I suggest you decide on a main weapon first before adding your stats. Swords, Odachi's, and Axes are not for the twitchy guys.. You will find yourself dodging most if not all the time.
Added Magatama and Title Guides at the end.
Disclaimer: I have only played Odachi[Main] and Sword[Sub]. Axe guide is there based on my knowledge of pow weapons and my impressions after using an axe for fun. If you're gonna ask me why do I switch between Swords and Odachi's, then the answer is inside the guide. Oh and Fierce God too.
I. Swords
- Disadvantages:
- Mostly single target
Damage per hit is only average
SP usage is very high
Mobbing is very limited
Stronger skills use a lot of durability and sp
- Fast and Light - Best usage is hit and run. Unless you're using leaping strike, 3 skills can be used in less than 2 seconds for the fastest melee burst in the game. Even normal attacks are good fillers.
Combo - Sword skills could easily be chained together without delay. The Sp and durability usage is quite extreme but if it's for boss rush dungeons like Yakumo Temple, each on can die within 3s, so it's quite worth it.
- If you're going solo and you prefer not getting hit, Sword is a good way to quickly pick off enemies 1v1. With the reward sword on the side quest where you do Den of Karma in Hell mode, you can quickly kill off Yakumo Temple bosses within 3-4 skills if you have proper Sword Affinity/Skill Mags. Take note that the higher-output skills eat a lot of sp and durability at higher ranks. It's not recommended for kiting mobs as the AoE skills are very limited, but against bosses you're the fastest melee in terms of mobility. Swords and Duals pretty much have the same role, but the main difference is that Swords are for hit and run by doing 2-8 combos in a flash then retreat, and Duals are for completely killing a target with fast, long, and fatal combos. For role purposes, swords can be used along Odachi and Axe due to STR, while Duals is a good backup plan for Bows.
- Against a large number of mobs. You will just be wasting durability and sp. Just switch to your Odachi or Axe if you're gonna hit mobs.
- As I've mentioned, Swords were meant for hit and run tactics. You go in, dish out a burst combo, then get out before the enemy reacts. You basically observe the enemy while running around it, find an opening, then quickly come, burst damage, then come out if it's not dead yet. Not recommended for normal dungeons without a spare sword.
- Pick off loners. Yes, that's right, kill those that get away from the Spear/Odachi guy. You're also extremely useful for distracting bosses or backstabbing them.
- Void Slash - Stabbing action in front. Limited range but every rank increase adds 1 more hit. Rank I has 3 hits.
Empty Sky Slash - Maximum of 5 frontal slashes at rank V. Basically a slashing combo that doesn't need additional right clicks to use.
Lunge Step - At a maximum range of 10m, you dash at the enemy then unleash a certain combo length depending on the skill rank. Note that you will stop if the enemy hit box is near, but it is possible to rush past it if you just graze the enemy hit box.
Dancer's Strike - Hit and Jump back skill. Hits increase every 3 ranks?[unconfirmed] starting at 1 hit at rank I. Jump back distance also increases as rank goes higher.
Leaping Strike - Leap into the air then hit the ground with a downward slash. Has decent AoE but the leaping animation takes some time. Jp wikia says you can dodge whatever you could jump over of(Example: Mukade burrow) and that jump height increases with rank.
Double Edge - 1 hit spin slash to the front. Max hp = 0.5x dmg, 1hp = 2.0x dmg. Increase dmg per rank?
Crimson Slash - straightforward fiery slash combo. Starts with 2 hits at rank II, then increasing by 1 per 2 ranks.
Thunder Slash - 1 hit spin slash to the front with thunder attribute. Can reduce p.def by 35%? Increased dmg per rank. Great opening skill if you don't have Lunge Step.
Dust Storm Blast - Basically a frontal spin leap strike with the earth AoE damage from the blade's tip. Better usage on Odachi. Just more dmg per rank.
Oni Blast - Well, everyone is acquainted with this skill.
Grim Strike - Fast multi-hit frontal AoE skill. Rank V has 2 hits and Rank VI+ has 3 hits.
Sacrifice - [-50% hp]. Basically a Kamikaze skill. Great combo with double edge.
Collapsing Blade - Extreme Durability usage for Extreme dmg output. use with caution.
Blue Fang Blade - Ranged slash. You can even shout Getsuga Tenshou while using it.
Way of the Sword - Buff. 20s.
Fierce God something - Next attack always crit. Go ahead, use Collapsing blade after it.
I forgot the last special skill for Sword. Someone help?
- Try not to charge in recklessly and get out of range immediately if you make a mistake.
Kaga usage impressions: Not very good. Before departing Kyoto, you should already have an Axe or Odachi as a main. Sword is only good as a secondary weapon unless you have 3 really good swords with you.
II. Odachi
- Disadvantages:
- Slow - Obviously due to the sheer size of it.
- High single hit damages - Just a tad bit lower than axes of the same atk range.
Good AoE and good cast time - Very Good for Kiting then smashing the mobs up in 1-2 hits. Normal attacks have AoE too.
- Kiting, specially at dungeons. Until you position yourself for the best usage of your AoE skills like Dust Storm Blast, you basically run around mobs until they're all cluttered together, then smash them up with your skills. Don't get discouraged if not all of them die, just do it again until they're all dead.
- Not much really. Odachi can also adopt a hit and run tactic like swords but they lack that equivalent of Lunge Step for closing in fast on bosses. Instead, they patiently wait for a larger openings from targets before engaging while swords can exploit even the slightest delays. Basically Odachi is very versatile.
- Kiting - yes, it's the lure, compress, then smash routine. It's basically the most efficient way of both dispatching mobs while saving durability and sp. Take care against ranged and lunging mobs.
- Collapsing Blade [Min Rank IV, Max Rank IX] - Uses a lot of durability for excellent AoE and reach. Gains 2 combo at Rank V, and possibly more at Rank VIII or IX. Dark Attribute.
Empty Sky Slash [Spirit Empty Sky Slash VI, Holy Empty Sky Slash VII, Min Rank III, Max Rank VII] - Starts from Rank III, with 3 consecutive high speed cuts of Slice Element. Rank IV has 4 hits and Rank V - VII has 5 hits. Rank VI and VII has Holy Element Attributes.
Dust Storm Blast [Min Rank III, Max Rank VII] - Slight forward leap and ground explosion at the tip of the blade. AoE increases per rank. Has super armor while casting, and easy side-dodge after hit. Earth Attribute.
Fierce Slash [Min Rank III, Max Rank IX] - Slight forward horizontal slash that generates a tornado. Rank VI has the largest AoE while VII has a two-part slash that isn't a combo and smaller AoE compared to VI. Wind Attribute.
Grim Strike [Sacred Strike V - VII, Max Rank VII] - A single downward strike with multiple hits with good AoE and reach. Rank V has 2 combo while VI and VII has 3 combo. 100% Holy, 50% Slice. Needs high skill level to be useful at rank V+.
Leaping Strike [Flying Lightning Strike IV/V, Max Rank V] - Leap then smash the ground. AoE is centered at the Weapon's center. Rank IV and V gains Lighting Element Attribute.
Sacrifice [Min rank III, Max rank X] - Sacrifice 50% hp for a devastating large AoE but Slow attack. Gains 2 combo at Rank V(?) and 3 combo at Rank VII.
Sword of Avidya [ -Flare- II, -Sever- III, -Hell- IV, Max Rank IV] - Fast horizontal draw slash with a rectangular hit box that traces the wind waves it generates. Even Ranks are 80% Fire 20% Slice while odd ranks are 100% Slice.
Tsubame-Gaeshi [Min Rank III, Max Rank VII] High speed downward then upward vertical stroke. The second stroke hits twice for a total of 3 hits starting at III, and adds an additional hit to the second stroke every rank up. 100% Slice Attribute. AoE resembles that of a rectangular box of the Odachi that extends slightly sidewards from the blade's edge.
Void Slash[Lightning Void Slash V, Max Rank V] - Forward stab followed by a wrist twist and retract. Rank I has 3 hits, and adds 1 more hit per rank up. Rank I - IV is 100% Impact(?) while Rank V, Lightning Void Slash, has 7 hits with 65% Thunder and 50% Impact Elemental Attribute..
Way of the Odachi [Min Rank III, Max Rank VII] - Straight Forward Buff, lasts 20 seconds.
- If you find an interesting Odachi skill on an good Odachi, go ahead and test it out and learn it's AoE range and damage mechanics. Simple skills like Void Slash gains multiple hits on higher ranks with limited range so just pick skills that you're comfortable with and use them as much as you can.
Kaga usage impressions: Still good AoE and damage, with some room to dodge quickly after hitting. You might have trouble landing hits on fast mobs or small-medium sized bosses.
III. Axes
- Disadvantages:
- Slow - Both animation and post-animation stiffness is quite a challenge to compensate for at some cases.
- Decent AoE and cast time - Some skills like Revolving -something- is a good hit and run skill.
Extreme Damage - Basically the highest damage per hit weapon in the game.
- The Axe basically has the highest single hit damage in the game. Period. If you can kill a boss in 1 hit, then why not? Even if you fail to kill in 1 hit, most skills are suited for smash and run tactics.
- Like the Odachi, Axes are very versatile against both mobs and bosses. The only downside is that it's not aesthetically appealing to most players. But if you only care about pure power, then you have your winner. Just take note that Axes have lower AoE range than Odachi so you might have to get close and personal on mobs and bosses to take them out.
- Sorry, I don't have enough Axe Experience to elaborate on axes. Would someone step in for this?
- Just learn about the limitations of your skills, especially the cast time, post-animation stiffness, and range, and you'll be fine using axes. It's not good when you almost kill a boss in 1 hit but the boss kills you in return just because you couldn't dodge in time.
Kaga Impressions: I'm sorry, let me interview an Axe user who's in Kaga.
Tactics on grinding:
Well, if you're here wondering how to do SF Hell by yourself, go ahead and gear yourself with a good Sword/Odachi/Axe with a slightly frontal long reach skill like DSB or Ougi's. If you have enough damage factors, you can probably kill them in 1-2 hits with IV skills and above. After that just circle around the mobs, turn around(camera wise) and use a skill while the mobs are lined up, then dodge to your left/right/back(character wise). Do that a number of times and the mobs will eventually wilt out enough for you to 1v1 them with your back-up/main weapon.
Tsujigami/Ittanmomen alert:
Their attack pattern is Twin Spinning Wind Blades>Barrel Roll of Doom>Opening dash to aggro. Basically you make them throw blades at you while you dodge, make them Barrel Roll then dodge again, then hit with your skill in front of you while timing their approach. Do that a number of times and you might just get through hell without dying. Spears are so nice right? They can still hit those damned toilet papers even at a distance.
Titles:
Just after Odin: Get that +200 hp title. You'll need it when you grind.
Early/Mid Sekigahara: Your Amaterasu should be leveled decently by now, so get that 40% weapon affinity for yourself. Do whatever it takes. You can skip this too and go directly to the next one.
Kaga: Concentrate on getting that Kagehide to +60 for the +60% all pow weapons title.
End game: Honestly, I don't have an idea.
Magatama:
Most recommended configuration is 4 Skill Force(SF) mags that are below or equal rank of the skills you use.
Early Game: 3 affinity mags, 1 SF/support mag.
Kyoto Grind: 1 SF, 1 immune to crit mag, 2 affinity mag or 2 affinity 2 SF
Sekigahara/pre-Kaga: 1 affinity, 3 skill force/support mag of your choice
Late game: 4 SF Mags
There's no need to explain much since only Axe SF mags are not rewarded from quests. The rank required by the mags you wear should be Rank req >= Rank of skills you use. So it's really required that you have good weapons to use. By the time you get to kaga, you should have figured that out already so yea, skipping this.
