What is knockback?
Pushes enemies back on hit
Some weapons, armor and food give a chance to knock enemies back when you hit them. The melee talent "Heavy swings" gives 3% per point (up to 15% at 5 points).
Melee and ranged use separate chances
The game has two different effects: "X% chance to knockback on melee hit" for melee hits and "X% chance to knockback on range hit" for ranged hits. Raising one does not raise the other.
Some enemies are immune
Some enemies cannot be pushed at all. While you ride a minecart, boat or farm animal, enemy hits do not push you either.
Charged club attacks
The charged attack of the Crystal Shard Club and the Void Club is set to knock enemies back in the game data.
How knockback works
- Melee knockback: "+3% chance to knockback on melee hit" (example at 3%). Sources: weapons such as the Pipe Club, some armor, food, and the melee talent "Heavy swings" (3% per point, up to 5 points).
- Ranged knockback: "+3% chance to knockback on range hit" (example at 3%). This is a separate effect, so melee knockback gear does not help bows, guns or magic. The ranged pet talent "Heavy Touch" is one source.
- Charged attacks: the charged attack of the Crystal Shard Club and the Void Club knocks enemies back (set in the weapon data).
- When the roll never happens: if the enemy dodges, blocks with a shield or is immune to damage, there is no knockback roll at all. An enemy immune to ranged attacks also skips the ranged roll, magic projectiles included.
- Immune enemies: some enemies ignore knockback entirely. The same immunity stops the pull of void orbs: orbs fired by the Void Gun and the Chaos Staff drag nearby enemies (within 3 tiles) toward them, but not immune ones. Immunity only stops the movement, not the damage.
- Knockback on you: a hit soaked up completely by your magic barrier can still push you back. In a minecart, a boat or on a mounted farm animal you are not pushed back, although you still take the damage.
Gear with knockback
| Gear | Slot | Effect (base) | Max (Lv.20) |
|---|---|---|---|
 Pipe Club | Melee weapon | +36% chance to knockback on melee hit | +60% chance to knockback on melee hit |
 Crystal Shard Club | Melee weapon | +50% chance to knockback on melee hit | +58% chance to knockback on melee hit |
 Larva Spike Club | Melee weapon | +34% chance to knockback on melee hit | +56% chance to knockback on melee hit |
 Anchor Axe | Melee weapon | +42% chance to knockback on melee hit | +55% chance to knockback on melee hit |
 Frankenbrute Head | Head | +9% chance to knockback on melee hit | +14% chance to knockback on melee hit |
Food with knockback
| Food | How | Effect |
|---|---|---|
 Tentacle Jerky | Eat raw | +34% chance to knockback on melee hit (2 min) |
 Crown Squid | As a cooking ingredient | +19% chance to knockback on melee hit (10 min) |
 Golden Carrock | As a cooking ingredient | +18% chance to knockback on melee hit (2 min) |
Effect text is the game's official English. Talent values, weapon settings and gear values are read from the game files of Core Keeper 1.3.0.6. When the roll is skipped, immune enemies, void orbs and knockback on the player are based on the Core Keeper Wiki (Fandom) page "Knockback" (game 1.3.0.6, CC BY-SA 3.0), in our own words.
Unless a note on the page says otherwise, numbers are read from the game files of Core Keeper 1.3.0.6 (prefabs, configuration files, drop tables and the game's program) and calculated by this site, including upgraded (per-level) values, sell prices and mana costs. Names and descriptions are the game's official English text. Only reinforcing materials, minion and pet attacks and some food values are based on the Core Keeper Wiki (Fandom) data (CC BY-SA 3.0). Core Keeper and its images are © Pugstorm. This is an unofficial fan site.