Knockdown

Effect: A knocked-down target will fall down to the ground. Usually targets will get up quickly, but some knockdowns last for longer time (Backbreaker and Gale, for example).

Knockdowns interrupt the target's current action, whether it is an attack or casting a spell. Knocked-down characters cannot move, attack or cast spells while laying on the ground, though they can still activate some skills such as stances. Knockdowns are good at interrupting, since they are effective even if the victim uses interrupt prevention skills (Mantra of Concentration, Mantra of Resolve, Glyph of Concentration). There are only two knockdown prevention skills and both are in the same class (see below). On the flip side, skills that cause knockdowns are slow to activate, are conditional, or cause exhaustion (or some combination of the three).

Like Weakness, knockdowns are especially effective when combined with other attacks. A popular choice is Aftershock, a strategy often abbreviated to KD/AS.

Some very large creatures cannot be knocked down, see below.

Related Skills
These skills cause knockdown:
 * Backbreaker knocks down a target for an extended time.
 * Bull's Charge knocks down a fleeing foe.
 * Bull's Strike knocks down a fleeing foe.
 * Counter Blow knocks down an attacking foe.
 * Desperation Blow knocks down the user.
 * Devastating Hammer knocks down a target.
 * Earth Shaker knocks down adjacent foes.
 * Griffon's Sweep knocks down if evaded.
 * Hammer Bash knocks down a target.
 * Heavy Blow knocks down a foe suffering from weakness.
 * Irresistible Blow knocks down if blocked.
 * Shield Bash knocks down the user's next melee attacker.
 * Bestial Pounce knocks down a casting foe.
 * Spike Trap knocks down foes in the area when triggered.
 * Bane Signet knocks down an attacking foe.
 * Shield of Judgment knocks down its target's attackers.
 * Signet of Judgment knocks down a target.
 * Earthquake knocks down foes in an area.
 * Gale knocks down a target.
 * Lightning Surge knocks down a target after some time.
 * Mind Shock knocks down a target with less energy.
 * Shock knocks down a target.
 * Stoning knocks down a foe suffering from weakness.
 * Thunderclap knocks down foes in an area whenever triggered by lightning damage.
 * Meteor knocks down foes in an area.
 * Meteor Shower knocks down foes in an area repeatedly.
 * Water Trident knocks down a moving foe.
 * Whirlwind knocks down adjacent attacking foes.
 * [[image:SpectralAgony.jpg|15px]] Agnar's Rage knocks down nearby foes.
 * [[image:SpectralAgony.jpg|15px]] Giant Stomp knocks down smaller creatures in the area.

These skills involve knockdown in other ways:
 * Balanced Stance prevents the user from being knocked down.
 * Belly Smash blinds nearby foes if its target is knocked down.
 * Crushing Blow causes a deep wound if its target is knocked down.
 * Dolyak Signet prevents the user from being knocked down.
 * Hunter's Shot causes bleeding if its target is knocked down.
 * Holy Strike does extra damage to a knocked down foe.
 * Aftershock deals extra damage to knocked down foes.

Creatures that cannot be Knocked Down
Some creatures cannot be knocked down. They are simply too large for a tiny human player to knock them off balance. The following is a list of creatures that cannot be knocked down. This does not include creatures that use skills to temporarily protect themselves from knockdowns. They are all giant creatures though not necessarily of the species "giant":
 * All Giants.
 * All Dolyak riding Stone Summit units:
 * Dolyak Master
 * Dolyak Rider
 * Stone Summit Heretic
 * All beast riding Stone summit units:
 * Summit Beastmaster
 * Stone Summit Herder
 * The large and medium sized Titans:
 * Burning Titan
 * Frost Titan
 * Risen Ashen Hulk
 * Rotting Titan
 * Wild Growth
 * All Trees.
 * All Wurms.
 * All Bone Dragons, including the Dragon Liches.
 * Glint the dragon and her six facets.
 * All Hydras