Tokugawa Kunimatsu is a very powerful enemy in Nioh 3. You already encountered him at the beginning of the game and I will show you how to defeat him. First, let me briefly describe my build for Tokugawa Kunimatsu. I use the Head of the Iga ninja set. From the accessories, I chose those that enhance the Fire Shuriken and Gunpowder Bomb attacks. Earlier, I explained how to defeat another very difficult boss, Hiruko, in this game.

Preparing for battle with Tokugawa Kunimatsu

As Ninja Tools for this battle, I chose Gunpowder Bomb, Fire Shuriken, and Shrapnel Bomb. I am at level 113 before this battle, and my points are distributed with an emphasis on Skill and Magic. In the Yang position, I have Bloodedge Demon and Enenra. In the Yin position, I use the Demon of Envy skill and three shots of different elements: water, fire, and wind. It is difficult to use magic in this battle.

From the passive skills, you must activate Awekening, which will speed up the use of magic, and select the Thrown Blade Counter skill for additional damage. You should also learn the Evade skill, if you haven’t already. This is a mandatory skill for the ninja style.

You can choose all other skills at your discretion. I start the fight with Tokugawa Kunimatsu by throwing a bomb at him. It can be either a Gunpowder Bomb or a Shrapnel Bomb. It doesn’t really matter. In general, it’s worth mentioning that the boss actively dodges Ninja Tools and magic.

In many cases, he also blocks your ranged attacks, so you need to choose the right moment to throw your attack items at the boss. In this fight, you won’t be able to spam throws, so the fight will drag on for a while. Nevertheless, this tactic allows me to dodge almost all of Tokugawa Kunimatsu’s attacks and fight in easy mode.

First phase Tokugawa Kunimatsu fight

For the first half of the fight, I only use Ninja Tools and Fire Shot, as it has slow animation. When the boss stops and summons lightning around himself at this time, you can cast twice while standing at a distance. Usually, the third cast will miss. It’s great if Fire Shot sets the boss on fire and he starts taking additional damage.

In most cases, when Tokugawa Kunimatsu stops and sticks his sword into the ground, it’s your chance to throw anything at the boss, but only once. Use bombs or fire shuriken. These items deal decent damage, can set the enemy on fire, and also deal truly impressive damage with a critical hit.

In all other cases, the boss will most likely either dodge or block your attack. The enemy often stops and sticks his sword into the ground, activating his skill. You have a brief moment to throw the bomb, and then you need to immediately move to the side to avoid the attack that the boss will launch.

Tokugawa Kunimatsu how to beat

In order to speed up the first phase of the battle, which continues until the boss loses 50% of its health, I summoned Bloodedge Demon. This way, the enemy will receive a normal amount of damage, and will also most likely be set on fire and start receiving additional damage again. At this time, continue to throw bombs and fire shurikens whenever possible. It is also important to always stay at a distance from the boss to avoid his attacks. When Tokugawa Kunimatsu rapidly approaches and attacks, dodge to make a perfect evasion and replenish your Ninja Tools.

Continue to monitor the boss’s actions and throw your bombs and fire shurikens at the right moment. This battle requires patience and anticipation. However, it will help you easily get through the fight and defeat the boss without any issues. Also, when possible, I summon Enenra, who also deals damage and sometimes sets the boss on fire. It is important to keep moving and dodging the lightning bolts that the boss periodically throws at you.

At this pace, you should reach the point where the boss’s health is reduced to half. You won’t miss this moment. In the first part of the battle, Tokugawa Kunimatsu runs with one sword, his other hand free. When the boss takes a sword in each hand, it means the second phase of the battle has begun. I usually try to reach the second phase using only Ninja Tools, but sometimes I can’t resist and use magic. For example, the active skill Demon of Envy deals about a thousand damage at a time. It’s a pity that we only have three charges of this skill.

Second phase Tokugawa Kunimatsu fight

In the second phase, the boss gains several new attacks that are more difficult to dodge, and you will have to move around the arena even more. That is why you should save all your magic for the second phase of the battle. Of course, if possible, I immediately use the Demon of Envy skill, because the boss cannot dodge it and takes a lot of damage. After that, I continue to throw only one Ninja Tool at a time or use one water or air shot.

It is important to study the new attacks that the boss will receive in the second stage. Some of them are not easy to avoid, so you need to clearly understand what will happen in the arena. When the boss rises into the air, one of two attacks will follow. Either he will summon a circle of lightning next to him and fly rapidly towards you, or he will disappear from view and reappear in the air next to you, also rapidly descending to the ground next to you.

In any case, when the enemy takes to the air, you need to move as far away from him as possible and under no circumstances remain motionless. You must constantly be on the move, simply moving in a circle or dodging to the side.

In most cases, after each attack, the boss freezes for a moment, and this is when you should throw bombs or use magic. Don’t forget that you only have one chance to do this before you have to dodge again. When you see Tokugawa Kunimatsu cross his swords and crouch down, preparing to jump, you need to move out of the way in time. This attack is accompanied by a gust of air that follows him, so never stand behind him or try to get behind the boss at this moment, as you will take damage from the gust of air.

Nioh 3 Tokugawa Kunimatsu boss guide

Right now, you can see this attack with a green stream of air moving behind the boss to the point where he lands. Now you know everything you need to defeat this boss. Yes, victory is still far away, but nothing new is happening. The boss’s attacks repeat one after another, and you are steadily bringing his health down to zero. I tried other attack options during this period, but they didn’t always work for me. Sometimes they were successful, sometimes I took a lot of damage. So I decided to gather my willpower, be patient, and finish the fight using only this one tactic. Constantly dodging attacks and slowly throwing bombs, alternating them with fire shurikens and magic.

This is how the battle will continue until the end. By this point, you should have already learned all the attacks. All that remains is to notice the start of the corresponding attack in time and dodge it. Usually, it’s not difficult; you always need to be at a distance from the boss, and then you will be able to avoid most of his attacks.

If something goes wrong and you take damage, as I just did, there are always potions that will help you restore your health. Since you don’t throw bombs very often and dodge quite often, you will always have a supply of Ninja Tools. You should also have a supply of magic. This is in case you somehow run out of bombs or fire shurikens, you can use magic until you make a perfect dodge and restore your throwing items.

Towards the end of the battle, once you have mastered all of the boss’s moves, it will be relatively easy to dodge his attacks. You have already come a long way in this fight, so you are only a few steps away from victory. When I play the game in new game mode, I will try a more aggressive tactic, but for the first victory over this boss, this is a perfectly acceptable option. You feel safe during the battle, and even though it takes a long time, you know that in any case it will end in your victory, because it cannot be otherwise.