This Nioh 3 Yamagata Masakage Boss Battle Guide details all the tips and tricks to defeat the Yamagata Masakage Boss. Yamagata Masakage is your first real skill check in Nioh 3, and he hits hard enough to end the fight fast if you get careless. This early encounter is less about damage and more about patience, movement, and Ki control. If you learn how to drain his Ki while keeping yours safe, this fight becomes much more manageable.
Yamagata Masakage Boss Battle Guide – Nioh 3
You will face Masakage Boss in the Escape from Hitokoto Slope Mission, and you should use Ninja Style with Dual Swords. This is a high-difficulty fight for a first boss.
Masakage is a large human enemy using an Odachi, and his attacks are heavy, long, and punishing. A few mistakes are enough to get you killed, so surviving comes before dealing damage. He has several dangerous moves, such as long combos, stabs, spinning slashes, grabs, and wide-area attacks. Instead of trying to trade hits, your main goal is to break his Ki. Once his Ki bar empties, he gets stunned, giving you a chance to deal big damage with a heavy attack.
Always keep an eye on your health. If it drops too low, heal early rather than risking another hit. You can also use your Ninjutsu tools to poke him from a distance when you don’t feel safe going in. Since Samurai stances are not unlocked yet, Ninja Style is easier here because it gives faster movement and quicker attacks.
How to Defeat the Boss
At the start of the battle, Masakage almost always opens with a long attack chain. Use this to your advantage. Sprint toward him to trigger the combo, and during mid animation immediately run back out of his reach. Let him swing at space until his combo ends. Once he finishes, move back in and land your own attacks. This back-and-forth pattern is the safest way to fight him early on and also to deal great damage.
Running is extremely important in this fight. You are not locked into slow movement, and you can even attack while sprinting. Baiting his attacks, backing away, and punishing him after he misses will slowly drain his Ki while keeping you safe.
Dual Ninja Swords shine in this encounter because they allow fast dodges and quick strikes. Even though the damage per hit is low, repeated fast attacks are excellent for wearing down his Ki. Once his Ki is empty, move behind him and hit him from the back for bonus damage, then finish the opening with a heavy attack.
Try to complete full light-attack combos when you go in, but stay alert. Sometimes he won’t interrupt you, but if he starts attacking while you are mid-combo, disengage immediately. Never force attacks.
Your own Ki management is just as important as emptying his. Only attack when your Ki bar is mostly full. If it drops below half, stop fighting and back off. Running out of Ki while attacking leaves you defenseless, and Masakage will punish that instantly. This battle is all about maintaining pressure on his Ki while keeping yours in a healthy state.
When Masakage’s health drops to around one-third, you can activate your Guardian Spirit. During this phase, you won’t take damage, so stay aggressive with fast and heavy attacks. This should take a large chunk of his remaining health. Once Spirit Form ends, go back to your original strategy, which is to keep distance, bait his attacks, and only strike when he has finished a combo, and you have enough Ki to attack safely.
Stick to this rhythm, stay patient, and this brutal first boss will surely fall. That is all for this guide. Additional Nioh 3 guides are linked below:
- Nioh 3 Beginner’s Guide – Tips and Tricks to Becoming a Samurai
- Nioh 3 Best Weapons Guide – All Weapons, Best Weapons
- Nioh 3 Summoning Guide – How to Summon Friends, Benevolent Graves
- Nioh 3 Samurai Combat Guide – Tips & Tricks to Master Samurai
- Nioh 3 Ninja Combat Guide – Tips & Tricks to Master Ninja
- Nioh 3 Combat Guide – Mastering Combat Styles, Spirit Skills, More
This concludes our Nioh 3 Yamagata Masakage Boss Battle Guide. If you want to add anything to this guide, feel free to use the comments section below.
