Is knockback underrated

Power with random knockback which is also high magnitude are the real problem. They can't be relied on when you want the KB and if you ignore it, KB hits on random and throws the mob a long way.

High mag knockback is a tactical tool on normal teams, which means it should not be spammed. 50% mag 2 KB on a cone is a terrible thing since it simply cannot be controlled and is unreliable. Again, I am talking about teams, solo it is always awesome and fun.

The rule of thumb in powers should be that under 75% chance KB should always be under 1 mag. Slotting for more mag is always possible for those who want it.

From a pure efficiency point of view it is dreadful for teams. Nothing requires it, it is readily substitutable for just about anything (except perhaps intangability!) which will have less frustrating consequences.

For soloing it is fantastic when you're a bit squishy and the mitigation is very handy.

Visually and thematically it is great. It is a lot of fun to watch your enemies go flying about and perfectly fits the genre of the game.

...just keep your stupid knockback away from a team that is steam rolling everything like a good team should, because it's just slowing the pace down for us all.

I get it - people want to just stack them in a dumpster and press the win button.

I Have learned to control knockback when I choose to and at other times I just let it all hang out.

Team in danger of wiping? Torrent slams everything down and away from us.


The best rule is if you have a person using knockback and it irritates you tell them quite simply - You knock it back you kill it.

I <3 knockup and knockdown, but just really, really like knockback as a friend.

I do think it generally gets a raw deal, particularly for the self-important aoe min-maxers looking to trash 16 mobs at once that come here to complain about it -- their voices ring the loudest and mostly your hear the "What" ("knockback sucks") rather than the "Why" ("because KB'ers rob me of the limelight of being uber in my own eyes")

KB, KD, KU is such a unique game mechanic, I really hope it never changes.

I would rephrase the question:

Is the intelligent use of knockback underrated?

In the hands of an intelligent player, you need not fear their knockback, as it will be used it to benefit the team rather than as a tool to annoy them. Any Stormie who toggles Hurricane with the tank on follow and Gale on auto needs to be kicked from the team, because that's not a player, that's a griefer.

My pet peeve had been fools who would slot Speed Boost with 3 Run IO's, but with the introduction of Null the Gull I can now remedy that. Thanks Devs.

In my experience KB is one of the best and worst tools in the game and the cause for grief lies not only in the hands of the inexperienced ranged KB user but in the ignorance of the Melee loving, KB hating, experienced player.

For a squishy soloing (and in the case of an experienced KB user, teaming) KB is some of the best mitigation in the game. A KB'd target puts out 0 damage which is 5% less than capped defense and 10% less than capped resistance (except in the case of said squishy where its 25% less than capped resistance).

My Nrg/nrg/Force blapper solos x8 spawn with 7ish% total defense. 2 AoE KB powers leave 1 or 2 mobs in a spawn in melee range. If 2, power thrust takes that down to 1. That 1 target gets Energy Punched, Bone Smashed, and then Power Thrusted and then it's time to repeat Energy Torrent and Explosive Blast. Rinse and repeat to solo an 8 player spawn so long as you don't get mezzed.

The problem with the experienced Melee players that hate KB is that they have never played a KB heavy toon and really have no idea how it works (or how well it can work) and focus on the annoyance instead of good play.

I've seen said KB haters charge into the middle of a room on a map and gather up all the mobs AND THEN STAY THERE like the ignoramuses that they are and then yell at the Energy blaster when they unleash their AoEs. All the ignoramus has to do is gather that pile of mobs into a corner and they have no problem at all even with an inexperienced KB user.

It's not only that we need smart KB users its that we need to educate the ignoramuses on the mechanics of KB so that they don't inadvertently become their own worst enemies.

KB is one of the few effects in this game that actually make you feel very powerful. I love KB in the hands of my Blasters and I get great laughs from taking my 50 +1 NRG/NRG Blaster to Atlas and Power Thursting SKuls a mile away.

KB can be a hinderance to a team if used inappropriately. But that's no different than an idiot scrapper, blaster, etc aggroing a 2nd or even 3rd mob.