Foot Knight rebuild

Warhammer: Vermintide 2 Gameplay Feedback
1

I posit tried and true party games are Tank, DPS, Support roles however in Vermintide 2 Ironbreaker and Warrior Priest seem to fill the tank role but I feel like Footknight does not fill the role well because his special is about mobility and not tanking. I think an easy fix is Foot Knight has Bardin taunt. The charge/leap is already on alot of characters (Zealot, Slayer, Handmaiden) and I think it doesn’t even pair that well with his kit there is only one taunt and one shield which are the only two specials for tanking. I think this would be a fairly easy rebuild and open up another tank pick for the party allowing different Saltz and Bardin picks and party compositions.

I would put Handmaiden out there for a rebuild as a tank as well but it would take far more adjustments to the character.

2

I’d far, far rather increase variety by changing the BM, Zealot, or HM charges - in that order of preference. FK plowing into enemies and tossing them around is hardly realistic, but it’s a heck of a lot of fun, and saves other players in a nicely heroic over-the-top way.

The Ironbreaker is great at staying on his feet, and has that Taunt to protect the party. But it’s essentially passive. The FK has a couple of additional tools to help the rest of the party, all made much more effective by his very-active charge’s mobility. The FK is an interesting Tank.

Also: I see VT2’s often poor fit to the Tank, DPS, Support triad as a big “plus” for the game. VT2 has more subtle, and I’d say better, ways to encourage cooperation.

3

God I love Foot Knight :folded_hands:

4

I think the premise is wrong more than the proposed fix. Foot Knight isn’t a failed tank, he’s a stagger-support bruiser tank, and a good one. Battering Ram knocking down a whole chaos patrol over and over is something almost nobody else can do, and it’s not just crowd control. With the level 15 talents, staggered enemies take more damage, so he’s keeping the team alive and helping them deal more damage at the same time. He’s an active tank that boosts the whole party, not a passive wall. All the Foot Knight players would come after you with pitchforks and torches if you wanted to rebuild him or change his ult to mirror Ironbreaker’s.

So I don’t think tanking is his problem at all. The one thing Foot Knight is missing compared to Ironbreaker is the same thing the first three Kruber careers are all missing: ranged options. That’s a Kruber roster problem, not a tank problem, and a taunt wouldn’t fix it.

Look at the gap. Bardin’s melee kit is the closest thing to Kruber’s, but for ranged he’s got throwing axes, grudgeraker, crossbow, handgun, trollhammer, masterwork pistol, drakefire pistols, and flamethrower. Even his most restricted options, drakefire and throwing axes, are on at least two of his four careers. Kruber’s got repeater, handgun, and blunderbuss, with the bow locked to Huntsman. That leaves Merc and Foot Knight with only three ranged weapons to pick from. Kruber having fewer ranged options than the other ranged characters is one of the few things you’ll find broad agreement on, which is exactly why I’d point the fix there instead of at his ult.

That’s also why the Ironbreaker comparison runs the opposite way from what you’d think. Ironbreaker can trade his sniping for Drakefire or Trollhammer and put out serious damage clearing crowds, but Foot Knight isn’t actually behind on damage. He can be spec’d to hit quite hard in melee, harder than Ironbreaker, with access to weapons like the Bretonnian Longsword, Halberd, Executioner and Greatsword, and power bonuses that let him put out damage on par with an IB running Trollhammer or Drakefire. The gap is weapon access and the variety that comes with it. Give Kruber’s tankier careers more ranged tools and Foot Knight would have a more varied playstyle like Ironbreaker does. That’s the main thing I think he’s missing compared to IB, since Ironbreaker’s ranged option changes how you play him quite a bit.

Warrior Priest is more apples to oranges and mentally I’d keep him separate. He’s got some healing, a window of temporary invulnerability, and good melee damage, but no ranged options whatsoever. Foot Knight brings more stagger and gives the team DR and block cost (or power) bonuses, plus an ult that’s great for rescues where you have to blast through a crowd to reach a downed teammate, which almost nobody else can do. They’re both tanks, but they solve completely different problems for the party. That variety is the point, and it’s an argument for giving Kruber more ranged options, not for turning the charge careers into one more taunt.

5

I’ve got 1k levels in Kruber, I reckon 800 levels are with FK.

FK feels underwhelming because he’s not often a damage tank and it’s not showy, but he’s the anchor that enables others to really get stuck in. Protective presence saves squishy teammates far more often than anyone realizes , 15% Damage Reduction is quite hefty in mixed hordes and patrols and Rock of the Reikland adds even more protection to others that they don’t even realize they’re benefiting from. Comrades in arms giving massive DR is hugely underrated because other players don’t know they’ve got the benefit. Playing as FK in QP if I pick a squishy and act as their close body guard they get to be more reckless and cause more damage BUT most players have no idea it’s happening, in QP at least, and no one seems to notice the stoic Knight keeping the recklessly stupid Elgi alive, even as she F an Ult into the poor fella. In CATA comrades in arms might give more access to Stagger Breakpoints and possibly some ranged breakpoints too. As CATA players are often a little more sensible the aura buffs are more widely enjoyed as players tend to stick together.

Sword and Board can become stagger heaven if built for it, and staggering at CATA in mixed hordes while providing DR is a very big buff, but it’s not explicit or even indicated very well. Kruber FK can become almost unkillable with this build, a real stagger tank front lining and controlling enemies with impunity… but never killing them with any speed.

So FK is exactly fine how he is, except it is entirely thankless and without the glowy ball of protection WPOS gives. As Ensrick has already said, Kruber in general has a truly awful range of …ranged weapons at this stage in the game. 3 weapons? Bah. Next weapon DLC surely must have at least a crossbow for Kruber, i mean come on. It’s ludicrous the limitations of Krubers ranged choices BUT.. FK wouldn’t use ranged I don’t think . There’s some knightly order used ranged IIRC but can’t remember which. I don’t think FK should have extreme wide options for ranged weapons.

Id rather have something to let other players know they’re benefiting from the Aura/Comrade in arms. In fact there’s a different discussion about how auras are widely unknown or ignored yet they provide some solid buffs. Maybe sounds to indicate a blow reduced by the buff? A twinkling sound while in the aura? I’m not sure but the buffs are there, the squishy players don’t know it and the green circles go to the reckless Pyro, but it’s the solid Kruber who held it down and enabled the pyrotechnics from the wizard while kruber advances with nobility, grace and unassuming fortitude. I like this class a lot.

6

I like this idea. Also really wish the aura distance would be buffed (probably doubled). You’ve really gotta be hugging someone for it to work now.