Like all of the previous games, Nioh 3 also comes with a Stance system that influences your character’s moveset during an encounter. Much of the combat flow in the game is based on how seamlessly you transition between the stances and make the most of the abilities that are tied to them.
There are three distinct stances in the RPG, each excelling at a specific type of playstyle. This ties in perfectly well with the Respec system, offering a fair bit of build diversity and flexibility to take on some of the more difficult encounters.
Nioh 3 Stance system explained
As mentioned, the Stances are a system that changes your character’s movesets during combat. There are three main stances in Nioh 3, each excelling at a particular style:
| Stance | Effect |
|---|---|
| High Stance | This is the more offensive stance, where you have a lot of attack power, but your movesets are also slower. |
| Mid Stance | Mid stance balances attack and defence. It serves as a middle ground between the other two stances. |
| Low Stance | This is the more evasive stance. Attacks and moves in this stance consume less Ki, and you have an easier time dodging enemy attacks. Low stance attacks are fast, but they lack the power of the other two stances. |
Apart from changing your character’s movesets, you will notice that certain skills are exclusive to certain stances as well. Hence, the combat loop in Nioh 3 focuses on you switching between the various stances mid-combat (or even mid combo) and making the most of the different skills.
This lends a lot to freedom, allowing you to have an easier time adapting to some of the hardest bosses.
Note: All three stances are exclusive to the Samurai Style.
How to unlock Stances in Nioh 3
To be able to access the Stances in Nioh 3, you will first need to unlock them. The first time you will get to do this is during The Hamamatsu Incident where you will find a Samurai’s Lock near the first Shrine.
Samurai Locks offer Samurai Skill points, and with this first point, you will either get to unlock low or high stance. You will mainly find the Locks inside chests or obtain them as a reward for petting a Chijiko.
Once you have a Samurai Skill Point, you will then need to head into the main menu and choose Acquire Martial Arts/Ninjutsu. Here, you will need to navigate to the Samurai Skill tree, where you will find the option to unlock either the High Stance (above) or Low Stance (below).
Once you get more Samurai Skill points, you will get to unlock additional Stances along with some very powerful skills that are linked to the stances.
How to change Stances in Nioh 3
Here is how you will be able to switch between the three Stances in Nioh 3 based on the platform you are playing the game on:
| Platform | Low Stance | Mid Stance | High Stance |
|---|---|---|---|
| PS5 | R1+X | R1+ Square | R1 + Triangle |
| PC Controller | RB+ A | RB + X | RB + Y |
| PC Keyboard | Shift+ Mouse Scroll Up | Shift + Left Mouse Button | Shift + Mouse Scroll down |
