Favorite combat arts for bosses?

[CazadorDeLobo]

It's fine if it's just Ichimonji. There's truly no need for an explanation, if so, as it possesses traits which make it undeniably useful, however less so at certain times and vs. a small number of enemies than other combat arts.

Since unlocking Sakura Dance from the Gauntlet with Inner Genichiro, I've found it to be incredibly useful versus every boss in the game, more dealing with vitality health than posture. The art when performed from the ground is done in a double-jump, and with mid-air prosthetic enabled, allows you to follow-up in a variety of interesting ways.

My favorite use of this trait is to Flame Vent just before landing, which allows the follow-up weapon buffing slice. Using Sakura Dance repeatedly with fire buff often guarantees a boss will be lit aflame, providing an alternative to simply fully-charged R2ing that is often more successful when this aggressive spamming tactic is utilized.

If you happen to know the boss' openings for the fully-charged version, that will give you more damage for the emblem cost, but the alternative method can interrupt AI behaviors and give you a much more predictable response - setting a boss on fire usually comes with an animation and window of opportunity, more easily exploited while up-close, an advantage lost by fully-charging the flame vent as it pushes you back.

Then there's the Spear, which I use primarily to catch and pull a boss that tries to jump away after landing. I haven't used it much since my primary testing for much of the set-ups for this art was on Owl, and yeah... get mikiri'd lol

Anyways, what's your favorite combat art for bosses, or a situation where a combat art was super useful when you weren't expecting it?

[Raemnant]

Honestly, I used Whirlwind Slash since the beginning. Short and simple, does great vitality and posture damage. I dont need anything else

[Apekatt]

Welp...criticise me all you want for my choices, these are simply the ones that I have used the most and will continue to do so: Whirlwind Slash, Floating Passage, Spiral Cloud Passage and Dragon Flash. I do want Sakura Dance, but Lady Butterfly says otherwise... Also want to get one mind and try that out. Problem is, I don't know if I have the strength to do shura...

[SmashingQuasar]

I don't use combat arts and prosthetic tools only when they are extremely useful. For example the umbrella on DoH is incredibly good. Same for shuriken on Lady Butterfly. The rest of the time I just play with the sword and parries and that's about it. I don't really need combat arts and I am always a bit afraid that they will simply make me loose the flow of the fight.

[Don Lobo]

Unlocked Floating Passage or Spiral Cloud Passage. Why unlocked? Because when you're locked-on all Sekiro does is step forward and do the tech. Unlocked, you can change directions slightly. If you use it to the side of an enemy, and then use the steps forward to circle around as the enemy's tracking makes them turn to face you, you can follow their backs or sides with each set of attacks connecting to, ideally, hit vitality every time. Hard to master, very satisfying to see, and does tons of vitality damage.

Also, for Sakura Dance. Is not common for you to use it on bosses, but try using Bestowal Ninjutsu and then using Sakura Dance. Particularly useful if coated in gecko’s poisonous blood, or even better if you use the white geckos, as their blood heals you and when used for Bestowal it will heal you a bit on every hit that connects.