Master the Nioh 3 Flow of Combat Skills and Arts

In the Nioh 3a mistake you might make is treating Samurai and Ninja styles as binary choices, choosing whichever you think is best in each situation. And you wouldn’t go far wrong: both styles can be executed well and there’s no immediate penalty for sticking with one style all the time.

However, if you do that, you limit your potential. Switching between the two styles is an important “next step” in the combat dance performed Nioh the series is always fought.

Welcome to the Dojo. In this guide, we’ll cover some of the game’s key combat mechanics, such as Fine Arts, and how they come together to define a very unique combat flow.

Why Ki Damage Matters

The key to combat Nioh 3 remains the same as in the previous entry: drains the enemy’s Ki. By doing so, you gain a huge advantage over the enemy, regardless of type.

• Human Enemies: Once their Ki is gone, they are open to grapple attacks.
• Yokai: Lowering their Ki lets you stagger them with any attack, and reducing their Max Ki will open them up to a Final Blow for major damage.

While most of these mechanics can be ignored by most casual enemies during your first playthrough, dealing Ki damage is non-negotiable to bosses. This is the only way to deal high damage without them constantly fighting back and annoying you.

The Challenge of Different Styles

In the Nioh 3spending Ki becomes a little more challenging. Samurai Style attacks are generally slower than previous attacks Nioh 2and the main weapon of Ki destruction, namely Tonfanow exclusive to Ninja Style.

Due to the speed of its attacks, the Ninja Style is naturally better at destroying an enemy’s Ki through a continuous barrage of attacks, regardless of the weapon used. This quick move also has a second goal: building Art Skills much faster.

The Power of Artistic Skills

Art Proficiency is a mechanic in Nioh 3 that allows you to deal melting damage to bosses, not to mention Living Artifacts, which can still be utilized to wipe out most enemies.

When you attack with either style, you fill your Arts Proficiency meter. Once filled, your next Martial Arts or Heavy Attack will be significantly enhanced. Additionally, the more different attacks you chain together while the meter is active, the more powerful the attack will be.

At this point, you can easily understand how Ki depletion and Art Proficiency in Ninja Style begins to build up the basic flow of combat. If the Yokai isn’t out of Ki, it won’t be surprised by your combos, and they can and will interrupt you. Unless you use the Oppressive Strength Samurai skill, but that opens up a survivability problem that can only be solved with an advanced build that provides auto-healing on landing attacks.

Nioh 3 Combat Loop, Distilled

Taking all of the above into account, Nioh 3’s basic combat loop can be distilled like this:

• Pressure With Ninja Style: Start the fight in Ninja Style to drain the enemy’s Ki and quickly build up your Arts Proficiency meter.
• Deal Damage With Samurai StyThat: Once the enemy’s Ki is depleted (and they are staggered), switch to Samurai Style to unleash a combo of Powerful Attacks and high-damage Martial Arts.
• Recovery: When your attack ends, switch back to Ninja Style after using Ki Pulse to shorten your recovery time. This allows you to recover Ki faster, and use it Ninjutsu (which must be fully charged following your Samurai Style combo) to deal consecutive damage from a safe distance.

As you progress and gain a deeper understanding of these mechanics, you won’t need such a rigid structure. You’ll find yourself switching styles instinctively based on the rhythm of the duel. However, for the first few hours in Warring States, this round is highly recommended to help you defeat Yokai and build the confidence needed to become the next Shogun.

This concludes our second Dojo Entry guide, where we dissect it Nioh 3 mechanics to achieve mastery dive deeply into the flow of the battle. For more technical details, visit us Nioh 3: Complete Guide and Guide Hub.

Walkthrough based on the full game played in Steam version 1.01. Screenshots are taken from the same version.

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