Nioh 2 Weapon Tier List: What Are the Best Weapon Types in the Game?

Nioh 2 sports a slew of different types of weapon classes that can appeal to all of our inner warriors. Ranging from the classic katanas to even more unique weapons we don’t normally see, something can fit a player’s niche. Though, like in action RPGs, there will always be something that is better than all. Here’s our tier list of all the different weapon types in Nioh 2.

Nioh 2 Weapon Tier List

Just as a disclaimer, just because a weapon you personally enjoy is at the bottom of the tier list does not mean it can be written off as being “bad”. There are a lot of viable builds for all the weapons in this game. With there also being no future balance changes, there won’t be many shifts regarding the meta.

S-Tier

• Splitstaff
• Switchglaives
• Fists

Weirdly enough, these are all new weapon types introduced in the game. The reason why these three weapons are at the top of this list is that they’re versatile against most of the enemies and bosses you face. In some cases, these weapons can make the difficulty a bit easier at times.

The Splitstaff, even after all of its damage accumulation nerfs, can still break an enemy’s ki stance, opening them up for easy finishers. It also excels in building up a specific status effect on an enemy. So many of its potential skills are multi-hitting and rapid. Finally, it has a range that rivals that of spears and odachis.

The Switchglaive is an interesting weapon in that it triples as a close-ranged guillotine, mid-range halberd, and a long-ranged heavy scythe. It also scales with magic, which is ideal for when you want to run caster builds in Nioh 2. Switchglaives cover all offensive options, even if you want to avoid using magic builds.

As for Fists, this is an interesting one. They’re like Splitstaff weapons in that they have rapid attacks with ki-breaking and status-inflicting potential. Their only drawback is that it requires you, the wielder, to be very up close with an enemy. While that might be a downside, they also make you very agile, having lots of combos that have dodging properties in them. With the right build, fists can have you endlessly attacking enemies to zero health.

A-Tier

• Swords
• Dual Swords
• Odachis
• Kusarigama
• Tonfas
• Hatchets

A majority of the weapons in this game are very solid and can definitely do some damage, especially with the right builds.

Swords and Dual Swords are some of the most versatile weapons in the game. Your character can equip two weapons, and these are never bad choices to have as a secondary pick.

Odachis are the best heavy weapons in the game because they have good range and attack options. They’re just overall larger swords that require more stamina and strength to wield. Because of those two stats, wielders of this weapon class can have almost any secondary weapon they wish without sacrificing stats.

Kusarigama, Tonfas, and Dual Hatchets are also extremely versatile weapons that are good for caster builds like Ninjutsu and Omnyo Magic. If you like lighter to medium-type weapons that can pair well with ninja-styled weapons, you cannot go wrong with either of these.

B-Tier

• Spears
• Axes/Hammers

These two weapons are still very strong, but lack in crucial areas where they matter. Spears have a very good range but are mostly good a zoning. They don’t have a lot of AoE potential like other weapons and can leave you vulnerable at your sides.

As for Axes/Hammers, they excel in dealing massive damage and breaking enemy Ki quickly. However, they’re just slow and can leave you open to taking unnecessary and oftentimes fatal damage. There are more niche builds with these two types of weapons, and they can carry you into the endgame. They just require more specific setups.

Nioh 2 is available now for PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5, and PC.