Knekt, the Knifemaster
Knekt is a melee AD assassin that revolves around his masterful knife skills to bring down foes in a heartbeat. His abilities require him to put in some risk, but if he pulls them off correctly, he can devastate an enemy. Being mostly Bonus AD scalings, he fares better into late game.
Primary Role: Assassin Secondary Role: Fighter
Damage: 3/3 Toughness: 2/3 Control: 2/3 Mobility: 2/3 Utility: 1/3
Lore: Coming soon... If anyone wants to write any for me, it would be highly appreciated! Knekt would originate from Zaun as maybe a criminal.
(Passive) The Knifemaster- Knekt's passive has two parts, Deadly Precision and Knife Handler.
Deadly Precision- Knekt's skillshots against enemies below 30% health become targeted abilities.
Knife Handler- Some of Knekt's abilities stick Knives into the enemy for 4 seconds. For every Knife in the enemy, they are slowed by 5/7.5/10%. If Knekt basic attacks an enemy with at least one Knife in them, he pulls them out, dealing 15/20/25 (+10/15/20% Bonus AD) physical damage per Knife and slowing the target by 80% for 1 second. An enemy can have a maximum of three Knives in them at once.
First off, The Knifemaster has two passives. The first one, Deadly Precision, is a bit simpler than Knife Handler. Basically, you can target your abilities at enemies below 30% of their maximum health. This can allow you to more easily burst down targets with lower health, as you'll be able to land all of your damaging abilities.
Knekt's second passive is Knife Handler. Some of his abilities stick Knives into the target. For every Knife in the enemy, they are slowed, and basic attacking an enemy with Knives in them deals a burst of damage and slows them, while getting rid of the Knives. This means that weaving basic attacks in between your abilities can apply a constant source of crowd control, while dealing sustained damage. For a more bursty approach, Knekt can wait until an enemy has 3 Knives in them, meaning he does more damage all at once, but loses out on some slows.
(Q) Knife Toss- Knekt throws a Knife in a direction, dealing 20/35/50/65/80 (+40/45/50/55/60% AD) physical damage to the first enemy and sticking a Knife in them. If Knekt double taps Knife Toss (Q), if he hits an enemy, after a 0.75 second delay, he throws another Knife targeted at the enemy he hit with the first cast, applying the same effects as the first Knife. If he does double tap Knife Toss, he will pause until it hits an enemy and then begin the delay. If Knife Toss misses, he's free to move after it reaches its max range.
Cooldown: 12/11/10/9/8 seconds Cost: 50/55/60/65/70 mana Range: 700
Knife Toss is Knekt's main damage ability. During the early game, it will generally deal more damage due to its total AD scaling. During the laning phase, Knife Toss can be used to zone the enemy. If you double tap it and hit them with it, they'll be stuck with two Knives, giving you an opportunity to attack. However, double tapping Knife Toss does come with disadvantages. If you miss your target, you'll be stuck for a second before you can do anything, especially if you hit a minion. This gives you the choice of risking it for more damage, or playing safe with a chance of losing out on damage.
(W) Whirling Thunder- Knekt whirls his knives around himself, dealing 60/90/120/150/180 (+50% Bonus AD) physical damage to nearby enemies and slowing them by 20/25/30/35/40% for 2 seconds. Every time Knekt pulls a Knife out of an enemy, Whirling Thunder's cooldown is reduced by 1 second.
If Knekt casts Whirling Thunder during the second cast of Knife Toss, the delay increases by 0.25 seconds, but when the Knife hits the target, it also applies Whirling Thunder's damage and slow to nearby enemies around the target.
Cooldown: 10/9/8/7/6 seconds Cost: 40/45/50/55/60 mana Radius: 350
Whirling Thunder is a generic ability that deals damage and slows enemies around Knekt. Using it in combination with Knife Toss allows you to get bonus damage off on your target, even from a bit of distance away. This requires you to double tap your Knife Toss, however. The slow also helps Knekt catch up to his target after hitting them. Since pulling out a Knife reduces Whirling Thunder's cooldown, if combo'd correctly, Whirling Thunder can be used multiple times within a fight.
(E) Uppercut- Knekt dashes a short distance in a direction, dealing 50/70/90/110/130 (+40% Bonus AD) physical damage to and briefly knocking back the first enemy hit. Afterwards, Knekt's next basic attack deals 15/20/25/30/35 (+10/15/20/25/30% AD) bonus physical damage and sticks a Knife into the enemy. This empowered basic attack does not pull any Knives out of the enemy unless the target reaches or was already at 3 Knives.
If Knekt targets an enemy with Uppercut using Deadly Precision, he ignores any other enemies he passes through until he reaches his target.
Cooldown: 15/14/13/12/11 seconds Cost: 40/45/50/55/60 mana Range: 400
Uppercut is another great ability Knekt has at his arsenal. It's a fairly short range dash, but the slight knock back it does to the first enemy hit allows Knekt to get in his empowered basic attack if he hits the right target. It also allows Knekt to deal a massive burst of damage. Using Knife Toss to get two Knives on the enemy and then using Uppercut will deal the bonus damage from the empowered basic attack and the damage from pulling three Knives out all at once.
(Ultimate) Knifestorm- Knekt charges in a straight line, plowing through enemies, dealing 80/160/240 (+70% Bonus AD) physical damage to enemies he collides with. Knekt can reactivate Knifestorm during the charge to stop at the next enemy champion he hits, dealing 100/200/300 (+85% Bonus AD) physical damage to them, sticking two Knives in them, and stunning them for 1 second. Using Knifestorm resets Uppercut's cooldown.
If Knifestorm targets an enemy using Deadly Precision, Knekt will follow that enemy and automatically stop at them once he reaches them.
Cooldown: 150/130/110 seconds Cost: 100 mana Range: 1000
Knifestorm is an amazing ability to get to the enemy's backline, dealing massive damage in the process. Activate it once to charge past their frontline, and once you have a clear shot at their carries, reactivate it to stop at the next one you hit. Not only will you deal tons of damage and stick two Knives in the enemy, but the 1 second stun should give you just enough time to use Uppercut to pull out all of the Knives. Knifestorm can also be used as an escape in a sticky situation, but due to its long cooldown, it's better to save it for fighting.
Combos: 1: Q -> W -> Q -> E This first combo is good for harassing the enemy when you don't have or don't want to use your ultimate. Double tap Knife Toss (Q), making sure to hit the enemy champion. Before the second throw of Knife Toss, use Whirling Thunder (W) to cause Knife Toss to deal its damage and slow in an area around your target. At this point, they should have two Knives in them from Knife Toss. Use the slow from Whirling Thunder to catch up to the enemy and use Uppercut (E) to close the gap. Finally, with the empowered basic attack from Uppercut, pull all of the Knives out of the enemy to deal massive damage.
2: Q -> W -> Q -> E -> R -> R -> E -> W This second combo is an extension of Knekt's first combo, but with his ultimate. After doing the first combo, use your ultimate, making sure to reactivate it before hitting your desired target. This will stick two Knives in the enemy and stun them for 1 second. At this point, use Uppercut again to pull all of the Knives out, as its cooldown is reset after using Knifestorm. Now, Whirling Thunder's cooldown should be reset from pulling all of the Knives out. If the enemy still isn't dead, use Whirling Thunder again.
Full Combo Damage (Level 18): 1300 (+180% AD) (+385% Bonus AD) Dealing this damage requires you to land every ability on your target.
Recommended Items:
- Trinity Force grants Knekt a whole slew of stats, some that are lost, but it's worth the price. Not only does it make you more able to survive teamfights, but it grants you bonus damage after using an ability.
- Death's Dance allows Knekt to heal off of his attacks, as well as granting a lot of damage and survivability.
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- Even though Knekt relies heavily on his basic attacks, he synergizes better with raw attack damage than attack speed. Getting Ninja Tabi/Mercury Treads depending on their comp is a better choice for Knekt.
- Ravenous Hydra grants Knekt a lot of attack damage, as well as sustainability and more burst damage on the active.
- Maw of Malmortius is a good situational item against magic heavy teams.
- Youmuu's Ghostblade can be good for chasing enemies down, as well as piercing through their armor with the lethality.
- Duskblade of Draktharr is another great item that grants Knekt more burst damage, as well as the ability to spot wards.
Did you like my champion? Did you think he was underpowered, overpowered, or balanced? Leave a reply below and let me know your thoughts on Knekt, the Knifemaster! Any feedback is greatly appreciated!