One of the year’s biggest games also happens to be its toughest, and while we’re only in the early months of 2017, safe to say few games will top Nioh in terms of sheer brutality and challenge.
There are many different tricks, skills, weapons and abilities to help you on your adventures, but one specific set of gameplay features is particularly useful.
In this guide, we’ll take you through Guardian Spirits — what they are and why they’re important — and the ways in which they tie into Living Weapon abilities.
Living Weapon – What Are They?
The Living Weapon is, simply put, a power-up attack: once your Guardian Spirit meter peaks, your Living Weapon initiates, relative to what’s available with the Spirit you have active.
When the meter is flashed, press Triangle + Circle at the same time. The meter will quickly deplete, and will drop at a faster rate if you’re ever hit during battle.
Guardian Spirits – What Are They?
Put simply, Guardian Spirits give you passive protect, abilities and boosts while in battle. During standard combat, you’ll notice that with every hit you make upon an enemy, Your Guardian Spirit meter increases. This is located next to your health and Ki bar.
The more hits you make, the faster this meter will fill up. Once it does, you’ll be able to activate a Living Weapon, which is different in effect from Guardian Spirit to Guardian Spirit, but basically makes you invulnerable and gives you boosts across particular attributes.
These are the unlockable Guardian Spirits available in the game.
Kato Living Weapon Stats
ATK Enhance::: 20%
Fire: 30
Duration:: 14.8 seconds
Might:: 1280
Action:: C
Recovery:: A
Tenacity:: A-
Amrita Gauge Rate:: C+
Hi-Nezumi Living Weapon Stats
ATK Enhance:: 3%
Fire 30
Duration:: 18.2 seconds
Might: 400
Action: B-
Recovery: A
Tenacity: C-
Amrita Gauge Rate: A+
Enko Living Weapon Stats
ATK Enhance: 22%
Fire 42
Duration: 19.1 seconds
Might: 1400
Action: C-
Recovery: B-
Tenacity: B+
Amrita Gauge Rate: C-
Suzaku Living Weapon Stats
ATK Enhance: 15%
Fire 50
Duration: 14.6 seconds
Might: 1440
Action: C
Recovery: A+
Tenacity: A+
Amrita Gauge Rate: D
Isonade Living Weapon Stats
ATK Enhance: 5%
Water 30
Duration:: 21.6 seconds
Might: 1400
Action: A
Recovery: C+
Tenacity: C
Amrita Gauge Rate: D
Genbu Living Weapon Stats
ATK Enhance: 5%
Water 42
Useable Time 17.6 seconds
Might: 3000
Action: B+
Recovery: B
Tenacity: C-
Amrita Gauge Rate: D-
Narikama-Tanuki Living Weapon Stats
ATK Enhance: 12%
Earth 30
Duration: 20.4 seconds
Might: 2050
Action: C+
Recovery: A+
Tenacity: A-
Amrita Gauge Rate: D
Shinka Living Weapon Stats
ATK Enhance: 14%
Earth 42
Duration: 15.2 seconds
Might: 1880
Action: B+
Recovery: A+
Tenacity: C-
Amrita Gauge Rate: C
Daiba-Washi Living Weapon Stats
ATK Enhance: 0%
Element Wind ???
Duration: 18.6 seconds
Might: 680
Action: C-
Recovery: C-
Tenacity: D
Amrita Gauge Rate: A+
Yatagarasu Living Weapon Stats
ATK Enhance: 12%
Wind 30
Duration: 20.8 seconds
Might: 1110
Action: C-
Recovery: A-
Tenacity: C
Amrita Gauge Rate: A+
Izuna Living Weapon Stats
ATK Enhance: 5%
Wind 42
Duration: 21.0 seconds
Might: 1400
Action: A-
Recovery: C+
Tenacity: C+
Amrita Gauge Rate: D
Tengen Kujaku Living Weapon Stats
ATK Enhance: 10%
Wind 30
Duration: 20.0 seconds
Might: 1500
Action: B
Recovery: A+
Tenacity: B-
Amrita Gauge Rate: D
Kara-Jishi Living Weapon Stats
ATK Enhance: 22%
Lightning: 42
Duration: 18.8 seconds
Might: 1550
Action: C
Recovery: D-
Tenacity: B-
Amrita Gauge Rate: D
Atlas Bear Living Weapon Stats
ATK Enhance: 23%
Lightning: 42
Duration: 18.4 seconds
Might: 1380
Action: D+
Recovery: C
Tenacity: B+
Amrita Gauge Rate: C+
Raiken Living Weapon Stats
ATK Enhance: 15.0%
Lightning: 42
Duration: 21.8 seconds
Might: 1500
Action: C+
Recovery: B
Tenacity: A+
Amrita Gauge Rate: A-
Fuse-Ushi Living Weapon Stats
ATK Enhance: 15%
Earth 30
Duration: 20.4 seconds
Might: 1870
Action: B+
Recovery: B
Tenacity: C-
Amrita Gauge Rate: D
Mizuchi Living Weapon Stats
ATK Enhance: 7%
Water 30
Useable Time 18 Seconds
Might: 700
Action: B-
Recovery: B
Tenacity: B
Amrita Gauge Rate: C+
Gyokuto Living Weapon Stats
ATK Enhance: 5.0%
Lightning: 30
Duration: 18.0 seconds
Might: 400
Action: B
Recovery: B
Tenacity: C-
Amrita Gauge Rate: A-
Saoirse Living Weapon Stats
ATK Enhance: 5%
Water 30
Duration: 10.0 seconds
Might: 500
Action: B-
Recovery: A+
Tenacity: B-
Amrita Gauge Rate: A-
Aya-Komori Living Weapon Stats
ATK Enhance: 4%
Element Wind ???
Duration: 23.4 seconds
Might: 480
Action: A
Recovery: A+
Tenacity: C-
Amrita Gauge Rate: A-
Itokuri Living Weapon Stats
ATK Enhance: 7%
Earth 30
Useable Time 19.8 seconds
Might: 600
Action: B
Recovery: C
Tenacity: D
Amrita Gauge Rate: A+
Usura-hicho Living Weapon Stats
ATK Enhance: 3%
Water 42
Duration: 16.8 seconds
Might: 600
Action: B
Recovery: A
Tenacity: C+
Amrita Gauge Rate: A+
