If you’re feeling overwhelmed in Nioh 3, there’s a good chance you’re not switching stances enough. Combat in Nioh 3 is brutal and deliberate, and using the right stance at the right time can help you dodge attacks, manage Ki, and land heavier hits. There are three stances in the game, and each one changes your moveset, attack attributes and how much Ki each action uses. High stance hits hard and punishes enemies, but it costs more Ki. The mid stance offers a balanced mix of offense and defense and is the one you start with, while the low stance trades raw power for speed, quicker movement, and faster Ki recovery. So, to stay on top of combat, here’s how to change your stance in Nioh 3.
Nioh 3: How to Change Stance
To change your stance in Nioh 3, you need to be in Samurai mode, as stances are exclusive to this mode. So if you’re in Ninja mode, press the Right Trigger (R2/RT) to switch to Samurai mode before switching stances. Once in Samurai mode, hold the Right Shoulder button (R1/RB) to bring up the stance prompts on the bottom-right of the screen. While holding the button, press the input for the stance you want:
- Low Stance – X (PlayStation) / A (Xbox) / Shift + Mouse Scroll Down
- Mid Stance – Square (PlayStation) / X (Xbox) / Shift + Left Click
- High Stance – Triangle (PlayStation) / Y (Xbox) / Shift + Mouse Scroll Up
On PC with a controller, the inputs use the same layout as Xbox. You can switch stances on the fly, making it easy to react to enemies during a fight. As previously mentioned, each stance changes your moveset, attack speed, damage output, and Ki use. High stance deals heavier damage but drains more Ki, Low stance boosts mobility and Ki recovery, and Mid stance balances offense and defense.
Nioh 3: How to Unlock Additional Stances
After you start changing stances in Nioh 3, you’ll notice that not every stance is available right away. You start out with the Mid stance, and the High and Low stances need to be unlocked using Samurai skill points. You can earn your first Samurai skill point during The Hamamatsu Incident by finding a Samurai’s Lock near the first Shrine in the mission. Samurai’s Locks can also be found in chests or by interacting with Chijiko. Now, to unlock a stance in Nioh 3:
- Open the Main Menu.
- Select Acquire Martial Skills/Ninjutsu.
- Navigate to the Samurai Skill Tree.
- Spend a skill point on High Stance (top of the Samurai icon) or Low Stance (bottom of the Samurai icon).
Once unlocked, you can switch to them anytime in combat using the R1/RB button plus the stance button. For more gaming news and guides, be sure to check out our gaming page!
