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.
