NIOH 3 1572 CE Warring States Bosses
Here we will go over all of the NIOH 3 1572 CE Warring States Bosses and there are a lot of them to take down, 43 in fact as you make your way through the 11 Districts the first Era of NIOH 3 has to offer.
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NIOH 3 is packed full of bosses both optional and mandatory all of which having their styles, challenges and rewards. Here we will go over all of the bosses you can face as you make your way through the first era in the game, 1572 CE Warring States of which there are 43 available.
The Bosses present in the first era are, for the most part incredibly dangerous and designed to test yuor resolve as a gamer. If you are new to soulslike game or even the NIOH franchise they can feel impossible at first but they are doable providing you manage to balance aggression and defensive playstyles.
Going all out like a Bloodborne or Lies of P is a good way of getting your ass handed to you, playing a high defence game like Dark Souls won’t benefit you here as your guard will be smashed leaving you open to powerful stagger attacks. You need to learn when to run and heal and when to get in there and smash chunks off the bosses health bars.
Level up as you need to, there’s no such thing as being over powered when it comes to NIOH 3 bosses as they do block the way to the end of a mission so beating them is something you need to do and doing it quicker is only a good thing.
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Shop For Your Mug NowWarring States Bosses
The bosses in the Warring States are a mix of story bosses, sub mission bosses, myth bosses, World bosses and Masters most of who you will need to take down as you work towards completing NIOH 3 with some others being completely optional and tucked away at the back of a mission or area you won’t need to go as part of the main game. I have broken the bosses in the Warring States down into 5 main categories where they can be found which are as follows:
Story Bosses
There are 7 bosses who you will need to take down as you progress through the story in the Warring States and 1 optional boss if you fancy a challenge, all of who are as follows:
Yamagata Masakage
Mission: Escape from Hitokoto Slope.
Yamagata Masakage is a spear wielding warrior with an impressive range and a very high amount of defence. Take your time levelling up throughout the game then once you’re ready enter the arena and as long as you are proficient at dodging and Burst Counters (R2 just before being attacked with a red attack) you will have an easier time of it. Play a defensive game here more than offensive as going toe to toe with Masakage is the easiest way of being sent back to the Shrine.
Jakotsu-baba
Mission: Crucible Manifested.
Jakotsu-baba can be found at the back of the Castle Town Crucible and it is a pain in the ass to fight as you have extremely long range attacks to deal with which combined with the sheer power the heads can produce this fight can be over very quickly. Using a Crucible weapon with max Familiarity will help a lot as will going in with a healthy supply of Elixirs and a maxed out Spirit Gauge. Get behind the boss and punish not forgetting to block when the next onslaught begins.
Anayama Nobutada
Mission: Mirage Fortress.
Anayama Nobutada can be found on your way to Futamata Castle and he is a pain to deal with as he initially has 2 Soldiers and 2 Ninja to assist him and putting them down whilst trying to avoid Nobutada’s attacks can be frustrating. Clear the mobs as a top priority then face off against the very powerful Anayama whilst ensuring you manage your Ki very well. If you get staggered then it’s back to the Shrine for you. Tough Samurai this guy so bring your best gear to help take the win.
Baba Nobuhara
Mission: Mirage Fortress.
Baba Nobuhara is the big bad of the Futamata region and he is rough to take on as you will have to contend with high range melee attacks. A hulking figure who can clone himself and enough Magic to level half the continent. There is no easy way around it, this fight may take some serious levelling and reworking your build before you come away with the win. As we do in these sorts of games, learn through failure, learn what killed you then try and avoid those attacks a priority on your next attempt.
Yamagata Masakage (Yokai)
Mission: A Fiery Invasion.
Yamagata Masakage is back and this time he’s in Yokai form and also he’s gone and got himself a Demon horse just to really increase the difficulty. He also has a Spear imbued with various types of magic and there’s no mucking around, this guy is tough to bring down. If the jumping attacks or AOE fire blasts don’t get you then those quick turning 360 strikes will have a good go and if that fails he’ll then just straight up hammer you until you see the Shrine appear again. Make good use of your Guardian Spirit and go in with a fully charged Living Weapon if you can.
Kosaka Masanobu
Mission: A Fiery Invasion.
Kosaka Masanobu can be found to the right of the final Boddhisatva Statue in the Mikatagahara Crucible and he has a decent entourage as well as the ability to shatter your health bar. I seemed to be getting one-shotted several times by this guy so take out the Soldier and the Aberrant Warrior which then leaves you free to 1 vs 1 Kosaka. Don’t let up on him as his defence is very low so once you break his guard, smash him down with one good combo which should be enough to drop him.
Takeda Shingen
Mission: A Fiery Invasion.
Takeda Shingen is a tough boss, he guards the seal of the Crucible and he is extremely proficient with his Spear which can come in Wind and Fire forms primarily so any equipment you have to benefit your defence against those 2 elements would be beneficial. Takeda has range but it doesn’t seem to as much of an issue as it will have done in previous boss fights, his power on the other hand is mythical so stay away from him and play a much more defensive game than offensive to help survive long enough to put him down.
Takeda Shingen (Yokai)
Mission: Tigers Cause.
Takeda Shingen will quickly become the most hated boss in NIOH 3 as in Yokai form he is damn near impossible until you learn when and more importantly which way to doge. If you ever played Street Fighter, this is what happens when Blanka gets placed into a NIOH game. He will spin, use massive amounts of electricity including a very powerful ball attack and literally grab you where he then proceeds to try to punch you through the floor multiple times.
Myth Bosses
There are 10 bosses who you will need to take down as you make your way through the 15 Myths in the Warring States which are as follows:
Yoki
Myth: A Drop Of Hope.
You will encounter the Yoki boss as you try to enter the couples house in the A Drop of Hope Myth. Treat this Yokai the same as any other Yoki in the game, be careful of the strikes then take advantage of the long cooldown times to inflict severe damage.
Gaki Chief
Myth: Insatiable Hunger.
You will encounter the Gaki Chief near the end of the Insatiable Hunger Myth and it can be a decent challenge if you’re very early in the game. For me, I did the Myths after taking out Jakotsu-baba in the Crucible but you shouldn’t have that many issues in dealing with the Chief as long as you steer clear of the slams and smash those ankles.
Honda Tadaktasu
Myth: Becoming the Champion of the East.
Once you have cleared the enemy base in the Western side of Maisaka you will also have completed the Abundant Evil Myth where you will also fight the Hino-Enma boss who is technically in a Sub Mission which then unlocks the, The Champion of the East Myth where your sole purpose is to take down Honda Tadakatsu, a very powerful Axe wielding Samurai. Stay away from him and use faster attacks. Try and match his power and you’ll get slapped back to the Shrine!.
Nuppeppo
Myth: Headaches.
You will encounter the Nuppepo boss as you make your way through the Headaches Myth. After collecting the medicine recipe go back to Ieyasu and speak to Hattori Hanzo. A Nuppepo will then spawn down in the courtyard so get down there then give chase. Once it stops smash the blob down to size.
Ninja Yoki
Myth: Those Who Live in the Shadows.
The Ninja Yoki boss will spawn in the uppermost building of the village you need to acquire the key tom open in Iinoya with the Mysterious Ninja. Fight your way up through the mountain path then once you enter the building, take out the waves of Yokai before the Ninja Yoki spawns in. Ensure you stay back as this guy can smack hard so use ranged or burst attacks to negate the majority of the offence then punish as he recovers.
Ryomen Sukuna
Myth: Fated Land.
Ryomen Sukuna makes an unwelcome return in NIOH 3 and he’s no less pleasant than he was in NIOH 2 and with a similar moveset including spinning blades, an arrow volley, powerful attacks mixing fire and water elements all mixed in with a very high defence make this fight a potential brick wall. Use Lightning or Wind elements for increased damage and focus on learning the attack timing to stand a better chance of bringing this spinning ornament down!.
Aggrieved Warrior
Myth: Li’s Memento.
Speak to Li Naotora in Hamamatsu Castle then head over to the Enemy Base in Mikatagahara which, once cleared will task you with going to the Temple and killing the Aggrieved Warrior, a very powerful Samurai. Use your agility to overcome the challenge and avoid those high sword stance attacks like the plague as they can easily take off 3 quarters of your health with one slash.
Kyokotsu
Myth: Searching for a Spy.
Once you and Hattori Hanzo have the Shrine Key from the terraces you can open the wooden doors allowing you to go through and kill the Yokai waves which then spawns Kyokotsu. You should have taken several of these down by this point in the game and the boss has the same moveset so avoid the throw and critical attack whilst using aerial attacks to put this floating Samurai down.
Hattori-Hanzo
Myth: The Demon’s Regimen.
The Demon’s Regimen Myth can be started in Hamamatsu after you finish the Searching for a Spy Myth and tasks you with chasing Hayatemaru, a fast Scampuss whilst dealing with 3 waves of Ninja. Once you’re in the Amrita Waterfalls you will have a 1vs1 against Hattori Hanzo who wields a Spear better than most other enemies in the game. Use all of the skills you have learnt to put Hanzo down whilstwatching out for those hard hitting Ninjitsu techniques.
Onryoki
Myth: The Great Shogun of the Heian Era.
After you have have completed the Depicting the Tiger of Kai Myth you can speak to Lord Ieyasu who will ask you to lay a Candle Dish to receive Lord Yoritomo’s blessing. Before you can enter the temple you will need to take down an Onryoki who is in a very bad mood. Veterans of NIOH will remember these brutes well where as newcomers may be overwhelmed by the ferocity and frequency of the attacks which have more range than you initially think.
Sub Mission Bosses
There are 14 bosses who you can take down as you make your way through the 10 Sub Missions in the Warring States which are as follows:
- Otazu no Kata.
- Hino-Enma.
- Honda Tadakatsu.
- Cavern Ascetic.
- Magatsu Warrior.
- Ryomen Sukuna.
- Hattori Hanzo.
- Ippon-Datara.
- Kamaitachi.
- Four Heavenly Kings.
- Naito Masatoyo.
- Kosaka Masanobu.
- Baba Nobuhara.
- Yamagata Masakage (Yokai).
- Takeda Shingen (Yokai).
Otazu No Kata
Sub Mission: Princess Tsubaki.
Otazu no Kata is a very powerful Swordswoman who can kill you very quickly if you run out of Ki so managing your Ki is essential as 1 hit which causes stagger will see your belly cut open and you waking up back at the Shrine. She can be found at the end of the Princess Tsubaki mission which is accessible through the Battle Scroll option at a Shrine. Otazu loves to block so use any sort of Paralytic such as a Hino-enma Soul Core to stun lock her then punish trying to break through that impressive guard.
Hino-Enma
Sub Mission: The Demon of the Haunting Caves.
Hino-enma makes a rather unwelcome return from NIOH and she has been juicing since the first game. This Vampiress can paralyse you then shred your health down or she can just shred your health down without bothering to lock you in place first. Make good use of the Ninja style to evade her attacks then switch to Samurai for the punish.
Honda Tadakatsu
Sub Mission: Becoming Champion of the East.
Once you have completed the Becoming Champion of the East Myth it will then become a Sub Mission where you can fight Honda Tadakatsu as many times as you want to.
Cavern Ascetic
Sub Mission: Origin of the Haunting Caves.
The Cavern Ascetic boss can be fought during the, The Origin of the Haunting Caves mission accessible via the Battle Scroll at the Shrine and is a Talon Wielding Martial Artist who is very fast but has minimal defence so block or dodge the assault then return one of your own which then hopefully causes stagger. Be careful not to fall off the edge then return any beating you receive until this Monk is no more.
Magatsu Warrior
Sub Mission: Horie’s Fleeting Petals.
The Magatsu Warrior boss can be found at the back of the Horie’s Fleeting Petals sub mission which is accesssible via the Shrine and if you’re a veteran of the NIOH series you will know what to expect here. For you newcomers get ready to be chucked in a Blender as a Magatsu Warrior has 4 arms each one holding a powerful Odachi style with high range. Get behind the Warrior and punish until he’s no more.
Ryomen Sukuna
Sub Mission: The Apparition of Ryotan Temple.
Ryomen Sukuna is a carbon copy of the Fated Land boss. Unpleasant, aggressive and incredibly that you’re in his courtyard!.
Hattori Hanzo
Sub Mission: The Demon’s Regimen.
The Demon’s Regimen Sub Mission will be avaialble once you complete the Myth of the same name and strips out the Scampuss and the Ninja leaving you a 1vs1 against Hattori Hanzo.
Ippon-Datara
Sub Mission: Vengeful Blade.
The Ippon-Datara is a boss who will spawn in at the end of the Vengeful Blade Sub Mission and is a tougher version of the regular Yokai with the same move set albeit a lot more aggressive. Watch out for the horizontal swipes and jumping attacks which are best to be avoidied rather than countered.
Kamaitachi
Sub Mission: Groans in the Valley.
Groans in the Valley is a Sub Mission which won’t become available until you have taken down the final boss in the Warring States. Work down through Saigagake then take out the Army of Wraiths before Kamaitchi who is essentially a Wind God spawns in. Kamaitachi is incredibly fast and has a massive blade for a tail, it can also clone itself and spin around like a lunatic all in an attempt to put you down which it can do so with ease. Use the pillars for defence and don’t be surprised if you can’t put this beast down until later in the game.
Four Heavenly Kings
Sub Mission: Takeda’s Four Heavenly Kings.
Takeda’s Four Heavenly Kings will unlock once you have complete Tiger’s Cause, however, I doubt very much if you’ll be able to beat the 5 bosses which appear back to back until you’re at least done in the Heian, maybe even the Bakumatsu Eras. The 5 bosses you need to bring down are:
- Naito Masatoyo, a very powerful Spearman.
- Kosaka Masanobu, a parry Master who punishes lost Ki.
- Baba Nobuhara, the main boss from the Mirage Fortress story mission.
- Yamagata Masakage (Yokai), the boss from the A Fiery Invasion story mission before you enter the Crucible.
- Takeda Shingen (Yokai), the final boss in the Warring States Era in the Tigers Cause story mission.
World Bosses
There are 7 bosses who you can take down throughout the Warring States most of who are optional although there are 2 who need to be put down to make your life a lot easier if you want to get all of the collectibles which are as follows:
Green Shadows Blade
Location: Tokaido, Forest of Souls.
Ensure you are very well versed in the ways of NIOH 3 then once you’re appropriately geared and levelled, go to Eastern Tokaido and get ready to get a beating form a very powerful heavily equipped Samurai whose meditation you will disturb on your approach and he’s not very happy about that. Get ready for a brutal onslaught of hard hitting strikes, magic and a brutal thousand slash attack which can wreck you if you’re to close when it goes off. Take your time with this fight, get in a few hits then retreat, wait for him to come at you some more, evade the assault then return your own meaningful attacks. Tough battle this one.
Mezuki
Location: Tokaido, Tokaido.
Mezuki makes a return from NIOH 2 and can be found in the grounds of the broken Pagoda South East of the Tokaido Shrine and is an enemy I strongly recommend going after if you have either a lot of skill or a high level as this bipedal Horse is very tough in the early game. Possible, but tough and made a lot tougher with swirling attacks and a very nasty double kick designed to punish anyone who tries to take Mezuki from behind. Make good use of your Living Weapon and Yokai abilities to help bring this Equine Yokai down.
Kamaitachi
Location: Maisaka, Maisaka Junction.
Kamaitachi can be found wandering around Maisaka in a section of forest East of the Maisaka Junction Shrine and if you have played NIOH 2 you will know this cat blender very well. This time round she seems less formidable than before but this fight is still a challenging one. Enter the arena then use the trees for cover as you try and evade blisteringly fast whirlwind attacks, tail slashes and pouncing onslaughts designed so send you 6 feet under. Take care throughout this battle, Kamaitachi can turn the tide of battle in seconds.
Blood-Spurting Ogin
Location: Hamamatsu Hill, Mikatagahara Junction.
Hino-enma makes a rather unwelcome return from NIOH and she has been juicing since the first game. This Vampiress can paralyse you then shred your health down or she can just shred your health down without bothering to lock you in place first. Make good use of the Ninja style to evade her attacks then switch to Samurai for the punish.
Naito Masatoya
Location: Futamata Road, Silver Grass Meadow.
Naito Masatoyo can be a nightmare to deal as he has incredibly high defence and a serious amount of power, however, he is weak to both Paralysis and Poison so if you have any weapons or skills which can inflict said status effects you will be well on your way to victory. If he does prove to be overly challenging, just run pass him and continue on your way. Use the long grass to flank across the field on either side and he will rarely spot you. Then you can come back later and smash his teeth out. Tactics.
Bloodedge Demon
Location: Random (Kill Revenants then follow the arrows).
The Bloodedge Demon is a nasty little bastard who is formed by the amount of Revenants you have defeated in a given area. There will be a resonance appear somewhere in the World and the fallen Revenants will have their lifeforce travel towards the Bloodedge Demon who then waits for you at a given locale which is randomly placed.
You will see the resonance from a distance but it won’t be visible through rocks or other environmental blocks so keep an eye out. As for the fight this thing is brutal to take on and it seems to have every known elemental damage type tied to its swords and it packs one hell of an offensive arsenal. Don’t be surprised if it takes until the mid game or beyond to deal with this guy.
Demon Of Pride
Location: Iinoya, Sengan Waterfall.
The Demon of Pride is a boss you can’t go up against until you have taken down the Great Tengu in the Heian Era as you need to be able to run vertically up the wall. The Demon of Pride is a water based boss who can severely punish you per hit and there’s a lot of hits you need to contend with. I wouldn’t even bother trying to take this thing on until you’re in the 1864 CE Bakumatsu Era as your early gear will tickle this thing rather than do any meaningful damage.
Masters
Masters are incredibly skilled Warriors most of who you won’t even be able to fight until later in the game as you need Guardian Spirits to access them and for good reason. Most of these guys can kill you in a heartbeat so power yourself up before you go against these guys who are as follows:
Fuma Kotaro
Location: Iinoya, Omojiji Junction.
Ensure you have completed the Those Who Live in the Shadows Myth which then makes Fuma Kotaro become a Master who you can fight in the same building where the Myth ended. Fuma Kotaro uses his claws to great effect and you really don’t want to get caught out with no ki as it’s 99% an instakill when you grapples you.
Ito Ittosai
Location: Futamata, Tealeaf Village.
Head East from the Tealeaf Village which will be a lot more familiar if you have completed the Searching for a Spy Myth with Hattori Hanzo. Go back up through the terraces to the uppermost building on the right side where you can engage Ito Ittosai who is an Odachi Master who is brutal so come back later in the game if you aren’t good at dodging as tanking will require more health and skill than you’ll probably have when you first get to Ito’s building.
Sugitani Zenjubo
Location: Lake Sanaru, Lake Sanaru (North).
Continue through the NIOH 3 story until you have the Nekomata Guardian Spirit that allows you to traverse the water between the mainland and the island where the Master can be fought. Sugitani is a Tonfa Master and he’s incredibly proficient, I do recommend you work through Bakumatsu Era before taking on the Master as he is just that damn tough especially when he starts throwing bombs.
Taigen Sessai
Location: Lake Hamana, Horie Castle-Outwork.
Once you enter Lake Hamana in the Western side of the Warring States, complete the Disaster at Lake Hamana Myth to quieten Daidarra-Bocchi then go right from the Horie Castle-Outwork Shrine. Head left when you’re at the coast and over to the flattened area of rock and summon the Revenant who will be Taigen Sessai, an Axe Master wielding a gigantic Hammer. If you had played Dark Souls Remastered, this is what Smough would be if he was in NIOH. Incredibly challenging and surprisingly fast given the size of that weapon!.
That’s all of the NIOH 3 1572 CE Warring States Bosses, who was your favourite boss to deal with?.
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