Withered Knight
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Withered Knights are greatsword-wielding warriors who combine heavy melee pressure with a darker, more punishing combat identity. Once tied to the legendary Rose Knights of the Church, they now fight through suffering, discipline, and the remnants of holy power.
Their combat style rewards patience and positioning. Withered Knights can threaten enemies with wide melee arcs and punishing strikes, but they must maintain pressure carefully, since missed attacks and poor spacing can create openings for faster opponents.
Overview
Withered Knight is a melee class built around greatsword combat, calculated aggression, and punishing enemies who make mistakes. It is suited for players who enjoy deliberate melee engagements rather than quick hit-and-run attacks.
Role
The Withered Knight serves as a melee bruiser and duelist. In a group, this class can pressure enemies at close range, threaten space with sweeping attacks, and punish opponents who are forced into bad positions.
Combat Style
Withered Knight combat requires timing and control. Players should avoid swinging recklessly, use range and spacing to pressure enemies, and commit to attacks when opponents are vulnerable.
Weapons
Withered Knights are strongly associated with heavy melee weapons.
- Greatsword — A heavy melee weapon focused on sweeping strikes, reach, pressure, and decisive close-range punishment.
- Polearm & Shield — A versatile weapon that expands the Withered Knight's combat options with six new skills focused on offensive pressure, defense, and battlefield control. The Polearm & Shield allows the Knight to pull enemies closer, pin opponents with powerful throws, break guards with shield attacks, and rescue downed allies from a distance. This weapon adds a deeper strategic layer to the class, offering both DPS and support playstyles while increasing the Knight's overall combat flexibility.
Strengths
- Strong melee reach.
- Powerful greatsword pressure.
- Good dueling potential.
- Can punish poor enemy positioning.
- Strong class fantasy and frontline presence.
Weaknesses
- Requires careful timing.
- Can struggle against highly mobile enemies.
- Mistimed attacks are punishable.
- Needs good positioning in PvP.
- Less forgiving than simpler melee classes.
Recommended Playstyle
Withered Knight players should control space, pressure enemies with greatsword range, and avoid overcommitting. Look for openings, punish dodges, and use positioning to keep opponents inside their threat range.
Skills
10 Skills
Light Strike Basic Attack
Light Strike with the left mouse button can perform a three-hit combo. Each successful hit charges the weapon. Once fully charged, the weapon enters the Judgment state. The next successful left mouse button light attack will apply the Withering state to the enemy.
Heavy Strike Basic Attack
Heavy attack with the right mouse button: Can be charged to release a forward slash that strikes twice. All heavy strikes can execute Wither you have applied.
Opportunistic Thrust Basic Skill
After dodging, immediately use the left mouse button to branch into a light strike, dashing slightly forward while swinging your sword to attack.
Sprinting Slash Basic Skill
After dodging forward, immediately use the right mouse button to branch into a heavy strike, leaping forward while spinning to swing your weapon. After dodging backward, immediately use the right mouse button to perform a counterattack while stepping back. Both heavy-strike branches can execute enemies affected by Wither.
Pursuit Basic Skill
After any right mouse button heavy strike, use the left mouse button to branch into a light strike and rapidly perform two slashes.
Radiant Retribution Weapon Skill
Rapidly swing your Greatsword, performing three wide slashes in quick succession. Each attack counts as a Light Strike, and hitting enemies charges your weapon. When fully charged, the weapon enters Judgment. The final strike briefly grants Super Armor.
To uphold good, one must punish evil; for evil feeds on good, and from the destruction of evil, good shall draw its strength. —"Roses and Iron: Chronicles of the Gaenarian Knights"
Withering Mark Weapon Skill
Swing the Greatsword to unleash Judgment energy toward enemies. Targets struck by the attack are immediately affected by Wither.
Our Oath never withers.
Breakthrough Charge Weapon Skill
Perform a two-stage dash attack.
Stage 1: Thrust forward with your sword. During the recovery, press the left or right mouse button to perform the second-stage branch attack.
Stage 2 — Left Mouse Button: Dash in a leftward arc, sweeping enemies and knocking them back to the right.
Stage 2 — Right Mouse Button: Dash in a rightward arc, sweeping enemies and knocking them back to the left.
On the hopeless path of exile and atonement, not all Withered Knights can maintain their sanity and faith. Among the bards of the North, a sorrowful tale is told—of a powerful Withered Knight who lost his faith and fell into corruption as one of the Corroded. The story ends with another Withered Knight ending his friend's suffering.
Parry Weapon Skill
Assume a defensive stance that parries frontal attacks and negates their damage. Each successful parry restores Energy. The stance lasts for up to 5 seconds or ends after parrying five attacks. After a successful parry, use a Light Strike to sweep enemies in front or a Heavy Strike to perform a long-distance advancing slash. Both follow-up attacks apply Wither. Parry has a shorter base cooldown in trio mode.
These knights, as candidates for command, have received comprehensive strategic training. They know when to shift from offense to defense and conserve their strength.
Thorn Guide Weapon Skill
Shoot thorns forward with your left hand, pulling the first enemy hit toward you. If the target is too large or in a special state such as Super Armor or Blocking, you will instead dash along the thorns toward them.
Thorns are the mark of the Penitent. Some sins cannot be absolved by any means other than correcting the original wrong. This is why the Withered Knights still wander to this day—they have not abandoned their search for the Pontiff who vanished long ago.
8 Skills
Basic Attack Basic Attack
Light Strike: Alternate between spear thrusts and horizontal sweeps. Each hit charges your weapon. When fully charged, the weapon enters Judgment. The next light strike will apply Wither to the enemy.
Charged Dash Basic Attack
Raise your shield to Block frontal attacks. Hold the right mouse button to maintain the shield stance and charge the skill through three levels before initiating a forward dash attack.
Lv. 1 Charge: Dash forward with your shield raised to ram enemies.
Lv. 2 Charge: Gain Super Armor, increase the dash distance, and follow with an additional thrust.
Lv. 3 Charge: Gain Super Armor, increase the dash distance, and follow with a more powerful leaping thrust.
As candidates for command, the Rose Knights received comprehensive strategic training. They understand deeply how to build momentum while defending, waiting for the perfect window to turn defense into offense.
Javelin Thrust Weapon Skill
Hurl your spear forward, immediately applying Wither to the target. Upon impact, rapidly leap to the target and pull out the spear with a sweeping strike to deal damage.
Spear Barrage Weapon Skill
Rapidly thrust your spear forward, following with a powerful thrust that knocks the enemy down. Successful hits charge your weapon with Judgment energy.
The Rose Knights are no strangers to the theater of war. They are accustomed to forming up in rank, raising their shields, and driving forward with methodical spear thrusts.
Sacred Bulwark Weapon Skill
Infuse the shield with sacred energy to erect a massive energy barrier, during which you cannot move or turn. The barrier completely blocks frontal attacks and prevents enemies from passing through. Cast the skill again to thrust the shield forward, dealing damage and knocking enemies back. The barrier shatters after blocking a certain number of high-impact attacks.
Raising a shield for your allies greatly limits your own mobility. This may demand sacrifice, but sacrifice is inherently a part of a knight's service and devotion.
Rainbow Piercer Weapon Skill
Raise your shield and charge forward, followed by a violent spear thrust. Hold the skill to prolong the forward charge, during which turning capacity is significantly reduced. The raised shield has the Block property. Successful hits charge your weapon with Judgment energy.
To uphold good, one must punish evil; for evil feeds on good, and from the destruction of evil, good shall draw its strength. —"Roses and Iron: Chronicles of the Gaenarian Knights"
Intervene Weapon Skill
Dash forward a set distance, or directly to a targeted ally. Then raise your shield to unleash an energy pulse that knocks back nearby enemies and grants a Shield to allies within range.
Aiding comrades is an ironclad law. Intervene may not always save a life, but it grants every soldier the courage to be the first to charge.
Breaker Shield Bash Weapon Skill
Strike the back of the shield with your fist to damage targets in a wide frontal area and immediately apply Wither. The raised shield has the Block property.
Following their exile, these once-glorious knights lost everything, turning into hunted outcasts and homeless sinners. They wandered the frozen North, weathering the elements in hunger and cold. Though mostly tight-lipped and gaunt, a fierce hope still burned in their eyes, for they refused to abandon their faith.