Ghost of Tsushima is a samurai sword fighting at its finest. With a premise that sees the samurai era Japan getting encroached by the Mongols, the game offers lots of high-octane slashing.
However, playing as the protagonist in the game is no easy task. Over time, you will come across opponents that are significantly distinct from others. The difference primarily boils down to weapon preference and, in some cases, their literal stature.
There are various means that players can employ to one-up each enemy. But nothing guarantees success than knowing an opponent and switching to a style that ensures the best outcome.
Method of Unlocking Stances
In Ghost of Tsushima, Jin Sakai is capable of five different stances, four of which he has to learn along the way. To do so, the player must only be sneaky in observing a Mongol leader and choosing to kill him off afterward.
Do note that, to unlock later stances, players must observe and kill more Mongol leaders. This procedure works towards getting all stances, except for one: the last stance in this list.
Stone Stance
This is Jin’s default stance and requires no learning from a leading enemy. The Stone stance, however, is significant in that it has an advantage over enemies who wield swords. Which is, basically, many enemies, including some bosses. This stance is best against a staggering opponent by spamming heavy attacks to dish out tons of damage.
Water Stance
Jin is no doubt lethal with a katana. But faced with an enemy who employs a shield and plays defensively, the Stone stance becomes ineffective. To overcome this seemingly difficult trial, it’s imperative that the player switch to a different stance. Specifically, the Water stance and with the special consideration for the Shield Breaker skill.
Wind Stance
Dealing with a spearman can be tough in-game. However, not if you are using the right stance, which, in this case, is the Wind stance. With the ability to stagger opponents and even create space by kicking, this stance is effective at launching enemies to their deaths from a high place.
Moon Stance
Like the Wind stance, there is some kicking involved in the Moon stance and is aimed at staggering opponents. Staggering works on all enemy types, except the Brutes, but is nonetheless the ideal stance against this exception. When paired with the right dodge and parry, no Brute could survive the Moon stance.
Ghost Stance
The Ghost stance is a stance that is not included in Jin’s list of upgrades. But players who complete the “Ghost of Yarikawa” tale easily get it as a reward. Unlike any of the aforementioned stances, this particular stance is not designed against a specific type of opponent. Rather, its benefit comes from its ability to trigger multiple insta-kills under the right conditions.
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