Grab-Fu ErisEn

Force Grab-Fu is the nickname to the unarmed combat system that focuses on using grabbing (that yellow thing in the intent menu) and targeting various bodyparts with dubious intentions. Grabbing a target opens up a whole range of hostile options, albeit from a mere one-tile range. Here you can see some information about grabbing, as well as all currently possible interactions.

Levels of Grabs

The GRAB intent by default grabs with a passive intent - that is to say with no intention of causing harm. This is good for transporting injured characters without causing additional wounds (as opposed to pulling them). Grabbing a player this way also occupies the hand used, meaning that it cannot be used to wield weapons.

There are three (four) levels of grabs: passive, aggressive , and neck grab , also known as yellow, blue and red grab levels.

A passive grab can be upgraded to an aggressive grab by activating the grabbing hand (default key: Z). Aggressive grabs can be chained into hostile actions such as throwing or choking out a target. Activating an aggressive grab again chains it into a neck grab. Neck grabs may be upgraded to a stranglehold, and strangleholds force your victim to lay on the ground and slowly suffocate them. Do note that "upgrading" (activating) the grab takes some windup time, the longevity of which depends on your ROBUSTNESS stat.

Grabbed entities take additional damage from melee attacks.

Grab Effects

Passive Grab	Aggressive Grab	Neck Grab
Allows you to perform first-aid moves, as well as some of the utility-focused damaging moves.	Allows you to perform damaging and utility moves, as well as to throw your victim.	Allows you to perform high-damage moves.
Prevents victim's wounds from opening while moving.	Irish whip can be performed.	Victim may be used as a meat shield to block bullets.

Special Moves

Certain combinations of attacks can have additional utility besides causing damage. Nearly all of these can be started from a successful aggressive grab on a target.

First-aid moves

Move name	Grab level	Trigger	Targeting	Effects
Inspect bodypart	Any	Click on victim with HELP intent	Any bodypart	Inspects chosen bodypart for damage, broken bones and wounds.
Slow bleeding	Any	Click on victim with HELP intent	Any bodypart	Bleeding wounds on the targeted bodypart increase their current bleeding stage and lower their bleeding timer.
Force vomit	Any	Click on victim with HELP intent	Mouth	Forces victim to vomit, clearing their stomach from reagents. Vomiting has a cooldown of 35 seconds, but the move can be used indefinitely.

Damaging moves

Move name	Grab level	Trigger	Targeting	Effects
Gut punch	Any	Click on victim with HARM intent	Lower body	Deals damage depending on the target's TOUGHNESS stat, forces them to vomit. Vomiting has a cooldown of 35 seconds, but the move can be used indefinitely.
Eye gouge	Neck	Click on victim with HARM intent	Eyes	Damages victim's eyes if they are not covered.
Headbutt	Any	Click on victim with HARM intent	Head	Deals medium damage to victim and low damage to attacker. Makes the target dizzy. Doesn't work if the target is on the ground. Wear a helmet.
Dropkick	Aggro	Click on victim with HARM intent	Chest	Sends victim three tiles away from the attacker, forcing them both to lay down for a while. Does not work if the target is on the ground. Regenerates style.
Fireman Throw	Aggro	Click on self with any intent	Any bodypart	Throw victim behind attacker, dealing pain damage.
Suplex	Neck	Click on victim with HARM intent	Chest	After two seconds of preparation, slams the target on the ground, dealing damage depending on the attacker's ROBUSTNESS stat. Stuns the target. Regenerates style.
Swing	Neck	Click on victim with GRAB intent, target is lying down and not adjacent to an obstacle	Any bodypart	Spins victim in a circle, weakening all entities within 1 space. After spinning the victim is thrown a long distance away from attacker.
Cut throat	Neck	Click on victim with HARM intent, any sharp object in active hand	Head	Slices the victim's throat, causing both BRUTE damage. Causes bleeding(usually).

Utility moves

Move name	Grab level	Trigger	Targeting	Effects
Nerve strike	Any	Click on victim with HARM intent	Limbs	Disables the targeted limb for 10 seconds. Deals low pain damage. Forces victim to drop items held on the limb.
Pin	Aggro	Click on victim with DISARM intent	Any bodypart	Pins target to the ground after a quick preparation. Victim can be released by clicking on them with HELP intent.
Jointlock	Aggro	Click on victim with GRAB intent	Limbs	Deals high pain damage to victim after preparation.
Gag	Aggro	Automatic	Mouth	Prevents victim from speaking. Maintained as long as you target mouth.
Cover eyes	Aggro	Automatic	Eyes	Blinds victim. They can still see around them in a one-tile radius, like most blindness does. Maintained as long as you target eyes.

Hostile Architecture

In addition to the above listed moves, grabbed victims be placed on certain types of furniture and ship architecture for more special moves.

Contextual moves

Move name	Grab level	Trigger	Targeting	Effects
Window smash	Any	Click on window with grabbing hand	Any	Smashes the victim into the window, dealing damage based on the window material and grab level.
Tabling	Aggro	Click on table with grabbing hand	Any	Pushes victim on the table, forcing them to rest for five seconds. Regenerates attacker's style, and depletes the victim's.
Rail drop	Aggro	Click on guard rail with grabbing hand	Any	Throws the victim over a rail, potentially into open space.
Elbow drop	Aggro	Drop onto another entity with the HARM intent	Any	Drops onto the victim for massive damage.

Irish whip

Spinning the grab using spin-held-item verb sends the grabbed walking behind the attacker for 3 tiles; there are unique interactions for walls, windows, tables and railings in the way: walls deal low damage, windows deal medium damage, railings and tables flip over. To do this, your grab needs to be of aggressive level.

Defending

Being grabbed is the absolute WORST situation for a player to be in - if someone is initiating a grab against you they probably know what they are doing. Still, there are things the victim can do to prevent things from getting worse. The best defense however is always going to be keeping distance from other players. Under normal circumstances, grabs can only be initiated when both parties are directly adjacent to each other.

Resist

The most basic defense, the RESIST action can be used to break free of a grab IF the victim's ROBUSTNESS stat is high enough. The amount of ROBUSTNESS the victim needs to break out of a grab is relative to the attacker's ROBUSTNESS stat; if the attacker's ROBUSTNESS is higher than the victim's then the victim will have a hard time escaping the grab.

Counter-grabbing

Whenever someone grabs someone else, their grab is counterable for 3 seconds. During that window, if the attacked clicks on the aggressor with grab intent and empty hand, the attacked can COUNTER the grab and instantly get an aggressive one on the attacker. Do note that counter success chance is relative to your ROBUSTNESS stat, just like resisting.

Countering requires the attacked to not only click on our aggressor with an active hand, it also needs the aggressor to have a grab in their hands. Which means, if the aggressor quickly grabs the victim, and then drops the grab, but the victim tries to counter that, they would instead grab the aggressor, which would activate their counter timer!

Further reading

Increasing ROBUSTNESS stat