If you’ve been playing the Nioh Beta Demo and reached the boss battles, you will be happy to know that we’ve got some tips and strategies to help you defeat the Tachibana Muneshige boss battle. Nioh plays almost like a perfect combination of Ninja Gaiden, Onimusha and Dark Souls. The difficulty is high, but once you know what you’re doing and have a firm grasp on how the game plays, things get a little easier (seriously, just a little).
As this guide only covers the Tachibana Muneshige boss battle, we assume you already understand the combat mechanics and how weapons work in Nioh. One of the interesting aspects of the Tachibana Muneshige boss battle is that the boss has the same abilities as your character for the most part. You don’t have to worry about elements that you wouldn’t normally encounter elsewhere in the Beta.
Quick Tips
- Keep your distance.
- Don’t attack more than once or twice before dodging away.
- Use the Ki Pulse often to replenish lost stamina.
- Watch Tachibana Muneshige’s stamina gauge and go for a critical attack when it’s depleted.
- If Tachibana Muneshige’s sword flashes, he’s about to attack with a forward moving slash.
Tachibana Muneshige Boss Strategy
Your best bet against Tachibana Muneshige is to keep your distance. While it’s possible to parry many of his normal attacks, you take a risk every time you try this. If you want to play it safe, keep your distance. While you’re sitting back, away from Tachibana Muneshige, you’ll see him move his sword down to his waist as he prepares for a dashing sword attack.
When you see the dashing attack, dodge toward the boss. With proper timing you will dodge right as the attack executes and up behind Tachibana Muneshige. Timing is key here as dodging too early or too late will cause you to get hit or if you still dodge, you may be too far away to attack the boss. Ideally you want to dodge just before the slashing attack occurs at the conclusion of the dash so that you’re still close enough to get in one or two swings with your weapon.
If Tachibana Muneshige pauses and spins his sword in a circle, one of two attacks will follow. You’ll either see a dash attack similar to the one described above (and avoided in the same way), or Tachibana Muneshige will move forward with a series a short-ranged slashes. If it’s the latter, just keep your distance and you won’t have much to worry about.
About halfway through the fight Tachibana Muneshige will imbue his weapon with magic. From this point forward he will occasionally summon a spirit beside him. Keep your distance and wait for the spirit to lunge forward first. Dodge the spirit attack to the left or right, then dodge Tachibana Muneshige’s attack that follows shortly after (usually a lunging slash).
If you see the boss use a short-ranged jumping attack, if you’re close enough you can parry the attack or attack Tachibana Muneshige a few times as soon as he lands. Generally speaking you shouldn’t be close enough to do either, but sometimes the fight doesn’t go as planned and you’ll be closer than you want to be.
Every time you attack the boss you should follow up with a dash back to keep your distance. Occasionally Tachibana Muneshige will fire a few arrows in your direction. You won’t have much time to react to the projectile attack, but if you stay on the move you will likely dodge them automatically. Either way, if they hit you won’t take much damage, and Tachibana Muneshige doesn’t use the projectile attack often.
As always, pay close attention to Tachibana Muneshige’s stamina gauge. When it’s low, press your offense so you can break his guard and score a critical attack for big damage. Don’t force it if his stamina gauge isn’t almost empty. Pressing too hard will give Tachibana Muneshige an opportunity to inflict significant damage. Only go for a critical attack if Tachibana Muneshige’s stamina gauge is already very low.
Stay tuned to Prima Games as we offer more on Nioh as the Beta continues and when the game launches in full.
