First off, Im not writing this guide to tell anyone play your toon this way or youre a moron. I just wanted to pass on some discussion about the effects of knockback and ideas you can try to 1) use it for your own benefit, and 2) make it an effect that helps out a team instead of one the team has to work around. Knockback can be a very effective soft control tool when used with purpose. Plus, its pretty friggin cool, nailing a bad guy and watching them fly through the air away from you.
Most of the energy blast powerset attacks have a chance for knockback, ranging from slim to 100%. Additionally, most wind powers (gale, hurricane) and just about anything starting with rep (repel, repulsion field, etc) have knockback as either their primary or secondary effect. That being said, knockback types, and energy/ blasters in particular, have a bad rep for screwing up team synergy. Thats what were going to work towards remedying today.
Lets start off with generalities, and then Ill discuss synergy with teammates and finish with a few powers in detail. One caveats I havent played COV outside of beta, so I cant really talk to villain archetype specifics. Hopefully, the general discussions will still be helpful.
Knockback is actually quite similar to real estate. The three most important factors to consider when dealing with either are:
1) Location
2) Location, and (wait for it
)
3) Location
These are the factors I consider when shooting a target Im not certain Im going to kill with that shot. If Im using power burst on an even level minion with less than half a health bar, Im not going to worry about it as much.
1) Location, The Target's. Where is the target in the environment? If I want to keep the target available, Id like him near a wall (good), in a corner (better) or in as small a cul-de-sac as I can find best). This way, if he is knocked away, he bounces off the wall and lands where I want him and in position for the next hit, whether Im dealing the hit or a team mate is.
On the other hand, if I and/or my team are to get overrun, having the target near a ledge might be handy. I can knock him off the ledge, hopefully imparting some falling damage in the process, and finish off his friends while hes climbing stairs.
2) Location, Your. Where are you in relation to your target? If hes standing next to a wall, and youre standing next to the same wall, hes not going to bounce off the wall; hell just be farther down the wall. Knockback is always away from you, so if you want to bounce a bad guy off a particular wall, you have to first position yourself so that the target is between you and whatever you want the target to hit. Obvious statements, I know, but someone had to say it.
HOweVER, if you happen to be reasonably close to directly above a target, either with a flight power or by shooting off a balcony or ledge, then knockback becomes knockdown, and the target ends up laid out where it had been standing. Ive used this tactic a lot when teaming with melee types, and it seems to be pretty popular.
3) Location, Your Teammates. Where are your teammates, and what are they doing. Is the scrapper or tanker handling a particular target? If so, then shooting that target without confidence that you going to kill it with that shot, generally wont make you popular, as it just means the melee type is going to have to chase that guy down. On the other hand, if a teammate without significant melee attacks (controllers, defenders, */device blasters) is being pestered by a badguy at melee range, they will probably appreciate seeing that particular bad guy be knocked away from them.
Synergies. This part is strictly for teaming purposes. Knockback can be a powerful tool in making some of your teammatess powers either much more or much less effective.
Area powers. Any AoE power has a focus point. This can be a player, a bad guy, or a spot on the ground, but its going to be one of the three, and I try to make a point of knowing which. If you can knock a target onto an ice slick, onto caltrops, into a radiation field - i.e., think about aiming your knockback toward the focus point - youll be much more popular than if you knock a target out of those same areas. Either is just as likely, you just have to play with the three factors above in mind.
If the target is in or near an area you would like them to inhabit, you have an opportunity to kill two birds with one stone. If they are on an ice slick and not a concern for the time being, you might want to concentrate on a target that is currently a threat. OR, if the ice slick, etc. is near a backboard, you can position yourself appropriately, bounce them off said backboard, and keep them on said ice slick.
Also, if you shoot the target serving as the anchor for a radiation field and knock it out of the crowd, that crowd is now more dangerous.
Melee players. All Im going to say about this is that, with a very few exceptions, a tank or scrapper cant hit someone outside of arms reach. Think on this when shooting a target in melee range of a melee toon and consider whether your shot is going to make your team more or less effective. Simple as that.
Powers. Im just going to discuss two powers at the root of most knockback complaints, and one that I have found to be both fun and useful.
Energy Torrent. A cone attack with a good chance for knockback, it is easy to fire off, but not often used as effectively as it could be. My absolute favorite trick with ET is to hover in position above the tank or scrapper. Target a goon as close to directly below you as possible, and let fly. With a little luck, everyone around your teammate is now laying comfortably on the floor, in prime position for kicking. Remember, this is a cone attack, so by hovering from close to max range, youll cover a wider area.
Energy Blast. This is the only power in which the knockback is not away from you. You target one goon, and the blast knocks surrounding mobs on a radial away from him, not you. This is key in that one of the three factors, namely your location, isnt as big a deal as the other two. This has two implications. 1) If you want to knockback the group in a particular direction, target one on the side of the group away from where you want them to go. 2) Even if youre above the target, theyll all still be knocked back from your target. Hover does not turn knockback into knockdown with this power.
Repel. I just happen to like this power, and not only because its a cool-looking effect.
If you stand in a doorway, no mobs can get past you. They may be able to get in a shot in before getting knocked away, so be careful there.
You can use it as a control if you pin a target in a corner. Theyll keep getting knocked into the corner and bouncing back on to you, only to get knocked into the corner again. Be careful with your endurance with this tactic, though, cause its going to burn fast.
Okay, the post is now open for discussion. Please post comments in regards to any particular powers, if you feel the need. If you feel I misstated or missed something, post a comment and Ill update this guide. Thanks for your time, and please support your local energy blaster.
Obiviously not as good, but maybe an interim solution.
