Nioh 2 Beginner's Guide: How I Got Past the Bull (And You Can Too)

I died 27 times to the tutorial boss. Twenty-seven.

That's not even the real first boss. That's the Gozuki — the giant bull-demon thing that appears about 2 minutes into the game. It wrecked me over and over while I stubbornly tried to "git gud." Then my friend watched me play and said, "dude you know you can just run past it, right?"

Nioh 2 never tells you this. It doesn't tell you a lot of things. But once I stopped trying to fight everything like it was Dark Souls, I realized this game has its own rhythm. And once it clicks, it's one of the best action games ever made.

The Most Important Thing No One Tells You

Nioh 2 is not Dark Souls. I know it looks like Dark Souls. It has bonfires (shrines), stamina bars, and dying a lot. But the combat philosophy is completely different.

In Dark Souls, you roll through attacks and punish. In Nioh 2, you use your abilities. The game gives you a tool for every situation — you just need to remember to use them.

• Burst Counter (R2+◯) — This is your most important defensive tool. When an enemy flashes red, use this. It staggers them and opens them up. I spent 10 hours ignoring this ability.
• Yokai Shift (R1+R2) — Your super mode. Build up the Amrita gauge by attacking, then unleash it. It's not just for boss fights — use it on tough normal enemies too.
• Yokey Abilities (R2+△/◯) — The souls of defeated yokai give you special attacks. Each one has a different use. The very first one you get (Enki) lets you leap backward and throw a spear — great for creating distance.

My problem was I treated Nioh 2 like a Souls game where you play defensively. Nioh rewards aggression. Stay close, deplete the enemy's ki (stamina), then go for the grapple. Backing off just gives them time to recover.

Which Weapon Should You Pick?

You start with two weapon slots. Here's the honest ranking for beginners:

• Switchglaive — S-tier for beginners. It has good reach, good damage, and can switch between three forms mid-combo. The low stance is fast, high stance hits hard. Learn this weapon and you'll coast through the first few regions.
• Kusarigama — A-chain-and-sickle. Ranged attacks, crowd control, fast. Very forgiving. The only downside is lower damage per hit, but you make up for it with constant pressure.
• Sword — The "I know what I'm doing" weapon. It's versatile but requires good timing. I wouldn't recommend it for total beginners.
• Axe — Hits like a truck but slow. You'll get hit trying to wind up attacks. Wait until you know enemy patterns.
• Dual Swords — Fast, flashy, solid. The Sign of the Cross skill is amazing. A good second weapon.

My recommendation: Start with Switchglaive + Kusarigama. The Switchglaive handles big enemies, the Kusarigama handles crowds. And in Nioh 2, crowd control matters a lot more than you think.

Stats Are Not That Important (At First)

Nioh 2 has a stat system that looks complicated but doesn't matter much for the first playthrough. Here's the cheat sheet:

• Constitution (体) — Increases HP for certain weapons. The most useful stat. Never bad.
• Heart (心) — Increases Ki (stamina). More Ki = more attacking. Very useful.
• Strength (剛) — Lets you wear heavier armor without being slow. Put points here if you want tanky builds.
• Skill (技) — Affects Kusarigama and Dual Sword damage. Only if you're using those weapons.
• Everything else — Ignore until New Game+.

The real stat that matters is your equipment level. Replace your armor and weapons whenever you find something with a higher level number. The stat bonuses from leveling up are tiny compared to the damage difference between a level 20 weapon and a level 40 weapon.

Biggest Mistakes I Made

1. Not using magic or ninjutsu

I thought "I'm a warrior, I don't need spells." Wrong. The buffs in this game are insane. Quick-change scroll (ninjutsu) gives you a second chance when you die — it auto-revives you. Barrier talisman (onmyo magic) makes your Ki recover super fast. These aren't optional — they're practically required for the later difficulty levels. Put 5 points into Dex and Magic each, unlock these, and you'll wonder how you lived without them.

2. Hoarding items

I had 200 elixirs in storage because I was scared to use them. Use them. You'll find more. The game literally showers you with healing items. If your elixir stock is full, they autofill to storage anyway. Stop hoarding.

3. Ignoring stance switching

Each weapon has three stances (low/mid/high). I used high stance 90% of the time because it did the most damage. Then I discovered low stance lets you dodge quickly and mid stance has better blocking. Switch between them based on the situation — high for big openings, low for when you need to be mobile, mid for blocking heavy combos.

First Boss — Mezuki (The Horse Demon)

The first REAL boss (not the tutorial bull). He's a giant horse-demon and he's designed to teach you how Nioh 2 works. Here's the strategy:

• Stay close to his back legs. Most of his attacks hit in front.
• When he rears up, dodge sideways — not backward.
• Use your yokai ability to break his ki when he's recovering.
• When he's out of ki, go behind him for a massive grapple attack.
• Don't get greedy. Two hits, then dodge. Two hits, then dodge.

If you're stuck: use a Lightning Talisman (if you picked the lightning-starting spirit) or any elemental damage item. Mezuki is weak to lightning. Apply the status effect and he takes extra damage from all sources.

Final Advice

Nioh 2 is hardest in the first 5 hours. The learning curve is brutal because the game assumes you know what a "Yokai Realm" is and what "Ki Pulse" does — and it never explains them well. But once you get past that initial wall, the combat opens up into something truly special. Stick with it. And for god's sake, run past the bull.