Should You Grapple or Shove First? A Tactical Deep Dive

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The question of whether to grapple or shove first in Dungeons and Dragons 5th Edition (5e) is a common one, and the answer isn’t always straightforward. It hinges on a variety of factors, including your character’s build, your party’s composition, the specific enemy you’re facing, and your overall tactical goals for the encounter. There’s no single “best” option, but understanding the mechanics and trade-offs will allow you to make the most informed decision in any given situation.

Understanding Grappling and Shoving

Before diving into specific scenarios, it’s crucial to understand what each action entails:

Grappling: This is a special melee attack that requires an Attack Action. Instead of making an attack roll, you make a Strength (Athletics) check contested by the target’s Strength (Athletics) or Dexterity (Acrobatics) check (the target chooses). If you succeed, you grapple the target. A grappled creature’s speed becomes 0, and if you move, you can drag the grappled creature with you. Crucially, you have advantage on attack rolls against a creature you are grappling.
Shoving: This is another special melee attack also requiring an Attack Action. Again, you make a Strength (Athletics) check contested by the target’s Strength (Athletics) or Dexterity (Acrobatics) check. If you succeed, you can either push the target 5 feet away or knock it prone.

Grapple First: The Strategic Advantages

Starting with a grapple can be advantageous in several scenarios:

Controlling Mobile Enemies: If you’re facing a slippery foe with high movement speed, grappling them first reduces their speed to 0, preventing them from easily repositioning or fleeing. This buys your party valuable time to focus fire.
Setting Up Advantage: By grappling first, you gain advantage on subsequent attacks against the grappled target. This significantly increases your chance to hit and can be very useful if you plan to attack the target with multiple attacks on the same turn.
“Pinning” with Shove: As the original article points out, this is a key tactical reason for grappling. If you grapple and then successfully shove a target prone, it creates a ‘pinned’ effect. A grappled creature has a speed of 0, and being prone reduces movement, thus making it difficult to get back up. This is potent against melee fighters.
Controlling the Battlefield: By grappling a target and moving them around, you can block movement, pull enemies into a trap, or position them for better party focus.
Tanking for Your Party: By grappling a dangerous enemy, you force them to stay in melee range with you and take attacks, while your less durable party members can engage from a safe distance.

Shove First: When Pushing Makes Sense

Choosing to shove first also presents its own strategic advantages:

Creating Space: Shoving an enemy away can break a grapple that enemy has on an ally or create space for allies to move away safely. Shoving an enemy away from melee can allow ranged party members to take advantage of the now-distant foe.
Setting Up Prone: If your goal is to give your allies advantage on melee attacks, shoving the enemy prone first is the best option. However, remember prone enemies can use half their movement to stand back up.
Breaking Grapples: If you or an ally are grappled, a successful shove on the grappler can end the grapple as you force the grappler out of range of their target. This is often preferable to trying to win an opposed check.
Disrupting Formations: Shoving can be used to break up tightly packed groups of enemies, making them easier to target with area-of-effect spells or abilities.
Movement Control: Shoving can sometimes move an enemy into a hazard, or off a cliff, dealing damage.

The Deciding Factors: Scenario Analysis

The optimal approach to grappling or shoving hinges on the nuances of the situation:

Enemy Type: Is the enemy a mobile skirmisher or a melee brawler? A mobile enemy might need to be grappled first while a melee enemy might be shoved prone.
Party Composition: If your party has many melee fighters, setting up prone is helpful, if your party has powerful ranged attacks, shoving away might be a more tactical choice.
Terrain: Is the terrain open or is it full of hazards? Shoving an enemy into a pit may be a more optimal choice than grappling.
Your Character Build: Are you a fighter that can capitalize on grapple advantage, or are you a tank that wants to protect the party by moving enemies around?
Your Overall Strategy: Are you trying to disable a specific enemy, control the battlefield, or focus fire on a single target?

In many cases, the optimal move may be a combination. Grappling, then shoving a target prone is a common strategy, but remember that doing so is two attacks.

Conclusion

There’s no universally “better” action between grappling and shoving first. Understanding their mechanics and the context of the encounter allows for tactical decision making. Grappling excels in controlling mobile threats and granting advantage while shoving shines when creating space and setting up prone. Ultimately, the most effective approach depends on your party’s synergy, your character’s capabilities, and the strategic goals of the moment.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

Can you shove after grappling?

Yes, you can absolutely shove a creature after you’ve grappled it. Both actions utilize an Attack Action, and if you have multiple attacks you could grapple with one attack and shove with another on the same turn. This is a common tactical maneuver.

Does grappling give advantage?

Yes, you have advantage on attack rolls against a creature you are grappling. However, the creature doesn’t have disadvantage on attacks against you, unless they are restrained which requires you using an action to ‘pin’ them.

Can I shove and grapple in the same turn?

Yes, you can. You can use any of your attacks on your turn to grapple or shove. If your character has extra attacks, you can use one attack for a grapple and another for a shove.

Can you shove or grapple as an opportunity attack?

No, you cannot. Opportunity Attacks do not grant the Attack Action, which is required for both grappling and shoving. An opportunity attack is a special reaction not an attack action.

Does grapple or shove count as an attack for rage?

Yes, both grappling and shoving are considered attacks, even though they don’t use attack rolls. So, they will satisfy the requirements to keep your Rage going as a Barbarian.

Is it better to strike or grapple?

It depends on the situation. Striking is generally better for dealing direct damage. Grappling is better for battlefield control and creating opportunities for others.

Can you shove twice?

You can shove twice in a single turn only if you have a way to perform more than one action. For example, with the Action Surge feature of a fighter, or via another source of additional actions.

What is the shove rule in 5e?

When you shove a creature, you make a Strength (Athletics) check contested by the target’s Strength (Athletics) or Dexterity (Acrobatics) check (the target chooses). If you succeed, you can either knock the target prone or push it 5 feet away.

Does grapple cause disadvantage?

The ‘grappled’ condition itself does not impose disadvantage on attacks made by the grappled creature. However, the ‘restrained’ condition, which can be achieved by using an action to ‘pin’ a grappled creature, does impose disadvantage on all attack rolls the restrained creature makes.

How do I get stronger at grappling?

Focus on exercises that build your overall strength. This includes building strength in your quads, glutes, hamstrings, and calves. Exercises like squats, lunges, and deadlifts will help with grappling success. Grip strength exercises will also help.

Does grappling require strength?

Yes, grappling requires strength, both in terms of technique but also for securing the grapple and maintaining control. Strong grip is very useful in grappling.

Can you shove an ally out of a grapple?

Yes, you can. By successfully shoving a grappler out of reach of their target, you can break the grapple. The grappled creature’s speed is zero, but moving the grappler is enough.

How far can you shove someone?

If you succeed on a shove, you can move the target 5 feet in any direction away from you. You have to make the target move away from you.

Can a striker beat a grappler?

Yes, a striker can beat a grappler. It depends on the circumstances, skill, and luck involved in the engagement. Grappling and striking each have their strengths and weaknesses.

Is a shove an unarmed strike?

An unarmed strike is defined as a melee attack where you use your body to damage, grapple, or shove a target. So, a shove is a type of unarmed strike.