Rise of the Ronin combat styles, explained

Rise of the Ronin is a true samurai adventure, but like the real story of these incredible warriors, combat can be incredibly intricate. One system that adds depth to the game is combat styles.

Combat styles aren’t just a way to deal major damage and overcome tough foes, they’re also a good option to customize your playstyle and truly build the samurai of your dreams. But while the Rise of the Ronin campaign does explain the system, it can be tricky to understand.

To help you get a grasp of what’s going on, here’s a full rundown of how combat styles work in Rise of the Ronin and how you can get new ones.

What are combat styles in Rise of the Ronin

In Rise of the Ronin, combat styles let you change up your moveset during battle. Some styles work better against certain enemies, and with four available to switch between, you can cover yourself on all fronts.

Combat styles fit into three categories, and most enemies are weak against at least one. These are Ten (Sky), Chi (Earth), and Jin (Human).

From a practical standpoint, changing combat style just means you’ll wield your weapon differently. This starts with your stance, but shines when it comes to putting combos together.

Each weapon has its own set of combat styles, and they don’t all cross over. While some combat styles can be tricky to acquire, you get others as you progress through the campaign.

How to get combat styles in Rise of the Ronin

You receive combat styles in Rise of the Ronin when you increase your bond with friendly characters. Eventually, once your bond is strong enough, you unlock their signature combat style.

As mentioned previously, many combat styles simply come from completing the campaign, so if you’re just looking to get a few new styles, that’s the best route to prioritize. If you want to unlock a specific style, you can see the requirements on the Combat Style tab in the menu, but many remain hidden until you find them.