Quick answer
There is no universal first skill. Match the upgrade to the problem you are seeing on screen:
- Deflect for incoming pressure and arrows.
- Chain Issen after you can land the first Issen consistently.
- Absorb Souls While Attacking when resource collection interrupts your offense.
- Issen Power 1 when the timing loop is already stable and you want more damage.
- Flat-Out Sprint when Eastern Kyoto movement is the immediate friction point.
Early upgrade table
| Skill | What it changes | Cost | Prerequisite | Best when |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Deflect | Deflects enemy attacks and can send arrows back to their source. | 2 Power Stones | The Oni’s Apprentice | You lose to pressure before a punish. |
| Chain Issen | Enables a Chain Issen with up to 2 targets. | 2 Power Stones | The Oni’s Apprentice | The first Issen is already reliable. |
| Absorb Souls While Attacking | Allows soul absorption while attacking, with exceptions for some attacks. | 2 Power Stones | A Strength in Refuge | Collection keeps interrupting combat. |
| Issen Power 1 | Increases Issen attack power. | 4,500 Red Souls | A Strength in Refuge | You can repeat the timing and need damage. |
| Flat-Out Sprint | Increases sprint speed after a period of sprinting in Eastern Kyoto. | 2 Power Stones | A Strength in Refuge | Exploration is slower than combat progress. |
Decision path
You die before you can punish
Start with Deflect if incoming attacks or arrows are the repeated problem. First test it in a low-risk encounter; an upgrade is useful only when it changes the exchange you keep losing.
You land Issen but waste the follow-up
Choose Chain Issen only after the first timing is familiar. Practise the first result, identify the next target, and then add the chain.
Soul collection stops your offense
Choose Absorb Souls While Attacking. It improves resource flow, but some attacks still do not support the behavior, so keep your defensive timing.
The timing is reliable and damage is now the problem
Consider Issen Power 1. Its 4,500 Red Soul cost is easier to justify after you can use Issen repeatedly rather than as a replacement for practice.
Eastern Kyoto traversal is the bottleneck
Consider Flat-Out Sprint. It helps movement in the named area; it is not a general combat ranking.
Spend order for a first run
- Buy the defensive option that keeps you alive through the next encounter.
- Add Chain Issen only after the first response is stable.
- Improve soul flow if collection repeatedly breaks your rhythm.
- Buy damage after you can reach the punish window.
- Keep a reserve for the next prerequisite instead of emptying every currency at once.
What to buy at each early checkpoint
Checkpoint 1: you are still learning the basic exchange
Do not buy Issen Power 1 simply because it has a visible damage benefit. At this point, the more important question is whether you can see the incoming attack and survive it. Deflect is the best early answer when arrows or weapon pressure interrupt every attempt. Use it in a normal encounter immediately after buying it so you can compare the same cue before and after the upgrade.
Checkpoint 2: the first Issen is repeatable
Once you can land one Issen against a readable attack, Chain Issen becomes a real option. It costs 2 Power Stones and requires The Oni’s Apprentice. Practise the first result before attempting the second target. If the chain causes you to lose the camera or stand inside another attack, keep using the single Issen and save the currency for a skill that solves the next problem.
Checkpoint 3: A Strength in Refuge is complete
A Strength in Refuge opens three different needs. Absorb Souls While Attacking costs 2 Power Stones and is useful when collecting resources repeatedly breaks your offense. Issen Power 1 costs 4,500 Red Souls and is useful when the timing is already stable but the punish is too weak. Flat-Out Sprint costs 2 Power Stones and is useful when Eastern Kyoto traversal is taking longer than the fight itself.
If healing is the bottleneck
Skills are not the only early upgrade decision. Izumo no Okuni manages the Hozuki Pouch, and each pouch effect solves a different problem rather than offering one universal best choice:
| Pouch effect | What it does | When it helps | Where it fits in the route |
|---|---|---|---|
| Hozuki Pouch: Default | Heals a larger chunk of health per use. | You are spending every healing use before the next Spirit Mirror. | Earned from Patching up the Pouch. |
| Hozuki Pouch: Resistance | Regenerates Health and Oni Power over time. | You need recovery plus more Oni resource between encounters. | Listed as a reward from The Ruckus at Rendaino and The Way of the Sword. |
| Hozuki Pouch: Regeneration | Regenerates health and stamina over time. | Stamina recovery is the reason a route keeps collapsing. | Choose it when recovery matters more than a larger single heal. |
| Hozuki Pouch: Aggressor | Refills Oni Power and Reflex by a fixed amount. | Your build depends on repeated reflex actions or Oni techniques. | Choose it when your plan is built around reflex or Oni skills. |
| Hozuki Pouch: Awakening | Refills Oni Power and Awakening by a fixed amount. | You are planning around Awakening rather than ordinary healing. | Choose it when Awakening is the center of the loadout. |
For a first run, apply the Default pouch as soon as Patching up the Pouch is complete if healing is the immediate failure. Do not delay a known healing improvement while saving for a damage skill. Use the other pouch effects for later loadout planning, then open Hozuki Pouches and Missions when you need the named route.
The reserve rule
Before a purchase, write down the next skill you would buy if the next mission gives the required prerequisite. Then spend only the excess currency. This avoids the common situation where a player buys a small convenience node, reaches a boss, and cannot afford the defensive branch that would have addressed the real failure. A reserve is also useful because mission rewards and area chests can change what becomes available at the next Spirit Mirror.
Upgrade choices by encounter type
| Next problem | First purchase | Do not expect it to solve |
|---|---|---|
| Ranged pressure or repeated weapon hits | Deflect | Poor camera placement or an unseen second enemy |
| A successful Issen with no follow-up | Chain Issen | A first Issen that is still inconsistent |
| A crowded route with Souls in danger | Absorb Souls While Attacking | Every attack animation or every enemy group |
| A boss survives your confirmed timing | Issen Power 1 | A missed reaction window |
| Eastern Kyoto travel between mirrors | Flat-Out Sprint | A boss’s attack pattern |
The table is a decision aid, not a universal tier list. Use Bosses when the obstacle is a specific attack and Combat when the problem is the exchange itself.
How to test whether the upgrade helped
Use the same enemy or route before and after the purchase. Look for one concrete change: an arrow is deflected, the second Issen lands, Souls are absorbed without stopping, the hub crossing is faster, or the boss phase ends after the same punish. If nothing changes, the problem may be timing or positioning rather than the skill. Do not buy a second upgrade until the first one solves its intended problem.
What to carry into a boss
Keep healing available, use the Spirit Mirror before the arena, and make sure the upgrade supports the first attack you expect to see. If the boss has armour or a weak point, the correct Oni Armament can matter more than a general damage node. If the boss becomes empowered after absorbing Souls, plan when to collect rather than assuming a larger health bar is the only issue.
