Nioh: How to Use a Sword Build

Sword Build – Nioh

The sword is by far the most balanced weapon in all of Nioh, as it offers skilled users a variety of approach options without limiting them to a specific playstyle or mentality. While it may not have the same flash or flair as say a kusarigama, the sword is still a reliable weapon that is useful in almost any situation. The basic attacks with the sword revolve around slashes and thrusts, that can keep foes at a safe distance allowing players to dodge incoming counter attacks. Like any weapon in Nioh, Ki management is very important so make sure to practice and understand when the combos end. This can ensure perfect Ki Pulse so you can continue your onslaught. The sword is really good at stun-locking enemies in Nioh, so being able to pulse between barrages will only enhance this ability.

Yet, in order to understand what makes a good sword build you’ll need to have an understanding for the three stances you can shift between. Just like the other 4 weapons, players can pick between Low, Mid, and High stances all of which fundamentally change how the sword works and thus allow you as a user to be more adaptable to changing fights. After all, predictability will get you killed in this game, especially if you try to force specific stances when they don’t work.

Low – This is the fastest attack pattern that a Nioh sword wielder can use, with many of the strikes focused downward. The sheer speed can let you stun weaker targets such as base Yokai soldiers who are crawling on all fours, preventing them from retaliating. The Low stance is good for when you need to get quick bursts of damage in before retreating. If you’re facing off against a Revenant using the High stance, the Low stance is a fantastic counter to it as it can stop almost all of their attacks.

Mid – Mid is your bread and butter, as it is the less situational of all the three stances. These strikes come at a moderate speed and inflict a good amount of damage against your foes. This stance will typically be used in boss fights against large monsters and even some of the quicker humanoid opponents. However, it’s key that you obtain certain skills for this stance to truly excel, as it can be easy to run out of Ki rather quickly when using a sword build in Nioh.

High – Finally, the High stance is your slower, guard breaking build. There are quite a few times that a player will run across an enemy that just won’t lower their defense. Given High is the most powerful of the three, use this stance to hammer away at someone’s defense until their stamina either runs out or are forced to retreat. Make sure to watch your Ki here, as High stance can leave you depleted in a matter of seconds.

Mastering these three stances will be critical to separating those who simply use the sword as a weapon and those who know how to squeeze out every bit of advantage they have over an enemy. When fighting, make sure to constantly switch up stances based on either your opponent’s style or weapon of choice. The sword is less punishing than say a spear or kusarigama, so don’t worry if you miss a few strikes and leave yourself open for an attack. There are plenty of solid defensive skills to keep you alive.

Sword – Stats and Armor

Sword Build

Eventually, you are going to need to level up William if you have any hope of survival in this demon filled world. Yet, there are eight different stats, all of which affect different aspects of your character so you’ll want to know where to put those hard earned Amrita to make the most of your sword build in Nioh. Remember, you will also need to balance your upgrades between two different weapons, however, if you are making the sword your primary tool of destruction, then you’ll want to invest in these three stats.

• Heart
• Body
• Spirit

Heart is your main damage upgrade stat, as this will help you upgrade William’s DPS output beyond the base sword damage. During our testing, we typically leveled up this stat either alongside Body (Health) or right behind it. This will be the primary way you increase your damage outside of the Blacksmith or finding better loot.

Spirit may seem like an odd choice because at first glance it doesn’t seem to directly affect your sword damage, stamina, or it’s overall use. However, the Living Weapon ability is critical to winning some tough fights. The sword is arguably one of the best weapons to use your Guardian Spirit’s ability with as the three stances allow you to output insane amounts of damage across a rather large radius. Spirit also has the added benefit of raising your DPS against the Yokai Realms and magical abilities which offer much-needed range support and buffs to your gear. While you won’t need to upgrade this at the same rate as Heart, it’s always important to progress it further.

Body is the final skill that can help enhance a good sword build, as you won’t be as agile and thus will be hit from time to time. Unlike a dual sword build, much of your combat will be more direct thanks to a number of parry and guard breaking abilities. Having extra health will keep you from getting one shot by an angry Yokai or fellow swordsman. This skill also has the added effect of giving you Samurai Skill Points which are very important as what pushes a good sword build over the edge are the skills.

Sword Skills

Sword Build

Speaking of, there are a lot of different skills that players can purchase in Nioh, so making sure to grab the right ones in Nioh is important. Below we are going to list some of our choices, however, we will not be limiting them to just starter skills as some of the more potent combinations come later down the line. Here are the skills that will help you make the most our of your sword build, while still keeping it versatile.

Haze – This is the first upgrade from the Leaf Guild branch which allows players to now parry most weapon based attacks. While the first skill in this tree is good, Haze will leave their back exposed for a few seconds allowing you to follow up with some important strikes. Parrying is incredibly important to a sword build so make sure you master the timing so you can mitigate a lot of your foe’s damage.

Water Shadow: II – The first of our two main defensive skills, Water Shadow: II will not only force your opponent away but follow up with a powerful strike from behind. This skill is wonderful for overly aggressive foes whose attacks you can exploit for openings. Plus, the final version of this skills knocks them on their butt, which can give you time to escape if needed.

Sword of Discernment – The second defensive skill will allow you to initiate a frontwards attack while stunning your opponent via bashing them in the face with the scabbard. This skill is especially good for sword build users that fight a lot of Revenants. Since dual swords and the kusarigama are insanely popular this can give you a strong opening after they press an attack.

Tempest – Our guard breaking ability, Tempest lets you punish those who are always on the defensive by knocking them back and breaking their guard. Using this in combination with either Living Weapon or base grapple abilities will let you deal insane amounts of damage quickly if you go on the offensive. Make sure to have a lot of stamina before trying this.

Living Weapon: Man – You will be using Mid stance a lot in Nioh, so being able to Ki Pulse dodging is very powerful. Make sure this is one of the first skills you pick up so you can master the timing before you start fighting against harder foes.

Swallows Wing II – This is a great boss skill as William will perform a backflip after a successful combo. This allows players to get some distance and dodge a lot of powerful follow-up strikes if they haven’t been staggered.

Swift Step – While this is Low stance only, being ale to quickly get behind your opponent with a simple button press can be vital to finding an opening in a fight.

Morning Moon – Finally, Morning Moon is for High stance and ends a successful combo by performing a very strong spinning attack. This is a wonderful skill for finishing off opponents and getting that last bit of damage in to kill them. Again, like all High stance skills, make sure your Stamina is full before engaging.

If you balance your skills across all three stances then you will have little trouble at all mastering this class. A good sword build is both offensive and defensive at the same time, so don’t always go right for maximum power unless you want to be a glass cannon. However, nothing is more satisfying in Nioh then finishing off a boss in a flashy combo and then casually sliding your sword back into the scabbard.

For more guides, builds, and tricks make sure to visit our ever-expanding Nioh wiki.