The answer is elementary… literally.

Elemental effects are a huge help when it comes to taking down the enemy, but for some reason Nioh decided to make them far more difficult to understand than they should be. Elements are usually deployed via amulets, and the effects applied to your weapons. But as pretty as they are, they can be a little hard to fathom.

As such, we’ve decided to break them down in the hope that it’ll help some poor soul floundering in an otherwise magnificent game.

Fire

Using the Fire element will deal damage to enemies over time — simple!

Wind

The Wind element prevents your enemy from blocking or parrying, and also reduces their break resistance. Perfect for pounding away at those damage sponge bosses.

Lightning

Lightning weakens some opponents, slowing down both their movement and attack speed.

Water

The Water element increases the effect that other elements have on enemies – if you hit them with a Water-based attack and follow up with an attack using a different element (for example, Fire), you’ll do far more damage. Consider it a preparation attack, and use it well.

Earth

An attack with the Earth element will cause enemies to double their Ki consumption. Consequently you’ll tire them out far quicker, and leave them exposed to more devastating follow-up strikes.

Paralysis

As it suggests, the Paralysis element will root your enemy in place, making them the perfect practice dummy to wail on.

Poison

Like Fire, the Poison element does damage over time. However, the amount of damage is much greater.

Chaining these elements together can cause serious problems for your opponents. Try combining some of the debilitating elemental statuses like Earth and Wind with more damaging attacks from Fire and Poison, and watch the results. Experiment, and enjoy!

If you are looking for more guides on Nioh, there are a few others on site:

Beginner’s Tips and Tricks Survival Guide Third Boss Battle Guide: Hino-Enma Sloth Talisman Cheat for Beating any Boss Patch 1. 02 Update Arrives: Are You Having Trouble Installing It? Complete Isle of Demons Kodama Locations Preferred Weapon Guide