This guide covers critical gameplay tips, combat mechanics, and economic strategies to keep in mind when starting Sekiro: Shadows Die Twice. Adapting to Sekiro's custom combat pacing will save you hours of frustration.
Key Gameplay & Combat Tips
1. Unlearn the "Souls" Dodge
- Dodge Sparingly: If you come from Dark Souls or Bloodborne, your instinct is to roll or dodge. In Sekiro, dodge invincibility frames are tiny. Deflecting is almost always safer and builds up the enemy's posture bar.
- Stand Your Ground: Stand in front of your enemy and trade blows. Be aggressive: strike until they deflect you (producing a loud clanging sound and a bright spark), then prepare to deflect their counter-attack immediately.
2. Listen to the Rhythm of Steel
- Audio Cues: Deflecting is a rhythm game. A regular block sounds like a dull thump. A perfect deflection sounds like a sharp, metallic "CLANG!" accompanied by a bright orange splash of sparks. When you hear the clang, it is the enemy's turn to attack.
- Deflect Spamming: Rapidly tapping the block button reduces your deflection window. Try to time your taps precisely with the enemy's attacks.
3. Use Hanbei the Undying for Practice
- Train at the Temple: Hanbei is a friendly undead warrior standing to the right of the Dilapidated Temple. Speak to him to practice thrust counters, sweep jumps, step dodges, and combos. It is a completely safe, penalty-free environment to build muscle memory.
Resource Management & Economics
1. Store Your Gold in Coin Purses
- Secure Currency: When you die completely, you lose 50% of your loose gold and XP progress toward your next skill point. This loss is permanent. To protect your wealth, purchase Coin Purses from Memorial Mob merchants. Gold inside purses is not lost upon death. Use them only when you need to buy something.
- Spend Before Bosses: If you are close to earning a skill point or have a lot of gold, grind out the rest of the XP level or buy coin purses/spirit emblems before entering a boss arena. You cannot lose skill points you have already unlocked, only the progress toward the next one.
2. Eavesdropping is Key
- Gather Intel: Stealthily hide behind walls or hang from ledges near guards. When the "Eavesdrop" prompt appears, press the button to listen. Guards will often reveal structural weaknesses of nearby mini-bosses (e.g., that the Chained Ogre fears fire) or the locations of hidden Shinobi Prosthetic tools.
Upgrades & Character Progression
- Memories and Prayer Beads: You do not level up stats with XP. Instead, defeat main bosses to obtain Memories, which you consume at Sculptor's Idols to increase Attack Power. Collect 4 Prayer Beads from mini-bosses or hidden locations to create a Prayer Necklace, upgrading your Vitality and Posture.
- Dragonrot: Do not panic about Dragonrot. While it reduces your chance of receiving "Unseen Aid" (which prevents XP/gold loss on death) and pauses NPC questlines, it can be easily cured later in the game. Do not let the fear of Dragonrot stop you from playing aggressively.
If you're stuck on a particular boss or need help finding all the secrets, refer to our step-by-step Sekiro Campaign Walkthrough.
Back to Walkthrough Hub