knight -- you should be able to do them as soon as the cursor charges fully.

<video style="display:block; max-width:100%; height:auto;" src="webm/01-basics/2.webm" controls loop="loop" preload></video>

<video style="display:block; max-width:100%; height:auto;" src="webm/01-basics/3.webm" controls loop="loop" preload></video><br>

### Double slash

A double slash takes 1.25 second to fully charge. Again, watch the cursor for timings. A double slash does 4 hearts of damage in total if unshielded.

<video style="display:block; max-width:100%; height:auto;" src="webm/01-basics/dslash.webm" controls loop="loop" preload></video><br>

<video style="display:block; max-width:100%; height:auto;" src="webm/01-basics/dslash2.webm" controls loop="loop" preload></video>

If the enemy is shielding, the first slash breaks the shield, then the second slash deals 2 hearts of damage.

<video style="display:block; max-width:100%; height:auto;" src="webm/01-basics/dslash4.webm" controls loop="loop" preload></video><br>

### Shield slide

Holding W and pointing your shield down while moving horizontally will allow you to shield slide.

<video style="display:block; max-width:100%; height:auto;" src="webm/01-basics/slide4.webm" controls loop="loop" preload></video><br>

### Shield bash

Also known as a shield stun. If you quickly shield slide into someone or jump at them with your shield down, they can get stunned for a short time (and sometimes knocked back).

<video style="display:block; max-width:100%; height:auto;" src="webm/01-basics/sbash.webm" controls loop="loop" preload></video><br>

### Shield glide

You can use your shield as a parachute:

<video style="display:block; max-width:100%; height:auto;" src="webm/01-basics/10.webm" controls loop="loop" preload></video><br>

### Stomping

Not specifically a knight-only move, but you can stomp the enemy if you fall onto them with enough momentum. Most stomps are 1 heart stomps, but 2 heart stomps are possible with enough velocity too.

<video style="display:block; max-width:100%; height:auto;" src="webm/01-basics/stomp1.webm" controls loop="loop" preload></video><br>

You can't be stomped by archers or builders if you have your shield up. However, if the stomp is combined with a shieldbash (having your shield down while jumping at the enemy), knights are still able to stomp other shielding knights.

In the below gif first I do two single heart stomps, and then one two-heart stomp.

<video style="display:block; max-width:100%; height:auto;" src="webm/01-basics/ssbash.webm" controls loop="loop" preload></video><br>

### Combining slashes, jabs, stomps, bashes

You can do much more than just that, of course. For example, you can slash someone and then quickly jab them right after if the slash damaged the enemy. You’ll learn more about combos in the next chapter. For now, it’s important to know the theory on how knight combat works. The one thing you should remember is to mostly use slashes for now; the most common mistake a new player can do is to jab spam which is easily countered by shielding, and can quickly get you killed. Try out various strategies, don't rely on jabs only.

## Items

There are various knight-specific items that you can utilise, such as bombs or waterbombs. These can be bought at the knight workshop in CTF, trader shops in TDM or generated by factories in TTH.

### Bombs

Bombs cost 25 coins in CTF knight shop or 20 coins in a TDM trader shop. They are activated by pressing space bar after selecting the bomb from your class menu (hold down the F key). It takes 4 seconds for a bomb to 'cook' before it explodes. You can throw bombs at enemies to damage them (the damage taken depends on how close to the enemy the bomb explodes -- 3 hearts or 1,5 hearts).

<video style="display:block; max-width:100%; height:auto;" src="webm/01-basics/bombthrow.webm" controls loop="loop" preload></video><br>

You can perform "bomb jumps" on bombs as well. Simply jump slightly and then shield the bomb before it explodes.

<video style="display:block; max-width:100%; height:auto;" src="webm/01-basics/bombjamp.webm" controls loop="loop" preload></video><br>

If a bomb is thrown too early, it can be picked up and thrown back by other people. Don't throw bombs too early and try to catch bombs thrown by enemies.

<video style="display:block; max-width:100%; height:auto;" src="webm/01-basics/bombcatch.webm" controls loop="loop" preload></video><br>

### Waterbombs

Waterbombs cost 30 coins in CTF and 40 coins in TDM. Again, select them from your class menu (hold down F key). When thrown, they explode on impact (with the enemy or with terrain) and stun for a short duration, as well as knock back the enemy.

<video style="display:block; max-width:100%; height:auto;" src="webm/01-basics/waterbomba.webm" controls loop="loop" preload></video><br>

If you successfully stun someone with a water bomb, you can follow up with an attack, such as a slash or a double slash.

<video style="display:block; max-width:100%; height:auto;" src="webm/01-basics/waterslash.webm" controls loop="loop" preload></video><br>

<video style="display:block; max-width:100%; height:auto;" src="webm/01-basics/waterdslash.webm" controls loop="loop" preload></video><br>

If shielded, water bombs stun for half of the original time.

<video style="display:block; max-width:100%; height:auto;" src="webm/01-basics/18.webm" controls loop="loop" preload></video>

It works the same way with shielded water arrows.

<video style="display:block; max-width:100%; height:auto;" src="webm/01-basics/shwater.webm" controls loop="loop" preload></video><br>

You can also put a sponge in your inventory (bought at TDM trader shop or CTF builder shop -- 15 coins) for an even shorter stun. The stun is even shorter if you have both a sponge and your shield up. The sponge gets destroyed after absorbing two water stuns.

<video style="display:block; max-width:100%; height:auto;" src="webm/01-basics/19.webm" controls loop="loop" preload></video>

### Mines

Mines can be bought for 60 coins in a knight shop and can be used by all classes. After taking the mine out of your inventory (F key) you can throw it somewhere. The mine deploys if it's not moved for 2 seconds. Deployed mines instantly kill enemies that touch them and can't be shielded, so you should watch out for enemy mines! **This is especially important when playing CTF and pushing with your team in a closed space -- let the builders destroy the mines, don't walk into them -- if you walk into a mine and your teammates are also near, they will be killed as well.**

<video style="display:block; max-width:100%; height:auto;" src="webm/01-basics/21.webm" controls loop="loop" preload></video><br>

<video style="display:block; max-width:100%; height:auto;" src="webm/01-basics/mina2.webm" controls loop="loop" preload></video><br>

You can pick up enemy mines before they deploy as well -- simply press the C key when next to them.

<video style="display:block; max-width:100%; height:auto;" src="webm/01-basics/mineup.webm" controls loop="loop" preload></video><br>

Mines also explode upon contact with a corpse of the enemy team.

<video style="display:block; max-width:100%; height:auto;" src="webm/01-basics/corpsemine.webm" controls loop="loop" preload></video><br>

If the mine explodes near the person who bought it, they will also die. Their teammates however would not (in other words -- you can die to enemy mines and to your own mines activated by enemies, but not to your teammates' mines).

Mines also explode when shot by an archer of the opposing team (e.g. blue mine getting shot by red archer)

### Kegs

Kegs (costs 120 coins in knight shop) are powerful and unshieldable explosive items with a 6 second fuse, activated by pressing the space key (only knights can activate them). Kegs instantly kill all players in range of the explosion -- both teammates and enemies. You should avoid fighting enemies while holding a keg (you can't put it in your inventory) because upon being hit by the enemy (even if shielding) or stunned with a waterbomb, the keg will often fall off from your back. The enemy may then steal it and use it to hurt your team. Moreover, you're also much slower when holding a keg.

Generally, you should activate kegs when next to any enemy structures/defenses.

<video style="display:block; max-width:100%; height:auto;" src="webm/01-basics/towerkeg.webm" controls loop="loop" preload></video><br>

<video style="display:block; max-width:100%; height:auto;" src="webm/01-basics/kieg.webm" controls loop="loop" preload></video>

As you can also see on the above gif, kegs explode on impact instantly with high enough velocity, for example if you throw them from a tall tower.

<video style="display:block; max-width:100%; height:auto;" src="webm/01-basics/kegimpact.webm" controls loop="loop" preload></video><br>

Kegs will also light other nearby unlit kegs on explosion. The fuse will be shorter than usual (like 1 second instead of 6 seconds).

<video style="display:block; max-width:100%; height:auto;" src="webm/01-basics/kegchain.webm" controls loop="loop" preload></video><br>

The keg will also fall off from your back after being shot by an archer (the keg must be shot -- shielded arrows won't cause the keg to fall). If that happens, pick it back up as fast as possible.

<video style="display:block; max-width:100%; height:auto;" src="webm/01-basics/kegar.webm" controls loop="loop" preload></video><br>

Enemy fire arrows will light the keg as well. 

<video style="display:block; max-width:100%; height:auto;" src="webm/01-basics/firekeg.webm" controls loop="loop" preload></video><br>

## Mobility

One of the most important things to learn when you're starting to play KAG is how to navigate the terrain properly. If you don't feel comfortable with your character and its movement, you will have trouble slashing your enemies from a distance or even avoiding enemy attacks. You have to be able to move around obstacles freely, consistently use wall jumps, use your slash to gain additional momentum or jump while slashing to quickly move through terrain.

<video style="display:block; max-width:100%; height:auto;" src="webm/01-basics/25.webm" controls loop="loop" preload></video>

You can jump higher than normal if you slash while jumping.

<video style="display:block; max-width:100%; height:auto;" src="webm/01-basics/26.webm" controls loop="loop" preload></video><br>

There's not that much to explain regarding basic movement -- it just takes practice. If you want to get better with movement faster, you can try experimenting with it in solo gamemodes (Save the Princess, Challenges modes etc.) You will learn more about mobility tricks during the next chapter.

## Learning

Every time you die to someone, ask yourself a question -- why did I die? Could I have done something to avoid death? Did I mess up timing or get baited by the enemy? Always try to learn from your mistakes. Look at what you're doing wrong (jabbing enemy's shield, bad slash timing and so on) and try to optimize your playstyle.

Remember to slash often -- if you constantly slash, the enemies will be afraid to get closer to you. Make use of double slashes as well -- the first slash breaks the shield and the second one deals 2 hearts of damage, as mentioned earlier.

Don't get demotivated if you're not as good as you want to be -- as we said earlier, at this level you just need to practice a lot. Skill will come with time. Most of the players get stuck at what this guide considers the average level. The next chapters should help you get past that point.