knife build

[Karina]

Struggling to create a knife character. Is stealth perks mandatory for a knifer? None of the classes really have ideal setup for a build.

[Animalman]

Profession
Chef -
Doctor -
Burger Flipper -

Trait
Hunter

You don’t need stealth.

Burger flipper is probably the best for a knife. Maintenance is required. Repair guy doesn’t get any knife to begin with. But take as many starting points in knife u can get. You’ll be pretty good with it with or without lightfoot or stealth.

[Torpex]

Not saying you shouldn't do it, but it is super tedious (you get weapon XP based on the damage dealt).

Knife builds are weak in the current build. Devs nerfed the jab stab chance and now you should engage zeds either from behind waiting for a "backstab" stance (here you need all the stealth perks and skills) or individually from the front hoping for a RNG to proc (you need to engage one on one like with spears).

[Animalman]

Meat cleaver always behaves like a short blunt more useful for engaging small groups.

[Howie_Dewyn]

I'm really into knife builds right now and I like using stealth but I wouldn't say it's mandatory. I've done scrapper style just fine. What are you struggling with? Are you dying lots or just indecisive about your build?

[Karina]

Originally posted by Howie_Dewynn:

I'm really into knife builds right now and I like using stealth but I wouldn't say it's mandatory. I've done scrapper style just fine. What are you struggling with? Are you dying lots or just indecisive about your build?

Just indecisive. For stealth to work you need inconspicous, graceful, nimble, hunter -a lot of perk points wasted. Burgler has all the stealth in the world but needs handy and hunter - which ends up even more expensive.

[Animalman]

I just ran a stealth, I only had gymnast inconspicuous and was weak. I don’t know if being weak means u make less noise, but I was weak and constantly exhausted and I was sneaking better and closer to zombies than I ever had. Fresh day 1 build. I also used knife. But I was vet.
Maybe something about desensitised and knife combat to consider aswell. Though just getting 125% on the knife will do the trick. Only 75% is available to everyone. While some can get 100% max

There’s also a VHS horror movie that gives you some knife skill.

My mistake I was weak and deaf, so maybe deaf makes u a better sneaker or lower noise maker as a hidden perk

[SirLosealot]

Been a long time since I played but I used to run a knife build. I think Burger Flipper is a good choice because of the knife and maintenance skills. Nimble is a good trait for this as it allows you to move faster when in combat stance. Add stamina and strength traits in too if you have the points to spare. I neglected stealth skills.

I used to take down a whole horde by simply moving backwards and stabbing with some pushing mixed in. The thing about knives is that they use little stamina so I can keep stabbing and stabbing without needing to rest. Switching to, say, a crowbar and I definitely needed more short rests during a fight than with a knife.

[Howie_Dewyn]

Originally posted by Esteban Failsmore:

Originally posted by Howie_Dewynn:

I'm really into knife builds right now and I like using stealth but I wouldn't say it's mandatory. I've done scrapper style just fine. What are you struggling with? Are you dying lots or just indecisive about your build?

Just indecisive. For stealth to work you need inconspicous, graceful, nimble, hunter -a lot of perk points wasted. Burgler has all the stealth in the world but needs handy and hunter - which ends up even more expensive.

In my experience, it's not true that Inconspicuous and Graceful are required for a stealth character. Inconspicuous adds a slightly higher chance to not be seen but it's so minimal most people won't take it And it's negative counterpart 'Conspicuous' also does so little that it's commonly seen as free points (though I still wouldn't take it on sneaky survivors, I don't like to tempt even in small numbers.) Graceful is more useful in my opinion because it reduces your sound radius by 40%, protects you from tripping if you go over fences at a high speed, and also against lunging zombies. I like it but often don't have room for it in my builds. I'm a nimble addict. Everybody needs nimble, especially short weapon users. I think you should for sure have that in your build.

I'll post a build here that I really enjoyed playing, I felt like it offered me everything I wanted to do (at the time). Maybe you can adjust it to do what you want -

~The Essential Employee (Burger Flipper)~

Thin Skinned, High Thirst, Slow Healer, Fear of Blood (hilarious on a knife user), Prone to Illness, Smoker, Weak Stomach, Short Sighted, Slow Reader

Cook, Cat's Eyes, Outdoorsman, Wakeful, Gymnast, Fast Learner, Stout, Hunter, Athletic
~

You could switch Stout for Strong and Athletic for Fit if you want more weapon damage but personally I prefer to never not have 9 fitness, even on short blade. I want as much endurance as possible and fitness is too hard to level. It also has one point left if you want speed demon (I don't take this trait because of engine loudness concerns). Remove slow reader and wakeful for MP.

I'm playing a similar build in SP currently but I've removed Hunter as I felt I wasn't getting the most out of it. Guns are fun in MP but they just aren't my style when I'm running solo. And I was already used to not having a leveling bonus in stealth, which is helped by fast learner anyway. Also, I think trapping isn't my thing, I'd rather fish.

Originally posted by Animalman:

Maybe something about desensitised and knife combat to consider aswell...

...There’s also a VHS horror movie that gives you some knife skill...

Yes, panic reduces weapon damage and crit chance. A hunting knife especially will critical often when handled by a calm survivor. The VHS is called "Mamma's Boy" I think.

[Karina]

Originally posted by Howie_Dewynn:

~The Essential Employee (Burger Flipper)~

Thin Skinned, High Thirst, Slow Healer, Fear of Blood (hilarious on a knife user), Prone to Illness, Smoker, Weak Stomach, Short Sighted, Slow Reader

Cook, Cat's Eyes, Outdoorsman, Wakeful, Gymnast, Fast Learner, Stout, Hunter, Athletic
~

Oh no, no no no. Not fear of blood. The most tedious, annoying perk to have. Not having that again.

Slow reader is also pretty annoying. I know you can fast forward time but its a still time wasted doing nothing. Valuable time, especially in the early game.

I assume Cook is a baseline perk burger man gets? 6 point one for +2 cookin is a pretty bad idea, doubly so on a class that already knows how to cook.

Im not very enthusiastic about hunter honestly. Whole bunch of meaningless skills just for +1 sneak. Would be good not as bad on repairman or unemployed though. Not a fan of guns also.

[Howie_Dewyn]

Originally posted by Esteban Failsmore:

Originally posted by Howie_Dewynn:

~The Essential Employee (Burger Flipper)~

Thin Skinned, High Thirst, Slow Healer, Fear of Blood (hilarious on a knife user), Prone to Illness, Smoker, Weak Stomach, Short Sighted, Slow Reader

Cook, Cat's Eyes, Outdoorsman, Wakeful, Gymnast, Fast Learner, Stout, Hunter, Athletic
~

Oh no, no no no. Not fear of blood. The most tedious, annoying perk to have. Not having that again.

Slow reader is also pretty annoying. I know you can fast forward time but its a still time wasted doing nothing. Valuable time, especially in the early game.

I assume Cook is a baseline perk burger man gets? 6 point one for +2 cookin is a pretty bad idea, doubly so on a class that already knows how to cook.

Im not very enthusiastic about hunter honestly. Whole bunch of meaningless skills just for +1 sneak. Would be good not as bad on repairman or unemployed though. Not a fan of guns also.

Yes, Cook comes with the Burger Flipper. Of course, we're interested for the cheap short blade and maintenance skill anyway. Sorry you feel that way about FoB, I find it very manageable with the Smoker trait as smokes can be used to manage the anxiety from being covered in blood, and since soap bars are light I just carry them in a fanny pack. It's the only fear trait I can tolerate. You could try claustrophobia or agoraphobia but I couldn't do it.

What are you in such a hurry for? I usually sit around for the first week and watch TV while reading. I level weapon skill in between shows by fighting neighborhood zombies and don't really do much else until the TV goes off air.

Edit:

~The Essential Employee (Lite Version)~
O: Burger Flipper

Thin Skinned, High Thirst, Slow Healer, Prone to Illness, Weak Stomach, Short Sighted

Cook, Outdoorsman, Wakeful, Gymnast, Fast Learner, Stout, Athletic

This version removes cat's eyes, hunter, slow reader, and both 'nagging' traits (smoker and FoB)

[Karina]

Originally posted by Howie_Dewynn:

Originally posted by Esteban Failsmore:

Oh no, no no no. Not fear of blood. The most tedious, annoying perk to have. Not having that again.

Slow reader is also pretty annoying. I know you can fast forward time but its a still time wasted doing nothing. Valuable time, especially in the early game.

I assume Cook is a baseline perk burger man gets? 6 point one for +2 cookin is a pretty bad idea, doubly so on a class that already knows how to cook.

Im not very enthusiastic about hunter honestly. Whole bunch of meaningless skills just for +1 sneak. Would be good not as bad on repairman or unemployed though. Not a fan of guns also.

Yes, Cook comes with the Burger Flipper. Of course, we're interested for the cheap short blade and maintenance skill anyway. Sorry you feel that way about FoB, I find it very manageable with the Smoker trait as smokes can be used to manage the anxiety from being covered in blood, and since soap bars are light I just carry them in a fanny pack. It's the only fear trait I can tolerate. You could try claustrophobia or agoraphobia but I couldn't do it.

What are you in such a hurry for? I usually sit around for the first week and watch TV while reading. I level weapon skill in between shows by fighting neighborhood zombies and don't really do much else until the TV goes off air.

Edit:

~The Essential Employee (Lite Version)~
O: Burger Flipper

Thin Skinned, High Thirst, Slow Healer, Prone to Illness, Weak Stomach, Short Sighted,

Cook, Outdoorsman, Wakeful, Gymnast, Fast Learner, Stout, Hunter, Athletic

This version removes slow reader and both 'nagging' traits (smother and FoB)

I like that one. I would still get rid of Hunter though, there is a lot of stuff that you can take for that 8 points. Or it would allow to get rid from thin skinned. I personally dont like thin skinned but i would not call it bad- it may kill you later down the line but 8 extra points is huge. And you could argue that without those extra point you would die earlier anyway.

[Howie_Dewyn]

Oh yeah, I've edited it. that should've been taken out as it doesn't have enough points to afford it anyway. Check again. The build should be all correct now.

[Karina]

Originally posted by Howie_Dewynn:

Oh yeah, I've edited it. that should've been taken out as it doesn't have enough points to afford it anyway. Check again. The build should be all correct now.

Oh, thought i was going crazy for a moment.

[Howie_Dewyn]

Originally posted by Esteban Failsmore:

Originally posted by Howie_Dewynn:

Oh yeah, I've edited it. that should've been taken out as it doesn't have enough points to afford it anyway. Check again. The build should be all correct now.

Oh, thought i was going crazy for a moment.

Nope, just me. I'm tired. Beware though, short blade vanilla kinda has the same problem as vanilla guns. Most of the weapons in the class are kinda useless except that one that's super useful. Hunting Knives are like your shot gun. It takes 10 days for Hunting Knives to start showing up in Zombies and it's nice that they are not super rare or anything after that. Hang in there with the ♥♥♥♥♥♥ weapons. Oh, and don't wear armor that reduces your attack speed.

[Karina]

Originally posted by Howie_Dewynn:

Originally posted by Esteban Failsmore:

Oh, thought i was going crazy for a moment.

Nope, just me. I'm tired. Beware though, short blade vanilla kinda has the same problem as vanilla guns. Most of the weapons in the class are kinda useless except that one that's super useful. Hunting Knives are like your shot gun. It takes 10 days for Hunting Knives to start showing up in Zombies and it's nice that they are not super rare or anything after that. Hang in there with the ♥♥♥♥♥♥ weapons. Oh, and don't wear armor that reduces your attack speed.

Meat clever is pretty nice.

As for guns - pistols are really nice too, especially low noise ones. But they need skill in aiming to be used efficiently, unlike shotgun.