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Nioh 3 is now available, and even fans of the series will find plenty to learn. Along with the familiar samurai style from earlier games, you’ll also be fighting using ninja moves.
Smartly, you can switch between the samurai and ninja anytime, and they work completely separately, each with their own gear and abilities. Of course, there’s a bit of a learning curve to master both styles.
Best Samurai Build in Nioh 3
Focus on Your Strengths
The classic samurai gameplay in Nioh 3 emphasizes blocking and parrying. If you’re familiar with previous Nioh games, you’ll feel right at home. The game even starts you off as a samurai during the tutorial. To switch to the ninja style in menus, just press “R2.”
How to Play the Samurai
The key ability for the samurai is to clear Yokai realm pools. Many enemies create small pools on the ground that slow your recovery. To dispel these, attack the pool and press R1. Ninja characters can’t dispel these pools, so keep that in mind. Handling them is especially important in tight spaces.
The samurai is good at damage and excels in close combat. Practice parrying early in the game so you’ll be ready for tough boss fights—that skill can save your life.
Building a Samurai
You can customize your build in several ways, mainly through the pause menu where you can acquire martial arts and ninjutsu skills, or at shrines through the skill management menu. The skill points you earn while exploring can be used to unlock abilities, or you can assign passive skills there.
Some useful abilities for the samurai build include:
- Deflect: Press L1 before an enemy attack (except burst attacks) to deflect it.
- Sword of Salvation: Reduces Ki consumption when dodging with a sword.
- Backwave: Guard just before an attack to push back and stagger the attacker.
- Backwave II: An improved version of the same move.
This build is very powerful against small and medium enemies, allowing you to save your healing items for bigger foes. Be sure not to waste skill points on weapon types you don’t use. Instead, invest in the “Samurai” and “Ninja” skill trees. You can respec for free using the L3 button if needed.
Although there are skills exclusive to each class, the “Common Skills” affect both styles globally. If you’re unsure what to prioritize, focus on healing skills like Panacea Curefast. It’s a reliable choice for many situations.
Best Ninja Build in Nioh 3
Use Your Ninja Tools Constantly
The ninja style is the newest mechanic in Nioh 3, focused on quick, agile combat using tools. It’s especially good for whittling down enemies that are low on health but hit hard.
How to Play the Ninja
Ninja characters are better at dodging than samurai, as they can roll around the fight very quickly. They also use ninjutsu weapons like caltrops and fireballs.
If you’re facing aggressive bosses that are hard to parry, switching to ninja can help create space and give you time to learn their moves from a safe distance.
Building a Ninja
Some of the most effective ninja tools include:
- Storm Kunai
- Shrapnel Bomb
- Cicada Shell
Tools are a major part of the ninja fighting style, and they recharge automatically, so you don’t need to restock them manually. You can also experiment with elemental damage options such as Uncanny Bolt (lightning), Breeze (wind), and Bubble (water). Remember to reset your skill points often and try out different builds if one isn’t working.
Mastering both styles—samurai and ninja—will give you a big advantage in Nioh 3. It takes some effort to get used to, but using both styles together is the key to victory.
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