What does Staggering do....?

[MidnightMist]

Playing the Tutorial, at the first big guy. The game says "When an enemy's bar is white, hold RT to stagger him!". His bar is white, I hold RT...and it just does a nothing special heavy attack?

[Rena Ichigawa]

It allows you to setup the enemy for a "Fatal attack". Basically the dark souls equivelent of a crit. Larger enemies will have a red circle you need to stand in for it. Smaller enemies you just step up to, and light attack when you see the claw mark symbol on them.
Also for weapons with multihit heavies. You need to make sure the FINAL hit connects while the enemy bar is white to stagger them.

[MidnightMist]

Yeah that definitely hasn't been happening for me. Guy's health is white, I hold RT, I just do a basic strong attack. Hopefully it's just that one guy that's bugged and other enemies react correctly.

[Rena Ichigawa]

Strange, ive not run into that issue yet, except against 1 specific miniboss.

[Svâstîkus]

that's what you need to do, just hit them with a charged heavy attack then you can do a normal light attack for the fatal blow.

[xnamxoutlawx]

Originally posted by MidnightMist:

Yeah that definitely hasn't been happening for me. Guy's health is white, I hold RT, I just do a basic strong attack. Hopefully it's just that one guy that's bugged and other enemies react correctly.

Basic strong attack? You have to do a charged strong attack to knock them down then when you get close there should be a mark on their body like a claw mark when you see it's orange you use a light attack to initiate the fatal attack.

[Dregora]

Originally posted by MidnightMist:

Yeah that definitely hasn't been happening for me. Guy's health is white, I hold RT, I just do a basic strong attack. Hopefully it's just that one guy that's bugged and other enemies react correctly.

You need to do a charged strong attack. Hold it until it attacks on it's own. Don't release it before that.

[MidnightMist]

Originally posted by Dregora:

Originally posted by MidnightMist:

Yeah that definitely hasn't been happening for me. Guy's health is white, I hold RT, I just do a basic strong attack. Hopefully it's just that one guy that's bugged and other enemies react correctly.

You need to do a charged strong attack. Hold it until it attacks on it's own. Don't release it before that.

Yes I know.. if you read what I said initially, I even state "I hold RT". The enemy was bugged. Other enemies react as they should.

[Dregora]

Originally posted by MidnightMist:

Originally posted by Dregora:

You need to do a charged strong attack. Hold it until it attacks on it's own. Don't release it before that.

Yes I know.. if you read what I said initially, I even state "I hold RT". The enemy was bugged. Other enemies react as they should.

I know, but in that same sentence you also said basic heavy attack, so it was a logical assumption you weren't holding it in long enough.

But i'm glad it works now!

[Krazy Wallet]

It's also important to remember that these windows for staggers don't last forever. Some enemies have longer combos that make it harder for you to time and land a charged heavy attack. If your hit lands right after their bar stops flashing, nothing special will happen.

This happened to me as I played a little too cautiously at the start and I was confused why I didn't get a fatal opportunity. Turns out, their bar would stop flashing moments before my attack landed.

Later in the game, you have the opportunity to extend the stagger opportunity.