What are the best weapons for players to start out with?

There are a lot of harrowing obstacles that players will have to overcome in Nioh 2; however, the game is far from unfair - players are given access to a wide variety of weapons that will help them throughout the course of their journey. That being said, a lot of weaponry is only accessible after a person has progressed past a certain point in the game, meaning that new players will need to find their own personal “ol’ reliable” and use that until they can acquire the better weapons; this can be rather difficult but, thankfully, I am here to help all of you out. Here is a list of the top 5 best starting weapons in Nioh 2 and instructions on how to get them.

5. Yamashiro Odachi 

The Odachi, by itself, is one of the most threatening weapons in the entire game with its long reach and high damage output. The Odachi is great at breaking through an opponent's guard and, with skills like Moonlit Snow and Moonlit Snow Redux, the weapon cuts through enemies like a hot knife through butter. It is a simple weapon to use; that being said, while it's hard to go wrong with the Odachi, it can get a bit repetitive and there are better weapons available.

The Yamashiro Odachi is probably your best option for an early game Odachi due to its scaling properties combined with a Break stat of 108; with the majority of Odachi having a D+ scaling in Heart and a C+ scaling in Strength, they will begin to deal less damage as you level up when compared to the Yamashiro Odachi. 

As with most early game weapons, the Yamashiro Odachi is randomly dropped by enemies as loot; there is no need to farm for a smithing text as it will be automatically unlocked at the blacksmiths by progressing normally through the game.

What makes the Yamashiro Odachi great: 

• The Odachi has a modest attack speed, long reach, and a high damage output.
• The Yamashiro Odachi has better stat scaling than most other Odachis. 
• The skill set of the Odachi is powerful, simple and practical. 

Yamashiro Odachi full stats:  https://nioh2.wiki.fextralife.com/Yamashiro+Odachi

4. Mino Uchigatana 

The sword is a weapon that many players overlook for the flashier weapons; however, that is a terrible mistake. The Sword strikes a balance between attack speed and damage output; furthermore, it also happens to be the weapon with the most skills in the game. Iai Quickdraw is a skill that can deal a ludicrous amount of damage and the Night Rain skill is great for applying status debuffs.

Out of all the early game swords, the Mino Uchigatana is the most suited for blocking attacks and breaking enemies’ guard, with a break stat of 53 and a block stat of 39; there are alternatives that have a slightly higher break stat but at the cost of a substantially lower block stat. If you are a beginner, the chances are that you are going to fumble a dodge or two; it is great to be able to block occasionally without having your guard broken. 

The Mino Uchigatana is randomly dropped by enemies as loot; furthermore, there is no need to farm for a smithing text as the weapon will be automatically unlocked at the blacksmiths by progressing normally through the game.

What makes the Mino Uchigatana great: 

• The Mino Uchigatana has good Block and Break stats for a sword. 
• The sword has the largest skill set, with Iai Quickdraw and Night Rain being superb.
• The sword strikes a fine balance between attack speed and damage output.

Mino Uchigatana full stats:  https://nioh2.wiki.fextralife.com/Mino+Uchigatana 

3. Soshu Dual Uchigatana 

There are many veteran players who might argue that the dual swords are inferior to the sword, but that is not exactly true. The Dual Swords have an incredibly high attack speed at the cost of dealing less damage than other weapons; however, they are great at applying status debuffs and skills like Sign of the Cross, Water Sword, and Wind Storm can deal an insane amount of damage. That being said, there are better weapons that can fill the same role

The Soshu Dual Uchigatana are blatantly superior to the other early game dual swords; with a break stat of 60 and a block stat of 54, it is the most suited for blocking attacks and breaking enemies’ guard. Furthermore, because it comes fixed with the “Mid Guard Ki Consumption'' effect, blocking with the Soshu Dual Uchigatana already consumes less ki than normal.

As has been the case with all early-game weapons thus far, the Soshu Dual Uchigatana is dropped randomly by enemies as loot; there is no need to farm for a smithing text as it will be automatically unlocked at the blacksmiths by progressing normally through the game.

What makes the Soshu Dual Uchigatana great: 

• Its blocking abilities are great overall, but mid-stance is superb due to its fixed effect.
• The Dual Swords are fast and excel at applying status debuffs.
• The skills Sign of the Cross, Water Sword, and Wind Storm can deal a ton of damage.

Soshu Dual Uchigatana full stats:  https://nioh2.wiki.fextralife.com/Soshu+Dual+Uchigatana 

2. Footsoldier's Spear 

The Footsoldier’s Spear is without a doubt the best early game spear; with a break stat of 73 and a block stat of 40, it is the spear best suited for breaking enemies’ guard while also being capable of blocking attacks in a pinch. It comes with the “Strong Attack Ki Damage” effect which increases the amount of ki damage dealt by strong attacks, so breaking an enemy’s guard becomes a breeze with strong attacks in high stance.

The Footsoldier’s Spear is randomly dropped by enemies as loot; furthermore, there is no need to farm for a smithing text as it will be automatically unlocked at the blacksmiths by progressing normally through the game. 

What makes the Footsoldier's Spear great: 

• The Spear has a modest attack speed, a long reach, and a high damage output
• It has a respectable moveset that lets players keep pressure up on enemies.
• The Footsoldier's Spear has the highest break stat of all early game spears.

Footsoldier’s Spear full stats:  https://nioh2.wiki.fextralife.com/Footsoldier's+Spear

1. Hunter's Switchglaive 

If you're a player looking to create an Onmyo Magic build, then this Switchglaive will probably be your best friend. The Hunter's Switchglaive has a break stat of 61 and a block stat of 42; however, what makes this weapon great is its fixed "High Attack Damage" effect that increases the damage dealt by attacks in High Stance. 

Once they get the hang of it, the mechanic of the Switchglaive that lets players change stances and extend their combos at the same time becomes really powerful.  The skill set of the Switchglaive is also pretty great; for example, Whirling Blade allows players to deflect projectiles back at enemies which is incredibly useful in the NG+ cycles. When combined with the power of Onmyo Magic, the Switchglaive is really hard to beat. 

The Hunter’s Switchglaive is randomly dropped by enemies as loot; as with all of the other entries on the list, there is no need to farm for a smithing text as it will be automatically unlocked at the blacksmiths by progressing normally through the game.

What makes the Hunter's Switchglaive great: 

• The Switchglaive is versatile and can extend combos through stance changes.
• The Whirling Blade skill lets players deflect projectiles back at enemies.
• The fixed effect of the Hunter's Switchglaive boosts its damage in High Stance. 

Hunter’s Switchglaive full stats:  https://nioh2.wiki.fextralife.com/Hunter's+Switchglaive

You may also be interested in:

• Nioh 2 Best Builds That Are Fun To Play
• Nioh 2 Best Weapons (And How to Get Them)
• Nioh 2 Best Guardian Spirits
•  
• Nioh 2 Best Soul Cores (And What's Great About Them)
• Nioh 2 Best Weapon Types - Which Should You Choose?
• Nioh 2 Best Starting Weapons That Are Excellent
•  
• Nioh 2 Best Accessories That Are Powerful
• Nioh 2 Best Armor Sets For Each Weapon Type
• [Top 5] Nioh 2 Best Helmets