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Nioh 3
Best Samurai Builds
★ List of Weapons | Armor Sets | Martial Arts
★ Nioh 3 Interactive Map
★ Best Weapon Tier List
★ Best Ninja Builds | Best Samurai Builds
★ Character Creation Codes
★ How to Emote
These are the best Samurai builds in Nioh 3. Learn about the Samurai Weapons, as well as the best Martial Arts and Skills to get.
List of Contents
Attention! |
The following builds are currently based on early-game content. We are working on improving them as information becomes available.
|
|---|
Best Samurai Builds
| Samurai Weapons | ||
|---|---|---|
 Swords |
 Dual Swords |
 Spears |
 Axes |
 Odachi |
 Switchglaives |
 Cestesus |
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Samurai Swords
|
|||||||||||
| Recommended Stats | |||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
 Heart |
 Stamina |
||||||||||
| Martial Arts | Samurai | ||||||||||
| ・Iai Quickdraw II
・Kurama Sword Dance ・Night Rain ・Swallow's Wing ・Swift Step Heavy ・Heaven Flash Lightning ・Severing Spin | ・High Stance
・Low Stance ・Deflect ・Flux II |
||||||||||
| Armor | |||||||||||
| ・Crimson General Set
・Warrior of the East Set ・Swordmaster's Set |
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| Guardian Spirit | Yang Position | ||||||||||
 Kusanagi |
Bloodedge Demon Soul Core | ||||||||||
| Yin Position | |||||||||||
| ・Yoki Soul Core
・Mezuki Soul Core |
|||||||||||
This Sword setup focuses on steady Ki control and flexible combat. Investing in Heart improves both damage and Ki, letting you stay aggressive longer, while Stamina allows you to wear heavier armor for better survivability.
The listed Martial Arts emphasize quick burst attacks, multi hit pressure, and evasive counterplay. The Samurai arts highlight stance switching, defense, and Ki recovery, which are core to sword gameplay.
The Guardian Spirit and Soul Cores support an aggressive but controlled style, offering extra burst damage, temporary buffs, and crowd control to help you handle tougher enemies and groups.
Samurai Dual Swords
|
|||||||||||
| Recommended Stats | |||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Heart |
Stamina |
 Magic |
|||||||||
| Martial Arts | Samurai | ||||||||||
| ・Winter Wind
・Raijin Lightning ・God of Wind Wind ・Sign of the Cross Pierce ・Deflecting Cut ・Water Sword II ・Twin Dragons ・Earthrender | ・High Stance
・Low Stance ・Deflect ・Flux II |
||||||||||
| Armor | |||||||||||
| ・Goichimonshu Set
・Wayfarer Set |
|||||||||||
| Guardian Spirit | Yang Position | ||||||||||
 Guhin |
Bloodedge Demon Soul Core | ||||||||||
| Yin Position | |||||||||||
| ・Jakotsu-baba Soul Core
・Infernal Oni-bi Soul Core |
|||||||||||
This Dual Swords build is designed around fast, relentless offense supported by strong Ki sustain, defense, and utility from elemental talismans. Focus on Heart for damage and Ki, with Stamina for armor and survivability, and Magic to increase Onmyo Magic.
Your Martial Arts focus on rapid burst damage and multi hit combos, with arts that let you counterattack immediately after a deflect or reposition through aerial follow ups. This allows you to maintain offensive momentum while staying mobile and responsive in combat.
The Guardian Spirit and Soul Cores support sustained, aggressive combat by reducing Ki consumption, providing elemental buffs and increasing the damage enemies take.
Samurai Spears
|
|||||||||||
| Recommended Stats | |||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Heart |
 Skill |
Stamina |
|||||||||
| Martial Arts | Samurai | ||||||||||
| ・Spear Bash
・Spear Flourish ・Lightning Vortex ・Flying Monkey II ・Cull the Herd ・Spear Shove ・Fatal Thrust | ・High Stance
・Low Stance ・Deflect ・Flux II |
||||||||||
| Guardian Spirit | Yang Position | ||||||||||
| Kusanagi |
Mezuki Soul Core | ||||||||||
| Yin Position | |||||||||||
| ・Yoki Soul Core
・Jakotsu-baba Soul Core |
|||||||||||
This Spear build is designed for hit-and-run combat, focusing on quick strikes, aerial attacks, and evasive maneuvers. It emphasizes Heart for increased melee damage, Ki, and Ki recovery speed, with Skill to boost Arts Proficiency and Stamina to maintain agility while wearing heavier armor for survivability.
The listed Martial Arts let you apply consistent pressure while giving you the option to reposition and turn your movement into a strike, keeping you agile and responsive in combat. Techniques like Spear Shove provide a quick attack that deals strong Ki damage, while Fatal Thrust allows you to charge forward relentlessly, draining enemy Ki.
The Guardian Spirit and Soul Cores support an aggressive but sustainable style, reducing Ki strain, providing a temporary attack boost to maintain momentum.
Samurai Axes
|
|||||||||||
| Recommended Stats | |||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Stamina |
Magic |
||||||||||
| Martial Arts | Samurai | ||||||||||
| ・Rage
・Battle Focus ・Rumbling Earth II ・Titanic Strength ・Fang Toss ・Retreating Axe |
・High Stance
・Low Stance ・Deflect ・Flux II ・Frost Moon: Heaven |
||||||||||
| Armor | |||||||||||
| ・Warrior of the East Set
・Brave Demon Hunter Set |
|||||||||||
| Guardian Spirit | Yang Position | ||||||||||
| Kusanagi |
Jakotsu-baba Soul Core | ||||||||||
| Yin Position | |||||||||||
| ・Jakotsu-baba Soul Core
・Mikoshi Nyudo Soul Core |
|||||||||||
This Axe build is designed for powerful, high-damage strikes, excelling at dealing heavy melee damage and controlling the pace of combat. It emphasizes Stamina to boost melee attacks and wear heavy armor for defense, with Magic improving Omnyo Magic and enhancing Talisman effectiveness.
Martial Arts focus on hard-hitting charge attacks, extended-reach strikes, and evasive maneuvers, letting you deliver devastating blows while staying mobile. This is further enhanced by buffs such as Rage and Battle Focus, which increase your damage output and help maintain offensive pressure during combat.
The Guardian Spirit and Soul Cores support a heavy but sustainable playstyle by enhancing elemental application, improving Ki management, and providing strong burst options. Effects such as increased Water and Lightning damage help inflict status effects that amplify overall damage.
Samurai Odachi
|
|||||||||||
| Recommended Stats | |||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Stamina |
Magic |
||||||||||
| Martial Arts | Samurai | ||||||||||
| ・Ground Sweeper
・Moonlit Snow Charge ・Groundquake Lightning ・Sunset Breeze: Earth |
・High Stance
・Low Stance ・Deflect ・Flux II ・Frost Moon: Heaven |
||||||||||
| Armor | |||||||||||
| Crimson General Set | |||||||||||
| Guardian Spirit | Yang Position | ||||||||||
| Guhin |
Bloodedge Demon Soul Core | ||||||||||
| Yin Position | |||||||||||
| ・Yoki Soul Core
・Jakotsu-baba Soul Core |
|||||||||||
This Odachi build is designed for heavy, sweeping attacks that excel at hitting multiple enemies while maintaining strong defense. It prioritizes Stamina to increase melee damage and equip heavy armor, with Magic boosting offensive scaling and allowing more Soul Cores in the Yin Position.
Martial Arts focus on wide multi-hit attacks and powerful single strikes, while Samurai skills support strong stance-based combos and efficient Ki management.
The Guardian Spirit and Soul Cores reinforce an aggressive but durable playstyle, increasing offense, providing burst damage, and granting a temporary attack boost, with additional tool that deal damage to nearby enemies for crowd control.
Samurai Switchglaives
|
|||||||||||
| Recommended Stats | |||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Magic |
 Intellect |
||||||||||
| Martial Arts | Samurai | ||||||||||
| ・Switch Stance: Blade
・Switch Stance: Edge ・Switch Stance: Retribution ・Kibosh Kicker ・Cyclone Wind ・Stallion Strike ・Infinite Retribution II ・Arc of Chaos Fire | ・High Stance
・Low Stance ・Deflect ・Flux II |
||||||||||
| Guardian Spirit | Yang Position | ||||||||||
| Guhin |
Bloodedge Demon Soul Core | ||||||||||
| Yin Position | |||||||||||
| ・Kamaitachi Soul Core
・Bakegani Soul Core ・Mikoshi Nyudo |
|||||||||||
This Switchglaive build is designed for agile, versatile combat, allowing you to switch stances fluidly while maintaining offensive pressure. It prioritizes Magic for increased Melee Attack and Onmyo Magic, with Intellect supporting Effect Duration and Ki Recovery Speed.
Martial Arts focus on fluid combos, wide multi-hit attacks, and mid-air offense, letting you stay aggressive while repositioning. Techniques like Kibosh Kicker and Cyclone Wind provide excellent follow-ups, Stallion Strike adds airborne strikes, and Arc of Chaos Fire extends your reach safely against mid-range enemies.
The Guardian Spirit and Soul Cores complement this aggressive and sustained playstyle by reducing Martial Arts Ki Consumption, enabling burst attacks, and applying elemental debuffs to maximize damage and control over the combat.
Samurai Cestuses
|
|||||||||||
| Recommended Stats | |||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Stamina |
Magic |
||||||||||
| Martial Arts | Samurai | ||||||||||
| ・Beyond Infinity
・Limitless ・Heavenly Strike ・Dancing Kick ・Rising Gale ・Unbowed ・Battering Ram ・Fracture Foe | ・High Stance
・Low Stance ・Deflect ・Flux II |
||||||||||
| Armor | |||||||||||
| Brave Demon Hunter Set | |||||||||||
| Guardian Spirit | Yang Position | ||||||||||
| Guhin |
Bloodedge Demon Soul Core | ||||||||||
| Yin Position | |||||||||||
| ・Jakotsu-baba Soul Core
・Infernal Oni-bi Soul Core |
|||||||||||
This Cestuses build focuses on close-range, aggressive combat, allowing you to stay on enemies with continuous pressure and fast combo chains. It prioritizes Stamina to increase melee damage and support heavier armor for survivability, while Magic enables talisman usage and Soul Core utility.
The listed Martial Arts emphasize continuous combos and aggressive offense, with skills that extend attacks, enable aerial follow-ups, and allow you to continue attacking while performing Ki Pulse. This keeps you mobile while maintaining constant pressure at close range.
The Guardian Spirit and Soul Cores support sustained offense and survivability, reducing Ki consumption for Martial Arts while providing elemental debuffs to improve overall damage output.
Best Samurai Secret Skills
Use Samurai Style and Common Secret Skills
| Secret Skill | Effects |
|---|---|
| Running Water | Enables you to perform a Ki Pulse by dodging. |
| Ki Pulse: Heaven | Activates when you recover the maxium amount of Ki Possible with a perfectly timed Ki Pulse while in High Stance. Applies Ki Pulse: Heaven to yourself. Increases the damage dealt by your next attack. |
| Unshakable | Reduces damage taken while you are attacking by 10.0%. |
| Panacea Curefast | Increase Life restored by elixirs by 15.0% |
| Supreme Parry | Recovers 150 Life after a successful Burst Break |
For Samurai skills, Running Water is essential, as it allows you to perform a Ki Pulse while dodging, greatly improving mobility and survivability when evading enemy attacks. Ki Pulse: Heaven enhances your High Stance play by granting increased damage after a perfectly timed Ki Pulse, making it especially valuable since High Stance is commonly used in most Samurai builds.
Unshakable is another key skill, reducing damage taken during simultaneous attack, which is important in close combat where trading hits is often unavoidable.
Finally, common skills like Panacea Curefast and Supreme Parry provide life recovery boost, further improving overall survivability.
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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