Fan of Knives

Active Skill · Devices · Demon Hunter

5 Runes
From level 14

Effect

Cooldown: 10 seconds

Throw knives out in a spiral around you, dealing 620% weapon damage to all enemies within 20 yards. Your knives will also Slow the movement of enemies by 60% for 1 second.

Runes

5 Runes

Pinpoint Accuracy

from level 23 · Lightning damage · Proc coefficient 0.5

Increase cooldown to 15 seconds and increase damage to 1600% weapon damage as Lightning.
Bladed Armor

from level 32 · Cold damage · Proc coefficient 0.333

Gain 40% additional armor for 6 seconds.

Fan of Knives' damage turns into Cold.
Knives Expert

from level 38 · Fire damage · Proc coefficient 0.3

Remove the cooldown but add a 30 Hatred cost.

Fan of Knives' damage turns into Fire.
Fan of Daggers

from level 44 · Fire damage · Proc coefficient 0.333

Enemies hit are Stunned for 3 seconds.

Fan of Knives' damage turns into Fire.
Assassin's Knives

from level 59 · Physical damage · Proc coefficient 0.2

Also throw long-range knives that deal 620% weapon damage to 5 additional enemies.

The proc coefficient scales the chance of on-hit effects (e.g. legendary powers, gems, Life per Hit) for each hit of the skill. Game files, version 2.8.0.

Fan of Knives

Fan of Knives is an area skill on a cooldown in which you hurl knives in a spiral around you, dealing high damage to all nearby enemies while briefly slowing them. As an instant all-around strike it's ideal for defusing suddenly surrounded situations, poking dense groups, or buying yourself some breathing room through the slow.

Among the runes, Assassin's Knives is valuable if you want to extend the range and hit additional distant enemies, considerably widening the area effect. If you instead need more control, Fan of Daggers stuns enemies hit for several seconds. For pure burst, Pinpoint Accuracy massively raises the damage at the cost of a longer cooldown, while Bladed Armor converts the skill into a defensive tool. So you can tune the skill toward range, control, or peak damage.

Knives Expert and Bladed Armor

Fan of Knives unlocks at level 14: 620% weapon damage within 20 yards on a 10 second cooldown, plus a 60% slow for 1 second. Besides Assassin's Knives, Fan of Daggers and Pinpoint Accuracy, there are two more runes. Knives Expert (level 38) removes the cooldown but costs 30 Hatred per cast, turning the emergency spin into a repeatable attack that depends on your Hatred. Bladed Armor (level 32) grants 40% additional armor for 6 seconds and is the common pick in practice. For the unlock order: Pinpoint Accuracy arrives at level 23, Fan of Daggers at level 44 and Assassin's Knives only at level 59.

The Shadow's Mantle

In The Shadow's Mantle, Fan of Knives is one of four skills whose damage the 2-piece bonus raises by 6000%, but only while you wield a melee weapon. The 4-piece bonus makes Shadow Power permanent and gives it every rune, while the 6-piece bonus focuses on Impale.

Ambush and Hungering Arrow

Ambush raises damage against high-health enemies, and a spin into a fresh pack hits exactly those targets. Hungering Arrow generates the Hatred that Knives Expert spends. Vengeance, Preparation, Smoke Screen and Strafe are frequent partners as well.

by eRnstl