With many options at the beginning of the game, one of the most important is choosing a weapon.Nioh 2tunnels a player down one route or another, offering a buffet where the player has to choose a single plate.
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As they become more comfortable with the weapons, it will become apparent that ease of use and mastering difficulty will vary. Some weapons will seem easy at first, tearing through enemies until it gets to the higher-level play. Luckily, veterans have gone through the game already and named the easiest and hardest weapons to master, even for the beginner.
Updated June 27, 2025 by Rhenn Taguiam:With Elden Ring making waves as perhaps 2022’s breakout title with its combination of open-world Souls-like gameplay and a thrilling story, it’s no surprise fans hoping for more experiences similar to Elden Ring to look for other Souls-like games. And those who want to try out another skills-heavy game outside the realm of FromSoftware might want to giveNioh 2a shot.
However, in this game where the demon slayer Hide embarks on a journey to save Sengoku Era Japan from various monsters, players will find themselves relying on more than just their skills to succeed. In fact, they need to rely on some of the game’s weapons to determine what kind of approach fits their style of demon-slaying. WhichNioh 2 weaponsare the best in 2022?
10Switchglaive
The Switchglaive is one weapon trying to be three, which is something that, at the beginning of the game, can be a little tricky to manage. Luckily, it also scales with magic, giving the wizards among us a serious advantage.
Changing stances takes it from a sword, to a spear, to a scythe. Each one operates in different ways and makes it the most adaptable weapon in the arsenal. Mastering it should be a simple task since players don’t have to be picky aboutthe type of enemy.
At its core, the Switchglaive allows players to connect various attacks across different stances, courtesy of its Switch Stance Skills. Unlike other games such asMonster Hunterwhich forces players to focus on a single form at a time, the Switchglaive’s quick nature lets players get fast and loose in their combos. Here are essential things to consider when using a Switchglaive:
Cons:
9Spear
The Spearis a great weaponfor a beginner in the game, allowing them to keep their distance while dealing reliable damage. It’s not too hard to get used to and the mechanics are basic. Nobody should be struggling with the old point and stab.
It only gets better as the player gains more skill, zoning out enemies and delivering big damage without putting themselves in harm’s way most of the time.
At its core, the Spear boasts the best averages in terms of range and damage, allowing players to deal decent damage against enemies with the safety of distance. Its range can help players confuse enemies that have no way of dealing with middle-long-range attacks. Players who want to use the Spear need to take note of the following:
8Dual Swords
This weapon is perfect for those who like to dive in and deal heavy damage,with multiple combosthat can put any enemy on the back foot. The dual swords flow nicely in battle, those that stick with them for short while should adjust easily.
The best thing about the Dual Swords is the variety of combos that it comes with, becoming especially devastating in high stance. The only thing to watch out for is becoming overexcited in the attack and leaving big gaps in defense, something that’s easily avoided with a little patience.
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Perhaps one of the most versatile weapons in the game, Dual Swords emphasizes getting up close and personal with enemies. While it lacks the range necessary to deal with far-away enemies, it does have more than enough tools to close the gap. Speed is key to Dual Swords, and here are important considerations when using the weapon:
7Katana
It’s the standard pick for any beginner and for good reason, the sword offers good all-around stats that can be used for many styles of play. This is good for both beginners and those that want tomaster the weapon, leaving the combat open to different options.
Even defensively this can be beneficial, playing into the dodge-heavy style of the sword and managing distance. Once players figure out how to get in fast on the enemy, dealing fast and heavy strikes should come naturally.
Considered the most versatile melee weapon in the game, the Katana boasts not just the most active Skills available for melee weapons but also various tools. This gives players unprecedented access to single-target, multi-target, and area of effect attacks. Players can either deal damage in single or burst hits, but at the risk of being too close range to enemies. Here are some considerations when using the weapon:
6Odachi
The Odachi is definitely a weapon that can be made effective by almost any player. With no weird mechanics or lopsided stats, Odachi’s are the weapon of choice for those that like options. It doesn’t even need a change in playstyle; simple stance changes can affect the weapon’s use greatly.
Keeping low for fast enemies that won’t fall for the big damage attacks, while the high stance comes in nicely when facing a single enemy. Big damage is the name of the game and the Odachi always delivers nicely, a straightforward plan that needs only small adjustments in battle.
Despite its nature as a slow weapon, players who manage to manipulate this large blade can ensure the Odachi not onlydeals high-enough damagebut can even break through the toughest of enemy guards. Its dual stance option allows players to use the Odachi to chain both strong and quick attacks, making it quite a deadly option against stronger foes. Here are things to consider when using this weapon:
5Kusarigama
The ultimate ranged weapons in the game, the Kusarigamacreate some of the most chaotic environments to play in. While they will keep enemies at a distance, caution is needed because they can also leave some pretty big windows for a counter-attack.
It’s also pretty easy to fall into the trap of swinging wildly (the cool animations don’t help). Those that get familiar with the weapon will find that its strengths reach well beyond the range game, performing big damage up close and still having a solid grapple game.
While it serves as one of the main weapons in the originalNioh 2title, its usage in terms of combat isn’t as typical compared to other weapon types. As it directly scales with Dexterity, players can enjoy employing Ninjutsu Skills when playing with the Kusarigama in the game. Here are certain considerations when using the weapon:
4Axes, Hammers
If hitting with a lot of damage without having to swing too many times is the plan, then the Axe and Hammer are the perfect weapons. It’s getting that attack to land that brings the problems,taking a long timeto execute, and using up a lot of ki at the same time.
Despite its sheer lack of speed, Axes and Hammers have a high focus on dealing higher single-target damage and Ki damage while at the same time giving players perks in the form of damage reduction and toughness. Players who want to use Axes and Hammers need to consider the following points:
3Splitstaff
The Splitstaff offers players the unique advantage of changing the properties of attacks with its Fluid Form, giving players the ability to optimize their combos on the fly and depending on the situation given. As such, the Splitstaff has a lot of practical options that depend more on the creativity of the player more than anything else.
Some effects the Fluid Form offers are increasing range or increasing damage at the cost of Ki and longer animations. Due to the fluid nature of its attacks, the Splitstaff doesn’t have a lot of active skills and insteadrelies on the application of attacks.
Given how fluid the Splitstaff can become when it comes to a weapon, players have a lot of options as to how they want to perform their combos and synergies that can benefit their playstyle the most. Here are considerations when using this weapon:
2Tonfas
The Tonfas look great but present pretty obvious challenges right off the bat. The range is hard to get used to, especially if the player is offensive-minded, needing to get up close and personal to be able to do any real damage.
It also takes a lot longer to put enemies down when compared to other weapons, causing most to switch to an alternate weapon to finish the job. Defensively they’re great and willdrain the enemies' kiat an alarming rate, players should be prepared to adjust their playstyle around them.
Compared to most other weapons, the Tonfa boasts not just high attack speed but also offers beginners a wide range of options that can deplete the enemy’s Ki. Not only that, the Tonfa can offer players Ki regeneration abilities when blocking attacks.
Despite having multiple stance options, the Tonfa’s Mid Stance is likely its safest stance to use, particularly for its priority regarding attack speed and an intuitive moveset.
At its core, the Tonfa’s eye for quick attacks makes it quite an ideal choice for a melee weapon, especially for players who want to make use of their Ninjutsu more often without requiring it to be their main focus. Here are some things to consider when using the Tonfa:
1Hatchets
Most weapons fall into some kind of niche, making adjustments easy to handle. Hatchets manage to dodge just about every category, relying on specific skills to make them useful. This will put any player just starting to really struggle until they get some significant experience under their belt.
They have low damage, short-range, and struggle in the ki area too, creating an awkward experience until a specific style is molded. They can deal big damage at long range if they’re thrown,creating a unique situationwhere the player has to have great aim to be effective. Overall, hatchet players are hard to find but those that use them know them inside and out.
Despite their appearance, Hatchets have more similarities with both the Kusarigama and the Axe compared to the Dual Sword. While Hatchets do boast a similar speed as the Dual Swords, it lacks efficiency in close range and instead shine in mid-to-long range. This interesting component makes Hatchet an ideal long-ranged option, with the following being important considerations to its use:
Nioh 2is currently available on the PS4, PS5, and PC.
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