• Tribe: Clunkmasters
• Attack: 4
• HP: 8
• Counter: 0
• Effect: Reaction — Trigger when hit (counterattack for Attack value)

A-tier Reaction counterattacker. Knuckles has Counter 0 — he never attacks on a timer. Instead, every time an enemy hits Knuckles, he counterattacks for 4 Attack. In fights with frequent-attacking enemies (Counter 2 enemies, multiple attackers), Knuckles fires multiple counterattacks per fight turn — often dealing more damage per fight than timer-based companions with higher Attack values. A 3-enemy wave where each enemy hits Knuckles once per counter cycle means 12 total counterattack damage per cycle without any charm investment.

The design constraint: Knuckles requires hits to deal any damage at all. If enemies ignore him (targeting other allies) or the fight ends before they attack, he contributes 0 damage. Positioning him front-row and as the only front-row target forces enemy focus onto him, ensuring Reaction triggers.

8 HP front-row with no healing source limits his fight duration. But 8 HP is respectable enough to survive most short wave fights. In boss fights with high-frequency attacks, Knuckles fires his 4-Attack counterattack every boss counter cycle — potentially 4–6 times against a fast boss.

Front row, alone. Other companions in Knuckles's front row share incoming attacks, reducing how often Knuckles is hit. Isolate Knuckles as the sole front-row unit to maximize enemy focus on him, maximizing counterattack frequency.

Attack charms are Knuckles's highest-value upgrade. Each +1 Attack on Knuckles is +1 per counterattack event. Against a boss that attacks 6 times before dying, +2 Attack charm = +12 total fight damage from counterattacks alone. The multiplicative nature of "attack charm × counterattack count" makes attack charms more valuable here than on timer-based companions.

Frenzy charms apply to Reaction attacks. x2 Frenzy on Knuckles means each hit he takes generates a x2 Frenzy counterattack — two hits for 4 each instead of one. At 4 Attack with x2 Frenzy: each time Knuckles is hit, he counterattacks for 8 total.

HP investment keeps Knuckles alive longer, extending his counterattack window. Healing on Knuckles between fights or mid-fight resets his durability and allows more counterattack cycles.

Hazeblazer + Knuckles Haze redirect. Hazeblazer applies Haze (Aimless) to enemies, causing their attacks to target randomly. Some redirected attacks will hit Knuckles even if he's not the primary target, generating Reaction counterattacks from unexpected angles.

x2 Frenzy charm on Knuckles. With Frenzy, each hit generates double counterattack damage. Against a 3-enemy wave where each enemy hits Knuckles once: 3 hits × x2 Frenzy × 4 Attack = 24 total damage from counterattacks alone in one wave.

• Attack charms — counterattacks fire multiple times per fight; each +Attack multiplies across every counterattack event
• Frenzy charms — each hit triggers a Frenzy-multiplied counterattack; x2 Frenzy doubles counterattack output per hit
• HP-up charms — more HP = more hits absorbed before death = more counterattacks fired per fight
• Hazeblazer — Haze redirects attacks; redirected hits on Knuckles generate additional Reaction counterattacks
• Healing items — restoring Knuckles's HP mid-fight or between fights extends his counterattack availability

Trigger when hit