Nioh 3 Beginner Guide: Best Early Game Tips, Combat Tricks & Progression Advice

Nioh 3 is easily the most ambitious entry in Team Ninja’s brutal action RPG series, introducing larger open areas, deeper build systems, and the ability to switch between Samurai and Ninja combat styles in real time. While this freedom is exciting, it also makes the game far more overwhelming for new players compared to previous titles. If you’re just starting out, it’s completely normal to feel lost among the huge number of weapons, stats, skills, and progression systems.

 

This Nioh 3 beginner guide walks you through the most important early mechanics, hidden features, and progression tips you need to become stronger quickly. From combat fundamentals to gear upgrades and leveling strategies, these tips will help you survive the early game and build a powerful character from the start. And since Nioh 3 rewards experimentation with different builds and playstyles, tools like OSLink let you continue playing Nioh 3 remotely from your phone while the game runs on your PC, so you can test setups, practice combat, or progress comfortably without being tied to your desk.

Master Ninja and Samurai Combat Mechanics Early

If you’re following this Nioh 3 guide for beginners, the first thing you need to understand is using each style correctly. Many early-game struggles come from ignoring hidden mechanics inside Ninja and Samurai forms. Here’s what you should focus on:

 

Ninja Form: Use the Air to Your Advantage

Ninja gameplay in Nioh 3 becomes much stronger once you realize that many ninjutsu skills change when used mid-air.

 

• Jump before activating certain ninjutsu skills to alter their behavior.

• Aerial fire attacks become quicker burst damage instead of long ground streams.

• Traps spread wider when thrown from the air.

• Explosives can be dropped directly above enemies, triggering instant detonations.

• You can chain attacks after landing for extra pressure.

Beginner tip: Don’t stay grounded. Mixing jumps into your ninjutsu rotation makes Ninja form feel far more aggressive and flexible in the early game.

Samurai Form: Maximize Your Proficiency Window

Samurai form rewards timing and aggression. As you attack and block, your art proficiency gauge fills. When it’s full:

 

• Your next strong attack or martial skill is amplified.

• You have a short window to land more than one boosted attack.

• Quick follow-ups can result in “free” bonus damage.

Many beginners use one empowered hit and back off. Instead, stay aggressive for a second longer to squeeze out extra value.

Guardian Spirits: Not Just a Panic Button

Your Guardian Spirit skill is one of the most underrated tools in Nioh 3 gameplay. It can:

 

• Cancel long attack animations.

• Extend combo chains.

• Activate even when you’re out of Ki.

• Break you out of a stunned state after getting hit.

Practice using this not just for damage, but as a combo extender and emergency reset. Mastering it early allows fights smoother and see the best performance of your Nioh 3 character build. Understanding these three systems will make the early hours of Nioh 3 significantly easier and boost your damage without changing any gear.

Master the Movement, Stealth, and Mobility Tricks

Good movement is one of the biggest skill gaps between Nioh 3 beginners and experienced players. The game rewards positioning, timing, and smart engagement more than reckless aggression. Here are some important mechanics many new players miss:

 

Safer Sneak Attacks with Double Jump

You don’t need to walk directly behind enemies to trigger a stealth attack.

• Double jumping toward an enemy extends your sneak attack range.

• This reduces the risk of being detected before the animation starts.

• It’s especially useful against stronger enemies early in the game.

Tips: If you’re struggling with tougher encounters, opening with a safe stealth attack can remove a huge chunk of enemy health before the fight even begins.

Slide Attacks for Fast Engagement

During a dash, holding the crouch button triggers a sliding movement. Each weapon has a unique attack that can be performed from this slide:

• Great for closing distance quickly.

• Useful for dodging while attacking at the same time.

• Some weapons gain strong forward momentum attacks from slides.

Optimize Burst Break in Settings

Burst Break is one of the most important defensive mechanics in Nioh 3, used to counter enemy red attacks. By default, using Burst Break also switches your combat style, which can be frustrating. You can fix this:

 

• Go to Settings → Controls

• Enable Burst Break and Style Shift Separation

• Tap for Burst Break, hold for style switch

This small change makes reactions more consistent and prevents accidental style changes during Nioh 3 boss battles and facing other strong foes.

The Blacksmith Is Your Biggest Early Game Power Boost

If there’s one system that can instantly make your character stronger in the Nioh 3 early game, it’s the Blacksmith. Many Nioh 3 beginners ignore it and rely only on random loot drops, which often leads to feeling underpowered. Instead, you should treat the Blacksmith as your main progression tool.

 

Upgrade Your Favorite Weapon with Soul Match

Rather than constantly switching weapons, pick one you enjoy and keep upgrading it.

 

• Use Soul Match to transfer higher-level stats into your main weapon.

• This keeps your damage scaling with enemy difficulty.

• Upgrading a familiar weapon is often better than swapping to new drops.

This approach creates consistent power growth instead of relying on RNG gear upgrades.

 

Use Soul Extraction for Materials 

You’ll need materials to perform Soul Matching, and the best way to get them is:

• Take unwanted gear to the Blacksmith.

• Use Soul Extraction instead of just selling everything.

• Extracted materials fuel future upgrades.

A smart strategy is:

• Sell about half your loot for gold.

• Extract the other half for crafting resources.

This keeps both your economy and upgrade materials balanced.

Level Faster with Amrita, Spirit Stones, and Shrine Offerings

As a Nioh 3 Beginner you need to understand using the game’s leveling systems efficiently. Lets understand how to level up faster without grinding endlessly:

Donate Familiar Weapons for Amrita

When you visit a shrine, you can donate gear through the Make Offering option. But there’s a hidden trick:

 

• Weapons with high familiarity give dramatically more Amrita.

• Fully used weapons can reward thousands of extra experience.

• Lock these items so you don’t accidentally sell or dismantle them.

Instead of throwing old gear away, convert it into levels for your character.

Use Spirit Stones the Smart Way

Many players manually consume Spirit Stones from their inventory one by one, which is slow and unnecessary. There’s a faster method:

 

• Go to a shrine.

• Select Level Up.

• Use the Spirit Stone shortcut to consume only what you need (or all at once).

This saves time and prevents wasting resources.

Prestige Points Are Permanent Power

One of the easiest systems to miss is the Titles → Prestige menu. As you complete achievements during gameplay, you unlock Prestige Points that can be spent on permanent upgrades like:

 

• Increased medicine effectiveness

• Lower Ki consumption when dodging

• Improved stealth

• Bonus Amrita gain percentage

The Amrita bonus in particular is extremely valuable because it increases all future leveling speed. Checking this menu regularly ensures you’re not missing free power boosts.

Crucible Weapons and Hidden Skills You Should Farm Early

As you explore the world, you’ll eventually enter dangerous red zones known as Crucibles. Weapons found inside Crucibles sometimes display a red skull icon, indicating they contain a special Crucible Art. Crucible Arts can include:

 

• unique multi-hit attacks

• new mobility abilities

• powerful area-damage skills

• special weapon techniques not found elsewhere

Even if the weapon itself isn’t stronger than your current gear, equipping it and raising its familiarity to maximum will permanently unlock its Crucible Art in your martial arts list. You can then apply that skill to other weapons in the same category. This turns temporary loot into long-term character progression.

How to Farm Familiarity Faster 

If you want to unlock these skills quickly:

 

• Use Whetstones to boost familiarity gain.

• Activate buffs that increase familiarity from combat.

• Spend extra time fighting enemies inside Crucible zones.

A good farming session can unlock powerful abilities that stay with you for the rest of the game. Also remember that Crucible areas contain stronger enemies also known as Crucible Wraiths. While more dangerous than standard foes, they drop better loot and grant faster familiarity gains.

Guardian Spirits, Soul Cores

Your Guardian Spirits and Soul Cores are more than just flashy abilities, they’re powerful tools that can make fights significantly easier, especially against human enemies. As we discussed in the earlier section of the Nioh 3 beginner guide guardian Spirit abilities aren’t only for damage.

 

They can also:

• Interrupt enemies during dangerous moments

• Extend your attack combos

• Save you when your Ki is depleted

• Help recover control after being staggered

Using your spirit skill proactively instead of reactively can turn difficult fights into manageable ones. But one of the most surprisingly useful companions in the game is the Scampus. Unlike some summons that attack once and disappear, Scampus:

• Stays active for a period of time

• Repeatedly interrupts enemies

• Reduces enemy Ki with constant hits

• Creates openings for free attacks

This is especially effective against human-type enemies, who are more vulnerable to interruptions. You can obtain Scampus Soul Cores by:

• Following Scampus creatures found in the world

• Purchasing them from vendors later in the game

Despite its cute appearance, this companion can dramatically improve early combat success.

Nioh 3 Beginner FAQ

What is Spirit Vein in Nioh 3? 

Spirit Vein refers to progression systems tied to your Guardian Spirit energy and abilities, allowing you to enhance combat effectiveness through spirit-based mechanics and upgrades as you advance.

What are Crucible Wraiths in Nioh 3? 

Crucible Wraiths are stronger enemies found inside Crucible zones that deal increased damage and drop better rewards, making them dangerous but valuable targets for farming gear and familiarity.

How do you unlock Crucible weapon skills permanently?

You must equip a Crucible weapon and raise its familiarity to maximum; once completed, its special Crucible Art can be applied to other weapons of the same type.

What are Guardian Spirits used for in Nioh 3?

Guardian Spirits provide special abilities that can extend combos, cancel animations, and create openings in combat, making them both offensive and defensive tools.

Can you level up faster in Nioh 3?

Yes, donating high-familiarity gear at shrines, spending Prestige Points, and efficiently using Spirit Stones are some of the fastest ways to gain Amrita and level up quickly.

What are Spirit Stones best used for?

Spirit Stones can grant Amrita for leveling, but they can also recharge your Guardian Spirit or transformation gauge, making them useful during difficult fights or boss encounters.

Are Crucible weapons worth farming early?

Yes, Crucible weapons provide unique skills that can be permanently unlocked, giving you powerful abilities much earlier than normal progression would allow.

What are Character Codes in Nioh 3?

Character Codes are customization presets shared by players that allow you to import specific character appearances without manually recreating them.

How do you cast spells faster in Nioh 3?

Moving while casting Onmyo magic can significantly reduce animation time, and combining this with casting speed skills makes spells activate much faster.

What is the best beginner tip for Nioh 3?

The most important beginner tip is to upgrade your favorite weapon using the Blacksmith instead of constantly switching gear, ensuring consistent damage scaling throughout the early game.

Conclusion

Starting Nioh 3 can feel overwhelming at first, but once you understand its core systems, combat styles, gear upgrades, Guardian Spirits, and progression mechanics, the experience becomes far more rewarding. The key is to focus on a few important fundamentals early instead of trying to master everything at once. As you continue playing, experimentation becomes your biggest advantage, so don’t hesitate to try new weapons, skills, and builds to find what works best for you. And if you want to experiment or keep progressing without being tied to your PC, OSLink lets you play Nioh 3 remotely from your phone while the game runs on your computer, making practice sessions, build testing, and grinding more flexible wherever you are.