When your adventure begins in Nioh 3's sprawling Warring States map, it is hard to resist learning new Martial Arts for your weapons of choice. However, in the early hours of the game, Samurai and Ninja Points are a precious currency that should be used to learn some Martial Arts that not only benefit each style as a whole but will also help you better utilize some of the game's new combat mechanics.
Welcome to the Dojo. Here are the essential Samurai and Ninja Style Martial Arts to learn as quickly as possible to use Nioh 3's combat mechanics to their maximum potential.
Table of contents
The Samurai Style's Essential Martial Arts
Once you have unlocked High and Low stance and Deflect, your next priority shouldn't be Martial Arts for specific weapons, but the Frost Moon trio (1 Samurai Point each). These become available after completing The Way of the Warrior: Novice Battle Scroll mission, which unlocks shortly after you reach the Eternal Rift for the first time.
As such, you do have some leeway to learn other Martial Arts by the time these become available. Just make sure to save some Samurai Points to unlock them and the mandatory Flux and Flux II Martial Arts as soon as possible.
The Frost Moon Trinity (Heaven, Humanity, Earth)
Why are these Martial Arts essential even though they are not available from the start of Nioh 3? Because they are the secret sauce for maintaining Arts Proficiency:
- These are Martial Arts for every intent and purpose, meaning they allow you to switch stances while keeping your proficiency active without breaking your combo.
- Even if you don't want to switch stances, they are still incredibly useful. For example, if you are in High Stance, you can activate Arts Proficiency with a Strong Attack, then press R1/RB + Triangle/Y in time with your Ki Pulse to unleash Frost Moon: Heaven and keep the pressure on.
While only one of the Frost Moon Martial Arts may be enough to keep your Arts Proficiency combos, they also serve specific tactical purposes:
- Frost Moon: Heaven: A high-damage, slower overhead.
- Frost Moon: Humanity: A quick strike that can actually deflect an incoming enemy attack.
- Frost Moon: Earth: A rapid retreat-strike that puts vital distance between you and enemies.
Although some of the Frost Moon Martial Arts may feel hard to combo from, every weapon has a way to link weapon-specific Martial Arts from them. For example, I found that the Sword and Dual Swords can easily link Frost Moon: Earth into Iai Quickdraw or Sign of the Cross (R1/RB + Circle/B) for devastating results.
Pro Usage Tip: If you find switching stances and using these skills tricky, try pressing the button combination twice in quick succession. It's a reliable "shortcut" I used during my playthrough to ensure I could use these Martial Arts consistently.
Ninja Style's Essential Martial Arts
The Ninja Style plays a completely different game than Samurai Style. As this style doesn't hit very hard and lacks a traditional Ki Pulse, it revolves around movement and evasion, which are enhanced by the following essential Martial Arts.
Evade
In its base state, Ninja Style only restores Ki by not attacking, which forces you to halt your offense or switch to Samurai style and activate Ki Pulse after an attack. Evade (1 Samurai Point) changes the rules considerably. This Martial Art allows you to restore Ki and Ninjutsu by dodging an attack at the right time. The timing is much more forgiving than a Samurai Deflect, making it a reliable defensive option.
Footstool Jump & Mid-Air Dodge
Footstool Jump and Mid-Air Dodge (1 Samurai Point each) further define the Ninja playstyle.
- Footstool Jump: Press Jump (X/A) near an enemy to launch off them. Since Ninja weapons feature incredible aerial Martial Arts, this allows you to stay airborne longer, dealing damage while remaining safely above most grounded hitboxes.
- Mid-Air Dodge: Your safety net for aerial attacks. It allows you to dodge mid-air and immediately return to the ground. Being hit in the air results in a knockdown, so this Martial Art makes an aerial playstyle much more viable and safer.
Bonus Essential Ninjutsu: Cicada Shell
Once you have learned these essential Ninja Style Martial Arts and you feel ready to implement Ninjutsu into your combat flow, consider investing in the Cicada Shell Ninjutsu (1 Ninja Point). It allows you to automatically dodge an attack and reposition behind the enemy.
This negates damage entirely, but more importantly, it serves the Ninja Style perfectly by setting you up for increased damage from the enemy's back.
Why Focusing On All These Is Essential
By prioritizing these Martial Arts over specific weapon moves early on, you are building a base that makes both Combat Styles and every weapon in the game feel twice as effective. You are investing in the System to take full advantage of it, and become a true master of the Nioh 3 combat mechanics.
This concludes this entry in our Enter the Dojo series, where we dissect the Nioh 3 mechanics to achieve mastery. For more help, visit our Nioh 3: Complete Walkthrough and Guides Hub.
About the author: Francesco De Meo has been covering video games and technology since 2012, starting his career at small outlets like Gamersyndrome and GeekSnack. After joining Wccftech gaming section in 2015, he quickly expanded his video gaming coverage with in-depth reporting, interviews with iconic industry figures such as Grasshopper Manufacture founder and No More Heroes creator Goichi "Suda51" Suda, Resident Evil series creator Shinji Mikami, Team NINJA's president and Nioh series director Fumihiko Yasuda, and Silent Hill creator Keiichiro Toyama, reviews and on-the-ground coverage of major industry events such as Gamescom and E3. When he's not reporting or reviewing, Francesco can be found playing the genres he loves most, spending time with his six cats, reading, writing music, playing guitar and drumming for his progressive rock band.
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