Takeda Shingen is the final boss of the Warring States time period in Nioh 3. While players fight Takeda in the Crucible earlier in the game, he is much more ferocious and deadlier here.
Takeda Shingen is a challenging boss for several reasons. One, his Burst Attack is insanely hard to time correctly, and two, his Grab Attack is hard to avoid. Additionally, he has a very large health pool.
If you continue to lose to Takeda Shingen in Nioh 3, take a look at this guide. Here’s everything you need to know about beating Takeda Shingen in Nioh 3, including his moveset, strategies, and more.
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Finding Takeda Shingen
Players will encounter Takeda Shingen during the “Battle of Saigagake” main mission in Nioh 3. This mission is the last main quest that takes place during the Warring States time period, and it’s impossible to miss.
For reference, it should take players around 20 hours to reach this point in the game. I recommend being at least level 50 when completing this mission.
Takeda Shingen Moveset
Before we get into how to easily beat Takeda Shingen, let’s discuss his moveset first. Understanding each attack will better help you dodge and avoid getting hit, which is very important due to the amount of damage Takeda can inflict.
The grid below details all of Takeda Shingen’s attack moves in Nioh 3.
| Moveset | Description |
|---|---|
| Green Slam | Takeda will lean back and then lunge at the player, with green wind surrounding him. He will slam on the ground when near the player, get back up and slam again. |
| Claw Burst Attack | Takeda will flip backwards, place his claw on the ground, and glow red. He will then slowly approach the player and after a slight delay, he attacks. This is a Burst Attack and can be countered by switching Styles. |
| Four Punch Slam | Takeda will bring his left fist back and punch twice with it. He will then do the same with his right fist. Lastly, he will slam both fists to the ground. |
| Back Flip Claw | If the player is attacking Takeda’s back, he may do a backflip over the player and claw down. |
| Grab Attack | Takeda hands will glow yellow and black and he will bring his hands to the side. He will then sprint toward the player in an attempt to grab them. |
| Fireball Meteor | Takeda will raise his arms in the sky and summon a giant fireball. He will then throw this fireball toward the player. |
| Wall Jump Slam | While Takeda is glowing Green and covered in fire, he will jump toward the player, jump onto the wall, do a front flip, and then slam down. |
| Fire Explosion | While Takeda is glowing green, he will jump into the air and land down to the ground. When he lands, the ground will explode in fire. |
| Double Wall Jump | Takeda will jump onto a wall and then jump to the wall directly across from it. He will then jump into the air, do a couple spins, and slam down to the ground. |
| Fire Burst Attack | Takeda will slam down on the ground once, causing a fire explosion, and then will get back up and glow red. He will then slam down a second time. This is a Burst Attack and can be countered by switching Styles. |
| Wall Jump Fire Ball | Takeda will jump onto a wall twice and then summon a fireball into the air, just to throw it down to the ground at the player. This move is very rare. |
How to Beat Takeda Shingen
Players need to be as quick as possible when fighting Takeda Shingen, so that’s why it’s recommended to play in Ninja Style. Remaining as Ninja will help you avoid Takeda’s brutal Grab Attack and will also help you get behind the boss, which is the main goal of this fight.
Throughout the entire fight, your goal should be to maneuver around Takeda and get behind him. Just like other bosses, Takeda Shingen will take much more damage when you attack his back, and you can do this by easily dodging around him in a circle.
Constantly dodging to the back of Takeda Shingen is a viable strategy since most of his attacks consist of punching in front of his body. So, following this method will allow you to deal more damage to the boss and also take less damage yourself, since Takeda has a hard time dealing damage behind him.
As you’re targeting Takeda’s back throughout the fight, there will come a time when he will execute a Claw Burst Attack. This Burst Attack is insanely difficult to Burst Counter due to the long delay before he swings. When Takeda places his claw on the ground and glows red, Burst Counter at exactly 3 seconds.
Another attack to watch out for is the Grab Attack, which has Takeda’s palms glowing black and him rushing toward you. The dodge window is very tiny here, so I highly recommend sprinting to the right avoid getting caught. If Takeda catches you here, he will do a ton of damage.
Remember, the key here is to consistently get behind Takeda, which is much easier in Ninja Style than Samurai. If Takeda turns to face you, dodge his punches, and position yourself behind him again. Continue doing this, even if you’re only getting a couple of hits in. These hits will add up, and eventually he will be dead.
Takeda Shingen Rewards
After defeating Takeda Shingen in Nioh 3, you will be rewarded with a ton of loot for your efforts. While most of this loot is random for each player, you can expect to earn Rare and Exotic equipment, such as weapons and armor. Additionally, you will earn Takeda Shingen’s Soul Core.
In addition to the loot, you will also be rewarded with an entire new time period filled with new regions to explore. You will automatically be teleported there once you defeat Takeda Shingen.
Don’t worry, you can always revisit Warring States whenever if you want to find more collectibles, complete side missions, etc.
