Hello again everyone! Today we have a breakdown of a pretty diverse set of weapons, the KNUCKLES. While not the most powerful set of weapons in the game, knuckles make up for their lower ATK by featuring a variety of manufacturers and across-the-board 2% bonuses in the wielder's HIT, EVA, and CNT stats.Knuckles are broken down into three subcategories: Standard Knuckles, Special Knuckles, and Exotic Knuckles; however this typing is less important than with some other weapons since every character capable of using knuckles can use every type of knuckle. Note too that because of the wide variety of manufacturers of knuckle-type weapons there are a wide variety of stat bonuses and special bonuses to choose from. The Seekers of the Ancient (SotA) and Steel Legion (SL) varieties are particularly rare, but will serve you well in battle if you can track them down. Nearly every weapon in this category deals [Crush] damage, an otherwise somewhat rare damage type that is effective against a wide variety of tough enemies, and since knuckles are generally compatible with the wrist mods found throughout the game they make an ideal weapon choice for players who are going for an elemental striker build.
Allan, Delphine, and Butler are all able to use knuckles, but certain types of knuckle will benefit each of them differently. For Allan, knuckles give him an option for more physical damage (while still getting a small Men bonus in some cases), which will play well with his passive skill "Savage Focus", which regenerates a portion of all physical damage he deals as AP. As a physical fighter who naturally gets a high bonus to her CNT stat, Delphine can benefit from the CNT bonuses on all knuckles, while the Cat Claws in particular will add an 8% chance to cause "Bleed" to her already powerful strikes (the 5% CRI bonus doesn't hurt, either). For Butler, knuckles offer a nice middle ground between a weapon that boosts both ATK and MEN while giving him a small EVA boost to offset his lower Agility (if you go with a tank build).
As you can see (and as I've previously stated), the knuckles are all over the place in terms of the sorts of bonuses they offer...that being said, I want to take a moment to point out some of my favorites from the category:
1) The Midas Knuckles - While they are one of the weakest knuckle weapons in the game, the Midas Knuckles come with two very nice abilities that make them a good item to keep on hand (pun) when farming for rare items and money against human enemies...Normally, Stark is the only character capable of using the "Steal Items" skill, but with these knuckles equipped you can give a second character the chance to steal gear and other items as well.
2) The Stone Knuckles - Like all "Stone" weapons, the Stone Knuckles carry the "Heavy" trait, which increases their AGI penalty by 50% but grants them a chance to "Knock Down" some enemies (8% in this case). However, because of all knuckles' unusually low weight, this penalty is much less severe than for many other "Stone" weapons...add in the decent ATK bonus and the +35 MEN bonus, and you get a solid (pun again) option for any of the characters capable of using knuckles.
3) The Grim Knuckles - The Grim Knuckles are extremely difficult to obtain (though having the Midas Knuckles might help...hint hint), but offer a high (for knuckles) attack bonus along with a unique typing [Dark / Crush] that makes them especially handy against a variety of enemy types, most notably Deisols...add in the "Despair" skill's ability to cause "stun" while dealing decent [Dark] damage, and you've got a winning option.
4) The Ascetic Handwraps - The Ascetic Handwraps may seem like a natural choice for Delphine (and they are) but make sure to note that they also grant the "Chi Strike" skill (which Delphine naturally learns anyway). ..this may make you want to put them on Allan or Butler instead for a pure [Crush] damage option that utilizes their good MEN stats. Anyone can benefit from the "Ascension" skill however, which temporarily buffs all of the user's stats in battle. Finally, it's important to note that this weapon deals [Neutral] damage, meaning that the wielder's standard attacks cannot be resisted by any enemy in the game!
And there you have it! Hopefully some of this information will prove useful, and until next time, stay safe out there! The Deadlands are a dangerous place, after all...