New Genesis: Knuckles Photon Arts
UINGSPhotonArtSwiftRush.png Swift Rush UINGSPhotonArtThousandBlows.png Thousand Blows UINGSPhotonArtDoubleDrive.png Double Drive UINGSPhotonArtBackhandStrike.png Backhand Strike

Overview

The Fighter's Knuckles focuses on dealing quick but powerful blows. Its Sway Weapon Action possesses one of the safest yet strongest counterattacks amongst all weapons.

As one may assume, Knuckles have the shortest range of all weapons. Nearly all of Knuckles' attacks require you to stay very close to the enemy.

Fighter's weapon PAs are split into two halves, and learning Fighter Skip Arts allows you to use the first half by inputting a directional key, or to instead skip to the second half by not inputting.
For Knuckles PAs, both halves tend to vary in their use, but their second halves typically deal more damage than the first halves overall.

Features of Knuckles

Normal Attacks

Icon Stat NA1 NA2 NA3 NA4 NA5 Alt.
NGSUINormalAttackKnuckles.png Potency 55 x 2 95 95 100 70 x 3 + 100 175
PP Recovery 2 x 2 4 4 12 1 x 3 + 3 3

Punch the enemy with Knuckles. Knuckle Attack Extra adds the 4th and 5th NA. Same Arts Skip Attack - Fighter and Another Arts Skip Attack - Fighter allows you to skip to the 3rd and 4th NAs after using a PA twice or two different PAs, respectively.

Normal Attacks

  • 3rd NA onwards move you forward towards your target. You can further increase this distance by holding the forward input.
  • 5th NA performs a leaping punch that hits 3 times, then a slam.
  • 5th NA autoguards from all directions until you perform the slam. Also provides super armor during the entire animation.

Knuckle Attack Alternation

  • A faster version of NA5 that can be performed by not pressing a movement input during NA5. Unleashes a shockwave at the slam's point of impact that can damage multiple enemies.
  • Sacrifices total damage, PP recovery, and safety compared to NA5, but can damage multiple enemies in a larger radius, and is also most effective when you're expecting an enemy to move away from you, or to fit in an extra counter that the normal NA5 might've blocked from its autoguard.
    • Less safe than normal NA5 as its autoguard is significantly shortened.

Related Skills
Knuckle Attack Extra
Same Arts Skip Attack - Fighter
Another Arts Skip Attack - Fighter
Knuckle Attack Alternation

Weapon Action

Icon Stat Sway Counter Counter Plus Knuckle Attack Switch Knuckle Attack Switch Alt.
NGSUIWeaponActionKnuckles.png Potency 170 390 500 90 x 3 + 100 250
PP Recovery 6 10 10 1 x 3 + 3 3

Duck and sway to dodge attacks from all directions, then follow up with a punch.

Knuckle Sway Counter

  • Allows you to automatically counter after a successful dodge.
  • You can move a Sidestep forward with a forward input.
  • You are invincible until the end of its animation.

Knuckle Sway Counter Plus

  • Allows you to perform another counter with Weapon Action after the initial sway counter.
  • Slightly stronger than the initial counter.
  • You can move a Sidestep forward with a forward input.
  • You are invincible until the end of its animation.

Knuckle Attack Switch + Alt. Variation

  • Perform a slightly stronger NA5 following a counter (can be either Sway Counter or Sway Counter Plus) by pressing Normal Attack. You can stock this attack once and perform it later, if desired. With Knuckle Attack Alternation learned and with no movement input, you can instead perform NA5 Alt.
  • Besides the difference in damage, it possesses the same PP recovery, autoguard, and super armor properties as the original NA5 and NA5 Alt.
  • Stocked attack persists even if you switch to a weapon that is multiweapon'd with Knuckles.
  • Even if you fail to dodge an attack using the Weapon Action, you will not lose the stocked attack.
  • Replaces one stage of NAs if used in a combo. (Example: PA1 -> PA2 -> KAS -> NA5)

Related Skills
Knuckle Sway Counter
Knuckle Sway Counter Plus
Knuckle Attack Switch

Universal Actions

Action Potency PP Recovery
Sidestep Attack 170 6
Sidestep Counter 450 10
Dash Attack 280 15
Dive Attack, (High Dive) 200 (270) 0
  • Sidestep Attack/Counter: After a Sidestep, press Normal Attack to perform a backhand with the Knuckles. If you dodge an enemy's attack with Step, the damage is increased. Learning Knuckle SC Alternation increases the gap-closing properties of the counter.
  • Dash Attack: Perform a wide hook punch in front of you.
  • Dive Attack: Nearly the same across all weapons. Dive deals damage to nearby enemies and restores no PP, and is mainly used to reach the ground faster. Damage increases when diving from a high height (roughly two Photon Dash jumps).

Photon Blast

Focus photons into your Knuckles to perform a single, powerful punch that hits multiple times.

  • You will move slightly forward during the Photon Blast.
  • Its range is deceptively larger than most of the Knuckles' attacks, but it does not track enemies.
  • Like all Photon Blasts, you are invincible until the end of its animation.
  • Potency Notation: Deals 216% x 11 hits + 1200%.
    • The final hit shoots a blast out forward that can damage enemies behind your target.

Photon Arts

Swift Rush

Icon Name Stat Lv.1 Description
UINGSPhotonArtSwiftRush.png Swift Rush Potency 830 Knuckles Photon Art.
Unleash a powerful blow after punching left and right.
PP 23
  • Perform a one-two punch while moving forward in the first half, then retreat backwards with a final blow in the second half.
    • Can launch smaller enemies with the final blow.
  • Provides super armor on the second half. Autoguards from the front during the second half, before you retreat backwards.
  • Can be canceled before the second half with Sidestep, Weapon Action, or PA.
  • Potency Notation: The first half deals 20% x 2 hits of noted potency, and the second half deals 6% x 5 + 30% in the second half.


Thousand Blows

Icon Name Stat Lv.1 Description
UINGSPhotonArtThousandBlows.png Thousand Blows Potency 1350 Knuckles Photon Art.
Pummel an enemy with countless blows before
unleashing a powerful upper cut.
PP 32
  • Rapidly punch enemies in a wide range in the first half, then perform a rising uppercut in the second half.
    • Uppercut causes a hitlag effect if it hits an enemy.
  • You can slowly turn during the first half, and move slightly in any direction before landing the uppercut.
  • Provides super armor during the uppercut.
  • You can cancel the first half with Sidestep or Weapon Action.
  • Potency Notation: The first half deals 3.7% x 12 hits of noted potency, and the second half deals 27.6% + 2.8% x 10 hits.


Double Drive

Icon Name Stat Lv.1 Description
UINGSPhotonArtDoubleDrive.png Double Drive Potency 690 Knuckles Photon Art.
Leap forward with a punch before unleashing countless blows.
PP 28
  • Perform a thrusting punch in the first half, then perform a punch and uppercut in the second half.
    • The thrusting punch is not modified in any way through lock-on, unlike other weapon PAs that do so.
  • Autoguards from the front until the first punch in the second half.
  • Can only be canceled between the first and second half, and before the uppercut on the second half with Sidestep or Weapon Action.
  • Potency Notation: The first half deals 12.5% x 3 hits of noted potency, and the second half deals 25.5% + 37%.


Backhand Strike

Icon Name Stat Lv.1 Description
UINGSPhotonArtBackhandStrike.png Backhand Strike Potency 240 Knuckles Photon Art.
Negate your enemy's attack with a swift dodge and then
smash your fist into the enemy with a mighty blow.
Successfully negating the enemy's attack increases the potency.
PP 40
  • Guard in the first half, then perform a powerful backhand in the second half. If you successfully guard an attack in the first half, the second half's damage is increased by x3.
    • Guards from all directions.
    • Only the first half has the guard. Using Fighter Skip Arts with this PA instead causes the strike to come out nigh-instantly.
    • Has a special Perfect Guard effect that instead increases damage by x3.15; the window is 0.1 seconds after activating the PA. Creates a guard sound effect to indicate a Perfect Guard.
  • Currently has the highest upfront PP cost out of all PAs (-40). Though extremely powerful against multi-hit attacks as you can chain multiple Backhands, keep the PP usage in mind.
  • Against smaller enemies, the strike will send them flying backward a large distance.


Reference

PSO2 NGS Japanese Swiki: Knuckles PAs and Actions