Nioh 2 Best Weapons – which beginning weapon must you select?

Nioh 2 begins the brutal selections early: what are you going to decide on as your beginning weapon? It appears like a wooly cliche, however the very best weapon in Nioh 2 is the one you want essentially the most and fits your chosen playstyle.

Just like the primary game, every of the beginning weapons are fairly balanced however have particular strengths and weaknesses.

Below we’ve offered some meta commentary primarily based on what you’re more likely to encounter in your first playthrough of the game. We’re not going to enter OP meme builds you may make at degree 100, however reasonably the traits of the beginning weapons you possibly can select and the way you need to use them in regular play.

The weapons you utilize in Nioh 2 are affected by your character’s stats, and their harm will increase relying on the talent factors you spend specifically areas. Below is a desk of which weapons profit from factors in several abilities, adopted by a run-down of every weapon sort.

Nioh 2 Best Starting Weapon – which must you select

Katana –

The Katana sword is a rock-solid fundamental weapon and an exemplary alternative on your beginning weapon in Nioh 2 whether or not you’re new to the sequence or not.

Katanas have entry to respectable combos in all three stances, and properly as respectable vary on thrust assaults.

Their blocking skill is mediocre, however they deal good stamina harm to a guarding enemy, referred to as “Break”.

The harm on the Katana scales finest with Heart, adopted by talent, which suggests they synergise properly with Dual Swords, Hatchets, and Bows and Rifles on ranged – with Light Armour geared up to your physique. However, due to its Strength scaling the Katana can simply be used with heavier armour units too.

They additionally work finest for the samurai role-play of Nioh 2’s feudal Japanese setting, so there’s that to contemplate.

• Choose if: You like vanilla ice cream, or need a supremely versatile weapon that may do the job properly in completely each state of affairs within the game.
• Avoid if: You need longer vary, stronger blocking potential, or a extra specialised character.

Dual Swords –

Why accept one measly beginning sword, when you possibly can have two? Dual Swords make up for the punch they lose on every hit with velocity, which makes them good at imbuing statuses.

While they are usually worse at attacking right into a guarding enemy than the common Katana, they’re typically a lot better at blocking themselves, which helps with the Light Armour they synergize finest with.

You will need to buff your Skill and Heart to wield the Dual Swords successfully, which suggests they work properly with single Katanas or a Spear as your different beginning weapon.

• Choose if: You like the thought of the Katana however need one thing quicker, otherwise you need to put on Light Armour and imbue factor statuses.
• Avoid if: You need to put on Heavy Armour, need one thing with larger base assault.

Spear –

In Nioh 2, spear customers are actually annoying to face as a result of their preserve away and speeding game is so robust.

If you prefer to zone out enemies and preserve your distance, then the Spear could possibly be the very best beginning weapon in Nioh 2 for you.

Their harm will increase primarily based in your structure, so that you’ll have loads of well being with a Spear construct. They additionally scale with Strength and Skill, which makes them go properly with Odachi or Dual Swords to change up your offensive type.

It’s price mentioning that a number of the more durable encounters within the early elements of Nioh 2 are in tight areas the place you may battle with a Spear when you’re unfamiliar. However affected person play will greater than make up for this.

Spears have a superb block and deal excessive ki harm to guarding opponents, making them a superb beginning alternative.

• Choose if: You prefer to zone out enemies and preserve them at arm’s size, or need to make a tankier character with out being tremendous gradual.
• Avoid if: You panic in enclosed areas, or battle with timing.

Axe –

Contrary to what you’d assume, the enormous axes and hammers you possibly can select to begin Nioh 2 with scale their harm with stamina reasonably than energy. This means they’re finest teamed with one other massive weapon: the Odachi.

If massive weapons and massive harm numbers are your jam, together with heavy armour, then an axe could be your finest beginning weapon.

Stamina additionally will increase your well being, so that is the best way to go for a tank character. With that mentioned, Axes typically have unhealthy blocking, however deal excessive ki harm to a guarding opponent.

• Choose if: Big base harm is your favorite.
• Avoid if: You battle with timing gradual assaults, or need to use gentle armour.

Kusarigama –

A Kusarigama is a curved blade hooked up to a brutal steel ball or barb by a sequence, providing you with entry to slashing in addition to blunt assaults throughout your three stances.

The Kusarigama has some deceptively long-range assaults in its arsenal, however in mid stance primarily hits in shut with fast assaults. This makes it good at imbuing standing components.

A Kusarigama’s harm scales finest with Dexterity, making it the true ninja’s alternative by synergizing properly with Ninjutsu methods.

One weak spot of this weapon although is that it tends to have weak break (ki harm dealt to guarding enemies) and blocking.

• Choose if: You like quick weapons with versatile vary, or need to give attention to Ninjutsu.
• Avoid if: You need to make a tankier character, or need a weapon with excessive uncooked harm output.

Odachi –

I actually just like the Odachi’s moveset. It has highly effective zoning capabilities with its mid stance heavy assault and its fundamental mid and low stance combos chew by common enemies. Its attain additionally makes it robust in boss fights. What’s extra, yow will discover it with a variety of attacking components and good particular results.

However, whereas it has the very best break of any melee weapon, its blocking is poor.

These weapons scale finest with energy and stamina, so work properly with Spears that offer you a little bit of a special possibility together with your beginning weapon.

• Choose if: You need constantly excessive harm, versatile vary, and choices to imbue elemental harm.
• Avoid if: You battle with timing gradual assaults, or need to use gentle armour (though I did use an Odachi and lightweight armour for many of my first playthrough).

Tonfa –

The Tonfa are a humorous one. They have a tendency to provide you bonuses for sporting little armour and attacking rapidly, which is mirrored of their harm scaling finest with the braveness talent.

Tonfa have common break and block, and pair properly with Spears due to their secondary Constitution scaling – you’ll want the well being.

• Choose if: You’re an absolute exhausting nut, like attacking rapidly, and need a melee weapon to scale together with your Ninjutsu however not as a main focus.
• Avoid if: You need a extra typical playstyle, put on heavy armour, or preserve distance.

Dual Hatchets –

Dual Hatchets are just like Tonfa, however scale with Skill. They have a tertiary scaling in Magic, which makes them a helpful quick melee possibility for imbuing the weather you conjure with talismans.

They have good break and block and sometimes include components prepared imbued onto the weapons themselves. So when you like attacking rapidly with a fiery flourish, then try the Dual Hatchets. What’s extra, you possibly can throw your axes at enemies for some medium-range utility.

Skill scaling makes them work properly with Spears and Dual Swords, however most will in all probability use them for the magic connection.

• Choose if: You like attacking rapidly, you want elemental harm.
• Avoid if: You desire Ninjutsu to Magic.

Switchglaive –

Finally, the Switchglaive is essentially the most fantasy flavoured of the bunch.

If you’re after one thing flashy and somewhat bit totally different out of your beginning weapon, then decide one up.

While they’ve poor block, their break is respectable, and their main Magic scaling is exclusive. The Switchglaive loot pool is kind of small from my expertise, however the mid stance speeding moveset is enjoyable to sprint round with, and Onmyo Magic is a really useful gizmo in-game.

Secondary Skill scaling means you possibly can staff this with a extra conventional Dual Sword or Dual Hatchet set as much as create a hybrid Magic wielding character. And this additionally means you’ll even be more likely to give attention to gentle armour.

• Choose if: You like wanting cool, need to give attention to Magic
• Avoid if: You need Magic to be a help reasonably than your fundamental focus, you need to use heavy armour

For extra steering on making your beginning character, we also have pages on which Guardian Spirit you should choose, as well as a run-down of the best skills we’ve used so far in Nioh 2.

Nioh 2 Best Weapons

Most of the weapons in Nioh 2 drop randomly, so there could be sensible and even higher variations of the beginning weapon sorts that I merely haven’t seen.

Again, these suggestions of what to look out for are primarily based on you taking part in the game by for the primary time, reasonably than maxing out a selected construct for the memes.

Towards the top of the game you unlock missions within the dojo which reward you with nice weapons of every sort – I received’t record these because it’s form of a spoiler, and it’s apparent when and the place you may get them. They’re all good choices.

Best katana swords –

Tokagemaru:

Tokagemaru might be the commonest Yokai weapon that you simply’ll discover all through the game, so fortunately it’s a superb one. As with all Yokai weapons it’s going to imbue the Corruption factor, which offers further ki harm to enemies.

They typically include additional buffs to your base assault for executing melee kills, on high of different bonuses. For katana customers, this can seemingly be your go-to weapon for a lot of the base game.

Raikiri:

This is my private favorite weapon for lots of the late-game. While it’s normal bonuses are principally lacklustre, Raikiri makes up for that with highly effective potential to imbue the Lightning factor, which slows enemies.

Slow may be very, very robust in opposition to myriad enemies in Nioh 2, so Raikiri will no-doubt serve you properly.

Sohaya Tsurugi:

For heavy armour customers, the Sohaya Tsurugi is a part of the Tranquil Foundations set with the Greater Good Armour. As properly as buffing your life and ki, the massive buffs to melee harm, harm discount make it a powerful armour set. Not to say the 30% likelihood to get a free elixir each time you utilize one.

Haccho Nenbutsu:

I take advantage of the Haccho Nenbutsu as a part of a blended set for the Saika’s Yatagarasu buffs. It’s fairly straightforward to stack 3-Four items of this set within the background so that you simply get life drain in your bullseye hits, together with hefty financial savings on ki spent dodging and melee harm.

Best twin swords –

Weathered Bone & Bleached Twig:

Weathered Bone is just like the Tokagemaru in that it’s a standard Yokai weapon. If you’re utilizing Dual swords, it’s a stable alternative.

Seki Dual Uchigatana:

On the Purity facet of issues, try the Seki Dual Uchigatana. The quick assault velocity of the Dual Swords builds statuses rapidly, which is helpful in opposition to the stronger Yokai enemies.

Ogo & Nagamei Masamune:

You acquire this weapon fairly late within the game, nevertheless it types a part of the Multitude of Hopes set which buffs your melee harm and robotically regenerates your well being when it will get low.

Keeping it geared up within the background nonetheless luggage you the advantages, so it’s price contemplating for any construct.

Best Spears –

Bonepile Spear:

The widespread Yokai spear is the Bonepile Spear, though it’s outdated by the Kokora Spear later within the game.

Realmtaker Spear:

The Realmtaker Spear types a part of the Heroic Raging Bull set, which is an honest alternative for heavy armour customers. Just just a few items of the set offers bonuses to life, harm taken, and melee harm, with an computerized well being regen impact the extra elements you equip.

Mataza’s Long Spear:

However, when you’re a real fan of the Spear, then you’ll seemingly go along with Mataza’s Long Spear, which within the late game types a part of the Master of Spears set. This buffs your Spear harm massively, stacking a number of enhancements onto your thrust assaults, whereas additionally providing you with extra maneuverability.

Best Axes –

Demon’s Axe:

For low-cost Corruption on a heavy weapon, look no additional than the Demon’s Axe Yokai weapon.

Evil-Crusher Hammer:

The Demon’s Axe Purity counterpart is the Evil-Crusher Hammer.

Ryomen Sukuna’s Axe:

For one thing extra unique although, attempt the Ryomen Sukna’s Axe. It typically has respectable background skills too, so could possibly be price equipping for any character.

It often imbues Corruption, with a excessive familiarity threshold that enhances its harm ceiling.

Best Kusarigama –

Black Bamboo Kusarigama:

The Black Bamboo Kusarigama is an fascinating early game weapon, as a result of it’s one of many first yow will discover which imbues a component: Paralysis.

Low stance assaults and fast mid stance melee assaults are quick with the Kusarigama, which ends up in good Paralysis build-up.

Rotten Rope Cutter:

Or when you’re simply on the lookout for stable Corruption harm with the Kusarigama, look no additional than the Rotten Rope Cutter.

Best Odachi –

Ippon-Datara’s Odachi:

This is probably going the primary Yokai weapon you will see that. Odachi are good weapons, and this can be a stable alternative at any stage of the game, though it’s factor imbuing potential will probably be outstripped later with out Tempering.

Taro Tachi:

A number of enemies you face in Nioh 2 are primarily based within the fireplace factor, which makes a dependable supply of water harm very interesting. Team the Taro Tachi with the Ferryman’s Robes for highly effective life drain together with bonus water harm.

Kamui:

But with that mentioned, Fire can also be a powerful factor in Nioh 2, which is the place the Kamui is available in. This has the added benefit of typically having stable additional particular results too.

Best Tonfa –

Double-headed Snake Tonfa:

Like different quick weapons, Tonfa are good at imbuing statuses. This makes the widespread Yokai weapons just like the Double-headed Snake harmful to face.

Twin Dragon Tonfa:

The Twin Dragons imbue fireplace factor in your enemies rapidly with speedy strikes.

Yin-Yang Tonfa:

Whereas the Yin-Yang Tonfa deal additional water harm.

Best Dual Hatchets –

Gyosha Hand Axe:

The Gyosha Hand Axes are in all probability essentially the most constant weapon you will see that to imbue the Purity factor, which makes them robust in opposition to Yokai. They even have a superb stability between assault velocity and energy.

Radiant Flame:

Radiant Flame is rather like the final set of axes, however imbues fireplace as an alternative.

Iceberg:

For water harm, you’re looking for Iceberg.

Urn Splitter Hatchets:

If you’re severe about utilizing Dual Hatchets although, it’s good to search out the Urn Splitter Hatchets. Teamed with the Smirkwiper sword, these kind a part of the Bold and the Boorish set which rewards you for being aggressive, and strengthens your hatchets’ harm output in addition to your ki restoration – so you possibly can preserve swinging for longer.

Best Switchglaives –

Seething Dragon:

I haven’t seen that many fascinating Switchglavies to this point, most definitely as a result of their playstyle focuses on magic.

This means you’ll most definitely be targeted on the Seething Dragon Yokai Weapon which drops all through Nioh 2.

Best Bows –

Master Archer’s Bow:

There aren’t that many particular weapons on the subject of bows, however if you would like an archery targeted construct then there’s just one place to look: the Master Archer’s Bow. This types a part of the Golden Boy set that buffs your arrows whereas growing your life whole and decreasing incoming harm.

Borehole Bow:

Outside of that your finest guess is the Borehole Bow, which tends to return with hefty particular impact buffs to arrow harm.

Warrior of the West Bow:

If you’re into heavy armour, then you can take a look at equipping the Warrior of the West Bow within the background to get that armour set’s large enhance to melee harm.

Best Rifles –

Kunitomo Rifle:

The Kunimoto Rifle is particular as a result of it typically has the particular impact of decreasing an enemy’s assault energy once you shoot them. If you prefer to weave photographs into your normal fight type reasonably than selecting Yokai off with headshots, then this can be a good possibility.

Ravenwing Rifle:

The Ravenwing Rifle is a very easy piece to equip within the background to kind a part of the Saika’s Yatagarasu set. Just 2 items offers all your bullseye hits a big life drain impact. While the dodge ki discount and melee harm buffs are additionally nice.

Best Hand Cannon –

Yoryu Cannon:

The fundamental Hand Cannon can have quite a lot of particular results which make it helpful, nonetheless the Yorhu Cannon typically comes with the fascinating Auto-Target Weak Point Effect, which is enjoyable. To use it, it’s important to lock on-to an enemy and goal, which makes it good for spamming in boss fights for reasonable harm.

Dragon’s Roar:

If that’s not fancy sufficient for you, look out for the imposing Dragon’s Roar within the late game. This offers additional harm at shut vary, and properly as including life drain to your bullseye hits.

If you need a hand with studying easy methods to use these weapons extra effectively, we have a combat tips page including how to pull off a perfect Ki Pulse.