Ronin serve a special place in keeping the party alive in Ghost of Tsushima: Legends. While they possess some combat-centric abilities, it’s undeniable they function best as awesome healers capable of keeping everyone around them alive.
Building the perfect Ronin can be a bit challenging for players new to the game or switching away from the more aggressive roles. For players wanting to know how to get the most out of this warrior, there are a few crucial things to keep in mind with regards to the build.
Updated on September 30, 2021 by Ben Baker: While the core fundamentals of the Ronin build haven’t changed, there are some nuances that can sometimes be overlooked. For instance, while the Katana doesn’t matter for the Ronin, there are some Katanas that are better than others. There’s also a powerful tool in the Ronin’s arsenal that was completely omitted in the original version of this article. It has now been updated to mention which Katana should be considered, and why the Spirit Kunai is a major help for the Ronin. For those looking to make the best Ronin build, this new information will be very helpful in getting the most out of it.
Low-Level Distraction
At lower levels the Ronin is meant to serve as a distraction. They’re tasked with keeping the enemy occupied while teammates pick them off. While this isn’t the ultimate fate of the Ronin, it is important to keep in mind while building at lower levels.
The player will want gear designed to keep the Ronin alive and help them crowd control opponents via staggering. The Ronin will feel weak at these levels, but it does get better with time and is merely a bump in the road to greatness.
Mid Level Support
In the mid-levels Ronin becomes a support class capable of healing allies and shifting the tides of battle. The player will still need to work as a distraction depending on the skills they have access to, and get their hands dirty a lot.
They also need to focus on healing others when it becomes available. The player will also start to learn the importance of Resolve for the Ronin and look at gear to help feed the hunger. The key here is to be adaptive and serve the needs of the team.
End Game Healing Powerhouse
Ronin at higher levels are incredible healers capable of bringing allies back from the brink and turning a potential loss into a victory. The Ronin build at this stage must become obsessed with keeping allies healed and alive at all times.
Resolve is incredibly important and all gear should focus on keeping those reserves topped off while keeping the Ronin alive. Allies will take care of the enemy and the Ronin will take care of the allies. Any crowd control or alternative support only occurs if no one needs healing.
Spirit Animal Vs Healing Incense
The Ronin has two class abilities to choose from depending on their level. Spirit Animal summons a canine friend to the battlefield. While they do have combat abilities, they lack the staying power and teeth to be anything other than a distraction.
Healing Incense drops a small pot on the ground that heals allies in its vicinity. As soon as Healing Incense is available, it should become the default pick. Spirit Animal is only really useful when it’s the only option available; come level 10, it should be traded out.
Perk 1 Options
There are three options for the first Perk slot:
- Enhanced Ghost Weapons – Increases Ghost Weapon damage by 50%.
- Weakening Burst – Debuffs enemy damage by 25% and their protections by 25%.
- Ronin Unleashed – Decrease Class Ability cooldown by 15%.
The best perk is Ronin Unleashed, which can maximize healing if Healing Incense is available. Weakening Burst is the next best for buffing allies’ efforts as support. Enhanced Ghost Weapons is only useful if it’s the only option.
Perk 2 Options
Perk 2 has three choices for the Ronin:
- Staggering Imposition – Increases Stagger damage by 15%.
- Resolve Increase – Increases max Resolve by one.
- Quick Regen – Increases healing received and health regen by 50%.
Ideally, Resolve Increase should be the priority, as it allows the Ronin to use abilities more often. Quick Regen may work if there’s another healer on the team or the Ronin keeps dying. Staggering Imposition really only works if the Ronin is fighting which should only be at lower levels.
Perk 3 Options
There are three options to choose for Perk 3:
- Soothing Breath – Causes Ultimate Ability to also heal overtime for eight seconds.
- Fire Breath – Causes Ultimate Ability to deal fire damage to all enemies nearby.
- Legendary – Increases the number of Legendaries the Ronin can equip by one.
Soothing Breath is by far the best choice for the added healing when reviving allies. Fire Breath is a solid choice if the Ronin can keep everyone alive without having to spam the ultimate. Legendary, on the other hand, really isn’t all that useful compared to the others.
Bombs Are The Weapon Of Choice
When the Ronin is healing allies, they should be engaging in combat with bombs. They are the only role that gains access to bombs right away, and they should exploit this for all it's worth. Bombs are ranged weapons that allow the Ronin to stay out of trouble.
Sticky Bombs are useful for this, as they can target specific enemies and stun them to let allies mop them up. Black Powder Bombs are invaluable for fighting the Oni, as it sets them on fire. When not healing the Ronin should be lobbing bombs to soften the enemy and crowd control.
Defense Charms Are Ideal
Ronins should be laden with Defense Charms. Because the Ronin is prioritizing keeping others healed and on their feet, they’ll likely take a few hits. Having some staying power is key to shrugging off these hits.
If the Ronin goes down, the entire group goes down. This is especially true on higher difficulties like Nightmare Survival. So the player should dedicate as many Charms as possible to giving the Ronin resiliency and better tanking abilities.
Swords Don’t Matter
When the Ronin has the right Perks and Class Abilities, the sword becomes all but irrelevant. Most of the time a Ronin will be healing. When not healing they’ll be lending support through Perks or crowd control measures with bombs.
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If the player is insistent upon using a Katana primarily (though this is not recommended when the Spirit Kunai is an option), there are generally two choices that work for the Ronin build: The Water Katana with Way of Flame, or the Masamune’s Edge with Wind Stance. Either would work just fine.
The Water Katana has the chance to stagger the opponent, which can buy time for allies to get the kill or stall for cooldowns. Meanwhile, Masamune’s Edge has a 20% chance to deal double damage with each attack. Again, Katanas are a secondary tool in the Ronin’s arsenal, but either of these swords would suit the build just fine.
The Power Of The Spirit Kunai
Weapons are largely an afterthought when it comes to the Ronin, but there is one that has gained some attention from Ronin mains lately. The Spirit Kunai has some incredible potential with the Ronin thanks to its ranged attack and special ability.
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Whenever the player makes a kill with the Kunai, all of their cooldowns are decreased by 15%. While this is isn’t terribly special with other characters, it’s huge for the Ronin build. This means with every kill, players will be able to heal their team sooner, leading to fewer deaths and allowing them to keep health topped off more effectively. It can also be combined with Munitions to keep everyone stocked on ammo.
The range of the Spirit Kunai also works well when fighting at a distance with bombs. Ronins also receive a bump in damage when using Ghost Weapons, making them ideally suited for the Spirit Kunai. Keep in mind the Spirit Kunai doesn’t mean the Ronin is suddenly an offensive powerhouse, but it synergizes well with its core objective of keeping others alive.