Knightus, The Chivalric Temple Slime: Paralyzing Goo and Elemental Debuffs

Overview

Knightus is a 5-star Legendary Dark hero from the Slime family, originally introduced in February 2025 via the Super Elemental Summon. He brings a unique aesthetic to the battlefield—a knight literally made of purple slime, complete with a sword stuck through his head (don't worry, he seems fine with it). As a Fighter class hero running at Fast mana speed, he fits squarely into the role of a dangerous sniper who not only deals heavy initial damage but also disrupts the enemy team with a potent mix of damage over time (DoT), buff removal, and a delayed but devastating paralysis effect.

Since his release, Knightus has seen a bit of a rollercoaster in terms of balancing, initially causing a stir regarding his interaction with Titans, followed by a buff that added Elemental Defense Down to his kit. He represents the modern era of heroes where simple damage isn't enough; you need layers of status effects to truly compete.

Hero Art & Visuals

Knightus features a delightfully absurd design. He is a bulky, purple slime molded into the shape of a knight, wearing pieces of gold and purple armor that seem to be floating in or resting on his gelatinous body. The most striking feature is, of course, the sword piercing directly through what would be his head, yet he wears a confident, almost cheeky expression. The color palette is a vibrant mix of royal purples and golds, making him stand out against the darker, more "serious" designs of many Dark heroes. He looks like what would happen if a classic RPG slime ate a paladin and decided to keep the job.

General Info

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Hero Stats

Knightus boasts impressive stats that hold up well in the current meta. With a base power of 1180 and an attack stat of 1242, he is a heavy hitter. When Limit Broken (level 90), his attack soars to 1531.

Comparing him to the latest benchmarks, such as Devyani (released December 2025 with 1303 base attack), Knightus is slightly behind the absolute cutting edge of power creep but remains firmly in the top tier. His stats are well-balanced, favoring attack just enough to make his 540% special skill hit incredibly hard, while his Fighter class gives him that annoying chance to revive, which is always a headache for attackers. He is by no means "outdated" and sits comfortably as a high-stat modern legendary.

Special Skill: Slime Coated Sword

Knightus's special skill, "Slime Coated Sword," is a multi-layered ability that requires some strategic thinking to maximize.

Direct Damage: First and foremost, he deals 540% damage to a single target at Fast speed. This is a significant snipe that can delete or severely cripple most enemies.
Devouring Goo: This status ailment is his signature move. It removes dispellable buffs and Growth effects (a rare utility). It then deals DoT (200 per turn), which increases by 100 for each effect removed. This punishes buff-heavy teams severely.
Delayed Paralysis: After 1 turn, the target gets Paralyzed for 4 turns. Paralysis stops attacks, mana gain, and increases damage received by 50%. This is essentially a death sentence for the target if they aren't cleansed immediately.
Elemental Defense Down: Added in a balance update, he now applies -34% defense against Dark to all Holy enemies for 3 turns. This makes him exceptionally dangerous against Yellow heavy teams or Titans (though note the mechanics discussion below regarding Titans).

The "delayed" nature of the paralysis is a double-edged sword. It gives the enemy a one-turn window to cleanse or fire their special, but if it lands, it locks them down for a long duration.

By the Numbers

Let's break down the potential of Slime Coated Sword.

Mana Speed Analysis: At Fast speed (7 tiles), Knightus charges quickly. With a level 29 mana troop or the correct emblem nodes/bard bonus, he can break the 6-tile threshold in Rush Attack or be comfortably fast in standard play.
Damage Calculation:
- Base Hit: 540% of 1531 (LB2 Attack) is roughly 8,267 raw damage value (before defense mitigation). Against a hero with ~1500 defense, this is a massive chunk of health, likely in the 1200-1400 HP range depending on the damage formula curve.
- DoT Potential: 200 damage per turn is standard. If he strips 3 buffs (e.g., Attack Up, Defense Up, HoT), the damage jumps to 500 per turn. Over 3 turns, that is 1500 unmitigated damage.
- Paralysis Amplification: The +50% damage received from Paralysis means any subsequent tile damage or special skills hitting that target will devastate them.
Key Passives Impact: The Slime Mega Minion on death effectively adds a "parting gift" of ~1200 HP (50% of his max health) and a solid attack stat to a neighbor, potentially saving a teammate.

Family Bonus, Passives, Aether Power & Unique Abilities

The Slime family and Knightus's passives add layers of survivability and annoyance to his kit.

Family Bonus

The Slime family bonus enhances minions and fiends summoned by allies. While Knightus himself only summons minions via passives, this bonus makes him an excellent partner for summoner-heavy teams (like waterpipe or M&M), ramping up their minion damage output significantly.

Passives

Slime Minion Upon Defeat: This is a great insurance policy. If Knightus is killed, he leaves behind a beefy Mega Minion for a neighbor.
Slime Minion Split: Taking a big hit (more than 25% max HP) spawns a Mega Minion for himself. This acts as a damage buffer. Since he has high health, this minion is substantial. It breaks the momentum of snipers trying to take him down.

Aether Power

Special Armor gives him immense durability against special skills for the first 6 turns. Combined with his high stats and minion spawning passive, Knightus is deceptively tanky for a sniper.

Legacy & Modern Relevance

Historical Context: Upon release, Knightus was controversial. Players initially thought he would be a Titan killer due to the Paralysis damage boost stacking with other effects. However, a "bug fix" (seen by many as a nerf) removed the ability for Paralysis and Devouring Goo to affect Bosses and Titans to maintain consistency with similar heroes like Charmione. To compensate, he was later given the Elemental Defense Down against Holy enemies.
Power Creep Analysis: His stats are still very relevant. While newer heroes like Devyani push the attack stat boundary to 1300+, Knightus at 1242 is competitive. His 540% snipe at Fast speed is a gold standard for reliable damage.
Modern Viability Verdict: Knightus remains a top-tier PvP hero. His ability to remove Growth effects is niche but powerful against modern meta tanks who rely on boosting health/stats. The addition of Elemental Defense Down against Holy makes him a staple in anti-yellow stacks, even if his Paralysis doesn't work on the biggest PvE targets.

Costume & Costume Bonus

As of this review, Knightus does not have a costume. This review focuses on the base version of the hero.

Emblem Path Analysis

Knightus is a Fighter, giving him the chance to Revive. This is arguably the best class talent for defense.

The Aggressive Knight (Recommended)

Path: Attack > Defense > Health
Pros: Maximizes the 540% hit and the inherited attack stat of his Mega Minions.
Cons: Slightly less durability, but his passive minion spawn helps mitigate this.

The Survivalist Slime

Path: Defense > Health > Attack
Pros: Increases the HP of the Mega Minions (which is based on his max HP) and makes him harder to kill, giving more chances to Revive.
Cons: Sacrifices kill pressure on his snipe.

Final Recommendation

For most players, the Attack path is recommended. He is a sniper designed to remove a threat. You want that threat removed in one shot if possible. The Fighter revive will happen regardless of his defense stat.

Strengths

High Burst Damage: 540% at Fast speed is elite.
Utility: Removes dispellable buffs AND Growth effects.
Crowd Control: Paralysis is one of the strongest ailments in the game, completely shutting down a hero.
Anti-Holy Tech: -34% Defense against Dark for Holy enemies makes him a specific counter to Yellow tanks and flanks.
Survivability: Passive minion generation and Fighter revive make him sticky.

Weaknesses

Delayed CC: The paralysis takes 1 turn to activate. A cleanser firing in that window nullifies his main control effect.
PvE Limitations: The Devouring Goo and Paralysis do not affect Bosses or Titans, significantly reducing his utility in those modes compared to PvP.
Status Ailment Immunity: Monks and Clerics can resist the Paralysis or the initial Goo application.

Best Game Modes

PvP Offense (Raids/Wars): This is his home. He snipes, strips buffs, and locks down key targets.
War Defense: As a flank or wing, his Fast speed and Revive make him annoying. If he fires, the attacker is on a ticking clock.
Element Protection Events: He shines here due to his Super Elemental origin and elemental debuffs.

Advanced Strategy & Team Compositions

Knightus works best when he can ensure a kill or when he is paired with other Dark heroes to exploit his elemental defense down against Holy targets.

Sample Team Ideas

The "Purple Rain" Stack: Knightus - Panther (C) - Aramis.
- Guardian Panther (C) applies Elemental Defense Down (to all), Knightus snipes and applies his specific Holy debuff if applicable, and Aramis cleans up.
The Minion Horde: Waterpipe - Knightus - Freya.
- Knightus's family bonus boosts the attack of minions spawned by Waterpipe and Freya. His own passives add Mega Minions to the mix.

Counters & Anti-Synergies

Cleansers (e.g., Rigard, Hathor): If they fire during the 1-turn wait for Paralysis, Knightus loses his crowd control.
Ailment Blockers (e.g., Hathor, Garnet): If immunity is up, Knightus is just a pure damage dealer.
Construct/Monk/Cleric Classes: These classes have a chance to resist his status ailments.

Advice for New Players

If you pulled Knightus early, congratulations. He is a game-changer. Focus on leveling him immediately. His raw damage will carry you through map stages (even without the ailment on bosses, the damage is high) and he will dominate in lower-tier raids. Do not worry about specific synergies yet; just point him at the enemy's biggest threat and fire.

Advice for Veterans

Knightus is a tactical scalpel. While he isn't a "defense down for everyone" hammer, his removal of Growth makes him a specific counter to Overheal/Growth metas. He is worth the Limit Break materials if you face heavy Yellow defenses or need a reliable Fast sniper who offers more than just damage. However, be aware of the "Titan nerf" if you were hoping to use him for Mythic Titans; he is strictly a damage dealer + EDD there, not a damage amplifier via Paralysis.

Community Corner: Hot Takes & History

The release of Knightus was surrounded by drama.

The "Bait and Switch": Many players pulled for him believing his Paralysis worked on Titans (stacking with other damage amps). When it was declared a "bug" and removed, the community was furious. One player noted, "It's obvious why SG did this... They just want the $$$$$."
The "Fix": To quell the rage, developers added the -34% Defense against Dark for Holy enemies in May 2025. This was generally well-received, with players noting, "Love the new EDD addition... I think he's replacing Panther in my Titan team."
The Identity Crisis: Originally, beta leaks suggested he might have been Fire element, which explains some confusion in early discussions.

Final Thoughts

Knightus is a "sticky" situation for your opponents. He hits hard, refuses to die easily thanks to his passive minions and Fighter class, and offers a unique mix of buff stripping and crowd control. While the controversy regarding his Titan utility left a sour taste for some, the subsequent buff solidified his place as a premier Dark sniper. He might look like a goofy pile of grape jelly, but he hits like a truck.

Verdict: A strong addition to any Dark roster, particularly for PvP enthusiasts.

Costume Value: N/A (No costume yet).