Spear Skills
The Spear has a number of skills that you can learn to make yourself even deadlier. Of course, if you’re going with the build you should learn all of the skills eventually. However, there are a few that you can choose to give yourself a boost early on.
Pole Kick – Pole Kick is an easy skill you can unlock almost instantly, that factors into your Mid stance combo. Your basic combo adds on an attack at the end if you hit triangle, that has your character grip the pole and stick it into the ground to deliver a spinning kick. This attack can hit any enemies around you and knock them back, giving you a moment to breath if you’re surrounded.
Ki Pulse – Ki Pulse is always an incredibly useful skill, and you’ll want to be taking advantage of it immediately. Having enough Ki to dodge out of the way is critically important to all three of the stances, particularly Mid and Low. Pull off a couple jabs or a combo and pull off a Ki Pulse, and you should have enough of a window to make a nimble dodge.
Flux – Flux can be useful for when you need to adapt your combat style on the fly. Maybe you encounter a large enemy and you want to start out in High or Mid stance to get a blow in while you still have them at range. When the enemy closes in, however, it may be a better idea to drop down to Low stance and regain your bearings. Flux give you a recovery bonus if you change to another stance during a Ki Pulse, so use it to your advantage to adapt on the fly.
Living Water – Living Water is another useful skill that you can use on the fly. For builds focusing on Mid and Low stance it’s essential, as it grants you the ability to use Ki Pulses while dodging. The Spear can be adeptly used by dodging and landing a couple blows here and there, so you should have Living Water for each stance.
Spear Stance Change – If you’ll be using the High stance a lot, this skill is a given. If you’re in High stance and perform a stance change right when you use a Ki Pulse, nearby enemies will be knocked back. Since High stance attacks are slow, this give you room to land a high damage blow, then switch stances and have some breathing room.
Windmill – Windmill is the skill directly after Spear Stance Change, and it’s incredibly useful for crowd control. While guarding, you can hit triangle and your character will swing the Spear out in multiple wide arcs around him. This can bat back a group of enemies threatening to close in on you, giving you the moment you need to make an escape or launch an attack. It should be noted that the skill is used in High stance.
Spear Shove – Spear Shove can be a useful skill in Mid stance when you’re overwhelmed by an enemy. Like Windmill, you can hit the triangle button while guarding, but this time you’ll slam your enemy with the butt of your spear and stun them. If pulled off successfully, you can even launch into a combo.
Be sure to check back with Twinfinite for more guides and tips with Nioh, or take a look at our growing wiki.
