Shiv, a Bruiser with Bleed Damage, is a character built for hit-and-run tactics, weakening enemies with damage over time and finishing them off with powerful, decisive strikes. Shiv’s playstyle revolves around applying bleed effects and maximizing mobility to outmaneuver and overwhelm enemies before they can retaliate.
Strengths:
- High mobility: Shiv excels at closing gaps and escaping dangerous situations using his Slice and Dice dash ability.
- Damage over time (DoT): His Serrated Knives cause enemies to bleed, inflicting stacking damage that can weaken foes over time, making them easy targets for his Killing Blow.
- Decisive finisher: Killing Blow allows Shiv to instantly eliminate low-health enemies, turning the tide in battles and resetting his ability cooldown.
Weaknesses:
- Low durability: Despite his offensive capabilities, Shiv is relatively squishy, with a low health pool and minimal armor, making him vulnerable if caught out of position.
- Limited crowd control: Aside from a slow effect, Shiv lacks hard CC, which makes it challenging to lock down enemies in chaotic team fights.
- Risk-reward gameplay: Shiv requires precise positioning and careful timing, as his melee focus puts him at risk in extended encounters.
Shiv’s Abilities:
| Ability | Description | Cooldown | Damage |
|---|---|---|---|
| Serrated Knives | Throws knives that apply bleed and slow. Additional hits refresh the bleed effect, stacking up to increase damage. | 19 seconds | 35 + 5 per stack |
| Slice and Dice | Dashes forward, damaging enemies along the path. When at full rage, an echo retraces his path, dealing more damage. | 16 seconds | 105 |
| Bloodletting | Defers incoming damage over time, allowing Shiv to clear a portion of deferred damage upon activation. | 21 seconds | – |
| Killing Blow | Leaps to an enemy, instantly killing them if their health is below a certain threshold. Deals 200 damage if above. | 95 seconds | 200 |
Weapon Characteristics:
Shiv’s core weapon setup revolves around high-damage melee attacks combined with bleed effects that enhance his sustained damage output. His Serrated Knives are his primary method of applying damage over time, while Slice and Dice allows for quick, aggressive engagements or disengagements.
| Weapon | Damage | Bleed Effect |
|---|---|---|
| Serrated Knives | 35 damage | +5 bleed damage per second (stackable) |
| Slice and Dice | 105 damage | None |
Durability and Survivability:
Shiv is not built to withstand prolonged engagements. His survivability depends on outplaying enemies with superior mobility and burst damage. He needs to get in and out of fights quickly, relying on his abilities to delay damage and strike when opponents are vulnerable.
| Stat | Value |
|---|---|
| Health | 600 |
| Movement Speed | 7 m/s |
| Bullet Resist | 0% |
| Spirit Resist | 0% |
How to Play Shiv Effectively:
- Early Game: Focus on farming and weakening enemies with Serrated Knives. Maxing this ability early provides strong poke damage and bleed effects, helping set up for later engagements.
- Mid Game: Shiv’s strength grows as he unlocks Killing Blow. Use Slice and Dice to dash into or out of fights, applying Bloodletting to defer damage while engaging enemies at critical moments.
- Late Game: Shiv becomes a true menace. Gank isolated targets, and use Killing Blow to finish weakened enemies. His mobility, combined with bleed effects, allows him to outmaneuver slower, tankier foes.
Character Attributes Chart:
| Attribute | Rating |
|---|---|
| Damage | ***** |
| Durability | ** |
| Mobility | ***** |
| Crowd Control | * |
| Critical Hits | **** |
Shiv’s key to success lies in aggressive, calculated plays. Players must balance his high-risk, high-reward playstyle to maximize his bleed and burst damage, all while carefully managing his limited survivability.