Nioh 3 Combat Mastery: Best Weapons, Stances, and Soul Core Build Guide

While Nioh 3 isn’t officially announced yet, the enduring popularity of Nioh 2 keeps the dream alive. Let’s dive into the core of what makes the Nioh combat system so engaging: weapon choices, stances, and Soul Core builds, based on knowledge from Nioh and Nioh 2. This guide offers a practical, down-to-earth look at building your character for maximum effectiveness, whether you’re a returning veteran or a hopeful newcomer ready for the (potential) release of Nioh 3.

Understanding the Combat Triangle in Nioh

At its heart, the Nioh combat system revolves around a “combat triangle” of weapons, stances, and Ki management. Each element interlocks with the others, creating a deep and rewarding system where thoughtful choices are crucial for survival and success.

Weapons: Choosing Your Arsenal

Nioh offers a diverse arsenal of weapons, each with unique movesets, strengths, and weaknesses. There’s no single “best” weapon; the ideal choice depends on your playstyle and the challenges you face. Here’s a look at some popular options:

• Katana: A versatile and balanced weapon, excellent for learning the basics and adaptable to various situations.
• Dual Swords: Quick and agile, specializing in rapid attacks and applying status effects.
• Spear: Offers excellent range and crowd control, making it ideal for keeping enemies at bay.
• Axe/Odachi: Slow but powerful, dealing massive damage with each swing. Good for staggering enemies and breaking guards.
• Kusarigama: A unique weapon with a mix of close-range and ranged attacks, excelling at disrupting enemy patterns.
• Tonfa: Relentless close-quarters combat, excels at breaking enemy Ki.
• Switchglaive: A newer addition that allows weapon stance switching mid combo.
• Fists: Quick attacks and great Ki damage.

Experiment with different weapons to find one that clicks with your preferred style. Don’t be afraid to try them all! Learning the strengths and weaknesses of each weapon is key to becoming a truly formidable warrior in the world of Nioh.

Stances: High, Mid, and Low

Stances are fundamental to Nioh’s combat system, each offering different advantages:

• High Stance: Deals the most damage and has excellent range, but consumes more Ki and leaves you vulnerable.
• Mid Stance: A balanced stance that provides a good mix of offense and defense. Offers solid Ki recovery and good guard capabilities.
• Low Stance: The fastest stance, allowing for quick attacks, dodges, and Ki recovery. Deals the least damage but is the safest option.

Mastering stance switching on the fly is crucial for adapting to different enemy attacks and maintaining a steady flow of combat. Learning to use each stance’s unique active skills will significantly enhance your effectiveness in battle.

Ki Management: The Lifeblood of Combat

Ki, the Nioh equivalent of stamina, is the most critical resource you’ll manage. Running out of Ki leaves you vulnerable to attacks. Key to Ki management is performing Ki Pulses after combos. This involves pressing the stance button after an attack to purge Yokai Realm corruption and restore a significant amount of Ki. This mechanic is central to sustaining your offense and avoiding enemy openings.

Crafting Powerful Soul Core Builds

Soul Cores are a vital part of your character build. These are acquired from defeated Yokai and grant you access to powerful Yokai Abilities, offering a diverse range of offensive, defensive, and utility options. They also provide valuable stat boosts.

Understanding Soul Core Stats and Affinities

Each Soul Core possesses unique stats and affinities that affect your character build. Key stats to consider include:

• Attack: Increases your overall damage output.
• Defense: Reduces incoming damage.
• Anima: Determines how often you can use Yokai Abilities.
• Yokai Ability Damage: Increases the damage of your Yokai Abilities.
• Various elemental resistances

Affinities influence how well a Soul Core synergizes with your Guardian Spirit. Matching affinities grants bonus stats, enhancing your build’s overall effectiveness.

Popular Soul Core Choices

Some Soul Cores are widely regarded as powerful options due to their versatility and effectiveness. Some of these include:

• Ippon-Datara: Devastating slam attack that deals massive Ki damage.
• Nure-Onna: Paralyzing gaze that can stun enemies and set up follow-up attacks.
• Enki: A quick, multi-hitting attack that is great for applying status effects.
• Gozuki: Frontal slam that gives hyper armor.
• Mezuki: Long reaching sweep attack that does corruption build-up.

Experiment with different Soul Cores to discover which ones best complement your weapon choice, stance preference, and overall playstyle.

Synergizing Soul Cores with Your Build

The true power of Soul Cores lies in their ability to synergize with your overall build. Consider the following when choosing your Soul Cores:

• Weapon scaling: Select Soul Cores that boost stats that scale well with your chosen weapon.
• Status effects: Build a build that can reliably apply status effects.
• Guardian Spirit affinities: Match your Soul Core affinities to your Guardian Spirit for maximum stat bonuses.

Putting It All Together: Example Builds

To illustrate how these elements come together, let’s consider a few example builds:

The Katana Master: Versatile and Deadly

• Weapon: Katana
• Stances: Primarily Mid Stance for balanced offense and defense, with High Stance for burst damage opportunities.
• Soul Cores: Ippon-Datara, Gozuki, Enki for high damage and Ki depletion.
• Focus: Balanced stats, with emphasis on Strength and Skill.

The Spear Specialist: Range and Control

• Weapon: Spear
• Stances: Primarily Mid Stance for reach and poke damage, Low Stance for quick dodges.
• Soul Cores: Nure-Onna, for paralysis, Gyuki for range.
• Focus: Constitution and Strength for health and damage.

The Aggressive Fists Build: Relentless Offense

• Weapon: Fists
• Stances: Mid Stance and High Stance for aggressive play
• Soul Cores: Ippon-Datara, Gozuki
• Focus: Strength and Courage

These are just starting points. Feel free to experiment and adapt these builds to your own preferences and playstyle.

Conclusion

Mastering the combat system in Nioh (and hopefully Nioh 3) requires dedication, experimentation, and a willingness to learn from your mistakes. By understanding the intricacies of weapons, stances, and Soul Core builds, you can create a character that is truly your own and conquer even the most challenging encounters. Keep practicing and keep experimenting – the depth of the combat system is where the real fun lies!

Want to share your favorite Nioh builds, tips, or tricks? Leave a comment below! And be sure to check back for more Nioh content as we wait for potential news on Nioh 3!