Loading...
Loading...
Withered Knight - Version 3 vs Version 4
Jul 22, 2026, 06:04 AM
Replaced the in-development note with the confirmed Polearm and Shield kit and listed the greatsword balance changes
Aug 6, 2026, 10:22 PM
Named the two Polearm and Shield talent paths as Quick Shield Bash and Enhanced Shield Bash, described how each plays, and added the August 6 energy cost reductions
1-The Withered Knight is the heavy two-handed fighter of Mistfall Hunter and the newest of the six classes, added for the June 2026 Open Beta. On the Classes page it stands as the greatsword specialist, a slow, deliberate bruiser that marks enemies and then makes those marks pay off. It carries a two-handed Greatsword with extended reach, and that reach is central to how it controls space.1+The Withered Knight is the heavy two-handed fighter of Mistfall Hunter and the newest of the six classes, introduced for the June 2026 Open Beta. On the Classes page it stands as the greatsword specialist, a slow, deliberate bruiser that marks enemies and then makes those marks pay off. It carries a two-handed Greatsword with extended reach, and that reach is central to how it controls space.22Lore44The Withered Knights were once the glorious Rose Knights of the southern kingdom of Gaenaria. After falling from grace they were exiled to the North, where the bitter cold, years of war, and a savage foreign land reshaped them. They have lost the polished look of court knights, yet they still wear their formal armor, keep their chivalric code, and carry an innate sense of order, working to find the missing Pontiff and reclaim their former glory. The Holy Sigil they bear, a vertical line piercing a circle, ties them to the legend of Saeria Sith, the incarnation of the Supreme Deity in Gaenarian faith. See The World and Lore for the wider setting.66Core mechanics88In combat the Withered Knight marks enemies with Withering Sigils to set up strategic advantages, then detonates those sigils through Reckoning, an Execution mechanic, at the right moment. Two tactical skills round out the kit. Parry demands precise timing and, in skilled hands, balances offense and defense effectively. Thorn Guide grapples and drags enemies, giving the Knight a control role for the team. The core Withering talent decides the overall style, whether you suppress and grind enemies down with sigils or save them to break a formation at the perfect moment.1010Greatsword playstyles1212The Greatsword splits into Consecutive Break and Delayed Detonation. The Consecutive Break Build keeps Wither stacks from vanishing when they are shattered; breaking them in a row inflicts multiple debuffs, and the Knight's threat climbs sharply as the break count rises. The Delayed Detonation Build instead makes Wither stacks explode after a delay. You can let them go off on their own or break them manually to trigger an explosion that spreads the Wither state to nearby targets. Either way, the mechanic gives the Withered Knight a heavy presence in team fights.1414Playstyles at a glance1616WeaponPlaystyleSignatureGreatswordConsecutive BreakWither stacks survive shattering; consecutive breaks pile on debuffs and scaling threatGreatswordDelayed DetonationWither stacks explode after a delay, spreading the Wither state to nearby enemiesPolearm and ShieldReach and guard breakingSix skills spanning damage and support, with a long-range rescue for downed teammates1818The Polearm and Shield1919The greatsword was never meant to be the class's final form. The Withered Knight's second stance is the Polearm and Shield, and it arrives with the first season rather than at launch day itself. It brings six new skills to pick from and, unusually, the ability to pull a downed teammate back up from a distance, which no other stance offers. Its talents and skills branch toward either damage or support, so the same class can be built as a front-line threat or as the squad's safety net.20+The greatsword was never meant to be the class's final form. The Withered Knight's second stance is the Polearm and Shield, and it arrives with the first season rather than on launch day itself. It brings six new skills to pick from and, unusually, the ability to pull a downed teammate back up from a distance, which no other stance offers. Its talents and skills branch toward either damage or support, so the same class can be built as a front-line threat or as the squad's safety net.2121The developers describe the intended rhythm as a stance dance: drag an opponent in with Thorn Guide, burst them down, and when they burn a mobility skill to escape, swap to the polearm, pin them with a thrown strike, and finish with a shield bash that breaks their guard.2323The pairing is a polearm and a kite shield, and the developers frame it as the counterweight to the more offensive greatsword branch. The polearm's reach is its main advantage, though its thrusts want precise timing and aim, and the turn rate on some skills was deliberately capped so that reach does not become oppressive. The kite shield works differently from the Mercenary's sword and shield: you charge power while actively blocking, then cash it in on a counterattack, and several skills carry block protection that resists interruption in the manner of Super Armor. Wither and the Execute system carry over unchanged from the greatsword.25+Two core talent paths split the stance:27+Talent pathRoleCore mechanicQuick Shield BashAggressive vanguardRaises the charging efficiency of the shield's heavy strikes. A shield-raise dodge builds charge quickly, letting you suppress with consecutive dashes and use the polearm's reach to break enemy lines.Enhanced Shield BashTeam-oriented defenceInfuses the shield for an empowered heavy strike. Landing it on a charged shield triggers an AoE knockback that repels nearby enemies and pulls focus fire off allies.29+Skills and talents can be mixed across the Greatsword and Polearm and Shield branches, so a build is not locked to one stance's tree.30+Greatsword adjustments2532The greatsword was tuned after the June test, where the Withered Knight was the most-played class. Parry now unlocks at an earlier level and its counter window is longer. Thorn Guide had the collision problems that made its pull fail resolved, so it connects more reliably. The second-stage branch of Breakthrough Charge lost its heavy knockback, which had been shoving ranged opponents further away instead of keeping them in range. The core Legacy talent now restores more health when the Knight downs a rival hunter, and light and heavy strikes had their hitboxes widened slightly so the damage area matches what the animation shows. One trim came with the new stance: because the Polearm and Shield also benefits from it, the Endless Flow talent gives slightly less cooldown reduction than before.2734For the two-weapon stance system and the combat fundamentals behind the greatsword, see Combat and Weapons.36+Post-launch adjustments38+The August 6, 2026 update slightly reduced the Energy cost of both Sprinting Slash and Withering Mark. The same patch fixed skills catching on obstacles and launching the character into the air, casts being cut short by the Inspect action, and Thorn Guide being able to drag Richie the Merchant in the hub. The running list is on Updates and Patch Notes.
