Nioh 2 - How to beat Kasha
After the run of rock-hard human enemies and super-sized Yokai, it’s kind of nice to touch base with a straightforward boss again. If only that boss wasn’t a rollerblading demon with a whip that does more AoE damage than pretty much anything you’ve faced so far. Here’s how to beat Kasha in Nioh 2.
This battle is similar to how you’d approach fighting Wheelmonks in the level up to now, just with a lot more health and a few more tricks to deal with.
Nioh 2 - How to beat Kasha
Below is a video of my successful run on my first blind playthrough of Nioh 2. I got lucky in the sense that she didn’t use her strongest ability (summoning extra enemies) during the battle.
This shows that if you’re struggling, be persistent - a god run is always possible where you luck out.
Although quite straightforward in the sense that you’re just dodging and punishing Kasha’s moves, this is a long boss fight. She just has an absolute ton of health.
It’s also a more intense fight than usual, because you have to dodge the majority of her basic combos to avoid AoE damage through your guard. Be careful if you rely on the Quick-change ninjutsu. If you’re killed by chip damage it doesn’t work.
Look out for the three main Burst Counters, as these are likely your best chance to score some hits.
The first Burst Counter is where she leans down and skates at you. Meet this head on.
Second is where she skates at you, but swishing her whip. It’s the whip hits that you’re trying to Burst Counter here, so aim for those with you Burst Counter move rather than just Kasha herself.
Finally, there’s another Burst Counter where she swings the whip around her head before slamming it down. This is another one of the fake-out Counters which has a really long delay between the flash and execution - don’t be baited by the down-time.
As for basic attacks, you can’t block her rollerskating run across the arena, otherwise you’ll get caught in the flame trail. Dodge roll to the side to evade damage. You can then sprint over to get in a couple of attacks as she resets.
This goes for just about all of her combos, many of which leave fire puddles in their wake. Dodge step backwards, then dash into her wheels at the end for a quick retaliation. Don’t stay near too long though, otherwise she’ll follow-up with a close-rangle claw combo.
Her weak point is her wheels, particularly the axis in its centre. Over time Amrita crystals form here, which you can shoot off for some extra damage. A bullseye on that part of her wheel at any time will deal a nice chunk however.
This also deals a significant amount of Ki damage to her, which you can exhaust for a stagger grapple.
In the Yokai Realm, that strategy is largely the same, just keep your Ki Pulses in check to make sure you don’t run out of stamina.
One attack you need to watch out for is the overhead slam where she leaps up in the air. Roll backwards diagonally to avoid its long range.
At about half health, she’ll start to try and trap you in a circle of flame. It’s possible to backpedal quickly when she stops in front of you to evade capture.
If you do get caught in the middle, you can block the overhead whip crack then roll backwards as the flame circle peters out.
Sometimes she conjures a spinning top to home in on you. You can either sprint away from this or hit it before it hits you.
Rarely, she can also summon two gaki - which is low-key about the most OP thing any boss in the game has done so far. If you’re unlucky enough for this to happen, I’d suggest prioritizing them, otherwise you’ll get jumped.
To sum up, you need to dodge sideways from her rollerblading attacks and sprint in close to her wheels to retaliate, you need to punish the Burst Counters she throws your way, and you need to hang on the end of her attack range, ready to shoot her wheels or dash in for a quick hit at the end of her combos.
Defeating Kasha unlocks the 9-tailed fox Guardian Spirit for all you Naruto fans out there.
Here's our list of Nioh 2 boss guides!
For more on Nioh 2, here are the best weapons we’ve seen in the game so far.