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Diablo 4: Vessel of Hatred (D4)

How to Stagger Bosses

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Diablo IV - How to Stagger Top Banner
Staggering is a stun or down mechanic unique to bosses in Diablo 4 (D4). Check out how to stagger bosses and learn more about staggering!

List of Contents

How to Stagger Bosses

Use Crowd Control Skills to Fill the Stagger Bar

Diablo IV - World Boss Stagger Bar

You can stagger bosses in Diablo 4 by filling up the yellow stagger bar beneath their health bar. You can only fill up the stagger bar by using Crowd Control skills, including abilities that inflict Slow, Immobilize, Stun, Knockback, Knockdown, Taunt, Fear, Tether, Daze, Chill, and Freeze.

What is Staggering?

A Stunned or Downed State on Bosses

A video of the World Boss Ashava getting staggered.

Staggering is the act of filling up a boss's stagger bar and causing them to enter a downed or stunned state, indicated by a new blue bar that rapidly decreases in place of the stagger bar. While in this state, bosses are completely helpless, allowing players to land their deadliest skills without fear of retaliation.

Counted as All Crowd Control Effects

Diablo 4 - Counted as All Crowd Control Effects

When a boss is Staggered, the game considers them to be under the effects of all Crowd Control effects simultaneously. That means that if you have an Affix, Passive, or other ability which boosts damage against Crowd Controlled enemies or enemies affected by a type of Crowd Control, like Chill or Stun, the additional damage will apply to the staggered boss.

What Is Crowd Control?

Unique Stagger Mechanics

Ashava Attack Pattern Changes
1 Unstaggered Ashava
Ashava uses a two-part attack that encompasses 360° which deals a large amount of damage and leaves any survivors poisoned.
2 Staggered Ashava
The staggered version of this attack has Ashava leading this attack with its left arm instead of the right. The same 180° swipe for the first part, with the second half of the attack hitting a much smaller radius.

Some World Bosses have unique mechanics when staggered, from breakable parts that change the bosses moveset, to additional ways to deal large bursts of damage.

World Bosses: Guides, Spawn Time and Locations

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