Players who want to try a new take on a Souls-like experience may consider giving Nioh 2 a shot. In the Nioh prequel, players take on the role of Hide, a Shiftling or a half-yokai who journeys through the Sengoku Era and eventually crosses paths with the warlord Toyotomo Hideyoshi. In this yokai-filled take on Feudal Japan, players would have to equip Hide with both deadly weapons and magical abilities, particularly Onmyo Magic that can give players a unique edge against these otherworldly beings.
RELATED: Hidden Secrets Many Still Haven’t Found In Nioh 2
However, with the many Onmyo Magic skills players can train, just which is a cut above the rest in their Nioh 2 journey? A lot of reasoning regarding Onmyo Magic choice has to do with knowing whether players want more specific benefits or general advantages.
10 Divination Talisman
While combat in Nioh 2 is certainly something to prepare for, a huge part of progression in the game has to do with exploration. And for players who’ve played their fair share of Souls titles, they know understanding the full depth of the minimap can spell life and death in most encounters. In the case of Nioh 2, the compass on the upper-right serves as the mini-map, and acquiring certain Senses can reveal particular objects for players.
To those who want to maximize their compass’s potential, they may want to rely on the Divination Talisman. Depending on the degree of the Divination Talisman, the stronger the player’s compass can become. When gearing up for longer exploration, players may want to activate this Jutus before proceeding.
9 Gust Talisman
In a world like the one in Nioh 2, where any creature is out there to kill the player, preparation is key for survival. And in situations where bosses seem nigh-impenetrable due to their multiple projectiles, a defensive measure such as the Gust Talisman may very well just save the day.
At its core, the Gust Talisman seems rather situational, given that the Jutsu only forces wind energy to circle around players to repel projectiles. However, fans need to remember that these abilities also work on boss projectiles and those from multiple opponents. When used properly, an enemy can have a nigh-impregnable defense from pesky long-ranged enemies, allowing players to use their Nioh 2 weapons more effectively.
8 Sloth Talisman
In a timing-intensive game like Nioh 2, the speed of gameplay dictates life and death. And in a skill-based game, sometimes players need all the time they need to pull off some more complicated moves. Thankfully, the Sloth Talisman is exactly the tool they need to overcome such problems.
At its core, the Sloth Talisman allows players to prepare an Onmyo Magic Jutsu that acts as a slowing AOE. Enemies hit by this spell will be drastically slowed, giving players time to maneuver around the battlefield to get some hits in or outright defeat enemies.
7 Sensory Overload Talisman
Why bother with elemental attacks when even the lightest of flames can make enemies explode? In the context of Nioh 2 gameplay, such a thing is possible with the Sensory Overload Talisman. Thanks to this Jutsu, players are able to enjoy the luxury of making enemies explode if they are downed, killed, or even afflicted with Scorched. Not only that, enemies caught in the blast are forced to explode as well.
RELATED:
Being a mid-to-late-game Jutsu that requires both Explosive Shot Talisman 1 and Devigorate Talisman 1 means Sensory Overload isn’t exactly easy to obtain. However, having this ability is extremely useful especially when players find themselves facing groups of enemies at once.
6 Impurity Transference Talisman
It’s said that an eye for an eye makes the world go blind, but in the context of Nioh 2 gameplay, an eye for an eye is a luxury. This is all the more apparent with Impurity Transference, which releases a slow-moving doll that, when hitting opponents, immediately removes all the debuffs present in the player. Afterward, the doll transfers all of them to the target opponent.
The Impurity Transference is interesting as a skill, as this can transfer up to four (4) of them to the target and doesn’t do anything if it doesn’t hit its mark. While this demands incredible aim and timing on the player’s part, doing this correctly can make the slightest ailments more tolerable for players to handle.
5 Extraction Talisman
Given how Nioh 2 is an RPG, it makes sense for players to want to level up to get stronger as soon as possible. However, one of the most unique mechanics in Nioh 2 is how its experience points, called Amrita, is essentially another resource that can be used in combat; key to maximizing such a gameplay strategy is the Extraction Talisman.
Through this Jutsu, players are now able to steal Amrita from opponents immediately as soon as they hit them, even with ordinary attacks. What makes this ability shine is when used in conjunction with other Amrita buffs, such as Auto-Life Recovery (Amrita Absorption) that grants life when players gain Amrita, which in this context immediately becomes a lifesteal ability.
4 Barrier Talisman
Sometimes, a player’s saving grace in a complex game like Nioh 2 would be relying on tried and true strategies - including good ol’ fashioned timing. Players need to remember that aside from Health that determines their life and Magic that allows them to cast spells, it’s Ki that allows them to do both attack and evasion. Running out of Ki spells death for players, and it’s the Barrier Talisman that ensures players get enough of it all the time.
RELATED: Nioh 2 vs Sekiro: Which is the Better Samurai Souls Game?
With the Barrier Talisman Jutsu, players get a boost in their Ki recovery speed, and they may even dispel Yokai Realm pools with just a single touch. This Jutsu is incredibly useful in prolonged combat, as the faster Ki recovery allows players to perform more evasive maneuvers without much risk.
3 Life Leech Talisman
Players who encounter any lifesteal ability in any RPG make it an instant lifesaver, and such is immediately the case in Nioh 2 gameplay once players discover the Life Leech Talisman. When activated, this allows the players to augment their weapons with the ability to make enemies release their own life energy whenever they are damaged.
What’s great about this Jutsu is how players can essentially just hang around these vitality pools to restore their own life. Life Leech Talisman is perfect during prolonged engagements, be it against groups of enemies or even bosses, where health is a necessary trade-off in order to secure the kill.
2 Protection Talisman
Due to the sheer difficulty of some Nioh 2 enemies, the right defense goes a long way for players who tend to get hit quite a lot. And in the case of outlasting foes, perhaps the Protection Talisman is a beefy choice for that extra tankiness. At its core, the Protection Talisman gives a certain degree of damage mitigation, with the Jutsu being able to neutralize a certain degree of damage.
While this ability is immediately associated with tanks on the get-go, this ability can get quite a steamy power-up with Protection Decree. With this passive, players can project their Protection Talisman to affect the rest of the party within the vicinity, practically boosting everyone’s defenses.
1 Guardian Spirit Talisman
There’s nothing better than having another creature fight one’s battles in a Souls-like RPG like Nioh 2, and the Guardian Spirit Talisman gets the job done. With this Jutsu, players can prepare a Guardian Spirit Talisman for casting. Once done, these summon Guardian Spirits that can fight on a player’s behalf.
What’s interesting about this Onymo Magic is that the Guardian Spirit Talisman is a minigame rolled into one, as each Guardian Spirit has various capabilities to bring into the fold. An immediate choice would be Tengen Kujaku, as not only does it come with elemental-based Anima and Amrita buffs, it has per-Stance bonuses as well. Other useful Guardian Spirits include Yumehami (Ki Damage) and Inosasao (Damage Reduction).
Nioh 2 was released last 2020 and is playable on the PS4, PS5, and PC.
MORE:
