Knocking down enemies is vital to success in Persona 5 Tactica. Performing a successful knockdown is important because it damages the enemy, stuns them, and then grants an additional turn to the player in one swift action. Even better, you can chain consecutive knockdowns back to back, gaining many extra turns in the process. But first, there are several conditions that have to be met, so let’s clarify them and explain how to Down enemies in Persona 5 Tactica.
Ways to Remove Resistance and Cover
In order to initiate a knockdown, the enemy’s Resistance must be eliminated first. Resistance reduces the damage an enemy takes and also prevents the enemy from being Downed. The most fundamental method of removing an enemy’s Resistance is by taking them out of their Cover. Removing enemy Cover is accomplished in a number of different ways.
Melee Attacks
Melee Attacks push the enemy out of its square while you take its position and remove its Resistance. Melee only works on covered enemies from the back or sides. You can even use Melee to push an enemy into another enemy, breaking both of their Resistances simultaneously.
Skills (any)
Any offensive Skill automatically removes a normal enemy’s Resistance. The good thing about Skills is they completely bypass obstacles such as walls and crates and don’t need to be aimed from behind or the side. Skills also come with unique ailments, such as Morgana’s Sweep, which blows enemies away.
Explosive Barrel
Explosive Barrels have a small amount of health that must be depleted before they explode. Once they explode, they damage every enemy and ally within the small area and break their Resistance. Because party members can be caught in the barrel blast, it’s advised to shoot barrels from range.
Erina’s Charge
Erina is a party member you get early on in the story. She has a unique Charge ability that not only breaks enemy resistance and damages them but Downs them outright.
Hitting Revenger-type enemies immediately after their counterattack
Revenger enemies are large, highly defensive units that counterattack. Yes, they counterattack after every attack dealt to them, but they lose Resistance immediately afterward, making them vulnerable. If they fail to reach you with their counter, you can use another character to immediately Down them. Simply shoot them from a distance so their Counterattack doesn’t reach you, then follow up with a Down attack from any party member immediately afterward.
Certain Unique Skills
There are many Unique Skills in Persona 5 Tactica. These don’t take SP like regular Skills do, instead using the Voltage Gauge.
Those are the ways one can remove enemy Resistance. Once the enemy’s resistance is removed, you can Down the enemy by using guns, melee, or skills. You can tell when an enemy can be Downed when you see the “Get ’em!!” text over the enemy, that’s your cue to attack them.
Instant Knock Downs
It’s even possible to skip resistance completely and just instantly knock down enemies while they’re in Cover. Some Unique Skills, such as Joker’s Phantom Judge ability, Down an enemy even when they’re in Cover. Unique Skills require Voltage instead of the typical SP used for regular Skills. The Voltage gauge accumulates when attacking and when attacked. As mentioned, Erina’s Charge also immediately Downs enemies behind cover. Charge is bestowed when ending a turn without taking an action.
One More
As alluded to earlier, a successful knockdown grants additional turns. This is called a One More, and it can be chained consecutively as long as it’s a different enemy being downed each time. You can do consecutive One Mores with the same character, thus extending your turn to great lengths. One of the keys of battle in Persona 5 Tactica is chaining One Mores together and downing many enemies at once.
That covers our comprehensive breakdown of how to knock down enemies in Persona 5 Tactica. Understanding this one simple mechanic goes a long way to mastering the game’s wider tactical gameplay. Like the core Persona games, Persona 5 Tactica’s combat revolves around downing enemies and then accumulating critical damage to them in their downed state. Get to know even more strategies and mechanics with our other Persona 5 Tactica guides here on Twinfinite.
