The first ever knife guide in the SF forums.
Introduction to the M9
Hello class, todays topic is 'UB312 g0dly Kn1f1ngz0rs omgwtfluux312' in english, 'how to knife'.... Not only will you learn how to knife like a professional you'll also be taught general tactics and techniques that may be used in all aspects of gameplay. So please take out your note books and a sharp pencil, diagrams will be provided for illiterate students...Let's begin!
No matter what you spend your SP on you'll always be stuck with one thing. No matter what you sell or buy, whenever and wherever. You will be stuck with, yep you guessed it the M9 combat knife. Absolutely crucial to game play when considering a number of factors. It is a great and only alternative when you run out of ammunition and grenades or whilst under attack and reloading. Not only that, the knife is a perfect substitute for any one of your broken and unrepaired weapons.
This is my knife, without it.. I am nothing. Without me.. it is nothing.
Together we harrass t3h n00bz
M9 Statistics
Pros
~ Free! We're human beings we love free ANYTHING!
~ Readying your knife for combat is as fast as clicking a button
~ Deal damage ranging from 24 to 78 per slash
~ Be seen as a pro for knifing armed victims =]
~ Engaging, exillerating and FUN!
~ Lightest weapon meaning fast run speed (For rushing w/e)
~ Infinite ammo LOL
~ A reason to show off
~ Deals the most damage per hit than all guns excluding Shotguns & Snipers
Cons
~ Attack delays around roughly a fraction less than a second
~ Extremely vulnerable to armed enemies
~ Close-Quarter combat only (Can also be a pro varying on opinion)
M9 Damage Report
Using your knife.
Knifing Techniques
~DUCK & SLASH~
First off, before you cut your opponents up into shreds you need to go in with some slick moves. Moves that will actually help you do some damage. This first strategy is strongly recommended for all you novice knifers and has been dubbed the DUCK & SLASH. The name explains it all, basically it's 3 simple steps. Just before contact with the victim (i.e. running toward the enemy) CROUCH [Ctrl] + Slash + Repeat. This method helps with the 'accuracy & aim' of the slash. It is much easier to slash the foe using this method as it exposes more of the body whilst crouched. So, everytime one goes to slash, one must crouch to ensure a slightly easier to slash target. So please all you beginners out there practice makes perfect, this tactic alone will get you many kills if done properly. Below is a demonstration of the situation and what the D&S should look like.
~JUMP & SLASH~
This next technique you may call the JUMP & SLASH. As per above the name really does explain it all, it also follows the same principles as above but may have different pros and cons and definitely is recommended for a little more experienced knifers. This tactic will infact have many negative effects on your opponent which is good, it will also increase your chances of a SLASH HEADSHOT if done correctly, otherwise there are other ways to achieve this SLASH HEADSHOT which is explained later down the track of this thread. Now getting down to business, just by the name one could figure out how to go about this by himself but just for the dummies out there here is how it should be done. Just before contact with the victim (i.e. running toward the enemy) JUMP [Space Bar] + Slash + Repeat. With both J&S and D&S techniques when repeating for another shot, make sure to get atleast a meter run up before you go again, it will help you trust me unless you plan to JUMP or CROUCH there on the spot slashing just don't do it kay?
~SIDE-2-SIDE STRAFE~
Before reading on I must stress to you that this tactic should ONLY be used in knife fights. This is commonly used in the popular FPS Counter Strike and is relatively easy to learn. It is mainly composed of the use of the two keys [A] for a left strafe and [D] for a right. You will also have to be adept at controlling your player with your mouse as you continue to either circle your opponent or proceed to sway side to side infront of him/her. You may have realised now that whilst you are strafing you will be slashing your opponent at the same time, and as always practice, practice, practice! Additionally whilst strafing, using your [W] and [S] keys to mix up your style will further confuse your opponent of your attack patterns. Once experienced with this tactic enemy knifers will likely stand no chance against your turtle like defence. A plus to strafing side to side is that it provides you with more room to roam and the opponent has a weaker chance of getting you with consecutive blows.
~TORNADO~
This is more of an add-on to the J&S technique and is totally up to you to use. You basically will be jumping (Ensure little run-ups during intervals to keep distance jumped up) whilst knifing but this time around and around your opponent just like that of a tornado. This forces the enemy to follow you when you jump around them. In turn making your enemy less aware of where you are and they are less likely to hit you. And at all times remember to aim for the chest or the head where you will inflict the most damage upon him/her. I know this is getting a little repetitive but practice really does make perfect and perfecting this technique will mean game over for your opponents.
~HIT & RUN~
Simpsons hit and run? Nope. As always just to make it easier for you, the title basically explains the whole technique for you. Summing it all up before you even here what I have to say, it is to hit someone with an attack then run away, of course making sure your not in a very open area because then you would be more exposed to his retaliation. In order to perfeorm this correctly I suggest making quick and swift attacks, pop in, strike him and then run away. As he looks around trying to find out where you came from, sneak up and slash him again. Try as best you can to repeat this until he/she is dead.
Simple Basics
The building blocks of a 1337 knifer. These are more or less common sense rules that one must follow to ensure a longer life span during knifing.
~1 ON 1~
Although you cannot control what others do, whilst knifing it is most ADVISABLE to only fight and concentrate on one opponent at a time. Especially if this is NOT a knives only fight, two or more guns against one knife is a big NO. You are basically a free kill when the odds are stacked against you in combat, even do the math yourself. Too many a time I have witnessed or self-experienced the gunning down of an innocent knifer.
~BUNNY HOP~ a.k.a JUMP~
When approaching a victim that has already spotted you, be sure to jump Jump, JUMP! Side to side, left to right and zig zags! (Preferably in a random sequence). This simple yet very effective and crucial strategy is commonly used by sprayers approaching snipers, or rushers rushing to their target, it is basic survival instinct. This is used to simply just make it harder for the victim or attacker to get a shot on you, in general it just makes it that much harder to take you out. If you have not familiarised yourself with this very basic strategy you should do so as soon as possible, for this may be the deciding factor on whether you live or die
~NINJA WALK a.k.a. K-WALK~
You should all know of this technique, it is the process of repeatedly pressing your 'Crouch' button which is [Ctrl] on default, whilst running every 1/2 second or so. This ensures a slightly slower run BUT absolutely soundless advance if done right giving you the chance to sneak up and unleash an attack on unsespecting victims. Alternatively you may also use your [SHIFT] button. So don't be afraid to use it! Note: This also goes very well with the dragon fly run technique which is explained below.
~NINJA RUN a.k.a. DRAGON FLY RUN~
Another simple yet sometimes unused tactic. This is the process of holding down two directional buttons as opposed to normally holding down one. Doing this will give you a definite faster run, although you may be slowly dragged to one side over time, it can be easily countered by skillfully guiding your character with your mouse in the right direction. The combination you'll need to go by is:
As you can see by this fine diagram you will need to use these two key combinations [W]+[A] and [W]+[D] to execute this manouver. Still don't understand? I'll explain it again it's okay son! So, instead of using [W] to move foward one would hold down one of the above key combinations (E.g [W] + [A]) to gain a slight boost of speed. Remember when using this technique to redirect and guide your character with your mouse or else you will end up slanting in one direction. This tactic is crucial to knifers as it gets you to your destination much faster. Unless of course you require a stealthy approach and are K-WALKING.
~AERIAL ATTACK~
The higher you attack from the easier a SLASH HEADSHOT, that's right you heard me. Not only is a SLASH HEADSHOT fun to pull off, it looks cool to =) Additionally aerial attacks may disorientate or slightly confuse opponents when combined with jumping. Feel free to use vehicles, boxes, ladders, stair cases and ledges to gain the high ground advantage on your opponent and increase your chance of the godlike SLASH HEADSHOT. Note that a SLASH HEADSHOT is not a one hit manouver unless your victim has already taken damage equal to or higher than twenty two [22], from one hundred [100] hitpoints it will take exactly two slashes to the head with each slash dealing seventy eight [78] damage.
~SOUND & LOCATION~
Firstly, we all instinctively know to listen out for sounds to locate an enemy, but some of us don't actually take advantage of this. Please remember to always listen in on whats going on around you like, footsteps, gunshots and grenades. These will all contribute in helping you find your enemies. It also helps if you are wearing headphones, increasing your volume and not playing music. Training yourself to recognise which sound came from which direction will greatly assist you in finding your enemies especially when it counts, in clan wars.
Futhermore always listen to your team mates, whether they have died or have found/heard someone. In alot of situations they could be feeding you information of where enemies have been spotted without you even knowing it. In saying this I must also ask. Ever had your teammate die and their Codename lingered around the spot they've died for a split second? Well that's your lead! This tells you theres an enemy(s) in that immediate area. With this information in mind you must carefully plan your attack. And remember in knifing or anything for that matter it's all about knowing where your enemy is. If you didn't know how could you even commence an attack?
~RUSHING~
Rushing, in this case reaching your targeted destination if you are on 'Red' team on an escape type map (i.e. Shanghai Red Team, escape to submarine). Well most people automatically draw out their knives to gain a speed boost during rushing. Well as a pro knifer! You must know some basic manouvers to avoid gunfire during rushing, they're basically, jumping, ducking, side-to-side running in a random sequence. Making this process random is more efficient as opposed to a repeated movement especially against snipers or long ranging rifle. Remember with your knife drawn, your the fastest thing on the battlefield!
Have Fun!