Often undervalued, but a dependable and deadly sword by your side when you need them, the Ronin Class in Ghost of Tsushima: Legends is a lifeline that every team of Samurai can’t do without. They’re a solid damage dealer and a Medic that can pull the team back into action if there’s a party wipe.
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It's a solid Support class that has a lot of versatility once you start to get your hands on stronger gear. If you’re planning on picking up this powerhouse of party protection, then here are some of the best tips for playing Ronin in Ghost of Tsushima: Legends.
10 Stick Close To The Team
The Ronin is first and foremost a Medic. They’re a Support class that’s supposed to keep an eye on the rest of the team, keeping them healthy or picking up those that have fallen.
Whilst the Ronin can handle themselves on their own for a while, eventually you’ll get overwhelmed. Then once the Medic goes down the entire team can quickly crumble. So stay near to the rest of your crew to keep them and yourself safe.
9 Pair Up In Survival
Sticking close to your team is not only important in the other multiplayer modes, it’s extremely recommended in Survival rounds. Those waves come hard and fast and whilst strong solo players can hold their own, Ronin should always make sure they have a friend close by.
They can’t put out as much damage as a Samurai or escape as quick as the Assassin, so having someone that can bail you out is imperative. The best combos so far have been Ronins with Samurai, with the latter tanking, or Assassins with a Group Vanish on standby.
8 The Incense And Dog Debate
When it comes to building up your Ronin there’s a big debate within the Ghosts of Tsushima: Legends Community in regards to two particular skills, Spirit Animal and the Healing Incense. They have their own unique benefits, and ultimately it comes down to personal preference when catering your loadout around them.
For example, the Healing Incense sticks (unlocked at level 10), are your standard group heal and are the perfect Medic build for those looking to keep their pals nice and healthy. Whilst the Spirit Animal can be a good damage dealer that can interrupt attacking enemies for a quick Katana swing, draw aggro, or generally cause a little anarchy in a fight to let you make an escape.
7 Run Interference
Not only is a good Ronin one that keeps the team on their feet, but running around the map and acting as a distraction is something they excel at. One on One fights can go smoothly as long as it’s not against magic spewing Oni, but you’re best-used wading into a brawl, getting a few quick kills then repositioning.
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If your team is charging in, try not to lead, hang back behind the bigger hitters and mop up those that manage to wriggle past their blades. Or, if there’s a big Oni tossing other swordsmen around, try to help focus damage on it.
6 Try Manual Revives Instead
If you want to make the most of your Ronin, managing your Resolve should be your main focus. Whilst it’s incredibly helpful to just drop a quick instant revive on a teammate when they’re down, unless you have a build that regenerates your resolve quickly it could be a waste.
Quite often it’s more efficient to manually revive someone, saving off your points for when the entire group drops. It’s a very situation-specific tip, so use your best judgment when trying to preserve your Resolve for bigger fights or stronger waves.
5 Duel If You Can, Run If You Can’t
Unlike the Hunter who has to cut and run if anyone gets too close, the Ronin can stand on their own and duel against some quite strong foes without too much trouble. Since their Support role is multi-functional in that they can be both Medic and Support, the Ronins versatility is something you shouldn’t ignore.
Though that doesn’t mean you should stand fast with the other Samurai when the hordes come screaming in as the Ronin can get knocked on their back pretty easily. Generally, you can duel with most targets, but don’t get overconfident and make sure there’s someone to back you up if you start to get into trouble. The last thing the team needs is a dead Healer.
You can’t call yourself an effective Ronin unless you bring along some tools to tip a hard fight in your favor. There’s plenty to choose from, and they allow for some pretty interesting builds.
For example, there’s a Legendary Katana named the Stone Striker which allows the Ronin to use the Samurais Heavenly Strike which deals increased damage to enemies with a broken Gaurd. Or, you could choose caltrops and dirt throws to turn any brawl into a hard-to-navigate minefield of debuffs, perfect for Nightmare difficulty Survival mode. If you like a class that allows for experimentation, then the Ronin is your guy.
3 Cheap Hits Are Encouraged
Whilst you could remain an honorable warrior and only face opponents in a duel, there is no shame in getting in a few cheap hits on targets that are not expecting it. Especially so on Nightmare difficulty where every individual enemy has a gigantic health bar you need to wear down.
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For example, The Spirit Animal can draw aggro and get a little damage in whilst you get a breather. Or if the group is dueling with a particularly tough Oni, try quick hit and runs on it to help wear it down. Bouncing quickly between targets that are quick to take down will always help the group, so keep that as your main focus when prowling around those brawls.
2 Learn To Stance-Switch
Samurai players will know this well, but stance-switching with your sword kit means the difference between swinging a Katana that slices through health bars and one that harmlessly bonks off shields. Knowing when to swap to a different stance is key if you want to deal some decent damage as a Ronin.
For example, Water Stance is great for peeling apart basic swordsmen, whilst Stone Stance can batter through shields or club through guard meters. Most Katanas allow for stance-switching, so experiment around to find one that works for you.
1 Cause Chaos
Whilst Samurai should be honorable, Ronin work well when they’re fighting dirty. Upsetting the battlefield with Ghost Weapons and debuffs is actively encouraged for these wandering swords without Lords. So aim for a build that causes maximum mayhem.
As an example, at level 11 you could equip Fire Breath, which ignites nearby enemies whenever you use Breath of Izanami to revive your team. This can cover quite a large area and is a nice way to stagger attackers and let your team get the first hit back in revenge. Put all sense of honor out the window and get creative with how you cause chaos.
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