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Buster Uppercut

Nero's Buster uppercut; the primary attack that initiates the grapples

Buster is Nero's unique grappling technique in Devil May Cry 4 which can be initiated by pressing Button ps4 circle (PlayStation), Button xbone b (Xbox 360) or Pc l1 (PC). This technique utilizes the Devil Bringer wherein Nero will grab the enemy and attack them in a method varying depending on the enemy.[1] Lesser demons have different Buster variations depending on whether Nero is on the ground, in mid-air, or in Devil Trigger (which is sometimes called Devil Buster) when he attacks, while bosses can have several cinematic Buster moments which vary depending on the circumstances of both the boss and Nero. Some of these will not actually damage the boss, and will result with it using an attack on Nero. During most of these cinematic Busters, Nero can fire Summoned Swords at the boss, and for some of them he may use Exceed to increase the damage dealt. Also, during a Devil Buster, the Devil Trigger remains active and the gauge will not deplete during the animation. In some cases, the gauge will drip afterwards, yet there is a trick for conserving it as mentioned in the "Useful tips" section below.

In Devil May Cry 5, the Buster technique returns and is usable with the Buster Arm Devil Breaker, and after the game is finished once, the Buster becomes one of Nero's default techniques.

Useful tips[]

The damage dealt by a Buster can be extended, resulting in a much faster way of defeating an enemy. Here are the possible ways of increasing the damage;

  • Enter the Devil Trigger state, this results in more gruesome Buster animations with increased damage (called Devil Buster). Note that Devil Trigger must be entered before initiating Buster in order to make it work, otherwise, Nero will initiate a normal Buster.
    • During Devil Buster, you can press the Gun key repeatedly to use Summoned Swords.
    • Once you have entered Devil Trigger and started the Buster animation, you can turn it off, however, you can still use summoned swords and it will still do the same damage. This can conserve your Devil Trigger for a few seconds after it ends. (As Nero will sometimes remain immobile after using Devil Buster, while the gauge keeps on ticking down.) Once the animation ends, Nero will be in normal state.
  • For some boss Busters involving Nero to use his sword, you can rev up Red Queen to increase the damage. Some of those Busters include Dante, Bael and Dagon, Echidna, and Agnus.
  • In Devil May Cry 5, despite Nero regaining the Devil Bringer and the original Buster attack near the end of the game, and retaining it through subsequent playthroughs, the much earlier acquired Buster Arm Devil Breaker's only two abilities, Neo Buster and Super Buster, deal considerably more damage than even the Devil Trigger-enhanced version of the Devil Bringer's Buster attack. The Buster Arm's break age move, Super Buster is especially considered to be one of the most powerful attacks in the game. The trade-offs to the Buster Arm's superior damage are the Devil Breaker system's inherent drawbacks. In particular, the disposable nature of the prosthetic arms (with the Buster Arm having particularly low durability), and the system's inability to be further strengthened by Devil Trigger.

Buster animations in Devil May Cry 4[]

Lesser Demons[]

Scarecrow (Arm) and Scarecrow (Leg)[]

Nero will lift up a Scarecrows body and slam it into the ground with full force, resulting in a large earth crack. In mid-air, Nero will smash the enemy in a similar way, with the exception of doing it from the height (note that it doesn't grant bonus damage, regardless of altitude). In Devil Trigger, Nero will beat the Scarecrow two times against the ground before finally throwing it down (three hits in total). The mid-air Demon Buster hurls Scarecrow underneath so hard, that it bounces back in the air, allowing you to successfully throw the demon down again. This particular attack animation (also including Devil Trigger) is not used solely on Scarecrows: enemies with similar body type (e.g Dante, Mephisto, Faust) will also trigger this Buster attack variation.

Mega Scarecrow[]

Nero grabs the heavy body of a Scarecrow and slams it into the ground before brutally kicking it away. When performed in the air, Nero spins the enemy horizontally and hammer-tosses it, and stays aloft. When Devil Triggered, the Mega Scarecrow is slammed three times in the ground before being kicked, and is more violently spun while in the air.

Frost[]

Buster frost ground

Buster on Frost

Nero grabs the Frost's tail and swings it around rapidly before flinging it in any direction. When performed in the air, Nero stays aloft. When in Devil Trigger, the spinning is faster and more vicious. Pressing the Buster button while Nero is spinning it will increase the number of spins to a maximum of three for a Buster and five for a Devil Buster. The direction in which Nero flings the Frost can be influenced by pressing and holding the left analog stick during the Buster.

Also, when a Frost is healing in its ice cocoon state, Nero's Buster can take out a chunk from the ice, with at least three Busters are required to fully decimate a Frost's ice cocoon.

Assault[]

Buster on Assault mid-air

Assault aerial dash Buster counter

Nero grabs the Assault by the tail, slams it into the ground several times, and slams it down in front of him. When performed in the air, Nero will drag the Assault to the ground before doing the same. If Nero uses Buster on an Assault right before its spinning aerial attack makes contact, Nero will instead float in the air then violently slam it into the ground. Pressing the Buster button while Nero is slamming it will increase the number of slams to a maximum of three.

Blitz[]

Nero unleashes a series of punches and kicks to the Blitz before uppercutting it away. If done in the air, Nero unleashes a similar barrage before hammering the Blitz into the ground. When in Devil Trigger, the series of punches and kicks are faster and the uppercut blow deals more damage. A combo can be performed on Blitz using Devil Buster. By using the Devil Buster against Blitz on the ground, Blitz will be sent flying into the air at the end of the move, which allows for a quick jump and use of air Devil Buster on Blitz, severely damaging the demon.

Gladius[]

Buster gladius2

Gladius Buster throw

Nero grasps onto Gladius's sword-handle and throws it away like a dart. A direction, where the sword will fly depends on enemies around. If there is at least one demon nearby and you lock-on to it, Nero will target that specific enemy, dealing huge impact damage to the target and shattering the recently used weapon. However, if no enemies are present, the player will hurl Gladius away harmlessly, letting the reptile-sword go safe and sound. In Devil Trigger, Nero will grab the Gladius by its handle and fling it away like a boomerang, with the sword slashing everything in its way and also ending up with the "flying sword" being destroyed. But again, will work only in other demons except the caught Gladius are around. Aerial version of Buster (and Devil Buster) will proceed in the exact way but also allowing the player to stay aloft for a longer period.

Cutlass[]

Nero grabs the tail of the Cutlass and leaps into the air, spinning the demon-fish rapidly before slamming it into the ground. When performed in the air, Nero returns to the ground during the finale of this Buster. Devil Buster causes the Cutlass to bounce off the ground after being slammed dealing more damage. Additionally Nero will perform a small jump after slamming the Cutlass into the ground. During Devil Buster Nero will jump slightly higher than during the normal Buster and stays airborne longer. Note that the Cutlass will bounce slightly higher than Nero if Devil Buster is used on it.

Basilisk[]

Nero flips the Basilisk on its back, holds it like a shoulder-fired missile launcher, and forces it to shoot its skull forward before slamming it to the ground. When performed in the air, the skull is shot downwards before Nero throws the demon down. In Devil Trigger, more shots are fired.

Chimera Seed[]

Nero tears the Chimera Seed in half, killing it instantly. In the air and in Devil Trigger, the same process will occur, although it will be quicker if performed during the latter.

Chimera[]

Nero will attack the Chimera as he would attack its normal host, although the Chimera Seed will continue to flail its tentacles, which will interrupt the animation if it connects.

Mephisto and Faust[]

While the demon is cloaked, Nero's Buster will strip more of its cloak away than a Snatch and the demon will retreat slightly. With its cloak broken, Nero will slam it into the ground just as he would slam a Scarecrow. A Devil Buster will slam the demon into the ground three times.

Another technique regarding the Mephisto is that you can counter the Mephisto's primary claw attack with a Buster. This is difficult to do since the Mephisto will spin around Nero before initiating the attack and accurate timing is required to do this properly.

Bianco Angelo[]

Buster b angelo ground

Piercing Bianco Angelo with its own spear.

Using Buster while Bianco Angelo is blocking will deal most damage to its shield. However, it is risky as it instantly makes the knight counter attack. Despite destroying Angelo's shield makes it completely exposed to Buster grab from any side, it is not necessary to break it. But instead quickly getting into armored demon's back and delivering a blow from there. While grabbed, Nero will turn Bianco's lance against itself by using it like a rocket, initially piercing the demon through, revving up the lance and then letting the knight hit the nearest wall. Tapping multiple times, while Angelo is being punctured will increase a total number of charge ups, which will do maximum damage. When Nero is performing a Devil Buster, he will not let go off the demon knight as the player propels along with the lance and follows it up with a devastating smash off the wall. There is also a trick which can be mastered: when Nero strikes the Angelo's shield after a certain amount of strikes with Red Queen, the Angelo will deflect the attack then attack Nero with its shield followed by a thrust attack from its lance. It is possible to Buster the Angelo right before it attacks Nero with its shield with proper timing. Simply strike the shield enough times for the Angelo to deflect the attack and then immediately after that Buster the Angelo. Timing is crucial though.

Another quick way to quickly grab Angelo's is by using Buster until the Bianco strikes back, dodge the incoming offense (sideroll or jump) and while being to the side of the pseudo-angel knight or behind its back, use Buster.

Alto Angelo[]

Alto Angelo is not as easy to catch with the Buster, unlike Bianco Angelo. And so breaking its shield is a main priority. A Buster from the front will damage the Angelo's shield, but not the Angelo itself. When hit, the gold knight will back down. Finally, once the shield is broken, performing Buster will cause Nero to grab the Angelo and perform a suplex on it and then dropkick it in the chest. It is also possible to Buster the Alto Angelo during the instant it is stunned from a strong attack, although this is quite difficult unless a Chrono Slicer is activated. A Devil Buster will change this to three rolling suplexes followed by Nero pulling it into the air and then piledriving it into the ground. Performing either Buster while airborne will cause Nero to drag the Angelo to the ground before performing the same move. In positions where Nero would normal Buster Bianco Angelos (behind, in the air or stunned) with their shields still wielded, Bustering Alto Angelos will cause the Angelo to be flung into the air where it will either continue to hover in the air or land on the ground. Doing so in the air results in the same effect, the Angelo will just be flung higher.

When an Alto Angelo and its Bianco Angelos fire a dark energy sphere, Nero can Buster it to send the ball back. This results into killing the Bianco Angelos instantly, although the Alto Angelo may survive. If done correctly, this can instantly grant Nero a "Smokin' Sick Style!!!" rank.

Combat Adjudicator[]

The Combat Adjudicator's Buster sequence is equal to that of the Scarecrow's, except that in Devil Trigger, Nero will slam it two times instead of three.

Bosses[]

Berial[]

Buster berial

Berial flame jump Buster counter

Nero finishing Berial

Bustering Berial

When Berial's flames are extinguished, Nero can either haul Berial up and slam him into the ground with a mid-air Buster, or fling him up before dealing a damaging blow to the face with a ground Buster. When Devil Triggered, Nero lifts Berial up and unleashes a quick barrage of slashes with the Yamato while the demon is in midair before slamming him to the ground. If on the ground while Devil Triggered, Nero uppercuts Berial and delivers a quick barrages of punches before dealing a damaging blow that knocks him several feet away. Note that if you do a mid-air Buster first, you can perform a ground Buster afterwards.

Also, Nero can initiate the Buster at anytime against Berial to halt his attacks. A mid-air Buster results in Berial cancelling his attack and swinging Nero instead, with no damage inflicted. A ground Buster can also be an advantage to counter Berial's bull rush attack, but when up close, it causes Berial to stomp his foot on the ground, which can deal damage.

Bael & Dagon[]

Sss rank

Nero cutting through Bael.

When the ice on Bael's head is gone, it is momentarily stunned and will lie there for a few seconds. You can either buster it from the front and cut up the inside of the mouth, or from the back and spin him around by his tail. When in Devil Trigger, Nero bursts through the back with Yamato extended. During the "Rusalka phase" Buster can be used just when the feelers attack, resulting in a standard, "Scarecrow" Buster. When performed at other time they will simply dodge the Buster. Once a Rusalka falls to the ground in exhaustion (it glows dark red), a Buster will cause Nero to pull Bael out of hiding. And the last, if used when Bael is frozen, green orbs could spawn.

Echidna[]

Buster echidna

Echidna dragon rush Buster counter

When she looks tired, Nero can initiate the Buster, during the attack, Nero will stab the Red Queen into her and rev it, riding around on her in the air as she thrashes to get him off. This Buster can be also used when Echidna is enraged and starts to fly if properly timed. If Buster is used when she is in the ground, it will result in a similar sequence to the above, except she will stay immobile, since her body is planted. Nero will stand on one of Echidna's petals, rev up his sword and perform a High-Time slash. When used during Devil Trigger, the DT "phantom" behind Nero will stab Echidna with Yamato, dealing extra damage.

Additionally, Nero can buster her egg sac when she's in her "Spider form," punching it in the air like a speed bag. When done in Devil Trigger, the punching will be more vicious.

Dante[]

Buster dante

Buster Clashing with Dante.

Dante has the most complex Buster system of all the bosses. Usually, if Buster is used on the ground, a small sword fighting scene will occur, and it can either end in Nero's victory, Dante's victory, or a draw. The former results in Nero slashing Dante for damage equal to or even higher than a normal Buster. If Dante wins, Nero will be knocked back in a parry state, and the player should immediately have Nero jump to avoid Dante's follow-up attack. In a draw, both characters react as if parried: the ideal response here is the same, since Dante will go on the offensive as soon as he recovers.

The most common advice is to hammer the melee or shoot buttons, but this will sometimes fail to get the desired result. The actual thing that decides if the clinch will go in Nero's favor is one particular stage of the animation: after the four sword strikes, Nero blocks Rebellion with his Devil Bringer arm. If the player presses any button right as the Devil Bringer contacts Dante's sword, Nero will win the clinch. No inputs at any other stage of the animation have any effect.

Under some conditions the sequence doesn't occur at all: if Nero Busters Dante in the air or while using Devil Trigger, if Dante is using Royalguard Style, if Nero is on the ground while Dante is in the air, or if Dante is Bustered after being dragged out of a combo by damage (melee or DT-explosion). In all but the case of a DT Buster, the result will be the Buster animation for a Scarecrow.

Dante becomes open to Snatch or Buster when in the air or when he is executing a move; however, there are some additions to this rule:

  • The player can make him vulnerable by shooting at him: Dante starts deflecting bullets with his own pistols, which keeps him busy. However, at a random point he will counter by instantly switching to Coyote-A, so care must be taken with this.
  • If Dante is caught in Devil Trigger explosion while executing a move, he becomes vulnerable. This is especially useful if Nero is caught in one of his combos.
  • The second explosion from Charged Shot 3 will make him vulnerable anytime, although since he deflects shots, it is hard to land a shot on him.

All the other times, Dante has a habit of evading Nero's Buster by rolling and then counterattacking, often with Stinger or Coyote-A. In the air, even if the player manages to Buster him, Dante still has a chance of escaping; these escapes are immediately followed by an aerial combo unless Nero Snatches him again. Dante can escape several times in a row.

Angelo Credo[]

Buster credo

Credo spead throw Buster counter

Nero finisher-strike vs credo

Uppercut blow

After Credo is hit by several sword slashes, he will then try to attack, when you dodge his attacks, he will be open. When the Buster is initiated, Nero will grab his shield and punch it, reducing its aura. When Buster is used after the shield stops glowing, Credo is finally vulnerable to the "proper" Buster move.

The Buster itself consists of Nero punching him viciously four times before delivering a deadly uppercut. In Devil Trigger Nero still punches him four times but this time his uppercut throws Credo into the air, attack after which he then jumps up and stabs the Red Queen into Credo while the DT phantom stabs Yamato into him. Then they rip the swords out, and send Credo rolling.

When Credo throws his lance, a perfectly timed Buster will cause Nero to grab it and throw it back, impaling Credo and dealing a high amount of damage while stunning him for a moment, though Nero must be locked-on to aim correctly or else he'll throw the lance elsewhere. If Snatch is used instead of Buster, the lance will be thrown away and a small Green Orb will spawn instead.

Angelo Agnus[]

Nero throws Agnus into air, slams him back into ground, stabs him with two Gladii, and then kicks him away. While Devil Triggered, Nero uses more Gladii as well as the Red Queen and Yamato. After Agnus attacks with Gladii, a Buster when he is still holding the Gladii will force him to drop white orbs.

Sanctus[]

Buster savior

Savior hand attack Buster counter

Buster M11

Not interested in your bullshit!

After his barriers are destroyed, Nero will throw a barrage of punches, berate him while holding Sanctus by his hair, and then finish with a powerful uppercut. While in Devil Trigger, Nero will hit Sanctus faster and for more damage, and his final uppercut is bone-crunching. When Sanctus is in the Savior, it is possible to pull him out by properly countering the Savior's fist pound with a Buster. This does not damage Sanctus directly, but does eject him from the Savior in his most vulnerable form, leaving him open for a proper Buster.

Sanctus Diabolica[]

Buster sparda

Sanctus Diabolica Stinger attack Buster counter.

After his barriers are destroyed, Nero will punch Sanctus into the air and then power up a massive punch with the Devil Bringer, which slams Sanctus into the Savior's core. When Sanctus performs a Stinger attack with the Sparda, Nero can (with proper timing) punch him out of the animation and perform a similar Buster. While Devil Triggered, the DT phantom will deliver the blow instead. If Sanctus Diabolica is finished off with a Buster, Nero might yell "Jackpot!" upon impact. The moment he is finished off in this matter is repeated twice for a dramatic effect.

False Savior[]

Either a Buster or Devil Buster will counter the False Savior's attacks. His right hand can be dodged first before initiating the Buster, and his left hand swing can be countered with a mid-air Buster, and then when he bows down to his weakness, Nero can initiate the Buster once more to finish the fight. Unlike other boss battles, Buster is mandatory to defeat the boss.

Buster animations in Devil May Cry 5[]

Lesser Demons[]

Empusa, Green Empusa and Red Empusa[]

Nero will lift up an Empusa's body and slam it into the ground with full force, resulting in a large earth crack. In mid-air, Nero will smash the enemy in a similar way, with the exception of doing it from the height (note that it doesn't grant bonus damage, regardless of altitude). In Devil Trigger, Nero will beat the Empusa two times against the ground before finally throwing it down (three hits in total). The mid-air Demon Buster hurls Empusa underneath so hard, that it bounces back in the air, allowing you to successfully throw the demon down again. This particular attack animation is also used on Pyrobats and Hellbats.

Empusa Queen[]

Nero jumps upwards with an uppercutting slash and lands on the Queen's body, stabbing the Red Queen into it and twisting the blade a few times before pulling it out and walking off. You can use EX-Act or MAX-Act during this animation. The Devil/Super Buster makes Nero twist the blade a few more times.

Hell Caina[]

On the ground, Nero puts the Hell Caina into a sleeper hold and fires a shot from the Blue Rose into the back of their head before kicking them away. Mashing the Blue Rose button will make Nero shoot three times instead. If the Blue Rose is charged, all shots fired will be powered up. The Devil/Super Buster has Nero fire three times or five, if the button is mashed.

An aerial Buster has Nero powerbomb Hell Caina to the ground, and the Devil/Super Buster makes it bounce off the ground.

Hell Antenora[]

Nero powerbombs the Hell Antenora. The grounded Devil/Super Buster has Nero powerbomb it two more times, while in the air the throw makes it bounce off the ground.

Hell Judecca[]

Nero wrenches off the Hell Judecca's armblades and throws them back at it, piercing its body. The Devil Buster has the blades spin around for a second, dealing more damage.

Death Scissors[]

Nero smashes the Death Scissors' head with a punch. This Buster instantly kills the Death Scissors but can only be performed when they are in their red state.

Riot and Chaos[]

Nero grabs the enemy's tail and swings it around two times before flinging it in any direction. When performed in the air, Nero stays aloft. When in Devil Trigger, the spinning is faster and more vicious. The direction in which Nero flings the enemy can be influenced by pressing and holding the left analog stick during the Buster. This buster is very simliar to the buster on Frost.

Fury[]

Nero engages in a brief clash with the Fury that ends either in an uppercut on the ground or a downward punch in the air. The Devil/Super Buster has Nero add a haymaker on the ground and another downward punch in the air.

Scudo Angelo and Proto Angelo[]

Nero grabs the Angelo and performs a Northern Lights Bomb, after that stomping on their throat and polishing his bicep. The last part can be cut short by pressing the Jump button. The Devil/Super Buster has Nero perform a spinning brainbuster instead.

Baphomet and Lusachia[]

On the ground, Nero grabs the enemy and slams their head into the ground three times before kicking them away. While in the air, he strikes them with his knees three times before finishing with a downward punch. The Devil/Super Buster has Nero add two more slams and an additional knee strike, respectively.

Behemoth[]

Nero grabs one of the Behemoth's tongues and twists it, making the demon spin around with it.

Nobody[]

Nero grabs the giant arm and spins around before putting it into an armbar. The Devil/Super Buster cuts short the ending animation, allowing Nero to spring into action faster.

Bosses[]

UrizenGilgamesh, and Cavaliere Angelo[]

Nero assaults the boss with a series of punches and kicks and ends with either a front kick on the ground or a haymaker in the air. This generally operates as a generic boss Buster, with no special interactions.

Qliphoth Roots[]

Nero drives the Red Queen into the Blood Clot and violently drags it down before pulling the blade out.

Goliath[]

Inside the church, Nero performs a standard boss Buster on Goliath. Outside, he grabs Goliath by the tail and spins around four times before tossing him away. The direction of the throw can be controlled with the left stick. The Devil/Super Buster makes Nero do three more spins.

Artemis[]

Nero violently drives the Red Queen into Artemis' head and twists the blade a few times before slamming her into the ground. You can use EX-Act or MAX-Act during this animation. The Devil/Super Buster makes Nero twist the blade a few more times.

Malphas[]

Nero grabs Malphas's human part by the head and punches it two times with his left hand, strikes it with his knee and smashes its head into the cauldron in front of it before stamping on the head, holding it in the cauldron with his foot, then jumping away. The Devil/Super Buster adds two more stomps.

King Cerberus[]

Nero jumps onto King Cerberus' back and stabs him, much like he does with the Empusa Queen, walking off afterward on his middle head.

Vergil[]

Vergil has the most Buster variations out of any boss, based primarily on his form and his actions.

When Vergil is staggered, Nero and Vergil clash with one another until Vergil stabs him in the abdomen with Yamato (for no actual damage), to which Nero responds by pulling the katana out and stabbing Vergil in return. They proceed to recover simultaneously before resuming the fight.

When Vergil is in his Sin Devil Trigger form, his doppelganger can be hit by a Buster and destroyed in one hit, with Nero either holding it by the neck and crushing it, or throwing it down to the ground if performed in the air. If SDT Vergil is staggered, he can summon his doppelganger to retaliate or take the Buster for Vergil while he recovers. However, if Nero is in his Devil Trigger form and Buster is held, Nero will grab both Vergil and his doppelganger and smash their heads together for massive damage.

When Vergil charges power and unfurls his wings, Nero is able to counter the tackle with a Buster, where he performs a mid-air brainbuster and slams Vergil onto the ground, cancelling the attack entirely and knocking him out of Devil Trigger.

If Vergil is juggled while in the air, Nero throws him to the ground much like he does with an Empusa, though with much greater damage.

DMC3 Dante Got to clean up the mess father left behind.

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Gallery[]

Notes and References[]

  1. Devil May Cry 4, Tutorial File - Buster:You can grab an enemy with the Devil Bringer and toss them away like a cheap toy. Depending on your enemy, the throw will vary.
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