Jin Sakai isn't just a samurai. Honestly, he's more of a blender. If you’ve spent any time on the island of Tsushima, you know the feeling of getting surrounded by a pack of Mongols and suddenly realizing your standard katana swings are just bouncing off shields like toothpicks. It's frustrating. You’re supposed to be this legendary warrior, yet a guy with a wooden plank is making you look like an amateur. That’s where Ghost of Tsushima stances come in. They aren't just "modes" or "stats." They are the heartbeat of the combat system. If you aren't switching stances every few seconds, you're playing the game wrong.
It's about flow.
When Sucker Punch designed this game, they didn't want a button-masher. They wanted a tactical ballet. You see a spearman? You change. You see a big guy with an axe? You change again. It’s snappy, it’s visceral, and once you get the muscle memory down, it feels like you're actually choreographing a Kurosawa film in real-time.
Why Ghost of Tsushima Stances Are More Than Just Rock-Paper-Scissors
A lot of people compare the stance system to a simple game of rock-paper-scissors. Stone beats swords, Water beats shields. While that’s basically the gist of it, the nuance goes way deeper than just "this beats that." Each stance fundamentally alters Jin's center of gravity, his recovery frames, and how he interacts with the environment.
Take Stone Stance. It's your default. It’s what you start with when the game drops you into the invasion of Komoda Beach. It's designed specifically to dismantle other swordsmen. The heavy attacks (Triangle/Y) deal massive stagger damage to guys holding katanas. But here’s the thing: Stone Stance is also your best tool for raw DPS (damage per second) against staggered enemies. Even if you broke a shieldman's guard using Water Stance, switching back to Stone to deliver the finishing blows is often the more efficient play. It’s about knowing when to break the rules.
The Four Pillars of Combat
You unlock these by observing or killing Mongol leaders. It’s a slow burn. You start with Stone, then usually move to Water, Wind, and finally Moon. Each one feels distinct.
Stone Stance is all about verticality and piercing. It’s grounded. You’ll notice Jin keeps his blade high or centered. The "Full Puncture" upgrade is a game-changer because it lets you thrust through enemies, catching them before they even start their animation. It’s the stance of a traditional samurai—disciplined and direct.
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Water Stance is where things get fluid. This is your shield-breaker. If you’ve ever fought a Mongol General with a shield, you know they are annoying. They turtle up. Water Stance allows you to unleash a flurry of strikes that just melts their block meter. The "Flowing Strikes" upgrade is arguably the most satisfying move in the game. You hold the heavy attack button and just let out a stream of five hits. It’s beautiful.
Wind Stance is for the spearmen. I hate spearmen. They have that annoying reach and those unblockable red-glint attacks. Wind Stance is Jin’s answer to that. It’s heavy on kicks. You aren't just using your sword; you're using your boots to create distance. The "Typhoon Kick" isn't just a move—it’s a crowd control tool. You can literally kick a spearman off a cliff. It’s hilarious and effective.
Moon Stance is for the "Brutes"—the big guys carrying cannons, huge axes, or maces. These enemies don't flinch easily. Moon Stance uses spinning, circular motions to hit hard and fast. It’s the most "acrobatic" of the four, which is ironic considering it’s used against the heaviest enemies.
The Secret Sauce: Ghost Stance and Posture
We can't talk about Ghost of Tsushima stances without mentioning the one that turns the game into a horror movie for the Mongols: the Ghost Stance. This isn't something you switch to on a whim. You earn it. You either kill a leader or take down seven enemies without taking a hit.
Once you activate it? The screen turns monochrome. The wind howls. Enemies literally trip over themselves in fear. You get three free kills. It’s a power trip, sure, but it’s also a strategic resource. If you’re at 10% health and surrounded, Ghost Stance is your "get out of jail free" card. It resets the pace of the fight.
Mastering the Stagger Gauge
Every enemy has a white bar above their head. That’s the stagger gauge. This is actually more important than their health bar. In Ghost of Tsushima, a staggered enemy is a dead enemy.
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The stances are designed to deplete that white bar as fast as possible. If you use Stone Stance against a shieldman, you'll see the bar barely move. Switch to Water, and two heavy hits will shatter it. This is why high-level play looks like Jin is constantly twitching—pro players are switching stances mid-combo to account for whoever is standing closest to them.
Real Tactics: Combining Stances with Ghost Weapons
Mastery isn't just about the sword. It’s about the synergy. A common mistake players make is trying to use stances in a vacuum. You should be mixing in your tools.
Imagine this. You’re in Wind Stance, and a spearman is charging. You parry, give him a Typhoon Kick, and while he’s flying backward, you swap to Stone Stance, throw a Kunai to stagger his buddy, and then use a Piercing Strike on the guy you just kicked. That’s how you handle a mob.
The game rewards creativity. Using the "Way of the Flame" (an undying mythic technique) while in Water Stance makes your flurry of strikes unblockable and sets everyone on fire. It’s borderline broken, but man, it feels good.
The Learning Curve
Don't feel bad if you fumbled the buttons early on. Switching stances requires holding R2 and pressing a face button (Cross, Circle, Triangle, Square). In the heat of a fight with five different enemy types, your brain will short-circuit. It happens to everyone.
The trick is to stop looking at the UI. You start to recognize the enemies by their silhouettes.
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- Holding a stick? Wind. * Round board? Water. * Big and round? Moon. * Just a guy with a sword? Stone.
Eventually, your thumb just knows where to go.
What Most People Get Wrong About Late-Game Combat
A common misconception is that once you get the "Ghost" abilities and high-tier armor like the Sakai Clan Armor or the Sarugami Armor, stances don't matter as much. That’s a trap.
In the Iki Island expansion, Sucker Punch introduced "Shamans." These guys chant and buff every enemy around them, making them hyper-aggressive and harder to stagger. If you aren't using the correct Ghost of Tsushima stances against a Shaman-buffed enemy, you are going to die. Quickly.
Even on "Lethal" difficulty—where Jin dies in one or two hits—the stance system becomes your primary defense. Parrying is great, but breaking an enemy's guard before they can even swing is better. It's the ultimate "the best defense is a good offense" philosophy.
Actionable Steps for Tsushima Mastery
If you're looking to elevate your game, don't just wander around looking for random encounters. You need a plan to refine your muscle memory.
- Prioritize Mongol Leaders: Don't just kill them from a distance with a longbow. Sneak into camps and "Observe" them first. This doubles your progress toward unlocking the next stance. You basically get two points for the price of one.
- Charm Synergy: Use charms that increase Stagger Damage. The "Charm of Amaterasu" (kills restore health) combined with "Charm of Susanoo" (staggered enemies have a 30% chance to be knocked down) makes your stance-switching deadly.
- Practice the "Switch Mid-Air": You can actually initiate a stance change while jumping or dodging. This eliminates the "pause" in momentum.
- The Sarugami Test: If you really want to test your skills, put on the Sarugami Armor (from Iki Island). it disables regular parries but gives you massive rewards for Perfect Parries. It forces you to learn enemy patterns and which stances help you position yourself for those perfect windows.
- Don't Ignore the Heavies: A lot of people try to use kunai on Brutes. Save your kunai for the fast-moving dogs or sword-grunts. Use the Moon Stance’s spinning kick to deal with the big guys. It’s more reliable.
Mastering these stances is what separates a player who struggles through the story from a player who feels like the actual Ghost of Tsushima. It takes a few hours for the "click" to happen, but once it does, the combat becomes one of the most satisfying experiences in modern gaming. Just remember: stay fluid, watch the hands, and never stay in one stance for too long.
Next time you see a Mongol patrol, don't just rush in swinging. Watch them. Switch your grip. Then strike.