Kuno Guide (Created 8.10.

17)
The purpose of this guide is to give players a background into the Kunoichi (Kuno) class
in Black Desert Online (BDO). The guide will go into the very basics of the game, basics
of each class, and then basics and more advanced aspects of the Kuno class. The
guide will not be perfect, but it will have information, tips, and tricks from my point of
view as a Kuno player. I will try to give as many specific tips, tricks, and combos as
possible, but I won’t be able to cover everything. ​Take the guide as a set of tools that
you can use to form your own style of gameplay​. I will try to keep this guide as free
of text as possible (the first few sections and last few sections will have a lot of text).
There will be gifs, video clips, and references to other sources throughout the guide.
This guide assumes at least basic knowledge of the BDO pvp system (cc’s, etc.).

If you have any suggestions leave them in the Kuno/Ninja discord and/or ask for my
discord handle to pm me. I would like to thank Quenthell, Paiz, Skyforth, Farhan, Zyui,
StrobeWalker, Gavin, Fai, Overlord, Queen, Wolfe, Daunzo, Nikes, CyanPhoenix,
Duke, Rena and a special thanks to Azuline, for their help and suggestions during the
creation of this guide. They also provided some clips and content used in the guide.

Link to Kuno/Ninja discord found ​here​. Link to resources for Kuno and Ninja
players ​here​. Link to a recent Ninja guide ​here​.

Revision History
Date Version Description Contributor/Author

8/10/2017 1.0 Creation of Guide Cid

8/11/2017 1.1 Slight grammatical Cid

edits. Updates to
class matchups.

8/18/17 1.2 Updates to Cid

sections: ​2.1​ ; ​2.5​ ;
2.7​. ; ​3.6.2.x

8/29/2017 1.3 Housekeeping. Cid

Updated ​spree
based on new KR
patch knowledge.

8/30/2017 1.4 Included info from Cid

 patch on 8/30/17.
Sah Spree of
Sonan​ is still
lackluster; ​do not
invest sp​. ​New
combo possibilities
with ​Wheel of
Wrath update​.

9/06/2017 1.5 Updated ​Delighted Cid

Blast​ description.
Super Armor lasts
until the end of
the animation​.

9/20/2017 1.6 Updated ​ninja Cid/Koko/Paiz

evasion​ description
to show that the
skill ​provides i
frame when the
character is in the
air​.

10/20/2017 1.7 Updated section Cid

2.7.3​ with new
BON/WON/JIN
crystals.

11/1/2017 1.8 Updated skills with Cid/CyanPhoenix

skill icons.

12/24/2017 1.9 Updated gearing Cid

guidelines with
Grana quest
earring​ and gear
links with
JIN/BON/WON
gems. Ghost step
distance increased,
Damage increased
starting at 270 ap
(until 300 ap) on
12/20/ patch (at
level 60).
1/20/2018 2.0 Updated section Cid
3.6.2.15​ with
mystic-specific tips.

2/21/2018 2.1 Updated skill builds Cid

with lower sp-cost
builds.

3/5/2018 2.2 Updated section Cid

2.3.1​ with new JIN
(Absolute skills).
Updated the
end-game builds in
section ​2.7.3
drastically.

3/15/2018 2.3 Updated ​Kunai Cid/Duke

Block​ to show how
its s-walk properties
function. Video
example provided.
Table of Contents
1. Introduction 4
1.1 Intro to BDO 4
1.2 Introduction to classes in BDO 4
1.3 Is Kuno the right class for me? 4
1.3.1 Kuno or Ninja? 5

2. Introduction to Kunoichi 5
2.1 Pre-awakening skills 5
2.1.1 Farming 22
2.2 Awakening skills 23
2.2.1 Farming 27
2.3 Rahm’s Enlightenment (TBD) 27
2.4 Skill builds 27
2.5 Skill addons 28
2.6 Basic skill combos and animation cancels 30
2.6.1 Building a combo 33
2.7 Gear and builds 37
2.7.1 Early-game build 37
2.7.2 Mid-game build 38
2.7.3 Late-game builds 38
2.7.4 Other stats 39

3. Kuno gameplay after getting comfortable with the basics 39

3.1 Movement and weapon swapping (important) 39
3.2 Damage combos 55
3.3 Survivability 56
3.4 Large-scale gameplay 58
3.4.1 Cannon teams 58
3.4.2 Disruption 59
3.4.3 Slayer 59
3.5 Small-scale gameplay 59
3.6 Dueling 60
3.6.1 General tips 60
3.6.2 Class-specific tips 60
3.6.2.1 Warrior 60
3.6.2.2 Ranger 61
3.6.2.3 Sorceress 61
 3.6.2.4 Berserker 61
3.6.2.5 Tamer 61
3.6.2.6 Musa 61
3.6.2.7 Maehwa 62
3.6.2.8 Valkyrie 62
3.6.2.9 Witch 62
3.6.2.10 Wizard 62
3.6.2.11 Ninja 62
3.6.2.12 Kunoichi 63
3.6.2.13 Dark Knight 63
3.6.2.14 Striker 63
3.6.2.15 Mystic 63

4. Some useful resources (links to Kuno channels, streams, and gameplay) 63

1. Introduction

1.1 Intro to BDO

Black Desert Online (​BDO​) is an action-combat mmorpg. The main reason I play mmo’s is for
the Player-vs-Player (pvp), so that is what I will focus on here. BDO pvp is centered around
large scale combat, with wars of large scale (generally 100+ people) as the main focus. There
are node wars throughout the week, except for Saturday nights, in which opposing guilds will
fight over small territories. Node wars are usually composed of 1-8 guilds with 20-70 people
fighting for the territory. Saturday nights are when sieges, for the territory castles, take place.
Sieges generally have hundreds of players in them. This is generally considered the end goal of
BDO; to be able to effectively compete in this type of pvp.

However, there is other forms of pvp in BDO. For smaller scale pvp, there is Red Battlefield
(rbf), in which two teams battle and points are gained for each kill (dependent on the amount of
points your slaughtered opponent had). There are multiple duel arenas throughout BDO, with
one in each major city, and a new arena that can be teleported to from anywhere in the game.
These arena are free pvp and respawn, where anyone can fight another player. The newest pvp
feature that has been added in the Arena of Arsha, where 1v1, 2v2, 3v3, 4v4, and 5v5 fights can
take place.

Besides pvp, there is a wide variety of activities to do in BDO, including: life skilling (fishing,
cooking, trading, etc.), exploring the large map, farming, etc. You will likely never run out of
things to do in BDO, even if you don't enjoy pvp.

1.2 Introduction to classes in BDO

Each class has a specific role in BDO pvp. Some classes excel at large scale pvp while others
excel at small scale and duels. Some classes are very good in all types of pvp, but each class
has weaknesses and no one class is unbeatable. However, some classes are certainly weaker
than others in terms of damage, mobility, utility, etc. Regardless, you should play the class that
you think seems the most fun, whether that be from experience, or watching someone else's
gameplay. I assume you have an interest in Kuno since you are reading this guide, so if you
enjoy the class, stick with it.

1.3 Is Kuno the right class for me?

To be frank, Kuno seems like a weak class in comparison to the most played classes in the
game. Her damage and mobility are lacking. Her awakening will seem slow and clunky
compared to her pre awakening at first, but this gets better with practice. However, her
survivability, aoe crowd controls (ccs), and flexibility allow for gameplay that few other classes
can provide. Kuno will require more gear, patience, skill, and practice than most other classes in
BDO; you won’t be able to simply “face roll”. If you really enjoy the class then stick with it, but it
won’t be very easy to become a force in pvp. I don’t mean to turn anyone off of the class, but it
is what it is. If you do stick with the class, then the rewards from her class-specific skills that she
shares with ninja (e.g. block jump, invisibility, etc) and her own class-specific skills in awakening
are high, and you will feel accomplished when you succeed.

1.3.1 Kuno or Ninja?

Ninja and Kuno are similar classes pre awakened. However, they take very different gameplay
styles after awakening. Kuno provides more aoe cc’s and defensive capabilities, while ninja
provides more enclosed damage and fewer defensive capabilities. A summary comparison is
below:

Ninja:

● Male
● 2 grapples (one in pre awakening, one in awakening)
● Better lateral mobility; quicker directional changes; etc
● Less intended super armor and frontal guards
● Higher single target damage
● Able to use lower attack power (ap) allowing for easier access to dp/evasion builds

Kuno:

● Female
● 1 grapple (pre awakening)
● More super armor and frontal blocks
● More aoe damage and cc abilities
● Better self heals (not including E buff)
● Easier time farming post awakening; not necessarily a “better” farmer

2. Introduction to Kunoichi

2.1 Pre-awakening skills

This section of the guide will go through each pre-awakened skill. It will go through the
pros/cons of the skill, whether it is useful in pve/pvp (or both), how to use it (hotkey/key input),
and any other miscellaneous things about the skill. I will assume you know how the skill works
and how to use it.
● Windslash (PVE, key input)

○ This is the basic auto attack for Kuno left mouse button (lmb). It will be useful for
early-game player versus environment (pve) since it restores wp.

● Flow: Sky Stepping (PVP, key input)

○ This is the double jump for Kuno. It can be useful when trying to reach high
places. Uses might include: scaling vertical objects to place cannons, escaping
from enemies, etc.

● Ninjutsu: Block Jump (PVP, key input)

○ This skill is very important in pvp. It provides +6 ap upon use and ​switches you
to shortsword (ss) instantly​. This skill provides ​invincibility ​(i frame) while in
use and ​stiffens ​the enemy if you land near them. This can be useful to avoid
damage and/or to initiate in pvp. ​If you do not skill up D
​ oppel dummy​, and
only skill Block jump, then using block jump will automatically swap you to
shortsword as opposed to keeping chakram out. In my opinion, this is the
better option.

Example of block jump (bj) grab initiation.

 Example of bj ​shadow stomp​ initiation.

Example of bj stiffen.

● Fatal Wind (NA)

 ○ Only applies to basic attack. Not extremely useful. If you don’t have points to
spare, don’t level this.

● Target Chase (PVE/PVP, key input)

○ Useful to get to the next pack of mobs if the mobs are far away and you feel lazy.
Not extremely useful in pvp, but can come in handy occasionally. I have never
found a great use for it in pvp.

● Ghost Step (PVE/PVP, key input)

○ Extremely important skill all around. ​I frame​ during the portion of the step in
which you are invisible ; ​SA ​after you reappear towards the end of the animation.
Important to move, reposition, and avoid damage.

Ghost step used to i frame a golem stun.

● Ninja Evasion (PVP, key input)

○ Useful in situations where you do not travel far enough with ghost step to get out
of harm's way. ​DOES NOT PROVIDE AN I FRAME OR SUPER ARMOR (SA)
EXCEPT FOR THE PART OF THE ANIMATION WHERE YOU ARE IN THE
AIR. ​This move can get you killed as you can get cc’d while using it and you
cannot cancel it. However, you can control whether or not you use it by letting go
of the direction key before you use it after ghost stepping.
 ○ An example of where ninja evasion might be useful: Suppose you are in a fight
and someone is in front of you pelting you with cc. If you try to ​ghost step
backwards while facing the cc (to block it) then you won’t move very far. You
would need to ​ghost step​ a few times to gain distance, but because holding s
activates block on kuno when you take damage, you will be ​stuck in block​ and
may die. If you attempt to ​ghost step​ backwards and turn your camera to ​lunar
dash​, you ​may get cc’d​. If you ​ghost step​ into ninja evasion and then turn to
lunar dash​, you may have enough distance between you and the opponent to not
get cc’d and to make a get away.

Ghost step​ without ninja evasion (let go of the direction key (s) after the ​ghost step​).
Ghost step​ with the first part of ninja evasion (hold the direction key for a moment after ​ghost
step​).
Ghost step with the full animation of ninja evasion (hold the direction key for the full duration).

● Fatal Blow (PVE/PVP, key input, air attack)

○ Provides good filler damage when other important dps skills are on cool down.
Can be used while on cooldown (5 seconds) but stiffens the target if used while
not on cooldown.

● Kunai Stab (PVE, key input)

○ Extension of ​Fatal Blow​, can only be used with kunai equipped. Can be used
while on cooldown (7 seconds) but stiffens the target if used while not on
cooldown. Good filler damage, but too long of an animation to be useful in pvp.

● Flow: Fatal Blow Combo (PVE, key input)

○ Flow from ​Kunai stab​.

● Brace (PVE, key input)

○ Provides useful WP recovery for pve. Too risky to use in pvp, just stick with wp
pots while pvping.

● Crescent Slash (Lock skill)

 ○ I have this skill locked. May interfere with combos and does not provide much
benefit.

● Kunai Block (PVP, key input)

○ Can only be used with kunai equipped. Important skill for pvp. Quicker than
awakening block and ​nullifies damage​ until block runs out.

○ Kunai block behaves a bit strange. Holding block will lock you in place and block
incoming frontal damage and damage slightly to the sides. Kunai block does
have an S-block component, somewhat similar to awakening. If you s-walk
backwards, kunai block will automatically block the first incoming damage and
continue to block the damage if it is constant, until the block is chewed up, or until
the damage stops. If the damage starts again, then s-walk will not automatically
block the new damage. This s-walk block with kunai will “reset” if you get hard
cc’d and the properties described with s-walk will apply again. The following ​link
provides an example.

● Throwing Kick (Key input)

○ Not very useful in pve or pvp.

● Floor Sweeping (PVP, key input)

○ Provides a ​+10% down attack damage buff for 10 seconds​. Can be used to
animation cancel ​Shadow Stomp​. It is good to use floor sweeping to cancel
shadow stomp​ while using it to combo for the down attack buff.

● Flow: Kick Down (Unsure, I do not use)

○ Can be used as a swap from awakening to pre awakening, but I don't think it's
that useful overall as a quick swap.

● Kunai Throw (PVP, key input)

○ Provides a stiffness on the enemy if successfully used while airborne. This is

risky, however.

● Kunai: Evasive Throw (PVP, key input)

○ Not extremely useful, but allows you to throw kunais quicker than standing still.

● Kunai: Paralysis (PVP, key input)

○ Provides an attack/casting speed debuff to the opponent. Can be useful if you

are against a class that relies on attack speed for their damage combos, such as
another Kuno, or a Ninja.
● Shuriken Skills - ​DO NOT TAKE ANY OF THESE. KUNO USES A KUNAI AS HER
OFFHAND TO BE MOST EFFECTIVE.

● Shining Blade (Passive)

○ Attack speed is very important on Kuno; this passive is important.

● Shadow Slash (PVE/PVP, key input)

○ Provides wp recovery on hit; good for pve. Provides a ​+5% attack speed buff​ for
10 seconds when used, even if it does not damage anything. Very important to
keep this attack speed buff up during pvp, but be careful as you can get cc’d
during shadow slash.

● Smokescreen (PVP, key input)

○ One of the most important pvp skills. Provides an important ​evasion buff​ to help
mitigate damage. At max rank the buff has a down time of 4 seconds. Provides
​ tuns targets​ contacted by
super armor​ during the skill animation. S
smokescreen. Smokescreen can be used through a hotkey, but I recommend to
use it through key input as it casts much faster. It can be used with space after
many skills, but I recommend using it after ​shadow slash​, since it can be cast
very quickly so you have a lower chance to get cc’d, since the cast time is so
short.

○ Smokescreen can also be used to animation cancel ​shadow stomp​. It will also
swap from awakening to shortsword if used on hotkey with awakening active.
Smokescreen using space after a ​shadow slash​.

Smokescreen using space after ​ankle cutter​.

● Ninjutsu: Concealment (PVP, key input)

○ Important for mobility. Chains very well from ​smokescreen​ using space after
smokescreen​. D​ OES NOT HAVE SUPER ARMOR OR I FRAMES; YOU ARE
VULNERABLE. ​Used to go invisible to retreat or engage. In my opinion this pre
awakened invisibility is better suited for mobility rather than an engage.

○ Be cautious when using stealth in large scale. If a teammate walks near you and
someone throws a cc at your teammate then ​you will get cc’d​ as well.

Example of conceal used after ​smokescreen​.

● Heart Aiming (PVP, key input)

○ Used during stealth, stuns target if landed. Not extremely useful after awakening
in my opinion.

● Suicide Fall (PVP, key input)

○ Important to use in certain situations. Prolongs the ​i frame​ that grab (E) gives,
which may allow for your cooldowns to come up while you are in the i frame. Can
be chained with ​ghost step​ and g
​ host greeting​ to get out of a bad situation. Grab
 (E) will cc anyone near the target when you hit the ground. Suicide fall will
disable this cc.

○ Grab is a very important skill. It provides an i frame if you miss the grab, so it can
be used to quickly mitigate damage or dodge a cc.

Suicide fall chained with ​ghost step​ and ​ghost greeting​.

● Ankle Cutter (PVP/PVE, key input)

○ Provides a very important ​-20 dp debuff​ on enemies. This debuff is the

difference between full TET and full TRI boss gear. Easy to use in chain combos.

● Ghost Greeting (PVP, key input)

○ Very good gap closer and mobility. ​Provides i frame​ if used while off of
cooldown. Can be used during cooldown (9 seconds) but the lunge will only apply
while off of cd. ​Stiffness ​will also apply if you hit an enemy with this skill while it
is off of cd.

● Fox Claw (PVP/PVE, key input)

○ Good dps filler skill along with ​fatal blow​. Provides stiffness on good hit off of cd
but it provides ​no defensive traits ​so it is not good to use as an initiation.

● Shadow Stomp (PVP/PVE, key input)

○ Very important skill. Very good for ​mobility​. Very good as a ​float ​on a ​stiffened
target (or a non stiffened target). Can be animation canceled with ​kunai throw​,
 floor sweeping​, and ​smokescreen​. ​DOES NOT HAVE SUPER ARMOR OR I
FRAME. ​Be careful if you use this skill for mobility or initiation as you can easily
get cc’d during it.

○ Lag/Desync and terrain can cause you to not move the length of the normal
stomp animation. The distance will still be covered and things in front of you can
be floated, but you will essentially be stationary when you do the animation. This
may happen if you lag, get body blocked by another player, or attempt to stomp
up a lope or into a rock on the ground. I do not know of any way to control this.

● Ninjutsu: Shadow Clone (PVP/PVE, key input or hotkey)

○ Flow from ​shadow stomp​. D ​ own Smash. ​Provides 30 hp recovery per hit. This is
the only pre awakened skill that provides base hp recovery. Can be used with
key input (space) directly after shadow stomp, or through a hotkey for up to 6
seconds after shadow stomp. I have it bound to one of my mouse buttons, but I
use it through key input as well. 200% Pre awakened Black Spirit Skill.

Shadow clone used with space after ​shadow stomp​.

 Shadow clone used with hotkey after ​fatal blow​.

● Flash Slash (PVP/PVE, key input)

○ Good for clearing large packs of mobs before awakening. ​I frame​ throughout the
animation. ​Stiffens​ multiple targets. Not necessarily the best skill, but it can be
used somewhat effectively to surprise the enemy, or stall to pot up if need be.
100% pre awakened Black Spirit Skill.
 Flash slash 100% used to stiffen mobs and clear the pack.

● Ninjutsu: Shackles (PVP, hotkey)

○ Provides a ​-45% movement speed slow​ on the enemy. However, it does not
have any defensive traits and it has a long cast animation so it is risky to use
unless the opponent is on the ground. It may be useful against super mobile
opponents, such as maehwa/musa/dk.

● Tragic Blade (PVP?, NA)

○ Unsure, I do not use this skill.

● Ground Thrust (NA)

○ LOCK THE SKILL. ​It provides little damage, has a long animation, and has no
defensive traits.

○ If you do decide to keep it unlocked (which I don’t recommend), ​it can be useful if
you jump off a ledge : Hold S + F after double jump > Hold space to instantly
stealth when hitting the ground. Do keep in mind that you're only gonna have 15
sec of stealth when used after ground thrust.
● Tendon Cutter (PVP/PVE, hotkey)

○ A very, very important skill. It provides ​super armor​. It ​stiffens ​anyone that it
touches. It is also used for ​mobility ​and the direction of the skill can be controlled
by turning the camera while using the skill. An in depth explanation of tendon
cutter manipulation can be found ​here​.
Standard tendon cutter without moving the camera.
 Controlling the direction of tendon cutter through camera movement.

● Ninjutsu: Black moonlight (PVP/PVE, hotkey)

○ Decent damage filler. Provides ​super armor​, but only during the ​VERY
BEGINNING ​of the animation. S​ tiffens ​the opponent. Do not use if there is a
chance an opponent will throw a cc at you as you will get cc’d during this. The
animation can be canceled with ​ghost step​ if you accidentally use this at an
inopportune time. Unfortunately, the damage does not go through if the animation
is canceled.

○ Two instances where I use this skill is when the opponent is on the ground and I
have no other dps cooldowns up, or if the opponent is medium range away and
they have cc skills on cooldowns. This second instance will stiffen the opponent,
allowing you to start a combo.
 Black moonlight canceled with ghost step.

● Ninjustu: Shadow Explosion (Lock skill)

○ LOCK THE SKILL. ​It provides little damage, has a long animation, and has no
defensive traits.

● Rage Absorption (PVP/PVE, key input)

○ Flash slash 100% BSR is not useful in too many situations. This Z buff gives a
buff of +30 all AP​, which is about the equivalent of ​+8.5 AP.​ For this reason, try
to absorb the 100% buff as often as possible.

2.1.1 Farming
Farming before awakening is extremely fun and combo based as Kuno does not have much aoe
in her pre awakening kit! There is little innate sustain as well (only 30 hp per hit on ​shadow
clone​). Kuno will farm mobs that are tightly clustered better as opposed to mobs that are spread
about. An example of mobs like this are side rotations at ​Gahaz bandits​ or a side rotation at
pirates. A pre-awakening farming video example can be found ​here​. Ideally, ​Kutum​ will be the
best pve offhand. ​Estique​ will be the next best for all content besides late game dungeons, such
as pila ku, centaurs, or cadry.
 2.2 Awakening skills
This section of the guide will go through each awakened skill. It will go through the pros/cons of
the skill, whether it is useful in pve/pvp (or both), how to use it (hotkey/key input), and any other
miscellaneous things about the skill. I will assume you know how the skill works and how to use
it. Mouse movements can be used with some of the awakening skills. Examples can be found
here​.

● Lunar Veil (PVP/PVE, key input)

○ Lunar Veil (Q), or the awakening block, can be activated automatically while
walking backwards (holding S) and taking damage. It can manually be used by
pressing Q. However, if you take damage and use awakening block, you can get
stuck in it and this may cause you to inadvertently die. You can cancel this
“stickiness” with ​ghost step​.

● Crimson Eclipse (PVP/PVE, key input)

○ Extremely important self buff (E) that is used for nuking opponents. A good
scenario is to use E buff before you go invisible and engage on the enemy.
Provides a nice evasion buff, but it will be overridden by ​smokescreen​ evasion
buff if you use it while crimson is active.

● Halo (PVP/PVE, key input)

○ Used with space after most awakening attacks. Adds a bit of damage to combos,
cancels certain animations ​(such as ​spin​), and ​stuns the enemy. ​It is worth
mentioning that a stun will override a stiffness and may mess up the rest of a
combo. A full breakdown of the BDO CC system can be found in the #resources
section of the Kuno/Ninja discord, found ​here​.

● Sah Chakram training (NA)

○ Not worth investing SP into. The uppercut gives a float that may be useful in
certain situations, but it is risky as it ​does not provide any defensive traits.

○ The game will automatically max this for you as of the patch on 11/1/17 to NA. It
does not cost any SP.
 Chakram training used after Lunar Dash to float an enemy.

● Sah Spree of Sonan (NA)

○ Do not put any points into this skill at all. It provides little damage, little utility, and
has no defensive traits.

○ SPREE IS STILL A BAD SKILL AFTER THE ANIMATION SPEED

INCREASES. THE DAMAGE IS STILL LACKLUSTER AND IT DOES NOT FIT
INTO ANY COMBOS WELL. DO NOT INVEST SP INTO THIS SKILL STILL.

● Lunar Dash (PVP/PVE, key input)

○ This is a very important skill used for mobility and damage/cc. Provides slight wp
recovery on hit. Provide ​as frontal guard​ while in use. Provides a ​+10 DP buff
for 10 seconds​ when used. ​Stiffens ​the enemy on a successful hit. It is
important to note that if something is in your way when you use lunar dash, you
will collide​ and you dash will be ​stopped​.

● Half Moon Slash (PVP/PVE, key input)

○ This is an important skill for both PVP and PVE. It provides ​super armor ​on use
while the skill is off of cd (5 seconds). Provides a good filler damage to be used
during combos.

● Delighted Blast (PVE/PVP, key input)

○ Very important skill. Provides ​super armor on use​ and f​ loats the enemy​ if the
enemy is in range. If delighted travels it’s full distance, it will explode on an
 enemy and ​knock them down through block​ (this applies to all classes but
warrior). I recommend to spam this skill off of cooldown and to use this if you
need a quick super armor since the animation is quite fast. However, the super
armor lasts until the very end of the animation, so if you need a super armor, let
the skill play out.

● Lethal Spin Spree (PVP/PVE, key input)

○ To be honest, this is one of kuno’s bread and butter skills. It’s one of our ​main
dps skills​. It provides a ​super armor ​on use, ​stiffens the opponent on the
first hit, stuns the opponent on the third hit, and heals for a max of 600 hp.
Be careful when using this early on in a combo if you don’t float or knock down
the enemy after it, however, since it provides both a stiffen and a stun. This plays
into the intricacies of the BDO cc system. This is the 200% BSR rage skill, and it
is ​REALLY STRONG.​ If you guild will allow it in large scale, ask your party
members to feed you rage so you can one shot everything.

● Wheel of Wrath (PVP/PVE, key input)

○ Provides ​frontal guard ​and f​ loats​ the enemy if the uppercut lands. This is the
awakening 100% BSR. It is quite lackluster with less than 200-210 AP and only
provides ​super armor​. However, it takes a long time to cast and you can easily
get grabbed out of it. I recommend to only use it when the enemy is cc’d. I
generally tend to absorb rage rather than use wheel 100%. Be weary of your
BSR meter, as you may use this by accident and it can get you killed.

○ Wheel of wrath was buffed and has a much faster animation now.
Extremely good improvement; allows for more flexibility. However, this
means it has a shorter frontal block, adjust accordingly.

● Danse Macabre (PVP/PVE, key input)

○ Very good DPS skill. The tooltip says i frame at beginning of animation and super
armor during the attack, but this is sketchy. You may get cc’d at any point of the
animation, which is why I recommend to only use it when the opponent is on the
ground. It does ​bound ​the target on a successful hit and provides a ​-20%
movement and attack speed debuff​ on the enemy, which give you a nice
advantage. This skill can be used effectively from stealth, but be careful so you
do not danse into any cc.
 Danse initiation from stealth.

● Flow: Chakram Rise (PVE/PVP, key input)

○ Decent flow. Provides a ​frontal block, h​ as a chance to ​float the enemy​, and
provides a ​+10 ap buff​ when used. It is an okay filler skill, but has a somewhat
long animation, so be careful if you use it for damage while the opponent is not
cc’d.

● Shadow Cloak (PVP, NA)

○ Level this skill up but keep the pre-awakened concealment on the hotbar. Doing
this will allow you to go into invisibility with either shortsword or chakram out only
using the pre-awakened concealment skill.

● Flow: Block Jump (NA)

○ Taking this will keep chakram out when you use block jump. It gives a ​+12 ap
buff​ and applies the same ​stiffness​ to an opponent if you land near them.
However, I do not recommend to take this as block jump swapping you to
shortsword is more useful.

● Lunatic Discus (PVP/PVE, key input)

○ Provides good damage, gives a ​frontal guard​, and ​knocks the enemy back.
Even though this skill gives a frontal guard, the area of the guard is very small
and the cast animation is somewhat long, especially if you have few attack speed
 buffs up. For this reason, it is easy to get cc’d while using the skill, and I do not
recommend to use it in large scale if there is a chance you will get cc’d. Similarly,
I recommend to use it when the opponent is on the ground or if the opponent has
no mobility skills up in duels.

● Chain Crash: Sah Chakram (PVE/PVP, key input)

○ Again, this is one of Kuno’s bread and butter skills. Provides ​massive aoe stun
and decent damage. ​It also provides a ​super armor​ during the entire animation.
This is a very good opener from stealth.

● Flow: Wrath (PVE?, key input)

○ Personally I do not use this skill. I do not keep it locked in case I feel I need it, but
I do not use it regularly. It provides a ​float on successful hit​ and provides ​super
armor​ during the skill. It is important to note that the range of the float is very
long. An example of the range of wrath can be found ​here​.

● Flow: Indignation (PVP/PVE, key input)

○ Very good flow. Has a quick cast animation, provides a ​frontal guard​ and
knocks the enemy back.​ It is generally good to use after every wheel of wrath
as it extends the frontal guard and provides another opportunity to cc the enemy.
The range on the cc is fairly long as well.

2.2.1 Farming
Farming post awakening is drastically quicker and more convenient than pre awakening. You
have enough sustain to relinquish the use of pots. However, you will still want to swap between
pre awakening and awakening if your ap is not high enough to kill the mobs you are farming in
1-2 awakening skills. An example of this can be found ​here​, ​here​, and ​here​. Ideally, ​Kutum​ will
be the best pve offhand. Estique will be the next best for all content besides late game
dungeons, such as pila ku, centaurs, or cadry.

2.3 Rabam’s Enlightenment & Jin (absolute) skills

2.3.1 JIN Skills

To max all of the JIN skills, you will need ​519 SP​. To max the bare-minimum, important JIN
skills, it is (1) ​145 SP​. To max the bare-minimum and the semi-important skills, it is (2) ​259 SP​.

(1) Fatal Blow​ (27 SP) + ​Floor Sweeping​ (15 SP) + ​Fox Claw​ (15 SP) + ​Shadow Stomp​ (28
SP) + ​Shadow Clone​ (25 SP) + ​Tendon Cutter​ (35 SP) ​==​ ​145 SP.
 (2) Fatal Blow​ (27 SP) + ​Floor Sweeping​ (15 SP) + ​Heart Aiming​ (22 SP) + ​Suicide Fall​ (20
SP) + ​Ankle Cutter​ (25 SP) + ​Ghost Greeting​ (20 SP) + ​Fox Claw​ (15 SP) + ​Shadow
Stomp​ (28 SP) + ​Shadow Clone​ (25 SP) + ​Tendon Cutter​ (35 SP) + ​Black Moonlight​ (27
SP) ​== 259 SP.

Most of the JIN upgrades added more damage to the respective skill. However, there were a
few other changes to certain skills that I will list below.

1. Another “hit” was added to ​Suicide Fall​. This only applies to the damage portion of the
skill and does not add another chance for the grab to land.

2. Ghost Greeting​ provides a 5% attack speed buff when it hits an enemy off of cooldown.
This buff does not stack with the 5% ​Shadow Slash​ attack speed buff.

3. Flash Slash​ got an animation speed increase, although it is not a large one and it seems
to not apply to the windup.

4. Tendon Cutter​ got an animation speed increase. Very noticable.

5. Shadow Explosion​ got a super armor. The super armor does not appear to be active
during the windup.

2.3.2 Rabam’s Skills

Each of the level 56 rabam’s skills are beneficial and present high potential use in different
scenarios. I think each one is playstyle dependent, however. In my opinion, the oni skill will
benefit those who are less mobile and patient, since it offers more mobility in stealth. If you are
a player who constantly utilizes all mobility and hardly enters stealth, then it might not be a good
option. Sinew has its own benefits as it flows better into standard movement and provides utility
outside of mobility as well. ​More testing needed, update TBD.

Level 56:

Level 57:

2.4 Skill builds

Some skill builds can be found through these links (taken from the #resources section of the
Kuno/ninja discord, located ​here​):
Level 50, 267 SP​, ​Level 56, 446 SP​, ​Level 57, 505 SP​, ​Level 58, 669 SP​, ​Level 59, 779 SP​,
Level 60, 1025 SP​, ​Level 60 flushed out, 1373 SP​, ​Level 61+ (should suit you for
end-game pvp), 1678 SP
Importance of skills (relevant when you have low skill points- jin skills are an extension
of the pre-awakened skills’ importance.): ​http://imgur.com/a/ByVnX
Green ​ - Must have.
Yellow ​- Luxury (When you have skill points to spare).
Red ​ - Do not put points into the skill.
Extra notes: Complete order - Awakening > Pre-awakening green > Yellow (Don't put points into
red).

2.5 Skill addons

Skill addons are specific to each skill and allow each skill to give you some benefit. You get 3
pre awakening addons, and 3 awakening addons (at levels 56, 58, and 60). Addons ​only apply
if the skill hits an enemy.​ For example, if I have an addon for ankle cutter, the addon will only
apply when ankle cutter hits an enemy. If you have multiple addons, the highest value will take
precedence. For example, if I have attack speed addon (+10%) for ​shadow stomp​ and attack
speed addon for ​ankle cutter​ (+7%) and I use stomp then ankle cutter, only the stomp addon will
apply and the ankle cutter addon will not reset the attack speed buff. If I use ankle cutter and
then stomp, the +7% buff will apply and then be reset by the +10% buff.

Skill addons should be tailored to your style of play. If you are still in the early phases of the
game where you ​pve often​ and rarely pvp, then take addons that will cater to quicker pve.
Some examples of this would be the ​hp on hit addons​ for ​shadow slash​, ​attack speed
addons​, and the ​+20 monster damage​ ​half moon slash​ addon. Addons can be changed at a
later date, repeatedly, for one ​memory fragment​ per skill. It is important to note that with
damage over time (DoT) addons that two addons of the same effect (i.e. poison and poison) will
not stack. Some examples of addons are below.
This is an example of my skill addons. I prefer to always have attack speed buffs up, and I
prefer to have evasion and defensive addons as I do not have the highest DP. I do not have ​half
moon slash​ as I am level 61 and do not feel the need for the monster damage anymore. The
critical hit rate from ​ankle cutter​ and ​chain crash​ make up for my lack of crit (I run +4 crit with
Margoria Meal).
This is Paiz’s addons. Paiz takes more of a damage over time (DoT) approach along with his
attack speed approach. A build like this will almost nullify pots for a while.

2.6 Basic skill combos and animation cancels

The goal of a combo is to initiate with some sort of cc (generally a stiffen or stun) and to chain
that cc into other ccs. A generally “perfect” combo will look something like
stiffen->stun->float->grab, stun->stiffen->stun->float->grab, stun->float->grab, or
stiffen->float->grab with some filler damage in between each stage of cc, where
allowable​. There are multiple ways to execute a combo like this with Kuno. It is important to
note that the chance of a cc succeeding ​may​ ​go down the longer the cc chain is (I am not sure if
this is entirely true, and it is just speculation. I do not know if it has ever been tested thoroughly).

First I will list some animation cancels. Second I will list some basic combos. ​The purpose of
this section is not to list every combo that Kuno can execute. Rather, it is to get you to
think about what ccs chain well together, and to think about which skills work in tandem
throughout a combo.

● Shadow Stomp

Shadow stomp​ is a very important tool at all stages of pvp. Get used to its timing, get
comfortable with using it from ​kunai throw​ and ​floor sweeping​ (​smokescreen​ if you want as
well).

○ Kunai throw cancel

This is generally the safest, most reliable method of ​stomp​ animation cancel. You should rely on
this for most situations, as debuffs such as attack speed and movespeed slows won’t affect you
too much, and it is generally the quickest cancel. However, you should get comfortable with all
three cancels.

○ Floor sweep cancel

Floor sweeping cancel for ​stomp ​is a little less reliable than kunai throw. You are highly affected
by attack speed debuffs. However, ​floor sweeping​ gives a +10% down attack damage buff, so it
is good to have this cancel in your kit.

○ Smokescreen cancel
The margin of error for this cancel is pretty high, and ​smokescreen​ is useful in many other
situations, so don’t get too used to using this cancel. It is mostly for style, anyway ;).

2.6.1 Building a combo

Example 1

This combo will contain 2 parts (since the gifs are only so long). The full combo will be a
stiffen->float->grab->damage.
Tendon​ (stiffen) into ​Stomp​ (float) followed by some filler damage using ​fatal blow​ and a grab.
Grab into a “safe” damage combo. ​Lunar dash​ gives a frontal guard and ​half moon slash​ gives a
super armor (off of cooldown). This is generally the best damage option after a grab if you need
to nullify damage while you combo.
 This is another variation of damage after the grab. ​Ankle cutter​ is used to apply the -20 dp
debuff to the opponent and to give me a 7% attack speed buff (which may come in handy since
the ​shadow stomp​ buff only lasts 5 seconds). ​Danse​ is used for damage and to apply a -20%
move and attack speed debuff to the opponent. ​Spin​ is used for damage. This combo has little
protection, so be weary of using it in large scale, or when there is a chance you will be cc’d in
general.

Example 2

Again, this combo will contain two parts. The full combo will be a
stun->stiffen->stun->float->grab->damage.
 In the beginning of this combo, I open with ​chain crash​ (stun) into ​spin​ (stiffen->stun) followed
by ​delighted blast​ (float). From here, I will have followed one of the two gifs starting with a grab,
from above, depending on the situation.

Example 3

This combo can contain 1 or 2 parts. The full combo will be : float -> damage or float -> damage
-> grab -> damage. ​This combo is usable after the patch implemented to NA, on 8/30/17.
 This combo should be preceded by a stun or stiffness (maybe using ​spin​ or ​chain crash​, for
example. ​Delighted​ is then used (for a float) followed by ​Wheel of wrath​ and ​Flow: Indignation​ (if
you are level 60). After this, if the target is low health and ​spin​ is up, finish the target off with
that. If not, swap to shortsword to grab, and then finish the combo using one of the two endings
in Example 1.

2.7 Gear and builds

Kuno has very low damage multipliers and relatively low accuracy on the majority of her skills.
She has high base crit on most skills. She is also a combo based class and relies on doing
damage as quickly as possible. Keep this in mind as you gear up. For these reasons, you
should focus on attack speed and attack power (ap). Preferably you want to get each piece of
gear to TRI as early as you can, but go at your own pace! Do not feel rushed, and do not feel
that you must pvp early on. I recommend at least level 58 with a gear score (gs) of 450+ to pvp
seriously.

2.7.1 Early-game build

For early game, you should prioritize ap over dp since it will make farming easier and mobs
won’t hit all that hard. My recommendations for the main slots are as follows:

Mainhand (best to worst - for early game) : ​Rosar ​> ​Krea ​> ​Yuria
Awakening Weapon (best to worst - for early game) : ​Sonan ​>​ ​Oeki’s >
​ ​Dande
Kunai Offhand (best to worst) : ​Estique ​> ​Quitar
Chest (best to worst) : ​Roaring Magical Armor​ *Obtained through quests > ​Heve​ > ​Grunil
Remaining armor slots (best to worst) : ​Heve ​> ​Taritas ​> ​Grunil
Accessories : ​Focus on AP accessories. Accuracy is not important in early game, especially in
pve. For example, shultz ​belt​/​neck​ will perform better in early game pve than the ​ancient set​, at
a fraction of the cost. ​Red coral rings​, and ​blue coral earrings​ are also good for early game.
New items added into the game (Asula’s ​belt​, ​necklace​, ​earrings​, and ​rings​) are very good for
beginning players. They drop throughout the Mediah region, and they cannot be enhanced or
sold. ​Grana quest earrings​ are a good alternative to red coral earrings. One earring can be
obtained per character for completing the Kamasylve 2 quest line.

The main things that will help you clear faster are higher levels, more ap, and learning how to
use your skills properly. You will want to get to level 57/58 or so with this gear and then worry
about starting to get your bheg’s gloves and kzarka. A solid early game build used to farm up to
level 57 or 58 will look like ​this​, where asula accessories can and should be used when you
acquire them, like ​this​ build.

2.7.2 Mid-game build

Mid game builds still have very little flexibility, since you will eventually want to get up to level 60
with soft cap gear to put Kuno’s kit to its fullest potential. At this stage, you will want to start
transitioning to boss gear, with bhegs and kzarka as your (hopeful) first purchases. Your best
bet is to bid on all boss gear though, as it is not the easiest to get. A good example of a
mid-game build is something along the lines of ​this​. You will be able to start to compete in Tier 1
and 2 node wars. Personally, I run +2 movement speed in my pearl outfit and use ​Margoria
Seafood Meal​, so I have +4 movement speed in combat. This is why the gem setup is the way it
is.

2.7.3 Late-game builds

You should be level 60, or approaching it at this point. This is where you start to get some
flexibility in your gear as you will have the ap from accessories to support different offhands and
vice versa. ​The only mandatory accessories late game is one TRI/TET red coral earring.
Everything else is optional and up to you, but you will want to try to keep at least 200+ ap with
whatever build you decide. Personally, I run +2 movement speed in my pearl outfit and use
Margoria Seafood Meal​, so I have +4 movement speed in combat. This is why my gem setup is
the way it is. At this point, you will want to carry around the following Kunai offhands, no matter
which build you plan to go: ​Estique​/​Nouver​, ​Quitar​, ​Kutum​, ​Tadd​. Each has a purpose, and
some are better in certain builds than others. The chest slot and boot slots are flexible. Some
people prefer to use ​evasion gems​ in their chest over the ​cob gems​. However, JIN crystals are
what you want to shoot for. They can be extremely expensive to make. Some example builds
are below:
Standard Soft Cap Gear: ​Full AP​ ; ​More Accuracy​ ; ​Most Accuracy​ ; ​Hybrid​. ​The amount of
accuracy needed varies by opponent, but for the most part a quitar and/or 1x red coral earrings
will suffice. ​It is important to note that ​Urugon’s Shoes​ are much more effective than
Muskan’s in all builds except for full evasion​. ​Griffon’s Helmet​ vs. Giath’s Helmet is not
conclusive as to which is better. The extra DR from Griffon’s seems to be on par with the extra
100 HP from Giath’s. Heve or Rocaba helmet will fit better in a full evasion build.

Hybrid Gear: ​More Damage​ ; ​More Tank​. ​Your killing power will be fine with either of these
builds as long as you manage your E buff and Z buff well.

Tank Gear: ​More Damage​ ; ​Memevasion #1​ ; ​Memevasion #2​ ; ​Memevasion #3​. ​Your killing
power is vastly decreased with any build besides the “More Damage” build in this tier (Z/E buff
management still important for the “more damage” build). Rocaba ​gloves​ and ​helm​ are only
viable if you support them with an array of dp/eva accessories. There is no point in gimping your
damage while not going full survival mode.

Consider using ​elixir of shock​, along with ​margoria meal​, to cap out crit. The remaining JIN,
BON, and WON crystals are luxury and do not provide as much as the ​JIN: Viper​, but they are
still best in slot.

2.7.4 Other stats

Attack speed is the most important stat on kuno. Try to max attack speed with your gear and
crystals. Crit and movement speed are nice, but they are not necessary, especially after level
60, when many of your skills’ crit rates are already quite high. It is important to eat food as well,
to grow your health level, as this will also grow your wp pool. At level 30 hp, you gain 300 total
wp. ​Full-Bodied Exotic Herbal Wine​ is a good food to level up health as it is cheap and blue
grade.

3. Kuno gameplay after getting comfortable with the

basics

3.1 Movement and weapon swapping (important)

Movement and weapon swapping are the bread and butter of Kuno gameplay. They are what
make Kuno gameplay smooth and effective.

Weapon Swapping

The most basic weapon swap is defaulted to the ​C​ key. This is the key that I use to weapon
swap (my keybind), and it is the most used weapon swap for me, personally. No matter which
swap you use (unless its an auto swap triggered by a skill), you will always have a ​forward
guard ​during the swap. It is important to get comfortable with swapping to and from awakening
and shortsword using basic swap and other swaps. Doing so will allow you to have a frontal
guard on call, allow you to be more mobile and flexible, and allow you to have a
grab/shortsword skills or awakening skills on call at all times.

● Basic swaps

○ Swapping to awakening from short sword with the c key can only be done in two
ways (animations), w/a/d+c, and s+c. Both of these swaps are quick, with s+c as
a more defensive swap, and w/a/d+c as a more offensive swap. ​It is important
to note that if you only hit c and do not do a quick swap, you will be locked
into a long weapon swap animation.

Example of s+c swap to awakening.

Example of w+c swap to awakening.
Example of a slow C swap, where you are stuck in the animation. ​This will get you killed in
most situations.

● Swapping to shortsword from awakening through basic swap is similar, except

that you can use the w/a/d (for different animations), and s keys, not just the w,
and s.
Example of s+c swap to shortsword.
Example of w+c swap to shortsword.
 Example of a+c and then d+c swaps to shortsword.

● Some skills can be “animation canceled” using swap. Moreso, it is just that some skills
lend themselves very well to weapon swapping. This can be particularly useful if you
need to swap quickly to grab someone during a combo chain. I will show some examples
below.
Shadow stomp​ into a quick swap.
Delighted blast​ into a quick swap. Particularly useful after a float to do some filler damage into a
grab.
Wheel of wrath​ into a quick swap. Same concept as ​Delighted blast​, although at level 60, the
Flow: Indignation​ is quite good, and the quick swap will mimic the quick swap using s+c from
awakened to shortsword.

● Some skills will automatically swap you to the other weapon. This can be useful in some
situations where a quick swap will not work with the skill you used/will need.
Lunar dash​ used to automatically swap to awakening.
Tendon cutter​ used to automatically swap to shortsword.
 Block jump​ used to automatically swap to shortsword.

Movement

Movement is another very important aspect of Kuno gameplay. Kuno does not have the best
linear movement over long distances, but rather has good bursts of movement. For this reason,
it is important to practice and master every aspect of movement, along with combos.

Ghost step​, ​Ghost greeting​, ​Smokescreen​ (for ​Concealment​), ​Shadow stomp​, ​Tendon cutter​,
and ​Block jump​ are all important pre awakened movement and mobility abilities. The awakening
kit is less effective for movement, with ​Lunar dash​ as the main mobility element. However, be
careful when using ​Lunar dash​, as you will collide with things in front of you and your movement
will be stopped, likely leading to death. Chaining these mobility abilities with weapon swaps will
be the most effective way to move around. Similar to the basic combos section, I will show
individual pieces of movement here, and then I will show what a full movement combo may look
like. ​It is important to note that during most of these mobility abilities you are not
protected with super armor or i frames. You must be careful when using them for
mobility.
A simple ​ghost step​ into ​ghost greeting​. Be careful to let go of shift after the greeting as you
may use ​ankle cutter​ by accident.
Ghost step​ -> ​ghost greeting​ -> ​shadow slash​ -> ​smoke​ -> ​conceal​ -> ​ghost step​.
 Putting it all together. Video example with voice over explanation can be found ​here​ (thanks
Azuline).

How do you make practical use of this? It is unlikely that you will be allowed to use a full mobility
combo like this in combat (especially larger scale), unless you are chasing one person. Instead,
you need to learn to use the bits and pieces separately. You need to figure out when they work,
when they don’t, and how to use them most effectively. Below I will post an example gif of
mobility in action.
 This is a combination of skills to survive a sticky situation. I use ​spin​ for the super armor,
followed by ​block jump​ into a grab and ​suicide fall​ to extend the i frame. From the grab I ​ghost
step​ before I hit the ground, into a ​ghost greeting​, followed by a ​shadow slash​, another ​ghost
step​ and then ​shadow stomp​ to gain even more distance from the skirmish, into a quick swap to
awakening (s+c for the more defensive stance).

3.2 Damage combos

This section will go over some full damage combos, and when to ‘theoretically’ use them.
Unfortunately, since GIFs cannot be very long, I won’t have any specific moving examples here,
but there will be many examples in the gameplay that I will link below, throughout the rest of
section 3, and in section 4. Of course, any variation of these combos is possible if the situation
calls for it. These are intended to be “full damage” combos. A wider variety of combos can be
found ​here​ (note, be careful with some combos since ​halo​ ​stuns ​the target now instead of
stiffens​). ​Similar to section 2.6, this section will list some potential highest damaging
combos, but it will not list all of them. It is to get you to think about how to build a
damaging combo.

Grab combos
Combo 1: ​tendon​/​moonlight​ (stiffen) -> ​stomp​/​clone​ (float) -> ​fatal​/​fox claw​ (filler damage)
-> grab -> ​ankle​ -> ​danse​ -> ​spin​. Probably the highest damage combo on Kuno. Keep this
combo out of large scale unless there is no one else around, since you have a high likelihood of
being cc’d at any point other than the grab and tendon.

Combo 2: ​tendon​/​moonlight​ (stiffen) -> ​stomp​/​clone​ (float) -> ​fatal​/​fox claw​ (filler damage)
-> grab-> ​lunar​ -> ​spin​. Good in 1v1s, better in large scale than combo 1 because of the frontal
on lunar, but still not the safest for large scale.

Combo 3: ​chain crash​ (stun) -> ​spin​ (stiffen into stun) -> ​delighted​/​wheel​ (float) -> w+c
swap -> grab -> end of combo 1 or combo 2​. Safer than both combos 1 and 2 up until the
point after grab.

Non-grab combos

Combo 4: ​tendon​/​moonlight​ (stiffen) -> ​stomp​/​clone​ (float) -> s+c swap -> ​discus​. ​Not as
high of a damage combo, but no grab is needed and it is a bit safer than the others all the way
through.

Combo 5: ​chain crash​ (stun) -> ​spin​ (stiffen into stun) -> ​delighted​/​wheel​ (float) -> ​block
jump​ -> get out. ​Good for large scale situations where you go in to cc a group of people.
Staying too long will generally get you killed, so be careful with the delighted/wheel, and you
may have to block jump out after the spin. If you do use delighted or wheel, use delighted if you
need a SA (if there is a lot going on around you), and use wheel if you can manage a frontal
guard.

There are certainly more combos and variations of combos, but again, this is just to get you to
think about how certain ​skills can be used​ and in ​what order​. It is also to get you think about
the kind of combos that can be used in large scale and the kind that can not.

3.3 Survivability
Survivability is the most important factor in pvp as you will be able to do more alive than dead.
Thankfully, Kuno has very good innate survivability, hindered mostly by her lack of movement
over long distances, and grabs from other players. Her kit lends itself well to do damage and cc
while being protected, at least to an extent. Kuno is very good at getting in and getting out.
Oddly enough, I tend to use stealth more as an engage tool than an escape/survival tool. Just
remember, survival is most important, and you cannot do your job if you are dead. For this
reason, it is unwise to be greedy when opening up on a group in large scale, as you will likely
get grabbed (even if you are in i frame/frontal/sa for the full combo) and die. It is okay to
disengage even if you are close to killing someone but you do not kill them.
 In this situation I got greedy. I should have ​block jumped​ to get out after ​wheel of wrath​.

However, this is not to say that you can never complete a combo on a group of people. You just
have to assess the situation and use that to determine if you should stop your combo. Below I
will show a gif of a situation where I finish a full combo on a group of people because the
situation was safe.

Here, I was able to assess the situation and I knew that no one was to either side of me or
behind me. I was able to finish cleaning up the group of people.
 3.4 Large-scale gameplay
At this point, you should have the tools needed to both survive in large scale, and kill people in
large scale. So, what next? Killing isn’t the only factor in large scale pvp, although it is important
(and fun). Below, I will go over a few different positions that a Kuno can fulfill in large scale
gameplay, along with my experience and tips (limited for some aspects).

3.4.1 Cannon teams

My experience with cannon team is limited; the extent of it is hunting cannons. However, I can
say that Kuno is very good at taking out cannons. The mixture of her cc, aoe, and defensive
traits (sa/frontals) make her a strong candidate to take out cannons and their defenders without
dying. A good example of this can be found ​here​. Kuno is also good at reaching places that
most other classes can’t, in order to place a cannon for her to man, or for a teammate to man.
She does this through her double jump. You can also utilize a triple jump if you jump (space),
double jump (space), and hit E (triple jump).

Example of triple jump.

 3.4.2 Disruption
Another important function of Kuno in large scale is her ability to disrupt base building very well.
Through stealth, aoe, cc, and her sa/frontals, she can disrupt very well, and generally live
afterwards. If you chain your defensive skills well, you should not get cc’d unless you get
grabbed. A ​VERY ​good skill for disruption is ​delighted blast​. This is because delighted will
interrupt (knock down) an enemy, from a distance, who is building when the blast explodes on
them.

Example of base disruption in a node war using ​discus​ to stop one side of repairs and ​spin​ to
stop the other. I use ​block jump​ followed by ​Lunar​ to get out afterwards.

3.4.3 Slayer
Slaying in wars is probably the most fun part of large scale, at least in my opinion. Once you get
comfortable with the concepts in this guide (and once you get the gear), you should have no
problem slaying people. Stealth, and the rest of the kit allows Kuno to kill effectively and safely
once you have around 200+ ap, if you manage your Z and E buffs well. It is hard to explain how
to play a slayer role a large scale battle, as these battles usually revolve around what your
guild’s strategy is for a specific war, the gear of the enemies, the makeup of the enemy guilds,
etc. I will provide a good amount of large scale gameplay in section 4.

3.5 Small-scale gameplay

Small-scale gameplay is very similar to large-scale gameplay. Generally this will involve small
node wars, guild v guilds (gvgs), and small skirmishes over grind spots. This generally works out
in Kuno’s favor, as you have fewer opponents to worry about. The effectiveness of Kuno in
small-scale (and large-scale) is highly dependent on whether or not the enemies have a
berserker (or more than one) with them. If they do, be careful to avoid the zerker unless you
need to save a teammate who is grabbed by one. If a zerker grabs you, you will die. Use the
tools and concepts provided throughout the guide to inform your small-scale gameplay.

3.6 Dueling

3.6.1 General tips

Dueling is one of the most fun aspects of the game for me. Some classes are easier to duel as
Kuno than others. Regardless, Kuno can compete and defeat any class in the game in a 1v1.
Generally, you will want to maintain a defensive playstyle against many classes in a 1v1 (i’ll list
which ones are good to aggress on below, in section 3.6.2). It is important to keep constant
movement, keep track of specific cooldowns of the enemy, and recognize windows when you
are able to capitalize and engage. The biggest mistake I see Kuno players make in duels is that
they try to spam their skills without any rhyme or reason. A general tip to get better at dueling is
to fight another highly-skilled Kuno or Ninja and have them coach you through what you are
doing wrong. ​Block jump​ is an extremely important move and you should learn to time it well.

The most important thing to remember is that no one is magically gifted at dueling. It takes
practice against each class, and lots of it.

3.6.2 Class-specific tips

Some class-specific dueling tips. I have limited experience dueling some classes, so there may
not be too many tips due to this. There is no one set way to kill any specific class in a duel (or in
a 1v1 engagement within a war, etc). Instead, you must be adaptable, and play to the strengths
and weaknesses of the specific opponent (these are easier to gauge after a few duels with an
opponent). Some ​general​ ​tips and guidelines for fighting each class are provided below. I will
assume you have basic knowledge of each class.

3.6.2.1 Warrior
● A ​kutum​ will help against warrior due to the ignore resistance (kutum will generally be
good against classes that stack resistances, especially grab resist.).

● The main thing with warrior is that he gets a lot of free stats with his kit. Plain and simply,
if you do not have the ap and accuracy (mainly ap) necessary to kill a warrior, then you
won’t be able to.

● Always keep constant movement; you can play aggressively against warriors. Warriors
are pretty predictable and a lot of their moves are linear. Be careful of the solar flare and
slashing the dead initiations. Using a cc move, such as ​spin​ or ​chain crash​, is good
 when a warrior engages with solar flare or slashing the dead, as solar has no super
armor, and slashing the dead only has super armor until the smash lands. This is a good
time to cc them.

● Sometimes baiting our their grave digging with a ​block jump​ will work and then you can
teleport behind them at the tail end of the grave digging for the grab. Be careful not to
teleport too quickly, as the tail end of grave digging can hit you and you may get
knocked down, or the movespeed and attack speed debuffs may be applied to you.

3.6.2.2 Ranger
● Ranger is a somewhat easy matchup for kuno; play aggressively. Utilize your pre
awakening block if they play defensively. Be weary of their grab. They have very little
super armor and rely on frontal guards. ​Tendon cutter​ will get around this guard if you
can use it through the ranger.

● If you can get comfortable with movement and you can use it to reach a ranger, then this
matchup will be okay.

3.6.2.3 Sorceress
● Sorceress is a tough matchup for Kuno if the sorc knows how to chain her i frames well.
If this is the case, your best bet is to try to catch the sorc in a cc, such as ​Tendon cutter​,
chain crash​, or ​spin​, while they are moving around as you may catch them in between i
frames.

● Block jump​ is a good method to get out of a sorc ultimate (ball). It is also a good method
to stiffen the sorc as she violates towards you. A good sorc will never use violation
unless the opponent is cc’d, or the frontal guard will mitigate any damage or cc,
however.

● If a sorc uses Nightmare, try to guess where she will reappear and use ​spin​ on that spot.

3.6.2.4 Berserker
● Zerker is a tough matchup. Try to keep constant movement and play defensively. Be
careful of the zerker grab range, as it is quite long. A good zerker will chain sa up to you
and grab you through your own sa. You will have to try to catch the zerker in multiple
combos while keeping your distance when your moves are on cooldown in order to kill
(unless you can one combo the zerker).

● Two of berserker's heals aren't full sa (fearsome tyrant only at the start and Wrath of
Beast only has FG) so these 2 heals can be easily interrupted with CC abilities. Beast
Roar is a full SA on the other hand so you would need to get into melee range to grab.
When a berserker retreats to heal, that's the best time to aggress on him, if you know
which heal they're using you can potentially interrupt it and finish them off before they
 have a chance to heal up, so use this as an opportunity. However, if he is able to get
some gap on you, be careful that he doesn’t throw a cc at you while you are chasing
him.

● Discus​ is a good move to use while a zerker uses Devastation, as you frontal guard the
debuffs and damage and you damage the zerker at the same time.

3.6.2.5 Tamer
● I have limited experience fighting tamer, but what I do know is that ​block jump​ is your
friend in this matchup. Try to imagine what the tamer will do next and play aggressively
when the tamer’s pole vault is on cooldown. She has no protection at the tail end of pole
vault, so this is a good time to throw a ​chain crash​ down, or to ​spin​, where she will land.

● If you manage to catch the tamer in a cc, try to use a combo of moves that provide
chained super armor to avoid getting cc’d by Heilang. If you use a frontal guard (maybe
a ​Lunar​) then try to make sure Heilang will not hit you from behind, or from the side.

3.6.2.6 Musa
● Musa and Maehwa are a somewhat similar matchup. Keep constant movement and ​play
defensively.​ You will ​not ​catch a maehwa or musa.

● If the musa goes in for damage or a cc, use a defensive ability with a cc, such as ​spin​, or
chain crash​. This matchup becomes much easier when you have better stats, as you will
win the damage trade, even if you do not cc the musa.

● Grab is your friend in this matchup.

3.6.2.7 Maehwa
● Similar to fighting a musa, but Maehwa has more defensive traits on her attacks, so you
have to play even more defensively.

● Do not let the maehwa get behind your frontal guard.

● Grab is your friend in this matchup.

3.6.2.8 Valkyrie
● Constant movement, play aggressively. Valk is somewhat predictable, like Warrior. If the
valk is camping block, rush her and make her stop her block. You are then free to cc or
block jump​ initiate.

● If the valk casts a ranged move, such as Verdict, she can not move during the cast, so
bait it out with ​block jump​. If the telegraphs a charge up move, use ​kunai block​ to
mitigate the damage and grab the valk right after. You can also grab the valk out of her
spells as she is charging them up.
 3.6.2.9 Witch
● Witch and Wizard are a somewhat similar matchup, although Wizard is a bit tougher in
my opinion because of the grab. Gauge how the Witch is playing. If aggressively, then
wait for the teleport and engage with a super armor skill that has cc (such as ​tendon
cutter​), or a ​block jump​.

● If the Witch is playing defensively, attempt to approach using super armor skills, such as
tendon cutter​. Don’t be afraid to keep your distance if needed.

● Always be careful of Protected Area. If a Witch casts it, kite around and make her chase
you until it’s out.

3.6.2.10 Wizard
● Similar to fighting a Witch. Most Wizards will play aggressively, which leaves them open
to a ​block jump​ initiation. Since many of Wizard’s skills have sa or frontal, be careful of
initiating from the front.

● Be careful of the wizard's grab. Generally, do not try to win a super armor trade against a
wizard. You will likely lose the trade.

3.6.2.11 Ninja
● One of Kuno’s harder matchups. Constant movement is important, but you can’t spam
random abilities.You need to keep track of the ninja’s ​block jump​ cooldown; ​DO NOT
use ​chain crash​ or ​discus​ while the ninja’s ​block jump​ is off of cooldown, you will die.

● If the ninja’s ​block jump​ is on cooldown, play aggressively (dash at the ninja and throw a
chain crash​ out, for example).

● Kuno has more super armor than ninja, so abuse it. The only way a ninja should catch
you in a combo is if they somehow manage to grab you. ​Note​: Ninja can abuse
Murderous Intent’s super armor. If a ninja is doing this (he will have a sword-sheathing
animation but he will be in super armor until the sword is fully in the sheath, which takes
a few seconds) then try to grab him. This may be a bait though, so be careful.

3.6.2.12 Kunoichi
● Similar to fighting a ninja. You need to keep track of the Kuno’s ​block jump​ cooldown;
DO NOT​ use ​chain crash​ or ​discus​ while the Kuno’s ​block jump​ is off of cooldown, you
will die.

● If the kuno’s ​block jump​ is on cooldown, play aggressively (dash at the kuno and throw a
chain crash​ out, for example).
● Kuno v. Kuno is essentially a super armor and damage trade battle (unless you can
cleanly catch her). So be careful if you have low dp, as you will lose the trade. Lose
multiple trades before you can heal up, and you die. Be careful of grab.

3.6.2.13 Dark Knight

● The main advice I can give in this matchup is to keep shortsword out and use pre awk
block (like a fight against a ranger). Move around until the DK uses a cc or damage
ability in awakening since this makes her stationary. ​Block jump​ behind her at this point
and try to start a combo. Be careful of Spirit Hunt, as it gives the DK a super armor
initiation. If you can get behind the DK, you can win.

● The objective of this fight is to get behind the DK. Use the tips in the mobility section to
do so. If you can get behind the DK, throw out a cc.

3.6.2.14 Striker
● Striker is another hard matchup. Thankfully, most of his initiations are predictable. Keep
constant movement and play aggressively if the striker is camping his S block. They
have some holes in their kit where they don’t have super armor, so play it similarly to
fighting a sorc.

● If the striker uses Ferocious Assault towards you, this is a good time to throw out a ​chain
crash​ where he will land, as he is cc’able when he lands.

● Be careful of block jumping behind a Striker (especially if he uses a move that summons
Echo Spirit), as the clones can cc you, similar to Tamer’s Heilang.

3.6.2.15 Mystic
● Somewhat similar to striker. Mystic has lower damage but more utility. Be careful of her
spiral cannon. It ignores frontal blocks and some super armors (ghost step). Watch out
for her move speed/attack speed slows.

● Wolf’s Frenzy is an extremely strong skill. It provides an I frame to the mystic and will
track you in any SA or I frame that you do and will likely cc you out of it. It can also stun if
they mystic mouses it behind your frontal. This move will also unstealth you if the mystic
uses it with you in front of her in stealth, even if she does not know you are there.

● Avoid trading damage with a mystic at all costs. She will win every single damage trade.
Similar to fighting a warrior/valk that is a bit easier to cc but has more sustain.

● If they use their fortitude skill they will be invulnerable to damage, even if you interrupt it
with a grab, until they get up. Attempt to interrupt this skill with a grab and back off
afterwards.

● Dragon’s Pit locks the mystic in place and does not provide any defensive traits.
4. Some useful resources (links to Kuno channels,
streams, and gameplay)
My channel​:

● Gameplay of node wars, pvp montages, ​rbfs

Doki3 JB’s channel​:

● His older videos are kuno videos; large scale, small scale; updates to show new Kuno
changes and skills on KR server

Unknown​:

● Unsure if the player plays anymore; large scale, small scale

Funker​:

● Movement and Damage combos

Daunzo’s channel​:

● Kuno Montages

Azuline​:

● CC tests ; movement combos

KR Kuno’s Channel​;

● RBF; Siege; DP build; New Kuno patches

My Stream​:

● I don’t stream often, but I may try to stream more

Paiz’s Stream​:

● Extremely good Kuno; RBF, large scale, duels

Bisoo’s Stream​:

● Extremely good Kuno; RBF, large scale, duels