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Nioh has an interesting leveling up system that allows players to not only increase their base stats like in Dark Souls, but also to unlock specific attacks and abilities that allow them to tailor their playstyle. There are three different types of skills – Samuarai (weapon skills), Ninja (different tools and passive abilities), and Onmyo Magic. Each one has its uses, and you’ll want to take a look at all types before committing to how you want to spec out William.
The Ninja tree is quite interesting as it can be used with any weapon type, though it is best used to support the Kusarigama. This is because both Ninja skills and the chain and sickle weapon both scale with Dexterity, so you’ll find yourself beefing up that stat anyway. There are several active skills, but there are also some passive abilities that you should definitely keep an eye on that can really help out your build, especially if you’re more prone to utilize lighter armor and avoid building Strength and Heart.
You can earn Ninja Points by either using jutsu you’ve already unlocked, or finding locks of a ninja’s hair. These are relatively common items that you’ll get as rewards or from random drops. Once you have some, open up the skills tab and purchase the ones you want. You’ll have to unlock certain skills by completing specific Dojo training sessions or missions (both main and sub), so if something you find intriguing is locked, just continue the game.
Do note that you must ready any jutsu that you unlock at a Shrine. Unlike Samurai skills, you aren’t unable to simply jump out into the wild and start throwing blades. You have a limit to how many you can equip and this limit can be raised by increasing your Dexterity. Still, choose wisely so you’re always prepared for what challenges you have ahead of you.
Next, we’re going to break down the best Ninja skills between active and passive so that it’s clearer to see what you should invest in.
Active skills are abilities that you actually perform. For the Ninja tree, these revolve around small, thrown weapons, and specially made medicine that can boost your abilities or prevent certain types of damage. These must all be readied or else they can’t be used, and they have finite uses. They’re basically free consumables that you get, and once readied you can see them in your inventory with green counts. You don’t have to buy more or craft any when wasted, just visit a shrine and all will be restored.
Kunai: You’ll need to unlock the Shuriken first, but this thrown blade is more powerful. Considering the fact that they don’t do much damage to begin with, you’ll want something with a bit more oomph to really bring down enemy Ki. You’ll be able to carry seven of these deadly blades once unlocked, and they are perfect for drawing enemy attention or interrupting attacks so you can get in and dominate. Raising the level of this skill (which requires beating The Way of the Ninja Dojo mission on Adept and Veteran) lowers the Jutsu cost, making room for more Ninja skills in your repertoire.
Medicine Shikin-gan Pill: Paralysis is a serious issue in Nioh, something anyone who’s faced Hino-Enma can attest to. More often than not, getting paralyzed instantly means a gave over, more so than the other status affects you can be inflicted with. This remedy allows you to resist paralysis for a set period of time, giving you space to kick ass.
Blinding Shell: Ranged enemies can be hell in Nioh, so this Ninja skill halts them temporarily. Any enemy caught in the blast of what is essentially a flash grenade will be unable to used ranged weapons, allowing you to close the gap.
Fire Mega Horoku-dama: To be honest, most of the grenade style weapons aren’t very powerful, proving to be more of a minor annoyance to enemies you’d actually need to use them on. This Ninja skill grants you one really powerful grenade that’s great in a pinch or against an annoying boss. You’ll have to clear Way of the Ninja: Novice first, but you unlock that right after the first mission.
Improvised Projectile: This is a must have for players who love to rely on Bows or Guns. You’ll receive two scrolls that allow you to fire either of those weapons even if you have no ammo.
Smoke Ball: Become a true shinobi (or Batman) as you instantly surround yourself with a cloud of smoke to make a swift getaway. This is useful for Dual Sword and Kusarigama builds as they’re usually low on health and strength, so they can definitely be caught in tricky situations.
Quick Change: After completing Way of the Ninja: Novice, you’ll be able to unlock this scroll that allows you to survive a death blow, giving you time to pop an Elixir or get the heck out of danger. With how easy it is to be instantly killed, this can be useful in a pinch.
Sneak Attack: Backstabbing enemies will be a lifesaver in many parts of the game. Being able to do massive damage on an enemy before they have a chance to react will make your life much easier in Nioh.
Passive skills in Nioh can provide several different things. They can increase the potency of specific types of attacks, help resist certain status effects or damages, raise inventory allowance, and other boons of that nature. The Ninja skill tree has quite a few of these, and there are some that you should absolutely gun for no matter what kind of build you’re going for.
Thrown Blade Technique: This is a great skill to have if you find yourself relying on your shurikens or kunai. It increases the damage, making them a viable option for taking out the smaller enemies in your path so you can focus your attention on the stronger offenders.
Frugality: Another skill that players using ranged weapons should grab. It allows you to regain the shot you used as long as it was used in a critical kill such as a headshot.
Quivermaker, Shot Pouch, and Round Carrier: These are separate skills that do the exact same thing, only for different weapons. They raise the amount of arrows, bullets, and cannon rounds you can carry respectively, which is never a bad thing. You’ll unlock the first level of each after completing the novice ninja training in the Dojo.
Controls: There are two different “control” skills in the Ninja tree that increase your resistance against specific status effects – Paralytic and Poison. Paralytic is one of the most annoying as it locks you in place. Poison does do damage over time, but at least you can find a safe place to heal. Still, if you’re finding these problematic, go for the one you feel you need most or get them both. Both trees require you to complete The Way of the Ninja: Adept first, with higher levels of the mission unlocking more resistance.
Dodging: Dodging and Evading uses up precious Ki, lowering the amount of attacks you can do. This skill (whose first level unlocks after Way of the Ninja: Adept) lowers the amount of Ki used. This is useful for all builds, and those with heavier weapons will appreciate the extra breathing room.
Medicine Man: Each level in this skill (which require completion of each level of the Dojo’s ninja training) increases your Elixir capacity by 1. Unlike Kodama blessings, this increase is worldwide and applies to every area and mission.
Ninja Tool Master: Specifically for those who rely on Jutsu heavily, this increases the capacity of skills you can equip.
Enlightenment: This mystic art allows you to use any ninjutsu that’s used directly on yourself instantly. That includes medicine, buffs, or anything else of that nature, rather than having an animation that can be interrupted.
Concealment: Increases the damage of all long-range weapons and thrown items.
There are certainly other skills to consider for each individual player. But these are the best that everyone can utilize and make their time in Nioh a bit easier. For more on Nioh, be sure to check out our wiki.
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