How to defeat Takeda Shingen in Nioh 3 (The Battle of Mikatagahara)

Takeda Shingen in Nioh 3 is the first major antagonist of the game, and you will have to fight against him during the concluding hours of the Warring States story arc. During The Battle of Mikatagahara mission, you will face off against him for the first time.

This article will cover how to defeat Takeda Shingen in Nioh 3 during The Battle of Mikatagahara main story quest.

How to defeat Takeda Shingen in Nioh 3 (The Battle of Mikatagahara)

During The Battle of Mikatagahara main story quest in Nioh 3, you will come face-to-face against Takeda Shingen, a rival daimyo to the Tokugawa, who is fighting your grandfather, Tokugawa Ieyasu, for the seat of the shogun. Once you defeat Yamagata Masakage, a Crucible will form, and as you try to destroy its core, the final obstacle will be Takeda Shingen in Nioh 3.

Let’s take a look at how to counter his moves and defeat him:

Best setup

• Guardian Spirit (Samurai): Shin-Roku
• Guardian Spirit (Ninja): Kusagami
• Hino-enma summon

Most of your build will depend on what weapon and gear you are compatible with. But when it comes to your Guardian Spirit, use Shin-Roku and Kusagami, as they work the best due to Takeda Shingen being resistant to Wind and Fire. Summon will also depend on you, but having the Hino-enma (Abundant Evil side quest) will allow you to momentarily paralyze the boss.

How to defeat Takeda Shingen in Nioh 3

Takeda Shingen (Image via Koei Tecmo)

Attack Patterns

• Shingen can begin the battle with either one of the following two moves: He will charge at you and swing his Naginata, or he will jump and bring down his Naginata on your head. You can dodge both
• Shingen can block your attacks. Make sure to get to a slight range and hit him with your Ninjutsu to break his defensive stance (indicated by white talismans flying out). He will counter you if you try to hit him with your melee attacks during this time.
• Shingen’s attacks will mostly be a swing and then a thrust.
• Be careful of his unblockable attack, where he will thrust his Naginata forward. If he grabs you, he will initiate a finisher.
• His burst attack can be countered by activating your burst counter as his weapon is about to land on you.
• After you land enough damage (chip his HP down to 60 percent), he will ignite his weapon. Most of his combos will remain the same.
• There is an additional attack that he will initiate, where he will call upon his guardian spirit. Side step to dodge this attack
• At around 40 percent HP, he will gain Wind Damage on his weapon. In this mode, he can call his Guardian Spirit, which will throw three projectiles at you.

Additional Tips

• Use Hino-enma to block any attack that you are unsure of being able to dodge
• During the fight with Takeda Shingen in Nioh 3, you won’t be able to gain your Living Artifact bar that quickly. Call back your guardian spirit and farm the enemies outside of the arena.
• Try to save your Living Artifact for the final stage of the battle.

Defeating Takeda Shingen in Nioh 3 will unlock the following rewards:

• Basket Blade and Boar Cutter
• Potsticker Spear
• Reputation
• Title: Takeda Shingen Crusher

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