Great Tengu is the first boss you’ll encounter in the Heian time period in Nioh 3. This boss can be challenging if you don’t play your cards right or use effective strategies to counter his attacks. He’s quick, deals high damage, and executes many AoE attacks that covers the arena.
However, there’s a simple trick to defeating Great Tengu, and it involves keeping your distance and waiting for the boss to use a specific attack. Following this method changes this fight from brutal to quite simple.
If Great Tengu is giving you a hard time in Nioh 3, then look no further than this guide. Read further to discover Great Tengu’s moveset, how to beat him, and the rewards you get for taking him down.
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Finding Great Tengu
Players will encounter Great Tengu during the main quest of Nioh 3. Right after defeating Takeda Shingen, you will be teleported to Mt. Kurama in Heian, a completely new time period.
Progressing through Mt. Kurama, you will eventually reach a gate leading to a building, near the Mt. Kurama – Temple Lodgings Shrine. Upon entering this gate, a short cutscene will play out and the boss fight against Great Tengu will begin.
Great Tengu Moveset
Great Tengu can be overwhelming if you don’t fully understand his moveset. This fight is all about positioning, so if you don’t understand his attack cues, then you’re likely to get boxed in the corner and take more damage than you should.
The grid below has everything you need to know about Great Tengu’s moveset in Nioh 3.
| Moveset | Description |
|---|---|
| Flying Burst Attack | Great Tengu will glow red and fly into the air for a second and then launch itself toward the player. This is a Burst Attack and can be countered. |
| Tornado Kick | If attacking Great Tengu from behind, he will move his leg to the side and then kick in a full circle. This deal AoE damage as he summons Wind magic with his kick. |
| Grab Attack | Great Tengu will do a flip and fly into the air with his fist glowing yellow and black. He will then launch himself toward the player. This is a grab attack and does a ton of damage. |
| Stab Kick | Great Tengu will pull his weapon back, stab it at the player, then uppercuts with it, and end with a roundhouse kick. |
| Double Spin | Great Tengu will raise his weapon over his left shoulder and spin in a circle two times, doing damage all around him. |
| Tornado Trio | Great Tengu will bounce on his left foot three times and then slide the opposite way, summoning three tornados. |
| Slam Kick | Great Tengu will do a front flip and jump into the air and slam down to the ground. |
| Grab Attack into Tornado | Great Tengu will do a backflip, fly into the air and execute a grab attack. If this misses, he will immediately fly into the air and slam down a large area of Wind magic. This attack comes when there’s only a third left of his health. |
| Lightning Stream | Great Tengu will ignite his weapon in lightning, bring it to the side, and summon a stream of lightning toward the player. |
| Kicking Burst Attack | Great Tengu will glow red from the ground and jump into the air doing a front flip. He then brings his foot down on the player. This is a Burst Attack so it can be countered by switching to a different Style. |
How to Beat Great Tengu
First, off let’s talk Style. I highly recommend fighting this battle in Ninja Style and only switching to Samurai when you successfully complete a Burst Counter. Simply put, Ninja is way more efficient due to its dodge and sprint speed. However, using Samurai after a Burst Counter will allow you to deal high damage to the boss when its stunned.
Great Tengu has a really bad habit of using his Burst Attack when the player is far away from him, so that’s exactly what you should do. You want to keep your distance as much as possible and only going near him after a Burst Counter or a missed grab attack.
When you keep your distance from Great Tengu, even running away from him when he gets close, he will most likely go into his Burst Attack to attempt to close the gap. While the Burst Attack is insanely fast, it’s actually really easy to counter once you understand the timing.
Great Tengu will fly into the air, glow red, and launch himself at you in the blink of an eye. He launches himself toward the player after being in the air for 1 second, so you want to press the change Style button at about two seconds after he jumps into the air.
After successfully countering the Burst Attack, move around to his back and attack it to deal extra damage. Once he gets back up, retreat, and gain some distance from him again. Wait for the next Burst Attack and repeat.
There are times where Great Tengu will choose to use his Grab Attack instead of a Burst Attack to close the gap between you two. If this happens, which is easily recognizable when he goes into the air and his fist turns black and yellow, you want to Mist dodge this.
If you successfully dodge the Grab Attack, Great Tengu will stumble and try to catch his footing, giving you the opportunity to deal some free damage. This is also a great time to use your Guardian Skill if its available.
Throughout the fight, Great Tengu may summon three tornados that will float through the arena. While these can deal damage, the main purpose of them is to cause a distraction.
Great Tengu will execute a Grab Attack or Burst attack with the tornados clouding your vision, so sprint out of their way to get a view of the boss. Don’t let him catch you off guard and get ready for one of those two attacks. Remember, Style switch for a Burst Attack and dodge for a Grab Attack.
I can assure you that this method will lead you to victory as it did for me. It may not be the quickest way to kill Great Tengu, but a win is a win.
Great Tengu Rewards
After beating Great Tengu once and for all, you will be rewarded for your efforts. Not only do you get a bunch of random loot of Rare or Exotic tier, but you also get the Great Tengu Soul Core. This Soul Core comes with Summoning Seal: Great Tengu for the Yang Position and Wind Shikigami for the Yin Position.
Also, defeating this boss will open up the open world section of the Heian time period. To progress from here, speak to the man at the center of the arena where you just fought Great Tengu and he will transport you to Kamo Village.
