Nioh fourth boss guide: how to kill Nue

Nioh's fourth boss Nue can be extremely challenging...unless you use this rather simple method.

Published
Updated
8 minutes & read time

Nioh's boss fights get progressively more difficult and then you come across Nue, a brutal chimera that summons devastating lightning from the heavens and creates tons of Yokai Realm pools to wreck your day (and your ki). But he's far from invincible, and he can actually be beaten quite efficiently with a simple method. We'll teach you that method here today.

Defeating bosses often requires abstract thought and the ability to use your surroundings to your advantage. In pure Ninja Gaiden style, Nue's boss fight really forces you to use your environment to take out your quarry. This particular battle really opened my eyes on how to approach enemies in Nioh, and taught me a newfound respect for the game: it's not just about perfect timing, strikes, caution and general mastery of fluid combat, but a total big picture focus--using strategy when you can, where you can.

Nue killed me about 8 times before I tried this method, and I was able to kill the mythical beast in my second try. The method is rather simple and revolves around one concept: creating a protective cage for yourself in the level's porches and striking slow, steady, and consistently.

Read Also: Comprehensive Nioh stance guide

Nioh fourth boss guide: how to kill Nue 3

Nue

  • Boss Number - Fourth Boss
  • Mission - Spirit Stone Slumbers
  • Element - Lightning
  • Difficulty - High-ish

Basic Tips:

  • Equip Lightning resistance gear
  • Use a long-range weapon like a Spear and deliver slow, powerful strikes
  • Switch from High Stance to Low Stance if you need to dodge or dash
  • Equip lightweight gear to improve ki regeneration for dodging and blocking
  • If you have any Water Talismans, use them during the battle, as Water is the opposite element as Lightning
  • Stock up on small or large Amrita Spirit Stones to replenish your Living Weapon power

via GIPHY

Method: Stay inside the porch

  1. Beating Nue without being a full-on ki master involves one simple premise: staying inside one of the two indestructible porches on the map.
  2. Equip a weapon with a long reach that does decent damage. A Spear is ideal.
  3. At the beginning of the battle run directly towards one of the two buildings on the left or right side of the map.
  4. When near a porch you can't be hit by Nue's lightning bolts--they just crash harmlessly into the roof of the buildings. But you can't get in just yet and you'll have to wait for Nue to break away the walls for you.
  5. Once Nue arrives, dodge his attacks as necessary and make sure he breaks down all four walls of the porch. You don't want to trap yourself!
  6. Now you basically jab him as you would a shark in a shark cage: when he's close, do a strong attack in High Stance to dish out damage, but switch back to Low Stance often to maximize your ki and agility when blocking, dodging, and dashing.
  7. Leave the porch when necessary, but always return. I can't stress this enough; roll and dodge to avoid Nue's strikes, but once you leave the porch, jump right back in there.
  8. If you get caught outside the porch, do NOT get cornered, especially in the left side of the map. If Nue corners you, he can slash to smash your ki or repeatedly use his Lightning Breath skill to zap you to death. Get out of corners ASAP.
  9. Use perfect Ki Pulses to display any Yokai Realm pools. The last thing you want is to go into Ki Break in the middle of this battle: Nue's combos can decimate you like a hot knife through butter.
  10. Use your Living Weapon ability to further chip away at Nue's health, but be aware of his choreographed attacks (see below) so you don't waste any Living Weapon health and maximize your damage output.
  11. Use Water Talismans if you have them to boost damage.
  12. Use Spirit Stones to replenish your Living Weapon charge.

Attacks and Moveset

Like any boss, Nue's moves are telegraphed with distinct visual cues. We break down those cues and his actual moveset below:https://gyazo.com/b1cf4b70796086e388b34e49bea85855

via GIPHY

Lightning bolts (attacks in four-strike and/or single-strike intervals)

These bolts are why Nue is so difficult. Not only does every lightning bolt deal decent damage, but they summon Yokai Realm pools which sap your ki regeneration. The lightning bolts will track you wherever you go, but they're slow and clumsy, so if you're running/dashing you'll be fine. However if you use the method we describe you won't need to dash or run from the bolts.

Without this method described here you'd have to be quite skilled at ki pulsing, and you'd need to use the tricky advanced ki pulse method of changing stances mid-pulse to really get enough ki for striking, blocking, and dash/dodging.

  • Range - Long range, tracks player
  • Visual Cue - Nue will stop, move his head down as lightning crackles around him, and roar to the sky when summoning lightning.

    He can summon four bolts or a single bolt depending on how long he stays still and roars; the longer he roars, the more bolts he'll summon. Be careful as he can summon a bolt somewhat quickly as a counter move.
  • Damage - Low (one bolt) Moderate (two bolts) High (three). Depending on your health and Lightning resistance, three bolts can kill you.

via GIPHY

Lightning breath

Nue can summon a beam of lightning from his mouth that can be pretty nasty, especially when you're at lower health and he does this move two or three times in a row.

Lightning breath comes out as a straight beam and Nue turn his head from right to left in a limited arc to zap you.

Nue always moves his head from right to left so NEVER roll right towards the beam. You want to roll back and left away from the beam's reach.

  • Range - Moderate
  • Visual Cue -
  • Damage - High-ish

via GIPHY

Snake poison

Nue's tail ends in a snake that shoots poison. If he can't get to you with his physical attacks or lightning, he'll shoot out poison to interrupt your attacks and chip away at your health.

This attack is easily avoidable due to its short range. This poison doesn't last, however, so don't worry about antidotes.

  • Range - Close range
  • Visual cue - Nue will stop moving completely, spread his front paws, and lean his head forward right before the attack. If you see him stop moving, he's going to use the poison attack.
  • Damage - Low

via GIPHY

1-2 slash into forward roll combo

This attack is multifaceted and has multiple parts. Nue will sometimes strike in one-two slashes and then launch into a forward roll as a rather death-dealing combo.

What's even worse is that three lightning bolts fall down as Nue rolls, so if you dodge the roll, you could sidestep right into a nasty charged bolt. Oh, and every bolt summons a Yokai Realm pool too, making the surprise all the more nasty.

Nue can do the 1-2 slash combo independently of the roll maneuver and vice versa, so look out for the visual cues.

He might not do the roll after ever quick one-two strike, and will often close the distance with the roll if you're too far away.

  • Range - Close to mid-range (slashes), long range (roll)
  • Visual Cue (1-2 slash combo) - Nue will open his mouth and push his head towards you right before slashing, but it happens so fast it's sometimes hard to see.
  • Visual Cue (Roll) - After the two slashes, Nue will sometimes roar and rear up on his two hind legs if he's going to roll. Don't go after his back when he collides into the stage as three bolts will hit you; stay at his sides and you'll avoid them.
  • Damage - Moderate (dual slashes) to high (slashes and roll) to lethal (combination of slashes/roll/lightning bolt damage)

via GIPHY

Tail whirlwind spin

Visual Cue - Nue will turn his head and body towards the left (your left, Nue's right) and then dive in the opposite direction, swinging his body and tail at you

Range - Moderate

Damage - Low

Derek joined the TweakTown team in 2015 and has since reviewed and played 1000s of hours of new games. Derek is absorbed with the intersection of technology and gaming, and is always looking forward to new advancements. With over six years in games journalism under his belt, Derek aims to further engage the gaming sector while taking a peek under the tech that powers it. He hopes to one day explore the stars in No Man's Sky with the magic of VR.

Newsletter Subscription

Related Tags