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Nioh 3
Best Katana (Sword) Build
This is a guide to the best build and equipment for Katana, also referred to as Swords in Nioh 3. See the best armor and accessories to use with the Katana, which Guardian Spirit and Soul Cores to equip, as well as which stats to level up.
List of Contents
Attention! |
The following builds are currently based on early-game content. We are working on improving them as information becomes available.
|
|---|
Katana Strengths and Weaknesses
| Strengths | Weaknesses |
|---|---|
| ✔︎ Great for learning core mechanics
✔︎ Reliable moveset in all stances |
✖︎ Hard to master
✖︎ Limited crowd control ✖︎ Limited range |
Katana is one of the best samurai weapons in the game and are ideal for learning core combat mechanics such as Ki management, stance switching, and defense. Katana have safe and reliable movesets in all stances that allow for quick recovery, making it easier to block, dodge, or Ki Pulse after attacking.
However, the Katana can be hard to master, as it relies heavily on proper use of its core mechanics to be effective. It also has limited range and crowd control, meaning poor positioning and spacing will be punished.
Best Stats for Katana
| Katana Scaling |
|---|
 Heart
 Strength
 Intellect |
| Character Stats |
 Stamina
 Skill
 Magic |
Katana primarily scale with Heart, Strength, and Skill. Focus on investing points into Heart, as it increases your Melee Attack, Ki, and Ki Recovery. Next, allocate points to Stamina to equip heavier armor and improve your overall defense. Finally, distribute remaining points into other stats that allow you to equip Soul Cores and unlock Special Effects essential to your build.
Best Special Effects for Katana
| Jump to Section! | |
|---|---|
| Weapon | Armor |
| Accessories | |
Best Special Effects for Weapons
| Common Special Effects | |
|---|---|
| ・Ki Recovery Speed
・Ki Pulse Recovery ・Ki Pulse Bonus ・Melee Attack Ki Consumption ・Reduced Ki Consumption ・Martial Art Ki Damage |
|
| Fixed Special Effects | |
| ・Melee Ki Damage (Mantra Sword)
・Guard Ki Consumption (Senjuin Tachi) ・Strong Attack Ki Consumption (Bizen Osafune) ・Strong Attack Damage (Osafune Kanemitsu) |
|
You may use any equipment that has one or two of the special effects listed above.
The Katana’s potential relies heavily on Ki management, as the ability to engage and retreat flawlessly is key to success. Choose a katana with effects that help you manage Ki, along with bonuses that increase melee and Martial Arts damage.
Best Special Effects for Armor
| Common Special Effects | |
|---|---|
| ・Guard Ki Recovery Speed
・Guard Ki Consumption ・Melee Attack Ki Consumption ・Ki Recovery Speed ・Toughness ・Defense |
|
| Fixed Special Effects | |
| ・Pride of the Crimson Army (Crimson General Set)
・Warrior of the East's Honor (Warrior of the East Set) |
|
You may use any equipment that has one or two of the special effects listed above.
You can further boost your Ki management and defense through armor. It’s also recommended to take advantage of set bonuses from heavy armor sets such as the Crimson General or Warrior of the East, as they provide higher base defense, which is crucial for mitigating damage, especially against bosses.
Best Special Effects for Accessories
| Common Special Effects | |
|---|---|
| ・Guard Ki Recovery Speed
・Familiarity Bonus ・Untouched Elixirs ・Auto-Grave Recovery ・Spirit Force Charge |
|
| Fixed Special Effects | |
| ・Ki Recovery Speed (Fan)
・Life (Omamori) |
|
You may use any equipment that has one or two of the special effects listed above.
Aside from Ki management, choose accessories that provide additional benefits, such as a chance to not consume an Elixir, automatically recovering your Grave upon death, and boosts to Life, Spirit Force, and Familiarity Bonus.
Best Martial Arts for Katana
| Jump to Section! | |
|---|---|
| Katana Martial Arts | Samurai Martial Arts |
| Crucible Arts | |
Where to Spend Samurai Points?
Spend your Samurai Points to unlock the High and Low stances in the Samurai tree first, as these are required to access their corresponding movesets in the Swords tree.
Katana Martial Arts
| Martial Arts | Requirements |
|---|---|
| Iai Quickdraw II | 1 Samurai Point
Prerequisite: ・Iai Quickdraw |
| Kurama Sword Dance | 1 Samurai Point
Prerequisite: ・Low Stance ・Kick |
| Night Rain (Low Stance) |
1 Samurai Point
Prerequisite: ・Low Stance ・Kick |
| Swallow's Wing (Mid/Low Stance) |
1 Samurai Point
Prerequisite: ・Low Stance ・Kick |
| Swift Step Heavy (Low Stance) |
1 Samurai Point
Prerequisite: ・Low Stance ・Kick ・Night Rain ・Swift Step ・Unlocked with a Martial Arts Guide |
| Heaven Flash Lightning (High/Low Stance) |
1 Samurai Point
Prerequisite: ・High Stance ・Heaven Flash ・Unlocked with a Martial Arts Guide |
Iai Quickdraw is a great starting art, as it can one shot most early enemies. Upgrading it to Iai Quickdraw II further increases its damage. From there, progress through the Low Stance arts by acquiring Kuruma Sword Dance and Night Rain, both of which excel at unleashing multiple hits.
If you prefer a more defensive moveset, pick up Swallow’s Wing and Swift Step Heavy, as both arts allow you to evade enemy attacks while delivering a counterattack.
For High Stance, acquire Heaven Flash Lightning, which lets you leap into the air and finish with a downward slice imbued with lightning damage.
Samurai Martial Arts
| Martial Arts | Requirements |
|---|---|
| Low Stance | 1 Samurai Point |
| High Stance | 1 Samurai Point |
| Deflect | 1 Samurai Point |
| Flux II | 1 Samurai Point
Prerequisite: ・High Stance ・Low Stance ・Flux |
It is important to unlock the Low and High Stances to maximize the Katana’s potential, as they contain movesets essential to this build. Defensively, it is also helpful to acquire Deflect, as this art is required to activate certain Special Effects.
To improve Ki Recovery, it is recommended to acquire Flux and upgrade it to Flux II, allowing you to recover Ki while switching stances during a Ki Pulse.
Crucible Arts
| Severing Spin | Draw your sword and spin it horizontally, attacking enemies in all directions, before sheathing your sword again. |
|---|
Severing Spin has you sheath your sword before unleashing multiple wide slashes around you, damaging nearby enemies. Since the Katana generally lack strong crowd control options, this makes Severing Spin an excellent complementary Art to have, allowing you to handle groups more safely while remaining effective against elite enemies.
Best Skills for Katana
| Secret Skill | Effects |
|---|---|
| Running Water | Enables you to perform a Ki Pulse by dodging. |
| Roaring Dragon Deflect | Inflicts Increased Damage Received (Elemental) on an enemy after a successful Deflect. |
| Unshakable | Reduces damage taken while you are attacking by 10.0%. |
One of the best Samurai Secret Skills you can acquire is Running Water, as it allows you to perform a Ki Pulse while dodging. This is essential, since it lets you recover Ki while maneuvering away from enemy attacks.
If you are using a Katana imbued with elemental damage, Roaring Dragon Deflect is a great complementary skill, as it increases the damage an enemy takes after a successful Deflect.
For defense, Unshakable is a must have skill, as there will be situations where both you and the enemy attack simultaneously. This skill reduces the damage you take in those exchanges.
Best Guardian Spirits for Katana
Use Kusanagi as Guardian Spirit
| Kusanagi | ATK | DEF | Element |
|---|---|---|---|
|
12 | 7 | Fire |
| Quest | |||
| Unlocked at the start | |||
| Special Effects | |||
|
・Martial Art Damage +6.3%
・Fire Damage Reduction +13 ・Ki Pulse Recovery +10.8% ・Increased Arts Proficiency Damage +6.9% ・Spirit Force Charge (Martial Art) +11.0% |
|||
| Guardian Spirit Skill | |||
| ・Heaven's Fire (Spirit Force: 40) | |||
Kusanagi is a great Guardian Spirit for Samurai, as its stats complement this build well. Unlocked at the start of the game, Kusanagi provides a damage boost to Martial Arts, which make up a large part of your offense across different stances. It also grants Arts Proficiency Damage, further increasing your overall damage output.
In addition, Fire Damage Reduction, Ki Pulse Recovery, and Spirit Force Charge are excellent complementary buffs that greatly support this build.
Use Guhin as Alternative
| Guhin | ATK | DEF | Element |
|---|---|---|---|
|
10 | 10 | Wind |
| Quest | |||
| Unlocked at the start | |||
| Special Effects | |||
|
・Martial Arts Ki Consumption -8.4%
・Damage Taken -4.2% ・Strong Attack Break +11.0% ・Faster Winded Recovery ・Melee Damage vs Winded Enemy +8.4% |
|||
| Guardian Spirit Skill | |||
| ・Eight-Handed Blade (Spirit Force: 40) | |||
Guhin is a great alternative if you do not have Kusanagi. It offers a balanced mix of offense and defense, with lower Ki costs for Martial Arts and increased damage reduction. It also boosts Strong Break Attack, helping to shatter enemy guards, provides Faster Winded Recovery, and increases Melee Damage against Winded Enemies.
Best Soul Cores for Katana
Use Bloodedge Demon Soul Core for Yang
| Bloodedge Demon Soul Core | |
|---|---|
 |
|
| Yang Position | Special Effects:
・Elemental Damage +5.5% ・Damage vs. Revenants +7.5% Yokai Ability: ・Summoning Seal: Bloodedge Demon x1 |
| Yin Position | Talisman:
・Carnage Talisman x5 |
The Bloodedge Demon Soul Core is best used in the Yang Position, as it allows you to summon the Bloodedge Demon to attack enemies or bosses. The demon unleashes an elemental attack based on your Guardian Spirit, then turns to deliver multiple melee strikes, dealing significant damage. Additionally, it provides a boost to Elemental Damage and Damage against Revenants.
You can carry one Summoning Seal of the Bloodedge Demon, and it is replenished when you rest at a Shrine.
Use Yoki Soul Core for Yin
| Yoki Soul Core | |
|---|---|
 |
|
| Yang Position | Special Effects:
・Spirit Force Bonus (Purification) +20 ・Defense +10 Yokai Ability: ・Summoning Seal: Yoki x4 |
| Yin Position | Talisman:
・Power Talisman x5 |
The Yoki Soul Core is best used in the Yin Position, as it provides the Power Talisman, which temporarily increases your Attack. Use it against elite enemies or bosses, as it can significantly increase your DPS.
You can carry up to five Power Talismans, and they are replenished when you rest at a Shrine.
Use Mezuki Soul Core for Yin
| Mezuki Soul Core | |
|---|---|
 |
|
| Yang Position | Special Effects:
・Ki Recovery Speed +2.5% Yokai Ability: ・Summoning Seal: Mezuki x2 |
| Yin Position | Talisman:
・Cutting Blast Talisman x5 |
The Mezuki Soul Core is best used in the Yin Position, as it grants the Cutting Blast Talisman, which imbues your weapon to release shockwave projectiles when using strong attacks. This is especially helpful when dealing with groups of enemies at a distance, as the projectile is wide enough to hit multiple targets.
You can carry up to five Cutting Blast Talismans, and they are replenished when you rest at a Shrine.
Katana Tips and Tricks
Master Stance Switching
The Katana perform best when you actively switch between Low, Mid, and High Stances. Low Stance excels at mobility, Mid Stance offers balanced offense, while High Stance delivers slow but heavy damage. Learning when to change stances mid combat and chaining the appropriate Martial Arts into your combos is key to maximizing damage and survivability.
Ki Pulse Is Mandatory
Katana combat heavily relies on Ki management. Always perform a Ki Pulse after attacking to recover Ki, which helps you maintain offensive pressure. Utilizing Flux and Running Water further enhances Katana gameplay by allowing you to recover Ki while switching stances or dodging.
Nioh 3 Related Guides
All Samurai Builds
| Samurai Weapons | ||
|---|---|---|
 Swords |
 Dual Swords |
 Spears |
 Axes |
 Odachi |
 Switchglaives |
 Cestesus |
||
All Ninja Builds
| Ninja Weapons | ||
|---|---|---|
 Ninja Swords |
 Dual Ninja Swords |
 Kusarigama |
 Tonfa |
 Hatchets |
 Splitstaff |
 Talons |
||
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Best Katana (Sword) Build
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