Table of contents

Jin Sakai can learn a multitude of techniques across Ghost of Tsushima, all of which will seek to aid him in a battle against the invading Mongol forces as he tries to liberate his home at the cost of his honor. Ghost of Tsushima’s best techniques offer a great mix of violence, whether it’s direct confrontation, or from the shadows. Jin Sakai certainly has what it takes to be the hero Tsushima needs, and these techniques are essential.

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The best Samurai and Ghost techniques in Ghost of Tsushima help Jin Sakai grow in power, and provided that players have continued through Jin’s journey to learn new forms of combat in terms of stances, weapons, and battle arts, they’re going to give the Mongols a hard time, whether as Samurai or Ghost.

Improved Standoff Streak

Two Enemies Rush In, Opening Themselves For A Killing Blow After A Successful Standoff

improved standoff streak
  • Unlocked By: Spend 2 Technique Point in the Evolving Tactics Tree

The Standoff mechanic in Ghost of Tsushima is a lot of fun, and it allows players to challenge a group of soldiers. They present their finest warrior, and within a flash, players can strike them down with the sharpness of their katana piercing through them. Some enemies watch in fear, but with the Improved Standoff Streak Technique, two more enemies rush in for revenge.

Players need to treat these enemies the same as their opponent, and only press Triangle or Square as the enemy attacks. Players will earn extra Resolve for their success, but the idea of a slow-motion kill of three Mongols in quick succession is too cool to deny.

Chain Assassination Master

Assassinate Three Nearby Enemies In Quick Succession

chain assassination master
  • Unlocked By: Spend 2 Technique Point in the Evolving Tactics Tree

Despite a dishonorable tactic, assassinations look cool, and they feel good to pull off as Jin’s journey evolves him into the Ghost. With the Chain Assassination Master, players no longer have to worry about alarming guards who won’t leave each other’s sides, as this will have them assassinate all three of them before they can make a whimper as a blade plunges into them.

The speed at which Jin pulls off this trio of assassinations is impressive, and the enemies will have to be within reasonable distance of one another, but it’s definitely an exciting aspect to be used for players who just adore the stealth gameplay.

Ghost Stance

Slaughter The Enemy Leader & Kill 3 Enemies With Deadly Strikes In Ghost Stance

ghost stance
  • Unlocked By: Complete The Ghost of Yarikawa

Unlocking the Ghost Stance is a trophy in itself, and as players finally acquire this great prize, they will learn why it was worth the wait. The Ghost Stance is intense, allowing Jin to feast on the fears of the Mongols who have invaded Tsushima, playing on their terror caused by the elusive Ghost, who is one with shadow, and strikes with deadly precision.

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The Ghost Stance will allow players to instantly assassinate the leader of a fort, rather than facing them in a duel. The fact that players can kill them and then earn a Ghost Stance, which allows them to terrorize enemies and instantly kill three of them in one strike, is true power.

Iron Will

Spend Resolve To Revive

iron will
  • Unlocked By: Spend 1 Technique Point in the Evolving Tactics Tree

Whilst true masters of Ghost of Tsushima won’t need Iron Will, it’s always worth having as a backup. With Iron Will, players will be able to spend Resolve when they are killed to revive themselves. The fact that they can essentially have an extra life and avoid restarting from a checkpoint, helps to elevate the game and keep the combat moving, as well as showcase the potential of Jin Sakai.

Iron Will is great for those who need a second chance, whether that’s because a boss fight was near death, or simply due to a mistaken strike. Iron Will allows players to save themselves from fatal wounds, which should be an essential purchase with Technique Points for everyone.

Dance Of Wrath

Unleash Three Consecutive Unlockable Attacks That Inflict High Damage

dance of wrath
  • Unlocked By: Complete The Spirit of Yarikawa's Vengeance Mythic Tale

Thanks to a new mastery of legendary combat, this Mythic Technique can be learned, providing players with a new way to spend Resolve and a new way to terrify enemies. With Dance of Wrath, players can unleash three rapid slashes of their sword, directing their kills at enemies whom they deem the biggest threat.

The damage is enough to kill enemies, or seriously injure them, and even with some kills from Dance of Wrath, enemies could potentially be terrified, allowing another easy victim to fall to Jin’s Ghost persona. With an activation of L1 + R1, and choosing each target with the Left Stick, players will have deadly precision.

Perfect Parry

Parry At The Last Possible Second To Perform A Deadly Counterattack

perfect parry
  • Unlocked By: Spend 1 1 Technique Point in the Deflection Tree

Players can earn themselves more Resolve if they are to parry at the last possible second. Whilst it might seem hard to pull off at first, players will soon master the way that combat works to truly devastate their foes, and ensure that each of their attacks is met with a deadly counter, turning Jin into a parrying machine.

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The counterattack is lethal, as the damage it can deal is devastatingly strong. Some players don’t even attack unless struck first, due to the fact that the Perfect Parry move is extremely powerful in its damage potential, so long as they time it right.

Dodging Slash

An Evasive Strike For Slow-Moving Enemies

dodging slash
  • Unlocked By: Spend 1 Technique Point in the Evasion Tree

Unlock more fluidity to Jin’s movement with Dodging Slash, a useful Technique in the Evasion tree that will see Jin dodge attacks and head straight into a strike. Players can use this against slow-moving enemies to constantly chip away at their health whilst said enemy tries to turn their weight towards Jin, the furious samurai.

Not only is it useful for slow-moving enemies, but fast players can also give other enemies a cutting strike of their katana if they are fast enough to evade rather than parry. The potential for Dodging Slash is great for those with fast capabilities.

Unyielding Sword Parry

Parry Unblockable Attacks From Mongol Swords

unyielding sword parry
  • Unlocked By: Spend 1 Technique Point in the Deflection Tree

New attacks can be parried by Jin, paving the way to avoid further damage from the most common enemy type, which is Mongol swordsmen. Whether they dual-wield or not, the fact that attacks that were once only countered through evading can be taken care of with a quick parry proves how effective a samurai Jin can be.

These attacks will be marked with a blue glint rather than a red one, showcasing that a dodge isn’t the only way to stop the attack, as they can now lead directly into a parry, further unlocking Jin’s potential to fight the Mongol forces that threaten his beautiful home.

Ghost of Tsushima DIRECTOR’S CUT
Ghost of Tsushima Director's Cut

Platform(s)
PC , PS5 , PS4
Released
August 20, 2021
Developer(s)
Sucker Punch
Genre(s)
Action-Adventure , Open-World