If you’ve ever wanted to wade into battle wearing plate that screams “I will stand here and not die,” the Knight is Trove’s classic answer: simple, chunky, and deeply satisfying. This Trove guide gives you everything you need in 2025 for the Knight — clear build templates (Tank / DPS / Speed-Farm), gem & emblem choices, gear priorities, rotation tips, and progression advice — all grounded in current game mechanics and community-standard builds so you can start smashing with confidence.
Pick your Knight Build
| Role | Short Description | Core stats | Typical emblems / flask |
|---|---|---|---|
| Tank / Group Anchor | Max survivability, pull & hold mobs for teams | Max Health, Stability, Health Regen, Light | Martial / Vampiric + Death-Defying Vial |
| DPS / Cleave | High burst & sustained melee damage for dungeons | Physical Damage, Crit/ Crit Damage, Attack Speed, Light | Martial + SureStrike / Beamer |
| Speed-Farm (Movement) | Clear top-side / Long Shade quickly | Movement Speed, Attack Speed, Physical Damage | Beamer / Martial + Death-Defying (or Vial) |
- Use the Tank build if you’re running group Shadow Tower, Delves, or want to heal-absorb for parties.
- Use DPS builds when you’re running small dungeons or solo high-damage farming.
- Use Speed-Farm when running Long Shade/topside or clearing maps for mats.
What makes the Knight tick
The Knight is a melee, physical-damage class whose identity is built around Retribution (a damage buff that stacks when you take hits), a heavy AoE Smash (taunt + channel), a forward Charge (taunt + stun), and a self-save ultimate Iron Will that heals and redirects some incoming damage to you. These are the tools you build around — they define how you fight and which stats you prioritize.
- Smash: big cone channel that taunts — fantastic for AoE and group control.
- Charge: gap closer and single-file taunt + short stun — useful for picking priority targets.
- Iron Will (ultimate): full heal + 50% incoming damage reduction for its duration and redirects a portion of nearby allies’ incoming damage to you; your job as a Knight is to time this.
Combat block & Mystic Gems: a 2025 New Systems
Recent system additions have important implications for how you build a Knight:
- Combat Block is a defensive buffer introduced in recent patches that can “save” you from lethal hits; melee classes are major beneficiaries because their gear tends to stack defensive stats that increase your Block cap. This makes high-HP + Stability builds even more reliable in high difficulty content.
- Mystic Gems (a late-game gem tier) extend your stat ceiling and change long-term gem planning — prioritize getting a solid set of Mystic/Crystal allocations for Light and HP/PD combos as you progress.
The Tank Knight Build (best for Shadow Tower / Delves)
Playstyle: Stand in the mess, taunt mobs with Smash/Charge, use Iron Will to soak lethal damage and protect teammates. Your job is to hold enemy attention and keep the team alive.
Core stat priorities (by gear slot):
- Hat / Face: Maximum Health (flat %), Light, Stability / Health Regen
- Weapon: Max Health / Physical Damage hybrid depending on whether you want thicker survivability or threat generation
- Accessories (Ring / Banner): Max Health, Light, Stability
- Gems: Class Gem (for Spirit Squire if you prefer), Vampiric/Defensive option on cosmic gems, and Crystal/Mystic allocations into Max Health / Light / Stability.
Emblems & Flask:
- Flask: Death-Defying Vial (keeps you alive and aligns perfectly with tanking).
- Emblems: Martial (physical) + Vampiric/Unyielding or Chronomantic if you want cooldown reduction for more frequent Iron Wills.
Allies: Earnie or Animated Jug for Light and survivability boosts; Rapt Berserker if you need damage bump while still tanking.
Rotation / Combat Tips:
- Initiate with Charge to pull/stun priority enemies, follow with Smash to hold AoE; use Iron Will reactively when your team is about to get crushed.
- Let the Retribution passive stack if you can; it makes your next hits sting after being hit. Position so Smash hits the densest cluster.
Example situation: In Shadow Tower foyer pulls, walk in, hit Smash to taunt, toggle Iron Will if adds spike — spam basic attacks to refresh the outgoing damage reduction you apply to targets.
DPS Knight Build (best for solo U5–U11 & small-group DPS)
Playstyle: Trade some durability for big physical damage: burst with Retribution procs, leverage attack speed and crit to melt groups and bosses.
Core stat priorities (by gear slot):
- Weapon: Physical Damage (primary), Light, Crit Damage / Attack Speed
- Hat / Face: Light, Crit / Crit Damage, Maximum Health (keep enough to not die)
- Gems: Class Gem (useful), Pyrodisc, Cubic Curtain or Explosive Epilogue combos plus a Cosmic gem like Berserk Battler for big burst.
Emblems & Flask:
- Martial (damage) + SureStrike (crit chance) or Beamer (summon DPS ally) — this is a common DPS emblem pairing. Flask can still be Death-Defying Vial if soloing risky content, otherwise pick a damage-boosting flask if you have healer support.
Allies: Jingles / Beamer-type allies for extra DPS; Earnie if you want hybrid sustain.
Rotation / Combat Tips:
- Let Retribution stacks build (it stacks when you take hits) — don’t waste the big proc on low-value swings. Use Smash to apply debuff and cleave; weave in basic attacks (which scale with Physical Damage + Attack Speed) to maximize DPS uptime. Class gem modifiers (Spirit Squire) can change Charge into a better damage/stun tool — consider it if you prefer mobility control.
Speed Farming Knight Build (Topside / Long Shade clearing)
Playstyle: Move fast, hit hard enough to clear packs, and avoid long cooldown interactions. Focus on movement speed and attack speed combos to clear content quickly.
Core stat priorities:
- Movement Speed (on mount & gear), Attack Speed, Light, Physical Damage.
- Slightly deprioritize max HP compared to Tank build so long as you can avoid damage or use Death-Defying Vial.
Emblems/Flask: Beamer / Martial + Death-Defying Vial (if you want to be reckless) or Vampiric for sustain. Use mobility-oriented companions/emblems where possible.
Rotation / Combat Tips:
- Charge to close gaps, Smash to control clumps, then kite to the next pack. If you're running with a team, coordinate to prevent unnecessary pulls.
- Consider subclass choices (see below) that grant mount or buff benefits for speed clearing.
Subclasses, Class Gems
The subclass system lets you slot another class’s passive/ability to change your playstyle — pick one that complements your chosen role (e.g., a subclass with movement buffs or extra sustain for speed/tank builds). Class Gems further modify a specific ability (Knight’s Class Gem converts Charge into Spirit Squire, changing the behavior into a charging squire that stuns and hits differently). If you want to swap Charge for a more utility/DPS-heavy option, equip the Knight Class Gem.
Practical picks:
- Bard subclass: Great for DPS builds that benefit from increased attack speed & party buffs (commonly used by community DPS builds).
- Vanguardian / defensive subclass: Pairs well with Tank builds for hybrid survivability.
Gems, Cosmic choices & stat combos
Gem choices are a core differentiator for endgame performance. Community consensus for Knight (DPS and hybrid) often lists:
- Core gems: Class Gem (always useful), Pyrodisc, Cubic Curtain or Explosive Epilogue for AoE cleave.
- Cosmic gems: Berserk Battler (burst), Vampiric Vanquisher (sustain) depending on role.
- Put Light into your Cosmic / Mystic progression to increase damage output against high-difficulty enemies.
Practical note: Attack Speed on equipment still caps out in certain ability interactions; check each class gem interaction (some mods override attack speed). For Knight, basic attacks are strongly scaled by Physical Damage and Attack Speed, so a balance is best.
Emblems, Flasks & Allies for Knight
- Flask: Death-Defying Vial is a frequent top choice for Knights (especially tanks and solo players). It prevents death and aligns with the Knight’s role as a survivability anchor.
- Primary Emblem: Martial Emblem is typically the default for physical classes like Knight. For crit-heavy DPS, pair Martial with SureStrike (crit) or Beamer (summon ally). For tanks, Vampiric or Unyielding are smart secondary options.
- Allies: Earnie and Animated Jug are recommended for the Knight — they boost Light and Physical Damage or provide shields and speed effects. Use Rapt Berserker if you want a damage-centric ally while still tanking.
Progression roadmap: early → mid → endgame
- Early (starter → first 10k PR): Focus on getting your class to 30, unlock core abilities, and craft a decent starter set. Prioritize basic Physical Damage / HP on equipment so you don’t get one-shot.
- Mid (first Delves / U5–U7): Begin hunting class gems (Pyrodisc etc.) and improving Light. Choose whether you want to shift toward tanking or DPS and start specialising gear.
- Endgame (Long Shade & Shadow Tower / Delves high depth): Invest in Mystic/Cosmic gems, fine-tune emblems, and build toward a PR target aligned to your role (tank PR vs DPS PR). Take advantage of Combat Block mechanics — if you’re melee, your defensive stats boost defense beyond raw HP.
Knight Skill combos & sample rotations
- Tank scenario (pull): Charge → Smash (channel & taunt) → Basic attacks → Iron Will if damage spikes.
- DPS scenario: Let Retribution stacks build (get hit once or twice) → Smash to cleave and taunt → unleash basic attacks to consume Retribution stacks → Charge to stun/finish target.
- Speed clear: Charge (for mobility + stun) → Smash only on dense packs → Basic attack weave → move on.
The Knight class in Trove offers diverse and satisfying gameplay options, making it a staple for both solo and group engagements. Whether you prefer the unmatched survivability of the Tank build, the burst damage potential of the DPS build, or the rapid clearing efficiency of the Speed-Farm build, understanding the mechanics, gem choices, and optimal playstyles will elevate your experience.
It's essential to adapt your strategy based on your team's composition and the content you're tackling. Be sure to utilize the right emblems and allies to enhance your build further. As you progress through early to endgame content, tailoring your gear and abilities to fit your chosen role will be key to maximizing your performance.
Armed with the insights from this guide, enter the world of Trove with confidence, ready to slash through enemies and support your allies with the might of the Knight.