Grab Damage Reduction Bloodborne Wiki » Game Mechanics » Grab Damage Reduction

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Basic Information

During certain grab attack animations, damage can be reduced if you are repeatedly pressing buttons (mashing). Press any of the following buttons rapidly: X, Triangle, Square, Circle, R1, R2, L1, or L2. Pressing a combination of buttons may help your speed and reduce the damage, so alternating between R1 and L1 is a good method. However, if you are capable of pressing a single button the same number of times within the same duration, damage will be reduced in a same way. For certain enemies there is a range of potential damage reduction depending on how quickly buttons are pressed. It is sometimes possible to escape certain grabs entirely if buttons are pressed quickly enough just before the grab lands on the player [illusorywall]. Some enemies (Executioner) may not have their grab animations ended early, though the player may take zero damage.

Avoiding grab damage altogether sounds useful, but it really isn't. Because in order to mash buttons that quickly you really have to have been anticipating the grab in which case you could've just dodged instead. The BPM (beats per minute) required to trigger damage reduction is at rate of roughly 480 BPM or higher. Another requirement is to start "mashing" at the start of the grab animation or damage reduction could, in some cases, not trigger at all.

List of Enemies with Grab Attacks

Main Game Enemies Cramped Casket Fluorescent Flower Winter Lantern Loran Silverbeast Forsaken Castle Spirit (Head) Forsaken Castle Spirit (Knife) Hemwick Grave Woman (Sickle) Church Servant (Crucifix) Snake Parasite Garden of Eyes Eye Collector Kidnapper Ashen Blood Beast Patient Lost Child of Antiquity Brainsucker Beast-possessed Soul Executioner Scourge Beast Scholar (Bare Hands)

Expansion Enemies Clocktower Patient (Head) Clocktower Patient (Infected Hand) Fishman (Cleaver) Giant Fishman (Fists) Nightmare Executioner (Axe) Nightmare Executioner (Church Cannon) Snail Woman (Shell)

Chalice Dungeon Enemies Gel Hole Digger Watcher's Gravedigger (Rifle, Hook & Lantern) Watcher's Gravedigger (Hook & Lantern)

Bosses Laurence, the First Vicar Yharnam, Pthumerian Queen Ebrietas, Daughter of the Cosmos Bloodletting Beast Vicar Amelia Blood-starved Beast The Witch of Hemwick Cleric Beast Undead Giant (Club & Hook)

Grab Damage Reduction

No Damage Reduction Cleric Beast Vicar Amelia Blood-starved Beast The Witch of Hemwick Laurence, the First Vicar Bloodletting Beast Yharnam, Pthumerian Queen Undead Giant (Club & Hook) Beast-possessed Soul Winter Lantern Clocktower Patient (Head) Clocktower Patient (Infected Hand) Eye Collector Ashen Blood Beast Patient Giant Fishman (Fists) Snail Woman (Shell) Fishman (Cleaver) Forsaken Castle Spirit (Head) Forsaken Castle Spirit (Knife) Church Servant (Crucifix) Nightmare Executioner (Axe) Nightmare Executioner (Church Cannon) Kidnapper Fluorescent Flower Loran Silverbeast Hemwick Grave Woman (Sickle) Hole Digger Watcher's Gravedigger (Rifle, Hook & Lantern) Watcher's Gravedigger (Hook & Lantern) Gel

Partial Damage Reduction Ebrietas, Daughter of the Cosmos [~40% / less Frenzy] Cramped Casket [~80%] Scholar (Bare Hands) [~75%] Brainsucker [50%-25% / 1 Insight] Scourge Beast [~40%] Snake Parasite [80%-60%-40% / less SP] Lost Child of Antiquity [~50%]

Total Damage Reduction Executioner Scholar (Bare Hands)

Grabs Escape Snake Parasite

Notes

Percentage in Partial Damage Reduction shows how much damage is reduced opposed to when you are not "mashing" buttons. In case of Brainsucker you will lose one less insight for "mashing".

Hemwick Grave Woman (Sickle) grab animation will only trigger when she is facing your back.

Forsaken Castle Spirit (Knife) grab attack will trigger only when you are paralyzed by Forsaken Castle Spirit (Head).

Beast-possessed Soul grab attack will buff itself.