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Nioh 3: Tier List of Best Weapons and New Meta
This video presents a ranking of weapons in Nioh 3, evaluating their effectiveness, consistency, ease of use, and how they adapt to samurai and ninja playstyles. The strengths and weaknesses of each weapon are analyzed to help players choose the most suitable one.
1. ⚔️ Introduction to Weapon Ranking in Nioh 3
- ✅ The choice of a weapon defines the approach in each combat, Ki management, and confidence in the boss arena.
- ✅ The ranking is based on overall effectiveness, consistency in encounters with mobs and bosses, ease of use versus reward, and adaptation to samurai or ninja playstyles.
00:00 - 00:47
1. ⚔️ Introduction to Weapon Ranking in Nioh 3
- ✅ The choice of a weapon defines the approach in each combat, Ki management, and confidence in the boss arena.
- ✅ The ranking is based on overall effectiveness, consistency in encounters with mobs and bosses, ease of use versus reward, and adaptation to samurai or ninja playstyles.
01:12 - 02:14
2. C: Splitstaff - Reach and Style with Limitations
- ✅ Splitstaffs have enormous reach and undeniable style, but with frustrating limits.
- ✅ They are effective against groups of enemies when positioning is favorable, controlling space extremely well.
- ⚠️ The main problem is Ki management, as they consume it aggressively and do not combine well with samurai-style Ki pulse recovery.
- ⚠️ They require a great effort to obtain results that other weapons achieve more easily.
02:15 - 03:19
3. C: Axes - Diffuse Identity and Limited Damage
- ✅ The ability to throw axes adds pressure at a distance and makes them stand out.
- ⚠️ They do not scale well in damage against bosses, even with investment in stamina and skills.
- ⚠️ The playstyle forces awkward moments when the player is briefly disarmed while the weapon returns.
- ✅ They shine when their trick is taken advantage of: slow spacing, mid-range harassment, and reactive counterattack.
03:20 - 04:17
4. B: Ninja Sword - Versatility and Adaptability
- ✅ Versatile weapon with solid damage, fast animations, low commitment, and high adaptability.
- ✅ It scales naturally with strength and skill, benefiting from ninja builds based on intelligence.
- ✅ Faster than the standard katana, making combat more responsive, especially when learning boss attack patterns.
- ✅ Rewards aggression with flashy finishers, including aerial grabs.
04:18 - 05:07
5. B: Dual Swords - Speed and Constant Movement
- ✅ They encourage constant movement, quick hits and advance, feeling more aggressive than the standard sword.
- ✅ They are based on builds that emphasize heart and strength, allowing for rapid Ki recovery and sustained offense.
- ✅ Attack chains are fluid and defensive options reward players who master blocking and deflection.
- ✅ Ideal for players who want speed without sacrificing control or reliability.
05:08 - 05:58
6. B: Axe - Dominance and Raw Power
- ✅ Each hit feels heavy, deliberate, and devastating.
- ✅ Built around brute strength, stamina, and survival, it excels at eliminating large portions of enemy health.
- ⚠️ The animations are slow and poor Ki management can leave the player vulnerable.
- ✅ It offers flexibility through stance choices: high stance offers crushing blows and low stance provides safer, more controlled chip damage.
05:59 - 06:47
7. B: Kusarigama - Control and Manipulation of the Battlefield
- ✅ Combines a sickle and chain to manipulate the battlefield.
- ✅ The ability to pull enemies or the player towards them makes it exceptional for crowd control and positioning.
- ✅ It fits naturally into technical ninja builds, being particularly effective at depleting enemy Ki and preparing grabs.
- ⚠️ Struggles to maintain strong damage during prolonged boss fights.
06:48 - 07:36
8. A: Ninja Dual Swords - Refined Evolution of the Ninja Sword
- ✅ They feel like a refined evolution of the ninja sword concept: faster, more aggressive, and built for hit-and-run tactics.
- ✅ They are based on momentum, encouraging constant engagement.
- ✅ Techniques that create distance or launch the player into aerial combat make the weapon difficult to immobilize.
- ⚠️ The risk comes from execution: missing an attack or miscalculating a combo leaves the player exposed.
07:37 - 08:14
9. A: Odachi - Reach and Massive Damage
- ✅ Mixes the reach of the spear with the damage of the axe.
- ✅ Long-range sweeps excel at crowd control, while charged attacks can tear large chunks from bosses' Ki bars.
- ⚠️ Demands careful Ki management, as its attacks are costly and poor positioning can be punishing.
- ✅ Players who master stance transitions unlock devastating potential.
08:15 - 08:55
10. A: Cestus - Unarmed Combat and Relentless Pressure
- ✅ Takes unarmed combat to the samurai side, excelling in pressure, mobility, and Ki destruction.
- ✅ Close-range combat is mandatory, but the reward is enormous.
- ✅ They allow chaining martial arts seamlessly, stacking damage and momentum through extended combos.
- ⚠️ The short range is the main drawback.
08:56 - 09:31
11. A: Sword - Refinement and Balance
- ✅ It may seem basic, but it is one of the most refined weapons.
- ✅ It scales cleanly with core stats, fits into almost any build, and teaches fundamental mechanics better than anything else.
- ✅ Excels at linking attacks, maintaining Ki flow, and transitioning smoothly between stances.
- ✅ Its reliability, balance, and depth are far above the status of starting weapon.
09:32 - 10:10
12. S: Switchglaive - Mechanically Demanding and Powerful
- ✅ It is the most mechanically demanding weapon and one of the most powerful.
- ✅ Its ability to change shape depending on the stance gives it unmatched flexibility and combo potential.
- ✅ Rewards players who can switch stances mid-combo without hesitation.
- ⚠️ It is not beginner-friendly and absolutely punishes careless play.
10:11 - 10:49
13. S: Claws - Pure Ninja Perfection
- ✅ Fast, lethal, and infinitely mobile, embodying the hit-and-run fantasy better than any other weapon.
- ✅ Quick attacks shred enemy health bars and aerial capabilities allow you to stay in the air much longer than with other weapons.
- ✅ They scale wonderfully with ninja builds focused on agility and reward aggressive play.
- ✅ Combat becomes a relentless assault that enemies struggle to escape.
10:50 - 11:23
14. S: Tonfa - Ki Destruction and Combat Control
- ✅ Specialized in staggering enemies, breaking posture, and locking opponents in helpless states.
- ✅ Scales well with strength and skill, and combines perfectly with ninja speed.
- ✅ Quick hits make it easy to maintain pressure and access to defensive counterattack mechanics provides unpredictable survivability.
- ✅ Few weapons can control the flow of combat as completely as the tonfa.
11:24 - 11:56
15. S: Spear - Consistency and Reliable Reach
- ✅ Offers excellent reach, clean combos, and reliable damage without requiring complex mechanics or constant stance switching.
- ✅ Scales well with constitution and toughness, providing survivability and a constant offense.
- ✅ Poke attacks keep enemies at bay, while the simple combo structure makes it easy to maintain pressure without overextending.
- ✅ Its reliability, safety, and effectiveness earn it a well-deserved place in the S tier.