When playing as a samurai in Nioh 3 , you can switch between three different stances: Low, Medium, and High. Each has a unique set of attacks, strengths, and weaknesses. Unfortunately, the game doesn’t explain this mechanic very well, which can cause confusion.
This guide will show you how to unlock all three Samurai stances, what keys to use to switch between them, and how to change the control scheme if needed.
How to Change Stances in Nioh 3
Switching Samurai Stances
In Nioh 3, you can switch between Low, Medium, and High Samurai Stance using the following key combinations:
| Low stand | Middle pillar | High stand | |
|---|---|---|---|
| PC (Keyboard/Mouse) | Shift + Scroll wheel down | Shift + LMB | Shift + Scroll wheel up |
| PC (Gamepad) | RB + A | RB + X | RB + Y |
| PS5 (Gamepad) | R1 + X | R1 + Square | R1 + Triangle |
The icon on the right isn’t the fourth stance, but the “sheath sword” action. To perform it, use Shift + RMB (Keyboard/Mouse), RB + B (Gamepad on PC), or R1 + Circle (PS5).
You can change the key assignments for switching racks on a PC by going to System → Settings → Control Setup (Keyboard/Mouse) .
For an alternative control scheme on the PS5 controller, go to System → Settings → Control Customization and select the “Type D” control scheme. This control scheme changes the stance switching hotkeys to Square + X (Low), Square + R1 (Medium), and Square + R2 (High).
In Nioh 3, only the Samurai style has a stance mechanic; the Ninja style does not.
How to Unlock Stances in Nioh 3
Samurai Stance Skills
Mid Stance is the default stance for the Samurai in Nioh 3 and doesn’t require unlocking. All Samurai weapons use it by default. Low and High Stance are skills that can be unlocked in the Samurai skill tree.
In the main menu, go to Martial Arts/Ninjutsu , select Samurai , and spend a Samurai Skill Point to unlock Low Stance and another for High Stance (as shown above). Samurai Skill Points can be earned by finding Samurai Locks. Once both stances are unlocked, you can switch between Low, Mid, and High Stance with any Samurai weapon.
If you don’t have enough free skill points to unlock Low and High Stance, you can use the point re-allocation feature in Nioh 3 to get back the points you previously spent.
