Hide commands a wide arsenal of weapons capable of taking down Human and Yokai kind alike. The Odachi is but one of them, and it hurts. A lot.

Weapons in any RPG can sometimes be the major determining factor in what entices players and encourages them to push forward within the game. Nioh 2 employs a modest number of weapon types while providing a near-endless variety of form and function to them from the very beginning. Axes, Tonfa, Spears, and even the complexly made and difficult to wield Odachi from the oldest of Japanese armories, supply a deep and creative experience for players as they traverse this fantasy era of Japan to slay enemies of all kinds.

Nioh 2 as an action-RPG pushes the limits of players rather forcibly while they traverse the mythical and dangerous lands of Japan during the Senkogu era. Riddled with Yokai, Demons, Bandits, and Samurai, Japan is a breeding ground for blood and chaos while maintaining an eerie sense of beauty and mystic. Our main character Hide was either blessed or cursed depending on the perspective to swap between their humanity and demon -self dubbing them a "shiftling". Using the powers bestowed unto them, Hide works with a merchant and Demon Slayer to find their path and survive the grueling punishments of living alongside such terrifying and bloodthirsty creatures. Using a colorful and unique array of weapons including the Odachi, there are many ways to maximize Hide's potential and bring about the destruction of anyone who dares obstruct their path.

Best Odachi Builds in Nioh 2

 Stats

The idea of a "best build" might seem a little bit off considering the game allows a free-flowing method of customization for Hide. So when using the word "best", the idea is that players are making the most out of their build depending on whatever stats or weapon skills they choose to base their version of Hide around. Basically a "best build" should be what works best for the individual player. For the Odachi, "best" builds will heavily rely on the correct stats in order to fully bring out it's potential. Every weapon has a total of 3 specific stats that increase it's over all power and no weapon uses the exact same 3 stats. These stats are ranked 1st, 2nd, and 3rd with the first having the greatest effect, and the 3rd having little to barely any at all. However, in the case of the Odachi, there is a second type which scales the second and third stats in the exact same way.

Type 1 Odachi

• Strength B+/ Stamina C+/ Heart D+

Type 2 Odachi

• Strength B+/ Stamina C/ Heart C
• Strength: The Core Stat required to activate the special effects of heavy armor. This stat also affects your resistance to water.
• Stamina: Affects your life, and your maximum Equipment Weight.
• Heart: Affects your Ki, and your resistance to Fire.

Having a clear understanding of how stats scale in Nioh 2 will make it much easier to determine which methods for scaling Hide are most effective for certain builds. At the very least, know that most stats start to "cap" around level 10. So rounding out Hide earlier on in the game will pay off greatly once players begin leveling up the main weapon stat as a primary focus. So, as players reach level 20-30, their stats should start looking like this.

Lv. 30 > Constitution 10/ Heart 10/ Courage 10/ Stamina 10/ Strength 15/ Skill 5/ Dexterity 5/ Magic 6/.

Afterward, as players get closer to level 100, continue leveling up Strength while slightly increasing Stamina and Heart every few levels. After level 150, players may look like this.

 Lv. 150+ > Constitution 10/ Heart 20/ Courage 10/ Stamina 30/ Strength (99)/ Skill 5/ Dexterity 5/ Magic 10/.

Odachi Techniques

Due to the massive size of the Odachi and its range, it isn't one of the fastest weapons but it is capable of hitting multiple targets. Utilizing moves that allow to keep multiple enemies in check or overwhelm a single foe is where the Odachi shines and shows it's true potential. High Stance techniques cause the most damage while Mid stance is balanced, doesn't consume too much Ki per strike, and decimates an opponents Ki severely. Ki is basically Hide's "stamina" meter for attacking, but since stamina in this game refers to carrying capacity and weapon/armor encumbrance, Ki has been used instead. These techniques are highly effective in most situations, while some better against Yokai and others against humans.

• Twin Moons: Rapidly Slashes upward twice (High Stance Only)
• Charging Bull (Human effective): Slashes downward with the Odachi. If the attack reduces an enemy’s Ki to zero, it will knock them down. (Mid Stance Only)
• Devastating Rush: Builds up power while drawing the Odachi, then unleashes a fierce thrust forward.
• Bolting Boar: Side Step an enemy attack before knocking them to the ground.
• Moonlit Snow (Yokai effective): Press the triangle button to perform up to three powerful hits in succession. The technique can be changed by pressing and holding down the triangle button from any stance.
• Crashing Waves: Crashes into the enemy, knocking them off balance.

Weapons and Armor in Nioh 2

As mentioned before, how players raise the second and third stats is completely up to what weapon they are using. In this way, builds may revolve around entirely on a single weapon or technique. It is possible to create a build entirely around shuriken and spells, which would involve increasing Ninjutsu capacity and potency that is controlled by Magic/Dexterity. Weapons that allow for fast attacks and complement the Magic/Dexterity stats are the Switch Glaive, Tonfa, Hatchets, and Kusarigama. Low stances allow for fast moment and dodges, as well as overwhelming enemies with a series of attacks, but the damage is lower so this is where armor abilities that increase the damage output for low stances attacks and decrease the Ki drain would truly shine. The Dual swords are the fastest weapons in the game regardless of stance but do not pair impeccably well stat-wise with a shuriken or ninjutsu build.

So, picking a weapon as well as complimentary armor can go a long way in strengthening builds for Hide as well as maximizing the effectiveness of techniques. There is no ideal "best weapon" or "best armor" for the odachi but the more effective armor would be heavy armor or medium, as long as Stamina is scaled appropriately. Armor shouldn't exceed a maximum of 70%-75% encumbrance especially during high-level battles for Hide's agility to be effective. Some of the "best" armor sets or even pieces would be The Obsidian Armor, Yokai Annihilator for earlier to mid-game, Omnyo Warrior, and Moon Prayer. These armor sets have the capacity to increase the base effectiveness of Hide's Strength, the primary damage stat for Odachi. Increase in overall Life, Melee Damage, as well as Damage Reduction are common among these armor sets and or some of the most important for wielding the Odachi. Adding abilities such as Life steal per hit or Ki drain by going to the blacksmith and pulling them off other armor pieces will make Hide much stronger and is the true essence of manufacturing a build. As far as weapons, that's completely up to the player; while there truly is no best weapon here are some of the most noteworthy.

• Futsunomitama - A lightning imbued weapon that has amazing potential for a lightning focused build or a build with the Obsidian Set.
• Taro Tachi -  water element-based and effective against many fire-based enemies,
• Ippon-Datara Odachi - element imbuing weapon that scales better with tempering,
• Kamui - immense fire damage capabilities worth a build all on its own.
• Yamato Odachi - low Ki consumption, great for players who like to fight on the offensive without worrying about redding out. (a state of delayed Ki recovery)
• Sekishu Kazusada - Bonus Active Skill Ki, and base damage.
• Bloodspider Blade - Extra Damage toward Paralyzed targets. Currently has an amazing build solely for paralyzing targets and destroying them. Partnered with high Constitution and armor that resists paralysis, enemies will be dead before they can even retaliate.

Making builds in Nioh 2 is all about experimenting and well, dying. Players have to first see what fails for them in order to determine what will succeed. While the Paralyzing build may be incredibly effective, it may not for everyone and that's what makes the flexibility in Nioh 2 so interesting.

Next: How to Upgrade Skills in Horizon: Zero Dawn (The Easy Way)

Nioh 2 is available on Playstation 4

Sources: Trytrolling Nioh 2 Stats Guide, FightinCowboy Obisidian Build.