Nekomata
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Nioh 3
Best Tonfa Build
This is a guide to the best build for Tonfa in Nioh 3. See the best armor and accessories to use with the Tonfa, which Guardian Spirit and Soul Cores to equip, as well as which stats to level up.
List of Contents
Tonfa Strengths and Weaknesses
| Strengths | Weaknesses |
|---|---|
| ✔︎ Fast attacks allow for very smooth move chaining.
✔︎ High Ki damage. Can easily stagger most enemies. ✔︎ Attacks have low Ki cost. |
✖︎ Very short range. Requires being up-close to enemies.
✖︎ Slightly punishable if attacks are not timed right. ✖︎ Requires mastery of movesets and other techniques, such as move cancelling. |
The Tonfa is a blunt, short-range weapon that deals heavy amounts of Ki damage. Coupled with its swift multi-hit attacks, it staggers opponents easily and is most effective against human enemies.
Due to its short range, it requires being confident enough to always be near the enemy. A poke-and-run strategy can't maximize the Tonfa's massive Ki damage without its multi-attacks. Moreover, a mastery of the Tonfa's moveset and techniques might be needed to make the most out of its combos.
For this build, we will be mixing in Lightning and Wind damage to accumulate Bluster and Shock status ailments. Bluster, especially, allows you to deal more Ki damage.
Best Scaling for Tonfa
Put Points Into Strength, Magic, and Stamina
| Tonfa Scaling |
|---|
 Constitution
 Strength
 Skill |
| Character Stats |
 Stamina
 Magic |
The Tonfa scales with Constitution, Strength, and Skill. Prioritize most of your points on Strength as this determines the amount of Ki damage you can do. Next, go for Skill and Magic to increase Ninjutsu power and open more Yin slots for Onmyo Magic, and then lastly, increase your Constitution to boost HP.
For this build, consider putting a balanced amount of Ninja points between Skill and Magic as the Tonfa excels in quickly building up status ailments due to its multi-hit attacks. Having at least 15 Magic will be enough to equip the talismans needed for this build. Alternatively, you may also use 2 or more of the Uncanny Ninjutsu, but you may find your options limited until you get further in the game.
Best Special Effects for Tonfa
| Jump to Section! | |
|---|---|
| Weapon | Armor |
| Accessories | |
Best Special Effects for Weapons
| Common Special Effects | |
|---|---|
| ・Melee Damage
・Quick Attack Ki Consumption ・Strong Attack Ki Consumption ・Ki Recovery Speed ・Ki Damage vs. Blustered/Electrified Enemy ・Melee Damage vs. Winded Enemy ・Imbue Wind/Lightning |
|
| Fixed Special Effects | |
| ・Martial Arts Damage
Weapons: Twin Dragon Tonfa ・Melee Attack Ki Consumption Weapons: Quaking Tonfa |
|
You may use any equipment that has one or two of the special effects listed above.
For special effects on weapons, look out for any special effects that increases your Ki damage, or lowers your Ki consumption when attacking as consecutive attacks and evasion are needed when using the Tonfa. To make use of the Tonfa's fast multi-hit attacks, consider finding the special effect Imbue Wind or Lightning to start stacking up on Bluster or Shock.
Best Special Effects for Armor
| Common Special Effects | |
|---|---|
| ・Defense Bonus (Constitution/Skill/Strength)
・Melee Attack Ki Consumption ・Damage Taken ・Ki Recovery Speed ・Auto Life Recovery (Evade) ・Faster Movement Evade (Evade) ・Ninjutsu Gauge Charge ・Ki Damage vs. Blustered/Electrified Enemy |
|
| Fixed Special Effects | |
| ・Dodge Ki Consumption
Armor: Heir's Shinobi armor piece |
|
| Armor Sets | |
| ・Iga Jonin Armor Set (Head of the Iga Ninja) | |
You may use any equipment that has one or two of the special effects listed above.
For the Tonfa, it is important to always be near an enemy due to its short range. As such, equip special effects that raise your Defense and Toughness to endure hits. Getting Ki Recovery Speed is also important to maintain combos without worrying about Ki.
Any Heir's Shinobi armor piece has the Dodge Ki Consumption special effect and this Light Armor can easily be found early-game. Later, you can use at least 4 pieces of the Iga Jonin armor to get Faster Movement (Ninjutsu Hit) from its set bonus.
Best Special Effects for Accessories
| Common Special Effects | |
|---|---|
| ・Ki
・Bluster/Shock Accumulation (Enemy) ・Faster Movement (Evade) ・Spirit Force Bonus (Blustered/Electrified Enemy) ・Cicada Shell Gauge Charge ・Living Artifact Duration |
|
| Fixed Special Effects | |
| ・Ki Recovery Speed
Accessories: Fan |
|
You may use any equipment that has one or two of the special effects listed above.
For Accessories, you can get Bluster Accumulation (Enemy) or Shock Accumulation (Enemy) to accelerate the buildup of these status ailments. Otherwise, you can get any Accessory that gives Ki Recovery Speed, Life, or Living Artifact Duration.
Best Ninjutsu and Martial Arts
| Jump to Section! | |
|---|---|
| Tonfa Skills | Ninja Style Skills |
Where to Spend Skill Points?
Spend your points on the Tonfa and Ninja Style skill trees to learn new combos for the Tonfa, while also acquiring useful Ninjutsu and Martial Arts.
Tonfa Skills
| Skills | Requirements |
|---|---|
| Sweeping Kick | Unlocked at the start |
| Storm of Strikes | 1 Ninja Point |
| Demon Dance | 1 Ninja Point |
| Heavenly Chain | 1 Ninja Point
Prerequisite: ・Focused Strike |
| Pulverize | 1 Ninja Point
Prerequisite: ・Demon Dance |
| Mountain Breaker | 1 Ninja Point
Prerequisite: ・Focused Strike |
| Wasp Sting | 1 Ninja Point
Prerequisite: ・Flying Chariot |
| Demon Dash | 1 Ninja Point
Prerequisite: ・Demon Dance ・Pulverize |
| Apocalypse | 3 Ninja Points
Prerequisite: ・Sweeping Kick ・Impenetrability ・Complete The Way of the Ninja: Veteran |
The Tonfa skills consist of high-speed chained combos that can break enemies' Ki in an instant. Moves like Heavenly Chain, Sweeping Kick, and Storm of Strikes are good follow-ups to your quick or strong attacks. Mountain Breaker can be used to dash forward while dealing damage in a small area.
Demon Dance is an important utility skill for the Tonfa. It makes the dodge range of Mist shorter but lengthens the invulnerability you will receive. This can be used to consistently and safely dodge while staying near the enemy to continue your barrage of combos.
Ninja Style Skills
| Skills | Requirements |
|---|---|
| Evade | 1 Ninja Point |
| Cicada Shell | 1 Ninja Point |
| Shrapnel Bomb | 1 Ninja Point
Prerequisite: ・Gunpowder Bomb |
| Lightning Step | 1 Ninja Point
Prerequisite: ・Cicada Shell |
| Footstool Jump | 1 Ninja Point
Prerequisite: ・Evade |
| Mid-Air Dodge | 1 Ninja Point
Prerequisite: ・Evade ・Footstool Jump |
| Fire Shuriken | Prerequisite:
・Pinwheel Shuriken ・Learned from a Handbook |
| Thundering Calamity | 1 Ninja Point
Prerequisite: ・Uncanny Breeze ・Flame Breath ・Complete "The Way of the Ninja: Veteran" |
The Cicada Shell and Evade Ninjutsu will be your main defensive skills when using the Tonfa, as both provide different ways to position yourself or dodge attacks.
For additional elemental damage, consider getting Uncanny Bolt to complement the special effects for your weapons. However, if you're using a different element, you may get the Ninjutsu that corresponds to your preference.
Take note that when using elemental damage from Onmyo and Ninjutsu, it is advised to switch to the element the enemy or boss is weak to.
Best Combo for Tonfa
Sacred Fire and Strong Attack Jump Combo
This is a simple combo that uses Sacred Fire to launch yourself into the air, then strike down with a basic strong attack to deal Ki damage. Sacred Fire acts as a way to close the gap between you and your target and position yourself behind. However, space yourself properly when using Sacred Fire as you may overshoot the move and don't forget that it also has a rather long wind-up.
Another way to perform this combo is by using Footstool Jump instead. This combo is good for individual enemies, but be careful when using it against targets with longer reach, like Yamagata Masakage.
Storm of Strikes to Demon Dash
This combo uses Storm of Strikes to unleash fast blows while using Demon Dash to reset your position and do a forward attack, allowing you to do the combo again.
Although this combo is as simple as holding the strong attack button to perform Storm of Strikes then doing Demon Dance after it, timing is crucial whenever you execute this move, as Storm of Strikes requires a short windup before triggering. If done right, however, you can easily stagger an enemy and open them up to a grapple.
Best Skills for Tonfa
Secret Skills Text
| Secret Skill | Effects |
|---|---|
| Evil-Dispelling Evade | Dispels the Yokai Realm from an area where you have successfully Evaded. |
| Armor Piercer | Increases damage dealt by Final Blow and Grapple by 10.0%. |
| Tachi Arts | Increase melee attack by 8.4% against enemies with maximum Life. |
| Awakening | Allows to use Onmyo Magic faster. |
| Panacea Curefast | Increase Life restored by elixirs by 15.0% |
| Lingering Spirit | Recovers 30.0% of the Amrita left at your grave when you die. |
The Evil-Dispelling Evade is one of the most important Secret Skill for the Ninja Style. When combined with the Evade Ninjutsu, it has the same effects as the Samurai Style's Ki Pulse, so it is highly recommended to acquire both skills as soon as possible. Awakening is valuable too, as plenty of Ninja weapons scale with Magic, so using Onmyo and Talismans are often encouraged.
Other Secret Skills of note are Panacea Curefast and Lingering Spirit. As these are Common Secret Skills, they provide effects that apply to both Samurai and Ninja Styles.
For combat, Taichi Arts and Armor Piercer are easily found within the Warring States period, but these Secret Skills can be changed based on your weapon or play style.
Best Guardian Spirits for Tonfa
| Early Game | |
|---|---|
| Mid Game Late Game |
Use Nekomata in Early Game
| Nekomata | ATK | DEF | Element |
|---|---|---|---|
 |
10 | 10 | Lightning |
| Quest | |||
| The Fall of Edo Castle | |||
| Special Effects | |||
|
・Ninjutsu Ki Damage +7.3%
・Ki Recovery Speed +6.2% ・Quick Attack Break +10.6 % ・Melee Attack Ki Consumption ・Final Blow/Grapple Damage |
|||
| Guardian Spirit Skill | |||
|
・Electrified Kunai (Spirit Force: 60)
・Thunderclaw Kick (Spirit Force: 40) |
|||
Nekomata is one of the best early game Guardian Spirits for the Ninja Style as its special effects increases your Ki Recovery speed and lowers the Ki consumption for both quick attacks and melee attacks. If you destroy more Crucible Spikes, you'll also be granted a boost to your grapple and final blow damage.
Use Nekomata's Thunderclaw Kick whenever you find yourself running out of Ki as using a Guardian Spirit Skill resets the Ki meter. Nekomata's skill does decent damage and good Shock accumulation. As this skill does a backflip kick, use it whenever you need to escape an enemy.
Nekomata Guardian Spirit Guide
Use Kurama Tengu in Mid Game and Late Game
| Kurama Tengu | ATK | DEF | Element |
|---|---|---|---|
 |
18 | 11 | Fire |
| Quest | |||
| The Age of Clans Begins | |||
| Special Effects | |||
|
・Martial Arts Ki Damage +6.6%
・Enemy Sensor ・Wind Damage Reduction +18 ・Spirit Force Bonus (Elixir) +12 ・Elemental Damage +7.2% |
|||
| Guardian Spirit Skill | |||
|
・Kurama's Tempest (Spirit Force: 60)
・Kurama's Slicer (Spirit Force: 30) |
|||
Kurama Tengu provides offensive special effects to bolster damage as you reach the Heian period and beyond. This Guardian Spirit provides both Martial Arts Ki Damage to buff your combos and Elemental Damage for your Wind or Lightning attacks. Kurama also gives Spirit Force Bonus whenever you use an Elixir.
Kurama's Slicer unleashes a wind blade that deals both Wind damage and Bluster accumulation, and the closer you are to the enemy, the more wind blades you'll throw. This Guardian Spirit skill can be used twice by doing an additional input.
Kurama Tengu Guardian Spirit Guide
Best Soul Cores for Tonfa
| Yang Position |
|---|
| Yin Position |
Use Karasu Tengu Soul Core for Yang
| Karasu Tengu | |
|---|---|
|
|
| Yang Position | Special Effects:
・Melee Damage vs. Blustered Enemies +6.0% ・Spirit Force Bonus (Onmyo Magic Hit) - C Yokai Ability: ・Summoning Seal: Karasu Tengu x3 |
| Yin Position | Talisman:
・Wind Shot Talisman x6 |
As this build utilizes Wind damage to build up the Blustered status ailment, Karasu Tengu in the Yang position provides additional Ki damage to Blustered enemies. This allows you to drain Ki faster together with the effects of Bluster, which also increases Ki damage.
Use Sunakake-baba Soul Core for Yang
| Sunakake-baba Soul Core | |
|---|---|
 |
|
| Yang Position | Special Effects:
・Ki Pulse Bonus +50 ・Blindness (Onmyo Magic Hit) Yokai Ability: ・Summoning Seal: Sunakake-baba x4 |
| Yin Position | Talisman:
・Devigorate Talisman x3 |
Sunakake-baba's special effect in the Yang position allows you to inflict Blindness upon hitting an enemy with any offensive Onmyo. A Blinded enemy will be temporarily disoriented and will run or attack in random directions, which gives you the opportunity to backstab them or space yourself to heal.
Use Kamaitachi Soul Core for Yin
| Kamaitachi Soul Core | |
|---|---|
 |
|
| Yang Position | Special Effects:
・Wind Damage +4.4% ・Dodge Ki Consumption +8.0% Yokai Ability: ・Summoning Seal: Kamaitachi x2 |
| Yin Position | Talisman:
・Wind Familiar Talisman x4 |
Kamaitachi's Soul Core in the Yin position gives the Wind Familiar Talisman. As you will be near enemies often when using the Tonfa, this talisman inflicts Wind damage and accumulates the Bluster status ailment on your targets. Enemies who are shocked will move and attack slower.
Use Mermaid Soul Core for Yin
| Mermaid Soul Core | |
|---|---|
 |
|
| Yang Position | Special Effects:
・Life Drain (Water Damage) B- ・Faster Movement (Ailing) Yokai Ability: ・Summoning Seal: Mermaid x5 |
| Yin Position | Talisman:
・Life Leech Talisman x3 |
The Life Leech Talisman is an offensive Onmyo that makes the enemy you attack release life force that you can absorb to restore your HP. Since the Tonfa deals multi-attacks, this talisman will help you survive fights longer and lowers the usage of Elixirs.
Use Enki Soul Core for Yin
| Enki Soul Core | |
|---|---|
 |
|
| Yang Position | Special Effects:
・Ki Consumption (Jump) -15.0% ・Life +100 Yokai Ability: ・Summoning Seal: Enki x4 |
| Yin Position | Talisman:
・Steel Talisman x3 |
Use Enki in the Yin position to get the Steel Talisman. This increases your Defense and lowers the damage you receive during combat. Be cautious, however, as this talisman has a short duration and will need to be reapplied often.
Tonfa Tips and Tricks
Spend Your Prestige Points to Get Bonuses
Prestige Points can be used to obtain permanent bonuses (known as Prestige) to enhance a variety of stats from 9 different categories. For the Ninja Style, we suggest using your points on some of the following Prestige:
- Ninja: Dodge Ki Consumption, Melee Attack Ki Consumption
- Tactics: Ki Recovery Speed, Onmyo Magic Power
- Subjugation: Amrita Earned, Damage Taken (Ki Depleted)
- Exploration: Medicine Efficacy
- Crucible: Amrita Earned (Crucible)
Take note that the Prestige Points you've spent can be reset and redistributed to another bonus within the same category.
How to Get Prestige Points?
To get more Prestige Points for a category, fulfill a milestone or complete challenges to earn Titles. To see the available Titles you can unlock, open the Main Menu then go to Titles > Title List.
Use Equipment Suited to Your Level
To get the best bonuses, always use equipment that suits your current level. Using underleved items will give you less attack bonuses for weapons, and less defense bonuses for armor.
Use Purple Rarity If Possible
Items with Purple (Exotic) rarities provide better and rarer special effects. Additionally, you'll sometimes find better combinations of special effects from Exotic weapons.
Raise the Tonfa to Full Familiarity
Constantly using weapons will increase its Familiarity. Weapons with full Familiarity gets a significant bonus in damage.
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 |
||
Author
Best Tonfa Build
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With Kurama tengu, when does it get Melee Damage vs Scorched Enemy +6.3%?