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Nioh 3
Best Splitstaff Build
This is a guide to the best build for Splitstaff in Nioh 3. See the best armor and accessories to use with the Splitstaff, 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.
|
|---|
Splitstaff Strengths and Weaknesses
| Strengths | Weaknesses |
|---|---|
| ✔︎ Can dish out solid Ki damage with blunt strikes.
✔︎ Has a variety of short and long-range skills. ✔︎ Its Fluid Form can create wide arcs to hit multiple enemies at once. |
✖︎ Low health damage without the Fluid Form.
✖︎ High Ki management. ✖︎ Some of the moves' wind-ups are slow. ✖︎ Mastery of when to execute the Fluid Form is necessary to avoid being punished. |
The Splitstaff is a blunt polearm weapon with a unique mechanic called Fluid Form, which changes the Splitstaff's form by holding down the button used to attack. Using the Fluid Form raises Ki damage, range, and number of hits done by certain Splitstaff Martial Arts.
Some Splitstaff skills greatly benefit when executed in the Fluid Form. Shin Crusher and Twin Phoenix are prime examples, and using Fluid Form on these moves increase their range and allow them to hit more enemies.
Without the Fluid Form however, the Splitstaff lacks raw damage and range, so you'll often have to be closer to enemies to deal damage. Moreover, using Fluid Form can drain a lot of Ki very quickly on top of other actions needed in the Ninja Style like dodging and dashing.
Best Stats for Splitstaff
| Splitstaff Scaling |
|---|
 Strength  Intellect  Magic |
| Character Stats |
 Constitution  Stamina |
The Splitstaff scales with Strength, Intellect, and Magic. For this build, we will be using a bit of Onmyo Magic, so investing more points in the Magic stat would make your spells and talismans more effective. Raising your Intellect also lengthens the duration of your buffs and debuffs, so it's good to put some points there as well. If you want to play without using Onmyo, invest in the Strength stat more.
Other stat you must not neglect are Constution for health, and Stamina to be able to wear armor without going beyond 70% of equipment weight.
Best Special Effects for Splitstaff
| Jump to Section! | |
|---|---|
| Weapon | Armor |
| Accessories | |
Best Special Effects for Weapons
| Common Special Effects | |
|---|---|
| ・Imbue Water
・Ki Damage vs Saturated Enemy ・Martial Arts Ki Consumption ・Ki Recovery Speed ・Life Drain (Melee Attack) ・Attack Bonus (Magic/Strength/Intellect) ・Onmyo Ki Damage |
|
| Fixed Special Effects | |
| ・Melee Attack Ki Consumption
Weapons: Seven Scalp Splitstaff |
|
You may use any equipment that has one or two of the special effects listed above.
As this build will focus on building Saturation and doing Water-based damage, it's recommended to have Imbue Water for your weapon to deal Water damage without using Onmyo or Ninjutsu. However, if you don't have access to this effect yet, you can get special effects that increase Ki recovery, Ki consumption reduction, or Attack Bonus instead. Ki recovery is crucial, as the Splitstaff's moveset can use up Ki very quickly.
Best Special Effects for Armor
| Common Special Effects | |
|---|---|
| ・Auto Life Recovery (Evade)
・Ki ・Ki Recovery ・Decrease Damage Taken ・Ki Damage vs Saturated Enemy ・Faster Movement (Onmyo Magic Hit) ・Spirit Force Bonus (Water Damage) ・Defense Bonus (Magic/Strength/Intellect) |
|
| Fixed Special Effects | |
| ・Dodge Ki Consumption
Armor: ・ Ascetic armor piece ・ Heir's Shinobi armor piece |
|
You may use any equipment that has one or two of the special effects listed above.
For Armor, try to get as many pieces with Ki recovery and special effects that raises your Defense. Even though the Splitstaff has range attack options, it is mostly used to start or end combos, so having enough Defense to absorb strike when near the enemy will be beneficial.
Best Special Effects for Accessories
| Common Special Effects | |
|---|---|
| ・Saturation Accumulation
・Ki ・Toughness ・Ki Damage vs. Saturated Enemies ・Imbue Water ・Spirit Force Bonus (Water Damage) ・Living Artifact Duration |
|
| Fixed Special Effects | |
| ・Life
Accessories: Omamori ・Ki Recovery Speed Accessories: Fan |
|
You may use any equipment that has one or two of the special effects listed above.
Equip Accessories that also raises your Ki as you will be using the Splitstaff's Fluid Form to deal stronger damage. Having Life and Toughness are good as well for better survivability. Lastly, try to get Living Artifact Duration and Spirit Force Bonus to be able to use your Guardian Spirit in combat more often.
Best Ninjutsu and Martial Arts
| Jump to Section! | |
|---|---|
| Splitstaff Skills | Ninja Skills |
Where to Spend Skill Points?
Spend your points on the Splitstaff and Ninja Style skill trees to learn new combos for the Splitstaff, while also acquiring useful Ninjutsu and Martial Arts.
Splitstaff Skills
| Skills | Requirements |
|---|---|
| Shin Crusher | Unlocked at the start |
| Fluid Form | Unlocked at the start |
| Dragon Dance | 1 Ninja Point
Prerequisite: ・Seesaw Strike |
| Unruly Revolution | 2 Ninja Point
Prerequisite: ・Dragon Dance |
| Serpent Sweep | 1 Ninja Point
Prerequisite: ・Shin Crusher |
| Serpent Sweep (Water) | 1 Ninja Point
Prerequisite: ・Shin Crusher ・Serpent Sweep |
| Darting Cloud | 1 Ninja Point
Prerequisite: ・Fluid Form |
| Radiant Moon | 2 Ninja Point
Prerequisite: ・Fluid Form ・Darting Cloud |
The Splitstaff's moveset often relies on using the Fluid Form to get the most power out of your attacks. When successfully executed, it can often deal heavy Ki damage, stagger a target, or hit more enemies at once. Fluid Form is best applied to skills like Shin Crusher, which makes the move hit more with additional damage. Other moves where the Fluid Form can be beneficial are Dragon Dance, Unruly Revolution, and Serpent Sweep.
The skill Dragon Dance has a long wind-up, with or without Fluid Form, so use this move only when there's a safe opening. The Splitstaff also has a few positioning moves that can be used to get behind an enemy easily, like Darting Cloud and Radiant Moon.
How to do the Fluid Form for Splitstaff
To use the Fluid Form of a skill, hold down the button(s) used when doing the attack. If successfully triggered, your character will either do an additional move using the rope part of the Splitstaff, or make the attack's range longer.
For example, when doing Shin Crusher, simply pressing the button will do a quick swipe with the Splitstaff, but holding the button will have you do a quick swipe and then a follow-up spinning attack that makes its reach longer.
Just be warned that using the Fluid Form consumes Ki quickly in exchange for better damage. Moreover, holding down your attack will leave you open to be punished by enemies who do not stagger immediately (especially bosses). Timing and positioning are often required to master the Fluid Form.
Ninja Style Skills
| Skills | Requirements |
|---|---|
| Evade | 1 Ninja Point |
| Cicada Shell | 1 Ninja Point |
| Uncanny Bubble | 1 Ninja Point
Prerequisite: ・Uncanny Flame |
| Kunai | 1 Ninja Point
Prerequisite: ・Shuriken |
For the Ninjutsu, the Cicada Shell and Evade are must-have utility skills for the Splitstaff, as both are used to put gaps between targets and give you a chance to heal or recover some Ki. This strategy is often needed when using a Splitstaff, as doing Fluid Form drains Ki rapidly.
Uncanny Bubble is used to deal decent Water damage or to build up Saturation. You can replace this with other Uncanny Ninjutsu that corresponds to the elemental weakness of your enemy.
Lastly, the Kunai can be used to target flying enemies or to deal chip damage.
Best Skills for Splitstaff
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 playstyle.
Best Guardian Spirits for Splitstaff
| Kusanagi | ATK | DEF | Element |
|---|---|---|---|
|
12 | 7 | Water |
| Quest | |||
| The Fall of Edo Castle | |||
| Special Effects | |||
|
・ Aerial Attack Damage +8.4%
・ Water Damage Reduction +13 ・ Ki Consumption (Jump) -10.8% ・Quick Attack Damage +5.7% ・Spirit Force Charge (Backstab) +11.0% |
|||
| Guardian Spirit Skill | |||
| ・ Heaven's Drops | |||
Kusanagi provides the Quick Attack Damage bonus, which makes the Splitstaff's blunt attacks deal more damage in short range and even heavier damage when using the Fluid Form. Then, Kusanagi's Guardian Spirit Skill does Water damage and can also build up Saturation, so it's best to use this move often in your combos.
This form of Kusanagi is only available when you choose Ninja Style during The Fall of Edo Castle main quest. If you didn't do so, you can use Nekomata as the Guardian Spirit instead.
Best Soul Cores for Splitstaff
Use Maelstrom Oni-bi Soul Core for Yang or Yin
| Maelstrom Oni-bi Soul Core | |
|---|---|
| Yang Position | Special Effects:
・Saturation Accumulation (Enemy) +3.5% ・Water Damage +4.4% Yokai Ability: ・Summoning Seal: Jakotsu-baba x5 |
| Yin Position | Talisman:
・Water Talisman x4 |
The Maelstrom Oni-bi provides useful special effects for Water element builds, as it has both Saturation Accumulation and Water Damage increase, so consider putting this in the Yang position.
Alternatively, if you don't have Imbue Water on any of your equipment, you can also put this Soul Core in the Yin position to gain access to Water Talismans.
Alternative 1: Use Jakotsu-baba Soul Core for Yang or Yin
| Jakotsu-baba Soul Core | |
|---|---|
| Yang Position | Special Effects:
・Water Damage +4.4% ・Auto-Grave Recovery +17.0% Yokai Ability: ・Summoning Seal: Jakotsu-baba x2 |
| Yin Position | Talisman:
・Water Familiar Talisman x4 |
If you don't have the Maelstrom Oni-bi Soul Core, the Jakotsu-baba Soul Core is easily accessible and viable for this build as well. In the Yang position, she will give a boost to Water Damage, while in the Yin position, you can use the Water Familiar Talisman.
Alternative 2: Use Lesser Umi-bozu Soul Core for Yang or Yin
| Lesser Umi-bozu | |
|---|---|
| Yang Position | Special Effects:
・Water Resistance +15 ・Melee Damage vs. Saturated Enemy +6.0% Yokai Ability: ・Summoning Seal: Lesser Umi-bozu x5 |
| Yin Position | Talisman:
・Water Shot Talisman x6 |
If you don't want to use the Water Familiar Talisman, consider using the Lesser Umi-bozu Soul Core instead. This Soul Core also provides additional melee damage against Saturated enemies in the Yang position. For the Yin position, you will gain access to the Water Shot Talisman.
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 |
Use the Yoki Soul Core if you have extra Yin slots, as this gives you the Power Talisman, which temporarily boosts your attack during combat.
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 x4 |
You can also use the Mezuki Soul Core for the Yin position to get the Cutting Blast Talismans. This talisman imbues your weapon with the power to throw shockwaves whenever you do a strong attack. This is especially helpful if you need a fast and safe way to deal chip damage or to finish off bosses.
Combine this with any elemental Familiar Talisman as both trigger when doing strong attacks.
Splitstaff 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 Splitstaff 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 |
||
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Best Splitstaff Build
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