This is the first encounter with the boss Hiruko in the game Nuioh 3. In this video, I will explain how to easily defeat this enemy. First, let’s talk a little about the build I used to fight Hiruko. You may also be interested in reading about how to defeat Ryomen Sukuna.

Preparing for battle with Hiruko

For combat, I utilize the six-piece Head of the Iga Ninja set. The accessories add a 10% bonus to damage dealt with kunai and shuriken.

In the Yang position, I have Bloodrdge Demon and Enenra. In the Yin position, I have Demon of Envy. I use these three elements in the first phase of the battle. Next, I have Water and Wind Shot and Wind Talisman. I use these three elements in the second phase of the battle.

Ninja Tools is simple. I choose Uncanny Bolt, Shuriken, and Kunai. During the battle, I will show why these weapons were chosen.

And the final touch is the distribution of general characteristics. Be sure to allocate 30% of your equipment weight. The main points are invested in Intellect, Magic, and Skill. All others are for activating equipment bonuses.

The first phase of Hiruko

Let’s move on to the first phase of the battle. Here, use Enenra and Bloodrdge Demon at any moment. They deal a little damage to the enemy, and since they are not very useful in the second phase, let’s use them here. In general, when Hiruko runs at me with an attack, I try to run towards him and, just before the collision, I dodge forward. This way, I end up behind the boss and can attack him with a series of light attacks, dealing a lot of damage.

When his weapon has a water element attack, the boss unleashes waves by swinging his sword. It is best to simply dodge these attacks to the side, as it is difficult to dodge them forward. Also, in the first phase of the battle, I use all three charges of Demon of Envy. Each charge deals 1,000 damage, so it’s an extra bonus to the total damage pool. Again, this skill is not effective in the second phase because the boss has protection against fire and water attacks.

In the first phase, we only need to take away 50% of the boss’s health. After that, the second phase of the battle with Hiruko will begin. There is no point in using Ninja Tools in the first phase, because the boss dodges them very actively and you will just waste your arsenal. When Hiruko’s sword is easiest to get behind him and attack with a series of simple attacks. Even if you can’t attack from behind, a powerful series will still do damage. After the attack, you need to retreat in time so as not to take damage from the boss.

Repeat these actions over and over again, and you will see that you will quickly move on to the second phase. Once you understand the boss’s movements in the first phase, you will be able to get through this part of the battle almost unscathed.

The second phase of Hiruko

The second phase is much more difficult. First, you see a large number of small volcanoes created by the boss. You need to avoid these volcanoes, as they will damage you. At the beginning of the fight, I try to throw all my Ninja Tools at the boss as quickly as possible. In general, almost all damage during the second phase will be based on these weapons.

During combat, I always try to stay at medium to long range. Hiruko performs many dangerous attacks close to himself, so you can only approach him at specific moments. I also occasionally throw wind shots at the boss. They deal 500 damage. With 12 charges, that’s a total of 6,000 additional damage to the boss.

When the boss flies up like this, you need to prepare for a very powerful attack. Hiruko directs a beam that causes enormous damage and ends the fight with one hit. The first time, you need to dodge to the side, and then instantly dodge to the center of the arena, where the boss is located. This way, you will always be able to dodge these powerful attacks.

Here is a short moment in the battle when you can get behind the boss. At this time, you can attack him with light attacks, but you must do so very carefully. Sometimes it is better not to take risks and not to get too close if you do not understand what your opponent’s next move will be. The boss again summons many volcanoes to himself and then flies into the air again. When I expect a beam that causes a lot of damage, I don’t think about attacking, but only about how to dodge successfully so as not to end this fight in defeat.

When the boss raises a huge fireball, you need to be at a distance. In a moment, this ball will break into small pieces, hitting everything around the boss. From a distance, use Ninja Tools or Wind Shots. In one of his attacks, the boss turned his back on me again, so I performed a series of light attacks and immediately retreated.

Finally, Hiruko’s boss enters the dark phase, the world of yokai, which is very good news for us. You see him stick his sword into the ground, and fiery waterfalls appear around it in a circle. They are very convenient for replenishing your supply of Ninja Tools. You need to approach one of these fiery waterfalls from the side and dodge to the side. You will most likely get a perfect dodge. Do the same at the next waterfall nearby, and you will quickly replenish your throwing items. But be careful and watch the boss’s movements, he will attack you, so you also need to dodge him and move away.

Here, I often take damage from these fiery waterfalls, and my overall health bar decreases. But there’s nothing to worry about. With a full supply of Ninja Tools, we throw shurikens and kunai at the boss from a distance, and the bar is restored. After full recovery, you can use the elixir of life to restore your health. In this battle, I use regular kunai and shuriken because they recover quickly, are easy to throw while moving, and do not require you to stop to attack and adjust the trajectory. They also do quite a lot of damage, which I personally like very much.

Ultimate ability against Hiruko

Using all the Ninja Tools that I managed to recover during the dark phase and when the boss returns to the light phase, I use the Wind Talisman buff and immediately activate my ultimate ability. This is a great moment to deal a lot of damage to the boss and recover my throwing items again. During the ultimate ability, I use jump and heavy attack. I repeat this combination until the ultimate ability bar runs out. If you see a powerful attack from the boss, it is better to dodge it, as it will greatly reduce the ultimate ability bar, but this is not necessary.

After that, you will have some Ninja Tools again. Use them immediately. Very soon, the boss will enter the dark phase again, and fire waterfalls will appear, allowing you to restore them in large quantities. Before that, I got lucky again. I see that the boss is running after me and is not going to use his powerful attacks, so this is the perfect moment to dodge his normal attack and get behind him to deliver a series of powerful attacks to his back. I really like the animation of increased damage from behind.

Fire waterfalls appear, and I try to replenish my supply of throwing items. This time, I am not as successful. The boss’s attacks are very active, and I have to dodge chaotically, and once I even have to move away from these fire beams. In the end, I still manage to replenish some of my Ninja Tools during this attack and prepare to use them. As I prepare to attack the boss with throwing objects, I notice that he is flying up again, which means I need to focus on the right movements to avoid the powerful beam attack. I make my first dodge to the side, then my second dodge to the center towards the boss.

The boss doesn’t have much health left, so you need to be careful. Among my Ninja Tools, there is also Uncanny Bolt, so the boss is weak not only to wind attacks but also to electric attacks. Therefore, I use all my kunai, shuriken, and Uncanny Bolt again. It’s time for maximum magic spam. From what I have left, I first use Wind Shot to the maximum, as it deals the most damage. At the same time, don’t forget about distance and always stay away from the boss at a safe distance. When all the powerful magic attacks are over, I use Water Shot. The boss has powerful protection against water, but this attack still deals damage to the enemy, and ultimately, the final blow that ends the fight is delivered by Water Shot.