Knife and Candle (how to)

Thought I’d try to create a post separate from the one for getting tokens. Apologies if it seems like a repetition, please deal with as is seen fit…

So, I’m struggling to grasp how Knife and Candle works.
What I thought: You choose a form. You attack someone (just out of curiousity, if you’ve chosen an aggressive form, why would you use anything other than the savage attack, for example? I’m suspecting this is a clue towards me missing something.). If they have a higher level of that stat (e.g. Savage), they win. If they have lower, you win. If you have equal, it’s 50:50.

But it’s clearly not that, which is probably good, as that’s too simple. (It’s clearly not that, as in an attempt to work out how it works, I attacked my alt with a lower savage than me, using a savage attack, and still lost. Admittedly the difference between stats is only 2 points, but it shows it’s not a clear cut higher/lower thing.)

So … how does it work? Instead of enjoying cunning and planning, I’m baffled, as I don’t know the mechanisms by which I should be plotting. My win/lose rate went from winning all my attacks, most of my being attacked to winning about 1 in 5. From hovering at around 20 tokens, bronze and saving up win tokens for a knife, I’m teetering on being kicked out. (Not a complaint, an observation.) Is this a result of being exceedingly lucky at the beginning, or has the mechanism changes?

baffled, of Fallen London

It seems to be around a broad 50% check against opponents level. If player A has Savage 110 and player B has 100, I’d imagine player A has a 110/100*50% chance of success, AKA 55%.

Your lower than highest stats are used in defence against that skill, so they’re by no means useless.

[quote=Aximillio]It seems to be around a broad 50% check against opponents level. If player A has Savage 110 and player B has 100, I’d imagine player A has a 110/100*50% chance of success, AKA 55%.

Your lower than highest stats are used in defence against that skill, so they’re by no means useless.[/quote]

Interesting. So, without any modifiers - taking Savage stance.
Savage attacking Savage would be a 50/50 chance.
Savage attacking someone Elusive: 70% chance?
And Baroque: 80% chance?

Or is this then modified by the other stats in defence, somehow?

And can this be right, as it means you must win on average 1 in 2 times, minimum. Which doesn’t make sense, as if that’s the minimum for everyone and there are better odds then … head boggles

I hate maths.

Maths aside, I just like having a go at it. XD The best strategy I’ve stumbled across is to guess at their form, then save up a lodging card plus a Sense of Urgency opening in order to pick a counter-form to their form, based on what they attacked me with.

This is presuming that they haven’t been able to switch their form yet.

[quote=babelfishwars][quote=Aximillio]It seems to be around a broad 50% check against opponents level. If player A has Savage 110 and player B has 100, I’d imagine player A has a 110/100*50% chance of success, AKA 55%.

Your lower than highest stats are used in defence against that skill, so they’re by no means useless.[/quote]

Interesting. So, without any modifiers - taking Savage stance.
Savage attacking Savage would be a 50/50 chance.
Savage attacking someone Elusive: 70% chance?
And Baroque: 80% chance?

Or is this then modified by the other stats in defence, somehow?

And can this be right, as it means you must win on average 1 in 2 times, minimum. Which doesn’t make sense, as if that’s the minimum for everyone and there are better odds then … head boggles

I hate maths.[/quote]

Bat attacking Shadow - 62.5%
Bat attacking lantern - 55.6%
Bat attacking egg - 83.3%

Shadow has the same values as Bat, using elusive.

Lantern attacking Bat/Shadow (Baroque) - 66.7%
Lantern attacking Bat/Shadow (Avg. Elusive + Savage) - (56.3% + 45%)/2 = 50.6%
Lantern attacking egg (Elu/Sav) - 75%
Lantern attacking egg (Baroque) - 40%

Egg attacking Bat/Shadow - 83.3%
Egg attacking Lantern - 60%

The problem is - you don’t always know your opponent’s stance. This is also w/o any modifiers - not considering that baroque changes on victory or any of the modifying items. Also, it’s possible the odds are different - this is purely speculation.

Thank you. Hmm. ponders