Critical Kill Loops

This is a guide, tutorial, or gameplay strategy written by one or more players to better assist others with their gameplay enjoyment. The information presented here may be subject to the personal opinion of the contributor(s), and may additionally require periodic updates to keep current as the game environment changes.

Title: Critical Combat Loop Options

Author: Darcimer

Date Published: 2026-11-5

A kill loop is a setup that disables the target, followed by an aimed finisher whose critical is fatal at that location. This page lists the strongest setup and finisher pairs by weapon category, with the chance each finisher kills against leather, chain and plate, from an open aim and from a hidden ambush.

It is the third page in a set:

• Status Effects and CMAN Quick Reference covers what prone, Vulnerable, Staggered and the other conditions do.
• Critical Effects Quick Reference lists the critical rank at which each damage type stuns, knocks down or kills at each hit location.
• This page combines them into setup and finisher pairs.

What sets a finisher's critical rank

From the Critical page:

Base rank = truncate( ((endroll − 100) × damage factor − padding + weighting) ÷ armor critical divisor ), capped at 9.

The game then rolls the actual rank evenly between half the base rank (rounded up) and the full base rank.

Input	What raises it	How it scales
Endroll	AS, enchant, Sanctify, Ensorcel, and anything that lowers the target's DS: prone, stance pushdown, Vulnerable	Multiplied by the weapon's damage factor (DF), so high-DF weapons gain the most from the same AS
Weighting	Weapon weighting (1–50), natural weighting from DEX (about 1 per 4 bonus), Sigil of Major Bane, and Ambush skill when attacking from hiding	Added flat after DF, so it helps low-DF weapons the most
Padding	Armor padding and natural creature padding	Subtracted flat; lowers every hit
Critical divisor	Leather 6, scale 7, chain 9, plate 11 (robes 5)	Divides everything; heavy armor needs much more raw damage per rank

Flares are separate criticals and do not raise the weapon's base rank.

Open aim, hidden ambush and ranged

From the Ambush page:

• Hidden ambush (AMBUSH from hiding) adds critical weighting from the Ambush skill, halves the target's evade, block and parry, and pushes down the target's stance, which lowers its DS. The exact weighting formula is unknown; a level 100 rogue fully trained in stealth gets roughly 40–50 points with a dagger (Critical weighting).
• Open aim gets none of those bonuses. Its only job is putting the hit on the chosen location, which depends on Ambush and Combat Maneuvers for melee and hurled weapons.
• Ranged ambush (FIRE or HURL from hiding) gets the stance pushdown only, not the extra weighting. Ambush skill does add AS to every bow and crossbow attack, hidden or not. Open ranged aiming uses Perception alone.
• Aimed attacks use the weapon's natural damage mix. Precision does not work with aimed or ranged attacks, so a dagger aimed at the eye still rolls slash one-third of the time.

How to read the tables

• Kill chances are for an aimed hit that lands on the chosen location, at endroll 200 (a margin of 100), shown as leather / chain / plate.
• Open assumes no weighting at all. Weapon and natural DEX weighting raise these numbers, so treat them as a floor.
• Hidden adds 45 points of ambush weighting, the middle of the 40–50 estimate for a fully trained ambusher. Bows get no ambush weighting, so their hidden numbers equal their open ones; the stance pushdown they do get raises the endroll, which these tables hold fixed.
• No rank-0 cutoff for weighting. The Critical page says weighting is not applied when the unweighted critical rank would be 0. Player logs show hidden ambushes producing rank 4–6 critical hits on attacks that would be rank 0 without weighting, so these tables apply weighting to every hit. See the field check below.
• Margin for base 7 is the endroll margin (endroll − 100) needed to reach base 7 with no weighting. At base 7 the lowest possible roll is rank 4.
• Padding is not included. Damage factors and damage-type mixes come from Edged Weapons, Blunt Weapons, Two-Handed Weapons, Polearm Weapons and the Archery guide.

Field check: one ambusher's log

A logged hide → ambush loop with a dagger (critical weighting CER 6) against Citadel guardsmen, who wear chain (critical divisor 9, dagger DF .125):

Endroll	Critical seen	Raw damage from DF alone	Unweighted rank	Weighting needed for that rank
208	Slash leg 6, knockdown	13.5	1	41 or more
154	Puncture leg 6, knockdown	6.8	0	47 or more
179	Puncture leg 7	9.9	1	53 or more

• The dagger carries at least 53 points of total weighting from weapon weighting, Ambush and DEX combined. That is consistent with the 45-point ambush estimate used here plus the weapon's own weighting.
• The 154 endroll would be rank 0 without weighting, yet it rolled rank 6. This is why the tables below do not apply the rank-0 cutoff.
• Aimed leg attacks landed on the leg 20 of 21 times in the same log. Knockdowns followed every leg critical of rank 4 or higher on corporeal targets.
• This is a single log, not a controlled test. Padding on the guardsmen is unknown and would raise the weighting needed.

Top 5 finishers

Ranked by average kill chance across all six columns.

#	Finisher	Aim	Kill, open aim leather / chain / plate	Kill, hidden ambush leather / chain / plate	RT
1	Awl-pike	Eye	95% / 58% / 0%	95% / 95% / 90%	9
2	Spear (two-handed)	Eye	71% / 0% / 0%	100% / 97% / 71%	6
3	Maul	Head	75% / 0% / 0%	100% / 100% / 50%	7
4	Spear (one-handed)	Eye	61% / 0% / 0%	100% / 96% / 61%	5
5	Estoc	Eye	56% / 0% / 0%	100% / 92% / 56%	4

High damage factor and a high share of puncture (eye fatal from rank 4) or crush (head fatal from rank 5) make the best finishers. Hidden-ambush weighting closes most of the gap for light weapons against leather, but not against plate.

Speed × crit: top 5

The tables above rank finishers per swing. A fast weapon gets more swings in the same time, so two dagger attempts can beat one estoc attempt. These tables rank finishers by kills per minute of swinging: kill chance per swing × 60 ÷ roundtime. Each table is ranked by total kills per minute across leather, chain and plate, so a weapon that still kills through chain can outrank one that is faster against leather alone.

• Roundtime used is the larger of the weapon's base RT and minimum RT from its weapon table. Your actual RT depends on stats, encumbrance and haste effects.
• Time spent hiding, standing, moving or setting up is not counted. In a hide → ambush cycle the hide time is the same for every weapon, which narrows the gap between fast and slow weapons.
• Kill chances use the same assumptions as the tables above: endroll 200, aimed hit on the chosen location, and 45 points of weighting for hidden ambush.

Open aim

#	Finisher	Aim	RT used	Kill chance per swing leather / chain / plate	Kills per minute of swinging leather / chain / plate
1	Awl-pike	Eye	9s	95% / 58% / 0%	6.3 / 3.9 / 0.0
2	Estoc	Eye	4s	56% / 0% / 0%	8.3 / 0.0 / 0.0
3	Spear (one-handed)	Eye	5s	61% / 0% / 0%	7.3 / 0.0 / 0.0
4	Spear (two-handed)	Eye	6s	71% / 0% / 0%	7.1 / 0.0 / 0.0
5	Maul	Head	7s	75% / 0% / 0%	6.4 / 0.0 / 0.0

Hidden ambush

#	Finisher	Aim	RT used	Kill chance per swing leather / chain / plate	Kills per minute of swinging leather / chain / plate
1	Dagger	Eye	2s	100% / 67% / 22%	30.0 / 20.0 / 6.7
2	Katar	Eye	3s	100% / 92% / 56%	20.0 / 18.3 / 11.1
3	Rapier	Eye	3s	100% / 67% / 22%	20.0 / 13.3 / 4.4
4	Main gauche	Eye	3s	100% / 67% / 22%	20.0 / 13.3 / 4.4
5	Estoc	Eye	4s	100% / 92% / 56%	15.0 / 13.8 / 8.3

Speed × knockdown: top 5

The setup side of the same question: which weapon knocks a target down fastest with aimed leg swings. Ranked the same way, by total knockdowns per minute across leather, chain and plate.

• Knockdown chance per swing weights each damage type's leg knockdown ranks by the weapon's damage mix. Crush and slash legs knock down from rank 4; puncture legs knock down at rank 2 and from rank 4.
• Hidden ambush numbers assume one hide per swing. Each ambush reveals the attacker, so a real hide → ambush cycle adds the same hide time to every weapon. That erases most of a fast weapon's edge, and speed matters most for open swings.
• Swapping from a setup weapon to a separate finisher costs extra time that these tables do not count. A weapon that both knocks down and finishes avoids it.
• Katars need training in both Brawling and Edged Weapons to wield.

Open aim

#	Weapon	RT used	Knockdown chance per leg swing leather / chain / plate	Knockdowns per minute of swinging leather / chain / plate
1	Katar	3s	56% / 33% / 0%	11.1 / 6.7 / 0.0
2	Spear (two-handed)	6s	75% / 42% / 42%	7.5 / 4.2 / 4.2
3	Estoc	4s	67% / 33% / 0%	10.0 / 5.0 / 0.0
4	Military pick	7s	75% / 56% / 33%	6.4 / 4.8 / 2.9
5	Awl-pike	9s	100% / 67% / 44%	6.7 / 4.4 / 2.9

Hidden ambush

#	Weapon	RT used	Knockdown chance per leg swing leather / chain / plate	Knockdowns per minute of swinging leather / chain / plate
1	Dagger	2s	100% / 75% / 56%	30.0 / 22.5 / 16.7
2	Katar	3s	100% / 100% / 67%	20.0 / 20.0 / 13.3
3	Rapier	3s	100% / 75% / 56%	20.0 / 15.0 / 11.1
4	Main gauche	3s	100% / 75% / 56%	20.0 / 15.0 / 11.1
5	Leather whip	3s	100% / 75% / 33%	20.0 / 15.0 / 6.7

Finisher reference

Every finisher on this page, with the numbers behind the rankings.

Finisher	Aim	Damage mix (fatal rank)	DF leather / chain / plate	Margin for base 7 leather / chain / plate	Kill, open aim	Kill, hidden ambush	RT
Awl-pike	Eye	crush 13% (7+), puncture 87% (4+)	.550 / .450 / .350	77 / 140 / 220	95% / 58% / 0%	95% / 95% / 90%	9
Spear (two-handed)	Eye	slash 17% (5+), puncture 83% (4+)	.385 / .325 / .230	110 / 194 / 335	71% / 0% / 0%	100% / 97% / 71%	6
Maul	Head	crush 100% (5+)	.425 / .375 / .300	99 / 168 / 257	75% / 0% / 0%	100% / 100% / 50%	7
Spear (one-handed)	Eye	slash 17% (5+), puncture 83% (4+)	.325 / .250 / .160	130 / 252 / 482	61% / 0% / 0%	100% / 96% / 61%	5
Estoc	Eye	slash 33% (5+), puncture 67% (4+)	.300 / .200 / .150	140 / 315 / 514	56% / 0% / 0%	100% / 92% / 56%	4
Military pick	Eye	crush 33% (7+), puncture 67% (4+)	.375 / .375 / .260	112 / 168 / 297	50% / 22% / 0%	87% / 87% / 50%	7
Claidhmore	Head	slash 50% (6+), crush 50% (5+)	.475 / .350 / .225	89 / 180 / 343	62% / 0% / 0%	90% / 70% / 38%	8
Katana (one-handed)	Eye	slash 100% (5+)	.325 / .225 / .175	130 / 280 / 440	33% / 0% / 0%	100% / 75% / 33%	5
Mace	Head	crush 100% (5+)	.300 / .250 / .175	140 / 252 / 440	33% / 0% / 0%	100% / 75% / 33%	4
Morning star	Head	crush 67% (5+), puncture 33% (6+)	.325 / .300 / .225	130 / 210 / 343	22% / 0% / 0%	93% / 73% / 42%	5
Dagger	Eye	slash 33% (5+), puncture 67% (4+)	.200 / .125 / .075	210 / 504 / 1027	0% / 0% / 0%	100% / 67% / 22%	1
Long bow	Eye	slash 33% (5+), puncture 67% (4+)	.325 / .300 / .175	130 / 210 / 440	56% / 0% / 0%	56% / 0% / 0%	varies

Best loops by weapon category

Edged weapons

Setup	Leaves target	Finisher	Aim	Kill, open aim leather / chain / plate	Kill, hidden ambush leather / chain / plate	Notes
Hamstring	Prone (may knock down), major bleed	Estoc	Eye	56% / 0% / 0%	100% / 92% / 56%	Hamstring needs a one-handed slashing weapon. The estoc has the best DF of the puncture-heavy blades.
Sweep, then hide	Prone, Vulnerable, Staggered	Dagger	Eye	0% / 0% / 0%	100% / 67% / 22%	Useless as an open finisher, but ambush weighting carries it against leather and most of the way against chain.

Blunt weapons

Setup	Leaves target	Finisher	Aim	Kill, open aim leather / chain / plate	Kill, hidden ambush leather / chain / plate	Notes
Sweep	Prone, Vulnerable, Staggered	Mace	Head	33% / 0% / 0%	100% / 75% / 33%	All crush, so every hit uses the head threshold of 5.
Aimed leg crit (crush leg knocks down 4+)	Prone, stun 3+ rounds	Morning star	Head	22% / 0% / 0%	93% / 73% / 42%	Best blunt DF. One-third of hits roll puncture, which needs head 6+.

Two-handed weapons

Setup	Leaves target	Finisher	Aim	Kill, open aim leather / chain / plate	Kill, hidden ambush leather / chain / plate	Notes
Tackle or Sweep	Prone, Vulnerable, Staggered	Maul	Head	75% / 0% / 0%	100% / 100% / 50%	All crush with high DF; the strongest head finisher.
Aimed leg crit (crush leg knocks down 4+)	Prone, stun 3+ rounds	Military pick	Eye	50% / 22% / 0%	87% / 87% / 50%	Two-thirds puncture with high DF against chain.

Polearm weapons

Setup	Leaves target	Finisher	Aim	Kill, open aim leather / chain / plate	Kill, hidden ambush leather / chain / plate	Notes
Trip	Unbalance damage to the legs, Vulnerable, Staggered	Awl-pike	Eye	95% / 58% / 0%	95% / 95% / 90%	Highest DF of any finisher here and 87% puncture. Trip needs a two-handed polearm.
Trip	Unbalance damage to the legs, Vulnerable, Staggered	Spear (two-handed)	Eye	71% / 0% / 0%	100% / 97% / 71%	Faster than the awl-pike (6 seconds vs 9) with a lower DF.

Ranged weapons

Setup	Leaves target	Finisher	Aim	Kill, open aim leather / chain / plate	Kill, hidden ambush leather / chain / plate	Notes
Aimed leg shot (puncture leg knocks down at 2 and 4+)	Prone, stun 3+ rounds	Long bow	Eye	56% / 0% / 0%	56% / 0% / 0%	No ambush weighting for FIRE, but Ambush skill adds AS to every bow shot.
Grapple-flaring bow, aimed eye	Grapple eye crit: knockdown at 2–5 and 7–9, stun 3–20 rounds	Long bow	Eye	56% / 0% / 0%	56% / 0% / 0%	The grapple flare never kills on the eye; the kill comes from the arrow's own crit.

Setup knockdown odds

Crit-based setups knock down only when the rolled rank carries a knockdown. This table shows the chance per hit at each base rank. CMAN setups such as Sweep, Hamstring, Tackle and Bull Rush use their own success rolls instead.

Crit type	Location	KD at base 3	KD at base 4	KD at base 5	KD at base 6	KD at base 7
Puncture	Leg	50%	67%	67%	75%	100%
Slash	Leg	0%	33%	67%	75%	100%
Crush	Leg	0%	33%	67%	75%	100%
Unbalance (Trip, bolts)	Leg	50%	67%	67%	75%	100%
Unbalance (bolts)	Chest / abdomen / back	100%	67%	67%	75%	75%
Grapple (flares, spells)	Leg	50%	67%	100%	100%	100%
Grapple (flares, spells)	Eye	100%	100%	100%	75%	75%

Notes:

• Puncture and unbalance legs knock down at rank 2 but not rank 3, so they stay below 100% until base 7, when rank 3 drops out of the roll range.
• Unbalance torso hits knock down at ranks 2, 3 and 5–9 but not 4, so the odds dip once rank 4 enters the roll range at base 4.
• Grapple eye hits skip the knockdown at rank 6, which is why the odds fall above base 5.

Limits

• Universal combat (UCS) punches, jabs, kicks and GRAPPLE use their own critical tables and are not covered here.
• Bolt spells are treated here as random-location attacks. Unbalance bolts such as Hand of Tonis (505) work as a random-location knockdown setup; see the table above.
• Noncorporeal creatures use the Noncorporeal critical table, and creatures with heavy critical padding lower the base rank of every hit.
• Weapon damage-type ratios are player research and may be imprecise for some weapons. The ambush weighting figure is an estimate.

See also

• Critical Effects Quick Reference
• Status Effects and CMAN Quick Reference
• Critical
• Critical weighting
• Ambush
• Combat Maneuvers