The Nioh series is known for its brutal difficulty, having some of the most challenging bosses in the entire Soulslike genre. They test the player’s patience, reflexes, and skills, leaving barely any room for error.
Nioh 3 hits the ground running with an incredibly challenging boss in the first area, Yamagata Masakage. Most players don’t have much time to practice before they encounter this fight, due to how close it is to the beginning of the game, so dying many times is likely.
However, there are strategies to utilize during this boss fight that can make it significantly easier. Read further to learn how to beat Yamagata Masakage in Nioh 3.
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Finding Yamagata Masakage
Players will encounter Yamagata Masakage during the main quest of Nioh 3. The quest is called “The Battle of Hikotoko Slope,” and it comes shortly after picking your weapon and completing the tutorial area.
Once this quest begins, finding Yamagata Masakage is as easy as following the main path of Hikotoko Slope. You’ll eventually reach a giant tent with a brutal fight going on inside between soldiers and Yamagata. After entering this tent, the boss fight will begin.
Yamagata Masakage Moveset
Even though Yamagata Masakage is a difficult boss due to his surprising speed, his movesets are pretty basic and are fairly easy to learn. Luckily there is only one phase for this boss fight, so the attack patterns are consistent throughout the whole fight. Check out the grid below to learn of Yamagata Masakage’s moveset.
| Moveset | Description |
|---|---|
| Quadruple Slash | Yamagata will spin his sword above his head and then swing it four times at the player. On the fourth swing, he slams the sword into the ground for AoE damage. |
| Spin Uppercut | Yamagata will spin in a circle two times with his sword out. After the second swing, he uppercuts with his sword. |
| Slash and Smash | Yamagata brings his sword to the side and then swings it three times in front of him. After, he jumps in the air and slams his sword to the ground. |
| Stab | Yamagata will sometimes follow up his attacks with a long stab. You can tell this is coming if he straightens his sword and pulls it back. |
| Charged Stab | Yamagata will charge toward the player and stab directly in front of him. |
| Grab Attack | Yamagata will pull his sword back, the sword glows yellow and black, and then he stabs it toward the player. This is Yamagata’s grab attack, so if it connects, he will pick the player up and smash them to the ground for high damage. |
| Burst Attack | Yamagata will spin in a circle twice and then execute a Burst Attack that can be countered with a Style switch. |
How to Beat Yamagata Masakage
The best way to fight Yamagata Masakage is in Ninja style due to its increased speed. Yamagata has quick attack patterns, so fighting in Samurai style will put you at a significant disadvantage. You will run through his ki pretty quickly in Ninja mode, allowing you to pull in your Grapple and remove a nice big chunk from his health bar.
The best way to approach this fight is to keep your distance and only charge in when the boss has completed his attack. All of Yamagata’s attacks have a window afterward, giving you the perfect time to rush in and unload a series of attacks on him.
The most telegraphed, and best attack that I found to land a few good hits of your own is the Slash and Smash. It’s pretty easy to position yourself behind him as he lands the fourth and final jump attack
Keeping your distance from Yamagata and only approaching during that window of opportunity will ensure that you don’t take any unnecessary damage since Yamagata’s attacks don’t have much range on them.
Simply put, you’re going to follow a “bob in and out” method, as I like to call it. It’s as follows: wait for Yamagata to finish an attack, charge in to deal damage, retreat, and then repeat.
It may take a while for the boss to go down with this method, but this is a sure-fire way to come out on top. Remember to remain in Ninja form for most of the fight, as it’s easier to bob in and out due to Ninja’s speed.
However, you still want to execute a Style switch when Yamagata does Burst Attacks (indicated by a red glow). Changing a Style right when Burst Attacks land will completely stun Yamagata, allowing you to deal a ton of damage.
While you’re keeping your distance and being patient, if you see Yamagata about to use a Burst Attack, run in and execute a stance change to stun him. And, of course, if Yamagata ends up getting close enough to damage you, make sure to use Ninja’s Mist dash to dodge through the attack.
Lastly, make sure you use your Guardian Spirit when the meter is completely filled to deal some serious damage to Yamagata. If you continue to have trouble after all these tips, then I suggest inviting another player to your game to help you out.
Yamagata Masakage Rewards
The rewards for defeating Yamagata Masakage are random due to the RNG nature of the game. However, you can expect to get various equipment pieces such as Longbows, Waist Guards, Greaves, etc.
Additionally, players can expect the mission Escape from Hitokoto Slope to be added to the Battle Scroll. This will allow you to replay this mission as many times as you’d like and truly master the fight against Yamagata Masakage.
