Nioh 3 Martial Arts and Skill Priorities

 

Nioh 3 Playstyle and Combat Flow

This guide turns the Switchglaive Samurai into an S‑tier endgame build by explaining the reasoning behind every choice and giving a complete, practical roadmap from early levels to the hardest fights. The Switchglaive’s identity is stance transformation: each stance changes reach, speed, and combo structure. The build’s strength comes from exploiting stance transitions, maximizing Ki economy, and layering Onmyo magic and elemental procs to amplify damage windows. You will learn which stats to prioritize, which weapon affixes to chase, how to sequence martial arts, and how to handle the most dangerous boss archetypes. Read straight through for a full plan, or jump to the section you need.

The Switchglaive scales best when you treat it as a hybrid between weapon scaling and Onmyo augmentation. Intellect is the primary damage stat because it increases weapon damage and many Switchglaive affixes. Magic is the secondary stat to boost Onmyo potency and elemental damage. Heart is the tertiary stat that keeps Ki recovery and Ki pulse effective. This triad gives you sustained output and lets you weave spells without sacrificing melee throughput.

Leveling targets

Early game, keep a balanced spread so you can use basic Switchglaive combos and a handful of Onmyo spells. By mid game, push Intellect to be your highest stat and raise Magic to a reliable second. Heart should be high enough that Ki pulses and Ki recovery passives feel meaningful; you do not need to cap Heart early, but do not neglect it. Late game targets depend on your gear: aim for Intellect in the high hundreds, Magic in the mid hundreds, and Heart high enough to keep Ki recovery consistent through long boss windows. Exact numbers vary by difficulty and available gear, but the principle is to let Intellect lead, Magic support, and Heart sustain.

Stat allocation strategy

Invest in nodes that directly affect stance transitions and Ki economy before dumping raw stat points into Skill or Strength. If you plan to hybridize with heavier melee scaling, add Skill later, but only after you have the stance passives and Ki recovery nodes that make the Switchglaive feel fluid. Prioritize stat increases that unlock weapon scaling thresholds for your chosen Switchglaive.

Nioh 3 Weapons Armor and Accessories

Weapon selection and affixes

Your weapon is the single most important piece of gear. Endgame Switchglaives with Onmyo scaling or innate elemental imbues are ideal. The affixes to prioritize are, in order: Ki Recovery Speed, Ki Damage, Onmyo Magic, and Life Drain or Elemental Damage that matches your talismans and spells. Ki Recovery Speed lets you chain combos and stance transitions without forced pauses. Ki Damage increases the potency of Ki‑based followups and many Switchglaive special attacks. Onmyo Magic scales your spells and makes every elemental proc more meaningful.

When you find a good base Switchglaive, reroll or farm for the affixes above. A weapon with slightly lower base attack but perfect affixes will outperform a higher‑attack weapon with poor affixes in this build.

Armor and set bonuses

Choose armor that boosts Intellect and Magic or reduces Ki consumption. Late‑game Grace sets that increase elemental damage or grant Onmyo bonuses are excellent. Defensive sets that improve posture resistance or increase Ki pulse potency are useful for fights where you must trade hits. Accessories should be chosen to complement your weapon: talismans that increase Onmyo Magic, rings that boost Ki recovery, and charms that add elemental amplification or life steal.

Soul Cores and Guardian Spirits

Pick a Guardian Spirit that either increases Onmyo/Intellect or grants an offensive proc on transform. Soul Cores that add elemental procs or extend combo chains are ideal. If you prefer a more melee‑centric approach, choose a spirit that increases stance damage or provides defensive procs to survive aggressive windows. Match your spirit and cores to the weapon’s imbues and your chosen martial arts to maximize synergy.

Nioh 3 Martial Arts and Skill Priorities

How to prioritize

The single most impactful category of nodes are those that increase damage or reduce Ki cost specifically when you switch stances. These nodes multiply every combo you perform and should be unlocked early. Next, invest in Ki Recovery and Ki Damage passives so you can chain mid‑stance strings without being forced to back off. After those, take Onmyo support nodes if you plan to weave spells; they increase spell potency and reduce cast time, letting you slot a quick debuff or buff between stance hits. Finish with Samurai defensive passives that improve Ki pulse and deflect windows.

Core martial arts

Choose one opener, one sustained engine, one gap closer, and one finisher. The opener is typically a High Stance Blade poke that applies elemental procs safely. The sustained engine is a Mid Stance Edge combo that balances speed and Ki cost. The gap closer converts ranged pressure into melee burst; Kibosh Kicker or an equivalent approach skill is ideal. The finisher is a Retribution variant or Infinite Retribution II for extended stagger chains. Cyclone Wind or similar AOE launchers are invaluable for crowd control and multi‑target fights.

Skill sequencing

Early game, unlock basic Blade and Edge combos to learn stance feel. Mid game, add Retribution and a gap closer while investing in Ki Recovery passives. Late game, prioritize advanced passives that buff stance transitions, Ki Damage, and Onmyo synergy; equip Infinite Retribution II or other endgame martial arts. Always map your martial arts so transitions flow: opener into gap close into Edge strings into Retribution finishers.

Training and muscle memory

Practice three drills until they are automatic. Drill one: poke to close—High Stance poke, immediate gap close, Mid Stance Edge combo, then back out. Drill two: bait and burst—deflect a predictable attack, switch to Retribution, execute heavy chain. Drill three: AOE control—Cyclone Wind to gather, alternate Edge and Blade to clear while maintaining Ki. Muscle memory for stance switching is the difference between a good player and an S‑tier one.

Nioh 3 Combat Flow Rotations and Tactics

General combat flow

Start fights with a ranged poke to test enemy behavior and apply elemental procs. If the enemy commits, close with your gap closer and enter Mid Stance Edge for sustained pressure. Use Ki pulses and deflects between heavy hits to restore posture and avoid being punished. When the boss telegraphs a long recovery or you see a stagger window, switch to Retribution and execute heavy followups or Infinite Retribution II to extend the stagger and maximize posture damage. For groups, open with Cyclone Wind to cluster enemies, then sweep with Edge and Blade.

Example rotation for single target

Open with High Stance Blade poke to apply elemental proc. If the enemy is staggerable, gap close and chain into Mid Stance Edge heavy combos. Weave a Ki pulse after every two heavy hits. When the boss shows a long recovery, switch to Retribution and execute the heavy finisher. If the boss counters, use deflect timing to regain control and back out to reapply procs.

Example rotation for multi target

Start with Cyclone Wind to launch and cluster. Use Mid Stance Edge to clear while maintaining Ki. If a high‑value target appears, isolate it with a gap closer and switch to Retribution for a focused burst. Use Onmyo spells to add AOE damage or debuffs that make clearing faster.

Ki management and defensive play

Ki Recovery Speed affixes and Heart investment are your safety net. Use Ki pulses aggressively to restore posture and avoid long trades. Deflect windows are your primary defensive tool; practice timing so you can convert a deflect into an immediate Retribution followup. When you must trade, prefer short burst windows and immediate retreat to avoid sustained punishment.

Nioh 3 Endgame Optimization Boss Tactics and Farming

Endgame tuning

Once you have a stable weapon and set, refine affixes to Ki Recovery and Onmyo scaling. Reroll accessories to add Life Drain or elemental amplification if you need sustain. Replace weaker martial arts with endgame variants such as Infinite Retribution II. The final step is boss‑specific tuning: swap a single martial art or passive to exploit a boss’s unique weakness.

Boss archetype tactics

For high‑stagger bosses, use heavy stance combos and Onmyo spells to break posture quickly. Time your Retribution finishers to coincide with the boss’s long recovery frames. For fast aggressive bosses, prioritize deflect timing and short burst windows—open with a ranged poke, bait an attack, deflect, then punish with a gap close and Edge combo. For bosses that punish aggressive stance switching, adopt a more conservative rotation: poke, apply procs, and only commit when you see a clear opening.

Farming and gear acquisition

Target late‑game Dream and Underworld content for Grace sets and high‑tier Switchglaive drops. Prioritize weapons with Ki Recovery Speed and Onmyo Magic affixes. Use familiarity farming to map desired martial arts from Crucible weapons onto your Switchglaive. Once you have a base weapon, reroll affixes until you hit Ki Recovery and Onmyo scaling, then min‑max armor for Intellect and Magic boosts.

Micro‑optimizations

Use talismans and consumables that temporarily boost Onmyo Magic or Ki recovery during long boss runs. Keep a small set of alternate accessories for specific fights: one set for raw damage, one for survivability. Track which martial arts produce the best posture damage on each boss and swap them in as needed. Small changes in timing and a single passive swap often shave minutes off the hardest encounters.

Nioh 3 Final Checklist and Next Steps

Before you tackle endgame content, confirm these items. Your Intellect is the highest stat, Magic is secondary, and Heart is high enough to sustain Ki pulses. Your Switchglaive has Ki Recovery and Onmyo bonuses. Your martial arts loadout includes a safe opener, a reliable mid‑range combo engine, a gap closer, and a heavy finisher. You have practiced the three training drills until stance switching is second nature. Your Guardian Spirit and Soul Cores match your weapon’s imbues and your chosen playstyle.

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