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View Full Version : Knifing for fun and profit


Flux
10-18-2006, 12:09 AM
My absolute favorite thing to do in any game is beat players that have overwhelming firepower with something that will embarass them. Killing people in BF games and (amongst other shooting games) with a melee weapon is extremely satisfying.

And since EA are going to be bastards adding an additional 24h to retail for people who have bought the game online, I have nothing better to do than to write about BF2142 strategies. I actually do have a life, but not today. I'm waiting for release :mad:

This post will be a lot shorter and more to the point. I don't really have that much to say about the knife, save for a few tricks I've learned.

stabbery
In general, I find that too many players try to knife other players from too close a distance. You can actually standing 2/3 of a player width away (this needs more testing!). So long as their body is in plain sight of your screen (filling, say... 1/3 to 1/2 of it), taking a swing will usually kill a person.

Note that what I just said above only applies to stationary targets.


lag
If a player is moving (knife to knife combat, or you are chasing them down), you want to swing where they will be, not where they are. The melee mechanics of the game is really screwed up (network prediction) and so the player will not actually be where they seem to be on screen. Depending on your connection latency, you'll want to predict where they will land or move, and knife at that place. By the time your swing has landed, it will connect and make the kill.

There's no great way to make this work every time, so my only suggestion is to practice and learn how to work with the latency you have.

A general rule of thumb: players moving away from you tend to require much shorter distances to knife (practically right next to them).


footwork
You'll definitely have an advantage knifing an opponent if you can sprint more than the other person can. If you can outrun a running target, you can eventually catch up when they stop, and collect their dogtags.

Sprinting is also critical when your opponent is also trying to knife you (or gun you down!). By sprinting past them, you'll either force them to retreat (bad for you in most circumstances, but they can't run backwards), or try and turn to face you while shooting/knifing. It's very disorienting for your opponent, and you're able to plant the knife in their backs if your fast enough. This has the added advantage of making yourself a harder target. The biggest danger is when running toward your opponent, you make yourself a larger target for gunfire.

When around buildings and other obstacles, confuse your opponent by running around buildings and make them think you're going to go a certain way, but then turn back around. So for example, if there is a big container that you are near, turn 180 and dash around as if looking to go around. Play psych games with your target. If they think you are going to go around their back, turn 180 again and you'll find his back turned to you. If they think you're just hiding, sprint entirely around the obstacle until you circle them again, then collect the dogtag.

Finally, if you find yourself in a knife duel, wait until your opponent tries to take a stab and miss. Most often than not (in this game), your opponent is a knife newbie and will swing madly to try and hit you. Note the rhythm of their cooldown, and hit them right after they make a swing, by sprinting directly for them (and past them a bit, so you compensate for lag) and sticking one in their chest.


knifing proned people
Sniperes are the easiest victims for getting shanked. They are usually hidden in some obvious sniper nest. If you must sneak up on a proned sniper, do so when there is a lot of noise going on in the background (orbital strike is a great sound cover). This hides the noise you make coming up ladders and walking towards them.

Sometimes you find yourself trying to knife someone who wants to kill you with their smg, but the person is on the floor prone. This is an excellent opportunity to knife someone, believe it or not. When they are prone, they usually try and stay that way because it takes a second for them to get up and run, which also ruins their aim. The best way to dogtag this person is to hop all over this person like a madman, confusing him. If you can get to him fast enough, leap over his proned body, then knife him from behind or the side.

As a flat, non-moving body on the floor, proned opponents are by far the easiest. You also don't need to adjust for lag. Just remember that you don't have to be too close to your opponent to knife when your target is stationary.

A short story: Inside the reactor core for Sidi Power Plant, two guys were proned healing each other. I happened to be the only guy there and these guys have capped the flag but were probably hurt by orbital strikes. I took this opportunity to charge into them, leap right on top of the first guy, and collected his dogtag. The second person was so shocked that I ran waaay the hell far into enemy lines and alone knifing people he didn't even get up from prone. So ofcourse I stabbed him too for his lack of reaction. Two dogtags in a row compounds the experience. :)


knifing people in gun platforms and vehicles
It's possible to knife someone in a buggy with an open chasis but I don't recommend it. They will either get in the gunner seat and kill you, or drive over you, or drive off entirely. If you simply must do it, aim for the window, where their head is. You don't even have to stand too close to it, if the vehicle is stationary.

Infantry in platforms require somewhat stealthy approaches, but it's quite easy to do. Your best chance to knife someone is on the open side where most of their body is showing (the "right" side). Approaching from behind is your best bet, since a gun platform is quite dangerous, and if they spot you they might decide to climb out and shoot you.


ninja
There are tricks you can use to give yourself an edge when knifing people.

Being on high ground lets you spot enemy infantry who may or may not be aware of your presence. Hopping down one floor below and following them to knife them in the back is very satisfying.

If you've spotted infantry having a firefight with your teammates, launch yourself behind the enemy and knife them as soon as you exit the launch pod. I would even try to hit them with the launch pod if I could aim it well enough.


aboard the titan
A plethora of opportunties open to you when you decide to knife on the Titan.

For starters, every corridor has a nook and cranny in which you can hide yoruself. Be creative, and put yourself where they don't expect. Don't simply knife the first guy that enters your view, because you can bet that good squaddies don't travel alone. Wait for the entire group to finish flushing into a corridor, then begin slaughter them. You may get killed, but you can probably take one or two guys with you.

When guarding your own Titan, twist-eject into your own vents to knife unsuspecting victims. Refer to this thread (http://www.totalbf2142.com/forums/showthread.php?t=4692) to learn how.

Also when guarding your own Titan, when enemies get to your Core you can go around the control station corridors and into the warehouse entrance of core to knife your attackers. This is rather dangerous, but it works and I've seen many people do this.

As your Titan is blowing up, you can knife people trying to escape the Titan near the rear exit. They are too busy running, and you can stop them in plain sight to give them a last-minute surprise.


things to explore
Optic camo is an obvious choice for shanking. Again, retail is not available to me for 16 hours so I will wait until I can write about it.

Knife engineers who are repairing their damaged vehicles.

Please expand on this topic and share your thoughts!

Richard012345
10-18-2006, 12:18 AM
The advantages you need with knifing are speed and stealth. To gain speed, unlock the sprint distance and sprint recovery unlocks. You can also pick light armor while knifing, since it makes very little difference if an enemy catches you with your knife out when you've got on heavy or light armor. For stealth you can unlock the optical camo, but be sure to only use it outside of hearing range.

If the enemy is attacking your titan's core, it's easy to sneak up on them and get 2+ knife kills before being killed yourself.

coolbho3000
10-18-2006, 12:33 AM
Knife a just EMPed soldier. Although it doesn't work as well as the old BF2 flashbang-knife trick. ;)

NatoBikeSquad
10-18-2006, 04:21 AM
Also, when attacking turrets you should hide behind the little walls that usually surround the turrets. Go prone then go around to his side and shank him.

Sir. Chauncey
10-19-2006, 03:38 PM
yea, I spotted this guy trying to knife my teammate yesterday. After he knifed my teammate, and turned around and I knifed him in the face. It was great. :D

M*A*S*H
10-20-2006, 03:02 AM
Uh huh all good. Doesn't really help though when you knife a proned guy in the back a good four or five times before it actually kills him. The detection sucks big time.

pyrpieman
10-21-2006, 04:23 AM
I like knifeing but as Mash said, it takes like 5 hits so i would just empty a Lambert clip in his back, can you pwn't?

JaZzA_B
10-21-2006, 05:00 AM
Good guide you got there flux, top job! But one thing in mind no matter how much reading you do on knifing people it all comes down to experience and opportunity. But hey if this guide gets you kills who am i to say anything.

Flux
10-23-2006, 05:13 AM
Good guide you got there flux, top job! But one thing in mind no matter how much reading you do on knifing people it all comes down to experience and opportunity. But hey if this guide gets you kills who am i to say anything.

I guess you're right, but if I just tell people to practice and look for opportunity, then it wouldn't be much of a guide :)

Besides. I've been knifing so much I had to share some ideas with other people, and hopefully they can do the same.

rocqua
10-23-2006, 10:18 AM
do you have a way of not having to hit a guy atleat 2 times when he is prone and doing nothing whilest you are crouching, it realy turns me off when i get a great oppertunity and i get shot in the face

m7kf83sf92
10-23-2006, 11:50 AM
prone on top of them. It's confusing for them. I can normally take out a whole squad if they'rea ll prone. THey won't seem e properly among the dead bodies of their recently deceased squaddies. My main gripe is the detection lag. I can knife someone 10 times in a row without them even detecting it. Then they finally notice me and knife me in one hit and laugh at me. :mad: :(