Overview
Lariat is a Grappling sub-skill in the Stamina Skill Tree, available to Kliff, Damiane, and Oongka. It slams your enemy into the ground with overwhelming force, dealing significant damage and knocking down nearby enemies in the process. Lariat is one of the most popular grappling skills in the game due to its high stagger, area-of-effect knockdown, and satisfying wrestling-style execution.
Often compared to a professional wrestling "RKO" move, Lariat grabs the target and drives them headfirst into the ground. The impact shockwave pushes back nearby enemies, making it effective for crowd control as well as single-target burst damage.
Skill Details
Property | Detail |
|---|---|
Skill Tree | |
Parent Skill | |
Stamina Cost | No cost (free to use) |
Spirit Cost | None |
Characters | |
Grappling Level | Level 2 (Oongka: unlocked by default) |
How to Unlock | Grappling Lv 2 |
Input | X + Square |
Unlock Cost |
How to Unlock
Upgrade the Grappling skill to Level 2 to unlock Lariat. Each character must level Grappling independently. Spending 1 Abyss Artifact per level raises the Grappling tree. Notably, Oongka has Lariat unlocked by default from the moment he becomes playable, giving him an immediate advantage in grappling combat.
Grappling Progression Chain
Level | ||
|---|---|---|
Level 1 | ||
Level 2 | Lariat | Lariat |
Level 3 | ||
Level 4 | ||
Level 5 |
Lariat Follow-Up
At Grappling Level 5, Kliff and Oongka unlock Lariat Follow-Up, which allows chaining multiple consecutive Lariats on the same enemy. During a Lariat, press X + Square again to trigger the follow-up slam. The follow-up is also free to use, making the full Lariat chain cost-efficient for extended fights. Damiane's Level 5 skill is Aerial Grapple instead.
Combat Tips
Lariat is especially effective against groups since the slam's shockwave can knock down nearby enemies. Position yourself in the center of a pack for maximum area coverage.
At No cost (free to use) per use, Lariat is moderately expensive. Keep your Stamina above 60 at all times to have it available when an enemy gets within grapple range.
Lariat deals strong stagger damage, making it useful for opening up bosses and elite enemies to follow-up attacks. The ground slam leaves targets prone for a few seconds.
Chain into a smooth combo flow: Spinning Slash to close distance, Stab for quick damage, then Lariat for the finishing slam. This rotation works well in most encounters.
Oongka's default access to Lariat makes him a strong early-game grappler. Invest his Abyss Artifacts into other skills first since he already has Lariat available.
Lariat can be learned through observation: have Black Bear faction members perform it on you during story encounters. Alternatively, unlock it manually with an Abyss Artifact.
For extended grapple combos, chain Lariat into Giant Swing or Throw for a full wrestling sequence that keeps enemies locked down.