The Frost Moon skills are part of Samurai Style’s core playstyle in Nioh 3. They all tie in with the game’s Ki Pulse mechanic, and once you learn how to use each of the three Frost Moon attacks for all Samurai stances, you’ll be well on your way to perfecting Nioh 3’s fast-paced combat. This guide covers the basics of the Frost Moon skills, including their inputs and when and how to use them in a fight.
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Nioh 3 Frost Moon Attacks, Explained
Samurai’s Frost Moon skills are follow-up attacks that players can use after using a Ki Pulse. All you need to do is attack to spend Ki, press and hold R1/RB, then (Square/Triangle/X)/(X/Y/A). If you use the Frost Moon skill tied to the stance you’re already in, you’ll perform the Frost Moon attack as per usual. However, if you use a different stance’s Frost Moon, you’ll also end up triggering Flux, which will give you more Ki back than a regular Ki Pulse.
To perform a Frost Moon skill, unlock them via the skill tree first, then press the button prompts listed in each of the skills’ info cards. For this example, we’ll use Frost Moon: Humanity, the Mid Stance Frost Moon attack:
- Spend Ki with attacks
- While in Mid Stance, press and hold R1/RB to perform a Ki Pulse
- While holding R1/RB, press Square/X to perform Frost Moon: Humanity
The same flow of button presses also applies to Frost Moon: Heaven (High Stance) and Frost Moon: Earth (Low Stance). However, keep in mind that when you’re switching from one stance to another, you’ll first perform a Flux before a Frost Moon Attack. Because of this, you need to press the stance button twice while holding R1/RB (i.e. press Triangle/Y twice if you’re switching from Mid to High Stance).
Frost Moon attacks count as Martial Arts in Nioh 3, which means they’ll consume your Samurai Martial Arts Gauge when it’s full. Doing so will make your Frost Moons deal more damage at the cost of consuming your Martial Arts Gauge.
Additionally, Frost Moon attacks have different properties based on their stance:
- High Stance Frost Moon deals the most damage out of all Frost Moon attacks
- Mid Stance Frost Moon has the most reach; you will either step forward with your weapon or thrust it toward your target
- Low Stance Frost Moon disengages you from your enemy, taking you a few steps back
By default, the Samurai Martial Arts Gauge has enough juice for up to two empowered Martial Arts attacks. Keep this in mind so you don’t miss out on potential damage.
