Grimm is an iconic and beloved character in the world of Hollow Knight and the metroidvania genre at large. With his enigmatic presence and striking appearance, the leader of the Grimm Troupe captivates the Knight on their journey to save Hallownest, offering a compelling side quest that brings closure to the troupe's adventures.
In these adventures, players must confront Grimm at least once before tackling an even more challenging version of him to complete the Grimm Troupe DLC. Both Troupe Master Grimm and Nightmare King Grimm are among the most demanding battles in the game, requiring precise movement, quick reflexes, and unwavering determination. Equipping the right charms can significantly enhance your chances of success in these intense showdowns.
It's important to note that all charm builds for both Grimm fights in the base game necessitate the use of the Grimmchild charm, which occupies two charm notches.
Best Charm Builds For Troupe Master Grimm
Troupe Master Grimm introduces players to his attack patterns and moveset, setting the stage for a fast-paced battle that feels more like a dance than a brawl. To conquer this fight, players must be strategic and patient, choosing the right moments to strike rather than attempting to tank through his attacks. Here are some effective builds to help you overcome this challenging encounter.
Successfully defeating Troupe Master Grimm unlocks the final Charm Notch, which is crucial for equipping some of the best builds when facing Nightmare King Grimm.
Nail Build
- Unbreakable/Fragile Strength
- Quick Slash
- Longnail
- Grimmchild (Mandatory)
This charm build is designed to maximize your Nail's damage output during the brief windows between Grimm's attacks. Given that this fight is slower than the Nightmare King version, a Nail build remains a viable strategy, allowing you to land multiple hits with the help of Quick Slash.
Unbreakable or Fragile Strength is essential in any Nail build as it boosts the damage of your Nail. Heading into this fight, players should aim to have at least the Coiled Nail or the Pure Nail to effectively chip away at Grimm's health.
While Nail builds typically include Mark of Pride, Longnail serves as a solid alternative here due to Grimmchild's two-notch requirement. Although it offers a slightly shorter range increase than Mark of Pride, Longnail can still be invaluable for landing hits at the tail end of Grimm's attacks, such as the Diving Dash and the Uppercut.
Spell Build
- Shaman Stone
- Grubsong
- Spell Twister
- Unbreakable/Fragile Heart
- Grimmchild (Mandatory)
For players who favor spellcasting or are less confident with the Nail, the Spell build offers a potent way to swiftly defeat Grimm. By this stage, players should have mastered the Descending Dark, Abyss Shriek, and Shade Soul spell upgrades, with the former two being particularly effective against some of the game's toughest bosses.
Shaman Stone is a must-have charm in any Spell-based build due to its significant boost to spell damage. When combined with Spell Twister, players can cast more spells in a single rotation before needing to recharge with Nail hits.
Given the challenge of avoiding hits in this fight, Grubsong can be incredibly useful for keeping your Soul gauge full. Unbreakable/Fragile Heart complements this build by providing additional masks, allowing you to allocate more Soul towards spellcasting.
Best Charm Builds For Nightmare King Grimm
Nightmare King Grimm presents a formidable challenge, dealing double damage and moving at an accelerated pace. A single misstep can end the fight abruptly. Additionally, he gains a new attack with flaming trails on most of his moves, also dealing double damage. The new flame pillar attack, however, offers an opportunity for players to land powerful Abyss Shrieks for significant burst damage. Here are the best charm builds to tackle this daunting metroidvania boss.
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 offers the best chance of success, leveraging the power of Abyss Shriek and Descending Dark. Shaman Stone is crucial for maximizing spell damage, while Unbreakable/Fragile Strength and Mark of Pride enhance your damage output during moments when using spells is risky or impractical.
Alternate Build
- Grubsong
- Sharp Shadow
- Shaman Stone
- Spell Twister
- Nailmaster's Glory
- Grimmchild (Mandatory)
This defensive build focuses on utilizing Spells and the often-overlooked Nail Arts to navigate Nightmare King Grimm's lethal attacks. As with any Spell-based build, Shaman Stone and Spell Twister are essential for boosting damage output.
Grubsong helps maintain a full Soul gauge, providing a safety net. Sharp Shadow, when paired with the Shade Cloak, enables players to dash through most of Nightmare King Grimm's attacks while dealing damage. Nailmaster's Glory enhances the effectiveness of Nail Arts, allowing you to chip away at his health alongside strategic spell usage.
