I used to think interruption of mobs' attacks was based on a certain damage threshold, but recently I've been using Radiant Sun Shards a lot and have noticed that even jellies and polyps are interrupted by it.
Also, anyone who's fought a zombie will also probably have observed that their breath attack is interrupted even by very small hits, meaning different attacks have different interruption thresholds as well.
I would really appreciate an insight on this.
Especially on what it takes to interrupt a Lumber and/or a Mecha Knight attack, since I mostrly get hurt by those when a team mate's charged attack sends them mid-attack on my path >_<
To interrupt you usually have to perform "strong" damage during the flashing animation of the enemy attack. If they arent "attacking" then they flinch but not too long as far as i recall, so the only way to interrupt an attack is to hit during their flash indicator. The third swing of your sword usually will interrupt the enemy (2nd for heavy, and i think 5th? for fast swords like cutter), also some weapons like polaris interrupt during their expanded explosion, but not the small bullet, unless its an easily interrupted attack like the zombie's breath, where any damage at all will interrupt the attack, or sun shards that always interrupts.
Although now that you make me think about it it could also be that the last hit is also the strongest, so the interruption could be damage based, hit for x health and it will interrupt, I suppose you can test on tier1 with proto swords (weak damage) versus i dont know barbarous thorn blade or divine avenger against enemies that are weak to them and having max damage trinkets/armor (huge damage), the thorn blade has weak swings being a fast weapon, so if the first one interrupts wolvers while proto cant its damage based. And the weapons that always interrupt are special cases just like zombie breath is a special case.
It's based on the swing of the weapon. The third swing of brandish/calibur/rapier etc, will interrupt attacks or knock down certain enemies, and the second swing of the heavy hitters does the same. Some guns have shots that interrupt, as well as bombs like nitronome and radiant sun shards.
It's not based on damage, I've knocked down gremlins with a blizzbrand that only does like 50 grey damage, and have them stand up and take repeated 200+ damage hits from the first swing of a gran faust. Some things are extraordinarily difficult to interrupt, like lumbers, I wouldn't even try. Some things are very easy to interrupt, and also very useful to, like gun puppies. Some enemy attacks cannot be interrupted (I think all green ones can, but yellow/red ones can't? I'm not entirely sure on that, will have to do more testing.) If you fail to interrupt an attack when you think you should have, it's probably lag.
As for the zombie breath attack, it's a special characteristic of their breath attack. Anything that hits them will knock them down, regardless.
I would think that the attack interrupts or doesnt, and the enemy animation will always be interrupted, will be interrupted depending on the attack interruption ability, or will never be interrupted.