For a wide variety of reasons, Mezuki is one of the hardest bosses in Nioh 2. Most of this is due to this being the first boss, over Mezuki being difficult, since it’s your first real test of the mechanics and you don’t have many resources to help overcome the difficulty. Thankfully, this really isn’t that scary of a yokai, especially with the right tactic.
General tips
- While every boss has their own specific details, which are detailed below, these tips are designed to give you additional insight into how to improve at Nioh 2 in general.
- You always get three elixirs on spawn. There is no reason to be frugal with that amount.
- Spear is the easiest weapon to use
- Once you have a bosses move set down, don’t be afraid to invest in additional supplies to come out ahead
- Most fights follow a predictable arc. Dropping the bosses Ki down to zero typically causes them to enter the other world phase and dropping it to zero again will bring them out. There is also a timer but it’s good to know when these phases are going to take place.
- Build around your play style or where you fall short. If you lose in the other world, increase your resistance there. If you can’t manage your Ki due to blocking, increase your toughness.
- Typically the best way to block attacks is to do it before you take each hit, over holding the button down. Certain attacks have enough of a delay that you can actually block, wait to regain your Ki and then block again to withstand attacks.
- As you progress, look into useful abilities like sloth to help you overcome tricky parts.
- Don’t be afraid to use summons. Regardless of what people say, Nioh 2 is not a super easy game and there is no shame in using any and all mechanics to your advantage.
How to beat Mezuki
What makes Mezuki such a great starter boss is the fact every move is extremely obvious, there isn’t a wide move set and you’re given a good amount of resources. The best tactic is one of two things. If you have the Ki to withstand it, block attacks then follow up with a few of your own or dodge, wait for it to finish and then attack. If you can get the timing right, wait for the charge to do a burst counter, as it’s really lax on timing and relatively risk for due to the attack hitting you regardless of blocking.
If you’re still having issues, there is a rock that is to the side that will typically give you enough resources to yokai shift. Provided you don’t take excessive damage or get grabbed, using yokai shift is a great way to squeeze out a bit of damage or overcome the other world section.
Most of the challenge will come down to figuring out how to handle each attack. Often times I found it was far easier and less risky to just dodge attacks and avoid encounters. As long as you don’t get greedy, as a grab can and often will ruin your momentum, a lot of this is really getting the timing down and taking a couple hits here and there.
All of these tips also work exactly the same to kill Gozuki. The only real difference is Gozuki is a bit more happy to rush you.
