As the Demi-Fiend, players of Shin Megami Tensei 3 Remaster venture into Tokyo before and after the horrific Conception in a last-ditch effort to save the world. And as with typical Shin Megami Tensei fashion, the Demi-Fiend and his allies have just the right Physical Skills to take down threats furthering their own agenda.
In Nocturne, Physical Skills serve as the most straightforward attack type across all Demons. However, their rather "basic" structure makes them one of the most reliable Skills out there. To top it off, some Physical Skills just outright pummel through threats with the right hands.
10 Iron Claw
Best Demons: Hresvelgr (Wilder, Level 75), Flauros (Fallen, Level 68), Cerberus (Beast, Level 61), Barong (Avatar, Level 60)
Befitting its straightforward nature, Iron Claw (Claw) attacks a foe with a brutal lunge. Thing is, this seemingly plain attack deals Heavy damage to a single claw. At the cost of 15% HP, this handy attack does have low accuracy but boasts a high critical.
Despite its rather low accuracy setback, Iron Claw is a decent staple in any high-level Demon's arsenal. In turn, mid-to-high-tier Demons such as Hresvelgr, Flauros, Cerberus, and Barong can grab Iron Claw as a basic Physical Skill on top of their more powerful skillsets.
9 Brutal Slash
Best Demons: Onkot (Yoma, Level 39), Zouchou (Kishin, Level 27), Momunofu (Brute, Level 22)
Brutal Slash (Weapon) might seem a typical heavy slash off a sword, but it packs a lot of punch. At the cost of 13% HP, a Demon can deal Heavy damage to a single enemy. However, it also carries a medium chance of scoring a critical hit. This might seem small compared to higher-tier skills, but Brutal Slash is a great early-game companion for early-game Demons such as Onkot, Zouchou, and Momunofu.
Moreover, as an HP-based Skill, the overall power of Brutal Slash scales with Max HP. In turn, giving Brutal Slash to a higher-level Demon via Fusion – with a bit of Max HP increase – can give Brutal Slash astonishing damage numbers.
8 Sacrifice
Best Demons: Rakshasa (Haunt, Level 63), Kin Ki (Brute, Level 59), Onkot (Yoma, Level 37)
As the name implies, Sacrifice needs users to sacrifice a huge part of themselves to deal damage to foes – in this case, their own lives. When triggered, Sacrifice (Almighty) deals Heavy Almighty damage to a random foe, with a low chance of dodging and a low chance of a critical hit. At first glance, sacrificing an entire unit just to deal Heavy damage doesn't seem too practical, right?
Thing is, Sacrifice in mid-game can help the player get out of sticky situations. Rakshasa, Kin-Ki, and Onkot seem to have builds dedicated to buffing them or debuffing opponents first to set up Sacrifice in emergency situations.
7 Mighty Gust
Best Demons: Atavaka (Deity, Innate), Ikusa (Brute, Level 46)
Mighty Gust (Weapon) slashes at the enemy alongside a gust of wind, dealing devastating damage to a single opponent. In Nocturne, Mighty Gust deals Heavy damage to an enemy. And with its medium critical hit chance and accuracy, Mighty Gust easily becomes a decent go-to attack in the mid-game.
Additionally, as an HP-based attack, a higher-level Demon can maximize Mighty Gust if they have high-enough Max HP. As such, Demons such as Atavaka and Ikusa are great mid-game companions to get Mighty Gust as part of their combat repertoire.
6 Stasis Blade
Best Demons: Raphael (Seraph, Level 87), Thor (Kishin, Level 79), Beiji-Weng (Fury, Innate)
Stasis Blade (Weapon) sends a cackle of lightning with a strike that can stop foes on their tracks. At the cost of 22%, Stasis Blade not only deals Heavy damage but also has a 65-percent chance of binding foes. Moreover, its high critical hit chance means Stasis Blade can deal massive damage to a single opponent. Thing is, it does have medium accuracy; consequently, it's still a minor risk for most players.
Thankfully, high-tier Demons such as Raphael and Thor can add Stasis Blade into their already-efficient arsenal. Players who need a quick stun can use Stasis Blade to do the job and even seal the enemy's defeat.
5 Last Resort
Best Demons: Loa (Night, Level 56), Phantom (Foul, Innate), Blob (Foul, Innate)
As the name implies, Last Resort (Almighty) is a Physical Skill that players should only use when there's no choice, and mechanically speaking, this attack sacrifices the user when used. However, as a result, the attack deals Heavy Almighty damage to both allies and foes. Due to its nature as an Almighty attack, its targets have no means of dodging it.
Unfortunately, despite its powerful nature, a huge caveat exists in that both allies and foes take on Last Resort's damage. In turn, this is best used with an ally with high Physical Resistance at Max HP.
4 Hassohappa
Best Demons: Shiva (Fury, Innate), Bishamon (Kishin, Level 77), Flauros (Fallen, Level 73), Wu Kong (Fury, Level 55)
People familiar with Japanese culture might have heard of Hassohappa in the context of swordsmanship. Originally found in the Kashima Shinden Jikishinkage-ryu, this attack translates to "eight-directions explosive-blast" which, by extension, means Hassohappa (Weapon) is a weapon-based attack in Nocturne.
For 35% HP, Hassohappa can deal a slash attack with a high chance of a critical hit. As an HP-based attack, Hassohappa depends on the user's overall Max HP to scale its power. Therefore, it works best with high-level Demons such as Shiva and Bishamon.
3 Kamikaze
Best Demons: Chimera (Holy, Level 58), Jinn (Yoma, Level 46)
Also known as Desperation or Kamikaze Charge, this Almighty Skill devastates the battlefield and tries to ensure no enemies are left in its wake. At the cost of the user's life, Kamikaze deals Mega Almighty damage to a single foe, offering a low chance of dodge and also critical hits.
Granted, Kamikaze does sacrifice the user's life to deal tremendous damage to an opponent. This means Kamikaze works best in emergency situations where an otherwise useful Demon has nothing left to do than to trigger this effect. In turn, high-level Demons such as Chimera and Jinn work well with Kamikaze in the mid-game.
2 Hell Fang
Best Demons: Beelzebub (Tyrant, Level 84), Lilith (Night, Level 82)
As the name suggests, Hell Fang (Bite) amasses the fury of Hell itself into a fierce bite. And despite the diminutive nature of this Physical Skill, this isn't something to underestimate. Essentially, for just 15% HP, this Bite can deal Heavy damage to one enemy with a high chance for a critical hit. In turn, Hell Fang is the highest single-damage attack a Demon can possess that costs the least amount of health.
As such, Hell Fang is such a great partner for high-level Demons that need a reliable Physical Skill against bosses. These include Beelzebub and Lilith, both A-Tier Demons that can maximize the potential of Hell Fang.
1 Hades Blast
Best Demons: Vishnu (Deity, Level 95), Thor (Kishin, Innate), Mada (Vile, Innate)
Hades Blast makes a return in Nocturne as a staple Physical Skill for higher-level Demons. As with most games, Hades Blast launches a swath of hits over multiple enemies, dealing Heavy Physical Damage to all enemies in the case of Nocturne.
What makes Hades Blast (Thrust) a go-to Physical Skill is its high critical rate. With the right combination, a Hades Blast can easily soften up foes for player allies to take care of. Granted, it costs 32% HP to cast, but its decent 41 power makes it a must-have staple for higher-level Demons in the player's roster.