Before CipSoft considers any potential nerf, I think there are many interesting possibilities.
Before the rebalance, Knights only had a few viable options, and most builds were heavily focused around Groundshaker (Exori Mas) and Amp Kor.
Now we have many strong combinations, and I would like to suggest 4 main builds I would personally use, plus one extra build I will certainly test.
Offensive Build 1 - Exori Min + Exori Mas - Amp Kor Level 2 and Combat Mastery Level 1
In this build, I intend to use Exori Mas while waiting for the box to be complete. After that, I would start my spell rotation with the following multi-action priority:
Exori Gran - Priority 1
Exori Min - Priority 2
Exori OR Exori Mas - Priority 3, depending on which one performs better in testing.
When the box is almost cleared, I would use Amp Kor to finish off the remaining creatures.
With the buff to Exori Min’s base power, it sometimes hits harder than Exori Gran. The only downside is that it has 3 fewer SQMs of coverage, but its damage compensate for that.
Having Combat Mastery unlocked at level 1 is also very valuable, since you can benefit from either the 2H weapon bonus or the 1H weapon + shield bonus, depending on whether you are hunting solo or in a party.
Offensive Build 2 - Exori Gran + Exori Mas - Combat Mastery Level 2 and Amp Kor Level 1
This wheel benefits more from Combat Mastery while also unlocking the stronger version of Exori Gran. It is almost the same idea as Build 1, but instead of using Exori Min in the rotation, I would use:
Exori Gran - Priority 1
Exori Mas - Priority 2
Exori - Priority 3
I would also use Amp Kor to finish off the remaining creatures in the box.
In both Offensive Builds 1 and 2, you can unlock a Greater Guardian gem and benefit from its perks.
Now, if you want a more defensive option and you are going to use a 1H weapon + shield, there are other builds worth testing.
Defensive Build 1 - Exori Scu + Battle Healing - Avatar Level 2 and Gift Level 1
If you are going to party hunt in a hard spawn where you are constantly taking high damage spikes, this build becomes very interesting.
It triples your healing while using a shield and also gives you a fully upgraded Exori Scu, which reduces creatures’ auto-attack damage by 75% while also providing 15% life leech on the spell.
The rotation would be:
Exori Gran - Priority 1
Exori Scu - Priority 2
Exori OR Exori Mas - Priority 3
Since this build does not invest points into Exori Mas, it is debatable whether Exori Mas or Exori would be better. However, since you are probably hunting in a party and may need to hit creatures outside the box, Exori Mas will likely still be the better option, but both should be tested.
This build is purely focused on surviving through healing and damage reduction, so you are sacrificing some damage for safety. You can also combine it with Utamo Tempo stance to reduce incoming damage even further.
I would consider this the tankiest option, but with the tradeoff of having much lower damage potential. It can also be useful for weekly or bounty tasks involving hard-hitting creatures, allowing you to enter dangerous respawns with less risk. However, it will negatively affect the experience you can make.
Defensive Build 2 - Exori Scu + Exori Mas - Avatar, Combat Mastery and Gift Level 1
This is a more balanced defensive build. You do not get Battle Healing with triple healing, but you gain more damage through Exori Mas.
The rotation would be:
Exori Gran - Priority 1
Exori Scu - Priority 2
Exori Mas - Priority 3
This option makes sense if you only need some extra survivability but still want to reduce the pressure on tanking while dealing decent damage.
It seems especially good for party hunts where you want to contribute more damage with Exori Mas while still having Gift + Avatar as defensive tools against harder combos. Combat Mastery also adds both offensive and defensive value.
Overall, I personally prefer Battle Healing because triple healing with a shield feels much safer and greatly reduces the risk of dying, even if it comes with lower damage output.
There is also one extra build I will certainly test, although it does not look too strong on paper since you cannot unlock both Exori Mas and Exori Scu at full power. However, it allows you to have Battle Healing + Combat Mastery, which may still be interesting depending on the hunt.
Defensive Balanced Build - Battle Healing + Combat Mastery
None of the builds I posted should be seen as the "correct" answer. I only wanted to share some options for people to test and see what feels better for them.
We are still at the beginning of this rebalance, so a lot of testing will be needed before anyone can truly determine which rotations are the best. My goal with these builds is simply to offer a few possible paths, so each player can test them and decide which rotation works better for their own playstyle.
Overall, I think this is a very positive change, because Knights now feel more flexible than ever.
To me, Exori Min may become the new meta spell after Exori Gran, and maybe Exori will be replaced, since it is the weakest-hitting spell and also covers a smaller area than Exori Mas, which is much more valuable in team hunts to proc charms on creatures outside the box.
But we will see. It is still too early to tell which option will be the best, especially considering that there will probably be more adjustments or nerfs. For now, all we can do is test as much as possible before CipSoft decides which changes are final.
