"Top Grimm Builds in Hollow Knight Revealed"

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• Best Charm Builds For Troupe Master Grimm

• Best Charm Builds For Nightmare King Grimm

Grimm, a character beloved by many in the Hollow Knight community and the broader metroidvania genre, captivates players with his mysterious aura and striking design. As the leader of the Grimm Troupe, he draws the Knight into a fascinating side quest that adds depth to the journey through Hallownest. This quest culminates in challenging battles against Troupe Master Grimm and the even more formidable Nightmare King Grimm, both of which are pivotal to completing the Grimm Troupe DLC.

These encounters are among the most demanding in Hollow Knight, requiring precise timing, agile movement, and strategic tenacity. The right charm combinations can significantly enhance your chances of success in these intense confrontations. Notably, to access these boss fights, players must equip the Grimmchild charm, which occupies two charm notches.

Best Charm Builds For Troupe Master Grimm

Facing Troupe Master Grimm for the first time offers players a chance to learn his attack patterns in a fast-paced yet elegantly choreographed battle. This fight is less about brute force and more about precision and timing, making charm selection crucial for success.

Defeating Troupe Master Grimm rewards players with the final Charm Notch, essential for crafting the optimal builds to tackle Nightmare King Grimm.

Nail Build

• Unbreakable/Fragile Strength
• Quick Slash
• Longnail
• Grimmchild (Mandatory)

This charm setup is designed to maximize Nail damage, allowing players to exploit brief windows of opportunity between Grimm's attacks. The slower pace of this fight compared to Nightmare King Grimm makes a Nail-focused build highly effective. Quick Slash facilitates rapid attacks, while Unbreakable or Fragile Strength boosts the Nail's damage output.

To optimize this build, players should ideally wield the Coiled Nail or the Pure Nail. Longnail, a suitable alternative to Mark of Pride due to the Grimmchild's notch requirement, extends the Nail's reach, helping land hits at the tail end of Grimm's attacks like the Diving Dash and Uppercut.

Spell Build

• Shaman Stone
• Grubsong
• Spell Twister
• Unbreakable/Fragile Heart
• Grimmchild (Mandatory)

For players who favor spellcasting or feel less confident with the Nail, a Spell-focused build offers a potent strategy to overcome Troupe Master Grimm. With access to upgraded spells like Descending Dark, Abyss Shriek, and Shade Soul, this build leverages the Knight's magical capabilities.

Shaman Stone is crucial for amplifying spell damage, while Spell Twister allows for more frequent spell use. Grubsong ensures a steady supply of Soul by generating it upon taking damage, a useful feature given the difficulty of dodging every attack. Unbreakable/Fragile Heart adds extra health, allowing players to prioritize Soul for spellcasting.

Best Charm Builds For Nightmare King Grimm

Nightmare King Grimm presents a dramatically intensified challenge. Not only does he deal double damage, but he also moves at a heightened speed and introduces a new, devastating flame pillar attack. Despite these increased threats, the flame pillars can be exploited for significant damage using Abyss Shriek.

Here are the most effective charm builds to conquer one of the toughest bosses in the metroidvania genre:

Best Build

• Unbreakable/Fragile Strength
• Shaman Stone
• Mark of Pride
• Grimmchild (Mandatory)

A pure Nail build isn't viable against Nightmare King Grimm due to his speed and damage output. A hybrid approach combining Nail and Spell attacks is essential. Shaman Stone enhances spell damage, crucial for using powerful spells like Abyss Shriek and Descending Dark. Meanwhile, Unbreakable/Fragile Strength and Mark of Pride bolster Nail damage during brief opportunities where spellcasting might be too risky.

Alternate Build

• Grubsong
• Sharp Shadow
• Shaman Stone
• Spell Twister
• Nailmaster's Glory
• Grimmchild (Mandatory)

This more defensive build focuses on utilizing spells and the often-overlooked Nail Arts while providing tools to evade Nightmare King Grimm's lethal attacks. Shaman Stone and Spell Twister significantly boost spell damage, while Grubsong ensures a steady Soul supply.

Sharp Shadow allows for damaging dashes through Grimm's attacks, assuming the player has the Shade Cloak, and Nailmaster's Glory enhances the effectiveness of Nail Arts, making them a viable offensive option alongside strategic spell usage.