Prosthetics make or break the game for any Sekiro player. While you can definitely finish the game without using a single prosthetic tool, the game is much more forgiving and fun to play with their inclusion.
That said, prosthetic use shouldn’t just be limited to only the two most useful ones. (I’m looking at you, firecrackers and shurikens) The other tools all have wonderful uses and effects for different situations, and mastering them all will make you a master shinobi.
Here are some tips and tricks to five of the prosthetic tools in Sekiro. If you missed the first part of our comprehensive guide, check it out here.
Shuriken
This is the very first prosthetic tool you encounter in Sekiro. It costs one spirit emblem to use, although some variations cost more. It lets you throw a shuriken at high speed, which may not deal a lot of damage, but is certainly useful at breaking the momentum of some enemies as well as cancelling some of their perilous attacks. It is especially useful for enemies who take to the air, as the shuriken can drop them before they get the drop on you.
PROTIP: Getting the Chasing Slice Skill allows you to weave in from afar after throwing a shuriken. This is helpful for openers on almost all opponents, allowing you to set the pace of each fight.
Notable Upgrades:
Gouging Top: An upgrade that allows the shuriken to pierce through guarded enemies, dealing vitality and posture damage. Holding the R2 or RT button will further charge the shuriken to damage the enemy multiple times. This upgrade is particularly useful for enemies who keep their guard up most of the time. It’s basic attack also cost just one spirit emblem, meaning it can be useful to spam this attack.
Lazulite Shuriken: The final upgrade to the Shuriken prosthetic. It works the same way as the gouging top, but deals more damage and will penetrate through multiple enemies. Incredibly useful in dealing with troops, as well as whittling down enemies from afar. Also cost one spirit emblem, so you can use it liberally.
Firecracker
Perhaps the most useful shinobi prosthetic. The firecracker temporarily stuns most enemies, and can be useful in openings or breaking enemy combos. It also inflicts posture damage on beast enemies, allowing you to possibly kill them faster. The firecracker can be acquired very early in the game, making it a favorite of speedrunners as it can basically affect every enemy, boss or miniboss in the game. It’s also relatively cheap to use, costing only two spirit emblems per cast.
PROTIP: Getting the Chasing Slice Skill will allow you to weave in from afar after using the firecrackers. This is helpful for openers on almost all opponents, allowing you to set the pace of the fight.
Notable Upgrades:
Long Spark: An upgrade that lengthens the effect of the firecracker by nearly double. It also has a wider range, which means that you can use it against large groups of enemies. Holding down the R2 or RT button will spread the firecracker around you, which is useful if you’re surrounded by enemies. It still costs two spirit emblems, making it a perfect replacement for the basic firecracker tool.
Purple Fume Spark: An upgrade that delays the explosion of the firecrackers in favor of a debuff that allows you to deal more health and posture damage to targets. This upgrade is situational in most times, but can be very useful for whittling down heavier and slower enemies. It also costs two emblems to use.
Flame Vent
A flamethrower-like tool that allows you to burn through enemies. The flame vent mainly deals fire damage, but repeated use can inflict the burn status, which is very useful against enemies as it can stun them via panicking. It is useful against clumped group of enemies, and overall damage output can be improved by using oil beforehand. Costs three spirit emblems to use.
PROTIP: Getting the Living Force Skill allows you to bathe your blade in flames immediately after casting the prosthetic, dealing extra damage for a few hits. This in turn allows you to build up the burn status much quicker.
Notable Upgrades:
Okinaga’s Flame Vent: An upgrade that allows you to release a short-ranged flame blast by holding down the R2 or RT button that knocks down most enemies, as well as applying a liberal amount of the burn status. Quickly repressing the R2 or RT button after the flame blast attack will release a continuous stream of fire until you release the button again, or your spirit emblems run out. Very useful for large groups of enemies. Costs three spirit emblems to use, with additional ones being consumed by the flame stream.
Axe
An axe prosthetic that allows for heavy, posture breaking attacks. This tool is especially useful for shield-bearing enemies, allowing you to break their shields and immediately deathblow them. Costs two spirit emblems to use, while some upgraded ones cost three.
PROTIP: Getting the Fang And Blade Skill gives you an overhead heavy attack that can stagger most enemies, making it extremely useful for finishers on the ogres.
Notable Upgrades:
Sparking Axe: A flame-variant upgrade that deals fire damage on successful blows. Costs three spirit emblems to use.
Lazulite Axe: The final upgrade for the axe prosthetic. The lazulite axe deals extra damage towards apparition type enemies, and its landing blow reverberates and dispels enemy illusions. This upgrade is useful for areas filled with apparitions, as well as the apparition minibosses.
Spear
A spear prosthetic, which in its base state can pierce enemies and then pull them with a second press of a button. The spear is a great opener against the basic foot soldier enemies, and its pull ability allows you to separate various foes. The large club-wielding enemies are also especially vulnerable to this, as the pull ability can yank off ill-fitting armor. The base state costs one spirit emblem to use, including the pull attack.
PROTIP: Getting the Chasing Slice Skill allows you to continue your combo after thrusting and pulling back the spear. You can also immediately cast it after the first thrust, which is an efficient opener on almost all opponents, allowing you to set the pace of the fight.
Notable Upgrades:
Spiral Spear: An upgrade which allows you to charge your thrust attacks for multiple hits that pierce through guards and deal decent amount of posture and vitality damage. Amazing for openers because of its long range. Also costs one spirit emblem to use.
Leaping Flame: An upgrade which, instead of a thrust, uses a flaming cleave that decimates and bathes enemies in fire. Very useful upgrade for crowd control, and allows you to focus on each enemy as you separate them. Costs two spirit emblems to use.
