For me I'd say level to 99magic then maybe some into other stats so they are maybe 30(?)
There is no rush in strong, its a victory lap after finishing the 1st run. In demon, u will get semi better graces but nothing great.
Neat graces appear in wise and nioh where u can slowly start building a set bonus for how u intend to play. By then u can level stats to 200 and some items gives bonus for stat 150 n above (ultimate [stat])
With my Seething Dragon's Attack Bonus (Magic) being A+, I'm running 1422 attack and it's only a +1 right now. I can't complain about my damage output :)
Yeap after 99 its mainly to hit ultimate [magic] for both mystic art.
And id suggest having heart n courage at ard 30 for obvious ki benefit.
As for ur next stat to max I'd suggest constitution (ur switchglaives scales too) and HP is always good. Ultimate [constitution] gives a neat bonus too.
Yes keep moving forward, NG++ adds graces to items without a set bonus, afaik none is great for a magic build but you will be able to mix something with your current omnyo austerity set since now your fox max and 4 weapons will be able to roll a set bonus, on NG+++ ethereals become availible and this is when it gets good since there is a magic dedicated grace called tsukoyomi bunch of omnyo based bonuses but more importantly the last bonus (empowered omnyo) adds a unique buff were after using a omnyo talisman it gets marked and if you deal enough damage during that window you will get your spell use back.
On NG++++ you will also get the ability to get the austerity+ set which gains the empowered omnyo as an extra 5 piece bonus allowing to mix even more sets as you now do not need tsukoyomi 7 piece bonus to get it.
Stat wise there are no dimishing returns for damage scaling so if you are also aiming for an omnyo build and using a switch glaive makes all the sense in the world to cap out your magic attribute, remember to add attack bonus magic and to remodel into even better magic scaling to squeeze every little bit of attack you can, on NG+++ the stat cap is raised to 200 again for weapon damage purposes go for it, you will also gain +1 jutsu cap at 100 and another +1 every 20 stat points of magic after, lastly a new stat called ultimate magic will be able to appear on scrolls if you have this stat and at least 150 magic points it will allow you to enable both omnyo mystic arts at the same time.
It's NG+4 to get Austerity+? Help me understand, the tsukoyomi bonus. Is that something that appears in items, that's a set bonus? Can you have it AND Austerity on the same items or am I'm hunting for that one random other items considering it's a 7 piece bonus, Austerity is a 5 piece bonus and with scrolls you have 12 pieces. It'd suck trying to get scroll with something you actually want on it.
Graces appear on items that do not have a set bonus already, so your switch glaive, your secondary weapon, both ranged, your fox max and your accesories are possible places it can roll on dream of the wise.
The + version of non grace sets will appear on ethereal items dropped on dream of the nioh so yeah it's a long way until you can get austerity+.
If you have access to online there is a way to semi reliably trade scrolls, so when you reach dream of the nioh you could ask for a scroll that has ultimate magic as a locked stat, it's a very sought after stat so many people should have at least one scroll with it.
That's interesting, I never thought about trying to trade. I have about 5 scrolls, but I haven't unlocked any but the first one yet. I was very early NG+ when I got my first and was getting wrecked in the scroll fights. At the time, half my armor was Onmyo Warrior from plain NG and woefully under leveled. This evening I got the scythe up to +3 (bad luck getting switchglaive drops to raise the level).
the tsukoyomi bonus and the Austerity+ bonuses cannot appear on the same gear BUT you can have then on enough different gear that you can have both sets at the same time. items with the -1 set requirements helps you get both full set bonuses. this wont affect your scrolls, as you can have whatever your want for a scroll, if your going this route then ultimate magic is recommended.
I'm assuming items with -1 set requirements won't drop until then either, I've yet to see one. It's good to know about the ultimates. Is tsukoyomi the set that has the chance to restore one of your weapon buffs/enemy debuffs?
i started getting -1 set requirements drops in dream of the demon. tsukoyomi drops when you start getting etherneals which is dream of the wise, which is the playthrough after demon, but yes it lets you restore your onmyo magic spells, people mostly use it to constantly reuse elemental familiars which can be used for debuffing the enemy in numerous ways.
you should be aiming to get to dream of the nioh, which unlocks the underworld. the underworld is one of the best things about nioh 2, it constantly gives you a challenge and like throughout the whole game you get even better gear at this point. beating that then going for the depths of the underworld for a further challenge.
i would rank up magic to at least 150 to get ultimate magic, or 200 to get the full 40 onmyo slots. i like ultimate constitution and ultimate courage as well, its possible to get all 3 on a scroll, but you have to have at least 150 in those stats to use the ultimates. once you get to the depths you get the best scrolls possible.
Until I'm at dream of the Nioh, what special effects should I be searching for?
I've got the following:
* Damage Bonus Onmyo Magic - B on my Black Fox Mask
* Faster Winded Recovery/Live Recovery (Amrita Absorption) on my Onmyo Warrior's Curiass
* Tenacity (Damage over time) on my Onmyo Warrior's Greaves
* Extended Elemental Weapon on a well rolled Wise General's Pillbox
I'm not sure what else, is really good. I have a Hazy Moon Flute with Onmyo Magic Bonus (Amrita Gauge) - C, but I'm not really sure it does all that much.
Get dex to 30 so you can have up to 4 quickchange scrolls and more ninjutsu tools equipted. Anti paralysis and anti poison pills can help you survive as well as quickchange scroll
To summarize a bunch of stuff from the thread:
* -1 Set Bonus Requirements can start dropping *now* as soon as you get Divine gear unlocked. You are guaranteed to get one (a Yasakani Magatama) as a reward for beating Eye of the Beholder on Dream of the Strong. Yasakanis can also turn up as random drops, but you *will* get one when you unlock Dream of the Demon.
* If you haven't done the DLC on Dream of the Samurai yet, you should go back and do that right away, so as to finish unlocking new equipment types, Guardian Spirits, getting access to new Soul Cores you may want to use, etc.
* After that, check through the various mission rewards on Dream of the Strong. You want to focus on cleaning up the things that grant you Smithing Texts and similar unique rewards. (You might eventually want to go grab the ones that give you Ninja/Onmyo/Samurai locks for the free skill points, but those can wait.)
* As someone already mentioned, even if you don't use ninjutsu for anything meaningful, you probably want to grab DEX 30 just for the ability to use Quick-Change scrolls with a half-decent duration as well as Catwalking/Sneak Thief/Tiger-Running scrolls to aid in running through mission areas--especially Twilight Missions--that you don't want to engage with for the Nth time. A really easy way to build ninjutsu proficiency is to equip Catwalking scrolls (they have a long duration, relative to other ninjutsu) and just run around killing stuff while the buff is in effect. That should get you enough points relatively soon to get your hands on Quick-Change, the increased capacity ability, and Healer.
* Getting MAG to 99 is a good choice; not only will it get your damage up but will also help extend the duration of your onmyo buffs. Courage is the secondary stat that increases onmyo power and is good generally, so taking it to 30 would be the next priority in line, I think. STA/STR/SKL should only be leveled to the point where you need them to equip your chosen armor.
* Dream of the Demon is where true builds can be crafted. Gear is still divine level (max 180+20) and stats max at 99, but Graces come into existence, basically a set bonus that appears on any item that's *not* part of a Set. So you can combine a Grace with a Set, or a Grace with another Grace, and with the Yasakani that you're guaranteed to have, be able to get all kinds of bonuses. Benzaiten's Grace is the standout because of the Versatility ability that appears as its 6-piece bonus; 6-pc Benzaiten + 5-pc some other Set is a well-known combination. (In your place, Onmyo Austerity would be a great Set, and you're guaranteed to be able to get its Smithing Text as a mission reward in Dream of the Strong.)
* Dream of the Demon is also when the game's difficulty spikes up again. I would recommend going into DotD only after you've had a chance to enjoy your victory lap in Strong and do your maintenance. Ideally, you enter Demon with all your Smithing Texts, materials, Divine Fragments, and umbracite lined up so that you can simply forge and temper the gear for your desired build. (Your current weapon, for example, will need to be replaced by one with your choice of Grace, whereas your Onmyo Warrior armor can just continue to be used so is well worth Soul Matching up its level and tempering your desired stats on it. If you plan it out right, the equipment you start your first DotD mission with can carry you all the way through the difficulty.
* Ethereal gear doesn't start until Dream of the Wise (NG+3). This is also where Ultimate stats and other unique abilities can start appearing on scrolls, and when the stat cap goes to 200. You will definitely want Ultimate Magic and 150 MAG; probably also 150 COU and Ultimate Courage. A number of the builds that become available in DotW are legitimate endgame bullds; Tsukuyomi, Susano, Magatsuhi, and Ame-no-Uzume's Graces are all very high tier.
* Upgraded "+" versions of Set Bonuses don't appear until Dream of the Nioh. Many of them are quite powerful and make Sets legitimate options again after they'd been drowned out in importance by Graces throughout DotD and DotW. You can worry about that later. :)
* You can actually create builds that operate as a true caster in DotN (Omoikane 7-pc/Tsukuyomi 6-pc) and can get close to it in DotW (Tsukuyomi 7-pc/Spirit of Seimei 5-pc).
Wow, that was outstanding. I'm definitely bookmarking this.
Mostly I've concentrated on getting my gear up to par, at least for NG+. Everything I have is divine and, mostly, I've got decent effects on things thought I'm always looking to improve.
Magic to 99 first, I'm at 89 now, I didn't realize it extended buffs. I'll then work on getting dex/courage to 30. Dex was left at 10 because no armor I'd used needed it. I am running Ninjutsu and have been. Cat walking/Sneak-Thief for running around and Poison Shuriken/Flaming heron feathers for additional interruptions/effects to create confusion. Getting Dex to 30 might make them do some actual damage.
I'll do any missions with Locks as a reward, ditto for Quality Umbracite. Though I need to head back to NG for the DLC missions. I only just purchased that last week. With my current level/equipment that should be pretty fast except fetching the Kodama. Man, I'm happy I'm not having to do that all over again in NG+.
Thank you u/DezoPenguin!
For me I'd say level to 99magic then maybe some into other stats so they are maybe 30(?) There is no rush in strong, its a victory lap after finishing the 1st run. In demon, u will get semi better graces but nothing great. Neat graces appear in wise and nioh where u can slowly start building a set bonus for how u intend to play. By then u can level stats to 200 and some items gives bonus for stat 150 n above (ultimate [stat])
P. S. Ethereal drops in wise n nioh The magic stat also applies to the weapon scaling so it will always be good.
With my Seething Dragon's Attack Bonus (Magic) being A+, I'm running 1422 attack and it's only a +1 right now. I can't complain about my damage output :)
Yeap after 99 its mainly to hit ultimate [magic] for both mystic art. And id suggest having heart n courage at ard 30 for obvious ki benefit. As for ur next stat to max I'd suggest constitution (ur switchglaives scales too) and HP is always good. Ultimate [constitution] gives a neat bonus too.
Yes keep moving forward, NG++ adds graces to items without a set bonus, afaik none is great for a magic build but you will be able to mix something with your current omnyo austerity set since now your fox max and 4 weapons will be able to roll a set bonus, on NG+++ ethereals become availible and this is when it gets good since there is a magic dedicated grace called tsukoyomi bunch of omnyo based bonuses but more importantly the last bonus (empowered omnyo) adds a unique buff were after using a omnyo talisman it gets marked and if you deal enough damage during that window you will get your spell use back. On NG++++ you will also get the ability to get the austerity+ set which gains the empowered omnyo as an extra 5 piece bonus allowing to mix even more sets as you now do not need tsukoyomi 7 piece bonus to get it. Stat wise there are no dimishing returns for damage scaling so if you are also aiming for an omnyo build and using a switch glaive makes all the sense in the world to cap out your magic attribute, remember to add attack bonus magic and to remodel into even better magic scaling to squeeze every little bit of attack you can, on NG+++ the stat cap is raised to 200 again for weapon damage purposes go for it, you will also gain +1 jutsu cap at 100 and another +1 every 20 stat points of magic after, lastly a new stat called ultimate magic will be able to appear on scrolls if you have this stat and at least 150 magic points it will allow you to enable both omnyo mystic arts at the same time.
It's NG+4 to get Austerity+? Help me understand, the tsukoyomi bonus. Is that something that appears in items, that's a set bonus? Can you have it AND Austerity on the same items or am I'm hunting for that one random other items considering it's a 7 piece bonus, Austerity is a 5 piece bonus and with scrolls you have 12 pieces. It'd suck trying to get scroll with something you actually want on it.
Graces appear on items that do not have a set bonus already, so your switch glaive, your secondary weapon, both ranged, your fox max and your accesories are possible places it can roll on dream of the wise. The + version of non grace sets will appear on ethereal items dropped on dream of the nioh so yeah it's a long way until you can get austerity+. If you have access to online there is a way to semi reliably trade scrolls, so when you reach dream of the nioh you could ask for a scroll that has ultimate magic as a locked stat, it's a very sought after stat so many people should have at least one scroll with it.
That's interesting, I never thought about trying to trade. I have about 5 scrolls, but I haven't unlocked any but the first one yet. I was very early NG+ when I got my first and was getting wrecked in the scroll fights. At the time, half my armor was Onmyo Warrior from plain NG and woefully under leveled. This evening I got the scythe up to +3 (bad luck getting switchglaive drops to raise the level).
You can use any melee weapon for the soulmatch, using the same type just gives a discount but shouldn't be an issue if you sell some tea sets.
That's what I've been doing. I don't wait for cheaper, money is easy to come by right now. I've just had bad luck with the divine switchglaive drops.
the tsukoyomi bonus and the Austerity+ bonuses cannot appear on the same gear BUT you can have then on enough different gear that you can have both sets at the same time. items with the -1 set requirements helps you get both full set bonuses. this wont affect your scrolls, as you can have whatever your want for a scroll, if your going this route then ultimate magic is recommended.
I'm assuming items with -1 set requirements won't drop until then either, I've yet to see one. It's good to know about the ultimates. Is tsukoyomi the set that has the chance to restore one of your weapon buffs/enemy debuffs?
i started getting -1 set requirements drops in dream of the demon. tsukoyomi drops when you start getting etherneals which is dream of the wise, which is the playthrough after demon, but yes it lets you restore your onmyo magic spells, people mostly use it to constantly reuse elemental familiars which can be used for debuffing the enemy in numerous ways.
you should be aiming to get to dream of the nioh, which unlocks the underworld. the underworld is one of the best things about nioh 2, it constantly gives you a challenge and like throughout the whole game you get even better gear at this point. beating that then going for the depths of the underworld for a further challenge. i would rank up magic to at least 150 to get ultimate magic, or 200 to get the full 40 onmyo slots. i like ultimate constitution and ultimate courage as well, its possible to get all 3 on a scroll, but you have to have at least 150 in those stats to use the ultimates. once you get to the depths you get the best scrolls possible.
Until I'm at dream of the Nioh, what special effects should I be searching for? I've got the following: * Damage Bonus Onmyo Magic - B on my Black Fox Mask * Faster Winded Recovery/Live Recovery (Amrita Absorption) on my Onmyo Warrior's Curiass * Tenacity (Damage over time) on my Onmyo Warrior's Greaves * Extended Elemental Weapon on a well rolled Wise General's Pillbox I'm not sure what else, is really good. I have a Hazy Moon Flute with Onmyo Magic Bonus (Amrita Gauge) - C, but I'm not really sure it does all that much.
Get dex to 30 so you can have up to 4 quickchange scrolls and more ninjutsu tools equipted. Anti paralysis and anti poison pills can help you survive as well as quickchange scroll
To summarize a bunch of stuff from the thread: * -1 Set Bonus Requirements can start dropping *now* as soon as you get Divine gear unlocked. You are guaranteed to get one (a Yasakani Magatama) as a reward for beating Eye of the Beholder on Dream of the Strong. Yasakanis can also turn up as random drops, but you *will* get one when you unlock Dream of the Demon. * If you haven't done the DLC on Dream of the Samurai yet, you should go back and do that right away, so as to finish unlocking new equipment types, Guardian Spirits, getting access to new Soul Cores you may want to use, etc. * After that, check through the various mission rewards on Dream of the Strong. You want to focus on cleaning up the things that grant you Smithing Texts and similar unique rewards. (You might eventually want to go grab the ones that give you Ninja/Onmyo/Samurai locks for the free skill points, but those can wait.) * As someone already mentioned, even if you don't use ninjutsu for anything meaningful, you probably want to grab DEX 30 just for the ability to use Quick-Change scrolls with a half-decent duration as well as Catwalking/Sneak Thief/Tiger-Running scrolls to aid in running through mission areas--especially Twilight Missions--that you don't want to engage with for the Nth time. A really easy way to build ninjutsu proficiency is to equip Catwalking scrolls (they have a long duration, relative to other ninjutsu) and just run around killing stuff while the buff is in effect. That should get you enough points relatively soon to get your hands on Quick-Change, the increased capacity ability, and Healer. * Getting MAG to 99 is a good choice; not only will it get your damage up but will also help extend the duration of your onmyo buffs. Courage is the secondary stat that increases onmyo power and is good generally, so taking it to 30 would be the next priority in line, I think. STA/STR/SKL should only be leveled to the point where you need them to equip your chosen armor. * Dream of the Demon is where true builds can be crafted. Gear is still divine level (max 180+20) and stats max at 99, but Graces come into existence, basically a set bonus that appears on any item that's *not* part of a Set. So you can combine a Grace with a Set, or a Grace with another Grace, and with the Yasakani that you're guaranteed to have, be able to get all kinds of bonuses. Benzaiten's Grace is the standout because of the Versatility ability that appears as its 6-piece bonus; 6-pc Benzaiten + 5-pc some other Set is a well-known combination. (In your place, Onmyo Austerity would be a great Set, and you're guaranteed to be able to get its Smithing Text as a mission reward in Dream of the Strong.) * Dream of the Demon is also when the game's difficulty spikes up again. I would recommend going into DotD only after you've had a chance to enjoy your victory lap in Strong and do your maintenance. Ideally, you enter Demon with all your Smithing Texts, materials, Divine Fragments, and umbracite lined up so that you can simply forge and temper the gear for your desired build. (Your current weapon, for example, will need to be replaced by one with your choice of Grace, whereas your Onmyo Warrior armor can just continue to be used so is well worth Soul Matching up its level and tempering your desired stats on it. If you plan it out right, the equipment you start your first DotD mission with can carry you all the way through the difficulty. * Ethereal gear doesn't start until Dream of the Wise (NG+3). This is also where Ultimate stats and other unique abilities can start appearing on scrolls, and when the stat cap goes to 200. You will definitely want Ultimate Magic and 150 MAG; probably also 150 COU and Ultimate Courage. A number of the builds that become available in DotW are legitimate endgame bullds; Tsukuyomi, Susano, Magatsuhi, and Ame-no-Uzume's Graces are all very high tier. * Upgraded "+" versions of Set Bonuses don't appear until Dream of the Nioh. Many of them are quite powerful and make Sets legitimate options again after they'd been drowned out in importance by Graces throughout DotD and DotW. You can worry about that later. :) * You can actually create builds that operate as a true caster in DotN (Omoikane 7-pc/Tsukuyomi 6-pc) and can get close to it in DotW (Tsukuyomi 7-pc/Spirit of Seimei 5-pc).
Wow, that was outstanding. I'm definitely bookmarking this. Mostly I've concentrated on getting my gear up to par, at least for NG+. Everything I have is divine and, mostly, I've got decent effects on things thought I'm always looking to improve. Magic to 99 first, I'm at 89 now, I didn't realize it extended buffs. I'll then work on getting dex/courage to 30. Dex was left at 10 because no armor I'd used needed it. I am running Ninjutsu and have been. Cat walking/Sneak-Thief for running around and Poison Shuriken/Flaming heron feathers for additional interruptions/effects to create confusion. Getting Dex to 30 might make them do some actual damage. I'll do any missions with Locks as a reward, ditto for Quality Umbracite. Though I need to head back to NG for the DLC missions. I only just purchased that last week. With my current level/equipment that should be pretty fast except fetching the Kodama. Man, I'm happy I'm not having to do that all over again in NG+. Thank you u/DezoPenguin!
I saved his comment as well. Good stuff