Class Guide · Updated for patch 0.30 (Early Access) · September 2026
How to build, level and play a Shadow Knight in Monsters and Memories — race and trait picks, the reworked drains and shadows toolkit, threat and the Soul Servant, group and solo tactics, a leveling path and gear to chase.
01The Shadow Knight at a Glance
The Shadow Knight is the dark, self-sustaining tank of Monsters and Memories — a plate-armored monster hunter who holds enemies with strikes and taunts, drains their life and strength to keep going, and wields shadow magic against the very things they hunt. When a fight would wear down a normal tank, a Shadow Knight feeds on it.
The official class page calls the Shadow Knight a tank who “wields the power of darkness not in service of evil, but against it,” with “higher damage output than the Paladin, but less pure mitigation than the Fighter.” You trade some raw defense for aggression, life steal and a toolbox of fears, grips and drains.
Strengths
Life-draining spells and attacks that heal you while you tank · the most damage of the three knights · Grip of Shadow pulls enemies to you and interrupts them · group auras · Feign Death and Locate/Summon Corpse make you one of the best corpse-recovery characters · fears, snares and an AE fear · a Soul Servant you can sacrifice for a barrier or damage shield.
Weaknesses
Less mitigation than a Fighter · no heals for others beyond your auras and Dark Embrace · you juggle melee, spells and mana · the pet is modest and needs a reagent · Evil-leaning races start in the dark Underdocks, and some cities treat them coldly.
02Is the Shadow Knight Right for You?
You’ll love it if…
You want to tank but also hit hard; you like a darker, antihero fantasy; you enjoy mixing melee with quick spells; you like being hard to kill through life steal rather than raw armor; you want a tank who can also solo and recover corpses.
You might not if…
You want the simplest tank possible; you want to heal your group; you dislike managing mana on a melee class; you want to play a good-aligned race in the surface cities; you'd rather not track damage-over-time spells.
The Shadow Knight is a solid first class for players who like a bit more to do than a pure tank. Plate armor and drains forgive mistakes, and Feign Death gives you a way out that other tanks don't have. Expect a learning curve in balancing your melee attacks with your spells and your mana.
03Choosing Your Race
Four races can be Shadow Knights at Early Access. Your class adds +3 STR, +2 STA and +3 INT to your race's base stats, and you get 10 bonus points to spend at creation. Starting values before bonus points:
| Race | STR | STA | INT | Starts in | Why pick it |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Human | 19 | 19 | 19 | Night Harbor, Underdocks | Balanced STR, STA and INT, and an easy Night Harbor start near your order. Tenacity resists mesmerize and incapacitate. |
| Ogre | 23 | 21 | 19 | Night Harbor, Underdocks | The highest STR and STA. Ogre Smash stuns nearby enemies. Big bodies struggle in tight spaces, and Ogres are Kill-on-Sight in Evershade Weald. |
| Deep Elf | 17 | 17 | 22 | Underdocks, Ail’Vorith | The highest INT for your mana pool, plus Ultravision. Evil-aligned, so surface guards are less friendly. |
| Goblin | 18 | 17 | 20 | Underdocks | Good INT and the best DEX/AGI of the options. Bribe can make a mob forget past wrongdoings. |
Spending your 10 bonus points
Stamina keeps you alive and also scales Grip of Agony. Strength drives your melee damage and threat. Intelligence sets your mana pool for drains, grips and shadows.
- Recommended for most players:+5 STA / +3 STR / +2 INT. Tanking comes first; a little INT keeps your drains going.
- Deep Elves and Goblins have INT to spare — put almost everything into STA and STR.
- Ogres already have plenty of STR and STA, so a few more points in INT are reasonable.
- Skip WIS and CHA — they do little for a Shadow Knight.
Deep Dwarf and Troll are listed as Shadow Knight races on the official site but aren't playable at Early Access.
04Recommended Traits
You pick one trait from each of four categories at creation (see the New Player Guide for the full lists). For a Shadow Knight:
| Category | Best pick | Why | Alternatives |
|---|---|---|---|
| Major Combat | Tough | +10 STA passive is more health on every pull, and Grip of Agony now scales with Stamina. | Strong (+10 STR for damage and threat), Intelligent (+10 INT for mana), Magic Resistant (for caster-heavy dungeons) |
| Minor Combat | Alterer | Much of your spellbook — Grip of Shadow, your shadows, strength drains, Feign Death and fears — is Alteration. +10 skill and faster skill-ups mean fewer resists early. | Evoker (your lifetaps and Grip of Agony), Channeler (keep casting while you're being hit), Swordsman or Shieldman for a weapon or Block head start |
| Major Non-Combat | Infravision / Ultravision | You lead the group through dark tunnels and dungeons. Deep Elves should take Ultravision. | Fast Metabolism (+25% Endurance, but you eat faster) |
| Minor Non-Combat | Bookworm | A free extra spellbook — perfect for your utility book: Locate Corpse, Invisibility versus Undead, Polar Align and resistance buffs. | Medicine (First Aid and bandages), Blacksmith (make and repair your own plate) |
05Getting Started
Your starter quest
Every Shadow Knight begins with a class starter quest that teaches the basics and hands out your first gear. For the full step-by-step walkthrough, with every NPC, location and reward, see our Shadow Knight Starter Quest Guide. Individual quest pages: Shadow Knight Starter Quest (Night Harbor).
Where to buy spells and abilities
- Class vendors sell every Shadow Knight spell and ability as you reach its level. In Night Harbor, the Concourse of Souls is where your order gathers; ask a guard if you get lost.
- Underdocks and Ail’Vorith starts (Goblins, Deep Elves, and some Humans and Ogres) don’t have a Shadow Knight starter quest listed yet. See our Underdocks and Ail’Vorith pages for the local layout.
- Soul Remnants for your Soul Servant aren’t bought: you siphon them from enemies with Shadow Strike (see Drains, Threat and Your Soul Servant).
06Your Toolkit
Shadow Knight spells and abilities come in lines: you learn a version, then buy stronger ones as you level. Levels shown are when the first version (and some upgrades) becomes available; a dash means the level hasn't been published for a new ability. Renamed lines list the older names so you can match them up.
| Line | Starts | Progression | What it’s for |
|---|---|---|---|
| Shadow Strike0.30 | 10 | Shadow Strike (replaces Slam) | Your basic attack: weapon damage plus corruption damage. Extends your Shadows spells on the target by 6s, and siphons a Soul Remnant if it lands in the enemy's last 10% of health. |
| Heavy strikes0.30 | — | Siphoning Slash · Reave | Shared cooldown. Siphoning Slash heals you for 50% of its damage; Reave is a hard-hitting two-hander attack with a brief wind-up. |
| Taunt | 1 | Taunt | Forces your target to attack you. Triggers the cooldown of your Martial abilities. |
| Interrupts0.30 | 3 | Kick 3 · Goading Bash | Kick interrupts without a shield. Goading Bash (shield, shares Kick's cooldown) interrupts and adds bonus threat on targets you block for a short time. |
| Grip of Shadow | 6 | Grip of Shadow | Pulls a distant enemy to you, draws its attention and interrupts its cast. Range raised to 20m. |
| Grip of Agony0.30 | 8 | Grip of Agony | Big direct damage that now also scales with Stamina, and heals you for 50% of its damage under Unholy Pact. |
| Soulrend lifetaps0.30 | 2 | Soulrend line (replaces Life Drain → Life Draw 8 → Life Sap 18 → Life Siphon 26 → Life Leech 34) | Fast, short-range spells that damage the target and heal you for the same amount. |
| Palpitation0.30 | 3 | Palpitation line (replaces the Noxious Deluge poison line) | A damage-over-time that ramps up over 4 ticks and lowers the target's Agility. |
| Smothering Shadows0.30 | 10 | Smothering Shadows line (replaces Swirling → Surging 22 → Whirling 30) | Faster-casting, shorter shadows: a snare plus corruption damage over time. Shadow Strike extends them. |
| Theft of Vigor0.30 | 1 | Theft of Vigor line (replaces Draw Strength → Steal Strength 16 → Extract Strength 32) | Drains the enemy's STR and STA and gives it to you — your main physical buff. |
| Spirit Break line | 2 | Spirit Break → Spirit Splinter 20 → Spirit Crack 40 → Spirit Fracture 60 | Lowers corruption, holy and magic resistance so your spells land. |
| Auras0.30 | 1 | Aura of Vampirism 1 · Aura of the Unholy 10 | Vampirism: your group's hits can drain life. Unholy (reworked): group holy resistance, more threat and parry for you, and an Unholy Pact below 25% health that cuts damage taken and boosts your self-healing. |
| Lord of Shadows0.30 | 9 | Lord of Shadows (replaces the Spellshield line) | Self buff: INT, AC, hit points and mana regeneration. |
| Soul Servant0.30 | — | 4 ranks; Sacrifice Minion 14 · Wreath of Souls | A lost soul summoned with a Soul Remnant. Sacrifice it for a Sacrificial Barrier (absorbs damage) or Wreath of Souls (a damage shield). |
| Fear and control | 5 | Lull the Dead 5 · Terror in the Shadows 10 · Fear 13 · Fear the Dead 24 | Terror in the Shadows makes up to ten nearby enemies cower for 10s. Lull the Dead shrinks an undead mob's aggro range. |
| Survival | 12 | Feign Death 12 · Dark Embrace 24 · Unholy Bulwark 28 | Feign Death clears your threat. Dark Embrace gives your health to an ally. Unholy Bulwark makes you invulnerable for 15s. |
| Utility | 1 | Locate Corpse 1, Polar Align: North 1, Invis vs. Undead 5, Holy & Cold resistance (self) 7, Repel the Dead 16, Summon Corpse 44, Summon Companion | Corpse recovery, navigation and resists. |
07Spells to Prioritize, Levels 1–28
You won't be able to afford every spell as soon as it unlocks. This is the order that matters most for a new Shadow Knight (older names in brackets):
| Level | Key spells | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Taunt, Aura of Vampirism, Theft of Vigor (Draw Strength), Locate Corpse | Keep your strength drain up on every fight. |
| 2–3 | Soulrend (Life Drain), Spirit Break, Palpitation, Kick | Your first lifetap keeps you topped up. Kick every caster. |
| 5–6 | Lull the Dead, Invisibility versus Undead, Grip of Shadow | Grip of Shadow is your pull and your interrupt. |
| 7–9 | Holy Protection, Grip of Agony, Lord of Shadows | Meditation and Channeling unlock at 8 — sit between pulls. |
| 10 | Aura of the Unholy, Shadow Strike, Smothering Shadows, Terror in the Shadows | Switch to Aura of the Unholy when tanking a group. |
| 12–14 | Feign Death, Fear, Sacrifice Minion | Feign Death is your escape and your corpse-run tool. |
| 16–20 | Theft of Vigor upgrade (Steal Strength), Repel the Dead, Soulrend upgrade (Life Sap), Spirit Splinter | Double Attack at 20. Upgrade your lifetap and drain first. |
| 22–28 | Surging Shadows, Dark Embrace, Fear the Dead, Soulrend upgrade (Life Siphon), Unholy Bulwark | Unholy Bulwark (15s invulnerable) is your biggest emergency button. |
The new rework abilities without published levels (Siphoning Slash, Reave, Goading Bash, the Soul Servant ranks, Wreath of Souls) are worth buying as soon as your vendor offers them. Past 28, keep upgrading your lifetap, strength drain and Shadows lines first.
08Playing in a Group
A Shadow Knight tanks by being hard to kill and hard to ignore. Your drains let the healer relax a little, and your damage helps the group kill faster.
Before the pull
- Pick your aura: Aura of the Unholy when you're the main tank (threat, parry and the Unholy Pact), Aura of Vampirism when someone else tanks or the group needs extra sustain.
- Keep Lord of Shadows up and drain strength from the first mob with Theft of Vigor.
- Agree on who tanks and who pulls. If you're the tank, ask for a few seconds to build threat.
- Check your healer's mana and your own. Drains cost mana too.
During the fight
- Pull with Grip of ShadowGrip pulls a single enemy to you from 20m and interrupts it if it's casting — perfect for splitting a caster out of a camp.
- Build threat and sustainShadow Strike, your heavy strike, and Taunt anything that turns on a groupmate. Keep your Shadows and Palpitation ticking on the main target.
- InterruptKick or Goading Bash enemy spellcasts, especially heals.
- Lifetap through damage spikesSoulrend heals you as it hits. Under the Unholy Pact (below 25% health), Soulrend and Grip of Agony heal much more — that's your comeback window, not a reason to panic.
- Use your emergency buttonsSacrifice your Soul Servant for a barrier, pop Unholy Bulwark, or Feign Death if the fight is truly lost so the group can escape.
09Soloing as a Shadow Knight
Shadow Knights are among the more comfortable tanks to solo. Drains keep you alive, your damage is solid, and Feign Death gets you out of trouble.
- Drain everything. Theft of Vigor at the start of each fight, Palpitation and Shadows ticking, and Soulrend whenever you need health.
- Use Aura of Vampirism when solo — every hit has a chance to drain life.
- Pull one at a time with Grip of Shadow so you choose where the fight happens.
- Finish with Shadow Strike in the target's last 10% of health to collect Soul Remnants for your Soul Servant.
- Snare runners with your Shadows line so they don't bring friends back.
- Sit to meditate once you reach level 8 — it only boosts mana regeneration while you're sitting. Resting near a campfire also builds the Rested experience bonus (15%).
10Leveling Path
A suggested route for a Shadow Knight. You can solo comfortably, but every group wants a tank, and dungeons level you fastest.
| Levels | Where | Why it’s good for Shadow Knights |
|---|---|---|
| 1–5 | Night Harbor newbie yards / Underdocks newbie yard | Do the starter quest. Rats, beetles and skeletons are easy practice for drains. |
| 3–11 | Tomb of the Last Wyrmsbane | The best early group dungeon. Skeletons come in groups — good practice holding several at once. |
| 2–13 | Ail’Vorith Outer Caves | Easy solo trash outside the gates for Deep Elves. |
| 5–12 | Underdocks Deepcut Bandit Camp & Wererat Warrens | Steady melee camps for Underdocks starts. |
| 8–14 | Infested Crypt | Easy solo pulls near the entrance; spider swarms deeper in for group tanking. |
| 8–10+ | Shaded Dunes camps | Ashira and smugglers camps with low-level named mobs. Better with a group. |
| 10–16 | Tel Ekir Ashira Outskirts / Tomb deeper halls | Tel Ekir drops the Overlord's Plate Helm and Shield of the Protector. High Marshal Fionna (~16) waits at the bottom of the Tomb. |
| 18–27 | Fallen Pass, Keeper's Bight | Dense camps where a self-healing tank shines. |
See Where to Level in the New Player Guide for more spots, and each zone page for maps and named mobs. Ogres should avoid Evershade Weald, where they're Kill-on-Sight.
11Gear to Look For
Wear plate and stack Stamina and Strength, then Intelligence, hit points and mana. Shadow Knights prefer a big two-handed weapon — Reave needs one — but keep a shield in your bags for fights where you need Goading Bash and extra Block. Avoid gear with big CHA or HP penalties.
Early gear (roughly levels 1–16)
| Item | Slot | Stats | Where |
|---|---|---|---|
| Gilded Claw of the Gladiator | Primary | STR +7, STA +6, HP +15, DMG 11/30 | Jorvan Ironfist, Night Harbor |
| Twilight Gladiator Helm | Head | AC 32, STR +5, STA +1, DEX +2, HP +10 | Night Harbor |
| Thirstbound Grips | Hands | AC 37, STR +5, STA +4, AGI +1, HP +25 | Captain Caspian, Night Harbor |
| Hallowed Bone Amulet | Neck | AC 8, STR +3, STA +5, INT +3, HP +15, Mana +10 | A Pale Forman, Night Harbor |
| Moonveil Bracer | Wrist | AC 22, STA +4, HP +20 | Night Harbor |
| Sea-raider Chausses | Legs | AC 23, STA +2, INT +3, HP +5 | An Infamous Swashbuckler, Night Harbor |
| Giant Femur | Weapon | AC 6, STR/STA/AGI +4, HP +25, DMG 15/45 | Bone Construct, Tomb of the Last Wyrmsbane |
| Overlord's Plate Helm | Head | AC 20, STR +2, STA +2, INT +2, HP +10 | General Overlord Bloodynose, Tel Ekir |
| Shield of the Protector | Secondary | AC 21, STR +3, STA +3, AGI +3, DEX +1, HP +15 | Ashir the Protector, Tel Ekir |
| Blued Steel Long Sword | Primary | STR +5, INT +5, HP +30, Mana +20, DMG 12/30 | Elias Messing, Sungreet Strand |
Upgrades for later
| Item | Slot | Stats | Where |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bandit's Wristplates | Wrist | AC 17, STA +3, INT +4, HP +5 | Nerguk, Sungreet Strand |
| Vindicator Gauntlets | Hands | AC 36, STR +8, STA +6 | Balindor Silvertrowel, Sungreet Strand |
| Vindicator Greaves | Legs | AC 41, STR +7, STA +2, HP +10 | Balindor Silvertrowel, Sungreet Strand |
| Kroth's Warplate Girdle | Waist | AC 7, STR +5, STA +8 | Muggrah War-Ogre Kroth, Sungreet Strand |
| Onyx Breastplate | Chest | AC 77, STR +8, STA +6, AGI +5, HP +25 | Guillome The Accursed, Glass Flats |
| Disgraced Captain's Cuirass | Chest | AC 68, STR +6, STA +5, AGI +5, HP +15 | Yeoman Borin Smythe, Fallen Pass |
| Scholar's Shoulderpads | Shoulders | AC 20, STR +8, STA +5, INT +8, HP +35 | Spicy Raziq, Vale of Zintar |
| Iremgorge's Luminous Core | Ring | AC 6, STR +6, STA +8, INT +6, HP +20, Mana +20 | Iremgorge, Caves of Irem |
| Tharnix's Root-Bound Girdle | Waist | AC 7, STR +6, STA +10 | Grovewarden Tharnix, Glinting Hollow |
| Gillmarked Bracer | Wrist | AC 9, STR +10, STA +14 | Kreel the Gillmarked, Grimtide Sanctum |
| Blightfather's Warmaul | Primary | STR +16, STA +14, HP +20, DMG 28/38 | Grothmar the Blightfather, Scarwood |
| Kell's Hollow Standard | Primary | AC 8, STR +12, STA +14, HP +20, DMG 24/32 | Watch-Captain Dorian Kell, Fallen Watch |
Stats from our item database. Item levels aren't published, so "early" is based on where they drop. Browse the database for more STA/STR/INT plate.
12Drains, Threat and Your Soul Servant
- Threat: Shadow Strike, Grip of Shadow and Taunt hold attention, and Aura of the Unholy raises all the threat you generate. Goading Bash adds bonus threat on targets you block right after using it.
- Drains are your healing. Soulrend heals you for the damage it deals, Siphoning Slash heals you for half its damage, and Aura of Vampirism drains on hits. Use them during damage, not after.
- The Unholy Pact kicks in when you drop below 25% health with Aura of the Unholy up: less damage taken, stronger Soulrend healing and a lifesteal on Grip of Agony. Plan for it; don't panic in it.
- Soul Remnants: hit an enemy with Shadow Strike in its last 10% of health to siphon a remnant of its soul — the reagent for summoning your Soul Servant.
- Your Soul Servant scales with your level but trails dedicated pet classes. Think of it as a resource: sacrifice it for a Sacrificial Barrier or Wreath of Souls when you need them.
- Mind your mana. Meditation (from level 8) only boosts mana regeneration while you're sitting. Lord of Shadows adds mana regen too.
- Longer term: the official class page says the class is moving away from dedicated pets and toward collectable monster-hunting abilities through Profane Study, which isn't in Early Access yet.
13Common Shadow Knight Mistakes
- Tanking with the wrong aura. Aura of the Unholy when tanking; Vampirism when you're not.
- Fearing mobs in dungeons. Running enemies bring friends. Save Terror in the Shadows for true emergencies.
- Lifetapping only when low. Soulrend is best used steadily to keep your health up.
- Wasting Soul Remnants. Finish mobs with Shadow Strike so you always have a spare.
- Standing up from Feign Death too early. Wait until the mobs have walked away.
- Ignoring interrupts. Kick, Goading Bash and Grip of Shadow all stop enemy casts.
- Following old pet guides. Skeleton, zombie and ghoul pets were replaced by the Soul Servant.
14Shadow Knight FAQ
Is the Shadow Knight good for new players?
Yes, for players who want a little more to do than a pure tank. Plate armor, drains and Feign Death forgive mistakes. Expect to learn both melee and spell timing.
What’s the most important Shadow Knight stat?
Stamina for health (it now scales Grip of Agony too), then Strength for damage and threat, then Intelligence for mana.
Does the Shadow Knight still have a pet?
In the current rework, yes: a single Soul Servant summoned with Soul Remnants replaced the skeleton, zombie and ghoul pets. The official class page says dedicated pets are being cut in the longer term, so expect changes.
Can a Shadow Knight solo?
Yes, comfortably for a tank. Drains keep you alive, Grip of Shadow pulls single mobs, and Feign Death gets you out of bad pulls.
What’s the best race for a Shadow Knight?
Ogre for the highest STR and STA, Human for balanced stats and an easy Night Harbor start, or Deep Elf for the highest INT and Ultravision.
What is Profane Study?
A planned monster-hunting system: slay and study corrupt creatures to improve existing abilities or learn new ones. It is not implemented at the Early Access launch.