Conquer Bosses in Nioh 3: Essential Talismans from the Way of the Mystic

Despite being somewhat more accessible than its predecessors, Nioh 3 retains a formidable challenge. Players will find that human adversaries frequently block incoming attacks, while Yokai only become staggered when they run low on Ki energy.

The essence of the Nioh series has always revolved around the concept of Ki depletion. However, in the early stages of Nioh 3, players often struggle to accomplish this due to their limited understanding of the game’s mechanics and weaponry, as well as restricted access to certain Martial Arts that can swiftly deal Ki damage.

One effective strategy to counter this challenge is suppressing enemy movement, which allows for more opportunities to attack. This approach is particularly advantageous against bosses, whose rapid movements can easily overwhelm novice players.

Adopting the Way of the Mystic is crucial; the right Talismans can make you a formidable opponent against all enemies encountered throughout the game.

Harnessing the Power of Slowing Movement

A character in Nioh 3 confronts a large, dark creature with glowing orange crystals and red eyes in a snowy temple courtyard — Slowing down enemies in Nioh 3 enhances manageability during combat.

Slowing enemy movement serves multiple purposes; it provides extra time for players to execute stylish aerial Ninja combos or deploy sequences of Martial Arts supported by Arts Proficiency while in Samurai Style. However, it is notably the most effective tactic against bosses.

To maximize this technique, you should utilize the innovative Onmyo Box system alongside two particular Soul Cores.

The Sudama Core (Thunderstorm Shot)

In Nioh 3, a menu titled 'Onmyo Box' displays the selection and details of a 'Sudama Soul Core' at Lv.83 — The Sudama Soul Core provides access to one of the most formidable Talismans in the game.

Location: Seek out the Sudama Core by trading any item with the Sudama scattered across all maps, including the Eternal Rift. These spirits sport a half-skull hat.
Effect: By placing the Sudama Core in the Yang position, players gain access to 8x Thunderstorm Shot Talismans, which are incredibly effective.

These Talismans are exceptionally powerful; when used correctly, the Electrified status can frequently affect most enemies.

The Dadara Bocchi Core (Sloth Talisman)

A game menu in 'Nioh 3' displays the selection of the 'Daidara Bocchi Soul Core Lv.21' — The Sloth Talisman is among the most practical Talismans in Nioh 3.

Location: Acquire this core by defeating a Dadara Bocchi Yokai.
Effect: Positioned in the Yang position, this Soul Core becomes a source of Sloth Talismans. While its usage is limited, it delivers the most significant speed reduction available in the early game.

Essential Skill for Consistent Performance

The image shows a skill management screen from the game 'Nioh 3' with the selected skill 'Awakening' — The Awakening Mastery Skill is vital for effective Onmyo magic users.

The Awakening Mastery Skill, which shortens the casting time for Onmyo magic, is essential for executing this strategy effectively. Without it, the faster bosses are likely to interrupt your casting, leaving little to no opportunity to deploy these valuable spells.

You can unlock this skill after completing The Way of Onmyo: Novice mission, which is available in the Eternal Rift after finishing the first Crucible in the Warring States map.

Practical Application: Takeda’s Four Heavenly Kings

A game interface in Nioh 3 displays a completion screen for 'Takeda's Four Heavenly Kings' — Utilizing Thunderstorm Shot and Sloth Talismans can aid significantly during intense encounters.

While undertaking the optional mission of Takeda’s Four Heavenly Kings, a particularly challenging boss rush, I faced considerable difficulty. Initially, I found that four Sloth Talismans were insufficient for handling all the bosses effectively. However, by integrating 8x Talisman Shots from the Sudama Core with my chosen Samurai Guardian Spirit Shin-Roku, alongside Uncanny Bolt Ninjutsu and Lightning Familiar from the Raiju Core, I successfully maintained nearly 100% uptime on the Electrified status across all bosses.

Against Yamagata Masakage, who proved particularly challenging due to his speed on horseback, I utilized a Sloth Talisman in conjunction with Electrified status to further diminish his movement capabilities.

A character in 'Nioh 3' engages in combat with glowing energy effects, indicating ongoing status effects — Mastering elemental applications can allow players to induce Confusion, dramatically increasing damage output.

For those confident in applying the Electrified status, consider layering it with additional elemental ailments such as:

Saturation (Water)
Blustered (Wind)
Burn (Fire)

Inflicting multiple status effects simultaneously can lead to Confusion, which grants a 40% increase in damage against the affected enemy. A comprehensive discussion of the Confusion system will be available in an upcoming guide.

This concludes our exploration of the Way of the Mystic, shedding light on the intricacies of the Onmyo magic system.

This guide is based on a complete playthrough of the Steam 1.02 version, followed by a partial second playthrough in version 1.03. Screenshots are captured from version 1.03.

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