Nioh 3 Ninjutsu Kusarigama Guide
Complete Nioh 3 Ninjutsu Kusarigama guide with optimal stat allocation, equipment choices, skill selections, and combat tips for hard difficulty ninja gameplay.
Ninjutsu Kusarigama Overview
The Ninjutsu Kusarigama build is the highest-damage setup in Nioh 3 when played correctly. It combines the kusarigama's exceptional range in High Stance with a full arsenal of Ninjutsu tools — shurikens for interrupts, poison for sustained damage, and Power Pills for raw melee buffs. The kusarigama scales with Dexterity, which is also the stat that powers all your Ninjutsu, creating a natural synergy that no other weapon can match.
The core gameplay loop revolves around maintaining distance in High Stance to bait attacks, punishing with long-range sweeps, and cycling through Ninjutsu to keep status effects and buffs active. In Low Stance, the kusarigama's rapid attacks apply Poison almost instantly with Poison Shuriken pre-applied to your weapon. Once Poison is ticking, you switch back to High Stance for heavy damage while the status does work passively.
This build has a steep learning curve because the kusarigama's recovery frames are long in High Stance, and your HP pool is low due to minimal Constitution investment. One mistimed attack against a boss can mean death. But for players who master the spacing and learn when to commit, nothing else in the game comes close to this build's kill speed.
Stat Distribution
* Target stats at level 150. Adjust based on your current progress.
Dexterity at 50 is the build's engine — it scales Kusarigama damage, increases Ninjutsu capacity (more tool uses per mission), and boosts Ninjutsu power. Skill at 30 adds secondary Kusarigama scaling and unlocks key Samurai passives like Flux II. Courage at 20 keeps Ki recovery acceptable for combo-heavy play. Constitution is deliberately low at 15 because this build avoids damage through spacing rather than tanking. You should not be getting hit often; if you are, the build is being played incorrectly.
Equipment
| Slot | Item |
|---|---|
| Primary Weapon | Kusarigama |
| Secondary Weapon | Dual Swords |
| Armor Set | Iga Jonin |
| Guardian Spirit | Nekomata |
Iga Jonin armor is essential — its set bonuses increase Ninjutsu capacity and Ninjutsu damage. The 4-piece bonus adds extra Ninjutsu uses and the 6-piece bonus increases thrown weapon damage significantly. Nekomata guardian spirit boosts item drop rate and Ninjutsu power, and its passive skill increases damage from behind, rewarding the flanking playstyle this build encourages. Dual Swords as secondary provide a fast-attacking option for enemies where kusarigama range becomes a liability, like tight corridor fights.
Skills
- Flux II — Ki recovery on stance switch during Ki Pulse
- Shadow Strike — increased damage from behind
- Ki Pulse: Heaven — dodge-cancel Ki Pulse in High Stance
- Kusarigama Mastery — passive damage increase with kusarigama
Playstyle Tips
- 1.High Stance is your primary damage stance — the kusarigama's overhead swings have massive range and high damage, but long recovery. Only commit when you know the opening is safe
- 2.Low Stance is for applying Poison quickly. Its rapid chain attacks build status in 2-3 hits, then switch back to High Stance for raw damage while Poison ticks
- 3.Keep Shuriken ready at all times to interrupt enemy attack startups. Many Yokai wind-up attacks can be canceled with a well-timed Shuriken, creating a free damage window
- 4.Use Catwalking before entering rooms to get backstab openings on unaware enemies. Shadow Strike passive makes backstabs deal significantly more damage
- 5.Power Pill should be active for every boss fight. Its damage increase applies to all melee attacks and lasts a generous duration
- 6.The Dual Swords secondary is for tight spaces where kusarigama range works against you. Switch, apply fast damage, then swap back when you have room
- 7.Do not waste Ninjutsu tools on regular enemies — conserve Power Pills and Quick-Change Scrolls for boss encounters and dangerous rooms
Pros & Cons
Pros
- +Highest damage ceiling in the game when played well
- +Excellent range keeps you safe in High Stance
- +Ninjutsu tools provide answers for every situation
- +Poison status deals massive passive damage over time
- +Strong boss kill speed once you learn the spacing
Cons
- -Steep learning curve with punishing recovery frames
- -Very low HP pool — mistakes are often fatal
- -Ninjutsu tools are limited per mission and must be managed carefully
- -Struggles in tight corridors where range is a disadvantage