 Counterstrike |
Fugitive: Brawler | Tier 3 |
|---|---|---|
| Basic (3 pt): When charging your melee weapon you will counterattack enemies that try to strike you, knocking them down. The knockdown does not deal any damage. | ||
| Ace (6 pt): You gain the ability to counter attack cloakers and their kicks. | ||
Mechanics[]
While holding melee weapon charged, any melee attack from an enemy activates a counter-attack animation, making that enemy perform a backflip and fall flat on his back, leaving him vulnerable.
Acing this skill allows the player to counter the charging attack of Cloakers.
After counter-attacking, the weapon will start charging again if the melee button remains held down.
Strategy[]
Like Shockproof, the skill provides a strong tactical advantage in situational circumstances. Unlike Shockproof, however, the aced skill is much more useful as it allows the ability to counter a charging Cloaker. This can be invaluable when separated from the group and if a charging Cloaker has sufficiently high health in which he cannot be dispatched quickly. Additionally, the power to knock down a Cloaker can make several achievements, such as Cloak and Dagger, easier to obtain. The Sociopath and Infiltrator Perk Decks benefit from this skill as enemy melee attacks would otherwise cause knockback which would reduce the effectiveness of their melee playstyle. Melee weapons that favor damage over knockdown are preferred with Counter-Strike.
The primary downside is the high point cost, especially with so many other potent skills available in and around it in the Fugitive tree: damage, armor, dodge boosts, and akimbo weapons are all available for similar point costs. Since this skill focuses on countering melee attacks and Cloakers, both of which can be easily avoided or countered without the use of skills, players should consider other perks (or skill trees) closely before buying.
Players heavily invested in the Fugitive tree that lack any way of dealing with Shields may find this skill useful, as even the basic version allows you to counterattack shields. Shields that are counterattacked will be staggered for several seconds and unable to track the player. The Shield can easily be flanked and eliminated during this time.
Counterstrike allows players to knock enemies down whilst not doing significant damage to them, making it useful for dominating enemies especially ones with low hit points otherwise to be killed instantly with a single hit.
Trivia[]
- The skill's name is not entirely reflective of the skill's effects, however, as the incoming attack still connects but is then parried and followed up by a returning blow. A counterstrike is more often than not a pre-emptive attack that disables the enemy before they can land a blow themselves. If anything, the skill's counter would be closer in principle to a riposte instead.
- The pre-emptiveness of a counter-strike is depicted, however, in the form of the mandatory charge phase before it can be used.
- Counterstrike can be used against Bulldozers to avoid taking damage from their melee attack, but it will not knock the Bulldozer down but stun them for a brief moment.
