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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
|
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| Recommended Stats | |||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
 Heart |
 Stamina |
 Magic |
 Intellect |
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| Martial Arts | Samurai | ||||||||||
| ・Iai Quickdraw III
・Light in Darkness ・Night Rain ・Swallow's Wing ・Swift Step Heavy ・Heaven Flash Lightning ・Severing Spin | ・High Stance
・Low Stance ・Deflect ・Flux II |
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| Armor | |||||||||||
| ・Crimson General Set
・Warrior of the East Set ・Swordmaster's Set ・Tatenashi Set |
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| Guardian Spirit | Yang Position | ||||||||||
 Kusanagi |
・Nuppeppo Soul Core
・Sudama Soul Core |
||||||||||
| Yin Position | |||||||||||
| ・Gaki Chief Soul Core
・Raiju Soul Core ・Mermaid 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. Stamina lets you equip heavier armor for better survivability, Magic unlocks Talisman slots to provide useful buffs and debuffs, and Intellect increases damage while providing increased Effects Duration and additional Ki Recovery.
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 debuffs, and health recovery to help you handle tougher enemies and groups.
Samurai Dual Swords
|
|||||||||||
| Recommended Stats | |||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Heart |
Intellect |
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 ・Spinning Dragon ・Random Slice ・Momentum | ・High Stance
・Low Stance ・Deflect ・Flux II |
||||||||||
| Armor | |||||||||||
| Goichimonshu Set | |||||||||||
| Guardian Spirit | Yang Position | ||||||||||
 Guhin |
Nuppeppo Soul Core | ||||||||||
| Yin Position | |||||||||||
| ・Gaki Chief Soul Core
・Jakotsu-baba Soul Core ・Infernal Oni-bi Soul Core ・Nurikabe 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 Intellect for effect duration and Ki recovery speed, and Magic to increase damage and talisman slots.
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 |
Stamina |
Magic |
|||||||||
| Martial Arts | Samurai | ||||||||||
| ・Spear Bash
・Spear Flourish ・Windmill Wind ・Spear Shove ・Fatal Thrust | ・High Stance
・Low Stance ・Deflect |
||||||||||
| Guardian Spirit | Yang Position | ||||||||||
| Guhin |
・Nuppeppo Soul Core
・Gaki Chief Soul Core |
||||||||||
| Yin Position | |||||||||||
| ・Gaki Chief Soul Core
・Mezuki Soul Core ・Mermaid Soul Core |
|||||||||||
This Spear build is designed for hit-and-run combat, focusing on quick strikes and controlling distance. Focus on Heart for increased melee damage, Ki, and Ki recovery speed, Stamina to maintain agility while wearing heavier armor for survivability, and Magic to unlock talisman slots, providing utility through buffs and debuffs.
The recommended Martial Arts allow you to apply consistent pressure while remaining agile and responsive in combat. Techniques like Spear Flourish turn your Ki Pulse into an offensive follow-up, making it a strong complement to any combo, while Windmill Wind excels at crowd control with its wide, sweeping spin attack imbued with the Wind element.
The Guardian Spirit and Soul Cores support an aggressive yet sustainable playstyle by improving Strong Attacks and providing Life Recovery, enhancing your overall survivability.
Samurai Axes
|
|||||||||||
| Recommended Stats | |||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Stamina |
 Strength |
||||||||||
| Martial Arts | Samurai | ||||||||||
| ・Victory Rush
・Battle Focus ・Heaven and Earth ・Titanic Strength Water ・Bear's Bane Fire ・Retreating Axe |
・High Stance
・Low Stance ・Deflect |
||||||||||
| Armor | |||||||||||
| ・Warrior of the East Set
・Brave Demon Hunter Set ・Tatenashi Set ・Kintaro Set |
|||||||||||
| Guardian Spirit | Yang Position | ||||||||||
| Kusanagi |
・Nuppeppo Soul Core
・Yasha Soul Core |
||||||||||
| Yin Position | |||||||||||
| ・Gaki Chief Soul Cor
・Otoroshi Soul Core ・Jakotsu-baba Soul Core |
|||||||||||
This Axe build is designed for staggering enemies and dealing high burst damage, perfect for breaking defenses and punishing strong opponents. It prioritizes Stamina to boost melee attacks and wear heavy armor for defense, along with Strength to further increase melee attack and Ki damage, helping you stagger enemies more easily.
Martial Arts focus on hard-hitting follow-up attacks, allowing you to deliver powerful staggering blows. This is further enhanced by Victory Rush and Battle Focus, which complements longer combos and improves Ki control during offense.
The Guardian Spirit and Soul Cores support a sustainable playstyle by improving Ki management and providing Life Recovery for better survivability.
Samurai Odachi
|
|||||||||||
| Recommended Stats | |||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Stamina |
Magic |
Heart |
|||||||||
| 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
・Wayfarer Set ・Tatenashi Set |
|||||||||||
| Guardian Spirit | Yang Position | ||||||||||
| Guhin |
・Bloodedge Demon Soul Core
・Gaki Chief Soul Core |
||||||||||
| Yin Position | |||||||||||
| ・Yoki Soul Core
・Jakotsu-baba Soul Core ・Nurikabe Soul Core |
|||||||||||
This Odachi build is designed around strong attacks that excel at dealing heavy damage while maintaining solid defense. It prioritizes Stamina to increase melee damage and allow the use of heavy armor, while Magic enables more Soul Cores in the Yin Position. Heart provides a much-needed increase to Ki and Ki recovery, helping offset the Odachi’s high Ki consumption.
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 and defense boost, with additional tool that deal damage to nearby enemies for crowd control.
Samurai Switchglaives
|
|||||||||||
| Recommended Stats | |||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Intellect |
Magic |
Heart |
|||||||||
| 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 |
Nuppeppo Soul Core | ||||||||||
| Yin Position | |||||||||||
| ・Gaki Chief Soul Core
・Otoroshi Soul Core ・Nurikabe Soul Core |
|||||||||||
This Switchglaive build is designed for agile, versatile combat, allowing you to switch stances fluidly while maintaining offensive pressure. It prioritizes Intellect for increased damage, extended Effect Duration, and faster Ki Recovery Speed. Magic increases damage and provides additional Talisman slots, while Heart boosts Ki and Ki Recovery Speed, helping you sustain longer combos.
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, sustained playstyle by reducing Martial Arts Ki Consumption and providing Life Recovery buffs to improve survivability.
Samurai Cestuses
|
|||||||||||
| Recommended Stats | |||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Heart |
Strength |
||||||||||
| Martial Arts | Samurai | ||||||||||
| ・Beyond Infinity
・Reckless Charge ・Dreadslayer ・Kick Cycle Water ・Rising Gale ・Unbowed ・Battering Ram ・Fracture Foe Lightning | ・High Stance
・Low Stance ・Deflect ・Flux II |
||||||||||
| Armor | |||||||||||
| Brave Demon Hunter Set | |||||||||||
| Guardian Spirit | Yang Position | ||||||||||
| Guhin |
・Nuppeppo Soul Core
・Yasha Soul Core |
||||||||||
| Yin Position | |||||||||||
| ・Gaki Chief Soul Cor
・Otoroshi Soul Core ・Jakotsu-baba 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 Heart to increase melee damage, Ki, and Ki recovery speed, while Strength boost both melee and Ki Damage to make staggering enemies easier.
The listed Martial Arts emphasize continuous combos and aggressive offense, with skills that extend attacks 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 Life Recovery buffs to improve survivability.
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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