Nioh 3 unfolds an expansive experience set against the backdrop of the Warring States era, compelling players to explore new Martial Arts that enhance their preferred combat styles. In the game’s initial stages, you’re likely to find Samurai and Ninja Points to be valuable resources, which should be strategically invested in Martial Arts that not only optimize your playstyle but also leverage new combat mechanics introduced in the game.
Welcome to the Dojo! This guide highlights the most crucial Samurai and Ninja Style Martial Arts that you should aim to learn quickly to maximize your effectiveness in Nioh 3’s combat system.
Essential Martial Arts for Samurai Style
Having unlocked the High and Low Stance along with Deflect, your focus should shift toward the Frost Moon trio (1 Samurai Point each).These skills become accessible after you complete the The Way of the Warrior: Novice Battle Scroll mission, which typically unlocks soon after your first journey through the Eternal Rift.
Throughout your progression, you will have some flexibility to explore and acquire additional Martial Arts before these options become available. However, it is wise to retain some Samurai Points for unlocking the Frost Moon techniques, along with the essential Flux and Flux II Martial Arts as early as possible.
The Frost Moon Trinity: Heaven, Humanity, Earth
These Frost Moon Martial Arts are pivotal for upholding Arts Proficiency even though they are not immediately available to players. Here’s why:
- They provide a means to switch stances while keeping your proficiency active and maintaining your combo.
- Even without stance switching, these skills deliver significant benefits. For instance, executing a Strong Attack in High Stance and timing it with R1/RB + Triangle/Y during your Ki Pulse unleashes Frost Moon: Heaven, amplifying your offensive capabilities.
Apart from sustaining your Arts Proficiency, each of the Frost Moon Martial Arts fulfills distinct tactical roles:
- Frost Moon: Heaven: A potent, but slower, overhead strike.
- Frost Moon: Humanity: A swift strike capable of deflecting incoming enemy attacks.
- Frost Moon: Earth: A quick retreat-strike useful for creating distance from foes.
Though some players may find it challenging to combo from Frost Moon strikes, each weapon can seamlessly incorporate weapon-specific Martial Arts following them. For example, the Sword and Dual Swords can fluidly link Frost Moon: Earth into Iai Quickdraw or Sign of the Cross (R1/RB + Circle/B), yielding devastating outcomes.
Essential Martial Arts for Ninja Style
In contrast, Ninja Style thrives on agility and evasion, opting for speed over brute force. Unlike Samurai Style, Ninja Style doesn’t utilize a traditional Ki Pulse and compensates for this with fluidity inherent in the following crucial Martial Arts.
Evade
Initially, Ninja Style only regains Ki by refraining from attacking, compelling players to pause their aggression or switch to Samurai Style to activate a Ki Pulse after striking. However, acquiring Evade (1 Ninja Point) alters this mechanic significantly, allowing players to regain Ki and Ninjutsu by successfully dodging incoming strikes. This ability is much easier to time than a Samurai Deflect, providing a more reliable defense.
Footstool Jump & Mid-Air Dodge
The skills Footstool Jump and Mid-Air Dodge (1 Ninja Point each) refine the Ninja combat style significantly:
- Footstool Jump: Launch off enemies by pressing Jump (X/A) near them, allowing for prolonged airborne attacks while avoiding grounded hitboxes.
- Mid-Air Dodge: Provides a critical safety net for aerial maneuvers, letting you evade while airborne and quickly recover to the ground, thereby reducing the risk of being knocked down.
Bonus Essential Ninjutsu: Cicada Shell
Once you’ve grasped the essential Ninja Martial Arts, consider enhancing your combat flow with the Cicada Shell Ninjutsu (1 Ninja Point).This skill enables you to automatically dodge an attack and reposition behind opponents. Not only does it negate damage, but it also aligns perfectly with the Ninja style, enhancing your potential for dealing higher damage from behind your enemies.
The Importance of Prioritizing These Skills
By concentrating on these foundational Martial Arts rather than solely on weapon-specific moves early in the game, players significantly enhance the effectiveness of both Combat Styles and all weapons at their disposal. This investment in the Nioh 3 Combat System will ultimately pave the way toward mastery of the game’s intricate mechanics.
This concludes the latest entry in our Enter the Dojo series, where we explore Nioh 3’s mechanics to help you achieve unparalleled mastery.
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