"Top Builds for Grimm in Hollow Knight"

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• Best Charm Builds For Troupe Master Grimm

• Best Charm Builds For Nightmare King Grimm

Grimm, one of Hollow Knight's most iconic and beloved characters, adds a captivating layer to the metroidvania genre. As the enigmatic leader of the Grimm Troupe, his unique, stylish appearance and compelling side quest enrich the player's journey to save Hallownest. Engaging in the adventures of the Grimm Troupe, players are challenged to battle Grimm, and later, a more formidable version, Nightmare King Grimm, to complete the DLC. These encounters are among the game's toughest, demanding precision, quick reflexes, and resilience. Equipping the right charms is crucial for overcoming both versions of this challenging foe.

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

Best Charm Builds For Troupe Master Grimm

The battle with Troupe Master Grimm serves as an introduction to his combat style and attack patterns. This encounter is characterized by its fast pace and resembles a dance more than a straightforward brawl. Success here hinges on elegance and strategic timing rather than brute force. The following builds are designed to help players navigate this challenging fight effectively.

Completing the Troupe Master Grimm boss fight rewards players with the final Charm Notch, essential for optimizing builds against Nightmare King Grimm.

Nail Build

- Unbreakable/Fragile Strength

• Quick Slash
• Longnail
• Grimmchild (Mandatory)

This build focuses on maximizing Nail damage during the brief windows between Grimm's attacks. Given the slower pace compared to Nightmare King Grimm, a Nail-focused build is viable, allowing players to land multiple hits using Quick Slash.

Unbreakable or Fragile Strength is essential for boosting Nail damage. Players should ideally have at least the Coiled Nail or the Pure Nail to efficiently reduce Grimm's health.

While Nail builds typically include Mark of Pride, Longnail serves as a good alternative here due to the two notches occupied by Grimmchild. Though it provides less range than Mark of Pride, Longnail still enhances the reach of Nail attacks, crucial for striking Grimm during the tail end of his moves like the Diving Dash and Uppercut.

Spell Build

- Shaman Stone

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

Ideal for players favoring Spell damage or less confident with the Nail, this build leverages spells to swiftly defeat Grimm. By this stage, players should have access to Descending Dark, Abyss Shriek, and Shade Soul. Descending Dark and Abyss Shriek are particularly effective against tough bosses.

Shaman Stone significantly increases spell damage, making it a staple for any Spell-based build. Paired with Spell Twister, players can cast more spells per rotation, regenerating Soul through Nail hits.

Given the challenge of dodging Grimm's attacks, Grubsong helps maintain a topped-up Soul gauge. Unbreakable/Fragile Heart adds extra masks, allowing more focus on using Soul for spells.

Best Charm Builds For Nightmare King Grimm

Nightmare King Grimm escalates the challenge significantly. He inflicts double damage, making errors costly, and his increased speed demands even sharper reflexes. Additionally, his attacks now leave flaming trails and introduce a new flame pillar attack, which, while dangerous, presents opportunities for high-damage Abyss Shrieks. Here are the top charm builds for tackling one of the toughest bosses in metroidvania games.

Best Build

- Unbreakable/Fragile Strength

• Shaman Stone
• Mark of Pride
• Grimmchild (Mandatory)

A pure Nail build isn't effective against Nightmare King Grimm. A hybrid Nail/Spell build is optimal, utilizing the powerful Abyss Shriek and Descending Dark spells.

Shaman Stone is crucial for maximizing spell damage against Nightmare King Grimm. Unbreakable/Fragile Strength and Mark of Pride enhance damage output during moments when spell use is risky or impractical.

Alternate Build

- Grubsong

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

This more defensive build focuses on spells and the often-overlooked Nail Arts, offering tools to evade Nightmare King Grimm's deadliest attacks. Shaman Stone and Spell Twister are essential for boosting spell damage.

Grubsong ensures a steady supply of Soul. Sharp Shadow, when paired with the Shade Cloak, allows players to dash through many of Nightmare King Grimm's attacks while dealing damage. Nailmaster's Glory makes Nail Arts a significant threat, helping chip away at his health alongside strategic spell use.