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What is Locked Under Combat Arts in Sekiro?

The “locked” elements under the Combat Arts section in Sekiro: Shadows Die Twice primarily refer to unlockable skills and techniques that enhance Wolf’s combat abilities. These locked options represent a significant portion of the game’s depth, allowing players to customize their fighting style and gain an edge against the formidable enemies encountered throughout the game. They are unlocked by spending acquired skill points on various skill trees.

Unlocking Sekiro’s Combat Arts: A Detailed Guide

The combat in Sekiro is heavily reliant on a mix of skillful swordplay, precise deflections, and strategic use of tools and abilities. Combat Arts form the cornerstone of this system, offering a range of offensive and defensive maneuvers that can drastically alter the course of battle. Understanding what is locked behind these skill trees and how to unlock them is crucial for mastering the game.

Skill Trees and Their Contents

Sekiro features several distinct skill trees, each focusing on different aspects of combat and utility. These skill trees contain both active Combat Arts and passive Skills. Each tree has skills you can unlock, and they are initially locked until you spend the right number of skill points. Here’s a brief overview:

Shinobi Arts: Focuses on stealth, movement, and exploiting enemy weaknesses. Skills in this tree often revolve around quick repositioning, silent kills, and using tools to your advantage.
Prosthetic Arts: Enhances the effectiveness of the Shinobi Prosthetic tools. These skills augment the existing prosthetic functionalities, adding new attack patterns, improved reload speeds, and increased utility.
Ashina Arts: Teaches traditional Ashina sword techniques, emphasizing aggressive offense and powerful counterattacks. This tree provides powerful attacks that can break enemy posture quickly.
Mushin Arts: Unlocks after acquiring certain key skills from other trees. This is the final, most advanced skill tree, granting access to powerful and versatile combat arts that combine elements from all the previous disciplines.

How to Unlock Skills

Unlocking skills in Sekiro requires two primary resources: Skill Points and a Skill Tree Text.

Skill Points: These are earned by defeating enemies and accumulating experience. Once the experience bar fills up, you gain a skill point. It’s a typical RPG experience point system.
Skill Tree Text: These are key items that unlock access to specific skill trees. Examples include:
- Esoteric Texts: These texts unlock the different arts. They include:
  - Shinobi Arts Text: Obtained early in the game from the Sculptor.
  - Prosthetic Arts Text: Obtained from the Sculptor after upgrading the prosthetic arm several times.
  - Ashina Arts Text: Obtained from Isshin Ashina after defeating Genichiro.
  - Mushin Arts Text: Obtained from Emma after acquiring specific skills from other trees and completing certain story events.

Once you have both the necessary text and sufficient skill points, you can access the corresponding skill tree from any Sculptor’s Idol (the game’s equivalent of bonfires) and begin unlocking skills.

Examples of Locked Combat Arts

Here are some examples of the Combat Arts that are initially locked and become available as you progress:

Whirlwind Slash: A Shinobi Art that allows Wolf to perform a rapid series of slashes, damaging multiple enemies in a wide area. It is effective for crowd control.
Ichimonji: An Ashina Art that delivers a powerful overhead strike, significantly damaging an enemy’s posture. It can be charged for even greater impact.
Floating Passage: A Mushin Art that involves a flurry of quick, precise strikes that relentlessly pressure the enemy.
Empowered Mortal Draw: Unleashes a devastating attack powered by the Mortal Blade, dealing massive damage to enemies at the cost of Spirit Emblems.

Why Unlock Combat Arts?

Unlocking Combat Arts is essential for several reasons:

Increased Combat Versatility: Combat Arts give you new options for approaching combat, allowing you to adapt to different enemy types and situations.
Improved Damage Output: Many Combat Arts deal significantly more damage than basic attacks, allowing you to defeat enemies more quickly.
Enhanced Posture Break: Some Combat Arts are particularly effective at breaking an enemy’s posture, opening them up for a Deathblow.
Survival: Certain Combat Arts offer defensive benefits, such as increased mobility or the ability to deflect incoming attacks more effectively.
Personalized Playstyle: As you unlock more skills, you can customize your combat style to suit your preferences.

Strategic Considerations

When choosing which Combat Arts to unlock, consider the following:

Your Playstyle: Do you prefer aggressive offense, stealthy tactics, or a balanced approach?
Your Prosthetic Tool Usage: Are you making extensive use of your Shinobi Prosthetic? If so, focus on unlocking skills in the Prosthetic Arts tree.
Enemy Weaknesses: Certain Combat Arts are more effective against specific enemy types. Experiment and discover which techniques work best in different situations.

The Importance of Experimentation

Sekiro encourages experimentation. Don’t be afraid to try out different Combat Arts and see how they work. Some skills might seem underwhelming at first, but they can become incredibly powerful when used in the right situation.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

Here are 15 frequently asked questions about what is locked under combat arts in Sekiro, designed to provide further clarification and guidance:

How do I access the Skill Tree menu? You can access the Skill Tree menu by resting at a Sculptor’s Idol and selecting the “Acquire Skills” option.
What are Spirit Emblems, and how do they relate to Combat Arts? Spirit Emblems are a resource required to use certain Combat Arts and Prosthetic Tools. You can acquire them by finding them in the world, purchasing them from merchants, or regaining them after defeating certain enemies.
Can I reset my Skill Points in Sekiro? No, there is no way to reset your Skill Points in Sekiro. Therefore, it’s crucial to carefully consider which skills you want to unlock.
What is the best Skill Tree to focus on early in the game? The Shinobi Arts tree is generally a good choice for beginners, as it provides useful skills for stealth and movement. The Prosthetic Arts are also good due to improving vital prosthetics.
Are there any Combat Arts that are absolutely essential? While there is no single “essential” Combat Art, Mikiri Counter (from the Shinobi Arts tree) is highly recommended, as it allows you to counter perilous thrust attacks, which are common among enemies. Ichimonji is also amazing.
What is the “Mushin Arts” skill tree, and how do I unlock it? The Mushin Arts is the final skill tree. It is unlocked by acquiring certain key skills from other trees, such as the final skills in the Ashina, Shinobi, and Prosthetic Arts trees and talking to Emma.
Can I unlock all the skills in the game? Yes, it is possible to unlock all the skills in the game with enough playthroughs (New Game +) and grinding, though it requires a significant time investment.
What’s the best way to farm Skill Points? The best way to farm Skill Points is to defeat challenging enemies repeatedly, especially in later areas of the game, or use the mask to convert vitality into experience.
Do different enemies require different Combat Arts to defeat them effectively? Yes, certain Combat Arts are more effective against specific enemy types. Experimentation is key to finding the best techniques for each encounter.
What is the difference between Combat Arts and Skills? Combat Arts are active abilities that you can use in combat, while Skills are passive bonuses that improve your stats or abilities.
How do I equip a Combat Art? You can equip a Combat Art by going to the Sculptor’s Idol and choosing it from the Combat Arts menu. You can have one Combat Art equipped at a time.
Are there any hidden or secret Combat Arts in Sekiro? While most Combat Arts are unlocked through the skill trees, some may require specific actions or quests to unlock.
What happens if I die while I’m building up experience towards a Skill Point? You will lose half of your current experience and sen (the game’s currency), but you won’t lose any Skill Points that you have already earned.
Is it better to focus on one Skill Tree at a time, or should I spread my Skill Points around? This depends on your playstyle. Focusing on one tree can give you access to powerful skills quickly, but spreading your points around can provide a more well-rounded skillset.
How does the Kusabimaru sword relate to Combat Arts? The Kusabimaru is Wolf’s primary weapon and is essential for executing Combat Arts. Upgrading the Kusabimaru at the Sculptor enhances its damage, making your Combat Arts more effective.

What is locked under combat arts Sekiro?