"Grimm in Hollow Knight: Top Builds Revealed"

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• Best Charm Builds For Troupe Master Grimm

• Best Charm Builds For Nightmare King Grimm

Grimm, a captivating and iconic figure in Hollow Knight, embodies the essence of the metroidvania genre with his enigmatic charm and striking appearance. As the leader of the Grimm Troupe, he draws the Knight into a fascinating side quest that adds depth to the journey to save Hallownest and provides closure to the troupe's narrative arc.

Players will encounter Grimm in at least one battle before facing a more challenging version, the Nightmare King Grimm, to fully complete the Grimm Troupe DLC. Both Troupe Master Grimm and Nightmare King Grimm present some of the toughest challenges in the game, demanding precision, quick reflexes, and unwavering determination. Equipping the right charms is crucial to overcoming these formidable foes.

All charm builds for both Grimm encounters in the base game require the mandatory Grimmchild charm, which occupies two charm notches.

Best Charm Builds For Troupe Master Grimm

The battle against Troupe Master Grimm offers players their initial opportunity to understand his attack patterns and movement. This encounter is characterized by its fast-paced nature, resembling a dance rather than a straightforward fight. Players must be strategic and patient, seizing moments to strike rather than recklessly absorbing damage. The following builds are designed to help players navigate this challenging boss fight successfully.

Successfully defeating Troupe Master Grimm will unlock the final Charm Notch, essential for employing some of the best builds against Nightmare King Grimm.

Nail Build

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

This charm build focuses on maximizing Nail damage during the brief windows between Grimm's attacks. Given the slower pace compared to the Nightmare King version, a Nail build remains viable for landing numerous hits, thanks to Quick Slash.

Unbreakable or Fragile Strength is essential in any Nail build, enhancing the Nail's damage output. Players should aim to equip at least the Coiled Nail or the Pure Nail to effectively deplete Grimm's health.

While Nail builds typically include Mark of Pride, Longnail serves as a suitable alternative here due to the two charm notches occupied by Grimmchild. Although it offers a slightly shorter range increase than Mark of Pride, Longnail can still be effective for hitting Grimm during the tail end of his attacks, such as the Diving Dash and Uppercut.

Spell Build

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

For players who prefer spellcasting or are less adept with the Nail, this Spell build offers a quick path to defeating Grimm. By this stage, players should have access to the Descending Dark, Abyss Shriek, and Shade Soul spell upgrades, with the former two being particularly effective against tough bosses.

Shaman Stone is indispensable in any Spell-based build, significantly boosting the damage of the Knight's spells. Paired with Spell Twister, players can unleash multiple spells in a single rotation before needing to recharge with Nail hits.

Given the difficulty of avoiding hits in this fight, Grubsong is beneficial for maintaining a full Soul gauge. Unbreakable/Fragile Heart complements this build by providing additional masks, allowing players to reserve Soul primarily for spellcasting.

Best Charm Builds For Nightmare King Grimm

Nightmare King Grimm represents a significant leap in difficulty from Troupe Master Grimm. He now inflicts double damage, making every mistake potentially fatal. His increased speed and new attacks, including flame trails and flame pillars, add layers of complexity to an already challenging encounter. Exploiting the flame pillars with Abyss Shriek can deal substantial burst damage. Here are the optimal charm builds for tackling this formidable metroidvania boss.

Best Build

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

A pure Nail build is less effective against Nightmare King Grimm, making a hybrid Nail/Spell build the most successful approach. Spells like Abyss Shriek and Descending Dark are crucial for dealing significant damage.

Shaman Stone is essential for amplifying spell damage, while Unbreakable/Fragile Strength and Mark of Pride enhance the Nail's effectiveness during windows when spellcasting is risky or impractical.

Alternate Build

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

This more defensive build leverages both Spells and the often-overlooked Nail Arts while providing tools to evade Nightmare King Grimm's most dangerous attacks. Shaman Stone and Spell Twister are vital for maximizing spell damage.

Grubsong helps maintain a healthy Soul gauge, crucial for sustained spell use. Sharp Shadow allows players to dash through many of Grimm's attacks with the Shade Cloak, dealing damage in the process. Nailmaster's Glory enhances the potency of Nail Arts, enabling players to effectively chip away at Grimm's health alongside strategic spell usage.