TL;DR

 
 
Please click for an enhanced view of this image. 
 
For Melee Attacks and Active Skills against Yokai, the following bonuses apply: 
 

Positive Ki

• No bonuses apply

Out of Ki

• Melee Damage vs. Zero-ki Enemy 
• Finishing Flair 
• Increased Attack (Winded Enemy)

Out of Maximum Ki

• Melee Damage vs. Zero-ki Enemy 
• Finishing Flair 
• Increased Attack (Winded Enemy) 
• 66.66% Innate Out of Ki Bonus against certain Yokai

 
As requested by several users, this is a port of my original https://www.reddit.com/r/Nioh/comments/n7pprx/guide_the_stacking_of_zeroki_bonuses_against_yokai/?utm_source=share&utm_medium=web2x&context=3 to Steam. 
 
 

Introduction

 
In Nioh 2, there are many different zero-ki bonuses and Buffs such as Melee Damage vs. Zero-ki Enemy, Finishing Flair, and Increased Attack (Winded Enemy). Distinguishing between these bonuses can prove to be difficult, as it is not obvious when and how each of them apply. 
 
To further complicate matters, there exists a 66.66% damage bonus that applies to certain Yokai enemies whom are depleted of their maximum ki. This damage bonus is not explicitly stated by the game, and is thus unknown to many players. 
 
This guide serves to both specify which zero-ki damage bonuses apply to which situations, as well as introduce the 66.66% Innate Out of Ki Bonus to readers. Please keep in mind that this guide focuses specifically on Melee Attacks and Active Skills against zero-ki Yokai enemies, so Grapples and Final Blows (along with their related bonuses) are not discussed in the paragraphs to come. 
 
 

What is the 66.66% Innate Out of Ki Bonus?

 
The 66% Innate Out of Ki Bonus is a multiplier that increases your damage output by 66.66% against Humans who are out of ki and certain Yokai who are out of maximum ki. 
 
Tests have shown this multiplier to range from 64.0% to 66.66%. In this guide, the multiplier is deemed to be equal to 66.66%, recurring. This figure is used because I believe that the developers intended for the bonus amount to be 2 ÷ 3. 
 
Against Humans, this bonus applies to a single attack. Against certain Yokai, it applies to every attack until they summon a Yokai Realm or Dark Realm. 
 
There are some Yokai that this bonus sometimes does not apply to. Provided below is a list of some, but not all Yokai who are conditional exemptions to the 66.66% Innate Out of Ki Bonus. 
 

• Skeleton Warrior (Small and Large) – Fallen down 
• Rokurokubi 
• Flying Bolt 
• Wheelmonk – Fallen down 
• Umi-Bozu – Compressed into the ground 
• Shuten Doji – Fallen down

 
These Yokai behave slightly differently from typical Yokai. The general observation is that they tend to fall down and become vulnerable to non-grapple attacks such as the Final Blow before their maximum ki is depleted. However, if they do enter a state where they can be grappled—such as in the case where Shuten Doji’s maximum ki is depleted—then the 66.66% Innate Out of Ki Bonus will apply. 
 
Additionally, some of these enemies take completely different damage bonuses when they enter their unique state; further testing is required to determine exactly what kind of damage they take during these unique states. The Skeleton Warrior, for example, enters the Final Blow state when either its ki is depleted or its maximum ki is depleted. When this happens, both Backstab Damage bonuses and the “Damage from Behind” bonus (portrayed by the larger font of damage numbers) are incorporated into the player’s total damage output. 
 
 

What are the states of Yokai ki levels?

 
There are three states that Yokai enter depending on their ki level: 

• Positive Ki – This is when the Yokai has a purple ki bar. In this state, the Yokai enemy will actively attack the player. 
   
• Out of Ki – This is when the Yokai has no purple ki bar, but a portion of its ki bar is flashing red. In this state, the Yokai enemy will actively attack the player, but will be staggered every time it receives damage. 
   
• Out of Maximum Ki – This is when the Yokai has no purple ki bar, and its entire ki bar is flashing red. In this state, the Yokai is able to be Grappled.

When and how do the various zero-ki bonuses apply?

 
Provided below is a list of the zero-ki bonuses that apply to each Yokai ki level, as well as each state’s corresponding Total Damage formula. 
 

➼ Positive Ki

 
No zero-ki bonuses apply. 
 
The total damage formula, isolated for only zero-ki bonuses, is as follows: 
 

➼ Out of Ki

 
The following bonuses apply: 

• Melee Damage vs. Zero-ki Enemy 
• Finishing Flair 
• Increased Attack (Winded Enemy)

 
The total damage formula, isolated for only zero-ki bonuses, is as follows: 
 

➼ Out of Maximum Ki

 
The following bonuses apply: 

• Melee Damage vs. Zero-ki Enemy 
• Finishing Flair 
• Increased Attack (Winded Enemy) 
• 66.66% Innate Out of Ki Bonus

 
The total damage formula, isolated for only zero-ki bonuses, is as follows: 
 

 
To isolate for the mentioned bonuses, all other passive damage bonuses and active damage buffs are assumed to be absent. Defense Debuffs, Saturation, Confusion, Attack from Behind bonuses and Stealth bonuses are also assumed to be absent. 
 
 

A Practical Example

 
Let’s say that your Mid Stance quick attack deals 1,000 damage: 

• Base Damage: 1,000

 
And that you have the following stat bonuses: 

• Melee Damage vs. Zero-ki Enemy: 20.0% 
• Melee Ki Damage: 30.0% 
• Finishing Flair AA 
• Increased Attack (Winded Enemy)

 
Finally, let’s assume that no other passive damage bonuses or active damage buffs are present on your character. 
 
Using the provided equations, you would deal the following damage on a Yokai enemy qualifying for the 66.66% Innate Out of Ki Bonus at each of the following ki levels: 
 

➼ Positive Ki

 
In other words, when the enemy has a purple ki bar, your Mid Stance quick attack will deal 1,000 damage. 
 

➼ Out of Ki

 
In other words, when the enemy has no purple ki bar, but a portion of its ki bar is flashing red, the 1,000 base damage will be multiplied by one plus the sum of your: 

• Melee Damage vs. Zero-ki Enemy bonus (20.0%) 
• Finishing Flair AA damage bonus (8.10% at 30% Melee Ki Damage). The formula for determining Finishing Flair’s damage bonus can be found on its nioh2.wiki.fextralife.com – https://nioh2.wiki.fextralife.com/Finishing+Flair.

 
Then, it will be multiplied by one plus your Increased Attack (Winded Enemy) buff, which is a 20% damage buff. 
 
As a result of these bonuses, your Mid Stance quick attack will deal 1,537 damage. 
 

➼ Out of Maximum Ki

 
In other words, when the enemy has no purple ki bar and its entire ki bar is flashing red, the 1,000 base damage will be multiplied by one plus the sum of your: 

• Melee Damage vs. Zero-ki Enemy bonus (20.0%) 
• Finishing Flair AA damage bonus (8.10% at 30% Melee Ki Damage)

 
Then, it will be multiplied by one plus your 20% Increased Attack (Winded Enemy) buff. 
 
Finally, it will be multiplied by one plus the 66.66% Innate Out of Ki Bonus. 
 
As a result of these bonuses, your Mid Stance quick attack will deal 2,562 damage. 
 
 

FAQs

Why should I bother performing melee attacks when the Yokai enemy is in the Grapple state, when I could instead go for the Grapple right away?

 
To maximize your damage output when an enemy enters the Grapple state, you should try to fit in as many attacks as you can before performing the Grapple at the last possible second. 
 
If you practice this habit, you can possibly deal just as much—if not more—damage with your melee attacks as you would deal with the Grapple. Combining the two together is likely to yield devastating results for your foe. 
 

How is the damage bonus for Finishing Flair calculated?

 
The formula for determining Finishing Flair’s damage bonus can be found on its Wiki page. 
Link to the page: nioh2.wiki.fextralife.com – https://nioh2.wiki.fextralife.com/Finishing+Flair. 
 

What if I already have an attack buff active when Increased Attack (Winded Enemy) is applied?

 
When multiple status effects of the same type are applied at the same time, they all are active and count down concurrently, but only the most beneficial effect applies. 
 
In other words, Increased Attack (Winded Enemy) will apply and count down no matter what, but whether you receive its 20% increased attack buff is dependent on whether your pre-existing attack buff is greater or less than 20%. 
 
If it is greater than 20%, then that attack buff will remain applied to your attacks until it expires. If it is less than 20%, then the Increased Attack (Winded Enemy) buff will instead apply to your hits until it expires or a higher attack buff is introduced. 
 
Source: nioh2.wiki.fextralife.com – https://nioh2.wiki.fextralife.com/Increase+Attack). 
 
 

Sources and Links

 
The tests performed to discover this information are documented in the discord.com – https://discord.com/channels/613120795060862985/699734682320896030/838539576678940683 of the Nioh Community Discord server. 

• Link to original https://www.reddit.com/r/Nioh/comments/n7pprx/guide_the_stacking_of_zeroki_bonuses_against_yokai/?utm_source=share&utm_medium=web2x&context=3 
   
• Link to Nioh Community Discord: 
  https://discord.gg/GGs9zzjH 
   
• Link to Wiki page of Finishing Flair: 
  https://nioh2.wiki.fextralife.com/Finishing+Flair 
   
• Link to Wiki page of the Increased Attack buff: 
  https://nioh2.wiki.fextralife.com/Increase+Attack 
   
• Link to illustrated summary of The Stacking of Zero-ki Bonuses Against Yokai: 
  

Special Thanks

 
Thank you discord.com – https://discord.com/users/254694101721677824 for helping me collect damage output data related to zero-ki bonuses. 
 
Thank you discord.com – https://discord.com/users/246096223654772746 for performing the intial tests related to Finishing Flair and providing constant feedback regarding this topic. 
 
Thank you https://www.reddit.com/user/gaydesperado for performing tests on the Dojo Skeleton Warrior related to zero-ki bonuses and providing the Wiki pages for Finishing Flair and Increased Attack. 
 
 

Feel free to share your thoughts!

 
Everybody’s questions, comments and insights are more than welcome in the comments section. I thoroughly enjoy reading your inputs and am greatly looking forward to discussing more about this topic with you down below. 
 
Thank you for reading my work! 
 

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