Ghost of Tsushima has delivered tenfold as far as its combat system is concerned. The flow of battle is smooth and natural. Coupled with a completely optional stealth mechanic, the Mongol invaders don’t stand a chance against Lord Sakai. The master Samurai has been training since he was a little boy, and has learned how to strike with his blade based on each enemy’s specific weakness.
Ghost of Tsushima has four stances that Jin can use to lay waste to the Mongol invaders. The stances Jin can easily switch between are tailored to specific enemy types. The final stance will be available to players after completing ‘The Ghost of Yarikawa’ main story mission in ACT II. Players will start the game with Stone Stance and will have to unlock the others themselves. This guide will walk players through how to unlock each of Jin’s stances, and how to effectively use them.
How to Unlock Different Stances in Ghost of Tsushima.
Jin’s stances are all unlocked in the same fashion. Players are required to either observe or kill Mongol leaders as they raid strongholds and camps around Tsushima. Players will encounter some leaders through side tales and main tales. These leaders will also make progress towards unlocking stances. Jin may also encounter Leaders…well… leading a group of Mongols down one of Tsushima’s dirt roads. Although these leaders can’t be observed, they can be killed for progress.
Both observing AND killing Leaders will sometimes allow players to grab two rankings in the stance progression. As Jin is sneaking around the encampment, he may see the Mongol Leader practicing his techniques. Move-in for a closer look. Players will be prompted to observe the Leader but should make sure they are out of plain sight. A successful observation will be obvious to the player, and they can now rush in a lay waste to the Leader.
As mentioned before, players will start the game with Stone Stance which is useful against sword-bearing Mongols and rival Samurai. In most cases, players will be using Stone Stance in boss fights (ie. Lady Masako & Ryuzo). Stone Stance's most powerful move is the triple triangle stab useable after investing a few technique points into the skill tree. This will do some serious damage to staggered enemies and is also useful for interrupting otherwise unblock-able attacks in boss fights. Specifically, when a boss is about to unleash the 'Draw Sword' attack (Similar to standoffs) Jin can poke them and interrupt the attack before it even happens.
Unlocking & Using the Water Stance in Ghost of Tsushima
The Water Stance is the first new stance players will unlock in Ghost of Tsushima, and will only require a few dead Mongol Leaders to do so. By now, players have become incredibly annoyed with having to break Mongol shields simply by mashing Triangle in Stone Stance. Thankfully, Water is incredibly effective against shield barring Mongols (yes, even the Brutes) The Shield Breaker attack (Triangle 3 times) actually requires a bit of delay. Players should press Triangle, Triangle (slight delay) Triangle in order to get all three attacks off. Once the guard is broken, players can wail away with Square, OR use the flurry strike technique to unleash rabid Triangle attacks. This also leaves Mongols incredibly vulnerable to moves such as Heavenly Strike or Dance of Wrath.
Unlocking & Using Wind Stance in Ghost of Tsushima.
As players have probably learned by now, spear-wielding Mongols deal an unforgiving amount of damage. Wind Stance is arguably the most important stance to unlock as it is effective against spears, but can also kick encroaching Mongols away. Players should note that getting off perfect parries on specific enemies will require Jin to be in the appropriate stance. When players see the blue highlight on a Mongol’s weapon, they’ll have a split second to recognize the enemy type, switch stance, and parry. Wind stance is the next stance Jin will unlock and will require a handful of Mongol Leaders either observed or killed. Wind Stance allows players to unleash a ‘Typhoon Kick’ by holding Triangle that will send Mongols flying like field goals. It’s a great way to put some distance between Jin and his enemies if he needs to heal or start running. One can also kick a Mongol off a cliff for an easy kill.
Unlocking & Using Moon Stance in Ghost of Tsushima.
Moon stance is going to take a while, but all is attainable with patience and a few hours of gameplay. Brutes are incredibly annoying, and their many different variations make them difficult to predict in the middle of a heated battle. However, Brutes don’t like being kicked in the face. Moon stance will see Jin unleash a series of whirlwind kicks high to the Brute’s head before finally striking with his sword. Players can imagine the kicks are meant to disorient the big boys and leave them vulnerable to follow up attacks. Holding Triangle will unleash a spinning sword attack that will damage anything within 360 degrees of Jin (Flashbacks to spamming Link’s ‘Up B' in Super Smash Bros).
Unlocking & Using Ghost Stance in Ghost of Tsushima
The only stance Jin can’t freely switch into is Ghost Stance. Unlocked upon defeating the Mongol General boss fight during the ‘Ghost of Yarikawa’ Tale, the player’s screens will turn a deep black and white, lightning will strike down from the heavens and Jin will start seeing red. Ghost Stance allows Jin to one-hit-kill and dismember any Mongol in his path. This will also terrify any surrounding Mongols making them easy targets. To enter Ghost Stance, Jin must kill seven Mongols (Dogs are included) without taking any damage. Once the meter is charged, players will press R3 and L3 together to send Jin into Ghost Stance which will last for a short moment. Players may want to plot out if they plan on attaining Ghost Stance and dispatch of any Archers or Mongol Dogs that might ruin their killstreak. Playing stealthily is a great way to build the meter before charging in and raining hell down upon a Mongol Camp. Be warned though! If players take damage, even once the meter is full, they will lose Ghost Stance and will have to start again.
Ghost of Tsushima has moved mountains since its release, and the game is still technically in its infancy. Armed with a fantastic combat engine, Ghost of Tsushima should continue to top player’s charts as one of 2020’s best video games.
Ghost of Tsushima is available on PlayStation 4.