Send a grappling claw out to grab an enemy and pull it toward Clive. Grappling heavier enemies will launch Clive into the air.
Description
Deadly Embrace is Clive's Eikonic Feat ability in Final Fantasy XVI, used (default controller scheme) with 
when Clive has Garuda equipped in battle. Pressing mid-combat has Clive manifest Garuda's talon that extends from him and grabs his target, pulling it to Clive if the foe is small enough, or pulling Clive to the foe and launching him into the air if the enemy is heavy or immovable. Against enemies that have a will gauge, using Deadly Embrace on them at half-full gauge pulls them down to a "mini stagger". Eikonic Feats have no cooldown and can be used freely.
Defeating five enemies in the air after using Deadly Embrace (outside of Hall of Virtue) earns the trophy Fatal Attraction.
Obtained[]
Clive gains access to Garuda's powers as part of the story, during "Wings of Change", after the events in Caer Norvent.
Mechanics[]
Clive can use Deadly Embrace in battle, ground-based or airborne, whenever he is equipping his wind loadout, though the player can assign other elemental Eikons' mastered Eikonic Abilities as the rechargeable skills to use. Using Deadly Embrace grabs Clive's target. If the enemy is small enough, it will be pulled to Clive and he can continue attacking the enemy with ease. Used on a large or immovable enemy, Deadly Embrace instead pulls Clive to the enemy and launches him into the air, which the player can then use to chain into other attacks or begin an aerial combo, or to simply keep afloat as it can be used repeatedly.
Takedown.
Against enemies that have a will gauge, Deadly Embrace can activate a "Takedown" right when the enemy's will drops to less than half full, briefly rendering the foe inactive and thus vulnerable to Clive's attacks. Using Deadly Embrace during this "mini stagger" executes a "Deadly Takedown" that imprisons the enemy for longer.
Deadly Embrace can be mastered in the abilities menu by expending 450 AP to extend the claw's range.
| Technique | Effect |
|---|---|
| Deadly Embrace | Pull in an enemy. |
| Deadly Chain | Use Deadly Embrace between attacks to continue Clive's combo. |
| Deadly Combo | Land a 4-hit melee combo on the target on the ground after pulling it with Deadly Embrace. |
| Deadly Aerial Combo | Land a 3-hit melee combo on the target midair after pulling it with Deadly Embrace. |
| Deadly Leap | Use Deadly Embrace on an enemy that cannot be pulled, pulling Clive to them instead. |
| Deadly Leap Chain | Use Deadly Leap between attacks to continue Clive's combo. |
| Deadly Takedown | Use Deadly Embrace on an enemy right after their will gauge is half full to topple them. |
Use[]
Deadly Embrace is a useful Eikonic Feat to keep Clive attacking with no downtime; when he does not currently have a target, the player can instantly grab the next one with Deadly Embrace and either pull the enemy to Clive, or pull Clive to the enemy, if the enemy is large. Deadly Embrace is worth upgrading to extend the claw's range. Deadly Embrace is great against flying enemies that Clive's regular melee attacks cannot reach, such as the smaller birds and wasps. The opposite of this scenario also works: when Clive is airborne, he can pull small ground-based enemies to himself for an aerial combo. Grabbing and pulling the enemy disrupts their actions.
Deadly Embrace is great in boss battles; as soon Clive's attack brings the foe's will gauge below 50% (there is a small vertical line in the will bar to visualize the threshold), a sound will chime and a yellow circle appears around the enemy, who will stumble: this is the cue to use Deadly Embrace to pull the enemy down and give Clive an opening. When the enemy is down, Clive can follow up with Gouge, for example (made even better if combined with Lightning Rod), or an attack that might easily be interrupted otherwise, like Dancing Steel. Because all bosses are susceptible to being partially staggered, Garuda is a good Eikon to equip throughout the entire game.
Even without the takedown, Deadly Embrace can be good against enemies that cannot be pulled, propelling Clive higher than he can reach with a normal jump; Clive can then use the height to continue into aerial combos, or chain into attacks that bring him back down, like Upheaval or downthrust.
Deadly Embrace can be used instead of Phoenix Shift; instead of dashing to an enemy with the shift, the player can pull the enemies to Clive.
During the chronolith trial with Garuda, Hand of Dione, pulling a small foe and chaining into a 4-hit combo (without finishing with Magic Burst) gains an 8-second time bonus. Using Deadly Embrace twice on an enemy whose will gauge is half full also earns an 8-second time bonus.