Onimusha: Way of the Sword treats defense as more than a way to survive. Miyamoto Musashi can turn a well-timed block, parry, dodge, or counter into a direct path toward a finishing strike, giving players several answers to the Genma threats waiting in Edo-period Kyoto. An official Xbox Wire combat guide details the core techniques available early in the game.
The system rewards players who pay attention to enemy attacks instead of holding the guard button and hoping for the best. Six key options cover everything from a safe response under pressure to some of Musashi’s most damaging moves.
Block when you need a safe answer
Holding LB lets Musashi block most attacks from any direction, including ranged strikes. It is the easiest defensive option to use when several enemies are attacking at once, but every hit drains stamina. If that stamina runs out, Musashi loses his stance and gives up a large amount of souls, which can be particularly painful after building toward a special attack.
Blocking works best as a fallback rather than a default. Whenever the timing is clear, one of the more active defensive moves can preserve stamina and create a better opening.
Parry attacks to build the Blaze Gauge
A parry comes from pressing LB just as an attack connects. Success knocks the strike away and usually leaves the enemy open for a few seconds, giving Musashi time to answer with a combo or a decisive slash.
Repeatedly parrying also fills the Blaze Gauge. Once Musashi enters Blazing State, his attacks can inflict more health and stamina damage while earning extra souls. The visual flair is a nice bonus, but the added resources and pressure on an opponent make accurate parries worth practicing.
Use Deflect to break down stamina
Deflect uses the same defensive timing as a parry, but adds a press of A as the attack lands. It does not break an enemy’s stance, yet it deals a large amount of stamina damage. The effect is even stronger during Blazing State.
Once an opponent’s stamina has been worn down far enough, Musashi can perform a Break Issen. The move can finish most weaker enemies and cut through a boss’s health much faster. Deflect also has a useful answer for ranged attackers because it can send projectiles back toward the enemy who fired them.
Issen demands the tightest timing
Issen is the highest-risk option in Musashi’s defensive toolkit. Instead of waiting for the blow and blocking it, start an attack in the tiny window just before the enemy’s strike lands. The timing is even less forgiving than a standard parry.
Pulling it off sends Musashi to the side of the attack and into one of his strongest blows. It is not the technique to rely on while learning an enemy’s pattern, but mastering the window can turn a dangerous exchange into a fast victory.
Win Barrages and Blade Locks
A Barrage begins when Musashi and an enemy land attacks at the same moment. The encounter becomes a brief duel, and the correct follow-up depends on the attack used to enter it. If Musashi started with the light attack on X, press the heavy attack on Y to evade and strike hard. If the opening attack was heavy, switch to light.
Blade Locks can follow a parry or Deflect, leaving both weapons locked together in a burst of sparks. Rapidly press X or Y to win the contest and send the enemy spinning away with a large portion of their stamina removed.
Save Reflex Dodge for attacks you cannot parry
Pressing B makes Musashi dodge. Using it inside the parry window creates a Reflex Dodge, a more advanced maneuver that begins building the Reflex Gauge later in the game. With a full gauge, another successful Reflex Dodge slows time and opens a rapid combo that deals heavy damage. Those combos can also be upgraded.
Dodge timing becomes essential against attacks that cannot be parried or deflected, especially punches and kicks. A player who relies only on the guard button will eventually run into moves that ignore it, while a well-timed dodge keeps the fight moving on Musashi’s terms.
More techniques arrive later
These options form the foundation of Onimusha: Way of the Sword, but the combat system continues to add tools as the story progresses. Unblockable attacks call for sharper parry reflexes, and later abilities bring more possibilities without giving away the game’s surprises.
Onimusha: Way of the Sword will arrive on September 4 for Xbox Series X|S and Xbox on PC. Xbox Play Anywhere will let players use the game on console and PC at no additional cost.
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