Nioh 2 Weapon Scaling – How Does This Work?

Faced with a mess of stats and blades and not entirely sure how Nioh 2 weapon scaling works? We'll give you the lowdown on that particular interaction.
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The very latest in rollicking, Samurai-themed Souls-like action has been taking everyone by storm in the form of Nioh 2. A viciously rewarding title with a whole bunch of complex systems, we totally understand if the reception to it has mentioned that some things aren’t as straightforward as they could be. If you think you’ve been getting a bit lost in the sauce when it comes to the basics, check out our Nioh 2 weapon scaling guide to get caught up on one of those most important parts of getting good at the game. 

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Nioh 2 Weapon Scaling – How Does This Work?

Alright. Weapon scaling. Those words might sound intimidating, especially considered the various interlaced and layered systems that Nioh 2 positively bombards players with as you progress through the game. Now, there are actually some hard and fast rules for us to impart to you about Nioh 2 weapon scaling which we reckon will make everything easier, and the most important one is probably this: each weapon in the game scales off three different player stats. This scaling gives them damage boosts, so you’re going to want to tweak your stat investment if you’re wanting to use a particular weapon to its deadliest potential. We’ve listed off the weapons below (though we do have a separate guide on the types here) and also noted which stats they scale off so that you can better plan how you allocate them in the future. 

  • Axe – B+ scaling in Stamina, C+ scaling in Courage, D+ scaling in Strength
  • Dual Swords – B+ scaling in Skill, C+ scaling in Heart, D+ scaling in Strength
  • Hatchets – B+ scaling in Skill, C+ scaling in Courage, D+ scaling in Magic
  • Kusarigama – B+ scaling in Dexterity, C+ scaling in Skill, D+ scaling in Strength
  • Odachi – B+ scaling in Strength, C scaling in Heart, C scaling in Stamina
  • Spear – B+ scaling in Constitution, C scaling in Strength, C scaling in Skill
  • Switchglaive – B+ scaling in Magic, C scaling in Constitution, C scaling in Skill
  • Sword – B+ scaling in Heart, C scaling in Skill, C scaling in Strength
  • Tonfa – B+ scaling in Courage, C+ scaling in Constitution, D+ scaling in Dexterity

What you’re going to want to do if a particular weapon above has caught your fancy is to prioritize your stat allocation according to the three that they benefit from. As you can see, some are more effective with one or two of those three stats than the others, so if you’re truly wanting to min-max in the game, you might want to keep that apportionment in mind for your own stats. 

Now that you have our guide on Nioh 2 weapon scaling to help you, it should be a little easier for you to figure out which stats you’re actually wanting to invest time in so that you can slice and dice with the best of them (using a weapon that you love). If you need a hand with anything else in Nioh 2, why not check out the various tips and tricks that we’ve compiled for players like you in our dedicated guides hub for the title?


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About the Author

Ginny Woo

Ginny hails from just south of Mordor, and when she's not debating others about the One Ring then she's probably glued to an MMO or a JRPG. With Final Fantasy XIV, Destiny 2, and World of Warcraft on her plate, she's always got something to chat about and a sneaky guide up her sleeve. If writing's not on the cards, then she's probably drinking way too much coffee.