After defeating the fascinating and disturbing Tatarimokke, it's time for another of the Yokai bosses of Nioh 2, Magara Naotaka.
Magara Naotaka: appearance and origins
This Yokai is slightly larger than a normal human being and with a face that is very reminiscent of that of a human subject to a transformation (?). This videogame reinterpretation fits perfectly with what is the story that revolves around the historical character and his iconography. Makara Naotaka is in fact remembered as a samurai of the period Sengoku and clan servant Asakura, whose physical dimensions were reminiscent in all respects those of a real one giant. It is said, in fact, that Naotaka was so strong and gigantic that he was able to hold a very heavy nodachi (Japanese broadswords of very generous dimensions) with one hand, where practically no one else could.
In Nagoya, even today, his famous “tarotachi” weapon is on display at the Atsuta Shrine.
Main attacks
Magara Naotaka uses a weapon as a weapon odachi and can use theice element. As expected, seeing the large weapon he uses and his size, he is able to inflict massive damage, but the speed of execution of the various attacks is not exactly his forte, and will easily leave him exposed. Let's analyze his shots in detail. One of the most damaging attacks is the triple combo which he performs by rotating his odachi, from which you will absolutely have to stay away, as it is really dangerous and able to inflict damage on you, to say the least, worrying for the success of the battle. Magara Naotaka is then able to perform an icy blast placing his hand on the ground. Get away from the boss as soon as you see him go down and you won't have any problems. The moment the boss brings his weapon upwards, he is about to perform a vertical strike with the odachi, which unleashes a shock wave in front of you: dodge to the right or left and you will avoid the attack. On the other hand, when Magara Naotaka is in the Dark Kingdom she can summon a second odachi and use it with the "basic" one to unleash a very harmful combo, to be countered using the Explosive Counterattack.
Tips for attack and various vulnerabilities
Magara Naotaka is not an overly formidable enemy, as her slowness is a fairly heavy Achilles heel. His shots are capable of dealing massive damage, but he executes them extremely slowly, therefore they are easy to stem. Try to avoid the various hits and go around him, then attack him. Also in this case, do not be greedy: hit it a maximum of three times and then return to the defensive, because even here if you run out of ki, therefore the ability to dodge, you will risk compromising the outcome of the battle. Try to remove the ki from the boss as quickly as possible, but without exposing yourself too much. Furthermore, Magara Naotaka it is vulnerable to fire, so if you can take advantage of this element. This boss, mind you, has a large amount of life points, so you will need to be patient to take home victory with relative safety.
final Thoughts
Magara Naotaka is not a particularly formidable enemy compared to the others present in Nioh 2, if you take into account the fact that, like any slow enemy, you need to exploit this weakness to get the better of him. Dodge his attacks and try to hit him from behind aiming to end his stamina. Be patient and the victory will be yours.
Difficulty: 2/5
Appearance: 3,5/5
Thematic inspiration: 4/5
Overall rating: 3,5 / 5
► Nioh 2 is an Action-RPG type game developed by Team Ninja and published by Koei Tecmo for PlayStation 4, the video game was released on 13/03/2020
