Finishing moves?

[Kilo]

I've done a few of them already but I want to know more about them.

Do you have to press the power attack button to perform a finishing move?
Does it matter if you're in first or 3rd person?
Can it only be done to humans (Not super mutants or other creatures)?

[Tenoshii]

I've done a finishing move in both V.A.T.S. and first person with the chinese officer's sword. When in first person I used a regular attack. Both cases it was to a raider from close range (pickpocket distance). Since I've picked up the Blitz perk (extends melee engagement range in V.A.T.S.) I haven't done any finishers.

[Budoshi]

seems bugged, i m now lv 34 and havent have or seen any melee finisher since lv 4 or 5 or so...sigh

[Atma]

Get your enemy to low health (works if they just don't have a lot of total health to begin w/ if you're using a high damage weapon).

Double-tap the power attack button. 1st or 3rd person doesn't matter.

Profit.

I'm not sure how to do it in VATS, seems random so far to me.

Edit: You may not even have to double-tap it, as I get them a lot when just doing normal / regular power attacks.

It may just have something to do w/ your enemy's health threshold, like <50% takedown move, <25% finishing move. Still trying to figure it out, lol.

[Hex]

There are finishing moves with one handed blunt weapons as well, like batons and tire irons but only against humans, which is really lame since you had them against everything in Skyrim.

If you wanna see a cool one, do it in PA with a sword. Lifts the dude up by the throat on one and stabs him in the chest with the free hand. Such a Darth Vader move :P

[Kilo]

I'm pretty sure I have done all of them by now except for one I've seen only NPCs do. Its not really a finisher but a take down move. You basically dropkick the guys legs and he flips onto the ground. I've been trying to do it but it just wont happen sadly.

@Atma Finishers don't really depend on health but how much damage you can do. If you are able to kill a human target with one power move you can preform a finisher. It's by chance just like take downs (where you simply knock the target to the ground)

@Hex All weapons have finishers (except for heavy weapons like the flamer or minigun. Havent seen these yet)