Demoknight Guide

When it comes to Demoknight, many players takes him as a weird gimmick running around, barely helping their team. This guide is here to teach you how to play Demoknight properly and when it is time to pick the medival-based overdrunk Scotman instead of flashy explosives.

Introduction

Grenade Launcher and Stickybomb Launcher aside, this guide is about pure Demoknight!
Obviously such subclass as a Demoknight is more situational than some classes, his position in competitive is questionable but in pubs, Demoknight could be very strong if handed right and you can work out with him.
There are so many diffrent combinations, playstyles and types but I will try to cover them all.

Basic Info

Unlike vanilla Demoman which can pul out burst damage and tear apart multiple enemies, the Demoknight has a very diffrent role. The best option how to succeed as Demoknight is flanking single enemies, charging into them or out of the danger.
His surviveability is very low beacuse you have to get a melee kill in order to do something, even with Boots which rises your maximum health pool to 200 HP, you're still pretty vulnerable.

Common class victims:

• Scout
  
• Spy
  
• Medic

Common class nemesis:

• Heavy
  
• Pyro
  
• Engineer (and buildings)

Weapon categories

Having Bootlegger or Ali Baba's Wee Booties equipped is a number one for playing Demoknight but there are so many melees and swords to use that I separated them into three categories.

Basic

Flanking playstyle. Doesn't have significant downsides to begin with.

• Bottle
  
• Scotsman's Skullcutter
  
• Ulapool Caber

Collector

Starts weaker but after collecting heads, he gets powerful. Stacked up to 4 heads.

• Eyelander

Restore

Relies on his charge. After kill, he regenerates health or charge meter to get away.

• Claidheamh Mòr
  
• Half-Zatoichi
  
• Persian Persuader

I will talk about thse categories individualy later.

Shield Categories

Since there are three shields in the gamer, I'll separate them in three diffrent categories.

Tank

Surviveability is increased, paired up with Collector.

• Chargin' Targe

Charger

Often paired up with Basic, allows better flanking and better damage output.

• Splendid Screen

Mobility

The best shield for getting away from the action, shines with Restore category.

• Tide Turner

Loadouts

From the previous chapters, you have learned the categories of melees and shields, now what I'm going to do is to introduce you some loadouts that Demoknight uses. Starting with...

Level Up

This loadout features the Eyelander which collects heads and by them, it can increase it's mobility and health. To sustain surviveabiliy, I've chosed the Chargin' Targe as a tanky shield.
When using this loadout, you have to play passivly, gathering your heads and slowly becoming the Demoknight god with 20 heads (actually you will need at least 4 heads to reach the maximum).



Good for attacking but great for self defense. You will get fire and explosive resistances which will help you to stay alive. Don't forget that you can instantly cease fire when charging.


This cursed blade grants additional maximum health and movement speed for 1 head cutted (stacked up to 4 heads). Good to know that the Eyelander (and a few other melees) has longer range than the stock Bottle. Be careful when using Eyelander as it takes you 25 HP from your max heath (175 with Boots).

Flanker

Flanker can use both Tide Turner and Splendid Screen but I'm going to stick to the second one as it gives you better attacking advantage. The Scotsman's Skullcutter is actually the melee of choice here. The damage bonus makes you sure that the victim doesn't escape. However you should only attack when charging as the enemy can easily get away when you're punished with slower mobility speed.


With Scotman's Skullcutter combined, this shield is acutally devastating as hell. Remember you don't have that much resistances as you would have with Chargin' Targe.


This weapon is a very dangerous melee weapon aside from the slower move speed. It has very powerful critical hits, and it can randomly crit. If you pair it with one of the shields, it can be great for killing people. I would recommend it mostly for ambush tactics. Otherwise, you are unlikely to catch a target.

Rogue

With less resistances, this loadout can be a great almost anywhere. But with both Tide Turner and Half-Zatoichi, after kill, you will restore your health and your charge meter to get away from the danger!



Little bit less of resistances but it gives you full turning control with charging. And if you get a melee kill, it refills your charge meter with 75%.


With the Half-Zatoichi, you can restore your health by 50% on kill. As Demoknight, you're deep in the action and you're gonna get damaged a lot and it really helps with that surviveability.




Find what loadout suits you, or you can come up with completly diffrent. You can equip B.A.S.E Jumper, Tide Turner for trimping and the Ulapool Caber for getting kills (at least trying to get kills). Maybe it would work? Who knows...

Trimping with shields

Basically trimping with shields is when you charge on a edged ramp platform or obstacle. You'll get launched to the air.
You can trimp with Tide Turner which takes a little bit of practice or you can find a spot for other shields. Trimping isn't required and usually it leads to the wasting charge or falling into a group of Pyros.
But y'know if you have the chance for catching an unaware Sniper, go for it.
It is important to control your mobility as Demoknight so knowing how to trimp is a definetly good thing.

Tips for playing Demoknight

Play passivly

Not very exciting tip but it is the most important one. Basically don't charge into group of enemies, it's not worth it. Instead, be a bit more strategic in the way you encounter with the enemy. Attack on one person at the time or else you'll get demolished.

Flank and ambush

Demoknight is kinda similar to Scout or Spy in the way how you move around the map. So you want to ambush unaware enemies, refill your charge meter or collect another head and get away.
Do not at any circumstances charge on Heavy with spinned Minigun or else you're asking for a disaster.

Know your limitations

This, along side with the 1st tip is the first thing you need to learn. With knowing what you can do, which enemies you can kill and which you can't, increases your surviveability much more.

Use your charge properly

Your shield charge is not only for attacking. Keep your charge meter also for escaping or relocating yourself. Don't waste it, it is your awesome utility. Remeber the longer you charge, the more damage you do. Use as much as your charge as possible for that juicy crits instead of a mini crit or just normal damage.

Pick the loners

I've talked about this already, basically attack on lonely players or unaware players instead of attacking the group. Remeber you don't have your explosives to take out multiple enemies.

Be patient

Another important tip which kinda connects with the first one. Demoknight is about patience, be prepared but also plan ahead your actions. Impatient and unwise Demoknight ends up killed before he gets to his victims.

Aim ahead

Bear in mind that unless you're using the Tide turner, your charge is like a projectile so you should aim ahead. Aim where the enemy will be instead where is now. Of course the Bootleggers makes your life so easier.

Chase and finish

Your charge is a great chaser. If you attack a lone enemy, you might finish him as well to refill your charge / health or gain head.

End

Thank you so much for reading and I hope you learnt something new here. Don't forget to rate this guide and write a comment, I read all of them and they really cheer me up.

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[HarmonikaGuy]

dont need it, but it is a great guide, for new players who want to try this subclass

[Waterbed Aquarium]

I didn't need yah help y'know.

[---GooberShroom---]

very good very nice

[버거킹]

natascha gaming

[✶Angels da best bae's✶]

You are not Arthas yet, Arthas. And that is an order I would not obey, even if you were Arthas three times!

[Lyra]

Dammit uther, as your future arthas I command you to purge this arthas.

[✶Angels da best bae's✶]

Hybrids don't have an ounce of honor, and I don't think they can be called true knights. (Imho)

[Lyra]

I'm glad it has helped, even after this while.

[Astoriae!]

This really helps, thank you
I'm off to try everything properly now!

[Maroshank]

thanks m8