Strikeborn: How to Make Guts Bomb Explode (Repeater Variant Guide)

Guts' bomb comes from the backward variant of his third move, Repeater: hold S (moving backwards) while pressing the Repeater input, and he lays a bomb instead of firing the crossbow. It detonates when a player stays near it long enough (~18 damage), or when struck by a move, M1, projectile, or down slam (~35 damage).

How to summon the bomb: Repeater backward (S) variant

To create the bomb, you must be moving backwards (holding S) while pressing the Repeater input. If you press Repeater normally, you shoot the crossbow instead — the bomb only appears from the moving-backward version. Players have also noted you can hit the placed bomb with other moves to move or trigger it, and that the uppercut works like a short throw to reposition the bomb.

What makes the bomb explode

The bomb detonates in several ways:

1. Proximity timer: if it sits near someone for a certain amount of time, it explodes on its own (roughly 18 damage). The exact timer duration isn't documented.
2. Hit by a move or M1: striking the bomb with a skill lights it up and it explodes, dealing 35 damage. Anyone can hit the bomb — the Guts player, enemies, anyone.
3. Projectiles: the side-dash Repeater dagger (the dart version of Repeater) detonates it instantly, and some other moves such as Yuji's Cursed Beatdown also trigger it without needing anyone nearby.
4. Down slams: hitting the bomb with a down slam makes it instantly explode.

Important exception: M1 hits made while the bomb is in motion knock the bomb away instead of detonating it — it plays like baseball, so you can bat it toward enemies.

Damage and properties

Damage reports are currently inconsistent: the bomb is reported at 18 damage from the proximity timer and 35 damage when detonated by a move or M1, but some players report it "sometimes does 15 instead." Sources agree it is unblockable, hits grounded, and that opponents can avoid it by jumping over the explosion. The bomb can also be batted back and forth between players — expect opponents to hit it back at you.

Because early-access damage values may have shifted with balance patches, verify the numbers in-game if they seem off.

Why your bomb won't come out or blows up on you

• Wrong input: not actually moving backward (e.g., holding space instead) produces nothing — the bomb requires the backward Repeater variant specifically.
• M1 in motion knocks it away instead of detonating it; use skills, projectiles, or down slams to light it up.
• Self-damage: the explosion hits Guts too. Don't place the bomb beside yourself or bat it into your own position — players have died to their own bombs.
• Range: the detonation hitbox doesn't register at long distances, so trying to snipe far-off players with a moved bomb can whiff.

Practical uses

• Zoning trap: place the bomb and let the proximity timer punish anyone who approaches.
• Combo finisher: spawn it near a hit opponent and detonate it with a skill, the side-dash Repeater dart, or a down slam for the 35-damage pop.
• Repositioned bomb: bat or uppercut it toward grouped or distracted targets — one player even drops a bomb into other players' fair fights as a third-party gag.
• Counterplay to expect: opponents jump over the explosion or simply avoid walking near it.

Don't confuse it with the explosive dagger

The explosive dagger is a separate mechanic. The side-dash Repeater variant throws a dagger that ragdolls targets (and knocks back already-ragdolled ones), and there's also a held dagger variant with delayed explosive timing. Like the bomb, the explosive dagger can damage Guts himself, so keep distance before triggering it — but its input is the side-dash variant, not the backward variant that summons the bomb.