An in-depth guide for Knuckle Wraps
Melee combat in 7 Days to Die is risky at best, and stubbornly choosing to fight zombies with nothing but your fists makes that situation much more precarious. That’s why survivors instead choose to wear Knuckle Wraps when they want to punch the daylights out of the wandering undead.
The icon for this weapon appears to be an actual leather hand wrap, but the in-game model looks more like a tow strap wrapped around your fists and isn’t much more effective than your bare hands without the proper skills.
This guide will walk you through how to craft Knuckle Wraps in 7 Days to Die and offer advice on utilizing them best.
How to craft Knuckle Wraps in 7 Days to Die
Knuckle Wraps are a pretty basic design that only requires a couple of simple materials to construct:
| Material | Quality 1 | Quality 2 | Quality 3 | Quality 4 | Quality 5 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Iron | 6 | 6 | 6 | 6 | 6 |
| Leather | 3 | 3 | 3 | 3 | 3 |
| Knuckles Crafting Skill | 1 | 3 | 5 | 7 | 10 |
- Iron may be mined from ore, scavenged from trash and loot containers, or salvaged from just about anything made of metal.
- Leather can be collected by harvesting animal carcasses or salvaged from leather furniture such as car seats and office chairs.
- The Knuckles crafting skill can only be improved by finding and reading issues of the Furious Fists skill magazine.
Knuckle Wraps Overview
Base Stats
| Property | Quality 1 | Quality 2 | Quality 3 | Quality 4 | Quality 5 | Quality 6 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Melee Damage | 7 | 7.7 | 8.4 | 9 | 9.8 | 10.5 |
| Power Attack Damage | 14 | 14.6 | 15.4 | 16.1 | 16.8 | 17.5 |
| Block Damage | 2.2 | 2.4 | 2.6 | 2.8 | 3 | 3.3 |
| Stamina Cost | 9.1 | 9.1 | 9.1 | 9.1 | 9.1 | 9.1 |
| Attacks / Minute | 100 | 100 | 100 | 100 | 100 | 100 |
| Max Durability | 100 | 140 | 180 | 220 | 260 | 300 |
| Mod Slots | 1 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 2 | 3 |
Mods
The Knuckle Wraps accept the following mods. Note that only one mod of any category may be attached at a time except accessory mods.
- Accessory: Structural Brace, Wood Splitter, Bunker Buster, Grave Digger, Iron Breaker
- Tech: The Hunter, Rad Remover
- Grip: Fortifying Grip, Ergonomic Grip
Tips and tricks for using the Knuckle Wraps
As a member of the Knuckles weapon class, the Knuckle Wraps scale in power with the player’s Fortitude attribute and The Brawler perk. The attack speed of this weapon can also be increased by investing in the Lightning Hands perk.
Knuckle weapons specialize in dealing rapid damage up close and personal. Knuckles attack very quickly and can stack up damage against a single target with repeated attacks.
Knuckle Wraps are designed to increase the survivability of face-to-face fighting with zombies by applying debilitating effects that keep the wielder out of trouble. After investing in The Brawler perk, headshots against opponents can begin to negate their ability to infect the player, stagger enemies, knock them to the ground, stun them, and even blow up their heads with a single punch.
The main disadvantage of using fist weapons is the short range of their attacks. Players will need to be right in front of a target for their punches to connect, which risks retaliatory attacks. Striking with a power attack as soon as an enemy is within range can help stagger them and open them up for follow-up attacks. Additionally, we recommend wearing heavy armor if you intend to use knuckles as your main weapon.
When choosing mods and perks to compliment your Knuckle Wraps, we suggest anything that will increase your attack speed, reduce stamina consumption, and improve the chances of procing status effects such as stagger and knockdown. The Weighted Head and Ergonomic Grip mods are two great choices for improving your weapon.
Final thoughts on the Knuckle Wraps
In terms of starting weapons, this isn’t one of the best. The Fun Pimps built 7 Days to Die to become more difficult as you progress, but the starting levels are some of the most challenging, and fighting face-to-face with zombies at a low level can be extremely dangerous. That said, a few levels in this weapon’s corresponding perks can rapidly transform it into one of the most survivable starting weapons.
Looking for some more pointers to help you survive 7D2D? Check out our 10 Tips for Getting Started or our in-depth Beginner’s Guide.
