If players want to stand any chance of surviving the relentless hordes of enemies and the challenging mini bosses inEmber Knights, they’re going to need to know what skills will be of the most use to them, especially since only 2skillscan be equipped at a time, meaning it’s crucially important to pick the right ones.
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Skills can be obtained through several means inEmber Knights, with some appearing at the start of a run and others being unlocked at Alan’s Shop, but the most common way players are going to be choosing their skills is from the Skill Selector which can be encountered as a reward once a room is finished.
The Skill Selector will roll 2 random skills, so players will need a good amount of luck on their side to get a skill that’s worthwhile, but with that being said, there are still a few that are much more effective than the rest, and will make clearing roomsan absolute breezewhen utilized correctly. Here are thebest skills to pick inEmber Knights.
8Warrior Wisps
Warrior Wisps isn’t exactly a skill that’s going to be dealing a load of damage, but it’s still incredibly helpful for beginner players or those who are playing solo and might want anAI ally by their sideto help with the tankier encounters like the Gust and Plague Bringer bosses.
When activated, Warrior Wisp will summon a tiny Spirit Wisp who will aid the player in combat, applying burn, freeze, poison, and lighting damage. It’s also one of the few skills with 2 charges which helps to make up for the 20-second refresh time, and is an ideal pickup for anyone who feels like they’re taking a little too much damage in their encounters.
7Blast Bomb
Despite not having any unique or special effects, the Blast Bomb is still an incredibly useful skill that can easily annihilate small groups of Scoggfirths and Frost Bites with a single explosion thanks to just how large the damage radius is. The 70 damage more than makes up for the slightly underwhelming refresh rate, with it being the most powerful skill in regard to raw damage.
The lack of special abilities does mean it can be outshone by other skills that appear in the Skill Selector, but it’s definitely still fantastic for sweeping through the early rooms and getting through them as quickly as possible to continue on with the run.
6Cyclone
Anyone who has advancedto the later roomsinEmber Knightswill know very well just how easy it can be to become overwhelmed by smaller enemies like the Mimics who love nothing more than running up to the player and gnawing away at their health, something that can become a real nuisance especially when using a ranged weapon.
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Cyclone can negate this issue entirely by pulling enemies away at a safe distance, making it far easier to pick them off without having to risk taking any further damage. By combining this skill with an elemental weapon or an extra skill which can freeze enemies, it makes it extremely difficult for them to even have a chance of getting near the player.
5Phantom Spear
Having a skill that canafflict poison damageon enemies makes it very easy to avoid having to take any unnecessary risks in a room, and can even end up killing smaller enemies with a single shot considering it already starts off dealing 15 damage which is actually incredibly high considering it also has 2 charges.
Phantom Spear really shines when players manage to pull off a Perfect shot though which will allow the poison to stack while also dealing bonus damage which goes a very long way. Phantom Spear can become absolutely devastating when pairing it with a Relic like Chronograph which lets skills recharge faster in boss rooms, making it very easy to just launch spears from a distance while racking up that extra damage too, narrowing down their health little by little the longer the encounter goes on.
4Cloak And Dagger
Cloak and Dagger is actually very similar to Cyclone in the sense that it’s great for evading enemies, but it actually alsomakes the player invisible, allowing them to execute a sneaky melee attack which can destroy regular mobs, and even inflict the Weaken debuff on bosses and minibosses which can make the task of defeating them so much more simple.
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Weaken is a status effect that can only be afflicted on bosses and mini bosses, and it allows the player to deal a staggering 25% more damage The generous recharge time also helps to make this an essential skill for anyone who wants to make quick work of tough bosses like Steadfast Citadel and Wightsbury.
3Chakram
Chakram releases a spinning disc that can bounce off enemies, dealing a tremendous amount of damage in only a few seconds. It’s one of the very best skills when it comes to clearing out early rooms, and will easily slice and dice through Rakklings and even bigger enemies like Whirmaw when tossed out.
The damage of the disc can reach 15 when the hit with a Perfect shot, and considering the players can throw out 2 at a time, it’s easy to throw them out and then continue focusing on the combat at hand while they do their thing in the background. Because it’s a skill that is virtually guaranteed to hit an enemy because of how much it bounces around, it’s great to pair up with Relics like Barrier Pendant or Brittle Scepter which activate extra abilities when a skill makes contact with an enemy.
2Arlan’s Lucky Dice
While taking Arlan’s Lucky Dice definitely comes with a slight risk, more often than not it’s going to be one that pays off since it’s very rare that the skill ever performs poorly when thrown out. The way it works is the player roll a die which deals a random amount of damage upon contact, and will also activate a bonus effect depending on the number landed on.
The truth is, while each of the bonus effects can be very situational, they’re all still very useful in their own ways. Number 1 for example will activate Warcry which buffs the player’s damage and speed tremendously for 5 seconds, while number 3 refreshes every skill the player currently has, and number 4 heals them. Despite the “random” nature of the skill, it can actually be very reliable to fall back on, and of course, it’s alsoextremely fun to play around with.
1Hailstone Armor
Hailstone Armor is by far the most reliable skill in the game, and one that can makemini bosses and bosses a cakewalk. Considering just how powerful a lot of the weapons already are inEmber Knights, it means that it’s always good to have a skill that can enhance defense to create the perfect balance of destruction and survivability, and the Hailstone Armor is perfect for this. When activated, Hailstone Armor will surround the player with multiple snowballs that continuously damage enemies, but it also freezes them if they somehow manage to touch the player.
This not only makes it incredibly easy to escape from regular enemies, but it also provides a constant stream of damage that really does make the late-room encounters so much less intimidating. On top of all that, the player can even increase the snowballs by executing a Perfect attack. Pair this with the Chilling Wind Relic which creates a small area of ice after killing a frozen enemy, and it can easily make the player near-untouchable for an entire playthrough.
Ember Knightsis available now on PC and Nintendo Switch.
