Sekiro: Shadows Die Twice – Best Combat Arts

Sekiro allows the players to use a wide variety of combat art which can change the tide of battle in their favor. The more you know how or when to use these combat arts depends on how good you are at the game. In this guide, we’re going to list down the Best Combat Arts in Sekiro(in our opinion)

From Software went back to the basics in Sekrio. They replaced the RPG elements of Bloodborne and made one of the most fluent and responsive combat systems in recent memory.

Here is a summary table for all the Combat Arts in Sekiro: Shadows Die Twice:

No.	Weapons	Emblem Cost	SP Required	Skill Tree
1	Whirlwind Slash	0	1	Shinobi Arts
2	Double Ichimonji	0	3	Ashina Arts
3	Shadowrush	2	6	Shinobi Arts
4	Praying Strikes	0	2	Temple Arts
5	High Monk	0	4	Temple Arts
6	Nightjar Slash Reversal	0	3	Prosthetic Arts
7	Floating Passage	0	0	-
8	Mortal Draw	3	0	-
9	Empowered Mortal Draw	3	5	Mushin Arts
10	Dragon Flash	2	0	-

What Are Combat Arts in Sekiro: Shadows Die Twice

Combat Arts are unique moves that may be used in battle to give you an advantage over your opponents. They are powerful moves that are generally more successful than standard attacks and can provide you with a tactical advantage in a fight.

Fight arts may be unlocked by spending skill points earned via gameplay, and they can be triggered during combat by hitting a certain button combination.

In Sekiro: Shadows Die Twice, there are several different types of combat arts that you can use in battle, such as:

• Offensive Combat Arts: These are techniques that are designed to deal damage to enemies and disrupt their attacks. Such as the Whirlwind Slash and the Shinobi Firecracker.
• Defensive Combat Arts: These are techniques that are designed to help you defend yourself and counter enemy attacks, like the Mikiri Counter and the Floating Passage.
• Support combat Arts: These are techniques that provide various utility effects, such as healing or buffing your character. Including the Aromatic Flower, which restores your health, and the Pacifying Agent, which temporarily pacifies enemies.
• Prosthetic Combat Arts: These are techniques that allow you to use the various prosthetic tools attached to your prosthetic arm in combat. Like the Loaded Spear and the Loaded Shuriken.

There are many different combat arts to discover and master in Sekiro, and you can choose which ones to use based on your playstyle and the situation you are facing.

How To Equip Combat Arts in Sekiro: Shadows Die Twice

When you initially start Sekiro, you might have been a little confused when you got your first Combat Arms. That’s because you need to equip the Combat Art of your choosing. Once you’ve unlocked a Combat Arts, in the ‘Acquire Skills’ menu through the Sculptor Idol, now let’s explain how to get you set up.

In Sekiros pause menu, under ‘Equipment’ you’ll see ‘Combat Arts’ just to the right of ‘Prosthetic Tools’. Select Combat Arts and you’ll be brought to a menu with all of your available Combat Arts that you have unlocked. Select your preferred move from this list, and that will officially equip the Combat Art, allowing you to use these attacks in battle by pressing the two assigned shoulder buttons at the same time.

Now that you know what combat arts are and how to use them, let’s get to the main point of this guide. Let’s go over the Best Combat Arts in Sekiro, keep in mind these are what we thought were the best.

Best Combat Arts in Sekiro: Shadows Die Twice

The best combat arts in Sekiro: Shadows Die Twice depend on your personal playstyle and the situation you are facing. Some combat arts may be more effective in certain situations than others, and you may find that certain combat arts suit your playstyle better than others. That being said, some combat arts that many players have found to be particularly useful include:

1. Whirlwind Slash

Emblem Cost	0
SP Required	1
Effect	A Spinning attack that can hit several enemies at once
Skill Type	Combat Arts
Skill Tree	Shinobi Arts

Whirlwind Slash allows you to spin and attack multiple enemies at once, making it very useful for dealing with groups of enemies. It’s a solid pick, especially for how early in the game you can obtain it.

 However, in the later game it isn’t as powerful or viable as before so consider changing it when you come across a better option.

2. Double Ichimonji

Emblem Cost	0
SP Required	3
Effect	Adds a follow-up overhead sword strike to ichimonji
Skill Type	Combat Arts Skill
Skill Tree	Ashina Arts

Ichimonji: Double has a sluggish windup, but it pays off with exceptionally high posture damage and a powerful strike that will stun many foes. Even better, it costs no Spirit Emblems to use. It’s not good at clearing out hordes of enemies, but it’s going to come in very handy against the toughest of bosses.

3. Shadowrush

Emblem Cost	2
SP Required	6
Effect	Unleash a long- range ,powerful thrust.
Skill Type	Combat Arts
Skill Tree	Shinobi Arts

Shadow rush, one of the priciest final Combat Arts, is excellent for closing the gap on common foes and leaping into the skies for an aerial finisher. The cost in this case is the Spirit Emblem, even if it’s a strong move that frequently launches you into the air and out of attack range. One of the greatest finishing arts and one that is enjoyable to utilize is definitely Shadow Rush.

4. Praying Strikes

Emblem Cost	0
SP Required	2
Effect	Unleash a flurry of quick attacks that inflict damage while preventing a counter attack.
Skill Type	Combat Arts
Skill Tree	Temple Arts

This combat art causes Sekiro to put his sword away and constantly hit individuals with his hands, delivering significant posture damage with blows that cannot be parried, all at a cost of 0 spirit emblems. These fast hits can be used to interrupt most enemies and open up room for follow-up attacks. You’ll need to make it all the way through Senpou Temple to get it though.

Keep in mind you need to be smart about how you use this skill, It is to be used against enemies with hyper armor attacks, though it does not disrupt the hyper armor and you can still get hit.

5. High Monk

Emblem Cost	0
SP Required	4
Effect	Adds swords slashes and additional kicks to Senpou Leaping Kick
Skill Type	Combat Arts
Skill Tree	Temple Arts

It is a move that allows Sekiro to jump high up and land with a ground kick, followed by even more kicks that deal posture damage. Basically, just use it like Mikiri Counter except for sweeps rather than thrusts. Tons of posture damage, leaving most enemies open for a death blow. It’s also absolutely free. But it can be disorienting if not cam locked.

6. Nightjar Slash Reversal

Emblem Cost	0
SP Required	3
Effect	Perform a spinning leap attack in any direction.
Skill Type	Combat Arts
Skill Tree	Prosthetic Arts

Nightjar is a nice mobility tool for getting in and out during the fight while doing a bit of damage and potentially creating openings. It’s also free. But it does only tiny amounts of damage for the time it takes to land a blow still, the damage is not the main use of this art. Mobility is.

7. Floating Passage

Emblem Cost	0
SP Required	0
Effect	Unleash repeated attacks ,overwhelming enemies with flowing, dance-like movements.
Skill Type	Combat Arts

Deals a quick string of hits that partially go through an enemy’s defense, making it ideal against regular humanoid foes, but can be interrupted if one brute forces through it with a heavy blow.

When the game first came out, this skill was basically useless, but due to buffs pre-launch, it became quite good. Combine with Flame Vent and Living Force for one of the most damaging and cool-looking combos in the game. It chews through vitality and it’s also free. However, it is bad against large, heavy enemies that aren’t recovering from an attack because they don’t stagger easily.

8. Mortal Draw

Emblem Cost	3
SP Required	0
Effect	Draw the Mortal Blade and cut through enemies with an extended range sword attack.
Skill Type	Combat Arts Skills

Mortal Draw combat art is a special ability that allows you to initiate a “deadly draw” with an enemy, which is a one-hit kill move if it connects. To use the Mortal Draw, you need to get close to an enemy and press the attack button when the prompt appears on the screen. If you are successful, you will initiate the Mortal Draw and instantly kill the enemy if the attack lands. Costs 3 Spirit Emblems to use per slice, totaling to a cost of 6 for both slices.

To increase the chances of successfully landing a Mortal Draw, you should try to get behind the enemy, as this will make it harder for them to defend against the attack. You should also make sure that you are not too close to the enemy, as this will make it difficult to execute the Mortal Draw. Finally, you should try to avoid using the Mortal Draw against enemies that are surrounded by other enemies, as this will make it harder to escape if the attack misses.

9. Empowered Mortal Draw

Emblem Cost	3
SP Required	5
Effect	Draw additional power ,resulting in a longer-ranged ,, more powerful slash attack.
Skill Type	Combat Arts Skills
Skill Tree	Mushin Arts

The Empowered Mortal Draw is a special variant of the Mortal Draw combat art that allows you to initiate a “deadly draw” with an enemy, with a higher chance of success. To use the Empowered Mortal Draw, you must first fill up your posture gauge by successfully deflecting enemy attacks. Once the gauge is full, you can press both the attack and guard buttons at the same time to initiate the Empowered Mortal Draw. If the attack lands, it will instantly kill the enemy.

However, it does have some limitations. You can only use the Empowered Mortal Draw when your posture gauge is full, and the gauge will reset after you use the ability. Additionally, the Empowered Mortal Draw is more difficult to execute than the regular Mortal Draw, as you need to press both the attack and guard buttons at the same time. Finally, the Empowered Mortal Draw has a slightly longer animation than the regular Mortal Draw, which means you are vulnerable for a slightly longer period of time if the attack misses. It has a 3 Emblem Cost.

10. Dragon Flash

Emblem Cost	2
SP Required	0
Effect	Perform a high-speed cut from a sheathed stance.
Skill Type	Combat Arts Skills

After eliminating the game’s last boss, the player can acquire the game’s only ranged combat art. Sekiro sheathes his weapon before charging up a wind slash that emerges from the sheath.

This is a fantastic technique for dealing with weaker, more aggressive foes since it enables you to do effective damage to them from a distance rather than engaging them head-on. The fact that it costs two spirit emblems and is only accessible after eliminating the game’s very last boss is where it falls short. Without the ranged slash, it may still be utilized with 0 spirit emblems as a reliable physical attack.

That about does it for the Sekiro Best Combat Art. Go ahead and give them a try and see which one suits your style best. Leave a comment below telling us about your favorite combat art and which one you thought worked out best for you or didn’t. Do check out more of our guides here written by our talented writers. See you all at the next one.